THE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION – HOW TO SUCCEED (ISSUE 159) DECEMBER 23, 2014

By Diane Gold

The New Year’s Resolution time of year is here, and our habit of setting one is age old. For this year, I’d like to offer a simple way to succeed that is easy, works for any goal and requires no self-esteem and no self-motivation.

HABITS

We all have habits, which are created from consistent repetition of the same action. We (1) get an urge by a trigger’s going off within (the urge to write music, eat, take drugs, swim) or we create our own trigger through external stimulation (leaving the running shoes next to our bed which triggers our putting them on and, possibly, some day, running in them which may trigger the urge to go out and show our newly exercised body off). Some habits add to our lives; others, take away more energy than they give.

THE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

There is a ritual of creating the New Year’s Resolution. This ritual is popular, so it turns into a habit by the very nature of peers questioning,

“What’s your New Year’s Resolution?”

Once upon a time, we set goals for ourselves whenever the time to do so was appropriate. Now, we do it as the calendar changes. So, we are peer pressured to have a resolution to announce to others and ourselves.
Motivating? Maybe, or this may just keep us in that box of doing things for others and neglecting ourselves. Unless we put the opinions, gossip, judgments of others in perspective, we may not live with honor to ourselves.

PEER PRESSURE – INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL

It is crucial to understand the difference between personally subscribing to peer pressure and externally accommodating the rules of peer pressure to be in harmony with society. We can decide that we, personally, do not put much value in the group ethic or what the group of peers is saying, or I may care about one group, and you may care about another. It’s important to act our truth. We may decide to act in a particular social manner so that peers can enjoy interacting with us and eventually understand our focus. We choose how far we compromise our ultimate truth, if, at all.

Example of peer pressure to look good:

Let’s say there are two kinds of clothing to wear, and, for today’s example, we don’t have the opportunity to make or obtain any other kind. One kind is stylish and looks runway-model-like. It is made from a combination of genetically modified cotton (which most of our cotton is) and a petroleum based fabric, polyester.

The other kind of clothing is made with sustainable bamboo that is more casual, is not genetically modified, is not sprayed with pesticides and whose crop replenishes at a rate faster than it is used.

(Note that genetic modification is completely different from plants sprayed with pesticide. Just because something is not sprayed does not mean its seeds were not genetically manipulated. And vice versa.)

People judge us. To that, we act from our own core values. Some people would immediately use the runway clothing because they would value looking stylish, glamorous and impeccably fashioned. I’m the first to say that dressing up can add happiness to the environment, stimulates the senses, makes the wearer feel exceptional and the wearer can get into more parties. I, personally, would like to look runway-model-like. But, more important to me (now, in my life) is my ability to educate about sustainability and genetic modification. So I would choose the bamboo clothes to send my message.

HOW TO SUCCEED (THE ACTION STEPS)

Whatever leads us to originate the New Year’s Resolution, we may choose this time of year to pull out a goal that feels right to us. Let’s look at the method for success:

1) PICK 1 TASK.

2) WRITE DOWN the very first action step you have to do to begin the task.

3) RESOLVE TO DO THAT TASK. Once this one step is completed, you will have completed your resolution. That’s it. Congrats.

EXAMPLE

Let’s say my giant task is to learn French. My resolution would be either to get a language book or find a course online. It would not include beginning the book or course, reading pages or producing sounds. Those would be tasks for another day.

CONCLUSION

We have discussed that our habit of setting a New Year’s Resolution may come from our habit of responding to peer pressure which may have come from our desire for recognition which may have been nurtured into us. So, looking right in front of us, without looking down the 5-year path or the 5-step path, concentrating on one step is all that matters.

Once we take that first step, we have succeeded. We may choose to take another. We like success, whether this has been nurtured into us or whether we like advancing society for its own sake. Taking 1 step allows us to complete our New Year’s Resolution entirely. If it is a worthy action, we may choose to repeat the 1 step process. The important thing is that we have set and achieved our New Year’s Resolution. Our future acts can be framed by this.

If you wish to share your story, please hit reply in your email program to be contacted.

If you need habit help, go to warriorsofweight-consulting.

FEEDBACK

We value your feedback very much.

Please leave a comment below.

Please LIKE us on the website and at

WarriorsOfWeight on Facebook.

You can also follow us on Twitter: @warriorsoweight.

Thanks.

DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition, peaceful conflict resolution and habit replacement.

She is happy to be here. She says,

“We all have amazing ideas. Often, around a new calendar year, we create a goal for ourselves. Often, we plan multiple steps and multiple goals. It’s true, we may very well succeed at these. However, a sure fire way to the finish line is to have a small scope from which to focus, similar to using a microscope or a telescope. Both these tools allow us to hone in on one piece of the whole. That’s the method. Do one simple step. This is success. If another step is needed to proceed, do it. At least, in doing so, we will begin to become an expert at taking 1 step, which is all that is important right now.

“Thank you for all your support for WarriorsOfWeight.com. May we consider a little more social justice this coming year and realize how royal we all are.

“Finally, let us all take extra good care of ourselves because we are so worth it!”

THE AIRPLANE WORKOUT IS HERE: STOP IN-FLIGHT CLOTS (ISSUE 158) DECEMBER 16, 2014

By Diane Gold

The Airplane Workout, just in time for the holidays, can stop in-flight clots. With almost no effort on an airplane flight, we can do the simplest and most effective thing to protect ourselves from getting a blood clot while we’re on a plane.

Did you know that you could get blood clots from flying – and they are often invisible and come without warning?

As a matter of fact, according to the World Health Organization’s Research 1 in 6,000 healthy travelers will have a life threatening blood clot on a flight over 4 hours long as clotting enzymes increase. Frequent travelers are at much greater risk.

There are 815 million U.S. travelers per year (rita.dot.gov), meaning 135,000 are subject to clotting in flight . According to hopkinsmedicine.org, 3% end up with a pulmonary embolism that ends up in death. That’s 4,000 people per year in the U.S. alone who could die from a clot that originated on an airplane.

With similar statistics worldwide, this number would triple to about 12,000 people a year!

Furthermore, hopkinsmedicine.org says that people who suffer from obesity, use contraceptives, are extreme in height and have thrombotic blood (which points to those with clotting problems to begin with) multiply the calculation of risk. These added risks have been repeatedly corroborated in other research.

OUR EASY AND FUN LIFESAVING WORKOUT

But here’s the good news . . .

We can prevent this silent and deadly killer in its tracks just by doing certain exercise activities on the plane. We can significantly reduce chances a blood clot might happen to us.

Would deterring a possible life-threatening embolism be a good reason to do a workout when we fly?

ABSOLUTELY!

Now, if I’m thinking – I can just get up and walk to the back of the plane. Well the truth is, sometimes we can’t, with the food and drink service, and, other times, turbulence may have taken over and the pilot specifically asks us to remain seated.

ACTION STEP – DO A SAMPLE EXERCISE FROM THE AIRPLANE WORKOUT

That’s why, today, I want to share a fun and easy exercise you can start doing immediately. You will see that it moves a large portion of your body while you are seated.

1) Sit with your back straight and shoulders forward of the hips with space between the chair back and where you place your personal seat.

2) Place relaxed elbows against rib cage with palms on the thighs.

3) Place feet flat on ground, shoulder width apart.

4) Relax the shoulders and lower the chin.

5) Simultaneously, place left and right feet together, and lift the toes.

6) Then come through the flat foot and lift the heels.

7) Then come through the flat foot, and repeat the sequence 29 times, ending with the feet flat.

8) Keep the shoulders forward of the hips with elbows on the rib cage.

9) Relax, and say,

“Ah.”

This exercise will get you started, whether at home or in-flight.

This is just one of the simple exercises you can do on a plane. As a matter of fact, I created The Airplane Workout as an entire “workout” plan.

GET IT HERE, NOW!

OTHER BENEFITS

The other amazingly valid reason to do a workout on an airplane is to give us the energy and creativity we need to rock any business presentation, social event, family adventure at our destination.

PERCEPTION

Let’s talk about how we perceive the flight itself. Most of us figure we can get some rest, listen to music, engage in friendly talk with our neighbor, or do some business with no interruption. We could also dedicate our time to eating genetically modified peanuts, full of the worst kind of salt, as we progress along on our journey.

We don’t give much time to the idea that we, an integrated set of body/mind systems, have the ability to become more relaxed, more productive, more creative, more energetic, and more spiritually stable if we took the time to cultivate ourselves. And movement is the healthiest method to get us there.

WHY THE AIRPLANE WORKOUT IS PERFECT

When we think about it, airplane time is the perfect arena for tuning up on fitness. There isn’t the distraction of other gym goers with whom to compare or socially pursue. There isn’t a lot of space to divert our attention. We can’t leave. And we don’t need any equipment.

I use The Airplane Workout for inflight work. I know I need a set of exercises using multiple body parts and body alignment that will cater to an airplane. I want to be able to feel the body working from the very first exercise so that I know I’m making an effort to keep the blood coursing through my veins as best I can.

My workout offers a simple, concise, organized and fun way for us to systematically reduce the chances of our being victims of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Now that we know why it’s important to move, move, move inflight; all we have to do is do it.

Not only will we feel great from moving, but doing it with proper body alignment will reinforce correct posture for every other gym or fitness exercise we ever do. And being in a very small location, the airplane seat gives us the advantage of concentrating on this alignment. It will save our back from much of the pain we hear about from workout accidents. It will maximize any exercise we do in all our other workouts and sports activities as well as when standing, walking and sitting.

The inflight airplane workout idea offers a safe way to secure health and vibrant energy. The airplane is a natural place to work out to avoid those killer clots.

It also maximizes our time to the fullest and helps our creativity flow!

So have fun with the idea and get that advantageous edge!

ACTION STEP:
DON’T JUST SIT THERE: GET THE AIRPLANE WORKOUT.

The only workout specially developed for airline travel, this training gives you the finest workout for your airplane seat (or any seated space):

GET THE AIRPLANE WORKOUT!

This ebook, which you can get in minutes, includes easy directions and photos, designed specifically for the confined space of an airplane. Click the image of the book, or go to the access link below.

Moving the body increases blood flow, enhances respiration, works the abdominal muscles, and deters clots. So get moving today. Go get The Airplane Workout with one click:

ACCESS THE BOOK NOW!

P.S. You can use this workout even if you are not flying! You can do these exercises in the office, at your desk or in your favorite pajamas at home.

DON’T JUST SIT THERE! Get access to The Airplane Workout today.

If you wish to share your story, please hit reply in your email program to be contacted.

If you need habit help, go to http://warriorsofweight.com/warriorsofweight-consulting.

FEEDBACK

We value your feedback very much.

Please leave a comment below.

Please LIKE us on the website and at

WarriorsOfWeight on Facebook.

You can also follow us on Twitter: @warriorsoweight.

Thanks.

DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition, peaceful conflict resolution and habit replacement.

She is an expert at efficient and and no-stress body movement. She says,

“The airplane ride is a tremendous opportunity to move our organs around. Get The Airplane Workout to see how. Take every chance to make every minute count. If a tiny bit of movement can prevent a blood clot, can you spare the time?

You can. And, go ahead. Make my day. Get the book as part of taking good care of ourselves because, as we know, we are so worth it!”

THE SECRET OF HABIT CHANGE IS TO STEP (ISSUE 157) DECEMBER 9, 2014

By Diane Gold

The secret of habit change is to step. No one’s saying it’s easy. I am saying it’s not complex. I don’t care how many times we’ve heard the idea that we have to believe in ourselves to motivate or have a positive mental attitude to get it done; it’s just not true. It may be an easier road, but that may not be our reality. And, once we step; we will believe and motivate.

EASY MOTIVATION

It’s easy to walk through the tunnel when there’s money waiting for us at the other end.

It’s easier to get started when we have a partner with which to work or a coach screaming,

“Let’s go, let’s go,”

in our face.

It’s pretty simple to take a positive step when our world is balanced and clean.
But, these conditions are not necessary.

NOT SO EASY MOTIVATION

On the other hand, It may not be so easy to take a step different from the one we have the habit of doing should this habit be huge and not supportive of what we are doing. Definitely, we automatically think it’s not easy.

It’s not so easy to make a change when we are in pain of any sort is present since pain diminishes power in each of us.

It’s not so easy to walk in a new direction when everyone else is walking the other way.

It’s not easy to step when we are tired. And if we have been working on replacing a habit for a long time, the energy we have consumed in thinking about it and doing things about it can make us very tired.

And, it’s not so easy when most people tell us we have to endure some multi-step process that is more than one step. One step is hard enough.

THE SECRET REALITY

The secret reality is that we can take a step even when:

1) we have no motivation to self-change,
2) we don’t believe in ourselves,
3) we have no personal balance,
4) we are in pain,
5) we cannot find joy in our lives.

Look at these examples of how people use other focii to get them to take a step, proving the 5 conditions are not necessary.

1) Military and religious personnel commonly refrain from cigarettes, the object of their addiction, during training runs or services.

2) Many religious practitioners in addictive behaviors refrain from their addiction on their Sabbath day, because they place a higher value on their God belief system than they do on their body’s need for a substance or activity. Many people in addictive behaviors refrain from their addiction for a few hours of church time, valuing the God system over the addictive reward.

(Unfortunately, there are some people in addictive behaviors who do not refrain on the Sabbath day but value a God belief system second. Most God belief systems include guilt for not valuing the belief system more than the object of addiction. Therefore, this scenario means guilt fits into the particular equation.)

3) Some clinical trials have had participants delay using their object of addiction in trade for a future reward of a possible heightened amount of their substance of choice or getting a small amount of money.

There was one such clinical trial in which trial participants were given a choice: abstaining for a longer period of time than others with the promise of a chance of getting more of their object of addiction at the end of the daily protocol. This meant the participants might not get the enhanced amount of their object. Even so, most chose abstaining longer with the chance of receiving the enhanced amount of stimulation.

CONCLUSION

Motivation to change, self-belief, balance, pain and joy do not enter into these scenarios. Commitment to military protocol or a belief system has caused people to delay the object of addiction. More comfortable living conditions have caused people to delay getting the object of addiction. And finally, the concept of the thrill of receiving an increased amount of the object of addiction was an excellent motivator.

The big picture is that the secret of habit change is to step, make that move, move the foot over the line. That’s what it takes. Only to step! That is the secret.

It must be done with expediency since we only have a short time to step. Otherwise our old behavior will surface, and we will get lost in it. I can hear the quiz show music where the clock is counting down. I couldn’t have pictured that when I was in the middle of struggling to replace a habit, since I would have been busy with my urges. All I could do was step. That’s all anyone has to do.

Let the secret of habit change out in the open. Just step!

ACTION STEP

There is only 1 action to be taken. Within 5 to 15 seconds of receiving the urge to take the action that usually gets you to your object of addiction, step. Even if you take 1 step in the direction away from the door that holds the object of addiction and then run right back to your object of addiction; that can be considered a successful step. Maybe tomorrow you will take one step. And then another, before you run back to your object of addiction. This, too, is a success. There Is Only 1 Action: Step!

Please consider these words. Any 1 step in a new direction is a success. Rome was not built in a day. Your habit was not built in a day. Be patient. But step. To change a behavior, always take 1 step in a new direction from your old one. Until you’ve done that, don’t worry what’s next.

If you wish to share your story, please hit reply in your email program to be contacted.

If you need habit help, go to WarriorsOfWeight Consulting.

FEEDBACK

We value your feedback very much.

Please leave a comment below.

Please LIKE us on the website and at

WarriorsOfWeight on Facebook.

You can also follow us on Twitter: @warriorsoweight.

Thanks.

DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition, peaceful conflict resolution and habit replacement.

She has looked at what worked for her. She says,

“Without immediate action, I do my habit, whatever that habit is. If I act, in any direction other than the habitual one, I begin creating my new habit. The next time I feel my urge, I will be experienced at taking immediate action and may walk further in any direction other the habitual one. As I cement my new habit through repetition and consistency, I will continue using the new direction.

As I see it, it is not important to process whether I like the new direction for, at least, six months. In fact, it is important to choose not to consider whether the new direction is right for, at least, three. This way, I give myself a chance to take a step.”

“Finally, let us all take good care of ourselves because we are so worth it!”

AT PEACE WITH DIANE GOLD INTERNET RADIO SHOW

How Health & Wellness Transform Us To Create Peaceful, Ethical Solutions For Others! Tuesdays at 2 pm

From integrative health to peacemaking, from disciplines, therapies, all world medicines, from nutrition to surgery to ethics to peaceful conflict resolution; join Diane Gold every Tuesday for a fun, thoughtful and informative journey into health, wellness and peace. ONE ACTION STEP will be shared during each show.

DIANE GOLD INTERVIEWS AMBER RYAN

5Rhythms dance instructor who transforms us all into dancers.

A SIMPLE BEHAVIOR CHANGE STRATEGY (ISSUE 156) DECEMBER 2, 2014

By Diane Gold

A new behavior change strategy is always a good thing to have in one’s basket of tricks. Making one, immediate, small change in our habitual behavior is the key to making it happen.

We all have habits. They develop when we do something over and over again driven by some type of urge: whether it came from our own psycho-physical ¬with no external stimulus or if something outside us, from a smell, a taste, a sound, a touch, triggered an urge. We get good at repeating the same behavior over and over again, and then it becomes second nature.

Now, it’s a habit.

THE URGE THAT BEGINS FROM INSIDE US

So, we might be minding our own business, and all of a sudden, we will want to drink alcohol, go dancing, eat ice cream or go running. We get the urge to do these behaviors from ourselves. Some of them may be good. Others, not good for our mental or physical health.

THE URGE TRIGGERED BY OUR SENSES

There is the external urge that arrives when a sense triggers the urge. The urge involves the same behaviors but in a slightly different way. We might be in a restaurant, smell the alcohol in someone else’s glass and want to drink. We might hear music and want to go dance. We might view someone’s eating an ice cream cone and immediately want one.

B. J. FOGG’S TAKE

This external stimulus idea works in a different way, too. We can cause our senses to become activate by positioning objects, like running shoes or dental floss, so that the viewing of the objects, themselves, creates a trigger.

As B.J. Fogg, PH.D., puts it,

“The number one mistake people make is not going tiny enough,”

referring to doing a small behavior as the entire goal, not a big, complicated one. He adds,

“Just put your running shoes on,”

meaning the goal is to put on the shoes, not to go running.

He’s referring to people’s thinking about cultivating the habit of running which involves putting on running shoes, figuring out the technique by which to run and going out and doing the running. That’s very complicated compared to starting with the tiny step of just putting the running shoes on for 5 days. Just placing the shoes on develops a habit that is not multifaceted. An effective way to trigger this behavior is to place the running shoes exactly on the path where we will step on them when we get out of bed. This way, we will see the shoes and remember to put them on.

In the same way, Fogg suggests that people who want to create the habit of flossing their teeth should begin by flossing 1 tooth only. We can do one tooth whereas we might be too lazy to do our whole mouth. This may lead to flossing 2 teeth, but the goal is 1 tooth first.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

When I was actively replacing my habit of drinking alcohol, I actively chose to spend my time doing things in places that did not serve alcohol or with people who were not drinking it. It was specifically to avoid smelling the alcohol or seeing people’s drinking it.

I remember very long ago when I was much younger, when I chose to quit smoking cigarettes. My strategy was similar in that I chose not to be around the smell of smoke so as not to trigger my desire for it.

Part of the process of developing behaviors that replaced drinking alcohol was to develop a behavior of being able to be around it.

Part of the process of developing behaviors to replace smoking cigarettes was to develop the ability to smell the cigarette smoke without having to smoke. Typical of someone who is extreme, I raised my children to avoid people who were smoking cigarettes. We crossed to the other side of the street to avoid it. I still do it to avoid its smell on my clothes. Very strangely, although I think smoking is gross and slovenly and I don’t like being around it, I can still recall the chemical buzz I received from the actual smoking.

OUR TIME DEADLINE

So, how much time do we have from the time an urge kicks in from inside us? And what about urges caused by outside stimuli?

The answer is It Depends Upon The Strength Of The Urge. If we have chosen to replace our behavior of drinking alcohol, doing drugs or going gambling, all behaviors that we have decided do not support our lives, we have, as I see it, between 5 and 15 seconds to do a new behavior before we do our old behavior and drink, drug or gamble.

If every time we pass the same restaurant that has alcohol, we also have 5 to 15 seconds to veer away from the restaurant to avoid going in and drinking. If every time we pass the aromatherapy store, we go in and have a whiff; we still have between 5 and 15 seconds to change this behavior. However, that particular habit seems to be one that calms the mind and heart and sounds like a good habit and may want to be continued.

THE STRATEGY AKA THE ACTION STEP

Here is a simple action step that can be taken as soon as an urge is felt. It does require that we carry our tools with us. But that’s easy.

Taking the step, that is, doing the new behavior, will change what we smell which may dissipate the urge. It will change what we taste, which supports the change in smell. We also have to focus our eyes on the behavior so that we can execute it properly. We will hear what we are doing which will complement the taste, smell and sight. And, finally, we will be touching the tools for the strategy. That’s using all 5 senses.

So, what is this simple strategy? It requires 2 things and a little water would be nice. They are a toothbrush and toothpaste, which we can be carried portably. Brushing the teeth when an urge strikes will change our smell, taste, view, sound and touch.

When we taste a new taste, very often, we replace our previous desire for food or drink. When we get busy doing this behavior, we will be focused on it for a moment and may distract ourselves long enough to call a friend, drink water or stretch our bodies. These additional behaviors support our brushing our teeth to replace our old behavior.

Please let us know how this behavior change strategy works. It has worked for me and for many others. Of course, we need a support network and this strategy. But this is an instant action step that may be of use in many circumstances.

If you wish to share your story, please hit reply in your email program to be contacted.

If you need habit help, go to WarriorsOfWeight Consulting.

FEEDBACK

We value your feedback very much.

Please leave a comment below.

Please LIKE us on the website and at

WarriorsOfWeight on Facebook.

You can also follow us on Twitter: @warriorsoweight.

Thanks.

DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition, peaceful conflict resolution and habit replacement.

She loves to talk about habits. She says,

“The way to achieve greatness is by taking 1 step. That way, that one step can be majestic. If we take 2 or more steps, our attention is split. That’s why 1 step is the way.

“When we choose behavior change, it may not work, at first. This is because it takes time to develop the new behavior. It took time for our old behavior to become second-nature. We are developing this in the new behavior.

“There is always room for one more strategy. Let’s see whether this one is the best one yet.

“Finally, let us all take good care of ourselves because we are so worth it!”

AT PEACE WITH DIANE GOLD INTERNET RADIO SHOW

How Health & Wellness Transform Us To Create Peaceful, Ethical Solutions For Others! Tuesdays at 2 pm

From integrative health to peacemaking, from disciplines, therapies, all world medicines, from nutrition to surgery to ethics to peaceful conflict resolution; join Diane Gold every Tuesday for a fun, thoughtful and informative journey into health, wellness and peace. ONE ACTION STEP will be shared during each show.

DIANE GOLD INTERVIEWS GERALDINE WHIDDEN

aromatherapy expert & teacher.

WARRIORSOFWEIGHT.COM WATER CAMPAIGN FOR THANKSGIVIING (ISSUE 155) NOVEMBER 18, 2014

By Diane Gold

WarriorsofWeight.com Water Campaign For Thanksgiving is a mission to build a well for 500-1,000 people to give them access to a clean water supply for 10 years, without using our hard earned money.

It is my hope that some of the community members who receive water access by well will learn how to construct a well and help others.

Here is how simple our part is:

Choose not to buy outside coffees on the way to work, teas at lunchtime, juices at snack time for a TWO WEEK PERIOD. Calculate the money saved, which averages out to $20. Then, gift the $20 in savings to fund the well. Click on the red donate button HERE. Of course, each of us can give less or more, but, at least, we will build a well together.

BORDERLINES

Can we look at it this way? Each of us, in whatever countries we are, has chosen to build water systems around borderlines, within the boundaries of our own country or union of countries. This is how we’ve always done it. We take care of our own. It doesn’t mean this is the way to continue to do it, should we choose to think of everyone as our own.

When we give a helping hand to our blood sister, our step-sister, our half-sister, our ethnic sister; it is considered normal. Let’s make it normal to give to our non-biological sister, our non-ethnic sister, both next door or 8,000 miles away.

CONCLUSION

The Water Project method of collecting money is cool. Let’s choose a little restraint so that our sisters and brothers can have some water. Once we do, we will realize that sacrificing (or choosing to refrain) is a way of celebrating water. What we might have imagined would be a strain turns out to be a radical way to pull out our strength and goodness and to provide water for life to others. For a tiny effort on our part, we can do this. Let’ go now, and CHOOSE TO DO IT HERE.

ACTION STEPS

1) Decide what drinks can be replaced by water for the 2 week period.

2) Set the start and end date.

3) Tell a friend or email us when you will start drinking water and saving the money.

4) Start doing it.

5) Send the money you saved by clicking the red donate button HERE.

6) Tell a friend or email us that you have completed the project.

THANK YOU for choosing to give what you did not spend. We will BUILD A WELL TOGETHER.

If you wish to share your story, please hit reply in your email program to be contacted.

If you need habit help, go to http://warriorsofweight.com/warriorsofweight-consulting.

FEEDBACK

We value your feedback very much.

Please leave a comment below.

Please LIKE us on the website at:

and on Facebook.

You can also follow us on Twitter @warriorsoweight.

Thanks.

DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition, peaceful conflict resolution and habit replacement.

She cares about health, happiness and peace. She says,

“I would like to build, at least, one well. Yes, I would like to teach people in countries where water access is limited how to build a well; but, first, I would like them to have enough water so that they don’t dehydrate. Especially the kids.

“S/he who dies with the most toys does not win. Further, s/he who purchases the most mocha lattes per week could help us with our mission.

“Can we all get together and fund the building of a well by choosing to change our behavior of buying coffee, tea, juice during our day, just for 2 weeks? And collecting the money we would have spent and donating it? That way, no one is really using extra personal funds. We just redirecting them for a short, manageable time.

“We can do it. Together. Happy Thanks(For)Giving.”

AT PEACE WITH DIANE GOLD INTERNET RADIO SHOW

How Health & Wellness Transform Us To Create Peaceful, Ethical Solutions For Others! Tuesdays at 2 pm

From integrative health to peacemaking, from disciplines, therapies, all world medicines, from nutrition to surgery to ethics to peaceful conflict resolution; join Diane Gold every Tuesday for a fun, thoughtful and informative journey into health, wellness and peace. ONE ACTION STEP will be shared during each show.

DIANE GOLD INTERVIEWS DICKSON DESPOMMIER

Microbiologist, Columbia University professor and author of The Vertical Farm.

BE SOMEONE’S VITAMIN: HOW KINDNESS CAN SAVE US (ISSUE 154) NOVEMBER 11, 2014

By Diane Gold

Be someone’s vitamin and let kindness save us from our every day habit of rushing. What if we spared one minute for someone else? And what if we started to do this on a daily basis?

We are all in the habit of racing here, running there. We don’t have time now because we are working, creating, inflating our egos, deflating someone else’s, filling our pockets, filling our minds with study and research, investigating, gathering, expanding, saying our last goodbye, saying our first hello.

There’s always something going on. We are fortunate to have so many choices.

What if we decided to spare one minute on a regular basis to show kindness to someone? If asked to do it, most of us would say,

“Of course. Yes. Count me in,”

when it is put that way. However, before the kindness elf comes to our doorstep and asks us to show kindness, we are off in our whirlwind world. We would not think of interrupting our daily rush for any such thing. Add another thing to our daily grind?

“Not a chance. Impossible. Couldn’t manage it,”

we might say, when it’s put that way.

THE TWO-WAY DIFFERENCE

Let’s look from a different perspective. What if we needed someone’s time that would mean the difference between life and death: help making a decision about how worthwhile our life was or help deciding whether or not to leave on a round-the-world cruise when the seasick medicine didn’t work from the start or help evaluating a crucial decision in the life of our child.

I don’t mean to be dramatic, but taking one minute of time out for kindness can make a difference, in both directions, that is, huge for the person who receives (and needs the minute to receive some type of support) and huge for the person who gives (and can use the minute for personal balance while supplying an offering).

GOOD FORTUNE

So many of us who are reading this now have been dealt a good hand in life. We can read, we have internet connectivity (or a friend who printed this out), and we are choosing to read information that is thought-provoking, opinion-stimulating and delivers info on socially justice.
So, let’s use our good fortune in a way that helps someone other than ourselves.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

As with so many things, we ask what the personal benefit is. It’s nice that we can use the standard, if not overused, buzzwords,

“I’m giving back. I’m paying it forward.”

But the big picture shows that we are more highly motivated to act if there is some benefit to our sphere of influence – such as our family, friends, our projects and ourselves, rather than just knowing that we gave. The feeling of giving is superb, no matter to whom we give. But the inspiration necessary for us to actually take the kind act in the first place is often tied to the personal benefit that results from what’s in it for me.

So, what is in it for me? And what did I mean by the idea that the giver gets?

The answer to this really boils down to how open we choose to be. At the starting line, when we are about to be a giver; we might think,

“OK, here I go giving. I couldn’t possibly get anything out of this other than good public image points for my business, a merit plaque to feel good about and personal satisfaction.”

Now, each of these benefits is enough, on its own, to drive someone to give:

When we are doing the act of giving, we have slowed down and stopped our rushing.

We are giving, at least, one moment’s thought to the beneficiary of our gift of kindness.

Chances are we are taking another moment out to realize our good fortune.

These small moments of reflection – where we stop the rushing – are enough to balance our heart rate, our blood and our daily routine.

When we are the recipient of a kindness, not only do we receive something; we also take a moment out to be grateful. This moment is of tremendous benefit and allows for similar body balancing as in the giver.

HOW TO SHOW KINDNESS

So, let’s drill down about various ways to show kindness. There is never a shortage of need. Here are some things we can do to begin.

1) REFRAIN FROM SHOWING DISDAIN TO SOMEONE OF LESS FORTUNE.

How many times have we laughed to ourselves or supported someone else’s joke about a “have not” (a person who does not have possessions) sleeping outside or someone’s driving a less than shiny, new car? It’s not that we might be in those shoes one day that is a reason to refrain; it’s about being kind. Of course, we could become jobless, with no supportive family, no possessions, no access to money, in a heartbeat. This is not the point. The point is to cultivate the difference between right and wrong. Kindness is right. Meanness is wrong. Also, there are some scientifically measured studies that say that the universe has a consciousness that can be positively affected by being kind.

2) BE SOMEONE’S VITAMIN.

Take the time to say hello to someone who lives outside or who looks unhappy and could use a smile. This nourishes like a vitamin. I would suggest doing this in public during daylight hours, so there is no chance you will become a victim for your kindness. Many people thrive on that one smile or that one kind word. One kind hello probably takes less than 5 seconds. That would leave 86,370 seconds more in the day. Can we spare it? Even if we took an entire minute to show human decency to someone, that would leave 1439 and a half other minutes in our day.

If we wish to be completely safe and within the company of others when we reach out and give our hello, there are soup kitchens, literacy programs, big sister/big brother programs. And almost every public school around can pair the interest of various students with our fields of expertise.

A good example of a mentoring program is The Young Storytellers Foundation, in Los Angeles and New York, that allows a young storyteller to be mentored in the creative process of writing a script. Upon completion, the student’s script is acted out by professional volunteers as the student and mentor excitedly watch. This type of program involves the mentor in work s/he loves and involves the mentee in work s/he aspires to do.

3) BE SOMEONE’S BANKER.

It’s always appreciated when we give money. However, we rob ourselves of the benefit to stop the rush, as the donation we give usually requires us to push a button the midst of other buttons we are already pushing. Or the give may be accomplished by delegating our assistant to take care of it. This type of gift is not nothing. It doesn’t use as much of ourselves, though. And, it’s always good to save our lives during whatever it is we do.

CONCLUSION

It’s great to be kind. And kindness can save our lives from the stress associated with rushing. Not much else can do this in such an easy (yet secret) way. We go, and we go, and we go and we go some more. And I’m all for being as pro-active a person as possible. This, in itself, improves our health. But there are times in each of our days when we would do well to take a break, re-orient, rejuvenate, re-energize. A great way to do this is through kindness.

ACTION STEPS

1) Commit to speaking to someone who is on your path that looks as if s/he could use a smile. Do this for one week, and decide if it belongs in your life. If speaking is difficult or not appropriate for you, offer an organic snack to some person as a gesture of human worth.

If speaking is easy, treat chosen recipient on your level, rather than as a person in need.

2) Commit to forgive one person per day, including yourself. That could mean during road rage, when someone insults you, or when someone steps on your toe while being self-absorbed.

3) Commit one month or two to mentor as a visiting big sister or brother. This way, you can try, out the waters, and your younger sister or brother will know you are only there for a short time. This is important, since, often, people who are recipients in the big sister/big brother program are usually used to their program siblings’ and even their true family members’ getting up and leaving without support.

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DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition, peaceful conflict resolution and habit replacement.

She looks at doing for others as part of the day. She says,

“When we think about it, the DNA we have is mostly the same as the DNA everyone else has. So, when we speak about kindness, we could think of it as caring for a family member. I know that’s a little out there. Yet, what’s really close to home is the fact that we enjoy benefiting ourselves. And showing kindness to others does just that.

“Whether we get personal satisfaction from giving or we look good in the society pages, we get something. And when we look closely, we also get an opportunity to balance out our blood pressure, our heart rate, our minds as we take that moment to give.

“So, take the leap. Be someone’s vitamin. We can’t be hurt by it. And we can save ourselves in the process, by actually making a change in our biology. There’s no time like the present and no time to wait.

“Do it now. It’s fun.

“Finally, let us all take good care of ourselves because we are so worth it!”

THINK LIFE SUCKS? 10 THINGS THAT MAY NOT (ISSUE 153) NOVEMBER 4, 2014

By Diane Gold

Think life sucks? I’m the first one to acknowledge however anyone feels.

And, if you think life sucks, I dedicate this article to you and ask you to reach out. I also send it out to anyone who has a minute for a person who believes that life sucks. We all matter, and we are all our sisters’ and brothers’ keepers.

NO FEELING IS WEIRD

No feeling is weird, inconsequential, strange, out of reach of understanding, unworthy, stupid, immature; and someone will listen if we reach out. We may have to reach more than once, but someone will listen. When we think life sucks, we usually don’t have the energy to reach out once, much less twice. So, each of us has to pool together in this world of sensitivity, and we have to read each other, making sure we are all OK.

Feelings are feelings, and we feel the way that we feel. Just because I don’t think life sucks doesn’t mean that you don’t. And vice versa. Just because someone in my life told me that I was being a cry baby a weakling, a spoiled brat by saying that life sucked for me doesn’t mean life doesn’t suck. It means the individual who said those words to me was, in her own way, being supportive or being completely insensitive. It doesn’t mean the feeling is weird.

10 THINGS THAT ARE GIFTS

There are many things in this world that may not suck. I am listing 10 since most people have one of these things. Others, and many, may have all of them. These are reminders of how life does not suck. They are also our ACTION STEPS for today.

1) BREATHE IN

On every day that we awaken, we breathe in and breathe out. When we pay attention to the act of breathing, it is pretty fascinating. Imagine watching as we breath from inside our body. What a perspective.

This lovely process is a gift to be honored. We all need it to take a look at the other 9 things that may make life not suck.

2) HEAR MUSIC

If we have our faculty of hearing, we can hear music. What’s great about this is that music can bring us to many special places. When I wanted to be pensive and sad, I listened to Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands by Bob Dylan. When I want to dance, I turn on Progressive House Music and start dancing around the room, the street, the store. Yes, I’m the one with the headphones, pushing the shopping cart in rhythm to the music.

Music can miraculously adjust our emotions. It can be a friend as well as a way to expand our lives. It is something to be considered that makes life not suck. And, there are other, non-traditional ways to feel music, should our ears not work.

By the way, to have hearing is a gift. Many without it consider their method of listening also a gift.

3) CREATE

No matter who we are, no matter what abilities we have, we can create something. It can be as simple as a sentence uttered at the right time or cartoon characters painted on fingers that may save someone’s life. It may also be some art or science form that impacts the world as we know it. Having such ability may be considered a way the life does not suck.

4) SEE CLEARLY

For those of us who are fortunate enough to have sight, we get to view the world in all its color. It might not seem like much if we think that life sucks. But, we can close our eyes for a moment and honor the colors we see. When we open our eyes a minute later, we may be ready to rejoice. And the closing of our eyes while awake may help to see clearly in a place that does not suck.

5) TASTE FOOD

I think each of us has tasted something that we like. Yummy. This is not nothing. It’s a joy that is part of the life we think sucks. And we always have the opportunity to encounter another taste that makes our bodies shimmer and salivate. Another gift.

6) SMELL AROMA

I just started appreciating smell more fully because I have become attracted to the smells of my super foods. Not everyone enjoys the same smell, yet, almost all of us have the ability to smell.

When we think life sucks, why not smell something. It, alone, may not make life not suck, but it is one step of many that may do it, and we can honor our ability to smell as a wonderful one.

7) TOUCH SOMEONE

The truth is when we think life sucks, we might not have anyone to touch. So, we have to do the next best thing. Marvel at the many parts of our that are sensitive to touch. That’s a lot of nerve endings.

Even if we go to the corner store and see the kind proprietor we have seen there for 10 years, we can reach out. We can shake hands with our neighbor or our familiar police officer or librarian.

Animals are someone’s someone. The sensation of petting a dog or touching the neighbor’s ferret gets us out of ourselves and into a world that may not suck. When we touch another, our perspective changes. We are not so alone. We may see that people care about us; we only have to let them.

8) FEEL SECURE

Have we ever felt secure? Some of us, yes. I have. It’s when we feel strong enough to fend for ourselves, to defend for ourselves, to feel supported. Those of us who have experienced this feeling know that it’s a good one.

When we think life sucks, let’s recall a time, even if it were 40 years back. Or think about the time that a loved one held us. If we can remember that, we are fortunate and may add that good fortune to why life doesn’t suck. If not, we can look forward to feeling it. We can make it happen by an action: reach out.

Further, we can take comfort in the fact that we are not alone. There are others around us, ready to meet us.

9) REMEMBER

We all have memories. Most of us can think of some that are precious to us. Life would suck more if we could not remember. So, let’s rejoice for now because we can remember something pleasurable. And take a moment out to remember something nice.

10) BE LIKE WATER

Even though we may think life sucks, we have the ability to bounce back from the feeling and start flowing. That’s another thing that’s so great about living. We can step out of our feeling sucky at any time and start to be like water. We can feel free as birds’ flying, snakes’ slithering, brooks’ babbling, people’s mingling. Even if we don’t do it because life sucks now, we have the ability.

What a gift that we can assimilate like a droplet of water into a lake or a single student into a lecture hall filled with others or an advocate for a cause. All because we can be like water.

CONCLUSION

We have just gone through 10 things that are outside the realm where we think that life sucks. We may claim some of them in our lives. Maybe even most. Out of breathing in, hearing music, creating, seeing clearly, tasting food, smelling aroma, touching someone, feeling secure, remembering, being like water; we can see some that have gift-like qualities.

Just for a moment, can we consider these 10 in light of the fact that we think life sucks. And, when we think of each, imagine, for 1 minute once or 1 minute once a day, that life doesn’t suck. In doing so, it may suck just a little bit less.

If you wish to share your story, please go to Contact Us.

If you need habit help, go to http://warriorsofweight.com/warriorsofweight-consulting.

FEEDBACK

We value your feedback very much.

Please leave a comment below.

Please LIKE us on the website

and on Facebook.

You can also follow us on Twitter @warriorsoweight.

Thanks.

DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition, peaceful conflict resolution and habit replacement.

She has looked one step ahead so that life does not suck. She says,

“There are so many wonders in life. Should we choose to, we can look at one, only one, that we already have. This way, we can look at it without judging that we are doomed for not having it.

“When we focus on it for just 1 minute, we can realize its greatness. That may help us to turn life from sucking to not sucking in that moment, if only for that moment.

“Finally, let us all take good care of ourselves because we are so worth it!”