Six quarts of strawberries...made from lemons

I left work in a rush so I could make it to my fitness class on time. I hadn't been there in three weeks and I was eager to get back in the groove. On my way, traffic was slow and no matter how I fretted (or rode the bumber of the person in front of me) it wasn't going to move as quickly as I wanted. So I began calculating and re-calculating as I drove. "Am I going to be on time? Three minutes late? Five minutes late? Or what?"

I got to class and ooops, the summer schedule had started and I was 45 minutes early. #@!$%! There were no errands to run and I couldn't bring myself to just hang out until class started. I headed home and immediately switched from "be healthy" mode into "slug" mode. Images of a big bowl of buttered popcorn, the couch, a cat, an afghan, and a movie began taking over my mind. While that kind of relaxation is nice, it isn't what I needed tonight because I'd spent too many hours on the couch lately nursing a spring cold. My decision to be a slug brought me down, down, dowFloyd inspecting my strawberry harvestn. My energy waned. My Gremlins (the voices in my head that are always beating me up) began singing in full voice.

But wait...up ahead I see a sign for fresh strawberries. Okay. I'll stop and pick up a quart and that's much healthier than buttered popcorn. When I pulled in at the farm stand I learned that all of the pre-picked berries had been sold. I was invited to pick my own.

And that was how lemons became six quarts of strawberries. I got a workout and stayed in "healthy mode" all by picking strawberries!

Two questions. What do you like to do when lemons come your way? What's your favorite strawberry recipe?

In memory of Lee Krieger

What I will invest myself in is:

• Being grateful for the life I’ve created
• Bringing positive energy to the world
• Doing my best—whatever that happens to be on any given day
• Choosing thoughtfully—my attitude, my reaction (to good or bad things), my thoughts, my words,

I often drink Yogi Tea, which has an inspirational message on the tea bag tag. A few days ago, the message went something like this…be happy and radiate that happiness so others become happier just by being around you.

Now that’s worth pursuing.



          What is this really about?

          What do you want to start?

          What do you want to stop?

          What would make you happy right now?

          What would make you happy two hours from now?

          What do you want?

          What do you want?

          What do you want?

I was privileged to join the Bright Futures Foundation and travel to Bhotechaur, in the foothills of the Himalayans.  My role was to co-facilitate leadership training for the women of the Jagrit Women's Group, an incredibly talented group of women who started a micro-lending co-op and wanted the skills to grow the group.

I could talk for pages about the life-changing experiences I had during my 2 1/2 weeks in Nepal.  Or you could look at my 600+ pictures.  Instead, let me focus on the two things most important to the women living in the Bhotechaur area—equality and education.

Equality is something these women hunger for.  Although the caste system was abolished years ago, equality is still far from a reality for them.  All tribes are not yet considered equal and women are among the lowest in the hierarchy.  The inspiring thing about these women, who came from many tribes, is they treated each other and us with equality, dignity, and respect.  They showed through their example that we are all equal.

And their thirst for education was unquenchable.  Most women in the group had barely finished elementary school (to equate it with the US school system) and higher education was not even on their radar screen.  Yet, they were some of the best learners I’ve worked with.  Their eager hearts and intelligent minds shone through daily.  They arrived early and stayed late—even though some of them had to hide from their families that they were going “to school.”

I hope they learned from me a fraction of what I learned from them.

A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report posted on the American Holistic Health Association’s website identifies that the key factors influencing one’s health have not changed significantly during the past 20 years.

• Everyday lifestyle choices account for 53%
• Environment is 19%
• Heredity is 18%
• Quality of medical care is 10%

The decisions I make about my lifestyle and habits are by far the largest factor in determining my state of wellness. (To read the complete article visit http://ahha.org/rosen.htm.) And when the Cleveland Clinic is the first institution mentioned in the Time Magazine (June 22, 2009) cover story on prevention, I’m hopeful that prevention is going to become a normal part of our health care planning in the future.

Rather than wait for the health-care industry to catch up, I’m making some commitments to myself. I am going to take more responsibility for myself by living healthier in order to promote personal wellness. I will get my annual physical and mammogram. I will be more active, pay attention to what I put in my body, and focus on living with a positive attitude. I will partner with my doctors and we will focus on prevention. We will not treat illness with pharmaceuticals until we’ve tried lifestyle changes.

One thing I know about myself is that I can get obsessive when it comes to major commitments like the ones outlined above. My final commitment to myself is to be gentle and forgiving when I slip “off the wagon” and eat Doritos or choose an evening on the couch instead of on my bike. What healthy commitments would you like to make? Share your thoughts by clicking on “Comments” below.

1. Every morning I stand in front of a mirror, look deep into my eyes say, “I love you and approve of you, Mary.”
2. I’ve forgiven myself for every pound I’ve regained. No excuses, just pure forgiveness and love.
3. I play at losing weight instead of working at it. It’s much more fun.
4. In small bursts throughout the day, I breathe, meditate, or pray.
5. I’m replacing negative self-talk with affirmations.
6. I trust what my body, mind, heart, and soul tell me.
7. I've found parts of my body that I love right now. I’ve learned a lot about this through OnePinky. (www.onepinky.com) My body is amazing and I’m learning more and more what an awesome gift it really is.
8. I am not quitting. I love myself too much to quit.
9. I share my goals and feelings with loving people. I’ve stopped spending my energy trying to help people understand or “get" me.
10. I’m willing to receive support and willing to support others on their journeys.

How well do you love yourself? Share your thoughts by clicking on “Comments” below.

• Hot tea – Even though spring is here and the temperatures are starting to rise, hot tea comforts me. I filled my favorite mug with some fragrant green tea and my heart got a bit lighter.
• Stretch – While the microwave ticked off the two minutes to heat my tea water, I didn’t go back to my desk to check email. I paid attention to my body. I discovered a little crick in my neck. For the remaining 90 seconds on the microwave, I stretched my neck. Aaahhhh, that felt good.
• Music – I’ve recently discovered Pandora Radio (www.pandora.com) and I love it. I picked one of my very favorite stations and let the music flow over me and let my mind and eyes wander.
• Photos – I have several photos on my desk highlighting favorite people and places. Often I don’t even notice them. Today, while I sipped my tea and enjoyed Luka Bloom’s music, I went to the beach with my sister, apple picking with my mom and dad, and to a wedding reception with my husband—all in my mind, of course.
• Breathe – As I finished my photo journey, I took a couple of deep breaths and felt contentment creeping back into my heart. Intentional breathing is soothing and refreshing, and no one even has to know you’re doing it.

I could have spent the entire morning being grumpy or trying to figure out why I felt blue. Instead I invested five minutes in simple pampering and I came out on the other side feeling more like myself and happy to get down to business. What do you do to lift yourself out of the blues?  Click on "Comment" below and share your Blues Busters.