How do you deal with stress?

April 25, 2011 by JD · 5 Comments
Filed under: Health, Musings, Self-Improvement 

From The Joy Project: Stress is a fact of life, it doesn’t have to be a way of life!

She makes a good point when noting that the meaning of “stress” in common usage has changed over the last 20 years from meaning “stimulation” to “distress.”

This blog post got me to thinking about my own life and how I’ve dealt with stress in the past, and how I deal with it now.

I used to be a real workaholic. Yes, I loved what I did, but I would sometimes bury myself in my work for months at a time. I’d work 100+ hours every week, and would frequently work around the clock for 30 or 40 hours at a time, before sleeping.

I think “bury” is a good word to describe what I was doing. I wasn’t living.

My recent battle with cancer has reminded me that life is a precious gift and living is wonderful. I’m working a bit more than I did for awhile, but I’m never going back to working the hours I used to. I’m not even going to get close to that lifestyle, again.

I’m grateful that I’m getting over the effects of the cancer and chemo and that I’m starting to be able to think more clearly. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to think as quickly and clearly as I once did, but I’m making progress in my recovery.

Every day, I take time to be grateful for at least five things before I get out of bed. I take time to listen to the birds, smell the flowers, hug my friends, appreciate my family, and enjoy this gift. I listen to the rain and dance with the lightning.

Lots of things used to stress me out. Now, I find ways to enjoy them, or laugh at them, or at least reduce the level of negativity I associate with them.

My stress levels are way down and my joy levels are much higher.

I did not enjoy nearly dying last year, but it was an important WAKE UP! call.

I didn’t wait until a holiday to get sick. I got so sick that I could do nothing and faced a choice: get better or die. I think my sense of humor played a large role in kicking cancer’s butt and recovering. I know that the support and friendship I received from family, friends, and acquaintances all around the world helped, too.

I sure hope you don’t have to go through anything as dramatic in order to destress your life and find ways to enjoy it more. It isn’t worth giving away your health in order to get more stuff.

So, how do you deal with stress?

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-04-24

April 24, 2011 by JD · Comments Off
Filed under: Twitter 

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22nd Century Leadership with Amanda Gore

April 21, 2011 by JD · 2 Comments
Filed under: Musings, TED Talks, YouTube 

Amanda Gore has released a series of videos that preview the subject matter she covers in her 22nd Century Leadership presentations at conferences around the world.

She is a highly respected motivational speaker and is very entertaining at the same time.

Even though these are not the actual presentations she gives, there is some good information for business owners, managers, people who are self-employed, teachers, parents, and anyone else in a position of leadership.

(It may have been better if I hadn’t embedded so many videos on one page. Depending upon your Internet connection, the load on the YouTube and TED servers, and other factors, all the videos may not load. If that’s the case, try refreshing the page.)

Here are the first videos she’s released in this series…

22nd Century Leadership – part 1:

22nd Century Leadership – part 2:

Now, before you watch part 3 of Amanda’s series on leadership, watch the following video. She refers to it in part 3, so it’s a good thing to watch it first so you’ll understand what she’s talking about.

Count the number of times the team in the white uniforms passes the basketball:

22nd Century Leadership – part 3:

22nd Century Leadership – part 4:

The following video shows Amanda presenting at a conference…

Mood is the most important predictor of a work culture:

(Zoot! Zoot!)

In part 1, Amanda mentioned Dan Pink. Here’s his TED talk on motivation and the disconnect between what science knows and business does:

The carrot and stick works on donkeys and mules, and on some humans performing a very restricted set of tasks. It does not work with people from whom you want creative insights, more engagement, better satisfaction, and less turnover.

If you’re a manager or business owner, I’d invest about an hour and watch these videos.

If you’re self-employed, you may even find ways to better motivate yourself and get more done.

If you’re a teacher, parent, or some other kind of leader, you’ll probably learn something worthwhile, too. If you’re really pressed for time, watch the video from a conference where she talks about mood being the most important indicator of a work culture. It applies just as well to school and home cultures.

Act on your dream!

JD

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Moral roots of liberals and conservatives

April 20, 2011 by JD · Comments Off
Filed under: Musings, Politics, TED Talks 

Psychologist Jonathan Haidt has identified and studied five moral values that he thinks “form the basis of our political choices, whether we’re left, right or center. In this eye-opening talk, he pinpoints the moral values that liberals and conservatives tend to honor most.”

I just saw this video a few minutes ago and have not had time to really think about it, but it feels like this may contain some important concepts to consider more fully.

I consider myself a progressive liberal on social issues and what he said fits me like an old slipper, which I find a bit surprising.

I don’t want to get into any political debates here, but I’m interested in your thoughts about these concepts. Do they fit with how you would categorize yourself?

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-04-17

April 17, 2011 by JD · Comments Off
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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-04-10

April 10, 2011 by JD · Comments Off
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The invention that enabled an artist to draw again

April 7, 2011 by JD · Comments Off
Filed under: Health, Inspirational, Nonprofits, TED Talks 

From a TED Talks video, “The nerve disease ALS left graffiti artist TEMPT paralyzed from head to toe, forced to communicate blink by blink.”

“Mick Ebeling is founder of The Ebeling Group, an international production company and creative think tank, representing some of the world’s leading design and directing collectives.”

“He and a team of programmers, hackers, artists and inventors developed the EyeWriter — a low-cost eye-tracking device that allows artists with the nerve disease ALS to draw using only their eyes.”

If you know of anyone who could benefit from this technology, please let them know about the Not Impossible Foundation.

You could help change a life for the better. That’s always worth doing.

Act on your dream!

JD

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I am rich beyond belief

April 7, 2011 by JD · 9 Comments
Filed under: Musings, Personal 

By a lot of people’s standards, I’m poor. But, by my own standards, I’m rich beyond belief.

I have all that I need and some of what I want. I live in an area I love and I’m surrounded by wonderful people and the beauty of nature. I love my work and sometimes confuse it with play. It’s easy to be grateful when I’m blessed with so much.

I remember so many years of dreading the sound of my alarm clock and having to force myself to get up and get moving.

These days, however, I almost never set an alarm and usually wake up just before daybreak. I take a few minutes before I get out of bed to think about — and fully appreciate — at least five things in my life for which I am grateful.

Sometimes, it’s things like living in such a beautiful area. Sometimes, it’s enjoying the peace and quiet. Sometimes, it’s having a marketing business that reaches around the world, and I’m able to run it from my home office or when I’m sitting on the porch. Sometimes, it’s the people I love. Sometimes, it’s the sound of a rooster crowing in the distance.

Each day, I take as much time as I want, to think about and really appreciate these people and things that make my life so rich.

Then, I get up and start the adventure that each new day brings.

Even on the days that I’m hurting, or sick, or tired, or just don’t want to do anything, I feel better just by thinking about, and being grateful for, some of the things that makes my life worth living and enjoying.

Then, I smile, turn on the music, and make breakfast. Watch out world, here I come!

I just thought I’d share that.

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-04-03

April 3, 2011 by JD · Comments Off
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If you fall, get back up and run faster!

April 2, 2011 by JD · Comments Off
Filed under: Inspirational, Success and Failure 

Not accomplishing your goal is not a failure, if you learn from it, change your approach, and try again.

Falling is not losing, if you get back up and run as fast as you can.

You fail when you quit. You succeed when you do your best.

Life is full of obstacles, incidents, and accidents. How we deal with them is part of our character.

Here’s a great example…

Her actions speak far more eloquently than any words I could summon.

Act on your dream!

JD

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