It is never too late to start
Source: http://www.brainhealtheducation.org/kids-concussion-symptoms-may-persist-for-a-year/
A year after a concussion, up to one-third of kids still have symptoms such as headache and irritability that may affect school performance, a new study finds. Researchers found as many as 31 percent still had symptoms that included inattention or fatigue 12 months after their head injury. Girls who had mood problems beforehand and kids from poor or troubled families seem
…
Source: http://www.brainhealtheducation.org/kids-concussion-symptoms-may-persist-for-a-year/
A year after a concussion, up to one-third of kids still have symptoms such as headache and irritability that may affect school performance, a new study finds. Researchers found as many as 31 percent still had symptoms that included inattention or fatigue 12 months after their head injury. Girls who had mood problems beforehand and kids from poor or troubled families seem
…
Source http://zenhabits.net/uncertain/
“We are always in transition. If you can just relax with that, you’ll have no problem.” -Chogyam Trungpa
I’ve been training in uncertainty for a few years now.
I realized that the people I coach and teach are just like me: we feel shaky, scared, anxious, uncomfortable when we are faced with massive uncertainty, when the ground is pulled out from under our feet.
This shakiness is the cause of our procrastination, hiding from overwhelming projects, running from discomfort, and putting off exercise, healthy eating, meditation, writing, reading and all the other things we want in our lives.
And so, if we can train in uncertainty, we can get good at life. We no longer need to fear groundlessness.
What does it mean to train in uncertainty?
It means to constantly yank the rug out from under your feet.
When you get comfortable with something, you have to give it up. When you think you know something, you have to toss it out. When you walk through life with concepts, you have to let those concepts go and see things with fresh eyes.
Most of us walk around thinking we know things — think about how often we think we know how everyone else should act. Training in uncertainty is letting go of the certainty that we know how everyone else should behave, and having no concepts.
Most of us walk around thinking we know what things around us are. We barely glance at the things we pass. Training in uncertainty is tossing all that out, and seeing things for the first time, full of curiosity.
Training in uncertainty is pushing into discomfort when you want to run to comfort. It’s going to an event that scares the crap out of you. It’s setting aside time to write every day even when you want to run like crazy from the writing.
And then when you think you know something about training in uncertainty … you throw that out too. You keep throwing everything away, and know nothing.
What you’re left with is just impermanence — constant flux. Groundlessness. A deeply interconnected world, without separation.
Train with me, in my Fearless Training Program. We’ll have the ground pulled out from under us together.
Source http://zenhabits.net/uncertain/
“We are always in transition. If you can just relax with that, you’ll have no problem.” -Chogyam Trungpa
I’ve been training in uncertainty for a few years now.
I realized that the people I coach and teach are just like me: we feel shaky, scared, anxious, uncomfortable when we are faced with massive uncertainty, when the ground is pulled out from under our feet.
This shakiness is the cause of our procrastination, hiding from overwhelming projects, running from discomfort, and putting off exercise, healthy eating, meditation, writing, reading and all the other things we want in our lives.
And so, if we can train in uncertainty, we can get good at life. We no longer need to fear groundlessness.
What does it mean to train in uncertainty?
It means to constantly yank the rug out from under your feet.
When you get comfortable with something, you have to give it up. When you think you know something, you have to toss it out. When you walk through life with concepts, you have to let those concepts go and see things with fresh eyes.
Most of us walk around thinking we know things — think about how often we think we know how everyone else should act. Training in uncertainty is letting go of the certainty that we know how everyone else should behave, and having no concepts.
Most of us walk around thinking we know what things around us are. We barely glance at the things we pass. Training in uncertainty is tossing all that out, and seeing things for the first time, full of curiosity.
Training in uncertainty is pushing into discomfort when you want to run to comfort. It’s going to an event that scares the crap out of you. It’s setting aside time to write every day even when you want to run like crazy from the writing.
And then when you think you know something about training in uncertainty … you throw that out too. You keep throwing everything away, and know nothing.
What you’re left with is just impermanence — constant flux. Groundlessness. A deeply interconnected world, without separation.
Train with me, in my Fearless Training Program. We’ll have the ground pulled out from under us together.
Source: https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2018/metabolism-myths-weight-loss.html
In Tanzania, members of the Hadza tribe hunt their food with simple tools and build their huts from mud; working day and night for survival, they must burn a lot of calories, right? … Surprisingl……
Source: https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2018/metabolism-myths-weight-loss.html
In Tanzania, members of the Hadza tribe hunt their food with simple tools and build their huts from mud; working day and night for survival, they must burn a lot of calories, right? … Surprisingl……
Source https://changingaging.org/dementia/the-weirdness-of-dementia/
Over the last two years, my East Side Institute colleague Dr. Susan Massad and I have had the honor of leading “The Joy of Dementia” workshops around the country. One former college professor whose diagnosis was still recent, began sharing the experiences and emotions she was going through, and ended by saying, “What can I say, it’s just weird.”
The post The Weirdness of Dementia (and Life) appeared first on ChangingAging.
Source https://changingaging.org/dementia/the-weirdness-of-dementia/
Over the last two years, my East Side Institute colleague Dr. Susan Massad and I have had the honor of leading “The Joy of Dementia” workshops around the country. One former college professor whose diagnosis was still recent, began sharing the experiences and emotions she was going through, and ended by saying, “What can I say, it’s just weird.”
The post The Weirdness of Dementia (and Life) appeared first on ChangingAging.
Source http://www.healthinaging.org/blog/does-open-heart-surgery-affect-cognitive-abilities/
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society Research Summary
Most people who need open heart surgery to repair damaged heart valves are aged 65 or older. The American Heart Association (AHA) estimates that nearly 8 million people have had heart surgeries. However, we don’t fully understand the effects of heart surgery on an older adult’s cognition (the ability to remember, think, and make decisions).
In 2014, an estimated 156,000 heart valve surgeries were performed in the US. The most common condition for valve surgery was aortic stenosis. The aorta is the heart valve that controls blood flow from your heart to the rest of your body. Aortic stenosis occurs when the aortic valve doesn’t allow blood to flow out of the heart properly. Adults 65 and older represent most of the people who need aortic valve surgery, and the number of older adults with aortic stenosis is expected to double by 2050.
Understanding how heart valve surgery may affect your cognition is important for older adults. To learn more, researchers reviewed studies to see how patients’ cognition changed before and after heart valve surgery. They also looked at whether surgeries on two types of heart valves, the mitral or the aortic, were associated with better or worse outcomes. Their study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
To learn more, researchers reviewed 12 studies that included hundreds of people who had heart valve surgery. In each of the studies, participants had been tested before and after surgery to determine their ability to remember, think, and make decisions.
The researchers found that within the first month after valve surgery, people in the studies experienced some cognitive decline compared to before the surgery. Up to six months after surgery, patients’ cognitive health had largely returned to normal. One-third of the studies included in this review even found small improvements in cognition half a year after surgery.
The researchers also learned that aortic valve surgery was associated with more early cognitive problems than mitral valve surgery.
People who had mitral valve surgery experienced a mild decline from their one-month check-up to their check-ups from two to six months after surgery. But people who had aortic valve surgery experienced poorer cognitive function the month after surgery, although they tended to improve after that.
Importantly, the researchers also learned that aortic valve patients were, on average, a decade older than mitral valve patients (68 years vs. 57). Because the people who had aortic valve surgeries were older, their increased age might have affected their cognitive decline.
The researchers concluded that heart valve surgery patients are at risk of cognitive problems up to six months after surgery. People having aortic valve surgery—the majority of whom are older adults—are at greater risk of early cognitive decline within the first month after surgery than people having mitral valve surgery. However, cognitive health in both groups appears largely to return to what it was before surgery within the six months after surgery.
This summary is from “Cognitive outcomes after heart valve surgery.” It appears online ahead of print in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The study authors are Mark A. Oldham, MD; Jacqueline Vachon, MSc; David Yuh, MD; and Hochang B. Lee, MD.
Source http://www.healthinaging.org/blog/does-open-heart-surgery-affect-cognitive-abilities/
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society Research Summary
Most people who need open heart surgery to repair damaged heart valves are aged 65 or older. The American Heart Association (AHA) estimates that nearly 8 million people have had heart surgeries. However, we don’t fully understand the effects of heart surgery on an older adult’s cognition (the ability to remember, think, and make decisions).
In 2014, an estimated 156,000 heart valve surgeries were performed in the US. The most common condition for valve surgery was aortic stenosis. The aorta is the heart valve that controls blood flow from your heart to the rest of your body. Aortic stenosis occurs when the aortic valve doesn’t allow blood to flow out of the heart properly. Adults 65 and older represent most of the people who need aortic valve surgery, and the number of older adults with aortic stenosis is expected to double by 2050.
Understanding how heart valve surgery may affect your cognition is important for older adults. To learn more, researchers reviewed studies to see how patients’ cognition changed before and after heart valve surgery. They also looked at whether surgeries on two types of heart valves, the mitral or the aortic, were associated with better or worse outcomes. Their study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
To learn more, researchers reviewed 12 studies that included hundreds of people who had heart valve surgery. In each of the studies, participants had been tested before and after surgery to determine their ability to remember, think, and make decisions.
The researchers found that within the first month after valve surgery, people in the studies experienced some cognitive decline compared to before the surgery. Up to six months after surgery, patients’ cognitive health had largely returned to normal. One-third of the studies included in this review even found small improvements in cognition half a year after surgery.
The researchers also learned that aortic valve surgery was associated with more early cognitive problems than mitral valve surgery.
People who had mitral valve surgery experienced a mild decline from their one-month check-up to their check-ups from two to six months after surgery. But people who had aortic valve surgery experienced poorer cognitive function the month after surgery, although they tended to improve after that.
Importantly, the researchers also learned that aortic valve patients were, on average, a decade older than mitral valve patients (68 years vs. 57). Because the people who had aortic valve surgeries were older, their increased age might have affected their cognitive decline.
The researchers concluded that heart valve surgery patients are at risk of cognitive problems up to six months after surgery. People having aortic valve surgery—the majority of whom are older adults—are at greater risk of early cognitive decline within the first month after surgery than people having mitral valve surgery. However, cognitive health in both groups appears largely to return to what it was before surgery within the six months after surgery.
This summary is from “Cognitive outcomes after heart valve surgery.” It appears online ahead of print in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The study authors are Mark A. Oldham, MD; Jacqueline Vachon, MSc; David Yuh, MD; and Hochang B. Lee, MD.
___
Neurotechnology Startup NextMind Secures $4.6 Million (press release):
“NextMind, a fast-growing neurotechnology startup developing a groundbreaking, noninvasive, AI-based brain-computer interface geared to the mass market, announced today it has raised $4.6 million in funding to bring its direct brain command solution to technology integrators and game developers in 2019 … NextMind is developing a discrete noninvasive brain-sensing device for the mass market that will allow users to play games and control electronic and mobile devices, including virtual and augmented reality headsets, in…
___
Neurotechnology Startup NextMind Secures $4.6 Million (press release):
“NextMind, a fast-growing neurotechnology startup developing a groundbreaking, noninvasive, AI-based brain-computer interface geared to the mass market, announced today it has raised $4.6 million in funding to bring its direct brain command solution to technology integrators and game developers in 2019 … NextMind is developing a discrete noninvasive brain-sensing device for the mass market that will allow users to play games and control electronic and mobile devices, including virtual and augmented reality headsets, in…
Source https://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/know-your-rights-when-applying-for-elder-care-in-canada/
For many people, suffering an illness or injury that requires hospitalization can be a very traumatic experience. This period is certainly not the best time to make a major life decision, like moving to a long-term care (LTC) facility, however, for many seniors, it is often under these conditions that they find themselves forced to make life-changing decisions about their housing and medical care.
A recent report published by CBC suggests that seniors aren’t always given accurate information and guidance about this transition. Learn more about the report and read our tips about what to consider when applying for elder care in Canada.
Jane Meadus, an institutional advocate and lawyer with the Toronto-based Advocacy Centre for the Elderly told the CBC that “patients who want to apply for LTC are often given misleading information by hospitals and the Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs).”
According to the CBC report, “hospital overcrowding and a shortage of LTC beds” are driving patients in need of care back into the community to navigate the next steps of their healthcare and housing with minimal support.
In these circumstances, patients and their families are not being properly educated on the LTC application process. The article reveals that “many patients and their families are told they can’t apply for a LTC bed while they’re in the hospital or that they need hospital approval to apply,” which is incorrect.
Meadus says the result is a ‘home first’ approach, which has been adopted by several LHINs in Ontario which “encourages patients to return to the community before they make life-changing decisions about LTC.”
However, the CBC report points out that this approach means many seniors are being discharged from hospital with minimal support and even less follow up.
The Advocacy Centre for the Elderly offers a variety of “Tips and Traps” to consider when applying for LTC in Ontario:
The Advocacy Centre for the Elderly also has information on a variety of LTC guidelines and policies, including:
If the time comes when you, a parent or a senior loved one are considering moving to a LTC facility, be sure to consider your rights.
It may not be enough for you to rely on the discharge planner or hospital staff to provide you with accurate, unbiased information.
Always contact your LHIN case worker (if you have one) or seek legal advice to help ensure you are making the best decision for you and your family.
Have you or a senior loved one applied for elder care in Canada recently? What was your experience like? We’d like to hear your stories in the comments below.
Related Articles:
Source https://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/know-your-rights-when-applying-for-elder-care-in-canada/
For many people, suffering an illness or injury that requires hospitalization can be a very traumatic experience. This period is certainly not the best time to make a major life decision, like moving to a long-term care (LTC) facility, however, for many seniors, it is often under these conditions that they find themselves forced to make life-changing decisions about their housing and medical care.
A recent report published by CBC suggests that seniors aren’t always given accurate information and guidance about this transition. Learn more about the report and read our tips about what to consider when applying for elder care in Canada.
Jane Meadus, an institutional advocate and lawyer with the Toronto-based Advocacy Centre for the Elderly told the CBC that “patients who want to apply for LTC are often given misleading information by hospitals and the Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs).”
According to the CBC report, “hospital overcrowding and a shortage of LTC beds” are driving patients in need of care back into the community to navigate the next steps of their healthcare and housing with minimal support.
In these circumstances, patients and their families are not being properly educated on the LTC application process. The article reveals that “many patients and their families are told they can’t apply for a LTC bed while they’re in the hospital or that they need hospital approval to apply,” which is incorrect.
Meadus says the result is a ‘home first’ approach, which has been adopted by several LHINs in Ontario which “encourages patients to return to the community before they make life-changing decisions about LTC.”
However, the CBC report points out that this approach means many seniors are being discharged from hospital with minimal support and even less follow up.
The Advocacy Centre for the Elderly offers a variety of “Tips and Traps” to consider when applying for LTC in Ontario:
The Advocacy Centre for the Elderly also has information on a variety of LTC guidelines and policies, including:
If the time comes when you, a parent or a senior loved one are considering moving to a LTC facility, be sure to consider your rights.
It may not be enough for you to rely on the discharge planner or hospital staff to provide you with accurate, unbiased information.
Always contact your LHIN case worker (if you have one) or seek legal advice to help ensure you are making the best decision for you and your family.
Have you or a senior loved one applied for elder care in Canada recently? What was your experience like? We’d like to hear your stories in the comments below.
Related Articles:
Source http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/PqCre_PP5xc/
“Enthusiasm is the electricity of life.” ~Gordon Parks
Have you ever noticed how powerful enthusiasm is? It can be contagious.
If a friend or someone around us is enthusiastic there’s a certain energy or presence that shines from them that can be infectious. It doesn’t even matter what they’re enthusiastic about; if we’re in their presence, it’s easy to be lifted up by their energy.
I’ve always loved seeing people express their enthusiasm. It brings such an authentic quality of who they are through the things that excite them. The thing they’re excited about may seem insignificant to others, but their enthusiasm shines with something very special—a quality of their presence that’s beyond words, beyond the stress, dramas, or stories that sometimes take hold in life.
I had an experience recently with a friend of mine that inspired me to share my enthusiasm for enthusiasm.
I’d just finished having dinner when I received a text message from my friend, telling me she’d just finished making some home-made chocolate and had a piece for me. She was keen to know what I thought about it.
She said, “I’ll bring it to work tomorrow,” but then quickly followed up with “Or, I’m going to visit friends soon and I’ll be passing by, so I could possibly drop it off.”
I could really feel her enthusiasm, and I don’t mind some good homemade chocolate, so I said, “Sure, bring it over.”
To give some more context to the story, the previous week, I was sitting next to her in the staff room at work as she was eating some chocolate she’d made at home. She offered me a piece, but did warn me, “It’s a little dry.”
Dry, yes! Pasty, very!
She’d made it using leftovers, peanut butter being a main ingredient. But not just any peanut butter, probably the last part in the jar, where all the oil has risen to the top, leaving the bottom extremely dry and pasty. Mixed with some cacao powder, a little honey, and I can’t remember what else, the taste was good but the texture made it hard to swallow without some fluid.
We both had a good laugh about it, and she told me when she makes a new batch she’d give me a taste, no doubt to redeem herself.
So now, a week later, she was now dropping off her new chocolate creation.
When I saw her, I could see her excitement to share it with me and know what I thought about it. As I tried it she made the comment, “Was it a little creepy asking if I could drop it off?”
It’s interesting how we can often feel self-conscious about our actions when we’re enthusiastic. It doesn’t actually happen when we’re enthusiastic, it’s when we drop out of it, into our ordinary thinking mind and start questioning ourselves. We can be so spontaneous, but then have moments of thoughts like, “Is that okay?” “Am I crazy?” or “What will my friends think?” that disconnect us from the experience.
If I didn’t feel her enthusiasm I might have thought it was a little strange; however, I’ve always found it easy to feel people’s excitement and passion. The thing they’re excited about may not always be my cup of tea, but their enthusiasm always is.
For me, interacting with people is really about human connection, so in a way, the content of the interaction is secondary. In this case the chocolate was delicious, but connecting with her enthusiasm was more important!
It’s so easy to connect with people when we’re expressing feelings like enthusiasm. It creates a warmth that’s instantly uplifting.
Enthusiasm is like a joyous fire, and for me, when someone is in that state, it’s easy to meet them there. It’s connecting on a level beyond words.
In astrology the sun refers to the highest aspect of our self, or Higher Self.
I like the metaphor of the sun, because when people are expressing feelings like enthusiasm, wonder, curiosity, compassion, or love there is something of this sun principle shining through.
The sun inside.
When we see people shining with enthusiasm, it’s usually about something; in this story, it would be my friend’s chocolate creation, but for me the “something” is more a handle into their sun inside. Their presence.
Like knows like. When we witness this shining it’s easy to be uplifted because we recognize their sun from our own sun, and the reason it feels so good is because we’re in touch with our own sun.
Why is this important?
The sun inside is the source of our true happiness. It’s an unwavering force of vitality, joy, and fullness. It’s the spark of life, beyond the limitations of the mind.
If we look at the word “enthusiasm,” we can find its roots in the Greek word entheos. Entheos comes from en, which means “in” or “inside” and theos, which means “god,” so entheos can be translated as “god inside.”
Whether you resonate with the word “god” or not, what it’s pointing to is that there is something very special about the expression of enthusiasm. Something that comes from deep inside us.
Think of a time when you were doing something enthusiastically.
Take a moment to feel it.
What were you doing?
How did you feel?
Was it easy to lose track of time when you’re doing it?
It felt good, right? There was a fullness inside. The things that might usually weigh on your mind just don’t exist in that state.
I’ve found a powerful observation to make is that when we’re in a state of enthusiasm and those thoughts come in and we start questioning our spontaneity, they come from a very different part of our mind, a part that is usually graspy, controlling, and fear-based—not our sun.
When I feel enthusiastic, I feel a fullness and warmth in my heart and a that sense I could do anything, but if I have a thought of something like, “Is this okay?” or “Am I just weird?” I feel small, empty, and fearful.
The next time you’re having a moment of spontaneous enthusiasm notice the sense of freedom and aliveness that comes. Then, if doubting thoughts come in, notice how restrictive and lifeless they are.
This is important because it helps us separate the real, authentic parts of ourselves from the fearful and disconnected parts. The more clarity we gain here, the more choice we have to live authentically from our sun.
To start cultivating your sunny enthusiasm, simply start by noticing it when it comes and pay attention to it. In those moments when it comes, just allow yourself to feel it. By feeling it, I mean enjoying it! Resist the temptation to question it.
What are the things you’re passionate about? Do them! These are the things that will bring out your enthusiasm.
Notice how your enthusiasm, your sun, naturally uplifts people. Your enthusiasm, besides making you feel good, is a gift to others. There may be people who react negatively, but keep in mind that’s more about them than you. If they weren’t reacting to you, they’d be reacting to someone else.
Notice other people’s enthusiasm and how it can spark something in you.
Enthusiasm is awakening. It makes us feel alive and part of something greater than just ourselves.
Just the fact of keeping it in your awareness will naturally help you discover and cultivate more.
Remember, it is contagious, but this is something the world needs more of, so go ahead and share your enthusiasm.
Ben is a meditation teacher, “stillness coach,” and founder of the Peacekeeper Project, a community dedicated to impacting humanity by helping more people silence the mind and live from the heart. Ben believes stillness is a superpower available to anyone. You can learn more and download a free meditation at the Peacekeeper Project and find Ben on Facebook and Instagram.
Get in the conversation! Click here to leave a comment on the site.
The post Your Enthusiasm is Contagious, So Share Your Passion Loud and Proud appeared first on Tiny Buddha.
Source http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/PqCre_PP5xc/
“Enthusiasm is the electricity of life.” ~Gordon Parks
Have you ever noticed how powerful enthusiasm is? It can be contagious.
If a friend or someone around us is enthusiastic there’s a certain energy or presence that shines from them that can be infectious. It doesn’t even matter what they’re enthusiastic about; if we’re in their presence, it’s easy to be lifted up by their energy.
I’ve always loved seeing people express their enthusiasm. It brings such an authentic quality of who they are through the things that excite them. The thing they’re excited about may seem insignificant to others, but their enthusiasm shines with something very special—a quality of their presence that’s beyond words, beyond the stress, dramas, or stories that sometimes take hold in life.
I had an experience recently with a friend of mine that inspired me to share my enthusiasm for enthusiasm.
I’d just finished having dinner when I received a text message from my friend, telling me she’d just finished making some home-made chocolate and had a piece for me. She was keen to know what I thought about it.
She said, “I’ll bring it to work tomorrow,” but then quickly followed up with “Or, I’m going to visit friends soon and I’ll be passing by, so I could possibly drop it off.”
I could really feel her enthusiasm, and I don’t mind some good homemade chocolate, so I said, “Sure, bring it over.”
To give some more context to the story, the previous week, I was sitting next to her in the staff room at work as she was eating some chocolate she’d made at home. She offered me a piece, but did warn me, “It’s a little dry.”
Dry, yes! Pasty, very!
She’d made it using leftovers, peanut butter being a main ingredient. But not just any peanut butter, probably the last part in the jar, where all the oil has risen to the top, leaving the bottom extremely dry and pasty. Mixed with some cacao powder, a little honey, and I can’t remember what else, the taste was good but the texture made it hard to swallow without some fluid.
We both had a good laugh about it, and she told me when she makes a new batch she’d give me a taste, no doubt to redeem herself.
So now, a week later, she was now dropping off her new chocolate creation.
When I saw her, I could see her excitement to share it with me and know what I thought about it. As I tried it she made the comment, “Was it a little creepy asking if I could drop it off?”
It’s interesting how we can often feel self-conscious about our actions when we’re enthusiastic. It doesn’t actually happen when we’re enthusiastic, it’s when we drop out of it, into our ordinary thinking mind and start questioning ourselves. We can be so spontaneous, but then have moments of thoughts like, “Is that okay?” “Am I crazy?” or “What will my friends think?” that disconnect us from the experience.
If I didn’t feel her enthusiasm I might have thought it was a little strange; however, I’ve always found it easy to feel people’s excitement and passion. The thing they’re excited about may not always be my cup of tea, but their enthusiasm always is.
For me, interacting with people is really about human connection, so in a way, the content of the interaction is secondary. In this case the chocolate was delicious, but connecting with her enthusiasm was more important!
It’s so easy to connect with people when we’re expressing feelings like enthusiasm. It creates a warmth that’s instantly uplifting.
Enthusiasm is like a joyous fire, and for me, when someone is in that state, it’s easy to meet them there. It’s connecting on a level beyond words.
In astrology the sun refers to the highest aspect of our self, or Higher Self.
I like the metaphor of the sun, because when people are expressing feelings like enthusiasm, wonder, curiosity, compassion, or love there is something of this sun principle shining through.
The sun inside.
When we see people shining with enthusiasm, it’s usually about something; in this story, it would be my friend’s chocolate creation, but for me the “something” is more a handle into their sun inside. Their presence.
Like knows like. When we witness this shining it’s easy to be uplifted because we recognize their sun from our own sun, and the reason it feels so good is because we’re in touch with our own sun.
Why is this important?
The sun inside is the source of our true happiness. It’s an unwavering force of vitality, joy, and fullness. It’s the spark of life, beyond the limitations of the mind.
If we look at the word “enthusiasm,” we can find its roots in the Greek word entheos. Entheos comes from en, which means “in” or “inside” and theos, which means “god,” so entheos can be translated as “god inside.”
Whether you resonate with the word “god” or not, what it’s pointing to is that there is something very special about the expression of enthusiasm. Something that comes from deep inside us.
Think of a time when you were doing something enthusiastically.
Take a moment to feel it.
What were you doing?
How did you feel?
Was it easy to lose track of time when you’re doing it?
It felt good, right? There was a fullness inside. The things that might usually weigh on your mind just don’t exist in that state.
I’ve found a powerful observation to make is that when we’re in a state of enthusiasm and those thoughts come in and we start questioning our spontaneity, they come from a very different part of our mind, a part that is usually graspy, controlling, and fear-based—not our sun.
When I feel enthusiastic, I feel a fullness and warmth in my heart and a that sense I could do anything, but if I have a thought of something like, “Is this okay?” or “Am I just weird?” I feel small, empty, and fearful.
The next time you’re having a moment of spontaneous enthusiasm notice the sense of freedom and aliveness that comes. Then, if doubting thoughts come in, notice how restrictive and lifeless they are.
This is important because it helps us separate the real, authentic parts of ourselves from the fearful and disconnected parts. The more clarity we gain here, the more choice we have to live authentically from our sun.
To start cultivating your sunny enthusiasm, simply start by noticing it when it comes and pay attention to it. In those moments when it comes, just allow yourself to feel it. By feeling it, I mean enjoying it! Resist the temptation to question it.
What are the things you’re passionate about? Do them! These are the things that will bring out your enthusiasm.
Notice how your enthusiasm, your sun, naturally uplifts people. Your enthusiasm, besides making you feel good, is a gift to others. There may be people who react negatively, but keep in mind that’s more about them than you. If they weren’t reacting to you, they’d be reacting to someone else.
Notice other people’s enthusiasm and how it can spark something in you.
Enthusiasm is awakening. It makes us feel alive and part of something greater than just ourselves.
Just the fact of keeping it in your awareness will naturally help you discover and cultivate more.
Remember, it is contagious, but this is something the world needs more of, so go ahead and share your enthusiasm.
Ben is a meditation teacher, “stillness coach,” and founder of the Peacekeeper Project, a community dedicated to impacting humanity by helping more people silence the mind and live from the heart. Ben believes stillness is a superpower available to anyone. You can learn more and download a free meditation at the Peacekeeper Project and find Ben on Facebook and Instagram.
Get in the conversation! Click here to leave a comment on the site.
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Source: https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2018/grumpy-old-men-myths.html
Who you calling irritable? … How to know if a bad mood is bad for your health, or just par for the course … Reach a certain age, and it’s almost expected that if you’re not, say, the sweet old ……
Source: https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2018/grumpy-old-men-myths.html
Who you calling irritable? … How to know if a bad mood is bad for your health, or just par for the course … Reach a certain age, and it’s almost expected that if you’re not, say, the sweet old ……
Anyone can feel a little anxious at times or even have a full-fledged bout of anxiety, but if a senior adult finds that their anxiety is interfering with their normal daily activities, it may be time to talk to a doctor before it gets worse.
Everyone deals with anxiety, but there’s a big difference between worrying about meeting a deadline at work or speaking in front of an audience and feeling fear that is intense enough to keep you from doing normal, daily activities.
When a senior adult is afraid to leave their home or to be in crowds or has extreme or exaggerated thoughts, then there is a good chance they are dealing with an anxiety disorder.
There are several different types of anxiety disorders that one can suffer from. Each disorder has its own symptoms.
For some senior adults, their anxiety lessens as they age, but that’s not true for everyone. When it comes to anxiety and the elderly, it can get worse as they get older. Often, this is due to additional worries about health, health-related costs, and losing a partner.
It’s not so much that anxiety attacks in the elderly increase, it’s just that if they have suffered from anxiety a good part of their life, with the increased concerns that come with being older, they may feel they have more to be anxious about.
If a senior adult in your life is dealing with anxiety, it’s important to handle it head on. For older adults, anxiety not only affects their quality of life, but it can also increase the risk of death.
Anxiety in elderly treatment options do include medications, but some doctors feel that psychotherapy can be a better first option. This is since medications come with side effects and, with older adults on more medications, there is a greater risk of negative interactions.
Anxiety is a normal part of life, but if you notice your loved one feeling more anxious or no longer taking part in daily activities that they have always enjoyed, it’s time to talk to their doctor.
Anyone can feel a little anxious at times or even have a full-fledged bout of anxiety, but if a senior adult finds that their anxiety is interfering with their normal daily activities, it may be time to talk to a doctor before it gets worse.
Everyone deals with anxiety, but there’s a big difference between worrying about meeting a deadline at work or speaking in front of an audience and feeling fear that is intense enough to keep you from doing normal, daily activities.
When a senior adult is afraid to leave their home or to be in crowds or has extreme or exaggerated thoughts, then there is a good chance they are dealing with an anxiety disorder.
There are several different types of anxiety disorders that one can suffer from. Each disorder has its own symptoms.
For some senior adults, their anxiety lessens as they age, but that’s not true for everyone. When it comes to anxiety and the elderly, it can get worse as they get older. Often, this is due to additional worries about health, health-related costs, and losing a partner.
It’s not so much that anxiety attacks in the elderly increase, it’s just that if they have suffered from anxiety a good part of their life, with the increased concerns that come with being older, they may feel they have more to be anxious about.
If a senior adult in your life is dealing with anxiety, it’s important to handle it head on. For older adults, anxiety not only affects their quality of life, but it can also increase the risk of death.
Anxiety in elderly treatment options do include medications, but some doctors feel that psychotherapy can be a better first option. This is since medications come with side effects and, with older adults on more medications, there is a greater risk of negative interactions.
Anxiety is a normal part of life, but if you notice your loved one feeling more anxious or no longer taking part in daily activities that they have always enjoyed, it’s time to talk to their doctor.
