During January I noticed serious brain fog– misplacing keys, my cell phone, even forgetting an appointment.  A rather scary experience when I’m used to a brain that serves me well. Given the myths on aging, I thought I had perhaps hit some serious undertow of that process.  What I decided was that I wasn’t willing to have the brain fog continue.

My intent was clear – good brain functioning. Health has always been a key priority, however, frankly, I had not thought specifically about brain health. Then synchronicity showed up. I got home from church one Sunday, and it was raining hard so instead of a brisk walk I began to prepare lunch.  Surprisingly for me midday, I turned to a PBS.  A wiry, animated fellow was on the screen. When I heard him listing depression, anxiety and injury as major contributors to poor brain health he had my attention.

An hour later, I knew much more about the brain . Today thanks to recent medical research including that of Dr. Daniel Amen, the man I had been watching, we know much more about the brain than we did even ten years ago . Three things stood out to me:

1. Keeping one’s brain healthy can slow down the aging process.
2. Brain health, like overall health, depends in part on healthy eating and exercise.
3. Stress and depression can both significantly impair the brain’s function.

When a brain scan is used aging can be detected. People who have been addicted to a toxic substance, for example, have much older looking brains. Do you remember seeing the fried egg ads that were meant to scare teens from drugs? Turns out they were not far frrom the truth.*

The good news is that we have much more power to affect good brain health and add to the quality and length of our lives. Over the next three weeks I will explore how to keep your brain healthy.

In the meantime, tune into how your brain is functioning. What contributes to clear thinking and what scrambles it, and share your discoveries as comments to this blog.

* If you are curious what toxic substances, be they drugs or excessive exposure to lead paint, can do to the brain, check-out Dr. Amen’s website.

During my first visit with the eye surgeon he said, “It’s important to operate this month.” Over the last year my vision was failing so slowly that I chocked it up to aging.  Then, this fall when I couldn’t thread a needle or easily read spreadsheets, I suspected something far more serious. As it turned out I had a condition that deteriorates the retina and, thus, sight.  The good news is that within two weeks of that first visit I had surgery and my SIGHT in that eye significantly improved. Thank you, Dr. Francis! What a gift!

In the last year I have had several challenges such as the sight problem and these experiences have heightened my interest in resilience.  The economic and political times we are living in also sharpens my interest in how we as members of a society come together to be more resilient. So this year I commit to becoming more resilient than ever before, and I will share my learnings with you in this blog.

Resilience for me is the ability to bounce back from challenges, re-center myself and do what it takes to bring myself to a place of stability to move forward once again. I want to experience vitality, joy, and connection, and I believe resilience can help me have these. Some of my intentions for this exploration are that I will learn more about:

=What gives and takes away energy

=How to tune into natural internal warning systems

=Ways to be more creative with my current resources

=How to strengthen my CORE* for greater resilience

=Using my strengths for natural resilience.

I believe we are indeed part of the whole and that our growth can contribute to others.  Thus, I welcome your sharing what you are learning about being resilient, too.

Until the next time:

What have you learned from a recent challenge that has strengthened your resilience?

The hospital room was stiflingly silent. My brother, Gaylord, had just been taken away to the operating room. Less than 24 hours before he had a heart attack and now the physicians felt the best option was surgery, a three-way bypass. Gaylord, his wife and sons, our parents, and I all wondered what this means.  Will he make it through this and what will the quality of his life be if he does?

Fortunately the operation went well, and Gaylord began to make life style changes. In addition to reducing fat, salt and sugar, he got a dog, a standard poodle named Genieve, who was a great incentive to get outside for long walks.

These changes helped, but it took eleven years before he was ready to let go of the primary stressor in his life.  He decided to retire.  He was willing to begin defining himself in new ways.

His first month after his decision was filled with delight at the thought of sleeping in, calling the shots on what he wanted to be working on versus multi-million dollar projects for others, taking trips with his wife to be with friends, and perhaps going to Europe. He even imagined he might get back to an old passion painting.

As Gaylord’s retirement date loomed, he began to have doubts. Maybe he wasn’t ready yet.  Then the man who was to succeed him died in a car accident forcing Gay to postpone his retirement by a month until a replacement could be found. But this strengthened his resolve.  He’d had his wake-up call, life’s too short.

Even though it was a month later than planned, Gaylord embarked on his new life the way he’d tackled client projects for so many years.  He signed up for a painting class, took his wife Dixie to several art shows, and he carved out hours each week when he would paint.  Most importantly he kept his commitment to himself as seriously as he would a commitment to a client.

Two months later Gaylord was a different man.  There was no trace of regret; he had an entirely new attitude about this time in his life.  He calls it “wonderment!”  He gets up early each morning filled with wonder about what he will discover.  With his camera he catches the sun rising over the Wasatch Mountains the pinks and light glow illuminating the dark folds of the mountains.  He finds a scarlet Amaryllis breaking into bloom on the kitchen table, and captures its translucent beauty. He begins taking pictures of those around him.  All these photos are displayed on his work board the next day, and within a day or two one is becoming a watercolor.  Gaylord has indeed re-engaged in his passions and his life is on a whole new trajectory. Friends have remarked that he looks healthy and happy.

Gaylord has gone from a man boxed in by his job-title and the familiar comfort it provided, to a place where he is free to choose again what he wants his life to look like.  We can’t wait for first show.

What embers of a by-gone passion are waiting for you to stoke back into a fire?

What must you let go of to make room for this passion (allow it to breathe)?

Workshop Coming Up on March 11

Turning Points at Midlife and Beyond

Women Connecting

Midlife presents us with new options.  Whether we greet them with fear and trepidation or an expectation of a new adventure will impact the quality of what unfolds for us.  Listening to the Divine Discontent that has been beneath the surface for years can provide insight and energy for embarking on this important life passage with conscious choice.

Join other women, committed to enjoying the fruits of their fifties and sixties and making choices that take us outside the boxes that we and others have created for ourselves. This experiential workshop will leave you with fresh approaches for creating your future.

Workshop Leader:  Sandra Jones, guide Navigating Act III for Soul Satisfaction

To sign up, go to:  http://web.mac.com/womanspiritcenter/WomanSpirit_Center/Turning_Points.html

Have questions? Call Sandra at 425-646-8170.

Having just escaped the severe symptoms of a cold this week, and knowing several other women who were not so lucky, I recommend that you take a few moments to bask in the wisdom of this short video.

Take a few moments to watch this movie, for all the women who light up our world.

Yes, there is a short commercial at the end, and you may want to take advantage of it!

How will you fill your lamp this week?

No sooner had I written the blog post on boosting brainpower than I realized that my short-term memory was sputtering.  I was overly zealous in taking on new, promising opportunities and not considering what I already had on my plate. I found myself with too much to do and not enough time – the perfect conditions for a brain freeze.

No kidding, stress does muffle the wonderful access we have to a rapid firing, effective brain.  You may have felt stress grab you by the throat as you gave your first speech or seize your stomach as you sat for a professional exam and your fear just deep-sixed the answers that you could readily recite just hours before. 

Here are three ways* to prevent or recover from a braindrain:

1.  Dial down stress, dial up meditation

Prolonged stress or anger damages brain cells.  On the other hand, relaxation produces a feeling of well-being.

a.   Take a few minutes throughout the day to breathe deeply, notice the impact it has on your body.  This is especially useful if you practice it before you need it!

b.  Here’s a 6 minute meditation that can whet your appetite for further relaxation. http://stressremedy.com/RelaxNow/HomePage

In case you’re still thinking that multitasking is the way to go, research suggests otherwise.  When neurons are over-stimulated brain cells die.  So,

a.  When doing anything, be present and concentrate on the task at hand.

b.  Turn off your cell phone, iPod, email, TV, and radio news so that your brain can focus on one thing at a time and your brain’s performance will accelerate.

 3.       Stay Socially Connected

 When we stay connected we are also taking positive action for our brains.  Studies show that when we isolate ourselves, dementia is more likely to occur.  So, if your social connections are few, join a book club which meets in person or take a class that will get you interacting with others.  Both planning and participating in social activities contribute to healthy brain cell production and create new neural pathways.

When I had the stress build-up last week, I finally had the presence to call a friend.  With her help I got clear how I was letting the achiever part of me override my desire for love, affection and deeper connection.  Ahhh, what a welcome invitation it was to get out of my head and into the world!  The result was a wonderful, relaxing and meaningful connection.

The beauty of paying attention to and responding to our deepest desires is that doing so can naturally contribute to our brain’s thriving, particularly if we let go of the behaviors that result in braindrain.

*Factual source: “Sustain Your Brain” an article in Natural Health, June 2009.

If you are committed to a quality of life, you are committed to your brain’s health.  So, no matter what your goals may be for this year, it makes mega sense to give your brain a boost.  Truth is there are at least 7 ways to significantly boost your brain power* so, I will describe these 7 boosters in two blog posts.  The solutions are simple, perhaps not always easy, and they are simple. 

No doubt for some time you may have quipped when you’ve misplaced your keys, “I’m having a senior moment”.  The hard facts are that after 40 the brain begins to deteriorate.  However, there are plenty of ways to stay mentally sharp into old age.  Here are four: 

1.  Eat a Mediterranean Diet –Smart Plate

• Fill HALF your plate with leafy green vegetables, broccoli, tomatoes, fruits – particularly berries.
• Fill one FOURTH of your plate with whole grains – brown rice, beans, chick peas, whole grain breads and pasta.
• Fill the last FOURTH of your plate with broiled or poached fish (salmon tops the list), tofu or boned chicken breast.
• Things to reduce in your eating plan – dairy, meat.
• Replace butter with olive oil
  

  Healthy Salad

 2.       Keep your blood sugar levels below 140  mg/dL– reduce processed foods and foods high in sugar

• Even slightly raised blood sugar levels (240-200 mg/dL) can be the precursor to diabetes and damage the brain.
• Eat the Mediterraen-style meals suggested above leaving out processed foods, starchy foods and foods high in sugar.  Check-out the levels of sugar in your processed foods, desserts, just about everything!
• Omit sugary drinks.

 3.       Exercise – increase the amount of oxygen your brain and body draws in and releases

• Exercise pumps blood, nutrients, oxygen into the brain increasing its volume.
•  Exercise protects against cell death and encourages growth of new brain cells.
• Pick your favorite aerobic exercise:

              i.    Indoors – swimming, treadmill, rowing machine, stationary biking, dancing, martial arts, jog in place

             ii.   Outdoors: Running, jogging, swimming, biking, Nordic or downhill skiing, kayaking

4.       Read or Surf the Net

The more stimulating the activity, the more your brain gets out of it.  So, roll off the couch and surf the net, it takes a number of complex brain processes to do a search.  Play a word or strategy game with yourself or a friend, join a book club, read and apply what you learn, take up a craft (build model airplanes or create scrapbooks or cards, etc).

Select one of these to focus on in the next few weeks and notice the impact, and share it!  I’m curious how I can up the level of my exercise so that it is aerobic.  What’s your choice?

Three additional brain boosters will come in my next post.

*Factual source: “Sustain Your Brain” an article in Natural Health, June 2009.

At the end of May I felt a lot like a slug.  It was a familiar feeling, like slowly sinking over the edge into burn-out.  Tasks loomed large and no amount of pushing seemed to get them done.   I surveyed the situation and one major energy drain stood out.  I had been putting time, energy and money into a second business venture that wasn’t panning out.

As I looked over the edge; the choices appeared to be burn-out or letting go.   The choice of letting go was complicated by the fact that I really like and respect the team I worked with.  However, once I had all of the parting conversations, there was a significant sense of relief and liberation.  I let go of the heavy stress I had been carrying.  Congratulations were in order.

My next commitment was to rest, to step away and give myself a much needed vacation.  Stepping away is a bit scary when YOU are the business.  (Will I really ever want to come back???)  Well, I am delighted to tell you that I did step away for ten days and spent a good part of that time with family in the sunshine!  Now, that I am refreshed,  I am choosing daily to embrace lightness, contentment and levity.

When I stepped back into the flow of my life and my business, I had a conversation with a colleague who is a fellow coach, Anita Schamber.  She does a lot of work with faith-based communities and suggested that what she found works is “Let God.  Let go.  Let’s Go.”  Ho! I could just feel the relief as I thought of how that could indeed be a new mantra for me.  Interestingly since returning from my vacation I have felt a real draw to let go of lots of clutter, physical and mental.  This new three-part mantra seems to fit perfectly.

Now, I sense I am on a different edge, one that feels much more like a launch pad, and a poem that portrays this beautifully is by Cindy McMeekin  from her book “Awakening the Soul.”*

Stand with me on the edge
Where we can express our passions fully
Speak our truths loudly
Live our dreams boldly
Laugh from the bottom of our belly
And dance with the freedom of a child.

*Get a copy of “Awakening the Soul”
Soul Awakening Publishing
P.O. Box 217
Southworth, WA  98386

As Americans our ancestors declared independence from taxation without representation in 1776.  To take this important national holiday to a personal level, what have you declared independence from over the last few months or days?

Being with family over the Fourth gave me a great opportunity to learn from others who had successfully declared independence.  A powerful example is a cousin who decided that she was not going to succumb to dying in her early 50s as had her grandmother and aunt.  What’s more when she got breast cancer two years ago, she declared she would do her best to deal with it successfully as her mother has.  Her mother has been in remission for 30 years.

As I reflected on my own situation, my declarations are unique to my own challenges:

• I declare independence from people and situations that drain me.
• I declare independence from doing things in ways that overly deplete me.  (We all experience fatigue from a day’s work, and when the fatigue doesn’t leave after a good night’s sleep or a vacation, it’s a good idea to find out why.)
• I declare independence from unconsciousness about eating and my body.
•  I declare independence from holding on when it’s time to let go!

What are your personal declarations of independence this year?

For years I’ve know I had a penchant for drama, but I thought I had reduced the Queen’s role to a bit part.  As Memorial Day weekend approached I had a newsletter deadline looming.  The topic was burn-out and after two versions, I had no satisfaction.  I turned to a trusted advisor and she nailed it, you’re in burn-out!  Moi, ME, I am in BURN OUT, you’ve got to be kidding!  The Drama Queen began to rant and rave.  Then came a sigh of recognition. 

Yes, I had known what would make me a super visible, hip marketer in today’s social media world, but had no energy to make it happen.  So, the Drama Queen had managed to cover up reality with her moans and groans rather than accept it.  Now what?!  I took the long weekend off with a gentle commitment to find pleasure in small things.  Over the weekend, a dear friend demonstrated how she is easily moving into the bliss of retirement.  Now, that was appealing!  I’d like two scoops of that please! 

With these new revelations I gently started out the week and Providence provided.  Loretta LaRoche’s  book Relax, you may only have a few minutes left jumped off the shelf at me.  From my reading I realized my perfectionist had conspired with the Drama Queen to have me running in place for some time.  Loretta shared that one of one of her meltdowns occurred as she and her husband started out on a vacation.  The trigger was unexpected $3 toll fee.  All of a sudden, my own melodrama became clear.  I also found I am not alone since, according to Loretta, many Americans are caught up in fast- paced dramas of their own making.  The result, massive stress!  (Loretta teaches people how to use humor to reduce stress.)

As the Drama Queen in me has struggled over “what’s next, how am I going to make all these shifts happen?!!”  The Diva of Delight showed up calm, serene, and confident that we can create a future that “we” will all relish.

What about you?

Where is your Drama Queen showing up?

Where do you feel “burned-out” or getting pretty darn crisp?

You’ve been gliding along, making great progress on your projects and intentions.  Then you notice you are much less interested in everything that only a week ago seemed very appealing and you have a lot less energy.  If you have gone through a major burn-out, you may be particularly concerned.  Lack of interest and energy are two key signs of burn-out.  However, let’s not leap to conclusions.  Let’s take a look at the facts.

www.freefoto.com

What has been your pace over the last couple of weeks?  The Diva of Delight* has been in charge for much of my last week, and she had me writing blogs, newsletters, speeches, etc.  She also chose to show up engaged in her volunteer and personal life so it was a” full-tilt-boogey” week.  Then she wonders why on Monday she had energy to celebrate but not for much else.  The good news is that the Diva and I did celebrate!

Celebrate. Without the pause to celebrate, it can be easy to feel like you are in a gerbal’s cage, moving quickly but getting nowhere.  Celebrate who you were being that helped you accomplish what you did. Notice if that is who you want to be going forward.  Celebrate, too, what you accomplished.  What made those accomplishments particularly satisfying?  With that sweet savoring, you can now pause and decide…

What next?  That’s the good news, you do have a lot of control over who you are being as you move forward. Yes, there may still be plenty on your plate, but look at the bigger picture.  Who do you want to be, doing what you do?  If you start from a place of resignation, everything will be much harder.  If you start from a place of curiosity, “Who can I be…more easy going, gentler? What can I do to provide some extra ‘comforts’ for myself this week as I strategically accomplish key activities?”, you are much more likely to get back to a pace you can more easily sustain.

Put “comforts” in place for this week and the future.  The Diva of Delight wants her comforts now, so I mixing up my schedule this week and allowing for some more relaxed days as well as full ones.  This morning, I took a more leisurely start on the day rather than popping out of bed with a checklist in mind.  That approach actually led to more creativity.  This week I am leaving a couple of nights open, to simply be.  I have a hot stone massage I can take advantage of this week or next. Also, I will set up a weekend soon to go visit a friend.  Ahhh, I feel better already knowing that I have plans!

What’s up for you?

- If renewal is in order for you, how will you do it?
- Who do you want to include in your plans to make them most refreshing and enjoyable?

*The Diva of Delight is that part of my way of being that is filled with wonder, optimism and a sense of adventure.