Happy Birthday, America!
To all my followers in the U.S.A., have a wonderful July 4th holiday.
One Thing
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the world is a harsh and horrible place. If we were to go strictly by what we see on the evening news, we’d likely never venture out of our homes!
Do not let current events and politics taint your view of the world in general. It is a vast and beautiful place filled with wonder.
This is not to say that bad things do not happen, and are not happening. I am not a Pollyanna and I watch the news myself so I am well aware of these things.
I choose to focus on the good, simply because focusing on negativity doesn’t do my health and well being any favors – nor yours.
I also believe that we can affect change. Each of us has the power to do something to make the world better for someone else. This does not require a huge investment of time or money. If each one of us did just ONE thing, we could make an impact that could lead to bigger changes. Think about this for a minute. Right now there are an estimated 7.4 billion people living on planet Earth. If everyone took the time to do just ONE thing to help another person, imagine the good it would generate.
I know what you’re thinking. You are thinking it is impossible for every single person on Earth to do something because of geography, poverty, and other barriers that exist. Kindness knows no barriers. Love knows no barriers. Compassion knows no barriers.
But let’s just assume that not everyone could do something. Even if a small group of people did something, it would be far better than doing nothing. Think if everyone in your neighborhood decided to designate a day to perform a random act of kindness. How many people would be impacted that day? If you have 100 people performing an act of kindness, then 200 people benefit. The person performing the act, and the beneficiary of this kindness.
Now let’s think bigger. What if your workplace or school decided to designate a day to perform a random act of kindness? If you have 500 people in your company or school, 1,000 people will benefit.
It’s important to celebrate these acts of kindness and to gather everyone together to “report back” on what they did and how it made them (and the beneficiary) feel. Doing so inspires more action, and could motivate others to follow suit.
Have you ever been in line at the drive through and had the person in the window say “your coffee (or whatever) was paid by the car in front of you”? Guaranteed that if it has happened to you, you have gone on to pay for the car behind you, and that person did the same for the car behind them. This is because kindness inspires more kindness. It’s a chain reaction of goodness.
Is it possible to change the world? Yes.
Can one person make a difference? Yes.
Spread some kindness today.
Happy Saturday
Dream Big
The pursuit of a dream requires courage.
Things will not always go your way. Events will not always happen as planned. People will not always support your vision. Believe in yourself and trust your intuition. When necessary, adjust the course to avoid going off of it. Now get out there and make some awesome!
Happy Thursday
A Little Does A Lot
Summer is a great time to volunteer as a family. With kids home from school and longer daylight hours it's the perfect time to join together and do something good for the world. You don't have to go far to volunteer or spend a lot of money to make a difference.
Inspiration can be found right in your own neighborhood. Here are some ideas:
- Help an elderly neighbor with chores like housekeeping or lawn maintenance
- Drive an elderly neighbor to doctor appointments or to the supermarket
- Help clean up a park or nature preserve
- Help clean up a beach
- Volunteer at the local animal shelter
- Volunteer to deliver meals to homebound individuals or seniors
- Volunteer at the local nursing home to help with events for residents
- Start a letter writing campaign for troops serving overseas
- Adopt seniors at a local nursing home and write letters to the residents. Send cards on holidays and their birthdays.
Musical Time Travel
You know that feeling you get when you hear a song that reminds you of a special time or a particular person from your past? This happened to me yesterday as I was driving in my car. I was listening to Sirius XM’s “80s on 8” and Billy Idol’s “Eyes Without a Face” came on the radio. Immediately I was taken back to the summer of 1984 and a club in Italy called Rainbow, where I spent many a Saturday night that summer. “Eyes Without a Face” was always the first song the DJ started his set with. Lots of laughs and good times were had in that club. Those summers I spent in Italy were some of the best years of my young adult life. I made many friends, and connections that still endure some three decades later. Every time I hear this song it’s as if I’m back at that club.
It makes me smile every time.
How is it possible for a song to open floodgates of emotion and memories (both happy and sad)? Is it random, or is there a science behind it?
You’ll be happy to know it’s not random and there is actually a science to it – neuroscience.
A study conducted in 2009 from the University of California, Davis mapped the brain while subjects listened to music. What the study found was that specific brain regions linked to autobiographical memories (memories of specific personal events) and emotions are activated by familiar music. The UC Davis study titled, "The Neural Architecture of Music-Evoked Autobiographical Memories," was published in the journal Cerebral Cortex.
A Finnish study conducted in 2011 actually used MRI technology to observe the brain’s functions while participants listened to music. What the study revealed was that music stimulates the areas of the brain that are associated with motor functions, emotions and creativity.
In December of 2013, the journal Neuropsychological Rehabilitation published a study conducted by Amee Baird and Séverine Samson, from the University of Newcastle in Australia. Baird and Samson used popular music to help patients who had suffered severe brain injuries to recall personal memories.
Music can help with memory recall, it can evoke strong emotions and can stimulate our creativity. In short, music is powerful.
For more on the studies mentioned here and other fascinating facts about the effects of music on the brain, click here.
In the meantime, here’s Billy and “Eyes Without a Face”.
Keep smiling and remember:
La vita e’ bella!
Life is beautiful!
Slacker
Hey everyone,
I'll admit it. I've been slacking with my blog posts. Being totally lazy.
You know when you have one of those days, and then one of those days turns into one of many days... and then it turns into a week... and then.... You get the picture.
No excuse. I promised I'd be back last week and I didn't follow through. I'll own up to it.
Here's the thing though - it's good to slack off every once in a while. By that I mean take the time to recharge. Find something that you love to do and go do that. If that something is doing absolutely nothing, then do that. My point is, whatever works for you is good.
In the meantime, here's some slacker reading material to inspire you (or justify your laziness):
The Secret World of Doing Nothing
The Art of Doing Nothing: Simple Ways to Make Time for Yourself
Autopilot: The Art and Science of Doing Nothing
So don't punish yourself for slacking off every now and then. You're allowed. As for me, I have lots of blog posts to write.
Keep smiling and remember...
La vita e' bella!
Life is beautiful!
Time Away
Hello to all my followers.
I've been away for a bit but will resume blogging next week. In the meantime, I hope that you are all having a wonderful weekend.
Sometimes we need to take a step back and recharge our batteries. That is exactly what I have been doing. I will share with you all what I've learned during this time in posts next week.
Enjoy the day and remember....
La vita e' bella!
Life is beautiful!
Such an Exciting Journey, Life...
Such an exciting journey, life. So many experiences to be had, people to meet, places to see and things to do. Every day brings with it the promise of great things. A clean page waiting to be filled, another page in your story. Every journey has its fair share of encounters with bumpy roads, dead ends and wrong turns. Despite these things we ultimately reach our destination, even if we're sometimes I bit late in getting there. The important thing is to keep going until you find your way to your destination, to your purpose. So it is with the journey of life. We must never give up on our quest to find our calling. While we are at it, let's remember to find the joy in every day. Even when the day seems dark. Even when the darkness stretches beyond a day, into a week, or a month. Believe in your ability to persevere. Believe in the journey, and see the good in every day.
