Stress and anxiety are at epidemic levels, taking their toll on our bodies and souls. We seem to feel deeply unsatisfied in our lives, insecure about who we are, powerless to change, and desperate for any kind of escape – be it drugs, alcohol, sports, video games or Instagram.
Can we turn this around?
Continue reading “Abolishing Stress: Rule 3 – Discipline Your Thoughts”
Once upon a time I went though a very difficult time in my life. I was in the middle of a divorce, forced to sell a home I loved, and left alone in a foreign country with a small child. I couldn’t get out of bed for the first two weeks. I was petrified and paralyzed. But with a small child to care for, I had to somehow pull myself out of it. So I started taking gratitude walks.
This is something practiced by a lot of respected motivational leaders from Tony Robbins to Deepak Chopra – because it works! How does it work?
Continue reading “Abolishing Stress: Rule Two – Practice Gratitude”
I was talking with my sister last night and we found that we have something new in common. Whenever anyone asks us our age, we either lie or refuse to answer. And we share the same reasons for our deceptions.
Most people think I hide my age because I am ashamed of it. Far from the truth! I actually never think about it – that is until someone else brings it up.
There is no doubt that stress takes an enormous toll on our bodies; from headaches, insomnia, frequent colds and infections, stomach problems, muscle and body aches – you name it! It can also be seen in our faces, including acne and early aging.
How do we deal with stress and eliminate its damaging effects? In this series I am going to be sharing techniques that have truly worked for me through the most traumatic and stressful of times.
Continue reading “Abolishing Stress: Rule One – Live in the Present”
There’s a big difference in the way the news media works in Germany versus in the US.
News in the US is a product, meant to sell advertising. There’s a financial investment in making it exciting enough to draw viewers in, and there’s a lot of competition for those consumers. The problem is that we already have an information overload in our modern society, and people are overwhelmed. So to make the product more enticing and easier to digest, the US media seems to have gotten away from just reporting the information, and gotten more into interpreting and opining about the information. It’s not enough to report the facts. We need ticker tapes, bells and whistles, experts giving their opinions, and pictures so graphic you have to usher the children out of the room before you satisfy your own morbid curiosity.
The Effect of the Eurozone Crisis on Greek Tourism
By SHAWN WOLFF JUL 11, 2012 1:55 PM
Media propaganda is hurting Greek businesses.
Continue reading “The Effect of the Eurozone Crisis on Greek Tourism”
I recently sat with Frau Brandt, a woman I teach English to here where I live in Hamburg, Germany. I noticed she wore a stunning string of grey pearls. “Are those real? You look so dressed up. Are you going somewhere special?“ I asked her.
“No“, she replied. “I’m just going to the store.“
“And you are wearing such beautiful pearls to the store? You don’t save them for special occasions?“ I asked, incredulously.
“Honey, I’m 67 years old. I wear them as often as I can, while I still can.“
All my life, whenever I have something special I save it for a special occasion.
