If you focus on the inside, the simplicity of minimalism and the purging of stuff gives you a path to your internal life. When stuff, people, and the problems they bring fall away there is a stillness. Only in that stillness can you ever find the joy that resides inside of us, dependent on nothing external to exist. My hope is that you find the true source of all JOY – Jesus.

I recently got a puppy, and she reminds me to slow down. She needs my attention, and she is so stickin’ cute! I saw a post that said we (their owners or caretakers) are their best friend for their whole life, and they are a fraction of ours. They are totally dependent on us to help them through their day.

A hug is a form of physical touch, for the person that has that love language. Most people will welcome a hug even if it’s not their primary love language. It’s always a good idea to ask someone if they’d like a hug, keep appropriate boundaries, especially with introverts. A hug can be a way to manage your stress effectively and be another tool to use when effectively dealing with stress management.

This practice of bringing the cozy into your day, will help you develop the “Hygge” lifestyle. Focusing on the simple pleasures of life, slowing down and relaxing. When you add a pause like this into each day, you can reset and take the focus of a stressful situation or high-level task.

Repetitions should always be in the best form, once you start to lose form and want to cheat just to hit a number, STOP. It’s better to do 7 reps than a poor quality 8 or 10. Indicate this on your tracking sheet and bump up reps one at a time using your best form. The numbers are a guide – not a scientific best practice.

Activity, and exercise or fitness should have that same relationship with your brain as you do with love or dating in my opinion.  You may not like it on a certain day, but you do it anyway because you realize it’s important for your body to function properly.  

Maybe you change the wording so your brain can receive the message better - if the word is exercise turns you off, use activity or fitness or movement.  Speaking in a language your mind can choose, receive, and love so it’s not an obstacle for your behavior.  

Strength training may even help you live longer. Resistance training helps maintain independence and reduces the risk of dying prematurely. Even if aerobic workouts aren’t part of the routine. This is great news if your knees, hips, back or ankles have issues, and you cannot get “steps”. There is an exercise plan you can do and that you are in control of! YOU can sit on a chair or a physioball and get a great workout even if you have lower body limitations, your standing tolerance is low, you are in a wheelchair or use a walker or your balance isn’t great.

When you can focus on the power of life-transforming habits within each of these foundational behaviors, you are taking the drug. Health is what happens between episodic doctor visits when you focus on these behaviors in addition to the heath care systems interventions. If medical care offers a 10-20% change/improvement or stabilization and you can add another 36% with behavioral changes, that increases the odds of success immensely. You do have the power to make changes in your behaviors in the 5 fundamental areas.

As you move and start to feel a little better, you’ll often boost your energy enough to exercise more vigorously—by walking further, breaking into a run, or adding a bike ride, for example. This also works for resistance activities. Start small with 5 wall push-ups or sit to stands. Do something that you have enjoyed in the past in its easiest version. Learn how to show up. Build that habit of showing up and doing the resistance activity in its most simple form. Maybe it’s air circles with your arms, or punches to get the blood flowing and relief stress.

Get a support system or buddy to help you with accountability. This can be a challenge that is hard to overcome alone. Get peer support, enjoy the time together as you accomplish a mutually satisfying goal of activity.

When life happens, instead of hitting the vending machine, bottle, or bong – take a walk. Walking also helps boost your immune system and reduce the impact of stress on the body. When you engage in effective coping (like walking, prayer, exercise, deep breathing, mindfulness etc.) you practice effective coping and have a skill set that you can immediately use when life hits the fan.

This refers to a Low-intensity steady-state (LISS) method of cardiovascular exercise in which you do aerobic activity at a low-to-moderate intensity for a continuous, and often extended, period.

“LISS” is a newer term used to describe a low-intensity style of training, but this form of exercise has been around for decades.

On the anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center, you can take part in your own tribute to those heroes and local heroes.

Please join my Stairs ‘n Steps 4-EVER challenge and be part of this tribute.

Why should you add steps? The answer is for you to tell me…we all know why. Our bodies are built to move, if we are not active, we do not burn as many calories. Our minds get foggy, we get stiff, and we have less energy. Pick a reason, it’s for you to decide, not for me to tell you what to do.

In addition to drinking fluids, eating for hydration will help you meet your daily water intake needs. In this blog post will teach you about hydrating foods and get tons of recipes and ideas on how to eat your water!

If you’re not a fan of plain water, adding natural flavor is a fantastic way to make it more interesting. When it tastes good, you’re way more likely to drink it! Infused water is also “fancy” and can be served as an alternative to soda or other sweetened beverages for a refreshing and healthier version of a drink.

In the dog days of summer, you need something to restore your cool. To refresh and replace your energy. And I have just the thing to do that. Infused water can be made quickly and kept in the fridge for a couple of days refilling your pitcher as needed.

What? Eat your water? You mean crunch on ice cubes all day?

No…this month it’s all about foods that have high water content, and learning how to eat your water in foods. We can get up to 20% of our H2O from food if we are eating foods that have high water content.

Why is gratitude sometimes challenging? Practicing gratitude comes with its difficulties. In a culture that directs you toward self-sufficiency, self-love above doing what is right in God’s eyes, entitlement, and the fact that life isn’t’ always perfect because of sin, it's a struggle sometimes to see our blessings and gifts.

When you practice gratitude it has a sportive spiral up. Take time to acknowledge and recognize the people who have helped you recently. Reflect on what their kindness cost them. This can help you build gratitude and pay it forward. The upward spiral then becomes a ripple in the pool of life! Touching others and having an impact of the world, one person at a time.