a tickle of words to create smiles

Posts tagged ‘Energy’

Grateful for Enthusiasm (TY-15)

ako-nov15-2013

I truly appreciate enthusiasm especially in others. It is fun to be enthusiastic and it is wonderful to see enthusiasm in others. It is contagious. Enthusiasm is one of my favorite words as it expresses joy in action; it is having a keen interest, excitement, fervor or zeal in a cause or subject. It is cheerful and exciting because it expresses a higher level of energy. It is being passionate with joy for those items in our life that we consider important. Enthusiasm is a word that has its origins in the Greek language for “inspired by God.”

Enthusiasm is tossed into a group of such delicious words  such as: ardor, avidity, conviction, craze, dash, devotion, eagerness, earnestness, ecstasy, élan, emotion, energy, exhilaration, fanaticism, feeling, fervor,  fire, flame, flare, frenzy, fury, gaiety, glow, gusto, heat, hilarity, hobby, impetuosity, intensity, interest, joy, keenness, life, mania, mirth, nerve, oomph, orgasm, passion, pep, rapture, relish, snap, spirit, transport, vehemence, verve, vim, vivacity, warmth, zeal, zealousness, and zest

Norman Vincent Peale stated, “If you have zest and enthusiasm you attract zest and enthusiasm. Life does give back in kind.” 

I agree wholeheartedly with Norman Vincent Peale. I have yet to find people who are not affected by my enthusiasm. Case in point, as I was returning from a bittersweet trip to Rhode Island and I was standing among many tired co-travelers as we waited at the gate for our carry-on luggage that was too large for the overhead compartments. No one was smiling except me.

Taking notice of all the glum and weariness, I made a point to become enthusiastic about getting my luggage, having made a safe trip to our destination and being minutes away from a warm bed.  I soon had most of us equally enthusiastic, too. It was great to see others smile with me. I think there was only one older woman in her twilight years who hung onto her scowl. Given a little more time, I believe I would have gotten a hint of a smile from her, too. 

This leads me to a quote by Charles Schwab, “A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm.”  And, Vince Lombardi said, “If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm.” (He cracks me up!)  Ralph Waldo Emerson stated, “Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved.”  

In the words of Henry Ford: Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait. The grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas.

In my words, enthusiasm is the twinkle in my toes and the wiggle in my nose; it is the swing in my hips and the smile upon my lips! Enthusiasm is the thumping of my heart to the beat of my ideas that drums out a rhythm of inspiration for all to see. 

Oliver Wendell Holmes wonderfully sums it up, “It’s FAITH IN something and  ENTHUSIASM FOR something that makes LIFE WORTH LIVING.” Are you embracing your ENTHUSIASM FOR something?

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Rest

Rest is essential when you are tired; give into your desire for a break or a nap.  You will be doing others a favor. ~ Dr. Angela Kowitz Orobko

Everyone I know gets crabby or ill-spirited when they are tired. It would be best that these people do the rest of us a favor and take a break or possibly take a nap. Resting is a mood lifter and helps us to maintain our positive energy and it lowers our blood pressure. I would rather have quality time with my loved ones who took time to take care of themselves and relaxed a bit more. Wouldn’t you?

It seems during the summer months we are all so active, engaged in many outdoor events. We are all extremely busy making the most of the long days we have! In combination with all the extra activity, many of us are experiencing extreme heat where we live. All this zap our energy. In nature, animals rest during the heat of the day. It is during these times that we really need to slow down, grab a cold refreshment and take a break. If possible, build a nap into our routine. We need to give ourselves permission to take a break. A little rest goes a long way and it will make everyone happier!

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Glorify God: Take Care of Your Body

“Do you not know that your body is a temple from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

It is important that people take care of their bodies for many reasons. First of all by getting enough sleep, exercise and nourishing foods, people are able to fulfill the physical needs of their bodies in order to best serve (God and others). (I know I am guilty at times for not providing my body its basic needs.)

Sleep provides people with the opportunity to rejuvenate their energy levels and to process nutrition and circulate it around the body to rebuild cells in our body that people wore out through the day. While people rest and sleep the body has full opportunity to remove waste and to restore equilibrium. Yet, the first basic need people sacrifice when time is short, is sleep (or when worries prevent them from sleeping aka insomnia). Consider taking a mindful look at your schedule; are you allotting yourself enough time to sleep as well as, to unwind and relax before bedtime so you can get to sleep?

The Harvard Women’s Health Watch suggests six reasons to get enough sleep:

1. Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who’d slept after learning a task did better on tests later.

2. Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.

3. Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.

4. Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.

5. Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.

6. Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.

More details on the importance of SLEEP.
Importance of sleeping in human life.

(What helps me to get enough sleep is to plan my day accordingly. I know I am not a morning person, so I my work activities around my “prime time”, which is that time of the day when I am most focused and alert. I know that if I need to be up at a certain time, I need to be in bed 8 to 9 hours prior to that appointed time. Reading in bed with low-level lighting helps me to fall off to sleep quickly. Many experts do not encourage reading, but it helps me. Each of us has an idea what works and does not work for them. Exercising right before bedtime is not a good idea as it boosts energy levels to the point where one will not be able to fall asleep.)

Exercise not only helps strengthen muscles and builds stamina in people, but it is re-energizing and a mood-lifter. As people exercise, their hearts are working a little more to circulate their blood that is carrying oxygen to every part of their body. Increased circulation in a person’s body provides the oxygen (minerals and nutrition) to all the cells (muscle, nerve, skin, and fat cells) in one’s body where energy is made via metabolism. This process lifts a person mood. People can actually go into an exercise routine a bit sluggish and tired, and ten minutes into it feel a second wind. After their exercise routine, they feel more energetic. That energy can now be used in positive ways. People will also find they are able to focus more clearly with as little as ten minutes of aerobic exercise.

Through the course of a day, people encounter various stresses, such as incessant worry over things they have little control, which can increase their heart rates and blood pressures. Exercise helps people attain a balance as the mood-lifting processes of exercise seem to ease worry. As with sleep, however, when time is short, exercise becomes less of a priority in one’s life. Exercise is often eliminated from one’s daily routine. This is unfortunate, because, it really does not have to be. With a little creativity, one can include exercise into their daily routine.

It is not too difficult to increase the amount of activity in one’s day. Here are some examples to get you thinking. Use music in the background when you work at the computer and at the end of each song, stand up and march in place for a few minutes. Use an egg-timer at work, set it for 50 minutes, and then at the end of 50 minutes, take a 10 minute break to walk and move around. Each time you take or make a phone call, get up and walk around. Use the stairs instead of the elevator and park further away from the entrance of a building. Instead of sending a memo to someone in your office building via e-mail, deliver that message in person (and if you wish, you can still follow-up with an e-mail). When possible, when running errands that are a short distance from your home (1 to 2 miles), use a bicycle or walk. As you become more and more active, you will build up your stamina and feel better. These little things may inspire you to take a Tai Chi or Zumba class once a week. Along with exercise, people need nourishment.

More on the Importance of Exercise
BBC on Healthy Living

People need a steady amount of nourishment throughout their day to fuel their bodies, starting with a generous breakfast with a balanced amount of protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. How much you need consume and exactly what you need to eat will vary from person to person depending on your height, weight and medical history. Skipping meals or overeating will cause people to become unbalanced and they will feel sluggish. Over time this can cause unhealthy conditions and illness. (I find when I eat a balanced diet of protein, non-fat dairy, fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and a limited amount of healthy fats like olive oil, I feel energetic and satisfied. I rarely feel hungry when I consume these every 3 to 4 hours during the course of my work day. If I want an occasional treat of chocolate or ice cream, I do not deprive myself.) Balance is key when it comes to giving one’s body the proper nutrition to maintain one’s health.

Nutrition Information

Practicing self-care is not only practical to maintain/improve people’s overall physical well-being and health; but, it is also provides people with a solid foundation for their mental and spiritual well-being. It is not selfish to put your basic needs first. On the contrary, it is vital to take care of yourself in order to serve God and others.

Self-care helps us to better serve God

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