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by
Leon Shepherd
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Have you
ever wondered why you experience feelings of joy, happiness,
and euphoria when you laugh?
Well, when you laugh, you release hormones known as endorphins.
Endorphins are two hundred times as powerful as morphine.
When released, endorphins are responsible for that blissful
feeling we experience during laughter.
Doctors say that laughter is one of the greatest preventative
medicines that exist today. They say it's excellent in preventing
and relieving stress and tension. Doctor's also say that when
you laugh for at least fifteen minutes, it's equivalent to
stationary jogging. It moves the muscles and organs in your
body and it helps you to feel better.
Recently, I read a book entitled,'' Mary Lou Retton's Gateway
To Happiness.'' Mary Lou Retton won the gold medal in gymnastics
in the 1984 Olympics. The last chapter in her book is entitled,''
Laughter.'' In this chapter she mentions that laughter is
even a good way to grieve. She goes on to say that psychologist
George Bonanno of Catholic University did a study of bereavement
where he videotaped recent widows and widowers talking about
their lost spouse. He discovered that those people who laughed
one or more times during their recollections seemed much better
able to cope with their loss over the long term. Bonanno concluded
that not only does laughter help ease the psychological pain
of a person who has lost a loved one but that by laughing
when we're mourning, we make it easier for our friends to
give us the emotional support we need. We just might find
that laughter can be of help in healing even our deepest wounds.
I'm sure you've heard the old adage,''laughter is the best
medicine.'' Well, to enjoy the full benefits of this non-prescription
medicine, you should try having at least three good laughs
a day. When I say good laughs, I don't mean the kind of laugh
where you just grin and giggle. I'm talking about the kind
of laugh that makes you double over clutching your stomach,
or the kind of laugh that brings tears to you eyes. Laughter
of this magnitude will without a doubt help you to fully enjoy
the power of laughter.
Laughter
has always played a major role in my life. I find it to be
refreshing and exhilarating. I can even enjoy a good laugh
when it's at my expense.
To prove my point, I'd like to share the following story with
you. I grew up in Texas. After I graduated from college I
moved to Culver City, Calif., where I've lived for almost
twenty years. Twice a year I fly to Texas to visit my parents.
One year, during a visit to Texas, I decided to take a trip
to the mall. As I was walking through the mall, I heard a
voice behind me shout,'' Hey, I haven't seen you in years!''
''How you've been?'' As I turned around, I recognized Walter.
Walter and I were in the high school band together.
After we exchanged greetings, Walter said, '' You know, I
knew you would be successful. You were an outstanding student,
very popular and well liked by everyone. And you were always
a great guy to be around.''( At this point, I'm grinning so
wide I could eat a banana sideways, as I'm enjoying every
moment of this.) After this brief exchange,( and after my
head had swollen to another hat size from Walter's compliments)
Walter said he had to catch up with his family and finish
his shopping. I shook his hand and told him it was great seeing
him. As he was walking away, I'll never forget what happened
next. Walter paused and said ,''Take it easy Mike, and tell
Leon I said hello.''
I almost died laughing. I laughed so hard tears were in my
eyes. During the entire conversation, Walter thought I was
my younger brother Michael, who was also in the high school
band.
Whenever I reflect on that incident, I still get a good laugh.
Laughter is a wonderful experience that can enhance our lives
at any given moment. No matter where you are, or what you
are doing, you can always find some humor that will bring
forth a laugh. It can be something someone said, something
you saw or heard, or even reflecting on something that made
you laugh in the past.
The benefits of laughter are incredible. When we laugh, it
helps us to forget about whatever may be bothering us - even
if it's just for a few minutes. You see, it's impossible to
be in a bad mood when you are laughing. It's impossible to
be sad when you are laughing. It's impossible to be unhappy
when you are laughing. When you laugh, you are happy. When
you are happy, life is more enjoyable. When life is more enjoyable,
the power of laughter is within you.
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Regular exercise
during pregnancy helps prevent delivery. This is true even for women
at increased risk of preterm deliveries. Pregnant women should consider
doing about three hours of aerobics or swimming - or walking briskly
for four to five hours - per week. Check with your doctor first.
(Maureen Hatch,PhD)
To get rid of roaches: Eliminate their drinking sources - they can
only survive three weeks without water. Plug leaks, insulate sweaty
pipes, empty bottles and don't leave dishes in the sink. Sprinkle
boric acid powder where roaches like to frequent - in the kitchen
and bathrooms. When they eat it, they die. (David Gordon)
Testosterone gel is a new way to correct low testosterone levels.
The clear gel, called AndroGel, is rubbed into the skin of the abdomen
or shoulder. Beware: Men must be careful not to spread the gel to
women, especially pregnant women. AndroGel is available only by
prescription. (Adrian Dobs,MD)
Now a diet that helps relieve PMS: The low-fat vegetarian diet.
Most women who used the diet in a recent study reported having one
to one-and-a half fewer days per month. The diet includes grains,
vegetables, legumes and fruit, but no animal products - and no dairy
or eggs. (Neal Barnard, MD)
Daytime running lights reduce car crashes. One major study indicates
that running lights cut head-on, side, angle, turning and multivehicle
daytime collisions by more than 10%. They also reduce collisions
with pedestrians and collisions at dusk or at dawn. (Edmund Lau,
General Motors)
Smoking just one cigarette cuts 11 minutes off your life span. That
adds up quickly. Each carton of cigarettes results in a day and
a half of lost life. Total sun avoidance is not healthful for you.
The human body needs some sun exposure to synthesize vitamin D -
merely five to 10 minutes a day is enough. And only a little skin
need be exposed- even just a toe is enough. (Wilma Bergfeld, MD)
A dependent child must file a tax return if his/her earned income
exceeds $4,400...or total unearned income(divideds and interest
on investments) for the year exceeds $700. The source of the earned
income makes no difference. (Randy Bluaustein)
Animal retirement homes provide pets a place to live out their last
years in luxury when owners can't care for them. These retirement
homes are usually nonprofit - but that does not mean they are inexpensive.
Typical cost: $10,000/yr. (Jay Tischendorf, Veterinarian)
To keep a car's finish looking good: park in the shade instead of
direct sunlight whenever possible. Never wipe off dust with a dry
cloth - that may scratch the paint. If buying a new car, consider
a light-colored one - light finishes last longer and stay shinier
than dark ones. (Bob Sikorsky, automotive columnist)
Flights at the end of the month are more likely to be delayed or
cancelled. Reason: By late in the month, many flight crew members
may have reached the number of hours they can legally work per month
because of overtime and work on delayed flights earlier in the month.
When enough crew members have worked the maximum hours allowable,
there can be crew shortages that cause flight delays or cancellations.
(Randy Peterson)
Forgetting helps us remember. Each time we remember a fact, we unconsciously
forget related but irrelevant facts. Example: To remember where
you parked a car at a mall, you forget where you parked it last
time you were there. This automatic, unconscious process - called
temporary forgetting - is needed so we can remember life's details.
(Neil Macrae, PhD)
The proper refrigerator temperature is 40 degrees farenheit. Above
that temperature, bacteria can multiply rapidly. Most refrigerators
are set at 45 degrees farenheit or higher. To check temperature:
Keep an appliance thermometer on one of the shelves at all times.
(Bessie Berry, Dept. of Agriculture)
Soothe red, itchy eyes with a cool compress and artificial tears.
The tears coat and protect mucous membranes, keeping moisture in
and environmental irritants out. Also try washing your eyes with
a sterile, over the counter eye - irrigating solution. Important:
Do not rub your eyes. That can put more irritants into them - and
the rubbing itself can make redness and itching even worse. (Jane
Brody, health columnist)
On-line networking can be a great way to make career connections
- but it does not replace in-person communication. Helpful - www.industryinsite.com
helps you find people with whom you have things in common...the
business category at www.liszt.com
can connect you with discussion groups and newsletters...www.careerpath.com
has industry- specific message boards...www.vault.com
has message boards that are searchable by industry or keyword. If
you use the Internet to make a contact, set up a face-to-face meeting.
(Ron Krannich, PhD)
August 13 is Left-Handed Day. For special computer products, office
and school supplies and other items, contact The Left Hand, 877-533-8426(toll
free), or visit www.thelefthand.com
'' You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering
and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.''
- Shirley Chisholm,Former Congressman
' The future is purchased by the present.''
- Daisy Lee Bates, Journalist
'' You've got to make haste while it's still light of day. My godmother
used to say , '' I don't want to rust out, I just want to work out.''
If you stand still long enough, people will throw dirt on you.''
- Ben Vereen, Entertainer
'' My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done
and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in
return.''
- Maya Angelou, Writer '
' Find the good and praise it.''
- Alex Haley, Writer
''I act as if everything depends on me and pray as if everything depends
on God.''
- Oprah Winfry, Talk-Show Host
'' Positive anything is better than negative nothing.''
- Lorraine Hansberry, Playwright
'' The secret to the fountain of youth is to think youthful thoughts.''
- Josephine Baker, Entertainer '
' Some people succeed because they are destined to, but most people
succeed because they are determined to.''
- Roscoe Dunjee, Entrepreneur
'' Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing
honor.''
- Romans 12:10 |
Dangers
Where You Least Expect Them
by Melinda
Muse |
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As a health journalist, I read and write a lot about medical advances.
One big lesson I've learned is that life today is no longer survival
of the fittest - but of the wariest.
Here are some surprisingly dangerous places, things and situations...
Firing someone. Workplace stress
increases the risk of heart disease. Researchers asked 800 cardiac
patients about their workweek just prior to their heart attacks and
discovered that being laid off, quitting a job or being promoted slightly
raises the probability of a heart attack - but that having to fire
someone doubles the risk.
Personal computers and The Internet.
The Web is a virtual downer. People who spend even a few hours a week
on-line are more depressed and feel more isolated than those who log
on less frequently.
Frequent flying. Hazards of flying
include luggage carts, which have those elastic tethers with metal
hooks on each end. They have snapped back into eyes, causing dislocated
lenses, internal bleeding, retinal detachment and temporary loss of
sight.
Think twice before grabbing that aisle seat. Every year, some 4,500
passengers are hit by items falling from overstuffed luggage bins.
Briefcases are the most common missiles in the carry-on arsenal, but
it also includes laptops, golf clubs and heavy backpacks.
Long flights. An estimated 350
passengers die in-flight in the US every year, with heart attacks
the leading cause. Sitting for hours or more on arid cabins risks
dehydration and reduces circulation in the legs by half, which could
cause blood clots. If a piece of the clot breaks off and makes its
way to the lungs, it can be deadly.
What to do: During long flights walk the aisles often ... and drink
plenty of bottled water (unbottled airline water can carry additional
health risks).
Hotel rooms. Check out your room
before you check in. Blood, and other bodily fluids have been found
on purportedly '' clean'' sheets, blankets and bedspreads.
According to Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, it is possible
to contract hepatitis from soiled bed linens, as well as to pick up
body lice, which burrow in mattresses and covers.
What to do: Never lie on a hotel bedspread - strip it off. Check sheets
for freshness. And don't pad around barefoot, since bathroom floors
may host athlete's foot fungi.
Yardwork. Need good reasons not
to spend hours grooming your lawn? Americans scatter 70 million pounds
of pesticides on their yards every year. Your hands are most likely
to be exposed, but your forehead, abdomen and crotch absorb pesticides
faster than other body parts.
Research at Memorial Sloan- Kettering Cancer Center in New York suggests
that sunscreen, while preventing sunburn, gives people a false sense
of security, making them feel they can indulge in more sun time. One
million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer every year: Protect
yourself by covering up.
Garage sales. These hagglers'
havens are notorious for unloading unsafe products, including bunk
beds that strangle ... cribs that can suffocate...dangerous baby carriages...collapsing
playpens...beanbag chairs stuffed with foam pellets that have choked
children.
Money. Coins and greenbacks are
cruddy with germs, including fecal bacteria...Staphylococcus, which
causes Propionibacterium. It seems the smaller the denomination, the
more dangerous.
A test of $20 bills uncovered money's other dirty secret - cash is
contaminated by cocaine. The Journal of Frensic Sciences says, ''...most
Americans handle small amounts of cocaine every day...on dollar bills.''
Follow Mom's advice about keeping your hands out of your mouth.
Monday is the day of the week when the majority of suicides occur,
says the American Association of Suicidology. It is also the day when
the most heart attacks occur.
Fridays produce more car accidents than any other day of the week.
Saturdays produce the greatest number of fatal motor vehicle crashes.
Most occur between 4pm and 4am.
Casinos. The odds
are lousy. Only 150 of 736 high rollers who suffered a heart attack
in Las Vegas casinos lived to place another wager, according to a
recent study. Paramedics must maneuver through throngs in the mammoth
gaming halls, wasting valuable life-saving time. Hedging their bets,
many casinos have installed defibrillators.
Kissing your dog. Each year, more
than one million Americans get parasites, such as roundworms, hookworms
and pinworms, from kissing their canine pals. Since parasitic infections
are difficult to diagnose in humans, people often never discover the
causes of their headaches, liver ailments or sinus infections. Teach
rover to shake.
In conclusion, I urge everyone to not let their fears overwhelm them.
After all, optimism is a tonic for a longer, healthier and - dare
we hope - safer life.
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Fun
Things To Do In An Elevator (humor)
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- When there's
only one other person in the elevator, tap them on the shoulder
and then pretend it wasn't you.
- Push the
buttons and pretend they give you a shock. Smile, and go back
for more.
- Ask if you
can push the button for other people, but push the wrong ones.
- Call the
Psychic Hotline from your cell phone and ask if they know what
floor you're on.
- Hold the
doors open and say your're waiting for a friend. After a while,
let the doors close, and say, ''Hi Greg. How's your day been?''
- Drop a pen
and wait until someone goes to pick it up, then scream, ''That's
mine!''
- Bring a camera
and take pictures of everyone in the elevator.
- Move your
desk into the elevator and whenever anyone gets on, ask if they
have an appointment.
- Lay down
the twister mat and ask people if they would like to play.
- Leave a box
in the corner, and when someone gets on, ask them if they can
hear ticking.
- Pretend you
are a flight attendant and review emergency procedures and exits
with the passengers.
- Ask, '' Did
you feel that?''
- Stand really
close to someone, sniffing them occasionally.
- When the
doors close, announce to the others, '' It's okay, don't panic,
they open again.''
- Swat at flies
that don't exist.
- Tell people
that you can see their aura.
- Call out,
'' Group Hug!'' and then enforce it.
- Grimace painfully
while smacking your forehead and muttering , ''Shut up, all of
you.''
- Crack open
your briefcase or purse, and while peering inside, ask, ''Got
enough air in there?''
- Stand silently
and motionless in the corner, facing the wall, without getting
off.
- Stare at
another passenger for a while, then announce in horror,'' You're
one of THEM!'' and back away slowly.
- Wear a puppet
on your hand and use it to talk to the other passengers.
- Listen to
the elevator walls with your stethoscope.
- Make explosion
noises when anyone presses a button.
- Stare, grinning
at another passenger for a while, then announce, ''I have new
socks on.''
- Draw a little
square on the floor with chalk and announce to the other passengers,''
This is MY personal space!''
- While holding
your nose, turn to the person next to you and ask,''Couldn't you
have waited?''
Living
Successfully motivates, informs and
entertains to help make life more fulfilling and fun!
Each issue offers inspirational messages and quotes, success tips,
entertainment, humor and more.
The newsletters purpose is to inform, inspire, and empower people
to live successful lives---personally and professionally.
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Successfully is sent via
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Leon Shepherd
Editor/Publisher
Living Successfully
Website: http://www.leonshepherd.com
E-Mail: leon@leonshepherd.com
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