What A Butt Head!

"Lame driver! What the heck kind of move do you call that?? Honestly, is it too much to ask to drive around people who have courtesy for the other drivers?" Insides churning, I then get home and proceed to recap the person's lack of driving skills or lack there of, to the next person I talk to and we agree and find even more instances of 'butt heads' on the road.


Ok I better stop there as I can feel myself going down that road and I'm not even on the road! lol But whether it's the inconsiderate driver on your way home from work, or the 'dip' on the phone who still can't fix your order when it was their error in the first place (these are our thoughts of course..not verbalized out loud!) ;o) we all have had those instances of impatience, anger or frustration that we let get to us and it stays with us much longer than needed. I'm all for venting your frustration at events that push our buttons, cause I certainly do -but harboring it longer than necessary or continuously bringing it up hours or days after the fact also brings up those same unpleasant feelings that accompany it. I am one of those folks who tends to put a humorous slant on something eventually...so then I end up laughing at it. However sometimes not even that is a good thing as there can always be 'residue' of upset feelings lingering in there somewhere.


Maybe that's why I resonate so well with shows like King of Queens, Seinfeld, As Time Goes By, Golden Girls or Everybody Hates Chris. I literally laugh out loud at these shows..responding to their drama and of course humorous spin on it. THAT is much healthier as we have no attachment to 'their' stuff...so I do recommend shows like this that poke fun at everyday life and let you laugh at how silly or small most of this stuff really is! Finding ways to laugh at life is a gift and the folks who wrote these shows did it well. Why not bring more of that into your everyday life?


I also catch myself more lately when one of these instances does come into my experience/day...to take a deep breath and then ask myself...ok...what is the opposite of this situation? I find myself doing this a lot lately and maybe about time as walking around irritated is getting old! So I may ask myself, "Alright Katy, what is the opposite of a jerk driver?" Wellll, I guess it would be...competent drivers who are courteous and safe. What would be the opposite of a rude or annoying customer service person on the phone? Hmm - someone who is funny, polite and sincerely helpful. Okay, get where I'm going here? Even imagining the more desired scenarios feeels better!


I am increasing my awareness of how I feel on a daily basis and I am getting better at it. Instead of stewing in a lousy feeling that literally in the past has ruined an entire day or put a damper on a weekend - I am instead taking time out, telling myself this feels like crap and what can I do about it! I try refocusing on the opposite as I stated above and after making a few statements in my head, I may then find something positive to uplift myself with even briefly. Seems lots of this happens when I'm at work. lol Go figure (Thank goodness my new business is soon to replace my J.O.B.) Happily this has been working rather well which is making me more consistent. I am also meditating more and hope to lead a class on that soon too, so stay tuned.


Stress just isn't worth it. Long term it just takes its toll and I'm for EASE more than anything else. See? Ease is the opposite of Stress. What do you know, I'm on to something here! Smile and feel free to share your comments on how you bring about Ease in your life!!

Katy

Lookout Here I Come!
Just thoughts that feel good to think about ☺

I was eating exhaust fumes while driving behind this VERY LATE model station wagon the other morning...I had to laugh as I got close enough to read the model of the car "Caprice Classic". Classic alright! lol But even funnier is as a kid my siblings and I were carted around in the exact same one, although ours was light blue. We thought it cool - wow- all 7 kids jammed in there with mom and dad, and if you were lucky mom would let you sit in the 'way back'. Facing out the back window.

We did graduate to a 'family van' as we got bigger. The Caprice couldn't hold us once we all started getting bigger/taller etc. I still remember driving the monster van. But my driving experience at 16 was in my dads pride and joy, a candy apple red 'Studebaker'. No power steering or power brakes - winding in and out of a nearby department store parking lot on a Sunday. I was exhausted by the time we were done and I was ready to turn over the wheel to dad and he says, "you can drive home". Lordy...such faith!! Then again, they did make the cars pretty solid back then! ha This was the only family car to grace the inner sanctum of our garage.

I love how something as simple as a car spotting can bring up some great memories. I can appreciate a good looking older model car - it makes it suddenly real that there was a time and place when you or your family were either MUCH younger or not even born and life was rolling along. Come to think of it I've always had dreams of a time machine.

That would be something else again.

Katy

Just Give Me Some Relief!

Stomach and intestinal woes are on the rise! I can't be the only one who's noticed that a large part of the population are on stomach meds? Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid, Zantac...these are becoming household names! Understandably, since our bodies are sending off uncomfortable symptoms many are looking for relief!

Sooo...I've been giving it some thought as I tend to go backwards to the source of problems. I'm all for getting relief, but since the stomach basically does its thing from birth, I'm guessing it knows how to keep things balanced when we take care of it, at least most of the time. Normally our diet and lifestyle are to blame...stress, convenience foods, sweets, too much coffee, soda or alcohol... all of these contribute to the stomach not being able to keep up and causing our entire body to have a more problems digesting and absorbing nutrients, and having more acidity than not.

Guess what ? It's fixable! And here's the shortened version. Stop doing what you've been doing to cause it! lol Ok...maybe I can expand on that a bit.

Diet considerations- I've been doing some re-educating on the benefits of eating more 'alkaline foods' as opposed to acid causing foods. No surprise that pretty much all fresh vegetables are 'safe' and gentle on the body and digestion, so these should be the higher percentage when meal planning. Beef, Poultry, Fish...dairy, (goat milk/cheese are better), coffee, processed juices, alcohol, canned veggies, pickled veggies, sugar, and artificial sugars, are just a partial list. You may be getting the picture. Just start eating LESS of these foods and start eating healthier in general. A good rule is 75% safer foods and 25% of the more acid producing.

Along with dietary changes are some proven, safe remedies to help balance the acid in the body, help digestion and heal the digestive tract.

Digestive Enzymes - We need them! The body produces some, and all fresh uncooked foods (veggies/fruits) come equipped with them...no surprise there! But think of how many processed/cooked meals we've consumed! And as we age, we make less. Most of us need some help. Enzymes are required for the proper digestion and assimilation of the foods we eat - they actually help unlock the vitamins, proteins, minerals and hormone activity, and allow them to work in the body. Not having enough enzymes can add to quite a few problems - Acid reflux, belching/bloating/gas, bowel/intestinal disorders, poor immune function, food allergies and less energy. I'm sure there's more but that's more than enough to get me started on them! This is such an easy fix, I highly recommend having some on hand - as they also help with that 'heavy' feeling after a big meal. I like a tasty, easy brand to take as they work immediately due to their quick absorption. Oh...and added bonus... pro-biotics are also included for a more complete healing for the digestive and intestinal tracts! Awesome! Even comes in portable packets which are $21.95, Bottle is larger for $31.95

Ginger - Yes it's true! Hence our mom's giving us ginger ale when we had an upset stomach. Very soothing and helps adjust the acid in the stomach. I like crystallized ginger, found in health food stores or the bulk dept in grocery stores. Tea and herbal capsules are also great!

Aloe Vera - Secondary to Enzymes for digestion, Aloe comes thru with flying colors for Acid reflux. Giving almost instant relief. I know because I've used it and keep on hand as well as the enzymes and ginger.

Less Stress!- Of course you may have guessed this was coming. Stress can trigger that 'fight or flight' response, which then reduces blood flow to the abdomen and the production of much needed enzymes. And it all starts again! Meditation, Yoga, Exercise, Relaxation techniques all help, again don't hesitate to ask for assistance. It's what I do!

Katy