Project Happiness....is it really all just a decision?

Because I'm Happpyyy!! Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof.....Because I'm happy...clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth!!

The song Happy by Pharrel Williams, which was the featured song for the Despicable Me 2 movie, is playing through my head as I write this blog post. I am bobbing my head just a little too. I have been thinking a lot about happiness here lately. For a few reasons:

First, as I am discovering my love for a new health and fitness lifestyle and participation in my health and fitness accountability groups, I found I have become a more happier and contented person. You might think "why does your family and kids not bring you such happiness, or your job?" They do! Of course, my family brings me much happiness! But always the deep thinker, I discovered I had been missing (or at least neglecting) a huge part of me that I didn't realize was such a huge part of me. When I joined my health and fitness challenge groups, a passion for health, fitness, and wellness started oozing out of me, and now the flood gates are opening!

Secondly, before the Christmas break, I received an email from a veterinary colleague with this article about a 92-year old lady's take on happiness. I was so touched by Mrs.Jones's beautiful and wise words regarding happiness. Amazing Advice on Happiness at 92-years old. She describes that happiness is a decision, or choice, that you make everyday. She states in the article:

"It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away, just for this time in my life.” 

Mrs.Jones also shares with us to  "Remember the Five Simple Rules to be Happy" which are:
1. Free your heart from hatred
2. Free your mind from worries
3. Live simply
4. Give More
5. Expect less

And lastly, in November, I finished Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin which I have mentioned in other posts, see New Year, New You. I was so intrigued and inspired by this book as well as her extensive research and observations on habit formation, that I went on to read one of her other bestseller's the Happiness Project. The reason you may see many post from me on her work and why I started my facebook group "Be Better, Be Happy" is because I felt like I related to this author on so many levels. I too was someone who went all through college and gained a professional degree only to realize I didn't have an extreme passion for my chosen profession. I enjoy veterinary medicine. It can be fun, rewarding, and challenging. However, I am not what you would call passionate about it. In fact, I really don't practice medicine anymore. I work in research support and compliance at LSU, which I can explain in another post one day! No, I am just realizing some other things that I am truly passionate about, and those are healthy living, fitness, an active lifestyle, reading, and writing. I may never become a professional writer, and that's ok, but I can still make writing a hobby. A hobby, no doubt, that will bring me much happiness! Hence this blog (and future ones to come).

In my own pursuit of happiness (not to be confused with the movie the Pursuit of Happyness featuring Will Smith as I am not about to solve the rubik's cube and move up in corporate America), I am going to attempt to do my own sort of happiness project! I will focus on the areas of life covered in the the Happiness Project book, but I will tweak it to be my own. Rubin actually encourages her readers to do their own happiness project and gives you resources to do it on your own or with a group. Why am I doing this? It's not that I am unhappy by any means. In fact, this is probably one of the most happy times in my life. I have a strong faith, supportive husband, two precious kids, a nice home, loving parents, a good job..... I have a lot to be grateful for! I am doing this because.....why not? This could be fun, eye-opening, an area of personal growth, and perhaps I could spread happiness tips and tricks to others. And it will keep me doing something that contributes to my happiness......writing! So once a week I am going to do a blog post on the events of my own attempt at a happiness project.

In the introduction of the The Happiness Project called "Getting Started", Rubin states her 12 commandments. Ok, not like the ten commandments we got from God for which Moses brought forth to us down from Mount Sinai. Those aren't the commandments I am talking about, and I am not trying to be sacrilegious here. Its personal commandments that help you stay focused on what makes you, and keeps the people around you, happy. Personal mottos, maxims, adages, or mantras if you will. For those of you reading this who are of faith and/or a Christian as I am, this certainly can be favorite bible verses. Some of Rubin's 12 commandments were:

Be Gretchen
Act the way I want to feel
Lighten up
No Calculation
Be Polite and Be Fair
Spend Out

By the way, I am not trying to emulate Rubin here. I am still going to make my happiness project fall in line with my own personal values and faith. This is just an author whose work happens to resonate with me, and that I believed was very interesting and thought-provoking. If you read this book, its not advocating any type of religion or belief system. She does mention several aspects of religion and beliefs, but only as it applies to the contemplation of one's own happiness. She covers some aspects of Buddhism as it relates to happiness, but one of my favorite chapters is when Rubin describes her discovery and utter intrigue of the life of one of her happiness icons, or "spiritual master", whom happen to be St.Theresa of Lisieux "the Little Flower". Don't worry, I won't get preachy, but to not have some aspect of my faith infused in this project, well, it would be set up for failure. It would fail because it wouldn't be truly me...which is the first commandment. Be Diana.

Take note that Rubin mentions pursuing happiness is not necessarily a selfish ambition. Two of my favorite quotes from her book regarding happiness:

“The belief that unhappiness is selfless and happiness is selfish is misguided. It's more selfless to act happy. It takes energy, generosity, and discipline to be unfailingly lighthearted, yet everyone takes the happy person for granted. No one is careful of his feelings or tries to keep his spirits high. He seems self-sufficient; he becomes a cushion for others. And because happiness seems unforced, that person usually gets no credit.” 

“One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy. One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself.” 

― Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun

So here are my 12 commandments (and some of hers I liked so much that I stole them for my own):

Let Go, Let God
Be Diana
Just do it
Be grateful and content
Enjoy the process
Lighten Up
Follow through
Keep it Simple
Remember the Serenity Prayer
Be more generous
Show up
Spread joy and love

Throughout the book, she explains how she incorporates these personal commandments in her daily life and in the pursuit of understanding happiness. And I will explain mine as I go too.

The Happiness Project was a year long endeavor, January to December, with each month covering 12 different areas of life seeking or improving on happiness.

January: Boost Energy-Vitality
February: Remember Love-Marriage
March: Aim Higher- Career
April: Lighten Up- Parenthood
May: Be serious about play- Leisure
June: Make time for friends- Friendship
July: Buy Some Happiness- Money
August: Contemplate the Heavens- Eternity
September: Pursue a Passion- Books
October: Pay Attention-mindfulness
November: Keep a contented heart- attitude
December: Boot Camp Perfect- Happiness

So with the fresh start of new year, we will see how the Coulon Happiness Project goes! If you would like to read this book and start your own happiness project. Here is the link to the book on Amazon. Also I am curious if you came up with a personal commandment, maxim, mantra, scripture, or motto to live by, what would it or they be?

The Happiness Project book here on Amazon

Gratefully,
Diana

Pursue the Dreams of 2016:

Happy New Year! So I have titled this post "Pursue the Dreams of 2016"! Sounds like I have these really amazing dreams I want to achieve, right? Honestly, I don't know if they are considered dreams. Just things I want to get done in 2016! If I am being totally honest, and a little naive (ha ha), I dreamed of being a background dancer for a famous superstar like Beyonce, Katy Perry, or Justin Timberlake, but I have come to accept reality that that just ain't happening. Obviously. When I was 13, I dreamed to be on Broadway. Well again, that's more than likely not going to happen. When I was 18, I dreamed to become a veterinarian. That dream did actually come true, but I am starting to realize it's not truly a passion of mine. I enjoy it, and it challenges me, but it's no longer my dream. As Joyce Meyer says "If that dream didn't work out, get yourself a new dream". It's not the veterinary medicine didn't work out, but I know I have other things I want to do too. So I asked myself as I was contemplating my New Year's Resolutions, what do I want to pursue in 2016? What resolutions do I have that would be fulfilling a passion of mine, and in turn make me a happier and more fruitful person.

I attempt to find ways to be constantly grateful. So as I was thinking on my resolutions, it occurred to me, aren't we fortunate even to be able to make New Year's Resolutions? We are so blessed in this country that many of us don't have to worry about meeting our basic needs. We have clean, potable water, shelter, as well as ready and available food and other commodities. Our daily physical needs are met, most of the time in abundance! Most people in America are given the luxury of striving for and attaining their spiritual, emotional, and self-fulfillment needs i.e. Maslow's theory of self-actualization. We have the time, energy, resources to explore self-actualization and work toward goal-oriented, personal potential. If you have ever read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair or Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, then you know living in survival-mode doesn't make much time for contemplating what your New Year's Resolutions are going to be, let alone what dreams you want to achieve. The only things these people dreamed about while working all day in the horrific environments of an unsanitary meatpacking plant and a Nazi concentration camp, respectively, was some rest, nourishment, and peace of mind. I am not afflicted by cancer, starving in Ethopia, or suffering in the hot spots of the AIDS epidemic. So even though our country and world may not be a utopian society, I am grateful that I don't live in those despairing and harsh circumstances. I happen to live in time and place where dreams, resolutions, personal potential, and fulfillment can be explored, sought, and achieved.

With that being said I have, gratefully, come up with my New Year's Resolutions:

1. Become a blogger

..ok I bet you are thinking "you already have a blog?". Well, I want to push myself to blog more; I want to write more; and more importantly I want to connect with people more. I want to be blogging consistently 6 days a week by the end of the year. A long time dream of mine (yes, a dream!) is to be a writer or even, I dare say, write a book! However, it takes time, practice, a niche, and a following! Blogging and doing my research on blogging, will help me move toward that pursuit. I also love the fact that people interact through blogging and you can build relationships, not just a business. My goal also encompasses moving towards a self-hosted blog i.e. a genuine".com".

2. Keep a daily journal.

Yes, that would essentially be like a blog, but this is something much more personal and requires writing with an actual pen or pencil. I started a prayer journal last year, I wrote in it every day. It may have been only a few sentences, but I wrote something. I want to continue that, but I want to also do it more in a memoir fashion. The goal is to write everyday or at the very least, weekly, a recount of the thoughts and events of my life. Recording special memories with my kids, frustrations with daily life, excitement over successes, and disappointment with failures. I am not scrapbooker like my mom. I been there and tried that, but I do enjoy to write. Especially when life with my kids is passing by so fast, and I want to savor and remember all the precious (and not so precious) moments. Do you keep a journal? Comment below and share your strategy for keeping and maintaining one, I would love to hear about it!

3. Be More Generous

Be more generous by joining a service ministry and participating in at least 3 charitable causes/events. Generosity is something I need to work on and not just by giving money to the local food bank. I have been given so much. I need to give back. I need to give back my time, talents, and energy for others. In 2015, we walked as a family for the St.Jude Give Thanks Walk, and Kora and I attended and helped with Lily's Tea Party which helped raise over $4000 for St.Jude's Children's Research Hospital toward Childhood Cancer Awareness. This was a huge undertaking by my amazing and beautiful mother. She put the fundraiser together for my niece and the St.Jude cause. I want to be more involved helping her with it this year. Lily was diagnosed with Lymphoma in 2014, and has been cancer free for a year! My brother is a quadriplegic, so contributing toward spinal cord injury research or helping him more are certainly ways I could help. There is so much more we could do!

At St.Jude Give Thanks Walk for my niece Lily's team

4. Paint 

For a decade, I focused on nothing but school, academia, and science/medicine while in college and veterinary school. I gave up a lot of things I enjoy doing like dancing, reading, and painting. I am so busy and it takes time to do these creative hobbies, but I thrive on it. I want to paint another painting this year. It was on my list last year, and I never got to it. I admit I am not great, and won't be the next Picasso or Van Gogh. But I enjoy it, and its a huge creative outlet and stress reliever.

Painted this years ago, and gave it to mother-in-law. Didn't say I was good, just that I enjoy it!

5. Read about the Saints.

As a practicing Catholic, its a sort of pitiful that I don't know more about the lives of the Catholic Saints. I know bits and pieces of the lives of some of the more popular ones like Saint Theresa of Lisieux "the little flower" and St. Frances of Assisi, but nothing in depth to where I can really fully appreciate the pious attributes that canonized these people as extraordinary beings. They are people that exemplified faith, charity, good deeds, selflessness, hope, sacrificial love, and wisdom. Even if you aren't Catholic or religious by any means, there is so much to learn from the Saints about life and living it for a purpose with humility, peace, and gratitude. My New Year's resolution is to read about 2 saints a month either through a book, website, or a Catholic resource. In fact, I have a copy of the Story of a Soul which is St.Theresa's of Lisieux's famous memoir that I have never completed. Now just may be the time, and I feel I am in a place where I would appreciate her story more. Who is your favorite saint or one that most inspires you?

A picture of St.Theresa "The Little Flower"

6. Get More Organized

I am organized, and then I am not. I keep my home well organized, my closet, my car. I know where things are filed, folded, and stored. But my life is not always managed and organized as it should be. I am kind of all over the place. My mother-in-law is one of the most organized people I have ever met in my life. She seems to have it together all the time. Her pantry is pinterest-inpiring because she has these neat labels and baskets to keep it all organized. When Dusty and I got married, I was baffled by her notebook and folder with all the important information for the wedding filed and ready to go. I can be absent-minded sometimes, and this doesn't make for me remembering to do things. I have kind of always kept a to-do list on a scratch piece of paper. But with having kids now and life just staying busy, I am determined to get more life-oriented organized. So I picked me up one of these planners at Mistletoe Market to help me. I also use the app "Keep" to jot down reminders. So far the "Keep" app has been very helpful, but like my journal resolution, I just like to write stuff down sometimes. So I got a planner and plan to use it....hopefully!

A Faithful Mom 2016 Planner. Check out www.afaithfulmom.com

7. Continue and/or start a collection

My only current collections consist of about 50 pitiable-looking nutcrackers and Christmas tree ornaments. My nutcrackers are badly falling apart because they are getting old and sit in an 100+ degree attic during the year except for the month of December. Some are missing noses, a beard, a foot, or a sword/staff. Its sad, but its the nature of a collection getting old. I adore my nutcracker collection because they are from my childhood and will always be cherished, but the collection stopped after I graduated from high school. I also love to collect Christmas ornaments from my travels or special occasions. Anytime we visit a new place or enjoy a special event where they have Christmas ornaments for sale, I usually pick one up. I was intrigued in The Happiness Project how Rubin (loved this book by the way) explains that a collection offers a boost in happiness. If the collection is practical, doesn't take up a lot of space, and isn't financially restrictive:

"A collection provides a mission, a reason to visit new places, the excitement of the chase, a field of expertise (no matter how trivial), and, often, a bond with other people"-Gretchen Rubin.

This is just about half of them!

I don't know what a new collection will be yet, but I think the process of figuring it out and starting to acquire the first pieces will be fun. My husband loves looking at and collecting artwork. We only have few paintings by local artists, but we collected them together. We bought them together; we both adore them; and they stay in our home as sweet reminders of our special time together in pursuit of the artwork. So I guess you could say we collect art, and I may just make the time with him to find another painting this year to add to it. Do you have a special collection? Comment below!

Our first date weekend in NOLA after having Kaleb, we bought our first painting in Jackson Square

8. Start a book club.

I am a reader, I love books. I keep an updated library card for crying out loud! I find myself watching less and less television and no longer quite as entertained by many shows. I like movies and often feel I watch the same ones over and over. But hands down I would rather throw myself into a book. Fiction, non-fiction, self-help, spiritual, historical, whatever! The quiet absorption into a book that is stimulating, entertaining, or provides insight and knowledge is my idea of good time. Call me boring, but that's me. I would love to share this passion of mine with other like-minded readers, and have always wanted to do a book club. I have attempted to start this by forming a private Facebook group called "Be Better, Be Happy in 2016" which is a starting point for a quasi-book club via a social media platform. Although I would love to have face-to-face meetings, life can be crazy busy so those are not always possible. This group will start with self-improvement books, but could really morph into anything interesting we want to read together. I am starting the group off with Gretchen Rubin's Better than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everday Lives which I thought appropriate for the start of a new year! Many of us have new habits we would like to start and maintain, and New Year's Resolutions to fulfill. This book will help with mastering those new habits and resolutions. If you want to start a book club, join "Be Better, Be Happy", or have any ideas, please comment below and let me know!

9. Bonus Resolution: Give up Sweets!

This is the bonus resolution. The one I really don't quite expect to achieve, but its nice to think (dream) I could actually do it. Now there are conditions to this resolution. I am not talking about carbs/low carb/paleo dieting, I am talking about super-stimulating sweets like cakes, cookies, pies, candy, ice cream, etc. You get the picture. The only thing I will allow myself on occasion is dark chocolate, ONLY because its so good for me mentally and physically it would be almost irresponsible of me not to allow myself dark chocolate here and there! I have a major sweet tooth, that often gets me in big trouble. Once I allow myself sweets its all down hill. If I can avoid sweets, except dark chocolate, for a year, then I literally could do just about anything in this world. I am also curious just to see how long I can go. I will take bets now!?


So I have 8 New Year's Resolutions (plus my bonus)! That's quite a bit, and I don't know that I will truly resolve in completing them all. However, I think it's the pursuit that is the fulfilling part. The chase is what's exciting! The saying goes to "keep your eyes on the prize", but I am saying "keep your hearts in the pursuit, and enjoy the process"! I will let you know how things turn out! Happy New Year's!

Gratefully,
Diana

New Year, New You! Becoming Better than Before

Its a new year, a time for a fresh start! In 2016, we are becoming better than ever before..... together!

I am a reader, and I always love a good book that captivates my attention and hopefully in some way will make a meaningful impact. I don't normally do "self-help" books. I am not usually the "self-help" book kind of gal, but Better than Before:Mastering the Habits of our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin was a random book I picked up on a quick pit stop to the library several weeks ago. I mentioned in my post on Jazzed Up Coffee and Peace Vibes, that I recently finished this interesting book on habit formation, but I didn't really dive into its greatness.

Me in the "all natural"- no makeup, filters, etc. This is the real me!

Gretchen Rubin, former lawyer and clerk to Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Conner, now turned writer, really opened my mind as to why and how we create habits. She did extensive research into people's habit-forming quirks, and then applying that research she offered many strategies to help one implement a particular habit. I mentioned I randomly picked up Better than Before at the library; so there was little expectations with it and I had no idea who the author was, but the title was interesting to me... I wanted to become better! I needed something to listen to on my commute to and from work too, so it was the audio version admittedly (although I am currently reading 2 other books on my kindle so I need audio appeal sometimes too). I was intrigued to learn new ways I could create new healthy habits, maintain ones I had already established, and help others to develop lasting healthy habits as well. This seemed like a good enough gamble to try and see what the author had to offer.

After finishing the book, it was like a light bulb went off in my head. That's it! Living a healthy lifestyle, exercising regularly, preparing and eating healthy meals, fostering better relationships, living purposely, decluttering your home..... while it greatly depends on our own morals, values, personality, and principles, it ALSO significantly depends on the type of habit-former you are! Honestly, when I first started this book, I thought I would NOT like it. She was very philosophical and sort of tried to explain the nature of the research...and I was like "Oh good Lord, where is this going?", but once she started explaining the four primary tendencies of habit formation. I was instantly intrigued or "hooked" if you will! I thought "this is why I do this, this is why I act this way, this is why its been so hard for me to do this or that'....." She explains that as she was doing her research for the book on habit formation, she noticed that people largely fell into 1 of these 4 habit-forming tendencies. Now some people can definitely have an overlapping nature regarding the tendencies, but usually one will stand out as the person's primary habit-forming tendency.

The four tendencies include:

Upholder- you meet outer and inner expectations, you can master habits on your own accord and make yourself accountable.

Questioner-resists outer expectations, meets inner expectations. You master habits only if you have
analyzed it thoroughly and it makes sense to you to do it. You question everything about developing a certain habit.

Obliger- meets outer expectations, and resists inner expectations. The epitome of the "people pleaser" and will largely create habits based on acccountability and feelings of obligations.

Rebel- resists outer and inner expectations..,...the epitome of "living on the whim" or "let's just wing it today". Habits almost feel constrictive to a rebel.

Take the Quiz: What type of habit-former are you?

The four tendencies...which one are you?

So I did some soul searching (ok and I took the quiz on Gretchen's website) to determine just what type of habit former I really was! I figured I would certainly overlap into a couple of them depending on the particular habit, but according to Gretchen's four categories... I was an upholder. An upholder will maintain their habits because it brings a sense of true internal satisfaction and approval. I thought that was interesting because I knew how important accountability was to me and thought surely I am an obliger. While that may be true, I think we all have a little of all four categories in us, and different habits may require different strategies for implementing them.  I would like to identify myself as a sole upholder, but I saw areas in my life where I seemed to fit in the other categories. There are some habits I have formed over this last year that I think would classify me as an "upholder", but joining monthly health and fitness accountability groups makes me more like an obliger...so you see some overlap.

So why do I read these types of books and what do I try to take from them?

Personal Development! I consider myself a spiritual person, and read many books related to my faith. But sometimes I am just a modern 21st century girl living in a south Louisiana world, And I want information, tips, strategies, techniques for living life in the modern day world while still "upholding" my personal morals, values, and faith. I also want to be as healthy and fit as possible in this world. I would think that most people want to be fit and get healthier, right?! People want to have great energy levels, feel comfortable in clothes, eat a good meal without the pangs of caloric guilt. Why and how is it easier for some people to establish lasting healthy habits, and yet it can be so difficult for others? Its not always a matter of apathy, laziness, or unwillingness; maybe its a matter of how we try to tackle a habit. Whether its to start a new habit, maintain one already established, or quit one that is not so healthy, we need to understand the type of person we are and our habit-forming tendencies in order to create life-changing results.

So with the New Year upon us, I decided that I wanted to take what I had learned from this book and really apply that knowledge to my 2016 goals and to encourage and motivate others to have a happier and healthier 2016.  I went to Gretchen Rubin's website and downloaded many resources for essentially creating a healthy habits accountability group. My participation in health and fitness accountability groups for the last 6 months has literally been life-changing! I am now a absolute firm believer that having accountability, a support system, a group to cheer you along is a vital key to accomplishing health and fitness habits no matter what habit tendency you are. So with what I have learned from my own health and fitness accountability groups and from Better than Before. I figured creating a healthy habits group would be a great way to ring in the new year!! People want to reach certain goals and institute healthy habits, we just don't always know where to begin and how to keep it up. The vision I have for this pursuit wouldn't just entail healthy habits relating to diet and exercise, although that certainly will be a key feature, but any healthy habit one would want to master 2016.

Looking back at my 2015 New Year's Resolutions, or goals if you will, I did manage to implement and uphold most of them....surprisingly! I will talk more about that in "New Year, New YOU: Part 2!"

If you would like to join me in a "New Year, New You: Better than Before" healthy habits group, please let me know! I would love to have you join me! I would like to create a private Facebook group to do this, but also toyed around with the idea of just capitulating the information and daily tasks/tips on my blog or Facebook page "Gratefully Healthy"! I will share with you all the tips and strategies to create, lasting healthy habits. I will provide resources from Gretchen Rubin's website to guide us along the way. I am currently reading her other book the "Happiness Project" which I will incorporate aspects of that work as well as it was a year long project that starts with you guessed it..January!

PM on facebook, email me at dianacoulon11@gmail.com if interested!

The New Paperback edition 

Gratefully,
Diana

Jazzed Up Coffee and Peace Vibes!

Peace, Love, and Coffee: how an incredibly awkward moment touched my heart.

Every now and then a strange or just plain awkward situation happens that makes you wonder "What just happened here?" Yesterday while getting coffee at the LSU union, I experienced one of these moments. I work on LSU's main campus, and my office is right next to the student union so I mosey over on occasion to get coffee. I ordered just a regular medium roast coffee and thought I would "jazz" it up with a little cocoa powder, small amount of honey, and a few dashes of cinnamon. I noticed a young, female, college student come up next to me at the coffee station.  I gave her a small, casual smile and finished what I was doing. And then I could see in the corner of my eye she was watching me. Really she was almost studying what I was doing, again from what I could see in my peripheral vision. She came up a little closer to me and said "What are you doing there?"I said "Oh, well I am just adding some things to my coffee to make it a little tastier without all the syrups and such". She looked intrigued. "Oh ok, that looks like a good idea!". I thought to myself  "She must be a freshman, got to be a freshman.....or just a novice coffee drinker. Obviously not a coffee connoisseur such as myself! Been there, done that sister. Coffee is the only thing that got me through the college years!". So I actually replied "Yeah, get you some of that cocoa and honey and try it. Add just a little of each". Then she looked straight at me and said "You seem... ..so...peaceful."What??

What in the heck?! So I replied, "Really?" Then she repeated "Yes, you just seem so peaceful and well I don't know you just seem that way. Peaceful. That's just really awesome" Before this moment, I casually had looked at this young student, but now I was looking much more closely at her! I was observing to see if I had missed dread locks, a tattoo of a peace sign, bell bottoms, or even glazed-over, blood-shot eyes. As I scrutinized her appearance more...she really looked liked a typical, young, female, college student in a t-shirt, running shoes, and the trendy mid-calf black leggings (quite customary now that things are colder, and students can no longer comfortably wear running shorts). She seemed genuinely sweet and quite lucid. Then I awkwardly replied "Wow, I didn't realize I was giving off....peace vibes!!". She laughed a little and was like "Yeah, its great!".

I NEVER in all my life was told I looked "peaceful"! If anything, I was always told "What's wrong?" or "Why do you look so serious?" So to have a random stranger tell me that I looked peaceful and then seemed almost surprised by it herself was something truly thought-provoking, kind of awkward, and yet actually completely touched my heart. So what was the reasoning behind this? Why did I look peaceful? Was I smiling gleefully while making my coffee? I didn't particularly remember doing that. Did I give her a warm smile when she first came to the coffee table? Don't recall anything more than a casual, side-glance smile. But for her to say that and then say it multiple times to me, I was dumbfounded.

Then I thought... am I peaceful? I am sure my kids and husband would beg to differ! I can run a tight ship sometimes, but I have certainly been trying to loosen up. So a new thought struck me, in the past 24 hours I had finished two very influential and stimulating books. One was a book about creating healthy habits entitled "Better than Before" by Gretchen Rubin. I actually plan to do a blog post on this book soon and her suggested strategies; with the New Years upon us I know we have some healthy habits we would like to master. I had listened to the audiobook version of Better than Before on my commute to and from work, and just finished it that morning. The other was a book I was reading by Matthew Kelly entitled "The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic". I finished it during my weekly hour of adoration. What is adoration? Its an hour of quiet time! Peaceful quiet time in prayer, reading, or just literally sitting there quietly with God! I spend an hour every Tuesday night at the adoration chapel at St.Mark Catholic Church. As crazy as my life can get, and I admit some nights I really don't "feel" like going! But I am ALWAYS glad I did. The peace and comfort I get in that one hour is incredible.

So one book more secular, but nonetheless very informative; and the other certainly more religious. I like to read a variety. But both books I finished on Tuesday, and both left me thinking "I can do this! I create lasting, healthy habits and help others to do so too!" and "I can go out and hopefully inspire young adults such as myself to return to the Catholic church, and hopefully learn to love and appreciate the beauty of it!" It's no secret it's hard creating lasting, healthy habits. And its sad to see the alarming rate of people leaving the Catholic church. However, I still felt a renewed sense of empowerment to encourage others. Which I am sure was the intentions of the authors. But I also know as mentioned in one of my past posts that I can not force....all I can do is try to live it! I suppose the inspiration that completing those books brought me, the renewal of energy I felt from them, and my power hour in peaceful adoration reflected in some way with this college student. Maybe she saw a glimpse of things that do bring me peace. My family brings me peace, gratitude brings me peace, reading brings me peace, writing brings me peace, exercising brings me peace, healthy and yummy food bring me peace, good wine brings me peace, friendship brings me peace, of course coffee brings peace, but above all my faith in God brings me peace.  I have not always been this way, and anxiety was a huge issue I use to deal with daily!  But I guess its been an ongoing peace-seeking process.

So in my departure from the coffee station, I smiled at her much more warmly as I should have done in the first place and boldly said "Thank you, that means a lot, and you have great day!" in complete sincerity. Perhaps I could have sat down with her and talked to her about creating healthy study habits, or keep going to church even though you are no longer under your parent's roof. But that didn't seem to be the approach to take at the moment. Maybe at the moment, all she needed in her crazy college life was a little peace, a warm smile, and some "jazzed up" coffee!

Gratefully,
Diana

Amazon link to "Better than Before" book

Better Than Before author website: Gretchen Rubin

Amazon Link to "The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic" book

Dynamic Catholic link

I do not like Green Eggs and Ham, but wait....they are low carb!?

We read many Dr. Seuss books around here, and when I came across this book while cleaning up one night this past week, I paused and thought...did Sam I Am have it right, should we all be eating eggs and ham.....ahem....following the low carb lifestyle? I always told myself I would never be able to give up my carbs. Breads and pasta are problematic for most people, but I was hooked on cereal (in particular cheerios) and granola bars. I love those Luna bars, Special K bars, and all those other highly processed but yummy protein/snack bars. So when our health and fitness accountability team decided to host a 5-day Free Carboholics Anonymous Group last week I figured I would give this low carb thing a try. Our group offered a plethora of creative and low carb recipes that certainly could help anyone wanting to do this. A slight feeling of dread came over me about this undertaking, yet the thrill of the challenge excited me at the same time!

Challenge though it may be, I also was so curious to see how a low carb diet made me feel. I have read and heard accounts from friends, family, and co-workers over and over about how a low carb lifestyle is so effective! Yet, I have to say I had been thoroughly and nutritionally confused after reading two very different nutrition books these past couple of months. I recently finished an astonishing book entitled The China Study by Colin Caldwell. The author is an expert biochemist and specialized in nutrition on long-term health; however, this expert was also heavily criticized for his conclusions regarding long-term health and diet. Colin ascertained, based on his extended years of scientific research, that we should all be eating a whole foods, plant-based diet. Yep, you got it. Become a vegan! NO animal products at all!

I didn’t really know quite what to expect with this book, but by the 3^rd Chapter, I was like “Ok, I got it….eat a whole foods, plant-based diet or essentially expect to die from cardiovascular disease, cancer, Type II diabetes, muscular sclerosis, renal failure…. and/or suffer from Alzheimer’s, rheumatoid arthritis, cataracts, kidney stones, and the list goes on. Caldwell was able to link almost all diseases he coins as “diseases of affluence” to eating a diet comprised of animal-based foods. Developing countries that eat a primarily plant-based diet with very little animal protein suffer from diseases related to improper hygiene, infectious diseases, and malnutrition. He makes a substantial arguement that very little people in those countries suffer from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Caldwell first begins the China Study referring to his early research career where he discovered in rodent experiments that when given a carcinogen in their diet (he studied the carcinogen aflatoxin) that liver cancer, which is induced by aflatoxins, could be turned on and off by diet. In these studies they worked with the main protein found in milk known as casein. In rats fed a higher percentage of casein, they were significantly more likely to develop liver cancer when exposed to aflatoxin. In contrast, rats fed a much lower amount of casein did not. He also took rats and fed them the aflatoxin to try to induce the liver cancer; he then fed them casein for a while and noticed the “genes” for cancer induction “turned on”. When they lowered the casein consumption to a minimal level, the cancer induction genes were essentially “turned off”. So his theory was that casein, or potentially all animal based proteins, had the ability to turn on and off cancer genes. Meaning if you have a certain genetic profile that predisposes you to a certain cancer, like breast cancer for instance, whether you develop it or not largely depends on the type of diet you consume.

Throughout the rest of the book, Caldwell hits on certain diseases that are essentially turned on and off by animal-based food. He also claims that diseases can be prevented, reduced in severity, or even completely reversed by eating an entirely whole foods, plant-based. He provides a significant amount of research data that was published in many nationally and internationally, peer-reviewed, scientific journals. There are many charts, graphs, and statistics in the book to illustrate the significant differences in health and disease development between diet composition and disease incidence. Although interesting and pretty much almost had me swear to never eat another hamburger or slice of cheese again, I couldn't help but think, "Is this quakery?". Are animal products really the culprit linked to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer, and pretty much every other disease known to man that is not caused by an infectious agent. I am not convinced (but that is for another blog post).

And then I started reading The China Study 's arch-nemesis "It Starts with Food" by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig, a book promoting the WHOLE30 diet which completely eliminates all grains, pasta, bread, beans, nuts, sugar, and dairy products. It dives into the full spill of how we are aching and breaking because of our consumption of not only highly processed foods but everything else that is not a meat, egg, or vegetable product. They do advocate that fruit is ok, but only certain ones and in very small amounts.

The first part of the book is devoted to the "science-y" side of things. The authors describe in simplified, layman's language the role of our metabolism and hormones. I did think they did a great job of explaining the biologic mechanisms of our hormones like insulin, glucagon, and leptin, and how they work to maintain metabolic homeostasis (or balance). They especially drive home the argument about how the imbalance in our hormones is due to the consumption and/or over-consumption of pro-inflammatory grains, legumes, and dairy products. Yet, they also creatively explain why we crave "super-normally stimulating foods". These super-normal stimulating foods would include chips, cookies, ice cream, pizza, cheese, cake....you get the idea! The foods that super-normally stimulate our feel good senses and make us want more without offering any nutritional benefit whatsoever. These "unhealthy" foods are the key sources of inflammation and contribute to our propensity to become obese. While I don't argue the theory that obesity is potentially a result of chronic inflammation, I do have to wonder if it really means eliminating all sources of grains, beans, legumes, dairy, etc?

So by mid-day on Day 3, after the only carbs I had allowed myself to eat was a 1/2 banana, apple, and 1/2 sweet potato, I was starting to get the dreary wearies. I admit I am not a big meat eater, so I knew this would be quite a challenge for me. In fact the first night, I consumed mostly vegetables in the form of kabobs with bell peppers, onions, and shrimp with a side of asparagus and half of a sweet potato. I don't particularly love steak, pork, roast! Well, really the home-cooking kind of stuff.... .."soul-food" has never been my thing. Yes, my poor husband! He has been a sport and has tried things I never thought he would! I leave the soul-food cooking to him, and he is so much better at it than me anyways. On that 3rd day of low carbs,  I met up with a colleague for daily mass at Christ the King on LSU campus. I was starting to feel very hungry, and horrified to admit I couldn't wait to receive communion! I couldn't wait to taste the bread and wine! I know that sounds horrible, please don't think I am being sacrilegious. But our brains require glucose to function, and I think my brain was suffering from glucose withdrawals for me to think such absurd, imprious, flesh-centered thoughts! Believe me, I said the Our Father and 3 Hail Mary's afterward as penance as any good Catholic girl would do!

Well Sam-I-am, I don't think I like just green eggs and ham! Throw me a slice of whole wheat toast or oatmeal and I will happily eat them in a box or with a fox. I work at LSU with a molecular nutritionist on several research projects. From what I have learned while investigating resistant starch (prebiotic starch that feeds the "good" bacteria in our gut), is that consuming whole-grain. resistant starch leads to a leaner body condition and better insulin sensitivity (less likely to develop diabetes). Complex, whole-grain carbohydrates when eaten in moderate amounts are essential to gut health, and in my opinion should be incorporated into a balanced, whole-food diet. I think we are better when we balance the consumption of plant- and animal- based foods.

Whole wheat toast with pumkin butter!

So as disciplined and determined as I can make myself in some ways; I was listening to my body on this one, and it said YOU need carbs! I know you are probably thinking....a week! You only gave it a week.....yes you are right. I admit I am weak in this area, I suppose I am not alone, right!? However, unless a physician tells me I need to do low carb dieting for the long run, for now it was enough that my body and my brain told me "Nope you need whole-grain, healthy carbs in moderate amounts....now stop kidding yourself!"

Gratefully,
Diana

An Attitude of Gratitude

Never Give up! We have heard all too often this cliche catch phrase used for encouragement. People offer it up good-naturally when one hits a bump in the road on a journey toward accomplishing a goal or endeavor. I think, although simplistic and perhaps cliche, certainly holds truth. The saying reminds me of an autobiographical book I read several years ago written by motivational speaker, gifted painter, and quadriplegic Ron Heagy entitled Never Give Up: How Tragedy Taught me Life is An Attitude. Ron's Book on Amazon. He cultivated an attitude of gratitude as well as determination. He did not give up on himself and his capabilities. I read this not long after our own family was shaken by a tragedy very similar to Mr. Heagy's own. His story not only hit so uncannily close to home, but was seriously one of the most inspirational books I have ever read. At 17, Ron was rendered a quadriplegic after a diving accident on a seemingly care-free day of surfing with his brother on the Pacific coast. He dove head first into a sand bar which fractured his spine, and in an instant his life was dramatically changed forever. Yet with incredible endurance and faith in his new-found purpose and in God, he remained positive and steadfast in accomplishing some major lifetime achievements. He went on to become a spell bounding, motivational speaker and counseling others with similar disabilities. And he became a painter!

I have to say his attitude about life resonated with me. While I have not personally
experienced severe suffering, illness, or injury, I have come to appreciate the stories and experiences of others for them to have had a profound enough effect. What is life-changing enough in your world to have such a profound effect on accomplishing your health goals? Short-term goals such as getting in better shape for any upcoming event whether it be summer swimsuit season, a high school reunion, wedding, Mardi Gras ball, whatever, may be well reason enough, and certainly I admit my reasons can be short-sighted like those as well. That is not a bad thing by all means, but I also in the long-term want to be healthy and fit for my family- my husband and children. I want to have energy to keep up with my kids and to be the best version of myself for them. And yet it goes even beyond that too!

My inspiration to foster an attitude of gratitude is Brant's story. On July 23, 2006,  nine years ago on a Saturday afternoon, my mom called me and said Brant had been a terrible accident. He was on a leisure trip in Cozumel, Mexico with friends and co-workers. All he had done was simply dive into a "shallow" pool, which may not have meant much to us regular 5-foot-something-ers, but for a 6 '6" person it was by all means shallow enough to cause a devastating injury. His C5 vertebral body was shattered and his spinal cord severely bruised. They had to fly Brant from the accident location in Cozumel, Mexico back to San Antonio, Texas where he lived at the time! Immediately after hearing the news, my family which included myself and my mom, dad, and sister Juliet, drove overnight to meet him at the hospital in San Antonio. I will never forget Brant's reaction to seeing us at his side that night. Although he couldn't speak well at the time, his eyes showed relief and comfort to know we were there. He knew the severity of the injuries he had sustained and he looked at me and with breathy almost inaudible words said "I won't be able to walk again". Like a punch to the heart, tears flowed. My mother, ever the epitome of strength and faith, never left his side and supported him through this difficult realization. After that night and a 9 hour surgery the next day (an attempt to repair the shattered vertebral body) and many MRIs later, the extent and graveness of the injury was clear. Brant was now a quadriplegic and would likely never walk again.

He endured a significantly tragic loss in the blink-of-an-eye. Yet, he has handled it with such amazing strength and perseverance. From the beginning, Brant did not wallow in self-pity at all, and he seemed to have an outlook on the situation like "it is what it is......now how do I go about living my life". I dare say, if I were the one injured, hopelessness and depression likely would have consumed me. And in Ron Heagy's story, it almost did consume him! Yet his faith, his family, and his purpose for living kept him from sinking! On the day the news of Brant's accident reached my ears, my heart sunk with sadness as I feared all what he would have to go through rehabilitating from this accident. An athlete. A runner. He was just starting to complete triathlons, and truly in the best physical shape of his life. His world was now changed forever, but he remained optimistic and determined through the recovery process.

First several weeks of recovery in physical therapy

Many of us know Superman's story. Christopher Reeves became a quadriplegic in 1995 after being thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Virginia. His story, while vaguely remembered in my mind, took on a whole new meaning. I saw someone going through this catastrophic injury, an up-close and personal Superman of mine was having to experience this! Not only a loss of movement, but a loss of independence. Especially for a person who was so incredibly independent! Brant finished in chemical engineering at Louisiana Tech University and was thriving in a career at Valero Energy in San Antonio, Texas. He was always so confident, not arrogant, but genuinely confident in his abilities. He was a track athlete and cross-country runner in high school and at LaTech. He always had an "I'm capable" attitude. Brant, would always tell me (and still does!), "..you don't like the way you look Diana, change it, do something about it" Only you can!

Brant running for Louisiana Tech University

So I don't share the story of the pains of his accident with you to belabor a pity party for him or for our family. I share this with you to further drive home the point of why I am so passionate, so on fire, about living a healthy life. This is why I have decided to make health and fitness a long-term lifestyle change. My brother and I, our family really, have always been very close. Watching him in the first few weeks of enduring his accident brought me to tears so often, but his attitude had inspired me. If you can imagine your life for just a day, an hour, a few minutes confined to a wheelchair, would you perhaps change your perspective on health, fitness, and exercise? I have legs that work. I can feel them. I can feel them when they are sore and tired. I can feel them when they are strong and sweaty. (Sounding a little "I do not like green eggs and ham"-ish, sorry, I am trying to make a point here Sam I Am!). My legs bend, squat, flex, kick, dance. I don't mind taking the stairs. My fingers can wrap around a fork, tie a shoe, and knit if I was so inclined to learn the dexterous skill of it. My brain can send out a message to move that is not stopped dead in its track down the spinal cord, but is transmitted and interpreted. Neurotransmitters are fired, connect with their receptors, and actin, myosin, calcium all work to make the muscle fiber bundles contract. A little too detailed on the biology? Perhaps so, but it is an extraordinarily intricate gift of how God created our bodies to move. Think of all the biological mechanisms involved in our body's ability to walk, talk, jump, dance.......not to mention the intellectual capacity of the human brain! Be exceedingly grateful for it.

My family at Christmas 2014

I  have been wanting to start a blog for quite some time now, but I just really never knew what to do it on. I wasn't sure what I had to offer you. I am still not a 100% sure, but I know what I can offer. I can offer encouragement, positivism, kindness, hope, and faith. Although I haven't personally endured Brant's tragedy nor do I have a dramatic Subway success story of losing 40lbs and want to share with you how I did it, I do have quite a bit of information to offer. I have read a great deal of nutrition and health-related books (reading 2 simultaneously now!), have a veterinary medicine degree, and have worked for the past 3 years on several nutritional studies at LSU. Furthermore, this blog is not about a weight loss journey, in fact I have always been slim, instead its a journey about personal refinement...a striving for living gratefully minded and that being an impetus for better health and fitness. I have lived with insecurity, negativity, pessimism, and even depression, and I do not want to live that way ever again no matter the circumstances! God has been good to me, and I have too much to be grateful for and to remain healthy for in my life. Ron Heagy's and Brant's stories are certainly tragedies, but the inspiration in them is that attitude, especially an attitude of gratitude, can be so receptive to others. I know it has been quite an ignition of inspiration to me as I hope for you all too.

Ron's book and a great inspiration for anyone!

Gratefully,
Diana

An Unbroken Meaning

On Gratefully Healthy, I will also create posts on various books I complete that I find are motivating and inspirational to continue with my theme of promoting a positive and grateful attitude. While not intended to be a thorough book review (plenty internet sites for that!), it is intended to maintain our focus on health and wellness. A healthy mind is just as critical as a physical healthy body, and I have quite the "To-Read" list that I am trying to complete. I just happen to finish two books back to back that have taught me a profound lesson of the above two attributes- positivism and gratitude. I recently completed in June Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, also author of Seabiscuit, which both of her books have been turned into big screen adaptations. See Hillenbrand's website. In July, I followed with reading a much older, but just as intriguing book Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl. See Frankl's Book on Amazon. Both of these men captivated readers with such endearing stories of survival in the most dire and miserable of situations. But regardless of these desperate situations, they stayed exceptionally positive! They both admit in their stories that positivism and gratitude for life were paramount in their survival and afterward successes, and both men lived well into their 90s! They realized that they had reason to live.....a meaning to their life that brought about remarkable perseverance.

** spoiler alert if haven't read books or seen movie!
I started out on the eastern front of WWII with Unbroken. Louis Zamperini, the Olympic runner in the 1939 Berlin Olympics, put running on hold to become a Army Air Corps bombardier. He becomes stranded in a life raft on the open Pacific ocean after his bomber plane The Green Hornet crashes into the shark-infested, briny waters that took so many air pilots at that time. He and two other crew mates are stranded with minimal supplies and no food or fresh water. Louis survives for over 40 days! What I found incredibly interesting is that Louie realizes in the early days on the raft the likely fate of he and his two other stranded crew mates; a fate he largely attributes it to their attitudes and perspective on the situation at hand. Louis and Phil, Lt.Russel Allen Philips whom was Louis's pilot, roommate, and best friend, remained optimistic and knew survival and life continued beyond the current dire situation. They visualized returning home to their families and kept that at the center of their thoughts. Louis dreaming about the alluring smells and tastes of his mother's savory Italian cooking and perhaps getting another chance at an Olympic medal, and Phil longed to be reunited with his bride-to-be. The third man, a tail gunner named Francis MacNamara or "Mac", remained utterly despondent. On their first night on the raft, he panics and eats the only food source that was on their raft (bits of chocolate)! But Louis and Phil do not harbor a spiteful grudge against Mac for this desperate act. Although angry at first, chastising Mac will do them no good, and instead they focus on what will be their next plan of action to obtain food. This act of pure panic as well as his pessimistic, hopeless attitude ultimately sealed his fate. Mac does not survive beyond the raft.

The story goes on that Louis and Phil are "rescued" from the raft; unfortunately, this was into the enemies' hand! They soon found themselves in even worse circumstances. They were taken as prisoners and placed in the Japaneses POW camps. Hunger, thirst, grueling work, mental and physical abuse, beatings, filth, pestilence, pure misery were all these two men knew for the next two years. But still both men persevered! They both kept their meaning, their purpose for living, their hopes in front of them. I was so moved by this book. I usually read at night, and after closing on another chapter or section I would lay down at night thinking, "Geez, what do I have to complain about!" How could the words "I'm starving" ever come out of my mouth again! I would thank the Lord for his gifts of health, sustenance, peace, comfort. I had clean sheets to get restful sleep in, food in my belly, and clean water to drink and for baths. I was free of disease, pestilence, sores, and injury. Even little things, like being able to brush my teeth had me feeling grateful!

Then I went on the read Man's Search for Meaning. Viktor Frankl was an extremely gifted psychiatrist. He and his entire family were sent to the Nazi concentration camps in WWII. So now I found myself delved into the misery of the European side of the war! Frankl experienced the brutal life of 4 different camps including the infamous Auschwitz. The first part of this book describes his experiences of camp life as well as his observances and interpretations of the prisoners psyche in their plight of misery. I am reading this utterly humbled. We all know the horrific history of the brutality and genocide at the Nazi concentration camps. At least most of it, what I appreciated about this book was Frankl's explanation of the prisoner's viewpoint. He intricately describes the progression of psychological phases that the camp prisoners' experience. Beginning with their fear and shock and on to their deepest despair when many finally succumbed to the harsh treatment of camp life and "gave up". Frankl, however, endures. He exemplifies not only optimism in the face of suffering, but rationalizes that it all has meaning! Everyone, rather in happiness or suffering, has a purpose for existing and for living.

The second part of his book describes the practice of theory known as logotherapy. Now let me just say, I have never really been interested in the study of psychology. However, his explanation of logotherapy and application of its theory was so compelling. Instead of focusing on the patient's past or present circumstances ( i.e. childhood physical or mental abuse) that may impact his current depression, feelings of hopelessness, or suicidal thoughts, he instead focuses on their futures! Logos is Greek for "meaning". He focuses his therapy on helping his patients find the meaning for their lives. The creative ways in which he is able to do this is so intriguing. I admit some of his psychological verbiage is quite complex for me, but he offers examples and scenarios to illustrate the practice of logotherapy. He writes about how "the primary drive in life is not pleasure, as Sigmond Freud maintained, but the discovery and pursuit of what we personally find meaningful."

Frankl describes "a tragic optimism" and that meaning is possible, even through suffering, provided it is unavoidable, "If suffering is avoidable, the meaningful thing to do would be to remove the cause, unnecessary suffering is masochistic rather than heroic". If you can't changes your situation, if you can't avoid the suffering, then you can still choose your attitude. He describes the life of Jerry Long, who was paralyzed from the neck down since a diving accident and rendered a quadriplegic (hit a little close to home). He was 17 when the accident occurred, but still attended community college and lead a productive life. He states, " I view my life as being abundant with meaning and purpose...I broke my neck, it didn't break me. I believe that my handicap will only enhance my ability to help others. I know that without the suffering, the growth that I have achieved would not have been possible". Wow, if we could all look at our circumstances and remain as grateful and endearing. I have struggled with "Oh, woe is me"-isms. And I chose to no longer do that. I thought my life is so hectic and busy, I can never find time to cook and exercise. How silly I feel now having thought that. I am blessed to have my two children to take care of, a house to maintain, and a job to go to. I learned to change my attitude and in the words of Nike "just do it".

So I entitle this post "the Unbroken Meaning", why? Okay so it may simply be a fusion play on words from the titles of the two books. I said I am grateful, that did not necessarily mean I am creative! But reading these two books truly emphasized to me that at the end of our life we all have an unbroken meaning for which makes life worth living. We have purpose to be grateful for whether it is in health, happiness, misery or suffering . In your journey to better health, keep that at the front of your mind. Keep it in perspective.

Gratefully,
Diana