DO YOU FOLLOW YOUR "GUT" FEELINGS? CHANGING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS - DAY 39

From childhood on through life most people have instincts that will serve them well if attention is paid to them.  Little children soon know the difference between right and wrong if their parents will take the time not  only to teach them but also to model good behavior for them.  Sooner rather than later children develop a conscience or quiet voices in their heads to tell them when they are about to do something they should or should not do.  Not all children learn to listen to their consciences.  Some learn to disregard it until it can become totally silent which usually leads them down a troubled path in life.

If children are taught to pay attention to their consciences and trust them, they will learn to make better choices and decisions as they mature.  They will develop instincts that will guide them in making right choices for friends, colleges, careers, marriage, travels, residences, health care, politics, and all areas of life.

Whether referred to as a conscience, a small voice, a gut feeling, or intuition it is important to learn to rely on it at all times.

Today's message is :  Have faith and

TRUST INTUITION

The Doctor Is In And Eisenhower Medical Center Is The Place To Be

Even more often than usual, my calendar is filled with medical appointments.  Scan for this.  MRI for that. Biopsy of something else. Injection for small tear in rotator cuff. I have some doctors whom I have been seeing since moving to the desert six years ago.  Now I have added two new ones just this week.
Since moving here I have encountered only three doctors I chose not to remain with, and I replaced them with different ones who actually seem to be interested in my health.  I am thrilled to say that the two additional physicians are in that same category so I am feeling very blessed as I face some new health challenges.  When you must put your life in the hands of strangers it is imperative that you at least like these people, that they listen to you and address your questions and concerns, and they do not crank patients in and out of their offices as if  they were factories.  My two new doctors and my existing physicians all serve me well, and together they encourage, comfort, heal, and treat me with unfailing kindness.  I am very thankful for each one of them and for Eisenhower Medical Center which provides great care and high standards to all who enter their doors.  Lucky me to have the good fortune to live in an area with such good health care.

Adults Robbing Our Children

Isn't it incredible the way music can transport us to a specific time or place in our lives or make us think of a special person or event? I have always thought life would be better with background music.........not elevator music, but music appropriate to our daily lives. Perhaps the saying, "Music soothes the savage beast" is correct. I think it might be very difficult to be filled with hate,rage or violence if people could hear background music that is happy, uplifting, and that makes them want to march or dance. I enjoy listening to music of different types depending on what I am doing and/or the mood I am experiencing. I have downloaded onto cd's and iPod the music that has special memories for me from throughout my life. I have not yet captured all of the songs, but enough so that I can enjoy, reminisce, tap my feet, smile, weep, or be uplifted depending on which selection is playing. In elementary school I learned to sing and the basics of how to read music from a wonderful teacher (Fiona Calder). I then learned more about singing and being part of a choir from Mrs. Kemp, the director of the junior choir at our church. In junior high school I learned about opera and classical music from Mrs. Wallach, a no-nonsense teacher who knew a great deal about music. Although I don't have a great voice and never learned to play an instrument, music has made a major contribution to my life. I am not artistic in any sense of the word, but I still remember art teacher August Pagel who taught in elementary and junior high school To remove music and art from public schools is doing a grave injustice to today's children and robbing them of the chance to learn what can make a monumental difference in their lives. Music and art can not only broaden the horizons of children from all backgrounds, but can also soften the hard edges of poverty and difficult home lives. Why do we think athletics are more important than the arts? I think athletics are important for the health and well-being of children, learning teamwork and sportsmanship. However, I don't think athletics should be saved at the expense of the arts because in truth our children need athletics, art and music to become well-rounded individuals. What do you think? Comments are welcome!

Are Two Heads Really Better Than One?

There is an old saying that "two heads are better than one." Do you believe it? I do! If two heads are better than one, then dozens or hundreds or thousands must be EVEN better. Because I believe it I cannot help but wonder why we are all waiting for the government to resolve our problems. Politicians cannot stop campaigning or arguing long enough to focus on solutions and gaining consensus. I firmly believe that in every neighborhood, community, city and town of any size in America we have the capacity, the intelligence, and the ability to resolve many of our problems on local levels. Think about it! When this country was first settled people were strong, brave, resourceful, resilient, and optimistic in spite of all the odds. They were entrepreneurs (or actually the first solopreneurs even though this is a recently coined word). Whether they were farmers, blacksmiths, storekeepers, bankers, ranchers, saloon keepers, sheriffs, deputies, preachers, teachers or doctors they assessed what they and their communities needed, and they made things happen. They helped each other, and they shared with those less fortunate. Did they always agree? No. Were they always successful? No. Did they make mistakes? Yes. Did they make progress anyway? You bet they did. Did they have any of the many assets we have today such as education, communication, technology, health care, medications, transportation, etc.? No! Yet somehow they managed to create a country that was envied by the entire world, a country where people longed to come to fulfill dreams, a country where freedom existed, and a country where slavery and segregation were finally ended. We all have the ability to work together, and yet we act as if we are a flock of sheep waiting for Little Bo Peep to find us and guide us home. I am convinced that if people would come together in a spirit of unity to prioritize what the community's needs are, determine all the available resources, distinguish between what is necessary and what is desirable, and be more concerned with the good of the community than the good of the individual that ideas for solutions would flow faster than anyone could write them down. Because there are problems and there are symptoms of problems it must be agreed that problems are to be solved and symptoms will take care of themselves as a byproduct of problem solving. An unbiased, objective, fair facilitator must lead each group to ensure everyone is heard and no one is shut down even though others may disagree with what is being said. Respect and courtesy are a must. Once everyone has had a chance to contribute to the vast list of "problems" then as a group they must decide if each item is a symptom or an actual problem. Very quickly it will become clear that while there may be a jillion symptoms the actual number of problems is manageable. People get overwhelmed when they think they have to solve all the symptoms, but once problems are identified and prioritized then the formation of solutions can begin, time and action calendars developed,and individual or group responsibilities established for the actions. Call me crazy, but I know that this approach works. For what are we waiting? Let's put our heads together and do it!

Children Are Precious So Why Do We Not Protect Them As We Should?

Yesterday's news was horrifying about a little girl dying after being locked in a box overnight for eating a popcicle from the freezer. Her guardian(s) are alleged to be the culprits in this oh-so-sad scenario. When I hear things like this it makes me physically ill. As I watch the world news about babies being abandoned en route in Somalia as their parent(s) walk to escape the famine my heart breaks for those innocent and helpless little ones. The idea of being cruel and abusive to your baby or toddler most likely would never occur to you, and yet it happens. The thought of leaving your newborn or child of any age on the side of a road to die would be something I pray you cannot fathom. And yet these things are happening, and I ask myself again and again what is it going to take to protect the children of the world. Human trafficking, child abuse of all kinds, abandonment, child predators, lack of food and clean water, no health care, and the list of problems in the world goes on and on. One person cannot do everything, but one person can do something. If all the "one persons" decide to do something then perhaps we can end some, if not all of the problems that make life so difficult and at times downright horrible for the precious children of the world. Ask yourself, what can you do? Even with children of our own, we still can reach out to help others. As we experience the present economic crisis in the USA, we probably all know someone who is struggling to care for their child or children. Look around for opportunities to make a difference, and if you see or know of a child suffering abuse of any kind don't stand by and do nothing. Silence is consensus, and little ones have no voices. Will you hear their cries? Will I? I certainly hope so.