Book Review: Boundless Potential (Transform your brain, Unleash your talents, reinvent your work in Midlife and Beyond)

So I am at a point in my life where I am trying to figure out where to go from where I am. Though sometimes the good Lord has you where you should be and we should just accept it and be content.

And that is great, but for some, there is this constant nudge that there is something else you should be doing that can make one feel somewhat unsettled.

So I came across a book called: Boundless Potential by Mark S. Walton that is a wonderful book. It talks a great about individuals who have actually been successful in their lives, but have come to a crossroads between mid-life, retirement, and what to do next.

So in reviewing this publication, it first talks about the delusion of trying to get back into the workforce or even just trying to volunteer to offer some of your professional talents only to realize that they may not be as welcomed as you would have expected. Ahhhh yes! The world has changed.

So in this day of age, we have to become more creative and innovative with our skills and talents as many mature workers have already discovered, the new retirees now have to really etch out their own new niche. Is this a bad thing though? Not really, but it is definitely a reawakening. The corporate gurus were so busy being successful that they did not see or get to plan for the next phase of their life.

According to Mark S. Walton (author), he was able to interview a few retired executives in that next phase of their lives and he realized after interviewing some retired great minds that we all have the potential to use our innate creativity, it just takes some perseverance and energy to stick to our guns and be lead into our next great life.

Walton does not believe that all retirees are headed to dementia city nor are they ready to go find a Lazyboy rocking chair and a remote control. Walton gives some great examples of mature seniors who have continued go on the do great things into their latter years. These individuals include but are not limited to:

  • Elliot Carter at 100 years celebrated his birthday with a concert at Carnegie Hall that included 40 musical works he had written since age 90.
  • At 95, Nobel Laureate Dr. Rita Levi-Montalcini established a neuroscience research institute in Rome and oversaw its work until her death at 100 years.
  • At 91, Frank Lloyd Wright completed his design of the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
  • At 92, Dr. George W. Comstock, regarded by his peers as the world’s foremost expert on tuberculosis, oversaw community based research on cancer and heart disease at the Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health Research.

These are just to name a few and there are many others. Mr. Walton begs the question: After a career of 20, 30, and 40 years, am I a done deal?

Is success only a younger person’s game?

Might there be more potential within each of us than we’ve been led to believe?

This book makes a wonderful read. If only it sparks a thought or a conversation. It is truly an inspiration for those of us in our second phase of life.

Quote For The Day

Sometimes everyone needs a little something to get them through another day.  For me it is usually coffee and a wonderful saying.  I like this one from Franklin D. Roosevelt.

“When You are at the end of your rope, just tie a knot in it and hang on.”

Plant Life on Earth

So I have made myself a special spot in my home for relaxation and it includes my plants, aromatherapy oil scents and pillows. In the mornings I add a nice cup of coffee.   So here are a few of my leafy friends that I spend time with:

ponytail Palm1.png

This is my ponytail Palm plant (Beaucarnea Recurvata)  that I truly love and adore.  It reminds me of someone with a long flowing stringy ponytail. It has multiple bulbs  in it and is definitely ready for a transplant or propagation.

 

Spider Plant2d.pngThis here is my reverse variegated Spider Plant.  I have had to save it a couple of times.  The leaves were turning yellow at the ends, but new leaves were still developing.  So after doing a little research,  found out that spider plants do not like the chlorine and fluoride in the tap water, so I am now using distilled or purified water for most of my plants now, also bromeliads do not like tap water either.   I had to take it out of the pot, take out some of the old dirt and replace with fresh dirt and rinse as much of the salts off of the plant that I could.  Changing the water just made all of the difference for this  plant.  No more yellow leaves.  Yeah!!!

 

kangaroo paw fern plant1.pngNow this plant is a newly discovered plant for me called the Kangaroo Paw Fern (Microsorium Diversifolium) from New Zealand.  It has since been chopped, but this is the original pic from when I first purchased it.  I love its fullness, strength and beauty.  Its leaves look just like kangaroo paws.

 

Palm Plant1.png

And this one is my Palm Plant.  It is fairly small, but growing.  It is an easy plant to take care of.  I also started giving it distilled and purified water.  The ends of the leaf tips were turning brown though it had good drainage.  I will post some more of my leafy friends for later posts.

The Health Benefits of Watermelon

So I have had this problem with my right knee swelling and starting to make a weird scrunching noise like the cartilage rubbing against the bone.  This has been going on since I turned 40 years old (give or) so approximately 10 or so years.  (Can you guess my age? LoL)

Anyways, just the other day I saw a whole watermelon in the store and I don’t usually buy watermelon, but I decided I wanted something different that would quench my summer thirst.  When I got it home I let it set for about a two or three days, then put it in the fridge to get cool and then I finally cut that puppy open.  And boy was it cold and delicious!  It was sweet, ripe, juicy and awesome.

So after eating on this watermelon for a couple of days I noticed something about my knee.  The swelling had went down and I didn’t feel the pain and stiffness that I usually feel when I do my jump rope exercises or walk down stairs.  And I was like wow something is going on here.  It seems like after eating this watermelon, my knee is trying to heal itself.

So of course me, with my always needing to research everything self, I came across this website called http://www.whfoods.org (world’shealthiestfoods.org) and after reading this it stated that according to scientific research watermelon has in it a high concentration of lycopene (a carotenoid phytonutrient) making it an excellent source of everything from anti-inflammatory to anti-oxidant nutrients for the body with phenolic compounds of flavonoids, carotenoids, and triterpenoids.  Whodathunkit???

So, though I have no idea what all those big words mean, the point is that watermelon is a fruit you want to keep on your summer list of fruits to buy.  It is also believed to be a good source for cardiovascular health benefits.

Apparently, watermelon gets it reddish-pink coloring totally from lycopene, whereas most other fruits do not.  Grapefruit and guava also have a high concentration of lycopene.  The riper and redder you let the watermelon get, the higher the concentration of lycopene and according to this article, there are also more nutrients in the rind of the watermelon the closer you get to the bottom of the watermelon.

Watermelon is also of vitamin C, biotin, magnesium, potassium, Vitamin A, copper, Vitamins B6 and B1 etc…  It is believed the red and pink watermelons are the best for the lycopene nutrient.

So after about a week, the swelling is still down, though I can still hear the cartilage scrunching, the stiffness and pain has gone away.  Of course I will be doing research on knees and cartilage next.

For more info. visit WWW.whfoods.org to find out other health benefits of watermelon.  This is not a paid advertisement.

Ways to a Flatter Tummy2- Bedroom Exercises (Use a bed or floor mat)

1. Stretch first by bending your knees to the right then to the left touching the surface on each side holding for 10 seconds.

2.  Lay flat on your bed or a mat and breath in and hold, then lift your legs in the air for 60 seconds or as long as you can then release.  You will feel the tension in your stomach muscles and in your lower back muscles.  If too much pain stop and rest.

3. The Scissors:  Lay flat or prop your head with a pillow, hands to your sides, lift your legs straight out moving them in opposite directions up and down for 60 seconds/counts.

4. Leg bends:  Lay flat, stretch your legs outwards, then bending them back towards you one at a time pushing your feet outwards 25 times. Stop if feel tension and rest.

5. Lay flat on your bed or mat, hold your legs outward about 30 degrees up from the bed or floor and hold for 60 secs or until feel pain then relax. Try again once more.

6.  Lay flat, stretch arms behind your head holding your hands one under the other, then bring up your arms and legs to 30 degrees then lower.  Do this 10-15 times.  Stop if feel tension and rest.

7. When finish with exercises, just breath deeply five times, then stretch to help cool down your muscles as in step #1.

Make adjustments as you see fit.  These exercises will help in building your stomach muscles and building muscle memory.  Limit these exercises to every other day, then take a two day rest for muscles to recover. **Any movement is better than no movement. It is better to exercise before you eat, your body will focus on your muscles, than burning your calories from food and believe it or not you actually have more energy. You may even want to write down the days you exercise to keep track whether its muscle toning, walking, running etc…  Consult your physician before starting any new exercise regimen.

Switzerland’s Referendum to give each resident $2,800 (2,500 francs) Proposed.

Switzerland had a referendum to give each citizen 2500 francs per month.  The idea came about in 2013, but if passed would take one to two years to enact.  Do you know what that would do to end poverty if this was enacted.  It would be unconditional and guaranteed no matter if you work or not.

Boy if the US did something like that, it would end poverty. If the world did it, it would end world poverty over night.   I read this article in the RT blog and it stated that Enno Schmidt is the creator of the Swiss Basic Income Initiative and he (Schmidt) stated that “It would be a historical landmark similar to the abolition of slavery or the civil rights movement.  This man is a genius.  Its citizens would not have to worry about how to pay their living expenses; would not have to make the hard decision of whether to put their elderly parent into a nursing home or stay home and take care of them; they could stay home with their newborn babies longer.  The quality of life would change dramatically.  The worries, stress, hopelessness, homelessness all would change overnight. God would look down on earth and say, “Well done good and faithful servants.”  To not have to worry about how to survive.  Hallelujah!

There is 6.7 billion people on this earth if each person was to get a fair share of dollars to do what they wish, that would add up to approximately $7,000 per person.  There is enough money in the world to do this, but as usual politics always gets in the way. Or someone feels that it is unfair.  But the question is: Do we really want to eradicate poverty?  On the World Bank website, China says to end world poverty, people need access to a bank account or a card.  I say no, people need m-o-n-e-y and then they will go get a bank account.  People need to be able to create, to have access to business ventures and utilize their ideas with freedom without worry.   The systems built up has failed us, companies have left to go to foreign countries, others are laying off at record numbers and prejudice still runs rampant.

Of course questions arise if it would replace the current welfare system, well of course it should and how will it be paid for.  Well I say, “Just Do It.”  The money is there and if it is not there they always find a way to do the things that they want to do, but I say the money is there.  The world is rich.  I use to think the world was poor until I saw all the money being poured into the governmental elections.

So the question next is what would people do with this money?  Well they would spend it.  Pay for the  high cost of utilities, a decent place to live, take care of their kids, and whatever is left over they would go to the local businesses and shop.  This means helping the economy, help more businesses to be created, help to build the world’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) that is what the money would be used for.  To start businesses, get out of debt, live in peace and harmony.

Think about this:  How much money would be enough money for you to live off of comfortably?  $1000 a month, $3,000 a month, $1 million, or $1 billion.   They key word here is “comfortably.”   How much do you think would get the stress off, the worry, the hopelessness. And I haven’t even mentioned health care.  Think of how much crime would be reduced if people did not have to worry about money.  Think of how happy the world would be.

Lastly, the reason the economies of the world are in such bad shape is because they are not putting the money into the hands of the people who will spend it.  Its called the velocity of circulation of money.  Velocity is the rate of speed that it takes for money to exchange hands from one person to another and this determines GDP.

I know many will think this is socialism or whatever other political term they can think of, but most people will see this as “survival.”  Manna from heaven.  Look into this Swiss referendum I think it is a “genius” of an ideal.

Thoughts for June: PURPOSE: Food for Thought

Some thoughts that I just would like to kick around.  Just think if every person was able to live their true purpose or calling.  Let’s define purpose:  It is the reason that something is created or done or the reason something exists (Oxford Dictionary).

I was recently on a photographer’s blog who travels around the world to take photos and she ended up in China and she took a lot of photos of many people young, middle age and older Chinese citizens of various cities including Shanghai.  And as I looked through her photos and comments, she said something very enlightening.  “What if you could make a living doing the things you really enjoy instead of having to work at a job where you are constantly watching the clock to go home.”   She then realized how grateful she was that she could travel and take photos which is what she really enjoys doing most.

I remember in college thinking this same thought while working jobs that I could not wait to clock out of.  I thought one day “what if”……..and I would daydream of other things I would rather be doing.  Oh how I remember those days so well.

This particular photographer took a pic of an elderly woman who was smoking a pipe and she stated that the elderly woman stated that that(cigar) is what they give them for living to their ripe old ages.  And I’m thinking really a cigar, really….  I hope that’s not all she’s received for all her hard work and contributions to their society.

But, anyway, back to the subject of purpose.  Though there are many who have successfully found their lot in life, however, much more are living under their destined purposes.  I have read Rick Warren’s :Purpose Driven Life.  He has workbooks and worksheets to help in assisting people to finding their true calling in life.

Just think of the many people who begrudgingly go to their jobs just to make a paycheck just to pay bills and/or take care of family.  Are these people really happy and better yet….Is this their true calling.  Is there something else pulling at their heartstrings, a hobby, a special interest, a bigger talent.  Purpose is also honing in on special skills and talents and mastering these skills and only that individual knows what that gift is though others may notice it also; say a family member, friend, or teacher.

The most important thing about purpose is that it is not for yourself.  Your purpose really is to help others in this generation.  A quote from Rick Warren ” The only really happy people are those who learned how to serve others.”  Purpose is not restricted to just men, but women also have purpose.

With purpose life has more meaning when you begin to ask yourself, “Why am I here?”.  Purpose is for every human being whether they have one parent, two parents, adopted, or even thrown on the street. Purpose is for both rich and poor; it is for the bruised and the battered; the oppressed and repressed.  The world would be a much better place if everyone were able to realize their purpose.  The next time you see a talented individual whether young, middle aged, or elderly let them know that you see their gift and their talent and encourage them to pursue their gift no matter what it is.

More on this topic later.