There's no better time for self-improvement than in the S-P-R-I-N-G!
March 26, 2018
"Spring is the time of plans and projects." -Leo Tolstoy
The crocuses are blooming, the birds are singing, and it's been a long time since Punxsutawney Phil made his annual prognostication. Yes, spring is at long last here. And while nature is busy recreating the earth, there's no better time to work on our own areas of self-improvement than the spring of the year.
S - Smile more. In her book entitled Lip Service, Yale Psychology professor Marianne LaFrance, PhD, gave a powerful illustration of the mystery and magic of the smile. Researchers studied 230 pictures of baseball players in the Baseball Register. Those players pictured with big grins lived 4.9 years longer than those players pictured with partial smiles and 7 years longer than those players pictured who were not smiling at all. Hmmmm. Smiling and longevity - something to think about.
P - Practice Positive Thinking. In his classic best-seller, The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale outlined how positive thinking can bring about a refreshment and total renewal of the spirit. Relationships can be restored, personal problems are solved, and health can be improved by cultivating a positive mental attitude.
R - Reduce sugar intake. The average American eats 13 five-pound bags of sugar in a year - without noticing most of it. This is one topic that nutritionists agree on - too much sugar can have a negative impact on our health.
I - Invest in the community. Let's get involved with worthwhile organizations. There's power in numbers, and many hands make light work. It's great to get to know people better as individuals as we work collectively to make our world better.
N - Notice now! The past is gone, and the future is not yet here. What we have is now, this moment in time. In his groundbreaking book The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle makes a strong case for living in the now as the truest path to happiness and enlightenment.
G - Give gratitude. Let's show our appreciation to those we live with and work with. A little 'thank you' can go a long way.
So, with a smile and lots of positive thinking and gratitude, we welcome the Spring and embrace all of the possibilities for renewed living for continuing to make ourselves and our communities better and better.
Think SPRING!
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