1. Wellness tip…
Add a fresh fruit or vegetable to every meal. We are constantly talking about what to cut out of our diet. As humans, we do not do well with deprivation. Simply adding a fruit or veggie (preferably a veggie) to your meal will add vitamins and minerals that you would not get otherwise. So… if you are going to order the burger and fries, order a side of broccoli. If you are going to eat the donut in the morning, add a handful of blueberries, blackberries, or strawberries. Eventually, you can start cutting out the junk, but for now, make sure you have a fruit or veggie with EVERY snack or meal.
2. Shirt I saw with great quote…
“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.”
I saw this on the back of a patient’s t-shirt this week (see pic below). Fear of failure will often keep people from even trying something new. It can be paralyzing. One thing that has helped me over the years when embarking on a new endeavor or trying something new, is to focus heavily on the feelings I will have once successful. I contemplate the downside (it would be reckless and foolish not to), but most of my energy and focus is on the success of whatever it is I am doing. The massiveness of the success– and all of the powerful emotions and feeling that I associate with it– shrinks the fear to a point where it can’t stop me or keep me from trying. This quote needs the word “should” changed to “must.” Your desire for success MUST be greater than your fear of failure. Could making that shift in thinking help you do something you’ve wanted to do for a long time?
3. In New York City…
I had only been to New York City once before. While there, I stopped for a moment and just watched as hundreds and hundreds of people flowed by me. I couldn’t help but think about how each and every person had their story. Where they were from… what they did for a living… were they in good relationships… did they feel healthy or sick… were they happy… etc. I was overwhelmed with the enormity and complexity of the number of people and how each person’s story was sooooo different. Well… we are in NYC right now, and while walking around we passed a storefront that caught my attention… it’s called The Strangers Project. Inside there are hundreds of pieces of paper hanging on the walls. Each contains a story shared by a passer-by. This project was started by Brandon Doman in 2009. Here are a few bullet points from their website…
- Every story is collected in person—Stories are not mailed in or submitted online
- 50,000+ Stories collected so far
- Stories are shared from all ages and all walks of life
While our stories are so different… they connect us as humans. When I checked out the website, http://strangersproject.com/, I got drawn in as I read story after story. Check it out. Oh… and a lot of what happens to us is out of our control, but a lot of it is within our control. We are the authors of our own stories. As you head into 2020, start thinking about what you want the next chapter to look like… and get busy writing!
