Monday, July 30, 2007
Advice from Lance Armstrong ...
Here is some really good advice from, in my humble opinion, THE greatest athlete of all time! Enjoy!! Click on the picture to read the fine print.
For Neil Fraser .....
I don't think I have ever met anyone who is so passionate about one person as NF is about EC (besides Des, of course)! Neil eats, sleeps and drinks EC. So as a tribute to EC and my friend NF, here is the life story of the greatest guitarist of all times. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Mr. Eric Clapton!! Please let NF and I know if you agree that EC is in fact the greatest guitarist that ever lived.
A Brief Biography of Eric Clapton (from his website http://www.ericclapton.com/)
Eric Patrick Clapton was born on 30 March 1945 in his grandparents’ home at 1 The Green, Ripley, Surrey, England. He was the son of 16-year-old Patricia Molly Clapton (b. 7 January 1929, d. March 1999) and Edward Walter Fryer (b. 21 March 1920, d. 1985), a 24-year-old Canadian soldier stationed in England during World War II. Before Eric was born, Fryer returned to his wife in Canada.
It was extraordinarily difficult for an unmarried 16-year-old to raise a child on her own in the mid-1940s. Pat’s parents, Rose and Jack Clapp, stepped in as surrogate parents and raised Eric as their own. Thus, he grew up believing his mother was his sister. His grandparents never legally adopted him, but remained his legal guardians until 1963. Eric’s last name comes from Rose’s first husband and Pat’s father, Reginald Cecil Clapton (d. 1933).
Eric’s mother, Pat, eventually married and moved to Canada and Germany as her husband, Frank McDonald, continued his military career. They had two girls and a boy. Eric’s half-brother, Brian, was killed in a road accident in 1974 at the age of 26. His half-sisters are Cheryl (b. May 1953) and Heather (b. September 1958).
Eric was raised in a musical household. His grandmother played piano and his uncle and mother both enjoyed listening to the sounds of the big bands. Pat later told Eric’s official biographer, Ray Coleman, that his father was a gifted musician, playing piano in several dance bands in the Surrey area.
Quiet and polite, he was characterized as an above-average student with an aptitude for art. But, from his earliest years in school, he realized something was not quite right when he wrote his name as “Eric Clapton” and his parents’ names as “Mr. and Mrs. Clapp”. At the age of nine, he learned the truth about his parentage when Pat returned to England with his six-year-old half brother for a visit. This singular event affected him deeply and was a defining moment in his life. He became moody and distant and stopped applying himself at school. Emotionally scarred by this event, Eric failed the all-important 11 Plus Exams. He was sent to St. Bede’s Secondary Modern School and two years later, entered the art branch of Holyfield Road School.
By 1958, Rock and Roll had exploded onto the world. For his 13th birthday, Eric asked for a guitar. Finding the inexpensive Spanish Hoya difficult to play, he put it aside. In 1961, when he was 16, Eric began studying at the Kingston College of Art on a one-year probation. He was expelled at the end of that time for lack of progress as he had not submitted enough work. The reason? Guitar playing and listening to the blues dominated his waking hours.
Typical of his introspective nature, Eric looked beneath the surface and explored the roots of rock in American Blues. The blues also meshed perfectly with his self-perception as an outsider and of being “different” from other people. Sometime in 1962, he asked for his grandparents’ help in purchasing a £100 electric double cutaway Kay (a Gibson ES-335 clone) after hearing the electric blues of Freddie King, B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, and others.
Eric spent his early days in music busking around Richmond and Kingston, he also began spending time in London and the West End. In early 1963, 17 year-old Eric joined his first band, The Roosters. Following the band’s demise in August 1963, he spent one month in the pop-oriented Casey Jones and The Engineers. Before turning to music as a full-time career, he supported himself as a laborer at building sites, working alongside his grandfather, a master bricklayer and plasterer.
In October 1963, Keith Relf and Paul Samwell-Smith recruited him to become a member of The Yardbirds because Clapton was the most talked about guitar player on the R&B pub circuit. During his 18-month tenure with The Yardbirds, he earned his nickname, Slowhand, and recorded his first albums: Five Live Yardbirds and Sonny Boy Williamson and The Yardbirds. The band also recorded the single, “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl”. But, Eric had not abandoned his serious research into the American Blues. When The Yardbirds began moving towards a more commercial sound with “For Your Love”, he quit. His path in music was the blues.
In April 1965, John Mayall invited Eric to join his band, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. With this group, Clapton established his reputation as a guitarist and earned his second nickname: “God”. It came from an admirer’s graffiti on the wall of London’s Islington Tube Station that boldly proclaimed “Clapton is God.” Eric’s time with the band was turbulent and he left for a while to tour Greece with friends. Upon his return from Greece, Eric rejoined the Bluesbreakers. It was during this time that the now classic Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton was recorded. While with the Bluesbreakers, Eric also recorded a one-off four-track session with a band dubbed “The Powerhouse”. This studio band included John Paul Jones, Steve Winwood and Jack Bruce.
After leaving the Bluesbreakers for a second and final time in July 1966, Eric teamed up with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker to form Cream. Extensive touring in the U.S. and three solid albums - Fresh Cream, Disraeli Gears, and Wheels of Fire - brought the band worldwide acclaim. While a member of Cream, he cemented his reputation as rock’s premier guitarist and was elevated to superstar status. Although Cream was together for only two years, they are considered one of the most influential rock groups of the modern era. Clapton was unique because he did not simply replicate the blues riffs he heard on records. He incorporated the emotion of the original performances into his own style of playing, thus expanding the vocabulary of blues guitar. Cream crumbled beneath the weight of the member’s egos and constant arguing. They disbanded after two final performances at London’s Royal Albert Hall on 26 November 1968.
Following Cream’s break-up, Clapton founded Blind Faith - rock’s first “supergroup” - with Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, and Rick Grech. Disbanding after one album and a disastrous American tour, Eric tried to hide from his growing fame by touring as a sideman with Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. While with this outfit, Eric was encouraged to sing by Delaney Bramlett. He also began composing more. A live album from the Delaney & Bonnie tour was released in 1970. Clapton’s self-titled debut was released that same year.
In the summer of 1970, Eric formed Derek and the Dominos with Jim Gordon, Carl Radle and Bobby Whitlock from Delaney & Bonnie’s band . The Dominos would go on to record the seminal rock album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. A concept album, its theme revolved around Clapton’s unrequited love for George Harrison’s wife, Patti. The band would drift apart following an American tour and a failed attempt at recording a second album.
Hit hard by the break up of The Dominos, the commercial failure of the Layla album and his unrequited love, Eric sunk into three years of heroin addiction. Although he rarely emerged from his Surrey Estate, he filled box upon box with tapes of songs. He kicked his drug addiction and re-launched his career in January 1973 with two concerts at London’s Rainbow Theater organized by his friend, Pete Townshend (The Who). The concerts represented a turning point in his career. In 1974, he reappeared with a new style and sound with 461 Ocean Boulevard. Eric had become an assured vocalist and composer in addition to a guitar hero.
With each album after 461 Ocean Boulevard, Eric reinvented himself musically. Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, albums and tours would follow year in and year out. In 1985, Clapton found a new audience following his performance at the worldwide charity concert, Live Aid. Annual stands at the Royal Albert Hall and successful albums like August, Journeyman and the Crossroads box set kept him well in the public mind. In the late 80s, he carved out a second career as the composer of film scores. His career went from strength to strength and reached new heights in 1992 with the release of Unplugged and the Grammy winning single, “Tears In Heaven.”
In 1994, Eric returned to his blues roots with the release of From The Cradle. The album was Clapton’s tribute to his musical heroes and contained cover versions of blues classics. 1997 brought an excursion into electronica with the release of TDF’s Retail Therapy . Eric posed as X-Sample in the studio “band” TDF. In 1998, he released the soul-influenced Pilgrim, his first album of all new material in nine years. In 2000, he continued his love affair with the blues when he recorded an album with American blues legend, B.B. King. Riding With The King was released in June and within three weeks of release, was certified gold.
Shortly after the release of Riding With The King, Clapton was back in the studio recording his next solo project. Reptile was released in March 2001. In late 2002, he began to record a new studio album. Work continued through the summer of 2003 and enough material was recorded for two albums. In addition to new solo material, Eric recorded covers of Robert Johnson songs during these sessions. The Johnson songs were assembled and in March 2004, Eric’s tribute album, Me and Mr. Johnson was released. The solo material recorded during these sessions was released in 2005 on Back Home.
In 2005, Eric also revisited the past. He, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce re-formed Cream for four very special reunion shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall. The concerts took place at the venue where their farewell shows took place 37 years earlier, in November 1968. In October 2005, the men performed three further concerts at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The London shows were released on CD and DVD in late 2005.
Eric’s next recording project was to be produced by one of the architects of the “Tulsa Sound,” J.J. Cale. Eric had long admired Cale’s work, having recorded cover versions of “After Midnight,” “Cocaine,” and “Travelin’ Light.” After working in the studio a short time, it turned into a collaborative effort. The Road To Escondido was released on 7 November 2006 to critical acclaim.
In his more than 40 year career, Eric Clapton has received many awards. He is the only triple inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame (as a member of both the Yardbirds and Cream and as a solo artist). He has also won or shared in eighteen Grammy Awards.
Eric has also contributed to numerous artists’ albums over the decades. The most well known session occurred in September 1968, when he added guitar to George Harrison’s composition, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” It is on the album, The Beatles (best known as “The White Album”). He can also be heard on albums by Aretha Franklin, Steven Stills, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Plastic Ono Band (John Lennon and Yoko Ono), Ringo Starr, Sting, and Roger Waters.
After conquering his heroin addiction in the early 70s, Eric replaced it with an addiction to alcohol. Throughout the remainder of the decade and into the 1980s, his life and work suffered due to his alcoholism. In January 1982, Eric entered the Hazelden Foundation, a rehabilitation facility in the United States. He did backslide, but has been sober since 1987 through membership in Alcoholics Anonymous. Since then, Eric has been committed to working with others who suffer from addictions to drugs and alcohol.
In February 1998, Eric announced the opening of Crossroads Centre, a rehabilitation facility for drug and alcohol abuse on the island of Antigua. One of its principles is to provide subsidized care for some of the poorest people of the Caribbean who can not afford such care on their own. A foundation was established to provide “scholarships” for these individuals. On 24 June 1999, Clapton auctioned 100 of his guitars, including “Brownie” (the guitar on which he recorded “Layla”), at Christie’s Auction House / New York. The 1999 auction netted almost $5 million (US) for the foundation. On 30 June 1999, Clapton hosted a concert to benefit the Centre at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Proceeds from its airing on America’s VH1 and DVD and video sales benefited the Centre. Five years later, Eric planned the second and final major fundraising effort for the Centre. On 4, 5 and 6 June 2004, he hosted the First Crossroads Guitar Festival in Dallas, Texas. The three day event presented the cream of the world’s guitarists in a benefit event for the Centre. The event was filmed and proceeds from the sale of the DVD also benefit the foundation. Additionally, a second guitar auction took place on 24 June 2004. It raised an additional $6 million for the foundation and included the sale of “Blackie”, his legendary Fender Stratocaster and a cherry red Gibson ES335, known as “The Cream Guitar”. The Second Crossroads Guitar Festival, with proceeds again benefitting the Crossroads Centre Foundation, is scheduled for 28 July 2007 in Chicago, Illinois.
Eric is married. He and his wife, Melia, have three daughters - Julie Rose (b. June 2001), Ella Mae (b. January 2003) and Sophie (b. February 2005). The couple married on 1 January 2002.
Eric’s eldest child is his daughter, Ruth (b. January 1985). His son, Conor (b. 15 August 1986), died on 20 March 1991 when he fell from a window in his mother’s New York City apartment. Conor’s mother is Lory del Santo, a film actress / television personality.
Eric married his first wife, Patti Boyd Harrison on 27 March 1979. They had no children and divorced in the late 1980s.
When times get tough .......
This interesting article came across my desk today and I thought I would share it with all of you. I have learnt over the years that the difference between winners and losers in life, is that winners keep getting up! I guess that would apply to Glenn. For all my college phys ed. buddies, I had never heard of Glenn Cunningham - he was pre-Bannister and the breaking of the 4 minute mile. Great story!
Glenn Cunningham – Mile Record Holder 1932
This story should be printed and left where you will see it often - and then every time you come across a project you think you cannot successfully complete read this story again.
Eight-year-old Glenn Cunningham raced into a burning schoolhouse to rescue his big brother. When he regained consciousness five hours later, his brother was dead and Glenn's horribly burned legs lay limp and without feeling. Specialists urged his parents to have Glenn's legs amputated immediately - he would never walk again - but Glenn pleaded against them. Even though the toes of his left foot were gone and the bone supporting the ball of his left foot practically destroyed, Glenn was determined to walk again.
That was the summer of 1919. One week later Glenn announced he was ready to stand up. His father lifted him out of bed, stood him upright and let go. Glenn crumpled to the floor. Every day Glenn's parents carefully rubbed his dead limbs. Every day for weeks, they repeated the lifting-falling exercise. Then one day, for a few seconds, Glenn Cunningham stood on his own.
A few days later Glenn took a few small, shaky steps. His parents kept on rubbing his legs. He ate carefully and began to push himself hard, running everywhere he went - to the fields, to the store, to school.
In 1930, with no toes on his left foot and almost missing a major bone, Glenn Cunningham set a high school record for the mile run, 4:24.7. He enrolled in Kansas University and two years later qualified for the Olympics with a United States record-setting mile of 4:11.1. Despite tonsillitis at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1932, he still finished fourth. He defeated milers around the world, repeatedly breaking his own records. In his early thirties he retired, holding the world mile record of 4:04.4.
From Little Books of Virtue
Glenn Cunningham – Mile Record Holder 1932
This story should be printed and left where you will see it often - and then every time you come across a project you think you cannot successfully complete read this story again.
Eight-year-old Glenn Cunningham raced into a burning schoolhouse to rescue his big brother. When he regained consciousness five hours later, his brother was dead and Glenn's horribly burned legs lay limp and without feeling. Specialists urged his parents to have Glenn's legs amputated immediately - he would never walk again - but Glenn pleaded against them. Even though the toes of his left foot were gone and the bone supporting the ball of his left foot practically destroyed, Glenn was determined to walk again.
That was the summer of 1919. One week later Glenn announced he was ready to stand up. His father lifted him out of bed, stood him upright and let go. Glenn crumpled to the floor. Every day Glenn's parents carefully rubbed his dead limbs. Every day for weeks, they repeated the lifting-falling exercise. Then one day, for a few seconds, Glenn Cunningham stood on his own.
A few days later Glenn took a few small, shaky steps. His parents kept on rubbing his legs. He ate carefully and began to push himself hard, running everywhere he went - to the fields, to the store, to school.
In 1930, with no toes on his left foot and almost missing a major bone, Glenn Cunningham set a high school record for the mile run, 4:24.7. He enrolled in Kansas University and two years later qualified for the Olympics with a United States record-setting mile of 4:11.1. Despite tonsillitis at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1932, he still finished fourth. He defeated milers around the world, repeatedly breaking his own records. In his early thirties he retired, holding the world mile record of 4:04.4.
From Little Books of Virtue
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Once in a Lifetime
Most of you by now have heard that Dale's Mom passed away on July 13th. See will be missed by us all - what a wonderful woman. With that still fresh in our minds, I thought this article by Chris Widener was worth sharing. Enjoy and take action!
A subscriber recently wrote to me and asked me to consider this common phrase – Once in a Lifetime.
“Isn’t every moment of our lives, once in a lifetime?” he asked.
Touché! Indeed, he is correct. Every moment of our lives is the last chance we get to live that moment.
What happens though is that we figure we will be able to live another moment in the same way we are passing on right now. Time becomes a commodity that we trade… and the riskiest commodity of all – futures! We pass on this moment for the option to live it in the future.
The problem is that there is no guarantee of the future…
Take some time this week to think about the Once in a Lifetime opportunities you are passing up each day:
The opportunity to play with your children or grandchildren.
The opportunity to love your spouse.
The opportunity to take that business risk.
The opportunity to take that dream trip you have thought of for years.
Live for today my friends. Make today the best day that you can. Be aware of every moment and how it is the last time you will be able to make the decision on how to spend it.
Today is your once in a lifetime opportunity to live your dreams, love your family, and make a difference. As the marketing profession would put it: Don’t miss this Once in a Lifetime Opportunity!
A subscriber recently wrote to me and asked me to consider this common phrase – Once in a Lifetime.
“Isn’t every moment of our lives, once in a lifetime?” he asked.
Touché! Indeed, he is correct. Every moment of our lives is the last chance we get to live that moment.
What happens though is that we figure we will be able to live another moment in the same way we are passing on right now. Time becomes a commodity that we trade… and the riskiest commodity of all – futures! We pass on this moment for the option to live it in the future.
The problem is that there is no guarantee of the future…
Take some time this week to think about the Once in a Lifetime opportunities you are passing up each day:
The opportunity to play with your children or grandchildren.
The opportunity to love your spouse.
The opportunity to take that business risk.
The opportunity to take that dream trip you have thought of for years.
Live for today my friends. Make today the best day that you can. Be aware of every moment and how it is the last time you will be able to make the decision on how to spend it.
Today is your once in a lifetime opportunity to live your dreams, love your family, and make a difference. As the marketing profession would put it: Don’t miss this Once in a Lifetime Opportunity!
Sleep Myths by Rich Maloof
Not sure if any of you are as interested in sleep and energy as much as I am? If you are here is a great article on sleep myths!
Is the power nap really powerful? Can we make up for lost sleep by sacking out on Saturday? MSN Health & Fitness sought a few answers from the Land of Nod.
Do we really need eight hours of sleep per night?
Not necessarily, but that’s the average for healthy adults. According to the National Institutes of Health, when healthy adults are given unlimited opportunity to sleep they are on the pillow eight to eight-and-a-half hours a night. Most sleep experts recommend between seven and nine hours to be at one’s optimum performance mentally and physically.
The amount of sleep needed to be at one’s best is called “basal sleep” time. Basal sleep is forever in competition with “sleep debt,” which is the total sleep we lose due to certain sleep disorders, restless partners or screaming infants (but parents cherish every waking moment … right?). We constantly need basal sleep to pay down our sleep debt.
Most people have an innate sense of whether they’re getting enough shut-eye (for a quick evaluation of your own sleep status, check out the Epworth Sleepiness Scale). According to the Sleep In America poll, Americans in 2005 averaged almost seven hours per night, while back in 1910 we averaged nine hours. What would you give up for an extra two hours of sleep tonight?
Can we catch up on sleep during the weekend? Is this healthy?
Yes, you can effectively catch up on sleep—and no, it’s not particularly healthy.
The body and brain share a remarkable ability to recover when we don’t treat them as well as we should. When you skimp on sleep, you miss more of the REM cycles that keep the brain’s memory, concentration, motor skills, and emotional controls in good working order. That’s why someone on three hours’ sleep can stay awake but is more likely to fumble the car keys or put on shoes that don’t match. Nonetheless, the brain will reset itself after a good night’s sleep.
Though the body is resilient as well, all of its major systems require the slowed pace and reduction of stimuli that come with adequate rest. As the National Sleep Foundation describes in Sleep-Wake Cycle: Its Physiology and Impact on Health, scientists believe the body repairs itself during sleep with a number of biochemical and physiological processes, and that without restorative sleep our systems become more vulnerable. A 2002 study, for example, showed that sleep helps fortify the immune system: When flu shots were administered to two groups of men, those who slept normally for 10 nights in a row had twice as many flu-fighting antibodies as those who slept just four hours per night.
Dr. Michael Twery, director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, offers additional words of warning: “Recent findings indicate that regularly sleeping less than seven hours each night is associated with potentially serious health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.”
As we age do we really require less sleep to function properly?
The blissful 12- or 14-hour snoozes we needed as infants certainly curtail over the years, and once past the teen years our sleep requirements level out. The more significant change for the elderly is not in the total hours needed—at seven to nine hours, their requirements are on a par with young adults—but in the quality of nighttime rest they’re actually able to get.
“Older people don’t need less sleep, but they often get less sleep,” Twery says. “As people age, they spend less time in the deep, restful stages of sleep and are awakened more easily. Older people are more likely to have sleep apnea, insomnia, and other medical conditions that disrupt sleep and impair daytime function.”
Many elderly people will drift off throughout the day to make up for lost sleep time. If your grandmother gets a full eight hours, some may come at night, some after lunch, and some while playing canasta.
Do naps help?
If we really believed that life’s most valuable lessons were learned in kindergarten, we’d all be eating more cookies and taking more naps. Our grown-up culture generally frowns on the notion of daytime sleeping, but 15 or 20 minutes of shut-eye can help make up for a sleepless night and provide a freshness and clarity that seldom comes in the last few hours at work. Resting too long or too late in the day, however, can defeat the benefits by leaving the catnapper groggy in the afternoon and sleepless again at night.
Workers in Latin America, as in many hot climes, are known to appreciate the value of a siesta whereas gringos seem unwilling to trade dollars for Z’s. In February 2007, a study favoring the midday nap was published by doctors from Greece, another warm and sunny climate. After studying 23,861 subjects for more than six years, the researchers found compelling evidence that napping has quantifiable health benefits for everyone, especially working men. They concluded that people who napped occasionally were 12 percent less likely to die of heart disease. Moreover, those who regularly took half-hour naps three times per week had at least 37 percent lower risk of death by heart disease.
Though you may have difficulty convincing your boss that an afternoon nap would be great for your health and your productivity, putting your head down for a few minutes is not a bad idea at all. Cookies wouldn’t hurt, either.
Is the power nap really powerful? Can we make up for lost sleep by sacking out on Saturday? MSN Health & Fitness sought a few answers from the Land of Nod.
Do we really need eight hours of sleep per night?
Not necessarily, but that’s the average for healthy adults. According to the National Institutes of Health, when healthy adults are given unlimited opportunity to sleep they are on the pillow eight to eight-and-a-half hours a night. Most sleep experts recommend between seven and nine hours to be at one’s optimum performance mentally and physically.
The amount of sleep needed to be at one’s best is called “basal sleep” time. Basal sleep is forever in competition with “sleep debt,” which is the total sleep we lose due to certain sleep disorders, restless partners or screaming infants (but parents cherish every waking moment … right?). We constantly need basal sleep to pay down our sleep debt.
Most people have an innate sense of whether they’re getting enough shut-eye (for a quick evaluation of your own sleep status, check out the Epworth Sleepiness Scale). According to the Sleep In America poll, Americans in 2005 averaged almost seven hours per night, while back in 1910 we averaged nine hours. What would you give up for an extra two hours of sleep tonight?
Can we catch up on sleep during the weekend? Is this healthy?
Yes, you can effectively catch up on sleep—and no, it’s not particularly healthy.
The body and brain share a remarkable ability to recover when we don’t treat them as well as we should. When you skimp on sleep, you miss more of the REM cycles that keep the brain’s memory, concentration, motor skills, and emotional controls in good working order. That’s why someone on three hours’ sleep can stay awake but is more likely to fumble the car keys or put on shoes that don’t match. Nonetheless, the brain will reset itself after a good night’s sleep.
Though the body is resilient as well, all of its major systems require the slowed pace and reduction of stimuli that come with adequate rest. As the National Sleep Foundation describes in Sleep-Wake Cycle: Its Physiology and Impact on Health, scientists believe the body repairs itself during sleep with a number of biochemical and physiological processes, and that without restorative sleep our systems become more vulnerable. A 2002 study, for example, showed that sleep helps fortify the immune system: When flu shots were administered to two groups of men, those who slept normally for 10 nights in a row had twice as many flu-fighting antibodies as those who slept just four hours per night.
Dr. Michael Twery, director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, offers additional words of warning: “Recent findings indicate that regularly sleeping less than seven hours each night is associated with potentially serious health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.”
As we age do we really require less sleep to function properly?
The blissful 12- or 14-hour snoozes we needed as infants certainly curtail over the years, and once past the teen years our sleep requirements level out. The more significant change for the elderly is not in the total hours needed—at seven to nine hours, their requirements are on a par with young adults—but in the quality of nighttime rest they’re actually able to get.
“Older people don’t need less sleep, but they often get less sleep,” Twery says. “As people age, they spend less time in the deep, restful stages of sleep and are awakened more easily. Older people are more likely to have sleep apnea, insomnia, and other medical conditions that disrupt sleep and impair daytime function.”
Many elderly people will drift off throughout the day to make up for lost sleep time. If your grandmother gets a full eight hours, some may come at night, some after lunch, and some while playing canasta.
Do naps help?
If we really believed that life’s most valuable lessons were learned in kindergarten, we’d all be eating more cookies and taking more naps. Our grown-up culture generally frowns on the notion of daytime sleeping, but 15 or 20 minutes of shut-eye can help make up for a sleepless night and provide a freshness and clarity that seldom comes in the last few hours at work. Resting too long or too late in the day, however, can defeat the benefits by leaving the catnapper groggy in the afternoon and sleepless again at night.
Workers in Latin America, as in many hot climes, are known to appreciate the value of a siesta whereas gringos seem unwilling to trade dollars for Z’s. In February 2007, a study favoring the midday nap was published by doctors from Greece, another warm and sunny climate. After studying 23,861 subjects for more than six years, the researchers found compelling evidence that napping has quantifiable health benefits for everyone, especially working men. They concluded that people who napped occasionally were 12 percent less likely to die of heart disease. Moreover, those who regularly took half-hour naps three times per week had at least 37 percent lower risk of death by heart disease.
Though you may have difficulty convincing your boss that an afternoon nap would be great for your health and your productivity, putting your head down for a few minutes is not a bad idea at all. Cookies wouldn’t hurt, either.
Self-Discipline
I have been looking for something like this for a while to share with Matt and Josh and finally got this. It was sent to me by our HR Director here at CCC and I immediately shared it with both boys. Makes perfect sense but is difficult to execute on a day-to-day basis. Hopefully this helps!!
Self discipline leads to a happier, healthier lifestyle. Considered a vital characteristic of success, self-discipline is the ability to take action regardless of your emotional state.
Self-discipline is required in order to stop smoking and to control a health problem caused by excess.
* Self-discipline allows you to stay focused on your goals. It enables you to stay in control of yourself and of your reaction to any situation. Self-discipline is like a muscle. The more you train it, the stronger you become. Lack of self-discipline can cause low self-esteem.
* According to an article in Psychological Science, self-discipline is a better predictor of academic success than IQ. Many of America’s children have trouble making choices that require them to sacrifice short-term pleasure for long-term gain. A study found that highly self-disciplined adolescents outperformed their more impulsive peers on every academic - performance variable, including report card grades, standardized achievement test scores, admission to a competitive high school, and attendance.
* Self-discipline is about making wise choices. From the food you eat to the amount of exercise you do is dependent on how disciplined you are with yourself. For example, exercise promotes a sense of control over the body that may translate to an improved sense of control over other aspects of life, a key defense against stress. Those who exercise regularly demonstrate higher levels of self-esteem and maintain a sense of self-discipline.
The five pillars of self-discipline are; Acceptance, Willpower, Hard Work, Industry, and Persistence.
* Acceptance is the most basic mistake people make. They fail to accurately perceive and accept their situation. It is important to identify an area where your discipline is weakest. Assess where you stand right now. Acknowledge and accept your starting point. Design a program for yourself to improve in this area.
* Willpower is a concentration of force. Choose your objective. Create a plan of attack and then execute the plan. Your willpower is at its lowest when you feel stressed.
* Hard work is what many people try to avoid by doing what is easiest. But a strong challenge is commonly connected with strong results.
* Industry is developing the capacity to put in the time where it’s needed.
* Persistence allows you to keep taking action even when you don’t feel motivated to do so, and therefore you keep accumulating results. Persistence will ultimately provide its own motivation.
Set goals that are realistically achievable, don’t waste time on insignificant matters, and say no to negative temptations.
* Self-discipline becomes very powerful when combined with goal-setting, passion, and planning. Write down your goals and make sure that you do everything in your power to stick to them. Always finish any task you set about doing before moving on to start another.
* Avoid spending time on things of little importance that, in the long run, have no bearing on what you value most.
* If you consider acting upon temptations, they will grow in strength and size and have more power over you. Delaying gratification becomes a habit of self-discipline.
Self discipline leads to a happier, healthier lifestyle. Considered a vital characteristic of success, self-discipline is the ability to take action regardless of your emotional state.
Self-discipline is required in order to stop smoking and to control a health problem caused by excess.
* Self-discipline allows you to stay focused on your goals. It enables you to stay in control of yourself and of your reaction to any situation. Self-discipline is like a muscle. The more you train it, the stronger you become. Lack of self-discipline can cause low self-esteem.
* According to an article in Psychological Science, self-discipline is a better predictor of academic success than IQ. Many of America’s children have trouble making choices that require them to sacrifice short-term pleasure for long-term gain. A study found that highly self-disciplined adolescents outperformed their more impulsive peers on every academic - performance variable, including report card grades, standardized achievement test scores, admission to a competitive high school, and attendance.
* Self-discipline is about making wise choices. From the food you eat to the amount of exercise you do is dependent on how disciplined you are with yourself. For example, exercise promotes a sense of control over the body that may translate to an improved sense of control over other aspects of life, a key defense against stress. Those who exercise regularly demonstrate higher levels of self-esteem and maintain a sense of self-discipline.
The five pillars of self-discipline are; Acceptance, Willpower, Hard Work, Industry, and Persistence.
* Acceptance is the most basic mistake people make. They fail to accurately perceive and accept their situation. It is important to identify an area where your discipline is weakest. Assess where you stand right now. Acknowledge and accept your starting point. Design a program for yourself to improve in this area.
* Willpower is a concentration of force. Choose your objective. Create a plan of attack and then execute the plan. Your willpower is at its lowest when you feel stressed.
* Hard work is what many people try to avoid by doing what is easiest. But a strong challenge is commonly connected with strong results.
* Industry is developing the capacity to put in the time where it’s needed.
* Persistence allows you to keep taking action even when you don’t feel motivated to do so, and therefore you keep accumulating results. Persistence will ultimately provide its own motivation.
Set goals that are realistically achievable, don’t waste time on insignificant matters, and say no to negative temptations.
* Self-discipline becomes very powerful when combined with goal-setting, passion, and planning. Write down your goals and make sure that you do everything in your power to stick to them. Always finish any task you set about doing before moving on to start another.
* Avoid spending time on things of little importance that, in the long run, have no bearing on what you value most.
* If you consider acting upon temptations, they will grow in strength and size and have more power over you. Delaying gratification becomes a habit of self-discipline.
The Importance of Being Punctual/On time!
I thought you might like this article! I was looking for something that shows the importance of being on time to share with my staff at CCC and found this article by Alicia Smith (AliciaSmith.com). She says punctuality says a lot about you. I guess it does!
1. You care. Showing up and on time is one of the best ways to show someone that you care about them.
2. You respect others. Arriving on time shows that you respect others. Respect is the foundation for creating great long-term relationships.
3. You are professional. Being on time is a fundamental tool for anyone who wants to be perceived as being the very best.
4. You are confident. When you show up on time, it’s a sign that you are confident to take on whatever might lay before you. Tardiness can imply that you aren’t confident, or that you are hesitating to deal with a person or situation.
5. You are open to others. Punctuality says, “I’m ready” -- to be involved with whatever is set before you. People who aren’t ready often show up late or not at all.
6. You have an edge. Being punctual gives you an edge in business. The early bird truly does get the worm. Timing is everything. Being punctual is great; being early is even better!
7. You’re in control. People choose to do business with those they like, know, and trust. They like doing business with people who are in control. If you always arrive early or on time, you give the impression that you are in control and manage things well.
8. You have a standard for excellence. Punctuality is but one standard of excellence. It implies that you are in control of your life and shows that you respect yourself and others.
9. You keep things in flow. Other people are affected by what you do and don’t do. If you don’t show up or deliver as promised, you adversely affect others. By showing up on time, you allow other people to get things done on time as well. Everybody wins.
1. You care. Showing up and on time is one of the best ways to show someone that you care about them.
2. You respect others. Arriving on time shows that you respect others. Respect is the foundation for creating great long-term relationships.
3. You are professional. Being on time is a fundamental tool for anyone who wants to be perceived as being the very best.
4. You are confident. When you show up on time, it’s a sign that you are confident to take on whatever might lay before you. Tardiness can imply that you aren’t confident, or that you are hesitating to deal with a person or situation.
5. You are open to others. Punctuality says, “I’m ready” -- to be involved with whatever is set before you. People who aren’t ready often show up late or not at all.
6. You have an edge. Being punctual gives you an edge in business. The early bird truly does get the worm. Timing is everything. Being punctual is great; being early is even better!
7. You’re in control. People choose to do business with those they like, know, and trust. They like doing business with people who are in control. If you always arrive early or on time, you give the impression that you are in control and manage things well.
8. You have a standard for excellence. Punctuality is but one standard of excellence. It implies that you are in control of your life and shows that you respect yourself and others.
9. You keep things in flow. Other people are affected by what you do and don’t do. If you don’t show up or deliver as promised, you adversely affect others. By showing up on time, you allow other people to get things done on time as well. Everybody wins.
Welcome!
This is the first entry in my new Blog. Please visit us regularly to see what is happening with the US Leemhuis Family. Feel free to add your comments and let us know how things are going in your lives.
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