Stressed Out??? .Part One

 A few years ago, I landed the PERFECT job..... in the city. It was a dream job, a dream location, a dream salary! The office was located right smack in the middle of mid-town.  Macys was a two- minute walk away.  Victoria's Secret was down the block. Sephora around the corner.  Madison Square Garden right across the street.  A great job, incredible shopping, amazing restaurants, concerts, The Knicks, The Rangers, and more than enough money to enjoy it all! Who could ask for anything more? I dove right in- head first.

If you have never been to New York City, you need to come here.  There is no city in the world that can compare.  The smells, the tastes, the sights,  the sounds, the energy. It's exhausting and invigorating at the same time.  It's a rush! A high!  To exist in New York is a different thing all together.  You are always on over-drive.  You are always rushing.  There is no such thing as leisurely stroll down the street.  Everyone is moving quickly and you must move with them to avoid being trampled to death.  All your senses come to life at the same time. This is the city that never sleeps!

Combine all the great things a city like New York has to offer, a very stressful job, and a completely unbalanced life.  You have a recipe for disaster.  I was commuting back and forth from Long Island, working 10+ hours a day at my job, and then after work, taking advantage of the night life.  Sometimes I went home, other times I crashed at a friend's apartment uptown.  I would sleep for 2 hours, get up, shower, and begin my day all over again.

The food here is incredible! Anything your heart desires you can order and have it delivered. I ate breakfast lunch and dinner out every single day. I joined co-workers for drinks after work and noshed on unhealthy appetizers to soak up the alcohol.  Did someone mention a 2AM concert at some dive down the street? Count me in.  I don't have to go home! I can play all night and still put in a full day of work tomorrow!  Everyone else would call it night and I would still be out. Sometimes, all by myself.  You are never really alone in a city like New York.  There is always someone to talk to and always some place else to go. I  would call my friend if it was really too late to go all the way back home and I would crash at her place. I kept a change of clothes, a toothbrush and assorted toiletries there just in case.

Weekends I came home but didn't rest.  I never had time during the week for local friends so Friday nights I would hook up with them straight from the train.  We would dance all night until the sun came up. Saturday was the day to take care of errands, laundry and house work so there was no rest for the weary. Saturday night was the same thing--back out with friends until the the light of day.  Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest but there was always something on the agenda and I just couldn't say no.  Sunday nights I tried to force myself to get to bed around midnight.  That didn't always work, however, especially if I was out and having fun.  Next morning, back to the madness. 

I kept this up for the longest time.  I had the perfect life and the energy of a teenager.  I never stopped.  I had more money than I knew what to do with and gave it away. A round of drinks for everyone! Let's go out to dinner. No money? That's ok...... my treat!! I had the greatest clothes, the latest hairstyle, the trendiest handbags, the best shoes!! What a life! I was like a kid in an amusement park riding the roller coaster over and over and loving every minute of it.

Then one day it hit me.  It was a hot, humid Friday night in August and I was trying to get home.  The trains were running late. I felt ill. My heart was pounding out of my chest, my head ached, and I was out of breath. Oh dear God, please don't let me have a heart attack right here in the middle of Penn Station! I will fall down and people will just step right over me. Just get me home! Get me home! I did make it home that night but I ignored all the signs my poor exhausted body was trying to send me. I had places to go. People to see.  I showered quickly and ran out to meet my friends. I packed everything I possibly could into one weekend just like I always did.  When that Monday morning rolled around,  I couldn't lift my head off the pillow.  Oh, God, I am dying. My head hurt so bad that the pain made me physically ill.  I was throwing my guts up over and over until there was nothing left.  For the first time in years I actually called in sick.  I never took sick days EVER. 

My dad rushed me to the hospital.  My heart was racing, my blood pressure was dangerously high.  Ordinarily my blood pressure was low, so low my doctor would joke that I was dead!  Not today.  They insisted on admitting me.  I refused.  I had to get back to work.  I had a job to do. I signed a waiver to not hold the hospital responsible when I dropped dead and went home.

A nice hot soak in the tub would cure me.  I was just tired. I needed a rest and tomorrow I would get back to the office and I would be just fine.  After my bath I took a good look at myself in the mirror. It was as if I was seeing myself for the first time and it was not a pretty sight.  I looked awful.  Dead man walking.  My face was pale, my eyes sunken into my head.  The circles under my eyes were actually black.  I stepped on the scale. I had gained thirty pounds! How could I not have noticed that? I was always thin.  I had a great figure for my age. Not anymore! What happened to me?

Tomorrow I will share what did happen to me and the steps I took to restore my health and sanity. Stay tuned.

And this is my Daily Cyn........

Find Your Own Path

To discover who you really are and where you want to be, you must find your own path and walk in it.....You might stumble over things you didn't know were there.  If you fall, get up, brush yourself off and keep walking.  You will see things you never saw before, hear sounds you never heard before, and eventually find a place you never knew existed....a place you didn't realize you wanted to be until you stumbled upon it.  This is a path you must travel alone. Take the journey, anyway.  It is worth the risk..........

And this is my Daily Cyn.........

Every Little Thing is Magic..........

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. - William James

A song by The Police has been echoing in my head all day. 

"Every little thing she does is magic.  Every little thing just turns me on......"

What a beautiful love song by a man so captivated with his woman that every single thing she does is wonderful.  New love..... there's nothing in the world like it.  Everything we say and do is magical when we are in love......

The lyrics to this song got me thinking about every little thing we do.  Every little thing I do.  Does it really make a difference? To anyone? I came across this quote by William James a little while ago:  "Act as if what you do makes a difference.  It does."

I am a Holistic Health and Nutritional Counselor.  I help others to eat right, lose weight, overcome food addictions, and live full, happy, healthy lives.  I don't have as many clients as I would like, but eventually I will.  When you keep putting good things out there, eventually it comes back to you.  This is a spiritual principle that never fails, regardless of your religion or faith.  I act as if every little thing I do makes a difference to somebody somewhere.  It can be an uplifting quote posted on Facebook, a smile at the person sitting next to me on the train, holding the door open for an elderly gentleman, or sending a recipe for healthy mac and cheese to a friend.  I am committed to so many different things right now.  I write for three companies.  Three different companies--three different articles.  I work for a Mortgage Broker 3 days a week.  I see clients in my office at the Wellness Center the other 3 days.  On Sundays I rest.  Actually I  research and work on rough drafts of articles every Sunday but I do it in my pajamas in the comfort of my own home.  I also maintain a Facebook page where I am constantly posting helpful tips, recipes, advice, and the latest and greatest health, healing, and weight-loss news.  I also write a daily blog. Some of the demands, deadlines and responsiblities are from employers; others are self-imposed.  Regardless, I am 100% commited to all these things. 

There are times I do ask myself if all this really makes a difference.  My commitments are demanding, time consuming, and sometimes I am simply not in the mood.  I have my own struggles, my own disappointments, my own battles. Then I receive a beautiful email from a young girl battling with anorexia who tells me how much my posts help her or learn that someone has just tried yoga for the first time after reading an article I wrote.  Yes....it makes a difference...........

It doesn't matter who you are or what you do.  You don't have to be a counselor, a writer, a doctor, or a teacher to touch the lives of others.  The stay-at-home mom performs magic every day.  The customer service rep who soothes an angry consumer, the designated driver, the garbage collector who always puts the pails back in the yard makes a difference to those on the recieving end.  A smile, a touch, a helping hand. Magic.  Live your life as if every little thing you do makes a difference.  It does. It's magic.  

And this is my Daily Cyn.............

Cats Do It, Dogs Do It.............

I am an early riser.  Most mornings, I am wide awake around 4:30AM.  I am  one of those types who doesn't require much sleep.  I have plenty of energy regardless of how late I got to bed the night before. I love the quiet stillness of the morning, sipping my coffee in silence, taking time to organize my day.   I also get a few good yoga stretches in before I pour that first cup of coffee and go through my emails.

I am not the only one in the house who stretches in the morning.  My cat, Sambo, who sleep curled up beside me each night, opens his eyes the moment I do.  As he lies there, he stretches his entire body.  Then he raises himself from his nice warm spot and stretches again.  As he walks to his food dish, he manages to squeeze in one more really good stretch. 

My mom's dog does the same thing every morning.  Paws in front, he extends his body and sticks his little backside up in the air. Doggie Yoga!  It's adorable. As I watched him do this today I had an epiphany of sorts.  Animals instinctively know they need to stretch it out. Get the blood flowing.  Get rid of that of stiff, achy feeling from being in cramped up, curled up positions all night.  Hmmm. How many of us humans actually do this? 

Most of us open our eyes each morning and immediately hit the ground running.  There are showers to take, breakfasts to serve, lunches to pack, trains to catch.  Our minds are still foggy from sleep, our bodies are stiff.  Our bones and joints ache as we stumble to the bathroom hoping a hot shower will do the trick. 

It only takes five minutes to get a few good stretches in.  Stretching clears the mind, gets the body moving, opens our lungs to breathe fresh air, and eliminates the stale air we've been collecting all night. Those aches and pains you feel every day could miraculously disappear just by taking a few moments in the morning to move. 

Here is a link to some great morning yoga stretches. 


http://yoga.about.com/od/yogasequences/ss/dailystretch.htm

Try these tomorrow morning.  You can even do them at night after a stressful day at work.  Anytime you want. You can never do too many good stretches and your body, mind and spirit will thank you.......

And this is my Daily Cyn........

How to Make a Decision about Anything..........

Are you the type who deliberates for days, weeks, months, even years over decisions?  You can call it procrastination, hesitation, fear of the unknown.  Whatever you wish to call it, it's preventing you from accomplishing what you need to do, want to do, affecting your life in a big or small way, and always hanging over you. You inability to make a decision could be holding someone else back from making one of their own. 

I am guilty of this at times.  Years ago I had the most incredible job offer.  It came out of nowhere and it was too good to refuse. Or was it? I was very comfortable in my current office. It was close to home, I got along well with all my co-workers, the salary was good, I had the freedom to come and go as I pleased.  On the flip-side, I had basically reached the top and there was no higher position or income I could strive for.  I scheduled an interview at the other location and was hired on the spot.  All I needed to do was accept the position and report to work.  I loved the job, I loved the office, I was crazy about the location (right in the heart of mid-town), the salary, bonuses, and the health and retirement benefits were more than I could ever dream of.  It was the perfect offer and I was thrilled, honored, and terrified.  It took me an entire month to make a decision! When I finally accepted the offer, I still needed to give my current employer two week's notice.  I am very fortunate the new company wanted me so badly and  was willing to wait.

I am in a similar situation now but it's not a job issue this time.  It's more of a "should I stay or should I go" type of thing.  I have a friend, a close friend.  We have our ups and downs.  Right now, it's mostly downs, as down as it can get sometimes.  It wasn't always like this. It used to be great.  The perfect give and take relationship.  There are certain obstacles and situations making it difficult right now.  I am hoping those situations will change and everything can go back to the way it was.  There are no guarantees that it ever will.  I am afraid it might get even worse! I am waiting for things to improve but in the meantime I am empty, stressed, frustrated, discouraged, and disappointed.  Not all the time--but MOST of the time.

I see a therapist and the subject of my troubled friendship always comes up in our sessions.  I told him yesterday that I am tired of whining and complaining about the same thing over and over.  I am sick of the sound of my own words as they come out of my mouth.  I need to make a decision and I can't waste anymore time. I don't have that much time to waste. I am 48 years old, for God's sake! By some strange miracle, we shifted the conversation to another topic-an even more difficult one but at least I wasn't whining about the other thing! I know what it is I need to do and I am not doing it. I need to make a list.  This is what I have always done when it comes to decision-making in my life.  I write a good old Pros and Cons List!

Do you have a decision you need to make and you keep going back and forth on it?  It can be about anything--from leaving your job, to purchasing a home, staying in a marriage,  buying a new washer and dryer, going out on a blind-date, to ending a friendship.  Write a list.

Take a sheet of paper and draw a line right down the center.  At the top of one column write PROS. Here you will write down everything that is good or will be good. The other column will be your list of CONS--things that are bad, will be bad or could be bad.  Take some time to think and keep adding to your list until you're finished. Don't ask for any help with this list.  These things must come from your heart and you don't want anyone else to influence you.  It has to be your decision or you will never be happy with it.  Add up each column. Then make your decision based on the amount pros or cons on your list. 

I find this to be a very effective way to get a clear and honest picture of things in my life.  I hope it helps you, as well. And now.....I have a list to make............

And this is my Daily Cyn..........

                                                    





Kale--the Perfect Leafy Green...........

Kale is my favorite vegetable! It's a gorgeous, leafy green and chock full of vitamins and minerals. In fact, it is so good looking that many restaurants and buffets use kale for decorative purposes. A few years ago I went on a cruise and big serving bowls of food rested on beds of kale! I asked the chef to reserve a portion every evening and lightly steam it for me at dinner. He reluctantly did as I asked but couldn't believe I wanted to eat a "decoration"! Why wouldn't I? Kale is delicious and one of the healthiest foods around. It's full of vitamins A, C and K, and it is a great source of manganese, calcium and iron. It has no cholesterol and offers a nice serving of fiber and protein.


If you have never tried kale, here are two of my favorite recipes to try. The kale in these recipes is roasted....a great way to bring out the flavor in this tasty veggie. Enjoy!!

Roasted Kale with Sea Salt

•4 cups firmly-packed kale

•1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

•1 tsp. good-quality sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Wash and trim the kale: Peel off the tough stems by folding the kale leaves in half like a book and stripping the stems off. Toss with extra virgin olive oil. Roast for five minutes. Turn kale over. Roast another 7 to 10 minutes until kale turns brown and becomes paper thin and brittle. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 186 calories, 14 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 13 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 4 g protein, 412% vitamin A, 268% vitamin C, 18% calcium, 13% iron

Beet-Kale Salad Recipe (serves 4 as a main dish, or 6 as a side)

•6 large beets, chopped into bite-size pieces

•6 kale leaves, roughly chopped

•I garlic bulb

•1/2 cup olive oil

•1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

•feta cheese

•1/2 cup walnuts

•course salt

•pepper

Assemble The Salad

•Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

•Toss beets with olive oil, pepper and coarse salt in a baking dish

•Cut tips off garlic bulb and lay it flat in the midst of the beets

•Cook for 45 minutes

•Add walnuts and kale

•Cook for another five minutes

•Let cook for 10 minutes

•Move salad to a bowl and toss with vinegar and crumbled feta

•Enjoy at room temperature, or cold

Mix it Up

Every recipe is made to be messed with. Try replacing the kale with different green vegetable, like green beans, broccoli or spinach. Replace the walnuts with pecans or pine nuts. Use goat's cheese instead of feta, or try lemon juice instead of vinegar. Cooking the nuts with the vegetable does a fairly good job of toasting them, but If you want them even tastier, try toasting them in a frying pan or in the oven, alone, before adding them to the salad.

And this is my Daily Cyn......

I am Afraid:


You say that you love rain,

but you open your umbrella when it rains...

You say that you love the sun,

but you find a shadow spot when the sun shines...

You say that you love the wind,

But you close your windows when wind blows...

This is why I am afraid;

You say that you love me too...

- William Shakespeare

Actions always speak louder than words............
My dad always said, "Watch and learn."
You can tell an awful lot about a person by merely observing their actions. 
Words can be beautiful.  When we hear the words " I love you" from another person-- life is wonderful.  But words are just words without action.  If they hurt you, mistreat you and do not have your best interests at heart, they do not love you.  Watch and learn...........

And this is my Daily Cyn............