At an airport, I overheard a father and his daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her plane's departure and standing near the door she said, "Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed.
I wish you enough too, Daddy."
They kissed good-bye and she left. He walked over towards the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry.
I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking,
"Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?
"Yes, I have," I replied.
Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love and appreciation for all my Mother had done for me. Recognizing that her days were limited, I took the time to tell her face to face how much she meant to me.
So I knew what this man was experiencing.
"Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?" I asked.
"I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is, her next trip back will be for my funeral," he said.
"When you were saying good-bye I heard you say, 'I wish you enough, may I ask what that means?"
He began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone."
He paused for a moment and looking up as if trying to remember it in detail, he smiled even more.
"When we said, 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with enough good things to sustain them"
He continued and then, turning toward me, he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory:
I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough "Hellos" to get you through the final "Good-bye."
He then began to sob and walked away.
They say, "It takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but an entire lifetime to forget them"
Monday, January 29, 2007
The Top Ten New Years Resolutions... and How to Achieve Them This Year
10 Most Common New Years Resolutions
New Year's is the only holiday that celebrates the passage of time. Perhaps that's why, as the final seconds of the year tick away, we become introspective. Inevitably, that introspection turns to thoughts of self-improvement and the annual ritual of making resolutions, which offer the first of many important tools for remaking ourselves. The following list is the result of our extensive survey, which consisted of over 300,000 responses worldwide.
1. Lose Weight and Get in Better Physical Shape
Physical activity builds physical vitality. With every year of your life, you have more to gain from being physically active; as your age-related risks of chronic disease increase, regular exercise generally slows or reverses that trend. In fact, you're even more likely to notice the benefits of regular exercise if you already have a chronic condition.
Are you ever going to be fit again as long as you live? The answer is unless you make a resolution to get fit - you're never going to be fit - ever. The choice is yours, it begins by opting for the stairs instead of the elevator, fruit in place of chocolate, and active rather than sedentary activities.
2. Stick to a Budget
It's been said that the best defense is a good offense. Developing and sticking to a realistic budget is a brilliant offensive move as it prevents overspending and ensures peace of mind. Many people find it very difficult to stick to a budget. It does take hard work and a lot of self-discipline, at least in the beginning. The good news is that most people find the longer they can stick to a budget, the easier it becomes.
3. Reducing Debt
One of the first things you have to do before any debt can be eliminated is to stop using charge accounts. If you continue to use the accounts, you are only fueling the problem, and building on it, not solving it. Make a resolution now to stop charging anything and to get financially stable. If you can't pay cash for it, you don't need it, make it just that simple and you will find yourself out of debt in no time at all.
Keep a diary of all money spent, whether it is by cash, check, credit card, etc. Once you know where your money is going, then, and only then, can you take the steps needed to prepare a good budget that you can live with and make huge strides to budgeting your debt away.
4. Enjoy More Quality Time with Family & Friends
More and more people are resolving to spend more quality time with family and friends this year. This means you must consciously decide to actively and purposely work on improving your family situation every day. You may need to do such things as reschedule business activities to make time for your kids, help your children set and achieve worthwhile goals, and setting aside an hour a day for the family, every day.
Starting right now, you can begin to make choices and take day-to-day actions that will create nothing short of a phenomenal family. You can choose to have one if you just resolve to do it and know where to put your focus. Making our families stronger and healthier is important to our communities, our state and our world.
5. Find My Soul Mate
Romance is alive and well as more and more people are looking for that special someone, their soul mate who lights their fire, the ONE whom they love unequivocally and who shares their worldview.
Soul mate relationships are the sort of romantic relationships most of us dreamt of when we were young and innocent: loving and erotic, committed and inspiring and best of all - lasting. Soul mate relationships give both partners the fulfillment that deeply satisfies them and makes them feel that they have found the most wonderful person in the whole universe.
6. Quit Smoking
Becoming a non-smoker is probably one of the best decisions you can ever make, and is a life changing as well as a life saving decision. The benefits to your health, relationships, finances, vitality, the environment and to your sense of self-esteem for having conquered a really hard-to-kick habit will make any and all of your efforts and determination more than worth while. The resolution to become a non-smoker will also help you to live longer and enjoy the finer things in life.
Once you've made the resolution to stop, acted upon it and succeeded, you'll feel great about what you have achieved. Resolving to give up is your decision, and will improve your life from that moment on. No one can make you quit, and no one can help you make the resolution. You have to do it yourself, you have to want to do it, and you need to do it now!
7. Find a Better Job
A new year provides a sense of getting a free do-over, so you can try again and get it right. Many people resolve to find better jobs or to take a new approach to the jobs they've already got. It's corny, but true -- most of us get reflective at this time of year and if we are in jobs already, we begin thinking: Am I on the right path? Do I like where my position and my company are headed? Am I even in the right career?
So you've been hearing that voice again, the one that says you're not doing what you were born to do. That may be true, but how do you figure out what you should be doing? To begin answering this question, examine whether your current career path matches your core interests, beliefs, values, needs and skills. Resolve to ask and answer those essential questions before making any new career changes.
8. Learn Something New
People throughout the world are realizing that a strong resolve to lifelong learning is more than just education and training beyond formal schooling. A lifelong learning framework encompasses learning throughout the life cycle, from cradle to grave and in different learning environments, formal, non-formal and informal.
Perhaps you are considering a career change, want to learn a new language or musical instrument, or just how to become a better cook? Whether you take a course or read a book, you'll find education to be one of the easiest, most motivating and beneficial resolutions to keep. Challenge your mind in the coming year, break out of currents routines and challenge every comfort zone and watch your horizons expand.
9. Volunteer and Help Others
A popular, non-selfish New Year's resolution, volunteerism can take many forms such as spending time helping out at your local library, mentoring a child, or building a house to name a few. Volunteering has risen sharply in the years since we began collecting resolutions. This suggests the possible emergence of a new civic generation and a resolve to make a bigger and better difference with your life.
Resolve to replace the pursuit of success and materialism with the pursuit of contribution and generosity. For this to occur, the critical question must move from, "How can I become successful?" to, "What can I contribute that will significantly impact other people's lives?"
By focusing on what we can contribute, we automatically become successful.
10. Get Organized
Resolve this year to plan your days, reduce interruptions, clean off your desk, say "No", and make detailed lists. The benefits of getting more organized include being able to save time as you no longer look for the same things over and over again or need to replace things you can't find at all.
You will reduce stress because when you know where everything is, there's no last-minute rush to find what you need and get out the door on time for school, soccer practice, or that important business meeting. You will also find yourself being much more productive, as all the time you once spent looking for things can now be used to do more important or more enjoyable tasks.
Most people define being organized as quickly and easily being able to find what you need. While this is certainly true, organization is so much more. The ability to stay organized lets you focus on accomplishing your most important goals. That's the true benefit of being organized.
Life Will Not Go According To Plan If You Do Not Have a Plan
(MPB)
New Year's is the only holiday that celebrates the passage of time. Perhaps that's why, as the final seconds of the year tick away, we become introspective. Inevitably, that introspection turns to thoughts of self-improvement and the annual ritual of making resolutions, which offer the first of many important tools for remaking ourselves. The following list is the result of our extensive survey, which consisted of over 300,000 responses worldwide.
1. Lose Weight and Get in Better Physical Shape
Physical activity builds physical vitality. With every year of your life, you have more to gain from being physically active; as your age-related risks of chronic disease increase, regular exercise generally slows or reverses that trend. In fact, you're even more likely to notice the benefits of regular exercise if you already have a chronic condition.
Are you ever going to be fit again as long as you live? The answer is unless you make a resolution to get fit - you're never going to be fit - ever. The choice is yours, it begins by opting for the stairs instead of the elevator, fruit in place of chocolate, and active rather than sedentary activities.
2. Stick to a Budget
It's been said that the best defense is a good offense. Developing and sticking to a realistic budget is a brilliant offensive move as it prevents overspending and ensures peace of mind. Many people find it very difficult to stick to a budget. It does take hard work and a lot of self-discipline, at least in the beginning. The good news is that most people find the longer they can stick to a budget, the easier it becomes.
3. Reducing Debt
One of the first things you have to do before any debt can be eliminated is to stop using charge accounts. If you continue to use the accounts, you are only fueling the problem, and building on it, not solving it. Make a resolution now to stop charging anything and to get financially stable. If you can't pay cash for it, you don't need it, make it just that simple and you will find yourself out of debt in no time at all.
Keep a diary of all money spent, whether it is by cash, check, credit card, etc. Once you know where your money is going, then, and only then, can you take the steps needed to prepare a good budget that you can live with and make huge strides to budgeting your debt away.
4. Enjoy More Quality Time with Family & Friends
More and more people are resolving to spend more quality time with family and friends this year. This means you must consciously decide to actively and purposely work on improving your family situation every day. You may need to do such things as reschedule business activities to make time for your kids, help your children set and achieve worthwhile goals, and setting aside an hour a day for the family, every day.
Starting right now, you can begin to make choices and take day-to-day actions that will create nothing short of a phenomenal family. You can choose to have one if you just resolve to do it and know where to put your focus. Making our families stronger and healthier is important to our communities, our state and our world.
5. Find My Soul Mate
Romance is alive and well as more and more people are looking for that special someone, their soul mate who lights their fire, the ONE whom they love unequivocally and who shares their worldview.
Soul mate relationships are the sort of romantic relationships most of us dreamt of when we were young and innocent: loving and erotic, committed and inspiring and best of all - lasting. Soul mate relationships give both partners the fulfillment that deeply satisfies them and makes them feel that they have found the most wonderful person in the whole universe.
6. Quit Smoking
Becoming a non-smoker is probably one of the best decisions you can ever make, and is a life changing as well as a life saving decision. The benefits to your health, relationships, finances, vitality, the environment and to your sense of self-esteem for having conquered a really hard-to-kick habit will make any and all of your efforts and determination more than worth while. The resolution to become a non-smoker will also help you to live longer and enjoy the finer things in life.
Once you've made the resolution to stop, acted upon it and succeeded, you'll feel great about what you have achieved. Resolving to give up is your decision, and will improve your life from that moment on. No one can make you quit, and no one can help you make the resolution. You have to do it yourself, you have to want to do it, and you need to do it now!
7. Find a Better Job
A new year provides a sense of getting a free do-over, so you can try again and get it right. Many people resolve to find better jobs or to take a new approach to the jobs they've already got. It's corny, but true -- most of us get reflective at this time of year and if we are in jobs already, we begin thinking: Am I on the right path? Do I like where my position and my company are headed? Am I even in the right career?
So you've been hearing that voice again, the one that says you're not doing what you were born to do. That may be true, but how do you figure out what you should be doing? To begin answering this question, examine whether your current career path matches your core interests, beliefs, values, needs and skills. Resolve to ask and answer those essential questions before making any new career changes.
8. Learn Something New
People throughout the world are realizing that a strong resolve to lifelong learning is more than just education and training beyond formal schooling. A lifelong learning framework encompasses learning throughout the life cycle, from cradle to grave and in different learning environments, formal, non-formal and informal.
Perhaps you are considering a career change, want to learn a new language or musical instrument, or just how to become a better cook? Whether you take a course or read a book, you'll find education to be one of the easiest, most motivating and beneficial resolutions to keep. Challenge your mind in the coming year, break out of currents routines and challenge every comfort zone and watch your horizons expand.
9. Volunteer and Help Others
A popular, non-selfish New Year's resolution, volunteerism can take many forms such as spending time helping out at your local library, mentoring a child, or building a house to name a few. Volunteering has risen sharply in the years since we began collecting resolutions. This suggests the possible emergence of a new civic generation and a resolve to make a bigger and better difference with your life.
Resolve to replace the pursuit of success and materialism with the pursuit of contribution and generosity. For this to occur, the critical question must move from, "How can I become successful?" to, "What can I contribute that will significantly impact other people's lives?"
By focusing on what we can contribute, we automatically become successful.
10. Get Organized
Resolve this year to plan your days, reduce interruptions, clean off your desk, say "No", and make detailed lists. The benefits of getting more organized include being able to save time as you no longer look for the same things over and over again or need to replace things you can't find at all.
You will reduce stress because when you know where everything is, there's no last-minute rush to find what you need and get out the door on time for school, soccer practice, or that important business meeting. You will also find yourself being much more productive, as all the time you once spent looking for things can now be used to do more important or more enjoyable tasks.
Most people define being organized as quickly and easily being able to find what you need. While this is certainly true, organization is so much more. The ability to stay organized lets you focus on accomplishing your most important goals. That's the true benefit of being organized.
Life Will Not Go According To Plan If You Do Not Have a Plan
(MPB)
Is Your Memory Normal?
Before you diagnose yourself with Alzheimer's disease, take heart: Experts say some memory lapses are actually normal.
They say that memory is the second thing to go as you get older.
So what's the first? Umm, I forgot!
And actually, by the time you reach the end of this story, you may remember only a fraction of it. Not to worry, you're not alone.
Experts say that mild memory loss is perfectly normal -- especially as we age.
That's right, if you sometimes forget simple things, you're not necessarily developing Alzheimer's disease.
There is a gang of people walking around just like you who occasionally misplace their keys, have that deer-in-headlights look as they search for their cars in parking lots, and can't recall the name of one new person they met at their last office party -- yes, the one from last night. And there's a reason for those character-themed floors coupled with the happy-go-lucky music in Disney amusement park parking garages.
"If we have forgotten an appointment, we begin thinking, 'Uh oh, is this the first sign of Alzheimer's disease?' and we become much more conscious, and it gets kind of a disproportionate amount of attention when it really may be something quite benign," Stuart Zola, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Emory School of Medicine and director of Yerkes National Primate Facility in Atlanta tells .
Memory is the ability to normally recall the facts and events of our lives, and this takes place in three stages:
Stage 1: Encoding. This is when a person takes information in.
Stage 2: Consolidation. This is when the brain takes the information it encodes and processes it so that it gets stored in certain areas of the brain.
Stage 3: Retrieval. When a person recalls stored information in the brain.
But differentiating between normal memory loss and Alzheimer's disease can be puzzling for a layman; the kind of memory that is affected in day-to-day situations is also the kind affected in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Time: Memory's Worst Enemy
Fear not, memory loss and brain aging are a natural part of getting older. "It is often the case that people will start to report in their 50s that they think their memories are slipping," says Zola, a research career scientist who has dedicated his work to memory function. "They seem to be consciously aware of that because they have to use more kinds of reminders or more kinds of strategies to remember things."
But memory loss can happen even before we hit our 50s. Many people even in their 20s and 30s have forgotten a name or an appointment date or some fact that was on the "tip of their tongue." Memory is tricky, and time is its worst enemy, says Zola. In fact, shortly after taking in information, memory traces begin to deteriorate, he explains. "Some things begin to fade right away, other things fade less quickly, and they're a bunch of different forgetting curves with different rates of forgetting depending the nature of the material, depending on how important it is for you, depending on your stress level, depending on ... all of the things that can affect memory."
If you've ever gotten into heated debate with someone about how a past event or experience transpired, there's a likely reason. You may think you have a vivid memory of an experience, but studies show that after awhile, people probably don't remember events as they actually happened. Memory distortion -- also a side effect of father time -- explains this. This is the phenomenon where as time passes our ability to accurately recall events becomes diminished -- and the longer the period of time that passes between the event and trying to recall it, the greater the chance we're going to have some memory distortions and forgetting. Sometimes time distortion causes us to forget the event totally, Zola explains.
Other Causes of Memory Loss
But even if you think your slips of the old noggin aren't normal, there could be other reasons for it short of Alzheimer's disease, including:
Stress and anxiety
ADHD
Depression
Metabolic diseases such as thyroid gland diseases, diabetes, and lung, liver, or kidney failure
Alcoholism
Vitamin B-12 deficiency
Infections
Drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter
The good news is, causes of memory loss from many of these conditions are normally reversible. Zola says depression and stress are the most common reasons for temporary memory problems.
"If your encoding isn't good, you're not going to get the information in properly, and so you're going to have difficulty retrieving it because it isn't there in good form to retrieve. So that's the kind of memory problem associated with depression, or with attention deficit disorder, as its name implies, you have trouble paying attention and focusing."
Stress affects the way the brain processes memory, Zola tells WebMD. "So it's not so surprising that you have memory problems often during very stressful states because part of the brain is not engaged in the way it needs to ordinarily be in order to have good memory."
Use It or Lose It
No matter how "normal" memory lapses may be, let's face it, that doesn't make them any less frustrating. Experts agree that the best way to keep your brain fit is to keep using it.
"People should realize that they have more control than they think, that one-third [of memory loss] is genetics, that means we have the potential to influence a large component of our brain aging," Gary Small, MD, author of The Memory Bible: An innovative Strategy for Keeping Your Brain Young, and director of the Memory and Aging Research Center at the UCLA psychiatric institute tells WebMD.
"The sooner we get started, the sooner we're going to benefit from it."
Small emphasizes four things in his books to slow down brain aging: mental activity, physical fitness, stress reduction, and healthy diet. "People who eat too much are at risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and other conditions that increase their risk for small strokes in the brain. Secondly, you want to have a diet that's rich in antioxidants." Small says antioxidants help protect brain cells and exercise helps with overall health.
Staying intellectually and socially engaged are "probably the most important things you can do to help extend and maintain your cognitive abilities for a longer period of time in life," Zola says. Challenging oneself by learning new things, reading, and taking up hobbies keep the brain active and strong for the long haul.
Some other things you can do to improve memory include:
Focus your attention. Forgetfulness may indicate that you have too much on your mind. Slow down and focus on the task at hand. Small says multitasking and not paying attention are some of the biggest causes of forgetfulness, especially in younger people.
Reduce stress. Stress can endanger the brain areas involved with memory processing and impair memory.
Choose to snooze. Zola says sleep is important because fatigue can affect memory and concentration in any age group.
Structure your environment. Use calendars and clocks, lists and notes, and write down daily activities on a planner or use an electric organizer. Store easy-to-lose items in the same place each time after using them. Park your car in the same place at the office each day.
Try memory tricks. To remember a person's name, repeat it several times after being introduced. Use the same personal identification number (PIN) for all of your accounts if necessary.
When to See a Doctor
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive condition that damages areas of the brain involved in memory, intelligence, judgment, language, and behavior. While there is no definitive way to pinpoint an Alzheimer's brain -- short of autopsy -- there are some diagnostic ways doctors distinguish normal memory loss from that which should raise concern.
Normal forgetfulness includes:
Forgetting parts of an experience
Forgetting where you park the car
Forgetting events from the distant past
Forgetting a person's name, but remembering it later
While research shows that up to half of people over age 50 have mild forgetfulness linked to age-associated memory impairment, there are signs when more serious memory conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, are happening, including:
Forgetting an experience
Forgetting how to drive a car or read a clock
Forgetting recent events
Forgetting ever having known a particular person
Loss of function, confusion, or decreasing alertness
Symptoms become more frequent or severe
Still confused? Zola sums it up. "The kind of rule of thumb that's kind of whimsical in a sense but clinicians often use is, if you're worried about [your memory], it's probably not that serious, but if your friends and relatives are worried about it, then it probably is more serious."
Maybe you should write that down.
(webmed)
They say that memory is the second thing to go as you get older.
So what's the first? Umm, I forgot!
And actually, by the time you reach the end of this story, you may remember only a fraction of it. Not to worry, you're not alone.
Experts say that mild memory loss is perfectly normal -- especially as we age.
That's right, if you sometimes forget simple things, you're not necessarily developing Alzheimer's disease.
There is a gang of people walking around just like you who occasionally misplace their keys, have that deer-in-headlights look as they search for their cars in parking lots, and can't recall the name of one new person they met at their last office party -- yes, the one from last night. And there's a reason for those character-themed floors coupled with the happy-go-lucky music in Disney amusement park parking garages.
"If we have forgotten an appointment, we begin thinking, 'Uh oh, is this the first sign of Alzheimer's disease?' and we become much more conscious, and it gets kind of a disproportionate amount of attention when it really may be something quite benign," Stuart Zola, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Emory School of Medicine and director of Yerkes National Primate Facility in Atlanta tells .
Memory is the ability to normally recall the facts and events of our lives, and this takes place in three stages:
Stage 1: Encoding. This is when a person takes information in.
Stage 2: Consolidation. This is when the brain takes the information it encodes and processes it so that it gets stored in certain areas of the brain.
Stage 3: Retrieval. When a person recalls stored information in the brain.
But differentiating between normal memory loss and Alzheimer's disease can be puzzling for a layman; the kind of memory that is affected in day-to-day situations is also the kind affected in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Time: Memory's Worst Enemy
Fear not, memory loss and brain aging are a natural part of getting older. "It is often the case that people will start to report in their 50s that they think their memories are slipping," says Zola, a research career scientist who has dedicated his work to memory function. "They seem to be consciously aware of that because they have to use more kinds of reminders or more kinds of strategies to remember things."
But memory loss can happen even before we hit our 50s. Many people even in their 20s and 30s have forgotten a name or an appointment date or some fact that was on the "tip of their tongue." Memory is tricky, and time is its worst enemy, says Zola. In fact, shortly after taking in information, memory traces begin to deteriorate, he explains. "Some things begin to fade right away, other things fade less quickly, and they're a bunch of different forgetting curves with different rates of forgetting depending the nature of the material, depending on how important it is for you, depending on your stress level, depending on ... all of the things that can affect memory."
If you've ever gotten into heated debate with someone about how a past event or experience transpired, there's a likely reason. You may think you have a vivid memory of an experience, but studies show that after awhile, people probably don't remember events as they actually happened. Memory distortion -- also a side effect of father time -- explains this. This is the phenomenon where as time passes our ability to accurately recall events becomes diminished -- and the longer the period of time that passes between the event and trying to recall it, the greater the chance we're going to have some memory distortions and forgetting. Sometimes time distortion causes us to forget the event totally, Zola explains.
Other Causes of Memory Loss
But even if you think your slips of the old noggin aren't normal, there could be other reasons for it short of Alzheimer's disease, including:
Stress and anxiety
ADHD
Depression
Metabolic diseases such as thyroid gland diseases, diabetes, and lung, liver, or kidney failure
Alcoholism
Vitamin B-12 deficiency
Infections
Drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter
The good news is, causes of memory loss from many of these conditions are normally reversible. Zola says depression and stress are the most common reasons for temporary memory problems.
"If your encoding isn't good, you're not going to get the information in properly, and so you're going to have difficulty retrieving it because it isn't there in good form to retrieve. So that's the kind of memory problem associated with depression, or with attention deficit disorder, as its name implies, you have trouble paying attention and focusing."
Stress affects the way the brain processes memory, Zola tells WebMD. "So it's not so surprising that you have memory problems often during very stressful states because part of the brain is not engaged in the way it needs to ordinarily be in order to have good memory."
Use It or Lose It
No matter how "normal" memory lapses may be, let's face it, that doesn't make them any less frustrating. Experts agree that the best way to keep your brain fit is to keep using it.
"People should realize that they have more control than they think, that one-third [of memory loss] is genetics, that means we have the potential to influence a large component of our brain aging," Gary Small, MD, author of The Memory Bible: An innovative Strategy for Keeping Your Brain Young, and director of the Memory and Aging Research Center at the UCLA psychiatric institute tells WebMD.
"The sooner we get started, the sooner we're going to benefit from it."
Small emphasizes four things in his books to slow down brain aging: mental activity, physical fitness, stress reduction, and healthy diet. "People who eat too much are at risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and other conditions that increase their risk for small strokes in the brain. Secondly, you want to have a diet that's rich in antioxidants." Small says antioxidants help protect brain cells and exercise helps with overall health.
Staying intellectually and socially engaged are "probably the most important things you can do to help extend and maintain your cognitive abilities for a longer period of time in life," Zola says. Challenging oneself by learning new things, reading, and taking up hobbies keep the brain active and strong for the long haul.
Some other things you can do to improve memory include:
Focus your attention. Forgetfulness may indicate that you have too much on your mind. Slow down and focus on the task at hand. Small says multitasking and not paying attention are some of the biggest causes of forgetfulness, especially in younger people.
Reduce stress. Stress can endanger the brain areas involved with memory processing and impair memory.
Choose to snooze. Zola says sleep is important because fatigue can affect memory and concentration in any age group.
Structure your environment. Use calendars and clocks, lists and notes, and write down daily activities on a planner or use an electric organizer. Store easy-to-lose items in the same place each time after using them. Park your car in the same place at the office each day.
Try memory tricks. To remember a person's name, repeat it several times after being introduced. Use the same personal identification number (PIN) for all of your accounts if necessary.
When to See a Doctor
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive condition that damages areas of the brain involved in memory, intelligence, judgment, language, and behavior. While there is no definitive way to pinpoint an Alzheimer's brain -- short of autopsy -- there are some diagnostic ways doctors distinguish normal memory loss from that which should raise concern.
Normal forgetfulness includes:
Forgetting parts of an experience
Forgetting where you park the car
Forgetting events from the distant past
Forgetting a person's name, but remembering it later
While research shows that up to half of people over age 50 have mild forgetfulness linked to age-associated memory impairment, there are signs when more serious memory conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, are happening, including:
Forgetting an experience
Forgetting how to drive a car or read a clock
Forgetting recent events
Forgetting ever having known a particular person
Loss of function, confusion, or decreasing alertness
Symptoms become more frequent or severe
Still confused? Zola sums it up. "The kind of rule of thumb that's kind of whimsical in a sense but clinicians often use is, if you're worried about [your memory], it's probably not that serious, but if your friends and relatives are worried about it, then it probably is more serious."
Maybe you should write that down.
(webmed)
Saturday, January 27, 2007
OBSTACLES ARE THE STEPPING STONES OF SUCCESS
A man was walking in the park one day when he came upon a cocoon with a small opening. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through the little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It looked like it had gotten as far as it could, so the man decided to help the butterfly. He used his pocketknife and snipped the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, but something was strange. The butterfly had a swollen body and shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected at any moment the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened. In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and deformed wings. It was never able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to emerge was natural. It was nature's way of forcing fluid from its body into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If we were allowed to go through life without any obstacles, we would be crippled. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. And we could never fly. History has shown us that the most celebrated winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats. .
Beethoven composed his greatest works after becoming deaf.
George Washington was snowed in through a treacherous winter at Valley Forge.
Abraham Lincoln was raised in poverty.
Albert Einstein was called a slow learner, retarded and uneducable.
If Christopher Columbus had turned back, no one could have blamed him, considering the constant adversity he endured.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected at any moment the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened. In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and deformed wings. It was never able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to emerge was natural. It was nature's way of forcing fluid from its body into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If we were allowed to go through life without any obstacles, we would be crippled. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. And we could never fly. History has shown us that the most celebrated winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats. .
Beethoven composed his greatest works after becoming deaf.
George Washington was snowed in through a treacherous winter at Valley Forge.
Abraham Lincoln was raised in poverty.
Albert Einstein was called a slow learner, retarded and uneducable.
If Christopher Columbus had turned back, no one could have blamed him, considering the constant adversity he endured.
Taking calcium for Osteoporosis
What is the recommended daily amount of calcium?
Calcium should always be taken with vitamin D, because vitamin D is necessary for the body to absorb calcium. The recommended daily calcium intake is:
Age or life stage
Recommended calcium intake (in mg/day)
1–3 years 500
4–8 years 800
9–18 years 1,300
19–50 years 1,000
Older than 50 years 1,200
Pregnant or nursing women need the same as other women their age. 1,000–1,200
(webmed)
Calcium should always be taken with vitamin D, because vitamin D is necessary for the body to absorb calcium. The recommended daily calcium intake is:
Age or life stage
Recommended calcium intake (in mg/day)
1–3 years 500
4–8 years 800
9–18 years 1,300
19–50 years 1,000
Older than 50 years 1,200
(The recommended daily amount of calcium for men and women older than 50 is 1,200 mg. Postmenopausal women need to increase the calcium in their diets to reduce the effects of bone loss, which naturally occurs after menopause. Osteoporosis develops as a result of bone loss. Calcium helps slow the rate of bone loss.)
Pregnant or nursing women need the same as other women their age. 1,000–1,200
(webmed)
Sleep Disorders: Insomnia
Symptoms and Causes
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that is characterized by difficulty falling and/or staying asleep. People with insomnia have one or more of the following symptoms:
Difficulty falling asleep
Waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep
Waking up too early in the morning
Feeling tired upon waking
Sleepiness during the day
Irritability and problems with concentration or memory
What Causes Insomnia?
Insomnia can be its own medical problem (primary insomnia) or it can be caused by a separate issue (secondary insomnia) such as depression or side effects from medication. Insomnia may be an acute (short-term) problem, meaning it lasts less than 1 month, or it can be chronic, lasting 1 month or longer.
Situations that may cause a period of acute insomnia can include:
Stress (for example, job loss or change, death of a loved one, divorce, or moving)
Illness
Emotional or physical discomfort
Environmental factors like noise, light, or extreme temperatures (hot or cold) that interfere with sleep
Some medications (for example those used to treat colds, allergies, depression, high blood pressure and asthma)
Interferences in normal sleep schedule (for example, jet lag or switching from a day to night shift)
Causes of chronic insomnia can include:
Depression and/or anxiety
Chronic stress
Pain or discomfort at night
(webmed)
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that is characterized by difficulty falling and/or staying asleep. People with insomnia have one or more of the following symptoms:
Difficulty falling asleep
Waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep
Waking up too early in the morning
Feeling tired upon waking
Sleepiness during the day
Irritability and problems with concentration or memory
What Causes Insomnia?
Insomnia can be its own medical problem (primary insomnia) or it can be caused by a separate issue (secondary insomnia) such as depression or side effects from medication. Insomnia may be an acute (short-term) problem, meaning it lasts less than 1 month, or it can be chronic, lasting 1 month or longer.
Situations that may cause a period of acute insomnia can include:
Stress (for example, job loss or change, death of a loved one, divorce, or moving)
Illness
Emotional or physical discomfort
Environmental factors like noise, light, or extreme temperatures (hot or cold) that interfere with sleep
Some medications (for example those used to treat colds, allergies, depression, high blood pressure and asthma)
Interferences in normal sleep schedule (for example, jet lag or switching from a day to night shift)
Causes of chronic insomnia can include:
Depression and/or anxiety
Chronic stress
Pain or discomfort at night
(webmed)
Why We Procrastinate?
Researcher Creates Formula to Predict Procrastination
The reason we procrastinate may be more about confidence than perfectionism, a new study says.
Contrary to popular belief, procrastinators generally aren't perfectionists; instead, they're more likely to delay tasks they're not confident about, says researcher Piers Steel, PhD.
Steel is an assistant professor in the human resources and organizational dynamics department of Canada's University of Calgary.
"Essentially, procrastinators have less confidence in themselves, less expectancy that they can actually complete a task," Steel says in a University of Calgary news release.
"Perfectionism is not the culprit," he continues. "In fact, perfectionists procrastinate less, but they worry about it more."
Steel reviewed procrastination research from scholarly books, conferences, journals, and other sources.
His review appears in the January edition of the American Psychological Association's Psychological Bulletin.
Procrastination has been around ever since civilization began and "does not appear to be disappearing anytime soon," writes Steel.
So he boiled procrastination down to a mathematical formula.
The formula predicts procrastination based on a person's expectation of finishing a task, the task's importance, the person's desire to complete the task, and how soon the task needs to be done.
The formula suggests people are less likely to procrastinate if the task has to be done ASAP and they feel confident they are up to the task.
It suggests people are more likely to procrastinate if the task is less urgent, less appealing, or daunting to the person facing the task.
Other factors may also be involved, Steel notes.
For example, he points out that rebellious people may tend to procrastinate tasks given by authority figures; and depressed people may procrastinate due to low energy.
More research is needed on procrastination, and the sooner, the better, Steel concludes.
The reason we procrastinate may be more about confidence than perfectionism, a new study says.
Contrary to popular belief, procrastinators generally aren't perfectionists; instead, they're more likely to delay tasks they're not confident about, says researcher Piers Steel, PhD.
Steel is an assistant professor in the human resources and organizational dynamics department of Canada's University of Calgary.
"Essentially, procrastinators have less confidence in themselves, less expectancy that they can actually complete a task," Steel says in a University of Calgary news release.
"Perfectionism is not the culprit," he continues. "In fact, perfectionists procrastinate less, but they worry about it more."
Steel reviewed procrastination research from scholarly books, conferences, journals, and other sources.
His review appears in the January edition of the American Psychological Association's Psychological Bulletin.
Procrastination has been around ever since civilization began and "does not appear to be disappearing anytime soon," writes Steel.
So he boiled procrastination down to a mathematical formula.
The formula predicts procrastination based on a person's expectation of finishing a task, the task's importance, the person's desire to complete the task, and how soon the task needs to be done.
The formula suggests people are less likely to procrastinate if the task has to be done ASAP and they feel confident they are up to the task.
It suggests people are more likely to procrastinate if the task is less urgent, less appealing, or daunting to the person facing the task.
Other factors may also be involved, Steel notes.
For example, he points out that rebellious people may tend to procrastinate tasks given by authority figures; and depressed people may procrastinate due to low energy.
More research is needed on procrastination, and the sooner, the better, Steel concludes.
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