Giving Happiness

We all want happiness. We all need appreciation. We all crave for recognition. We all want to be applauded. We all desire to be called good and lovely human beings. We are all looking for this certificate from our friends, family and our partner. This makes us happy. This makes us feel good about ourselves. This gives us new confidence in ourselves. This all gives us a new and positive self esteem, which is very important.

How to get it? Let us do all this for others. If no one is praising us, let us praise others. Let us do all that we want others to do to us. Let us give love, affection, appreciation, and let us applaud others even for a very small victory. Will this help us? It helps us immediately. The first feeling we get after doing a good deed is a feeling of satisfaction. This raises our self esteem in our own eyes. This makes us feel good. By making others happy, we get happiness. So let us become proactive and get all we want by not asking for it, but giving it.

What will happen to others when they get such praise from us? They will feel very happy. They will be happy with us. They will like us even more. They will like to do something in return. They will do all that we have been wishing for. Send happiness to get happiness. The shortest route to a lovely life.

Happiness is a state of mind, when one feels contented with oneself. One feels cheerful with one's life and circumstances. Remaining unhappy is not our goal in life, but happiness is our goal. If we are not happy, life become a burden. One lives, but only because one has no choice. Why not make happiness a part of everyday living?


Jim Pollard
The Best Christmas Gift http://www.SantaSpeaks.com

9/11/2001 Remembered

9/11/2001 Remembered

I was in my home office with the tv on. All of a sudden Matt Lauer sais “something is happening in downtown New York.

All news then went to the first tower where the plane had flown into it. I called for my wife to come into the office to watch. The next thing was the second plane flying into the second tower. We knew we were being attacked. By whom, no one knew.

The news then came that a plane had flown into the Pentagon. I heart skipped a beat, knowing that our foster son Alex was there. Alex, a Naval Intelligence Officer  assigned to the Pentagon .

The news  about the Pentagon began to escalate, first the plane had flown into the Navy, Marine section,

Then it was stated that it was the Intelligencer section, I knew that was Alex’s section. I really began to be concerned about Alex’s safety . I immediately tried to call Alex to no avail. All the phones were totally tied up.

By this time we had talked with Valerie and Barry, our two birth children. Barry, lived in Florida, he said he would try from there to do all he could to try to get in touch with him.

We spent the next five hours in agony as we watched the television account of all that was happening, all the time not knowing anything about Alex.

At 1;00 o’clock we received an email from Alex. He was safe. The plane had stuck his office but he was ten minutes away from it. God had answered our prayers Alex was safe.

There were many  days of concern after that. Alex was one of the first men to go to Afghanistan chasing

Al Queda. He was awarded the Bronze Star for bravery while there.

One of the highlights of my life was to be able to take part in his retirement service from the Navy at the Pentagon.

After his retirement from the Navy he is still chasing the “bad guys” as an “counter-terrorism”  specialist.

We are very proud of Alex and all he does. We are also very proud of our other two children Valerie and Barry and all the do.

Jim Pollard.

Jim@TheFabulousFifties.net

Eating Right in Healthy Aging

Eating Right in Healthy Aging

You have to eat right in order to stay healthy. If you do not eat right, your body does not receive the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. You have to eat so it fuels your body. Similar to a motor vehicle, which you add gas to travel; the body requires food that promotes energy, making it go. Too much food is not good for you and not enough of the right food can be harmful to your health.

Choosing good foods to eat:
Not all foods is good for you, yet liver is loaded with iron which is good for your blood, but to much isn’t good for you either. Fruits and vegetables are good for you but again not too much because the fruit will turn into sugar and that’s not good for you. Too much may give you the gibes, especially if you have to watch your weight. You can get high cholesterol as well from food if your not careful. High cholesterol can lead to harden arteries, which follows by strokes or heart attacks. So you need to eat but watch what you are eating and how much of it in a days time.

How will I know if am not eating right?
When you go to your doctor, he will tell you if you need to go on a diet. Your doctor will be able to tell by your weight. Then he may put you on a diet to lose weight or a diet to help you gain weight. He will tell you want to eat and how much as well as what not to eat. Then he may tell you to excise everyday. You have to be able to burn up what you take in so it will not turn into sugar or fat.

Remember that you should try to feast from the four food groups. Try to make sure that you only eat the amount your suppose to, and get your excise that you need to make you healthy. You can always call your family doctor to ask him how to do something if you don’t know how they will also help you to learn how to count your calories as well it is a big job when it comes to dieting you have to know how to count your calories and weigh your food. If you don’t you are not going to do want your suppose to do.

The world is filled with support groups that will help you if need support. More then likely you can go to your local hospital and they will know how to get you in touch with a group. These groups are great. The groups will give you support during the time that you need help. At group meetings, you will meet people with the same problems you have and you can give each other the support. Just remember to set a goal but don’t make it so high that you can’t do it and give up. Start out a little at a time and then as you get better you can get a increase your plans. In addition, what ever you do try to stick to it, it takes will power and control.

Willpower the master:
Willpower is a powerful mechanism inside you. If you want to find this willpower take a seat, sit down and talk with you to see what you can find. As you learn more about you, you gain willpower that takes you beyond your abilities, which means you will have a healthy aging in the future.

Jeanetta and Jim Pollard
http://www.TheFabulousFifties.net

"Secrets of a Positive Attitude"

Are you constantly bombarded by thoughts of negativity? Plagued by feelings of insecurity? Do you see everything in a negative manner? The reason for this lies deep within your heart.

Greetings self help reader,

Are you constantly bombarded by thoughts of negativity? Plagued by feelings of insecurity? Do you see everything in a negative manner? The reason for this lies deep within your heart. You are what you mentally and spiritually eat. If a person drinks alchohol on a daily basis, odds are their body will be affected in some way. They may have liver issues, develop cancer or incur some other type of health problem directly related to the amount of alcohol they have consumed. In the same way, a person who constantly feeds themselves negative thoughts will simply turn into a negative person.

This is the time to go on a diet. A diet of positive attitude food. You have to literally stop feeding your mind negative things. Ask yourself is this thought negative or positive or negative? What do negative thoughts look like? Well, they start with can't rather than can, no as opposed to yes, will and not won't. The Bible which is the greatest self help book ever written, speaks about taking every thought captive. The problem in our society has become that our thoughts have taken us captive. We have begun to let our thoughts control us.

A great way to know what we are negative about is to ask those people who are closest to us. You can ask your spouse or another person in your life who really knows you how they would rate your attitude on a scale of 1 to 10. 10 being super positive and 1 super negative. Ask this person to be totally honest with you. You will benefit from their honesty even if it causes you pain. Ask this person what it is that you specifically say that they perceive as negative. Write down what they say and look at the actual words. Now is the time to be honest with yourself. Those words are a reflection of what is inside you. They are who you are. The great thing is that you can change. It is as simple as making a choice to do so. You must decide to replace the thoughts of negativity with thoughts of positivity. Decide what words you will change the negative words on your paper to. Once you have done this, make an effort to insert these new positive thoughts in your mind. You will begin to notice a positive change taking place in your life. Your family, friends and co-workers will all notice it as well. They may not know what is different about you. But they will know that you are not the same person that you were.

The items which are causing negativity in your life could very well be the news, movies, constantly replaying tragedy in your mind and the list could go on. These things should be eliminated if you want your new mental health regimen to be a success. The news is very negative and does not help someone who is trying to rid their mind of such thoughts. When you are feeding yourself thoughts of death from a war or gunshot or car accident visually the outcome will be negative. I do believe there is a time to grieve over the death of a loved one. However, if a person constantly replays this negative event in their minds it can lead to depression. The person who has passed away is not coming back and we must close that chapter in our lives and move on to the next chapter. This is a difficult task which can only be done by making a decision to proceed with our own life, no matter how hard this may be.

You can do it. You can and will have a positive attitude, if you simply take the steps outlined above. You do not have to be what you were in the past. You can be different in the future. The choice is yours. I know you will make a positive one.

Much continued positive attitude success,

The creator of "Positive Attitude Secrets"

See you soon.

Santa Jim Pollard

For more infomation contact us at Jim@TheFabulousFifties.net
http://jimpollardministry.blogspot.com/

Aging That You Can't Control

Aging That You Can't Control

Although aging skin is a natural part of life, when it will start and how it will progress will largely depend on two factors— one that you have no control of and one that will depend solely on you.

Like everything else in the world, aging is a function of the genes and the natural flow of life. It is basically biological in nature and though there are some factors that can hasten or slow down the process, there is little that you can do to stop it.

There are hereditary factors that are already pre-determined. And though these aren't necessarily signs of growing old but rather hereditary characteristics that are naturally part of yourself, these may still make you appear much older. There are aspects in your skin that are already there, waiting for triggers in the environment and the time that passes. This is because we basically inherit from our parents the method or way by which we grow old. There are some people who age well while there are others who don't and appear far older than their chronological ages.

Often, these hereditary manifestations of age can be seen in the tiny lines at the edge of the eyes or the wrinkles surrounding it. This is the reason why there are some people who have these so-called laugh lines even when they are younger.

Deep creases along the sides of the nose and the mouth are other hereditary lines that people develop when they grow old. Another worthy of mentioning are the number of lines that we get on the forehead or the furrows along the browline.

Drooping eyelids are also very common even in people who are young. There are just some people who have downward slants to their eyes. And though this isn't necessarily a sign of aging, it is something that will make the face appear older than its actual age.

Some people also have loose skin along their jaw line. And though this isn't actually sagging skin, having this excess skin can appear like the whole face is melting down and sagging.

In addition to this, there are also "old signs" in areas like the legs that we can inherit from our parents such as the development of cellulite and varicose veins, which can make people look older. The same can be said of baldness especially for men and the development of white hair early in life.

All in all, just take what you have and enjoy life to its fullest.

"Remember use it or lose it."

Aging In Your Own Terms

Aging In Your Own Terms

Everybody will grow old. The years will pile up in our lives and from 20s, we will reach our 30s, then our 40s and then our 50s. It is a natural process as inevitable as life and death. Though it is something that will eventually happen this doesn't mean that it will happen anytime soon. Although we can’t stop it from happening, we can certainly determine how we age and when we age.

This is the reason why there are people who in their 80s are still in their prime, able to work incessantly and still have sharp minds, sometimes even sharper than those who are in their 50s or 60s. However, there are also those in their 80s that are very forgetful and inactive. They find it hard to move let alone play sports or work.

This is a testament that people themselves determine how they age. And though the genes have something to do with it, it doesn't necessarily determine the whole forecast. In a study conducted by the John and Catherine MacArthur Foundation, it seems that the genes only make up a small part of a person’s aging process. The rest is dependent on the person.

Below are some of the things that you can do in order to age well.

1. Be active

One common mistake people make is that they often associate old age with rusty bones and inactivity. This shouldn't be the case. The more active a person is, the better he will age because activity and exercise will build muscles and strengthen the bones. Remember the theory of use and disuse. The more we don’t use a part of the body, the more it will disintegrate into nothing.

2. Practice your mind

One trick to avoid having Alzheimer’s disease or being forgetful in general is to engage in mental activities. Answer a crossword puzzle. Read the newspaper everyday. Keep yourself up to date with the latest news in the country. Debate with your children or even with your grandchildren. Use your mind.

3. Have a purpose

Another secret to aging well is to have a purpose in life even when you are old. Find something to do with your time whether it is a hobby that you have done in the past or a new hobby that you have been wanting to try for years.

Aging Across The Ages

Aging Across The Ages

Different people age in different ways. This is perhaps because aging, although a natural occurrence, is a function of genetics and environment.

The genes play a role in terms of the skin that we are endowed with. People whose parents look youthful will most likely have young-looking skin compared to people whose parents already look mature. Race is also a factor as in Asian people who generally have better skin compared to their Caucasian counterparts.

But skin condition as you age isn't just the result of the genes. The way we take care of our skin says a lot about the future condition of our skin. People whose lifestyle habits include smoking and drinking will have more chances of developing wrinkles and lines than those who live cleanly. People whose stress levels are high may also age faster than people who know how to relax. The same goes with people who often have stern and serious expressions.

Our diet is also a factor in aging. People who eat right and have balanced meals will have nourished and supple skin compared to those who don’t. The same can be said of people who drink lots of water. Fruits and veggies are actually pretty important in keeping the skin healthy and young.

But what do you do if aging settles in at a certain age?

Here are some of the dilemmas that people in different age ranges encounter.

20s

People in their 20s will have more sun exposure. This is because of their habits to sunbathe and to tan themselves.
Solution: Get into the program of using sun blocks to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun. Those with SPF 30 and above are recommended.
Acne and inflammations are prevalent
Solution: These should be treated immediately to prevent scarring and discoloration of the skin.
Hair loss in men may start at this time.
Solution: Have your pattern alopecia treated immediately as treatment is best done at this stage of life.

30s

Skin may start to age.
Solution: Sun blocks are essential to your skin life. Eat a diet that is rich in anti-oxidants like Vitamin C, E, Selenium and Omega-3 fatty acids. Also, have it checked by a dermatologist especially if you have contact allergies.

40s.

Aging is already apparent.
Solution: have frequent skin exams to make sure that your skin stays healthy. If a sore on the skin is slow to heal, consult with your doctor.
Imperfections in the skin like benign keratoses and sun spots will often appear.
Solution: It is good to have them removed.

Activities Promoting Healthy Aging

Activities Promoting Healthy Aging

Lack of activities can prevent you from living healthy. When you do not enjoy activities, you may feel fatigue or find it difficult to sleep at night. When you awake in the morning, you may feel tired until you finally fall asleep. As we, age our body change and we have to make changes to accommodate our lives.

Having a good night sleep makes the mind think more clearly. A good night sleep also boosts your energy while controlling your weight. You can also make decisions with less stress. Sleeping well at night makes our immune system stronger to keep us healthier.  Researchers have proved that a good nights sleep is necessary for our health.  Researchers have found that lack of sleep reduces the growth hormones in our bodies, since it changes muscles to fat. Sleep overall is most important, yet it stands behind activities. To improve your health, try walking each day.

Walking will help to loosen our muscles, reduces stress and depression along with anxiety. By reliving these things, it will help us to sleep for a longer and deeper period.  So, when we wake up in the morning we feel happier and more rested.

When you exercise, you get a good night sleep, which promotes metabolism. Without the right amount of sleep, our bodies crave energy. Our body will release insulin or glucose into the bloodstream, which slows down metabolism. This action causes the body to gain weight, rather than control weight. 

When a person feels exhausted, they will feel weak and repressed from enjoying activities. This leads to additional problems. Sleeping right balances out our bodies giving us, more energy leading to more activities that will satisfy our sleep needs.

What to avoid:

To rest proper and feel active you must reduce your intake of caffeine, nicotine, harmful chemicals, such as over-the-counter meds that keep you awake, alcohol and so on. The chemicals and substances will keep you awake. Try to avoid drinking anything after 8 p.m. in the evening. Nicotine should be avoid if possible, yet if you must smoke try to avoid smoking after 8 p.m.

Start a walking program in the morning to help wake you up, while boosting your energy. You will feel better since the joints will feel flexible enough to move freely. In addition, walking will help you burn fat and calories. You’ll notice a big change in how you feel the rest of the day.  Start out walking at a slow steady pace for as far as your comfortable.  Each day pick up the pace a bit and walk further. Just remember when walking that you want to work up to a steady brisk walk to make you sweat but not out of breath. Take a short walk before and after meals to calm your nerves, and burn calories too, it will give you energy, relieve that stress from the long day and help you sleep.

If you start a walking program for yourself, it is a lot more fun if you have someone to go with you. Talk to that neighbor you don’t know and maybe they’ll walk with you. Just think about it; you’ll be acquainted with someone new, talk about new things will relieve stress and get in you exercise as well. This might help that neighbor too who maybe hasn’t seen or talked to anyone in a couple of days and than they can sleep better at night.

After walking that brisk walk your doing be sure to cool down. When walking at a vigorous pace your heart rate will go up and it needs to be back to normal. Just walk a bit slow and relaxing until you’ve cooled down.

If you can’t go to sleep at night instead of getting up and turning on the TV try pacing around the house. Do some stretching and shake your arms and legs. Even walking around the house can relax you especially when everyone else is in bed and you can relax more.

Five Simple Ways To Prevent Aging

Five Simple Ways To Prevent Aging

People don’t always have to apply creams, go to the gym or undergo surgery to look young. This is because everything we need is right in front of us and all we have to do is make the most of it. Here are a few simple ways to prevent aging.

1. Studies show that exercise allows you to stay fit and strong. But did you know that sweating allows the body to exfoliate bacteria hidden in the pores? This is the reason you should bring a towel to the gym or while jogging so it can be wiped off.

2. The human body just like the planet earth is composed mainly of water. Every time we exert energy, this element is used and has to be replaced. This is the reason that doctors advise us to drink at least 8 glasses a day. Of course, there is nothing wrong with drinking more than the required volume especially after an exercise.

3. Exercise isn't enough to control anti-aging if nothing is done to improve the diet. When kids grow up, most of the food should be high in carbohydrates. Adults should substitute that with those that are high in proteins. You can do research on the web or read books about this to know which ones should be part of the lifestyle change.

4. We have always heard health experts say that people should get at least 8 hours of sleep but despite this advice, there are those who rest for only 4 to 6 everyday. One way to increase this is by reducing the time watching late night television or partying till the early morning so the body will be ready for the challenges of the following day.

5. Stress contributes to aging and the best way to control it is by being organized. You can jot things down on note pads instead of remembering important details in the head. Studies have shown that doing this aids in memory retention and lets the subconscious work on ideas that will just pop up in the morning.

The Elder Care Survival Guide book review

The Elder Care Survival Guide, by Martin Sabel is must reading when you are faced with the task of taking care an aging parent or parents . The sub-title "Your Essential Guide to Surviving the Emotional, Financial, Health, and Family Challenges of Caring for Aging Parents, says it all. This book thoroughly and comprehensively covers each of the topics listed in the sub-title.

Martin's chapter titles include:

1. Do Your Parents Really Reed Your Help?
2. Two Unspoken Rules of Caregiving
3. How To Turn Resistance Into Cooperation
4. Find The Right Help Fast!
5. Four Ways To Minimize Family Conflict
6. How To Create Instant Help: The Three List Method
7. The Secret Weapon of Successful Family Caregivers
8. Money Pressures and How to Deal With Them
9. What Long Term Care Really Cost: How To Afford It
10. Smart Ways To Tap Home Equity
    
11. But I Thought Medicare Paid For That!
12. Six Rules For Avoiding Caregiver Burnout
13. Moving Forward With Confidence

All the topics are vital to you the caregiver maintaining you health and sanity. Your health and sanity is the most often overlooked part of caregiving. Remember if the caregiver becomes sick, then there are two to take of.

The Resource Directory, alone is worth the price of the book. Sabel has put together one of the most through list I have ever seen. On the list he covers everything for the goverment agencies to the private and non-profit agencies.

During this time of economic turmoil a book like "The Elder Care Survival Guide", by Martin Sabel is one that is needed to put us on the right road of care giving and keep us there.

I hardily endorse and recommend this book.

You can get this book The Elder Care Survival Guide Do it now.

Jim Pollard

The Cab Ride



The following story was taken from the Internet. The author is unknown. This is such a powerful story that we feel everyone would benefit from it.

Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute and then drive away.
But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself.
So I walked to the door and knocked. “Just a minute,” answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being drug across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80’s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940’s movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware. “Would you carry my bag out to the car?” she asked. I took the suitcase to the cab and then returned to assist the woman.
She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness.
“It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”
“Oh, you’re such a good boy,” she said.
When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”
“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.
“Oh, I don’t mind,” she said. “I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice.”
I looked in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were glistening. “I don’t have any family left,” she continued. “The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. “What route would you like me to take?” I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she’d ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, “I’m tired. Let’s go now.”
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. “How much do I owe you?” she asked, reaching into her purse.
“Nothing,” I said.
“You have to make a living,” she answered.
“There are other passengers,” I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,” she said. “Thank you.”
I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.
I didn’t pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of the day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don’t think that I have done anything more important in my life. We’re conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware – beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, - BUT – THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU TREATED THEM.



Submitted by Jim and Jeanetta Pollard
9312 St. Rt. 131
Hickory, Ky. 42051
270-851-7699 or cell # 270-493-0281
santa1@bellsouth.net