My Greener Grass Life

Inspired to Love

2009-03-25T14:53:00.003-04:00

Its been a long time since I've posted on this blog. But today I'm inspired! I've recently spent time with the family of a fabulous 101 year old woman who instilled the principle of "love without condition" into all her offspring & theirs. She's done this with loving, but iron-fisted enforcement of her rules (I'm paraphrasing from conversations with her daughters & grandaughters):We

A Goal Accomplished!

2008-10-09T14:18:00.005-04:00

Well, I did it! After months of training (and a lot of insecurities) this past Sunday, October 5th, I participated in my very 1st Sprint Triathlon.There were nay-sayers - people who said, "you've been too sick to do that much exercise," "now you've hurt your foot, you should cancel," "I don't know if it's a good idea." I did my best to ignore them, but there was a tiny voice in the back of my

I'm an Athlete?

2008-09-22T14:33:00.005-04:00

The other day it was toooooo cool when someone said to me, "Everything about you screams runner." Wow! I was blown away!Thinking back over the past 18 months, & over the past 41 years, I can't believe it.Never in my life did anyone ever mistake me for an athlete. 18 months ago I could barely walk around the block without getting short of breath. Now, my being "screams runner"? I'm the

From Mount DeLand to Real Muscles!

2008-09-16T23:34:00.002-04:00

Building muscles is hard work. It doesn't happen overnight. I remember years ago. Actually, almost 14 years ago. When I was in Nursing School. I had some extra time on my hands. I was training for my Black Belt in Shaolin Kung Fu. With daily workouts, I built muscles - cool muscles! I had these little muscles in the tops of my thighs - the quadriceps they're called. I used to flex these

Conquering Mount DeLand

2008-09-12T13:43:00.002-04:00

Conquering Mount DeLand sounds like a Herculean task. Until you realize that DeLand is in Florida & we have NO MOUNTAINS in Florida.Mount DeLand is a joke my husband created at the height of my "sick period" when I was trying to become a little more active by walking the dogs. Each night, we would take the dogs for a 5-6 block stroll (I do mean stroll) around the neighborhood. At the end of

How It Began ... My Journey from Sickness unto Health

2008-09-11T07:53:00.004-04:00

Life can be deceiving. Each day blurring one into another. Soon you find yourself older, wondering what happened to your health, your vitality, your youth.As I made my way through the maze of my 20's & 30's, I gave little thought to health & wellness. Even though I'm a nurse & study health, diet, nutrition, disease, it never occurred to me that these lessons applied to my life.I

Big Changes

2008-09-08T17:27:00.000-04:00

If you've been reading the Greener Grass Life blog, you're in for some changes!The Health & Wellness articles are moving to www.greenergrasslife.com under the Articles tab. (next article due out tomorrow!)You can subscribe to these articles just as easily as here by either taking the Free Health & Wellness Assessment or just filling out the box on the right side of the website &

The Adult Onset Athlete

2008-08-30T14:42:00.002-04:00

This week's article is from Coach Kathy Morton, MD. I'm excited to have Kathy on the Greener Grass Life team as she brings a wealth of experience & wisdom as well as humor & compassion, which you're sure to notice in her article, The Adult Onset Athlete: The Adult Onset AthleteOkay, I’ll admit it. I used to skip gym class - a lot. Enough so, that I almost didn’t graduate from high

2008-08-22T22:35:00.010-04:00

At the National Psoriasis Foundation’s Annual Conference last week, I facilitated a workshop entitled Powerful Choices.The entire hour was dedicated to methods of incorporating more joy & energy into our lives. What a fun time we had!The last 1/2 of the session was spent brainstorming activities to incorporate into our lives that would bring us more joy & energy. I promised to publish the

Chronically Fabulous

2008-08-18T11:15:00.018-04:00

2 situations have come together in the 21st century to create an interesting phenomenon - advances in medical care & a highly stressful lifestyles.What's the phenomenon?A huge increase in people living with chronic conditions.Because of our advances in medical care, conditions that used to be debilitating or deadly, are now chronic, but livable.Because of our highly stressful lives, many more

Going for the Gold!

2008-08-09T21:36:00.004-04:00

I really wanted to write a post inspired by the Olympics this week!I've found myself so enthralled watching these amazing athletes I didn't want to stop & write.While I missed the Opening Ceremonies on TV, with technology as it is today, I was able to catch-up by visiting the NBC video website.If you didn't see the Opening Ceremonies, I highly encourage you to take some time to watch some of

Too Busy to Cook?

2008-08-02T15:53:00.008-04:00

How many times do you eat out each week?With our busy lives, it's almost inevitable that we spend a lot of our food dollars in restaurants. Unfortunately, those dollars also end up buying large portions of high-fat, over-processed & often times tasteless food.I don't know about you, but there are times I'm just too busy to focus on creating healthy meals. Right now I'm there.Some of you

Chocolate, Ice Cream & Naps

2008-07-27T20:37:00.004-04:00

Ever think you’d read a Health & Wellness article with the title Chocolate, Ice Cream & Naps? Does reading that list immediately trigger thoughts of BAD FOODS & WASTED TIME? Oh, come on…we all have a list…those forbidden foods, we just have to have. Maybe it’s not chocolate or ice cream, it could be chips & dip, or cake, or some other food that is “bad”. Basic human

Heroes

2008-07-19T14:55:00.000-04:00

Who are your heroes?I was asked that question in an interview once & it drove me absolutely crazy! At the time, I was pretty nervous & remember spewing some politically correct stupidity.I got the job anyway. The interviewer, Sue, is now one of my closest friends & business associates.Ever since she asked that annoying interview question, at least 8 years ago, I've been asking it of

10 Ways to Take Back Your Life

2008-07-13T19:59:00.004-04:00

Do you have enough time & energy to do what you enjoy?What if you had 4 more hours each week?I'm listening lately…really listening to the people around me. Mostly, I''m listening to busy professionals – physicians, healthcare leaders, corporate professionals, small business owners. What I'm hearing leaves me with both sadness & optimism.I feel sadness, because

Independence Day

2008-07-05T20:24:00.008-04:00

I hope everyone had a terrific Independence Day!As I ponder what to put in my 4th of July weekend post, the theme of independence is heavy on my mind.As Americans, we value independence greatly & pride ourselves on our ability to get things done alone.Unfortunately, alone isn’t always the best way to get the job done.Think back to the last time you set out to

An Abundant Life

2008-06-29T19:53:00.005-04:00

What is abundance? Watch the video below & see what you think: Is this true abundance? Can wishing for these things really make them happen? Would you really wish for these things? (Everything I touch turns to gold??? Do we not remember the story of Midas??)In our culture, we tend to define abundance by the stuff we accumulate, rather than the quality of our lives. As a side

100 Questions

2008-06-22T13:29:00.003-04:00

I'm stealing a topic this week. I really have to share it with you because it & it's source have been so powerful for me.One of my favorite websites is Think Arete by Brian Johnson. He covers a huge variety of Big Ideas on the site that provide "concentrated wisdom for the busy self-actualizer" (a statement I truly adore!).Brian has an amazing knack for condensing the wisdom of many

The Formula For Success

2008-06-14T13:24:00.010-04:00

Have you ever been seduced at 2:00 am into buying a Super Awesome Weight Loss, Six-Pack Ab, Buns of Iron, No-More-Zits, Slides Under the Bed Machine for the low, low cost of only $79.99 (3 monthly payments)? I have. And, I've got the DVD, the book, the cream & the slicer-dicer to go with it! For the best ever product, don't forget to watch the video below!For a Type-A, goal-oriented,

Surviving Summer Travel

2008-06-07T20:46:00.004-04:00

Summer is here - let the travel begin!Whether it's a weekend get-away, a business trip or a full-out vacation, travel can really derail our health & wellness efforts.But, with a little preparation, we can maintain or even improve during our travels, instead of undoing all our hard work. Rather than excusing another 5 pounds on Summer vacation & hiding it under our Fall sweaters, try

Fear? Do it Anyway!

2008-06-01T19:49:00.004-04:00

What would you do if you knew you could handle anything that came your way? -If there was absolutely no fear of failure? -If you had no fear of what others thought? -If you felt completely sure of yourself & your capabilities? In Dr. Susan Jeffers’ wonderful book, Feel the Fear & Do It Anyway, she wrote of the 5 truths about fear: Truth 1 - Fear will never go away as

I'm Here to Finish!

2008-05-25T03:00:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, a wonderful woman introduced me to a new phrase: "Adult Onset Athlete." Since she spoke those words, I've taken them to heart & have decided that's me...an Adult Onset Athlete.As one of those women who looks back on P.E. class in school with horror, I remember all the girls with perfect bodies playing volleyball & softball, while the dorky straight-A girl (me) tripped

Climb Your Own Mountain

2008-05-18T03:12:00.000-04:00

If you had a magic wand & could wave it 3 times, for what would you wish?When we were children, we often quickly answered with "a million dollars" or "more wishes!" As we mature though, we take longer to answer the question. Some of us hesitate because we want to wish correctly. Others hesitate because we been told too often that our dreams are "impossible," "silly," "irresponsible" or

No Time for Exercise? 5 Step Emergency Workout

2008-05-09T00:33:00.002-04:00

Finally, a post about fitness! Instead of the typical "benefits of exercise" preachy blog, this one for the real world, where we're all busy.Stuck at the office? Just can't get to the gym? Instead of feeling guilty about missing out on the day's activity, what if you could do some simple things to incorporate exercise into yourdaily routine? A sort-of "Workout at Work" might just do the

Gratitude (There's Even a Dance!)

2008-05-01T09:45:00.011-04:00

Gratitude has a way of bringing out the best in every situation & every person. Regularly practicing gratitude has the power to lift our mood. Even better, when gratitude is shared, the power can brighten & enrich not only our lives, but the lives of many others."...the more you become a connoisseur of gratitude, the less you are a victim of resentment, depression and despair. - Sam