The Power of "I'm Sorry"

The words "I'm Sorry" are very powerful

They show you care
They acknowledge the other person as being important
They show respect
They diffuse emotions
They acknowledge hurt
They open the lines of communication to resolve conflict and differences
They heal relationships
They soften hearts
They diffuse hurt and anger
They acknowledge wrong-doing
They open the pathway for forgiveness and restitution

Acknowledging hurt emotions - Saying "I'm sorry" acknowledges there are hurt feelings. You are sorry their feelings got hurt. Saying "I'm sorry" doesn't have to mean you are right and I am wrong or vice-versa. You can say you are sorry without being sorry for what you said or did. "I'm sorry your feelings got hurt." You can also say you are sorry when you have unintentionally hurt someone's feelings, or if they have misperceived or misinterpreted your words or actions causing their feelings to get hurt. "I'm sorry your feelings got hurt, that was not my intention." Saying "I'm sorry" acknowledges the hurt feelings, quickly diffuses the negative emotions, and opens the lines of communication to resolve the misunderstanding. This is much more effective then trying to rationalize or explain the misinterpretation, or trying to get the other to see how they misperceived what was said or done. Trying to rationally argue your point will only escalate emotions and conflict creating a perceived "I'm right, you're wrong" attitude and communication. For effective communication the emotions must be responded to first.

Acknowledging wrong doing - If you have wronged someone in some way, saying "I'm sorry" is the quickest and easiest way to make amends and resolve the situation. This diffuses emotions and opens the pathway to forgiveness and restitution.

Things Aren’t Always As They Seem

Life gives us gifts and challenges in many different forms; sometimes what looks like something great ends up creating disaster or hurting us, other times what appears as tragedies and loss turns into gifts and blessings. Nothing in itself is good or bad it just is. It is up to us to make the most of every moment in our life. Keep our eyes focused on our goals and priorities and not let the distractions of life deter us from getting the most out of our life. Below is cute story from the book “Peace, Love & Healing” by Bernie Siegel, MD. It is a beautiful reminder to approach each day with a non-judgmental attitude and embrace each day for whatever it has to offer.

“This gentleman has a farm. He loves the old-fashioned way and plows his fields with a horse. One day as he was plowing his field the horse dropped dead. Everyone in the village said, “Gee, what an awful thing to happen.” He just responded, “We’ll see.” He was so at peace and so calm that we all got together and, because we admired his attitude so much, gave him a new horse as a gift. Then everyone’s reaction was, “What a lucky man.” And he said, “We’ll see.” A few days later the horse, being strange to his farm, jumped a fence and ran off, and everyone said, “Oh, poor fellow.” He said, “We’ll see.” A week later the horse returned with a dozen wild horses following it. Everyone said, “What a lucky man.” And he said, “We’ll see.” The next day his son went out riding, because they had more than one horse, but the boy fell off the horse and broke his leg. Everyone said, “Oh, poor boy,” but my friend said, “We’ll see.” The next day the army came to town taking all the young men for service, but they left his son because of his broken leg. Everyone said, “What a lucky kid,” and my friend said, “We’ll see.” “

Healthy Living: Weight Loss and Memory Improvement

photo by emdot

Recently a friend shared with me a new weight loss program he was on; but what fascinated me the most, was the core concept of variation and keeping the mind guessing were the same concepts I had heard applied to the prevention of memory loss and Alzheimer's disease. Below are the details and more ideas on keeping your body and mind healthy.

The Wende Diet:
A variation on the Weight Watchers diet created by a lady who did not lose any weight following the Weight Watchers program.

For each week have one day where you eat 10 points more, and one day where you eat 10 points less following the Weight Watchers diet point system. (The point system and other resources are listed at the end of this article.)

The concept is that by varying your calorie intake throughout the week you keep your body and mind guessing, without putting it into starvation mode, keeping your body and mind active and alert thereby keeping your body from plateauing, and helping it to find your body's natural ideal weight for you.

This same concept can be applied to exercise and driving patterns. By creating variation in your exercise routine, and the routes that you travel to get to your usual destinations you are keeping your mind stimulated. It presents new information and stimulus for your brain to process keeping your mind active and alert. Keeping your mind active and alert by doing and learning new things is a key prevention to memory loss and Alzheimer's disease.

I am a strong believer that if you want to stay young and healthy observe and follow the patterns of children:

• Use your Imagination
• Have Variety in your Friends and Activities
• Balance Work and Play
• Look at the World with Fresh Eyes
• See Life as a Great Adventure

Adding variety and creativity to all areas of your life will help you achieve a happy, healthy mind and body.

RELATED LINKS:
* Please note this blog in no way endorses Weight Watchers, but provides the following links as resources that may be of benefit to my readers. There are many weight reduction programs available, please choose the lifestyle pattern that is most beneficial for you. *

Peer Trainer Overview of the Weight Watcher program and offers a variety of helpful resources and information

Peer Trainer article excerpt:
How Many Weight Watchers Points Per Day Am I Alloted?

This is just a rough guide. You'll need to attend a meeting to find an accurate daily points target that meets your own needs and profile.
less than 150 pounds 18-23 daily points
150 to 174 pounds 20-25 daily points
175 to 199 pounds 22-27 daily points
200 to 224 pounds 24-29 daily points
225 to 249 pounds 26-31 daily points
250 to 274 pounds 28-33 daily points
275 to 299 pounds 29-34 daily points
300 to 324 pounds 30-35 daily points
325 to 349 pounds 31-36 daily points
more than 350 pounds 32-37 daily points

Weight Watchers Points Calculator
Weight Watchers Food Lists Food List with Weight Watchers points
Weight Watchers
FitDay Free Diet and Weight Loss Journal
Self Free Calculators and Programs for Good Health
Shape Free Fitness Tools and Programs for Good Health