Goals For You (posted March 2010)

Ask a person where they plan to be in their careers five years from now and they can provide you a detailed list of their goals as well as actions they need to take in order to get there. Yet, if you ask them where they plan to be as a person (in their personal lives) in five years, you will more than likely get a blank stare.

It is amazing how people can plan their careers, spell out their goals- long term and short, and understand the roadmap they must take to get there, but when it comes to them personally- nothing. Just like people have career goals and plans, they should have personal goals and plans that would make them better people. If they have a bad attitude, maybe they should create a short term plan to change it. Or if they are negative thinkers, why not set goals to become optimistic. If they have poor vocabularies, a goal to read one book a month may help. If they suffer from poor health habits, a year-long plan to change that around would not only be great but may result in a longer life.

People who are not satisfied with the person they have become, should develop a plan filled with short and long term goals. If it works in the professional arena, it just might work in the personal one too.

Laughing is Healthy (re-posted March 2010)

Remember the last time you were angry? You may have heard, saw, or experienced something that you didn’t care for. Then, your emotions began to run rapid and one thing led to another. And before long, those bad feelings transferred into the physical arena by symptoms like a cold sweat, a head ache, or even sickness. What happened? When you frown, have ill thoughts, or have ill feelings like hate, fear, or anger the brain releases bad toxins throughout your body. Those toxins create unhealthy reactions in your body like sickness and diseases.

Now, have you ever wondered what happens to you when you laugh? Laughter does the very opposite. Instead of releasing toxins, it produces health. That health (or good vibe) tramples out any toxins and replace them with good things. There is a famous proverb that says “Laughter does good like medicine”. So, next time you want to get angry, feel sad, or worry- do yourself a favor. Try laughing. Not only is it a better alternative, but it is also healthier.