The Nudge: Small Push, Big Impact.

We may be ready, but we are not always sure, so we hesitate, waiting for the moment we think is ideal.  We wait, and wait some more. Then comes the nudge.  It might be a call, a text, an email, a comment, a sighting, whatever the source or method of the message, it moves us. I was listening to DJ Julie Adenuga interviewing Jamie Woon recently, and the conversation turned to his latest single "Sharpness" and the concept of readiness. He was in the studio when he got a message via a medium he does not use much (Twitter) saying that a well known producer (Pharrell Williams) was about to play the track on a radio show Williams was hosting. For an artist this is a big deal, and what's funny is that Jamie admits to not having the right operating system on his phone or computer at the time, so had it not been for his mates in the studio he might not have heard his record being played and enjoyed by the likes of Justin Timberlake (who happened to be in the studio w/ Pharell at the time). Woon talked briefly about being appreciative of the push to get things in order so he could be nimble in moments like this.   

There is just so many good ideas oozing out of the pores of our creative collective that it can seem impossible to hear them all. The truth is, as the creators of that material we are often brilliantly hesitant when it comes to sharing, but I believe  our networks can help nudge us towards realizing the full potential of what we have to offer.  Even after taking the courses, passing the tests, doing the work, having the conversations and being told we are "there", we can still doubt ourselves, so we stay still, until the nudge comes. When that energy is applied to get you moving, resistance is futile, so just go with it, you might end up loving the ride. At very least you'll update your operating systems, literally or figuratively. 

Balance is much closer than we think.

I'm away for a sec, so I'm triaging electronic media's hold on my time because I need to. For bursts of time, email gets checked (& responded to), and calls are made. Then it's back to focusing my energy on why I'm out of the office in the first place. 

Balance can be hard to find, but we generally don't have to look too far. Trouble is, we act as if it's in some remote GPS location when it's not. Let me show you. Take a second, and put down whatever you are holding onto (literally and figuratively). Stretch your arms out in front of you. Now bring your fingers together and curve them slightly. Bend your wrists so your palms face you. You just created a balance holder. It's designed for you to hold your balance toolkit. You get to decide how to use those tools, and you can use as many of them as you like as often as you wish.  

You own our balance and the tools to maintain it. When we relinquish that control to circumstances or people who are not aligned with your values and mission, it can be hard to get it back. Hold on. 

How to make change in a short sentence...

@ThisIsSethsBlog at #GHIC On making #change "Don't go wide, go narrow and deep." 

10 Leadership Lessons / Conversation Clips

A few weeks ago I sat down to talk about public health leadership  with a group of students and a colleague who manages and leads a $100M operation within a management consulting firm. As many times as we have the conversation, I am never bored by her insights. Here are a few highlights from our latest meeting. 

1. Stay nimble (don't get stuck anywhere you are unfulfilled) 

2. Understand and respect the concept of reciprocity 

3. As useful as the social determinants of health are as a framework for thinking about health, they may run counter to the political agenda, so don't expect everyone to embrace them with you 

4. Recognize greatness in yourself (& hold onto it) 

5. Seize serendipity 

6. Critical thinking  has more value than technical skill (which is still important) 

7. Lose your fear of failure 

8. Be comfortable being who you are 

9. See the power and the beauty in a well-stated explanation (communication competency)

10. Care more about the person than the product 

Purpose Driven

It's dark, but the roosters remind me of the hour. The mattress beneath me reminds me of comforts I have been without for a few days. The absence of the sonorous vibrations from any of the four people in my room or the ten in the next reminds me that I am no longer with the team on the mountain in Petit Goave. I feel torn. The conflict is not difficult to resolve. Like so many things, it's one that requires consistency, and for that, I am solely responsible. Doing all I can do is all I can do. 

Shot taken from the captage in Petit Goave, Haiti. The goal is to fill this frame with a forest. For more info go to http://community2community.info 

Wearable Tech; Beyond Bluetooth.

Someone's getting a wearable device for Christmas this year and I am optimistic it will be a starter for an active 2014 for all those lucky people.  As an early adopter of Nike's Fuel Band (and a short-term FitBit'r), I find the promise of all this biometric data from the proliferation of wearable technology to be exciting on a number of levels. Personally, the info these devices provide gives us an idea just how active we have been. Friends can compare profiles, and compete for anything from steps to calories burned. Cohorts of users can be followed, and the performance of teams tracked.  

All good stuff, and especially good if the "cool tech" can be used to help with a few not so cool population health problems like our general lack of movement, but can they do that? Do they get people off the couch, or are wearers already those who enjoy the benefits of "cardioswag"? Connecting a wearable device to our internal motivation centers takes a bit more than Bluetooth.  Wearing the gadgets is a start. Actually using them to drive personal performance is what's next. Impacting the lives of enough people for us to claim some population health benefits? Now that would be the gift that keeps on giving. 

Happy Holidays! 

PV 

Mandela Remembered

This pic is taken from the Cape of Good Hope at the tip of South Africa. It is significant to me because the post held signs pointing in multiple directions, and for me will always represent my options, because it says I can go anywhere. 

July 2010 was my first trip to the continent of Africa, and the only things on my mind were the World Cup and Nelson Mandela. What he represented as a man and a servant leader will always be beyond words, and I wanted to see parts of the country from which he had changed the world.  We tried to get to Robben Island, but the cold seas worked against us. We got a peek of it from Table Top Mountain, and I wondered how the mountain must have looked from the island so far away.   Images of the struggle from the apartheid museum and the Hector Pieterson memorial in Soweto still burn my brain, but the most enduring image was yet to come. 

We scored tickets to the FIFA World Cup Final, and it was there, from seats way in the back of the stadium at the half way line that I got what I was waiting for, a chance to see Madiba. He came onto the pitch in a wheel chair with a blanket wrapped across his legs. The minute he came on, the entire Soccer City Stadium erupted. Some 90,000 people stood to welcome him with cheers, applause, and the sound of vuvuzelas. He stayed on the pitch briefly and waved at the crowd before returning to the warmth of the stands. I'd seen him! 

We went on to watch the game between Spain and Holland. It was probably one of the worst I've seen, but it didn't matter. Sandwiched between three black and  three white South Africans we were united by the match, but in reality, we had been united by Mandela. The luxury to sit in that venue, in that country was afforded us by that man. I know people have been much closer to him than I was, but my moment with Madiba is one I will always remember, and the opportunity he gave us all through his sacrifice, compassion, and forgiveness is something we can never forget. 

The news of his passing saddens me. The memory of his courage gives me strength.  

PV

Doing it when you don't want to.

I made it through a workout this morning that I didn't want to do. I was making excuses about my hand, my lack of consistent double-unders, my disdain for doing toes-to-bar, and not looking forward to carrying a pair of 80lb DBs 100m. The pile of reasons was high, but I went, and I did my best, which is all I could ask of myself.

I can't talk about CardioSwag without living it. I know the workouts seem crazy at times, but the peace I find in making the effort is incredibly satisfying. The cost is becoming irrelevant because the gains are tangible and extend into some unexpected areas of my life. I am beginning to realize my potential across the board which is a game-changer. 

So when that voice tells you to stay in bed, or skip that session, ignore it and do your thing. Progress takes persistence.

Be well. 

PV

#GetGood

"Ok is alright, but good is better. Get good!" That's a text I sent a relative this morning.  I had been thinking about the power of love and the people in my life. Naturally, my family came to mind, and my thoughts turned to her. I asked her how she was feeling, and she said she was "ok". I asked her why she felt that way and she said she was "ok, most of the time", and had no particular reason for it.  That got me thinking.  

Everyone has their own space, and for my relative "ok" is where she lives.  As long as she is happy there I probably should be content. For me though, being "ok" means something is going on to prevent me from being "good" or "great".  It might be something that happened somewhere in my interaction with people, sore muscles, or a situation I am thinking about.  The source does not matter, the feeling with which it leaves me does, and my reaction to it is even more important. 

I told my relative to "get good" because in spite of my appreciation of her mood baseline, my sense was that she was feeling flat and I wanted her to feel alive. I was a Best Buy salesman trying to get her to buy the 3D HD TV instead of the lower-resolution set.  Admittedly I do not always find myself viewing things through such bright lenses. During those times I do not want to hear much by way of motivation from anyone. Perhaps this morning, I was moved to text her because of my sixth sense telling me she was "ok" just so I could write this blog.  Whatever the reason, today, I will do my best to "get good" and stay there because I know changing how I feel about myself will change how I interact with anyone and anything entering my space. If you are not already there, "get good" with me. 

PV

CardioSwag 2013 - The Choice Is Yours!

I took a blogger break but it's good to be back.  Since I last posted I've been in France, England and Italy, and next weekend I'm heading back to Haiti.  On all my travels it's been a blessing to see new sights, experience new situations, reconnect with friends and family, and return home safely.  The other thing my travels have brought me is a better understanding of the journey I am on with respect to my personal wellness. My "cardioswag chronicle" continues to amaze me because I am constantly having opportunities to take it to another level placed in my path. 

I define cardioswag as the feeling of complete calm and composure experienced after a great workout.  Back when I was 248 pounds and started to do something about my weight, cardioswag was easy to get by walking up a few flight of stairs instead of using the elevator.  That simple, short activity would leave me winded, but pleased that I had done it. Most importantly, it made me want to do more. I remembered being a decent year-round athlete in college, and I felt capable, so I bought a bike. I used to ride it around a trail, and felt extremely cardioswagalicious doing so, that is until I saw people running on it, so I started running too.  The next level came when a friend was moving from the DC area to Philly and wanted to off-load some old weights.  I started using them, and in combination with my runs and  a significant drop in sugar intake, things started changing dramatically for me. Over three years I went from 248 lbs to just under 200 lbs.  In 2004 I ran my first half marathon, 2007 a full marathon, and 2008 another half. In the process I dropped down to 180lbs, but somewhere in there I lost the swag.  I was on a grind to make the distance, but I was not really "dialed-in", and while I was getting in better shape, I wasn't in my best shape because my mind was not  in it all the way.  I kept hitting the runs, but I did not maintain good eating habits, and I let the stress of work pile 10-15 lbs back onto my frame.  

Late in 2011 I rediscovered the motivational energy of friends who I had helped get started as "runners. I discovered tabata intervals, kettle-bells, more yoga, and burpees. I found a way to "shock" my body in a way I only felt during parts of P90X and Insanity, and I found my cardioswag returning. Now that I am 7 months into training at a CrossFit gym I am beginning to feel what it means to have greater control over my body.  The power of a clean(er) diet is evident when I pull on a pair of jeans and have to pull the belt tighter to hold them up to my 175 lb frame (body composition data coming next week). My improved posture makes the difference between a 60 second break between sets being upright and breathing deeply, versus in a heap heaving on the floor.  This cardioswag journey has led me to a place where I have more respect for treating my body in a way that has it perform better every day.  I approach a pull-up bar or loaded barbell ready to literally snap it, knowing that a personal record is seconds away.  That calm and composure is paying dividends in every part of my life, and I am grateful for the many motivators who keep me pushing physically, mentally, and spiritually.  

However you accumulate your cardioswag I want you to get it. Walking, dancing, kettle-bell swinging, yoga, hand-stand push ups in the office, as Black Sheep said, "you can get with this, you can get with that. The choice is yours!"  While I was away I trained at CrossFit facilities in Florida and London, and even did thrusters with luggage and jumped rope in my hotel room in Rome.  The journey is personal, and not always pleasant, but it should please you, so do what you like. Just like traveling to new places, it will give you experiences no one can take from you. 

Peace,

PV

"The Dynamic Grip" - An application for the mechanics of processes.

How you start a movement can dictate how you will end it.  From a physical perspective, I am learning this from my recent experience with a new regimen I started in August where form matters, and performing a movement incorrectly can lead to injury.  Much like a golf-swing and Olympic weight lifting, mechanics makes a difference when it comes to managing processes and the relationships that make them work.  The mental checklist we go through as we engage in these activities is something we can learn, but it takes instruction, practice, and an understanding of the process. 

When I think about processes, I think about some sort of order, a list, or an algorithms. I have warmed to the understanding that part of successfully navigating a process lies in not to hold onto it too tight, especially when some of the mechanics are new to you.  Maintaining a "dynamic grip", is important.  Hold onto a process too tight, and you may risk losing your ability to feel it move.  Being far from stable,  many processes need that wiggle room.

I was pulling a team together for a funding opportunity when the need for a "dynamic grip" became clear.  I found myself holding on too tight to one particular part of the scope of work.  In my mind, only a certain type of partner could do this work, and I was temporarily too rigid to see things otherwise.  I stepped away from the process for a minute to complete another task, and an email popped up on my phone reminding me of a meeting.  I saw the list of addressees, and found the perfect partner to provide the services we needed for the funding opportunity.  I made the call, and in minutes a collaboration was forged. Serendipity made me loosen my grip, and allowed me to open-up to the input from an unrelated inject in the form of that email.  

"The dynamic grip" may sound better suited to a sports tutorial, or even martial arts entertainment, but it is more than that.  It is an analogy for maintaining contact with any process - keeping close to the  people who inspire us.  It is also an analogy for staying open and nimble, which relates to rapidly (and strategically) placing ourselves in situations that may be foreign to us in order to experience growth and inspiration.  Lastly, it relates to being present in all we do, so we remain active, and never become numb to the processes in which we are engaged.  Try it, and let me know how it works for you. 

PV

Sustained Social Support (Healthy By Default)

It took me travelling to the Bay Area for a public health conference a couple weeks ago for me to gain a better understanding of some more of our food habits.  In a nut-shell, we love sugar, we're not that afraid of fat, and we really love bread.  Across the aisle from me, a woman ate every last morsel of a thick steak she had left-over from lunch.  I listened as she scraped deep into the crevices of that plastic container, and made sure she got every last bit of that fat from the corners which she licked off her little plastic knife.  Between her, the calzone and garlic bread guy, and the "election day in VA" length line at McDonald's, I got thinking about how hard it is to travel and eat well at the same time.  With Thanksgiving around the corner, and the rest stops teeming with turkey-bound travelers, I had an Arsenio Hall "things that make you go hmmm" moment.   

I love good food, and over the years I have managed to find a lot of food to be, well,  "good". My scientist / public health / physician brain may know better, but it definitely knows what tastes good. I have what I call “funny food moods”, and I do not make my best food decisions when I am hungry. This is a major problem when in the grocery store and when I am traveling, because even the "healthy" fridge looking stall at the airport is stacked with sandwiches, wraps, and parfaits.  Not all bad, but limited at best.  What if we had some better options to choose from? A "real nut stop", fruit stand, or a "bun-less burger bar" for example. Would people frequent them?  I think so.    

Having fought with food, weight, body-image, and self-confidence over the years, this food thing is personal for me.  It has taken small steps to keep my personal gains in place, and there have been all sorts of excuses for my occasional lapses.  I could (and have) blame my work schedule, my friends, and even my genes. At the end of the day, the desire to start my changes had to start within me, but I needed support. We all do. 

With our current preventable chronic disease statistics moving in the wrong direction, the support I am alluding to can no longer only come from caring families, social networks, and some media outlets.  Civic and corporate engagement in creating and sustaining commercial and environmental support mechanisms are also necessary.  The talk of meeting the "double bottom line"  (doing good, while doing well) needs to be more than rhetoric for end-of-year reports.  Accountability on health outcomes would do well to be woven into inter-departmental government and business strategic plans and operations.  I am not suggesting additional oversight, regulation, or crutch creation. I am simply suggesting more shared responsibility for that valuable intangible, sustained social support - the kind that helps you stay on track when you are on the road.  Healthy by default...hmmm.

PV

P.S. Congrats (& thanks) again, Mr. President!

Four more years...

...time to get back to work.

PV

#CardioSwag; The Maintenance Edition

"It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you,

Without a strong rhyme to step to,

Think of how many weak shows you slept through

Time's up, I'm sorry I kept you,

Thinking of this, you keep repeating you miss

The rhymes from the microphone soloist... "
(I Know You Got Soul - Eric B & Rakim, 1987)

 It has "been a long time" since my last "Health Remixed" blog entry. The summer got a bit nutty at the end of July with a couple trips, and before I knew it we were starting the Fall semester, and I was getting schooled by the trainers at Balance CrossFit in DC...more on that in another post.   

In about 4 weeks (2am on 11/4 to be precise), the clocks go back. Thanksgiving is a couple weeks after that, and then it's a countdown to Christmas. You may not be thinking about it, but it's all coming, fast.  Those long hot summer days are gone, it's getting cold, it will be dark when you get up, and dark before you leave the office. Sounds depressing, but it doesn't have to be. If you want to keep humming through the holidays, here's the #CardioSwag Fall 2012 hit list. Let's go!

1. Get out & get some!

Putting on extra layers of clothing doesn't mean it's time to put on extra layers of blubber. Layer-up and get outdoors for a couple of your workouts each week. It's a literal breath of fresh-air, and it's what cold-gear was made for.

2. Warm it up, Chuck!

(RIP Chuck Brown) Soups are always so soothing in the winter, but watch what you pour when you're at the soup counter. Look for soups with low salt, and low fat, preferably with a non-cream base. Chicken-noodle is great, but go heavier on the chicken than the noodle.

3. H2(the izz)O...

Just because it isn't hot outdoors doesn't mean your body doesn't need to stay well hydrated. Tank up on your water the same way you did in the summer. Approx. 1/2 an ounce per pound of your body weight. (32 ounces in a liter, about 4 liters in a gallon)...get some.

4. Made to fit.

So you are doing your best to keep things 100 on the #CardioSwag side, now do yourself a favor and buy clothes that fit (or get a tailor to take them in).  That is all.

5. Don't sleep on sleep.

The sleep you get makes a difference in how you feel and look.  It also helps you power through those #CardioSwag sessions. Try getting to bed early without the TV.  You can't catch-up on sleep, it's like time, once it's gone, it's gone.

The recognized, despised, (but still open wide) disparity gap

I took a fellow pub health doc and a patient to Anacostia today to look at the Healthy Corner Store initiative at work & to see the environment that constitutes some part of the city. Life expectancy in DC from NW to SE can vary by as much as 10 years. That variance is primarily based on income and race.   No matter where you live, the "disease approach" to improving health outcomes is not working. Placing the health of communities solely in the hands of a system designed to only care for you once you are sick is nonsensical. Creating more value for prevention, & funding the right combination of social justice (not all healthcare) partners can create the force needed to disrupt the current mode of operation. It's time to deviate from paths that perpetuate poor outcomes. The ACA's a start, but our health is well beyond the purview of health insurance & the healthcare system. 

Keep On Moving...

We are half-way through the year, and you have been unstoppable on this CardioSwag journey. I know the heat and the cook-outs threaten to take you off course, but I also know that you've got the strength to handle all that. Just remember to keep aligning actions with your intentions and you'll be fine. You've got a plan, you know what you need to do, and you've visualized the outcomes.

It might be a good time for you to take inventory of your space/environment. Your environment includes what's in your fridge. You have to get rid of all the temptations in your pantry that you know work against you. If you don't buy it, you can't eat it (at least not at home).  Next, you have to decide "who you with?" Friends don't let friends drive drunk, nor do they get in the way of your health goals, so neutralize the negative influencers in your circle, then do as Soul II Soul instructed in '89 and "keep on movin'"... don't stop.

Energy drink binge identified as cause of wardrobe malfunction.

There was no binge, and no wardrobe malfunction....I apologize if you thought you were going to catch up on the latest celebrity gossip. "A Frame of Reference" was not a sexy enough title. 

For health matters, unless it is part of our lifestyle, our work, in the news, or of particular importance to a specific individual or group that we follow, we do not pay it consistent attention.  There always seem to be other priorities that compete with it, and at the end of the day, as important as we all admit health is, it does stay front and center for us - at least not until we or a loved one gets sick.  Public health tries to make the case that waiting until that point (sickness) is not in our best approach. Using prevention as a way to reduce cost and improve the quality of life has not been uniformly promoted nor is it particularly valued in this country.  Perhaps this is why it has proven difficult for prevention to gain any traction in an environment where the public is educated by media that thrives on short-term memory and catchy celebrity-driven headlines (yes, like the one for this blog posting). The ongoing soda-bashing induced by last week's NYC department of health policy proposal, and the association of a neglected tropical disease with HIV, are evidence of public health's occasional willingness to use any means to get onto the stage and into the spotlight.  Smart marketing, or simply attention seeking behavior liable to yield distrust of future messages?  

For the sake of prevention we need to see news outlets put more substance into public health coverage.  It would be good to hear more about the people affected by the some of these studies and innovative practices.  Stories about the individual do not define public health in the same way that stories about individual companies do not generally define corporate social responsibility, but they gives us a frame of reference.  We want (and need) to know how lives have been changed by the interventions so we can use them as hooks on which to catch attention and place prevention.  Just as we use small studies to highlight potentially significant health breakthroughs, we can use the experiences of a few people to highlight the potential for a community economic development project, an innovative after-school program, or an effective public : private partnership.  

We cannot continue to wait for health crisis tipping points and policy debates to make the case for prevention, that would be oxymoronic.  There is substantive, timely work going on in a variety of spaces by a myriad of innovative collaborators, all worthy of more coverage than it currently recieves.  It may be my choice of influencers and media channels that has my feed lacking in the "public health impact story" department (I am open to suggestions). But, given the long lamented lack of such a department at any health or news agency I am aware of, I suspect we are still trailing issues of lesser import. Public health needs help "telling the story" on the same stage as major corporations.   That way it can show up in my media feed without me having to dig as if I am prospecting for precious stones.  For our health's sake, prevention is too important to have to go that deep to be found.   

Eat Right, Don't Count, Stress Less.

Some lifestyle change regimens incorporate a "cheat day" into each week. They suggest it helps make the healthy activity you do for the remainder of the week more tolerable.  While this may be true (and rest is a key component of any good wellness routine) I would rather not think of my cardio-swag mission as  inconvenient. Besides making it more stressful, it makes it less sustainable.  We all know that "honest cheating" is an oxymoron, and if you have the will-power to do that, you probably don't need a cheat-day. 

One problem with the "off day" is that we can end up undoing the hard work that we put in during the "on days".  Even if we are not habitual calorie-counters, we are probably under-estimate our caloric intake in the same way that we are not so good with the "eye-ball scale" for weight.  We may also under-estimate how many calories we burn during our work-outs, so what should you do? 

I like the advise in this article about "caloric theory" and it's impact on our health. 

1 - Quality over quantity

2 - Don't count the calories 

3 - Stress less  

Not counting the calories is the easy part. Portion control can be harder, but it's doable. Stress control may be the toughest of the trio, but the benefits are real, and you have nothing to lose.  A mid-morning workday walk, a sixty-second time out with your eyes-closed, a musical interlude.  Find what works for you, and make that count.   

The Health Remixed Guide to a Swagalicious Summer.

Earlier this year, I asked you to join me in a quest for "CardioSwag".  I know it sounds like a challenge for a street version of "Game of Thrones", but it's real life.  CardioSwag is the complete and confident composure that you experience and maintain after a good workout, and it feels so good, you'll want more of it. 

Spring will be over in just four weeks, and I am back with a couple tips to keep you "swagalicious" throughout the summer. 

1. Keep Eating Smart - you get a cheat day each week (just one), and do your very best to stay away from the "cook-out kryptonite", e.g. hot-dogs and creamy salads (macaroni, potato, etc.)  A burger without the bun and some grilled veggies are great substitutes.  You know what to do.

2. Mix Things Up - the class / program you signed up for this spring might be boring you, so switch it up. Get outside for a walk / run. Do some high-intensity interval training (short bursts of high activity) to spark your metabolism. Check these High Intensity Interval Training Tips from Fitness B&W  

3. Water - It's the best way to hydrate. The energy drinks are good when you need them, but most of us can do well on good old H2O. An ice-cold 500mls of water first thing in the morning will get your engine going.  

4. Stay Positive - Maintained effort gets results - never forget that, and keep things in perspective.  The company you keep can make a difference too.  Count on good friends to motivate you, and work on building your internal resolve.  I know you've got this.

It's time to hit that summer swag button. 

PV

CardioSwag Top 10 (11) - Part II

This is coming later than planned, but it's here. Flip back to my April 6th blog for the first five entries.  That list had the usual suspects on it; don't smoke, eat right, move more, drink more water, and see your doc.  I should add "sleep more" to the list as well making this the CardioSwag Top 11 Health Tips.  Sleep deprivation is a problem for 30% of the US workforce according to the CDC.  My advice, turn off the iPad and the TV before bedtime, (but after you read this...)

6.  Talk to people  - Social interaction via text is reasonable, but not nearly as effective as actually talking. Too much is lost in translation when using email or text, so pick up that smart-phone and make a call.  One MIT study (by Turkle) suggested that in teens excessive texting may stunt emotional development, and can make kids extra-needy.

7.    Volunteer – Giving is good.  I am a huge fan of giving away PlayStation games that the kids stopped playing after a month when the “latest and greatest” came out last month. There is someone out there with less than us, so we should share what we have when we can. Spending a bit of time doing something to help can make a difference, and put things in perspective for you.

8.    Relax –Easy to say, and easy to do when we know how and take the time to do it. Sometimes we have to steal the time, and try to do something we can get into regularly. Yoga, running, deep-breathing, take your pick, just make sure we rest, enjoy, and renew.  A Harvard study showed that people who routinely relaxed had better digestion, memory and immunity.

9.   Say "Ahh!" -  but only if you have seen your dentist recently (in the last year).  No one wants a bad smelling, crooked grill.  

10.    Love responsibly - Be it intimately or not, the partners we choose are important parts of our lives.  Interaction requires effort, and the more intimate we get the more protection we need, (at least until we are comfortable that the situation is safe). 


      Loving ourselves, our families, our communities, all take responsibility. Condoms and common-sense at one end, community empowerment & advocacy at the other.


Be well, 


PV