“The happiness of most people we know is not ruined by great
catastrophes or fatal errors, but by the repetition of slowly
destructive little things.”  ~ Ernest Dimnet

This quote made me think of some of my patients and clients who
can’t seem to let go of the “little things.”

They tell me stories about events that occurred many years ago.
Maybe someone said or did something to someone else that caused
hurt feelings, anger, or embarrassment. Often the characters in
these stories are family members or close friends. They speak of
these events as if they had taken place yesterday rather than in
the distant past.  They still hold grudges and it’s tearing them
up inside.

Then they ask what I think about their situation. I often
hesitate to express my opinion because I know they won’t like
the answer. I ask them, “Does harboring these bad feelings do
any good?  Has it changed the outcome? Can it possibly change
the outcome?  Wouldn’t it be easier to let it go?”

Now I understand what it’s like to feel this way. People have
done me wrong and people have said rude or inconsiderate things
to me.  But after I process it for a while, I realize that for
my own sake I have to move on and leave those feelings behind.
It’s just better for me and my outlook on life. I think that it
is best for all of us to be able to let the “little things” go.

When I read this quote, I realized that substituting the word
“health” for “happiness” also made sense, i.e. the health of
most people we know is ruined by slowly destructive little
things.

Smoking; drinking; lack of exercise; overindulgence in sweets,
salt, fat and portion size—all are small things that add up to
major influences on our health.  I often see this when a patient
says, “Doc, I used to be in great shape, but when I turned 40
everything fell apart.”  I usually respond with an explanation
of how things didn’t really just fall apart at that magic
birthday; the downward spiral started with “little things” whose
influences are catching up after many years.

How much happier and healthier would you be if you addressed
your emotional, health, or financial issues RIGHT NOW?  Try not
to let the “repetition of slowly destructive little things” ruin
your happiness and health.

To Your Health & Happiness!

Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results

www.drmichaelkaye.com
www.aboomersguidetochronicpain.com

P.S. To learn more on how to create a life of health, wealth
and happiness log onto http://tinyurl.com/5vaahu

“I feel that I am running out of time and can’t get everything
done that I need to get done.”

“It always seems that I am behind the eight-ball.”

“Time is fleeting and I can’t seem to catch it.”

These are some of the most common complaints that my coaching
clients share with me.

Many clients tell me they want to have more time to exercise,
read, write, and/or play music. They want to have more time to
enjoy their hobby and/or passion.

All the components of everyday life—going to work, cooking,
cleaning, doing laundry, chauffeuring kids and parents, working
out—leave little open time in a day.

How can you get more time out of the day?
 
Some people create more time by giving up something, e.g. sleep
or time with family and friends.

A better way to get more time out of your day is to create a
schedule and then to strictly adhere to that schedule.

One of my coaching clients enjoys writing, but was finding it
difficult to find the time to write.  We set up a schedule,
setting aside thirty minutes every morning for her writing. By
preparing for her day the night before and going to sleep 15
minutes earlier, she could use that half-hour each morning
without giving up anything.

To make the time productive, some rules were also set. For
example, she was not allowed to spend that time viewing e-mail,
reading the morning news, or editing her writing. Her only task
was to write for 30 minutes. She used a kitchen timer to monitor
her time. Editing her material was done after the writing until
the piece was complete and then she could start the process
over.

Another client enjoyed playing his bagpipes (one of my favorite
instruments), but couldn’t find the time. I asked him to keep a
record of how he spends his time. After reviewing his time
journal, he was surprised to see how much time he spent watching
television.  Instead of watching his shows in “real time,” he
began recording them to watch later without the commercials.
This simple act saved sufficient time to allow him to play his
bagpipes for at least half an hour every night.

Think about it. Spending just 15-30 minutes every day on your
passion or hobby translates to about two to three hours per week
or at least 100 hours a year. You’ve spent a lot of time
enjoying your activity!

Time is ticking. How will you spend your time this week? 

To Your Health!

Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results

“This is the way it’s always been done,” proclaimed the senior
doctor.

I had graduated a few years before and was working in another
doctor’s office.  A patient complained of pain in his lower
back. He had not had any injury or trauma to the area.  Talking
with the patient, I learned that he had recently participated in
a two-week-long intensive baseball camp.  While there, he had
twisted his ankle, but didn’t feel any ankle pain and thought
that it was a minor incident.  I felt that it was important to
evaluate the ankle as well as the lower back area.

The senior doctor told me to “leave the ankle alone” and treat
the patient’s back. I explained to the doctor that I had
recently attended a seminar where some new concepts about lower
back dysfunction, particularly with respect to other possible
injuries or problems, had been presented.  My thoughts did not
matter to the doctor, who continued to insist that I treat only
the lower back.

I ultimately left the practice for greener pastures. The patient
continued treatment with the doctor for a bit.  When his
condition did not improve, he tracked me down and I treated him
for both the ankle and the resultant lower back condition.

The doctor was stifled in his thought process. He wasn’t willing
to learn anything new. He was in a rut because he would not
consider modifying his outlook on things.

Today we have to be willing to accept that “things” change.  In
fact, they change at a much more rapid pace than ever before.
We must be willing to learn and challenge ourselves daily.

Reading, attending workshops and seminars, listening to CD’s,
watching instructional DVD’s, taking classes, and doing research
are some ways that we can learn.  Knowledge is at our
fingertips; we just have to reach out and grab it.

In the words of Peter Drucker, writer and management consultant,
“Knowledge has to be improved, challenged and increased
constantly, or it vanishes.”

What will you do this week to improve, challenge and increase
your knowledge?
Here’s to learning something new!

Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results
www.drmichaelkaye.com
www.aboomersguidetochronicpain.com

P.S. If you would like to participate in my Wellness & Success
Coaching Program please e-mail me at
Michael@frompaintopersonalgain.com

What do I regret?  Are there things that I wanted to do that I
have not done?  What is my biggest regret?

These are tough questions – definitely not ones that you want to
wait to ask yourself on your deathbed.

Ask yourself these questions right now.

We may regret some things that we can’t change. We might wish
that we had spent more time with an ailing parent who has passed
or with our children before they grew up and moved out.

Unfortunately, we can’t go back in time. We do, however, have
the opportunity to change the future.

Are there things you haven’t had a chance to do that you would
like to do now?

Make a list of all the things you want to do. Begin to set out a
game plan to achieve those things so you don’t have regrets when
your number is called.

Your game plan will consist of some habit-forming action steps.

For example, if you have always wanted to travel, make a list of
the action steps you need to accomplish to get where you want to
go. Determine how much it will cost and create a budget.  Set a
timeline—perhaps one, two or even five years. It’s important to
have a deadline because deadlines will keep you on track.

Divide your action steps into those things you need to perform
daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. I am sure you are saying to
yourself, “This sounds a lot like goal-setting.”  It is, but I
prefer to call the process Goal Actions. It’s important to write
down your goals, and it is more important to act on your goals.
It’s just easier to meet your goal when you take one small step
at a time.

Your assignment this week is to choose one thing you have not
done but would like to do. Perhaps you have always wanted to
travel or drive a race car or ride in a hot-air balloon or build
a greenhouse. Perhaps you have been meaning to reconnect with a
long-lost friend.  Or perhaps you want to say that you are sorry
or to offer forgiveness to someone in your life.

The sooner you get going, the better chance that you will not
have regrets.

Wishing you the power to eliminate any regrets you may have!

Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results
www.aboomersguidetochronicpain.com
www.drmichaelkaye.com
www.boomer-living.com

P.S. If you would like to participate in my Wellness & Success
Coaching Program, please e-mail me at
Michael@frompaintopersonalgain.com (Only 3 spots left)

What are you willing to trade?

Are you willing to trade love for money? Is it more important
for you to love someone or to make a lot of money? Would you be
willing to accept ten million dollars with the stipulation that
you would always live alone?

Would you be willing to trade friendship for money? You can pay
a car service to pick you up when your car breaks down, but
when you break down you can’t cry on the shoulder of your
mechanic, can you?

How about trading time for money? How much value will your
money hold when you are long gone? Do you ever consider the
time you spend away from your family working extra hours? I
know how important it is to work hard to keep up with the
family overhead. Striving to meet your monetary goals is
important, but spending time with your children is just as
important, sometimes more so.

We all work very hard and spend a lot of time making money. And
of course, we need money to pay for food and shelter. Is it
possible that we can live on less money? I have read about and
have even known people who have down-sized their way of living.
They did this by moving from a big house to a smaller house or
by selling off one car and using public transportation. Some
people may think that down-sizing is bad, but many who have
done so have been happy to realize that maintaining their lower
overhead has allowed them to have more time and less stress.

We spend so much of our time in the quest for the almighty
dollar that we forget to live. When was the last time that you
sat with a friend, your significant other, or your children
without watching the television, reading your e-mail, or
texting?

I’d like to end this broadcast by offering you a question to
ponder. On your deathbed will you say that you wish you had
made more money or that you wish you had more time?

Here’s to your finding at least one hour of time this week to
spend with a loved one.

Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results

Do you feel that you need to change your life? How would you go
about doing that?

In the words of William James, “To change one’s life: 1. Start
immediately. 2. Do it flamboyantly. 3. No exceptions.”

Sticking with the above formula, let’s take a look at my
favorite three components of life: health, wealth, and
happiness.

Health
1. Nutrition and exercise are very important to your health.
Start immediately by eating half of everything that you would
normally eat and start walking.
2. Let everyone know what you are doing so they can support you.
Tell those who do not support you to take a hike. When you walk,
sing out loud. That will get people’s attention! Or wear a crazy
outfit when you walk.
3. Exercise every day regardless of the weather.

Wealth
1. Start saving $10 each week. If you get paid every two weeks,
set aside $20 per paycheck. By the end of the year, you will
have $520 added to your savings.
2. There is no reason to be flamboyant with your wealth, plain
and simple.  Just save it.
3. There are no exceptions to saving money from each paycheck.
If for some reason you can’t afford the full amount, at least
put something into savings.

Happiness
1. Happiness starts in the mind, so begin thinking happy
thoughts now.
2. Each morning when you wake from your beauty sleep, take 10
minutes to write down five things you are grateful for. Mail the
five things to ten of your friends. If the mornings are tough
and you roll out of bed like an old grizzly bear waking from a
winter’s hibernation, perform this task at night.
3. Do this every day. If you don’t write it down, say it out
loud to yourself.

As they say, the ball is in your court.

What are you willing to do now?

To Change!

Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results

P.S. If you would like to participate in my Wellness & Success
Coaching Program please e-mail me at
Michael@frompaintopersonalgain.com

This article is also featured at www.Boomer-Living.com

Part of my responsibility as a doctor is to take a good medical history. My job is to learn the cause of the patient’s pain. Last week I must have dictated the same history of injury for 75% of my patients.

These injuries were sustained in the pursuit of the perfect garden. The weather here on the east coast has begun to change. Warmer days have a tendency to bring out the gardener in many people.

Think about this for a moment. We’ve been cooped up all winter long. If you’ve been food shopping lately, I am sure you have seen the high prices. To combat the winter blues and to save some money, many of my patients have decided they are going to grow their own veggies, herbs and even some fruits in addition to the regular garden chores of cleaning up flower beds, mowing the lawn, and picking up all the storm debris on the grounds.

All this sounds good in theory. In reality, though, many of my baby boomer patients don’t properly prepare for the task of gardening. Gardening is an activity which requires bending, twisting, pushing, pulling, lifting, reaching, squatting, and kneeling.  The result of all these activities on those unaccustomed to doing them has been pain in the lower back, knees, shoulders, mid-back and neck. Some patients have even reported arm and leg pain.

My advice is to treat gardening as an athletic event. Take the time to warm up and cool down properly. I recommend walking for at least 15 minutes prior to gardening, followed by stretching movements for the spine and arms. After gardening, take 10 minutes to cool down with more walking and stretching.

Here’s an excellent gardening exercise routine:

• Warm up by taking a 15-minute walk.
• Single knee to chest stretch: Lie on your back and bring one knee to your chest; hold for 10 seconds. Return leg to floor.  Repeat with the other leg.
• Double knee to chest stretch: Lie on your back and bring one knee to your chest; hold for a second while you bring the other knee to the chest. Hold both knees together towards your chest for 10 seconds. Then let one leg down at a time.
• Hamstring stretch: Lying on your back, keep leg straight and raise leg towards your chest. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat with the other leg. Repeat this maneuver three times.
• Cobra stretch: Do this exercise only if your back can handle it.  Lie on your stomach. Keeping your pelvis on the floor, push upwards (like a push-up) so your back is in extension. Repeat five times and on the fifth repetition hold for 5 seconds.
• Neck stretch: Looking straight ahead, let your head/chin fall towards your chest. Roll to one side, then to the other. Do not roll your neck all the way around. Repeat five times.
• Shoulder shrugs: Shrug your shoulders towards ears 10 times.
• Arm circles: Raise your arms away from your body. Face your palms toward the sky with your thumbs pointing back. Perform arm circles in the direction of your thumb (going back) for 10 repetitions. Then face palms down to the floor, thumbs pointing forward and perform 10 arm circles going forward.

You are now ready to create the garden of your dreams!

To watch this routine please click on to:   Gardening Exercise Routine

If you’re a catalog junkie like me, I’m sure you know there are some really cool gardening tools out there. Shears and clippers with spring-action features and special stools equipped with shelves to hold your garden tools are indeed helpful.  Even if you are using these kinds of aids, I strongly recommend taking breaks every twenty minutes. Limit your actual time gardening.  Start slowly and increase this time as your body adapts to the demands placed on your muscles, joints, and tendons.

The cool-down process is just as important. When you finish gardening, take a 10-minute walk to loosen up the muscles. Then repeat single and double knee-to-chest stretches, hamstring stretches, and the cobra stretch.  Follow all of this with a hot shower.

If you experience soreness the same evening or the next day, alternate between applying ice and moist heat to the sore or injured areas. Remember that if any pain lasts more than three days, it’s time to see your doctor.

Some of you may say, “Dr. Kaye, the stretching takes too much time.” Here’s the deal. You don’t have to stretch, warm up and cool down.  But if you don’t, you greatly increase the likelihood of injuring yourself.  It’s worth the time so you don’t experience so much soreness that you won’t be able to enjoy gardening.

Be safe and have fun!

To Your Health!

Dr. Michael Kaye

Have you ever tried to fit a square peg into a round hole? It
doesn’t work. It can’t work. There are just some things in life
that unfortunately fall into that category.

Many of my patients, especially the baby boomers (those born
between 1946 and 1964), think that their bodies should be able
to do what they did when they were in their twenties.

For example, this week I met a patient who is in her late 60’s.
Her primary issue is back and leg pain. But she also complains
about gaining 40 pounds over the last five years. She was always
very skinny so the first year the weight gain really didn’t
bother her.  However, the gains continued and her clothing no
longer fits and she has become quite unhappy with the situation.

Here’s what she said, “I want to look like I did 20 years ago. I
want to be skinny again.” I said, “Well, you can definitely lose
the 40 pounds and have more energy, but you probably won’t be
able to look like you did 20 years ago.”

Men are also interested in turning back the hands of time. Many
wax nostalgic about the “good old days” and their prowess in the
gym. They often tell me how much weight they could bench press
or dead lift. I ask, “How long ago were you able to lift heavy
weights?”  They usually respond with something like “30 years
ago.” “That’s great,” I say, “but you’re not as young as you
were then. Your body has changed.”

These conversations remind me of Al Bundy, the character played
by Ed O’Neill in the show Married… with Children. Al is a
middle-aged man who often reminisces about scoring four
touchdowns in the city championship game against his high
school’s rival, including the winning one in the final seconds.

Well, boys and girls, we can’t go back.

Plain and simple, our bodies change over the years. Injuries,
genetics, stress, poor nutrition, lack of exercise and sleep,
surgeries (especially those such as hysterectomies which alter
hormone function), and the aging process itself all contribute
to a worn-out body. No matter your current age, that body just
doesn’t repair itself the way it did 10 years ago.

But it really isn’t all gloom and doom. If you change your
concept of health and accept that you’re not in your twenties
anymore, life will be easier. We shouldn’t dwell on what we
can’t change or can’t do; we should concentrate on our
strengths.

Regardless of your age, improving your nutrition, beginning and
continuing an exercise program, and decreasing your stress will
improve your health.

Remember, we can’t fit a square peg into a round hole.  But we
can accept the changes in our bodies and do our best to keep our
bodies functioning as well as possible in the future.

To Your Health, Wealth & Happiness!

Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results