In the past I’ve written about the importance of persistence,
desire and the ability to adapt to change to reach the top of
the success ladder.

There’s another important underlying characteristic-your
health.

Most of the successful business people I know make their health
a priority.

And I request you do the same.

If you are currently not involved in an exercise program I
strongly recommend you change your lifestyle if you want to
enjoy the fruits of your labor–the result of you reaching the
top of your game.

I know time is at a premium and making time in your day to
exercise may be difficult so let me offer some suggestions:

-Purchase a jump rope. Using a jump rope 10-15 minutes a day
will improve your cardiovascular health

-Perform resistance exercises such as squats, lunges and
push-ups. If you can’t do regular push-ups, perform push-ups
off the wall or a chair.

-Flexibility exercises. On a daily basis, stretch your
hamstrings (back of your legs), gluteal muscles (your
buttocks), low back muscles, upper back and neck muscles.
Stretching these muscles are extremely important if you sit
most of your day.

Make your health a priority!

To Your Health & Success!

Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results

Watching and reading the news every day can be detrimental to
having a healthy attitude towards life.

I am not advocating that you stick your head in the sand and be
completely oblivious to what is happening in your local
community, your state, and the world.

I am, however, recommending that you limit your intake of the
news.

I’m sure you are aware that the financial markets were very
turbulent last week. In addition, we hear of heightened unrest
in the Middle East, famine and suffering in Somalia, rioting in
the United Kingdom, and the threat of economic collapse in some
European Union countries.

All of it is crazy, unsettling, and stressful.

Does exposing yourself to every detail of the news have any
positive result?

Here are my thoughts:

-If you own a business, you do have to know about current
events so you can prepare yourself for changes which may
directly impact your business and your customers. Consider
reading, listening to or watching short news bits as opposed to
thirty-minute- and hour-long shows.

-If you don’t own a business, I suggest you review current
events only twice a week. It will be healthier for you. Do you
really want to expose yourself to negativity on a daily basis?
Too much negative news can result in feelings of hopelessness,
which are not healthy for either the heart or the mind.

This week, go on a “news diet.” Use the time you normally spend
watching or reading news to enjoy some good music, a comedy or
a book. Feed your mind with “feel-good” stuff. You will be much
happier.

To a Healthy Mind & Heart,

Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results

Have you noticed how frequently you can hear a song and then not
get it out of your head for the rest of the day?

The song seems to be on a continuous loop in your brain.

The same thing can happen with our thoughts; they can play on a
loop all day long.

The act or practice of talking to oneself mentally, i.e. through
our thoughts, is referred to as self-talk. Self-talk can also
be done aloud, but most of us keep our talk to ourselves.

Self-talk can be positive or negative.

Negative self-talk often starts in our early years. Remarks by
family members or teachers such as “You’ll never amount to
anything” or “Why can’t you be more like your brother/sister?”
can cause negative thoughts, compromising our self-esteem as we
get older.

When my clients use negative self- talk (“I don’t deserve this”,
“I can’t do anything right”), I ask what they are basing their
thought processes on.

It’s interesting to note that, more often than not, they have no
basis to support their negative self-talk.

One of the best defenses against negative self-talk is
journaling. Record your negative thoughts and determine if said
thoughts are actually true. It’s important to end the day’s
entry with five positive thoughts/statements as well as with
five things you are grateful for having in your life.

Another trick which I have used is the rubber band snap. Wear a
rubber band around your wrist and every time your self-talk
becomes negative, snap the rubber band. Hopefully, you’ll
condition yourself to decrease the negative self-talk. Not too
many people enjoy the feeling of a rubber band snap too often
during the day!

I hope my last point will help you the most. If you feel bad
about yourself, if you are down in the dumps and just plain
miserable, go help someone less fortunate. I know this may sound
crazy, but actually helping someone when you feel depressed can
be very good medicine for you, as well as for the person you are
helping.

You may not think it, but in all honesty, you do make a
difference in this world and to others.

Here’s to better thoughts throughout your day!

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

A few months ago one of my patients reported to my office for a
follow-up examination. He seemed “bummed out.” When I asked what
was wrong, he said that one of his co-workers told him that he
was wasting his time at my office and that he should be better
by now.

I replied, “Based on what?” He looked at me, hesitated, and
said, “That’s a great question.”

This patient was involved in a serious accident. Since he
started treatment at my facility and with another doctor, the
activities of daily living have become easier for him.

I have heard this statement (“You should be…”) many times. Often
the statement, or rather judgment, is made by a co-worker or
family member.

“You should be better by now; you’ve been going for treatment
for so long.”

When I hear these remarks, I always think to myself, “Based on
what?”

I counsel my patients to reply, “Should I be better based on how
your brother (or friend or other relative) healed? Should I be
better based on the results of research? Should I be better
based on criteria that an insurance company may be employing?”

Everyone heals at a different pace. There may also be
contributing factors that vary with each individual. Underlying
clinical complications may range from disease processes to
psycho-social issues.

I have also heard this remark in reference to business and
financial matters. “You should be a success by now; you’ve been
working for years.”

It usually takes two to five years for a new business to
succeed. You have to remember that this does not happen
overnight. It generally takes many nights (and days, too) of
working, sweating, building, and worrying to build a business.
Many factors influence the speed with which success is achieved.

Whether you are healing from an injury or building a business,
don’t give up. Move at your own pace and surround yourself with
a great team. Your success should be “based on” your own
timetable.

To Your Health, Wealth, Happiness & Not Giving Up,

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

P.S. To checkout The Ladder of Success
click on this link http://tinyurl.com/65js8vf

“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