When you are a child in the school it is simple however “Do you want to be my friend?” isn’t vocabulary you often hear from adults. High School years are filled with friendships made with ease and many teens, misguided as it is, consider their friends more important than their family. Then there are engagements, marriage, relocation, career changes, families and life come with its many demands, and friendships can change because of the many changes you go through as you meet your adult years. I know a gentleman whose kids have all moved away because of their careers, his wife died a few years ago and since he retired the friends he had at work and with the best intentions to “keep in touch” it hasn’t happened, and he is for the most part isolated and alone.  We are facing a loneliness epidemic; Baby boomers are aging, and many feel this isolation that my friend feels.

Loneliness is something we all feel at times but don’t admit to...

Having a pet has many health benefits we will discuss some of the greater benefits of having a pet at any age.  They will assist in relieving anxiety, depression, lowering stress and improve your cardiac circulatory system.

The benefits of pets

The most obvious benefit of having a pet is the companionship and happiness they can give you.  Now tell me of the other benefits they will give to your health both physical and mental.  Most people are aware of some benefits of owning a pet but lets make sure you know so, without further ado here we go.

Domesticated pets have evolved to become acutely attuned to humans and read our cues so they know our likely behaviors and emotions. Dogs are able to understand many of the words we use, but they’re even better at interpreting our tone of voice, body language, and gestures.

Pets, especially dogs and cats, help to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, give companionship, ease loneliness, encourages you to exercise, and...

I am a huge tightwad. I am constantly looking for ways to reduce my spending making my pay last.  Here today I will share some ways to save.  Okay here we go.

At Home

When it comes to saving money at home, if you own your own house, your mortgage often is what it is and today most mortgages have lower interest rates.  However, always research what offers are on the market because sometimes a refinance is worth the cost.  Just do the math to make sure it is good for you.

1. Help your landlord doing maintenance.

Offer to do maintenance work for your landlord or make improvements to your place in exchange for money off your rent. Figure the cost of the project to ensure you aren’t paying more for your projects then you’re saving.  Say you’re going to paint the bathroom and you spend $250 on the paint but your rent is reduced by $20 won’t result in savings. Offer to do lawn care, snow removal and other projects.

2.  Keep up...

Beginning a workout routine even when you’re in shape can be difficult but when you’re out of shape and overweight it can be very overwhelming.  No matter what type of shape you’re in exercise is very important.  A workout will improve your mood making you feel good, and it is very good for your health overall.

The big question is how to get started.  First, see your doctor and have them examine you for any problems that might make it unsafe to work out.  Once your doctor clears you then follow this article.

Exercise Benefits

Being physically active is usually a great choice for anybody and can offer benefits especially when you’re overweight.

Being overweight or obese puts you at higher risk for heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, and depression.  A workout routine can help with reducing the risk of many of these diseases.   

But more importantly, exercise can improve the way your body functions throughout...

Today I signed up for a DNA test from a company Self Decode.  They claim, “At Self- Decode, we’re revolutionizing the healthcare industry by providing personalized health recommendations based on a combination of your DNA, labs, and environmental factors.”  They further claim, “A scientific approach that focuses on you.”

“Self-Decode is the only company in the world that directly provides you with a holistic set of accurate health recommendations based on your genes so that you can take charge of your own healthcare with data-driven precision health decisions.”  These are huge claims that they make. “To make the best health decisions, you must take all of your health data into account. Otherwise, you end up addressing individual problems or symptoms without looking at the whole picture. The problem is that there is just too much information for any human to analyze.” 

I don’t know anybody that has taken...

Mindful meditation is becoming more and more popular every day.  Yesterday I wrote a post about how to meditate.  Yesterday I wrote an article on how to meditate but I should have included what the benefits are from meditation.  So, here are some great benefits to consider. I have committed to practicing daily.  So, I want to extol upon you the awesome benefits of daily mindful meditation. 

There is plenty of research demonstrating the benefits of meditation.  I hope you'll incorporate daily meditation into your routine.   Below there is a list of some benefits you will receive with daily meditation so there are plenty of reasons to begin a daily meditation routine.

1. It lowers stress.Most of the research on mindfulness meditation is focused on the reduction of stress and anxiety.  The anxious brain stresses about future events that haven't yet happened. Mindfulness meditation teaches your brain to be in the present moment and...

You’ve read about how beneficial mediation can be, you’ve heard celebrities and spiritual people shout about how great it is.  Then you tried to do it but wasn’t sure what to do and it did nothing for you.  Well today we are going to discuss how to meditate so you can begin to feel the benefits.   So, you want to be like those Buddhist Monks type meditators who seem to be in sync with the universe with little care in the world? Not going to happen. Want to sit down and enjoy a 20-minute thought-free session? Nope. These expectations are all misconceptions of meditation. Meditation is much more grounded than that.

What to expect

Meditation is about being in the here and now.  You sit in a straight posture and be still, accept input from your senses, then let go, come back, and just be in the present moment without giving attention to distractions jus be aware of a stream of thinking and what emotions it brings.  When thoughts or...

Approximately 75% of the entire world population don’t participate in enough physical activity to keep them healthy.  Physical inactivity is a major factor for mortality.

Sedentary activities where you do not engage in activity that will raise your heart rate.  Sedentary activities include things like, sitting, driving, writing, talking, watching TV or listening to the radio, reading and pretty much anything you do where you could just totally relax.

A sedentary lifestyle where there is a large level of inactivity will significantly impact your health in a negative manner.  Think things like your weight, diet which present the largest impact on your overall health.

There has been a discovered link to sedentary lifestyle and poor health since the 1600s.  Keep in mind people that spend most of their time sitting around are 50% more likely to develop serious health conditions that will result in death.

What to look for when assessing whether you are out of...

The popularity of couponing while still practiced is no longer popular.  People are still using coupons make no mistake about it using coupons is a great way to save money on the family budget buying items that you already buy on a regular basis.  If you’re not sure how to begin this guide will put you on the right track.  I hope you enjoy the advice.

How to Begin

You can find volumes written on couponing it takes organization and time to go through papers and online sources.  This is a guide that will allow you to get started on this journey that many have as a hobby that also saves the family money.

Determine your couponing goal

The first question you need to ask yourself is what goal am I trying to achieve with couponing?  Are you just trying to balance the family budget or is there something specific you are saving for such as a long weekend get-a-way?  This will keep you focused and motivated. 

Some people find that they love the...

If your life were to end today would the people, you love and care about know how much you loved them?  Would you have many regrets?  Would you have completed the most important things you wanted to accomplish in your lifetime?  To really have happiness in your life the best thing you could do is live as if today was your final day in this lifetime.  That way you could live life without worrying if you need to do anything because all the important things that matter will naturally be completed.

If I knew today was my last day here are the simple things I would immediately do.

1. Tell your family and friends how much you love them

People generally know when death is near for them especially these days with Hospice care to help.  People in a situation where they have a terminal illness usually want to see those most close to them and tell them I Love You.  They may also want to show them love with some type of gesture. 

Therefore, rake every...