Education is your life-long endeavor.

My Refocus Workshop... a very short RE-CAP

Daily Quote: All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them. ~ Walt Disney

Your Body "MOVE IT"

MOVE MORE, EAT LESS, DRINK WATER!

The body is the home of the mind, emotions, and spirit and requires consistent, but minimal maintenance.

Your Mind "USE IT"

READ, WRITE, PONDER!

Education is your life-long endeavor.

Your Spirit "FIND IT"

LEARN, ACT, TEACH!

Spiritual strength comes from understanding doctrine, prayer, scripture study, and worthy living.

Your Emotions "RESPECT THEM"

LISTEN, HONOR, RESPECT!

Your own social and emotional strength comes from being sensitive to the needs of those around you.

The My Refocus Methods.

Balance: We try to balance all 4 Elements every day. (Body, Mind, Spirit, & Emotional)

Progress: We record our work and thoughts in our journals.

Perspective: We live in the moment, where we are, we do not live in the past, we live here and now. We live with the hope that we know where we are going.

Repetition: We work on all four elements every day.

Repetition is the Father of action, the Mother of learning and the architect of accomplishments.

Day Fact: Choose to do whatever you like, but you don’t get to choose the consequences.

DWP Quote: You can't make a bed without disturbing the covers.

Learn to laugh, especially at yourself.



Orchard Floor

 My Refocus Workshop Journal


Daily Quote: It is not work that kills, but worry. ~ African Proverb

Body: Have a mid-afternoon snack. This will curb your appetite and provide fuel for your after-work walk or workout at the gym. Some great snack ideas include: reduced-fat peanut butter on a multi-grain cracker, a couple of pieces of low-fat string cheese and an apple, cottage cheese with pineapple, or try a low-fat cheese micro waved in a whole-wheat pita.

Mind: Read an article out of your normal scope, then free write a short paragraph.

Spirit: Visit a church, synagogue or mosque, where you are most comfortable, with or without others.

Emotional: Learn to laugh, especially at yourself. Research shows that laughter can boost your immune system, ease pain, relax your body, and reduce stress. It is said that angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.

Day Fact: You can always reset your thinking, your ​​​​​​words, your deeds, your life.

DWP Quote: Make time not excuses.

Most all things come hard to a rebel.

My Refocus Workshop Journal


Daily Quote: Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. ~ Dalai Lama

Body: Walking is essential to good health It lowers blood pressure, bad cholesterol (LDL) and that number on the bathroom scale. Those magic 10,000 steps also lead to the release of your body’s natural happy drugs – endorphins. Walking is good for your wallet, too. It’s absolutely free – no membership fees. Just put on a pair of sneakers, grab some hand weights, and go.

Mind: Making a vision board or box. You can cut out pictures that represent all that you desire to create as well as phrases and quotes that are meaningful. On the board you can draw or write things and in the box you can place special objects and talismans.

Spirit: Recite your bible or spiritual verse. Practice it till you know it by heart. This is intentional living.

Emotional: Head outside to catch the last few of that beautiful sunset, you’ll automatically reduce your anxiety by counteracting the sympathetic nervous system, which is a just a scientific way of saying, your body and brain likes what it sees.

Day Fact: ​​You control your thoughts, your words, and your ​​​​deeds.

DWP Quote: Most all things come hard to a rebel.

Identify negative thoughts and don't let them ambush you!

My Refocus Workshop Journal

 

Daily Quote: The mind is everything. What you think you become. ~ Buddha

 

Body: Move More! Don’t rely on diet alone. Not only is exercise an excellent stress reliever, research shows that people who do it regularly are more successful at eating healthfully and sticking to other good habits, like not smoking.

 

Mind: Play a game of checkers (in person or online)

 

Spirit: Say a prayer in private. Try using these 4 easy steps.

• Call on your creator
• Give thanks for your blessings
• Ask for your desires, ask for forgiveness for you sins
• Close in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Emotional: Write It Down! Identify negative thoughts and don't let them ambush you, but bring your fears into the open. Make a list of your seven worst fears. Writing them down reduces their power, they just become words on the paper for you analysis.

 

Day Fact: Change is constant.

 

DWP Quote: If it seems easy, you are probably doing it wrong.

 



A healthy breakfasts... less chronic disease!

My Refocus Workshop Journal


Daily Quote: You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. ~ Mark Twain

Body: Walking Day! Don't skip breakfast. Try to keep it balanced with some protein, a healthy carb, and a small amount of fat. Studies have even linked healthy breakfasts with less chronic disease, increased longevity and better health. Starting your day with a good breakfast boosts your energy, increases your attention span, and heightens your sense of well-being. You’ll be in better control of your emotions. A good breakfast is one that provides at least one third of the day’s calories. 

Mind: Record in your journal a happy event from your childhood, in as much detail as you can.

Spirit: Let go of pride. Many of us think of pride as self-centeredness, bragging, arrogance, and these are some elements of pride. Timeless wisdom tells us that pride is competitive. We pit our will against God’s. The proud cannot accept that there is a power greater than themselves. Let go of pride and consider bringing God back into your life.

Emotional: Barbara L. Frederickson, PhD, author of "Positivity" found that for every negative event or thought we have, there needs to be a minimum of 2.9 positive events to get ourselves back on the road to feeling good. Summed up simply, negative thoughts lead to a negative state of mind. Positive thoughts equal feeling positive.

Day Fact: You get tochoose to do whatever you like, but you don’t get​​​​ to choose the consequences.

DWP Quote: Humor is above insult.

Never Forget...

www.world-memorial.org

Governing Principals are pure, constant, and always in effect.

1. Power: There is a power greater than man.

2. Connectivity: Everything is connected to everything.

3. Freedom: We choose all of our actions, but we don’t get to choose all of the consequences.

4. Control: You control your thoughts, your words, and your deeds.

5. Action: You will act or be acted upon.

6. Change: Change is constant.

7. Reset: You can always reset your thinking, your words, your deeds, your life.

8. Harvest: You reap what you sow.

God, Bless America!

Make a gratitude list.

My Refocus Workshop Journal


Daily Quote: Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still. ~ Chinese Proverb

Body: Nix the late-night eating. If you eat a lot of excess calories after 8 p.m., you wear them the next morning. Put a stop to this by making sure you have a healthy dinner consisting of lean protein, veggies, and fruit.

Mind: Eat your meals and brush your teeth with your opposite hand today

Spirit: Memorize a bible or spiritual verse. This can be as easy or hard as you like e.g. “Jesus wept”

Emotional: List 10 things for which you are grateful. By creating a gratitude list each and every day, you shift your perspective. New research shows that practicing gratitude may be the fastest single pathway to happiness, health, long life, and prosperity. In a remarkable study performed by Dr. Emmons, people who kept a gratitude journal for just 3 weeks measured 25% higher on life satisfaction after wards.

Here are 5 proven methods:

1. Keep a gratitude Journal.

2. Write a letter of appreciation.

3. Make a gratitude visit. You can express your gratitude in person even more powerfully than in a letter.

4. Make a gratitude list. This can often be a quick pick-me-up.

5. Take a gratitude walk. Many people find the movement and variety of a walk help the brain and heart to work better.

Day Fact: About 284 million people are visually impaired worldwide: 39 million are blind and 245 have low vision.

DWP Quote: "Put sanity over vanity"

Keep expectations of yourself and others realistic.

My Refocus Workshop Journal


Daily Quote: In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It goes on. Robert Frost

Body: Walking day 30 min! Eat to fuel your body (which, after all, is the most basic reason to eat), it’s important to keep your actual needs in mind, because when you “over-fuel,” your body stores that energy in reserve as fat

Mind: No television today. Write in your journal.

Spirit: Contemplate the sky for 5 minutes, breath deep. Where do you stand?

Emotional: Keep expectations of yourself and others realistic. Unrealistic expectations lead to disappointment and feelings of failure.

Day Fact: The weight of the human brain is about 3 lbs and it uses 20% of the total oxygen in your body.

DWP Quote: "Being an example isn't fast... but it's a lasting lesson."

Visualize yourself staying balanced, calm and focused

My Refocus Workshop Journal


Daily Quote: He who has a why to live can bear almost any how. Friedrich Nietzsche

Body: Eliminate processed sugars. Processed sugars are carbs that have been stripped of their valuable nutrients. How can you identify these sugars? They are all white: table sugar, pasta, rice, and bread, and they're nothing but trouble, since they kick up your appetite for more of the same.

Mind: Visualize yourself staying balanced, calm and focused throughout the course of your day, easily handling any surprises and interruptions, and feeling happy and proud of yourself at the end of the day.

Spirit: In a quiet room take a candle and light it. It can be any color. Look deep into the flame and focus on it. Don't let your eyes become fuzzy. Your mind will then become filled with thoughts. After a while these will just drift away. Over time, you will distinguish what thoughts are your own and what are your guides. I really love times around a campfire, just staring into the flames letting my mind relax. I think of a candle as a portable campfire.
Emotional: Learn to accept the changes in your life. Change is inevitable and provides invaluable opportunities for growth. Resisting change takes a lot of energy and can leave you feeling frustrated and sad.

Day Fact: Emotions and the Topography of the Mind. According to Ekman and Friesen (1989) these are happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust. The capacity for such emotions are already developed at birth. The specific type of nurturing a child receives shapes how these emotions are developed.

DWP Quote: To be blissful requires a great deal of organization and sacrifice

Don’t wait until your life is in order.

My Refocus Workshop Journal



Daily Quote: Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact. William James

Body: Use balance exercises to warm up for things like walking, running or biking. After establishing your balance on one foot (just holding still is a good first step), try raising and lowering your body on one leg, keeping your torso erect while flexing at the knee and hip. As you get more confident, add reps/sets, go lower or move your free leg into different positions. Repeat with each leg. Walk Today!

Mind: Start a new book. Choose a subject you wouldn't normally read.

Spirit: "Write down one of your core beliefs. Our deepest and enduring sense of identity comes from realizing our connection to the larger world of spiritual reality. We come to see ourselves as expressions or manifestations of that reality, working to bring people together and to break down barriers of distrust, hatred and prejudice.

Emotional: Don’t wait until your life is in order before reaching out to help others. Someone who’s just lost a job might think he’s got nothing to give at the moment. But in fact, volunteering or helping out a friend — especially when we’re feeling distressed — is an amazing way to enhance our overall mood.

Day Fact: When you are looking at someone you love, your pupils dilate, and they do the same when you are looking at someone you hate.

DWP Quote: Anticipation cultivates the act.

Take a whole 60 seconds to eat a raisin or nut...

My Refocus Workshop Journal


Daily Quote: Do not dwell in the past; do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. Buddha

Body: Recent research shows that watching less TV will help you become more productive and burn more calories as a bonus. Researchers at the University of Vermont found that when study participants cut their TV time in half, they burned an extra 120 calories per day simply because they spent less time sitting idle on the couch (not necessarily because they used the extra time to exercise).

Mind: Listen to a few minutes of the morning news on the radio or TV. During the day, write down the main points of the news that you remember. Do the same in the evening.

Spirit: Take a whole 60 seconds to eat a raisin or nut. Feel it, smell it, taste it slowly chew it very slowly. Concentrate on the sensation in your mouth. Take note of your thoughts after the experience

Emotional: Plan for problems; don't expect everything in your life to go smoothly. Some things will happen to you. Some problems blindside us, but others are more predictable. Don’t fret but be prepared.

Day Fact: Depression is ranked as the leading cause of disability worldwide.

DWP Quote: The three “L’s”... Learn to Listen to the Lord.

Close your eyes, relax, and take three deep breaths...

My Refocus Workshop Journal

Daily Quote: A man is what he thinks about all day long. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Body: Walking day 30 min. Don’t forget your vitamin D, which is a key nutrient for helping our brains make the feel-good hormone serotonin. Sunlight exposure and fortified foods are the main ways we get vitamin D. Look for ways to incorporate more vitamin D into your diet (salmon and fortified milk are two great sources), and get outdoors without sunscreen for short stretches.

Mind: "Close your eyes, relax, and take three deep breaths through your nose. Notice how your thinking is clearer afterwards.

Spirit: Making your bed is a step that’s quick and easy, yet makes a big difference. Everything looks neater. It’s easier to find your shoes. Your bedroom is a more peaceful environment. For most people, outer order contributes to inner calm.

Emotional: Give up your Savior Complex You are not the Savior. But you are accountable for your own thoughts, words and deeds.

Day Fact: A typical American puts a whopping 355 “empty” calories in their tank, in the form of added sugar, each day.

DWP Quote: If we forget the past we lose sight of the future

"Make a list of things you want to do before you die,"

 My Refocus Workshop Journal


Daily Quote: No day is so bad it can't be fixed with a nap. Carrie Snow

Body: Create a food-free reward system. How about a new workout outfit, pairs of jeans, shoes -- or what the heck, even a spa treatment, shopping spree, or weekend getaway? You deserve this kind of treatment when you reach your goals.

Mind: Do math in your head while slouching, breathing shallowly, and with your mouth hanging open. Multiply two-digit numbers, add several numbers Just do whatever you can without pen and paper. (Dr. Oz)

Spirit: Take a catnap. Point to Ponder. {I have been blessed in many ways and I in turn should strive to be a blessing to others.}

Emotional: Find a Passion. If you don't know what your purpose in life is, start small. "Make a list of things you want to do before you die," Don't be shy about writing down wild schemes. If your first list is uninspiring, make another one. Identifying an interest and pursuing it can develop into a rich and exciting life.

Day Fact: If you have three quarters, four dimes, and four pennies, you have $1.19. You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar.

DWP Quote: "Trust at home makes the world more trustworthy"

A lighthearted spirit always has the power to see you through.

My Refocus Workshop Journal


Daily Quote: Every survival kit should include a sense of humor. Author Unknown

Body: Walking day 30 min! Do not let yourself get too hungry. When your blood sugar nose-dives you can feel jittery, fatigued, short on patience, even angry. Do yourself, your family, and your coworkers a favor and eat regular meals, either four to six mini meals a day or three proportioned meals with two healthy snacks

Mind: On the telephone, practice recognizing callers before they identify themselves. Then memorize callers' phone numbers. At the end of the day, write down the people you have spoken with that day, as well as their phone numbers. At the end of the week, try writing down as many of these as you can. I know it's "Journaling "

Spirit: Keep your conversations positive and stay away from gossip, lies and degrading talks.

Emotional: Play with your naturally happy friends. The feel-good boost you get from being with others actually enhances your brain’s cognitive ability and overall sense of well-being. If your social circle is wide and also happens to consist of mostly happy people, then you’re two steps ahead of the pack. Studies show that hanging around with happy people makes us happy.

Day Fact: A lighthearted spirit always has the power to see you through. When you are troubled, feeling low, depressed or down, the experience of laughter, if even just for the moment, banishes feelings of loneliness, anger and fear.

DWP Quote: The complications of life rob God's simplicities

Let go of things that no longer serve you.

My Refocus Workshop Journal

Daily Quote: “Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom”. George S. Patton

Body: Make daily notes. Research has shown that keeping track of your daily exercise and food intake in a journal or notebook will increase the likelihood of success. Keep it simple, or if you're inspired, write a novel! The key is to hold your-self accountable.

Mind: Take a sentence from a magazine or newspaper. Try to make another sentence using the same words.

Spirit: Write a note to someone you want to forgive or befriend (not to be delivered) Holding on to bitterness and anger can cause problems of their own, so if you have ever been victimized, being able to forgive your victimizer is a crucial part of your healing.

Emotional: Letting go of things that no longer serve you, can be great stress relievers! Because clutter has several hidden costs and can be a subtle but significant stressor, cleaning house and de-cluttering your space as a mindfulness exercise can bring lasting benefits.

Day Fact: Get support. Whether it's your best friend, spouse, or pet, it helps to have some nonjudgmental and nurturing support when trying to lose weight, especially during trying times.

DWP Quote: "The ability to observe is very much hampered by the routine of everyday life."

"You’ve got to accentuate the positive"

My Refocus Workshop Journal

Daily Quote: "A smile confuses an approaching frown." Author Unknown

Body: Walking day 30 min. Your winter challenge: Eat healthful carbs, such as sweet potatoes and whole-grain pasta, to help your blood pressure, cholesterol and mood. Just stick with smart portions that won’t break the calorie bank.

Mind: Each time you come to the end of a chapter in a book you are reading, imagine that you must summarize it as briefly as possible, orally or in writing, to someone who has not read it. Do the same for the whole book when you finish it. You may want to re-cap your book in your journal.

Spirit: Remember to smile at all those you contact even on the phone. Active Smile muscles tells your brain things are good and getting better.

Emotional: Seek Pleasure, add something positive and pleasurable to life, do it every day, and make it permanent. Self-care is your responsibility, and very important. Remember the lyrics of the old song "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" by  Johnny Mercer.


 ,

 “You’ve got to accentuate the positive

Eliminate the negative

And latch on to the affirmative

Don’t mess with Mister In-Between”

Day Fact: A smile is one of the most used human facial expressions. Smiles can use between 5 to all 53 muscles.

DWP Quote: Doorknobs should be higher to keep us humble