Prairie Health Journals

Your One Week System To Explosive Personal Growth!

January 19th, 2008 -- Posted in Psychology | No Comments »

Your One Week System To Explosive Personal Growth!

I seem to lost reckoning on how many times I’ve read and heard of show biz marriages degenerating almost left and right. Not that I care (and admittedly I don’t), it seems foolhardy that we see movie and TV stars as flawless people, living the fairytale life of affluence and glamor. I suppose we all have to stop sticking our heads in the clouds and face reality some day.

There are many ways to lose your feeling of self-esteem despite of how trivial it could get. But whatever happens, we should all try not to lose our own sense of self. There are no perfect lives despite the celebrity we see on the tube everyday.

So what does it take to be a cut above the rest? Here are some of the things you can think and improve on that should be adequate for a week worth of thought and practice.
1. Know Your Purpose.

Are you wandering through life with little direction – hoping that you’ll find happiness, health and prosperity? Identify your life purpose or mission statement and you will have your own unique compass that will lead you to your truth north every time. Without knowing the sense of direction you want to go how will you ever plan on getting there?

This may seem tricky at first when you see yourself to be in a tight or even dead end position in life. But there’s always that little loophole to turn things around and you can make a big difference to yourself. You just have to look, just a little, and you will see it.

2. Know Your Values.

What do you value most? Make a list of your top 5 values. Some examples are security, freedom, family, spiritual development, learning. As you set your goals for 2008 – test your goals against your priorities. Are they close? If the goal doesn’t align with any of your top five values – you may want to reconsider it or revise it otherwise your life seems to go in two different directions. You aren’t gaining anything if that is the case.

3. Know Your Needs.

Unmet needs can keep you from living authentically. Take care of yourself. Do you have a need to be acknowledged, to be right, to be in control, to be loved? There are tons of folks who live their lives without attaining any of their dreams and most of them end up being stressed or depressed and just plain miserable. You’re not going to let that happen, right? List your top five needs and get them met before it’s too late! You have to get out of the rut.

4. Know Your Passions.

You know who you are and what you truly enjoy in life, don’t you? Obstacles like doubt and lack of enthusiasm may hinder you at first, but will not derail your chance to develop into the person you ought to be if you give yourself just half a chance. Begin a plan to develop those things that you are passionate about. Don’t just let them sit on the back burner doing nothing.

5. Live Life From The Inside Out.

Increase your awareness of your inner wisdom by frequently reflecting in silence. Does that sound corny? Well, how about this? Commune with nature. Breathe deeply to quiet your distracted mind. Do you think it only works for people who want to be monks? For most of us in modern day society it’s hard to even find the peace and quiet we want even in our own home. What we are on the outside is a direct reflection of what it is we are on the inside. Think about it.

6. Honor Your Strengths.

What are your positive traits? What distinctive talents do you have? Don’t say you don’t have any! You are unique. That’s talent number one. List three – if you get stuck, ask those closest to you to help identify them. People aren’t seeing you from the fishbowl that you see yourself in. They see your talents everyday even if you aren’t aware of them yourself. Are you imaginative, witty, good with your hands,have a sense of humor, can write, etc.? Find ways to Assert your authentic self through your strengths. You can increase your self-confidence when you can share what you know to others.

7. Serve Others.

When you live realistically, you may find that you develop an interconnected feeling of being. When you are true to who you are, living your purpose and giving of your talents to the world around you, you give back in service what you came to share with others -your spirit – your essence, who it is you really are. The bonuses for sharing your gift with those near to you is genuinely rewarding, much more if it were to be the eyes of a stranger who can appreciate what you have done for them.

Self-improvement is indeed one type of work that is worth it. It shouldn’t always be within the confines of an office building, or conceivably in the four corners of your own room. The difference lies inside ourselves and how much we want to change for the better. Try these tips for a week. See for yourself what you can accomplish with just a little desire. You may be surprised who you find at the end of the week!

Concussions Kept Secret are Killing Teenagers

November 19th, 2007 -- Posted in Medical News, Psychology | No Comments »

Injuries are a daily part of high school sports. Star athletes expecting scholarships and a bright future know that all of that can change in a split second if they become injured in practice or play and have to sit out too many games. What many don’t realize is that returning to play too soon can cost them their lives.

Concussions don’t always mean losing consciousness. They often go unnoticed unreported, or ignored by players and coaches alike, putting players at risk for deadly second impact syndrome.
Second Impact Syndrome more likely in teens Second impact syndrome occurs when the brain sustains a second injury while the first injury is still healing. Neither injury has to be noticeably serious.

Teenagers are far more likely to experience second impact syndrome than adults when a second injury occurs.

Second impact syndrome can shut down the brain and breathing in as little as two to five minutes after injury. It can occur days or weeks after the original injury was sustained.

In second impact syndrome, the brain is suddenly unable to regulate blood flow, causing rapid swelling, herniation of the brain, and brainstem failure.

Why it happens
A recent article in the New York Times explained the problem as a combination of ignorance and intentional deception, fostered by football’s “gladiator culture.”

Many players don’t realize that they are in danger. They don’t take concussions seriously. Some simply refuse to sit it out. Competition is fierce. Perseverance and loyalty highly prized.

Parents and coaches are often part of the problem with unrealistic expectations blinding them to the very real danger of death or permanent disability, they push players to get back in the game and win.

Devastating realities
Over a million kids play high school football each year. About half of them sustain concussions. Most of those get back in the game before their injuries heal. Many of them sustain a second and even third injury. Some die on the field before help can arrive.

Athletic trainers report that only about five percent of players sustain a concussion each year, according to the New York Times report. When the players themselves were surveyed it was revealed that 50% had sustained one concussion and 35% experienced multiple concussions in one season.

When teenagers sustain brain injuries they can face a multitude of problems including:
· Behavioral problems
· Loss of short term memory
· Depression
· Learning disabilities
· Physical impairment
· Loss of concentration
· Substance abuse
· Unexplained anger and violence
· Anger and alienation
· Legal problems
· Suicide

For survivors, the scholarships they risked everything to win are lost. Some turn to drugs or suicide. Many wind up in prison. A few are so impaired that they have to live with their parents or in an institution for the rest of their lives. And, of course, some do not live to see the consequences.