With my words, I hope to throw some oblique light upon your life.
I want to inspire you to see life in a different and/or better way.
*** Remember, to read past blog posts,
go to >> kitsummers.com/blog/
*** If you are reading this through Facebook,
check out my blog on my website.
*** If you are not my Facebook friend, yet, please, befriend me.
*** Thank you, my wife, Beth, for adding to the blog each week.
*** The happiness I am experiencing in my life is a marvelous thing!
*** I will have places to show you and tales to tell.
*** Secrets to unfold and good news!
BE TAKEN AWAY WITH ME
ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES!
********************
INTRO TO THIS WEEK

For your near future >>
• Make sure you have enough food stored that can last you for at least six months.
• Get in better shape how you can – lift weights, walk, run (crawl?)
• Have medications and vitamins you need that will last you for over six months.
• Learn to depend on yourself, rather than having hope in some god.
• Connect with friends, we may have to get through this with the help of others.

On Facebook, I often post inspirational quotes to give people hope for their future. Many tie this in with religious views. I have never believed in any of the Gods that humans have developed. With this post, I am hoping you will examine your beliefs and follow what is right.

After my first accident and the 37-day coma I went through, some people said, “Boy, Kit, you should thank God you are alive.” I reply, “So, who do I have to thank for allowing the accident to happen in the first place?”

Then, after the second time I was hit by a truck and laying in a hospital bed once again, some people said the same words. Do these people not think before they utter words?

It seems that so many people believe in a God without thinking. In fact, parts of the bible book suggest believing and having faith without thinking, is best.

Simple Questions—
Where were you before you were born?
Is your God the one you were raised to believe in?
Why not one of the thousands of other Gods?
Prove, “God”, without referring to the Bible or Quran in any way.
Define, “soul”, in detail.
Define, “spiritual”, in detail.

I have asked why I should believe in a god, and the main reason I hear is that, if you do not believe in the right god (humans have invented over ten thousand gods), you will be sent to hell to suffer—FOREVER.

This threat of hell reminds me of a story I developed some time ago, you will see the point I am making by the end of the story.
========================
There was a 12-year-old girl who loved life. Smiling joyfully so much of her time on earth, it was an inspiration to see her. She was raised in a home with parents who did not believe, atheists they are. Her thoughts went the same direction, she did not believe.

One day she stayed after school for two hours helping her teacher. Mrs. Taylor offered to give her a ride home, but she said she only lived about five blocks away. Off she went with a skip and a smile.

Suddenly a car pulled up at the curb, it was a man she knew who lived a few blocks away. He offered her a ride, and, not wanting to offend, she hopped in. He said he could use her help for a little bit of time to clear some things out of a room, and she agreed to help.

Once in the house, this man was friendly as she helped. Then he was next to her and reached out to touch her. She got quite scared and told the man she wanted to leave.

However, he had already locked the doors from the inside.

She ran to get away, but he was right behind her. Dragging her to the bedroom and throwing her on the bed, he had his way with her for many hours. Then, the next day, it started again. This man did not know what to do with her after what he did, he ended up killing her and burying her in his basement.

This terrible man was eventually discovered, went before a judge, and sent to jail, where he waited to eventually be executed.

While in jail, he discovered God. His faith grew bigger and bigger. He asked this god for forgiveness for what he had done. His day came and he was put to death.

Now, according to believers, this kind and joyful young girl who did not know God will spend all eternity suffering and being tormented in hell because of non-belief.

While, this man who killed her, will live the rest of time with God in heaven, singing and having a good ol’ time.

A simple question, is this fair?

If you have any morals at all, I am sure you see the evilness of this story.
===============================
From my book series, Beyond Your Potential >>

If you are a believer in a God, I feel obligated to warn you that I am not. With this book, my goal is not to criticize, condemn, insult or convert, but rather, to help you explore the true nature of your own relationship with God, religion, and faith; if you are a follower that is.

Do not stop reading this book because of the subject matter contained, if the magnifying glass makes you uncomfortable, you need not look into it. On the other hand, that is precisely why you should.

I am writing about faith because, after the accident, I was trying to go down that path, for help, guidance, and relief; but ran into too many dead-ends and roadblocks. Try as I might, I could not find that road to go down.

If you have found this path for yourself, examine your beliefs—ask yourself exactly what you believe and why you believe it— and, perhaps, your views and thoughts on the subject will change, and may even grow stronger after reading these words.

After the appalling things I have gone through in my life, I tried to turn to the idea of a God to simply ask–“Why?”

No answer came to me.

Perhaps, because I grew up without a father (he died when I was six), I cannot find this “father” in heaven who takes care of us?

I am not saying that I just did not get educated about any kind of God; I have attended various churches over a hundred times, as well as synagogue. I fully tried to find the God that everyone was so enamored with; my mind would not allow me to.

At times, I would criticize myself in my mind, wondering why I could not find this God. I asked myself things like, “Are you too stupid to find and believe in this God?” It was when I found there were other critical thinkers in the world that set me free.

People told me, “You have to believe in your heart, and not in your mind.”

What, exactly, could that mean?

People also told me, “If you don’t believe in God you will go to hell.” First, this sounds like a huge threat. And, any God that would make me smart enough to know how to use my mind, will also punish me “FOREVER” for not believing in him (or her), this with no evidence – whatsoever.

People have told me, simply believe and you will be OK. Do they not think their god would know I am lying? If I do stand before a god and he (or she) asks about my non-belief, I will simply say, “You did supply me with enough good information to believe. So, if I am sent to hell, it is your fault.

With these words, I do not want to change your beliefs, I want to have you think, and, perhaps, make your faith even stronger, or, perhaps, diminish it all together. I want to get you to reflect on why you truly believe.

Under the impression that there was something there to help me, I was trying to build up a strong belief and faith, but I could not find anything, anywhere.

For myself, I have just found such comfort and freedom not having to base my life on any kind of a God.

I have been told that you cannot see or define God; you just have to believe on faith. How can you believe something if you cannot see or even define? I hear from people that God exists outside of space and time, then how would they know, if this knowledge were outside of their realm?

The idea of a god makes no sense to me.

People may say I was not trying in the right way, but I tried all kinds of ways and still—NOTHING. If you are a believer and can help steer me on the correct path to find God, please do.

I see that there is no way to prove God exists, but there is no way to prove God does not exist—the same goes for Faeries, The Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot, and Santa? I want you to know that I am still open to the idea that there is a God looking over us; I have yet to find that path or see any evidence, can you direct me?

I wrote the following words after attending a Christian church service. People there appeared happy and good-natured, showing kindness and support to one another—always gratifying to see.

Church often seems a good social mix for people; a connection place. Faith and belief have helped a great many people to live a better life, and often inspired them to help others.

After attending church hundreds of times, I never could “see” what these other people “saw.” I have been to all kinds of different churches and denominations and it seems that most of the time the pastor or preacher or rabbi or person running the show is trying to talk everyone “into” believing. “You must believe because of . . .” It was like all these believers have to be reinforced all the time to believe even stronger or the belief would fade away.

Is this right?

It seems that people who knew of my differing beliefs acted toward me as, “What’s wrong with him?” It seemed as if there was almost hatred behind their look, as they perceived me, just because I did not believe as they did.

I wondered why we could not even be friends just because this person had decided on a certain faith and my thoughts and beliefs were different.

I have just found there is so much negativity and even violence in the various dogmas of the world. Christian, Muslim, Judaism, Hinduism; each and every religion thinks theirs is the correct one. The fighting that is involved and true hatred toward others who do not believe as they do, to me, that behavior is truly immoral.

As Rodney King said, “Can’t we just get along?”

There has been a lot of good garnered through faith, yet religion has also caused a great deal of conflict, misery, and strife, all about statements that can never be proven true or false.

There are many different concepts of God and many different beliefs. These “beliefs” always remain subjective, as we can see from the estimated thirty-eight thousand different denominations, sects, schisms, and divisions within Christianity alone.

Wars are fought over petty disagreements where almost everyone on an individual level interprets “divine truth” differently. This is too often used as justification for virtually any act of inhumanity, costing hundreds of millions of lives over the centuries.

Still, we see these conflicts ongoing as religious divides continue to fan the flames of hate. The twin towers in New York City on September 11 in 2001, is just one example.

I want to stop the fighting, stop the bickering, to get on with life. Let us heal the world away from religious infighting and the thought control that is brought on by this part of human life.

With my words, I do not want to insult anyone in any way. I simply want you to think. Of course, these are my thoughts and my own discoveries about a God. I do not want to change your beliefs; I simply want you to think.

To me, having strong faith often builds up false hope in a person’s mind toward their own future. Religion sometimes gives people an excuse and a reason “not” to think. Faith provides a way to avoid studying something in-depth and then make your own conclusions.

To simply say, “God did it,” and then forget about it is not a good thing. It seems to me that having faith, at times, is an excuse not to fully use your mind and figure out how life truly is, baptized or not.

I have a story about my experience with a church I was attending: For a time, years ago, my first wife wanted me to be baptized, and I finally agreed.

On the day of the baptism, there were about six of us going through the ceremony, which was done in front of a large congregation of about eight hundred? I was the fourth in line and carried a bag with some hidden items I had brought with me.

Right before I was to walk out to be baptized in water, I put on the mask and snorkel I had in the bag and then walked out. The pastor wasn’t smiling; the 800 in the audience loved it. I wasn’t making fun of the procedure; I was just “Kitting Around” as I often do. The pastor later told me he enjoyed my prank.

As I went through the massive changes in my life, there were times when I honestly did search for this divine inspiration that has helped so many – for comfort, guidance, relief, love, and peace.

Try as I might, I could not find this celestial being anywhere. Logic and reason kept getting in the way, hard to see past how things really are. I could not ignore or look beyond the logic and reason that were so apparent to me.

Witnessing the faithful at church, in their contentment and confidence, I had asked myself, “Am I just too stupid to see what should be obvious?”

It all seemed so simple for them.

I was highly critical of myself, thinking that others could think in a different way than I could. And that, as it happens, is the case. We all think and perceive things differently.

But how can believers just believe without examining the thousands of other beliefs that people hold today or that have existed in the past and will come to be in the future?

What if the Muslim God, Allah, is the only real God? Though they both fall under the category of Abrahamic religion, what if Christianity is heresy? Or what if it is the other way around? What if the Hindu God, Ganesha, is correct? What about Zeus?

If there is a God, what if the real truth has not yet been revealed, and a future religion is the correct one?

Even with all these choices, if you do believe and it helps you, then it is probably a positive influence on your mind. I do understand your beliefs. We must all believe in something, be it supernatural or merely our personal ideals.

Speaking of belief, when I was young and in junior high school, I loved reading the Chronicles of Narnia books, written by CS Lewis. I was lost in these books and could not put them down. My mind truly went to Narnia and was a part of the story; I got lost in this world and loved it.

Yes—I was a believer—in Narnia, Aslan, Mordor, and all the rest. I do understand how people can have beliefs.

Each person needs to examine why they actually believe and what is true to them.

With these words, I would like to help open your heart and mind to truly see the life you are living now—the only life we truly know we have—and aim toward the excellence that you desire, with or without God.

I would like you not to squander this life you are living as nothing more than some kind of trial to be borne and suffered through on the path to something we can only hope is waiting in a possible hereafter (for Muslims, the hope of the seventy-two virgins who await them in heaven?—Do the virgins have any say in this?)

Life is going on NOW—are you living your best?

I know that most people in the world have been taught, as children, to accept the spiritual beliefs of their parents, whatever those beliefs may be.

When a child has these beliefs reinforced, again and again, with this idea of God during all their years growing up, no wonder they are a strong believer in that faith. Strong believers are what my two daughters turned out to be, I didn’t really have a say in the matter.

I am so glad I am with Beth now, who has doubts about a god, as I do.

In learning of God as a youth, is that a good reason to believe something? You are older now; you need to thoroughly examine what and why you truly believe. Or, do you also believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny, too?

While growing up, I did not have much of a religious or spiritual influence in my life. My mother never went to church and never was spiritually dogmatic, so ideas of church and deity were largely foreign to me. Yet, I knew that a religious mind helped so many.

Although I always was aware of how faith aided many people throughout their lives, I saw it as a psychological necessity for some, but not for me.

I repeat; take the time to analyze what and why you truly believe.

When I talk with Christians (Christianity being the primary religion where I live) and tell them of my skepticism of God and ask where I can find or see this God, responses are mostly the same: “Well, look around you. See the green grass, the beautiful trees, hear lovely nature, and see the sweet circle of life?

“Yes, very nice,” I say, and continue, “Did you know that most of the earth is either too dry or too hot or too cold to support most life forms?”

“Or that the harmonious circle of life is an endless cycle of forced kill-and-be-killed cruelty—that most creatures live in discomfort at best and merely survive day-to-day as a relentless struggle of life and death?”

“Or that thousands of species are constantly dying out, being killed off by the competition with or without human influence?”

“And what of natural disasters—hurricanes, drought, earthquakes, forest fires, lightning strikes, and so forth, wreaking havoc, bringing misery, desolation, and death to all living things indiscriminately?”

If you can provide any evidence for a god or good reasons I should believe – please do.

LIFE IS HAPPENING ALL THE TIME – ARE YOU KEEPING UP?
********************
WORDS TO INSPIRE YOU! >>
Inspirational quotes and motivational sayings have an amazing ability to change the way we feel about life and can change our thinking.

This is why I find them so interesting, challenging, and important on our path to joy and happiness and finding ways to inspire ourselves as well as others.

Inspirational quotes and ideas provide us with a quick and timely burst of wisdom to get our focus back, offering the inspiration needed for the day or occasion.

I hope to inspire you with my words.

Words have power.

At any age, you can (and should) make changes to make your life better.

You see, the way you think and feel about yourself, including your beliefs and expectations about what is possible for you, determines everything that happens in your life. It all derives from your quality of thinking.

When you improve the quality of your thinking,
you change the quality of your life—sometimes instantly!

Just as positive words can make someone smile, and/or, a well-timed amusing quote can make someone laugh, your own thoughts react to the world in real-time. You have this control!

In fact, you have complete control over only one thing in the universe — Your Thinking — and that’s where motivational quotes come in!

To keep your motivation, you have to use each day as an opportunity for improvement, to be better, and to get a little bit closer to your goals. It might sound like a lot of work—and with your busy schedule—next to impossible. But you can do it!

Self-talk is so important—THINK RIGHT!
Motivational words, yes, they’re just words.
But they’re positive words; they will keep you on track.

Remember, you are only as young as the last time you changed your mind.

Keep your thoughts and self-talk fun and productive and always reaching for advancement.

VERY LITTLE IS NEEDED TO MAKE A GREAT LIFE.
********************
I HOPE THE FOLLOWING WORDS INSPIRE YOU >>

YOU choose what inspires you. In that there is no God and no afterlife, I am even more inspired than ever to make this one life I have, as I am doing, a life worth living!

We don’t get second chances, this is it!
There is no heaven and/or hell.
We have this one chance to make our life fantastic!
Do that, as you help others to find a magnificent life, too.

If you only do things in life because you want a reward or are afraid of some future punishment, that is an awful source of inspiration/motivation. Many people just like to see others smile, or laugh, or be happy.

They enjoy life.

Belief in gods has nothing to do with being able to enjoy your life and share it with and help those around you.

As Penn Jillette has said: “The question I get asked by religious people all the time is, ‘Without God, what’s to stop you from raping and killing all you want?’
And my answer is:
“I do rape all I want.
And the amount I want is zero.
And I do murder all I want.
Again, the amount I want to is zero.”

The fact that these people think that if they didn’t have this person watching over them that they would go on killing, raping, and rampages is the most self-damning thing I can imagine.

Get on with your life, and find joy as often as you can.
Help other people as much as possible, too.

Please, let me know how things are turning out for you, my friend.

COMPOSE A NOBLE BOOK AND WRITE A BEST-SELLER.
YOU ARE AMAZING—PLAY YOUR PART!
********************
MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>

July 4—Hope you had a happy fourth of July. We went to visit our friend Mea, who has all the animals. She had kale growing, so we got some for our rabbits.

Time goes on, and I’ve been thinking about my aging. I never think I will die, but, of course, I cannot avoid it. I did not ever think of my mom dying, yet she did. Are you accomplishing all you want to before that end result?

If you are getting older and have a chance of retiring—DO IT! You can get back to and on with your life. Retirement monies still come in, but it is a smaller amount. I find that I can live on very little money, but I can live the life that “I” want.

Because of my accidents, I was able to get Social Security Disability Income (SSDI). Not much, but it is enough for me. You might say I retired at age fifty, a great decision I made for my life.

Let me offer a bit of advice. Don’t look at it from the standpoint of retiring. At any age, look at your condition as being “financially independent,” where you can do anything you damn well want to do—including working—your choice. JUST LIVE YOUR LIFE IN A MAGNIFICENT WAY!

Obviously, you have to have the financial piece nailed down, then you only have yourself to blame if you get bored. I find most “retired” people, become busier than when they had a “real job”.

In my case, living in my van and traveling for about six years, I loved it!

I went to many national parks and wilderness areas all across the US. I hiked in the mountains, bathed in the streams, made fires while camping, and used my bike I kept on the back of the van to travel, too. These have been some of the best years of my life.

If you have a chance and are able to get away like this, do it as soon as possible. Marriage can add some wrinkles. (I was single.) Beth and I are planning to do some traveling and living in our vehicle sometime in the future. Maybe we could meet up with you somewhere.

July 5—Always having projects to work on is a fantastic state of mind. Always advancing our home, I love to do that.

And, we stopped by to visit Todd and his new business. After recently purchasing this pet shop, he will use his passion to make this into a magnificent Aquatic and Reptile store. I can tell from just meeting him, he will make it into a fantastic stop and store.

Todd and his wife, have no experience in this area but he was so excited when he told us his plans. This is his deep desire, and this shows you how you can develop your own passion for something and find success.

Find Todd here >>
greenwoodaquaticplanet.com

Then, a big rain at night, which the plants growing sucked up.

July 6—There are a couple of food banks nearby in Greenwood, SC. More and more people are taking advantage of this way to get free food, if you need it. Often these are things from grocery stores that might be out of date, but are still good. If you need to, take advantage of this, it does help.

July 7—Mice, roaches, and ants (but no uncles.) Critters looking for a handout, I guess they don’t know about food banks? We could live with it, but started to be too much. Do you have varmints that you don’t want at your abode?

Many people chemically take care of the problem, killing the invaders. I have to admit, I have done that in the past. But, I started thinking, could I find a way that won’t kill the little strangers and just block them?

Using duct tape and Spackle, I went all through the outside of the house, under the house, and all walls and cupboards in the kitchen. I looked for and covered holes with duct tape, or filled in places with Spackle where they could get in.

Since doing that, we have had NO intruders.

This fix will be permanent, using chemicals is a one-time fix. If you need it, you might try my technique. Get out there are examine and fix your home. You will save a ton of money without chemicals and it will be a long-term fix for your home.
*******************
YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK >>
Do you attend a church?  
Do not go this week.
Just think about the God you believe in and
think about not believing and how it would feel.

Are you a believer?
Do you have realistic proofs for your god?
Please post to me or the group—educate us.
*******************
NEXT BLOG >>
Heat is here.
You will learn how we are dealing with it.
Do you have any advice you could let me know about?
*******************
THIS WEEK,
MAKE YOUR LIFE
SOMETHING
THAT YOU CAN
WRITE ABOUT!

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With my words, I hope to throw some oblique light upon your life.
I want to inspire you to see life in a different and/or better way.
*** Remember, to read past blog posts,
go to >> kitsummers.com/blog/
*** If you are reading this through Facebook,
check out my blog on my website.
*** If you are not my Facebook friend, yet, please, befriend me.
*** Thank you, my wife, Beth, for adding to the blog each week.
*** The happiness I am experiencing in my life is a marvelous thing!
*** I will have places to show you and tales to tell.
*** Secrets to unfold and good news!
BE TAKEN AWAY WITH ME
ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES!
********************
INTRO TO THIS WEEK
Yes, time goes on. Seems that Fridays come so quickly each week. But, that is something that can’t be controlled. Time is important, do you spend your time right?

As you know, Beth and I have a new life together to spend as we want. Because we are both about age 63, we know we have limited time left in which to spend our time. We have much planned, but human life comes to an end. We strive to live in joy the rest of the time we have left together.

That last paragraph reminds me of a song.
Do you know?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7TANPFMf1k

You always have that choice for your life, too.
Choose to spend your time left to you how YOU want.

We can’t control it, time goes on all the time. Because of my accident and 37-day coma, much time was taken away from me. I’ve had to learn to adjust and use time in better ways. I am hoping that the words below will help you control your time better.

From my book series, Beyond Your Potential >>

You control your time, never let time control you!

The Cost of Time
• What’s time worth to you?
• Do you squander time?
• Do you analyze your life and see how you are spending your time?
Time certainly is more valuable than money. Time is a resource that everyone is given equally, yet why is it that some people have more time than others? Time is often more precious than money, we must use it well. We can’t deposit time into a bank like we can money. We can only spend time.

How Do You Spend Your Time?
Be careful how you spend the time you are allotted. Wasting time is such a massive mistake, you must control how you spend this time you have. Pack your day with productive tasks, phone calls, and interactions with others that will have rewarding results for you.

Moment to moment.
Every moment of your life you have to analyze and ask yourself if you might be wasting time. Are you making time to bring joy into your life? What about relaxing, socializing, and playing? Balance is key. Examine how you use the time you have.

Careful.
Be more cautious with how you spend your time. Arrange for business meetings at mealtimes. Make phone calls when you’re having your hair cut, waiting to see a doctor, or getting your nails done. Listen to motivational or how-to recordings when you are driving. Really examine your life to see where you could “make” more time.

DO IT NOW!
If you have a task to do
Do it now
Today the skies are bright and blue
So do what you have to do
Yesterday is not for you
Do it now
If you have to juggle
Juggle now
Tomorrow may not work
Throw things like you’re in a cirque
You must, you must, like a Turk
Juggle now
If you have a song to sing
Sing it now
Let the sounds of gladness ring
Clear as the song of a bird in spring
Let every moment some music bring
Sing it now
If you have pleasant words to say
Say them now
Tomorrow may not come your way
Do kindness while you may
Loved ones will not always stay
Say them now
If you have a smile to show
Bring it on now
Make hearts happy, roses grow
Let the friends around you know
The love you have before they go
Show it now

Time is of the Essence?
Many people tell themselves, “I’ll do it when I have more time.” Each of us has all the time there is (think about those words for a moment). We make time for what’s important to us. If it’s important to you, you will find or make time. Come to think of it, how do you find the time?

Where?
I’ve looked under rocks, in the mountains, in caves at the ocean. I’ve never found time ever in my life. If it isn’t that important to you, don’t lie to yourself and others and say, “I don’t have time.” You just don’t want to fit it into your schedule. We all have time to fill, to get things done, it’s our choice of how we spend the time we have.

How to Spend Time
When we are waiting in line, waiting for a client, waiting for a bus, figure out some projects and tasks that can be worked on during the times while you are waiting. Perhaps work on learning that new language you want to learn while waiting to see a doctor, or read a book that will benefit you, or make those calls you need to make. Break things down into segments of time that you can document.

Time Wasters
People who steal your time – I call them time-wasters. What or who are your time-bandits? People who keep us in a meaningless conversation that never ends, people asking unintelligent questions that don’t stop coming or someone who doesn’t speak coherently and you have to keep asking them to repeat what they are saying.

Pardon me.
You must find a way to pardon yourself and get away from these people. Are you, yourself, a time-waster? Do you spend too much time on the computer looking at trivial websites or reading an email that is of no value, or making personal calls for no reason?

LIFE IS HAPPENING ALL THE TIME – ARE YOU KEEPING UP?
********************
WORDS TO INSPIRE YOU! >>
Inspirational quotes and motivational sayings have an amazing ability to change the way we feel about life and can change our thinking.

This is why I find them so interesting, challenging, and important on our path to joy and happiness and finding ways to inspire ourselves as well as others.

Inspirational quotes and ideas provide us with a quick and timely burst of wisdom to get our focus back, offering the inspiration needed for the day or occasion.

I hope to inspire you with my words.

Words have power.
At any age, you can (and should) make changes to make your life better.

You see, the way you think and feel about yourself, including your beliefs and expectations about what is possible for you, determines everything that happens in your life. It all derives from your quality of thinking.

When you improve the quality of your thinking,
you change the quality of your life—sometimes instantly!

Just as positive words can make someone smile, and/or, a well-timed amusing quote can make someone laugh, your own thoughts react to the world in real-time. You have this control!

In fact, you have complete control over only one thing in the universe — Your Thinking — and that’s where motivational quotes come in!

To keep your motivation, you have to use each day as an opportunity for improvement, to be better, and to get a little bit closer to your goals. It might sound like a lot of work—and with your busy schedule—next to impossible. But you can do it!

Self-talk is so important—THINK RIGHT!
Motivational words, yes, they’re just words.
But they’re positive words; they will keep you on track.

Remember, you are only as young as the last time you changed your mind.

Keep your thoughts and self-talk fun and productive and always reaching for advancement.

VERY LITTLE IS NEEDED TO MAKE A GREAT LIFE.
********************
I HOPE THE FOLLOWING WORDS INSPIRE YOU >>
“Learn from the past,
set vivid, detailed goals
for the future, and live
in the only moment of
time over which you have
any control: NOW.”
Denis Waitley

Please, let me know how things are turning out for you, my friend.

COMPOSE A NOBLE BOOK AND WRITE A BEST-SELLER.
YOU ARE AMAZING—PLAY YOUR PART!
********************
MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>
6/25—I’m surprised that, since changing my diet and not eating meat or cheese, my asthma and allergies have not been a problem whatsoever.

Normally I was using my Albuterol Inhaler sometimes a couple of times a day, and a few times a week. Since changing my eating habits I have not had to use my breath freshener (what I call my inhaler) once.

6/26—We are still eating healthier, it is showing. Here is my salsa recipe, have you made some? Very healthy it is.

HOW TO MAKE SUMMERS SALSA:
Use a food processor to mix the following as you then put it all into a 16-quart bowl >>

One 15-ounce can of corn, drained of the juice
One 15-ounce can of black beans, drained of the juice
One large can of peaches drained of the juice
1 tbs of garlic salt
½ cup of diced garlic
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup of lime juice
½ cup of lemon juice
One bundle of cilantro
One jalapeno pepper
1 big red onion
About 15 plum tomatoes

On peaches >>
One 29 ounces can of peaches along with the maple syrup
In the food processor, slightly chop peach into ¼” portions then blend with maple syrup and add into the mix.

On onion >>
Use the food processor to cut the large red onion into ¼” pieces.

On cilantro >>
One two-inch bundle of cilantro
Chop fresh cilantro by hand into about ¼” pieces and add to mix

On jalapeno pepper >>
Chop in the food processor one jalapeno pepper into fine pieces

On Plum Tomatoes >>
Cut about 15 plum tomatoes in the food processor into ¼” pieces and mix them into the brew.

Keep mixing the brew off and on the entire time.

For hot salsa leave out maple syrup and peaches,
add enough habanero Peppers and jalapeno peppers
for the heat you want.

6/27—We are still gathering a lot of food for our stock, are you? I am hearing more and more that food is going to become difficult to obtain. Start saving now for your future.

Also, we have vegetables planted for future eating. Gather and save seeds, and get food together for later. Help other people how you can as often as you can. Need my help, I’m here for you.
Here is Kit juggling small tomatoes from our garden. 

6/28—We voted today, but it was just a simple vote for someone in the district. Looking forward to voting in 2024, time to get Trump back in to get things repaired and right again.

Since I’ve been living with Beth I noticed she did not have a number sign for the house. So today I made a nice-looking one. Now we will never get lost again.

6/29—It’s 40 miles each way, but I found a place that does dental work for low-income people (like me.) I’m hoping they will be able to work on my mouth quickly; getting much done each visit. I will let you know.

6/30—As the world becomes more chaotic, we are planning for that. Currently, we have two vans and a car. We use the car for traveling, it gets the best gas mileage. Bikes and going to be used, too. Are you planning for your future?

Also, seems that we will have to be more careful by putting up a security gate at the entrance to our home. Looking into that now.

7/1—We purchased another bunny today–Clementine. The guy Beth found with the bunny grows them to sell the meat for eating. She wants to save it, I understand. But, what if I get hungry??

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YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK >>
Shoes off.
Can you move your little toe with your foot flat on the ground?
I can’t.
Can you?
Let me know.
*******************
NEXT BLOG >>
We will be exploring Thurmond Dam next week (oh damn.)

*******************
THIS WEEK, MAKE YOUR LIFE
SOMETHING
THAT YOU CAN WRITE ABOUT!

• Tweet
• Pin It

With my words, I hope to throw some oblique light upon your life.
I want to inspire you to see life in a different and/or better way.
*** Remember, to read past blog posts,
go to >> kitsummers.com/blog/
*** If you are reading this through Facebook,
check out my blog on my website.
*** If you are not my Facebook friend, yet, please, befriend me.
*** Thank you, my wife, Beth, for adding to the blog each week.
*** The happiness I am experiencing in my life is a marvelous thing!
*** I will have places to show you and tales to tell.
*** Secrets to unfold and good news!

BE TAKEN AWAY WITH ME
ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES!
********************
INTRO TO THIS WEEK

All about changes, you will like this blog. Beth and I have recently gone through a big change. We are only eating a plant-based diet. No more meat or dairy for us. We have recently been reading proven facts about how a meat diet can bring on cancer and cause other bad things to your mind and body.

This is from my book series, Beyond Your Potential >>

A number of times I’ve had to start my life anew—

• Hit by two different trucks
• Different Performance Venues.
• Love to be on the road.

How to start.
The first step in starting a new life is picturing the life you want >>
Where do you live in this new life?
What kind of work are you doing?
What type of partnership do you find yourself in?
How are you dressing?
What kind of friends do you have?
What kind of toothpaste do you use?

You can change just small details.
You can change major parts.
It’s your life, it’s your choice.
Examine even the smallest details of the life you want and write them down.
You don’t have to change every part of your current life.
Start small.

Living the Dream?
Define what living your dream life really means to you. It’s not as tough as it sounds. Just envision yourself at the end of your life and looking back. Is this the life you had truly wanted? What words would you want others to use to portray how you lived your life and who you are as a person? Also ask yourself, “How did I add to other people’s lives?

Brain Injury?
If you, like me, have had to go through a major brain change, you can still bring on and have an amazing life. Use ideas from this and move your life up and forward.

What’s Important?
Sure, you have obligations. Decide what is more valuable – your commitments or your life? You may have a family – make them part of the change, too. It will add to their lives as the change adds to yours.

Your Future?
Every time you think about the future or when you might have time – STOP! Ask yourself, “Why not now, this instant?” All of a sudden, look at that, you’re dead. All your ideas never came to be. Think about what you will tell yourself in the years to come. “I constantly wanted to, but never did.” Start doing the things you always planned to do.

Start now!
It’s your life, don’t waste it! In fact, choose to start a new life every morning when you awaken. Plan one project you will do that day to make yourself feel alive, something new and creative. Start today, my friend.

Find somewhere else to live?
That’s right, make the move! You’ve always liked the mountains, or you’ve always liked the city, or you’ve always liked the beach, you’ve always wanted to live on a farm. Nothing is holding you back, move yourself to the place you like.

The Change?
If you need, change your name and your identity, just like my sister did. This can be done, legally, for a small fee. Doing so might free up your mind to get back on track in your life.

Get the Right Attitude Toward the New You!
The old you is a memory. You are an altogether new person now. You can be who you want and what you want. Have the self-assurance to go where you want with “your” future. Do whatever it takes to make “you” a better person.

The Four Steps?
Make yourself a promise to make this change a top priority in your life. If you don’t, the life changes will never happen and you will be stuck living the same awful life. What are four steps you can take today to jump-start your upcoming change?

Start Again—Again?
There are no restrictions on the number of times you can start anew. You can completely start life one more time over and over again. You can and will always find the inspiration necessary.

Thanks
Change your life. You will thank yourself, much. What sounds better, this new life or the old life that you didn’t like and that was going nowhere?

You Are On Your Way, Congratulations!

The thing is, you just “have to start” on your path to your own success.
LIFE IS HAPPENING ALL THE TIME – ARE YOU KEEPING UP?
********************
WORDS TO INSPIRE YOU! >>
Inspirational quotes and motivational sayings have an amazing ability to change the way we feel about life and can change our thinking.

This is why I find them so interesting, challenging, and important on our path to joy and happiness and finding ways to inspire ourselves as well as others.

Inspirational quotes and ideas provide us with a quick and timely burst of wisdom to get our focus back, offering the inspiration needed for the day or occasion.

I hope to inspire you with my words.

Words have power.
At any age, you can (and should) make changes to make your life better.

You see, the way you think and feel about yourself, including your beliefs and expectations about what is possible for you, determines everything that happens in your life. It all derives from your quality of thinking.

When you improve the quality of your thinking,
you change the quality of your life—sometimes instantly!

Just as positive words can make someone smile, and/or, a well-timed amusing quote can make someone laugh, your own thoughts react to the world in real-time. You have this control!

In fact, you have complete control over only one thing in the universe — Your Thinking — and that’s where motivational quotes come in!

To keep your motivation, you have to use each day as an opportunity for improvement, to be better, and to get a little bit closer to your goals. It might sound like a lot of work—and with your busy schedule—next to impossible. But you can do it!

Self-talk is so important—THINK RIGHT!
Motivational words, yes, they’re just words.
But they’re positive words; they will keep you on track.

Remember, you are only as young as the last time you changed your mind.

Keep your thoughts and self-talk fun and productive and always reaching for advancement.

VERY LITTLE IS NEEDED TO MAKE A GREAT LIFE.
********************
I HOPE THE FOLLOWING WORDS OF CHANGE INSPIRE YOU >>

“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change” -Albert Einstein

“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude” -Oprah Winfrey

“Every day the clock resets.
Your wins don’t matter.
Your failures don’t matter.
Don’t stress on what was, fight for what could be.” -Sean Higgins

“Don’t let rejection create self-doubt. The founder of Starbucks was turned down by 217 of the 242 investors he initially spoke with.” -Elizabeth Galbut

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” -Leo Tolstoy

“Play to your strengths. If you aren’t great at something, do more of what you’re great at.” -Jason Lemkin

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” -Harriet Tubman

“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” -Winston Churchill

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” -Jimmy Dean

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” -Maya Angelou

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” -Nelson Mandela

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new” -Socrates

“Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality.” -Nikos Kazantzakis

“There is nothing permanent except change.” -Heraclitus

“Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better.” -Sydney J. Harris

“Change before you have to.” -Jack Welch

Please, let me know how things are turning out for you, my friend.

COMPOSE A NOBLE BOOK AND WRITE A BEST-SELLER.
YOU ARE AMAZING—PLAY YOUR PART!

********************
MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>
6/19—A wonderful and quiet day. Both Beth and I are, as they say, retired? We get a check each month from the government, not much, but keeps us going well.

6/20—We had turtles in the house in a clear container. They told me they wanted to be free, so I built them an enclosure outside. Have you ever seen a turtle dance? Yes, they were quite happy.

6/21—Have you ever had quinoa? We tried a recipe and it turned out quite well. We are eating quite well, just no meat or dairy. Have you tried this kind of diet?

6/22—My fried rice recipe, have you tried it? I usually make it with chicken, you know, chicken fried rice. Well, I did the fried rice, but without the chicken. As tasty as usual it was.

Here is the recipe, you must try it >>
Fried Rice

4 cups cooked rice

4 green onions

1 cup chopped onions

3 large eggs, fried

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup red pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1 or 2 cups of chicken or shrimp or not

Use olive oil to stir fry

6/23—Today my friend, Gary Duteau, was in town. Gary owns the land where Beth and I wed. I have been working on making the path wider and better. Gary and I actually met up through Facebook and, coming to see his land a year ago, that is when Beth and I met. So, I owe much to Gary.

The spider lilies are beautiful plants. You will find some photos.

********************
YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK >>
On common tasks that you do, such as brushing your teeth, this week work on finding the most efficient and quickest way to perform the task. There are always better ways to do everything—find that better way to do all that you do.
*******************
NEXT BLOG >>
Hmm, I guess we will both find out as the week presents itself.
*******************

THIS WEEK, MAKE YOUR LIFE SOMETHING
THAT YOU CAN WRITE ABOUT!

• Tweet
• Pin It

With my words, I hope to throw some oblique light upon your life.
I want to inspire you to see life in a different and/or better way.
*** Remember, to read past blog posts,
go to >> kitsummers.com/blog/
*** If you are reading this through Facebook,
check out my blog on my website.
*** If you are not my Facebook friend, yet, please, befriend me.
*** Thank you, my wife, Beth, for adding to the blog each week.
*** The happiness I am experiencing in my life is a marvelous thing!
*** I will have places to show you and tales to tell.
*** Secrets to unfold and good news!

BE TAKEN AWAY WITH ME
ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES!
********************
INTRO TO THIS WEEK
A successful person is someone who sets and achieves goals, always reaching for more.
Is that you?

Some people may define success as being happy and fulfilled, while others may define it as having status and accomplishments. To me, it means being able to live the life that “YOU” want. Often when talking about success, all of these elements are relevant.

Success is something that you have to define for yourself, and no one can specify success for you. Success could mean a sense of giving back to the world and making a difference.

The key to finding out what motivates you, and ultimately, being successful, is to work out what makes you truly happy and helps you to reach your highest potential, as you help others.

Success could mean a sense of accomplishment and career progression.
It could mean being able to buy that expensive car you love.
It might mean helping that old lady down the street with her life.

When successful, you are no longer the center of the universe, there is more >>
1. You stay positive.
2. You know that failure isn’t forever.
3. You keep things in perspective.
4. You ask for help when you need it.
5. You realize that life isn’t a zero-sum game.

Remember, it’s never too late to start over >>
At age 23, Oprah had just been fired from her first broadcasting job.
At age 30, Jonah Peretti was teaching middle schoolers before founding his billion-dollar media companies, Buzzfeed and The Huffington Post.
At age 40, Stan Lee finally achieved success with Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and X-Men comics.
In his 40s, with no background in food preparation, Kit started his successful summerssalsa.com
At age 50, Julia Child wrote her first cookbook.
At age 62, Kernel Sanders’ fried chicken business KFC finally succeeded.
At age 77, Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s president after spending 27 years in jail.

The thing is, you just “have to start” on your path to your own success.
LIFE IS HAPPENING ALL THE TIME – ARE YOU KEEPING UP?
********************
WORDS TO INSPIRE YOU! >>
Inspirational quotes and motivational sayings have an amazing ability to change the way we feel about life and can change our thinking.

This is why I find them so interesting, challenging, and important on our path to joy and happiness and finding ways to inspire ourselves as well as others.

Inspirational quotes and ideas provide us with a quick and timely burst of wisdom to get our focus back, offering the inspiration needed for the day or occasion.

I hope to inspire you with my words.

Words have power.
At any age, you can (and should) make changes to make your life better.

You see, the way you think and feel about yourself, including your beliefs and expectations about what is possible for you, determines everything that happens in your life. It all derives from your quality of thinking.

When you improve the quality of your thinking,
you change the quality of your life—sometimes instantly!

Just as positive words can make someone smile, and/or, a well-timed amusing quote can make someone laugh, your own thoughts react to the world in real-time. You have this control!

In fact, you have complete control over only one thing in the universe — Your Thinking — and that’s where motivational quotes come in!

To keep your motivation, you have to use each day as an opportunity for improvement, to be better, and to get a little bit closer to your goals. It might sound like a lot of work—and with your busy schedule—next to impossible. But you can do it!

Self-talk is so important—THINK RIGHT!
Motivational words, yes, they’re just words.
But they’re positive words; they will keep you on track.

Remember, you are only as young as the last time you changed your mind.

Keep your thoughts and self-talk fun and productive and always reaching for advancement.

VERY LITTLE IS NEEDED TO MAKE A GREAT LIFE.

********************
I HOPE THE FOLLOWING WORDS INSPIRE YOU >>
What would you do if you knew you could not fail at something?

This is a question that you have to ask yourself when you are hesitant about doing something that you know you can and should do.

Asking yourself this question will trigger positive energy within you to accomplish your desire.

Success comes to those who are conscious of success. The only thing you have to give up to get what you want is the idea that you cannot have it.

Now, become that success that you know you are and report back to me with progress. Please, let me know how things are turning out for you, my friend.

COMPOSE A NOBLE BOOK AND WRITE A BEST-SELLER.
YOU ARE AMAZING—PLAY YOUR PART!

********************
MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>
6/13—Today I am starting my no eating of anything solid. I will be drinking green tea the entire time. My plan was to go at least a week (or, perhaps two) eating no food, as I have done in the past. But, this time my body is weak and craving nourishment.

As I go back to eating I will not eat any meat or dairy products.

Today I was helping Frank with his jewelry store. He got some new display cases (very heavy), so we moved the old out and the new in.

6/14—Second day of no eating. Did not sleep last night through the night, then awoke early. I am feeling very tired and not very well. Sorry to say, I broke my fast today. I ate some rice, it did make me feel better.

Now that I have broken my fast, I will be careful of everything that enters my mouth. We have that choice. For most of my life, I would just put stuff in my mouth and just scarf it down. What you eat is what you are, be careful. How are your eating habits?

Beth and I are both doing this main eating change >>
No more meat.
No more dairy.
Limited sweet.

Watch this video with an open mind.
You may change your eating habits, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-xrOHpDMj4&t=4047s

6/15—Some time ago Beth bought a hammock for me. It holds two people; quite big it is. I put it up on the front porch, takes up a lot of room. I may end up finding two big trees out back to put it between.

The heat is here. Close to 32c (high 80s f) today. We have to put water bottles in with the rabbits. Each animal takes special care (including Beth and me.)

6/16—As you know, I built four raised bed gardens out front (where there will be plenty of sunshine.) For the bottom half of each garden, I put leaves, green vegetation, and wood. These things will compost down and add nutrients to the soil over time.

Today I bought soil for the gardens. The difference between dirt and soil is dirt is dead, it has none of the minerals, nutrients, or living organisms found in garden soil. Good soil makes great gardens. We will be (and already are, some) growing our own food.

6-17—As I wrote, yesterday I bought soil. I went and got a “yard” of soil. A yard turns out to be a tremendous amount. I started to shovel the soil into the gardens. It will take a lot of work, but I will get it done, you will see.
********************
YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK >>
Have you gone without meat before?
This week, spend a few days being a non-carnivore.
Don’t eat meat for at least two days this week.
This may become a life change for you, too.
*******************
NEXT BLOG >>
As my gardens are set in place and growing, you will learn more.
*******************

THIS WEEK, MAKE YOUR LIFE SOMETHING
THAT YOU CAN WRITE ABOUT!

• Tweet
• Pin It

With my words, I hope to throw some oblique light upon your life.
I want to inspire you to see life in a different and/or better way.

*** Remember, to read past blog posts, go to >> kitsummers.com/blog/
*** If you are reading this through Facebook,
       check out my blog on my website.
*** If you are not my Facebook friend, yet, please, befriend me.
*** Thank you, my wife, Beth, for adding to the blog each week.
*** The happiness I am experiencing in my life is a marvelous thing!
*** I will have places to show you and tales to tell.
*** Secrets to unfold and good news!

BE TAKEN AWAY WITH ME
ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES! 

Just got this photo of Jon Held and me
performing at our high school.
We made those juggling clubs ourselves. 

********************

Eating, we do it throughout every day.
Here are some things to think about >>

INTRO TO THIS WEEK

“While weight loss is important,
what’s more important is the
quality of food you put in your body,
food is information that quickly
changes your metabolism and genes.”
Mark Hyman
===========================
From my book series, “Beyond Your Potential.”

Perhaps because of brain change and going through my 37-day coma, I am never hungry, I am never full. The part of my brain which registers food consumption is no longer working right. I basically eat because I know I need to live.

Such a big part of life, something we do almost every day for much of the day. I recently discovered a video that tells about what is happening in the American food area, much of it pretty disgusting. Later, in my daily doings section, I will provide a link to the video, very important for you to watch and do.

Over the next month, Beth and I are going to go through a big change. First, we will fast (not eat any solid food) for some days (I am planning to go without for 1 or 2 weeks.) When we go back to eating we will change our eating habits, you will read more later.

Care to join us?

As I was recovering from my 37-day coma, I found that I had the same eating habits as before the accident but without the same amount of juggling practice and exercise, so I started to gain weight. After a time, I saw that the way I ate was a matter of discipline and control.

If I could learn to control my mind,
I knew that I could also learn to control my eating habits.

With some research, I learned quite a bit about health and eating habits. In reflecting on the changes I needed to make to keep myself from gaining more weight, I realized that much of what I ate was out of learned habit.

Many of us are habituated to eating a certain number of meals at a certain time of day following a prescribed way of making up our plates with this much carbohydrate and that much meat and the list could go on and on.

The first step I took in breaking the learned habits was to eat only when I was actually hungry. I also made sure that I stopped eating when I had had just enough to get me past that hungry feeling.

I also had learned that incompatible food combinations robbed me of energy and added to my weight gain, so I started to make up my meals and my plate in ways that would give me energy and not cause me to gain additional weight.

Control your eating and you control your life.

I later began a form of intermittent fasting and wouldn’t eat anything after nine at night (this later was moved to seven.) There are several reasons to put a buffer of at least three hours between food and sleep.

First, your body does most of its detoxification while you are sleeping, and if it has to digest food instead, you are missing out on crucial detoxification of other gunk and junk floating in your body.

Also, as you sleep, your body has to work extra hard to digest food and that food can transform into excess weight easily.

Many people might look at these habits and think they are difficult to do. Food cravings can be really strong sometimes and when you really want a cookie or some ice cream at eleven-thirty at night, it can be hard to just tell yourself no. Stop and think for a second though:

What is a food craving?

First, it might be helpful to know that you don’t get food cravings, you actually create them in your mind! If you tell yourself you aren’t allowed cookies before bed, and then guess what? You will crave cookies before bed.

You see, we actually create food cravings through our thought patterns toward food. Eventually, many of these thought patterns will become food habits.

Changing my eating habits wasn’t easy, and even now, sometimes, I struggle to maintain them. Especially after my accident, I would crave certain foods depending on how I felt that day, and often times I would be extremely fatigued.

At times, sleep was hard to come by and because I couldn’t sleep, I also had trouble concentrating. Often when I felt tired or frustrated, I would crave sugar, an indication that my adrenal glands were fatigued.

Dopamine is a good thing, sugar is not.

When we are tired, our bodies crave sugar to give us energy. I also appreciated the surge of dopamine the sugar would release in my brain almost immediately upon eating something sweet. Dopamine is known as the feel-good chemical because we feel good when it is released into our brains.

The well-known issue with sugar, however, is that it will only energize us for short spurts of time, and the dopamine release it provides is also only short-lived. Shortly after eating something sweet, I would be right back where I started – cranky and tired!

Eat right and you will get through changes better.

Besides feeling cranky and tired, I often also felt unproductive. Because I couldn’t concentrate, I also wasn’t able to do many of the things that I knew I needed to do or things I wanted to do.

Then depression started setting in, harming me in various ways.

I wasn’t physically stuck in bed, but I found it difficult to find any desire to get out of bed and get things started or to get things done.

Eventually, I got to a point where I could see time passing by, but I didn’t care. I didn’t even try to keep up with it because I felt so depressed. I would have frequent pity parties for myself and others didn’t seem to want to be around me anymore given my foul mood.

One of my doctors suggested that I start taking medication to help me deal with the low-grade depression and anxiety, but I decided to opt out of that recommendation. Instead, I decided I was going to retrain my mind to think in other and new directions.

Eventually, I found out that the food I was eating had a direct impact on my mood and was contributing to my depression and anxiety. I started implementing some of the changes that I listed earlier and quickly found that my attitude and my mind changed for the better.

What we eat directly affects what we think and how we feel,
exercise will help, too.

Another secret I discovered was that exercise works as well as any drug (better than, actually.) Work your body, and your mind will clear up any depression of bad thinking.

Brain function is dependent upon the body’s ability to properly metabolize the food you eat. Your brain depends on glucose (blood sugar) as a source of energy. To get your brain to use glucose properly it must have a sufficient supply of vitamins and minerals. The proper functioning of the brain is more dependent upon vitamins and minerals than any other organ in your body.

Your brain is the biggest consumer of what you eat, feed it right.

The food and nutrients that you feed your brain are directly responsible for the functions the brain must perform. These can include thinking, controlling your hormones, and regulating involuntary functions such as respiration and your heartbeat. And can also include controlling motor activity, juggling, and sense perception like smell and taste. If your brain doesn’t have enough energy, you will feel tired and sluggish.

What we eat also directly affects which neurotransmitters are produced and how much of them. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that ultimately determine our frame of mind In turn, your mood will affect your memory, your actions, your ability to learn and perform, and everything else about you.

We discussed previously that while sugar initiates the formation and release of dopamine for a good feeling in the body, that good feeling is short-lived. There are many other nutrients that we can feed our brains for increased production and prolonged release of dopamine.

Although your brain represents only two percent of total body weight, it accounts for over twenty percent of the total utilization of oxygen and fifteen percent of blood sugar. As you can see, your brain is very hungry and is dependent upon your nutritional intake to function properly.

Feed your brain right!

A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry compared a diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish with a diet of highly-processed meats, grains, and fast foods. Those who ate the whole foods diet had a one-third lower risk of becoming depressed. Not to mention that eating processed junk foods means you’re more likely to be overweight, often resulting in depression.

So what is driving your mind to eat?

Is your brain out of energy and looking for a refuel? Or are you running to the vending machine at three in the afternoon simply because that is what you do every day because your job is frustrating and you need that short-lived burst of dopamine?

Before you put your coins in the slot, ask yourself, “are you truly hungry?” If the honest answer is “no”, then put your coins back in your pocket. Remember it isn’t your body that craves food, it’s your mind.

Changing your eating habits for the better will literally change your life.

The first step you can take to change your eating habits for better health and mood is to keep a food diary. This is a book in which you record everything you eat or drink, no matter how little or how much of it went into your mouth. Studies have shown over time, people who maintain a food journal are more likely to lose weight.

For at least one week (month?), record everything you eat at meals and snack times and record the time. Use an online site such as SparkPeople.com to figure out the number of calories you have eaten and other nutritional information like how much fat, carbohydrate, protein, and fiber were in your meals.

After a week or so, review your diary and see where you need to make adjustments. Are you eating too many carbohydrates and not getting enough protein? Are you getting at least twenty-five grams of fiber each day?

Also, remember that nutritional guidelines and advice are just that – guidelines and advice.

When you eat, record how you feel afterward. If brown rice gives you gas, it obviously isn’t the healthier food for you regardless of what the food gurus say. If you start drinking soy milk and your cholesterol skyrockets fifty points, then soy products aren’t for you.

A Paleo diet isn’t for everyone, but neither is vegetarianism. All of our bodies have been through different triumphs and trials and will respond differently to different foods and eating patterns.

Review your diary for other eating habits.

Do you just eat without thinking? Perhaps you eat to feel better mentally. Inspect the causes of pressure in your everyday life, and one by one, take steps to remove each stress factor. Stress management could help you to control emotional eating or binge eating.

Make each bite smaller, but make each bit an experience.

Another thing to try is intentional eating. This is eating at its best. Don’t grab your bagel at ten of eight in the morning and chew it twice then swallow it while you are driving through ridiculous traffic to make it to that eight o’clock appointment that is thirty minutes away.

Instead, plan your meals, and when you get hungry, sit down and enjoy it. Savor each bite of food that goes into your mouth. Relish the smells as you bring the food to your mouth.

Chew your food thoroughly before you swallow making sure to get all of the juice and flavor out of it before it goes down your throat and into your belly to be dissected into the nutrients that your brain needs to function.

Yes, we can mindlessly stuff food in our mouths, or we can delightfully savor each morsel we consume. If you really take the time to just put your fork down between each bite and taste all of the aspects of your food, as well as examine the texture with your tongue, you can have a delightful eating experience, and you can do this each time you eat.

Make this way of eating intentional, and make it a habit.

Taking your time and relishing every aspect of your meal may be a new way of eating for you. This new way of eating might sound like a lot of bells and whistles, but you will quickly find that you will eat less but you will enjoy your food a lot more. If you are eating less food, then it follows that you will lose weight and keeps your mind and body in better shape.

Change your mind and change your taste.

Eating less won’t necessarily take you all the way to your weight loss goal. We also must be careful of what we eat. While the cravings might be strong, remember, you have control!

After I had been released from the hospital, I was drinking a lot of diet soda. I would typically have two or three cans a day. This went on for five years and diet soda had become simply another habit for me.

I happened to read an article reporting on how bad soda is for people. The chemicals in soda are known to cause bone loss and can also disrupt and inhibit organ function. Not a drop of soda has gone down my throat since then – and that was over thirty years ago.

It helped me to quit my habit by switching to tea instead. At that time, I would liven up the taste of my tea with some cream and non-sugar sweetener. Eventually, I came across some studies that talked about how artificial sweeteners can be extremely harmful to the body and brain. That was the end of my romance with non-sugar sweeteners. Now I use honey, honey (yes, you.)

Think before you put stuff down your throat

Of course, the literature is full of contradictory reports of this or that food is good for you or bad for you. The truth is, you have to be the one to figure it out for your body.

Some things are a matter of common sense, like the fact that an apple has more nutritional value than a sponge cake. Other things, like eating vegetarianism and a Paleo diet, as I mentioned before, are really about what your personal and individual body needs.

Salad, anyone?

In 1991 I started a habit of eating a salad every afternoon. I make my salad out of a combination of various types of lettuce, broccoli, spinach, carrot, and a few other things. In the summer, I grow much of my salad myself.

I start each week by making a salad big enough to last me for the rest of the week so it is always prepped and ready for easy munching. I hardly ever go a day without my salad and if I am out and about and wind up eating something else, I feel strange.

You too can develop better eating habits.

Don’t try to change everything at one time though. Changing everything all at once will be overwhelming and lead to a quick defeat.

This week or this month, pick one of my tips and give it a try. Next week or next month, pick another one while still maintaining the first. A year from now, you’ll look back and try to figure out why you didn’t make the changes sooner – they were so easy!

Develop a good habit for yourself
(and, no, not a chocolate chip cookie habit.)

Another thing you may want to consider when it comes to food is the idea that you have to eat three square meals a day and snacks in between.

Most of us eat at least three meals daily because we just always have.

I broke this cycle once by doing a four-day fast (and I did it really quick.) I drank water, but no food, and I lost fifteen pounds. The strange thing was that I didn’t get hungry at all in those four days. Since I didn’t get hungry, I’ve always been curious to know how long I could push myself to go without eating.

I enjoyed the challenge of the four-day fast. For me, being hungry doesn’t hurt. I’ve been through other things that were much more painful than I think hunger ever could be.

Going through the fast was quite interesting, and when it was over, I found it much easier to make healthier food choices, almost like the fast was a reboot towards eating success.

How quickly can you do your fast?

I’m thinking I might challenge myself some time to see just how long I can go without eating—I’ll let you know how it turns out (or you’ll hear about my death.) Mainly I did the fasting as a challenge to myself.

Barring any health or religious reasons not to fast, I challenge you to try it sometime (safely, of course.) Don’t eat anything for a day or two and see how you feel. You may want to have a friend or doctor watch you carefully as you go through this.

Remember to drink plenty of liquids.

This can be a new and different experience for you. I’ve mentioned before that the more experiences you have in your life, the more fulfilling a life you can lead. Going through this experience might open your mind and body to new thoughts and ideas. 

Get away from the idea that you HAVE to eat.

Food is often the focal point for social gatherings. Family picnics and community events always feature a plethora of palatial delights – hot dogs, hamburgers, potato chips, soda, and funnel cake—It’s party time!

It might shock you (and the other people at the party) to learn that you don’t have to join the crowd and eat what they eat or eat at all. It never hurts to ask for some vegetables or fruit or to just pass everything up altogether.

Examine your own life and what you eat.
Make changes where necessary.
Change your eating habits and change your life.

Remember, don’t eat for your stomach, eat for your brain – feed it right!

LIFE IS HAPPENING ALL THE TIME – ARE YOU KEEPING UP?

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WORDS TO INSPIRE YOU! >>

Inspirational quotes and motivational sayings have an amazing ability to change the way we feel about life and can change our thinking.

This is why I find them so interesting, challenging, and important on our path to joy and happiness and finding ways to inspire ourselves as well as others.

Inspirational quotes and ideas provide us with a quick and timely burst of wisdom to get our focus back, offering the inspiration needed for the day or occasion.

I hope to inspire you with my words.

Words have power.

At any age, you can (and should) make changes to make your life better.

You see, the way you think and feel about yourself, including your beliefs and expectations about what is possible for you, determines everything that happens in your life. It all derives from your quality of thinking.

When you improve the quality of your thinking,
you change the quality of your life—sometimes instantly!

Just as positive words can make someone smile, and/or, a well-timed amusing quote can make someone laugh, your own thoughts react to the world in real-time. You have this control!

In fact, you have complete control over only one thing in the universe — Your Thinking — and that’s where motivational quotes come in!

To keep your motivation, you have to use each day as an opportunity for improvement, to be better, and to get a little bit closer to your goals. It might sound like a lot of work—and with your busy schedule—next to impossible. But you can do it!

Self-talk is so important—THINK RIGHT!

Motivational words, yes, they’re just words.

But they’re positive words; they will keep you on track.
Remember, you are only as young as the last time you changed your mind.

Keep your thoughts and self-talk fun and productive and always reaching for advancement.

VERY LITTLE IS NEEDED TO MAKE A GREAT LIFE.

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I HOPE THE FOLLOWING WORDS INSPIRE YOU >>

Let these words about eating inspire you.

1. “You are what you eat, so don’t be fast, cheap, easy, or fake.” – Unknown
It’s true – you are what you eat. Foods that contain unnatural ingredients are surprisingly quick to prepare and cheap. But you will pay a heavy price later. So, be mindful of the food choices you make now.

2. “If you keep good food in your fridge, you will eat good food.” – Errick McAdams
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever got! A kitchen makeover (includes your fridge and pantry) is essential if you want to eat healthily. No matter how much self-control you have, if you have unhealthy food stashed in your fridge or kitchen cabinets, you will end up eating it. So, toss out the unhealthy foods and re-stock them with healthy foods.

3. “By choosing healthy over skinny you are choosing self-love over self-judgment.” – Steve Maraboli
Healthy doesn’t mean skinny. We all have different genes, different body types, and different shapes. Eat healthily, stay active, and take less stress. Skinny or not, you will be in better shape than when you were eating unhealthy and not working out.

4. “Your diet is a bank account.
Good food choices are good investments.” – Bethenny Frankel
Think about it, good food is equal to a good investment. Money is not the only type of investment. You invest in yourself as well. You learn new skills and also pay for your food. Why not pay for food that’s healthy and gives a return in terms of good health and a fit body and mind? Choose right.

5. “Eat breakfast like a king,
lunch like a prince,
and dinner like a pauper.” – Adelle Davis
Never miss breakfast!
Have a light lunch!
Have a lighter dinner.

6. “Healthy eating is a way of life, so it’s important to establish routines that are simple, realistically, and ultimately livable.” – Horace
You are the one to choose what you eat, and, I am sure you know of thousands of diets. Most people fail to continue eating right because it’s different. Choose a diet that goes best with your food habits, make it a habit and part of your lifestyle over a period instead of a stint for three days. If you are used to eating apples, nothing wrong with that. Make sure you practice portion control and consume a source of protein and lots of veggies with it.

7. “Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food.” – Hippocrates
Food should be your medicine. Fruits, veggies, whole grains, healthy fats, lean proteins, seeds, and nuts are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that you need and they have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

8. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu
Start small, just start now. You might be craving unhealthy food and going back and forth deciding whether or not to have it. Don’t! Take control and action now, and you will not feel the same kind of craving tomorrow.

9. “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” – Jim Rohn
Well, of course, that’s obvious, yes? It’s not the four walls of your house, but your body is where you live. Keep it clean, keep it healthy. Choose foods that are good for you.

10. “The greatest wealth is Health.” – Unknown
Money cannot buy happiness or health. And it sure can buy a little bit of time. But why settle for “a little bit” when you can LIVE a long and fulfilling life for yourself?

11. “If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it.” – Common Sense
It’s as simple as that! Check the ingredients list at the back of packaged/canned/bottled foods. Most people don’t. If you see more than five ingredients, and you take some time to pronounce them, put them back on the rack.

12. “You don’t have to eat less, you just have to eat right.” – Unknown
It’s not how much you eat, you are the one to choose what you eat. Eating less is not going to make you healthy. It sure can make you skinny fat, which is not healthy either. Eat. But choose the most nutritious foods and practice portion control.

13. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” – Proverb
Apples and other fruits have many health benefits. Include at least two fruits in your daily diet. Your health will improve, and so will your nails, skin, and hair.

14. “Health is a relationship between you and your body.” – Terri Guillemets
The middleman is food. Take charge. Depending on the type of food you consume, your health will either improve or deteriorate.

15. “The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” – Ann Wigmore
Think fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, healthy fats, and plant and animal lean proteins.

COMPOSE A NOBLE BOOK AND WRITE A BEST-SELLER.
YOU ARE AMAZING—PLAY YOUR PART!

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MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>

Do you keep track of our daily doings?
At times, hard to remember the past week, but brings life fuller meaning by writing.
You might try keeping a daily writing of what you accomplish each week.
Let me know how it goes.

At home, the horses, the Kit, and the Jemma are quite happy

6/5—Today, Beth and I discovered this video.
We will be changing much in our eating habits.
Might it help you?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-xrOHpDMj4&t=4046s

Also, I installed a new mailbox for Nancy up the street.
Just used the right tools, and now the mailman (or mailmame) is happy.6/6—In my last blog post I wrote that it is time to get in shape.

I need to also, so I joined >>

https://www.facebook.com/TalmadgeFitnessandWellnessComplex/

My Humana health insurance covers the cost which is nice.
Additionally, I rode my bike over there, to add to my workout.

It’s funny to me that someone who, perhaps, lives only one or two miles away, loads up everything in their car and drives to where they can work out. Why don’t they walk, or run, or bike, to get there, so it adds to their workout?

Plus, with the increases in gas prices, you really should be using your bike to get you there (anywhere), as often as you can.

Today we found a baby snake as we’ve done before. Not knowing if he was safe or not, I held the little one by the end of the tail.

6/7—Dandelions, they’re everywhere. If you have a lot of them all over the lawn, it can be very nice. Yet, they seem to take over and I didn’t want that on our grassy areas. So, out they come. But, they are not wasted, the rabbits love eating them. Without them on the lawn, the grassy areas do not even need to be cut.

The ramp I built had plane wood that I got from a few pallets. Today I painted the ramp white, just for now. Turned out nice. Building and adding to every day, I love that I am able to.

As I’ve written, I want the entire area of our yard to not be wasted. As I am building the areas for growing vegetables, the lawn and dandelion area are getting smaller. Eventually, the whole yard will be growing eatable merchandise.

6/8—My hand has been having significant pain a few times each week. I don’t know what brings it on, but it is very intense, like someone smashed my hand with a hammer. And, this happens in a very small area of my hand.

Today I went to see Dr. Christian at Orthopedic associates of the Lakelands. They put me through four x-rays of my hand, he found nothing. As I said, it flairs up just once or twice a day for just a few minutes. But, I find the pain to be intense.

Dr. Christian set me up to see a hand specialist.

Bought a sombrero (2 bucks) today to shade my head. 

6/9—Went to Gary’s land to clear more roots and rocks from the pathway. Things are turning out quite nice there.

6/10—Last night was kind of like a scary dream. Beth had giving me some Cannabidiol (CBD) Gummies to help me sleep, which has worked in the past. CBD—the abbreviation for cannabidiol, a substance that’s generally derived from the hemp plant—has skyrocketed in popularity over the last five years.

I found these words >> “Some of these research-backed uses of CBD even suggest it may help you feel relaxed. That can feel a bit like a high, though it’s not intoxicating. Research suggests CBD is beneficial for relieving symptoms of anxiety and depression. It might also ease inflammation and pain”.

At 8am I had a dentist appointment that was 40 miles away. I was driving extra carefully, knowing my mind was not as sharp as it usually is.

Per last night, Awakening at about midnight, I did not hear soundly, talk very audibly, or see clearly.

I was so scared!

Beth told me to relax and go to sleep, I heard her and thought, “no fucking way, if I go to sleep I will never wake up.” That is where my mind went, a very chilling place.

I did not know what was happening, my mind could not comprehend anything distinct. I remained quiet and knew I could get back on track. Somehow I had been drugged and had no control.

Awake from about midnight to 2 am, I tried to, but could not reenter my sleep brain—3 am, awake for the day I was.

I’ve never used drugs and you can see why I shant.

And, as you would know, I will never partake of this CBD ever again. Actually, my mind is still a little slow from the drug. As I know that I am being careful what I take up next. I have to use my brain, I would hate to lose that.

Now it is 2:30 in the afternoon and I am back home with Beth. The tiredness from not sleeping is affecting me now.

Here is Beth lounging in the hammock

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YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK >>

Is eating an unconscious habit for you?
Do you eat just because you are used to it?
Take control, learn to train your mind to eat right and it will add much to your life.

This week, take at least a few days (I will be doing a week or two) and do not eat any food, drink fluids, though.
“FAST”—as they say.
Report back to me how it goes for you.

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NEXT BLOG >>

I will be starting my 1 to 2 week fast on Monday.
You will hear details in the next blog.

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THIS WEEK, MAKE YOUR LIFE SOMETHING
THAT YOU CAN WRITE ABOUT!

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