Praying Hands

Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. Eighteen! In order merely to keep food on the table for this mob, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood.



Despite their seemingly hopeless condition, two of Albrecht Durer the Elder's children had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their talent for art, but they knew full well that their father would never be financially able to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the Academy.



After many long discussions at night in their crowded bed, the two boys finally worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he attended the academy. Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy, either with sales of his artwork or, if necessary, also by laboring in the mines.



They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church. Albrecht Durer won the toss and went off to Nuremberg.



Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, financed his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation. Albrecht's etchings, his woodcuts, and his oils were far better than those of most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned works.



When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant homecoming. After a long and memorable meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his honored position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfill his ambition. His closing words were, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you."



All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, shaking his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated, over and over, "No ...no ...no ...no."



Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding his hands close to his right cheek, he said softly, "No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look... look what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, brother ... for me it is too late." More than 450 years have passed.



By now, Albrecht Durer's hundreds of masterful portraits, pen and silver-point sketches, watercolors, charcoals, woodcuts, and copper engravings hang in every great museum in the world, but the odds are great that you, like most people, are familiar with only one of Albrecht Durer's works. More than merely being familiar with it, you very well may have a reproduction hanging in your home or office.



One day, to pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother's abused hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his powerful drawing simply "Hands," but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed his tribute of love "The Praying Hands."



The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, take a second look. Let it be your reminder, if you still need one, that no one - no one - - ever makes it alone!



-- Author Unknown

Attention Deficit Update

Improvement in Quality of Life, Sleep & Attention in a Patient with Attention Deficit Disorder Undergoing Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care to Reduce Vertebral Subluxation: A Case Report

Marshall Dickholtz Sr., D.C. Bio & Evan White D.C. Bio

Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research ~ August 27, 2012 ~ Pages 71-76

Abstract

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Objective: To report an improvement in quality of life, sleep and attention following reduction of an upper cervical vertebral subluxation in a patient with Attention Deficit Disorder.

Clinical Features: A 19-year-old male presented for chiropractic care with complaints of Attention Deficit Disorder and chronic dorsal and lumbar pain.

Intervention and Outcomes: National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA) technique was utilized to evaluate the appropriateness of chiropractic care. Several objective clinical findings were noted. The atlas misalignment was corrected with an upper cervical adjustment and immediate improvement was observed. Visual evoked responses revealed normalization of a previously abnormal steady-state visual evoked response. Outcome assessment tools showed significant improvements in overall health.

Conclusion: The reduction of the upper cervical vertebral subluxation was concomitant with improved quality of life, sleep and visual evoked responses.

 

The List

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the

other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a

space between each name.

Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say

about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the

remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as

the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on

a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said

about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the

entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard whispered. "I never

knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know others

liked me so much," were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew

if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it

didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The

students were happy with themselves and one another. That group

of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam

and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She

had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He

looked so handsome, so mature.

The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who

loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the

last one. As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as

pallbearer came up to her. "Were you Mark's maths teacher?" he

asked. She nodded: "Yes." Then he said: "Mark talked about you a

lot."

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together

to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously

waiting to speak with his teacher.

"We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet

out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed.

We thought you might recognise it."

Opening the wallet, he carefully removed two worn pieces of

notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded

many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were

the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of

Mark's classmates had said about him.

"Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you

can see, Mark treasured it."

All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie

smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in

the top drawer of my desk at home."

Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding

album."

"I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary." Then Vicki,

another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her

wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I

carry this with me at all times," Vicki said and without batting

an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists."

That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for

Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that

life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will

be. So treat each day like it will be THAT day.

-- Author Unknown

Mental Golf

A prerequisite to improving your golf game will be goal setting.  This is where you tell your brain which direction it is going. You must set goals that will push your mind and body beyond its normal limits. You can accomplish whatever you really desire. Do not listen to those little voices of doubt in the back of your mind.

Decide where you want your golf game to improve. This is the time to get passionate! Let yourself dream of already accomplishing your goal.

Most people fail to goal set because they are afraid of failure. They want to avoid pain. Some are afraid of success. Learn to associate pleasure with goal setting, and link massive pain to not reaching your goal. Don’t let life pass you by. Nobody ever won on a sure bet. When you have a goal that excites you, every cell in your body becomes turbo charged! You will become obsessed, and nothing will be able to steer you from achieving your goal.

Make a picture of your goal in your mind. See every detail unfolding as if it were a motion picture. What will you see? What will you hear? What will you feel? What will you smell? Who will be present? It is imperative that your goals are stated in a positive format. An example of this would be: I want to win the company golf tournament, and set a new course record.

As opposed to: I don’t want to finish second place an out of the money.

Try to insure that all your goal outcomes are in your control. Do not become to dependent on others to reach your goal. Encouragement is good, but never let anyone interfere with unleashing all your untapped energy toward your goal.

Next, set a time and place where your goal will be accomplished. Don not let anything side track you from sticking to this time frame.

If possible, try to visualize any barriers that may stand in the way of you reaching your goal. Be prepared for the worst even though it probably won’t happen. Be very honest with yourself. If you run into a barrier, plow through it. Remember – link massive pain to not working through a barrier.

Decide where you are at the present time. What will be needed in the way of mentors, equipment, etc? Start to chart a road map that will lead you to success. Chart short, medium, and long-term goals to keep you on track. Know what needs to be done on a daily basis. Don’t waste time, because it is a precious commodity. Always stay focused!

Create a 15 Second Goal Mission Statement to help you stay focused on your goal. Include as much detail as possible about achieving your goal. Commit this statement to memory, and repeat it upon wakening and before retiring to sleep.

Try to feel as if you were actually achieving your goal. An example of a Goal Mission Statement would be: I’m at Augusta National on the 18^th hole. I am putting for a birdie that will insure me a victory at the Masters Tournament. I feel very confident and energized. After repeating your Goal Mission Statement, you should feel flooded with energy, and excitement. If you don’t maybe you have picked the wrong goal. Take your time with goal setting, because it will allow you to build a powerful mental foundation for life.

Auto-Diagramming

Golfers are capable of exhibiting multiple emotions. These emotions can be positive, or they may be negative in nature. Learning to communicate such feelings with your inner, (subconscious) mind will be quite helpful in reaching your goals.

Diagramming will uncover many facets of your life. It can show you that your future goals can be effected by past coaches, books, sports, people, etc.

This type of goal setting is not only productive, but is fun to perform. One thing will lead you to another. Some things will not appear to make sense immediately. Relax, and move your mind to another area of the diagram. Do not become critical of yourself. You can do no wrong here. Let the inner you take over.

Now go to a quite place where you will not be disturbed for the next 20 to 30 minutes. You will need a pencil, and a piece of paper. It’s time to construct your Auto-Diagramming Blueprint.

Diagramming Your Goal

1.Bring to mind a goal you would like to accomplish in the next 6 weeks. Make sure it is goal that really excites you.

2.Write your goal in the center of the paper and put a circle around it.

3.Now close your eyes, and relax for a few moments. Ask your inner mind to give you suggestions on how to reach this goal. This may seem a bit esoteric, but the answer you receive will amaze you.

4.Now open your eyes, and write down the first thing that comes to your mind. Put a circle around it and draw a line connecting it to your goal.

5.Please look at diagram 1-1. This person’s goal was to break 80 over 18 holes. Notice the many facets they have blended together. They equate breaking “80” as being fun, in control, and very enjoyable. Some of the things you will diagram will have a direct effect on your physical training, but keep in mind that our main goal here is developing mental toughness.

Past experience has shown us that the more clearly we can define our goals the more chance they will have of becoming a reality. Our will to win will be strengthened. This will directly influence our strength, coordination, balance, and endurance.

It takes about 2-3 seconds to swing a golf club, but keep in mind that your body and mind will process over 90 bits of information during this time.

After completing your Auto-Diagramming Blueprint. Put it in a place where you will be able to see it on a daily basis. The more you review your goal – the deeper it sinks into your inner mind. Make a habit of reading your Goal Blueprint upon wakening, and again at bedtime.

Headaches 2...

1. Antioxidant Vitamins

Did you know that increasing your vitamin C intake could reduce inflammation in the body by 45%? That’s what researchers reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in March of 2006. A level of 2000 mg is a good start to decreasing inflammation in the body that may be related to headache. You can always increase it later.

Make sure, also, that you get at least 400 IU vitamin E in your supplements daily. Vitamin E is responsible for reducing inflammation of the muscles, which may occur in the neck and cause headache.

2. Magnesium

This vital mineral has been found in deficiency levels in those who have migraines. It’s an essential mineral for contraction of the blood vessels. Adding 300-400 mg magnesium per day is probably safe, however, without a hair analysis test to see where all your mineral levels are, you’re taking shots in the dark.

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My Aching Head!

Faulty elimination causes headaches.

For a minute, think back to a time when you were constipated. How did you feel? Miserable! I must tell you how important it is to have a bowel movement at least twice daily. If you don’t, you are constipated!

What happens inside the body when you are constipated is not pretty! All that waste matter sitting inside your intestines is rotting! Forgive me for being so graphic, but I want you to understand this. There is a process in the body called diffusion that happens inside the cells that works like this: wherever you have a higher concentration of something, it will flow to an area of lower concentration. When you have a high concentration of wastes in the intestines, they start “polluting” the rest of the organs in your abdomen. This is part of the reason why so many men have prostate problems!

Those wastes in your colon are in such a high concentration that they start “flowing” to other places in the body. Countless patients have told me over the years that part of the reason why they got headaches was because they were constipated.

So stop carrying around those old meals as a suitcase in your colon and start feeling better. You will clearly have fewer headaches as a result. Some simple ways to do this:

a. When you get up in the morning, drink two to three 8-oz glasses of water within five minutes. This will result in a bowel movement within about 30 minutes.

b. Obtain slippery elm bark powder from the health food store and mix 1 to 2 tablespoons in 1/3 cup applesauce. Eat once or twice daily. This works for diarrhea or constipation and is gentle enough for babies.

c. Obtain a colon cleanse formula and use it for at least six weeks.

d. Start eating celery or carrot sticks with lunch and dinner, or add 1 cup cooked vegetables to every meal.

e. Add 3 oz. aloe vera juice to every meal.

Headaches and Nutrition

Low blood sugar from not enough protein in the meal

or in the diet causes headaches.

Many people believe that it’s not a good idea to eat red meat, so they eliminate it from their diet. Grass-fed red meat is an excellent source of nutrients, including omega-3 fats that prevent headaches! The problem is that when many people eat less meat, they don’t substitute other protein foods for the red meat. Other protein foods include fish, chicken, turkey, wild meats, eggs, cheese and dairy products.

If you don’t have enough protein in a meal, your body cannot repair itself. Without enough protein in a meal, the composition of that meal is primarily carbohydrates and fat. And we already know what too many carbohydrates in a meal can do: cause a headache!

Make sure you eat some form of protein at every meal. Even adding one or two eggs for breakfast can change your life and your headaches! See how good your day goes when you have enough protein! Eat at least three ounces (about the size of a computer mouse) at each meal and you’ll have the minimum amount you need each day.

Diet For Your Head.....

Diet that Reduces Inflammation

A diet that controls inflammation is high in antioxidants from fruits, vegetables and foods in that category that are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Incorporate these foods in your diet and monitor the number of headaches you have.

Fruits: apples, acerola berries, fresh pineapple, guavas, grapefruit and rhubarb, kiwi fruit, lemons, limes, oranges, kumquats, black currants, blueberries, raspberries, mulberries and strawberries, papaya, cherries, and tomatoes

Vegetables: spinach, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, cabbage, bok choy, onion, leeks, garlic, green onions, broccoli, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts, brussel sprouts. greens

Herbs & Spices: basil, oregano, mint, cloves, turmeric, cayenne peppers, chili peppers, parsley, rosemary

Fish and Meats: Cod, halibut, salmon, snapper, bass, whitefish, herring, trout, sardines, grass-fed beef, pork, naturally-raised (not on grain) chicken and turkey.

Whole Grains: brown rice, whole wheat, buckwheat, barley, rye, millet, spelt

Fats: extra virgin olive oil, avocado, hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts