How’s Your Heart Today?

It’s a question I posed to a dear friend recently, for a different reason, who has been going through a difficult time. However, it’s a great question and one we should ask ourselves to start each day.

Why?

Because we’re headed in a direction that will ultimately lead to dark consequences for America and for mankind. Unless we change our thinking, make major societal changes, and fix our heart problem.

Today our country suffers from a heart problem. At an early age we learned to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, and love from hate. We were taught to love one another, despite our differences. But is this how we operate in our daily lives?

Somewhere along the line as a nation and as a people we lost our way.

In my opinion, it started as far back as the ‘60s with my generation, the Baby Boomers. We lost our innocence with the assassinations of JFK, MLK, RFK and others. Leaders who represented the promise for a brighter future. The Vietnam War, the endless Middle East wars and conflicts, and the tragic events of 9.11.01, have also exacted a heavy toll on our humanity.

Where is the promise, the hope for a brighter future today?

Where are those inspirational, forward-thinking leaders who will help to bring about positive change? (Hint: take a look in the mirror for the answer).

We have been bombarded by toxic, negative news, insufferable politicians, and bad behavior for so long it has created the illusion that this is the ‘new normal’. It’s not!

When it comes to problem-solving, we have become masters at detection and blame placing. But we are still novices when it comes to finding solutions and taking corrective action. As my Mom used to say, “When you point the finger at someone else you have three fingers pointing back at you”.

The laundry list of things in need of repair in this country is enormous. So why don’t we stop the finger pointing and put our heads and hearts to good use where it matters most? Solving real-world problems.

WE are the promise. WE are that hope for a brighter tomorrow. At the end of the day, no one else is more qualified to turn things around than us. If we stop the infighting and work together. (Certainly not our elected officials in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere).

WE can no longer accept this world as it is. The pendulum has shifted too far in the wrong direction. In order to rise, WE must change the world for the better and move the needle in a new direction.

So where do we start?

It starts with getting our head, heart and gut connection in the proper alignment. The human spirit has a tremendous capacity for good. So let’s tap into that. Here are a just a few ways to improve “heart health” and be a better you.

  1. Unplug from social media. These platforms have become a major energy and time suck, and a primary source for negative and fake news. Find a credible news source to stay up-to-date on current events. Put the time devoted to social media trolling in the past to better use.
  2. Increase family + “play” time. Make purposeful family and “play” time a priority. Those bonds we create with our family members can last a lifetime. Doing activities together, having meaningful conversations, and spending quality time as a family are the keys to building strong, loving relationships and role model behavior.
  3. Find your calling. When it comes to serving others, what are you passionate about? Find a cause(s) you can commit your time, talents and treasures to in order to help others in need. Here are a few worthy causes – homelessness, hunger, literacy, environment, U.S. veterans, etc.
  4. Stop the hating. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). We learned this timeless truth as small children in Sunday school. Let’s get back to it, back to showing kindness, love and respect for each other. Avoid the energy vampires and haters.
  5. Exercise your mind, body & spirit. Devote 90 minutes each day to self-improvement. Reading, prayer, meditation, walking, yoga, Tai Chi, workouts at the gym, etc. It’s so important to stay fit, active and feeling good about ourselves as we age. Makes those daily life challenges so much easier to handle.
  6. Be a resource to others. Whether you recognize it or not, your legacy is every life you touch. What will your legacy say about you? Are you a taker, user, doer or giver? Be a doer and a giver. Each one of us has tremendous talents, gifts and abilities that can and should be shared to benefit others.
  7. Learn to love yourself. “The #1 cause of a poor self-image is the lack of unconditional love.” – Zig Ziglar. We are only limited by how we see ourselves. A healthy self-image can also help you find the good in others, while avoiding unnecessary disagreements and confrontations.

How’s your heart today?

Don’t be a Karen. Be a difference maker, a change agent. Be grateful … pay it forward … give back … serve others. Above all, show love. Focus your head and heart on being a positive force for change. Future generations will thank you for it.

Enjoy the journey!

John

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