Living This Life Well

The effect of caffeinated, non-caffeinated, caloric and non-caloric beverages on hydration. All liquids contribute to your hydration status.

Wrapping up this discussion around Purpose, Ambition, Passion, and Mission I look to define my Purpose Statement. Why am I here? What is my Purpose? Am I living into that Purpose? This differs from my mission - mission is what I do whereas Purpose is about why. If I live into my why each day does that lead to a more fulfilling life. I think so... I do a quick walkthrough of how I created my Purpose Statement. Try is out. It may spark some passion in you.

Rules Rules Rules!!! No one likes them but there are tons around food and water.  This week we are going to get into the problem with modern-day hydration and why people should understand the why and how before listening to the recommendations.

What is the purpose of a fly? A mosquito? A human? What is your Purpose? This year? Today? In your life? This is the first of a 3 part series looking at Purpose, Ambition, Passion, And Mission... Richard Feynman's famous quote...“I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” The more questions I have the more answers I will have.  What questions do you choose to ask 

Wrapping up a 3 parter on the big F-Word - Forgiveness. We've heard the phrase Forgive and Forget. But forgetting is usually about suppressing emotions, or other coping mechanisms, and not usually helpful in the long term. Now, forgiveness is about healing and freedom - that is why I believe this is so important in Building Your Health Esteem. Today, we look at this process of Collection, Connection, and Correction that Lysa TerKeurst outlines in her book Forgiving What You Can't Forget: Discover How to Move On, Make Peace with Painful Memories, and Create a Life That's Beautiful Again I hope you found this helpful and if you would like to leave a rating or review, that would be very much appreciated.  If you have comments or questions and would like to share those with me I can be reached atDrJ at DrJeromeCraig dot com

In part 2 of this week's focus on powerful F-words we walk through an exercise - an exercise that works for me. I hope that it works for you. In the previous episode, I spoke how this F-word is about the reward. The reward of freedom - the rewards of breaking free from the weight of the baggage we are carrying around with us. Forgiveness is about control - about directing our life in a positive direction without the stories that keep us tethered in the past.  Create the space to have a deep experience here right now - or come back to this later - and experience this exercise with me. FORGIVENESS is a gift for YOU to GIVE to YOU.  

This week we have a theme again, and this time it's F-words. Now, you may be sitting here wondering what the heck F-words have to do with health...?  In Physiology, we talk about FEAR - Fight, Flight, Freeze and there are a host of negative F-words but the are also great positive F-Words. But as Mel Robbins points out FINE is not one of them.  This week we are going to focus the F-word that I feel is a key to Freedom This is Forgiveness "To err is human, to forgive is divine." For ME the most important thing in forgiveness is deciding - I made the conscious decision to stop feeding the hatred, the need for revenge, that had infected my mind and heart. Forgiveness for me is about the conscious decision to let go of anger, let go of the past, and start the process of healing. "Bitterness & resentment is a poison meant for the other person that we end up swallowing ourselves." BTW I do drop the real F-Word in this one. So watch out for your little ones. Join me again next time as I share some tools that I have picked up along the way.

In our third part in this mini-series around sleep - a basic human function - we look at lifestyle factors such as nutrition and supplementation. Most importantly what to stop doing doing, and then on to carbohydrates, meal timing, nutrition status, and the pills and powders. Should you be supplementing melatonin, magnesium, glycine? What herbals will serve you? and more... Please rate and/or review the podcast and you are welcome to send comments or questions to DrJ at DrJeromeCraig dot com. Catch up next week for another 3 part series on how to build your health esteem and live this life well.

The lists regarding sleep hygiene are numerous but many skip the most important factors. Here I outline 2 of the biggest most impactful levers you can pull for improving the quality of your sleep. This is about body clocks and circadian rhythm and temperature control. Think on these things and join me on Friday where we discuss nutrition and supplements and their pros and cons around sleep.

We all know how important sleep is... let's celebrate how great it is and honor that yes we will struggle with sleep at some point. After all, it makes up about a third of our lives. This is the first in a series where we look at what we can do to reap the benefits of this essential and basic human function.

Walking is not talked about enough. Walking is a part of human physiology - we a designed to walk, yet few do it enough. I'm not talking about 10,000 steps here. AND I'm talking about your mental health as much as cardiovascular and immune benefits. Super simple. Super important. Low hanging fruit.  Upgrade your walk and get into nature to reap extra benefits.

Humans thrive in packs. We are not an island. How do you create support in your life? How many friends do you have? How do we reengage with others and create a connection that will satisfy our needs? Community and connection is related to our influence in life, and Influence is a quality and a skill that high performers work on.  Do you desire more satisfaction? Do you desire more influence in life? I will talk about this again soon my friend but this is a great introduction and a place for you to think about these questions posed. Go forth and connect with someone today.

Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it. ~ Salvador Dali The pursuit of an ideal is not a bad thing, you are constantly evolving and changing and hopefully trying to be the best version of yourself possible. The problem with perfection is thinking it is an end state, a place that you can reach and remain in. We think of perfection as completeness, flawlessness, and supreme excellence. But, if you look at the definition more closely you'll see the words "as possible".  So to me, perfection hinges on possibility.  I now define perfection as a constant transformation towards an ideal. There are perfect moments along the way and they are fleeting and then you're on to the next better version of yourself. Don't let perfection get in the way of doing a good job - move beyond perfection - and acknowledge the next perfect moment, and the next...

Do you think you would be more productive if you set an intent and had a purpose for living your day? Of course! Do you know your purpose? Is this too big of a question?  Take the pressure off yourself and learn to create a day that serves you.

We all compare ourselves to others. It is how we evaluate and how we learn to define ourselves. This can be good and even necessary but when does comparison become jealousy and defeating - a negative force? Being aware of how comparison is serving you or hurting you can help. Hopefully, comparison can ignite your desire to be better today than you were yesterday. Watch out for comparison stopping your progress towards getting what you want to do in your life.

Here in the USofA we a celebrating Memorial Day a holiday in which we honor those who died in service of this country. As we remember those who have died there is a reminder to honor life. Take a moment to reflect on what an amazing gift life is.

As I've aged the gap between how I thought life would be/ should be and my reality has widened. I think this may have affected my esteem and therefore my courage to take big risks like I did when I was younger. Working on regaining my courage to live life boldly and as best as I can I'm focusing on being more: Explicit, More aware, directing change, becoming more resilient, and celebrating my efforts, and being imperfect. It is not easy to be courageous every day and that is the wonderful thing about life - we can choose do do better. I can be more courageous and understand that opportunity always presents itself so I can say NO more often. I can ask for help - be courageous and explicit - no one makes it alone. I can focus on posture and affect to influence others and set bigger goals. I can honestly rate myself and challenge myself to be better. I can reconnect with my pack  - humans are pack animals.

When examining my lack of courage in life I have realized that certain behaviors such as my judgment of others made me feel more judged. Feeling this way hampers my true expression, affects my ability to show up as my best self in this world. Fear is a reaction - Courage is a decision. Why are you, why am I,  not able to just flip that switch and turn the courage on? Does your judgment of others minimize your true expression - stop you showing up as your best self? "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." - e.e.cummings

Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others. ~ Winston Churchill/Aristotle. Courage weaves into every aspect of life. Our expression, relationships, goals, dreams, and trust of self and others. It goes beyond fear, beyond bold acts. It is about decision. Where are you acting courageously? Where are you backing down? What is it costing you? I would love to hear your thoughts.      

Welcome back! This is Episode 1 of Season 2. Things are going to be a little different now - because I am different! So are you ;). Reflecting back on what my intention is with this podcast, which is: To Inspire you to live this life well. To Build Your Health Esteem. AND to be the Best version of yourself that you can be! How can I serve you? Rate, comment, or leave a review on whatever podcast server you listen on.  Looking forward to our development!

Do you have a list of have to do's? You have to do this you've got to do that. It can be exhausting, and make it hard to enjoy the day. I invite you to develop unconditional gratitude and think about everything that you get to do today. Today is the ultimate gift. Go get it!

Breathwork and awareness of how you breathe have amazing physiological effects. How does conscious breathing affect you?  Breath is your anchor to the present. "Breathing, according to me, corresponds to taking charge of one's own life. A healthy mind has an easy breath. Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts." – Thích Nhất Hạnh  

If you find yourself tossed around in the changing currents of life and ask "why is everything happening so much?" I invite you to return to your locus of control - focus on what you are here for, what you are trying to accomplish in your life. A poem/excerpt written by Anais Nin. "We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The Past, present, and future mingle and pull us backwards, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells , constellations. How do we grow in the desired direction? Is lack of clarity holding you back? If I don't really know what I want. How am I going to achieve it? How can I get what I don't know that I want? Ask yourself the hard questions.

Where does your energy come from?  Where does it go? How do you create more energy in your life? Is it really just a matter of choice? "Energy of the mind is the essence of life." ~ Aristotle  

Our media is consumed with all things diet and nutrition and I believe that the reason behind all this is that we have moved away from nature.  I'm inviting you to change your relationship with food and think about your sustenance. What builds you? What makes you stronger?

People have been conditioned to really put others first, and think about what others need before taking care of their own needs, and this lack of filling oneself up makes it difficult for us to truly help others in the world. Of course, there's a lot of difference between self-care and selfishness. But if you're not truly taking care of yourself, figuring out your base of power, aligning that with your personality, your strengths, and your purpose. Your reason for being here. How can you truly feel close to yourself and feel that intimacy and strength and peace within allowing you to take care of yourself? If you are not strong in who you are how can you support a spouse, partner, or child in developing their strengths? How can you truly take care of others? Intimacy starts with self.

Take note of all your joints, over 100 joints in your hands and feet alone. And where there are joints, there are muscles crossing those joints. We have hundreds and hundreds of muscles in the body and this body is designed to move. And unfortunately, a lot of us don't move often enough, and this leads to poorer health.  Do it more, do it more often, and don't make it a big thing. We are a very kinetic species and movement actually drives health.    

What if you created an interest in your life around finding out more about this human body? This is after all the only true physical possession you'll carry with you from the cradle to the grave. If you knew a little more about how you operate - consciously and unconsciously - do you think you could live a healthier more fulfilling life?   Strive to live with intent and not through habit. To be the master of health and body you have to more than just go through the motions. We should strive to create purposeful action and recognize that we control our thoughts. Accept that you can change your thoughts because you are the thinker of your thoughts and therefore the master of operations.  Please my friends step into the role of the operator and develop some curiosity about this amazing human body. Be the creator of Promise in your life. Build your health esteem by nurturing your mind body and spirit. Build a better body from the top-down and the inside out.

The R in PROMISE for recuperation. This is our rest and recovery. The time to step back from exertion, from stimulation, from work, technology, and even people and outside energy and influence. Taking a break/recuperating is so important, and yet we are so wrapped up in human Doing that even in our relaxation time, we are not BEING restored. Recuperation requires a stillness, peace, sleep, mindfulness - this is about self-care and definitely a pillar of health. How do you create time to truly Recuperate? LMK drj@drjeromecraig.com CREATE P.R.O.M.I.S.E.

In this episode, I discuss how I "gamified" my morning routine using my CREATE PROMISE framework. I discuss the importance of the P for Pattern, and the rhythm of nature and how our health is tied to our central clock.  Pay attention to your rhythms and the habits that create who you are and how your body functions.  

krēˈāt ~ action or process of bringing something into existence. causing something to happen through one's actions. ˈpräməs ~ declaration or assurance that something will happen. My commitment, pact, or simply my word. Quality of potential excellence. P. Pattern R. Recuperation O. Operator/Operation M. Movement I. Intimacy S. Sustenance E. Expression/Energy

20 yrs ago I realized what it took to crush a health goal. How can I translate this to other goals in my life. But am I really crushing it? OR is the bar set too low? Am I BEING who I want to achieve what I desire from this one and only life. What this says about Comfort vs. Potential. Action vs. Perfection. Introduction to CREATE PROMISE.

My confessions and reflections on taking the easy route. Struggling to overcome the default mode of EASE - taking the easy road. Worrying about things out of my CONTROL as an avoidance mechanism - avoiding doing the hard stuff. The key to happiness - fulfillment is being confident, brave, and above all INTEGRITY.

So this is now my 8th episode in 3 weeks and this action with direction is creating clarity in my life. MY spirit is filling my physical shell - I feel so much more potential in my life now - I feel more connected in a sense to the world around me. It is because of you that I feel this way. I shed my self-imposed limitations and started talking into this mic and putting it out into the ether and I feel the energy I'm putting out returning to me with compound interest.    Stop listening to the voices that do not matter in your inner world. Live this one and only life well, because you don't get any do-overs. So thank you, thank you for listening. Together we can be the change we wish to see in this world... DrJ@DrJeromeCraig.com

It is apparent to me that the difference between the people who lead amazing fulfilling lives and those feeling stuck is the meaning of and the attachment to their goals. The magnitude of their goals and their direction. This all plays into the grand vision of what this life is about for them - what it means to live this life well. So let us dream big my friends. I believe that we have ALL that is needed within us, to be happier, fulfilled, healthier people and it does take work and courage, and direction to get us there and keep us there. Now let us talk now about dreaming smaller...the topic I said I would address - WEIGHT LOSS. This weight goal is hardly ever about weight! In this episode, I work to reframe this goal. Choosing words wisely, saying what you mean, creating a goal worthy of achieving.

When and Why did you wake today? Continuing with the thoughts around why people don't change. Looking for more time in your life? Why not create the time. This is not just about waking up early. Consider the way you think about your life and the time needed to make the change you want to realize in this lifetime. You don't have to wake up early, but maybe you want to. Feel free to let me know your thoughts. You can email me at drj@drjeromecraig.com  

Continuing with the idea of achieving your goals and why change is hard. The 'R' in Hard means Required. To create effective change "time Management" is required. Something I have struggled with. Changing my thoughts around what is important has helped me become more aware of time and how little guarantee there is about the amount that I still have. Create urgency so you can maximize your potential.

Whether you set S.M.A.R.T goals, H.A.R.D or D.U.M.B goals there are a few other ingredients that are necessary for success.  

I believe it is important to select words well. I feel it makes me more aware of how I talk to myself because my self (mind and body) is always listening to those words. Allow yourself to heal and allow yourself to thrive AND know that it all starts with the story you tell yourself. Please never forget that your thoughts and your words are the most influential factor in Building your Health Esteem.  

All transformation is a process of discovering yourself. It is up to you to look yourself in the eye and decide who you want to BE. Don't set goals until you work on this.

Do you want to be the best version of you? Together we can build you a better body, a resilient spirit, and a strong mind. Become inspired and be inspiring and infect the world around you with your awesomeness helping me build better health esteem for all.