DISCIPLINE -Poetry

Discipline

 

Take it to the next level.

DISCIPLINE

Work on despite the burn.

DISCIPLINE

Up before the sun.

DISCIPLINE

Chisel and shape.

DISCIPLINE

Repetition.

DISCIPLINE

Push even when sick.

DISCIPLINE

Sacrifices.

DISCIPLINE

Don’t stop.

DISCIPLINE

Pure pleasure.

DISCIPLINE

Progress.

DISCIPLINE

Study.

DISCIPLINE

Reform.

DISCIPLINE

Fire.

DISCIPLINE

Internal will.

DISCIPLINE

TO CONTROL OR BE CONTROLLED, THAT IS THE QUESTION -Literary Synthesis

How do you feel when life takes the reigns? Did you know that your response to out-of-control situations determines your ability to cope and learn?

Self-regulation is the mental process of controlling our brain's and self's functions. We must master our emotions and thoughts to have it. Self-regulation leads to task performance (Self-Regulation: Definition, Skills, & Strategies, n.d).

Research shows that individuals who delay gratification have a higher aptitude academically and socially. Muraven et al. (1999) attribute self-regulation to energy and strength. One who practices self-regulation can find the reserves to better cope with stress in emotional management. This discipline gives people the fortitude to combat substance abuse and eating problems. Think of self-regulation as a muscle. The more you exercise the practice, the stronger your muscle of regulation becomes (Muraven et al., 1999).

Why is self-regulation important?

Everyday life throws challenges at us. We can allow negative forces to dictate our responses, or we can mold our reactions to reflect the person we strive to become. As we positively deal with the stresses of life, we train ourselves to grow from experiences. As bad things happen to us, and they will, we need to see the lessons in them. What could we have done differently in the situation? What about it could we control? What did we do to make things better? What did we do to make them worse?

We will all make mistakes in life. That is the human experience. Dreams and goals will fail. Life isn't necessarily about achieving our goals but what we learn on the journey. We can be reactive or active in how we respond and the course we decide to follow. Discipline helps us focus on things that add value to our character. As we master self-regulation, we can bring ourselves to higher attainment.

Who do you want to be? What do you want to overcome? How can focusing on your actions benefit you? Are you ready to practice self-regulation to regain control in your life?

References:

Muraven, M., Baumeister, R. F., & Tice, D. M. (1999). Longitudinal improvement of self- regulation through practice: Building self-control strength through repeated exercise. The Journal of Social Psychology, 139 (4), 446–457. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224549909598404

The Berkeley Well-Being Institute. (n.d.). Self-Regulation: Definition, skills, & strategies. The Berkeley Well-Being Institute. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/self-regulation.html#:~:text=%28A%20Definition%29%20Self-regulation%20is%20defined%20as%20the%20mental

YOU WILL DIE -Literary Synthesis

    You will die. I will die. Death is part of this human experience. We know that every being on this earth will eventually pass away, yet the idea of losing loved ones can crumble us to our knees and darken our souls into a state of remorse we might not escape.

The circumstances surrounding our loved one’s death play a huge role in our ability to accept and find peace. My dear friends lost their three-year-old son, yet they had a year to prepare for his departure. During that year, they learned lessons of love, devotion, and leaning on their God. When the heartbreaking day of their son’s death came, they had mentally prepared for it. Having time to prepare did not take away their substantial loss, but it softened the sting. Whereas, when someone dies unexpectedly, we can go into a mental shock that traps and debilitates us.

When my dad died, it was sudden and unexpected. He had suffered the last ten years from one debilitating disease to another. He was in and out of surgeries. The last surgery took his life. We weren’t ready for it, but we could see the blessing in it. His quality of life had greatly diminished, and he was exhausted. If he had lived, he would have faced more surgeries and hospitalizations. None of us were ready to let Dad go, but we realized it was for the best. His suffering had ended.

In the Jewish religion, they observe stages of grief with varying customs for shiv’a, the first week following death, and then shloshim, the first month. They also have rituals and observations beyond the first year. The Jewish people place their loved ones in a realm of hallowed memories. This helps them with acceptance and closure as they envision their loved one reaching the afterlife (Gabbay and Fins, 2019).

For Catholics, the burial of the loved one is a work of mercy. Although cultures within the Catholic religion may have different ways of observing rituals of grieving, wakes, and burials. Most honor their loved one’s body by placing it in a state of peace to await the resurrection (Death, Mourning & the Afterlife, 2009).

Have you considered what death means to you and how you will respond to your death or that of a loved one? For me, experiencing my dad’s death was one of the most sacred moments of my life. I was honored to be with him as he experienced his remaining moments with us. I don’t know how I will handle death as it continues to chip away at those I love. I suppose the circumstance plays a huge role in my reaction. I am comforted by my faith that the afterlife is filled with love and sweet reunions. It takes us away from a realm of anger and pain.

One day, I too will die. Am I ready?

Yes and no.

Reference:

Gabbay, E & Fins, J. J. (2019). Go in peace: Brain death, reasonable accommodation and Jewish mourning rituals. Journal of Religion and Health, 58(5), 1672–1686. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-019-00874-y

Catholics & cultures. (2009). Catholics & cultures. Death, Mourning & the Afterlife.. Retrieved from https://www.catholicsandcultures.org/practices-values/death-mourning-afterlife

DEATH -Poetry

 

Fear, pain, great unknown

Hope, forgiveness, letting go

Death is at the door

 

CAN HAVING WEALTH MAKE US SICK -Literary Synthesis

CAN HAVING WEALTH MAKE US SICK

        As we get wealthier, why do we seem to be getting sicker? Does having it all mean losing our health? We live in prosperous times where healthcare clinics seem to dot every street corner. Meanwhile, drug companies advance medications at an accelerated rate. Yet, we seemed debilitated by the disease of affluence.

Walsh (2009) describes the disease of posterity as diabetes, lung cancer, and heart disease. Fischetti (2016) attributes lifestyle choices to these non-communicable diseases that afflict the wealthy. Does having wealth confuse our priorities and make us sick?

Could physical activity be the miracle snake oil people spend billions of dollars chasing? Increased activity can potentially decrease obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancers, and pain. Exercise can improve the immune system, arthritis, and other diseases and discomforts (Giroir and Wright, 2018). Adults should be getting at least 150 minutes of exercise a week. These recommendations improve our quality of life. Even though most people know this, a lack of physical activity is becoming a worldwide pandemic.

With the myriad of benefits that exercise offers, it is hard to imagine that maintaining physical health is not a priority in most people’s lives. What stops people from daily exercise? Lifestyle choices of comfort, lack of time, family and/or friend pressure, and weather (Giroir and Wright, 2018). Daily exercise can save our nation millions of dollars on preventing chronic diseases rather than trying to maintain and cure them.

World Health Organization (2020) teaches a healthy diet combats stroke, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. They also point out that urban lifestyles have led to unhealthy diets of processed foods high in fat, sodium, and sugar while lacking healthy fruits, vegetables, and fiber.

        

We have made breakthroughs in the healthcare industry with vaccines, targeted therapies, emerging drug treatments, improved mental health therapies, implanted devices to alter paralysis, and early disease detection (Releases, N, 2022). The list of medical victories continues to rise, and yet we are still plagued with preventable diseases.

With the abundance of education in prosperous countries, it remains a mystery why we are not making the efforts to protect our health. What will it take to get us to focus on wellness and make the changes necessary to choose health instead of a sedentary lifestyle?

What is the price tag of health? Movement and diet.

Are you ready to make the change?

References:

• Fischetti, M. (2016). Developing countries are battling diseases of the rich and poor. Scientific American, 314(2), 76–76. https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0216-76
• Giroir, B.P., & Wright, D. (2018). Physical activity guidelines for health and prosperity in the United States. JAMA : The Journal of the American Medical Association, 320(19), 1971–1972. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.16998
• Ramalingaswami, V. (n.d.). Diseases of affluence. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/49396/WH-1992-Nov-Dec-p24-eng.pdf
• Releases, N. (2022). Cleveland clinic unveils top 10 medical innovations for 2022. Cleveland Clinic Newsroom. https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2022/02/16/cleveland-clinic-unveils-top-10-medical-innovations-for-2022/
• Walsh, B (2009). A new campaign to fight diseases of the wealthy. Time. Retrieved https://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1904877,00.html.
• World Health Organization. (2020). Healthy diet. Who.int; World Health Organization: WHO. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet

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