Random musings: March 2019

Saturday, March 30, 2019

Your weekend guide to interesting days - March 30, 2019

Apr 28 - May 4: Go Diaper Free Week

Friday, March 29, 2019

The week in review - March 29, 2019

Monday - "Mission and vision...and purpose statements?" What's your purpose? "The purpose is "why" we do something, whether in business or in our personal lives."

Tuesday - "Rethinking the goal setting process" Goals, dreams and wishes. "In life, there is a very close similarity between ‘Dreams’ and ‘Wishes’. However, ‘Dreams’ are more complex than ‘wishes’."

Wednesday - "S/he's making a (bucket) list, and checking it twice " All about bucket lists. "A bucket list could be considered just a wish list until you decide that you're really going to do the items on the list."

Thursday - "How to Fall Asleep in 2 Minutes or Less #TBT" Sounds like a good thing to know. "To accomplish the first goal, Winter taught the men how to physically relax. To accomplish the second, he taught them how to mentally relax. In fact, he essentially defined sleep as the state of being both physically and mentally relaxed."

Interesting days

Today - World Piano Day, Lemon Chiffon Cake Day, Niagara Falls Runs Dry Day and Smoke and Mirrors Day

Tomorrow - World TB-303 Appreciation Day, Earth Hour, Pencil Day, Take A Walk In The Park Day and Doctors' Day

Next Friday - Walk to Work Day, Deep Dish Pizza Day, Star Trek First Contact Day, Caramel Day, Poet in a Cupcake Day, Go For Broke Day, Hospital Admitting Clerks Day and Read A Road Map Day

April 29 - International Dance Day, Zipper Day, World Wish Day and We Jump The World Day

Thursday, March 28, 2019

How to Fall Asleep in 2 Minutes or Less #TBT

Today's blog post was originally published last year:

That sounded like an interesting article on The Art of Manliness!

It's based on some training done with WWII fighter pilots:

A couple years into WWII, the U.S. military realized it had a problem on its hands. Due to the enormous pressures of aerial combat, many of its pilots were accumulating levels of stress so debilitating that they were cracking under it. The tension caused them to lock up in flight and make fatal mistakes — accidentally shooting down friendly planes, or becoming an avoidable casualty themselves.

In an effort to stem the loss of pilots and planes, the military brought in Naval Ensign Bud Winter to research, develop, and test a scientific method for teaching relaxation. Before the war, Winter had been a successful college football and track coach, who had also worked with a professor of psychology on techniques to help athletes relax and perform better under the stress of competition. Stationed at the Del Monte Naval Pre-Flight School in California, his mission now was to coordinate with other coaches and professors to create a course that would similarly instruct cadets on how to stay calm and loose under the pressures of combat.

There were two goals for the program...to teach the Naval aviators how to relax and how to fall asleep at the drop of a hat.

To accomplish the first goal, Winter taught the men how to physically relax. To accomplish the second, he taught them how to mentally relax. In fact, he essentially defined sleep as the state of being both physically and mentally relaxed.

To fall asleep at the drop of a hat, first you work on the former, and then the latter.

The article then goes on to tell how to accomplish both.

Keep in mind that being able to relax physically and mentally, and thus being able to fall asleep at the drop of a hat, is a skill, and like all skills, you shouldn’t expect to get the hang of it and have it work the first few times you try. You have to practice over and over again, until you get better and better at loosening up and calming down. That doesn’t mean you should work hard at trying to relax; that will just backfire and create tension. But you do have to practice this routine consistently.

This skill can come in handy when you need to take a nap-a-latte. I'll let Dr. Michael Breus explain this to you:

Interesting days

Today - Weed Appreciation Day, Black Forest Cake Day and Something On A Stick Day

Tomorrow - Smoke and Mirrors Day, Niagara Falls Runs Dry Day and Lemon Chiffon Cake Day

Next Thursday - Vitamin C Day, Tell A Lie Day, World Rat Day, Kickball Day, Cordon Bleu Day, D.A.R.E. Day, Carrot Day and Walk Around Things Day

April 28 - Clean Comedy Day, Pinhole Photography Day, Pay it Forward Day, Workers’ Memorial Day, Blueberry Pie Day, Cubicle Day, Biological Clock Day and Shrimp Scampi Day

Week long celebrations:

Apr 28 - May 4: Go Diaper Free Week

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

S/he's making a (bucket) list, and checking it twice

We're going to talk about bucket lists and how they fit in with wishes, dreams and goals, which we talked about yesterday.

I think most of us have a pretty good idea what a bucket list is, but if not, here's a definition from Wikipedia:

A list of activities someone wants to do before he or she dies is often called a bucket list, because it is a list of things a person wants to do before they "kick the bucket".

A bucket list could be considered just a wish list until you decide that you're really going to do the items on the list. Once you move into actively planning the items that you want to do, it becomes more of a list of goals to accomplish.

Most of us have things that we'd like to accomplish before we die but if you need some ideas to get started, here's a list of The World's 20 Most Popular Bucket List Activities:

1. See the Northern Lights
2. Run a Marathon
3. Take an African Safari
4. Write a Story
5. Walk Along the Great Wall of China
6. Learn to Play an Instrument
7. Snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef (or Just Go Snorkeling)
8. Skydiving
9. Own a Dog
10. See the Pyramids of Giza
11. Learn Another Language
12. Ride a Venetian Gondola
13. Drive Across the Country
14. View Paris From Atop the Eiffel Tower
15. Hike the Pacific Crest Trail
16. Take an Alaskan Cruise
17. See Your Favorite Band
18. Go Glamping
19. Visit Stonehenge
20. Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro (or Another Big Mountain of Your Choosing)

Do any of these items tickle your fancy? What would you add to create your own personal bucket list?

There are also lists of x number of things to do before you turn x number of years old:

20 Things You Need To Do Before You Turn 20, etc. You can find lists for any age.

I was going to talk about outcomes vs goals and then wrap this series up, but it looks like it's going to continue into next week!

Interesting days

Today - World Theater Day, Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day, Spanish Paella Day and Manatee Appreciation Day

Tomorrow - Weed Appreciation Day, Black Forest Cake Day and Something On A Stick Day

Next Wednesday - Chocolate Mousse Day, Tweed Day, Fish Fingers and Custard Day, World Party Day, Find A Rainbow Day and Day Of Hope

April 27 - Independent Bookstore Day, Marine Mammal Rescue Day, Morse Code Day, Sense Of Smell Day, Save The Frogs Day, Go Birding Day, World Veterinary Day, International Marconi Day, Prime Rib Day, Tell a Story Day and World Tapir Day

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Rethinking the goal setting process

Yesterday, I talked about mission, vision and purpose statements. Today. I'm continuing in a similar vein.

We're going to talk about goals, dreams and wishes, and what they mean. You may have heard this one before:

But how true is it? And what are the differences between the three?

From Time Thoughts:

Wishes

In Achieve Planner, we use the concept of wishes to capture things that you potentially desire or want without having to commit to actually doing them. This is an important distinction because it allows you to brainstorm freely about the things you want without your judgments regarding how/when to accomplish them getting in the way.

Use a Wish List

Your wish list is the list of everything that you may need, want or desire someday, but that you are not actively pursuing at this time. You can build your wish list first, and then prioritize and decide which of these wishes to pursue further.

When you find a wish that you really want to accomplish, you simply convert it into a dream or goal. If you find a wish that you no longer need or want, simply demote it (give it a low priority) and choose something else instead.

Difference Between Dreams and Goals

Dreams are your ultimate destination, while goals are the intermediate stops along the way. Dreams represent what you want and why, while goals represent your plan to get you there.

And from Time Management Ninja, here are 10 Big Differences Between Goals and Dreams That You Must Know:

Goals are something you are acting on. Dreams are something you are just thinking about. Goals require action. Dreams can happen without lifting a finger, even while you are asleep.

Goals have deadlines. Dreams are just, well, dreams. Goals must have a deadline. They have a time limit. Dreams can go on forever. In fact, many people maintain dreams their entire lives without ever reaching them.

Dreams are free. Goals have a cost. While you can daydream for free, goals don’t come without a price. Time, money, effort and sweat. How will you pay for your goals?

Goals produce results. Dreams don’t. Want to change your life? Your job? Your status in life? Goals can do that. A good friend of mine made six-figures on the ebook he published. He did that. Had it stayed as a dream, his life would have been as it always was.

Dreams are imaginary. Goals are based in reality. You may dream of being Superman, but that is probably not going to happen. Goals are about what you can actually accomplish. They are grounded in the reality of our world. Goals should be big, but not supernatural.

Goals have a finish line. Dreams never have to end. Dreams can go on forever. They don’t have to have an ending point. Goals must have a specific outcome.

Dreams can inspire you. Goals can change your life. Dreams can bring you motivation. They can inspire you. But, goals can change your life forever.

Goals must have focus. Dreams don’t. Dreams can be drifting, ever-changing thoughts. Goals must be laser-focused. They must be specific and they must be always on your mind.

Goals require hard work. Dreams just require your imagination. Dreaming is easy. Almost everyone has a dream. But, fewer people have goals. Goals are hard and they require hard work. (See #3)

Dreams stretch your imagination. Goals stretch you. Dreaming leads to bigger dreams. They stretch the limits of your imagination. But, goals stretch you. They increase your skills, your abilities, and change you forever

Here's more on the difference between wishes and dreams from Medium:

In life, there is a very close similarity between ‘Dreams’ and ‘Wishes’. However, ‘Dreams’ are more complex than ‘wishes’. While dreams are active, wishes are passive. We are not talking about dreams as in sleeping. We are talking about being ambitious to achieve something in the future.

Dreams usually bring about a course-of-action which gives you the mentality and the drive to aspire for something. It makes you set goals and gives you definition of purpose which enables you to work hard towards your goal. It also serves as a focal point of your life. As a popular saying that goes thus: “a journey without destination is like an animal without house.” It is your dream that gives you the passion you need to achieve your desired goal. It serves as a marker of where you intend to be in the future.

Wishes can just be a fantasy, such as wishing you could fly, wishing you were invisible, taller or shorter, better looking, etc. There are lots of things we can wish for that can never come true. But there are other things that we wish for that could come true, such as taking a trip to a foreign country, learning to speak a foreign language, having a million dollars. If we really want something, we can start dreaming about it...fleshing out the idea, imagining what it feels like, tastes like, smells like, etc. Then if we still want it, we can develop a plan to get it.

We'll go more into goals, dreams and wishes tomorrow...including the bucket list. As well as introducing the idea of outcomes. Then hopefully we'll tie it all together.

Interesting days

Today - Make Up Your Own Holiday Day, Nougat Day, Spinach Day and Purple Day

Tomorrow - World Theater Day, Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day, Spanish Paella Day and Manatee Appreciation Day

Next Tuesday - Ferret Day, Children’s Book Day, Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, Love Your Produce Manager Day and World Autism Day

April 26 - Hug an Australian Day, Pretzel Day, Hairball Awareness Day, Alien Day, Help A Horse Day, Richter Scale Day and International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day

Monday, March 25, 2019

Mission and vision...and purpose statements?

I've talked about mission and vision statements a few times before, but what is a purpose statement?

From theydiffer.com:

What is the difference between Purpose and Mission? The easiest way to understand it is to know that a purpose is the reason which initiates a process. Nothing can be achieved without a purpose or goal in mind, and a mission is the guiding force that helps to follow that purpose. It is only with a set mission in mind that we follow the path that we have chosen for ourselves.

The purpose is "why" we do something, whether in business or in our personal lives.

Also, from TheyDiffer:

When we talk about purpose, we talk about having something in mind that we want to achieve. On the other hand, when we talk about mission, we talk about what we do, why we do it and how we do it so that the audience is able to connect with it and understand the guiding force behind that mission which is in most cases, our purpose.

Mission and purpose are mostly used for business as they help to define the reasons for an organization’s processes and its goals to the consumers. A mission statement is a written pronouncement of an organization’s precise focus that may shift with the passage of time with changes in the market and environment. On the other hand, a purpose statement presents the fundamental reason that drives an organization and motivates it to achieve its business goals.

It is important to know that purpose goes much deeper and stays till the end as it is the core reason why an organization is working. It would not be wrong to say that it is its reason for being and doing. Whether it is for personal reasons or for corporate ones, mission and purpose statement play a key role in keeping focused in the right direction and navigating challenges most capably.

Comparison Chart

Purpose Mission

It is a statement of doing something It is a statement of how to accomplish a vision or a purpose

Purpose is deciding to go ahead with a task The mission is following that task to completion

Purpose guides the task Mission drives and encourages one to complete the task

Purpose explains the “why” in doing something Mission states the “what” and “for whom” for accomplishing a task

In business it means the fundamental reason for which the organization exists. In business it means the organization’s focus which may change with time.

Your mission is who you are or what you do, the purpose statement is why you do it, and your vision is who you want to be or what you want to do in the future.

Eric Worre, in his Go Pro Academy, has completed 2 sessions of a 10 part series on social media, where he's talked about personal branding. In it, he says to figure out your passion and build your brand on that. And to include in your bio "On a mission to..." whatever your passion might be. Your ultimate purpose is to build your network marketing business but you do that by connecting with your tribe through your passion and your mission.

You can join Go Pro Academy for a 14 day trial for only $1 and that includes a signed copy of his Go Pro book, shipped anywhere in the world for no additional charge.

Here's another take on purpose, mission and vision from Aespire:

I receive a daily email from In The Company of Prayer, with insights from business leaders on how their faith impacts their companies and business relationships.
A recent email from the executive editor Leslie Bianco concluded with the following statements:

WHY: We're here to guide each other that one step further along a personal journey.

WHAT: By revealing a Knowing Presence where you may not expect to find it.

HOW: Through our Morning Briefing workday emails, book series, social media, conversations and personal interaction.

Do you recognize these three statements for what they are? Let's change out a couple of words:

Why Purpose: We're here to guide each other that one step further along a personal journey.

What Vision: To reveal a Knowing Presence where you may not expect to find it.

How Mission (Strategy, the path to purpose): Through our Morning Briefing workday emails, book series, social media, conversations and personal interaction.

Also:

When you begin any journey, you subconsciously have an inner conversation around these four questions:

“Why am I going to a particular destination?

“How will I get there?”

“What will it be like when I arrive?”

“Who will I see when I arrive?”

Without realizing it, you worked within a purpose-driven framework.
Purpose focuses on four elements of impact:

Why do you believe you can make a difference? — Purpose needs a reason.

Who do you work to impact? — Purpose needs people.

How do you achieve the impact? — Purpose needs a plan.

What will impact look like when you achieve it? — Purpose needs vision and impact.

Tomorrow, we'll take a look at goals, wishes and dreams, and on Wednesday I'll see if I can tie this all together.

Interesting days

Today - Tolkien Reading Day, Waffle Day and Pecan Day

Tomorrow - Make Up Your Own Holiday Day, Nougat Day, Spinach Day and Purple Day

April will be Adopt A Ferret Month, Active Dog Month, Summer Tire Changeover Month,
Autism Awareness Month, Poetry Month, Couple Appreciation Month, Jazz Appreciation Month, Decorating Month, Straw Hat Month, Garden Month and Month of the Military Child

Next Monday - Fun Day, DNA Day, Sourdough Bread Day, Reading Is Funny Day, One Cent Day and Atheist Day

April 25 - World Penguin Day, Hug A Plumber Day, Malaria Day, Thank you Thursday, Anzac Day and Love Your Thighs Day

Saturday, March 23, 2019

Your weekend guide to interesting days - March 23, 2019

This week

Sunday - Saint Patrick’s Day

Monday - Biodiesel Day, Awkward Moments Day, Forgive Mom & Dad Day and Companies That Care Day

Tuesday - Chocolate Caramel Day, Poultry Day and Client’s Day

Wednesday - Snowman Burning Day, Kiss Your Fiance Day, Ravioli Day, World Storytelling Day, Proposal Day, Won’t You Be My Neighbor Day, International Day of Happiness and Hufflepuff Pride Day

Thursday - World Poetry Day, Common Courtesy Day, French Bread Day, Single Parent’s Day, Memory Day, World Down Syndrome Day and Slytherin Pride Day

Yesterday - Goof Off Day, World Water Day, As Young As You Feel Day and Gryffindor Pride Day

Today - Near Miss Day, Puppy Day, Melba Toast Day, Chip and Dip Day and Ravenclaw Pride Day

Week long celebrations:

Mar 10 - Mar 17: Universal Women’s Week

Mar 18 - Mar 24: Introverts Week

Next week

Tomorrow - Chocolate Covered Raisins Day and Tuberculosis Day

Monday - Tolkien Reading Day, Waffle Day and Pecan Day

Tuesday - Make Up Your Own Holiday Day, Nougat Day, Spinach Day and Purple Day

Wednesday - World Theater Day, Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day, Spanish Paella Day and Manatee Appreciation Day

Thursday - Weed Appreciation Day, Black Forest Cake Day and Something On A Stick Day

Friday - World Piano Day, Lemon Chiffon Cake Day, Niagara Falls Runs Dry Day and Smoke and Mirrors Day

Saturday - Earth Hour, Pencil Day, Take A Walk In The Park Day and Doctors' Day

Next month

April 17 - Haiku Poetry Day, Blah Blah Blah Day and Ford Mustang Day

April 18 - Columnists Day, College Student Grief Awareness Day and Amateur Radio Day

April 19 - Bicycle Day, Hanging Out Day, Garlic Day, Rice Ball Day and Poetry And The Creative Mind Day

April 20 - Record Store Day, Auctioneers Day, Chinese Language Day, Husband Appreciation Day and Volunteer Recognition Day

April 21 - Kindergarten Day, Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day, World Creativity and Innovation Day, American Red Cross Giving Day and Chocolate Covered Cashews Day

April 22 - Jelly Bean Day and Earth Day

April 23 - Talk Like Shakespeare Day, World Book Night and German Beer Day

Friday, March 22, 2019

The week in review - March 22, 2019

Monday - "Oops" I hate when this happens. "I had a blog post for today, but I accidentally deleted it. I'll see if I can recreate it for tomorrow."

Tuesday - "#SleepAwarenessWeek may be over, but..." Fortunately, I was able to recreate yesterday's post. "Napping May Be As Good As Blood Pressure Medication For Lowering Your Blood Pressure"

Wednesday - "Just interesting days today" The title says it all! "I'm still researching the topic I was planning on writing about today, so I'm holding off until next week. It may end up being a two or three part series."

Thursday - "How economically productive is your household? #TBT" Are you saving and investing enough? "The Economic Productivity Index (EPI) measures how well you're doing financially and is based on a formula in "Millionaire Women Next Door" by Thomas J. Stanley."

Interesting days

Today - Goof Off Day, World Water Day, As Young As You Feel Day and Gryffindor Pride Day

Tomorrow - Near Miss Day, Puppy Day, Melba Toast Day, Chip and Dip Day and Ravenclaw Pride Day

Week long celebrations:

Mar 18 - Mar 24: Introverts Week

Next Friday - World Piano Day, Lemon Chiffon Cake Day, Niagara Falls Runs Dry Day and Smoke and Mirrors Day

April 22 - Jelly Bean Day and Earth Day

Thursday, March 21, 2019

How economically productive is your household? #TBT

Today's blog post was originally published last year. I was just thinking about this post yesterday because it's related, albeit loosely, to the series of posts I'm working on for next week.

Huh?

The Economic Productivity Index (EPI) measures how well you're doing financially and is based on a formula in "Millionaire Women Next Door" by Thomas J. Stanley. It's equal to your household net worth divided by your household annual realized income, which is simply your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) found on your tax return. The EPI is just the inverse of your Return on Net Worth (RON) which I talked about here. The higher your EPI, the better; while a lower RON is better. (EPI = 1 / RON).

But how do you figure your net worth? The easy answer is that you subtract what you owe from what you own. Earlier today I found a list of assets...I think it was from the Census Bureau, but I can't find it again. But I remember that pensions weren't included, which was the basis of my net worth since I lost the house and cashed out the 401k during the divorce.

What you own...cash, cars, real estate, 401k, furniture, etc. What you owe...mortgage, credit card debt, etc.

To use the EPI to see where you stand you multiply the EPI by 10 and if it's equal to or higher than your age, you're in good shape. Where does the average American stand? According to the book, the average American has an EPI of 1.6, which would be really good for a 16 year old! EPI = $72,000 / $45,000 = 1.6.

How can you raise your EPI? By increasing your net worth and decreasing your taxable income. You can increase your net worth by spending less and saving/investing more. I use an app called Ibotta to help me save on things like groceries, Groupon and lots of others. If you use my link, we can be on the same team and we can earn extra team bonuses. I use two tools to help me save and invest...YNAB (You Need A Budget) and Acorns. YNAB makes it easy to budget and Acorns automatically invests for you by rounding up your purchases to the next dollar and investing the change for you. And if you sign up with those links we both make out...we can each get a free month of YNAB and $5 with Acorns. According to The Motley Fool, here are 10 Ways to Legally Reduce Your 2017 Taxes:

Sock away money for retirement.

Contribute to an HSA or FSA.

Hang on to your investments.

Buy a house -- or sell it strategically.

Make the most of deductions.

Bundle deductions.

Make the most of tax credits.

Have kids.

Make the most of being self-employed.

Hire a tax pro.

Number 5 applies specifically to reducing your AGI:

There are gobs of deductions available to taxpayers. Of particular interest are above-the-line deductions, which don't require itemizing and shrink your adjusted gross income (AGI), on which your income taxes are based. Above-the-line deductions exist for expenses such as alimony payments, self-employment taxes, IRA contributions, school supplies, student-loan interest paid, and more. Regular below-the-line deductions can be quite valuable, too. They include donations to charity and qualifying medical expenses, among many other things.

My EPI is nowhere near where I want it to be, but with the tools I mentioned above, I'm working at saving and investing money to increase my assets and taking advantage of the 10 ways to reduce taxes (especially 5 & 9) to reduce my AGI.

Interesting days

Today - World Poetry Day, Common Courtesy Day, French Bread Day, Single Parent’s Day, Memory Day, World Down Syndrome Day and Slytherin Pride Day

Tomorrow - Goof Off Day, World Water Day, As Young As You Feel Day and Gryffindor Pride Day

Week long celebrations:

Mar 18 - Mar 24: Introverts Week

Next Thursday - Weed Appreciation Day, Black Forest Cake Day and Something On A Stick Day

April 21 - Kindergarten Day, Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day, World Creativity and Innovation Day, American Red Cross Giving Day and Chocolate Covered Cashews Day

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Just interesting days today

I'm still researching the topic I was planning on writing about today, so I'm holding off until next week. It may end up being a two or three part series.

Interesting days

Today - Snowman Burning Day, Kiss Your Fiance Day, Ravioli Day, World Storytelling Day, Proposal Day, Won’t You Be My Neighbor Day, International Day of Happiness and Hufflepuff Pride Day

Tomorrow - World Poetry Day, Common Courtesy Day, French Bread Day, Single Parent’s Day, Memory Day, World Down Syndrome Day and Slytherin Pride Day

Week long celebrations:

Mar 18 - Mar 24: Introverts Week

Next Wednesday - World Theater Day, Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day, Spanish Paella Day and Manatee Appreciation Day

April 20 - Record Store Day, Auctioneers Day, 中国语言日, Husband Appreciation Day and Volunteer Recognition Day

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

#SleepAwarenessWeek may be over, but...

I'm going to try this again...hopefully I don't delete it when I'm finished this time!

I know last week was Sleep Awareness Week, but Dr. Breus just came out with this and I thought you might find the topic interesting.

Napping May Be As Good As Blood Pressure Medication For Lowering Your Blood Pressure

An article on Medical News Today reported that a research group from the Asklepieion General Hospital in Voula, Greece conducted a study and found that taking a nap at midday can effectively help people lower their blood pressure levels.

“Midday sleep appears to lower blood pressure levels at the same magnitude as other lifestyle changes. For example, salt and alcohol reduction can bring blood pressure levels down by 3 to 5 [millimeters of mercury (mmHg)],” reports Dr. Kallistratos.

The article states:

According to guidelines from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a person has high blood pressure if their readings of systolic blood pressure (pressure during a heartbeat) are 140 mm Hg or higher, and their readings of diastolic blood pressure (pressure between heartbeats) are 90 mm Hg or higher.

The researchers found that people who took a daytime nap saw a 5.3 mm Hg drop in systolic blood pressure, which, the researchers explain, is about as much as someone could expect when taking blood pressure medication or making certain lifestyle changes to lower blood pressure.

Each additional 60 minutes of napping time reduced average 24-hour systolic blood pressure by 3 mm Hg. Dr. Kallistratos explains that taking low doses of specialized drugs can lower a person’s blood pressure levels by about 5–7 mm Hg on average.

“These findings are important because a drop in blood pressure as small as 2 mm Hg can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, by up to 10 percent,” says the researcher.

And more from Dr. Breus:

You all know I am a big fan of napping, and now we have even more reason to do it! If you have not read my other blog post on napping, you might not be aware that there are 9 different types of naps. Check it out and remember to bring your eye mask to work!

Nine different types of naps?

The CEO nap.
The Nap A Latte™.
The New Mom nap.
The Sports nap.
The Disco nap.
The Siesta.
The Shift Work nap.
The Teen nap.
The Jet Lag nap.

Number 2 has worked really well the couple of times that I have used it. And I'm going to see about incorporating number 7 into my routine. For more on the different types of naps, check out this article.

Interesting days

Today - Chocolate Caramel Day, Poultry Day and Client’s Day

Tomorrow - Snowman Burning Day, Kiss Your Fiance Day, Ravioli Day, World Storytelling Day, Proposal Day, Won’t You Be My Neighbor Day, International Day of Happiness and Hufflepuff Pride Day

Week long celebrations:

Mar 18 - Mar 24: Introverts Week

Next Tuesday - Make Up Your Own Holiday Day, Nougat Day, Spinach Day and Purple Day

April 19 - Bicycle Day, Hanging Out Day, Garlic Day, Rice Ball Day and Poetry And The Creative Mind Day

Monday, March 18, 2019

Oops

I had a blog post for today, but I accidentally deleted it. I'll see if I can recreate it for tomorrow.

Your weekend guide to interesting days - March 16, 2019

This week

Sunday - Pack Your Lunch Day, Dry Shampoo Day,  Check Your Batteries Day, Day Of Awesomeness, Mario Day, Blueberry Popover Day, International Bagpipe Day and International Wig Day

Monday - Napping Day, World Plumbing Day, Fill Our Staplers Day and Oatmeal Nut Waffles Day

Tuesday -  Organize Your Home Office Day, Registered Dietitian Day, Girl Scout Day, Plant a Flower Day, Baked Scallops Day and International Fanny Pack Day

Wednesday - Ken Day, Earmuffs Day, No Smoking Day, Open An Umbrella Indoors Day, Coconut Torte Day, Smart & Sexy Day and Jewel Day

Thursday - White Day, World Kidney Day, Dribble to Work Day, Potato Chip Day, Pi Day, International Ask a Question Day, Legal Assistance Day, Moth-er Day, Science Education Day, Learn About Butterflies Day and Crowdfunding Day

Yesterday -  World Sleep Day, World Speech Day, Brutus Day, Buzzards Day, True Confessions Day and World Consumer Rights Day

Today - Lips Appreciation Day, Corn Dog Day and Freedom Of Information Day

Week long celebrations:

Mar 10 - Mar 16: Groundwater Awareness Week and Sleep Awareness Week

Mar 10 - Mar 17: Universal Women’s Week

Next week

Tomorrow - Saint Patrick’s Day

Monday - Biodiesel Day, Awkward Moments Day, Forgive Mom & Dad Day and Companies That Care Day

Tuesday - Chocolate Caramel Day, Poultry Day and Client’s Day

Wednesday - Snowman Burning Day, Kiss Your Fiance Day, Ravioli Day, World Storytelling Day, Proposal Day, Won’t You Be My Neighbor Day, International Day of Happiness and Hufflepuff Pride Day

Thursday - World Poetry Day, Common Courtesy Day, French Bread Day, Single Parent’s Day, Memory Day, World Down Syndrome Day and Slytherin Pride Day

Friday - Goof Off Day, World Water Day, As Young As You Feel Day and Gryffindor Pride Day

Saturday - Near Miss Day, Puppy Day, Melba Toast Day, Chip and Dip Day and Ravenclaw Pride Day

Week long celebrations:

Mar 10 - Mar 17: Universal Women’s Week

Mar 18 - Mar 24: Introverts Week

Next month

April 10 - Golfer’s Day, Sibling Day, Bookmobile Day, International Safety Pin Day and Day of Pink

April 11 - Pet Day, Cheese Fondue Day, Barbershop Quartet Day, Submarine Day and World Parkinson’s Disease Day

April 12 - Teach Your Children to Save Day, Deskfast Day, Walk On Your Wild Side Day, Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, Licorice Day and Day Of Silence

April 13 - Thomas Jefferson Day and Scrabble Day

April 14 - Dolphin Day and Look Up at the Sky Day

April 15 - That Sucks! Day, Take A Wild Guess Day, Microvolunteering Day, ASL Day and Anime Day

April 16 - Wear Your Pajamas To Work Day, Eggs Benedict Day and Save The Elephant Day

Friday, March 15, 2019

The week in review - March 15, 2019

Monday - "Happy #NappingDay" The day after Daylight Savings begins. "Many people don't like DST...however, I do. I like the extra sunlight in the evening."

Tuesday - "More about #SleepAwarenessWeek" It's also Sleep Awareness Week this week. "With this information and a how to book, you'll have almost everything you'll need to change almost any aspect of your life"

Wednesday - "All about caffeine " More on sleep...or lack of it. "Thus, the so-called health benefits of coffee are just an illusion. You're simply getting back to where you were before you drank the coffee."

Thursday - "That is the question #TBT" A little Hamlet to brighten your day. "Read the Cliff Notes version to understand the whole story and find out if Hamlet decided to shuffle off this mortal coil."

Interesting days

Today - World Sleep Day, World Speech Day, Brutus Day, Buzzards Day, True Confessions Day and World Consumer Rights Day

Tomorrow - Lips Appreciation Day, Corn Dog Day and Freedom Of Information Day

Week long celebrations:

Mar 10 - Mar 16: Groundwater Awareness Week and Sleep Awareness Week

Mar 10 - Mar 17: Universal Women’s Week

Next Friday - Goof Off Day, World Water Day, As Young As You Feel Day and Gryffindor Pride Day

Week long celebrations:

Mar 18 - Mar 24: Introverts Week

April 15 - That Sucks! Day, Take A Wild Guess Day, Microvolunteering Day, ASL Day and Anime Day

Thursday, March 14, 2019

That is the question #TBT

Today's blog post was originally published two years ago:

I saw this on a t-shirt on Facebook a few days ago and it's been screaming at me to do a blog post about it ever since.

In programming, the 2 vertical bars || means OR and the exclamation mark ! means NOT, so this translates to "To be or not to be". These are the words that Hamlet speaks in his famous soliloquy (an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play):

To be, or not to be? That is the question—

Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And, by opposing, end them? To die, to sleep—

No more—and by a sleep to say we end

The heartache and the thousand natural shocks

That flesh is heir to—’tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wished! To die, to sleep.

To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub,

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come

When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,

Must give us pause. There’s the respect

That makes calamity of so long life.

But what does it mean? Here is a translation of that speech by Hamlet:

The question is: is it better to be alive or dead? Is it nobler to put up with all the nasty things that luck throws your way, or to fight against all those troubles by simply putting an end to them once and for all? Dying, sleeping—that’s all dying is—a sleep that ends all the heartache and shocks that life on earth gives us—that’s an achievement to wish for. To die, to sleep—to sleep, maybe to dream. Ah, but there’s the catch: in death’s sleep who knows what kind of dreams might come, after we’ve put the noise and commotion of life behind us. That’s certainly something to worry about. That’s the consideration that makes us stretch out our sufferings so long.

Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, is considering suicide after his mother marries his uncle, who happened to have murdered his brother, Hamlet's father, the King...whose ghost visits Hamlet at the beginning of the play. That's some pretty heavy stuff to have to deal with!

Read the Cliff Notes version to understand the whole story and find out if Hamlet decided to shuffle off this mortal coil.

Interesting days

Today - White Day, World Kidney Day, Dribble to Work Day, Potato Chip Day, Pi Day, International Ask a Question Day, Legal Assistance Day, Moth-er Day, Science Education Day, Learn About Butterflies Day and Crowdfunding Day

Tomorrow - World Sleep Day, World Speech Day, Brutus Day, Buzzards Day, True Confessions Day and World Consumer Rights Day

Week long celebrations:

Mar 10 - Mar 16: Groundwater Awareness Week and Sleep Awareness Week

Mar 10 - Mar 17: Universal Women’s Week

Next Thursday - World Poetry Day, Common Courtesy Day, French Bread Day, Single Parent’s Day, Memory Day, World Down Syndrome Day and Slytherin Pride Day

Week long celebrations:

Mar 18 - Mar 24: Introverts Week

April 14 - Dolphin Day and Look Up at the Sky Day

Purpose	Mission
It is a statement of doing something	It is a statement of how to accomplish a vision or a purpose
Purpose is deciding to go ahead with a task	The mission is following that task to completion
Purpose guides the task	Mission drives and encourages one to complete the task
Purpose explains the “why” in doing something	Mission states the “what” and “for whom” for accomplishing a task
In business it means the fundamental reason for which the organization exists.	In business it means the organization’s focus which may change with time.

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Saturday, March 30, 2019

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Friday, March 29, 2019

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Thursday, March 28, 2019

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Wednesday, March 27, 2019

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Tuesday, March 26, 2019

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Monday, March 25, 2019

Comparison Chart

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Saturday, March 23, 2019

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Friday, March 22, 2019

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Friday, March 15, 2019

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Thursday, March 14, 2019

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