Week 9 - Giving Can Improve Your Health

I recall somewhat vaguely when I was a child that I emptied a piggy bank that contained around $7. Then my mother took me with her on a long bus ride to the CFTO TV studios in the Scarborough area. There was no Scarborough SRT back then and the journey seemed to take forever to a wasteland where a TV studio was a located that seemed like Hollywood to me then.

On the outside, the studio seemed isolated and lifeless, but when we finally went inside we were met with the excitement of cameras moving around the floor with local celebrities running around constantly waving microphones around the room and talking very enthusiastically. Celebrities with loud jackets, wide ties and long sideburns that were the rage back then. You had to be very careful about where you stepped, because of a mess of camera cords and cables dragging around the floor.

It was certainly a rough and tumble existence running a 1971 TV telethon to raise funds for children with disabilities. I'm sure today the TV sets must be a lot more organized and high-tech. However, I was in awe of the celebrities that I brushed shoulders with .... Uncle Bobby and other entertainers that I could identify with as a 7 year old growing up in those days. They were like Hollywood stars to me in my little world, but they were just local people who happened to connect with children.

As a tall celebrity kneeled down to my level so that he could chat with me and take my $7 in change, I felt unbelievably nervous. There were TV cameras focused on me. I wanted to say something, but I was too shy.

This was my first time ever on TV and I didn't know what to say to the people. In reality, I probably didn't have to say anything. A had my 15 minutes of fame, as Andy Warhol once alluded to. A picture says a thousand words. When people watching TV saw my face and could see the progress I made and the hurdles I overcame, they knew the money was being put to good use.

Not only was this moment my first time on TV, but it was also the first time I ever donated anything to anyone. I realized in my own way the importance of giving to others.

For a moment, forget about doing all you can about eating right and exercising your body until you feel the burn. You can do all of these and still not improve your health, at least your mental health.

But when you make that decision to give of your time or your monetary resources to a worthwhile cause, you change your health in a different way. You reduce your stress level and you begin to feel a sense of doing something right for others in need. This results in a positive outlook that makes you feel good about yourself. Giving of ourselves to others whether it be monetarily or by giving of your time in terms of your health benefits is as important as eating and exercising right.

Many people in this hectic world find it hard to find time to volunteer to assist with a worthy cause. This is understandable. However, the time contribution and the monetary contribution don't have to be significant to benefit others.

Here is a brief list of some of my own contributions:
- I sponsor a young girl in Africa through World Vision
- I give contributions to Sick Kids Hospital
- When I can, I mentor people with their job search skills after they are rehabilitating from spinal cord injury.
- I serve as a member of two Toastmasters clubs because I believe in the importance of helping others improve their communication skills.
- In my department at work, I represent and fundraise for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Remember, when you reach out to help others, you are also helping yourself!

Week 8 - Keeping Your Sights On the Big Picture

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who had to walk to a castle to run an errand for his wife. This was to be the first time he would visit this castle. Between his home and the castle there was a large forest in his path.

He was quite confident that he would be able to reach the castle fairly quickly. However, as the forest became more and more dense and the paths multiplied, he quickly became confused. He tried different paths that led to nowhere and became frustrated.

Another man walking in the opposite direction noticed that he was troubled, but presented him with a map and explained to him that there was a star shining atop the castle that could be seen through the dense forest. Sure enough when the wise man looked up, he saw a light through the leaves of the trees. When he took the time to examine the situation and follow the star, he eventually found his way out of the forest and found the castle.

Is there a moral to this story? Certainly! Sometimes when we set goals for ourselves, we can often get discouraged by the "small stuff." The small stuff could be events that may prevent us from reaching our goals. Even when life gets in the way, we must examine our goals in light of the big picture. Sometimes it is inevitable that we will face some adversity when we are pursuing a worthwhile goal.

Of course, as you know from my past blog postings, one of my goals is (or was) to lose 30 lbs by the end of July. To reach my goal, I have to be more careful about my diet and secondly, I need to try to get to the gym 3-4 times a week for cardiovascular and resistance training.

In a perfect week, I can usually accomplish all of this. But how often does one have a "perfect week?" Sometimes other "stuff" happens that may, if we let it, derail us from our goals and plans.

For example, a few weekends ago, I attended and volunteered my services at our Toastmasters Spring Conference. To clear my schedule for the weekend, I had to run some errands during the week after work that I normally would have been able to do on the weekend. This left less time for me to go the gym. That week I could only find time to go to the gym once that week.

At first, I stressed over this; however, I realized that I was silly to let this bother me. This was a very minor roadblock in my way to reaching my fitness goal. I needed to look at the bigger picture in terms of reaching my goals.

By missing the mark on 3-4 visits to the gym that week, in terms of the big picture, I actually improved my mental and physical fitness level in several ways:
1) I was able to give my limbs some well-needed rest
2) I was able to get some well-needed sleep
3) I was able to take the time to relax and develop some new friendships and chat with some friends on Facebook. I improved my mental fitness and self-esteem which contributed in gains in my goals in ways unimagined previously.

Overall, by taking the time to take a step back and rest, I was able to improve my fitness level. I was also able to discover that my resting heart rate is around 56 beats per minute, which I measured when I was lying in bed about to rise for the day. BTW - I think 56 is pretty good - don't you? :)

Up until then, I never knew my resting heart rate. I always knew my maximum heart rate and that I could get my heart rate up to 150 bpm for 30 minutes at a time if I had to while on the elliptical trainer. I've heard from fitness professionals that your resting heart rate tells you more about the state of your health than your maximum heart rate. Your maximum heart rate can always be inflated through the consumption of coffee and other products with caffeine. Ha Ha!! I do that sometimes.

In achieving your goals, just remember that sometimes that your pursuit of goals that you have formulated with the best intentions can and will be derailed. It is only a matter of "when". However, when you keep your sights on the big picture and the end result, you don't need to let yourself become discouraged.

Just keep peddling and stay the course! Eventually you'll make it to the finish line.