The Value of Relationships & Work/Life Balance

Welcome Back Everyone! Earlier this week I shared with you how stress overtook my life this year and has made me very ill. While I am recovering a little every week,  I have learned some important things and have had a harsh reality check. My biggest regret over the last decade is the time spent away from relationships and people so I could be overworked and miserable just to barely scrape by. What made it worse is I have never liked any of my jobs, because they are not aligned with my passions and interests. This can be a hard thing to come by, a job that is something you wake up each day excited about.  We all have to pay bills right? But how many of us love what we do every day? Does it fill us with purpose and make a difference in our own lives and the lives of the people around us? We truly can make a difference no matter where we are and what we do for work, but today we often have the freedom and ability to follow our passions.

• Did You Know? According to the Washington Post based on a 2013 poll, only 13% of all employees are engaged in their jobs and enjoy going to work. See Article

Often we take long hours and jobs that do not interest us to support ourselves and our families. Sometimes this is just a necessity.  But how often do we get stuck in a depressing Groundhog Day situation? I often have told my coworkers that every day feels like the same “stuck in a rut” day… everyday. I often do not know what day of the week it is, because weekends off are for “other people.” I have often worked evenings so I miss out on…. everything. Birthdays, dinners, parties, events, concerts, dates, etc the list goes on.

In the end, people and relationships are what matter. It is true that some individuals live for their work or profession… and relationships are not a priority, and that is their choice and they are aware of it. What I found in my case, was a rude awakening that all this time working long hours has left my social realm cold and impersonal. Relationships are mutually beneficial investments into ourselves and others! I have too often found myself having very few people to call when I want to share exciting news or need support when going through a very rough time. I have not been able to spend the time to invest in people enough. It can be hard for some of us to reach out and make those connections. Rejection and judgment will happen, not everyone will like us or return the connection.  But you know what? Life is fleeting and there are so many amazing people out there for all of us.

So what have I done and can do in the near future to remedy this? What can you do in your life to strengthen your bonds with people, forge new meaningful connections, and have a solid work-life balance? The truth is that it will be a little different for all of us.

Here are some options:

• Finding a career that is aligned with your passions that is meaningful and does not take up my entire daily existence.
• Working smarter and not harder
• Doing a tipped position that requires fewer hours a week
• Making time every day for your family and friends, whether it is time in person or on the phone. Relationships need constant attention. Never take them for granted.
• Live in a city that you can afford! Sometimes we are simply living above our means. If we cannot afford where we live without 2+ jobs and 2+ roommates… it may be time to relocate.
• Every hour of Overtime is a Sacrifice! Our time has so much value that rises above money. Our children and family/friends are worthy of that precious time.
• What else can we do?

I will leave you with this quote and a link to more positive quotes:

“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.” – Anais Nin More here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Radiant Life Update

Welcome Everyone!

Thank you for stopping by today to see my post. I have not posted in awhile, and I will share with you why and what my plans are for the blog. I care very passionately about our health and I want all of us to thrive and prosper. This year has been very challenging for me. Until two weeks ago I was working 7 days a week with two jobs for most of this year, and it has been the source of much stress. It can be so difficult to have the right work/life balance these days, and I am sure many of you may be struggling with this very thing. You get tunnel vision and are just living in survival mode. This was the beginning of my troubles this year.

• Did You Know?   Sweden has introduced 6 hour work days, only 1% of the working population works more than 50 hours, and by law companies have to pay for 25 vacation days a year! Can you imagine? Work/Life Balance

After many months of building stress, my body decided to REBEL! I know many people can bear many years of stress and unhealthy eating and habits, but my body decided to take a stand! I have not had a lot of time to food prep and make healthy meals until recently, so it has been lots of veggie fast food trips to Thai, Indian, and Chinese restaurants. Tons of fat, MSG, sodium, gluten, and refined carbs day in and day out. Have you ever been so busy you find yourself eating out all the time? I love preparing own meals, but it does take time and effort that some of us may not have.

• Did You Know?   Americans spend more on eating out than buying groceries? One month sampled last year showed that Americans spent $52.3 billion eating out, versus $49.7 billion on groceries! 2015 was the first documented year that this has happened and is showing a scary trend toward the convenient fast foods. Eating Out

It is terrifying what stress can do, and it brought to surface many health challenges. The good news is that since this all began about 4 months ago, I have been able to make a lot of progress. So what did my body do?

1. Massive Weight Gain
2. Neurological Problems
3. Psychological Problems
4. Muscle Weakness
5. Extreme Fatigue
6. Gastrointestinal Distress
7. High resting heart rate/Irregular heart rate
8. Illness when consuming almost any foods at all

In regards to #8, I will tell you that it is hard for me to eat anything now. My body has become incredibly sensitive. When I started becoming ill I started giving up everything to help my system heal and start to recover. Eating sugar, fat, caffeine, refined carbs, gluten, and any flour products seemed to make it all worse! I have a very negative reaction to foods that fall on this list and have given them up as much as possible. I have had countless tests done already, and have more scheduled. Very little has been found at all, except that the doctor believes I am suffering from chronic stress. However! The self-assessment and testing I have done has revealed things to me. It turns out I am intensely Gluten Intolerant! When I gave up sugar and gluten my stomach was quiet for the first time in decades! What a difference! Any of you who suffer from any stomach issues should try giving it up for a month and see how you feel. It made a HUGE difference for me…

• Did You Know?   Gluten is linked to many severe symptoms that often go undiagnosed for years! While stress made everything worse, gluten has turned out to be the cause of many of my problems! Check out this amazing article HERE

So the good news is, that I have been making improvements in my life such as letting go of one of my two jobs, spending more time outside, exercising more, eating cleaner (very clean!), and spending time with friends and family. My recovery has been slow and it is still ongoing. Even as I type I feel my nervous system fighting me with anxiety and a high heart rate. I have learned it will pass and I just ride it out while doing everything I can to self-help. My spiritual life helps me daily as well, never downplay that!

So, what I am here to tell you is, that I would like to start spending more time with all of you. We are all on this journey together, and the choices we make everyday affect our health and well being. Let me be a testament to what stress can do to you, and start making changes now! Don’t wait for it to over take you my friends, do something now.

• Did You Know?   Some statistics show that 77% of the population regularly experience Physical symptoms from stress, and 73% of the population experience Psychological Symptoms from stress. Check it Out.

Finally, I am looking forward to reporting more good news about my recovery. I also am looking forward to discussing many topics on how we can all live One Radiant Life together! Thank you for stopping by today!

 

 

My Favorite 2 Vintage San Diego Theaters

Welcome Everyone!

I just recently started a new job working for a theater and that is why you have not seen me post for a wee bit here. Things are settling down and yesterday while I was at work I suddenly started reminiscing about two of my old favorite closed theaters that used to exist in Mission Valley here in San Diego. They had the amazing giant single screens with a capacity of almost 1,000 people per showing! They were giants and I am so sad that era is over. My favorite memories of the theaters is when Star Wars was re-released in the late 1990’s and they were shown at these theaters. What an amazing thing it was! Seeing the movies for the first time (in my case) on the BIG SCREEN….. just magical.

So what theaters am I talking about? I will show you below. For those of you who never have been to these old vintage theaters, just see if these two theaters bring back any special memories for you of watching movies in the 80’s and 90’s. I even miss the old demolished AMC in Santee and the old small theater that existed at Parkway Plaza mall in El Cajon before it was removed and a new Regal moved in. The Santee theater was awesome because it had the wild and dark tile and 70’s rust and brown colors…. Well now I will walk you down memory lane for my two favorite vintage theaters and give you a little background on them… come with me.

Valley Circle Theater 1966-1998

This beauty was right next to the Mission Valley Mall where the Gordon Biersch now resides. This theater sat up to 922 people on a single sprawling level that seemed to go on forever! It was here that I saw two if the Star Wars movies when they were re-released in 1997, The original Star Wars and Return of the Jedi. Walking in with almost 1,000 other people to see these movies on the big screen brought them to life for me in a way I never knew was possible! I tried to locate pictures of the inside of the theater, but had no success. If any of you happen to have any let me know!

Cinema 21 Auditorium, San Diego, CA.

Cinema 21 1963-late 90’s

One word for this old vintage gem…. Magnificent!

I cannot tell you how much I miss this theater! This is where I saw The Empire Strikes Back in 1997. I have fond memories of going to this theater with my Dad and often by myself. I knew even back then these glorious old giants were not long for this world. This theater sat up to 1,000 people and created an exciting environment that I have not experienced in current theaters…. The screen was 60 feet and there were reclining seats in the last 10 rows. The theater was so huge that even with modern sound systems there could be detected a delay in the sound depending on how far back you sat!

Well folks, I hope this trip down memory lane brought some fond movie memories to the forefront of your mind! You are welcome to share some of your favorite movie experiences from the past below in the comments! Have a great night and as always, enjoy your One Radiant Life!