Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. by Angela Duckworth. In this must-read book for anyone striving to succeed, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows parents, educators, students, and business people, that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a focused persistence called “grit.” Winningly personal, insightful, and even life-changing, Grit is a book about what goes through your head when you fall down, and how that—not talent or luck—makes all the difference.
Community News
Healing Cell Signaling
The human body has between fifty and three hundred billion cells. Inside every cell, we have mitochondria (some cells have thousands). Mitochondria, when functioning properly, produce redox signaling molecules. Cell signaling carry life-sustaining messages to cells, and your cells respond to those messages, keeping you alive and healthy. As we age, cell signal weakens they can disrupt gene expression. But if you had a way to regulate gene activity with redox signaling molecules, cellular communication would remain strong. Our bodies heal on a cellular level, and the genetic instructions that dictate healthy body function don’t get through without redox signaling.
Music and Brain Plasticity
Brain-imaging techniques have revealed the brain’s plasticity and have identified networks that music activates. The brain areas activated by music are not unique to music. These networks also process other functions. Musical and non-musical functions share systems. For example, motor control and executive control share circuits with music. Music can activate and drive complex patterns of interaction between the other two, so that a stroke patient and someone with Parkinson’s increases movement, and someone with traumatic brain injury increases cognitive functioning, such as problem solving or decision making.
Counselling Can Support You
We all want to live our best life. But sometimes life presses down on us and we can’t seem to find our way out. This can sneak up on us – maybe a bad boss reminds us of something in our childhood. Or maybe a breakup leaves us feeling vulnerable, coping in unhelpful ways. It can even be unclear where this feeling comes from. How do you act confidently towards your goals? How do you be kind to yourself when you’re stuck? What do you do with old feelings that come up? Counselling is a safe, neutral place to feel better about yourself, and explore what’s next for you.
Staying Social as a Senior
As we get older, health conditions, mobility limitations or a lack of energy can keep us from being as socially active as we once were. A diminishing social life might happen gradually as close friends experience the same conditions and family members grow busy. We may not even notice how long it has been since we last spent time with a friend! Isolation has many physical and emotional health risks. Especially if you live by yourself, staying socially active is critical to enjoying a healthy lifestyle. Volunteer at a local organization, join a senior living community or find a group that focuses on similar interests (e.g., knitting, water aerobics, cooking). Get back to living your best life!
Wealth of “Real Wellth”
As many may agree, wealth is about having money and possessions (our net worth). However, you may have also heard that ‘money cannot buy happiness’. By shifting the concept of wealth to “Wellth”, we shift the priority from finding the tangible/objective (wealth) to the internally realized/subjective (wellth), which leads to greater wellness and health for individual and for our community. By emphasizing “Real” we highlight that it is in the here-and-now, not focused on the future or past. Building wellness and health today is what really makes us wealthy, which supports our idea of “Real Wellth” and why it needs to be a priority.
Eye Care for Teens
Teens are still developing so it’s very important that they receive proper eye care to ensure the best possible vision heading into adulthood. Unfortunately, many don’t. The behavioural problems experienced by “troubled” teens may sometimes be due to undiagnosed vision issues that aren’t identified during the school years. Teens should have proper vision testing to catch potential issues such as astigmatism, convergence insufficiency, and poor tracking that may cause more problems as they get older. As well as making sure that they have a balanced diet and are getting exercise, encourage your teens to wear sunglasses with UV protection and to protect their eyes when playing sports or using tools and equipment.
Medical Benefits of Wool
Do you know about the natural healing benefits of wool? There are many reasons why it is called “the miracle fiber”. Wool is a comforting and warm material used for many products such as footwear, blankets and clothing. Its natural healing properties are of great medical benefit to patients in home care and hospitals. Wool promotes healing by reducing pain and swelling. It provides cushioning and reduces pressure while regulating body temperature and drawing moisture away from the body. Laying on wool increases comfort, releases stress and promotes relaxation and restorative sleep. See Videos and more information on the website.
10-Point Risk Assessment
Is it time to get a medical alert system in your home? If you answer “yes” to most of these, maybe it’s time to consider one. Are you over the age of 55? Do you live alone? Do you use a cane or walker to assist you? Have you fallen in the past year? Do you take daily medication? Have you been hospitalized in the past 3 years? Do you sometimes feel weak or dizzy? Is it important for you to continue living independently? With a medical alert unit, you can have peace of mind knowing that help is available at the push of a button, anywhere you go!
Aromatherapy for Anxiety
Chronic anxiety is unpredictable and overpowering. Did you know that caffeine has been associated with anxiety? Caffeine increases alertness by blocking a brain chemical (adenosine) that makes you feel tired, and overuse can cause anxiety. The essential oils suggested to help with anxiety are Basil, Bergamot, Frankincense, Geranium, Lavender, Melissa, Marjoram, and Patchouli. Inhaling a couple of deep breaths of your chosen essential oil will help calm down that feeling of being overwhelmed. Better still is having a diffuser in your home, car or workplace. This will diffuse the essential oils into the air. Now all you have to do is breathe and relax.
Get Your Mouth Checked!
An oral health exam is critical to the maintenance of your overall wellbeing. You should have your mouth checked at least once a year for prevention and treatment of any ailments. Even if you don’t have any live teeth, it’s important to make sure there are no signs of infections or early signs of cancer, growths, or cysts, and that your dentures are fitting you well. Leaving problems untreated usually leads to pain, periodontal disease, or tooth loss, and could make treatment more difficult, so it’s best to deal with problems early, or, if possible, prevent them.
