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NoCo Chamber of Commerce Jobs Summit

Posted on 31 July 2013 by Wayne Cook

Income (and jobs) are important to individuals. Good financial health is almost as important as good physical health. I decided to take a break from writing about physical health and post some notes from a meeting I attended today.

Future of jobs in NoCo (Northern Colorado) – (31 July 2013) Presented by the Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce

I will include each of the speakers and have a point summary of my thoughts on what each of them said.

Technology Job Trends in Northern Colorado

Martin Shields, CSU Regional Economist

Tech sector has lost more jobs.
600 layoffs at Center Partners yesterday.
Efficiency and productivity up, so job growth slower.
Region has added about 5,000 jobs in health care, consumption sector, manufacturing.
All other areas are stagnate. Computer manufacturing on steep decline.
With Affordable Care act and aging population, driving healthcare growth.
In 40 years Fort Collins has grown from a small cow town to a sophisticated metropolis.
Advanced technology industries hard to define, so based on qualifications of the work force.
Dot com bubble easily seen in Colorado economy. In last ten years the US.tech sector growth is much better than Colorado.
25% decline in high tech jobs in Colorado since 2000. Back at level (7.3% of overall job) it was in 1980.
Most high tech venture capital going to coastal cities and not to Colorado. Over time the concentration on the coast of venture capital is getting stronger.
Presentation slides will be on line later.
In 2001 tech workforce 73% higher than national average, now only 53%.
HP will continue to be an important partner, but life science much larger growth area.
With international competition so strong, it is hurting local economy, we need to have clusters of a particular industry to have a growth area. Example: microbreweries.
Need to move forward, or we will be another Detroit.

Economic Development: ignite style
– 15 seconds per slide, 5 minute presentations

Josh Birks City of Fort Collins Health Director

Several companies have invested in Fort Collins, as well as the city investments. Fort Collins investments are just seed money to private investments. Midtown corridor is a hopeful new example.
Unemployment is about 5.3%.
By 2015 we should have a robust economy, new mall, Max buses, new Woodward Governor HQ, etc.
Fly wheel, series of Small Steps to make momentous changes in the community.

Walt Elish, CEO of Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation

Opportunities best for 24-35 age group. We are still not at the pre Great Recession level.
Has information on demographics. Works with existing and desired companies for NoCo. Works closely with various government units to make sure that the two are in agreement with regard to the companies wanted for this region.
The Quality of Life of the residents of this are dependent on Primary Job (salary and benefits so that people can afford the life style they want).

Aging and the Labor Force in Colorado and Larimer County

Cindy DeGroen, Projections Demographer at Colorado Department of Local Affairs

Aging of the Baby Boomers will have a major factor in Colorado.
Before the Baby Boom population that moved to Colorado in the 1980s-2000s, Colorado had a very low 65 and older population.
With Baby Boomers deciding to stay in Colorado, the 65+ demographics is rapidly shifting.
Rural counties are losing population, but the percentage of 65+ people is increasing, because they are not leaving like the younger generations are.
Front Range and Western Slope are showing increases in population and in those 65+.
People over 65 growing faster throughout Colorado than any other age groups.
Currently, 10% of population of Colorado are 65+, but lower than most other states. We are just catching up with other states.
Colorado not an attractive place for people 65+. Very few of this age group move to Colorado, most growth due to aging population (people who choose not to move as they grow older).
In 1980s Colorado was attractive to Baby Boomers.
In general, 65 and over spending on services and not on goods.
Colorado usually attracts people between 25 and 40. Rarely attracts older people. Larimer County not a destination for retirees.
Before now, Colorado has never had an older population. Consumption of health care increases with older population. For each person 65+, it creates at least 0.1 jobs in health industry.
In this decade growth in households lead by someone over 65 will increase by 80% in this decade. About one-third of households will be lead by someone 65+.
69% of those 65+ will have a disability.
People 55+ are staying in work force longer. Younger people getting more schooling so are staying out of the labor force longer.
Labor force is aging. Diversity is lager for younger population.
In time of transition because of baby boomers, after they mature, later generations will keep proportions about the same.

Jacob Castillo, Larimer County Workforce Economic Development Manager

Education now preschool through death and is more technical than it used to be.
Employers want people who are productive in 30-90 days.
Workforce Center can help businesses as well as individuals.
Side note – The Larimer County Workforce Center has great classes. If their employer classes are as good as their future employee classes, then they are a big help to the community.

Jerry Thurber Larimer County, Workforce Investment Board Member

A skill you learn today will be obsolete in 3 years.
New employment economy driven by technology and statelessness.
As needed skills change, current (and sometimes future) employees have a tremendous skills mismatch for a new position.
Finding technical workers who either live or are willing to move to this area is critical to our success.
We need to strengthen math skills for K-12 education
The areas that we need to emphasize in schools are expressed by the acronym STEAM:
- Science
- Technology
- Engineering
- Arts (design)
- Mathematics
These areas are critical to improve in our education system, otherwise we will not be able to compete in the world marketplace. Side Note: I agree strongly with this point, after earning my Colorado Principal license from CSU I applied for the PhD program in order to help the schools improve on the math, technology, and science curriculum. CSU said that they had no one in the department who could help in this area, so could not help me earn a PhD emphasizing STEAM area improvements in education.

Success Snapshot: Woodward Governor

Rocky Scott from Woodward Governor on Why Woodward Governor Chose Fort Collins for Their New Headquarters

In the next few years, Rocky expects 10% growth expected in Woodward Governor market share, 3% growth in jobs.
What does a community need to do to get large companies like Woodward Governor?
- Speed
- Highly educated workforce
- Attractive location that will attract strong talent
- Right to work state
- Reduced life cycle costs
- Amenities
- These requirements can be divided into Hard and Soft requirements
- Effective/efficient government
- Low risk
- Low conflict
- Transportation
60% of population in Fort Collins has college degrees
People want to be where there is a good quality of life.
Pouder River in Lincoln Triangle was ideal location for Woodward Governor. They love the river and its potential for Fort Collins
Side Note: They bought the old Link-N-Greens Golf Course at 777 E Lincoln Ave., Fort Collins, which was first settled as a farm.
Woodward Governor is planning to preserve the old barn and grain towers
They like the fact that the new sight is close to library, museum, and river. They plan to develop the property next to the river as a park for city residents.
Plan to build out over next 40-50 years. Headquarters will be the first building built. Photovoltaic energy to be used.
Occupancy is planned for 2015. Six months later they will be able to ship product from the site.
Want rail transportation around downtown like the old Birney street car system that used to be in Fort Collins
Side Note In order to achieve the latter goal, I would highly recommend that Woodward Governor works with the Fort Collins Municipal Railway Society.

(When) will the Economy Pickup?

JD Foster – US Chamber of Commerce

The economy is not there yet!
What is holding the economy back?
If the economy is to withstand hits, it needs full employment.
Recovery started in 2009, but we have been falling behind ever since. We have not gotten back to where we were before the Great Recession.
All data says the economy is recovering, but no where near what the recoveries have been in the past.
Slow growth is the new normal, people argue that thesis as good as it gets and India and China will overtake us.
Use rubber band, top is 0% unemployment, bottom is full employment (about4%-5% unemployment). When unemployment goes above this level, it is like a rubber band being stretched, it wants to return to normal. This is the first time this has to happened.
Uncertainty includes tax policy, Dodd-Frank, and Obamacare. Some companies have huge committees to try to figure out what the effects these will haven’t heir businesses.
All the uncertainties from Washington has increased unemployment by at least 1.3%.
High taxes proposed by government has slowed growth.
Household wealth was crushed in 2008-2009. Start-ups usually funded by household wealth. Recovery will take off when household wealth fully recovers.
Recovery fueled by moving capital and other resources to high productive activities. Capital adjusts quickly, but labor does not adjust as quickly. In past, our strength was the flexibility of our workforce. American workers usually have been willing to move to find the opportunities availability.
Companies need to be more easily hire and fire and workers need to be able to move. Housing bubble not only ruined housing market, it also made many people “under wat” and they could not sell their home so could not move.
Housing prices are now starting to increase, so people will be better able to sell their homes and move.
When our economy is doing well,shocks do not affect the economy.
Quantitative easing is like pushing on a string. Can buy at a low rate, but reversing it will be very expensive, pushing up interest rates.
Fed chooses words very carefully. Foreign investments in the US have also kept the interest rates down. But the interest rates will move rapidly when the Fed starts to change. US debt has increased by 30% compared to the economy. This is the first time in history.
No budget in US is a problem.
Europe has half it’s countries in recession, rest in worse shape. Many countries have high levels of unemployment. They try to solve this by increasing taxes, which worsens they employment picture.
China is in a big growth bubble. How much of their growth is real?
China is not adequately auditing local government rates.
If US interests rise, dollar will increase in value, Chinese Yuan tied to dollar,will this hurt them.
Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid do not serve anyone very well.we need to understand we have and entitlement problem. We need to address these entitlement programs, if we possibly can. When will we do it.
Winston Churchill said that “The Americans will choose the correct solution, after they have exhausted all other possibilities”

Emily Wilson – Rocky Mountain Innosphere Director of Communications

Works with start ups and entrepreneurs.
Incubators for Bioscience, tech, and clean tech.
Pipeline development – use education and other resources to start up ideas that may eventually a turn into companies..
NetZeroCities.?
After Hours presentations can keep you up-to-date on innovations in NoCo.
Text to 22828 to keep informed.

David May, CEO Fort Collins Area Chamber President

Stay focused on job creation.
Read Coming Job Wars
FC residents hungry for good jobs.
FortCollinsWorks.com
Lobby various levels of government. Work closely with city of Fort Collins to recruit companies.
Polls people who run for City Council, make sure they help the people and companies of Fort Collins.
Have great partners who supported this meeting.
Adjourned Meeting

Posted in Chamber of Commerce, Financial Health, Northern Colorado, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Know What You Are Taking

Posted on 31 July 2013 by Wayne Cook

In 2011, when I had my physical, the blood-work came back great. I was happy for that. The doctor commented on how few prescription meds I am taking. I prefer to know all about a medication before I even consider taking a new med. I need to know how it works, what organs it affects, how it affects those organs, what side effects does it have, and are the potential risks worse than the problem.

For example, in 2010 my doctor mentioned that my cholesterol was up (268+) and that he would like me to take a cholesterol medication. In 2011 I was able to drop my total choloesterol to 193 with the HDL being 63 (these are my results and no guarantee is implied). In 2012, I dropped my total cholesterol to 168. If these numbers were not so good and he recommended that I take a statin (or similar) drug, I would ask him a series of questions, which could probably be applied to many other medicines.

How is cholesterol produced? What organ produces it?
How does the medication reduce the production of cholesterol?
Does cholesterol really cause the problem or is it oxidized cholesterol and homocysteine levels that causes the problem?
What other substances does this organ produce?
How does the body use these other substances?
What would be the effect on the body if these substances were lacking?
Where would the body get these substances if they were truly needed? Or would the body have to do without these substances?
Is there a better, more natural alternative?

These are just a start to the questions you can ask. Please create your own list of questions.

Also, find out if there are any of your friends who have been on the medication which your health care specialist is recommending for awhile and ask what side effects they have experienced. Some that are listed on some cholesterol medications are muscle weakness and gastric reflux. Will you need another medication if you are affected by any of these side effects?

The bottom line is to know your body, know the facts, and ask lots of questions. Always consult your health care specialist, but be a working partner with him/her because it is your body and you are the best person to take care of you.

Posted in Health and Wellness, Medications, older Americans, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Medications on which older Americans are placed

Posted on 27 April 2013 by Wayne Cook

I made the mistake of cutting back on my top quality supplements to save a bit of money. Big mistake! As a reminder of the importance of keeping each cell at its most healthy level, I came down with shingles. I had cut out the evening dose, but when I was feeling a little under the weather, added back in Essentials, Biomega, Hepasil (for alpha liopic acid), and Proflavinol at night. I am still taking the entire amount I want to take in the morning. If anyone has ever had shingles, especially in the TMJ area, it is not fun! The sad part is that we have a brand new granddaughter in Provo who we were supposed to see the first weekend in May. We have postponed that to the last weekend in May, since the doctor said I would not have a problem by that time. The nice thing, was the headache basically went away two days after it started and I was able to go to work on Tuesday after being in bed most of the weekend. I am stating no correlation, I am just relaying what has happened.

On Sunday, I went to the Urgent Care Center because a rash had developed. I have been washing my face regularly and using Serum Intensive to help heal the rash. Basically, the rash was scabbed over by Wednesday and it is starting to heal nicely. I am grateful. Again, I am not stating that there is a correlation, I am just stating what has happened.

The main reason for writing this is the reaction I received when I started answering questions at the Urgent Care Center. It is amazing on how many medications people my age are taking. When I went into an urgent care office and they asked what medications are you taking. I mentioned only two and the nurse looked at me as if I was from Mars. Apparently most people my age are on far more. My attitude is that I am on two too many. I am grateful to my doctor, who is retiring this year (but that is another story), that he allowed me to find other means of producing the results he would like instead of insisting that I take certain medications. We are all responsible for our own health and need to take care of it the best we can. The only concern I have is with drug interactions. I have a friend who receives his health care through the Veterans Administration. Since he can see various doctors in the same office for various reasons, he is aware of the potential of drug interactions and makes sure the doctors check for all possible side effects from the combination of drugs. I have also heard that the doctors are not always sure of the interaction of three or more prescription medications, let alone foods or anything else. If it can be hard to determine drug interactions, then why are people routinely prescribed so many different medications?

I have been able to get back down to 230 pounds, but I still have 40 pounds to go. As I have lost weight, I have been able to reduce the strength of the medication. In the next year, my goal (and I am publicly stating it so that others can hold me accountable) is to get back down to 190, my marriage weight and totally get off of all medications. I hope all of you will be able to set and meet any health goals you may have.

Wayne

Posted in Health and Wellness, Medications, older Americans, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Can You Eat Your Skin Care Products?

Posted on 3 February 2013 by Wayne Cook

This is a quick question for you, can you eat your skin care products? Check the label, if it says “Do not ingest” then you should not. Think about the ramifications. Your skin is your bodies largest organ and absorbs whatever you may put on it. Think about when you put your skin care on your skin, does it stay on top or does it absorb into your body. If you are not supposed to ingest your skin care product, where do the ingredients go that you are not supposed to ingest? Protect your skin, but be careful about what you put on it.

Think about your skin as a great absorption pad. Whatever you put on it goes into your body. Capillaries are just under the skin. If it absorbs into your skin, it goes into your capillaries and then into the rest of your blood system. If something goes into your mouth, at least it has to go through your digestive system before it is moved around the body by the blood system. Think about that the next time you put something on your skin.

The best skin care products have no formaldehyde and no added parabens. You should be able to taste the skin care product with no ill effects. Preferably, the product will have a shelf life of at least two years with no refrigeration. Check out your skin care, if it does not meet these criteria, contact the person who referred you to this article, or contact me if you found this on your own. I would love to talk with you about the benefits of good skin care, especially if you are like me and had way too much sun when you were younger.

Posted in Health and Wellness, Skin Care, Uncategorized | Tagged Health, skin care, wellness | 3 Comments

Prosperity, and Attitudes that Make It Possible

Posted on 14 October 2012 by Wayne Cook

To stay healthy, one needs to have the income to afford general health care needs. This includes good health care and products that may help in that regard. I was asked by a friend to read The Science of Getting Rich by Walter D. Wattles, a Timeless wisdom and a practical step-by-step prosperity program from a forgotten 1910 classic. It is a short read, and being a slow reader that was nice. The article I read has an introduction by Rebecca Fine and can be found at http://www.scienceofgettingrich.net.

There are many good insights in this short read. The main one is that God wants us to be happy and that there is an abundance in the universe that will allow all to be so, if we choose to act on what is presented. The first key is gratitude for all that we have and to “embrace and practice what we all know as the Golden Rule.” If we want more out of our life, including prosperity, we need to help others so that they will also receive what they want and need. There is an abundance of everything needed by each person and when we strive to have that attitude, we will become prosperous in all the ways that are important to us.

Mr. W. D. Wattles wanted his book to be “PRAGMATICAL, NOT PHILOSOPHICAL — a practical manual, not a treatise upon theories. It is intended for the men and women whose most pressing need is for money, who wish to get rich first, and philosophize afterwards. It is for those who want results and who are willing to take the conclusions of science as a basis for action, without going into all the process by which those conclusions were reached.” As a devout Christian, I like the mention of Jesus Christ and God in the article, along with some the the fundamental precepts of Christianity.

First of all, we all have the right to be rich. There is an abundance in the universe that provides a way for all of us to become so. We all have a right to have “mental, spiritual, and physical” fulfillment, as long as it does not diminish the same right of others. In order to live life in the fullest and to be able to serve others, we need to have the resources to do so. On a side note, we have a son who has already had three open heart surgeries. Because of my education and jobs at the time, we were able to afford these surgeries and the means to help with his recovery. We have had a good life, but we realize that in order to do all that we would like to do, especially to be able to help others, we need to step up our activity to succeed. Poverty does not allow each of us to fully develop our mental, spiritual, and physical capabilities. God wants the best for each of us, as long as we use those resources for good.

I think that everyone can agree that actions produce results. If we are standing in the batters box and hit a pitch, the ball will change directions. If we hit the ball within the foul lines, there is a far better chance that something good will happen. If we hit the ball where no one can catch it, positive results will occur. The same can be said for our actions with regard to our health and our wealth. Doing things “in a certain way” will be beneficial.

We need to look at our talents and what we like to do. Having passion for what you do is a big part of the battle. What are our strengths? What are our weaknesses? Do our weaknesses affect what we want to do? If so, what can we do to improve in these areas? The business we choose is not as important as the the attitude we have and the way we go about building the business.

The book talks about all things being constructed from a universal material, of which there is an inexhaustible supply. In a free society, no one can keep any of us from using this inexhaustible supply to create wealth for ourselves. All substance in the universe is a creation of God and God wants us to have what we need and to share and teach these principals with others. According to the book, “nature is formed for the advancement of life.” Our universe is “a great living presence, always moving inherently toward more life and fuller functioning.” God wants us to be like Him, as best we can. All things are His, and he wants us to share that abundance with Him.

As we think, so are we. If we think about what we need and want, it will be created somewhere in the universe. The items are created through growth of the universal substance, but we cannot attract what we have thought to be created without taking action ourselves. All things created by mankind had to initially be created by a man’s or woman’s thoughts. There is enough substance in the universe to help all of us to lead a prosperous life. We must have faith and a willingness to “do” to bring all things to pass.

God wants each of us to become rich, to be able to better serve Him through serving others. In order to know and do more, we must have more so that we need not worry about our future. There have been books written about what we need. We first worry about survival, and then progress through being able to serve others. God wants us to serve, so He wants us to have the means to do so. In many ways, we can think of everything created by God as a living substance that wants to “live more.” With this desire of the universal substance created by God, if we have faith and do what is needed, we can create our own wealth. God wants each of us to make the most of ourselves. Only through us can others be served. If we cannot serve others because of our own poverty, we cannot fully do His will in our lives.

Creation is the key to becoming truly wealthy. There is an abundance of the building material of all material things in the universe. Competition, or the thought that there is a limited amount that must be divided between all the inhabitants of the world, does not work in the long run. Sure, there are people who succeed building their wealth through competition. However, the best way to become wealthy is to help others receive what they need or want. The creative path is the true way to happiness. There is a joy in helping others that does not come from taking away from others what they have.

The way to acquire true wealth is to give others something of value for what they are giving to you. Franklin Covey talks about WIN-WIN scenarios where both parties receive what they need or want. This is the only way to create real wealth.

God wants all of us to have joy. As such, we need to have gratitude for all that He has given to us. Gratitude makes us realize that there is an abundance in the universe that is available to everyone. There is no limited supply, there is only an abundance of all that is needed for us to live well and serve others. We all must do our part and we can all succeed. We do not need to share a limited wealth, we can each help ourselves and others achieve our dreams. Just because one person is successful, does not mean we should bring that person down. It just means that it is possible for each of us to succeed. Let us all go out and learn to do and be our best. Prosperity will follow.

Posted in Health and Wellness, Uncategorized | Tagged abundance, attitude, Golden Rule, Gratitude, Health, positive attitude, Prosperity, Wealth | 6 Comments

Formaldehyde and Baby Shampoos

Posted on 3 June 2012 by Wayne Cook

A student where I teach told me about formaldehyde in baby shampoos. I personally could not believe a company would put formaldehyde or a formaldehyde producing ingredient in any product, so I decided to research the subject. Apparently there are baby shampoos that still use these ingredients. For an article on the subject, please see the article on Contaminated Baby Products by The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. In answer to this concern, the Chemical Institute of Canada had an interesting article entitled Crunch the Numbers. My concern about this article is that they talk about the intake of formaldehyde particles for average individuals. Let us say that a woman weighs 100 pounds (45 kilograms) and a man weighs 150 pounds (68 kilograms). What happens to that math if you are talking about a baby that weighs 1/10th that amount. For example, when our son came out of his second open heart surgery, he was 20 pounds (9 kilograms) and received a prescription for a 200 pound (90 kilogram) man. What would be the effect of that if my wife had not caught the mistake? I believe that the weight of the individual needs to be taken into consideration on any calculation that involves toxicity to an individual. Please keep your child/children safe and choose products wisely. We all are effecting the health of our children and grandchildren by the choices we make when they are young.

I would commend any company to remove any formaldehyde producing ingredients. Products that are self preserving (no harmful chemicals added to preserve the product) are even better. There is a line of products I do use that meets this criteria. If you have a friend who has a product that meets this criteria, ask them about it. Otherwise, send me an e-mail at [email protected] and I will tell you what I use.

Have a great day and take good care of yourself and your children.

Posted in Health and Wellness, Uncategorized | Tagged baby shampoo, formaldehyde, Health, wellness | 10 Comments

A Load, a Load, we have an Index to a Load!

Posted on 15 December 2011 by Wayne Cook

I am grateful for the labels that now appear on food products. There is a lot of helpful information on these food labels. However, I would like to see two more on all products. It would be really nice if the labels included glycemic index and glycemic load as two of the listed items. It would be much easier to make healthy choices in the food we eat, if these labels did appear on all food products. What can we do to start a campaign to add these items to all food labels?

What are Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load? Glycemic Index is more commonly used than Glycemic Load. Glycemic Index is how fast the carbohydrates in each serving of food turn to glucose in the blood (“blood sugar”). The Glycemic Load is a combination of how much of these carbohydrates are present in the food and how fast they transform into blood sugar (glycemic index). The example I like to use is that Glycemic Index is equivalent to the height of a waterfall and the Glycemic Load takes into account that height and the amount of water actually coming over the falls. The more water, the more dangerous, no matter how high or low the drop is. However, even a high waterfall with very little water going over the edge is not nearly as dangerous as the Mississippi River in flood stage. So the quantity we eat is just as important as the low or high GI and GL foods that we do eat.

Glycemic Index is not enough to judge a food. For example, carrots have a GI of 42, but a GL of only 3. The sugars/carbohydrates they have turn into blood sugar quite quickly. However, they do not contain that many carbohydrates. In comparison, Betty Crocker Chocolate Cake has a GI of only 38, but a GL of 20. Just going on the GI of each item, it would appear that Betty Crocker Chocolate Cake is better for us than carrots. Our intuition would said “That’s not right!” However, until we look at the GL it appears that our intuition may be wrong. If you would like to look up this information, it is from Dr. Ray Strand’s Healthy for Life book. It is the book we are currently using in our classes.

Looking at the current food labels, they do have a lot of information. However, they can be misleading. For example, we can look at oatmeal. There are four types that are on the grocery shelves: steel cut, Old Fashion (takes about five minutes to cook), Quick (takes about 1 minute to cook), and Instant (just add hot water). The current labels on all four products are identical (minus any sugars that are added to the Instant Oatmeal). However, the Glycemic Index and Load start off reasonably low with the steel cut, are medium with the Old Fashion, are high with the Quick Oatmeal, and are extremely high with the Instant Oatmeal. It is impossible to tell the difference with the current label.

I believe that all foods should be labelled with both a Glycemic Index and a Glycemic Load. I am looking at what options we do have to add such information. If you agree, do you have suggestions on how to have these two items added?

Posted in Health and Wellness, Uncategorized | Tagged Food labels, Food Sugar, Glucose, Glycemic, Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load, health and wellness, Sugar | 23 Comments

The Health of Man

Posted on 13 October 2011 by Wayne Cook

The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered: “Man. Because he sacrifices his health to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

A good friend on Facebook posted this quote and I was very impressed. Chasing the corporate dream is not the solution. My father’s generation seems like they were able to have a better balance in their lives that even my generation (the baby boom generation). In order to stay employed in a well paying job, there seems to be more demands applied. I have a good friend with whom I talked about the stresses of a corporate job. He was asked to do more and more as his co-workers were given the opportunities to do other jobs outside of his corporation. When I talked with him a while back, he said he was often putting in 70 to 80 hour work-weeks. Unfortunately, his funeral was a few weeks ago. He is a good person whom I will dearly miss.

So, what is the bottom line. Are each of us taking care of ourselves (and our health) as well as we would like? Do I lead the balanced life I would like to live? Is the occupation I chose healthy for me? What are my hours of work? Is there a healthier way to earn a living?

Stress is a killer. It can come from lack of financial resources, lack of time with loved ones, great demands at work, sick loved ones, loved ones in trouble with the law, … or perhaps a combination of these, and more. There are many causes of stress, but for me my main concern is, time spent with family. If I am the financially richest man in the world and do not have time to spend with my family, am I truly rich?

Money is important, if only to keep a roof over our heads and pay our doctor bills. Our oldest son has had three open-heart surgeries and he goes in for a check-up every six months. However, what is the trade-off between time and money? And what is the best way to earn money?

I am finding out that the best way for me to earn money is to serve others. When we serve others, we are only serving out God. That is one reason for this website. There are related ways that I earn money, but if I am able to help one person with this site, that is a good reward for me.

To avoid the pitfalls that the Dalai Lama so beautifully mentioned, I feel that I need to have a Vision and a Mission for my life. This is not something that can be just whipped out, it is something that takes time to develop. Without a Vision people do parish (whether that be actual physical death or an attitude death, I do not know). For me, if I do not have a purpose in life, I flounder and wonder what I accomplished at the end of the day. I like helping others, so my mission must include that aspect of doing/being.

We all go through major trials in our life. Can we respond to those as opportunities to grow and mature? Our attitudes govern much of the effect such times bring upon us. So, I ask you as the reader, how do you keep a positive attitude? What is your Vision and Mission in life? How are you helping others? If you do these things, can you bring joy into your life? God wants us to have true joy in our lives, what can we do to help Him so that we can have the joy He would like to give to us?

Posted in Health and Wellness, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Thank You for all the Comments

Posted on 4 July 2011 by Wayne Cook

I do appreciate all of the kind comments. I know I have let some advertising through,I have tried to make sure that none of these are offensive and may be of interest. I have also been asked about how to use some of these posts in other newsletters. Since I am new at th posting, but have been using the products for over twelve years, I would like to share as much information as possible at no charge. Eventually, this will probably change. I am looking at ways to allow people to donate. However, if I do that, then I feel obligated to be writing to this post on a regular basis. If you have suggestions, I would love to hear them. For those who celebrate this day, I hope everyone has a great fourth of July. For those who live in countries besides the United States, I hope each of you have a great day today.

Out attitude is one of the keys to our health. Keep a cheerful attitude, remember to laugh, and you will remain much healthier.

And, as a side note, I am willing and look forward to working with others. The products and services have to be the very best. Second best will not due. As our business grows, we will expand this website. Our attitude is to give knowledge away for free and earn our income in other ways.

Posted in Health and Wellness, Uncategorized | 8 Comments