Delta Lounges
Traveling via air and social distancing? The Delta airport lounges offer a smaller environment, fewer people. Here’s how to access Delta’s Skyclub Lounge.
https://onemileatatime.com/delta-skyclub-access/
See the Joy in Life
What is Joy? It’s a noun, “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness”.
But what does it mean to you? Does it have to be “great”? Only big life events, getting married, the birth of a child, a graduation, getting that job you’ve always wanted, buying your first house or having your first book published.
If you only feel Joy when big events occur you’re probably not getting the full dose of Joy that you deserve. There’s so much more Joy to be had. Many times we get so busy, stressed and are living on autopilot that we miss little things that can put a smile on our face and Joy in our heart.
Luckily, you can change that and have more Joy in your life with very little effort. Just change your mindset and expectations. It’s easy to start. When you go about your day practice being present and in the moment and expect to find the Joy all around you. Quiet all the chatter and noise in your head. Take three slow and deep breathes. Focus on what you’re doing each moment. Notice how your body reacting to what you’re doing and adjust your thoughts and actions to feel more relaxed. Look around you for little things that you usually don’t notice. You’ll be surprised by the beauty around you and by peoples acts of kindness. You’ll see others helping each other.
How could you help someone or make them smile and feel good? Open a door for a stranger, carry someones groceries for them. These little gestures will put Joy in their hearts as well as yours.
Through out the day keep your eyes open, notice fresh flowers on the table, the wildflowers that grow among the weeds on the side of the road. What do you see in the cloud formations? Use your imagination, see the angel or the horse in the clouds?
I hope this encourages you to slow down, calm your thoughts and open your eyes to the Joy that can be found if you just look.
Thanks for stopping by. Share with your friends if you like.
Photos copyrighted by John McFadden, Permission required to use.
How travel makes you smarter, sexier and more productive
Sometime I find an article that is good or fun enough to be posted here. I found this one on Lonely Planet blog. Get your travel bag packed soon.
Here it is, hope you enjoy it:
How travel makes you smarter, sexier and more productive
Robert ReidLonely Planet author
“Why do we travel? Just a hunch here: because it’s fun. Plus we have to occasionally pay a visit to Uncle Greg in Minneapolis or attend that conference on soybean research your boss makes you go to every year. But, at the same time, travel can pay off in many ways, and science backs it up.
Here are the four main ways that travel can improve your life:
1. Travel makes you younger
David Eagleman, recently profiled as ‘The Possibilian’ in the New Yorker, studies time perception at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and has made many experiments regarding how life-threatening moments feel slowed down.
Travel to new places has always felt like stretched time to me too; a week in Guatemala seems to last as long as three weeks in the Outer Banks – in a good way. So I asked him, for my recent CNN piece on travel to new destinations, whether science can back up my gut reaction.
Eagleman told me adults’ sense of time is more ‘compressed’ than children’s, but that travel to new or ‘novel’ places – the more exotic, the better – is an equalizer of sorts. ‘It essentially puts you, neurally, in the same position as when you were a child.’
Travel: the fountain of youth! And, with its perceived time-stretching possibilities, a life-saver even if you only take a week or two for vacation this summer.
2. Travel makes you smarter
It’s an old cliché that travel broadens your mind. I’d scoff if it weren’t true. A recent psychological study at Indiana University found students had broader answers when they thought the study was imported from Greece, rather than homegrown. What the researchers call ‘psychological distance’ – what we might call ‘armchair travel’ – increases your creativity. A recent review of the psychological distance concept, suggests that travel, or even planning travel and imagining yourself in an unfamiliar and distant location, might not just improve creativity but self-awareness as well.
William Maddux, an American social psychologist, studies how those who live abroad come home more creative too. He told me by phone that ‘immersion’ in a place is key – one of the reasons, he says, he’s working in France.
‘It all depends on someone’s mindset when traveling’, he said. ‘Are they really open to it? If not, and all they do is sit and watch TV, it probably won’t make them more creative… And you don’t necessarily have to cross a border either. What’s more similar New York and Toronto, or New York and Savannah?’
3. Travel makes you more productive
Americans’ relative lack of holiday time is sometimes defended as a strong ‘work ethic’, and a reason the country is so productive. But is it?
This fun Businessweek slideshow shows how many countries’ economic output rivals the US, with far less work time. France, for example, takes off 60% more days off (40 compared to the USA’s 25), and records 98% GDP per hour worked. While the USA remains the world’s top ‘competitive’ country, runner-up, Switzerland, nearly matches the US mark with a week more vacation time.
Some argue taking extended time is even better. In a TED Video on taking sabbaticals, graphic-designer Stefan Sagmeister illustrates how he plans a one-year break from work to ‘experiment’ every seven years simply to generate new ideas.
4. Travel makes you sexier
It’s not just a tan you return with, but stories. According to one recent ItsJustLunch.com survey, the best first-date conversation topic was hobbies, with travel following second. Somehow manage to combine the two, and brace yourself Romeo. Just be sure to have exchanged your Paraguayan guaraní into dollars before the bill arrives.
And if travel has already done its job by making you more creative, youthful, self-aware and productive, you’re bound to be looking pretty good out there.”
Courage Is Needed Today
With all the hate and anger that are going on in our lives today, next door, in our city, in our state and country and the whole world, and all the pain and negative events and injustices put upon us, NOW is the time for each of us to stand our ground and have COURAGE. To speak up for our values and what we stand for and also sit down and truly listen to each other, for listening is equally important (although often overlooked) and speaking.
Families, even mine, are splintered by mental and physical pain some members inflict upon others and the same in return.
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes
to sit down and listen.” Winston Churchill
I pray that each of you who read this will sit down and truly listen to others and meet in the middle, come to a compromise, share love, and mend broken promises and dreams.
Have courage to make the first move towards peace in your family and the world. Give your love and give peace to others.
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
Love, Courage, Listening, Forgiving, Inspiring and Dreaming are what makes life worth living.
Thanks for visiting, peace, inspire all those you touch, John
©John McFadden, 2011
Complaining, Whinning, and Griping
I received this in an email this morning. Complaining, whinning, griping are so easy to do, and often it’s our first reaction to a bump in our road. Trouble is, it’s not productive and it sets up a roadblock to the things in life you want and dream about it.
Here’s what the Secret says:
From The Secret Daily Teachings
If you are complaining about things in your life, you are on the complaining frequency, and you are not in a position to attract what you want.
Get on to the frequency of good with your thoughts and words. Firstly you will feel good, and secondly you will be on the frequency of receiving more good.
May the joy be with you,
Rhonda Byrne
The Secret and The Power… bringing joy to billions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That makes sense to me, how about you?
Let’s remember to be more positive and see the possibilities when life takes the bumpy road.
Have a great day, thanks for stopping by, John
©john mcfadden, March 2011
Career Stress
Are you stressed out from work, family, problems, set backs, or just plan old everyday life?
Then take some time to regenerate your inner batteries. Meditation helps charge those batteries and can be done almost anywhere.
I wrote this meditation to help with career and work stresses. You can adapted it to any stress you have in life. Give it a try, you’ll feel better.
So here we go………..
Career Stress Meditation
Now we’re going to improve your thoughts and life in relationship to your Career.
Choose and prepare where you will meditate today. Choose a quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed. Lower the lights, maybe light a candle. If you want, turn on some quiet, soft music.
Get comfortable and relaxed, laying down or sitting down.
Take a deep breath and close your eyes.
Relax you body, your shoulders, arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, and toes.
Breath deeply, inhaling slowly, holding it for a moment, then exhale through your open mouth as if you’re gently blowing out a candle.
Continue breathing, slowly, breathe in and out.
In and out, In and out.
Keep your mind focused on your breathing, slowly, gently, and deeply. Feel each breath going through your body. Do so for two or three minutes.
Now, feel your whole body going into a deep relaxation. Feel your neck, your shoulders, your lower back, your chest, your heart, your arms, your hands, your fingers. Shake them loose.
Take another deep breath, exhale slowly. Now your hips are relaxed, your legs, your feet and toes. Wiggle your toes.
Now, breathing slowly, visualize yourself at your work. Visualize the physical space you spend your working time in.
Notice how you feel, your muscles, your jaw, your neck and back, your mind and your heart. How do you feel being in the area you work in? Is it a desk, your home office, an assembly line, a retail store, wherever it is, visualize and feel that space.
Look around, there’s your customers, your co-workers, your boss. What do you feel like in your space? Are you happy there, stressed, angry, unhappy, unappreciated?
Is it time for change? Visualize and feel where you would be in your new environment.
Take a deep breath and exhale, relax, and breath again. Feel these negative feelings fading. Feel them flowing out of your fingers, the bottom of your feet and all the pores of your body.
Visualize a blue mist surrounding you. The mist is blue as it is the color of truth, serenity and harmony, and helps to soothe the mind. It is good for cooling, calming, reconstructing and protecting. It calms the body and mind, raising your frequency to attract the perfect people and opportunities for you.
From today on you will feel positive and relaxed about your life and career. Life is good today and you’re starting a wonderful new journey.
Stay relaxed, breath in and out.
Now, in this relaxed state, think about how you want to feel at work and career. What needs to change? In your mind visualize being relaxed and happy. Remember, you are bigger than your job. Your identity is not defined by your job. You are a unique, talented, skilled and complete person with a mission in life only you can complete.
Meditate on what you would be doing and how you will feel when you’re on the right path. Take your time, visualizing every element. Focus on how your want to feel, not every little detail. The universe will fill in the details.
Maybe it’s still at your current job and things have changed for the better? Is it somewhere new? What area, country, city or state are you in? Are you inside or outside, with others or alone, are you working with your hands or your mind? How do you feel there? Feel your happiness and satisfaction. Continue visualizing the perfect place for you and feel as if you are already there.
Continue this process until you have created the complete vision. It may take several meditations before you see it clearly. With deep thought and searching you will be able to create your vision, one that is uniquely yours.
Now, take a very deep breath and release it slowly. Feel your new energy and mental clarity.
Breath in and out. You have begun your journey. Keep this feeling alive in your heart and mind and use it daily.
Take a few more deep breaths and slowly open our eyes. Sit for a minute to adjust to the light and energy in the room.
You create your own energy regardless of the situation you are in physically. Keep your energy strong and stay on your journeys path.
Stand up, shake your body loose, now, take another step towards your new life. Life is good today.
Now go into the world and be happy and spread love and acceptance.
Thanks for visiting.
Written and copyrighted © by John McFadden, May 2010.
“It’s only words, and words are all I have”
Our brain is the most powerful computer in the Universe.
The Words we say to ourselves consciously and subconsciously determine our lives. We must have a constant vigil of our words. Use positive, re-enforcing, motivating and passionate words to create the life you want.
When we say, “I knew I couldn’t do it”, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. But, when we say, “I know I can do this”, that too is a self-fulfilling prophecy! It’s the same number of words, it takes the same amount of effort to think or say. Which would you rather use?
This is a great quote to help you remember the power of YOUR WORDs:
“Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”
-Frank Outlaw
As your mother used to tell you, “Watch your words my dear!”
Your words can make you HAPPY, or sad, it’s your choice!
Thanks, come back soon.
(© by John McFadden, 2011)
Service and Success, Albert Einstein Quote
Frequently, I find quotes that deserve to be shared with you. This is one of them.
With the greed on Wall Street and other negative elements in life, and the terrible, brutal assaults on children and even strangers, everyone needs to step back and evaluate what is important in life.
“It is high time the ideal of success should be replaced with the ideal of service…. Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. ” —Albert Einstein
As the Beatles sang, “All You Need Is Love”. Spread your love in the world and you will get the same in return.
Love to all.
Come back soon.
Five Human Truths
As we look at our lives from the solitude and darkness within, to the sunny landscape around us we realize each of us are very different and unique. We all have our own voice and spirit that is unique to us. No one else is exactly like us. As mentioned in my previous post Now Is The Time For Reflection, it’s important to take time, at least once per year, to take some personal, alone time to reflect on where we are now, if we are being true to ourselves and where we want to go in the future.
Even with this uniqueness there are some things that each of us needs, just like others around us. The Starwood Hotels group describes them as the Five Human Truths. They strive to fulfill them each time you are their guest. What is it that all of us need to feel good?
The 5 Human Truths
1) We need to be understood
2) We want to belong
3) We long to feel special
4) We crave more control over our lives
5) We dream of reaching our potential.
When you’re by yourself, reflecting on the future, be sure these basic needs as well as your unique needs are being met. If they are, life will be easier and feel more fulfilled.
You deserve to Live Well and be the real YOU!
Do You Know Who You Are, really?
We tend to attach our identity to one part of our lives. It could be work, “I’m an accountant”, “I work for 3M”, or it could be a person, “I’m Mary’s husband”. But aren’t you a whole lot more than that one thing?
Yes you are. As an example, your job does not define you and it shouldn’t consumer all your waking thoughts. Instead, honor all that you are and can be. When you think of yourself as a whole person, your work, your relationships, your artistic side, your love of sports, and your charitable activities you will be happier. That happiness will be projected out into the world and new people and opportunities will come your way.
So, how do you decide who you really are?
One way is to ask yourself the “I am …….” questions.
Get a piece of paper and write down “I am (a good person, happy, a good brother/husband/sister/wife)”.
As you do this it’s important to say the words out loud. Say what you are out loud, then write it down. It sounds simple, most good things are, but keep at it. Fill the page up with your wonderful traits, habits, talents, etc.
When you’re done say them out loud everyday. Soon, you’ll find yourself with more confidence, holding your head up high, being happier, living life with style, and show the world who you are. Then you’ll attract new people into your life and you’ll help each other to live your dreams.
Give it a try, it can’t hurt.
(I’d like to thank Denise Silvernail for introducing me to this technique. When your web site is up I’ll refer readers to you.)