Tell Me the Truth

Regardless of your idealogy, it is hard to ignore that some of our leaders on both sides of the aisle are not practicing what they preach. When asked about the contradictions between their recent decisions and their previous actions, they skirt the question. I am still looking for a journalist courageous enough to press them on their contradictions until one leader admits the truth.

I am looking for leaders who are strong in character. I am more inclined to vote for a leader who just tells the truth. This is the type of leader that I want to lead me. This is the type of leader who is going to help me grow.

Just Be Better

Stay Strong, Stay Healthy

In the Present

Today is a busy day. 

I feel that I have too many things to accomplish today. However, my feelings are not accurate in my current situation. I have a lot on my plate, but it is the stuff that I can get done. I will need to stay at work later than expected, but I can handle it.

In a moment of feeling sorry for myself, I started to hope that one of my meetings would get canceled to free up a little of my day. I woke up from my small pity party and decided that I would be disappointed in myself if I let that meeting get canceled. I realized that I needed to direct my thoughts towards being who I want to be, a (hu)man who can get the job done without any needless anxiety. I needed to be in the present and not focused on my future schedule.

To change my attitude, I had to consider a few things. First, I scheduled the meeting. I gave my word that I would be there and that I would do a great job. Second, the purpose of the meeting was to help someone get better. Helping others is my core philosophy. Third, if I did not conduct the session, I would lose the income generated from that meeting. If I canceled the session, I might also affect future earnings with this client. Looking at all of these reasons, it was clear to me that I would not get ahead by canceling the meeting. Besides, I make my schedule, and I need to take ownership of my situation.

Even when things are tough, avoid the pity party and stay focused on the present. Avoid thinking about all of the other things that you have to do.

Every day is an interview.

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong.

What Can We Do

The most troublesome aspect of COVID-19 is that there is no vaccine. If you are to get it, it is up to your body’s defenses to save your life. Sadly, many have succumbed to the disease. In the absence of a vaccine, the following is a list of things that each of us can do to help bolster our immune system and hopefully defeat the disease if we get it.

  1. Stay Hydrated
  2. Run, Bike, Swim, lift something, anything. 
  3. Sleep Well. 
    1. Stop drinking an hour before bed. As I am getting a little older each day, it is important that I do not drink too close to bedtime. Otherwise, I will wake up in the middle of the night to relieve my bladder. This kills my sleep. If I am drinking water consistently throughout the day, I do not need anything an hour before I go to bed. At 9 pm, I stop drinking my water. When I wake up, I drink water right away. Notice that I keep saying water. I do not drink soda, I do not like the taste of soda. If I do drink soda, it is either ginger ale or ginger beer (I also use the latter in my mixed drinks. I do enjoy an occasional beverage or two on the weekends) to calm my stomach or seltzer. I drink coffee in the morning after I have drunk at least 16 oz of water. I may drink a cup of coffee in the afternoon right before a lifting session. If I get that mid-day bonk, I usually have more water. Water does a better job of waking me up than coffee does. Any more than two cups of coffee per day if I am lifting, or one if I am not, will make me jittery.
  4. Eat Well. Please stay away from the COVID 15 (See earlier blog). 
  5. Practice social distancing… it works. 
  6. Wear Masks… it works, especially when practiced with social distancing
  7. Wash your hands. The Coronavirus can last for a few hours to a few days on a surface. You should wash your hands with soap and water, which is preferred over hand sanitizer. In fact, the FDA has recently recalled over 75 hand sanitizers as they were made with methyl alcohol, which is deadly (https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-updates-hand-sanitizers-consumers-should-not-use)
  8. Clean, then disinfect (only if needed) Clean commonly used surfaces regularly.
  9. Avoid public water

This is not a Be-All End-All list. I hope it gives you a good start as you plan your COVID defenses for the upcoming fall (allergy in Northern NJ) season.  Please feel free to send me any additions I should make to the list.

       Stay Healthy, Stay Strong.

Wear the Mask

I apologize for being away for a while. I have been working on a series of blogs with Dr. Ken Roy, Ph.D. that details how schools should close for the year and how they should open in the fall. These blogs are meant to guide others as they seek ways to safely bring students back to school. 

Closing

Opening

The blogs were interesting to research and write. The message is clear, follow the protocols that are set before you by the CDC and your local government; practice social distancing and wear a face mask in public.

This leads me to today’s topic, wearing masks.

When I wear a mask, it is not protecting me from you as much as it is protecting you from me. The spreading of COVID-19 is mainly due to airborne particles that are emitted from an infected person when they talk, sing, sneeze, cough, spit, etc. Yes, the masks can prevent these particles from entering my mouth, but more importantly, they prevent these particles from leaving my mouth and traveling towards your mouth or nose. 

Gross, I know, but these are the facts.

Here is another fact, we do not have a vaccine. If you get it, it is up to your body to do the dirty work. I will give you tips to help you build your defense systems in the next blog.

People need to wear their masks when they are in public. It’s one’s duty to protect others when in public places. Wearing masks and practicing social distancing are two of the best  methods to prevent the spread of COVID-19, besides staying home.

My wife went to church today and was appalled by the way others wore their masks. Most of the congregants had their noses exposed. The nose is an easy entry way for the COVID-19 germs to enter the mouth. Some lowered their masks so that they could sing. This is one of the best ways to spread the virus, if you have it.

People also need to realize that they can have COVID-19 for up to two weeks before they show symptoms. Most of the germs are spread in public prior to one demonstrating symptoms. Others are asymptomatic and are spreading the germs without even realizing it.  The best thing anyone can do, when they are out in public, is to wear their mask. Otherwise, you may be spreading the Corona virus to others

Stay Healthy, Stay Safe

For more information on the symptoms and what you should do, see below from the CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html (Read June 7, 2020)):

The symptoms that you should be looking for include the following:

  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

Again, if you have any of these symptoms, do not go out in public, isolate yourself and call your doctor right away

If you have any of the following symptoms, contact 911 right away and get yourself to the emergency room:

  • Trouble breathing
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
  • New confusion
  • Inability to wake or stay awake
  • Bluish lips or face

Say No to the COVID “15”

The newest thing people are complaining about is putting on the COVID “15”. At first, I thought it was a typo. I asked my wife and she told me that it was a real thing. People are making terrible nutritional choices, and they are blaming the pandemic. I am both disgusted and disappointed.

The lockdown is a challenge for all of us. It is also an opportunity for us to rise above and become better. Instead, people are treating it with the same humor that we use to describe the terrible nutritional decisions we made when we were teenagers. This is a time to clean up our diets. It is time to find out more about eating well and to implement it into our lives. We have more time at home. We need to decide to use this time to learn how to prepare new foods that are good for us and fit our nutritional goals. Take the opportunity to Just Be Better.

OVer the years, I have developed some good habits that I can use to resist the COVID “15”. Here are some basic guidelines that I follow:

Get 7-8 hours a sleep per night

Eat 3 meals with no snacks over an 8-hour window

Eat at least 2-3 servings of fruits and vegetables per meal (half of my plate)

Stay away from processed food, fast food, fried food, microwaved food.

Drink ½ your body weight in water.

There are a lot of other things that one can do to be nutritionally healthy. Do not use the challenges of today as an excuse to add to the challenges of tomorrow. Resist the COVID “15” and use this time to make better decisions

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong.

Stay Strong, Stay Healthy

I usually end my emails with “Thank you. Have a great day.” If it is a Friday, I may change day to weekend. Either way, Ilike it because it is not too formal and not too casual. A balance of politeness with good intentions.

These days, I didn’t feel that the my email ending was true to my feelings. I do want people to have a great day or weekend, but times are difficult. Instead, I wanted to give them a message that has been true to me over the last seven weeks of the Corona Virus Lockdown.

Since we have been on lockdown, I have worked hard to eat better and to dial in my workouts. I believe in health and I believe in strength. No matter what the circumstances, it is important that we work on both. I will continue to use “Stay Healthy, Stay Strong.” as my email ending until I find the need to better align my words to our circumstances.

Use your words well. Just because something has worked over the years does not mean that we have to keep using it. I have used “Every Day is an Interview.” for a few years and just switched to “Just Be Better.” Sometimes, something better does come along. Make sure your words are aligned with your thoughts and feelings.

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong.

What Are They Thinking?

The apex for the Spread of the Coronavirus should occur in the next week or two. We have been told to practice social distancing and to only go out for necessities. We are not supposed to gather in groups and we are not supposed to have any gatherings. Also, we cannot go to stores without wearing facemasks. But we can go outside to walk the dog.

My wife and oldest son took our dog Ellie for a walk. It was a good source of exercise for all three of them and they needed to get out of the house. When they came back, they were disgusted by the number of people in our development who were hanging out in groups. There was one group of families walking their dogs together. There was another house that had 7 or 8 kids in their backyard. We know these people and they only have three children. There was another gathering of 10 or so people on another’s front yard.

What are people thinking? Just because they do not have outward signs or symptoms does not mean that they do not have the virus. People’s selfish lack of attention is going to cost others their health. They are going to push this virus forward and it will take longer for us to return to normalcy. Many need to get to work. Few need to gather on their front lawns.

Just Be Better.

Just Be Better (JBB)

It is the start of week 5 of the “ Corona Virus-lockdown” in New Jersey and I have to take advantage of the huge opportunity of time that I have to improve myself. Thus far, I have done a decent job of getting things in order. During the first few days of the lockdown, I had the time I needed to grieve a friend and colleague who passed away on the first day of the lockdown after a long illness. I felt bad that I was not physically there at the funeral or able to be with my staff to help them through the grieving process, but there was nothing that I could do. The time away from everyone allowed me to put things in perspective and move forward, even with a heavy heart. I still think about him every day. It was a devastating process to go through. During the next two and a half weeks, I got used to working from home, setting up a virtual learning environment, having meetings when no one was in the room, having the 1-to-1 talks that I needed to have with my staff and students, and getting consistent with my workouts, my meditation, my Taekwondo, and my guitar. Last week, I spent most of the time getting my staff and students ready for spring break. My family and I had a nice Easter. My wife even put little masks on the chocolate bunny rabbits. You have to include humor no matter the situation. My family and I are in a fortunate (healthy) place.

Now it is time to move forward. I actually have off this Monday and I plan to get two major work-projects completed by the end of this week. Now that I have everything in order, it is time to focus on taking things to the next level. My goal, to “Just Be Better”, whether as a father, a husband, a musician, a school administrator, an athlete, a writer, a reader, a sleeper, a gardener, a martial artist, a weight lifter, a folder of laundry, a bathroom cleaner, a coach, a mentor, a friend, and most importantly, as a person.

Whatever your situation, good luck, stay healthy, and “Just Be Better” (JBB)

Be Like Josh

I am a huge John Frusciante fan. He is one of my all time favorite guitarists. Even though I am not the biggest Red Hot Chili Peppers (RHCP) fan, I love his playing and the songs he created with the band. I went to see them once. He had left the band a month or so beforehand, but I had already bought the tickets. I went to the show as there were a few other bands playing that night that I wanted to see. The RHCP were talented and entertaining, but something was missing without John F. There is indescribable energy emanating from their music when he is a member of the band.

I was so excited when he came back to the band the first time and I was sad to see him leave a  second time. I followed his solo career. Some of it was amazing and some of it was ok. I liked his music better when he was a member of the RHCP. A few of his songs with the RHCP,  such as Higher Ground, I Could Have Lied, and Don’t Forget Me are on constant play in my car and in my offices. 

I was really excited to hear that he was coming back to the Red Hot Chili Peppers for a second time. I am not familiar with his replacement’s, Josh Klinghoffer, work with the band. I started to read the interviews Josh gave after he was released from the band. He was absolutely gracious in his disappointment. He had nothing but praise for the other members of the band and for John’s playing. Clearly, he wanted to still be in the band, but he knew why he wasn’t. His greatest statement to the band was “I wish I did something that would make your [the Red Hot Chili Peppers’] decision impossible.” He knew that there was better chemistry between John and the band. He knew that John was an amazing master and had a bigger impact on the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He did not blame anyone else. He knew that the band was better with John. He took the news that his dreams were shattered with class and dignity. 

I want to be more like Josh in everything that I do. He may not be one of my favorite guitar players, but he is an amazing example of how I want to live my life, with great dignity and character. Talent is good, but character is more important. Now I have two RHCP guitarists to look up to.

Be Better

Clapping for What?

What is with the clapping on Social Media? 

Do people actually think it is meaningful?

Skip the posturing, do something useful.

My wife told me this morning that there are people on Facebook who film themselves clapping for others. Why? I don’t know? (Before I posted, I found out that they were clapping for doctors, nurses, first responders, etc.). Don’t these clappers realize that their clapping isn’t helping anyone? If you want to clap for, give our first responders the supplies they need. Just as good, stay inside and socially distance yourself from everyone so that this virus cannot travel around and infect more people. When you successfully perform social distancing, you can clap all you want… for yourself.

This clap sounds like a combination of a disease and those stupid “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” commercials. Are they clapping so others can make them feel important about doing nothing? If you want others to see your greatness, do something useful. If you need everyone’s reassurance that you are living a good life, post a picture of yourself staying away from everyone else. In this crisis, this is the most useful action you can do. 

An additional question for the clappers. Do you post your “clappings” online to make yourself feel better about yourself or is it the belief that your clapping is making a difference?

And one more. If a person claps in a forest, does anyone hear it?

Don’t posture on social media by doing something meaningless, like clapping. Posture by doing the right thing, like staying home during the pandemic.  Would clapping in private make you feel as good as clapping on social media so you can get all of those likes, hearts, and emoticons? Why not? 

Staying home be the most heroic action that you can take that could potentially save scores of others, including your love ones? I’d clap for that, but I won’t post it on Social Media.

Be Better.