Archive for January, 2011
“Depression and Zen.” ~ Doc Meek
January 31st, 2011 | 
Author: Monday, January 31, 2011. Today I grateful for those people who continue to provide a wide range of views and resolutions to the bane of our age–depression–both economic and mental/emotional. Michael Masterson is one such person. He is a financial genius, which at first blush may seem to be an odd source for mental/emotional depression resolution ideas.
Michael Masterson has developed a loyal following through his writings in Early to Rise , an e-newsletter published by Agora, Inc., that mentors more than 450,000 success-oriented individuals to help them achieve their financial goals.
Masterson has been making money for himself and others for almost four decades. At one time or another, Michael Masterson (a pen name used by this ultra-successful businessman) has consulted for and advised multi-million dollar companies that were both public/private, onshore/overseas, local/international, service-/product-oriented, retail/wholesale/direct mail, and even . . . not-for-profit.
Masterson is the author of several Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Amazon.com best sellers, including Ready, Fire, Aim: Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat, Seven Years to Seven Figures: The Fast Track Plan to Becoming a Millionaire; Automatic Wealth: The Six Steps to Financial Independence; Automatic Wealth for Grads… and Anyone Else Just Starting Out; Power and Persuasion: How to Command Success in Business and Your Personal Life (all published by John Wiley & Sons); and Confessions of a Self-Made Millionaire and Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business (with MaryEllen Tribby).
Image and text from: http://www.earlytorise.com/author/michael-masterson/
Thank you, Michael Masterson, for your encouragement and inspiration to all and sundry, over many years!
I wonder if there is a relationship between an economic depression and a mental depression?
Doc Meek, Monday, January 31, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA
P.S. Here is Michael Masterton’s complete article, should you wish to read it.
EMOTIONAL DETACHMENT AND THE ZEN OF GOLF
By Michael Masterson | Mon, Mar 30, 2009 |
About a month ago, I played golf for the first time with Number Three Son (N3S). I was looking forward to a pleasant afternoon. I imagined fresh air, healthy sunshine, and that father-son banter that women who don’t understand men categorize as superficial.
The afternoon started off as hoped for. The sun was shining. The course was green. We prepared by eating hotdogs and lighting up cigars. But on the very first tee, things started going badly. At least for N3S.
N3S is a novice golfer. He’s played less than half a dozen games. He was focused on long drives and good chips and accurate putting. When he didn’t hit the ball well – which was most of the time – he was angry with himself.
Though he may not have been hitting the ball the way he wanted, he was hitting it. I was impressed and told him so. “You are doing a lot better than I was at your stage of the game.”
That didn’t mollify him. By the ninth hole, he was emotionally exhausted. He didn’t want to play anymore. “It’s no use,” he said morosely. “I stink.”
N3S’s frustration with his poor performance and his subsequent depression reminded me of myself until just a few years ago. It scared me to think that he might go through what I went through for 40 years. On the way home, I talked to him about one of the ways I’ve overcome my own tendency to get depressed. Today, I’m going to share that same strategy with you.
When you’re happy, you can move mountains. When you’re angry or depressed, your energy drops, your focus blurs, and your productivity lapses.
Depression can blunt your work skills. It can damage your reputation. It can separate you from your income and your possessions. It can affect your relationships with your spouse, your children and family – even lifelong friends. Depression will rob you of all the beautiful little moments that make life worth living – like a day on the golf course with Dad.
It steals your fun. It steals your time. It leaves you with nothing.
Last week, in my article, “Defeating depression before it defeats you.” ~ Michael Masterson,” I told you two stories about friends of mine who fell into deep depressions when they lost their jobs and their income.
Both of them had based their self-worth on their ability to make money – a mistake that many entrepreneurs make. And when, through no fault of their own, they suffered a serious financial setback, they felt like failures. I suggested that the way to avoid falling into that trap is to base your self-worth on things that really matter – on personal values that have nothing to do with your income.
There’s another common mistake that leads many to despair. The mistake that N3S was making during our golf game. I have to warn you that the solution to this one is a bit harder to understand and practice. But stick with me while I explain it. Because once you “get it,” you’ll have no trouble maintaining a positive outlook… even under the most difficult circumstances.
I am talking about developing the skill of emotional detachment. More specifically, developing the ability to set and pursue goals without caring whether you actually achieve them.
I learned how to do this only six or eight years ago, and have been practicing it in fits and starts. As each year passes, I get better at it. I feel happier and more in control of my life. Most important, I think it has helped me pass along some of my newfound happiness to others.
When most people hear the phrase emotional detachment, they think it means indifference or even heartlessness. Nothing could be further from the truth. Emotional detachment frees you from neurotic attachments and lets you focus your energies on other people, other things, and the here and now.
The best example I can give you is the natural love that a mother has for her child. When the child is happy, the mother is happy. When the child is unhappy, the mother instinctively wants to find the cause of the unhappiness and end it, if she can.
When the mother discovers that the child is unhappy because of some physical discomfort, she tries to relieve it. When the cause is an emotional conflict, she does her best to teach the child how to handle it. The mother’s goal is always to prepare the child to become independent. She works consistently to gradually free the child from his natural dependence on her so that he can go out into the world and live a happy and productive life.
When an 11-year-old tells his mother that he “hates” her because she’s imposed some restriction on him, the (mentally healthy) mother does not feel hurt, even though a hurtful thing has been said. She loves the child and doesn’t take his statement to heart. She remains calm. She reminds him that she loves him. And she explains that the restriction will not be removed simply because he “hates” it or her.
In other words, she is emotionally detached from the child’s expressions of anger.
If you are a parent, you understand what I mean. Most parents, most of the time, practice this sort of emotional detachment with their children. But there are some who can’t do it, because they are emotionally attached to their children’s approval of them. These are the parents who want to be “best friends” with their children. They break their own rules the moment their children object to them. Sometimes they go so far as to tolerate risky behavior.
The skill of emotional detachment can be applied to all relationships. It can work with your boss and colleagues at work. It can work with your spouse or parents at home. Detachment can also be applied to almost any challenge or problem. And the result will always be greater calmness and clarity.
This gets us back to my story about N3S…
When I started golfing, I approached the game very much the way my son approached it. That is, I was concerned about the outcome of my shots. When hitting the ball off the tee, I cared about how far it would go. When I putted, I cared about how close the ball would get to the hole.
This made the game very frustrating. Being a beginner, the outcome of most of my shots was disappointing.
But it didn’t take me long to realize that I was my own worst enemy. By allowing myself to be disappointed four shots out of five, I was setting myself up for failure. (How can you learn to play golf well if you are swearing when you are swinging the club?) The trick, I soon figured out, was to detach myself emotionally from the intended outcome (where the ball goes) and focus instead on the experience of the swing.
My goal, when I play golf these days, is to have a good swing. I don’t care where the ball goes. All I care about is whether I achieve my intention of swinging the club properly.
This has made a remarkable difference in my game. In several short months, I have brought down my handicap by about 30 strokes. Before, I was shooting about 130 and hating the game. Now, I am hovering at 100 and liking it, even when the ball lands in a sand trap or rolls over the green.
Anything we do in life – any goal we set, any relationship we engage in – can be done better and more happily by applying emotional detachment.
Let me give you a few more examples.
Emotional Attachment: You want to go on a picnic Saturday afternoon. It rains. You are disappointed.
Emotional Detachment. You intend to have a picnic on Saturday. But, knowing you can never predict the weather, you consciously detach yourself from the hope that the sun will shine. You create Plan B – going to the movies instead. So when it rains, you move happily from Plan A to Plan B without getting upset or upsetting those with you. You are the Zen Master of your Saturday afternoon. You help others feel better by your good example. And that, in turn, increases your happiness.
Emotional Attachment. You want to get a raise. You don’t get one. You are disappointed.
Emotional Detachment. You intend to get a raise. But, knowing you can’t control the outcome of your next performance review, you come up with a Plan B that involves starting your own side business. You make a good presentation at the review, but your boss doesn’t give you the raise. You aren’t disappointed. In fact, you are excited… because now you can initiate Plan B.
Emotional Attachment: You want to marry your college sweetheart. You propose to her. She refuses you. You are crushed.
Emotional Detachment. You intend to marry your college sweetheart. But, recognizing that you cannot control her feelings, you detach yourself from that outcome and settle on Plan B, which is to enjoy the relationship for some months longer while you begin to look for a new one. You propose to her and are turned down. You aren’t sad. You don’t pout. You put Plan B into action. She notices your detachment and likes you better for it. Now it is up to you to continue the relationship or move on.
As I said earlier, the skill of emotional detachment is hard to understood and practice. But if you can master it, you will enjoy a life of unlimited wealth, health, and happiness.
Before N3S and I went golfing for the second time, I had him take a lesson with Larry, the pro I learned from. (Larry understands the Zen of golf. He, like Ben Hogan, understands that the true purpose of golf is not to achieve a specific score but to experience the serenity and pleasure that come with developing a consistently good swing.)
When we hit the golf course this time, I reminded N3S to focus his mind not on where the ball goes but on executing his swing. We played all 18 holes in perfect harmony. And though we didn’t care about our scores, they were better than they had been the time before.
Posted in learning, learning differences, Learning Difficulties, learning solutions, overcoming learning problems | 
Tags: active learning, changing your behavior, changing your mind, depression, detachment, Doc Meek, docmeek, Emotional Detachment and the Zen of Gold, grateful, gratitude, happiness, head heart hands hope, Masterson, Michael Masterson, self-involvement in learning, success, Zen | 
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“Defeating depression before it defeats you.” ~ Michael Masterson
Friday, January 28, 2011. I am grateful that there are so many perceptions of depression out there. We don’t need to accept just one. Take a “helping” of many different perspectives ’til you find one that works for you, including keeping your depression if you function better that way right now.
Image from: http://www.birchgroveprm.cardiff.sch.uk/
Some time ago now I wrote a letter to a friend:
“Hi Henry (not his real name),
“I found this article by Michael Masterson entitled “Defeating Depression Before it Defeats You” very helpful to me. Perhaps you will find it helpful too. When we figure out that the roots of depression are purely perceptual, it gives us a tremendous advantage for getting out of the hellhole and staying out, eh? 😮
“I realize that you don’t necessarily have the same problems or assets as the people in this story. However, the principles are the same. Stop comparing yourself mentally to others, and perhaps to some of your former selves, and value the gifts you do have.
“If you feel you have no gifts, you would be dead wrong and that is the real problem. Many people would rather be dead than wrong.
Not very smart, eh?
What are your gifts? I can think of many and my thoughts will simply fall on deaf ears if you do not originate them yourself.
“What are your gifts?
“One gift that you have that I really value is your friendship, and especially what I call your friendship-patience. Worth tons and tons and tons of gold, let me tell you. 😮
“Blessings & Gratitudes, Collins”
Doc Meek, Friday, January 28, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA
P.S. Here is the article by Michael Masterson, if you wish to read it in full:
Header to article: “The best way out is always through.” – Robert Frost
Article: Defeating Depression Before It Defeats You
By Michael Masterson, founder of ETR (Early to Rise), a financial newsletter: http://www.earlytorise.com/
Let me tell you a story…
About 30 years ago, I became friendly with a man who had a very successful printing business, as well as a significant personal fortune. He was a very charismatic guy – always good-natured, upbeat, full of fun, and easy to like.
Then – during the recession of the 1980s – his business collapsed. I don’t remember the details, but he had taken on a lot of debt and lost a few of his biggest clients. Then, suddenly, he was bankrupt.
When I heard about it, I called to console him and offer a helping hand. It was too late. Sobbing, his wife told me that he had killed himself.
I was shocked. Devastated. I couldn’t understand why he had done it. He had so much going for him. A beautiful family. Loving friends. Intelligence. Good looks. He was, in short, a person with great natural wealth. His financial wealth, as far as I was concerned, was just gravy.
Apparently, he didn’t see it that way.
Six months ago, another close friend lost his job due to our current recession. His income dropped from about half a million dollars a year to almost nothing. Within a few weeks, he had spiraled into a clinical depression. He would not leave the house. He would not look for work. He talked about suicide. I was afraid he would do it.
I visited him, hopeful I could talk him out of the hole he had dropped into. But all the support I gave him fell on deaf ears. He was consumed by his financial problems. He asked me to give him a job. I had nothing for him, but I told him I’d see what I could do. I wanted to buy some time.
I visited him again the following day. We talked about his financial situation. I was surprised to learn that he had millions of dollars in property and hundreds of thousands of dollars in the bank. He was in much better shape than 99 percent of the rest of the world. Yet he was in despair, on the verge of suicide.
His problem, I realized, wasn’t a financial one at all. His problem was that his ego had suffered a near fatal blow. Without a high-income job, he saw himself as worthless. He had attached his self worth to his income. When his income disappeared, so did his self-esteem.
The next time I visited, I brought him a copy of Norman Vincent Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking. In this classic self-help book, Peale observes that depression is “one of the great problems besetting people.” He argues that the root of most depression is a lack of self-esteem. He points to a survey of college students which indicated that, for 75 percent of them, self-esteem was the thing most lacking in their lives.
If you’ve ever choked up in an interview, forgotten your lines in a play, or blown an easy lay-up, you know how your self-esteem can take a little dip when your actions don’t meet your expectations. And when you feel like you have failed in a big way, you can be crushed. It’s hard to recover from that kind of blow.
That’s what I think happened to my friend – actually, both of my friends. They had decided that their financial setbacks were huge, personal failings. In both cases, the trouble was the result of an economic downturn, not foolish actions. Both were smart, hardworking guys who had been successful for many years. Then, for whatever reason, they failed… and they were broken.
Instead of thinking, “Gee, this isn’t working anymore. How can I change to prosper in this new world?” they must have thought, “I always secretly knew I was a fraud. This proves it. Now the whole world will know what a failure I am.”
The lesson here is that you don’t want to link your self-esteem to your ability to make money. As billionaire businesswoman Oprah Winfrey says, “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”
We are all being affected by the Great Recession. If you are like most people, you have lost half your life savings. You may feel your job is in jeopardy. You may have lost your job. You may be without income. But the worst thing you can do right now is sink into a depressive state. You’ll be good for nothing. You’ll be unable to enjoy time with friends and family. And you’ll be incapable of making a comeback.
Being depressed, a good friend once explained, is like falling into quicksand. The more you struggle, the deeper you get.
To avoid that quicksand, you have to change your thinking while you are still mentally healthy. You must detach yourself from the idea – if you have it – that your self worth is measured by your money. You must recognize that what counts most in your life is the minutes you spend learning and helping and growing – the time you spend helping other people, not dwelling on yourself.
In The Power of Positive Thinking, Peale says: “The blows of life, the accumulation of difficulties, the multiplication of problems tend to sap energy and leave you spent and discouraged. [It] is easy to lose track of your abilities and powers” – but by re-appraising your personal assets, you can convince yourself that “you are less defeated than you think you are.”
As an example, he tells how he counseled a 52-year-old man who came to him “in great despondency.” Everything in his life, the man said, had been “swept away” by a recent business setback. “Everything I built up over a lifetime is gone.”
Peale recognized that although the man had indeed experienced a serious setback, his chief problem was the way he viewed it. “Suppose we take a piece of paper and write down the values you have left,” he suggested. And so they did. Among other things, the list included:
- a wonderful wife – and a 30-year marriage
- three devoted children
- admiring friends, happy to help
- good physical health
- integrity
Not bad.
Make your own list right now. If you have trouble making that list, try this – a little trick I’ve recommended before in ETR. Imagine yourself as an observer at your own funeral. Surely you wouldn’t want to hear your spouse, your children, your friends and colleagues say things like, “He was a jerk, but he sure made a lot of money.”
Think about what you would like them to say about you. Those are the things that really matter – positive personal assets that you don’t lose just because times are tough.
If you’re feeling down, focusing on those positive personal assets will help you overcome the worst feelings you could possibly have about yourself. And no matter what happens to your job or your income, you won’t despair. You’ll be able to use all your natural resources to start over again. And the money will come back – as it always does when you have the right work ethic.
If you think what I said here can help a friend, pass it along. As for what happened to my friend who lost his job six months ago… that’s a story for another time.
Posted in learning, learning differences, Learning Difficulties, learning solutions, overcoming learning problems |
Tags: active learning, brain rules, changing your behavior, changing your mind, defeating depression, defeating depression before it defeats you, Doc Meek, docmeek, grateful, gratitude, head heart hands hope, Michael Masterton, self-involvement in learning, success |
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“How backward became forward.” ~ Siosifa Tali’ehe Lolohea
Thursday, January 27, 2011. I am grateful for those who are brave enough to speak out in the face of countervailing social trends. Such a one is Siosifa [Joseph] Tali’ehe Lolohea. Today I am going to share some of his thoughts from his recent posting on his blog.
- Siosifa Tali’ehe Lolohea
- The only son of Siale Tali’ehe and ‘Aselika Takuvaka Lolohea.
“How Backward Became Forward”
“This reminded me of an old hip-hop group from the early 90’s called Kris Kross. They were famous for a catchy song called “Jump” and for wearing their clothes on backwards. This trend didn’t really catch on in Oakland but there were a few who were brave enough to try it out. I think they found out how hard it is to function with buttons and zippers not where they’re supposed to be.
“While pondering Kevin’s accident and Kris Kross’s purposeful experiment I started thinking about the trends of today. Not in regard to fashion but the lifestyles that people lead . . . .
“I had a co-worker tell me once that I was one of the few open-minded Mormons [members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] he knew because I didn’t judge him for his dirty language and crude humor.
“I told him that I just understood that dirty is the only language he knew how to speak . . . [similar to the situation on my mission in the Philippines where] most of the Filipinos . . . only spoke Tagalog. I told him, ‘Crude may be the only thing you know and I can’t really hold that against you.’ He thought it was funny.”
Thank you, Siosifa! Here is my comment on your posting:
If you wish to read the rest of Siosifa’s post, it is re-posted below in the P.S. , or you can click on Siosifa’s link: http://celestialheir.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-backward-became-forward.html?showComment=1296134724707#c4955173359798885869
How Backward Became Forward
This reminded me of an old hip-hop group from the early 90’s called Kris Kross. They were famous for a catchy song called “Jump” and for wearing their clothes on backwards. This trend didn’t really catch on in Oakland but there were a few who were brave enough to try it out. I think they found out how hard it is to function with buttons and zippers not where they’re supposed to be.
While pondering Kevin’s accident and Kris Kross’s purposeful experiment I started thinking about the trends of today. Not in regard to fashion but the lifestyles that people lead. I recently moved to Salt Lake City to attend college and had a chance to mingle with some city folk. I was surprised by the way that they viewed members of the LDS church [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] and the morals that we live by. They would tell me that most Mormons were closed-minded because they were unwilling to accept what they saw as evolution. I had a co-worker tell me once that I was one of the few open-minded Mormons [members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] he knew because I didn’t judge him for his dirty language and crude humor. I told him that I just understood that dirty is the only language he knew how to speak just like most of the Filipinos on my mission only spoke Tagalog. I told him, ‘Crude may be the only thing you know and I can’t really hold that against you.’ He thought it was funny.
It is clear to me that the world has become purposefully backwards and being interpreted as forward. Morals in this day are now viewed to be as obsolete as a horse and buggy on the freeway. A person doesn’t need to be respectful with words or even mindful of their actions to be deemed as a praiseworthy citizen in this society. We are now seen as cavemen without minds because we hold dear to beliefs that a man’s thoughts, words and deeds make-up his moral character and ultimately determines his eternal destiny.
I could see how the world would find such beliefs to be out dated. These were the beliefs of the men and women that founded this country and even those that settled the great city they live in. Not all things that were done back then have relevance today. We don’t walk everywhere we need to go or grow any of the food that sits in our refrigerator. But that doesn’t mean we no longer need the basic morals that breed goodness and virtue. No matter how advanced we get with scientific technology all living things will need the basic necessities to sustain life. So it is with us and moral values.
The backward method has existed since the very beginning. When Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden of Eden they were told by God that “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread.” But it was Adam’s son Cain that was taught, for the first time, that the opposite way was the right way. Cain was convinced, not by God, that he didn’t have to sweat to eat bread. In his own words he proclaimed, “Truly I am…the master of this great secret, that I may murder and get gain.” He spoke these words after killing his brother Abel and taking ownership of his possessions.
There is no secret of what is happening in our world today. It has been going on since the beginning of time. There is opposition in all things. Bitter and sweet. Hot and cold. Good and evil. And because all people have inherited good from their spiritual Father they will naturally choose good. So it is the purpose of the opposition to convince us that bitter is actually sweet and hot is really cold. Only then will we open-mindedly choose evil over good.
We have all been duped once or twice. No one is exempt from the conniving tactics of the opposition. Any man can fall when sex is painted to be something natural and needs to be free. It doesn’t need to be bound by the bonds of marriage or hidden in the privacy of our homes. It should be open and televised for the whole world to embrace just like basketball. Evil never looked so good when we think about it this way.
There is definitely “a time to love” but there is “a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” There is no question of why we were given the gift of procreation along with a mind capable of finding the purpose for which it was given. So any man can understand that for every choice there is a result soon to follow just as pulling a trigger will send a bullet flying in whatever direction you point it. You better be ready to reap the product of the seed you’ve just planted whether your shorts are on backwards or not.
We must get to know the true meaning of being open-minded. It is doing our best to understand all things not just the things that everyone says is right. Because the majority can sometimes be wrong. Ask anyone who has voted in a presidential election and have been disappointed with who the majority chose. It is by knowing one side and rejecting the other that makes us closed-minded. True understanding comes from knowing both backward and forward. Then once we’ve got it down it will be easy to know what our purpose is on this side of the veil and its reward in the eternity that awaits us on the other side.
“Technological marvels can be hazardous to human health.” ~ Doc Meek
Wednesday, January 26, 2011. I am grateful that someone made me aware, at the last minute, that the Edmonton Public School Board was addressing a “WiFi Motion” at their meeting last evening, January 25, 2011. Thanks to the Board Secretary, I was able to forward to the Trustees a quickly-drafted “one-pager” brief on the subject of reliance on Health Canada and the World Health Organization for safety standards relative to WiFi (WiFi is a trademark of the WiFi Alliance).
The WiFi Alliance Sponsor Companies
For a complete and lengthy list of member companies of the WiFi Alliance, see: http://www.wi-fi.org/our_members.php#sponsor
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All company images above from: http://www.wi-fi.org/our_members.php#sponsor |
WiFi Motion at Edmonton Public School Board Meeting, Jan 25, 2011
(A “one-pager” brief similar to the following was emailed to the Trustees the day before their Jan 25th meeting)
“A brief introduction: I am a learning specialist, not a medical specialist. I have been in private practice for many years, encouraging students, parents, teachers and educational administrators to utilize strategies that help to overcome learning difficulties.
“The Board’s WiFi motion (WiFi is a trademark of the WiFi Alliance) proposes to rely upon Health Canada and the World Health Organization for safety standards relative to the installation of wireless devices in schools. Trustees should consider broadening this WiFi motion, slightly and vitally. It would be prudent, I think, to include in the motion reference to other solid research data, in addition to that adduced by Health Canada and the World Health Organization (WHO). Published standards by such large organizations have a tendency to lag behind solid research.
“Further, much of the well-publicized research upon which Health Canada and WHO rely is industry-funded research, and there is a tendency for such studies to find no harm in the devices which industry produces. This is a natural sequence of events. No organization wants to undermine its own means of existence and we can’t fault them on that.
“What we can do is protect the health of students by the inclusion in the WiFi motion of reference to additional independent solid and reliable research.
“Many of you may recall that decades ago a very convenient and useful technology was introduced into shoe stores. People could place their feet in a slot at the bottom of the machine and see their toes wriggling in a pair of new shoes, to see for certain if the fit of the shoe was good. This seemed to be a great and convenient technological aid, at the time.
“Experts assured us that these fluoroscopy machines were perfectly safe. The subsequent rise in cancer rates came as an unpleasant surprise, because it was not generally perceived, at that time, that such ionizing radiation presented a serious health hazard.
“Independent and reliable research is now cautioning us that even non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation (EMR), such as that emitted by numerous wireless devices now in common use in homes, schools and workplaces, presents serious health hazards.
“One man wryly noted that they don’t call WiFi “hot spots” for nothing.
“We need to pay attention to this vital knowledge, ahead of time, not after the fact.
“Central nervous system disturbances caused by non-ionizing EMR (electromagnetic radiation) have been documented, in addition to other kinds of human cellular damage.
“In other words, EMR (electromagnetic radiation) impacts the child’s brain cells negatively.
“In my many years of working as a learning specialist with children with learning difficulties, I have learned that non-ionizing EMR (electromagnetic radiation) damages the brain’s capacity for learning.
“Would it not be the height of irony for schools to install great and convenient technological learning aids that damage the child’s capacity to learn?”
– J. Collins Meek, Ph.D.
Email: docmeek@gmail.com; Website: https://docmeek.com
The Trustees voted 6 to 3 to continue to rely on Health Canada and WHO for safety standards for students, thus guaranteeing that students in schools where WiFi is installed will be bathed all day in health-hazardous non-ionizing EMR (electromagnetic radiation).
Not prudent, in my view.
Doc Meek, Wednesday, January 26, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA
Posted in learning, learning differences, Learning Difficulties, learning solutions, overcoming learning problems |
Tags: active learning, brain rules, changing your behavior, changing your mind, Doc Meek, docmeek, electromagnetic radiation, EMR, grateful, gratitude, head heart hands hope, learning problems, learning tools, self-involvement in learning, students bathing daily in non-ionizing radiation, success |
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“Falling in love with depression.” ~ Doc Meek
Tuesday, January 25, 2011. Today I am grateful to know that depression can be treated by treating it as a learning disorder. So says my friend, who feels that depression is a learned behavior and can be chosen actively at will, albeit often subconsciously. Same with addictions. Is depression an addiction?
Sad Bear (click on link immediately below if image blank)
Image from: http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2921121300100798180ApycpZ
What does depression feel like?
People view depression many different ways: http://www.healthexpertadvice.org/forum/Mental-Health/What-does-depression-feel-like-152591.htm
Letter from my friend: “Hi Collins, Interesting approach to addictions. Way back I remember finding that article called “You don’t have to be depressed it you don’t want to”. I no longer have anything on it but when I just sit and read the Title there is a lot of food for thought there. Also I once heard the line, “If you’re depressed perhaps that is the state you function best in.” I guess some people are in a large comfort zone in depression because they really understand it and know where they are all the time. Maybe there is nothing wrong in living in a depressed state.”
In my previous posting, January 24, 2011, I quoted someone: “Depression is the natural result of unwanted circumstances.” If you missed that posting, simply click on this link:
“Depression, a many-splendored thing.” ~ Doc Meek
Doc Meek, Tuesday, January 25, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA
Posted in learning, learning differences, Learning Difficulties, learning solutions, overcoming learning problems |
Tags: active learning, brain rules, changing your behavior, changing your mind, depression as a learning disorder, Doc Meek, docmeek, grateful, gratitude, happiness, head heart hands hope, success |
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“Depression, a many-splendored thing.” ~ Doc Meek
Monday, January 24, 2011. I am grateful to know that depression is multi- faceted, both as to cause and as to resolution.
Image from: http://fightingdepression.co.uk/
A friend reported to me many years ago now:
“Depression is the natural result of unwanted circumstances.”
I was steeped in the medical model at the time and was very surprised at what he said.
I wonder who said this originally? If anyone knows, please let me know. My friend said he found it in an respectable academic paper.
Both conscious and subconscious negative thinking pattens about unwanted circumstances can generate neurochemical imbalances in the brain.
Some people take antidepressants to help balance neurochemicals, to encourage the occurrence of more positive thinking patterns.
Changes in neurochemicals can indeed sometimes promote more positive thinking patterns and lighten mood.
Amazingly the opposite is also the case:
Consciously changing subconscious negative thinking patterns towards more positive thinking patterns can often alter neurochemicals for the better.
What promotes conscious and subconscious negative thinking patterns?
Try the evening news for starters. 😮
Doc Meek, Monday, January 24, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA
P.S. I remember Harv Eker saying:
(1) “Don’t believe anything I say.”
(2) “This is my experience. Test it for yourself.”
(2) “Nothing has any meaning except the meaning you give to it.”
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T. Harv Eker’s Secrets of the Millionaire Mind! 10 min – 9 Sep 2006 Uploaded by mrblue37 youtube.com |
Posted in learning, learning differences, Learning Difficulties, learning solutions |
Tags: active learning, brain rules, changing your behavior, changing your mind, chemical imbalance, depression, Doc Meek, docmeek, grateful, gratitude, happiness, Harv Eker, head heart hands hope, negative thinking patterns, positive thinking patterns, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, self-involvement in learning, success |
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“Escape from depression hell.” ~ Doc Meek
Friday, January 21, 2011. I am grateful for my years of severe clinical depression. What!?
Yes, they were immensely helpful to me. I learned how to escape from the hellhole of depression–permanently. [“Hellhole” is not too strong a word for some depessions.]
And now I am able to help others learn how to overcome their depressions, large and small.
There is a new revised edition of this book available at: http://www.amazon.com/Serenity-Simple-Recovering-Happiness-Relations/dp/157324354X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296084793&sr=1-1
I am very grateful for my friend, Jane Nelsen (educator, counselor, author), whose written thoughts have created escape hatches from the hell of depression for many.
As Dr. Nelsen so surprisingly says (of her own experiences with depressions): “My depressions quit lasting very long when I started enjoying them.”
She explains this seemingly outrageous statement on pp. 61-62 of her book entitled From Here to Serenity: Four Principles for Understanding Who You Really Are.
Dr. Nelsen’s book retails for about $20-$25, depending upon where you live. Used copies can be found on Amazon.com for 1 cent [great news for you; might be depressing for the author, eh? :o]
Thank you, Jane Nelsen, for bringing much-needed light to the dark hole of depression!
Doc Meek, Friday, January 21, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA
P.S. “Tune in” to my next blog about depression, “a many-splendored thing.”
Posted in learning, learning differences, Learning Difficulties, learning solutions, overcoming learning problems |
Tags: active learning, brain rules, changing your behavior, changing your mind, Doc Meek, docmeek, Dr. Jane Nelsen, Dr. Nelson, escape depression permanently, escape from hell, escape hatches, From Here to Serenity, grateful, gratitude, happiness, head heart hands hope, hellhole of depression, Jane Nelsen, Jane Nelsen Ed.D., Jane Nelson, learn to escape depression, learning to overcome depression, Nelson, self-involvement in learning, success |
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“Grateful for the good aspects of cultures.” ~ Doc Meek
Thursday, January 20, 2011. Today I am grateful for a daughter who loves to read, like I do. Lori is married to Kingsley and has 6 great children. How does she ever find time to read? 😮
Lori; image from Facebook
Open Letter to my daughter Lori:
Dear Lori,
I was glad I emailed you recently and asked if there were any books you could recommend.
You suggested several, among which were Yann Martel’s Life of Pi and Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns.
I found Life of Pi to be a delightful tale, as you predicted I would. I especially enjoyed the unique forms of language used in the author’s native tongue and transliterated into English with rewarding effects on the eye and ear.
In A Thousand Splendid Suns, I was struck by the dreary existence and limited opportunities of most of the characters. I was touched by the ability of the characters to find real meaning in some aspects of their lives. I was dumbfounded by the harsh treatment of women (and men) in totalitarian cultures. Forced marriages of young girls to much older men staggered me.
I knew of these horrible aspects of some cultures of course and yet I was tortured anew at reading of it firsthand so to speak.
My mental tortures reminded me again of my immense gratitude for the good aspects of our “Western” culture, and the great opportunities and freedoms we enjoy (or don’t enjoy, as the case may be).
Thank you, Lori, for encouraging me to read “the good, the beautiful, the bad, and the ugly.”
Floods my heart with warmth for the good in our culture and others.
My profound sadness and pain over man’s inhumanity to man is perhaps a good reminder.
Love, Blessings, and Gratitudes,
Dad
P.S I am so glad you are my daughter!
…………………………………………………..
Doc Meek, Thursday, January 20, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA
Posted in learning, learning differences, Learning Difficulties, learning solutions, overcoming learning problems |
Tags: active learning, brain rules, changing your behavior, changing your mind, culture, Doc Meek, docmeek, good aspects of culture, grateful, gratitude, head heart hands hope, Khaled Hosseini, Life of Pi, Lori, self-involvement in learning, Yann Martel |
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“A sweet sweet story.” ~ Doc Meek
Wednesday, January 19, 2011. “Cast your bread upon the waters,” they say, “and it will return to you.”
Waterton Lake, Alberta, Canada: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/progs/spm-whs/itm2/site11/photo1.aspx
Many years ago I helped a young client overcome his reading difficulties, which were severe. The family did not have much money and so THE LEARNING CLINIC worked with this boy for no fee in exchange for some return work in the clinic from the family.
That was 20 years ago.
Recently the family sent a Thank You card and enclosed a small cheque. They were grateful for the service rendered to their son 20 years previously and wanted to make a small contribution to the ongoing work of THE LEARNING CLINIC WORLDWIDE. The family still does not have much money. They couldn’t really afford to send this precious gift.
You cannot refuse a sacred gift.
The contribution will go to help someone who needs help right now.
Thank you to all of you who try to find a way to express gratitude for services rendered, however long ago.
Doc Meek, Wednesday, January 19, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA
Posted in learning, learning differences, Learning Difficulties, learning solutions, overcoming learning problems |
Tags: active learning, brain rules, cast your bread, cast your bread upon the waters, changing your behavior, changing your mind, Doc Meek, docmeek, grateful, gratitude, head heart hands hope, self-involvement in learning, success |
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“Learn to love like a child.” ~ Doc Meek
Tuesday, January 18, 2011. Today I am grateful for Toni Raiten-D’Antonio who wrote a classic based on a classic [The Velveteen Rabbit or How Toys Become Real, a children’s novel written by Margery Williams and illustrated by William Nicholson].
The Velveteen Principles: A Guide to Becoming Real, Hidden Wisdom from a Children’s Classic by Toni Raiten-D’Antonio (Hardcover – Dec 1, 2006)
May we all learn to love as the child loved the velveteen rabbit!
Doc Meek, Tuesday, January 18, 2011, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA
Posted in learning, learning differences, Learning Difficulties, learning solutions, overcoming learning problems |
Tags: active learning, brain rules, changing your behavior, changing your mind, Doc Meek, docmeek, grateful, gratitude, head heart hands hope, How Toys Become Real, Margery Williams, self-involvement in learning, success, teacher training, The Velveteen Principles, The Velveteen Rabbit, Toni Raiten-D'Antonio, William Nicholson |
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