by Al Sears, MD, CNS

You may think antioxidants are old news - even mainstream doctors know how important they are for fighting free radical damage.

Your average general practitioner might even discuss the benefits of antioxidants like vitamins C, E and A with you.

It's true that these are all powerful antioxidants.

But chances are he won't tell you about your body's most potent antioxidant.

And that's a shame…

Because its power to fight off free radicals is second to none. Studies have shown it's 3,500 times more powerful than vitamin C. 1

I'm talking about an enzyme called "SOD." (That's short for superoxide dismutase.)

Your body naturally produces SOD to stop cancer-causing toxins and neutralize inflammation. Inflammation in your body causes chronic illness, like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, Parkinson's and arthritis.

In fact, low SOD levels have been linked to more than 60 degenerative diseases.

So wouldn't it make sense for doctors to routinely check their patients' SOD levels?

They don't. But it's something I regularly do for my patients at the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine.

That's because I know the power of SOD.

Besides being your body's master antioxidant, SOD also has a vital anti-aging purpose. It protects your telomeres. Those are the protective caps at the ends of each strand of your DNA.

The longer your telomeres, the younger your cells act. The shorter your telomeres, the more prone you are to disease and "old age."

SOD stops the cellular damage that causes our telomeres to shorten in the first place.

You see, free radicals not only attack and shorten your telomeres, they also cut off the supply of telomerase, the enzyme that "rebuilds" your telomeres.

Researchers discovered that mammals that produce the highest levels of SOD have the longest lifespans. And when they genetically engineered fruit flies to have double the amount of this nutrient, the fruit flies lived twice as long.2

But there's a problem…

Your SOD levels decline as you age.3 Without enough SOD, your body can't fight off free radicals. You quickly succumb to age and disease.

And there's another problem…

You see, SOD is a large and delicate molecule that can't be absorbed directly into your body. And aside from that, it's very delicate. Too delicate to survive a trip through your digestive system.

In other words, taking SOD supplements or eating SOD-rich foods isn't the most effective way to get SOD.

What works better is to naturally boost your body's production of SOD.

One way to do that is by taking an herb that traditional Chinese medicine has known about for centuries. They call it Jiaogulan, which means the "little herb of immortality." Botanists call it Gynostemma pentaphyllum.

Naturally boost your SOD with Jiaogulan

Jiaogulan works because it contains compounds called gypenosides that increase your body's levels of SOD.

In one study, researchers gave gypenosides to 610 patients between the ages of 50 and 90. Those between 70 and 90 years of age saw a 21.4% average decrease in harmful oxidants of 21.4%. And their SOD increased 282%.4

You can take a supplement containing G. pentaphyllum. They're available online and in health food stores. I recommend taking 150 mg per day.

You can also get the SOD-boosting benefits of G. pentaphyllum by brewing a tea made from the leaves. Research shows that six grams daily of this tea gives you all the anti-aging benefits of SOD.5

The tea is simple to make. Here's how I do it:

Bring water to a boil.
Add 6 grams of G. pentaphyllum leaves.
Let the brew steep for 10 minutes.
Pour tea into cup through a strainer and enjoy.

References:

1. Sun J, Tower J. "FLP recombinase-mediated induction of Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase transgene expression can extend the life span of adult Drosophila melanogaster flies." Mol Cell Biol. 1999 Jan; 19(1):216-28.

2. Andriollo-Sanchez M. Hiniger-Favier I, et al. "Age-related oxidative stress and antioxidant parameters in middle-aged and older European subjects: the ZENITH study." Eur J Clin Nutr: 2005 Nov;59 Suppl.

3. Kitani K. "What really declines with age? The Hayflick Lecture for 2006 35th American Aging Association." Age. 2007 Mar, 29(2): 1-14. Published 2007 Jan 11.

4. Liu J, et al. "Effects of gypenosides-containing tonics on the serum SOD activity and MDA content in middle aged persons." Journal of Guiyang Medical College.1994.

by Craig Ballantyne

From MSN.com

Some nights, sleep comes easily. Other nights, you have to be contorted into a fetal position — covers between our legs — just to catch a wink.

But, according to Dr. Michael Breus, clinical psychologist and board certified sleep specialist, there's one sleeping position that's the absolute best for us: It's on your back.

"When you lie on your back, you equally distribute your weight across your frame," he explains. "In addition, your face is pointing upward, so there is no external stress on your neck." (The only exception is for those who snore or suffer from sleep apnea. Then, it's better to sleep on your side.)

So lie on your back, open up your posture, stretch out. It's the most surefire way to wake up feeling refreshed.

-----

And if you need more tips for a better night's sleep, get the 10-3-2-1-0 Formula here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d7bd-bl6cE

Your PERFECT DAY FORMULA:

http://bit.ly/1PyzsO2

This system helps you get to bed on time, sleep better, and wake up the next morning well rested and ready.

10 hours before bed – No more caffeine.

3 hours before bed – No more food or alcohol.

2 hours before bed – No more work.

1 hour before bed – No more screen time (turn off all phones, TVs and computers).

0 – The number of times you will hit the snooze button in the morning.

10-3-2-1-0 Formula to Get More Done!

by Craig Ballantyne, ETR

Before he discovered the Formula, my friend Bedros Keuilian struggled to control his mornings. That lead to a constant feeling of being rushed and falling behind schedule… which in turn lead to feeling anxious all day long.

But when he put my Perfect Day Formula into place, his problems were solved.

"Craig, the #1 lesson I learned from you was how to dominate my mornings by blocking off my magic time and scripting out the first three hours of my morning the night before," Bedros said. "This helped me overcome afternoon anxiety, gave me control of my day again, and helped create more time in the evening to enjoy my family rather than play catch up. I no longer work in the evenings and that means that my work is of better quality because I think and process better in the mornings. I get a full 7 hours of sleep per night rather than 4-5 hours like I used to so that I dominate my mornings and have my to-do list knocked out by 10:00 a.m."

The single most important factor in winning your mornings and owning your days is to get up fifteen minutes earlier and work on your number one priority before anyone else is awake. It's that simple.

In theory, that is.

But with all the chaos and temptations in life, how do you do it? Well, it's easy to be well rested and get up on time when you use this 10-3-2-1-0 formula.

This system helps you get to bed on time, sleep better, and wake up the next morning well rested and ready for battle.

10 hours before bed – No more caffeine.

3 hours before bed – No more food or alcohol.

2 hours before bed – No more work.

1 hour before bed – No more screen time (turn off all phones, TVs and computers).

0 – The number of times you will hit the snooze button in the morning.

Stop drinking all caffeinated beverages ten hours before bed. This is generally the amount of time required for your body to clear it from the bloodstream and eliminate its stimulatory effects.

Finish eating big meals and drinking alcohol three hours before bed. This will help you avoid heartburn (gastric reflux) and interrupted sleep. Alcohol might make you feel sleepy, but it impairs your natural sleep cycle and interrupts valuable deep sleep.

End all work-related activities two hours before bed. No more taking phone calls, checking emails, reading reports, or thinking about tomorrow.

If you struggle to find the "off button" for your brain, I can relate. But at the end of your day, in order to enjoy uninterrupted time with family, in order to be present for your children, in order to forget about work problems, tasks that didn't get done, or items that need to get completed first thing in the morning, you need to do a Brain Dump. It's a simple solution that takes five minutes and requires nothing more than a blank piece of paper and a pen.

-------

Here's what you'll do. Write down everything going through your head. Write fast and furious. Get it all out. Now take that paper and set it aside, perhaps in your office or at the front door under your car keys. Now forget about it for the rest of the day. It can wait until tomorrow. That will help clear your mind. Do that brain dump, plan out your morning, and leave it behind so that you can wind down with family time and getting ready for bed.

Turn off all electronics one hour before bed. The blue light emitted from screens makes it difficult to fall asleep. Spend the final hour reading real books, talking with your spouse, meditating, taking a bath, or enjoying "other" activities in the privacy of your bedroom – but do not use your iPhone or tablet, unless you want to stare at the ceiling for another hour.

The last temptation to avoid comes first thing in the morning. If you wake up to the sound of an alarm, you will be tempted to hit the snooze button. Don't. Not only will it make you late for your scripted day and interfere with winning your morning, but going back to sleep for a few minutes actually makes you more tired than if you had started your day immediately.

There are solutions to help you overcome the temptation of the snooze button. First, place your alarm across the room. That makes you get up, leave your bed, and walk a few steps before you can turn it off. By then, you're more awake and it's easier to resist the allure of snoozing. Of course, that approach could also result in divorce, or at least being told to sleep on the couch.

A second, more stoic approach is to internalize the benefits of getting up immediately. Remember why you are doing this. It's your one and only life, one that is not rewarded for staying in bed, one that does not move forward because you stole an extra five minutes of sleep. If you want more sleep, you need to get to bed earlier, not wake up later. You cannot miss out on your magical fifteen minutes in the morning.

Your PERFECT DAY starts HERE!!!

When you follow this formula, you'll get more done and stop letting the big opportunities in your life from slipping away. You can do it. And it's all worth it so you can live a healthy, productive life, free from anxiety.

"Making a lot of money is great," said Bedros, "but having the freedom to enjoy it without the feeling of stress and anxiety is happiness. I recommend Craig's Perfect Day Formula for anyone who is hard charging and drive to succeed but seems to always run out of time, misses deadlines, and lives in a state of anxiety."

About The Author:

Craig Ballantyne has been the Editor of Early to Rise since 2011. He's also a Strength & Conditioning coach in Toronto, author of Turbulence Training, a contributing author to Men's Health magazine, and a member of the Training Advisory Board for Maximum Fitness and Oxygen magazines.

by Dr. David Watts MD, Dermal Medix

Smelly feet downright stink – P-U! And it’s no laughing matter. The very troubling and very common problem of smelly feet is more than just embarrassing, it can reach a point where it interferes with your everyday life. If you are suffering from lingering foot odor that leaves you stuck covering up your feet and avoiding public situations – you don’t have to suffer in silence.

While many people experience hyperactive sweating of the hands and feet, some also deal with accompanying foul foot odor. Fortunately, if you are one of these people, there are many at-home remedies that can work for you.

Try these six simple, effective remedies for smelly feet:

1. Good Hygiene

The number one cause of smelly foot odor is excessive perspiration. However, practicing good hygiene every day can significantly reduce the severity of your stinky feet. Keep feet clean by soaking them in a lukewarm footbath infused with the antibacterial power of tea tree essential oil. This oil has been used for centuries to stave off infections of Athlete’s foot – a common problem for people with feet that perspire. Use about 10-15 drops of organic essential oils for every gallon of water. After a foot soak, towel dry your feet completely. You can do a footbath up to three times a day.

2. Add a Foot Powder

In order to keep offensive foot odors at bay, you’ll need to keep your feet dry. But that can be a challenge, especially for people who work on their feet. If you must wear closed toed shoes during the day, you can combat sticky foot perspiration with an in-shoe foot powder. The most popular and effective odor eating foot powders include baking soda, cornstarch, and arrowroot, as they are able to absorb extra moisture. Make the foot powder antifungal by adding 5-15 drops of tea tree oil.

3. Try a Vinegar Soak

Vinegar may seem like a malodorous solution to an already smelly problem, but it is one of the best at-home remedies for foot odor. Due to the high acidity of vinegar, it is able to slough off dead skin cells as an exfoliant. This is a great way to soften your skin and smooth away places where bacteria breeds. Also a powerful cleanser, vinegar can help to kill infectious pathogens between your toes and inside deep cracks. Use apple cider vinegar (ACV), as it contains the active compounds known as Mother of Vinegar, unlike other types. When creating a vinegar soak, use one part vinegar for every two parts water.

4. Cycle Your Footwear

When you are battling offensive foot odor, the proper footwear can make a big difference in the potency of your stinky feet. If you can, try to avoid wearing close-toed shoes during long workdays, especially if you are exposed to heat. Additionally, you should rotate the shoes you wear from day to day to avoid worsening your foot odor. As you cycle your footwear, wash the pair you wear the most at least once a month, to eliminate any lingering odor-causing bacteria.

5. Watch Your Diet

A healthy, balanced diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is the best way to reduce body odor that causes foot odor. It may seem strange to think that the foods you eat can affect the smell of your body odor – but they do. In fact, here are the worst foods for stinky feet: asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, coffee, curry, garlic, onion, and red meat. A deficiency in leafy green vegetables can also worsen stinky perspiration odors.

NOTE: The bacteria and fungus that cause smelly feet love to eat foods high in refined carbohydrates, so avoid processed foods whenever possible.

6. Always Bring Extra Socks

If you have to wear closed-toe shoes, always pack a pair of extra cotton socks. Feel free to change your socks during the day to avoid creating a moist and dark breeding ground for bacteria inside your shoes. Those little buggers love to hide in between your toes and under your toenails, worsening stinky feet and putting you at risk for infections. So, just change those socks out! Nobody will notice.

Sweaty feet are the number one cause of foot odor. But there are other causes as well, including genetics, age, and environment. So, try these six simple at-home remedies, and if your smelly feet persist, talk to your doctor. Your healthcare provider can perform a simple test to determine the cause of your sweaty foot problem, and provide an appropriate solution.

Disclosure:

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Use only as directed. Consult your healthcare provider before using supplements or providing supplements to children under the age of 18. The information provided herein is intended for your general knowledge only and is not intended to be, nor is it, medical advice or a substitute for medical advice, nor is this information intended to be, nor is it, treatment for specific medical conditions. You should not use this information to treat, diagnose, or attempt to cure a health problem or disease. If you have, or suspect you have, a specific medical condition or disease, please consult your healthcare provider.

by Julia Rutland

From merely hot to incendiary, this Caribbean jerk seasoning gets its kick from a blend of ingredients such as chiles, thyme, cinnamon, garlic, and nutmeg. Sprinkle on meat or vegetables.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 to 3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Combine all ingredients; store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Prep Time: 5 Mins
Yield: Makes 1/2 cup

1/2 lb cut okra*
1/4 cup diced onions (1/8"x1/8")
1/4 cup diced green bell peppers (1/8"x1/8")
1/4 cup diced celery (1/8"x1/8")
1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup chicken stock (low sodium Swanson)
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp white pepper

Directions:

*If using fresh okra you will have to cut the okra in circles and place in a tray to dry for half an hour. If using frozen okra, add in last.

For fresh okra: In a skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat. When oil is heated, add the fresh okra and saute for 10 minutes until it starts to brown. Then remove from the stove and set aside.

For frozen okra: Fold into sauce and cook for 4 minutes more.

1/2 cup brown rice
1-1/2 cups of chicken stock (low sodium Swanson)
1 can pigeon peas drained and washed
1/2 tsp of fresh chopped thyme
1/8 tsp of white pepper
1/4 cup of chopped onions
1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of coconut milk

Directions:

by Dr. James Dobson

For the man who appreciates the willingness of his wife to stand against the tide of public opinion—staying at home—it is about time you gave her some help. I'm not merely suggesting that you wash the dishes or sweep the floor. I'm referring to the provision of emotional support...of conversation...of making her feel like a lady...of taking her out to dinner...of telling her that you love her.

But to be honest, many of you husbands and fathers have been thinking about something else. You've been intoxicated with your work and the ego support it provides.

She's cooped up in a house with children, changing diapers, wiping noses and cooking meals… with deep needs to be loved and respected.

The message could not be more simple or direct to a Christian man: the Lord has commanded you to "love your wives, even as Christ loved the church, giving His life for it." She needs you now. Will you fit her into your plans?

There is nothing so ugly as a husband or wife who bitterly attacks and demeans his mate. But nothing is so beautiful as a loving relationship that conforms to God's magnificent design. We'll conclude with a brilliant example of this divinely inspired love. It was written by the surgeon who experienced it. Perhaps you will be deeply moved by his words, as was I.

I stand by the bed where a young woman lies, her face postoperative, her mouth twisted in palsy, clownish. A tiny twig of the facial nerve, the one to the muscles of her mouth, has been severed. She will be thus from now on. The surgeon had followed with religious fervor the curve of her flesh; I promise you that. Nevertheless, to remove the tumor in her cheek, I had cut the little nerve.

Her young husband is in the room. He stands on the opposite side of the bed, and together they seem to dwell in the evening lamplight, isolated from me, private. Who are they, I ask myself, he and this wry-mouth I have made, who gaze at and touch each other so generously, greedily? The young woman speaks.

"Will my mouth always be like this?" she asks.

"Yes," I say, "it will. It is because the nerve was cut."

She nods, and is silent. But the young man smiles.

"I like it," he says. "It is kind of cute."

All at once I know who he is. I understand, and I lower my gaze. One is not bold in an encounter with a god. Unmindful, he bends to kiss her crooked mouth, and I so close I can see how he twists his own lips to accommodate to hers, to show her that their kiss still works. I remember that the gods appeared in ancient Greece as mortals, and I hold my breath and let the wonder in.

From Dr. Dobson's book Straight Talk to Men.

by Dr. James Dobson

To the wife of the busy but non-communicative husband: you cannot depend on this man to satisfy all your needs. You will be continually frustrated by his failure to comply. Instead, you must achieve a network of women friends with whom you can talk, laugh, gripe, dream, and recreate. There are thousands of homemakers around you who have the same needs and experience. They'll be looking for you as you begin your search for them. Get into exercise classes, group hobbies, church activities, Bible studies, bicycle clubs—whatever. But at all costs, resist the temptation to pull into the four walls of a house, sitting on the pity pot and waiting for your man to come home on his white horse.

Many times a man's most irritating characteristic is a by-product of the quality his wife most respects. Perhaps his frugality and stinginess, which she hates, have made him successful in business, which she greatly admires. Or perhaps his attentiveness to his mother's needs, which his wife resents, is another dimension of his devotion to his own family. Or in Fred's case, his cool stability in the face of crisis, which drew Barbara to him, is related to his lack of spontaneity and exuberance during their tranquil days.

The point is, God gave your husband the temperament he wears, and you must accept those characteristics that he cannot change. After all, he must do the same for you. "For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Phil. 4:11–13, KJV).

There is nothing so ugly as a husband or wife who bitterly attacks and demeans his mate. But nothing is so beautiful as a loving relationship that conforms to God's magnificent design. We'll conclude with a brilliant example of this divinely inspired love. It was written by the surgeon who experienced it. Perhaps you will be deeply moved by his words, as was I.

I stand by the bed where a young woman lies, her face postoperative, her mouth twisted in palsy, clownish. A tiny twig of the facial nerve, the one to the muscles of her mouth, has been severed. She will be thus from now on. The surgeon had followed with religious fervor the curve of her flesh; I promise you that. Nevertheless, to remove the tumor in her cheek, I had cut the little nerve.

Her young husband is in the room. He stands on the opposite side of the bed, and together they seem to dwell in the evening lamplight, isolated from me, private. Who are they, I ask myself, he and this wry-mouth I have made, who gaze at and touch each other so generously, greedily? The young woman speaks.

"Will my mouth always be like this?" she asks.

"Yes," I say, "it will. It is because the nerve was cut."

She nods, and is silent. But the young man smiles.

"I like it," he says. "It is kind of cute."

All at once I know who he is. I understand, and I lower my gaze. One is not bold in an encounter with a god. Unmindful, he bends to kiss her crooked mouth, and I so close I can see how he twists his own lips to accommodate to hers, to show her that their kiss still works. I remember that the gods appeared in ancient Greece as mortals, and I hold my breath and let the wonder in.

From Dr. Dobson's book Straight Talk to Men.

by Steve Wiens

Several years into our journey of parenting three small children, my wife Mary and I decided to take a long walk together, because there were some unspoken conversations hovering around us that just needed to land. We walked because coffee shops are too loud, and because frankly, I'm better when I'm moving. Maybe Mary's penetrating gaze threatens me, or maybe the right things move around inside of me when my outsides are also moving.

By mile five, we had both said and heard some very difficult things, but I was feeling OK. I was open and soft. I was ready to listen. I was even a little upbeat. But then she said it. I think I stopped walking. Or maybe I walked faster. I honestly can't remember. She looked at me and said, "Honey, now I have to say the really hard thing."

My wife sees and hears things that many people do not. She is frighteningly intuitive, but she is also very kind. She has never used her superhuman ability to see right through me to skewer me. Still, I braced myself.

"For a very long time," she said, "I have felt like you treat me as if I'm what's wrong with this relationship. And I need to know if that's true, or if I'm crazy."

I wanted to run. Immediately, I began shuffling papers in my mental file, looking for proof that she was wrong. She's always blaming me, I thought. What about all the years of counseling we've paid for? What about all the apologies I've given over the years? Are you telling me I'm the worst husband in the world? You're acting like I'm a monster.

I began to walk faster, but she kept up.

What finally caught up to me was the crushing reality that she was right. I stopped walking and looked down. Then I looked up at her, this woman that I shared my life with, this woman that I loved. I realized that it was convenient for me to treat her like she was the one who was wrong, the one who needed saving, the one who needed help, because I like doing the saving. I like being right. I like swooping in for the rescue. And I hate hearing that I am doing anything wrong. I get defensive every time anyone hints that I may have dropped a ball or failed at anything. And the worst part about it is that I am charming and manipulative enough to make it look like I'm being vulnerable and open when I'm really just trying to do that right, too. I can make you think that you're wrong, but it's no big deal, because here I am to help you.

For years, this was our unspoken contract. Mary would be the messed-up one who actually talked about her issues, and I'd be the strong and steady one who fixed stuff and hid my own issues.

On that walk, Mary was saying that our contract no longer worked for her. She was inviting me to let go of our old contract and create a new one. It scared me to death. I realized on that walk that I hated doing it wrong even more than I hated hurting her.

I said I was sorry. I really was sorry. I actually felt sick.

That conversation was hard, but what followed was harder. I began to see that living with me felt like being under pressure. I set up elaborate but unspoken rules about when it was okay to talk about certain things, and when it wasn't. Even though I'm good at problem solving, sometimes my solutions were bandages that didn't help, and I offered them just so we could be done talking about whatever it was that I wanted to be done talking about. And I wasn't listening well. I hurried Mary and sometimes ignored her.

I didn't have the language for it at the time, but I was standing at a threshold. I was being invited to let go of a harmful way of relating to my wife, so that I could grab onto a different kind of relationship with her entirely.

I was being expanded, and it was good. But it hurt.

These moments are naked and vulnerable, but if we can see them, we have the opportunity to expand. If we miss them, we get to keep being the same person we were yesterday and all the yesterdays before that.

Paulo Coelho (author of The Alchemist) was once asked how he could remain married to the same person after more than thirty years. His response was both wise and immediate:

"I've been married for 35 years. I'm walking here in the countryside now with my wife by my side. And at the end of the day, she is a completely different person, physically and mentally, from the person I married 35 years ago. So am I. But people normally marry, and then they want that locked in time, so they think they're not going to change. We're going to change. Everybody's going to change. So accepting that changes are part of our lives makes marriage a blessing and not a curse, because love is stronger than anything else."1

Do you want to be right, or do you want to walk in the countryside with your spouse, side by side? Do you want to remain in control, or do you want to meet your spouse all over again after all these years? Do you want to keep fighting the same old fight or do you want to walk into something bright and beautiful and different?

You don't arrive at wholeness in marriage and stay there. As you grow and change, you need to learn new ways of understanding your spouse, who is also growing and changing. Wholeness in marriage is about accepting the reality that you can't change your spouse, you can only discover new things about them, and about your relationship, and allow those new things to forge a stronger and stronger bond.

The secret to staying married is simple (but not easy): You can't stay married to the same person forever, because that person doesn't exist anymore. You can only keep deciding to get to know the person your spouse is becoming, over and over and over again.

Adapted from Beginnings by Steve Wiens, author of the book 'WHOLE: Restoring What Is Broken in Me, You, and the Entire World' from NavPress.

Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or visit stevewiens.com.

Notes:

1. https://www.goodreads.com/interviews/show/971.Paulo_Coelho

by Brent Rinehart

The day my firstborn came into the world – though it's more than 5 years ago – is one I'll never forget. I felt the exuberance of meeting this baby girl, on top of the relief of the end of my wife's pregnancy and the safe delivery, all combined with the weight of responsibility of finally being a parent. Two days later, as we packed her up in her car seat for the first time to take her home, she began to cry.

It started with a whimper, quickly turning to a full-fledged scream that lasted the duration of the 20-minute car ride. Six months later she was still screaming, and we were hit with the reality that our sweet little baby girl was one of the dreaded strong-willed children we had read about. The strong-willed baby turned into a strong-willed toddler.

As a 5-year-old, there's not a directive given in our house that she doesn't have a question, comment or discussion about. She's a back-talker. It's not all bad. I also realize the positive qualities she holds, which are typical in what we call "strong-willed" children. She's smart, confident and determined.

But in wrestling with the daily parenting challenges and frustrations of raising a strong-willed child, I can't help but gain a glimpse of my own strong will. Like Moses, I find myself arguing with God about what I know he wants me to do (Exodus 4). Like the Apostle Paul, I tend to find myself not doing what I should do, and instead doing what I shouldn't (Romans 7:15).

God has every right to be as frustrated with me as I can be with my children. As a perfect Father, he loves me through it all. And, as it turns out, there are things that the strong-willed child writing this article needs to learn as he tries to parent a strong-willed child.

1. Rules are Necessary

Without rules, in society or in the home, we would exist in a constant state of chaos. In our home, we find it necessary to pick our battles. Some things are worth fighting for, and others aren't.

Our daughter is very creative and expressive with her wardrobe. We often choose to allow her to wear what she wants, regardless of whether or not it matches. But other rules in our home are there for a reason, and often it's to keep her safe and protect her. We love her too much to let certain things slide.

Author and expert Cynthia Tobias says this: "Figure out as early as possible how you can voluntarily give your child some control over herself, even in very small ways...If she wants to carry that dirty ragged blanket into church, swallow your pride and let her have it. Save the conflict for the very important battles you will need to fight later."

I believe that God does the same with us. He gives us each free will to make our own choices. But he also knows what's best for us, and he set a framework of rules for how we can live life to the fullest. From the very beginning, in the Garden of Eden, we thought we knew better than God. We can make our own choices, and there are certain areas of our lives where God gives us freedom to express ourselves. But there are other rules he puts in place, not to limit us, but to allow us to be our best.

2. Commands aren't Suggestions

With our daughter, we find ourselves consistently reminding her, when she argues about a directive, that we didn't ask her about what she wanted to do. "Sweetheart, you need to clean up your toys" is never a command that's immediately heeded in our house. As parents, we don't ask her which instructions she feels like obeying and what ones she doesn't. In the same way, God gives us certain commands in his Word – we can't pick and choose which ones we feel like listening to.

The greatest commandments of all come from Jesus: "And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets'" (Matthew 22:37-40).

Every day, we are presented with opportunities to exemplify love for God and love for others. And, regularly, I find myself missing these opportunities. Anytime God is not first in my life, I'm breaking God's commandment. Anytime I value myself over my neighbor, I'm breaking God's commandment.

It's easier to see myself as I observe how easy it is for my daughter to break our rules.

3. Discipline is an Act of Love

"This is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you." You never really understand that phrase regarding discipline until you find yourself saying it. As a parent, you don't like seeing your children upset. I've heard it said that you are "only as happy as your saddest child." I love my kids so much. I want to see them learn and grow up to be productive members of society. To do that, that have to learn how God wants us to interact with him and with others around us. I love them too much to allow them free reign to do what they want, because we all know we tend to make the wrong choice when left to our own devices.

God knows that too. That's why we read in Hebrews 12:6 that "the Lord disciplines the one he loves."

4. There's a Direct Relationship Between Love and Obedience

I'm no parenting expert, so I can't speak yet to the effectiveness of this strategy. But lately I've been really making a concerted effort to explain to my daughter the relationship between love, respect and obedience. I know she loves her parents. So, I explain to her what the Bible says about children obeying their parents. I also explain to her what Jesus said about love and obedience: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15). The key is getting her to think in this way before she makes a bad choice, rather than understanding it afterwards.

I love Jesus, but do I always keep his commandments? As I talk to my daughter about this, I can't help but hear God talking to me about it.

About The Author:

Brent Rinehart is a public relations practitioner and freelance writer. He blogs about the amazing things parenting teaches us about life, work, faith and more at www.apparentstuff.com.

by Beena Sugathan

The first look at the Lashadweep islands. This Photo by Vijay Sugathan, IAS shows the view from the airplane before landing at the Agatti airport.

“If there is heaven on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here.” This is a famous quote attributed to the Mughal Emperor, Jehangir when he visited Kashmir in the 17th century. The emperor was so fascinated by the beauty of the place that he felt, ‘if one has not visited this paradise, one is missing out on something worthwhile in life.’ The same words can be used to describe the beauty of Lakshadweep islands.

A group of tiny islands lie in splendid isolation 320 km off the coastline of Kerala in the south west coast of India. ‘Out of the world’ is a phrase that is immensely suitable to these islands. But even basic knowledge about the spectacular beauty of these islands is surprisingly low among many Malayalees.

Agatti Island (Courtesy: India Tourism)

A 90 minute flight by a 15-seater Dornier plane from Kochi, Kerala took us to the pearly white sands of Agatti. The small dragon-fly like Dornier plane landed on a narrow airstrip jutting into the sea. The view from the top was incredibly beautiful. I could see the shadow of the small plane on the surface of the blue waters of the Arabian Sea. I felt like a tiny speck in the vast ocean. A ship journey from Kochi connecting different islands with the mainland normally takes 18 hours.

The sheer tranquility of the Lakshadweep islands encircled by emerald blue lagoons is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This is where you can get as close to pristine nature as possible. It is where the shimmering coral reefs, turquoise blue lagoons, silvery beaches and lush green coconut palms leave you spellbound.

Agatti Island, Lakshadweep. Photo courtesy of TripAdvisor

The crystal blue sea merges seamlessly with bright blue sky and beneath the surface of the sea you get to discover a colourful world teeming with corals, turtles and a variety of fishes. The warm tropical waters of Lakshadweep islands offer an excellent home to these living corals. Out of these 37 remote islands, only ten are inhabited and this may be the reason why marine life thrives in Lakshadweep waters.

Here you may indulge in water sports like scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, sailing, glass-bottomed boat rides, and water skiing or sea excursions to the nearby uninhabited islands. Scuba divers get the best view of myriad fish, corals, turtles and even octopuses. A ride into the sea in a glass-bottomed boat helped us to see the corals closely from the safety of the boat.

Corals-of-Lakshadweep (Courtesy: India Tourism)

Snorkeling entails a gadget fitted on your face with which you pull air from the surface through a nozzle into your lungs while you float close to the surface of water and look underwater. Snorkeling can be a bit tough because one has to breathe through one’s mouth! We did snorkeling all the same, assisted by the instructor of the water sports centre at Bangaram. The location was close to the reef on which a ship had run aground about seventy years ago. The lagoon is shallow here and one can literally stand on the seabed during low tide. We saw hundreds of enchantingly multi-hued fish swarming around the shipwreck on the seabed. The wrecked hull of the ship is their home! After having seen marine life with my own eyes, the underwater documentaries of Discovery or National Geographic Channel that I watch now acquire an entirely different meaning.

Bangaram is a tiny island near Agatti and is so small that one can walk on the beach around the island in less than half an hour. The island is spectacularly beautiful and serene and we spent hours kayaking in the lagoon and on the beach gazing at the endless waves coming up the lagoon from the deep sea beyond. The magnificent expanse of waters of the lagoon seemed to acquire different shades of blue with sunlight playing on the gentle waves. During low tide, a sand bank forms near the island of Bangaram and we walked on the sand bank surrounded by sea water all around. The sand bank gets submerged as the tide turns.

A helicopter took us from Agatti to Bangaram in ten minutes. Otherwise it is a 90 minute boat journey through the choppy turbulent waters of the Arabian Sea. We undertook this arduous boat journey on our way back and waited anxiously to reach the safety of the lagoon as the playful waves tossed our small boat up and down the curves. The deep blue colour of the sea merges with the aquatic blue of the lagoon as you near the island and tranquility returns.

Sunset at Kaveratii Island (Courtesy: India Tourism)

The blue sea is omnipresent in Lakshadweep. You can never lose sight of the sea when you are in these tiny islands. Relaxing on a hammock outside the resort in Kadamat Island, if you look left, you will see the eastern lagoon and if you look right, your eyes will rest on the western lagoon! One wonders whether this is possible in any other resort in the world.

The people of Lakshadweep have close connection with those in Malabar region and the language that they speak is Malayalam. Apparently, their ancestors had come to these islands from North Kerala. The erstwhile rulers of Malabar coast, the Arakkal dynasty, the only Muslim royal family of Kerala controlled parts of the coast and Lakshadweep.

The lifestyle of the islanders has remained unchanged for generations and there is an enviable quality about it. The unhurried lives of the islanders will surely strike any visitor. The hallmark of their life is simplicity. It seems that these quaint islands have more swaying coconut trees than human beings. They do fishing only as much as they need and use coconuts in whatever they prepare. The famous tuna fish is found mainly in and around Lakshadweep waters. Most of the essential items for daily use are brought here from the mainland.

There is a discernible respect for Mother Nature among these islanders. Modernity with its satellite television and mobile phone has been banging at the doors of these gentle folks for some decades now. Besides, noisy cruise-borne affluent city litterbugs arrive in these islands as tourists! Apparently these inhabitants from the ‘civilized world’ have scant respect for pure white sands. The empty tetra packs and non-biodegradable packaged food wrappers or plastic bottles on the beach offer ample proof of their callousness. The foreigners who were staying at the Beach Resort in Bangaram seemed to be more disciplined and sensitive to the environment.

As of now, these solitary islands still retain the magnificent serenity, but this tranquility is under constant threat. The best part of Lakshadweep is that it is nature in the purest state. One hopes that this paradise on earth retains its pristine character for generations to come.

About The Author:

Beena Sugathan, is an author of English textbooks, published by NCERT and grammar books by Oxford University Press, New Delhi. She was the Head of the Department of English in Loreto Convent, New Delhi.

Editor's Note:

Beena Sugathan and myself were classmates at Samooham High School in N. Parur. After graduation from the school, we went on different career tracks. Beena became an expert in English Language and Literature; married an IAS officer - Vijay Sugathan and moved to New Delhi and several other places. She has published many books including more than a dozen grammar books. She has become a distinguished teacher. I went to Medical College and moved to United States to be with my husband. We lost track of each other after school. Recently we met through a whatsap group and we are together again. After hearing about all the places Beena has visited, I asked her to write an article about her travels. In spite of her busy schedule, she has complied with my request. What a beautiful article it is!! After reading the article, I also want to visit Lakshadweep. Thank you Beena.

by Pat Yale, Mardin

Gelüşke Hanı

Back in the mid-1990s I was raving to a friend about the beauty of Mardin in Southeast Turkey.

If ever the troubles end, I said, that’s where tourism will pick up. The friend nodded sagely, but he had done his military service in the east. Midyat, he told me. It’s even more beautiful. Of course that was enough to make me prick up my ears, and not long afterwards I had the chance to make a snatched visit to Midyat, an hour or so by road east of Mardin. I say snatched because at the time all the roads in the vicinity were subject to a four o’clock curfew, and the one small hotel in Midyat was not one where a lone female traveler could have stayed without attracting attention. That snatched visit was enough to convince me that my friend had a point about Midyat’s beauty. Then last year I was able to spend a whole week there, and what a revelation that was. Now I’m at one with my friend. Mardin may be beautiful but Midyat is a more than worthy competitor to win the crown in the local tourism beauty pageant.

Neighbors they may be, with a shared history and architecture, but the two towns could hardly feel more different. Where Mardin wraps itself tightly around a hillside, its streets narrow and congested, Midyat lies flat on the plain, its streets wide and inviting. And where Mardin’s churches play second fiddle to its gorgeous old mosques and medreses, in Midyat it’s the Syrian Orthodox (Suryani) churches whose towers dominate the skyline. Both towns have large Arab populations who live alongside the Turks and Kurds. On their clocktower the Midyat authorities use images of a minaret (Muslim), church tower (Christian) and peacock (Yezidi) to play up the idea of local multiculturalism, but in reality while there’s still a fairly sizeable Suryani community here all the Yezidis, followers of the Peacock Angel, left a long time ago.

Modern Midyat is divided into two distinct parts: Old Midyat, the part of town where most of the Suryanis live, and Estel, the modern, Turkish part of town. Estel itself turns out to have a lovely old quarter with many imposing stone mansions but for most visitors the heart of the action is definitely Old Midyat where glorious golden houses with densely carved window and doorframes peek out from behind lofty walls. This is also the part of town with most of the jewelers’ shops selling the fine filigree necklaces and bracelets (telkari) for which the Suryanis were traditionally famous. It’s here, too, that you’ll be offered bottles of the red Suryani wine that is still made in some private houses.

In Midyat, even more than in Mardin, you don’t come to visit specific attractions so much as to wander the streets marveling at the beauty of the architecture. Finest of all the grand stone houses is the Konukevi, the Governor’s Guesthouse, which hogs the highest point in the old town and thus the best views. The Konukevi played a starring role in the popular television series “Sila,” which put it out of bounds to visitors for years. Now it’s open again as a guesthouse albeit a rather uncertain one that doubles as a tourist attraction, which means visitors pulling your curtains aside and yelling into your bedroom from eight in the morning until eight at night. There’s no breakfast or Internet access, but you probably won’t care about that much once you see the rooms.

Estel boasts one specific attraction which is a Cultural Center housing typical local artifacts including some of the massive wooden “tahts (thrones)” which people used to use to sleep on their roofs in the height of summer. Otherwise the most obvious places to visit should be the four Syrian Orthodox (Suryani) and one Protestant church that hunker down in the back streets of Old Midyat, invisible but for their delicately tiered towers. Unfortunately, it’s rare to find their doors unlocked even on Sundays since most of their congregations moved to Europe in the 1980s and ‘90s. If you’re lucky enough to get inside any of the Suryani churches you’ll find them newly restored and decorated with the same brightly painted wall hangings as can be seen in Mardin, an art form that is now on its very last legs. In one an informal school teaches children Turoyo, a dialect of Aramaic, the language of Jesus that is still used in Suryani church services.

You’ll probably have better luck walking the kilometer out of town to visit the monastery of Mor Hobel and Mor Abrohom. This dates back to the sixth century although the current building in its walled enclosure is newer, the guest rooms attached to it is a very recent addition. Just by the gate an enormous newly constructed mansion is a reminder that the huge families of the past are still very much a reality in modern Midyat.

Where Midyat definitely wins out over Mardin is as a base for touring. There is, for example, one bus a day northwest to Savur, a mini-Mardin that boasts one of the finest home-stays in the country, and regular buses south to Nusaybin with its fine old monastery and plentiful fish restaurants en route at Beyazsu. Heading north you can easily make a day trip to Hasankeyf, the lovely town on the Tigris that is slated to disappear beneath the waters of the Ilısu Dam. With your own car you can also drive out to explore the surrounding villages of the Tur Abdin, most boasting delightful Suryani churches, at least one with a Yezidi shrine still intact. But if you want to really understand this part of the world the one truly unmissable side trip is east to Mor Gabriel (Deyrulumur), the huge monastic complex off the road to Cizre, which is the seat of the Suryani patriachate.

The monastery at Mor Gabriel (St. Gabriel) was founded in 397 by a man named Simeon who moved here from Mardin and founded a community that, at its peak, numbered around 400 members. Today that number is down to around 20 monks and nuns who live a somewhat beleaguered life, forever fending off court cases over the surrounding land. Although much of the existing monastery is relatively new you can still visit the sixth-century church of St. Mary where mosaics sparkle high up in the dome behind the altar.

If you don’t want to stay at the Konukevi, Old Midyat offers two other inviting, if pricy, hotels: the semi-fortified Kasr-ı Nehroz and the glitzy Shmayaa Hotel. Both have their own restaurants, but while here it’s well worth exploring the local eateries in search of unexpected regional tidbits. At lunch-time, for example, you’ll be able to eat perde pilav (stuffed rice in a crisp pastry case) and juicy kaburga dolması (stuffed ribs) at the popular Cihan Lokantası. Later in the day the place to be is the lovely courtyard of the Gelüşke Hanı. As the sun starts to sink pigeons flock to roost on the roof and the dying light colors the walls an impossibly beautiful shade of honey. The han is stuffed full of ethnic bits and bobs, and its waiters are skilled at getting guests up to dance. If would be hard to imagine a more romantic place than this in which to end a visit to Midyat.

by John O'Leary

“The challenges we face in life are not meant to be some sort of punishment; rather, they are an invitation to change — and an opportunity to create something even better than before.” – Sam Cawthorn

How do you respond after tragedies strike?

Whether it be as flood waters slowly recede after a massive hurricane, a collapse in a relationship after a series of disappointments, or a startling health crisis after an unexpected phone call, your response after the crisis might be just as important as the tragedy itself. Let me explain.

In 1958, Our Lady of the Angels was a large Catholic school on the west side of Chicago. After the baby boom following World War II, this diverse community was bustling with young families and lots of children. Every day more than 1,500 students clad in their uniforms left their homes, headed to the sidewalk and marched off to school.

One of those students was a little boy named Jonathan Cain.

Cain was a well-behaved, musically gifted, and academically astute third grader. He loved his bombardier leather jacket, playing the accordion, and wanted to be a priest when he grew up.

But the events of December 1, 1958 changed everything.

Shortly after 2pm, a vague scent of smoke entered his third-grade classroom. Moments later, a light haze wafted throughout the room. Although the kids thought it was a prank, their teacher quickly ushered them away from their desks, lined them up by the door, and ordered them down the hallway and out of the building.

Tragically, not every classroom would have the same opportunity.

Tragedy at Our Lady of the Angels

Through a series of careless decisions, faulty systems, and terrible luck, the light haze of smoke that prompted young Jonathan Cain’s class to move to the street was in reality a raging fire already burning within the walls, the basement, and the attic of the old school house. Without smoke detectors, fire alarms or any advance warning, by the time teachers on upper floors became aware of what was going on, they were already cut off from the one exit. As flames consumed the building, these teachers were forced instead to shut their classroom doors and wait for rescue.

Little Jonathan and his class watched in horror as his school burned. Unable to enter into the school, the mob of parents who gathered for ordinary dismissal instead watched helplessly as smoke and flames leapt from the roof. The scene was unimaginably chaotic and tragic.

The 1958 fire that engulfed Our Lady of the Angels ultimately claimed the lives of 93 children and three nuns. Another five dozen children were injured, and hundreds of families would never be the same.

The fire was the lead story for every newspaper the following day. The president of the National Fire Protection Association angrily shared shortly after the fire, “There are no lessons to be learned from this fire; only old lessons that tragically went unheeded.”

Massive Changes Save Countless Lives

Following the Our Lady of the Angels fire, those lessons were finally heeded.

Comprehensive changes were enacted in building codes around the country and around the world. Fire retardant materials, fire-rated doors, better alarms, and other significant modifications were made. More than 16,000 schools were brought up to code within just the first 12 months after the fire; the rest complied in the months that followed.

It became federally mandated that students and teachers practice the path they would take in case of fire. The fire drills that most of us remember partaking in when we were kids were enacted because of what happened at Our Lady of the Angels.

And these laws impacted not only schools, but every movie theater, place of worship, office building and residential complex to be constructed afterwards. These sweeping changes have saved untold countless lives in the six decades since the terrible fire.

It also changed the life of one little boy.

Jonathan Cain Dives Into Music

Jonathan Cain dealt with his grief by turning inward. He engaged even more actively in music, pivoted from the accordion to the piano, and even began writing his own music. He started a little band in high school called Futura. He rocked a few mixers, Rotary club basements and hotel ballrooms.

Eventually, Jonathan Cain got a chance to play with a band called the Babys. It was with them that a little San Francisco rock band heard him. The band, looking for a new keyboardist, invited Jonathan to join them. Equipped with Jonathan’s gift of songwriting and unmatched piano playing, this band would become one of the greatest rock bands in history. The band, Journey, would sell more than 75 million records, enjoy 18 top-40 singles, and be inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.

The experience of that little boy growing up in Chicago, the pain he witnessed, and the desire to make sense of it all informed the songs Jonathan Cain wrote.

“Faithfully”

“Open Arms”

“Only the Young”

And perhaps most well-known, the one we not only sing at karaoke parties, but listen to as we endure our own trials in life: “Don’t Stop Believin’.”

My friends, trials, adversity, difficultly and tragedy are part of the journey through life. We can view them all as a curse, become angry about them, and refuse to do better afterwards.

Or, we can choose to realize the challenges are not meant to be some sort of punishment.

Instead, they are part of the human condition.

And they are an invitation to change, an opportunity to create something even better than before, and a chance to ensure that the tragedies of yesterday won’t be replayed in the promise of tomorrow.

As you step into your week, don’t stop believin’ that the best is yet to come.

by Wes Hopper

"Life is a great and wondrous mystery, and the only thing we know that we have for sure is what is right here and right now. Don't miss it."
Leo Buscaglia

For many of the people on this list this is a holiday time with friends and family. It's busy!

Take time to be mindful. Relax, even for just a moment, and breathe deeply, be fully in the moment.

You'll feel the stress in your body that you were ignoring, and you'll feel some of it being released as you relax.

The busy times are the times we most need to stop and re-center ourselves. After all, we want to enjoy these times, and who can do that when you're under stress?

As our quote says, the only time we ever have is right now, so why miss the present by regretting the past and worrying about the future?

So take the time to re-center yourself regularly. Your body will appreciate it, and your mind will really appreciate it!

You'll probably get more done, too.

By Andrew Thomas Founder

It sounds backwards, but slowing down is actually a faster way to succeed. Here's why.

Go faster. Do more. Hustle. Hustle even more. Sound familiar? Social media is full of influencers, entrepreneurs, and "gurus" touting the virtues of hustling at all costs. It's reached the point where hustling, and even just talking about hustling, appears to be more important that actually producing results.

While I certainly didn't brag about it, I worked way too hard while starting my business. I worked 80 to 90 hours a week for years. I confused "hustling" with "productivity" and mistook "working" for "results." I didn't have a mindfulness practice. I didn't make time for trips, fun, friends, or family. I thought that if I worked harder, and worked more hours, I'd be more successful. I was wrong, and in 2017, I exhausted myself to the point where I fainted and suffered a concussion.

The antidote to the "always hustling" mindset is "slowness." It sounds crazy, but slowing down can be the difference between success or failure, or between thriving and burning out.

While more and more personal coaches and social-media influencers, qualified or not, tout the hustle lifestyle, successful leaders and entrepreneurs who actually create results in their lives know that slowing down builds the foundation for their success.

Here are four reasons why slowing down can actually help you accelerate your success, enjoy a deeper sense of fulfillment, and create the life you want.

1. You'll have greater clarity.

What's the point of hustling if you're going in the wrong direction? Too many people work tirelessly down a path that won't give them the results they want. It's like running on a treadmill...you're working, but you're not going anywhere.

Slow down and make time for clarity. You can't see where you're going if you're too busy running with your head down. You can't see the shiny thing in the corner of your eye if you're laser focused in one direction.

To remedy this, schedule an hour every week to "check in." Reflect on your intentions and observe the challenges or opportunities showing up in front of you. Think about what's working, what isn't working, and where you can focus your energy next week.

2. You can't hustle if you're dead.

While this heading is exaggerative, you should get the point: You can't keep working and creating the life you want if you aren't able to perform. In my case, my head injury could have been worse. What then? Was hustling at all costs worth it?

If your goal is to succeed, then you should be willing to take the time to honor what your mind, body, and spirit need to stay healthy. When every day provides 24 hours, there's really no excuse not to meditate, exercise, cook a healthy meal, or journal.

The average person spends 53 minutes on Instagram per day, not including Facebook, Snapchat, and LinkedIn. Claiming that slowing down is a privilege, or a luxury, is an excuse. You have the same amount of time in your day as Oprah, and she meditates. So does Marc Benioff (CEO of Salesforce), Arianna Huffington, Beyoncé, and Jeff Weiner (CEO of LinkedIn). If they can do it, you can too.

3. You'll harness the power of emotion.

Too many people fail to see the benefits in their emotions. Emotions are a guide, and they help you take inventory of what's happening in and around you, and how best to respond. Successful people feel and manage their emotions, and they don't let them trigger bad behaviors or actions.

There's a mantra that sums this up well: If you can name it, you can tame it. By slowing down, you can feel the emotions you're experiencing and describe them. In doing so, you can process them and let them guide you to a healthy response.

For example, anger is a great emotion. It tells you that something is wrong, and when harnessed, it provides the energy to change it. If you're erratic and hustling all the time, anger will get the best of you, and you'll act on it. The adverse effects can undo your progress and keep you from the success you want. Slowing down helps you channel emotions into actions that serve you well and lead to success.

4. You'll make better decisions.

What good is hustling all the time if a single decision can undo all the work you invested?

To put it simply, your mind is like a car engine: If you always have your pedal to the floor, the engine will redline, overheat, and fail. When you slow down and make time for rest and meditation, you lower your baseline for mental stress. When your mind isn't racing, it's free to absorb information, assess the circumstances, and make a good decision.

If success requires making good decisions, and slowing down helps you make better decisions, then consider how you can invest more time in slowing down.

This advice will actually help you work better, faster, more effectively, and more sustainably. You'll also enjoy yourself, and the process, on a new level.