Happy Birthday to Me and Happy Birthday to You, Too!
It’s good to celebrate birthdays. The more that you praise and celebrate life, the more that you have in life to celebrate. Not everyone gets the opportunity to ‘take-for-granted’ another year on the calendar of life. Enjoy your special day because you never know when your clock will stop.
“I am long on ideas, but short on time. I expect to live to be only about a hundred,” Thomas Edison

Today, the sixth day of September, marks the day of my birth. I may not see 100 but I do believe that I may extend my life by several more ‘good’ years due to the healthy changes that I’ve recently made.
I am a little older, wiser, grayer, and grateful for another happy and healthful year. I have the good fortune to continue sharing my life with those whom I love dearly. I am eternally grateful to have a loving family who care deeply and support each other.
I do my best to remember that it’s paramount to develop an attitude of gratitude because it’s too easy to get distracted by life’s trivialities, which do little or nothing to help us along the journey. So I persist, each day anew, in practicing gratitude and I suggest that you do, too.
Seeking Inspiration…
There are times when a 20-minute walk with my dog fires up the synapses. My creativity has improved, largely in part, due to taking several walks daily. I recently adopted a rescue dog, a terrier/whippet mix, and have enjoyed another loving member of our family, a drop in my blood pressure and a marked increase in my creativity.
Sometimes my inspiration comes from the unexpected commentary of my five-year-old son when he answers my questions about how he likes kindergarten, his new book or anything else under the sun. His comments are often as hilarious as they are enlightening.

Going vegan…
This decision to go vegan was really hard, for me. Unlike my wife who went vegan the very next day, I struggled with the idea that what would life be like without barbecue, delicious steaks, and scrumptious seafood.
But after watching Dr. Neil Bernard’s documentary film about how our dietary choices are literally killing us, I was left with a sobering choice: make the changes or likely die long before I should. Wisely, I opted for the former.
When I was mindlessly dipping pretzel bites into spicy cheddar dip between mouthfuls of butter-free popcorn at Bernard’s film showing, I weighed 229 pounds. That was approximately four months ago. I now weigh 205 pounds. It’s not some crazy diet; it’s simply a complete dietary change. My blood pressure is much lower: 120/76 has been my average over the past two months. Before that: 139/90.
Exercise & Sleep…
I now average nearly seven hours of sleep per night. Why does this matter? There have been several studies that demonstrated that people averaging less than six hours of sleep, per night, are more likely to get Alzheimer’s Disease. Former President Ronald Regan, dubiously remarked, “I get four hours of sleep per night, and that’s all that I need.”
Regan was one of many to have Alzheimer’s. I won’t quote the studies here. But consider this a warning to get your rest-at least seven hours every night. It’s not a luxury. It’s a necessity.
Daily exercise is just as important as sleep. Consider the modern workplace environment: seated at a desk for hours on end, all day, everyday. What’s the worry? Several things, actually: CHF, Obesity, Diabetes, Blood Clots, Alzheimer’s, fatigue, body aches associated from poor posture, and the list goes on and on…
You don’t need to run 40 miles per week, which I did back in my 20’s, but you do need to get-at least-20 minutes of sustained aerobic activity daily. That’s really not much activity. My walks with my dog, between seven and 10 walks per day, last approximately 15 to 20 minutes per walk.

She’s young and energetic so I’m forced to motor right along with her. I lift weights two days per week, for approximately an hour each day. Daily exercise, especially the rigorous walking, does wonders for my writing and reading. Strangely enough, it’s taken nearly 48 years for me to gain a healthy balance and I fully intend to maintain it. Cliche or not, you’re never too old to change.
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain with maintaining a healthy diet, adequate exercise, and sleep. Your life may depend upon it. If today isn’t your birthday please don’t wait until it is to make the most of what time you may have remaining. Make the best of it. And if it, too, is your birthday-have a healthy and happy birthday!

