I am going to share one of my secrets with you. It’s called accountability. This is the glue that holds my life together. My buddy Joseph created a website called www.10powerquestions.com. This set of questions and having a way to visit it at least 5 days a week has been a boon to me.

If you can learn to use these questions on a daily basis, whether you journal the answers or share them with a friend or spouse, they will be a boon to you too.

Probably the most important is number 9. Expressing gratitude is just plain empowering and a healthy thing to do.

1. What were my Wins?

Personal Successes:

Professional Successes:

Were you effective yesterday toward getting to your outcomes? Celebrate your larger victories and projects that you have completed. Remember to acknowledge the smaller wins. They count too. Give yourself a “Hooray!” for each of the bigger wins that are moving you forward.

2. Magic Moments What have I enjoyed? Celebrations.

What experiences made you smile and gave your joy? Did you connect with a child? Did you indulge in a treat? Did your favorite song play on the radio?

3. What feelings or challenges came up? What were my blocks?

Were there any awkward or uncomfortable situations? Did you feel overwhelmed at any point? What challenges arose that brought this on? Share any obstacles came your way, even if they were self created. Share this powerfully instead of bottling it in. Most importantly, leave out the story.

4. Where have I lowered my standards / raised my standards?

It’s important to know that you are growing in life and continually raising your standards. We each have a code of honor or set of standards that we live our lives by. Do you know what yours are?

One way to raise your standards is to continually challenge yourself. By admitting where you are honestly lowering your standards, this allows you to see where in life you are playing a small game. Remember don’t be attached and have fun!

5. Where or what have I Contributed?

Did you touch another’s life? How have you made a difference? Acknowledge yourself.

6. What have I Released?

Release something that doesn’t serve you or holds you back. It could be something small or immensely large. What is holding you back in life from being fully present and expressed? You can release clutter, excessive weight, or a negative thought or emotion. Is there something in your space that’s untidy or broken? There may be a promise from the past that you made to someone that you haven’t fulfilled on. By fulfilling on that promise (or powerfully and authentically de-committing to it), you are freeing more of your mind and thereby being more present to enjoy and appreciate life. Is there someone in your life who you haven’t forgiven, perhaps even yourself? These are all elements of releasing.

Even if you release one thing each day, imagine what would be possible by the end of the year.

7. Opportunities. What have I learned from the challenges above and what new opportunities showed up? Were there any distinctions overall in my day?

Remember that opportunities arise from challenges if you choose to ask yourself, “What can I learn from this for next time?” What have you learned about yourself? Were there any paradigm shifts or perhaps a level of awareness?

8. New Action Items/Outcomes for today:

What are your three to five most important outcomes for today? It is recommended that you focus and do these early in the day as possible. Doing First Things First will help generate momentum for accomplishment and completion. Schedule fun and play and strive to have a day with balance and joy. You deserve it.

9. What am I really Grateful for in this moment? What are you excited about? (5 to 10 gratitudes and allow yourself to connect with the feeling. Choose 1 new unsaid item each day)

What are you grateful for in your life? Be completely in the moment as you share this with your partner. Can you share your gratitude and allow both yourself ad your partner feel the intensity of it? Remember this is not a laundry list. Connect to your heart, breathe, and smile as you feel the feeling of gratitude. If you like you can add your “Why I’m grateful” for each item. If you are experiencing fear or lack at the start of your call, consider beginning your 10 Power Questions with Gratitude. The biggest combatant of fear is gratitude.

10. What is my Intention for today? (based on your outcomes for today and all that you have learned about yourself)

Who are you choosing to be today?

Questions 9 and 10 are answered in the moment on the call. Journaling questions 1 - 8 the day or night before will provide you more freedom and perhaps clearer abundant dreams. It is recommended that you do an overall completion Weekly Review once a week before moving onto the next week.

You and I, we can only do what we know. If we don’t know, we just don’t know.

When I first arrived in Madras, India in 1976, the mode of local transportation outside of walking was either very crowded local buses or cycle rickshaws. This is a three wheel contraption that would be comparable to a local taxi.

The “wala” would pedal while one or two passengers would sit on a seat behind. Of course there were no meters on these contraptions and I asked my local host, “How do you know what to pay the wala?” The answer was a profound,

“Pay him what you know.”

I didn’t get it at first. I didn’t understand the whole street smart negotiation style of the East.

Here is how it went: “Where going, suh?” My answer, “Teynampet”.
“Twenty rupees, suh.” “Too much, ten rupees.” “Ok, suh, get in.” By the time we got to Teynampet, I would give him the twenty. Back in those days, it was 7 or 8 rupees to the dollar. (Suh = Sir)

So I learned the style of street smart negotiation quickly, an important lesson that has helped me throughout my life, even negotiating with my kids. Although they grew up in the East and they are better at it than me!

But it dawned on me this morning, that we can’t do what we don’t know and in order to move from not knowing to knowing, we have to become aware.

In the past couple of days, I have been reading and writing about epigenome and supplements that can open up chemical pathways to our DNA and flip switches. You can say it’s the same as eating well, exercising smart, staying flexible as we age through yoga, but there is a profound difference in “knowing” what you are doing as opposed to doing something out of rote.

I have been a consumer of premium supplements since 2005 and I know that I am much better off for it.

However, since putting two and two together with what I learned from Vaughn Gray and Dr. Sears, when I take my supplements in the morning, I can sense a shift in my being. When I take my Res-Q 1250, I can visualize my cardiovascular system and my brains absolutely enjoy the Omega-3s almost as if those systems are thanking me, for being good.

When I take the SAMe, I feel a force field of goodness, an aura of goodness enveloping me. When I take the resveratrol, I simply imagine, getting younger and feeling better. When I let the Sub-lingual B-12 melt in my mouth, I am vanquishing homocysteine from my arteries just as a medieval knight would vanquish enemies of the realm.

This could be just fanciful thinking on my part, but I know quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, have already played the entire Super Bowl game in their heads and its 9 hours before game time as I am writing this. Both men study the game incessantly. When they come to the line, the already know what is going to happen.

The ensuing realty may not always match their “envisioning” but it will be close and they are forging their reality with their awareness.

Learn more about epigenetics/;
http://optimalhealthrsq.com/index.php/Latest/Family-Genes.html

You may be at this moment nodding in agreement with me or shaking your head at my nonsensical musings.

So before I lose you entirely, let me share one more overseas story:

As a younger man I was, one morning, boarding a plane at 7am flying from the Manila to Hong Kong. I was appreciative of the fact that I was seated next to a lovely young Filipina woman. The stewardess came by and asked us to choose our breakfast.

There were two choices: Boney fish or eggs and sausage.

Both the young Filipina and I both did what we know.

We stuck to our environmental upbringing. Young Filipina chose boney fish, while I requested the eggs and sausage. Boney fish is smelly and disgusting to me. Just as I am sure, the scrabbled eggs and sausage were to young Filipina.

You see, young Filipina was raised eating fish in the morning, while I was raised with eggs, toast and breakfast meats.

Now, the boney fish, I have since learned, is actually better for you than reconstituted scrabbled eggs but my DNA and upbringing would still cause me to rebel. I will take my Omega-3 capsules and derive similar nutritional benefits.

So what is the lesson besides, we can only do what we know?

This rather awkward segue-way leads me to tell you about Kids DHA. We have on the shelves in our warehouse a fantastic product for kids.
It’s called Kids DHA. This is an Omega-3 preparation for kids with a greater concentration of DHA over EPA.

The capsule is in the shape of a fish and its a chewable. Yes, I have chewed one,and let me be honest, its NOT a great taste.
But here is the point, why would young Filipina choose boney fish for breakfast? It’s what she knew from childhood.

Chances are you won’t be able to convince your kids or grandkids to eat fish in the morning, but if you can get your kids (or
grandkids) on a fish oil supplement while they are young enough, it will become part of what they know.

Kids who get Omega-3s daily rarely have ADD or ADHA problems.
Higher intelligence has been a great side effect of kids who are born to moms who take Omega-3 supplements. If you need convincing, go to the library and pick up Dr. Andrew Stolle’s book, The Omega-3 Connection.

Here is the link for Kids DHA. http://budurl.com/kidsdha

It’s reasonably priced. And it’s the right thing to do for your family, if you are so inclined to help me raise this awareness.

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Colts or Saints? Hard to bet against Peyton Manning but in any case, the Hutch said it will be the game of the decade! Enjoy your Super Bowl Sunday. It’s also ok to root for the offense of both teams or the defense of both teams, if you don’t have any attachments.

Be well,

Garey

PS. Something else I know how to do: When a play breaks open, when the running back or wide out breaks one, I know how to do the Chris Berman imitation: “He … could … go … all …the … way!

Mom in Russia - age 16

New Year’s Day, I went to my mom’s. We played a game of scrabble. I was losing the whole game until she started going on about something, lost attention on the game, and set me up for a triple and I had ‘sizes’ on my tray and boom that was the game.

We cooked dinner together and played a second game. I happen to win this one too at the last minute. It’s okay because she takes great pride in the fact that she taught me everything I know (about scrabble). The main thing is that it’s a good challenge for both of us and we had fun.

My mom pulled out one of her older photo albums and I had to take it home to scan the photos. There are pictures of the German soldier that carried her name from Russia to East Berlin. He wrote it on a piece of paper and rolled it up, stuck it between his toes. Apparently having a name with a certain ethnic origin written on a piece of paper was not politically correct in 1950. In East Berlin, apparently, he couldn’t connect with the International Red Cross to turn in a name of a displaced teenager without getting interrogated, or worse, so he then managed to pass it to his nephew in western Germany who was able to get it on the international Red Cross radio.

Mom’s Papa (Gross Vater to us) survived the concentration camp, Russian and German bullets, the Russian prison and was back in Vienna when a neighbor heard my mom’s name read from a list of displaced persons. This was in 1950, a full 60 years ago. A year later she was able to leave Russia.

My Aunt Edith, mom’s surviving sister, who had made it to the States already, was sewing a coat for Mamie Eisenhower (or Mamie’s secretary) and had some pull to get my mom on a plane from Moscow back to Vienna. Aunt Edith even sent material to my mom while she was still a serf walking the cow to pasture every day in White Russia and the village seamstress made a dress for her. In the photo above, you can see a bit of that pretty pink dress, under her sweater. How things got done in those days without Skype and Gmail, I just can’t imagine.

Further, the family that had taken my mom in during the war wanted a glass cutter and Aunt Edith obliged. I can only imagine that this simple tool may have paid back in dividends for the austere life they were able to provide for my mom sharing their dirt floor hut with the “German” through several harsh Russian winters.

A interesting side note: Mom became Catholic during her years in Russia. Upon returning to Vienna, Papa asked her to renounce Catholicism and embrace Judaism, the religion of her birth, but she refused. I asked her, “Mom how could your refuse your Papa after all that trauma, war, separation?” She had an answer for me, “I was a teenager …rebellious, I guess.” Mom is still a devout Catholic, with a proud Jewish mother’s tenacity. She visited Israel last month. Her reaction to the trip? “I never climbed so many steps in all my life.”

Nephew of German soldier who got my mom's name to the Red Cross.

I apologize I didn’t keep up with the blog on a daily basis. Days 3 - 7 were pretty much the same food-wise. Since I am taking a blood lipid profile on the 15th, I am going to remain off all refined carbs, and animal protein. I have started on eggs again and I am amazed how much better I feel mentally and emotionally getting adequate protein. The Brown Rice Protein and eggs can make a difference in a short amount of time.

Net weight loss in 7 days, 6.5 lbs. I began at 179.5 and ended the detox at 173. I feel much better and reached my goal of getting the detox done. I am keeping up with taking Bentonite Clay twice a day, Liv-Enhance and Dandelion Root twice a day. And I am back on fish oil (Res-Q 1250). I am back on some fruit and nuts and I am eating a lot more veggies just about at every meal.

If it becomes significant, I will share my blood lipid profile after the 15th!

Use coupon code Healthy Christmas - On the Christmas Specials or any other products from out site.

http://optimalhealthrsq.com/email/Christmas/all-packs.html

Here are the first four packages designed for a healthful Christmas and Happy Healthy new year. Right here.

Christmas Packages

Day Four: Yeppers! Weight: 173.5. That’s six pounds since Monday. This is Thursday morning! Wow!  Just getting crankin’ - Another great day of detox. No problems to report. Stuck with my Choline Punch drink for most of the day. Again I ate brown rice with green peppers, cabbage, tomato sauce seasoned with wheat free soya sauce and turmeric. This evening Katrina did up some spinach and tomatoes to go with my brown rice. I found Brown Rice Protein at the GNC and mixed it with Metagenix Protein Shake and a banana. Feeling slimmer and plenty of energy. Now I am thinking of continuing this plan up til the 15th! It’s not difficult at all once you get past the first 2 days of water fast.

Today is the day I got the urge to start blogging for real. It’s fun to capture these experiences, and I hope that some of my dietary supplement clients will get a kick out of me suffering like this. Actually, I was really busy this morning and wasn’t even hungry.  Oh, the weight: 174.5 it’s ok. According to the BMI charts at 5′8″ I am suppose to be 165 tops. Well that may or may not happen. Depends when I can get back into the gym. Vaughs says to do some hydro therapy shock like go into the sauna then jump in to a cold shower. I could do that.

I decided around 10.30 to have breakfast.

You guessed it: Brown rice, but with cucumbers this time! Whew. Taste buds are going gah, gah over cucumbers! This is really cool. I feel like I am appreciating my food and not just scarfing stuff down my face.

Dentist appointment, physical therapy, webinar. good. busy afternoon.

That 10.30 breakfast kept me all day. I did all my appointments and stopped at the store. Had intentions of going to Whole Foods for some special detox needs but the weather was crummy so I just stopped at the local store and shopped for the family. Bought another bag of brown rice, some green peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and will add that to the romaine lettuce we have at home.  I did pick up the Advanced Probiotics from the warehouse.

Tonight’s dinner: Brown Rice, what else? I did cheat a little though. I had a banana when I walk in the door. I really wasn’t that hungry but felt like a needed a little something to keep me til dinner. No headaches at all today. Brown rice is the answer! OMG, Katrina cooked up cabbage, green peppers, tomatoes and asparagus with wheat-free soya sauce and turmeric using some olive oil, and OMG was it delicious! Either my taste buds have had this huge change or I just was ignorant  how good food can be! I am stoked.

Day Two: Wake up early, with a headache. I am thinking, boy I am glad to get rid of these toxins out of my body. Go P. Weight: 175.5, yes! 4 lbs in one day! Is that healthy? I am happy. I walk about for awhile,  headache subsides.  Work, work, work, work, drink, p, drink, work, p, work, work, p, drink, drink, p, drink, p, drink, p. Now it’s 12.00 noon. What am I having for lunch. Cinnamon Plum tea, of course.

About 1.30pm I notice my speech has slowed and brain can’t think about too much, headache is back. I drink a Choline Punch drink, wow, I can feel the vitamins. This is so cool. Headache goes away for awhile. Then it’s back again. I am to eat brown rice and vegetables for dinner. I talk with Vaughn on the phone. He says it’s probably hypoglycemia, meaning low blood sugar. Hmm. Never knew that’s what hypoglycemia feels like. I don’t like it. I wonder how much longer I can last. Ok. Time to eat. 4pm. My 48 hour water fast lasts 46 hours. Katrina boils the brown rice and I find some asparagus in the fridge.

Three bites of brown rice and I can feel my body right itself. Like a crippled ship listing in the water, I begin to perk up. I eat about a cup of brown rice and 6 asparagus and I am feeling really, really fine.

The rest of day is nice. One strange experience, I picked up a spoon to stir my tea and apparently it had been used for the making of a turkey sandwich. I got a hint of the taste of turkey in my tea. Sounds weird, but the awareness and the sensitivity of  my taste buds is rather electrifying. Now that I am starting the light eating part of the detox, I figure I better go back to Vaughn’s notes and see what I am supposed to do and what I have missed. Obviously, I am not a good student and I didn’t prepare because…

I need to buy a few things:

Liquid Bentonite Clay
Nurtibiotic Brown Rice Protein
Wheat Free Soy Sauce (ok, i confess, I used soy sauce with wheat on my rice.)
Flax Seed Oil
More veggies…

To bed I go pretty happy that I am feeling great. Still thinking about Indian food, though. I also became very sensitive to food commercials on TV. I could smell the food right out of the TV. What’s that about? Guess my imagination is working well, creating my own reality.

Oh, in my glazed over state, I crashed my beloved website! It was down for about 25 minutes. I was trying to adjust a module for the front page. I deleted two lines of code and copied two other lines, but there was a parser error and my site was hacked by me!  The error was a missing  “)” end parenthesis. Fortunately in my fasting stupor, I went back to the original joomla template and looked up that code in the original and was able to see what I had done. While it’s not surprising that one missing “)” can crash an entire site with hundreds of pages of content, I was in awe of the metaphor. What little thing missing in one’s life can make cause such annoyance, discomfort, even pain and death. Not sure if you have heard the parable: For want of a nail, the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe, the horse was lost. For want of the horse, the king was lost. For want of the king, the kingdom was lost. All because of a nail.

The body can make millions of adjustments to the ever changing environment. But over time, lost nutrients and tiny micro milligrams of toxic material entering the body, can wreak havoc. I am amazed at this little bio chemistry set I have to play with during this fast and detox (my body). Makes me grateful.