“The champion wins first, then walks into the arena.
Everybody else walks into the arena and then tries to figure out what to do.”
— Jim Fannin
Stuck in a rut? How to appreciate your life again, according to science: After a while, even the most exciting relationships, jobs and environments lose their spark. But cognitive neuroscientist Tali Sharot says it’s possible to fall back in love with life’s small joys.
The power of proprioception: how to improve your ‘sixth sense’ – and become healthier and happier It is our physical sense of where we are in space and is essential to our quality of life as we age. Here are simple, everyday ways to test and train it.
This Is the #1 Best Sleep Position for Preventing Cognitive Decline, According to Neurologists It’s no secret that sleep is important for cognitive health—but the way you sleep matters too.
The Best Breathing Techniques For Anxiety, According to Experts When you’re in the throes of anxiety, it can feel like you’re trapped inside your own mind. You might experience symptoms like racing thoughts, nausea, restlessness, or have trouble grounding yourself in the present moment. If you feel like your anxiety is sending you into a spiral, one of the most …
“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.” Greek Proverb
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that
gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder” Gilbert K. Chesterton
Gratitude!
First thanks to all of you that voluntarily chose to contribute to help offset Mailchimp and WordPress costs to support this one-man band- Soul Food Friday!
I am humbled and honored that we collectively raised $875 of the $1,000 goal thanks to both anonymous donors as well as Jason M, Wayne O, Feroza A, Lee B, John R, Kathy D, Kelly Mc, Rober C and Sean C.
Thanks again!
If you are local-
“Summer’s here and the time is right, for dancing in the streets!”
I will be jamming on percussion to the classics with Drivin the Bus this Saturday from 6 to 9pm at Coomber Craft Wines in Oceanside, at 611 Mission Ave.
Drivin The Bus will also be playingSunday evening from 7 to 10pm at The Kraken in Cardiff and I hope to join the second half of this gig after a prior commitment.
Neuroscience Says Olympians Like Simone Biles Use the ‘Autopilot Trick’ To Achieve Peak Performance. So Can You The neuroscience of how Olympians get in a flow state will help you perform better at whatever you’re trying to master.
The England team have a breathing coach to help calm their nerves – here’s what you are doing wrong When the Three Lions train there is a focus in camp on how their breathwork, as well as their footwork, can give them a winning edge. Suzy Cox looks at the experts drafted in to help and why they believe changing the way you breathe helps change how you think and feel.
These foods promote longevity and well-being in your 70s, study finds Physical health, cognitive functioning and mental health all saw an uptick in later life with the correct diet. How do you age gracefully? There is plenty of advice out there, ranging from the expected to the downright weird, but time and time again it comes back to the old faithful – your diet. A new study unveiled at Nutrition 2024 outlined how fewer than 1 in 10 people were able to live free of disease and maintain good physical, cognitive and mental health to age 70 and beyond.
‘My Cardiologist Dad Swears by This One Super-Simple Habit, and Now I Do It Every Day’ Sure, he looked a little kooky at first, but it’s definitely paid off.
Eating 30 Grams of Fiber a Day Is Optimal for Gut Health—Here Are 10 Fiber-Rich Foods to Help Meet Your Goals Most Americans aren’t eating enough fiber daily.
Whirlpool is partnering up with global nonprofit to provide thousands of off-the-grid washing machines: ‘It’s an … empowerment engine’ It’s easier to ship worldwide, and having the recipients assemble it will give them a greater understanding of how it works and how to fix it. While most Americans rely on washing machines to clean their clothes, that’s not the case everywhere: Over half of the global population washes clothes by hand. It’s a time-intensive and physically demanding process that often falls disproportionately on women.
This week: “To Fall Seven Times, to Rise Eight Times. Life Starts from NOW!”
Healthy Fruits You Must Have for Your Health
12,600-Year-Old Art that is the Discovery of a Lifetime
Caring Employee Saves a Life
10 Mind blowing Optical Illusions that are Fun!
Summer A Peel to Consider
These Are The Healthiest Fruits For Your Body That Have The Most Benefits, See What They Are As a general rule of thumb, a colorful palate is a healthy one. Fruit does a lot more for your body than just tingle the taste buds. From your skin down to your cells, these fruits will make you feel like you’ve finally reached that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
12,600-year-old painting that’s 8 miles long discovered in the Amazon Rainforest Unearthing prehistoric art is exciting at the best of times, but when that art consists of eight miles’ worth of ice age paintings, it becomes the discovery of a lifetime. Researchers in the Amazon rainforest uncovered an extraordinary “canvas” made up of drawings of mastodons, giant sloths, and other extinct beasts, which is up to 12,600 years old. The ancient artists used the red pigment ochre to create the monumental artwork, which spans some 13 kilometers (eight miles) of rock.
Domino’s Pizza Employee Delivers Pizza To The Same Trailer Every Day, Then She Stepped Inside After 11 days without hearing from the man they are used to delivering to every day, the employees decided to take matters into their own hands. It’s a good thing that they did because the man’s life depended on it.
Try not to have your mind blown by these 10 optical illusions: Optical illusions are fun and intriguing, and we don’t always know why they happen. Here are some of our favorites. June 29, 2024, We all love an illusion. They are fun, intriguing and can mess with our head. There are many kinds of optical illusions, and science cannot always explain the reasons they play tricks on human perception. What we see in our minds is the result of our brains receiving information from our eyes and filling in the gaps. And they don’t always get it right.
“History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme”- Mark Twain
What are the consequences of America’s unresolved history?
That’s the question raised by a new book by journalist and historian Nick Bryant. The book maps a path from the founding of the United States to the current political state of the country and argues that the political divisiveness we see today is a natural part of the country’s story. Nick Bryant joins us to talk about the lessons we can learn from America’s history and is a compelling listen!
If you believe history comes in cycles, and at the end of each cycle comes an inevitable fourth turning- typically of great crisis and upheaval, the fourth turning might be here now!
“Real happiness comes from a continuous effort to become the best possible version of yourself”- Aristotle
Humility is the foundation to a virtuous life. Humility doesn’t get the fanfare of virtues like courage, compassion, or generosity. But without humility, those other virtues won’t get much traction in the quest to live a good life.
Practice Makes Permanent. Perfect Practice Makes Perfect-
These 3 daily practices are the Japanese ‘secret’ for a ‘long and happy life. Okinawa, Japan has the highest concentration of centenarians worldwide. Here are three principles that may lead to their longevity.
Leopard Visits The Same Cow Every Night, Then A Farmer Sets Up A Camera And Sees Why The quiet village of Antoli in Vadodara, Gujarat, India, had a nightly visitor, a leopard. After they observed the wild animal for some time, it became obvious that the creature wasn’t looking to cause harm. Instead, she was looking for someone, an unlikely friend.
If you would like to help defray my out-of-pocket costs for Mailchimp email services, and WordPress hosting, which is a little over $1,000 per year, I would really appreciate the “pay whatever you choose” support for this one-person purpose/passion/positivity project. I will continue to curate content and publish “what matters most” on a weekly basis as I have done for the last 13+ years. No amount is too small, plus it lets me know this investment of time and energy does make a difference. Donate here if you choose: https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/95ulIWevEN
Please pay it forward!
Love and Happiness,
Neville
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”— Benjamin Franklin
Summer Appeal: Can YOU Help Support Soul Food Friday?
If you would like to help defray my out-of-pocket costs for Mailchimp email services, and WordPress hosting, which is a little over $1,000 per year, I would really appreciate the “pay what you can afford” support for this one-person purpose project. I will continue to curate content and publish what matters most on a weekly basis as I have done for the last 13+ years. Thanks in advance for your consideration as no amount is too small, plus it lets me know this investment of time and energy does make a difference.
He wore a toga and spoke Latin. This ancient philosopher can help you survive the anxiety of the 2024 election: If you’re agonizing over what might happen in this November’s presidential election, consider the wisdom of ancient Stoic philosophers such as Marcus Aurelius, who offer three pieces of advice that still are relevant today.
Billions of people just felt the deadly intensity of climate-fueled heat waves: Scorching heat across five continents set 1,400 records this week and showed how human-caused global warming has made catastrophic temperatures commonplace.
Researchers make important discovery that could reduce ER visits by over 60%: ‘The improvements that can be made are really meaningful’: “We need to tie those investments to public health outcomes.” We all know how relieving a good shade tree can be on a 100-degree day. But what if trees could dramatically reduce heat-related illnesses and deaths in our world’s hottest cities? Researchers recently published findings in the International Journal of Biometeorology about how increased tree cover and reflective surfaces could reduce emergency room visits in Los Angeles. The study is critical because rising temperatures impact human health.
Researchers develop method of desalination that could save millions of lives: ‘A paradigm shift is essential to sustain human life’: On a large scale, desalination is a promising method to provide abundant fresh water. Australian researchers have announced a breakthrough in desalination science that has the potential to provide millions of people with clean water. The experts from the Australian National University are perfecting an alternative to creating fresh water from seawater that’s more cost-efficient and uses less energy than reverse osmosis and other common methods.
Polar Bear Tries To Get Attention From Fishing Ship. When Crew Notices, They Lower A Rescue Vessel: The small village of Kaktovik, Alaska, receives a grand arrival of polar bears every summer. Trained Inuit guides take tour groups on a whimsical boat ride to photograph these bears up close and personal. With a life on the line, both visitors and locals alike scrambled to save a polar bear.
The Summer Solstice is a sacred time, commemorated by our ancestors through fire and ceremony, honoring the sun as it peaks high in the sky and stretches the day into the longest of the year. It’s often said to be a time of new beginnings; with the changing of the seasons, we say goodbye to a long, stagnant period of self-reflection and welcome the fiery energy of the sun to propel us forward. This very physical changing of the seasons is a powerful time to manifest spiritual transformations. Rituals to release, cleanse and renew, and other tools from nature’s pharmacopeia paired with ancestral wisdom can be applied and adapted today in simple yet effective ways.
What is the summer solstice? Here’s what you need to know. Once a year, an astronomical alignment ushers in this seasonal change. The solstice is celebrated across the world—and shrouded in myth.
A Summer Solstice Appeal: Can YOU Help Support Soul Food Friday?
I have invested in this labor of love to put some positive energy back out into the universe for well over 13 years. If you would like to help defray my out-of-pocket costs for Mailchimp email services, and WordPress hosting, which is a little over $1,000 per year, I would really appreciate the “pay what you can afford” support. I will continue to curate content and publish what matters most on a weekly basis. Thanks in advance for your consideration as any amount is not too small, plus it lets me know this work effort does make a difference.
On Thursday, June 20, 2024 at 1:50 pm PDT summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere.
The summer solstice is the longest day and the shortest night in our year. The sun sets farthest north on the horizon.
At this time of the year, the days are warm, all the plants are energized by the sun and the land is filled with rich new growth.
Summer is truly a celebration of the primal creative force of nature, fertile and blooming with abundance.
Humans for many millenniums have marked this sacred time in the yearly cycle of life. Celebrating the solstice can be a beautiful reminder that our lives are part of a larger order, always changing, always renewing.
The beginning of summer represents a time for purification and renewed energy. This is a time of cutting through resistance and obstacles, using the sun’s energy to illuminate and light the way on your path.
Fire is especially important, symbolizing the light, heat and power of the sun. Into a fire, you can throw a piece of paper with written goals to achieve, and anything to release.
Now is a good time to plant seeds for a more intuitive, simpler and natural lifestyle.
Stay in tune with nature and wellness,
Billy
To Your Wellbeing-
Google Spent Months Learning Why Habits Fail. The Answer Often Comes Down to 1 Powerful Word And that word is definitely not ‘routine.’
Do this once a month and extend your life by 10 years. No gym required: These authors want you to prioritize practicing or appreciating art alongside getting good sleep, exercising, and eating well. And they have proof it’s good for you.
Give yourself grace, be flexible: Mental health professionals share the self-care practices they swear by”: We asked therapists how they prioritize their own mental health.
Metamorphosis: Exercise triggers molecular changes in major organs: While the benefits of exercise on overall health are broadly recognized, the intricate biological responses triggered at a cellular level by physical activity have only recently been explored in depth.
4 of the places with the world’s longest-living people all have this in common: “It may be the tranquilizing effect of water, or it may be that the climate is moderated because of the water,” says longevity expert Dan Buettner.
That Said We Need to Protect and Preserve Our Water!
You Might Cry When You Read This Study About What’s Happening to the Oceans: Beware the three horsemen of the ocean apocalypse: extreme heat, acidification, and deoxygenation. A new study, published in the journal AGU Advances, has shown how this “triple threat” has drastically intensified in the past several decades, pushing our oceans ever closer to the brink. And what’s on the other side of it?
‘A great sadness’: Venezuela is first Andean country to lose of all its glaciers: Scientists explain the loss of the Humboldt Glacier, the last in the Sierra Nevada, which they believe makes the South American country the first in modern history to lose all its glaciers.
Your body needs three forms of movement every week: Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
Overcome regret and fear and learn from people’s last words
Rethink “what is self”?
Setting Intentions is not woo woo but powerful juju
The power of breath!
4 phrases are often people’s last words, says oncologist: What we can learn: People often wait too long to show their love or correct their interpersonal mistakes, says Pulitzer-winning author and oncologist Siddhartha Mukherjee.
Neuroscience learns what Buddhism has known for ages: There is no constant self: Buddhist Monks have known for thousands of years what science is just now learning: the mind can be changed by training it.
Proving that science and religion can, in fact, overlap, University of British Columbia researcher Evan Thompson has confirmed the Buddhist teaching of the not-self, or “anatta,” is more than just a theory. “Buddhists argue that nothing is constant, everything changes.
The Power of Setting Intentions — and How to Do It Correctly: Setting intentions is more than just setting goals — it’s about being purposeful in pursuing your desires.
8 Breathing Exercises To Try When You Feel Anxious: Breathing exercises are a form of exercise for your lungs. They improve lung function and efficiency, help manage certain health conditions, and relieve stress and anxiety. Breathing exercises can be useful for people with healthy lungs as well as those with impaired lung function.
I’ve studied positive psychology for 10 years: This is the secret to happiness: Stephanie Harrison has studied the science of happiness for 10 years. Here’s what she says is the secret to happiness.
Exercise can reverse ageing in the brain, study claims: It looks like brawn could be the key to long lasting brains. May 15, 2024 We all know exercise is good for us. It’s been clear for hundreds (if not thousands) of years that keeping fit and mobile is important to keep your body in good nick, prevent diseases and improve your mental health. Despite its myriad benefits for us, however, there always seems to be one insurmountable fact of life that exercise can’t conquer: our minds and bodies decline as we age
Why writing by hand beats typing for thinking and learning: Researchers are learning that handwriting engages the brain in ways typing can’t match, raising questions about the costs of ditching this age-old practice, especially for kids.
Majestic mountain ibex among winners in GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2024 members’ competition: 20 breathtaking images from this year’s GDT Nature Photographer of the Year members’ competition, including a stoic Alpine ibex, a wave-riding penguin, and a bewitching winter woodland.
Jeneba Kanneh-Mason stuns with blistering take on Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 A masterpiece of 19th-century piano repertoire, forever linked with the joy of Tom and Jerry…
Here is my first foray, conducting this very same piece as an elementary school kid in Bombay, India at around age 11:
Cathedral School, Bombay, India
Elbow turn Manchester crowd into 23,500-strong choir in spine-tingling harmony: The most life-affirming sound you’ll ever hear: a crowd of thousands of music lovers, lifting their voices in glorious harmony.
Steven Tyler’s Unusual Response To A Disabled Fan Went Viral – Here’s What He Said: Anthony Yorfido, a young man from Niagara Falls, ran into Steven Tyler, the frontman of Aerosmith. What began as a chance encounter at a medical supplies store soon became a moment that would change Anthony’s life forever. Read on to see what amazing things Tyler did for this kind fan.
Why Do We Sing? New Analysis of Folk Songs Finds Similarities around the World: Across the globe, singing traditions are vast and varied. Their commonalities may help explain how music evolved
Dance and percussion group puts on a show for travelers at San Diego International Airport: If you’re headed out of San Diego International Airport over the next week, you may encounter some unexpected sights and sounds that could bring your travel experience to life in a whole new way.
Happy Soul Food Friday! 