Saturday Night Classic Music Video

I was able to sneak in two "E" artists. The Emotions with Earth Wind & Fire...

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Today's my wife's birthday.
Part of her present is being featured today.
The rest is none of your business!
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Bedtime

I have to admit this. My wife and I enjoy our time in bed.

Sleep is something that we appreciate. I've worked jobs that kept me up all night, or that left me with weird sleep schedules, and right now I really like the routine we are in now.

The DLM Blog has a few tips on this subject:

How To Get Better Sleep While Spending Less Time In Bed

Posted: 02 Feb 2010 05:54 PM PST

There are two gifts I want to give you right now: more time and better sleep. To do this I will need your complete attention and an open mind. It's really not that hard but it does require a little self discipline, some patience and a willingness to make a few changes in your life.

Many people believe that the more time you spend sleeping, the more rested your body becomes. Well, this is often not the case. Our body sleeps in multiple cycles throughout the night, each one essential and each one very easily interrupted. Every time you find yourself tossing and turning, waking up to go to the bathroom or just being woken up, you are interrupting one of these sleep cycles and detracting from their effectiveness. So the key is not MORE sleep but BETTER sleep.

There's no doubt that you need a certain amount of sleep every night to be healthy. 3 hours of even the best sleep would not be enough for any human being. But what if I were to tell you that you could feel more rested than you ever have before and, here's the kicker, knock 30 minutes to an hour off of the time you spend 'trying to sleep'. It's one of those 'best of both world' scenarios but, as I stated before, it will require you to take action and make the changes necessary to obtain this precious gift.

So let's get to it. Here are the elements you will have to consider:

1. Diet
   Eating a well balanced, healthy diet will not only help you live longer but it will help you feel better throughout the day. You should eat a good balance of complex carbs, meat and vegetable protein (of course no meat if you are a vegetarian) and fruits and vegetables. Try to eat light meals with small snacks in between. Adjust according to your activity level but try to keep it on the lighter side if possible.
   
   The 3 meals a day idea is outdated. Too much time between meals allows your blood sugar to drop too low and leaves you hungry and craving simple carbohydrates like sugar and white flour. When you finally eat the meal, you will end up eating too much. Depending on when you eat dinner and when you go to sleep you may benefit from a light snack about 1 to 1 and a half hours before bed. They should be foods with a balance of carbs, fat and protein. Some examples are an apple with peanut butter, celery with peanut butter or light yogurt (light on sugar as well as fat) with a little granola. Try this if you think your blood sugar might be crashing in the middle of the night.


2. Blood Sugar
   Your blood sugar plays a crucial role in helping you not only sleep better but have a consistently positive outlook. You blood sugar is mostly affected by simple carbs.
   
   If you eat a bunch of sugar, your blood sugar will spike and you will have a quick burst of energy; this is short lived. Anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours your blood sugar starts to quickly drop and you will feel tired. You may even start to feel irritable and/or depressed (This is why maintaining a consistent blood sugar level is crucial for a positive outlook). This is called a crash and it is something that often happens to people in the middle of the night. Do you ever wake up in a hot sweat. Or do you ever wake up at an odd hour and feel wide awake. Chances are this is the result of you blood sugar crashing.
   
   
3. Hydration
   Water to our bodies is like oil to an engine. It keeps everything running clean and smooth. First thing in the morning is usually when our bodies are the most dehydrated so it is important to drink a glass or two of water right when you get up.
   
   Many people skip breakfast because they're not hungry or don't have time. This lack of hunger is usually the result of dehydration. And since breakfast is the most important meal of the day it is important that you eat and drink before you start your day. If you can, stay away from sodas and other 'water alternatives'. Loaded with caffeine, sodium and sugar, these drinks do the opposite of hydrate. Stop drinking fluids at least 4 hours before you go to bed. This might sound hard to do but if you are staying hydrated throughout the day you should be just fine. The purpose of doing this is so you don't have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.


4. State of mind
   Your state of mind plays a big role in being able to sleep deeply. If you go to bed with any kind of worry, anxiety, fear, sadness, even positive stimulation, you will have a hard time falling into a deep sleep. I find that reading a light book 30 minutes before you turn out the lights is a great way to 'turn off' your brain. You may even find that your eyes grow heavy as you try to read. The goal is to go to sleep quickly and you can't do this if you try to go from a stimulated brain to the pillow without down time in between.


5. Exercise
   One of the absolute best things you can do for yourself as well as your sleep is to exercise. Even a 15 to 20 minute jog or brisk walk everyday will not only improve your ability to sleep soundly throughout the night, but it will enhance your mood throughout the day. Depending on your fitness level these numbers may be different so adjust accordingly. If you don't exercise on a regular basis you cannot expect to get the kind of sleep that we are talking about today.


6. Bed time - Wake time
   Try to go to be and get up at the same times everyday. Over time this will set your internal clock so you will be tired when you should be tired and wake up when you want to wake up. As you decide when to sleep and wake you can look at the possibility of cutting down on sleep time. Using myself as an example let me explain what I mean.
   
   I used to 'need' 8 hours of sleep each day. Even then I felt tired during the day. After I started doing the things listed here I was unable to sleep for more than about 7 hours a night. Yet I would have much more energy and feel better than ever. What I determined was that those 8 hours were not 8 SOLID HOURS of sleep. Whereas the 7 hours I'm getting now are a FULL 7 hours of sleep. THIS IS THE KEY!


7. Environment
   Having the right environment to sleep in is also very important. Try to block out as much light as possible (make sure the sun doesn't wake you up before you want to get up.) Make sure that you aren't too hot or too cold. Have a little 'white noise' if necessary (my wife an I sleep with fan blowing all night). Even consider ambient music. We also play a ambient CD in the background every night and it helps set the mood for rest and relaxation.


8. Routine
   They say it takes 21 days to create a new habit. Give this at least a full month before you make any decisions of whether or not you want to continue. It will also take some time to completely adjust to the specific sleep patterns and whatever else you change because of this list. But once you adjust you should be able to fairly easily maintain it and reap the full benefits.


9. Satisfaction
   Make sure you are enjoying the benefits that come from having more time and more energy. Take advantage of the extra time and use it to do things that you used to only wish you could do. Work on a project, set some new goals, or just relax and have some 'you time'. The more you appreciate this new routine the more likely you will continue to do it.


10. Helping others
    The final step and a great way to 'keep it up' is to help others do the same. If you find that this information really helps you sleep better, feel better and have more time during the day, than the best thing you can do is to share this with others. As you help other people learn these steps you will strengthen your resolve to continue them yourselves. At the same time you will be helping someone else experience the same benefits.

I hope you really read through these steps and gave them some thought. It's a lot to take in and may require a lot of changes. If the end result is a healthier, happier, more productive 'you' then it will be well worth it.

Written on 8/25/2008 by Eric Hamm, a technology consultant with a passion for helping others improve their lives through his blog Motivate Thyself. Republished 2/2/2010.

Photo Credit: Betsssssy

Fort Wayne Site-of-the-Day

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Video Time: Not My Cat

But if I had a piano....

Fort Wayne Site-of-the-Day

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Video Time: Vote or Stay home?

Over the weekend, Iraq had elections. Estimates are 50 to 60% turned out. In my state of Indiana, we have a primary in May that will be lucky to get 15% turn out. Maybe that is a good thing:

Fort Wayne Site-of-the-Day

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U Rock!

20 plus years ago the term "You Rock" became popular as a compliment. Last year I saw a Credit Union was hiring "Rock Stars". Last week, I got an email thanking me for something I did, and they said, "U Rock".

But can we really rock?

Seth Godin shared his thoughts:

You rock

This is deceptive.

You don't rock all the time. No one does. No one is a rock star, superstar, world-changing artist all the time. In fact, it's a self-defeating goal. You can't do it.

No, but you might rock five minutes a day.

Five minutes to write a blog post that changes everything, or five minutes to deliver an act of generosity that changes someone. Five minutes to invent a great new feature, or five minutes to teach a groundbreaking skill in a way that no one ever thought of before. Five minutes to tell the truth (or hear the truth).

Five minutes a day you might do exceptional work, remarkable work, work that matters. Five minutes a day you might defeat the lizard brain long enough to stand up and make a difference.

And five minutes of rocking would be enough, because it would be five minutes more than just about anyone else.

(Image from http://darisa.wordpress.com/2006/11/06/pope-rock/)

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Video Time: Monty Time

A Classic Clip:

Fort Wayne Site-of-the-Day

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Gifting from the heart

I'm a hard person to buy for these days, unless you have a bucket of extra cash. But you don't need a lot really.

The best gifts I've received are usually ones that involve planning, thought, and insight. Those are usually the most fun to give too.

Tim Miles writes a blog that featured this story last week:

Are You A Gift Artist?

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 07:51 AM PST

Do you give great gifts? Perfect gifts? Are you that person?

Each of us has that one person in our realm of association who’s just a better gift-giver than everyone else. They make a high art out of giving just the right gift.

That’s a powerful skill to possess, my friends.

Think about how you scratch your head in wonder at how he surprisingly came up with just the right thing.

My friend and colleague, Paul Boomer, recently gave me a pen and a book that leave me still scratching my head. In an effort to help you present more thoughtful gifts to your clients, vendors, and friends, I’ll deconstruct what Paul did:

• He gave me a pen. As a writer, I value a good writing instrument as much as I value good verbs. I will constantly have his gift in my hand. When planning your next gift, think what would be of good use to your recipient.
• He made the pen. Yup, that’s what I said. Sorry to bury the lede. He made the sucker – out of Paduke, an exotic wood that will darken with age. “How long did you take to make this pen, Boomer?” “Oh, about four hours.” When planning your next gift, think how you can invest more time than money.
• He sent a follow-up email later that evening with hyperlinks detailing how the pen was made. He saw that I was clearly very interested in the process, so he anticipated my questions and provided me a bonus gift of a great story. When planning your next gift, think how you can make it even more special by providing a good story.

His second gift – the book – was originally published in 1980 and just recently reprinted.

Are you familiar with the Choose Your Own Adventure older-children’s books?

You see, Boomer and I often talk together to prospects about the defining characteristics of good websites. I’ve often asked prospects if they were familiar with those books as they’re a great analogy for how visitors with different personas will each travel different paths on a site but all should hopefully end up with the princess and not being eaten by the dragon. He’s heard me say something similar on a dozen occasions.

The book symbolically means nearly as much to me as the pen.

When planning your next gift, consider any analogies or metaphors your recipient may use with frequency – are there any symbolic gifts you may give them?

To make a memorable impression when saying, “Hey. You matter:”

1. Invest more time than money.
2. Keep your ears and eyes open and don’t be afraid to jot down notes now in your little black book ahead. Always be shopping.
3. Give gifts at the most unanticipated of times.

Become an Artist of Giving. No need to thank me.

Consider it my gift to you.

Fort Wayne Site-of-the-Day

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