In card games, getting an Ace is always a good thing. But, the story for ACEs, Adverse Childhood Experiences, is different. ACE refers to childhood experiences of mental, physical, or sexual abuse; neglect; addiction or violence in the home; or, divorce or separation. Research has clearly shown that ACEs translate into higher rates of adult physical and mental illness, as well as behavioral difficulties in life.
This blog was conceived during my recent visit to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. My husband and I rode the metro downtown to see the exhibit of pastels, called “The Touch of Color,” which will run until January 26, 2020. Pastels are a mix of pigment, chalk or clay, and a binder all mixed together into sticks that look like chalk as we know it.
Let me introduce you to Annette. She drew my attention at the gym because she was having so much fun dancing on the treadmill. Wearing headphones, she jives, twirls, and sometimes sings to the music while effortlessly balancing on the treadmill. She is absolutely oblivious to me and all the other patrons as she glides and slides to her Latin music for two straight hours, three times a week.
You might be wondering why I’m sharing my beauty tips….promoting beauty is slightly off-topic, right? After all, my message focuses on health of body, mind, and spirit—not beauty. For me, a beautiful person (male or female) is one who is loving, serene, giving, peaceful, joyful, patient, kind, open, and vibrant. My tips describe the things I try to do as I strive for this kind of beauty. As you will see, there are multiple links between my beauty tips, positive psychology, health, and, ultimately, beauty…
Have you ever read a book and felt the author was speaking directly to you, looking in your eyes to ensure you’re listening? This recently happened to me with Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero, the founding minister of the New Life Fellowship Church in Queens, N.Y.
Working as a physician for the underserved and homeless in our nations’s capital was an eye-opener for me. I saw patients with multiple health problems. Why so many diseases? Lifestyle choices, stress, and poverty? Yes, but there was something else, something big, which I only came to understand later.
