MONDAY MEDITATIONS FOR HEALING: Character & A Commitment to Self for Caregivers

Good Morning!  

Here is today's meditation to inspire your spirit to self-healing this week!  

Have a WONDERFUL week!

Today's Quote 

"The best index to a person's character is 

(a) how he treats people who can't do him any good, and 

(b) how he treats people who can't fight back."

~Abigail van Buren (Pauline Esther Friedman)

A Commitment to Self for Caregivers 

(whether you are a healthcare provider or a family member caring for a loved one): 

Sometimes while we caregivers deal with the daily stressors in our own lives we forget to be kind to those around us.  We feel badly when we treat our friends & family with sharp words, but do we notice when we direct unkindness to those in our lives that cannot fight back?

The cashier at the grocery store, the waitress at the restaurant, the janitor at the office, the teachers aide at the preschool, the customer service phone representative.  We know that it is unlikely that any of these folks will be able to help us succeed professionally or personally.  So we treat them with indifference or even rudeness.

This week I will remember that no matter what is going on in my own life, I will learn to pay attention to the people in my life.  ALL of the people.  Particularly the ones that provide me services.  I will remind myself to be grateful for the small services that go unnoticed by so many.  

I will do my best to find something kind to say to let each person know that I SAW them--to let each person know that their place in the universe matters to me.   

I will remember that by with just one kind word, I can alter the quality of someone's life by making them feel valued.  

I can be a person of character, one day at a time, starting now.

MONDAY MEDITATIONS FOR HEALING: A Commitment to Self for Caregivers & Serenity Through the Holidays

Good Morning!  

Here is today's meditation to inspire your spirit to self-healing this week! 

With the chaos of the season: pause. breath. heal.

 Have a WONDERFUL week!

Today's Quote 

"One evening an old Cherokee elder told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside of people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

To which the Cherokee elder simply replied, "The one you feed."

A Commitment to Self for Caregivers 

(whether you are a healthcare provider or a family member caring for a loved one):

In this time of joy as we gather families together we also face the challenge of dealing with personalities & pressures to people-please that may not generate serenity in our lives.

We may find ourselves resenting the burden of our caregiving when others around us appear to not have the limitations of similar responsibilities.

Committing to self healing is more important than ever today and every day in the coming week.

With this in mind, this week I will make a commitment to feed the Good Wolf.  

Despite all the chaos around me, the demands of family & friends and the responsibilities of those I care for, I will remember that the quickest way to find serenity in myself is through gratitude for what I have and compassion to myself & those I love.

Tip #8 For The Best Hospital Care: Be Nice ~ Insider Tips on How to Get the BEST Medical Care in the Hospital ~

Today we continue our series on how to get the best hospital care--this post is pretty much common sense but you would be surprised at how easy it is to have The Golden Rule disappear out the window in crisis.  The purpose of this series however is for you to learn how to get the BEST hospital care, and if I didn't mention this than I would be remiss in achieving this goal.  


Please be nice is the FIRST & strongest piece of advice I gave my hospitalized family member AND all other members of my family.  So they were nice and things went a lot better (nurses gave quick assistance with a smile & physicians spent longer time in the room).  Take this advice to heart--if you do nothing else, follow this tip!


Tip #8:  Be Nice:  One of my Mom's best friends always said: "You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar."  This REALLY applies in the hospital setting.  I realize that when your are sick you don't feel much like "making nice" and when you are worried about your family you "just want answers." But the reality of the situation is that medical personnel are just that--people! 

Every person wants to be treated with courtesy and you WILL get better & more responsive care if you are kind to the nurses/physicians/techs/cleaning persons/administrative assistants/social workers/dietary staff.  

I know (from being on the patient side of things) that some staff members don't return the favor & this may not seem fair.  To be honest, I had to sometimes ACTIVELY tell myself not to snap at people last week as I sat with my sick family member.  I kept reminding myself of the following key point:  most staff members are not actively trying to be rude--they are stressed, they are understaffed & they are trying to please a lot of different people at once.  By surprising them by being nice, they will look forward to coming into your room--this translates into more attentive care.

With regards to the nursing staff & techs--one last thought.  Please remember not to treat them like they are your servant & remember that you are not their only patient.  Don't "speak down to them."  If you need something within your own reach & you are well enough than get it (*without doing anything you were told NOT to do by the nurse/doc*), than do it for yourself. 

• Please don't be like a patient I saw the other night who had the staff running in and out of the room trying to please her requests.  The evening culminated in her asking me to comb her hair & get her skin cream for her even though both items were on the tray in front of her & she was more than capable to do so herself.  I had to sit down & talk to her about the importance of bundling her requests & asking only for things that she cannot do herself so the staff could do their job for all the other patients on the floor.  After the explanation she seemed to understand & the staff enjoyed caring for her much more!  

That said, there are limits to this suggestion. If you believe that someone is actually actively being harmful to your or your family members than ABSOLUTELY you should stop them firmly & ask to talk to the nurse manager or patient care advocate immediately.  If its an issue with a doctor you can "ask for a second opinion."  Just no matter how angry you are, take a deep breath & ask nicely--things will get fixed a lot faster.

Coming Up Next Time on Medical System Tuesday: 

• Tip #9 For The Best Hospital Care:  Pay Attention ~ Insider Tips on How to Get the BEST Medical Care in the Hospital ~

Coming Up This Week:

• BOOK REVIEW:  "29 Gifts!"
• SuperImmunity for Kids ~Part 2~!
• Practical Stuff:  Kitchen Tools That Help & Products I Like!!

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