Make Dufferin Park citys tennis hub

At a recent Dufferin Park Master Plan meeting, Brantfords parks- recreation department presented a development proposal that transforms what has been a hub for tennis for 110 years into just another park, which happens to include some tennis courts. There is no provision for a clubhouse to replace the existing one.

I am certain parks-recreation is not deliberately trying to kill organized tennis in Brantford especially now when Canada is doing so well. But that is the effect of its decisions. A basic clubhouse could become the epicentre of a vibrant tennis community, which would permit the city to compete with surrounding municipalities. Without a clubhouse, it will be difficult for the volunteer Dufferin Tennis Club to continue its good work to promote tennis by organizing regular events, facilitating lessons for juniors and adults and advocating for a sport that is accessible to everyone even those who cant afford hockey equipment or golf memberships.

We heard at the meeting that the city is unwilling to determine how much a basic clubhouse would cost and that there would be no repairs to lights, which are essential for tennis to continue while we await a decision on redevelopment.

We wanted to hear that the city is willing to work with the clubs volunteers to develop a plan that is financially feasible and will ensure the future of tennis in Brantford.

We wanted a commitment to support and promote tennis in Brantford and some assurance that the existing courts including the lights will be maintained so that we can continue playing.

Mississauga gave Bianca Andreescu the keys to the city. Brantford parks-recreation wants to shove us out and is not only going to lock the door behind us but tear down everything the Dufferin Tennis Club has built in the last 110 years.

Caroline FreibauerBrantford

Canada enjoyed huge respect for about 20 years after our contribution to winning the Second World War, building the St Lawrence Seaway, Pearson negotiating an end to the Suez crisis, staging Expo 67 and so on.

Then Trudeau senior took over and ran up our debt and deficit numbers to previously unheard of levels, gave the finger to the U.S. (which has de facto replaced U.K. as our military protector), and openly admired Mao Zedong (who killed more people than Hitler and Stalin combined].

We had an all-too-brief place in the Reagan-Thatcher sun, began to pay our way with Mulroney and Chretien, and came through the 2008 financial crisis well under Harper.

Then we elected the silver spoon drama teacher on the strength of his family name and a commitment to legalize marijuana. We now have zero credibility in foreign policy, marijuana is being sold illegally (as before) but we are setting up bureaucracies from coast to coast to control its sale, we dont contribute our share in NATO, we continue to bribe Quebec to stay in Confederation with $13 billion a year (imagine how Quebec would fare negotiating a free trade deal in Trumps Washington) and we are busily shutting down domestic and foreign investment.

As Nietzsche said:Those whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.

I thought the Canada I visited in 1967 and emigrated to the following year was pretty amazing and it has been good to me. But I doubt anyone could start with next to nothing today and thrive in our over-regulated, over-indebted economy.

Socially, we seem to stand for brainless intolerance in our universities and immigration open to all but especially to people who dont really want a Canadian way of life. Instead of performing timely joint replacements on people who have worked a lifetime and contributed to OHIP, we worry about opioid abusers. Instead of educating our children with marketable skills in a disciplined environment, we load them with entitlement and debt. Instead of maintaining law and order, we practise catch-and-release justice. Wow.

John Purkiss

St. George

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Letters to the editor - Brantford Expositor

The reservoirs of an important art museum are deep, locked, and mostly invisible. The Newark Museum, occupying an urban block in New Jersey next to Rutgers University, houses a widely respected Tibetan Buddhist art collection, which His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has toured five times. Yet few people may be aware that the museum owns an equally impressive Japanese Buddhist art collection because most of it has never been on display.

In a new exhibition, Beyond Zen: Japanese Buddhism Revealed, on view through January 5, 2020, the museum has brought out what it calls baroque Buddhism: paintings, objects of pilgrimage, shrine ornaments, and gloriously gowned bodhisattvas and household-shrine buddhas. They abide in golden palaces, gem-studded gardens, under silken canopies. Aesthetics are ornate and materials are luxurious: gold, silver, lacquer, silk, and porcelain.

The exhibition provides a rare chance to peer deeper into the Newark Museums rich collections and offers insights into the evolution of Buddhism in Japan, especially in the Edo period (16031868). Much of the museums Japanese Buddhist art was acquired in 1909 from a Western collector who traveled through the countryside, buying what he liked and creating a casual but illuminating cross-section of Buddhism in pre-modern Japan. These sorts of objects are not often on view in art museums, not because they lack beauty but because curators do not consider them to be antique enough. The works speak to Japans reverence for Buddhism and the religions familiar presence within the daily lives of ordinary people. The arts baroque qualities filled a demand.

At the entrance of the exhibition, a scowling wooden temple guardian, Zocho-ten, the Guardian of the South, offers a glimpse into a more distant era. The sculpture is said to be from the Heian period (7941185) and is typical of the wrathful defenders early Japanese Buddhists called on to help defeat the enemies of enlightenment. Its unusual in this exhibition because of both its great age and its having been purchased by the museum in 1965.

Guest curator Midori Oka, associate director of the Mary Griggs Burke Center for Japanese Art in the Department of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University, selected around 50 objects for the show, ranging from sculpture and paintings to tiny votive pieces and netsuke [miniature sculptures worn with traditional Japanese dress]. Overall, she chose for dramatic emotion, vibrant imagery, and a wide view of Buddhisms appeal. Golden clouds hand-painted on the gallery walls lift ones spirits and recall the gilded aesthetic that created the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto, suggesting a continuity between the Muromachi (13361573) and Edo periods. An elegant, wooden museum-built frame divides the gallery into two rooms. The dramatic entry houses four silk-scroll paintings of different manifestations of Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion, all four not seen together till now. These and other objects in the exhibition are described below:

Kannon, Bodhisattva of Compassion: Four hanging scrolls, painted in teal, coral, black and gold on silk in the Meiji period (18681912), depict four of Kannons many manifestations: Fish Basket Kannon, Merciful Mother, Willow Branch Kannon, and the bodhisattva unadorned by other identities. Kannons robes are elegant, transparent and gauzy, draped and ornamented, and gloriously opulent, as befits a well-heeled bodhisattva wishing to convince humans of the elevating supremacy of compassion.

Bodhidharma (Daruma), Zen Patriarch: Zen practitioners will be familiar with conventional black-ink drawings of a starkly sober Bodhidharma staring wide-eyedhis eyelids legendarily cut off so that he can meditate without closing his eyesin a vaporous white space. This wooden Bodhidharma, however, wears a flowing red-lacquer robe that flips up in the wind blowing across his forehead and lifts off his feet. The flapping robe is a traditional imagining of the tale of Bodhidharmas miraculous crossing of the Yangtze River on a reed. He is on his way to spend nine years meditating in a cave. Made in the Taisho period (19121926), the statue feels modern and cinematic, and Bodhidharma looks like an action figure whipping through time and space.

Jizo: In the Edo, an artist envisioned a brilliance for the bodhisattva Jizo (Skt., Ksitigarbha), who rescues children and beings lost in hell. Sculptures of Jizo can be inelegant and lumpy, a squat figure formed from clay, or refined and elegant, as this one is. Here, the artist has given the bodhisattva the golden robes and aureole of a standing buddha. The face, with its high forehead, has the deepened gaze and unshakable serenity of ultimate wisdom. We recognize that Jizo has the power to reach even into the worst suffering.

Scenes of Hell: Dramatic visions of hell have always been appealing to artists. From the Edo period, this handscrollcreated with ink and vibrant color on paperitemizes both the garments that new arrivals will wear (to determine the weight of their sins, the curator writes) and the dark destinations that await them. Demons and writhing snakes skewer we humans, roast us in red flames, and boil us in grinning pots, having great fun at our expense.

Bodhisattva Seishi: In Pure Land Buddhism, the power of wisdom (Seishi) merges with the saving grace of Kannon and the inexpressible magnificence of Amida, Buddha of Boundless Light, to manifest enlightenment. Yet this lovingly carved wooden bodhisattva from the Kamakura period (11851392) is more personable and humble than we might expect from one with such a heavy duty. Traditionally, Seishi and Kannon are attendants of Amida. This statue is probably from an altar set that showed Amida at the center and Seishi and Kannon on either side. Seishi bends in gassho, hands together, a gesture of oneness. Viewed from the front, the bodhisattva appears to be magically beseeching us. Are we to cast aside our petty concerns and join him on the path?

Amida Buddha: In this Edo-period scroll, a dying soul (off-camera, so to speak) is welcomed into the Western Paradise (Jodo) where gold-robed Amida Buddha sits on a lotus throne amid stupendous scenery. Kannon leads an entourage to welcome the newcomer. Jizo, Seishi, and 23 other celestial beings have joined the party. Singing and playing heavenly instruments, they float on pearly clouds in the land of enlightened peace and beauty. Just in case you thought you might prefer hell.

The monks path: In four ink-and-color Edo-period scrolls, each with 24 scenes, the monk Tokuhon (17581818) is shown in his severe self-mortification and tireless missionary work (the exhibition text says) as he traverses the path of good deeds and miracles. He has many adventures, he meets with diverse beings and humans, and he assembles a whole novels worth of stories. Hes an ascetic wanderer whose life is nonetheless rich and lustrous. Monks and nuns used these etoki paintingsbased on handscrollsas a kind of slide show for spiritual and moral instruction.

The rest is here:
A Hidden Trove of Japanese Buddhist Art Revealed in New Jersey - Tricycle

The New York Times recently reported that those who eat their biggest meal in the early hours have better success losing weight. Buried in the article was a comment which would catch the attention of anyone who has had close contact with Theravadin monastics, or, like me, has been one:

The lowest B.M.I.s were recorded in the fraction of peopleabout 8 percent of the total samplewho finished lunch by early afternoon and did not eat again until the next morning, fasting for 18 to 19 hours.

This is a similar eating practice followed by Theravadin monasticsbhikkhus and bhikkhuniswho follow the dietary rules of the Vinaya, the monastic code believed to have been written by the Buddha himself. According to the Vinaya, monastics can eat food only between dawn and noon.

Although this diet was intended to meet the specific needs of the Buddhist community in 5th-century India, some lay people have chosen to take on a version of the practice. Theres even a book advocating the Buddhas diet.

The original logic of the monastic eating practice aimed to avoid causing aggravation to both monastics and laypeople, as explained in the Latukikopama Sutta (MN 66). The diet is neither intended as a health regimen, nor explicitly, as some have claimed, as an expression of a middle way between indulgence and asceticism. While its true that Buddhist monastic life was generally designed to be such a middle way, originally the Buddha allowed his monastics to go on alms round whenever they pleased. The Latukikopama Sutta explains that the Buddha forbade monastics from going on alms rounds after noon to avoid dangers that they might meet later in the daystumbling into natural dangers in the dark, being propositioned for a tryst in the twilight hours, random hooligansand to prevent inconveniencing or frightening lay people.

Considering that weight loss is only a significant issue in societies of satiety, the following of the bhikkhu diet as a health regimen is almost certainly an innovation of modern Western Buddhism. Some Theravadin lay people do follow the bhikkhu diet for a day every quarter moon as part of uposatha practice, where some monastic rules are followed for the sake of cleansing the defilements of the mind and making good karma, but not to slim their waistlines.

Since Im an ex-monastic, you might think that I am against the use of the bhikkhu diet as a mere dieting toolbut youd be wrong. I have used it that way myself from time to time, and recently, several weeks before I read the Times article, I had decided to take it on indefinitely.

The reason was simple: approaching 41 years of age, I found myself overweight and feeling the stressful, impermanent, and uncontrollable nature of my body. I needed to do something.

When I was a monk, the dietary rule turned out to be a profound practice for me. Learning how to tolerate hunger for hours a day became training for tolerating difficult emotions and physical pain. Restricting eating to the morning acts on your desire like focusing a camera lens: the way that the mind relates to the craving for pleasure and safety becomes clearer and easier to witness.

To use a metaphor of Ajahn Chah, the great Thai Forest teacher, the eating rule is like a Thai lizard hunter. He finds the mound where the lizard lives and closes off all the holes but one, then he waits, watching that one hole. Sooner or later the lizard comes out where he can catch it. In the same way, when you stop foraging for food whenever you want and limit yourself to the morning only, you can see your minds behavior around food more clearly.

Related: Dogen Said Not to Waste a Single Grain of Rice. Heres How.

As a layperson, following the bhikkhu diet is of course much more difficult. As a monk, I did not have to cook dinner for others while I myself was not eating or resist the urge to wake up my brain with a meal when I had to stay up late at night working. It was initially difficult as a layperson to adjust to the need to schedule a reasonable amount of healthy food before the noon cutoff. It was also hard to acclimatize myself to the season of hunger that began sometime in the late afternoon and continued until nighttime. After a week or two, however, the diet was feeling energizing. I was losing weight. There was an ironic, one might even say Epicurean, enjoyment in being able to eat freely in the morning, and also in not having to think about food after noon.

A sense of excitement began to grow about the diet. After feeling a little tired in the first week, I did as the monastics do: I began taking tonics in the late afternoon and evening (sugar, honey, and medicine are allowed according to all the different lineages). I would have tea and honey or a particular scandalous treat that is allowed for monastics courtesy of a loophole: dark chocolate. Due to the ingredients of pure dark chocolate being cocoa (a medicine) and sugar, monks in the Thai Forest tradition munch on the little dark squares at tea time. This might make us on the diet seem like dandies to you, but believe mewhen dark chocolate is the only food stuff you are allowed, its flavor begins to turn ascetic pretty quickly.

That adjustment made, I began to settle into the diet comfortably, at least for the most part. I slipped occasionally due to a birthday party dinner or needing to work late at night. I decided to accept that there might be a cheat day once a week, a practice actually recommended in The Buddhas Diet as good for your metabolism.

I also began to feel the mood that comes from settling into any difficult discipline, a mixture of increased self-confidence, self-respect, and a decrease in the kind of anxiety that results from not feeling able to rely on oneself. Other benefits included increased mental clarity and lightness in the latter half of the day, and better sleep at night.

Clark Strand, another ex-monk who tried the bhikkhu diet and wrote about it in Tricycle, fell off the wagon after a few months and gave it up. The friend whose bhikkhu practice inspired Strand to stop eating after noon also happens to be my former abbot, Thanissaro Bhikkhu. After Strand began eating after noon again, Ajahn Thanissaro reportedly told Strand, Its supposed to be part of a whole lifestyle. You take the bhikkhu out of the bhikkhu diet and all youve got is this guy who wont eat anything after twelve noon because it keeps his weight down. Hard to have much commitment to that!

Time will tell how I fare, but Im inclined to think that Ajahn Thanissaro was right. Neither the Times nor even a slim waistline is enough inspiration to keep on the bhikkhu diet. So although one might take up the bhikkhu diet out of a desire for health, longevity in its embrace will require seeing its personal spiritual benefits (and I think its clear that it would not be beneficial for everyone). It will also require having a little of the bhikkhu or bhikkhuni in you. But then isnt that supposed to be true of every follower of the Buddha?

[This article was first published in 2017.]

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I Tried the Buddhist Monk DietAnd It Worked - Tricycle

From running a small operation out of his parents basement in Connecticut 20 years ago, Kyle Tortora has an inventory of about 1,200 Buddhist and Hindu statues stored in an Oceanside warehouse, sold through his website and shipped all over the world.

Tortora, an Encinitas resident, launched his business after originally setting out to be a podiatrist, and then to escape the corporate world in New York City.

This interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

Q: What first sparked your interest in the Buddhist and Hindu religions?

A: I read Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse like four times when I was growing up and just loved the book, I gravitated toward the book. I kind of thought about, not the supernatural aspects of Buddhism, but just the mystical aspect kind of drew me into it. I was studying pre-med to be a podiatrist, I just thought Id naturally be a podiatrist. I thought that was my path. I took organic chemistry at the University of Richmond and said, This is totally not for me. I switched my major to religion, which is what I was truly interested in. That summer I was like, I dont want to just go home and be a lifeguard for the summer, or do whatever job everyone else is doing. I researched temples to meditate in in Thailand. So, 18-year-old kid, I had a thousand bucks in my pocket and I went to meditate in Chiang Mai for two weeks in a temple up there. After that was done, I spent a month and a half and traveled around Thailand and it was just absolutely amazing.

Q: How did it turn into a business selling statues?

A: I went to Manhattan and sold websites for two years, and after that I was like, This sucks, I dont like wearing a suit and tie every day, schlepping around Manhattan, so I sold everything and went to India for the first time. Then I was old enough to say, Hey I need to figure out how Im going to make traveling work. I saw a nataraja statue and it just hit me. Im going to find out where these are made, Im going to build a website and Im going to come back here, buy a container, ship it back and sell them. And thats what I did. Twenty years later, here I am.

Q: Which countries do the statues in your inventory come from and who makes them?

A: More or less all over southeast Asia and south Asia. India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and China. I dont go to all of them on every trip, but I definitely hit all those countries in a four, five-year span. I work directly with artisans. I find the good artisans that I can work with who are trustworthy, who are good people. Usually it starts off, they have a stock of stuff and I buy those, but then I just kind of commission orders from them and then they make the statues for me. There are a couple artists in particular that went from basically having a workshop with two people and now its 30 people, and Im supporting, him, his family and all those people as well.

Q: Do your customers buy these statues as part of their religious practices, or are they more for decoration?

A: Both. I have Hindus buying them who are doing pooja, which is kind of a ceremony, so theyre worshipping these gods daily. I sell to Buddhist temples and Hindu temples. And then I sell to people who just want more outdoor statues. Theres a bunch of very spiritual people who arent fully practicing but they feel drawn to these statues. It kind of runs the gamut.

Q: Is there a strong market for these statues locally, given the growing interest in eastern religion and philosophy in Southern California?

A: Absolutely. I live in Encinitas, so thats like the epicenter of yoga, thats yogas birthplace in America. Im very happy that Im in the corridor between L.A. and San Diego because I have a lot of people coming through. This is definitely better than New York City.

For more information, visit lotussculpture.com

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Encinitas resident brings eastern religion statues to the west coast - Encinitas Advocate

Photo: Jack Taylor (Getty Images)

I dont know about you, but my Mondays hit me hard. I dont know if its the 6:30 a.m. start time (CST) or the result of my body clock being thrown off by sleeping most of the preceding weekend, but 9 times out of 10, I feel like Im pushing a boulder uphill through the fog, struggle-blogging and editing my way to Tuesday (okay, Wednesdaywhen I get over the hump).

In short, #MondayMotivation has remained a challenging concept for mea hashtag for the likes of relentlessly cheerful people, cross-fitters and freelancers (since I dont recall struggling through the beginning of the week in my freelance daysjust the end of the month).

But leave it to forever first lady Michelle Obama to compel me to reconsider with a dose of much-needed #Fitspo.

It doesnt always feel good in the moment, she posted on Sunday, showing us exactly how fit 55 can be as she got in some serious lunges with help from a medicine ball. But after the fact, Im always glad I hit the gym. How did you all take care of yourself on this #SelfCareSunday?

Honestly, Michelle? I dont remember (because I slept through it), but I know theres gotta be a better way to motivate for Monday, so I appreciate the nudge...

And the abs.

And of course, the arms. Always the arms.

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Let Michelle Obamas #SelfCareSunday Be the Motivation You Need This Monday - The Root

NewsHealthResearchers want to test if their findings among mice also apply to people

Saturday, 19th October 2019, 12:01 am

Restricting how much food is eaten at mealtimes could have the potential to increase the motivation to exercise, a study has suggested.

Researchers in Japan believe this could be the result of a surge in the hormone ghrelin after they observed mice began to exercise voluntarily following a period of fasting.

They said their findings indicated that better diet control, such as limiting food intake or intermittent fasting, could help overweight people maintain a more effective exercise routine and lose weight.

Ghrelin, often referred to as the hunger hormone, stimulates appetite by increasing the motivation to eat.

The hormone has also been reported to be essential for endurance exercise by increasing metabolism to meet the energy demands of prolonged exercise.

Food and diet

The team, from Kurume University School of Medicine, said that while previous studies have suggested a relationship between ghrelin and exercise, it was not known if the hormones levels had a direct effect on motivation.

They decided to investigate the relationship between ghrelin levels and exercise in mice by comparing food intake and activity between those with free access to food and those fed only twice a day for a limited time.

The researchers found that although both groups ate a similar amount of food, the mice on a restricted diet ran significantly more.

Meanwhile, mice genetically altered to have no ghrelin and on the restricted feeding diet ran less than the mice given free access. However, this could be reversed by administering ghrelin.

The team found that mice given free access to food and also given ghrelin ran significantly more.

More work needed

Our findings suggest that hunger, which promotes ghrelin production, may also be involved in increasing motivation for voluntary exercise, when feeding is limited, said researcher Dr Yuji Tajiri.

Therefore, maintaining a healthy eating routine, with regular mealtimes or fasting, could also encourage motivation for exercise in overweight people.

However, Dr Tajiri warned that their findings, which have been published in the Journal of Endocrinology, were based on animal studies.

Much more work is needed to confirm that this ghrelin response is also present in people, he said.

If it can be established in clinical practice, it not only opens up new cost-effective diet and exercise strategies but may also indicate a new therapeutic application for ghrelin-mimicking drugs.

The team now plan to carry out more experiments to confirm their findings in humans.

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Limited mealtimes 'could increase motivation for exercise', study with mice suggests - inews

These motivational strategies can put a stop to your workday blues.

October16, 20197 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

We all experience a work slump from time to time. Sometimes its just a case of the blahs, when we feel disconnected and indifferent to our projects and not motivated to achieve our goals. Sometimes we dont even realize were down because weve been robotically going through the motions of work and life.

Has every day become a rinse and repeat of the last? Have lost your zest for what youre doing? Do you feel unsatisfied, but cant quite pinpoint why? If so, you might be in a slump.

Stop yawning, put your coffee mug down and decide its time to put a stop your workday blues. Heres how you can kick your rut to the curb.

The first step to getting your work mojo back is to consider what might have prompted your slump in the first place. Can you pinpoint when you first started feeling off and what might have triggered the downturn?

Often, career ruts are caused by feeling complacent or bored by what youre doing. Once youve mastered your role at work, it may stop feeling exciting and interesting. Or perhaps youre feeling burned out because youve overextended yourself. Is there something going on outside of work that is distracting you (either positively or negatively)?

Related:10 Tips to Help Entrepreneurs GetMotivated

Another issue may be that you no longer take pleasure in what youre doing. Pay attention to what your gut says and how you react to different situations -- this may clue you in on whats behind your slump.

Even people who are working in jobs they like and excel at can find themselves in an extended lull at times. This may be due to a naturally occurring phenomenon called hedonic treadmill or hedonic adaptation. This phenomenon happens when we get used to things, even the things we consider great and wonderful in our lives.

As Tim Bono, lecturer in psychological and brain sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has said, Someone who loves chocolate will grow tired of eating it after a while if chocolate is the only thing they have to eat every single day, day after day. The same is true for anything in life, including a job you initially loved and felt excited about, but that now feels routine and humdrum.

Related:10 Ways ToMotivateYourself To Workout Everyday

If this is the case, consider ways to rotate through things that you enjoy. Mix things up. Look for new ways to engage your mind and make things interesting, even if you are still doing the same basic tasks.

Breaking a slump happens when you rekindle your motivation; when you feel excited about something and look forward to accomplishing a goal. Inspiration can be the key to motivation.

Are there activities or interests that energize you or spark your creativity? For some people, its engaging with art or music. Others find inspiration in nature, such as taking a long walk in a shady park or sitting beside the ocean.

Still others are energized by the hustle and bustle of a busy city, getting lost in the crowds and feeling humanity all around. Whatever ignites you, make time for it in your daily schedule.

Another powerful tool to help you feel inspired is to create a vision board. This will help you visualize and focus on the things that are most important to you and your future.

Think about your intentions and goals in life. What do you want? What do you value? Do a mental scan of your career, finances, relationships, personal growth and health. What do you want each of those areas to look like in the future? How do you want to feel when you accomplish those goals?

Select images that represent those desires -- these should be pictures that resonate with you and invoke the feeling or state of mind that you connect with those goals. You can cut up magazines or find pictures online -- Pinterest may be a helpful place to start. Paste or tape these images onto a poster board or large sheet of paper. Then display it where you will see it frequently, so it becomes a regular visual reminder of your core values.

Work slumps can crop up when the strategies you once used to produce results are no longer effective. This may be an indication that youre avoiding something thats bothering you, and this is holding you back and impeding your workflow.

Related:25 Ways to Lead, Inspire andMotivateYour Team to Greatness

Perhaps you have a decision you need to make, but have been putting it off. Or you might be sidestepping a difficult situation, like confronting your boss about something, dealing with a problematic employee or owning up to a mistake you made. It could even be that you simply arent happy in your current job, but youre putting off looking for a new one.

The more you try to dodge these troublesome issues, the more they will weigh you down. Stop evading. You must confront this obstacle and take action. Its the only way to move past your rut.

Slumps can come from getting in a rut that has become set in stone. You become comfortable with the way things are and you stop pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. If thats the case, its time to shake things up!

You can start by changing one part of your routine every day. Get up at the break of dawn and go for a run. Go to a farmers market instead of the grocery store to buy your fruits and veggies. Liven up your workspace by bringing in some new decor or moving your office furniture around.

Try doing something radically different at least once a week. Take a new class or try a new hobby. Do something that scares you a little. Go on that roller coaster youd normally never ride. Start conversations with strangers. The point is to make every day unique by doing away with boring and humdrum routines.

There are times when the stress and pressures of life just pile up. The result of being chronically overwhelmed is a slump where you just dont feel like you can handle anything. This is a clear indication that you need a break.

Taking a mental health day is similar to calling in sick when you have a cold or the flu. Its a crucial part of self-care, giving yourself a chance to rest and recharge. This is time you should be using for stress relief and burnout prevention. Its a break from the noise and confusion of daily life.

If youre taking a mental health day, its important that you actually do things that will help you relax and feel restored. That may mean a day spent in your pajamas binge-watching Netflix. Or getting a massage, practicing gratitude or doing yoga and stretching. It can mean spending time with a friend or loved one. Just remember to pick something that will provide tension relief and avoid doing things that stress you out.

See more here:
7 Ways to Get Motivated and Break Out of a Work Slump - Entrepreneur

QUESTION: I want employees who are as motivated as I am people who dont need to be managed because they are constantly pushing to be better. Will I be able to find these kinds of people and if not, how can I motivate the employees I have?

ANSWER: One school of thought is that if you get the right people on the bus, they will be intrinsically motivated, requiring no external motivation.

While these high performers will insist on receiving market rate compensation, they dont require extrinsic motivation. They are driven. They couldnt conceive of doing less than their absolute best, regardless of the circumstances.

That may be true for top performers who are well above average.

In the real world, however, the average employee is, well, average.

The fact is that the average employee does need extrinsic motivation. The notion that you can remove motivation and people will continue to work hard, because they are intrinsically motivated ignores human nature.

In general, people will work harder if they believe there are rewards for good results and penalties for poor ones.

Elite employees notwithstanding, the vast majority of companies do need to motivate their people.

Compensation is perhaps the most frequently used motivator.

It works, but studies show that only the prospect of receiving money in the near future is a strong enough motivator to change behavior.

Once the employee receives the money, its power to motivate ends very quickly. Some studies say within a week.

Further, the same studies indicate that to truly change behavior, the amount of the incentive must be at least 10% of base compensation for the period.

Money is important, but we all want and need more than compensation alone.

Our work indicates that people also want to be recognized as contributing members of a winning team.

This means that people want to know that the business they are involved is succeeding. They want to know that what they are doing is contributing to that success and they want these efforts to be recognized.

Take every opportunity to celebrate successes.

Disingenuous hoopla wont work and if a company is underperforming, management needs to acknowledge that reality.

However, even when a business is in trouble, if it begins to move in a positive direction, the progress should be acknowledged.

Celebrations communicate to employees that the company is succeeding, the first of the three things needed to motivate.

Second, employees need to understand how what they are doing is contributing to that success.

How will they know this? Their manager needs to tell them.

If you cant come up with a way that an employee is contributing to the success of the company, then you should ask if you need that position or that employee.

Finally, employees want their contributions to be recognized.

Monetary recognition is one way. But, simply saying thank you when an employee does a job well can be powerful.

Instead of speaking to employees only to correct them, catch employees doing something right and praise them.

When you praise an employee, be specific about what you liked and link their behavior to a company or professional goal.

A well-timed gift certificate, recognition at a company meeting, extra time off, or even a sincere job well done will go a long way towards motivating employees.

Carrots are good, but our experience is that to be most effective, there needs to be some stick as well. Employees need to know that there are consequences associated with poor performance.

Yes, there are a few superstars who dont need motivation, but most employees do.

The superstars are expensive. Small businesses often cant afford them.

Small businesses need to focus on motivating their employees to get superior performance from average people.

Doug and Polly White have a large ownership stake in Gather, a company that designs, builds and operates collaborative workspaces. Pollys focus is on human resources, people management and human systems. Dougs areas of expertise are business strategy, operations and finance.

Read more:
Ask Doug & Polly: Businesses need to focus on motivating employees to get superior performance from average people - Richmond.com

Very often victims of gender-based abuse say that they choose not to walk away because of the children. The fact is that staying in an abusive relationship because of the children will cause the children to be scarred for life as growing up in such a home is one of the most terrifying and traumatic experience a child can go through.

Children in abusive relationships may blame themselves for the abuse, thinking if they had not done or said a particular thing, the abuse would not have occurred. They may also become angry at their siblings or their mothers for triggering the abuse and may display increased aggression towards peers or mothers.

Such children may feel rage, embarrassment, and humiliation. They generally feel isolated and vulnerable and can easily engage in self-harm or even become suicidal. They are starved for attention, affection and approval as they become physically, emotionally and psychologically abandoned. Thus, they can also be continually angry and act out or they can become depressed and withdrawn, too frightened and embarrassed to speak out and easily bullied. Also, they can be anxious to please and thus become easy to manipulate and be taken advantage of. Some children lose the ability to feel empathy for others. Others may have low self-esteem and become socially isolated, unable to make friends as easily due to social discomfort or confusion over what is acceptable

Since children have a natural tendency to identify with strength, they may ally themselves with the abuser and lose respect for their seemingly helpless mother. In fact, there is a definite correlation between violence and child abuse. Growing up in a violent home can set patterns for children patterns that can cause them to commit violence and abuse thereby continuing that cycle. In effect, witnessing domestic violence is the single best predictor of juvenile delinquency and adult criminality.

As well females can also become accepting of abuse thinking that it is normal, as they grew up seeing it happen continually, with the victim staying rather than leaving. And so they will not only tolerate intimate-partner abuse as they get older but may actually think such abuse is normal.

Children in abusive relationships may experience developmental delays in speech, motor or cognitive skills. They are also more apt to use poor judgment, have health problems, social and emotional issues, higher risks of alcohol/drug abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder. They are also more apt to become school dropouts, pregnant teens and gun users. They grow up to suffer from low self-esteem, stay in dead-end jobs or worsenot being able to keep a job.

Older children may regress to behaviour they displayed when younger, such as bed-wetting, thumb-sucking, increased crying and whining. They may also develop difficulty falling or staying asleep; show signs of terror, such as stuttering or hiding; and show signs of severe separation anxiety. Older children may not participate in school activities or get good grades, have fewer friends than others, and get into trouble more often. They also may have a lot of headaches and stomach aches.

Teens who witness abuse may act out in negative ways, such as fighting with family members or skipping school. They may also engage in risky behaviours, such as having unprotected sex and using alcohol or drugs. They may start fights or bully others and are more likely to get in trouble with the law. This type of behaviour is more common in teen boys who are abused in childhood than in teen girls. Girls are more likely than boys to be withdrawn and to experience depression.

As well, toxic stress on children can result in lifelong emotional, mental, and social damage that can affect childrens developmental growth. In fact, research shows that witnessing abuse carries the same risk of harm to childrens mental health and learning as if the children had been abused directly. Among childhood adversities, Ronald Kessler says, those involving family violence inflict the worst long-term effects. Kessler is a co-director of the World Health Organizations World Mental Health Survey Initiative. One of the long-term effects of childhood adversity is that they create emotional scars that get reopened when people are exposed to traumas in adulthood leading to adult PTSD, Kessler said.

According to a 2002 US Department of Justice Special report, children who grow up in homes where violence is present are:

6 times more likely to take their lives

24 times more likely to be sexually assaulted

67 times more likely to engage in delinquent behaviour as adolescents

100 times more likely to be abusers themselves

500 times more likely to be abused or neglected

In effect, children should be the most critical reason not to stay in an abusive relationship. However, The Caribbean Voice must also make it clear that we are not advocating walking away from a relationship without first trying to work things through. Family/loved ones interventions, followed by couples counseling are critical first steps. But if these dont work then we quite emphatically say that if children are in the picture using them as an excuse to remain in an abusive relationship is counter productive and such children can be permanently harmed for life. By the same token, we also emphasize that children should never be used as pawns by parents against each other or by one parent against the other. Instead, children must be reassured of the love of both parents who will both always be there for them, the children, in spite of the separation.

Annan Boodram

The Caribbean Voice

Link:
Children should not be the motivation to stay in an abusive relationship - Barbados Today

In this week's "Monday Motivation," Know Your Value founder and "Morning Joe" co-host Mika Brzezinski talks about the importance of bringing grace into our everyday lives.

Brzezinski reflected on the recent passing of Rep. Elijah Cummings, noting the veteran congressman seemed to be driven by grace and empathy.

RELATED: Remembering Elijah Cummings: Why Joe and I asked him to officiate our wedding

"Whether we were talking to him privately, or speaking at our wedding, or listening him officiate the House Committee on Oversight and and Reform hearings whenever I heard Elijah speak, I wanted to be a better person," said Brzezinski. "And it was the grace and empathy that he brought to the table every time he used his voice that made him so powerful and so beautiful."

Watch the video above for more, including how grace can enhance our ability to be effective communicators and add value to all of our relationships.

Original post:
Monday Motivation: The power of grace - NBC News