The Happy Guy

Self-help Strengths and Weaknesses

September 28, 2007 by David Leonhardt Leave a Comment

What’s with self-help, anyway? Is it about your weaknesses or your strengths?

Far too often, self-help asks, “What’s wrong with me?” This is only natural, we most often seek help when we see a problem. And if we see a problem, it is a good thing to want to correct it or manage it.

But self-help should also be about asking, “What’s right with me?” It should be about finding our strengths and building on them – about finding ways to leverage our strengths to live happier, more fulfilling lives and make life a wonderful experience for everyone.

That is what any coach would tell you. Yes, look for the weak spots. Yes, try to correct as many weaknesses as possible. Yes, find alternatives when you can’t correct a weakness sufficiently.

But you don’t win a game by just not being weak. You win by being strong.

Self-help should focus on your strengths at least as much as your weaknesses. What do you do well? What could you be doing more of? How can you use your strengths in new ways, in creative ways, to get the things out of life that you crave? How can your strengths bring the best out of people around you?

Look at both your weaknesses and your strengths. You just might find a lot of exciting opportunities for a better life in both areas.

George Carlin: “I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, ‘Where’s the self-help section?’ She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.”

Vera Nazarian: “A fine glass vase goes from treasure to trash, the moment it is broken. Fortunately, something else happens to you and me. Pick up your pieces. Then, help me gather mine.”

Henry Ford: “If you think you can or you think you can’t either way you are right.”

Mark Twain: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Filed Under: Happiness

The Famous Pyramids of Food

January 1, 2007 by David Leonhardt 4 Comments

Diets do vary in different parts of the world, but the pyramids of food are universal. Right?

The pyramids of food are only slightly less famous than the Great Pyramids of Egypt. These modern pyramids are not built from rocks and sand, but rather from scientific knowledge about what is good for the human body. Still, science, it seems, varies from location to location.

Below are a number of food pyramids from various locations, although many of them no longer use the pyramid structure.

Canadian food pyramid

Get more information on Canada’s Food Guide.

UK food pyramid (the “Eat Well Plate”)

Irish food pyramid

Indian food pyramid

Image credit www.medindia.net

Okinawa (Japan) food pyramid

Okinawa is the area of Japan famous for living long, healthy lives. (image credit www.okinawa-diet.com)

Estonian food pyramid

Czech food pyramid

Hungarian food pyramid (the Hungarian House)

Austrian food pyramid

Latvian food pyramid

Spanish food pyramid

Belgian food pyramid

Swiss food pyramid

The basics are universal.

You will notice some commonalities across all these diagrams (aside from the “pyramid” analogy still used ion a couple of them). Grains are always at the base. Not ideal for a low-carb diet, but whole grains are the foundation of each of these regimes.

In some cases, water is placed before grains, and in some cases physical activity is, too. As important as hydration and fitness are to your health (so are sleep and sanitation, by the way), there are not directly part of the nutrition.

And in each case, vegetables and fruits come in close behind the grains. between these two categories, however each system divides them up, you have the majority of the food you should be eating.

At the top of the pyramid, there are some differences. The Canadian and western European pyramids place a great deal of value on dairy products, a nod to a very strong dairy industry lobby. In fact, there really is no logical reason for these to be a separate food group.

Don’t get me wrong – I am a big fan of getting protein from milk. But that is already covered in the protein food group.

And in the dark Canadian winters, the vitamin D added to milk is pretty important. But we don’t give vitamin A foods their own group.

And the calcium in milk is also important. But we don’t give foods high in iron their own food group.

The Indian food pyramid includes milk with proteins – but then it divides proteins in three. Go figure!

If you roughly follow any one of these plans, you will be doing fairly well. Don’t sweat the details. Get the proportions right, eat lots of variety and serve food as close to its natural state as possible…and you’ll be way ahead of most people I know.

(Photo credit for most of the European diagrams: www.eufic.org)

Filed Under: Fitness

There’s More to Orlando than Disney

January 1, 2007 by David Leonhardt Leave a Comment

As with so many tourist destinations, Orlando boasts a number of hidden gems often overlooked by visitors. Here are a few of them.

Don’t forget to take in some of the secret treasures of central Florida. Orlando is one of the top tourism destinations in the world. It features Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World. People come from every continent to take in these famous theme parks, and especially to meet Big Mickey. These theme parks have many nearby high end hotels and lower scale motels for the mass amounts of visitors who want to stay next to all the attractions without the hassle of driving.

But there is another Orlando, a city full of unexpected smaller attractions, that you might want to take in when you want something a little different or just a break from the crowds at Disney World.

Kissimmee Rodeo. No, that’s not a misprint. The rodeos of the west have come to the south-east – and they are just as much fun. Try this for something different.

Inland manatees. People often forget that Florida is more than just one big theme park and the host to spring brake excess. It is also home to many natural wonders. Blue Spring State Park is tucked in between Orlando and Daytona Beach. Although it is an inland park, they have 153 manatees this season, more than ever before.

Private Villa Rentals. You don’t have to crowd the family into a cheap motel room in the Orlando region. Nowhere in North America are there so many private villas for rent (vacation home rentals). Look also for rental villas in Orlando.

Mystery Dinner. Half way between Orlando and Disney World, it’s no mystery why this show packs a full house. This is your chance to participate in a real murder mystery

Farm animal adventure. Every child loves to pet animals. No, it does not replace Walt Disney World, but it might make a nice little break in the middle of the Disney excitement, and it is just a short distance south of the Disney park.

Ahoy there, Captain. Not just the manatees have found their way inland. There are pirates in Orlando, and they offer an interactive family dinner spectacle.

Riverboat Cruise. It’s not the Mississippi, but the “Rivership Romance” cruises along the St. Johns River, providing a first-hand connection with Florida’s rich, natural heritage. Dining and dancing accompany the natural beauty.

A taste of Chicago. Don’t be surprised if you wind up eating with a gangster or two. Or if the police burst in on your dinner to make a bust. This is a living tribute to the legendary Gangland Chicago, and you are invited to participate in the action.

It’s a pity that these gems hide in the shadow of Planet Earth’s biggest theme park . You won’t want to miss Walt Disney World, but take some time out to see what others have missed. Your friends back home will be impressed.

Filed Under: Fun

Extreme fatigue

October 21, 2003 by David Leonhardt Leave a Comment

When a twelve-year-old wakes up at 5:22 a.m., she sneaks downstairs and, with well-honed stealth shared only by jungle-cat predators, she quietly proceeds to adorn the kitchen with dirty dishes and spilled pancake batter.

However, Little Lady is just two years old. She does not do anything quietly – especially not waking up at 5:22 a.m. Which she did this morning … again.

Right now, spilled pancake batter would almost be a welcome surprise.