Writing Tip

 

e How to start writing.   Sometimes, whether you want to or not, you have to write a paper or document or whatever.  Most people who give writing advice tell you to plan it out first.  Write down what you want to say, what is most important, etc.  And that's great.  It you're the kind of person who works well that way.

I just watched a documentary about Fred Rogers.  Or, as he was known to millions upon millions of children, Mr. Rogers.  The show came out when I was somewhere in high school and let me tell you, when you are a teenager, nothing was hokier than Mr. Rogers.  I mean, that saccharined "I like you just the way you are" line.  Come on!

But I kept hearing all these wonderful things about it, how it was so great for young children and how much they loved it.  My mom said my much younger brother loved it.

Sometimes I'd walk through the den when he was watching it and I'd just roll my eyes. One time he was doing an episode about spraining his ankle!  How lame - no pun intended - was that!  And after the doctor wrapped it all up, he unwrapped it so the children could see that his ankle was still there.  What?! 

As I grew into an adult, of course, I realized the show had a lot of value, but it wasn't until I saw this documentary that I really got it.  He made it okay to talk about anything!  No matter how sad it made you or how angry or how scared, it was okay to feel that and you could talk about it.  And you were still a special person. 

I was in tears watching him talk to the children through his show.  He had such love for them!  He treated them so gently.  And he talked to them about thing most adults wouldn't, but that the children were curious about. 

That documentary was amazingly powerful to me.  I got a much better idea of what children's fears are that would never have occurred to me.  It taught me about children.  And it validated the way I deal with them.

But I'm not here to talk to you about Mr. Rogers, although that would be worthwhile enough.  What I want you to take away from this article is how valuable a different perspective is.  In this case, it was age that gave me the different perspective, but it can be anything.  It doesn't change the world at all.  But it changes your world.  It shows you how to relate to the world in a different way.  That is what I want you to remember.

And, well, wouldn't it be nice if we had a few more Mr. Rogers' in the world?

 

I found this site, Health.com, that has a bunch of counter-intuitive health advice. It's really interesting. Like to cool off in hot weather, drink something hot. Really? Yes, really, the site says.

And drink a cup or two of coffee before you take a nap. Don't brush your teeth right after eating, especially if the meal was acidic. Wait 30-60 minutes. Eat more to lose weight. The above link gives you eight of these. 

The link is definitely worth checking out, and not just for the tips it gives you.  Read why these counter-intuitive tricks work. Learn what's going on in your body. Logic is all well and good, but if you're missing even one fact, all the logic in the world isn't going to get you a workable answer.

I'm not advising you to fact-check everything you do and everything you put into your body. Of course, that would not be do-able. So, one solution is to really pay attention to what your body is telling you. When you have your morning cup of coffee, see how it makes you feel. 

The main point I'm making is: Learn to listen to your body. This is not easy to do if you're not used to it, partly because wishful thinking tends to speak much louder than your body. But start working on it. It's one of the most valuable skills you can learn.