water – Crisbie Coach

Living the Day

During these challenging moments, I would like to share with you a paragraph taken from John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath”, which embodies strength and courage, and reflects a profound observation about the differences in perspective between men and women, especially in times of hardship and the passage of time.

Steinbeck is known for the realism of his novels and for the humor that enriches his descriptive narratives. Through his storytelling, he paints a vivid portrait of a vanishing America, yet his works remain infused with a resilient hope in humanity’s capacity for renewal and revival. He also captures the resilience of the human spirit and the different ways in which individuals perceive and respond to life’s challenges.

Our life ain’t over. It ain’t, and that’s the thing a woman knows.

I noticed that.

See man, he lives in a jerk.

Baby born, man dies, that’s a jerk.

Gets a farm and loses his farm, and that’s a jerk.

Woman, it’s all one flow, like a stream.

Little eddies, little waterfalls,

but the river, it goes right on.

Woman looks at it like that.

We ain’t gonna die out.

People are going on.

Changing a little maybe, but going right on.

Everything we do, seems to me, is aimed at going on.

It seems that way to me.

Even getting hungry, even being sick.

Some die, but the rest is tougher. Just try to live the day, just the day.

I think that this passage highlights the resilience and adaptability of humanity. Despite hardships, people persevere and keep moving forward. The narrator emphasizes the cyclical nature of life and the innate human drive to survive and endure, even in the face of hunger, sickness, and death.

What do you think about Steinbeck’s words?

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Embrace Your Cracks – Finding Beauty in Imperfection

I read this story that I want to share with you because I find it very beautiful.

An elderly Chinese woman owned two large vases, which she carried hanging from the ends of a long pole resting on her neck.

One of the two vases had a crack, while the other was intact.

Every day, the elderly woman brought home a vase and a half of water.

The intact vase was proud of itself, while the broken vase was terribly ashamed of its imperfection because it could only perform half of its task.

After a while, it finally found the courage to speak to the elderly woman, and from its end of the pole, it said, “I’m ashamed of myself because my crack makes you bring home only half of the water you collect.”

The elderly woman smiled and said, “Have you noticed that on your side of the road, there are always flowers, while there are none on the other side? This happens because, since I know you have a crack and let the water leak, I planted flower seeds only on your side of the road. So every day, when we return home, you water the flowers.”

Throughout this time, I have been able to gather flowers that have brightened up my home and my table. If you weren’t the way you are, I would never have been able to delight in their beauty and decorate my dwelling.

Here is the moral of the story

Each of us obviously has our weak side. But it’s the cracks and imperfections we have that make our life together interesting and beautiful to live.

You just need to be capable of taking each person for who they are and discovering their positive side.

A hug to all those who feel like a broken vase, and remember to enjoy the scent of the flowers on your side of the road!

6 Ways To Warm Up Your Hands

Are you like me who always have cold hands in winter? Here are six remedies ((without putting them on the radiator) that you can easily use to warm up your hands during this winter that is rather cold.

When you go out put on your gloves, of any kind they are: traditional, in thermal material, or with a battery. To avoid arthritis you should wear natural fibre gloves, such as cotton or wool, but it is true that gloves made of thermal material, such as those used for skiing, are warmer. In any case, you shall wear them with warm hands already, therefore before leaving your place, otherwise it will take longer to warm them up.
Use hand cream. It helps you to form a protective barrier which then decreases the feeling of cold. A thick cream is certainly more useful than a fluid cream. In addition, it also helps you to prevent the formation of cracks caused by frequent washing, which is absolutely necessary in times of pandemics, like the one we have been living for about one year.
Avoid smoking (your lungs will be happier too). You will not have to go out on the balcony (if you live with some other people who don’t smoke) and you will avoid tobacco hindering blood flow, a constriction that causes a drop in body temperature since less blood will be circulating.
Give a warm hug. Contact with bodies is the best way to transmit heat. Many people put their hands under their arms to be warmer when they feel cold or when they are in a cold environment. Of course, hugging in the days of Covid is not recommended, so do it only with those who live with you.
Put your hands into warm water. This remedy is also used to treat freezing symptoms. However, you must be careful since, with the loss of sensitivity of the hands caused by the cold, there is the serious risk of burning them if the water temperature is higher than 40/42 degrees.
Say goodbye to alcoholic aperitifs and drinks. Although there is the idea that alcohol heats you up, this is a misbelief. The truth is that it is only a temporary sensation. Alcohol, like smoking, facilitates the vasoconstriction of the arteries. Much better to drink a hot herbal tea or tea.

Would you try one of those remedies and let me know if it works? I use gloves and put hand cream, and actually it works!

Dispel Those 7 Beliefs About Solutions For Heatwaves

During heatwaves like the one we are going through, being in fresh areas, not going out during the central hours of the day and drinking lot of water (not iced water) is surely recommended. However, there are practices that are bad ideas, wrong beliefs and that you should avoid.

Photo by Massimiliano Martini on Unsplash

I do not feel hungry so I do not eat. During periods of strong heat, it is recommended to eat foods with a high water content, such as strawberries (in Belgium we still have them and they are very good!), cucumbers, watermelon, melon, salad, courgettes, tomatoes and peppers. Everything that the summer season offers us. Nature always provide us with the best solution for every period of the year. You can also eat sorbets, yoghurt and white cheese. What you must avoid are fatty meals, because the digestion of fats involves an effort of the body that increases body temperature and consequently the perceived heat.
Using the air conditioning at its maximum power. Using air conditioning is recommended but the temperature must be adjusted to a maximum of 10 degrees C lower than the outside one. Of course, if the outside temperature is 40 degrees C, 30 will be still a high temperature. However, a big gap between the outside and the insider temperatures weakens the body. And don’t forget to clean the filters.
Drinking very hot drinks. A legend tells that people living in the desert use to drink very hot teas to fight the heat. However, this is not necessarily a good idea, actually it is what it is: a legend. The body temperature is around 37 degrees. Consuming a hotter drink would mean forcing the body to sweat and therefore going forward dehydration to eliminate the accumulated heats. Ideally, you should drink liquids between 12 and 14 degrees C.
While sleeping, directing the fan to your face. A person who directs the fan towards the face in the morning will have dry nose, mouth and eyes. This is likely to give you a headache but you will definitely have a stuffy nose. It is recommended to put the fan a little further away from the bed and not to direct it to your face.
Drink at least three litres of water a day. Actually, drinking a quantity of water between one and a half and two litres is more than enough. In case of over consumption the body will be forced to eject more through sweating or peeing, in this latter case overloading the kidneys.
Nothing better than a beer to stay hydrated. Actually, alcohol dehydrates. If you drink a glass of beer, you must then drink water to compensate for the loss of water. Coffee and tea are also drinks that you do not want to drink too often for the same reason. Obviously, all carbonated and sugar-containing drinks are absolutely to be avoided.
I wait for being thirsty before drinking. When you feel thirsty, it is already late. Your body is warning you that you have lost water. Experts recommend drinking small amounts of water often rather than a lot of water in a few moments of the day. It is important to keep the body hydrated throughout the day to avoid headaches, dizziness or feelings of fatigue.

And you, what habits have you adopted to fight heat waves like that one of this summer?

9 Tips to Live a Better Life

Good habits and good mood have a close connection with good health and well-being.

Here are 9 tips that will help you find a bit of tranquility, improve your balance and get closer to the idea of happiness that best suits you.

Keep moving. Physical activity is one of the tools that most benefits our body. It can significantly reduce stress, control cholesterol levels, help you lose weight, oxygenate body tissues and eliminate toxins through sweating. In addition, it allows the development of endorphins that produce brain pleasure and decrease joint pain. If you can, don’t take the elevator but take the stairs, walk to work, or ride a bicycle. These are all activities you can do without necessarily going to the gym. Not only will your body benefit, but the environment will also be thankful.
Improve nutrition. Pay attention to what you consume daily. Take time for each meal and choose healthy menus. Eat balanced and add fruit, vegetables and legumes to your diet. Try new recipes and prepare differently flavoured meals to discover new things. Avoid eating junk food, because it contains simple sugars and carbohydrates, which contribute to the slowdown of metabolism and obstruct the arteries. Also avoid fatty meals too.
Drink plenty of water. The consumption of water, tea and juice allows you to eliminate free radicals. In addition, hydration is good for the skin, which will thus remain beautiful and healthy.
Do something you enjoy. Take time to do an activity that you like during the day, which makes you relax, such as doing manual work, cooking, reading or learning to play a musical instrument.
Disconnect yourself for a full day. Make an effort, put social media and cell phone aside for a day. It’s good to focus on yourself every now and then.
Spend time outdoors. Walking in the forest, having a picnic, spending time outdoors are activities that make you reconnect with nature as well as being an opportunity to breathe some fresh air.
Volunteering. Solidarity is one of the paths most used by people who seek tranquility and who want to be at peace with themselves. Good deeds will affect your life in a positive way.
Stay positive. Look at things with pleasure, optimism and positive energy. Frustration brings negative consequences in life.
Share moments with friends. Having a coffee with friends, talking about nothing, will help you feel much better.

What do you think? will you adopt one of these new habits?