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Is your vision 20/20?

December 1, 2019 by The Healthy Attorney Leave a Comment

Yo, it’s December 1st. I think it would be an understatement for many if I said that this year flew by. Come to think of it, every time I get to the end of a year, I’ve felt as if the year flew by. I guess that is just the mind reminding us that time keeps going and that 10, 20, even 30 years can feel like the blink of an eye.

If that’s the case, do we ever start feeling like we are in control of time and are able to regulate its pace or the pace of our lives. That’s a conversation I need to have with the oldest person alive — #goals. Regardless, yo, it’s December 1st!

Have you given thought to what you want your life or year to be in 2020? Let’s not wait until January 1st because that is when we have to put our vision in motion. Let’s draft, revise, and finalize our plan of action during the next 30 days so that nothing can stop us on January 1st. If there is anything that you need to buy for your 2020 vision, do the research today to take advantage of the cyber Monday deals.

If you have no clue what your vision should be for 2020, take a moment and reflect on your life thus far. Are you close to your goals? What is the status of the 5 year, 10 year, or 20 year plan that you made for your life? What steps do you need to take in 2020 to reach those goals? What habits have you developed that you may need to break in 2020? If you had no goals in 2019 and no 5 year plan, then you should create one because — yo, it’s December 1st.

Get your emotions in check. Write a letter to yourself about all of your personal battles that you are not able to share with anyone. Spill all of the tea. Get it all out of your system. Put the letter away. On December 29 – let’s make that a Self Care Sunday. On December 29, sit down and read that letter. Upon reading that letter, your goal should be figuring out how to resolve the conflict within that letter. What advice would you give a friend who had the issues in the letter? Perhaps, it would be that your friend should speak to a professional to help see things in a different light or work through some of the tougher issues. There is nothing wrong with that! The goal of 2020 is to get the vision of your life in clear view – your vision needs to be 20/20.

Warning: Don’t fall into the trap of trying to resolve an issue to get back to a state of comfort. The goal in solving a problem is not to get back to status quo because status quo tends to lead us right back to the problem. Solving a recurring issue by getting back to status quo may only lead to forming a cycle. Sure, status quo usually brings a level of comfort and familiarity, but it generally will also, in time, cause the same “resolved issue” to reappear. If things need to be different, then they should be different no matter how uncomfortable the process may be.

Lastly, in looking forward, I always like taking a step back and these two quotes have always inspired me to not settle with status quo and to push for progress within myself and for the people around me:

“If you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done.” — Thomas Jefferson

“It is never too late to become what you might have been.” – Unknown, internet says George Eliot

Yo, it’s December first of Two Thousand and Nineteen.

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Filed Under: 2019 Blog Posts, Mentality, Warning

The Expectation of Gratitude

November 20, 2019 by The Healthy Attorney

“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our minds.” Of late, Bob Marley’s Redemption Song has rung true to my life as a whole. Mental slavery isn’t just brought on by social systems that exist in this society, but by the very people who surround us and try to tell us who we should be and who we are. These people who get their ideas not from our actions or shared experiences, but from the expectations that they believe they are entitled to demand from our life. These people who carry their own emotions, secrets, drama, and baggage that they believe they are entitled to thrust upon us and into our life as they see fit.

“The truth shall set you free.” That’s another good one. It’s interesting that some people choose to avoid the whole story. They only choose to see what others have done to them. They tend to not have the wherewithal to face the true reasons behind their own actions and their true intentions. Even a seemingly selfless act has selfish implications because human beings are programmed to like feeling good. Goodness feels great. Helping others feels great. It’s a win-win. So it is important that we all acknowledge that there is nothing wrong with feeling good while doing good things for others just because we derive some benefit from it — whether that benefit is the joy we feel when others shine, the love we receive in return, fulfilling some requirement, a tax credit, keeping a promise, or whatever we get out of the situation. Maybe, just maybe, we made the decision to do an act that unknowingly turned out to be of great benefit to someone else because, in that specific moment, the benefit to us outweighed whatever risk existed and the nature of the act itself.

It should be that when we decide to do something for someone, we do not follow them around for the rest of their lives asking them to be “grateful.” Gratitude comes from our reason for doing the act. It comes from inside.

I volunteer at an elementary school with a group of about seven fourth grade girls who were described to me as having “behavior problems.” This week will be my fourth week with the girls. They are a fun and rowdy bunch. Last week, I was 40 minutes late for my one-hour visit, but I didn’t want to cancel my once-per-week visit even though I already warned them, in the first week, that there will be days that I will not make it. However, as most should know, girls with “behavior problems” tend to be the most sensitive due to underlying feelings which usually relate to neglect, abuse, abandonment, etc. Feelings that usually culminate to low self-esteem. I get there, the coordinator gathers them, and we go to a classroom. One girl says, “I thought you weren’t coming and I was mad.” Another girl agreed and added that she was yelling at her teacher because her teacher wasn’t listening to her at 1 pm when she told her that she had to go to meet with me. (I didn’t get there until 1:40 pm). Another one says, we miss you all week and they all chime in “yeah.” I quickly played it off and said “y’all don’t think about me on the weekends, stop it!” They all laughed. But, in that moment, I knew that these girls had developed an expectation. They expect that I will show up to see them each week. This expectation has made me realize that, on that day, I have to make them a priority. If I make sacrifices for them so that I don’t miss a visit, does that mean that these girls will be on their best behavior during the visit? Absolutely not. Does it mean that they will never get into another fight or argument at school? Absolutely not. Does it mean that each girl will show up each week for my visit? Absolutely not. Does it mean that I want them to write me a thank you note for the rest of their lives? Absolutely not. Should I demand that they show me gratitude for my presence and sacrifices? Absolutely not. Do they owe me gratitude? Absolutely not. They did not ask me to sign up to volunteer at their school. They did not assign themselves to me. As children, those things are out of their control. I made the decision to volunteer at their school for my own reasons and, but for those reasons, I would not be a volunteer at their school. I don’t know how our journey will end; it’s good now, but, by the end of the school year, all or a few of the girls may grow to dislike me. The future is unknown, but I know that, as of now, my only intention is to do right by them. That is enough gratitude for me.

As Thanksgiving approaches, we should not expect an expression of gratitude because we believe that we are entitled to it. Instead, we should remember the joy that we felt at the time that we performed our good deed. Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!

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Filed Under: 2019 Blog Posts, Mentality

Sustainable or Responsible Seafood: Does it even matter?

July 11, 2019 by The Healthy Attorney Leave a Comment

Usually, traditional farming gets all the attention when it comes to food quality and the processes in place. Consequently, I never really paid attention or questioned the quality of my seafood until I started shopping a Whole Foods Market. At Whole Foods Market, you don’t have to guess about the seafood quality because there are visible banners explaining that this and that are sustainably and responsibly this or that. After taking a moment to be enlightened about seafood quality, I decided years ago that I would buy most of my seafood at Whole Foods Market; there were still some items that I needed from my Caribbean grocer. Regardless, if it was a choice between Publix or Whole Foods Market, when it came to seafood, Whole Foods Market would always get my green because I trusted that the quality was as described on the visible banners.

Last week, I was already in my neighborhood Publix getting a few things and I glanced over at the seafood section. Lo and behold! There it was – a banner about GreenWise this and sustainably that. Well then. I would no longer need to travel a little bit farther to my neighborhood Whole Foods Market now that Publix stepped up its seafood game or at least its marketing in the seafood department. I bought some sustainably farmed salmon, a cluster of snow crab legs, and a pound of shrimp. Winning! However, I did scoff at Publix’s marketing team for trying to play trickster when I saw the sustainable/GreenWise tag on the shrimp and snow crab legs. Aren’t shrimp and snow crab legs always of nature and therefore already natural wherever they are bought? If you have questions like I did, see information about the labeling below from both Publix and Whole Foods Market (click on each link to view the source).

Let me know in the comments section if the labeling makes a difference to you.

 

>>>>>>>>>>> According to Publix <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Responsibly Sourced

Wild-caught: Considered managed by the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) OR in a credible, graded fishery improvement project (FIP).

Farm-raised: The farm level of the supply chain qualifies for a Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI)-approved ecolabel or in an Aquaculture Improvement Project (AIP). May also be certified at the hatchery, plant, and/or feed levels.

Sustainably Sourced

Wild-caught: Qualifies for a GSSI-approved ecolabel OR evaluated by the SFP and considered well managed.

Farm-raised: All four levels of the supply chain (farm, hatchery, plant, and feed) qualify for a GSSI-approved ecolabel. Shellfish must qualify at three levels of the supply chain (farm, plant, and hatchery).

GreenWise

Wild-caught: Meets all the sustainably sourced criteria above. Additionally, contains no bisulfates, phosphates, nonphosphates, or other processing aids.

Farm-raised: Meets all the sustainably sourced criteria above. Additionally, is raised without ever using antibiotics or hormones, and contains no bisulfates, phosphates, nonphosphates, or other processing aids.

 

>>>>>>>>>>> According to Whole Foods Market <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Why do we need sustainable seafood?

Today, 80 percent of the world’s marine populations are fully fished, over-exploited, depleted, or recovering from depletion. With seafood growing in demand, it’s critical that sustainable fishing practices are followed if wild-caught seafood is going to be available in the future and if farmed seafood is going to be able to supplement wild fish supplies. Whole Foods Market is committed to working with organizations such as the Marine Stewardship Council and Monterey Bay Aquarium to advance the market for sustainable seafood.

What makes Whole Foods Market’s seafood different from other seafood?

Whole Foods Market works harder than any other retailer to source seafood from responsibly managed fish farms and abundant, well-managed wild-capture fisheries. This means that we seek fisheries that keep fish populations abundant, rather allowing overfishing to occur. It also means that in the process of fishing or farming, impacts on the ecosystem are minimized. In contrast, other seafood may not be sourced from farms or fisheries taking these kinds of measures. We’re committed to working towards sourcing all of our seafood from well-managed farms and fisheries.

Does sustainable seafood taste any different?

This may depend upon the individual fish. For instance, MSC-certified sustainable wild Alaska salmon has a much different flavor profile than farm-raised salmon.

What does the Responsibly Farmed™ logo stand for?

The Whole Foods Market® “Responsibly Farmed” logo means that the product meets our strict Whole Foods Market Quality Standards for finfish and shrimp. No other grocery store or fish market has standards like ours for keeping farmed seafood healthy and for protecting the environment. The logo also means that the product has been third-party verified to ensure our standards are being met.

Is our farm-raised seafood organic?

In our U.S. stores we have chosen not to sell “organic” farmed fish until the United States establishes organic standards for aquaculture and there is a “USDA Organic” label in place for organic farmed fish. This is our way of maintaining the integrity of the organic label. We’ve contributed to the policy-setting process for national organic standards for farm-raised seafood in an effort to encourage the strongest organic standards possible.

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Filed Under: 2019 Blog Posts, Food, Food Quality

The Environment v. The Straw

June 23, 2019 by The Healthy Attorney Leave a Comment

Another losing battle…

It is becoming more and more evident that it is highly unlikely that the state of the environment will ever improve. Perhaps, evolution is to blame. The more we “evolve,” the more we value convenience and the finer things in life. Technology is at our fingertips and the possibilities are endless. We are wowed daily by the sheer magnitude of how far the digital age has come; it has surpassed the imaginations of most everyday people and it’s even more shocking to think that we may only be at the tip of the digital iceberg. If the earth is seemingly suffering now, what will happen when we make unworldly strides in technology?

Well, if the Florida Legislature’s decision to prohibit the cities from banning plastic straws is any indication, then the earth, and the everyday people living on it, are likely screwed. Deerfield Beach was among the cities that fined restaurant owners if they were caught dispensing plastic straws. As a result, some restaurants stepped up their game by using paper straws and some stopped using straws all together. Given the polluting effect (even if only 1%) of a plastic straw and the availability of an alternative, it would seem that banning the use of a plastic straw would be a reasonable and astute solution to the problem. In my humble opinion, replacing a plastic straw with a paper one is an insignificant step and any increase in cost to the restaurateurs should be outweighed by the importance of preserving the environment as much as we can for the generations to come.

On the other hand, what’s the point of giving up a plastic straw when nuclear warfare is a real possibility and the inevitable price of technological convenience is degradation of the environment? Really, should we worry about the fact that, by 2050, fish might have to swim through straws or should we just cherish today and sip from our plastic straws because tomorrow isn’t promised and 2050 may be too optimistic?

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Filed Under: 2019 Blog Posts, Mentality

New Year, Old Me

January 1, 2019 by The Healthy Attorney Leave a Comment

Like sand through an hourglass…

On New Year’s Eve, while thinking of what 2019 may bring, I realized that time is relative. Dates, hours, minutes, years, age…it’s all relative. Time is constant and never ending. The only things going through a cycle are living things. Living things decay – wither and die. Time was invented to keep track of humanity’s decay, to remind us that we don’t last forever and that we are decaying at every moment. Every second we become one second older. Those seconds add up to minutes. Those minutes add up to hours. Those hours add up to days. Those days add up to years. If we are lucky, those years add up to an age at which death is acceptable (death via natural causes/old age). Time is simply in place to measure lifespan. Human beings created time and we push the boundaries of time using science.

Regardless, 2019 is here and just like 2018, it too will pass. The focus should not be how many years have passed or what the future years will bring, but how we are treating our decaying bodies at this very second. How we are treating others and what legacy we are building to leave behind when we are gone. Are we prolonging life or shortening it by our actions and habits? Regret is a dirty word that brings sorrow only to those who failed to recognize that they were in control of their circumstance all along.

What are your thoughts on time?

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Filed Under: 2019 Blog Posts, Mentality

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