Week of December 27, 2017 | Vol 1 • No 20 • www.cstweekly.com
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2017 Moments, Memories & Milestones
The Chicago Citizen Newspaper Group Inc., added the Citizen Suburban Times Weekly to its family of publications in August 2017. CST serves numerous communities in the South Suburbs including: Bloom Township, Chicago Heights, Flossmoor, Food Heights, Glenwood, Homewood, Lansing, Lynwood, Olympia Fileds, Park Forest, Sauk Village, South Chicago and Steger. Pictured are Janice Garth, national sales director for the Chicago Citizen Newspaper Group Inc. and Citizen Chief Executive Officer, Publisher and President Durrell Garth.
OCTOBER
SEPTEMBER
AUGUST In August, Lisa Creason discussed her triumphant story about changing her life and the law in Illinois.
NOVEMBER
In October, Raul Garza, President & CEO of Aunt Martha’s Health & Wellness discussed the important role of community health centers.
In November, the CST analyzed some of the latest data about human trafficking and homelessness among our nation’s youth.
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SEPTEMBER
Governors State University (GSU) Professor Rosemary Erickson Johnsen Ph.D. was featured in September where she discussed a course co-taught at GSU about war, trauma and the humanities.
NOVEMBER
In November. Tasha Green Cruzat, president at Voices for Illinois Children shared news about a report entitled the 2017 Illinois Kids Count Data Book.
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The Suburban Times profiled Suzanne Shank, one of the 50 most influential black women in business.
SEPTEMBER
In September, Sharlyn Grace, senior policy analyst and staff attorney for the Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice discussed a lawsuit analyzing the cash bail process in Illinois. Photo Credit: Sharlyn Grace, Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice
NOVEMBER Steve Phillipos, President of Chevrolet of Homewood, and Ja’Mal Green, founder of Majostee Allstars, stand in front of a new Chevrolet Sonic that was given away on Dec. 24. Chevrolet of Homewood announced its third annual car giveaway on November 13, which allows the dealership to give away a brand new car to a deserving member of the community.
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The future of healthcare If Trump wants nuclear war, virtually no one can stop him Holiday Dinner A Success: Holiday Dinner A Success: First Artifacts inTownship Place atThornton National Army Museum Thornton Gives Back Township Gives Back
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Upcoming Author Events at CPL Chicago Public Library offers a variety of programs and events each month to engage patrons of all ages and to explore relevant cultural topics. All events are free and seating is first come, first served. For a complete list of CPL events at all locations, visit chipublib.org/ events. Unless otherwise noted, all events will be held at Harold Washington Library Center, Cindy Pritzker Auditorium, lower level. At author events, books will be available for purchase and the author will autograph books at the conclusion of the program.
Unless otherwise noted, all author events will be held at Harold Washington Library Center (pictured), Cindy Pritzker Auditorium, lower level. Photo by Ken Lund
AUTHOR EVENTS Jonathan Eig, author of “Ali: A Life” Tuesday, January 9 at 6 p.m. Local author Eig’s lauded biography of boxing champ Muhammad Ali gives a stunning portrait of one of the most significant personalities of the second half of the twentieth century. It’s an epic tale of a fighter who became the world's most
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famous pacifist. This book was named one of CPL’s Best of the Best Books for 2017. Anne Elizabeth Moore, author of Body Horror: Capitalism, Fear, Misogyny, Jokes Tuesday, January 30 at 6 p.m. Anne Elizabeth Moore explores the
global toll of capitalism on women with thorough research and surprising humor. Featuring illustrations by Xander Marro, Body Horror is a fascinating and revealing portrait of the gore of contemporary American culture and politics. CPL recommended this title as one of the best books published in 2017. Todd Mayfield, author of “Traveling Soul: The Life of Curtis Mayfield” Tuesday, January 17 at 6 p.m. Todd Mayfield, Curtis Mayfield's second-oldest son, recently wrote the definitive biography about his father. Born into dire poverty, raised in the slums of Chicago, Curtis became a musical prodigy, not only singing like a dream but also growing into a brilliant songwriter. In the 1960s Curtis became a pioneer, opening his own label and production company and working with many other top artists, including the Staple Singers.
TRAVEL
TravelCar Launches Free Parking Solution At Chicago O'Hare Adding To Growing List Of US Airports TravelCar, the global innovator in airport parking and carsharing for travelers, announced today it has expanded its US presence with the addition of Chic ago O'Hare International Air-
port (ORD). This marks the third location for TravelCar offering its free airport parking solution which provides travelers free airport parking and helps them earn money by renting out their car to other travelers while they are away. Chicagoans have been quick to adapt to the sharing economy, whether with bike sharing, home
sharing and now car sharing. TravelCar's innovative car sharing platform and technology will help transform the way people think about getting to and from the airport in Chicago. While shuttles, private transfers and buses are still common practice, they are expensive. TravelCar's high quality, low cost mobility options, for both the person parking at the airport and renting a car at the airport, means travelers can spend less on transportation needs and have more in their pocket.
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2017 YEAR IN REVIEW
From politics, to community, to news about the arts, travel and food, here’s a roundup of the people, places and things that made CST news CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Aunt Martha’s patients and clients receive In August, the Chicago Citizen Newsservices in clinics at locations in Chicago as well paper Group Inc. kicked off a new venture as in other areas in the South Suburbs. Shining and published for the first time the Citizen a light on it’s own history, CST highlighted Suburban Times (CST), making it the the details of an event featuring the Chicago sixth newspaper published by the organiCitizen Newspaper Group Inc. and the Illinois zation. Publication of CST furthered the Press Association (IPA) which honored the life Citizen’s reputation as the largest chain of and legacy of the Chicago Citizen Newspaper black-owned newspapers in the Midwest. Former Publisher William Garth, Sr. The event CST serves numerous communities in the took place at the historic DuSable Museum of South Suburbs including: African American History located on 740 E. 56th Bloom Township, Chicago Heights, Place and was attended by philanthropist, entreFlossmoor, Food Heights, Glenwood, Homewood, Lansing, Lynwood, Olympia preneurs, fans of the Citizen and a host of other Fileds, Park Forest, Sauk Village, South guests who came out to celebrate the event. Chicago and Steger. Turning its attention to cybersecurity after the NOVEMBER In August, CST featured numerous artiinfamous Equifax breach, CST shared tips about In November, Illinois families celebrated new cles including Lisa how to surf the Internet safely while cybersecuadoptions. Creason’s heartrity took centerstage. felt story about In November, CST led with a story about the her uphill battle to state of Illinois’ children where Tasha Green turn Senate Bill 42 Cruzat, President of Voices for Illinois Children (GSU)Professor Roseinto law. shared news about the 2017 Illinois Kids Count Data Book. mary Erickson Johnsen September was The report revealed that educational success for children in Ph.D. and Dr. Andrae time to take an Illinois drastically varies based on the county in which they In November, Illinois in-depth look into live. CST remained focused on the youth as it presented families celebrated new the problem of some of the latest statistics on homelessness and human adoptions. Marak, dean homelessness and trafficking among our nation’s youth. of the College of Arts and how local agencies On November 18, it was reason to give thanks as families Sciences at GSU. Later, NOVEMBER are working to came together to celebrate new adoptions with the help of CST analyzed the cash fight against it. the Chicago Children's Museum and the Illinois Departbail process in the Cook Thanks to Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly, HUB Coordinator ment of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Also in Chicago Chapter, seniors didn’t have to be alone on County court system Stephanie Hobson November, a feast fit for kings and queens kicked off thanks the Thanksgiving Day. where Sharlyn Grace, discussed how to Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly, Chicago Chapter, senior policy analyst and Respond Now who invited senior-members to a holiday meal complete staff attorney for the is full-filling the with all of the trimmings. Assistant Majority Leader KimChicago Appleseed Fund health, hunger and housing needs of people in the South berly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) shared her views about for Justice, commented on the facts. Suburbs. Also in September, CST profiled Suzanne Shank, a new law that goes into effect in 2018 requiring cursive In October, Raul Garza, President & CEO of Aunt one of the 50 most influential black women in business and writing for all children in Illinois and November would not Martha’s Health & Wellness, discussed the importance of later turned the focus on war, trauma and the humanities in community health centers and how they’re filling the gap in have been complete without news about a car giveaway in a story about a course taught by Governors State University communities by providing affordable healthcare services. Homewood. The news came when Chevrolet of Homewood
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POLITISCOPE
Why justice is more important than the rule of law The 2017 Stress in America survey has confirmed it: Americans are officially freaking out. The survey, conducted by the Harris Poll, reports that what keeps many Americans By Klaus Mladek up at night is genuine political anxiety. Rather than issues related to their work or families, respondents said they were most worried about the “future of the nation” and the “current social divisiveness.” Almost two-thirds of Americans think the nation is going through “the lowest point” in its history. As evidence for these unusually dark times, pundits often point to the breakdown of social norms and the disregard for the rule of law. To be sure, these are real problems. Yet, as a scholar
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and teacher of political theory and literature, I have always been amazed how quickly my students turn to talking about the abstract rule of law, rather than the concrete realities of law enforcement and justice. Are people perhaps so interested in the rule of law because they fear American society is no longer equal and just?
Crisis Consider the sense of injustice among many Americans that still lingers after the financial crisis and the global bank bailout in 2008. Or, consider that many politicians are incapable of addressing or unwilling to address the concerns facing many people, such as inequality, poverty and health care. This disregard for “justice for all” and the unrest it has caused indicate a profound crisis in the United States. Public officials, it seems, can no longer adequately respond to a series of popular
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demands. Many people have also lost confidence that this darkness will soon pass, as my colleague George Edmondson and I recently discussed in the introduction to a co-edited book “Sovereignty in Ruins: A Politics of Crisis.” An alternative vision for our society is nowhere in sight. Political observers cannot even agree on vocabulary to describe the bewildering phenomena that confront Western democracies such as terrorism, populism and the refugee crisis. The current unrest in the global order today has revived ideas about conflict, factionalism and civil war – what the ancients called stasis. They considered it the worst calamity that could befall a society, the dissolution of order and values. But as ancient philosophers, and more modern thinkers like the Founding Fathers, have pointed out: In conflict resides hope and the potential for justice. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 www.cstweekly.com
Easy Ways to Cut Back on Sugar • Hold the Ketchup. You know baked goods and candy are loaded with added sugar, but so are many foods you may not think of as especially sweet. A tablespoon of ketchup, for instance, has four grams of sugar, more than some chocolate chip cookies. Salsa, barbecue sauce, spaghetti sauce and even bread are hidden sources of
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Hope and justice The pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus once stated, “Conflict is justice.” In this sense, justice emerges from concrete struggles and confrontation. Take, for example, Thomas Jefferson’s list of 27 grievances against the king of England in the Declaration of Independence. It is too early to know if recent movements such as Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, the Women’s March and the #MeToo campaign will have the same revolutionary force. But they likewise grew out contemporary conflicts that revitalize past struggles for justice. The idea of conflict as justice was well-known to the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. Contrary to the one-sided form of rhetoric by which the demagogue swayed the masses, the Socratic philosopher addressed his audience in dialogues. Insights into the question “What is justice?” often emerge during the course of bitter exchanges. In other words, justice is not an object to have, but a difficult journey to undertake.
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The Founding Fathers understood that a contentious conversation on justice can prevent tyranny much better than the rule of law. James Madison once asserted: “Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.” According to Alexander Hamilton, the United States needs economic diversity and a variety of competing interests, parties and religions in order to achieve this justice. In fact, the greater the mixture of opinions and passions in a society, James Madison observed, the more it is “consonant with the public good.” The robust exchange of ideas makes citizens forge a stronger bond. Like chess players who try to outmaneuver each other for many hours and feel, in that moment, closer to one another than to anyone else in the world. In short, justice consists of a balancing act among contrary powers that are more or less equal in strength.
Divided we stand “United we stand” not despite the many divisions but because of them. This is Madison’s novel insight. Not to combat factions, but
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to redirect them to achieve unexpected outcomes, different from the type of justice each faction advanced by itself. After all, harmony comes out of tension, even discord, like the melody produced by string instruments. ‘E pluribus unum.’ U.S. Government By contrast, contemporary American politics, on nearly every issue – whether gun control or immigration – has increasingly fallen within a binary logic. This logic comes from only two camps that are locked in a culture war. Americans don’t live in 11 separate nations, as the journalist Colin Woodard claimed, but only in two. Economics professor Peter Temin recently explored this divide in his book on the “dual economy.” He argues that the cultural divide between liberals and conservatives, or between people living rural and urban America, has also become an economic one: between the prosperous and the poor. Social media has played a role in shaping this divide. It trades an unpolitical vision of consensus – of “sharing,” “liking,” “friends” and “followers” – for genuine
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• Bake with Applesauce. Eating fewer baked goods is sure to reduce your sugar intake, but when the occasion calls for you to make a cake, replace a third of the sugar in the recipe with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce. For a delicious no-sugar added applesauce recipe, visit leaf.nutrisystem.com/recipes. • Eat Right and Often. When you’re hungry, you crave calories and that too often leads to sugary snacking. Reduce between-meal munching by eating healthy, filling foods four to six times a day. Programs like Nutrisystem provide portion-controlled meals and snacks throughout the day giving you the structure you need to eat right. To lower your risk for Type 2 diabetes, make small swaps to reduce your sugar intake and more easily manage your weight.
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sugar. • Sweeten with Spices. Replace sugar from coffee, hot cereal and other foods with spices that have a naturally sweet taste, such as vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom, instead. • Flavor Your Water. A 12-ounce can of
soda has as much as 40 grams of added sugar. Skip the soda and drink water sweetened with fresh fruit and herbs, like strawberries and basil or lime and mint. • Start with Plain. The fruit in the bottom of your yogurt can come with 25 or more grams of added sugar. Buy plain yogurt and add your own fresh or dried fruit. • Snack on Fruit. One cup of blueberries, for example, has seven grams of natural sugar to satisfy your sweet tooth, but the fruit also comes with fiber to help you feel full and slow the breakdown of the sugars, so you don’t crave more calories soon after eating it.
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(StatePoint) Nationwide, 30 million children and adults have diabetes, and 86 million are prediabetic, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). A leading risk factor for Type 2 diabetes is being overweight. But the good news is, according to the ADA, losing just seven percent of your body weight can decrease that risk by 58 percent. One way to manage your weight is to cut back on sugar, which can often be a sneaky source of weight gain. Before getting started, it’s important to remember that many healthy foods naturally contain sugar, a carbohydrate your body burns for energy. Processed sugars are different, adding calories that provide no other nutritional benefit, and at excessive levels, disrupting your metabolism, and potentially posing serious health risks. The USDA’s dietary guidelines recommend that added sugar account for less than ten percent of your daily calories -- that’s a maximum of 50 grams a day for average women and 62.5 grams for men. To keep your sugar consumption in the healthy range, Courtney McCormick, Corporate Dietitian at Nutrisystem offers the following tips:
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From politics, to community, to news about the arts, travel and food, here’s a roundup of the people, places and things that made CST news CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
announced its third annual car giveaway on November 13, allowing a deserving member of the community to drive away in a brand new car! In December, a new book written by local author and Lansing resident Elvis Slaughter made the CST cover. Entitled Preschool to Prison, the book addresses the risk factors and problem behaviors in children and teenagers. Winterfest returned to the Village of Flossmoor this December with celebrations running from 2 to 5 p.m. on Dec. 9. The days festivities led up to the big event at 5:15 p.m., the lighting of the village's menorah and Christmas tree at Flossmoor Park. Turning to politics, Todd Stroger, former Cook County Board President told CST he’ll run for a two-year term, in a recently vacated seat as a Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD). In 2017, it was time to celebrate with the parents, students, faculty and staff at the Edgar Allan Poe Classical Elementary School, one of 342 schools recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in 2017. )From Chicago Heights to Dolton, CST covered a special meeting in Chicago Heights. During the meeting the Board of Trustees of South Suburban College (SSC) filled a vacant seat within the board. In a unanimous vote, Vivian Payne was appointed to the position and sworn in immediately. In other news, CST reported on a vote by Dolton School District 149 Board of Education which voted to lower the aggregate property tax levy for the district by $19,000. The lower tax levy is payable for the 2017 tax year. Dr. Mirna Ballestas clinical psychologist and director of the child and adolescent behavioral health outpatient program Under The Rainbow of Sinai Health System ended the year by sharing information on how to best the holiday blues and recognizing emotional problems in teens. Notable mentions in the arts, travel, and food included coverage of Hurricane Irma, a story about the Marriott’s CookSmart Challenge featuring Food Network’s Iron Chef America Judge Mario Rizzotti and CST kept the conversation going in politics, featuring commentary by some of the nation’s most esteemed academians including Capri Cafaro, executive in residence at American University who discussed the future of Obamacare.
NOVEMBER Edgar Allan Poe Classical Elementary School earned the National Blue Ribbon School award in 2017.
2017 Travel & Food News
NOVEMBER
In 2017, CST covered news in Travel and Food, discussing Hurricane Irma and a story about the Marriott’s CookSmart Challenge featuring
Assistant Majority Leader Kim- berly A. Lightford (D-Maywood)
Why justice is more important than the rule of law CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
interrogation and discovery. Message-testing, data collection and focus-group engineering predict most of our opinions. People are fed only stories they are apt to read and moved to share. A variety of factions are gradually reduced to recognizable social types. The framers understood the danger of conformism. They argued that the mixing and stirring among a variety of adversaries has an educational effect. It obliges everyone to learn honesty and temperance, and to view the disagreement not as an obstacle to just governance but as its enabling power. So, contrary to the appeal that Americans must come together
to achieve union, Hamilton and Madison advanced an idea that was unheard of before: that divided we stand. The current political problem might not be that the people of the United States are too divided, but that they are not divided enough. There is divisiveness only if there are too few factions.
What can be done?
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Have the tenacity and patience to remain in the place of
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tension. Don’t look for confirmation. Instead, have the courage to sustain conflict, to stand out and be alone. Keep in mind that conflict animates politics and justice. As Henry David Thoreau said, don’t follow the herd. In other words, turn off your devices and unplug. Read books, think for yourself and write in your own voice, different from anyone else. Create new communities and work with people who want to amplify the growing calls for justice. Klaus Mladek is an Associate Professor of German Studies and Comparative Literature at Dartmouth College.
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NEWS
Staying Emotionally Fit In the New Year
By Lisette Gushiniere
The New Year is a time for new beginnings, reflections and resolutions, offering a chance for a better you. But for some, the holiday season brings on feelings of anxiety, depression, isolation and despair. Dr. Mirna Ballestas, clinical psychologist and director of the child and adolescent behavioral health outpatient program Under The Rainbow of Sinai Health System shared information on supporting those who are facing emotional challenges and how to stay happy and healthy all year long. LG: For adolescents, are there signs parents can look for when teens might be experiencing anxiety or depression or other mental health issues during the holidays or at any time during the year? DMB: As always, parents and others (teachers, family members, etc) should always be attentive to any unusual behaviors a child or adolescent presents. Some common signs youth frequently exhibit are: isolation, avoidance, lack of interest, low energy, over-preoccupation – lots of questions, over controlling – wanting to know all details: who, when, why, what if… LG: If they do notice any sign, what should parents do to help their children? DMB: Communication is the main tool parents can employ: - OPEN lines of communication. - OFFER spaces to communicate, share, express thoughts, ideas, feelings about variety of topics: school, friends, politics, parents, past family stories, personal stories. - LISTEN more than leading the discussion. Initially parents may begin with expressing their point of view on something or sharing a story; however, it is most important to LISTEN. This is not the time to discipline, convince, or lecture. It is time for listening, understanding, relating, connecting, empathizing, and getting to know why the child’s experience was difficult (or fun, or scary) for them. Dr. Mirna Ballestas
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LG: Funding for mental health has been cut over the years. What impact, if any, has this had on the delivery of services in general? DMB: Cuts on funding for mental health services has had significant impact on the overall well-being of individuals, especially in more vulnerable communities. The lack of resources, the high co-pays, the decreased / limited insurance coverage, coupled with the closing of community-based programs have forced families to make difficult decisions in opting that their mental/emotional health take less of a priority. Oftentimes, emotional distress accumulates to the point of dysfunction, requiring more intense and restrictive treatment than in other situations. In these instances, adults (parents) may prefer to let time pass and not receive treatment, which highly impacts their parenting abilities and attunement to their child’s needs. Hence, the initial distress can snowball into more complex issues, impacting more people – parents and children. LG: Is there any research that says people worry about their physical health more than their mental health? If research like that exists, why do you think this is the case? DMB: I am not sure if there is any specific research/data confirming this. However, there is a great deal of research and data documenting that people are more likely to conform or “put up with” unhappiness than with physical pain or other medical conditions. Furthermore, individuals rationalize and justify emotional suffering with many factors including fate, religion, spirituality. LG: There's a great deal of pressure to be "cheerful" during the holidays, but for someone experiencing depression or anxiety or other mental health issues, this may be hard to do. What should family members, friends and other loved ones do to support someone who is experiencing mental health issues during the holidays and who is finding it hard to be cheerful? DMB: Embrace them. We often tend to want to ignore the negative emotions, to distract ourselves from them, to shake them off and deny them. This leaves the individual suffering feeling very isolated and invalidated. The holiday season, is often seen as a time of reflection, and hence naturally will bring on emotions such as
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nostalgia and sadness, as well as joy and happiness. Embracing these emotions and experiences are challenging, but more realistic. We all experience them and if you do not offer a space to share, support, and process them, these feelings will eventually find their leaking point, most likely in less than ideal places or actions (such as through alcohol and substance abuse, overwork, promiscuity and other avenues). LG: Many people get a physical exam yearly. Is this a good time to also discuss emotional problems a person may be experiencing? Should people put this on their checklist? DMB: The good thing is that emotional and mental health is increasingly more incorporated into regular medical practice and check-ups. However, if your physician does not bring this topic up, YES, you should raise the issue. Addressing emotional and mental health needs has been proven to decrease the likelihood of more chronic medical conditions according to the ACES study by Kaiser Permanent Group. LG: In our society, people work out, eat right and focus on being in good physical health, yet a person's mental health status is just as important. What can a person do year around to keep their outlook positive while keeping the status of their mental health in good shape? DMB: Some of us are so busy that we have lost attunement with our bodies. It is important to recover that attunement and be able to identify what are the things that re-fuel and feed your soul. For example, I know that exercise may ‘feed’ my muscles; healthy eating ‘feeds’ my metabolism… what feeds my soul? For some it’s the adrenaline of exercise, for others it’s the peace achieved through meditation, the reassurance of faith, or maybe the alignment through yoga. Each person must find their own fuel – find what works for them. LG: Reflecting on one's personal affairs might cause depression, anxiety or mental health issues. How can people raise their self-esteem if they do not feel good about where they are in their lives? What should they do? DMB: It is very important to think and reflect on what you are unhappy about, about yourself or your life. This is an important starting point of identification -- however it is just the first step. After identifying what you are unhappy about, you can’t stay there, you need to move onto the steps following the identification phase. How/what WOULD you like yourself or your life to be? Then, what needs to happen for me to accomplish or have that? There may be many factors that impact that one ‘thing’ you have identified. Figure out, out of all the factors, which one do YOU have control over? With that knowledge, you can become active, establish a plan to do YOUR part. This sounds easy, but it is not. It takes time and a great deal of earnest effort – complicated by the fact that when you are feeling down, both of those are impaired (although not depleted).
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