Sunday, January 17, 2010

Tip#322: Choose The Healthiest Approach – A Beautiful Mind


I've had an unexpectedly challenging week despite an amazing first week of the New Year (see tip#320). It's as if I crashed from a sugar rush and was left unfocused, unmotivated and physically lethargic.

Instead of allowing these debilitating problems to consume me I took a break from work and focused on improving my health and state of mind. I researched "brain foods" to improve my sluggish mind like fish, spinach and blueberries and took action to change my diet immediately. Plus I did whatever simple exercises I could push myself to do.

Career Buzz Radio Show

My goal was to be well enough to co-host a live radio show called Career Buzz by the end of the week. Thankfully I achieved this goal and even got energized by the interactions I had with the 2 guests and the host Louisa Jewell.

It was also highly synchronistic that the guests happen to share empowering tips for improving mental health in both life and career. Eleanor Chin of Clarity Partners offered a simple, yet powerful metaphor to help inspire teamwork with the visual of a boulder and everyone coming together to move it as a common goal.

The 2nd guest, Marie-Josee Salvas Shaar of Smarts & Stamina shared many eye-opening tips on improving one's mindset through proper sleep patterns and shorter TV watching. This was even more synchronistic because my "Live Lighter/Writer Guru", Steph Miller is currently blogging about doing a TV detox to improve a healthier lifestyle.

The messages of these synchronicities were loud and clear. They were helping me see that I was on the right path for choosing the healthiest approach.

A Beautiful Mind 2001

The movie A Beautiful Mind is based on the inspiring life of Nobel Prize winner, John Nash (Russell Crowe) who learns to deal with his paranoid schizophrenia. The story shows how he learns to distinguish between what is real and the 3 personalities that exist only in his mind.

At the end of the film Nash is asked if he still sees these imaginary people and he says yes. The only difference now is he chooses to ignore them. He chose to focus on the present instead of his past.

So let Nash's simple yet profound choice of focus inspire you. Get motivated to know you can overcome any boulder despite how overwhelming or debilitating it seems. You just need to feed your mind with healthy information that is already all around you.

Take time to listen to what your body and mind needs. Recognize the crucial importance of making the healthiest choices you can right now!

FOR MORE ON THE FOLLOWING SEE THEIR WEBSITES:
• Louisa Jewell, Why Did You Go: www.whydidyougo.com
• Eleanor Chin, Clarity Partners: www.claritypartnerscoaching.com
• Marie-Josee Salvas Shaar, Smarts & Stamina: www.smartsandstamina.com
• Steph Miller, Live Lighter: www.livelighter.org

Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman
Motivational Specialist For Professionals
Social Media Consultant
www.motivatorman.com
© Emmanuel Lopez 2010

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi --- I understand the point you are trying to make about this movie and that a person should focus their minds to achieve great things. "overcome any boulder despite how overwhelming or debilitating it is ---- just feed your body with healthy information."

HOWEVER --- this movie has done a great deal of injustice to the reality of mental illness. It sends a message sort of like "pull yourself up by your bootstraps".

You obviously do not know much about mental illness. Schizophrenics in particular refuse to take medication because they do not believe they are sick. They believe that other people are out to "get" them. They DO NOT see reality.

Most of the people on the streets are people who are mentally ill. They refuse help, a place to come in out of the cold, food, etc. because they are just that ---- mentally ill. They do not reason the same way that a "sane" person does.

I personally am skeptical of the truthfullness of the story in Beautiful Mind. If true this person is one in 1 trillion. I think everyone who saw that movie now thinks mental illness is sheer "mind over matter".

If you have ever known someone who is truly mentally ill ---- I'm not talking about someone who is a little depressed ---- I'm talking about a person who as been diagnosed by a psychiatrist as mentally ill, then you know that "cures" do not happen the way they did in this movie.

And that is why I see this movie as so dangerous. It sends a very, very, very untrue message.

Emmanuel Lopez - Motivatorman said...

Hello Anonymous,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts which were very appreciated. You've brought up a very interesting point about the accuracy of mental illness as portrayed in the A Beautiful Mind movie.

This blog is designed for motivating the general public and, in respect, does not address mental illness.

I invite you to share any informative links of content about mental illness and/or it's relation to this movie. Your contributions would be appreciated and could shed more light for other interested readers.

Emmanuel
Motivatorman

Head Health Nutter said...

Thank you for being so open and sharing your challenges this week with us, Emmanuel.

I applaud you on looking at your lifestyle as a potential factor in your challenges, taking initiative to learn about the healing abilities of nature, and then testing out some brain food. I hope your optimistic mindset is stronger than ever! :)

And thank you for blogging about A Beautiful Mind. I have 2 family members who have schizophrenia, and I, of course, love it's optimistic message & ending.

Anonymous suggested that the movie failed to properly portray mental illness. I disagree.

My experience with mental illness is limited but... both my family members have a certain amount of control over their illness, more so when they consistently take their medication.

They are very aware that their illness is easier to control with their meds. At this point, they a little assisted living but everything comes with practice and time (they were diagnosed about 5 years ago).

Like anyone else, if schizophrenics are told that they cannot do something, they will believe that. If they are told that they DO have the power to control their minds and illness, especially with the help of medication, they WILL!

There are ranges of mental illness and personally I think we all experience a little mental illness at times (Vivian mentioned lack of sunlight this time of year - Seasonal Affect Disorder).

We all have our unique challenges just as we are all capable of great things! We just need the right self-supporting beliefs and those willing to lend empowering support.

Steph @ Live Lighter.org

P.S. Many thanks for the shout out, Emmanuel!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for another inspiring message. Just want to let you know, you are not alone to feel a bit down, it is a combination of not enough sunlight and the post holiday blues!!

Vivian T.