The laugh’s on me!
It’s 109° in the shade here, with no relief in sight, and I can’t stop chuckling.
Last year I wrote about “I Don’t Know.” Remember? It was in issue #23. Hopefully after you read this, you’ll go back and read that.
In that issue, I wondered where Deb’s job would send us — this place or that place — and I worried how I could know which place to hope for. The conclusion I came to was that I couldn’t know. I couldn’t know that, and I couldn’t know pretty much anything else. What could I know? I could know that life is a mystery, and that I will die.
This year, Deb’s boss was talking about sending us to Cape Girardeau, in southern Missouri. OH NO, I cried, not southern Missouri, it will be way too hot there! This time, I for sure knew what I wanted, and it wasn’t southern Missouri! So we ended up getting sent to North Dakota, and I was glad.
Well, here I am in North Dakota. We’ve had three days of temperatures in the 100s with 70% humidity, and two more weeks of very hot and humid weather in the forecast. And the temperature in Cape Girardeau? 85° with 40% humidity!!
What if I had practiced what I preach? I wonder where I’d be now? Ha!
I got some lovely replies to the last newsletter, Counting My Blessings. Here’s one:
Hi Jett,
I just wanted to express what a beautiful thing I think your newsletter is. There is so much wisdom and goodness in standing for such simple and humble but profound and pregnant practices.
And your kind warmth and spirit suffuses your words in such a nice way. What a healing way of sharing your unique gifts with people. Thank you! Bless you!
Thank you all for encouraging me to continue sending these letters.
Have you been counting your blessings? Do you like it? Tell us!
Water
I received emails referencing “Water Facts” from a few people. I’ll share it with you, but first let’s remember what we’ve learned from each other about the effects of drinking water.
* joints are less stiff
* thinking is clearer, you’re smarter
* never knew you were thirsty until you started drinking water
* constipation is gone
* complexion is clear
* calf muscles are free from cramping
When you add breathing, you find that:
* people you work with are less irritating
* your husband is suddenly kinder
* life is not so hard as you’d thought it was, even though nothing has changed
* you feel more rested all day
* you stop prevaricating about momentous life decisions – you get pregnant, go to graduate school, begin a new mid-life career
* you’re not so stressed out
* and interestingly, the people around you are not so stressed out
Here’s the Water Facts email. I have no idea where these statistics came from or if they’re accurate. But they are certainly not incompatible with what we’ve already learned through our practice.
* 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
* Even mild dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism by 3%.
* One glass of water shut down nighttime hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
* Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
* Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
* A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
* Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
* In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger.
How are you doing with your Breath and Water practice? Let me know!