Susan Biali

Here I am in Vancouver, it’s a glorious sunny day, and yet again I’ve only been outside for a couple of minutes.  It’s the usual – I try to get through my long to-do list for the day, and set the goal that by the end of the day, my reward will be going outside for a long ocean-view walk, before the sun goes down.  Lucky for me, the sunset’s so late here, up north. 

Does your life consist of long stretches of hard work and task-filled days and nights, interrupted by the occasional too-brief formal vacation?  Do you push through the weeks and months until you finally arrive at that longed-for week of vacation?  Today on MSNBC.com  I read an article on how to recreate the vacation experience (and some of its benefits) on days that feel like anything but…

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Another friend from the National Speaker’s Association, Mike Osorio, said something really cool in his latest e-edition of “Jam(Just A Minute) with Mike”, the other day. He mentioned this quote from John Wooden, the legendary wise and inspirational basketball coach:

"Learn as if you were going to live forever. Live as if you were going to die tomorrow."

Isn’t that great?  Virtually all of the inspirational and motivational greats that I listen to insist on the importance of continually growing, particularly in areas that are relevant to your dreams for your life.  Business philosopher Jim Rohn always says: “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job”.  Do you?

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Last month I gave my “Make Someday Today” keynote to a group of hospital-based health care professionals.  I had told my life story during the presentation and, during the question period that followed, I made a self-deprecating comment about the fact that, though at this moment I live a rather abundant, even cushy, life, when it comes to my bank balance and assets, “I’m not rich”.

The event organizer got out of his seat, stood next to me and said, into the mike: “BUT - you are rich in many other things.”  To my surprise, the audience cheered and clapped loudly in response.  I suddenly didn't feel so bad that I don't own a million-dollar home in the hills - could it be that that doesn't even matter?

What would a truly “rich” life look like, and feel like, to you?

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I’m amazed by how often codependence issues come up in my work with coaching clients – either I’m naturally attracting people who struggle with this way of being, or it’s a really widespread issue for so many women.  I suspect it’s a bit of both.  Almost every week, a new client says to me: “I’ve been struggling with my relationships with others my whole life, and I only just found out that there’s a name for my problem: they call it codependence.  Can you help me with this?” 

The term codependence was created to describe the characteristic personality and behavior of spouses and family members of alcoholics and other addicts, but we know now that many people who haven’t been affected by alcohol or addictions have still somehow managed to develop this problematic way of being.  The defining characteristic?  A tendency to put the needs of others first, and neglect your own self and life.

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I always cringe when I see a well-meaning grandma, or anyone for that matter, say to a little child: “What a good girl you are!  Here’s a cookie!”  Most of us, early on, learned to see sweet foods like cookies, or ice cream, or candy, as a “treat”, a reward for good behavior or hard work, or perhaps something to make us feel better whenever we have an “owie”.

Little do we know that these “rewards” often set us up for problems later in life.  Do you “reward” yourself with sweet rich treats? Or, maybe, you treat yourself by going on a buying binge at the mall with your credit card.  Perhaps you prefer to celebrate by going out for an all-night martini marathon?  If any of this sounds familiar, you might want to read on…

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Today was one of my rare days working in the clinic, practicing what some might call “real” medicine.   Though I spend most of my time lately doing what I believe I was truly put on this planet to do (writing, dancing, coaching, speaking and educating the public about total wellness), I find that the days that I do still spend practicing traditional medicine always present me with some new insight or gift. 

Today, two different women asked me for prescriptions for antidepressants.  I don’t believe in handing antidepressants out without learning more about the person’s situation, so in each case I asked them: “Have you tried any kind of counseling, or tried to figure out where your sad mood might be coming from?”

In both cases, their initial response was the same…

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Yesterday I sent out my most recent edition of my Prescription for Life e-newsletter, with tips on how to “Find Time for What Matters Most”.    This morning, I opened up the latest edition of Jim Rohn’s “Your Achievement E-zine” in my inbox, and there found an essay by renowned leadership expert Dr. John C. Maxwell.  

In my newsletter, I outlined a series of simple steps that you can take, to clarify your most important goals and activities and help you purposefully plan your day – rather than drowning in overwhelm, as so many people do, these days.  (If you’re not on my list yet and missed this edition of my newsletter, just leave me a note in the comments box, I'll keep your comment confidential and will email a copy of the newsletter to you)

As if on cue, Maxwell wrote about the importance of asking yourself, every morning: “Just for today, how can I be a success?”

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I love collecting people’s stories.  For years, I’ve been fascinated by the stories of how individuals create the life of their dreams: How early in life did they know they had this dream?  What kinds of resistance and doubt did they encounter from others?  How did they keep believing in themselves and their dream, through the (inevitable) tough times?

Today I read an article on canoe.ca about the youngest Canadian to climb Everest, 26-year-old Jean Francois Carrey.  For his advice on how to reach your big dream, read on…

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Did you know that every year, an estimated 485,000 American women die of cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke), more than twice the number who die of all forms of cancer combined?   So why is it, then, that most of us worry more about cancer than we worry about our hearts?

As a wellness expert, I get to work with all kinds of journalists from across North America, and yesterday I had the privilege of connecting with powerhouse American journalist Charlotte Libov.  In addition to writing for publications such as the New York Times, Charlotte is a passionate advocate for women’s heart health, a journey that began after she went through her own open heart surgery.    This grabbed my attention, as I’m preparing a seminar for a women’s evening in Los Cabos, and several of the ladies who will be attending have told me that they want to learn more about the signs of heart disease in women, and how to prevent it.  .

Thanks to Charlotte, who’s also the founder of National Women’s Heart Health Day, I now have some fabulous resources and life-saving information to share with my seminar guests, and with you.

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Did you know that today is International No Diet Day?  Since 1992, May 6 has been declared the day to celebrate body acceptance and body shape diversity, and to increase awareness of the dangers of diets.  Predominantly celebrated in Canada, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, India and Israel (who knew?), INDD emphasizes the following: 1) Doubt the idea of one "right" body shape;   2) Raise awareness of weight discrimination and size bias; 3) Declare a free day from diets and obsessions about body weight; and 4) Present the facts about the diet industry, emphasizing the inefficacy of commercial diets.  

So, in honour of International No Diet Day, I invite you to join me in enjoying a big piece of chocolate cake!  Also, as I’m a doctor with a degree in nutrition, I’d like to share with you some of my own tips about healthy weight management and weight loss (that DON’T involved dieting). 

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