As a UCLA Alumni, John Wooden holds a special place in my heart.  He was an amazing coach, teacher, and family man and his legacy will live on. Those I was never privileged enough to meet him in person, Coach Wooden was kind enough to give me an endorsement for my book “Getting There! 9 Ways to Help Your Kids Learn What Matters Most in Life.”  He said: “Since I consider parenting to be the most important profession in the world, and family the foundation for the future, I strongly recommend that all parents and those who expect to be parents read and re-read Lissa Coffey’s “Getting There!””

It seems John Wooden’s wisdom and philosophy was learned at an early age. Upon his graduation from grammar school, his father, Joshua, gave him this “Seven Point Creed,” which he lived by always:

–         Be true to yourself.

–         Make each day your masterpiece.

–         Help others.

–         Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.

–         Make friendship a fine art.

–         Build a shelter against a rainy day.

–         Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

Coach Wooden authored several books, including one about the Pyramid of Success, which consists of philosophical building blocks for winning at basketball and at life.

Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success: Building blocks for a Better Life

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830737189?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0830737189

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States and Europe.  A new study suggests that we may be able to reduce our chance of getting heart disease by practicing good oral hygiene.  There is definitely a relationship between heart health and tooth brushing.  Simply by brushing your teeth you are helping yourself to have a healthier heart.  British researchers have found that people who do not brush their teeth twice a day have as much as a 70% extra risk of heart disease.  The main factors for heart disease are smoking and a poor diet.  But after that, regular tooth brushing (at least twice a day) is also a factor, and a simple measure to take to help maintain a healthy heart.  Twice daily brushing also reduces the risk of gum or periodontal disease, an infection of the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth.  Researchers recommend good oral hygiene by seeing a dentist every six months, and using products like tongue scrapers (prominent in Ayurveda), mouth wash, and water picks.

Waterpik Handheld Cordless Dental Water Jet

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002AHY6Q?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B0002AHY6Q

Here’s something interesting that’s come across my radar – you know how all these athletic shoe companies have been bringing us all kinds of new, high tech springs and cushioning and treads or whatever to run faster, jump higher, and get the best performance out of our feet?  And all the big-name athletes who have helped design this footware and branded the shoes with their names?  Well, turns out, maybe the natural way, the barefoot way, is best.  Studies are saying that barefoot running prevents injury, and can even enhance performance!  A professor at Harvard led a research team that looked at the “impact collision force” (when the foot hits the ground) of runners in shoes compared to barefoot runners.  The impact was actually reduced by two-thirds by running in bare feet.  Basically the difference is in how the foot lands on the ground.  Barefoot runners land each step more on the ball, or the middle of the foot, which is more gentle to the foot.  Runners in shoes tend to land more on the heel.

Another study looked at the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico, who run hundreds of miles at a stretch wearing just thin homemade sandals.  This type of footware puts the foot in a more natural position to land lightly and gently, the same way children run in bare feet.  Researchers say that our thickly cushioned modern running shoes may actually be causing stress on our joints and feet because we’re not landing the way we were meant to do while running.  They are starting to recommend more minimal running shoes.  Some of the “new” shoes look kind of like a foot “glove.”  If you decide to try out this age-old running style now made trendy, it’s best to gradually transition yourself for a few weeks and listen to the signals from your body to avoid feeling achey or sore while you get “back on your feet.”

The Barefoot Running Book: A practical guide to the art and science of barefoot and minimalist shoe running

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615354440?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0615354440

We’ve heard for a long time how married people are generally happier and healthier overall.  Now new research published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior shows that stable relationships can have much the same benefits for young adults in romantic relationships, too.  In the study, researchers followed people from early elementary school through two years after college.  They found that at age 19 or 20, someone who was in a stable relationship was much less likely to use marijuana or drink heavily than someone who was not in a relationship.  There could be many reasons for this.  Relationships give us support that can help us avoid substances we don’t really need.  And when we’re spending time with a partner, we’re less likely to be hanging out in bars.  Having a person in our lives who is like-minded and enjoys the same healthy behavior patterns as we do can influence our lives in many positive ways.

What’s Your Dosha, Baby? Discover the Vedic Way for Compatibility in Life and Love

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1569244723?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1569244723

I always encourage people to be very clear in their communication with their spouses or partners.  But every once in awhile I hear from someone who has come up with a great way to “drop a hint.” A friend of mine, a newlywed, said that she really wanted her husband to give her a pearl necklace for her birthday.  The day before her birthday she woke up and told him that she had a dream that he gave her a pearl necklace as a gift.  “I wonder what that means?” she asked innocently.  “You’ll find out tomorrow!” he said with a grin.  The next day she was pleased as punch when he presented her with a beautifully wrapped gift, she just knew that her hint had worked and she had gotten the necklace.  Her husband had a huge grin on his face, proud that he had picked up something special for his bride.  She opened the wrapping to find “The Dreamer’s Dictionary!”

Yes, that’s a bit of humor, but it illustrates the point.  We each have different filters, different translations, different interpretations.  Be clear with one another when it is important, and keep a sense of humor when the message sometimes gets lost in the transmission.

I love grilling outside – we get to enjoy the backyard, and there’s less mess to clean up in the kitchen!  Whether you’re making meat, fish, chicken, or veggies, there are lots of great ready-made marinades that add wonderful flavors to the main dish.  Remember to marinate in the refrigerator, and not at room temperature.  Always marinate in a non-reactive container, such as ceramic or glass, rather than aluminum.  After marinating meat, seafood or poultry, discard the marinade.

Your barbeque needs to be thoroughly cleaned at least once a year.  You want to clean it with a brush and high heat after every time you use it, but a heavy duty cleaning is recommended before you start your BBQ season.  Just remove the grates and wash with hot soapy water.  Wipe down the inside and outside with hot soapy water.  Remove old or dirty BBQ stones and replace with fresh ones.  With the stones out, wipe down any grease or ash that has accumulated at the bottom of the barbeque.  Remember to also check your cleaning brush, mitts and utensils.  If any are worn out, replace with new tools.

I’m a vegetarian, so when we do BBQ it’s either soy burgers or fresh vegetables.  I marinate slices of eggplant, zucchini, onions and portabello mushrooms in an oil and vinegar dressing with some fresh basil.  The oil helps keep the veggies from sticking to the grill.  I love to serve the veggies with a big green salad and focaccia bread, you can make sandwiches out of the bread and veggies!  Yummy!

Share your BBQ recipes with us!

http://www.familyeveryday.com/articles/coffey_kitchen.php

Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding, although many different materials may be used besides paper.  In Japanese oru means “to fold” and kami means “paper.”  Originally origami referred to the folding of documents, or certificates, which usually accompanied valuable objects such as swords or gifts.  The word origami then also became used to refer to another kind of ceremonial folding “tsutsumi.”  Origami as it is used today, as a recreational art, came into play at the end of the nineteenth century.  It is said that the word was easier for children to write than some of the other words it had been called and that’s how it got its name.  In the 1960’s it became popular in the U.S.  The goal of this art is to create a kind of sculpture using geometric folds and crease patterns, preferably without the use of glue or scissors!

Although there are just a small number of different folds in origami, they can be combined in a variety of ways to make intricate designs.  Generally, the design starts with a square sheet of paper.  There is special paper designed for origami.  Traditionally one side is white and the other side is colored, although now many different combinations of patterns and colors are used.  Butterflies, cranes, flowers, stars – there are all kinds of wonderful designs that can be easily mastered!

Another interesting aspect of origami is the mathematics.  This is a practice that has great importance in science.  The Miura map fold, for example. Has been used to deploy large solar panel arrays for space satellites.

The Joy of Origami

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761139885?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0761139885

First there was Vastu, the Indian Science of Placement and Architecture, which dates back more than 5,000 years ago.  Buddhist monks brought Vastu to China, and about a thousand years later it developed into what we now know as Feng Shui.  This is an age-old practice that embraces the idea of living in harmony and balance with our environment. Feng Shui (pronounced fung schway) literally means wind and water and is the study of energy and how it affects people. Feng Shui teaches you how to harness and control both the visible and invisible energies that surround us.

I have a new 8-week e-course with Daily Om called “Feng Shui Secrets to Enliven and Energize Your Goals.”  Daily Om has been a great partner with me.  They have a system where you can pay what you want to for the course!  There’s a scroll down menu, so you pick the price.  Here’s just one of the many, many tips that is included in the course:

One Feng Shui cure to improve your finances is to tie a red string or ribbon, measuring 6, 9 or 18 inches in length, around the pipe under your sinks. On very rare occasions, this can cause a back-up in a sink. If this occurs, remove the string immediately. Check for any blockages in the plumbing and repair if necessary.

I recently saw Paul McKenna on a talk show.  Paul is very popular in the UK, and he has come up with an interesting system that combines hypnosis with “tapping.”  I’m certified in hypnotherapy, but I hadn’t heard of this “tapping therapy” before, so I did some research.  Tapping is also known as the Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT.  It uses the same principles as are applied in Chinese acupuncture to help address emotions, usually harmful emotions, that can cause ancillary problems in your life – like fear, phobias, anger, frustration, weight gain, stress, insomnia, just about anything!  Basically, the simple technique involves tapping certain meridian points on the face, body, and hands to access the emotional memories of the body.  The physical touch, and at the same time allowing the negative feelings to come up, helps the release of built-up negative energy.  When the negative energy is released, positive energy and emotions can be then implemented.  Tapping has been used to address many issues, as well as to enhance performance in business, sports and finance.  This technique is available to everyone, and requires no special equipment.  You can easily teach yourself how to do this by reading a book!  Here’s one that I found to be helpful:

The Tapping Cure

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1569243247?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1569243247

New research from the University of California, San Diego, and Harvard University, provides the first laboratory evidence that cooperative behavior actually spreads from person to person to person.  When we benefit from kindness, we “pay it forward” by helping others, which in turn creates a flow of cooperation that influences many more.  And it only takes a few individuals to make a difference.  The study shows that cooperative behavior spreads three degrees of separation, and that the effects persist over time.  It is interesting to note that during the research an evolution of cooperation was found to develop.  Groups with altruists in them end up being more altruistic as a whole, and more likely to progress and survive than the more selfish groups.  One of the researchers, Nicholas Christakis, says “The flow of good and desirable properties like ideas, love, and kindness is required for human social networks to endure, and, in turn, networks are required for such properties to spread.  Humans form social networks because the benefits of a connected life outweigh the costs.”

Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316036145?ie=UTF8&tag=brightideaspr-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0316036145