10 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR BRAIN POWER
And we're always looking for things like this around here!  Check 'em out:
"Brain fitness is a hot topic at work. Our jobs require sharp intellectual performance for everything from recalling important client or product information to learning training materials or just keeping track of key documents. No wonder corporate leaders and entrepreneurs alike have taken notice of this current health trend.
Although the science of brain health remains young, the research clearly indicates that there is much we can do to improve how well we multitask and remember details such as names. Building better brain health can help us boost these skills and also lower our risk of serious memory loss.
The findings can be surprising, as they often suggest activities that we don’t usually associate with brain fitness, such as staying socially active or getting regular exercise.
Here are 10 brain-smart things you can start doing right now to boost your brain power at work. You can do them in five minutes, or spend more time on them over the course of the day if your schedule allows. All are geared to giving your brain an awesome on-the-job workout.
1. Rearrange Your Desk. Clear some clutter from your life. Folks who are organized remember better. Why? Because they have mastered one of the secrets to better memory -- getting organized. Spend five minutes organizing your desk, getting rid of what is non-essential. Keep out papers that require immediate attention, filing away what you can. Look over how your desk is organized and see if you can think of a better way to put it all together.
2. Read a Poem. Reading poetry gets us to think out of our workday "box" and is a wonderful source of intellectual challenge and pleasure. Find a poem and spend five minutes reading and musing it over. Bring a book of favorite poetry to keep on your desk or visit the website of the Academy of American Poets at www.poets.org. You can even sign up for their "Poem a Day" program and get a poem sent to your inbox each day.
3. Take a 5-Minute Yoga Break. This tip is all about bringing a little "ohm" into your life. Yoga is the perfect brain-health exercise. It supports aerobic workouts by building strength and stamina, trains our focus, and is a terrific resource for maintaining emotional balance. The Kripalu Center offers a series of such breaks you can download to your computer or other media player on their website at www.kripalu.org.
4. Doodle. Do you doodle? Many of us (including folks such as Bill Gates and former President Clinton) do. But did you know that doodling is good for your brain health? Recent research suggests that doodling helps us maintain focus and remember more effectively. A recent study published in Applied Cognitive Psychology found that subjects assigned a doodling task performed 29 percent better than their non-doodling counterparts on a surprise memory test covering the material they were learning simultaneously. Doodling improves attention, making it more likely that you will acquire things that you later want to recall. So when you are in a meeting or on a conference call, go ahead and doodle -- no need to apologize.
5. Keep Up Your Social Network. Studies have shown that folks who are more social have an associated reduced risk for memory loss. In one recent study, Harvard researchers found that persons with lower levels of social interaction were much more likely to show memory problems after six years than their more social peers. Remember, no man -- or woman -- is an island. Reach out from behind that desk and connect with your family and friends for five minutes. It’s good for your soul and good for your brain.
6. Play Online. Research has shown that we can better maintain intellectual skills critical to our work performance by giving them a good "workout." One of the best ways to keep these skills sharp is to play games against the clock, since timed activities force us to focus, think fast and be nimble in our approach. Games we play online tend to be timed and can give our brains a terrific skills challenge. So take a few minutes during lunch or as your schedule permits to get your brain in the game.
7. Jump Some Jacks. Here's a tip that's pretty basic, but packed with brain boosting power. Aerobic exercise is one of the best things we can do for our brain, as it revs up our daily performance and reduces our long-term dementia risk. Jumping jacks are a simple calesthenic exercise you can do in a small space that will quickly get your blood pumping.
8. Wear Your Watch Upside Down. Give your brain a little stretch each time you check your watch by wearing your watch upside down. This subtle change doesn't take much effort, but will force your brain to think out of its comfort zone in making sense of time gone a bit topsy-turvy. These kinds of "neurobic" activities may seem simple and fun, yet are a terrific way to challenge your brain's flexibility and routine.
9. Plan Some Brain Healthy Meals. Invest five minutes in laying out a meal plan for the upcoming few days. Giving some thought in advance to what you are going to eat will increase the chances that you will make brain healthy food choices. Deciding ahead can also get you organized and save you time shopping and cooking your meals (and who doesn't need more time?).
10. Learn How to Remember a Name. Here's a smart tip we can all really use: Spend time learning some simple memory strategies to boost your memory for names. For example, try repeating information as you hear it. This easy technique will force you to focus on what you are learning and give you the chance to rehearse it, increasing the odds that you'll remember it. Or use my Connections Technique and make a connection between what you are learning and something that you already know. Meeting Florence? Connect her name to a famous Florence, such as Florence Nightingale, or to the city of Florence in Italy."

Good stuff!
Have a great holiday weekend...

THE JOB SEARCH:  NEED A REFERENCE?
And do you need that reference from a former boss, with whom...just maybe...you did not get along so well?  What if your boss didn't understand what you were about--never took too well to your Moebius Syndrome and what it meant?  What to do?  The job search is always hard.  And it's especially difficult of course if you have Moebius Syndrome or a facial difference.  But when it comes to references, for instance, there are things you can do:
"If you didn't have the best working relationship with your previous manager, deciding whether to list him as a job reference can be tough.
It's especially difficult because "former bosses are generally the first reference employers look for from job applicants," says Chris Posti, president of outplacement firm Posti & Associates.
"If you don't provide your former boss as a reference, it will cause concern, unless you can give a solid explanation."
Since reference checks are often one of the last steps to getting hired, it's even more important to not raise any red flags.
Not sure whether to list your former boss? Here, human resources experts weigh in on what to do if you think you'll get a less than stellar reference:
Check it out
Knowing your company's policy about the kind of things a reference can include is important. There's a chance that your boss or the human resources department will only be able to verify your title and dates of employment, but won't be able to speak to the quality of your work, says Ann Dunkin, the operations manager at Attorney Resource Inc.
On the other hand, if you've heard your boss give a negative reference before, it's definitely a good idea to skip him as a reference. Whatever your hunch, it may be worth digging deeper into the kind of reference you'll actually get.
"Listing your former boss as a reference gives you points right off the bat, even before anyone makes a single reference call," Posti says.
Have a 'closure' conversation
Even if you didn't see eye to eye, speaking to your ex-boss ahead of time can help you get favorable results, Posti says.
"Start the conversation by saying that you realize that you two did not always agree, but that it was business, nothing personal, and you hope you can both put it behind you," he says.
"Having a closure conversation like that frees you up to ask your former boss what he or she plans to say about you in reference checks."
Casually using this time to hint at the kinds of questions he may be asked about your candidacy is important. Remember, even if you weren't a fit for your former position, you can still be a fit for your future position.
Find a replacement
Some companies require a reference from your most recent employer. And even at companies that don't have this requirement, having someone from your last job can create a sense of transparency that could set you apart from the competition.
You can circumvent your former boss by asking a peer or another manager to weigh in on your behalf, Dunkin says.
Check to see "if there is someone else in your former employer's organization who observed you and your work product; perhaps they would be willing to serve as a reference," says Dunkin, who often deals with personnel issues.
A peer who observed you on the job can also provide a reference.
Provide other high-quality references
If you really can't use your boss as a reference, be sure that the other references provided are of high caliber and can speak about you as an outstanding candidate.
"Provide several other notable references, which would make it less apparent you have skipped over your last boss," Posti says.

Since many companies ask for two or three references, this can be a simple solution and help you avoid listing your previous manager."

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress."
-Frederick Douglass

YET MORE REASONS TO GET ENOUGH SLEEP
Why now?  Because a lack of sleep can make you, not just sloppy, but unethical:
"As we all know, sleep deprivation can lead to exhaustion-fueled mistakes in the workplace, whether they be a simple typo in a quarterly report or life-threatening errors while operating machinery. (Or as the FAA discovered recently, embarrassing front-page headlines about workers napping on the job.) But according to two business school professors, it can make people more unethical too.
In a forthcoming paper in the Academy of Management Journal, highlighted recently in the Financial Times, Michael Christian of the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and Aleksander Ellis of the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management studied sleep-deprived nurses and students who’d pulled all-nighters in a sleep lab. They found that a lack ofsleep led not just to poor performance on tasks that require “innovative thinking, risk analysis, and strategic planning”—though studies have shown all those to be true—but also to increased deviant and unethical behavior in both groups. Examples included rudeness, inappropriate responses and attempts to take more money than they’d earned.
How does this happen? Christian and Ellis write that sleep deprivation results in lower brain functioning, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, which contains the parts of the brain that control “executive” functions, such as inhibiting emotion and behavior. Sleep deprivation reduces the metabolism of glucose, which acts as brain food for these functions.
And why does this matter for leaders? In a global, always-on work world, responding to emails from the boss at midnight is considered normal and logging four hours of sleep a night to talk to colleagues in Bangalore is a regular occurrence. As a result, going without sleep has become a workplace badge of honor. Staying up all night to crunch on a deadline or taking red eye flights to meet clients on two continents in one day have replaced putting in a few hours on the weekend as evidence that you’re working hard.
The numbers the two professors cite in their paper are startling. According to the National Sleep Disorders Research Plan, sleep deprivation costs the U.S. economy some $150 billion annually in accidents and productivity losses. The percentage of Americans who sleep less than six hours a night has jumped from 13 percent to 20 percent between 1999 and 2009, according to the National Sleep Foundation. The same group estimated that in 2009, one-third of Americans lost sleep thanks to financial distress. Who knows what that number is now."

There's more; read the whole thing.
And I know there are many of us out there with Moebius who work very hard.  Sometimes it's because we love what we do; we're committed to it.  We choose to work hard.  And hey, sometimes maybe you have to.  It ain't always easy when you look and sound different.  Others wonder about you.  It's lke you always have to prove yourself all over again, every day...

But still.  Don't run yourself into the ground.  Take care of yourself.  Not only is it important to those who care about you...but it's also good for YOU.  It will make you a better worker, and get you better at what you do.

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence
and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home
and think about it. Go out and get busy." -Dale Carnegie

AN OFF-TOPIC TOPIC
Sometimes I veer away from Moebius or facial-difference-related topics, if I find something real interesting...and that is the case here.  Question:  with the rise of e-books etc, will physical books disappear?  This historian says no, and suggests we look at what has happened with other new technologies.  Here's part of what he writes:
"Then there is the fireplace. Central heating was ubiquitous in upper- and middle-class homes by the second half of the 19th century. But functioning fireplaces remain to this day a powerful selling point in a house or apartment. I suspect the reason is a deeply ingrained, atavistic love of fire. Fire was one of the earliest major technological advances for humankind, providing heat, protection, and cooked food (which is much easier to eat and digest). Human control of fire goes back far enough (over a million years) that evolution could have produced a genetic predisposition towards fire as a central aspect of a human habitation (just consider the phrase "hearth and home").
Books—especially books the average person could afford—haven’t been around long enough to produce evolutionary change in humans. But they have a powerful hold on many people nonetheless, a hold extending far beyond their literary content. At their best, they are works of art and there is a tactile pleasure in books necessarily lost in e-book versions. The ability to quickly flip through pages is also lost. And a room with books in it induces, at least in some, a feeling not dissimilar to that of a fire in the fireplace on a cold winter’s night.
For these reasons I think physical books will have a longer existence as a commercial product than some currently predict. Like swords, books have symbolic power. Like fireplaces, they induce a sense of comfort and warmth. And, perhaps, similar to sails, they make a useful backup for when the lights go out."

Read the whole thing--it's a fascinating piece...

BRAIN TALK
Sometimes your brain needs a vacation.  Here's why:
"Mary Kole loves her job, but she's been feeling like she's lost the line between "work" and "not work."
A literary agent for children's books in Brooklyn, New York, Kole works from home and checks in with clients electronically around the clock -- sometimes writers will even call her in the middle of the night with an idea. Stepping outside isn't exactly relaxing either. "In New York, it's just subway, office, people, talking, yelling, honking, all the time," she said.
Kole finally tore herself away from business calls and conferences to take a vacation, one that didn't take place in her home office. At the beginning of May, she went to Portland, Oregon, by herself and spent five days holed up in a rented house rereading some of her favorite books, cooking and listening to rain.
"I believe much more strongly now than ever that to be able to be good at what I do, I need to be good to myself, creatively, and refill my own creative well before I can be any less than a brain-dead zombie," said Kole, 26.
Kole's experience shows off the power of a vacation to help gain insights, appreciate the present moment and return to "real life" with a renewed sense of excitement. Detaching from a familiar environment can help get new perspectives on everyday life, says Adam Galinsky, professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Consider that when you get advice from a friend, his or her suggestions are often more creative than what you would have decided for yourself -- and scientific studies have confirmed this. That's because your friend has psychological distance from the situation at hand. When you're in the middle of a problem, it's sometimes hard to untangle yourself from it to think about it clearly.
Similarly, many people have epiphanies when they travel because they can view their life back home from a more detached, outsider's view.
"Not just taking time off from work, but actually getting away from where you live is really important, because that's the only way that you can achieve that perspective," Galinsky said.
Kole agreed. Unplugged from work and sitting on a porch enjoying nature, she realized it might be time to seek a more natural environment, either within New York or elsewhere."

Read the whole thing...

THE JOY OF DOING SOMETHING BADLY
I thought this was an interesting essay, and made a good point--one relevant for those of us with Moebius, especially:
"It's no secret, among my friends and family, that I can't sing. I have a voice that could peel paint off the walls.
For a long time I hid this flaw, embarrassed. I willed myself to silence when a favorite song came on the radio, lip-synched "Happy Birthday" whenever somebody brought out a cake.
In church when voices were ablaze with the praise songs I loved, I imagined that some other woman's sweet soprano was coming out of my mouth. "Getting happy off of someone else's sound" was what I called it.
One Sunday morning I was pressing my lips shut and clapping my hands when the minister sidled up next to me. "Why aren't you singing?" he asked. "I can't sing," I whispered to him, afraid of attracting too much attention. "I have an awful voice."
Then the minister looked at me and said five of the most beautiful words I have ever heard. He said, "Do you think God cares?"
Ever since that glorious day, my love for singing has grown exponentially. I sing in the shower and around the house.
I sing in the car, at church, and on the dance floor. The DJ who plays Gloria Gaynor is just asking for me to put a hurting on "I Will Survive."
I've learned that it's a blessing when you can take something you once weighted down with shame and turn it into a pleasure. There's an art to doing things badly, especially in a society that puts so much emphasis on beauty, perfection, and achievement.
Most of us talk ourselves out of doing anything we're not good at. Maybe we don't admit that our egos drive us to put forth only our brightest and best selves. We are, after all, so busy. Who has time for something we fully expect to be miserable at?
Liba, an artist friend of mine, gave me a set of watercolors and paper. It sat on the shelf for years because I'd never learned to draw, let alone paint, anything more than a smiley face.
I couldn't waste that lovely paper on smiley faces. Besides -- and this was always the clincher -- who would I show my artwork to?
I don't think I'm alone in my elementary school affinity for show-and-tell. Why learn a piece of music unless it's to be performed? Why knit a sweater unless it's to be given to a loved one?
We think everything we do has to be up to snuff, and we forget that the pure, uncensored joy of living in our own skin comes when we are not attached, 24-7, to either our fans or our critics.
We can paint just for ourselves. We can belt out torch songs in an empty office when everyone else has gone home and tango across the living room solo. No one's going to stop us from baking soufflés that fall and eating them in the privacy of our own kitchens.
Trust me on this one: Chocolate doesn't have to be beautiful to taste really, really good."

Very well said.  And who among us in the Moebius community has not fallen victim to this?  We fear we don't do somethng well enough---speak publicly, look pretty or handsome enough, etc.  So we hang back; we hide.  I've been guilty of that in the past too.  But we have to fight against that.  If you have a passion, engage it!  Who cares what others think?  If's what you think about what you're doing that counts.
Read the rest of the article; it's worth it...

"If you listen to your fears, you will die never knowing
what a great person you might have been." -Robert H. Schuller

LOOKING FOR WORK?
Then find ways to make yourself stand out from the crowd.  Yes, yes, we know, if you have Moebius Syndrome or a facial difference, hey, your face ALREADY stands out from the crowd.  Which is all the more reason to make sure you tell your prospective employer how your skills and accomplishments stand out:
" In a tight market, every job seeker needs to find a way to stand out from the crowd. What separates the great from the good and makes a particular candidate too irresistible to pass up? Often, it is one of these three things:
1. Ability to prove worth
It is one thing to call yourself an outstanding communicator or an effective leader. It is another to back those claims with proof. Employers want to know what you'd bring to the table if hired.
"Candidates who can provide real, tangible examples of successes at their current and past jobs certainly stand out," say Western Union's Chris Brabec, director of leadership talent acquisition, and Laura Hopkins, vice president of talent acquisition.
Alan Guinn, managing director and CEO of The Guinn Consultancy Group in Bristol, Tennessee, agrees.
"More and more of my clients simply aren't interested in questions like, 'If you were an animal, what would you be?' They are exponentially more interested in seeing if the candidate for a position understands the value that he or she brings to the employer when hired."
Guinn says that most applicants for commission-driven jobs know they can demonstrate competency and quantify value by discussing how they met quotas, exceeded sales objectives or searched out new clients.
Candidates in other fields who are not accustomed to thinking this way may have more difficulty, but trying to do so may ultimately land them a job.
To come up with examples, it might help to examine your résumé and performance reviews. What have you accomplished that sets you apart from others? How can those achievements be applied to this job? Is there a way to quantify or explain results in terms of time or money saved, output or improvement?
It can be especially effective to search for instances that would be noteworthy for the specific position or employer. For example, since Western Union is a global company, a candidate who highlights his international experience would grab the attention of Brabec and Hopkins.
Examining the job ad for keywords can offer clues as to what might be most significant.
2. More than a simple knowledge of the company
An acceptable candidate looks at the company's website before heading to the interview. An irresistible one learns more.
"To stand out, you need to show that your research was a mile deep and not an inch deep like most candidates," says Jim Langan, partner and manager of the investment and financial services division for Winter, Wyman -- one of the largest staffing firms in the Northeast. "You need to go above and beyond in your efforts to show that you understand this company inside and out."
Annual reports and financial statements can help. Likewise, check for any recent news events or press releases. Langan says these things also might be helpful to know about a company:
• Its motto or vision.
• Its products and what makes them stand out in the market.
• Its competitors.
• Its stock price.
• Its senior management and their history with the company.
(Bonus points: If any of them have written a book or been quoted in a publication, see if you can mention that in the interview.)
3. Enthusiasm
If you've taken the time to demonstrate your worth and to do homework on the company, chances are you're well on your way to becoming the final thing an employer can't resist: an enthusiastic candidate.
How does enthusiasm shine through? "First and foremost, I believe, is the candidate's interest in the interview itself," Guinn says. "It's directly in proportion, I think, to how excited the candidate might be to be offered the job."
He says the questions that enthusiastic candidates ask are not only about the job they would be doing but also about the job in the future.
"They ask the interviewer how they may expand positional responsibilities. They demonstrate interest in upward mobility. They want to know who has moved up and why the position they are being interviewed for is vacant. They also are interested in how they will fit in with the group to which they are assigned."
Let a potential employer know that you have spent time learning about this particular job and reflecting on how you'd be the perfect person for it. Chances are your genuine excitement could be contagious.

As Langan says, "Companies love to hire people who have passion and enthusiasm for a position rather than a candidate who sees this as just another job."

"There are no gains without pains."--Benjamin Franklin.

NEED AN ENERGY BOOST?
No, put down that Red Bull--instead, try some of these natural remedies:
"Feeling like you need a boost? Here are 7 pick-me-up tricks that will have you re-energized in no time.

1. Get a Whiff of CitrusThe smells of oranges, lemons, and grapefruits have been shown to be energizing, so simply add a slice or two of your favorite to a glass of water. 

Or introduce citrusy scents into your morning routine, since several major beauty brands—Suave, Dove, and Dial, to name a few—now offer citrus-infused, wake-up-the-body washes. For a quick midday refresher, moisten a cotton ball with a few drops of citrusy bergamot oil and inhale.

2. Pull Your HairNo, really. “If you gently take handfuls of hair and pull the skin away from your scalp to get blood flowing to that area of the head, you can relieve a lot of potentially tiring tension,” says Marlene Merritt, a doctor of Oriental medicine and a nutritionist at the Merritt Wellness Center, in Austin, Texas.

3. ExhaleFlushing out toxins helps the body run more efficiently, which also means you’ll have more energy. Simply lie in bed for two extra minutes in the morning and focus on taking deep breaths, since “many of our toxins are expelled by breathing,” says Karas."

Read the whole thing--some good ideas there...

MEANWHILE, GOT A HEADACHE?
No, put down that fistfull of aspirin--instead, try yet more natural remedies:
"Head hurts? Try one of these doctor-approved pain relievers.
Relaxation techniques
Best for: Soothing stress before a headache starts.
How they work: Simple deep breathing and stretching (neck and shoulder rolls, in particular) relax tense muscles that trigger headaches, says Sheena Aurora, M.D., the director of the Swedish Headache Center, in Seattle.
A pulse-point balm with aromatherapeutic ingredients, like peppermint, can help, too. Try Bath by Bettijo Relief Organic Stick ($18.50, bathbybettijo.com). Roll it onto your temples and the back of your neck.
Keep in mind: Stretching also improves poor posture, another possible cause of headaches.
Cold or heat therapy
Best for: Medicine-free relief from minor tension headaches (which, unlike migraines, aren't debilitating).
How it works: Experts aren't sure precisely why each therapy is effective, but cold slows blood flow and reduces inflammation, and heat increases blood flow; both of these may ease pain.
"Go with your personal preference," says Jason Rosenberg, M.D., the director of the Johns Hopkins Headache Center at Bayview, in Baltimore.
Apply a cold compress (a fabric-wrapped cold pack stays cooler longer) or a heating pad wherever you hurt; limit treatment to 15 minutes at a time.
Keep in mind: You can also alternate the two in five-minute increments. Start with cold, then switch to heat.
Caffeine
Best for: Mild tension headaches.
How it works: "One way that caffeine may help is by blocking brain receptors to adenosine, a neurotransmitter that can cause blood vessels to dilate and create pressure," says Rosenberg.
Consuming caffeine constricts those vessels, relieving pain. Sip a cup of coffee at the first sign of a headache.
Keep in mind: This method is effective only if you typically consume less than 150 milligrams of caffeine a day. (That's about one cup of coffee.) If you usually drink more, your blood vessels won't be as responsive."

Again, read the whole thing...

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: first by reflection,
which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest;
and third, by experience, which is the most bitter."
-Confucius

MOEBIUS SYNDROME IN THE NEWS
First of all, look at what our friend and colleague Matthew Joffe is up to these days:
"VSA, the international organization on arts and disability, presents Ping Chong & Company's Inside/Out...voices from the disability community, a performance piece about culture and identity in America,
June 17-19, at Round House Theatre in Bethesda, Md. Called "riveting" with a "wide streak of humor" and "theatrical snap" by The Washington Post, Inside/Out is interview-based theater that weaves the cast members' individual stories with historical events. Spoken word is taken to a new dramatic level in Inside/Out, which engages rhythm, repetition, and role-playing to create a theatrical work that is both thoughtful and thought-provoking.
VSA originally commissioned Inside/Out in 2008, and it premiered at the Kennedy Center later that year. In 2009, the production was presented Off-Broadway at The TimesCenter.  "The disability community is both the largest and the fastest-growing minority in America," said Elena Widder, vice president of public
awareness at VSA. "We want to shed light on the disability experience in an honest, forthright, and engaging way."
Written and directed by Ping Chong and Sara Michelle Zatz, a Bethesda native, in collaboration with the featured performers, this production showcases the first-hand experiences of members of the disability
community. Individual histories are interconnected in a script performed by the participants themselves, giving voice to individuals whose stories frequently go unheard....
Performers include:
· Matthew S. Joffe, an actor who is senior director of the Office for
Students with Disabilities at LaGuardia Community College, and who was
born with Moebius Syndrome."

Meanwhile, there's yet more news about another Moebius hero--Jack Marshall:
"A TEENAGER has overcome his disability to raise hundreds of pounds for
a sports and education trust.  Jack Marshall has visual and hearing impairments and a rare
neurological disorder called Moebius Syndrome – which left him wheelchair-bound, unable to move independently.
But despite all this, Jack, 13, of Green Lane, Belton, has now completed a 3km race in the Arena Group Junior and Mini Run event in Leeds.  And he managed to raise more than £400 for the Scunthorpe United
Sports and Education Trust – for which he is trust ambassador. Sarah Teal, disability officer at Scunthorpe United FC, said she was overwhelmed by how far he had come. She said: "Jack is our patron. He sets his own standards when he goes and raises money in this fashion. "We are very proud of Jack's achievements and this was his hardest challenge yet.
"The funding that Jack raised will go towards disability summer play schemes for young people with a disability in North Lincolnshire."  Jack ran the race with his sister, Jaimie.  Jaimie is a young carer and has worked with the club trust to pass on  her skills to other young children. Another big fan of Jack's continuous hard work is his mum, Linda. She said she was very proud of her son.
"There isn't a measuring scale large enough to calculate the level of pride I feel when I watch Jack taking part in activities," she said.  "It is so obviously physically challenging to him and causes great discomfort, but it's his determination that shines through as he does it.  "It is not just about Jack. It is also credit to Jaimie because she is the unsung hero in all of this. Without her he would not be able to do them."
Jack ran the race for the Scunthorpe United Community Sports And Education Trust, a charity that for more than 18 months has been delivering a comprehensive package for young people with a disability.
They have been working in partnership with the integrated services for disabled children team at North Lincolnshire Council. Lee Turnbull, Scunthorpe United Sports And Education Trust executive,
said: "Jack is an inspirational young man who endeavours to strive to do his best.
"Our relationship with Jack and his family has a special bond and will hopefully remain this way for many years."

"The problem is that most people focus on their failures
rather than their successes.  But the truth is that most
people have many more successes than failures."
-Jack Canfield

BRAIN TALK
What's the difference between a fool and a genius?  Answer:  maybe, not much:
"Two genetic letters out of the 3 billion in the human genetic alphabet may spell the difference between a genius and an idiot, according to a new report.
A genetic analysis led by an international collaboration of scientists from the Yale School of Medicine determined that that tiny variation -- just two genetic letters within a single gene -- determines the intelligence potential or lack thereof of a human brain.
The report appeared online May 15 in the journal of Nature Genetics.
In normal brain function, convolutions, the deep fissures of the brain, increase the overall surface area, one of the primary determinants for intelligence. Deeper folds in the brain allow for rational and abstract thought, scientists believe.
In the latest finding, a team of researchers analyzed a Turkish patient whose brain lacks those characteristic convolutions in part of his cerebral cortex, a sheet of brain tissue that plays a key role in memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language and consciousness.

The cause of this drastic cerebral deformity was pinned down to a gene called laminin gamma3 (LAMC3) with similar variations discovered in other patients with the same medical condition."

THE SMILE SURGERY
As maybe you might have guessed, it's not just for people with Moebius Syndrome:
"The surgery to remove Caitlin Cowen’s tumor fixed her brain but stole her smile.
Doctors successfully removed a tumor located deep within the Louisiana teen’s brain stem back in 2008, right before her senior year of high school. But during the procedure, brain regions that controlled the left side of Caitlin’s body and the right side of her face were damaged.
When the 17-year-old felt well enough to look at herself in the mirror, she quickly realized that she had no control over the right side of her mouth. No matter what she did, the corner just drooped. She couldn't smile.
“It was a big shocker,” Caitlin told TODAY.com. “I felt like I lost my whole face.”
She also was left with double vision and a long struggle to learn to walk again. But the loss of her smile was especially hard for Caitlin, a quiet but social teen, now 19 and a sophomore at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La.
On bid day for her sorority, she cried because she thought she looked mad amid all the other young women who were beaming with smiles and laughter.
Caitlin’s dad, a physician who rehabs brain-injured patients, was sure there had to be a way to help his daughter. After combing through the medical literature and reaching out to experts, Todd Cowen found someone who might be able to help her: Dr. Tessa Hadlock, a Boston facial nerve surgeon who for years has been successfully bringing back smiles to kids who suffered partial facial paralysis either through a birth defect, from an accident, or from a procedure like Caitlin’s.
A description of Hadlock’s results in a series of 17 children was published today in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery. Hadlock reports that the surgery was successful in 15 out of 17 of her young patients. One of those 15 was Caitlin Cowen.
It's a long, complicated operation and the result is only about one centimeter of facial movement. But that subtle ability to turn up the corner of the mouth can be life-changing.
Hadlock says that the ability to smile serves a critical social function you don't think about until it's gone.
During a two-part procedure in 2009, Hadlock transferred a muscle from Caitlin's inner thigh into her cheek, and attached it to nerves and blood vessels there. It took months for the nerves to sprout connections.
Caitlin starting seeing the first flickers of her new smile last May and ever since October, she's been able to flash a full smile whenever she feels like it.
She was queen of a Mardi Gras dance this March and beamed her smile the whole night.
The surgery is still fairly uncommon and there are just over a dozen centers around the country that do it regularly, says Dr. James P. Bradley, a professor of plastic surgery and chief of pediatric plastic surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles.
The payoff of a successful surgery can be huge, especially for kids who’ve got their whole lives ahead of them, Bradley says.
Caitlin knows all about the importance of a smile. She refused Christmas gifts this year, and instead asked her family to donate to an organization doing surgery for kids with cleft palates.
“I don’t think my smile is the same as it was, but I love it the way it is right now," she says. "I used to take it for granted. Now I appreciate it every day.”

I'm glad for her.  Obviously a smile was very important to her.  Of course, those of us with Moebius know that you CAN live without a smile...and prosper.  Of course, for Caitlin, she had had a smile...and then lost it.  So that makes it a little different, as those of us in the Moebius community never had one to begin with.  And there's no question a smile serves a social function; gosh, do we know THAT!
But you can live without one, and I hope as the awareness of Moebius Syndrome continues to grow, we can teach more people that lesson.


"Most people never run far enough on their first wind to
find out if they've got a second.  Give your dreams all
you've got and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes
out of you."  -William James

DON'T LET YOUR JOB KILL YOU
Seriously--and more specifically, if at all possible, work with people who support you:
"Do you work with a bunch of jerks? Well, you might not be lying if you stand up and shout "this job is killing me!"
The risk of premature death is greatly reduced for people who report high levels of social support at their job, according to a new study published in the May issue of Health Psychology. Workers between the ages of 38 and 43 were mostly likely to be negatively affected.
Translation: If you want to live long and prosper, work at a company filled with people you actually like."

AND DON'T STAY AWAKE ALL NIGHT WORRYING ABOUT IT, EITHER
Because that slows your metabolism:

"Sleep deprivation makes the day drag and appears to put a drag on metabolism too, causing the body to use less energy, according to a European study. The results, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, add to evidence that sleep loss can promote weight gain -- not just by boosting hunger but also by slowing the rate at which calories are burned.

The study suggests that getting plenty of sleep might prevent weight gain, said Christian Benedict of Uppsala University in Sweden, who led the study.

"Our findings show that one night of sleep deprivation acutely reduces energy expenditure in healthy men, which suggests sleep contributes to the acute regulation of daytime energy expenditure in humans," he wrote."

And by the way, just as an aside, on a totally different topic:  this is an excellent book, by an excellent author, Sarah Dessen.  It's officially classified as a "teen" book, but honestly, this and all her books can be read by anybody and will absorb anybody.  A real page-turner, filled with insights into the human condition and life that will interest teens, parents, and anybody else. 

It's called "What Happened to Goodbye."  I highly recommend it. 

"He that loveth a book will never want for a faithful friend,
a wholesome counsellor, a cheerful companion, an effectual
comforter." -Barrow

YO BABY, TRY YOGA
Hey there, all you moms and dads.  Would yoga classes be a good thing for your kids?  Maybe not, but, well...maybe so.  Read on:
"There’s nothing zen about a room full of 5- to 8-year-olds. Or so I thought until I visitedBudding Yogis, a kid-centric studio in Chevy Chase D.C. All it took for instructor Linda Feldman to quiet down a rambunctious room of elementary-schoolers was the ringing of a bell.

After the sound vibrated through the room, she turned to the 10 students sitting cross-legged in a circle and and asked, “Where did you feel it in your body?”
“It tickled my face,” answered one girl. The student next to her pointed to her loose tooth. “I felt it everywhere,” said another. And with that mind-body connection reminder, it was time to strike a pose.

Watching the wee ones stand on one leg and twist their arms to maneuver into eagle, I realized the most remarkable thing about this scene was that it wasn’t that remarkable. These children are part of the yoga generation, a cohort of kids who beg for downward-facing dogs. Whether or not their parents practice, they’re exposed to it through TV, friends and school.
Classes for moms with newborns have become standard at most studios, and a growing number have opportunities for kids of all ages to practice. Another recent phenomenon: the yoga birthday party.
These forces are partially why the local nonprofit organization YoKid, which offers free and low-cost classes for ages 4 to 18, has seen demand skyrocket since the program launched four years ago. So far, the group has partnered with 50 schools and community centers, and has worked with thousands of children. Feedback has been universally positive from parents and teachers who like seeing students calmer and exhibiting self-control, says co-founder Michelle Kelsey Mitchell. But the more critical goal is giving kids tools for a lifetime.
“Yoga is one of those things you can take with you anywhere you go,” says Mitchell, who believes these lessons have the potential to solve the obesity crisis by teaching all kids the importance of keeping active. “You’re not good at it or bad at it. You’re just doing it.”
And you can do it from an astonishingly early age, says Debra Perlson-Mishalove, who owns Flow Yoga Center near Logan Circle. Her 2-year-old son, Jonah, has been a yogi since birth (and if you count in utero, then even earlier). As a newborn, he was a more passive participant, just getting the benefits of infant massage and seeing his mom model healthy behavior. But these days in his Itsy Bitsy Yoga class, he has the posing down and is even starting to tap into other lessons.
“To have my son know that when he needs a little timeout to take a breath is incredible,” she says. “I wish I knew that at his age.”

Interesting stuff...

DON'T BE A STRESS-SEEKER
Do some people seek stress?  Wear being "stressed" as a badge of honor?  Careful--it's probably not good for you:

"When you think about it, stress is a mysterious thing: You can't see it or touch it, but you definitely know it's there. And its enigmatic nature just might be preventing us from fully realizing the damage stress can do to our minds, bodies, and spirits.

According to the American Psychological Association, more than half of all women say they're "highly stressed," an increase of 25 percent from just four years ago. But very few do anything to chill out. In fact, many seem to be saying "bring it on!" because somewhere along the line being stretched to the limit turned into a badge of honor.
That's how it was for Meredith Bodgas, 28, of Forest Hills, New York. Before switching to a lower-key Web job, Bodgas worked until 9 p.m. most nights. "I figured anyone who left before 7 p.m. simply wasn't as valuable," she says. She subscribed to the same misguided belief adopted by so many modern women: Stress is synonymous with success—and if you're not totally fried, you may not be doing enough. "I loved it when people would ask me 'How do you do it?' " admits Bodgas, "even though I suspect what some of them really meant was 'Why do you do it?' "
Turns out, high anxiety may be, well, an actual high.
"Some people think they need to be stressed all the time in order to really feel alive," says Patt Lind-Kyle, author of Heal Your Mind, Rewire Your Brain: Applying the Exciting New Science of Brain Synchrony for Creativity, Peace, and Presence. They become hooked on the rush they get from stress, which stimulates hormones such as adrenaline, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and especially cortisol. The tension can become addictive—and as with most addictions, it can usher in an unhealthy craving.The ready willingness to put out a welcome mat for stress also stems from myriad social and cultural pressures. While you'd think the feminist movement would have moved women way past this by now, "many still feel driven to prove they can be just as successful as their male counterparts," says stress researcher KaMala Thomas, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology at Pitzer College in California.
"In fact, studies show that women expect to juggle multiple roles from an early age. The result is that they end up thriving on stress and feeling guilty if they're not multitasking. They get used to the adrenaline rush and eventually interpret stress as a drive to be productive rather than a potential source of long-term health problems."
Compounding this is the possibility that women embrace stress because, somewhere along the way, they came to believe that the more frazzled they are, the better person they are. "Many young women think if they're not working every second of every day, they're lazy," says Steve Orma, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist in San Francisco.
"They are ashamed of taking breaks and feel they're not a 'good' enough person if they aren't pushing themselves to the absolute limit. It has become a moral issue."
Plus, a lot of women are willing to forgo sleep and sanity for an implied payoff. In Bodgas's case, she figured the more hours she clocked—and the higher her stress meter continued to soar—the greater her reward would be. "I felt as if I were one of those pledging frat guys who tells himself that the fraternity must be amazing if he has to go through so much horrible stuff to get in," she says.
Sometimes stress does have a higher purpose. For example, cortisol surges during critical times of acute angst—say, when an important work file goes missing—because it kicks your brain and butt into gear (Oh, you left it in Julia's office!). The problem begins when stress becomes a steady state of being. "After your cortisol rises, it's supposed to come right back down and not stay elevated," says Pamela W. Smith, M.D., author of What You Must Know About Women's Hormones. "When you're stressed for a long time, your body's stores of cortisol become too low and you don't have enough for your body to run at its optimal level." What's more, once cortisol stays elevated for longer than 24 hours, certain nutrients (such as B vitamins) get depleted, and cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels can skyrocket. Coursing cortisol can also trigger free radicals that could eventually damage neurons, affecting your short-and long-term memory and your ability to think clearly.

Today, two-thirds of all office visits to primary-care physicians are related to stress. "Elevated stress can suppress the immune system, increase appetite, impact sex drive, affect fertility, and on and on," explains Shawn M. Talbott, Ph.D., a biochemical nutritionist in Salt Lake City and author of The Cortisol Connection: Why Stress Makes You Fat and Ruins Your Health—and What You Can Do About It.
"It can also lead to behavioral changes such as excessive drinking, smoking, and bingeing on 'comfort' food, as well as lack of motivation."

"You cannot prevent the birds of sadness from flying over
your head, but you can keep them from nesting in your hair."
-unknown

WHAT MAKES SOMETHING ANNOYING?
A couple of researchers have written a book about it, and they say:
"One of the key things about what's annoying is what it's not: It's not deadly, it's not lethal -- it's minor. There are three characteristics: Unpredictable, in the sense that you get on the subway and you can't know or even control that the guy next to you is going to pull out a nail clipper. The second thing is it's unpleasant. I can't tell you what's going to be unpleasant to you, but as long as it's unpleasant to you, it's potentially annoying. The third is an uncertain duration. There's this optimism of, it's gotta stop sometime, but it's the uncertainty of when. And then there's "terminal annoyance" -- you become annoyed with yourself for being annoyed. There are unconfirmed reports of heads exploding."

Read the whole thing.  One annoyance that doesn't surprise:  fingernails on a chalkboard.  Ugh!

SOME COOL SITES
In case you don't know about them:

Here's a page for kids with facial paralysis.

And for those of you on Facebook who are from Canada, here's a page for you.


"Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while,
but their hearts forever." -unknown

JOBS TALK
I know a lot of you out there either a] will be looking for a job soon; or b] are doing so right now; or c] will be again some day.  And we all know that having Moebius Syndrome or another facial difference can make the job search a stressful time.  But one thing is for sure:  if you interview for a job, and it seems to go well, there's another important step to take:  the follow-up.  Read more:
"Time is of the essence, not only in life, but also in your job search. Whether you've just had an interview, met a new contact or gotten off the phone with a recruiter, you must act quickly -- potential jobs and connections can be gone in a flash.
"Every move you make in approach and response to any opportunity is greatly magnified in your audience's eyes. For better or worse, this fact can be unfair unless you use it to your advantage," says Gordon Curtis, author of "Well Connected."
"If you are the quickest to respond to an opportunity or the fastest to follow up on a conversation, you will be considered the most responsive person overall, even if, truth be told, you actually are a procrastinator."
But the circumstances in which immediacy is key vary. After an interview, for example, it's imperative to follow up right away to extend the positive impression you made, says Colette Ellis, founder and head coach at InStep Consulting.
"In today's tight job market, it's important that job seekers do all they can to stand out from the crowd. If they wait too long to follow up, the interviewer may forget about them -- and why they're the best candidate. The interviewer could even fill the position in the interim."
While you want to show responsiveness and interest, the key to following up after an interview is control, Curtis says.
"Retain control by not leaving voice mails or e-mails that basically say, 'Don't forget about me,'" he says.
Instead, try the following techniques:
"If you can't reach the interviewer by phone, hit zero to be forwarded to someone (anyone) you can ask when a better time to call is. If they ask you to leave a message, graciously reply, 'I'm happy to call back so he or she doesn't have to chase me down.' If your follow up is via email, end it with, 'I'll follow up again shortly unless you catch me first,'" he says.
When it comes to tapping into your network or new contacts, you may not need the same velocity as when you're following up after an interview. And if you take the right approach, you don't risk losing a potential connection, Curtis says.
"If they are taking time to be focused, targeted and strategic with the most valuable people, they won't miss out on a thing," he says.
Echoes Ellis: "Job seekers should take time to get to know the people in their network so that they can maximize their connections and find ways to build professional relationships beyond their job search. It's not about attending tons of events, tossing out hundreds of business cards and résumés and hoping things will pan out," she says.
"It's about being strategic in your approach: selecting specific events that are relevant to your target industry; engaging in thoughtful conversations with new and current connections; being diligent about following up on new leads and contacts; and staying in contact with your network to let them know your progress and offering to help when you can."
If you need help networking efficiently, here are five tips from Ellis:
1. Respect other people's time. "Remember that when you initiate a call, it might not be the best time for the other person to speak. Ask if they have a few moments to speak with you. Prepare what you're going to say in advance so you can get to the point quickly."
2. Be clear about what it is that you need from your network. "The more clearly you can describe your goal and the input you need from the other person, the easier it will be for him or her to help you, or let you know when they can't help."
3. Get to know your connections. "Ask about their goals and interests so that you can find ways to be resourceful on their behalf. Also, make sure you understand enough about their business, industry and network so that you know what new connections they can help you make."
4. Say thank you. "Even if the introduction or connection doesn't pan out for you, remember that the other person still took time out to help you. Thank them for their efforts and keep them posted on your progress."
5. Find ways to help people in your network. "You can best build on your relationships when you find ways to be a resource for others. Think of your own assets and connections. Ask your connections what they're seeking to accomplish or learn more about and then be proactive about finding ways to help them. Networking is a two-way street. It's not just about what you can get from others; it's also about what you can offer.
"If you stay in touch with people in your network consistently and remember to ask about their needs, interests and accomplishments, you'll be seen as a helpful person. Most people like to help other helpful people."

"Luck is the residue of design."--Branch Rickey.

HOW TO DEAL WITH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS
An interesting blog piece from Parenting mag's web site--some of you moms and dads with Moebius children can certainly use this advice, and others of us who are younger may very well have your own kids in school some day--so read on (and these responses are all from Parenting's "mom congress"):
"I do realize administrators can be intimidating and here's what I recommend.  Attend a PTA meeting, or any school get together.  Get to know your principal and how they communicate.  Do they appreciate humor, are they easy going, formal, etc.  Once you can determine their communication style and get to know them on more of a personal level, it's much easier to communicate.  I think of my daughters principal as not only a principal but also a friend with a great sense of humor! ~Shayne McCaslin – Arizona Delegate 2011
My advice is just ask what they need help with!  Most administrators know of teachers that could use help in their classroom or with classroom needs!  Let the administrators what your strengths are.  There are lots of committees at school that could use a community expert.  Ask how you could share your expertise. Once you create a helpful relationship, the administrator is more likely to listen to your concerns when you have them. ~Chanda Kropp – Minnesota Delegate 2010
Great topic!  I am in regular communication with my district's administrators.  I have spent a few years building those relationships.  I truly feel that my children's education is a partnership between home and school.  I take my role in that relationship very seriously, and feel empowered to act.  I do my best to present clear and concise points of concern (and only those I am really passionate about fixing) and invite discussion, always trying to be conscious of their point of view, and offering to be involved in the solution.  I also take opportunities to thank them for what they are doing well.  I have found my district's administrators to be open and welcoming of my input.  We have even collaborated on opening a new school!  In my urban district, my administrators have personally told me that if more parents were as engaged, we would be in a lot better shape.
One more thought...  I realized early on in my children's education that the ultimate responsibility, and therefore authority, for them is mine alone.  That fact has emboldened me to act and speak on their behalf in way I could not have predicted or imagined 10 years ago.  ~Ami Boehlje – Missouri Delegate 2011
I think the best way for parents to get to know their administrators is to be involved. Volunteer with a big event or volunteer to be an office volunteer. Be present and active without being pushy and overbearing. Principals will appreciate you and your time! One more! Choose what you wish to share wisely. Overwhelming anyone with dozens of emails or requests is off putting. :) ~Lyssa Shadevan – Georgia Delegate 2011
First, spend some time getting to know your school administrators.  Volunteer to do some simple projects for them, show them your dedication, let them know that they can trust you.  Once you have an established relationship after a few months (yes, building a solid relationship takes some time), then begin asking their opinions on an issue that is important to you.  Say it is school lunch.  Ask them for the vision for what the school lunch program would look like if money were no object.  From there, share your vision as well.  Then volunteer to be a part of a project to make the dream a reality in your district or at your school. (within budget or by finding funds) ~Lisa Falduto – Wisconsin Delegate 2011
School personnel are people and most are parents themselves.  I personally feel that if you treat them in a courteous and respectful way in most cases you will be treated the same.   Spend time in your child's school volunteering and get to know the staff.  If that is not possible, drop notes of appreciation and support throughout the year. Spend time with your child making sure homework is done and requests made from you as a parent (permission slips, form completed) are done and on time.  Attend parent teacher conferences and ask questions when you have them, rather than letting issues fester.
When there are moments of conflict, check the facts before you jump to conclusions.  Most teachers become defensive when parents come in screaming before they have checked all the facts or when they defend their child's inappropriate behavior. If your child has been inappropriate, work with the school to make sure the behavior doesn't occur again. Children are watching to see if their parent will defend them or hold them accountable.  Their future behavior is determined by what they see.  Also, don't assume that the "other" child involved isn't being disciplined as well. The administration and teachers can only talk to you about your child and not others. This should not be a you-against-me relationship but one where everyone is working in the best interest of the child.
Just my thoughts. ~JoNell Bakke – North Dakota 2011
Donate time to tutor, chaperone fieldtrips, open community relationships to promote community involvement.
Promote active PTA, help organize fundraisers (several of these ideas are things that are often given to administrators to do and they do not have the time to do), organize math and science night, go to different businesses to sell banners that can be placed on the school fence.  We ask our high school students to give 40 hours of community service to earn their high school diploma...we need all parents to give some time to our schools. ~Marilyn Zaragoza – Florida 2011
I think the best way to get parents to feel that they can approach the school officials is to get the school officials out there with the parents.  My old school had great "get to know the school" events and had food so people came for dinner and to meet the staff.  It was a great meeting event and was a great fundraiser.  The PTA pre-sold pizza and drinks and the kids all wanted to go see their friends and show off their teacher so parents came.  Some nights I just went so I didn't have to make dinner!  :)  But getting the officials to come out and mingle with parents helps parents feel that they are approachable. ~Leesa Arnes – Alaska 2010
When I was asked to be involved in our parent task force PAWWS (Parents At Work With Staff) 5 years ago, I expected the agenda to include the usual items: volunteering, math/literacy events, Kindergarten readiness, etc. Guess what?  It did!  However, what was refreshing was at each meeting there were parents, staff AND administration.  All were there to represent each other’s view and each were there to prove the commitment we all had going into these projects together.  What stemmed from that is unbelievable "open door" communication...two things happened. Number 1- parents were more understanding to what all the lingo and policies were about and more apt to work WITH staff instead of against them; number 2-  administrators were immediately viewed as less intimidating and also more apt to approach parents instead of waiting to be approached BY them.
It's funny you should ask this question now. We had a newly hired Superintendent this school year and as of April 1st I had yet to lay eyes on him (although I had heard wonderful things and his written communication with the parents had been excellent).  As soon as my article about Mom Congress went in the paper, I received a personal phone call, flowers presented by him in front of the school board, a personal meeting the day before I left and a follow up meeting set for next week. (Ummm, thank you?)  Great advocacy for the schools and great PR is what they want and you can be treated as an asset.  On the other hand, maybe they want me on their good side in case there is something I DON'T like about the schools...but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. ~Marni Fennessy - New Hampshire Delegate 2011"

"The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be
ruined by praise than saved by criticism." -Norman Vincent Peale

GOOD ADVICE FOR PARENTS
At least, in my opinion it is good advice--and that is, have standards, but don't be overly demanding, don't be "helicopter" parents who demand perfection.  It can be tough on your kids:
"The phrase "I want to be perfect" was searched 14,800 times on Google this month. The Internet, with its slew of self-help articles and downloadable webinars, has become a beacon for the insecure who are desperate to attain perfection.
Yet as our society becomes more obsessed with the idea of flawlessness, parents and their children are the most vulnerable to the perfection infection.
We read the abundant literature available on helicopter parents -- moms and dads who, often in the name of perfection, hover over their children, making sure they always do what they "should" be doing.
For many parents, the feelings of inadequacy and the pursuit of flawlessness mix into a terrible combination. This creates an endless loop of new but unfulfilling accomplishments, because perfection is impossible to permanently achieve.
Parents may suffer when adopting the perfection mindset, but children also bear this burden.
Shamima, 17, explains what many teenagers believe: "If we make a mistake, it will lower people's impressions of us, and that makes us pathetic."
A parent's perfectionist attitude also sets up children for a lifetime of inadequacy.
Shamima adds, "Teens are always aware that other students in their school have stronger abilities than themselves. When they receive their grades, there is a heavy shadow of remorse. Inside, they think their parents are yearning for their child to only be the best."
Unhealthy competition is a major side effect of the parental perfection infection.
Instead of being able to see friends' accomplishments as inspirational or positive, Shamima shares that her successful friends "are like mountains that cast shadows over their meeker peers, and most teenagers are demoralized and feel as though they are worthless, useless and low in comparison."
This tragic sentiment is shared by many teens who feel they cannot be happy for friends because their own parents expect superior accomplishments."

Read the whole thing...

BRAIN TALK
So what happens when you don't get enough sleep? Well, obviously, at times you can still function.  But not as efficiently--and it turns out there's a reason for that, learned through studying the brain:
"Scientists may have found an explanation for all those slip-ups we make when we haven’t gotten enough sleep.
A new study shows that even when we feel wide awake, regions of our brains may be opting to go offline in a sort of rolling blackout similar to what the electric company does when demands for power spike.
Though the study was in rats, its results should be applicable to humans, said Dr. Chiara Cirelli, a co-author on the study and an associate professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
When it comes to the mechanics of sleeping and waking brains, there isn’t a whole lot of difference between humans and rats, Cirelli said.
To learn what happens in the brains of the sleep deprived, Cirelli and her colleagues wired up the rats’ brains. By implanting electrodes in brain tissue the researchers would then be able to monitor what individual neurons were doing.
Some of the electrodes were positioned deep in the rats’ brains, which means that the experiment will be difficult to duplicate in humans.
The researchers kept the rodents awake long past their “bedtimes,” by dropping fun toys into the rats’ cages. Though they were tired, the rats would continue to play for hours with the novel toys.
As the rats played, the researchers watched what was happening in the rodents’ brains. What they saw surprised them: nerve cells would be sparking one minute and then go completely silent in a kind of nap phase.
You couldn’t tell this was happening by watching the rats playing -- they all looked perfectly normal. But subtle differences showed up when the researchers gave the rats a task to perform.
The rats had been taught to access sugar pellets by reaching through a hole in their cages with just one paw. Getting a pellet through the hole and into the cage takes a lot of concentration and dexterity, Cirelli said. Normally the rats would be able to do this over and over again, only rarely dropping a pellet.
But rats that were sleep-deprived had much less success getting the pellets into their cages.  And when researchers watched what was happening in the rats’ brains, they saw that the mistakes happened when nerve cells went offline in the region that controls movement.
The rats weren’t consistently bad at what they were doing -- one minute they’d be able to pull a sugar pellet in and the next they’d slip up. And therein lies the danger of getting too little sleep, Cirelli said.
Think about driving – or air traffic controllers – she said. You might be going along just fine and then need to make a split-second decision when the wrong brain circuits go offline to catnap. The result could be catastrophic: a downed plane or a driver switching into a lane that already has a car in it. And yet another reason to get your Zzzz’s."


"If we're growing, we're always going to be out of our
comfort zone." -John Maxwell

ONE WAY TO PROMOTE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE THIS MONTH
Eat mangoes--they're good for you, and it's the season for them:
"They’re not local, but mangoes should be at their peak starting this month. Sweet and juicy, the tropical fruit is an excellent source of vitamins A and C and is packed with fiber. You can peel and eat them just as they are (that’s my favorite way), add them to smoothies or build a salsa around them.
Registered dietitian Keri Gans, author of “The Small Change Diet,” says adding mangoes to the shopping list can help fruit lovers add variety. “People need to be a little more adventurous in their diets,” she says. “Otherwise, they get bored.” Gans suggests trading your customary banana for a mango, “at least for a little while.” She likes to use mango slices to sweeten her oatmeal or plain Greek yogurt.
A word of caution, though: With sweet fruits such as mango, portion control is key. “One half of a small mango is a serving size,” Gans says. “Even fruit has calories, and they have a way of adding up, even if they’re nutritious calories.”

SOME MORE CAREER ADVICE
For those of you out there who are either on the verge of starting a career, or making a change, or at least thinking about it--here's some good advice I saw recently:
"Knowing what you want begins with knowing yourself. An honest appraisal is key to figuring out your ultimate goals.
"I've consulted with people about their careers for over 20 years, and what I've learned is that there are threads that run through our entire lives. It's also true of our careers," says Aricia LaFrance, a career consultant and founder of marketyourway.com.
"It's likely that you have, for example, always loved numbers or maybe you've always enjoyed helping people. Awareness of those threads can create a satisfying career path. Think life-long interests when it comes to career planning and you'll likely be happier in each job along the way."
Joel Garfinkle, founder of dreamjobcoaching.com, recommends thoroughly reviewing everything you have accomplished in your career.
"Focus on the experiences that have taught you important lessons and helped you learn new skills. Look at your résumé and peruse any performance reviews and other feedback you have on hand. Then, assess what you have learned. Take note of any parallels and key information that stands out. As you analyze your past, define and characterize the current state of your career, your 'point A.'"
Sara LaForest and Tony Kubica -- co-founders of Kubica LaForest Consulting (a management consulting and performance improvement company serving clients nationwide) -- suggest taking a business personality and performance profile assessment to use as a guide as to what you are likely to do well at, what you are likely not going to enjoy and conditions that can potentially stress you and limit your success.
They also recommend talking about career ideas and goals with people who know you well and asking for honest feedback....
Don't think of a career path as a one-way road from which you can never divert. Instead, plan on periodically looking at the map you've devised to see if it is still your best route.
Pay especially close attention any time there is a major life event (such as the birth of a baby) that may impact your priorities.
Likewise, the job world itself is not a steady entity.
"Mapping out a career 10 to 15 years into the future is difficult and can quickly become obsolete because there are many variables that affect a person's career, such as the changing economy, the changing focus on how work is done and rapid technological advancements," LaForest and Kubica note.
While it may seem that creating a career path would be limiting in the face of changes and challenges, the opposite is actually true. A well-designed roadmap makes for easier navigation by laying out the larger picture.
"A career plan -- whether it's 5 to 10 years down the road -- helps you take a long, thoughtful view of your working life. You'll be able to look at things in terms of what's best vs. what's speediest, what's meaningful vs. what's easy," Garfinkle says.

Know where you want to go, and chances are you'll get there."

"Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely
believe and enthusiastically act upon...must inevitably come
to pass." -Paul J. Meyer

WHEN WERE YOU BORN?
It could have something to do with certain things bothering you physically:
"The season in which you are born may affect everything from your eyesight to your eating habits and overall health later in life, according to a blossoming field of research. The latest study shows that spring babies are more likely to suffer from anorexia nervosa as adults.
"We found an excess of anorexia births in the spring months compared to the general population," said study researcher Lahiru Handunnetthi, of the Wellcome Trust Center for Human Genetics. "The idea is that there is some sort of risk factor that varies seasonally with anorexia."
The researchers found that eight out of every 100 people born between March and June had anorexia compared with 7 percent of those without anorexia. This is a 15 percent increase in risk for those born during these spring months.
Previous studies have found similar links between spring births and various disorders, including schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis and even Type 1 diabetes. It's possible these diseases are linked to some environmental influence during gestation or the first few months of life, though researchers aren't sure what that could be.
The leading candidates including vitamin D levels, infections that come and go seasonally, changes in nutrition, and even possibly weather fluctuations, Handunnetthi told LiveScience.

These changing environmental factors seem to influence a wide array of conditions:
* A study from 2003 published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that African-American babies born in the summer and fall were smaller than those born at other times. Also, babies of African-American and Puerto Rican decent gained less weight in their first four months if they were born in the fall.
* Babies born in the fall have a 9.5 percent risk of having food allergies, up from 5 percent for babies born in June and July. Those babies born in November or December were also three times more likely to suffer from eczema and wheezing. That study was published in 2010 in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
* Moderate and severe nearsightedness, or the inability to see well at long distances, is highest for babies born in the summer months, suggests research published in April 2008 in the journal Ophthalmology.
* Birth month might even affect your biological clock, a mouse study published in 2010 in the journal Nature Neuroscience showed. Mice born in the winter were less able to adapt to a summer light cycle, which could be related to the increased risk of mental health disorders in humans born in the winter, the researchers speculated.
* Leukemia has also been linked to being born in the spring, with a peak in April.
Common causes?
Birth month has even been linked to longevity, which could be because of these other adverse health effects. Studies in Austria and Denmark have found that those born in the fall live longer than people born in the spring."

AND BY THE WAY
Do any of you ever frequent this site?

http://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/advice-support-40/special-needs-disabilities-support-502/571272-have-you-heard-moebius-syndrome.html

If you do, you might want to chat with this nice lady:

"I am a disabled mum and have a condition called moebius syndrome. Just wondered if anyone has heard of it or if anyones children have the condition. Im also a mummy to my 4 year old son who has aspergers. Is there any coffee shops for disabled mums or any coffee shops for disabled mums with special needs children?"

Check it out...


"I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable,
but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to
be alive is a grand thing." -Agatha Christie



Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/05/03/season-birth-affect-rest-life/#ixzz1LJ2ReFwD



Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/05/03/season-birth-affect-rest-life/#ixzz1LJ2FuiQm

CHALLENGE YOURSELF
It is so important for persons with Moebius--even if we lack balance and coordination, which is certainly the case with me and many others with it--to continue to challenge ourselves and keep active.  Natalie Abbott recently explained more about this...and how she did it, right here.  Check it out.

FOR PARENTS OF MOEBIUS CHILDREN
Has your child ever been a victim at school of bullying?  It appears that your school nurse may have a pivotal role to play in it all, and for reasons that you may not suspect.  Check this out:
"School bullies and their victims both spend more time at the nurse’s office compared with their other classmates, according to a new report.  The finding, based on a study of nearly 600 elementary school children in Kansas, offers a portrayal of the schoolyard bully as both aggressor and victim. While it’s no surprise that a victimized child would spend extra time with the school nurse, the frequency of nurse visits by bullies suggests that some children may be both perpetrators and victims of aggressive behavior in school.

“It points to the fact that even for the kid who is acting aggressively, it’s not necessarily a low-stress encounter,” said Eric M. Vernberg, a professor in the clinical child psychology program at the University of Kansas and lead author of the report. “Some aggressive kids tend to be victims; they tend to get into lots of conflict with their peers.”
Dr. Vernberg said it may be that certain children are more reactive and lose their temper more easily, keeping them constantly embroiled in clashes with fellow students.  The research, published in the May issue of Pediatrics, suggests that school nurses can play a vital role in identifying victims and perpetrators of aggression, and that schools should pay close attention to children who frequently visit the school nurse.
The researchers asked the students questions about aggression and victimization. The children were asked to circle the names of classmates who acted aggressively, either through physical abuse, like kicking or punching, or through emotional conflict, like spreading gossip. The researchers found a slight but statistically significant increase in nurse visits if the child was the victim of aggression or if the child had a pattern of being aggressive toward classmates.
But the nurse’s visit typically wasn’t used to treat physical injuries from bullying. Instead, about 45 percent of trips to the school nurse were for physical complaints like headaches or stomachaches.
“I don’t think the kids always make the connection between the stomachache or headache and events with peers that might have happened that day,’’ said Dr. Vernberg. “You can see where a child might seek comfort from the nurse, but not really be able to tell them much about why they’re feeling that way.”
“If you’re finding that a kid is showing up fairly frequently at the nurse, it would be a good idea and opportunity to ask directly about peer relationships,” he said. “Kids don’t always immediately tell adults what really might be going on with them.”

Does your school and its nurse's office know about this latest research?  You might want to be sure they do.



"When life gives you lemons, please, just don't squirt them
in other people's eyes." -J. Andrew Helt