Tag: vitality

Sunday, January 7

Today is Sunday, January 7, 2024. We can add new habits this year.

DGoV (Daily Gift of Vitality) Activity: One week into the new year. Time for a week in review.

To stay true to yourself:

  • Return to your aspiration(s) for the year and why this is important to you. Say it out loud.
  • Reflect: In the past week, what days did you make a deliberate effort that aligned with your aspiration(s)? Include any day that you deliberately thought of -or made a choice that aligned with- your aspiration(s). Mark your calendar for each of those days if you haven’t already.
  • Plan: Set a tiny goal for this week that moves you in the direction of your aspiration. Make it clear to yourself what you can do and how you will know that you have achieved your goal for the week.
  • Make it easier: Write everything down and make it visible so you are easily reminded.  

Remember: While the course may change throughout the year, you can make progress by returning the focus to your aspirations for the year. Pull out a fresh calendar and every day that you state your intentions out loud, or take action towards your aspirations, give yourself a win and mark it on the calendar.  

A quote by Confucius, “The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.”

Thank you to Nicole Siparsky, MD for sharing this photo, “Great Smokies National Park.”

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Sunday, December 31

Today is Sunday, December 31, 2023. The last day of the year. A time to pause and reflect.

DGoV (Daily Gift of Vitality) Activity: This week, you get to start fresh. Reflect on what you have learned in the past year. Writing it down is helpful. Then turn the page to start your new year.

Set your aspirations, for the year. Remember to include the real reason this aspiration is important to you. This is about setting the course in the direction you’d like to go, big picture and remembering your why. Write everything down so you can return to it when you find yourself distracted or off track.

While the path forward may need to change throughout the year, you can continue to make progress by returning the focus to your aspirations for the year. Aspirations stay constant even when the goals and the path towards those goals may change due to changing circumstances.

Pull out a fresh calendar and every day that you state your intentions out loud, or take action towards your aspirations, give yourself a win and mark it on the calendar.  

A quote by Susan Sontag, “Pay attention. It’s all about paying attention. Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager.”

Thank you to Nicole Siparsky, MD for sharing this photo, “Sunset Lake Michigan in Winter.”

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Sunday, August 20

Today is Sunday, August 20, 2023. Love Love Love the greenery at this time of year!

DGoV (Daily Gift of Vitality) Activity: Reach out to someone you haven’t heard from in a while. A simple note, text, call or care package can elicit a feeling of warmth and being loved. It’s a reminder that we all matter.

A quote by Norm Rice, “Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light.”

Thank you to Nicole Siparsky, MD, for sharing this photo, Paradise Creek.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Sunday, August 6

Today is Sunday, August 6, 2023. Walking around the neighborhood, the garden’s colorful harvest brings together people, sharing stories, smiles and kindness with each other.

DGoV (Daily Gift of Vitality) Activity: Notice your energy level when you are with certain people and groups. Become aware of those who recharge you. Find ways to make sure you get enough time with those people that boost your energy.

A quote by Robert Browning, “Love is energy of life.”

Thank you to Cris Tagupa for sharing this photo.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Friday, April 7

Today is Friday, April 7, 2023. The beauty as the seasons change, the delight of the new flowers, new colors, new beginnings highlight progress, new life and moving forward.

Think about this: Humans around the world, of all ages and cultures, naturally desire progress. We are curious animals. We are social beings. People are really pretty cool. When we see our efforts are making a difference, that we can understand something better, that we belong and are connected to other social beings, we can feel more grounded and secure, even in the midst of hardships.

DGoV (Daily Gift of Vitality) Activity: Consider ways you can connect deeply: let someone see that they make a difference – that there is progress; help someone engage their curiosity and teach you something new; reach out and share time being present with each other.

A quote we often do not hear enough of, “I love you!”

Thank you to Jean-Claude Dumont for this beautiful picture.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Friday, March 24

Today is Friday, March 24. This week marked renewal with the start of spring.

Think about this: As the weather warms up and the days grow longer, there are more people out and about. Each of us is curious about what’s going on, what’s happening with others, what’s new. This is the time for new connections.

DGoV (Daily Gift of Vitality) Activity: Use this time to get outside and explore the world, connect with others. Whether it’s someone new you have just met or someone you know well, take time to share what you have read, what you have learned. Find out what others have been up to, what they are reading and learning.

A quote by Gustav Mahler, “Spring won’t let me stay in this house any longer! I must get out and breathe the air deeply again.”

Thank you to Meric Tuna for this photo.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Friday, March 10

Today is Friday, March 10, 2023. This week’s practice to expand your vitality is to reclaim some personal thinking time. If this option is a tool that appeals to you, please join us.

Think about this: Your brain needs regular time to think. This is time to be curious, to integrate ideas, to think about things in new ways, to process experiences, to allow your brain to be creative and play.

DGoV (Daily Gift of Vitality) Activity: Identify a regularly occurring time that doesn’t require much effort and use that time to let your mind run free and think about whatever is on your mind. The mindless activity times, like doing dishes, vacuuming or folding laundry, or during regular fixed routines like commuting, exercising, or bathing. Consider journaling or keeping a log of what you thought about.

A quote by Charles Kettering, “Our imagination is the only limit to what we can hope to have in the future.”

Thank you to Sandesh Deshmukh for this photo.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Friday, March 3

Today is Friday, March 3. This week’s practice to expand your vitality is to try something new that has health-promoting properties, matcha. If this option is a tool that appeals to you, please join us.

Think about this: Matcha is a powder form of special Japanese green tea leaves that have been grown in the shade. It does have caffeine. Due to the high amount of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, there is evidence suggesting it has anti-inflammatory effects, may prevent cancer, reduce blood pressure and protect the blood vessels, improve brain function and prevent some brain disorders as well as improve insulin sensitivity and carbohydrate metabolism.

DGoV (Daily Gift of Vitality) Activity: Matcha as a powder, does not dissolve in water so it has to be well blended in a liquid before drinking. It does not need to be steeped because you drink the powdered tea leaves. Use a bamboo whisk or milk frother and whisk 1 tsp matcha with 1-2 Tbs hot water until smooth. Dilute with additional water or milk of your choice to taste. Use a bamboo whisk, milk frother, blender, or shake it up in a mixing jar until it is frothy for your final drink. Remember, matcha does have caffeine.  

A quote by Thich Nhat Hanh, “If we choose to drink a cup of tea in mindfulness, the pleasure of drinking tea will more than double because we are truly there and the tea is also truly there.

Thank you to Payoon Gerinto for this photo.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Friday, January 20

Today is Friday, January 20. This week’s practice to expand your vitality is feeling good about your journey. If this option is a tool that is appealing to you, please join us.

Think about this: It’s often the unknown parts of the journey that helps us grow and acquire new skills. Tap into courage (yours or someone else’s) to move forward on your journey and accept that with each step forward, you encounter new blessings and challenges, you see things from new perspectives, and you learn and level up in life. Each time you level up, you expand your potential and grow your courage inside of you.

DGoV (Daily Gift of Vitality) Activity: This week, notice if you are having difficulty taking a step forward: making a healthy food choice, fitting in that outdoor time, making a social connection with someone you’d like to get to know better, going for that new career challenge. Think of a “You” in the past that is so proud of the ”You” today. When in doubt, consider making choices that will allow you in the future to feel so proud of yourself now. Enjoy the journey.

A quote by Morgan Freeman, “Challenge Yourself; it’s the only path which leads to growth.”

Thank you to Jessica Gale for this photo.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP 

Saturday, January 7

Today is Saturday, January 7, 2023. Welcome to the next level Daily Gift of Vitality which will begin posting on Fridays. We are going to be providing weekly options that expand your vitality by connecting to the positives in the Universe. If the option is a tool that is appealing to you, please join us as we engage in different activities every week. 

A quote by Zig Ziglar, “Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.”

Thank you to Matthew Lee, for this photo.

With gratitude and appreciation for all beings,

Naomi Parrella, MD & Fran Lee, FNP