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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Reminders for Living

Jul 01, 2022 08:26PM ● By Joe Dunne

I was again quoting from the book Don't Sweat the Small Stuff with Your Family: Simple Ways to Keep Daily Responsibilities from Taking Over Your Life, by Richard Carlson, when I shared this chapter heading to a friend—Life is Not an Emergency. It’s a good thing to remember. All too often as buttons are pushed, deadlines grow near, stress piles up and inflation threatens, we lose track of the fact that change is inevitable, a lot of stress we feel is self-imposed, and that life is a process. Enjoying it all is the goal and how we think our way through life’s ups, downs, tragedies and joys is the key to enjoying the process. Our ability to cope, reframe our thinking, and accept and adjust our attitudes one day at a time is priceless and allows us to pursue happiness. 

So, I thought I would share a few chapter headings that help me to slow down, stay focused and keep in mind what is important—my responsibility to myself, family and friends. 


Live From Your Heart

Keep Your Promises

Encourage Boredom in Your Children

Refuse To Let It Bug You

Develop Your Own Reset Button

Don’t Put Yourself Down

Experience Calm Surrender

Never Ever Take Your Spouse or
   Significant Other for Granted

Don’t Go to Bed Mad

Schedule Time for Kindness

Attend to Feelings First

Remind Yourself Frequently What
   Your Children Really Want

Speak Softly

Take It as It Comes

Remind Others to Treasure Life

Stay Playful

Stay Healthy

Exercise

Be the Example of Peace

Surrender to the Fact That There is
   Always Something to Do

Stop Complaining About the Complaining

Start Your Day and End Your Day with Love


There are so many reminders in this book that I need to read over and over to remember what is truly important in life for me: contentment, acceptance, gratitude, being the best I can be, peace, kindness, being empathetic and loving. For today, I’m “a work in progress” and that’s okay. 


With peace, love and laughter,

Joe Dunne, Publisher

In-Print publisher's letter July 2022
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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