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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Me, Paying Attention to Me

Aug 01, 2023 07:52PM ● By Joe Dunne

One of the most challenging (and exciting, and scary) parts of my day, and of my life, is the time I dedicate to understanding how to adjust, improve and understand “just who I am”.

That block of time, complete with a review of my day and my interactions, puts all of my attention on expanding my awareness of myself. I am forced to pay attention to me. When I am focused on the man in the mirror—not the circumstances or the people in my life—good change is possible. 

I remind myself that change always happens within. As much as I want to try to fix others, I can change only me, so I must pay attention to only me during this time. Whether it is journaling, a therapist, honest friends—the structure does not matter—progress is the goal. Progress is hard. It takes courage, a lot of soul searching, listening, honesty, risk, vulnerability and forgiveness to grow. 

Understanding myself also means understanding my emotions. Encyclopedia Britannica describes emotion as a complex experience of consciousness, bodily sensation and behavior that reflects the personal significance of a thing, an event or a state of affairs. “Complex” is right. No single emotion defines me, but the combination of all is something I seek to understand in order to positively change what is not working in my life, even if it does sometimes feel as though I’m paying attention to many versions of “me”.  This perspective guides my journey: We have three images of ourselves— the way I see me, they way others see me and the actual me. 

I seldom ask myself if it’s worth all of the effort because improving is critical for me. I love this quote: “The quality of my thinking is in direct proportion to the quality of my life.” It makes so much sense. Shaping my thinking properly allows my life to work better, and it gives me a sense of inner confidence, pride and self-acceptance. I think this is a good thing. 

I hope you gleaned something of value from my thoughts. Most of the time, I write to push myself to be aware of what I am not doing in hope that I will start doing. And, yet again, I grow.  

With peace, love and laughter,

Joe Dunne, Publisher

In-Print publisher's letter August 2023
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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