Choose Hope

I 'm sure some think I'm unrealistic for not choosing to let fear live in my body, mind, and soul. I have no fear because I am a walking experiment in what faith and truth has done in my life-for my life. I've traveled into the deepest jungles in The Democratic Republic of The Congo (during Civil War and disease outbreaks), The Philippines (during religious wars), Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Paraguay, Brazil. More than once, I've crossed into the Palestinian territories, even talking with local residents cooking food outside (you think I didn't get some looks as a white, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, 5'9" American) I've ventured into the outskirts of Russia, Mongolia, Kiev, and so many other countries.... these are just the ones that come to mind. All of this because of my ministry/work with my husband. All of this travel without vax Ines (misspelled for a reason). #nocensoring. I have always been proactive with my health and I have traveled with nutritional supplements, drank lots of water, eaten as healthy as possible, avoided refined sugar, and more. . Most of all, I pray every day and I believe that God answers prayers. Not always the way I want him to. No, I don't get everything I pray for. God always gives me everything I need. I believe this with every cell in my body. I am #hopeful. "suffering produces perseverance, perseverance builds character, and character produces hope." (paraphrased from my life verse. Romans 5:-1-5

Let me know if you need help navigating these times. 

donna@donnaschuller.com

 Keep the faith.  We are getting through this!

9 (plus) Ways to Help You Survive Flu Season

1)   Avoid sugar.  Sugar poisons white blood cells and you need those white blood cell warriors to help fight stuff off.

2)   Wash your hands with warm soap and water several times a day. Use a nail brush and scrub under your fingernails.   I have a brush on each of my sinks.  

3

       Drink lots of water.  Take your body weight and cut it in half and drink that number in ounces of water per day.  (example: ½ of 150 lbs. = 75 oz of H2o a day)

6)   Take 1,000 mg. of Vitamin C a day several times a day, or every hour if you are already under the weather. You'll know you've had enough when your bowels get loose.  Take 10,000 mg of vitamin D3 per day, or 50,000 per day for 3-4 days if you are already ill.  Take 20 mg of zinc per day. And....if you're not well, take 100,000 mg Vitamin A (not beta-carotene) for 4 days.   

7)   Get regular chiropractic adjustments.  Studies show that people who do, have a 200-400% boost in their immune system. 

8)   Do not get a flu shot!  If you want to read studies that have proven that flu shots are ineffective and lower your immune system for whatever flu strain the shot is not intended to help, let me know.  

9)   Get lots of sleep.  8 hours a night, or more, if you aren’t feeling well.  Say no to things you don’t have to do.  

P.S. Keep your hands away from your face.  (don't touch your eyes, nose, mouth)

Questions?  Donna@DonnaSchuller.com

3 Great Things To Do for Yourself in 2020

3 Great Things to Do for Yourself in 2020

Resolutions, goals, good intentions, and promises; the first part of January is the time most people proclaim the changes they will make to improve themselves and their life in the new year.  

January is half over and I know many have already given up their intentions. Why? Because they set objectives that were unrealistic or too hard to accomplish.  They felt discouraged so they quit.   Maybe this happened to you.

Great news…. you don’t have to be so set in your ways that you can’t adopt these 3 things and create an exciting and fulfilling adventure in 2020.  The year is very young.

Here’s what you can do going forward.

1)     Pick one word that will be your motto or your focus for 2020.  That one word will overlap with all areas of your life including your: 

-health

-spirituality

-relationships

-love

-finances

-business

-leisure

2)     Out of the list of areas above choose 1-3 areas you can improve on that will have the greatest impact for good, for yourself and for your life.

3)    Make a list of the areas of your life above, and the steps you’re going to take to make the changes happen.  

This should take a few hours or maybe a few days. Contemplate and pray about it.

Once you’ve done this, write it all out and place it in one or more prominent places where you will see what you’ve written at least a couple of times a day.   

If you need help with any of this process, this is what I do!  Email me and I can help you. 

 Donna@DonnaSchuller.com

Be Authentic---Be YOU

This is a repost from one of my most popular posts of 2015.  It was listed as goal # 7 for the New Year.

“You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby.
But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”   Margery Williams

Being authentic is one of the hardest things to do.  Most everyone of us seeks approval of some kind.   I grew up as a "people pleaser," and just when I began to recover I married a pastor and I suddenly became "too good or not good enough: had too much money or not enough;  drove too nice a car, wore too nice of clothes,  exercised too much," and the list goes on and on!  Just ask a pastor's wife sometime.  To make matters even worse I took full responsibility when people got angry and decided to leave the church!  I remember writing letters of apology and feeling like somehow I could have stopped their departures if only I had tried harder.  Wow!  I'm so glad I survived those years.

 Life and it's choices are tough but knowing who you are, what you stand for, and ultimately who you belong to is important for your overall health; emotionally, spiritually, and physically.   I like the saying, "if you don't stand for something you will fall for anything."

 I admit there are days I struggle with my greying hair, my aging skin and my body.  I color my hair to keep it blonde, wear a bit of make-up, and aim to exercise at least five days a week. I want to wear stylish clothes and I try to keep up with some of the latest trends.

 I grew up in a society that rewards beauty and youth, especially here in Orange County California which is also geographically close to Hollywood.  In addition, my mother was a professional model and when I was very young she got me involved in modeling too.  When I was a teenager I was a homecoming princess and I was entered in and won two beauty pageants a couple of years later.  I've spent plenty of hours in front of cameras and/or on "stage."  Needless to say, there was a lot of attention placed on looks for as long as I can remember. 
 Fortunately, I'm working on maturing into a person who (on most days) knows that I am a child of God and since He doesn't care about outside appearances, or what people think about me, neither should I.  Being a grandmother has helped me with this too.  My purpose and focus in life have changed and it's awesome! 

To "Be Authentic" here is what I strive to be:

-Loving

-Accepting 

-Honest 

-Humble

-Compassionate

Some days I fail miserably but I set my goals and execute a "personal inventory check-up" when I am missing the mark. I am also quick to admit when I am wrong and I don't have trouble apologizing, remembering that it is not always my fault (the pastor's wife guilt stuff rearing it's ugly head).

“All people are like grass,

and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.

The grass withers and the flowers fall,

because the breath of the Lord blows on them.

Surely the people are grass.

The grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word of our God endures forever.”       Isaiah 40:6-8 

 Being authentic and real means you are willing to take some risks and step out in faith and trust that being true to who you are won't always be well-received by others.
 What do you struggle with or want to be?  I would love to read your comments.  

Need help?  Contact me Donna@DonnaSchuller.com

Neuroscience Reveals: Gratitude Literally Rewires Your Brain to be Happier

When you say “thank you”, do you really mean it or is it just politeness to which you give little attention? Neuroscientists have found that if you really feel it when you say it, you’ll be happier and healthier. The regular practice of expressing gratitude is not a New Age fad; it’s a facet of the human condition that reaps true benefits to those who mean it.

Psychologists Dr. Robert Emmons of the University of California at Davis and Dr. Michael McCullough of the University of Miami published a study in 2015 that looked at the physical outcomes of practicing gratitude. One-third of the subjects in the study were asked to keep a daily journal of things that happened during the week for which they were grateful. Another third was asked to write down daily irritations or events that had displeased them. The last third of the group was asked to write down daily situations and events with no emphasis on either positive or negative emotional attachment. At the end of the 10-week study, each group was asked to record how they felt physically and generally about life.

The gratitude group reported feeling more optimistic and positive about their lives than the other groups. In addition, the gratitude group was more physically active and reported fewer visits to a doctor than those who wrote only about their negative experiences.    

Better Physical Health

Other research into the physical effects of gratitude report even more tangible results. Focusing on the positive and feeling grateful can improve your sleep quality and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.  Furthermore, levels of gratitude correlate to better moods and less fatigue and inflammation, reducing the risk of heart failure, even for those who are susceptible. 

Gratitude and Your Brain

The reasons why gratitude is so impactful to health and well-being begin in the brain. In a neurological experiment conducted by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles, brain activity was measured using magnetic resonance imaging as subjects were induced to feel gratitude by receiving gifts. The areas of the brain showing increased activity were the anterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex—those associated with moral and social cognition, reward, empathy, and value judgment. This led to the conclusion that the emotion of gratitude supports a positive and supportive attitude toward others and a feeling of relief from stressors.

Gratitude activates the hypothalamus as well, with downstream effects on metabolism, stress, and various behaviors.  The hypothalamus is located at the base of the brain and regulates hormones responsible for many critical functions, such as body temperature, emotional responses, and survival functions like appetite and sleep. One of the neurochemicals associated with the parts of the brain affected by gratitude is dopamine, a pleasure hormone.  

The positive influence of gratitude on mental health continues past a particular event if the emotion is relived:

“…a simple gratitude writing intervention was associated with significantly greater and lasting neural sensitivity to gratitude–subjects who participated in gratitude letter writing showed both behavioral increases in gratitude and significantly greater neural modulation by gratitude in the medial prefrontal cortex three months later.” 

In fact, this lasting effect is psychologically protective. In adolescents, feelings of gratitude have shown an inverse correlation with bullying victimization and suicide risk.  Gratitude affects brain function on a chemical level and its practice promotes feelings of self-worth and compassion for others. 

   We can perceive and experience gratitude and its many characteristics in a very broad spectrum. Openness and willingness to experience gratitude affects not only the individual but her/his interpersonal relationships; a common strain in relationships is caused by repeated negative feedback by one or both partners without off-setting gratitude. 

3 Steps to Becoming More Grateful

In times of hardship or stress, it might seem difficult to be grateful. But if you really think about it, we all have something to be grateful for. If you engage in only one prayer, let it be simply a heartfelt “thank you”. Here are three easy ways to put yourself in the mindfulness of gratitude.

1. Keep a daily journal of things you are grateful for—list at least three. The best times for writing in your journal are in the morning as your day begins or at night before sleep.
2. Make it a point to tell people in your life what you appreciate about them on a daily basis.
3. When you look in the mirror, give yourself a moment to think about a quality you like about yourself or something you have recently accomplished.                                   source                                                                                                                           

Through the power of gratitude, you can rewrite your brain to be optimistic and compassionate, making you feel good.  The more you look, the more you ca find to be grateful for.  This positivity can extend to those around you, creating a virtuous cycle.

If you need help writing a gratitude list or want to learn how to feed yourself and others better nutrition in your mind, your soul and your body, contact me and I will help you.

donnaschuller@gmail.com