Too often, our intentions to make our holiday season just perfect backfire on us, as we ask too much of ourselves. Here are a few common holiday errors to avoid.

Doing too much all at once – trying to get everything done at the last minute is stressful and usually compromises the quality of your contribution. Plan in advance so you can pace yourself properly.

Buying favor instead of earning it – be careful not to try to overcome shortfalls in your relationships by throwing money at them – remember those you care about, but no amount of spending will replace genuine loving support.

Carrying heavy packages – balance the weight of the gifts you carry around from store to store or to your car from side to side, and use wheels whenever possible, so you don’t lift heavy stuff in an awkward way and risk injuring yourself.

Arguing with your loved ones – they are under stress too, so be gentle and compassionate when interacting with those you care about. Never act in anger, pause and calm down and then respond maturely and appropriately.

Ignoring yourself to help others – much like you would put on your mask first in a plane before helping others, make sure you are at your best, since that is
the most likely way that you can be available to serve others the way you want to.

The holidays are a time for joyful celebration, not recovery from mistakes that can be avoided. Follow a few simple common sense guidelines, and avoid unnecessary pain and stress.

Some people find the holidays exciting, some find them stressful, but almost everyone finds them busy, so as you enter into the full swing of the holiday season, remember that you can get everything done better if you pace yourself, plan a reasonable schedule, and stay present doing what you are doing without letting your mind drift to the other responsibilities you have not yet handled.

Working with a planner or appointment book makes it easier to keep track of all the errands, meetings, shopping, meal and party planning, and the many different tasks necessary to take care of all your needs and wants.
If you don’t have a formal appointment book, you can use a simple notebook or pad – just write down all the things you need to do, and compile them into a list. Arrange them by time – in other words, decide when each needs to be complete, and organize them in time order, so you can take action on a timely basis.

If one step depends on another, for example, you’ll need to buy the ingredients for your holiday dinner before you cook them, then check to see that each step you write that needs something to happen first is written in the right time sequence in your planner.

If you don’t get to one or more steps, you’ll need to reposition the steps in your time sequence, so nothing slips through the cracks. Each step you complete takes you closer to a happy and healthy holiday, so use this simple time and energy management tool to streamline the process and have more time to celebrate!

When you walk down the street in your town, what do you see? You may notice your fellow man and woman, scurrying toward their next appointment or obligation. You may see the stores and offices that people live and work in. You may see the beauty of Nature in the trees, flowers, earth and sky.

But one thing that is everywhere you look is the opportunity to do good – to find ways to serve or support each other, to share what you have learned, and to take every opportunity to make a difference in your life and the lives of those you can influence.

Sadly, most people you will come across will not be as healthy as they could be. They may be suffering from some kind of painful problem, or some illness, allergy or complaint. They may be okay but not expressing their energy to the fullest they could. Or, they could be doing quite well, but curious about being at their very best.

In any of these situations, inviting those you care about into the world of health and wellness can be a life-altering experience for them. Regardless of their current level of health, everyone can benefit from looking at their current habits, evaluating the places that could use some improvement, and making the necessary changes to have the healthiest life possible.

One way to do this is to include the advice of natural healers like doctors of chiropractic. Chiropractors have unique ways of understanding and working with people to bring out their natural healing ability and help them express their greatest health potential.

Give the gift of health in this season of giving – share what you have learned about safe, gentle, all-natural chiropractic care. Your willingness to reach out to others could change someone’s life for the better – and what better holiday present could you offer than that?

Here are some easy action steps you can take to get into the Thanksgiving spirit.

Have fun thinking of things you are thankful for.

Accept people’s frailties, celebrate their assets.

Pay for a co-worker’s lunch.

Pick three people and write them thank you notes.

Yell your lover’s (or dream lover’s) name out the window.

Tell someone you care about that you appreciate them

Have a friend over for dinner.

Answer your phone or email with a cheery attitude.

Never act hastily in anger, pause to consider the other’s feelings first.

Keep love in your heart.

Say something kind to someone who needs to hear it.

Give up an hour to help someone less fortunate.

 Inspire a child to think bigger.

Volunteer your time occasionally, just because.

 Invite an old friend out for coffee or a drink.

Nurture an animal or plant with your love.

Get into the habit of saying please and thank you.

When a high profile cultural icon like Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple and creator of the iPod, iPhone and iPad dies as young as fifty-six years old, we all have to wonder – with all his billions of dollars and connections with people in high places, wasn’t there more that could have been done to save his life?

He surely had the best advice available, but by the time someone’s body gets sick or wears out, the chances of recovery decrease. All the money in the world can’t rebuild even one body part that is diseased past repair, and that’s why we must do everything possible to keep our bodies healthy, because in the final analysis, health is wealth.

There’s no guarantee of a long healthy life, but there are certainly habits you can develop that make it more likely that you will be healthy. Some are obvious, like eating right and resting enough, while others may be less known, but not less important.

One common condition most people don’t know about is dehydration, a fancy way of saying that someone is not getting enough water. The symptoms can be subtle and seemingly unrelated – fatigue, uneven digestion, skin problems, dizziness or headache, for example – and diagnosis can be elusive.But the solution is very simple, so simple in fact that there’s no need to wait around to become dehydrated – just include sufficient water in your daily intake, and that easy, inexpensive habit will make a big difference. On average, most people need about an ounce of water daily for every two pounds of body weight – so, if you weigh 128 pounds, you need about eight glasses of water each day, about a half gallon, and if you weigh 192 pounds, you need about 12 glasses of water each day, about three quarts.

Note that coffee, juice and soda don’t count, as your body looks at these as food – only water is water, so drink enough every day.

Another common condition that most people don’t know about is subluxation, which occurs when spinal bones go out of position and interfere with the delicate nerves your body uses as its wiring system. The brain uses nerves to communicate with the body parts, and any interference or disturbance in the nerve system can prevent normal healing and maintenance of your body.

To see if you have subluxations in your spine that are preventing your body from working right, you need to go to the doctor who specializes in correcting subluxations, your doctor of chiropractic. With a quick and painless examination, he or she can tell you if you and your family have good spine and nerve system health. Even if you are feeling well, getting regular check-ups is smart and responsible.

If health is wealth, then live a long, healthy life by keeping your body working at peak efficiency. Eat well, drink enough water, rest and sleep well, and visit your health and wellness professionals to get well and stay well.

When was the last time you got a check-up to see how well your spine and nerve system are working? Many people don’t yet realize how important it is to keep your spine healthy – it protects the nerves, which carry information to and from the brain so your body parts can work properly, and that’s essential for good health.

How can you take better care of your spine? First, be aware of it, and avoid doing silly things that may injure or damage your spinal structure. Bend your knees when you lift something heavy, and don’t lift things that are too heavy. Sleep on your back or side, not on your stomach – sleeping face down causes an unnatural stress on your low back, and also tends to keep your head turned to one side all night, which causes an unnatural stress on your neck. These stresses may not hurt you at first, but they can accumulate and eventually cause problems.

It’s common sense to take good care of your spine, but most people don’t realize that it may take more than just avoiding injuries or stress. The normal wear and tear, just from sitting, carrying things, and standing or walking may require that you actively keep your spine in good alignment, whether you have pain and symptoms or not. Smart health consumers include spinal care in their health and wellness routine, including massage, yoga, exercise, and of course, chiropractic care.

If you or anyone in your family has not yet had a chiropractic check-up, it can be one of the most valuable and health-inspiring things to do. Problems with spinal misalignment can be insidious, not becoming symptomatic or painful until reaching a more advanced stage, and then creating more issues and a longer recovery time, with more pain and expense. It’s much more sensible to stay healthy than to let yourself get sick and then have to get well.

Those in the know, top athletes, entertainers, politicians and health professionals visit their chiropractor regularly, to get check-ups and to receive corrective care when necessary. It’s quick, painless, and can save you or someone you love needless suffering. Make a time for you and your entire family to get an exam, and let your chiropractor reassure you that everything  is fine – and if not, he or she can advise you on the best course of action to take good care of your spine.

Some people mistakenly think that leaders are uniformed figureheads who are elected or chosen to represent a certain group or organization, but everyday leadership is demonstrated by parents, teachers, older siblings, clergy, friends – in fact, just about everyone finds themselves in a position of leadership from time to time.

Here are the thoughts of leadership educator Steve Ventura on
the subject:

The 10 most important words:
“What can I do to help you be more successful?”

The 9 most important words:
“I need you to do this, and here’s why …”

The 8 most important words:
“That’s my mistake and I will fix it.”

The 7 most important words:
“My door is always open to you.”

The 6 most important words:
“Let’s focus on solving the problem.”

The 5 most important words:
“You did a great job!”

The 4 most important words:
“What do YOU think?”

The 3 most important words:
“Follow my lead.”

The 2 most important words:
“Thank You.”

The MOST important word:
“YOU.”

Halloween is a time when many kids go trick or treating, only to stockpile mass quantities of candy – it’s bad for their teeth, bad for their weight, bad for the inner workings of their body, and bad for their psychology too, as sugared-up kids will go into overdrive, act out, and even get depressed in response to the excessive sugar in their systems.

This Halloween, try some healthy snacks instead of the usual not-so-good-for-you sugary treats! In the past few years, many companies have created dozens of options so you can help your child and the neighborhood kids have a healthier Halloween.

Here’s a list of some yummy Halloween treats that shouldn’t hurt your family’s health, yet allow them to participate fully in the Halloween festivities.

1. Dark Chocolate Bites
Skip the milk chocolate and sneak antioxidant-rich dark chocolate into trick-or-treat bags. Dark chocolate helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Try Organic Dark Chocolate Bug bites, Equal Exchange Mini-Chocolates, or Sweet Earth Trick or Treat Chocolates.

2. Organic Candies
Don’t deprive the kids of sweet Halloween snacks, just pick better ones they’ll also like. Try Organic Fruitabu Smooshed Fruit Flats, Rolls and Twirls. They’re made with over 90 percent organic fruit and no artificial additives, and come in delicious fruit flavors. Or, you can try Clif Kid Twisted Fruit Ropes, also USDA certified organic, or St. Claire’s Organic Fruit Tarts, or Candy Tree vegan organic Mixed Fruit Toffee Chews, or Stretch Island Fruit Leather, in apple, grape, raspberry, strawberry, mango, cherry-apricot, tropical and blackberry. All of these are much healthier than store bought fruit roll-ups and Twizzlers.

3. Organic Gummy Bears
The Let’s Do Organic! Company sells Classic, Jelly and Super Sour vegan gummy bears.

4. Organic Hard Candies
Yummy Earth lollipops are USDA certified-organic, contain no artificial colors or corn syrup and are available in 20 flavors such as Pomegranate Pucker, TooBerry Blueberry and Strawberry Smash. Or, try Organic Root Beer Barrels, or Candy Tree Organic Lollipops, updated versions of perennial favorites that will please even the finicky candy lovers. Or, you can go with College Farm Organics Naturepops and Hard Candies, whose organic suckers and hard candies contain only natural flavors and colors, and are good options for people with food allergies because they contain no gluten, nuts, soy or eggs.

5. Organic Nutballs
Betty Lou’s makes delicious nut butter balls, and don’t miss their Golden Smackers organic chocolate peanut butter patties.

6. Organic Popcorn
Newman’s makes Newman’s Own Organics Pop’s Corn individual microwave popcorn packs of organic popcorn, a great departure from the sweets.

7. Organic Cookies and Bars
Barbara’s Bakery offers organic animal cookies, in chocolate chip, oatmeal wheat-free, vanilla, and vanilla-fruit-juice-sweetened. Earth’s Best makes organic Whole Grain Bars for babies, just the right size for a Halloween tidbit, in Apple Blueberry, Peach Banana, Pear Raspberry, and Carrot Raisin. New England Natural Bakers offers organic Save the Forest Cereal and Trail Mix Bars, in a variety of flavors. Ten percent of their profits goes to environmental and social causes. Oskri Organics sells organic Sesame Bars and Coconut Bars in various flavors (sesame flavors include dates, fennel, molasses, and cumin; coconut flavors include strawberry, pineapple, almond, and mango). 

8. Organic Beverages
Knudsen and Santa Cruz Organic both offer small juice boxes for kids, while EdenSoy makes small boxes of soy drinks (original, carob, and vanilla flavors). The Whole Kids line at Whole Foods Markets includes small boxes of organic juices and soy drinks, too.

9. Organic Baby Carrots, Raisins and Honey Sticks
Earthbound Farm sells organic Thompson Seedless Raisins in handy snack packs, just right for kids. Pavich Raisins are also available in individual small boxes but are not sealed. You can get organic baby carrots at any Whole Foods and most grocery stores. Very little organic honey is currently available, but Stash Tea, a maker of organic teas, makes delicious, naturally-flavored honey sticks, another tasty Halloween option to the usual overly sweet chemical laden treats.

You can probably see that there’s no excuse to settle for yucky Halloween treats for your family and the neighborhood kids, when there’s such a wide variety of healthy snacks available. Do a little homework of your own, and you’ll find scrumptious, satisfying snacks to please your toughest critics.

In fact, it’s healthier for you and your kids year-round, not only at Halloween time – make it a habit to eat healthier, and avoid overly processed, sugary and chemical treated foods — it will come back to reward you many times over with a better overall quality of life and more years to enjoy it.

Most people want to be as healthy as possible. Some think it’s luck, some think it’s genetics, some think it’s for someone else besides themselves.

But what most people don’t realize is that there is a way to improve the quality of your health, by following some simple, logical guidelines, which improve your chances of living a healthy life.

These easy-to-understand lifestyle choices will lead to a better quality of life overall, as well as relative freedom from the pain, suffering and inconvenience that often comes when we don’t follow these basic rules.

1. Get enough rest and sleep. Too many of us “burn the candle at both ends,” and the result is that we deplete our energy. Allow for 7-8 hours of sleep each night, on a comfortable and supportive bed, and if you can’t do that, then find time to rest during each day so your body and mind have a chance to recover from the stresses of daily life.
2. Eat a healthy wholesome diet. Eating more fruits and vegetables and less heavy, fried or processed food makes it easier for your body to use your nutrition and leads to reduced body weight, which experts agree leads to a longer, healthier life.
3. Drink enough water. Your body is mostly water, and that means you need to constantly replenish your cells that lose water through breathing, sweating, urinating and other body functions.
4. Exercise enough. As little as three thirty-minute sessions of walking each week can set your body on the road to fitness. Be reasonable, start at the right pace, but be consistent and it will reward you many times over.
5. Develop a positive mental attitude. Look for the bright side of life, and be nice to yourself and those around you. Find ways to reduce and manage your stress.
6. Take good care of your body parts – your skin, eyes, teeth, and spine require periodic maintenance, and as long as you take the responsibility to keep your body working right, it’s more likely you will experience a sense of vitality.

 Why take care of your spine? Your spine protects your nerve system, responsible for communication between the brain and all body parts, so an unhealthy spine leads to an unhealthy body. Take care of your spine by visiting your chiropractor, and he or she will advise you on any further attention that may be necessary. For many people, this is the missing link that brings together everything else they do to stay healthy – find out for yourself what your spinal health care needs may be, and make the decision to take proper care of your spine – it makes a big difference!

World class athlete, college professor and bestselling author of the classic “The Way Of The Peaceful Warrior” Dan Millman offers us twelve gateways to personal growth in his outstanding book, “Everyday Enlightenment.”

1. Discover your worth – Life is full of gifts and opportunities; you will open to receive and enjoy them to the degree that you begin to appreciate your innate worth, and offer to yourself the same compassion and respect that you would give to others.
2. Reclaim your will – Inside you is untapped strength of will, of spirit, of heart. You have only to remember your purpose — great strength of will resides within you, waiting for expression.
3. Energize your body – If you lack vitality, nothing else matters. If you have your health, anything is possible.
4. Manage your money – it can serve you or bind you, depending on how you manage it. Clarify your goals and use your gifts, and you can make good money doing what you enjoy while serving the higher calling of your soul.
5. Tame your mind – You perceive the world through your beliefs, interpretations and associations. As your mind clears, you perceive reality simply as it is.
6. Trust your intuition – Your subconscious mind holds keys to intuitive wisdom, clear sight, and untapped power. All you have to do is look, listen and trust, paying attention to dreams, feelings, and instinct.
7. Accept your emotions – emotions are like waves on the sea or weather in the skies, rising and falling on their own accord. You cannot control your feelings, so you are not responsible for your feelings, only for your response to them. Accept emotions completely, let your feelings be, just don’t let them run your life.
8. Face your fears – Fear is a wonderful servant but a terrible master. Like pain, it can alert you and advise you, but may also cloud or limit your life. Your fears are not walls, but hurdles. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the conquering of it.
9. Illuminate your shadow – As an infant, you were pure potential, but in growing up you disowned parts of your being, and you became “this” but not “that.” By illuminating your shadow, you become whole again, and real.
10. Embrace your sexuality – Hungers and appetites for food, sex, and life are natural. If you suppress the power of your drives, you create obsessions, compulsions and guilty secrets. Life is not a matter of indulging or denying the energies of life, but of observing, accepting, and wisely channeling them.
11. Awaken your heart – Love is life’s great secret. Love endures not from words or feelings alone, but from actions that carry you beyond the interests of separate self. You are not here to contact your higher self; you are here to become it.
12. Serve your world – Service is both a means and an end, for in giving to others, you open yourself to love, abundance, and inner peace. You cannot serve others without uplifting yourself.