10 Inspiring Quotes

I love quotes.  A few well chosen words can inspire me and even change how I feel about my day. So when this article from Mindbodygreen arrived in my inbox last week, I bookmarked it to share with you...

10 Inspirational Quotes To Keep Your Humility & Pride In Check

BY DR. JOEL KAHN VIA MINDBODYGREEN.COM

This week, I had two unusual events on the same day. I opened an envelope on my office desk and found a handwritten note from a hospital administrator, thanking me for the high scores that patients were giving me on a survey.

Later, I received an email from a medical school administrator. She was thanking me for the tremendous lecture I had given that day to second year residents and was inviting me back to lecture for a longer session.

While I take pride in both how I care for my patients and how I teach at the medical school, I had to chuckle. The first letter was in reference to a hospital where I don't see patients. And I had not lectured at the medical school that day. Both messages were kind, but unfortunately they were meant for someone else.

I ended up sharing these false praises on social media for their humor. I also pointed out that on some days, there are no awards and no recognition despite our efforts and some days there are false praises. I've certainly had my fair share of public accolades and exposure.

Finding balance to stay grounded can be an issue throughout life. As a child, I learned a teaching attributed to Rabbi Bunim, a Hasidic teacher who lived in Poland 200 years ago. "Everyone should have two pockets, each carrying a piece of paper," he said. "On one paper should be written, I am but dust and ashes and on the other, The whole world was created for me. From time to time, we must reach into one pocket or the other, the secret of living well coming from knowing when to reach into each.”

This teaching has been a helpful guide, so I sought out other wisdoms on the topic and share them here.

Here are 10 inspirational quotes to help you keep your humility and pride in check:

1. “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” — Ernest Hemingway

2. “It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.” — Mahatma Gandhi

3. “On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom.” — Michel de Montaigne

4. “To find the balance you want, this is what you must become. You must keep your feet grounded so firmly on the earth that it's like you have four legs instead of two. That way, you can stay in the world. But you must stop looking at the world through your head. You must look through your heart, instead. That way, you will know God”. — Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

5. “Early in my career...I had to choose between an honest arrogance and a hypercritical humility... I deliberately choose an honest arrogance, and I've never been sorry.” — Frank Lloyd Wright

6. “Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.” — Ann Landers

7. “An attitude of gratitude is the highest yoga.” — Yogi Bhajan

8. “Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.” — Steve Jobs

9. “Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need.” — Khalil Gibran

10. “Be happy for those who are happy, have compassion towards the unhappy, and maintain equanimity towards the wicked.” — Patanjali

As a consequence of this week's lesson in humility, I have dipped into the pocket of pride and am trying to discharge my patients with more information while I lecture with more enthusiasm, striving to earn the praise that I falsely gathered.

Seen in the News Section of the March Edition of Yoga Magazine...

"A new study published in the journal "Annals of Internal Medicine" suggests that practicing yoga is better for treating back muscle pain than standard medical treatments.  According to researchers from the University of York, people who undertook a 12 week course on yoga poses because they were experiencing pain in their lower back muscles, experienced more improved back function compared to those who received standard medical care. The study involved 156 patients who took yoga classes, while another 157 patients received standard care from the UK's National Health Service.  After 3 months, the yoga practicing group were able to participate in 30 percent more activities than those receiving conventional medical care, and reported significant pain reduction".

Here's an infographic of some familiar yoga poses to inspire you to roll out your mat...

This Week I am Making... Blueberry and Banana Smoothie

This delicious smoothie has just 3 ingredients, blueberries, banana and water and it takes just 2 minutes to make - yes really! 

I often have a smoothie for breakfast but this time I had one for my 'elevenses' as a pre-lunch snack.  I usually make smoothies with milk or yoghurt which adds to the creaminess, but I decided to forgo the milk as Ella from www.deliciouslyella.com advises.  She says that the banana provides plenty of creaminess on its own and to use water to dilute the thickness if required. She was right - it tasted really good and you honestly don't miss the milk.

I decided to do a little research to compare the calories of the smoothie with that of a common 'elevenses' drink - a medium sized Caffe Latte from Costa. 

According to Wikipedia there are between 90-100 calories in a medium sized banana and there are 70 calories in a 125g punnet of blueberries.  I'll go with the larger number for the banana to make the total number of calories in my smoothie 170.  In comparison, the Costa Latte has a total of 201 calories.  

Let's look at price now - a single banana from Tesco costs 12p, the 125g punnet of blueberries I bought at Budgens was £1.50 so my smoothie cost £1.62.  A takeaway Caffe Latte from Costa at Waterloo Station is £2.45.  So the smoothie wins again!

The smoothie makes a much healthier substitute for your morning coffee because the banana contains fibre, potassium and has enough density to fill you up and stop you going for the biscuit tin!  The blueberries contain loads of vitamins and have high levels of anti-oxidants which neutralise the free radicals which are so damaging to your skin. And it's a fabulous colour too!

Here's how to make it...

Ingredients:
1 medium banana
125g blueberries
half a glass of water

• Cut the banana into pieces and put into a blender
• Wash the blueberries and put them in the blender too
• Add the water - you can always add some more if you want your smoothie to have moreof a liquid texture
• Blend the ingredients for a minute or two

Voila! Goodness in a glass!

This Week I am Visiting... Richmond Park

On Good Friday I went for a run in Richmond Park.  Although I've driven through it a few times, I've never stopped to take a look.  We parked at Sheen Gate which has free parking (yes, free, in London!), and set off for a loop which took us past Ham Gate on the opposite side of the park.

Richmond Park is the largest of the Royal Parks in London.  It spans 2,500 acres and is home to around 650 deer.  It has a varied landscape of woods, grasslands, gardens, ponds and, unexpectedly, a couple of hills.  

Sunbathing deer

The paths and tracks are well-maintained and the signposts easy to follow, making it a lovely place to walk, run or cycle, but I had no idea that there were so many other interesting things to do there. You could hire bikes, play golf, go fishing or fly a kite, or you could visit the two children's play areas, five cafes, the ornamental garden and the viewpoint from which you can see St Paul's Cathedral.  There is a full calendar of events with lots of family activities such as birdwatching, bat walks and even free dog training. Take a look at the excellent website here which has all the information you'll need to have a great time exploring this wonderful parkland.

Bank Holiday handstand

This Week I'm Growing...Half-hardy Annuals

Half-hardy annuals are those plants which, like the hardy annuals I planted a few weeks ago, complete their life cycle within the space of a year, but will not tolerate cold weather and frost. These plants originate from warmer parts of the world and therefore need to be kept indoors until the weather warms up. There is a risk of frost up until the end of May in the south of England so it's best not to take the chance and put them outdoors until then even if we are enjoying a spell of nice weather at the moment.  

Many of the traditional bedding plants that are used in pots and hanging baskets such as petunias, lobelia and pelargoniums (geraniums) are now on sale in the garden centres but don't be tempted to buy them just yet unless you have a greenhouse to keep them in.

I'm sowing Cosmos this week.  I love these plants because they are easy to grow and flower prolifically all summer long, lasting until the first frosts come. I like the ones that grow really tall so I can use them at the back of the border.  

Here's how to get them started...

• Fill a seed tray with multi-purpose compost and gently firm it down so that it has an even surface.
• Sparingly sprinkle the seeds over the surface of the compost.
• Cover the seeds with a fine layer of compost.
• Water carefully with a watering can with a fine rose, don't just slosh a hosepipe over them or the seeds will get washed away.
• Label them.
• Cover the tray with a plastic lid or stretch some cling film over it to keep in the moisture.
• Place on a warm windowsill

The seeds are quite small

The seeds scattered on the surface of the compost

A little bit of aftercare: When the seeds have germinated you can remove the plastic cover but keep an eye on them and make sure that the compost doesn't dry out. When the seedlings have two pairs of leaves and it's all looking a little crowded in the tray, it's time to prick them out - see last week's post on pricking out Calendulas.