Eric Nordhoff - The Eternal Optimist

I'm Drinking Lettuce

Yes, you read that right.  I'm drinking romaine lettuce chopped up in a blender mixed with distilled water.  Why would I do such a crazy thing?!  Well, my father-in-law was prescribed to do this from a natural doctor this year as he was not losing weight and feeling overall drained, worn down and tired every day.  After he drank 4 oz every 2-3 hours of the concoction each day for a week, he began to notice a huge difference in his energy level.  After 3 weeks, he noticed he was losing weight too.  I'm not sure how long he continued drinking the stuff, but it worked for him.  He looks great and he has a lot more energy. 

I decided to do some research on this via Google.  I found several links to blogs that explain what happens when you drink the stuff.  Here they are:

The KeelyNet Blog

Jessie X

Apparently, the health benefits are phenomenal.  My cels get a good cleansing and cholesterol has no way of sticking in my blood.  So far so good. 

Drive Yourself Further

"The man who will drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win." - Roger Bannister (the man who first broke the 4-minute mile mark)

The Great Life

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: . . Let not your heart be troubled."

John 14:27

Whenever a thing becomes difficult in personal experience, we are in danger of blaming God, but it is we who are in the wrong, not God, there is some perversity somewhere that we will not let go. Immediately we do, everything becomes as clear as daylight. As long as we try to serve two ends, ourselves and God, there is perplexity. The attitude must be one of complete reliance on God. When once we get there, there is nothing easier than living the saintly life; difficulty comes in when we want to usurp the authority of the Holy Spirit for our own ends.

Whenever you obey God, His seal is always that of peace, the witness of an unfathomable peace, which is not natural, but the peace of Jesus. Whenever peace does not come, tarry till it does or find out the reason why it does not. If you are acting on an impulse, or from a sense of the heroic, the peace of Jesus will not witness; there is no simplicity or confidence in God, because the spirit of simplicity is born of the Holy Ghost, not of your decisions. Every decision brings a reaction of simplicity.

My questions come whenever I cease to obey. When I have obeyed God, the problems never come between me and God, they come as probes to keep the mind going on with amazement at the revelation of God. Any problem that comes between God and myself springs out of disobedience; any problem, and there are many, that is alongside me while I obey God, increases my ecstatic delight, because I know that my Father knows, and I am going to watch and see how He unravels this thing.

by Oswald Chambers
taken from "My Utmost For His Highest" daily devotional book.

Quietime Christmas at Walmart.com for $7.00

For a limited time only, Quietime Christmas will be available via Walmart.com for $7.00.  Check it out along with all the other seasonal titles offered.

Of course, you can buy it at Lifeway Christian Stores, Amazon.com, and download it on iTunes too.

Tiger Woods - A Better Man For It

The 'coming out' party Tiger has had is a sad consequence of his actions, which are reprehensible.  However, like all of life's best lessons, this may just make him a better man in the end.  Read this article from Rick Reilly about Tiger Woods.  It summarizes what this optimist thinks of the situation. 

Andre Agassi Open

In the last month, two of the sports figures I've admired most as a casual sports-a-holic, have had 'coming out' parties.  One was forced upon him - Tiger Woods.  I'll probably write a post about him later.  For now, I want to focus on Andre Agassi.  The latest chapter in his story ends happily (which is how I think Tiger's will end too).  No news article summarizes how I feel more than this one from Rick Reilly.  I hope you'll read it. 

I first saw Andre in one of his first tournaments at age 16.  He went to the semi-finals and lost to McEnroe there, but I've been a fan of his ever since.  As a tennis player, I admired his return game.  And now, in real life, his return from a seemingly hopeless situation is inspiring.

I plan on reading "Open" by Andre Agassi over Christmas break. 

Thanks Andre - for modeling hope and true manhood in the face of no hope and adversity.

Wisdom and Thanksgiving

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. -- Epictetus

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. -- Albert Schweitzer

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. -- Marcel Proust

None is more impoverished than the one who has no gratitude. Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.
-- Fred De Witt Van Amburgh

The grateful mind is constantly fixed upon the best. Therefore it tends to become the best. It takes the form or character of the best, and will receive the best. -- Wallace D. Wattles

What if you gave someone a gift, and they neglected to thank you for it--would you be likely to give them another? Life is the same way. In order to attract more of the blessings that life has to offer, you must truly appreciate what you already have. -- Ralph Marston

The Magic of Thinking Big

Excerpt from Dan Miller, 48 Days Newsletter:

"I don't know of anything that can inspire, encourage, motivate and release a higher level of success than reading good books. Many books are worth re-reading. Here's one written in 1959 that I like to read at least once every year. In his little classic book, The Magic of Thinking Big, David Schwartz provides 5 simple actions to help us feel more confident and accomplish more:

1. Be a front seater. Sitting up front builds confidence.

2. Practice eye contact. Looking the other person in the eye tells him, I'm honest and confident."

3. Walk 25% faster. Psychologists link slovenly postures and sluggish walking to unpleasant attitudes towards oneself, work and the people around us. The extremely beaten people, the real down-and-outers, just shuffle and stumble along. They have zero confidence. The walk of a confident person tells the world, "I've got someplace important to go, something important to do." Throw your shoulders back, lift up your head, move ahead just a little faster and feel self-confidence grow.

4. Practice speaking up. As you speak up, you add to your confidence. It's a confidence building vitamin.

5. Smile big. Try to feel defeated and smile big at the same time. You can't do it. A big smile gives confidence. A big smile beats fear, rolls away worry, defeats despondency.

Lou Holtz says he was given this book as a 47 yr.-old unemployed high school coach. It transformed his thinking. He listed 100 things he wanted to do before he died. Last I heard he had accomplished 97 of those goals. I wonder what it could do for you.

Dedication Video for our Daughter

The song was written specifically for our girl, Anthem, and recorded by my wife as a demo. It's called "You Could Only Come From Heaven".

Google Wave

I'm never on top of the latest trends.  I still don't have a DVR and, yes, I don't have an iPhone <GASP!>!  Yes, it's true.  I bought Vinyl records until 1990.  I just started blogging in 2008. I've never been ahead of the curve.

But, I am excited to check out the new Google Wave.  Maybe I'll be ahead of the curve on this one.