Let’s focus.  I know, multi-tasking is appealing because the duties of life grow heavy.  But I have come to a place and time where l simply feel like I need to simply be.  While I’m being, I call that “focus.” Some people call it “prayer” or “meditation” or “watching basketball.”

Maren Schmidt calls it deep spontaneous concentration. 

Ms. Schmidt founded a Montessori school and holds a Masters of Education from Loyola College in Maryland. She has over twenty-five years experience working with children and holds teaching credentials from the Association Montessori Internationale. Contact her at maren@kidstalknews.com or visit www.KidsTalkNews.com

Today, in NWANews, Ms. Schmidt continued her series on childhood-development issues and applied this week’s topic to both adults and kids…kids of all ages, perhaps?    Let’s come to an intense self-generated ability to focus attention, which is the main point of the article.  In part:

My childhood environment made it easy to develop deep self-generated concentration. I was given quiet, uninterrupted time, and the objects in my environment were appropriate. The adults in my environment – my parents and grandparents – created structure by keeping regular meal times, snack times and bed times. This protected my time and attention needed to develop concentration.

Importantly, according to the article, there is a consequence associated with neglecting appropriate concentration.  When these opportunities are not available to a child (and to adults, also) frustration builds. Reactions to not being involved with interesting activities because of environmental and time constraints fall within the spectrum of anger on one end and apathy on the other.

I appreciated reading this article, I am glad I concentrated on reading it.  I even printed it out so l could read it later when l am afk (away from keyboard.)  I hope to put more attention into it and carry out what l learned into my home environment.

I’ve put together some health tips that will work for you during Superbowl Sunday, the World Cup, the Olympic Games, the Kentucky Derby (here in my home state, I’m proud to say), and all the days in between, in fact. Read on for information on healthy hearts as well as avoiding domestic violence/anger issues on the big day. We want you to be healthy enough to enjoy the party when your team brings home the win!! And if the score doesn’t go your way, well, all the more reason to read on…

HEART SMART
In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, German researchers found that Bavarian soccer fans more than doubled their risk of heart attacks and cardiac trouble while watching matches of the 2006 World Cup soccer championships. In short, viewing a stressful soccer match more than doubles the risk of an acute cardiovascular event. The recommendation is, in view of this excess risk, particularly in men with known coronary heart disease, preventive measures are urgently needed.

Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:
(The American Heart Association)

As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

Learn the signs, but remember this: Even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, have it checked out. Minutes matter! Fast action can save lives — maybe your own. Don’t wait more than five minutes to call 9-1-1.

GAME DAY ANGER
Despite what many people believe, domestic violence is not due to the abuser’s loss of control over his behavior. In fact, violence is a deliberate choice made by the abuser in order to take control over his wife or partner. Game day anger — winning scores or losing scores– is one of many possible excuses that an abuser can use to try to justify abusive behavior.
Workers at women’s shelters, and some journalists, have long reported that Super Bowl Sunday is one of the year’s worst days for violence against women in the home: says FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting)
The backlash articles, which accused the reports of abuse as being misleading, bore all the traits of typical coverage of domestic violence: They belittled the victims, minimized the crisis and missed the point–which is that, according to FBI averages, a woman is battered every 18 seconds. That is enough to deserve attention all year long.

The “debunkers”, led by Ken Ringle of the Washington Post (1/31/93), claimed that FAIR, in coalition with women’s groups, slanted the facts in their effort to get NBC to run the PSA. Ringle (and journalists at AP, the Boston Globe and the Wall Street Journal) asserted that the coalition had claimed “national studies” linked Super Bowl Sunday to increased assaults. No such claims were made. In fact, FAIR made the point repeatedly that domestic violence movement is gravely underfunded and understudied.

FAIR hoped that the broadcast of an anti-violence public service announcement on Super Sunday, in front of the biggest TV audience of the year, would sound a wake-up call for the media, and viewers across the nation.

If you’re afraid for your immediate safety, call 911. For help and advice on escaping an abusive relationship, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or 1-800-787-3224.