The quest for peace of mind

Have you noticed what a rare person it is that seems to have "free" time these days? And rarer still is the woman who has "free" time. Many of the modern conveniences we have in the world today are really quite inconvenient when you stop to examine the impact that they have on our lives.

Women, by genetics, are multi-tasking machines. We evolved to care for the babies, make the food, tend the home, nurture family and friends, and many other tasks - most often doing more then one of them at the time. Men on the other hand evolved with a much narrower focus. Men are fantastic at the "one at a time" tasks. Hunting and gathering, scouting a safer location for the coming season, things that take great concentration.

The price we pay for these evolutionary functions on our health are quite terrific in modern times with all its "labor saving" devices. It makes it so much easier to a good many things at once. The residual stress from such an increase in "saved" labor is taking its toll on the lives of a good many women. There is something to be said for doing just one thing at a time. What a pleasant thing it is to weed the vegetable garden, or sit on the porch and snap peas by hand. When it comes to a home, I think that there are few things more life enriching then a large porch. Everyone should have memories of "life on a porch."

Today, the number one cause of death among women is heart disease. In fact, more women will die from heart disease this year then from the next 15 causes of death combined.

Isn't it time for us to slow down, eat better food, exercise more, and take some quality time for ourselves?

Exercise doesn't have to be time spent in a gym. It can be time spent walking around your property, taking a walk in the city, working in the garden, horseback riding, walking behind a plow in your garden, any number of things. When did exercise become about the "stair master?" When did the longest walk in many people's lives become the walk from the sofa to the refrigerator?

Here I am at 50 years old, horribly overweight and out of shape because of lengthy illnesses and an accident that injured my back - but I am embarking once again on the life of my youth, the life of my fondest memories, a life that is self-sustaining, organic and healthy.

I am looking forward to this journey, and to your company along the way.