Where Are You Hiding?
I admit it….. Volunteering changed my life.
The message here is this: Don’t read this article if you’re happy where you’re at.
And…..
Skip this article if you don’t want to change your life. Or, maybe, even ruin it forever. Because, it’s just possible that, like myself, you’ll never again ignore the plight of people living on the margins.
It’s also possible you’ll find a community. Everywhere I go, I encounter people living in new surroundings they discovered during the pandemic. They live in the new place but are not yet a part of the location.
To put it bluntly: They haven’t yet found a community. To do that, they need an activity which calls them to do something beyond themselves.
People in this situation are homesick for a past which is not going to join them in the future.
To feel good about your home and your life in the present moment, find a place, a job, a hobby, a community which feeds you physically and spiritually.
This is where volunteering comes in. When I began working at the food pantry, I had no inkling that my old life was gone forever. I had no clue that what would replace it was a much richer tapestry.
I didn’t know I was being given an opportunity to do something great beyond myself. Why was I hiding?
I simply immersed myself in my community doing what needed to be done. This brought a pivot in my life.
So, I ask you: Are your curtains up? Have you got the sofa where you want it in the living room? If the answer to these two questions is “YES”, then where are you hiding? Go for it!
You’ll soon be motivated to a more positive attitude because your self-image and social esteem are improved. You’ll feel better about yourself.
Don’t know where to go? Look around you. Opportunities are all over the place.
Think about something you like: dogs and cats, art, reading, children, politics.
When you find your volunteering place, you’ll see change. You’ll discover what the word “impact” means. You’ll write a new chapter in your life.
But, what if you don’t want to involve yourself in life on the margins?
What ifs are all around you. But, they are not everywhere. Scout around and find yourself a Reiki Master Teacher and go for it! New horizons wait for you in Reiki, that’s for sure. Your inner self is calling out.
ENJOY!
Thank you for reading this blog post. Please share it with your friends and relatives and forward it to your favorite social media network.
Check out some of the early articles in this blog and also in www.hungerisnotadisease.com.
Books are available:
Find out more about Thurman Greco at www.thurmangreco.com
Anchor Yourself in Reality
On December 25, 1968, with my two toddlers, I landed on a remote airfield in the interior of Venezuela, on the outskirts of El Tigre.
Gulf Oil had just hired my husband, Tony, to work in the Mene Grande Oil Camp. ,In the weeks before he started this job, we sold our cars, and home, located in a Dallas, Texas suburb.
Movers packed our belongings and sent them down to the seaport in Maracaibo, Venezuela by boat. We didn’t see our household goods for six months because of a shipping strike.
We lived with nothing and no way to get anything. Think of the things you feel you might need: coffee pot, dishes, sheets, towels, chairs, tables, beds, sofas.
We borrowed from the neighbors.
I found myself living in a country where we lived in a community ringed by a high chain link fence near a remote village where I didn’t know the language. My spouse spoke Spanish but he was at work all day long.
After a short time, the reality of my situation sank in. The oil camp where I lived was fifty miles from a grocery store in one direction and fifty miles from headhunters in the other. Ciudad Bolivar sat eighty miles in the third direction on the south bank of the Orinoco River.
I lived a life where a uniformed guard aiming a machine gun at me was the rule of the day as I went about my “que haceres” to the bank, bakery, gas station. Wherever I went throughout the day, I took Jennette and Michele with me. The goal was to never get separated from them.
Lastly, there was no outside phone line.
What a place to be when so much was happening in the rest of the world. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated. Arlo Guthrie sang “Alice’s Restaurant”. The My Lai Massacre was the scandal of the Vietnam War.
By the end of the first month, I found my anchor, my information line to reality. I read about current events and news every Tuesday evening when the previous Sunday’s New York Times was delivered to my door. As soon as the DC-3 landed about 4:30, we were all ready at our house. We loved greeting the paper delivery man as he dropped it off at our front door. Tony and I read the last Sunday’s paper from cover to cover.
I had never been to New York City and it didn’t even matter. The New York Times brought the world to me.
And, I’ve been reading the New York Times regularly since then. I read it in San Francisco, Mexico City, San Antonio, Dallas, Monterey, CA., and Washington, D.C.
Some places I got the paper daily. Others, it was weekly. Wherever I lived, I read every copy I got my hands on.
No matter how the current events of my life unfolded, after reading the New York Times, I had a calmer, more realistic perspective. The New York Times brought news with the calming reality of facts most of my adult life.
Even with all the drama of Biden versus Trump, stories in the New York Times are balanced, informative, real, and important.
To The New York times, I send a thank you for doing what you do so well.
To my readers, I sincerely hope and pray that you have found a way to stay anchored. Life is much easier that way. This anchor adds an extra layer of depth to my spiritual work. For me, this is essential.
I am simply unable to live my life from day-to-day without including planetary events. I have friends, close friends, who are able to shut everything around them out. I cannot. I live on the planet earth and cannot ignore the reality of current events.
Along with the Reiki and Reflexology, I’m a more balanced person. Current events are part of this circle of spiritual growth. Include the necessary elements for balance.
THANKS AGAIN FOR READING THIS BLOG THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
Thank you for reading this article. If you enjoyed reading it, please forward it to your friends, neighbors, relatives. Share it with your favorite social media networks.
Two Books to Read:
The Tarot is many things. One thing people don’t think about: It’s rooted in the wisdom of the past and relates to the current events of our lives in a very modern way.
Order them both at www.Thurmangreco.com. You can also order them through email at thurmangreo@gmail.
.
One Thing that Works When You are in an Anxiety Bubble
It seems, these days, that everyone I encounter is in an anxiety bubble.
At the Mower’s Meadow Flea Market Saturday, people were slowly walking through the market not even seeming to notice the booths they were walking by.
They didn’t even seem to even know that Woodstock was in the midst of a gorgeous day.
Frankly, I’m not surprised. All we have to do is glance at the news on the phone – or on the computer – or on the TV. None of us can escape current events. Even my friend Annie, who knows how to block out all kinds of current events, can’t get away from this.
Now is a moment to schedule a Reiki or Reflexology appointment. Scheduling several sessions over the next few weeks is ideal but reality permits us this healing based on what we can do. One session is certainly better than nothing.
Now. It’s time to rely on inner resources for peace.
It is time to be alone.
Just like that reflexology session you need, it may be you need to be alone and can’t get the time. Truthfully, maybe you are terrified to be alone.
Whatever the situation, it’s time to feed your mind, your body, your soul. You need to do this so your inner self can do its job properly.
Now is a good opportunity to follow in the footsteps of a Hermit as you take a short time off from the world so your inner and outer selves can meet, collaborate, and support you in the ways you need.
The Hermit is a card in the Tarot. The Hermit is an archetype. Well, you may not have the luxury of a neighborhood card reader. Really, the Hermit can become a player in your story without a Tarot spread.
Were you ever in a situation where contemplation and soul-searching helped you come to an authentic decision? Were you able to keep a mental/spiritual space to mull over your thoughts and situation without interference?
When you are in such a situation, you know this on some level: a truth is waiting for you.
Are you there now? Is life calling for a time-out to reset things. Use this time-out to think, rest, read, meditate, pray, focus on the important issues.
Sometimes you can get away. Sometimes this getaway is a mental time out in your living room or a bench in a park or a walk through the flea market.
After all, your light is your light. Your path is your path. You need to work things out on your own.
You’ll feel better and calmer after its over.
Trusting in the change is basic. All things change when the time is right. With the Hermit, your inner voice will speak out to connect you to your wisdom.
Consider your long term aims and ambitions.
We all travel alone – each on our own vision quest. This is how we find humility and peace. Withdrawing from the hustle and bustle of the everyday world, we regain a perspective which includes the wisdom of silent introspection.
Enjoy this peace.
Solitude and soul-searching are the rules of the day. When you are finally alone, you can be free of the external. You have a chance to process what you’ve learned so far.
Enlightenment is on the way!
Thanks for reading this article. Please share it with your friends and family. Forward it to your favorite social media networks.
Contact me at thurmangreco@gmail.com.
Learn more about healing, wellness, and hunger in America at www.Thurmangreco.com.
New books and popular books:
A Healer’s Handbook” has been popular since the first book was printed. Thanks to everyone who has bought and shared it in over 3 dozen countries!
That One Thing We All Share
When I do my weekly grocery shopping at my local Hannaford, I always get (or try to get) individual cups of plain yogurt. I love the flavor and texture of the store brand. The plain nonfat Greek variety is my favorite! The texture, flavor and the ingredients are perfect. This yogurt has no artificial ingredients. There are no words in the ingredients list that I can’t pronounce or understand.
This product is healthy. Yummy. And, the price is right!
But, getting this yogurt is almost like going on a quest. For starters, it’s on the very top shelf in the refrigerator section. Often, I can’t even find it. I know where it’s supposed to be but I’m not quite tall enough to see up there.
I begin by seeking out an employee who’s a few inches taller. When I can’t find one, I look for a ladder or step stool. Finally, my final option is to find something on a shelf, like a fly swatter, that I can use to push the yogurt I can’t see to the front of the shelf.
Then, finally, I push it out the front and grab the cups and put them in my grocery cart.
By this time, I’m so determined that I clean out the store. I buy every cup of the plain Hannaford’s yogurt I can find.
For me, this situation is a challenge. It’s not about my height. But, it is about my height.
Life is all about limitations. What I can and cannot do. How much can I ignore?
Shopping at the Hannaford’s is especially all about limitations.
Getting to the heart of the matter, life is all about limitations. This is one thing that is true for each and every one of us.
Shifted to the bottom line, limitations are all about acceptance. This is not about being a victim. It IS about doing whatever we need to do to get the job right. Limitations are, literally, a means to an end.
It is also about acceptance. I occupy a space on this planet in my body. This space is mine and mine alone.
This limitation becomes, and is, a meditation.
This space and my body are mine.
Each day, I take a few moments to come back to this.
I pay attention to my breath.
I pay attention to my arms and my legs.
I pay attention to the temperature and smell and texture of the air around me.
I focus on this opportunity to realize that what I need is right in front of me if I’ll only recognize it and pay attention.
I am fully alive in this moment.
After this meditation, I return to the room around me, walk into the kitchen, and have a cup of my favorite Hannaford Yogurt.
Thank you for reading this blog post. Please share it with your friends and relatives. Forward it to your favorite social media network.
Check out my books on www.Thurmangreco.com.
“But for Gabriel” is the newest book. It is available in both ebook and paper book versions.
“A Healer’s Tarot Memoir” is coming soon. It will also be available in both ebook and paper book.
ENJOY!
By a long shot, “A Healer’s Handbook” is the most popular. It’s gone out to over 3 dozen countries and people are still buying it.
If you are interested in traveling further into the world of healing, Reiki and Reflexology videos are waiting for you on “Let’s Live with Thurman Greco”.
Thanks for reading this blog post.
Hope to connect with you again soon.
Thurman Greco
Physical Therapy – How to Get the Most from Your PT Session
We go to physical therapy because we want to get to the other side – of whatever the situation is.
Maybe you’ve been in an accident.
Maybe you just realized that your neck won’t move right.
Maybe you just finally looked in the mirror and your left shoulder and your right shoulder don’t match – at all.
Whatever the reason, physical therapy takes a commitment. It means going to two appointments weekly with homework between the sessions.
Some people go to their physical therapy sessions and do their homework and things seem to just go right.
I’ve gone to physical therapy sessions several different times in my life. Each experience impacted my life differently.
In my 40’s, I went to physical therapy, and followed the series of PT sessions up with a fitness club membership which helped me immensely. The physical therapy sessions followed by the regular fitness sessions changed my life for the better. The impact of these physical therapy sessions lasted the better part of a decade.
A couple of decades later, my physical therapy experience was just as positive but the therapy was completely different. I spent a lot of time on the table receiving heat treatments. My back and shoulders loved this attention and appreciated the healing applications I received twice weekly.
Now, with different needs, my current physical therapy experience is different yet again. My body does not want to move so fast. Healing is not so easy this time. I leave each session feeling fatigue and pain. My body needs to rest and restore. It needs attention beyond what is happening at the physical therapist’s office.
It took two sessions for me to realize what was happening. What did I do? I ran for the Reiki therapy!
I’m sharing this with everyone because I’m seeing other people coming away from the physical therapy session who need restorative healing. Some people get this information quickly. Others need a little nudge.
What I’m finding is that the physical therapy session is not completed without a Reiki session to follow up.
Actually, other modalities work well also. Reflexology certainly offers the deep calming needed to end a session totally.
But, really, it doesn’t matter whether you schedule Reiki or Reflexology or massage or ………… Many modalities available will work.
The important thing to know is that when we get physical therapy, the work takes your body “so far”. To get your money’s worth in healing, schedule the Reiki session on the same day if you possibly can – certainly within 36 hours.
Schedule these bodywork sessions think of them as part of your life. They stimulate your body’s own healing processes.
When you combine Reiki or Reflexology or whatever modality works best for you, you will receive more healing for your health care dollars.
If regular Reiki sessions turn out to be a challenge, take some classes and learn to give sessions. That way you can exchange sessions with others.
Ask a friend to join you in a learning adventure. The two of you can learn together and exchange sessions. This is self-care, an important activity which we all need to include in our daily lives.
Thanks for reading this blog post! New articles have been posted for 10 years. This blog was created to be a conduit for your own healing.
With blogs, books, classes, and sessions, I am not here to change your story. Instead, I am here to be a conduit for your own healing.
Thanks for reading this article. Please share it with friends and relatives. Forward this post to your preferred social media network.
For more info, my books are located on www.thurmangreco.com. They are all available in both ebook and paperbook form. So far, “A Healer’s Handbook” has gone out to readers in over three dozen countries.
You can also discover more information when you explore previous posts on this blog. Posts focusing on reflexology or Reiki therapy are on both the blog and on YOUTUBE.
My Latest Information! – “A Healer’s Tarot Memoir” has just gone to the publisher!
Eight Ways to Fight the Fear
To be honest, things are becoming more and more confusing as the days go along. Every time I greet a friend or neighbor or anyone, for that matter, she talks to me as if we are all lost.
And, maybe we are.
It’s hard-to-impossible to figure out sometimes where this year is headed. Some of my friends and acquaintances are solving their dilemma by simply not reading papers or watching TV.
Others choose their channels with care, blocking out everything that seems to be problematic.
Still others are becoming information junkies, focusing their lives on a particular channel offering information they can understand and accept.
On the home front, our Woodstock community is undergoing gentrification. We’re all facing the fact that we’re living in a place far removed from the community we chose to live in when we moved here.
And, this situation comes on the heels of the stresses of Covid and everything that went with that.
Our home is hardly recognizable.
And, I haven’t even brought other news: economic, climate change, the election, our local schools – and any other thing you can imagine.
Then, there are all the economic and social changes in our country.
Sometimes, I think that each of us is on our own, private, Yellow Brick Road.
And, that leads me to the whole reason for this blog post: Fear
The Fear is palpable.
It has an odor.
I see it on the street in the way people walk and the way they talk and the way they dress.
There are some things we can do as we make our way forward into a future many of us are having trouble even imagining.
ONE. Speak Your Fear. As soon as you begin to share your fear, it begins to lose its power over you.
TWO. When fear covers you with an invisible tent, practice breathing exercises. Include meditation sessions. Find what works for you and practice it regularly. When this breathing exercise becomes a part of your life, you should be able to find calm which will send the panic running.
THREE. Exercise regularly. Regular exercise slows down the fight-or-flight reflex. The options are open here. Do what you enjoy.
FOUR. Seek out friends you can chat with who will have a calming effect on you. This step has been helpful for me. When I’m upset, I call Carey and we chat. Sometimes she calls me. Over the last few months, I’ve gathered a few friends who call me. We’re an informal support group.
FIVE. Enjoy Reiki, or other bodywork modality, regularly I’m watching healing groups form in the area. People gather regularly to share and exchange their sessions. I cannot tell you how important these groups are. Peace. Calm. Lower Blood Pressure, Sleep………….
SIX. Get the what-ifs out of your life and your mind. These lists of fears can wreak havoc on your day. And, they will not save your situation. They are a waste of time which will get you nowhere. Instead, focus your energy on things you can manage.
SEVEN. Write something. This can be a memoir, a journal, a diary, a letter to the editor, a note to a friend you haven’t seen in awhile – whatever works for you. If you’ve never written anything before, now is a good time to begin. Don’t worry. Everybody has a first sentence or chapter or essay. I had one. I never wrote anything but my name before 2013. And, now I have 2 blogs and several books – one of which has been purchased by people in over three dozen countries!
When you begin to write, don’t be afraid of a blog. My first 2 blogs certainly kickstarted my career. I bought a book by Nina Amir: “How to Blog a Book”. I read this book and followed Nina Amir’s instructions.
EIGHT Stress and what-ifs are good invitations to develop our spiritual and religious lives. This is a good time to meet fear with a renewed trust in your spiritual and religious beliefs.
Sometimes reality can be downright scary. This week, meet the uncertainty and fear in your life with a renewed calm. Work your way down the list and see what item helps you the most.
And, finally, thank you for reading this blog post!
Thurman Greco.
Find out more at www.Thurmangreco.com.
You can also find out more about healing and many other things at this blog. Let’s Live is a program airing weekly in Woodstock, NY for about 20 years. Guests on the show are people who have become a part of Woodstock for a day, a week, a decade, or a lifetime.
I look forward to hearing from you about how you like the show.
Find out more about the books at www.thurmangreco.com
Thank you for forwarding this post to your friends and family and sharing it with your favorite social media network.
Good Health is Not That Hard to Achieve. Really.
You and I are constantly bombarded with conflicting information about our health. What’s good. What’s bad. We’re complex beings. Good health involves our bodies physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. You may not agree with all the information on these pages. But, for me, these words resonate with the truth.
For me, good health comes down to 7daily habits:
Not Smoking is Essential.
I put this habit first because it has a tendency to make people angry when they hear about not smoking or read about not smoking. So, I’m just getting it out there in front. That way, you can get over your anger reaction when we move on to the other essential habits which are easier to deal with and much more positive.
But, before we move on I do have one suggestion: Reduce your habit to five cigarettes a day. When you get down to five a day, zero is an easy goal.
Have you tried the gum from the pharmacy?
Is there a smokers support group in your area?
Hypnotherapy? Biofeedback?
Whatever?. Do whatever you have to do to give up the smoking.
Maintain a Healthy Weight.
Losing or gaining weight to reach your ideal weight gets harder with every passing year, so the younger you are when you work on your weight, the easier it is. Weight Watchers or Overeaters Anonymous may be a good option for you. Biofeedback can help.
An interested nutritionist can guide you to your goal and include specific foods contributing to your continued good health at the same time. You’ll get twice the bang for your buck with nutritional guidance. For example, if you need to gain or lose weight, and you have heart health issues, a nutritionist can work on the weight situation along with your heart disease. I don’t know about you, but I love I love to accomplish two things at a time.
Eat Many Fruits and Vegetables.
Wellness gurus teach five servings of fruits and vegetables are a minimum number for a well-nourished person to eat daily. This five-serving recommendation is easy for me to share. It can be fun. I like the idea of thinking about which five fruits and vegetables will be on my plate today. Planning for each day’s selection gives them focus and importance. Planning gives me a chance to experiment a bit. You can do this, too. It’s easier than you think. Choose one new vegetable or fruit each week at your grocery. Take it home and learn about it:
What is it called?
Where is home for this food?
What are some popular ways to cook it?
How should it be stored?
What is the best way to combine it with other foods?
How should it be eaten?
If you discover one new fruit or vegetable weekly, your dietary skills will be vastly different in a year.
Exercise Regularly
The field is open here. Your exercise can be drudgery or fun. Spend as little or as much money as you want. Choose one or two activities to participate in regularly. The point is to stay active throughout your life. Combine exercise with other daily habits. I wear a fitness watch which beeps when I don’t move enough. It also rewards me with a beep when I’ve exceeded my daily goal. I have a job requiring that I stay off my seat and on my feet. I’m making money while exercising a fun bonus!
Avoid Stressors
Stress is a biggie. It plays a part in many health problems. Meditation walks, laughter, sharing, singing, nature bathing, journaling, drawing can help you reduce stress. Make room in your schedule for stress reduction activities.
Note: There are several articles on this subject in earlier posts in this blog. I periodically discuss stress. If you look around on the blog, you’ll find much information.
Include Healing Bodywork in Your Life.
If you’ve never gotten a massage, received Reiki therapy, or other bodywork, schedule a session. Just to learn about it. As time passes, schedule another session with a different healer. Schedule a reflexology session (or other bodywork) to celebrate an event: birthday, anniversary, a good day at work, the Spring Equinox, etc.
.In short, schedule healing bodywork sessions whenever you want. If you end up on a cruise, hang out in the spa instead of the bar.
Over time, you’ll get inspired and book regular sessions. Your body will thank you for the attention! Everything always seems to go better with reflexology!
Support Yourself.
Do something nice for yourself each day. Spend time meditating. Think positive thoughts about yourself. These supportive thoughts are a treat you give yourself. You deserve it!
Thanks for reading this blog post! New articles have been posted regularly for 10 years. For me, this blog was created to be a conduit for your own healing. Please share it with friends and family. Forward it to your preferred social media network.
For more information, check out my books on www.thurmangreco.com. Purchase them at this website in both ebook and paperbook form. So far, “A Healer’s Handbook” has gone out to readers in over 30 countries.
Contact me at thurmangreco@gmail.com.
If you enjoy the blog, you’ll enjoy my weekly shows on YOUTUBE. This program has been running with a few timeouts now and then for over 15 years. My program is an informative and entertaining unrehearsed hour with no rehearsals. You can find it on Woodstock’s own TV Channel 23 or on YOUTUBE.
My guests are people whose lives have brought them to Woodstock for a day, a week, an hour, a decade, or more.
i