Dr Russell: I am Dr Russell Rising. I have a PHD in Nutrition and Physiology, and I can tell you one thing. Exercise is everything. I have friends that are older than me. For example, my partner in tennis is 81. We played tennis yesterday in 100 degrees for 2 hours.

So, the next person who whines about age, I’ll shoot them, because he is 81 and in great shape.

I’m 67. The same as that lady over there that you just interviewed.

When I was a child, my father told me, I don’t know if it was in grade school, or high school, he said, “Son, never cheat. Again, you shouldn’t cheat in school. I know, I’ve seen people do it, and they do it in college.
But if you start cheating, later you could cheat on your wife, your family, your children, your friends, your boss, your coworkers, your customers, or business associates – where does it end?”

One of the most popular games with my children was to write on the child’s back, and have them tell me what I wrote.

It starts really simple, like writing an “A” or an “O”. Then I’d draw some symbols like a plus sign, a box, a triangle, or even a tree.

Then more challenging was writing a word or a phrase.

This is really fun, sensing what someone is writing on your back. It could be your arm or leg, too. But we used the back.

We would reverse roles, too. And I would guess what they were writing.

Worry. Why worry?

Someone shared something about that and said, “If you ever sit in a rocking chair, you just rock. It kind of takes you nowhere. You just rock - just rocking.”

And worry is the same kind of thing. It kind of takes you nowhere. It’s just leaving you in a state of fear, or panic. It’s just not positive energy, more of a negative energy.

So if you are going to feel anything, then think about anything leaning towards hope, and faith, and possibility. And that things will work out. And that all will be okay.

You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth, for to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons, and to step out of life’s procession that marches in majesty and proud submission towards the infinite.

When you work, you are a flute, through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music.

I feel there is lightning in words, a power way beyond just casually talking.

I feel words with intent can crumble stone.

I’m not saying it’s easy.

You have to be in the mood, the frame of mind, to do this, to speak the words as part of an inner chant, so they pull upon another realm, and weave it here.

I feel words are sacred, like rays of light from the soul, when spoken with knowing their deeper power.

What words are on the tip of your tongue?

Core words you typically talk with and think with?

I sometimes pause and consider this. Consciously moving what I say to something softer and brighter.

As best I can, I use the wonder words “please” and “thank you.”

Instead of “Stop shouting,” I say, “Please stop shouting.” It isn’t just a nicety, but rather energetically shifts the tone from a command to a request.

It’s interesting. How can I use words each day like: better, kinder, sincere, conscious, aware?