Childhood Memories via Universal Studios

During a recent trip to Universal Studios, Orlando, I found plenty of reading reference material for my next few blog posts.  Early in my childhood, Dr. Seuss books were a favorite after I graduate from the Richard Scarry books, of course.  The Seuss Landing portion of the Islands of Adventure theme park had plenty of scenery to stir up fond childhood memories.

It would be hard to pick a favorite Seuss book, but The Lorax is up towards the top for me. He may have been my first environmentalist / tree hugger influence.  It may be thanks to him that I received the "Environmental Award" in 5th grade, which is still posted at Lakeview Elementary.  Who knows, my current career choice may have been influenced me as well.

Then there was the Cat in the Hat store:

Another store within this area of the park claimed "Books By The Dozens For You and Your Cousins".  Here's a snap shot of a nice collection of Seuss books within this store:

Birth: The Surprising History of How We are Born by Tina Cassidy

A great collection of stories and history of the birthing process as far back as documented! She does a great job of integrating and organizing the information. It made it very fun to learn the history of how we've come to give birth the way we do. I recommended for all expecting parents to get a handle on what to expect, get started on processing questions and a birth plan, and just to help get into the fun of the pregnancy and birthing process!

Well Being: The 5 Essential Elements by Tom Rath and Jim Harter

I am part of the Be Well committee at work - I thought the committe would be about health, fitness, and emotional well being. But the committee leader read this book, and based the mission on these 5 elements. The book is a very quick read, to the point, quick blurbs from their studies. Is a good basic way to examine your life and see if you're making the best of it. As they mention in the end, little changes to your daily life can make a big difference. And of course, it's easy to see how all the elements intertwine.

Here are my notes from the book:

Career Well Being
• People recover quicker from the loss of a spouse (death or divorce) then the loss of a job
• You don’t need to earn a paycheck to have a thriving Career Well Being – just be engaged in something you enjoy.
• Improvement in Career Well Being parallels with improvement in physical health
• Recommendations: Everyday use your strengths; Connect and work with someone who shares your mission; Socialize with work people

Social Well Being
• Our ability to be happy and have healthy habits are influenced by our friends and even our friends’ friends.
• Spend average 6 hours a day socializing (includes phone and internet communications, includes work time)
• Strengthen your mutual connections
• Mix social time with physical time

Financial Well Being
• Spending on others increases wellbeing, regardless of the amount, rather than spending on self
• Spending money on experiences brings longer happiness than on material goods
• To improve your Financial Well Being, first be sure your career and social well beings are thriving.
• Establish default systems – automated payments and savings – that lessen daily worry about money

Physical Well Being
• Exercise daily in the morning to improve mood throughout the day
• Sleep ~7-8hrs nightly to feel well rested
• Set up positive defaults when grocery shopping – load up on natural foods that are red, green, and blue.

Community Well Being
• Identify how you can contribute based on your personal mission
• This element can be the difference between a good life and a great life
• People who are engaged in their careers are 20-30% more likely to volunteer
• Get involved with people – more fun and will keep you engaged.

I've always wanted a secret passage...

Here's how not to do one, courtesy of the comic strip F MINUS by Tony Carrillo: