Surround Yourself with the Positive

It is no surprise to say that times are tough. The economy is trying to keep its head afloat and businesses are going under faster than you can say: “Would you like fries with that?”

Now it is more important then ever to surround yourself with positive people and keep yourself in a positive mindset. The problem is that many don’t know what toxic people are and how they can negatively impact your health and well-being.

Signs of a Toxic Person

• Complain all the time
• Blame you for everything
• Always overreacting
• Drain your energy
• Bombard you with negativity
• Constant pessimism
• Always make you angry
• Leech off of you
• Everything is about them all the time

Signs of a Toxic Person in Your Life

• You never want to be around them
• They always make you upset or cry
• You have panic attacks around them
• You dread being around them
• You feel like you need to sleep, eat or drink after being around them
• Life is better when you don’t see, hear from, or deal with them

Toxic people aren’t just your friends or family but can include coworkers, bosses, and even doctors. It is not uncommon to have one or more toxic person in your life that you rely on.

When times are tough, you need a positive support structure. Good health should never be second to having people in your life. There are times when a doctor may give you depressing news but have you ever noticed that some doctor overreact or are always pessimistic?

No one person can tell you how you should live your life or how much time you have in this world. No one can tell you how you should feel or ever make you second-guess yourself.

This is your life, your health and your opportunity to surround yourself with those that add value to your life. If your doctor is a toxic person, find another one. If your friend is always dragging you down or cannot provide the support you need, open yourself to other friends. If your coworkers are constantly bombarding you with negativity, find another job or remove yourself from associating with them on a personal level.

This life is about you. No matter what the world may throw at you, it is up to you to take control over how you react to things in life. You owe it to yourself to surround yourself with life and love – not negativity and a toxic breeding ground.

Don't Judge a Book by it's Cover

My grandmother raised me to never judge a book by its cover. This sentiment seems to come full circle every so often and acts as a reminder as to what is truly important in life.

For example, the recent main stream love affair with Susan Boyle from Britain's Got Talent has caused a world to come face-to-face with this old adage once again. By looking at Susan, you would think she was just a normal middle-age woman with not spectacular talent or gifts to give this world. Yet, when she is done serenading the world with rendition of opera classic, the world cannot help but stand there with its jaw on the floor. Susan Boyle's book cover is nothing special and can easily be ignored but when you open that book you better get a box of tissues because your heart will flood with emotions never felt before.

Listening to Susan Boyle made chime my grandmother's old saying once again and caused me to look at those times in my life where the book cover was hardly worth a second look but once the book was cracked, it was difficult to put down.

That leads me to my husband of 10 years. He is not only my knight in shining armor and best friend but the strongest person I have ever had the pleasure of having in my life. His book cover says demonstrates nothing special - just a normal guy that goes to work every day and makes a living. Beneath the cover is a man that survived a childhood terminal illness called Cystic Fibrosis, watched his older sister pass from that very disease at the age of 16, was picked on throughout childhood for being "different" and geeky, was deathly ill for years and even on life support for 9 months of his young adult life and lastly, but most importantly, survived a 3.5-year wait for a double lung transplant while struggling for air each and every day.

On the cover, he is like everyone else. Just look under the cover, no deeper than under his shirt, and you will see there is a powerful book just waiting to be read. The strength and determination - the will the live and experience life - the will to never give up - and, most importantly, the will to love and experience being loved.

So, next time you see someone's book cover and think you already know how the story reads, give yourself a chance to read deeper for you never know what you may find hidden behind that non-descriptive cover. That person may be the book that changes your life!

Federal Organ Donation?

I was just Twittering around yesterday and searched on "organ donation" to see if anyone else Twitters as much about the subject as I do. The title on one person's message stood out: "And Now: Federal Organ Donation".

What?!?

Following the link, I came across this article "Federal organ donation plan faces local opposition" recently published in a local newspaper. I was in shock as I read through the article and realized that, indeed, the federal government wants to mandate that organs donated be sent out of the state of origin.

The current procedure of organ transplant works in a very simple and logical manner.

"Under the existing rules, the neediest and most appropriate patient in the state receives the donor organ."

The closest hospital to the organ donor receives the first call and if no recepient can be found, then the next closest transplant hospital is called and so on until a suitable match has been found. By following this procedure, my own husband received his donated lungs from just over Lake Michigan in Detroit (we are in Milwaukee).

However, 75% of donated organs stay within the state in which the organ donor has passed. It is possible, with this new plan, that families will be less likely to donate organs if they are leaving their own state.

It seems that the government does not understand that not only will the rate of organ donors be affected but also that the viability of the organs may also suffer. Every minute an organ is in transport to a recipient - every minute it is without blood supply - its viability decreases. In essence, the longer it takes to get to its new home, the more the tissue and organ dies. This increases an already high risk for the patient for the organ to not revive or for the recipient to have transplant rejection.

The current organ donation network procedure allows for greater possibility of a long and healthy life after transplant... so why fix what is not broken?

Hospital systems are asking patients, donor families and other concerned members of the community to voice their opposition to the proposal by April 24 at www.notacoalition.org.

Organ Donors Needed!

April is National Donate Life Month. This encompasses all type of donations from organs, blood, tissue, to bone marrow.

Organ donation, in particular, is very near and dear to my heart. In 2004, my wonderful husband received the gift of life through an angel donor in Detroit, Michigan. We don't know the donor family but we do know how to selfless gift of donating a set of lungs for my husband has changed our lives.

My husband was not a smoker nor did he catch something that caused his lungs to fail. He was born with a disease called Cystic Fibrosis which is known well as a childhood terminal disease. Sadly, most do not make it past their teenage years and my husband has been very lucky and blessed to make it to his late 20's before needing a miracle bilateral lung transplant.

It is for that reason that we continue to raise awareness for others to received their own miracle. That is why it is so important for you to sign your driver's license and tell your family about how you want to pass the gift of life onto others.

Organ, blood, tissue and bone marrow donors are needed. Become an organ donor today and help us raise awareness so that others may realize the gift of life!

April is National Donate Life Month! Save Today!

April is here and with it comes National Donate Life month! Now is the perfect time to grab a new organ donation or transplant awareness T-shirt, mug or bumper sticker to show our support in raising awareness for Organ and Tissue donation. Check out the entire line of Angel Cove's Organ and Tissue Transplant Donation Awareness products today! We have beautiful designs on t-shirts and gifts to help you spread awareness in your own way! Be sure to use either of the following coupon codes to save today on your order!

Free Shipping on orders $50 or more!
Coupon Code: EASTER1
Expires: April 1, 2009 (Midnight PST)

$5 off orders $50 or more!
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Thank You and God Bless!
Shannon
(wife of 4-years post-bilateral lung transplant recipient)

Angel Cove Organ Donation Awareness
http://www.angelcove.us