Baltic Seas Adventure

BALTIC SEAS ADVENTURE – May 23- June 4, 2011

Nancy and I in Oslo with the Vikings!

Princess Cruise Line
Ship: Emerald Princess

Travel Buddy: Nancy Cobb, a dear friend from Illinois, has traveled with me before to Venezuela, Antarctica, India, Thailand, Viet Nam, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. We really enjoy each other’s company and as we often say, “We each are blessed with different skills!” Nancy is an early riser and takes care of most of the details, but she needs me to help her find all the things she loses! I am the messy one who over packs and spreads out all over, but dear Nancy puts up with me! However, I am also the documenter and the one who remembers all the goofy things we hear– I remember the short term things and Nancy remembers the long term ones, so we make a good team! We both enjoy learning, meeting other people, and adventures, so we have become good travel buddies.

An Easter Poem

A wonderful friend sent me this precious poem that he wrote on Good Friday for Easter. I hope your holiday will be blessed with peace, love, and joy.

“This Easter Morning”
by Mike Hall

There is power in the silence
power in the heads bowed, quiet contemplation
of all You did for us

There is beauty in the silence
beauty in the quiet recognition
that our lives mean nothing apart from You

There is love in the silence
love that binds us together and forgives
our failings when we drift away from You

There is peace in the silence
peace that we long for when this spinning world
gets the best of us and we come humbly back to You

There is joy in the silence
joy in every breath when we try to comprehend
the miracle of Your life and the meaning of Your death

There is hope in the silence
hope that the rising of Sunday
will one day be ours

There is power in the silence
power, beauty and love
peace, joy, hope and forgiveness this Easter morning

How to Shut Down Premature Aging

I just read a fascinating article from “Heart,” the newsletter from St. Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants in Kansas City. James O’Keefe, M.D. is the Editor-in-Chief. He says, The rate of aging of living creatures is to a large degree controlled at a cellular level by your telomeres which are the segments of DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes and provide stability. Think of the telomere like a fuse, and when it burns away, the cell auto-destructs.

Long telomeres are linked with longevity while short telomeres are associated with age-related issues such as heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, and death. One of the keys to keeping your genes in pristine condition is to maintain those telomeres that prevent your DNA from unraveling. The rate of aging and your ultimate lifespan are to a very real degree dependent on how fast you burn through that telomere fuse on the ends of your chromosomes.

Here are some ways you can prevent age-related diseases by slowing telomere shortening:

1. EXERCISE DAILY, especially if you are feeling stressed. Shoot for 40 – 60 minutes per day. Try to make some of it vigorous physical activity, especially outdoors.

2. TAKE A PURIFIED FISH OIL SUPPLEMENT, at least one gram (1000 mg.) of DHA + EPA daily.

3. TAKE A VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENT DAILY. Have your doctor check your level to determine what dose you need, or just take 2000 IU of vitamin D-3 per day.

4. AVOID JUNK FOOD. Eat two colored vegetables or fruits, and one serving of protein with each meal.

5. KEEP YOUR WAIST SIZE TO LESS THAN HALF YOUR HEIGHT.

6. GET 7 – 8 HOURS OF SLEEP EACH NIGHT.

7. TRY TO KEEP STRESS UNDER CONTROL. Invest a sizable portion of your time, energy, and money into enjoyable and enriching experiences. Nurture other life; get a dog or cat, tend a garden.

8. MINIMIZE EXPOSURE TO SMOG, SMOKE, TOXIC CHEMICALS, AND RADIATION.

9. DRINK 4 CUPS OF GREEN TEA DAILY.

I have printed out this list and posted it in several places in my home. These are NOT difficult things to do, but they could add years to all of our lives. I wish you all the blessing of good health, wonderful relationships, and long life.

GrannaBarbara, Simon, and Owen

Blessings,
Barbara

To learn more about Barbara’s life and work, go to www.barbaraglanz.com

Good Deeds DO Pay Off!

Since this is Thanksgiving week, I want to share a precious story with you, especially because in the busyness of our lives we sometimes forget how little things we do can make a difference. Every day I get about 200-300 email messages, and about 100 of those need some kind of response, so many days I feel completely overwhelmed, simply trying to keep up.

Several years ago, during a crazy busy time for me, I got one of those many email requests from a young woman working on her thesis on “Motivating and Retaining Employees.” She had found me on the internet and since this was my area of expertise, was requesting an interview. Now, honestly, in the tyranny of the urgent, the last thing I wanted to do that week was to spend time talking with someone who was “exploring” ideas and was not critical to my business; in fact, my first, ungenerous thought was to suggest to her to buy my books! So, I flagged the email and went on with my mountain of work.

Later that week my conscience was bothering me, so I finally called this young woman, even then with an attitude of “get through this quickly and get back to the piles on my desk.” Of course, she was delightful, and we had a lovely talk. I sent her several of my books and gave her access to a lot of research and material on my website that I normally do not share. She thanked me, and we both hung up feeling good.

As Paul Harvey would say, “Now for the rest of the story:” Last month I got a call from a young woman who said, “I am sure you do not remember me, but several years ago you helped me with information for my dissertation, and I have never forgotten your kindness. My paper was published and received high praise, thanks in part to your contributions.” She then went on to say that she was now the Executive Director of a large association on the East Coast and was wondering about my availability to be their opening keynote speaker for their annual conference in the spring of 2011. I was blown away that she even remembered me, and now she was offering me an opportunity to speak to her large clients from all over the state!

Oh, my, that call was another one of those “whacks on the side of the head” that caused me to stop and remember that we reap what we sow. How often do we all get buried by the business part of our work and forget those human level interactions that add such fulfillment and joy to our lives? I recently found a quote that touched me deeply: “Beware the barrenness of a busy life,” from Socrates!

In this time of giving thanks, I am so very grateful for the awesome opportunities we have every day to enhance the lives of others. May we all keep making a difference–and remember, good deeds DO pay off! Happy Thanksgiving!

Blessings,
Barbara

Forgiveness is healing!

This past week I got a “Google Alert” that someone had written a blog about me and the “Johnny the Bagger®” movie. It is always wonderful to know that others are talking about your work, but this time I was horrified! This person wrote a sarcastic, scathing blog post about me and the story of “Johnny the Bagger®,” using four letter words and vitriolic accusations. He even called me “a soulless CSP giving her bullshit talk” and felt the whole story was one of using people, calling Johnny the bagger, “a poor exploited Down syndrome teenager whose entire identity the video kindly subsumes into his job description.”

His summary paragraph: “At this point my mind spins, trying to deal with seventeen kinds of horror all at once. First, this guy, in addition to working for the company when he’s off the clock, has doubled or tripled his workload while he’s on the clock. Second, he’s unintentionally done the same for whatever innocent bystander is working the register on his line. Third, how starved for genuine human interaction must we be in our society if something as chintzy as a printed out quote on a scrap of paper can make us come back, over and over, obsessively, for more?”

My first reaction was to want to talk with him to share my sincerity and belief in my message that one person CAN make a difference. Then I realized that with this kind of negativity, I would only be opening myself up to more pain. So, my next reaction was to write to many of my closest friends and supporters and ask them to write a response to him to defend me and Johnny. Fortunately, several of them wrote back immediately and suggested that even though they would be thrilled to speak up for me, it would only add more fuel to his fire, more traffic to his blog, and really accomplish nothing.

Finally, my precious assistant, Laura, sent me a quote that really touched my heart: “Forgive Your Enemies…..it messes with their heads.” And then this morning when I was posting a quote on FB and LI, here are two that jumped right out at me:

* “The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world.” ~Marianne Williamson
* “Forgive those who have hurt you, not for them but as a gift to yourself.”
* “Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were.” ~Dr. Chérie Carter-Scott

How very sad it is that someone can take a story that has inspired millions of people to feel that they are important and can make a difference and has turned it into something negative. Today I am keeping this person in my thoughts and prayers with forgiveness and caring and the prayer that he will be able to find some joy in his life. And in the meantime, I will JOYFULLY continue to spread the message of hope that Johnny so preciously represents.

“Go out into the world today and love the people you meet. Let your presence light new light in the hearts of people.”—Mother Teresa

To view this movie yourself, go to www.barbaraglanz.com/johnny.

Barbara and the actor who played Johnny the Bagger

Family Time in Montana!

We have come to the end of our week of family vacation at Mandorla Ranch about an hour outside of Missoula, Montana. One of my clients offered me a week with all my children and grandchildren at her lovely bed and breakfast in the mountains, so we were all together for a vacation for the first time in nearly 5 years–the Gawliks: Gretchen, Randy, Owen 5, and Simon 2 3/4, from Portland, Oregon; Erin Glanz from Portland, Oregon, and the Glanz family: Garrett, Ashley, Gavin 12, and Kinsey 9, from Seattle, Washington and me from Sarasota, Florida.

The whole family in Montana

(Just a note: This was an interesting barter situation. My client is the Executive Director of the Educational Travel Association. She asked if I would be the keynote speaker for the Travel Learning Conference’s 25th anniversary in February of 2011 in exchange for a week for my family at her ranch. It was a win/win situation for everyone, and a creative idea for all of us during these tough economic times!)

I had asked each family to plan a family activity that would be fun for everyone, so the first morning Ashley and Garrett organized a “Family Scavenger Hunt.” We were placed in teams, and each team had to either find and put in their bag or take a picture of special things around the ranch, including a stuffed badger, a gold rooster, a man with a funny mustache (Randy!), an old wagon wheel, different colored rocks, 3 horses, and so on. We all had lots of fun, and the competition was fierce!

The family room at the ranch

The bar in the family room

Randy, my son-in-law is a skater, so after lunch we went to a skate park in St. Ignatius, then for huckleberry shakes (a specialty in this part of the country), a gorgeous scenic drive through the national Bison Range where we saw a black bear and elk but only ONE bison.

A stop at the bison range

The only bison we saw!

University of Kansas Mini-College

A Lifelong Learning Adventure

Last week I was privileged to take part in a wonderful life learning experience – a week of lectures and classes on the campus of KU taught by top college professors to a group of educated and interesting adults. The professors who taught each of the nearly 75 different 90 minute sessions were all volunteers who had to “apply” to be a part of the week. The Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, for example, good-naturedly told us in his address that he wanted to teach a class but had gotten turned down! He shared that the goal of Liberal Arts is “To understand what it means to be human,” and that was certainly the purpose of this week.

Barbara and the KU Jayhawk

It was interesting that the professors all week told us how much they were enjoying us as an audience – we came on time, listened, asked insightful questions, and did not sit texting on our cellphones! 😉 . Interestingly, they nearly all talked about the “silver tsunami” –that the % of people over age 65 will double in the next two years and the implications that will have for our society.

We individually ahead of time planned our “curriculum” which consisted of choices from diverse areas of learning, including politics, religion, science, education, life skills, film, history, and art. We were each able to experience fifteen 90 minute classes and several lectures and addresses to the entire group as well as walking, museum, and bus tours.

Carolyn, Barbara, and Karna, all mini-college attendees!

The full group presentations during the week included addresses from the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Chancellor of the University, a film screening of “The Only Good Indian,” Steve Hawley, an astronaut from NASA (participated in 5 shuttle missions) who spoke on “Inside Space,” a session on “Flamenco for Everyone,” and a presentation on “From the Golden Valley to Silicon Valley-A New Era of Cancer Treatment” from the Executive Chairman of Genomic Health.

Strong Hall, the Administration Building

This was my schedule of classes with several of the major learnings from each:

“The Psychological Toxicity of Modern Life”—Stephen Hardi

• 99.9% of our existence as a species was as Hunter –Gatherers. Our bodies were designed for a different time and place. Diseases of modernity include – Obesity, Diabetes, Hardening of the Arteries, Asthma, Fibromyalgia, Cancer, Depression.
• 70% of adults are clinically overweight. Today our appetites are calibrated to sugar, salt, fat and starch rather than the natural foods of our ancestors.
• 50% of all American adults will be diagnosed with a serious mental illness at some time in their lives. Depression can cause brain damage because cortisol, the chemical produced by depression, turns off brain growth. Chronic stress is toxic!
• The average American teenager spends 7 ½ hours a day in front of a screen, not counting the 1 ½ hours of texting. Today’s lifestyle is an environmental mutation. Depression is 10X lower in the Amish society, for example, because of their simpler lifestyle.
• BCNF is the brain growth hormone. It can grow new connections and repair brain damage at any age. Exercise stimulates BCNF – 40 minutes of brisk walking 3X a week is recommended. A couch potato measures 10 – 15 years older for biological age while regular exercisers measure 10 – 15 years younger.
• Single best current marker for heart disease – CRP, a blood test that measures inflammation. Meta-analysis pooling all studies proves that regular aerobic exercise is better than a stent after a heart attack.
• 80-90% of Americans get sub-optimum levels of vitamin D3. It is an anti-inflammatory that regulates our immune system. We NEED sunlight!
• Ways to combat this toxicity:
Physical Exercise—single most important medicine
Omega-3 Fats
Sunlight
Social Connection
Healthy Sleep
Engaging (anti-ruminative) Activity
• His book is “The Depression Cure” by Stephen Hardi
(Note: This was one of my favorite sessions!)

The Campanile which is the most famous landmark at KU. You walk through it and down the hill at graduation.

A Tribute to Charlie

TRIBUTE TO MY LATE HUSBAND, CHARLIE GLANZ

Today, May 10, marks the ten year anniversary of the death of my husband of 34 years. It is hard to believe that I have lived without him for a whole decade! He was my anchor, my soul mate, my lover, my business partner, and the dear father of our four children. I will miss him forever. I am a far better person because of his life and love. This beautiful poem expresses the legacy my children and I are each creating for him, giving away the love he so freely gave to all of us. “Love does not die, people do.”

Now that I am gone,
remember me with smiles and laughter.
And if you need to cry,
cry with your family and friends who walk in grief beside you.
And when you need me, put your arm
around a friend or loved one
and give to them what you need to give me.
There are so many who need so much.
I want to leave you something – something much better
than words or sounds.
Look for me in the people I’ve known
or helped in some special way.
Let me live in your heart as well as in your mind.
You can love me most by letting your love
reach out to family and friends,
by embracing them and living in their love.
Love does not die, people do.
So, when all that is left of me is love,
Give me away as best you can.
~Author unknown

Barbara to appear on WWSB ABC Channel 7 at 5:30pm Monday, February 8

On Monday, February 8, Barbara Glanz will be featured in a local story on WWSB ABC Channel 7 in Sarasota. Anchor Linda Carson interviewed Barbara about how older people are using the software Skype.

Barbara chats with her grandsons Owen and Simon and discusses how she keeps in contact with family and friends via the web program’s video chat. Tune in at 5:30pm on Monday to watch!

Find out more about Skype by visiting www.skype.com.

To read more about Barbara, visit her website at www.barbaraglanz.com.

View the story online at www.mysuncoast.com/Global/story.asp?s=11953039.

Interview with Ken Blanchard at his 70th Birthday Party

When Ken Blanchard, the co-author of the famous “One Minute Manager” and probably the best known and loved business and leadership guru today, turned 70, he decided to hold a birthday party for all his co-authors. I was blessed to attend since he and I had written “The Simple Truths of Service Inspired By Johnny the Bagger®” in 2005, and we are currently working on another book.

Over 40 of us gathered for 2 1/2 days at the Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego, CA, for discussions, presentations, conversations, and fun. It was truly a celebration of Ken and his work! During each session, he chose one or two of his co-authors to interview about their work and values. This is the interview he did with me on the last day of the “party.” Being asked to attend such an event with some of the people I most admire in the world was a lifetime highlight. I hope you enjoy the interview.