If you’ve ever been on Ancestory.com, you know how easy it is to start poking around, discovering this, attaching that, and before you know it, most of the day has blown by.

A DNA test can also be a real eye-opener. Turns out I’m not as white as I thought I was.

It’s all fun, informative, and can be an important part of the legacy we’ll eventually leave behind to our family members.

My ancestry includes heroes, explorers, warriors, and more than a few scoundrels.

In Episode 15, I’ll talk about DNA, famous relatives and neighbors, and attempt to recreate a speech from one of my family’s heroes, Patrick Henry.

It seems fitting for my country’s upcoming Independence Day this July 4th.

Time will tell which category I’ll fall into when my ancestors are digging into their family history decades from now.

Legacy - it's a work in progress.

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Imagine retiring at 65 from a job pumping gas after a lifetime of failures, then jumping into your '46 Ford with your $105 Social Security check, a chicken recipe, and a dream.

That's the story of Colonel Harlan Sanders of KFC fame.

YOU are ready for your own "Harlan Sanders" success story.

That's what we'll talk about in Episode 014.

Links -

Adam Grant Ted Talk

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According to a study by the CDC, we are in a sleeplessness epidemic...

With more than a third of American adults are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis.

Short sleep equals shorter life. It's that simple.

Alzheimer's, dementia, obesity, heart disease, diabetes 2, cholesterol, brain fog...

There's not a single part of your body or your brain that doesn't suffer when you're not sleeping 7-9 hours a night on a regular basis.

I know, I know; you're too busy or you don't have time or you don't need that much sleep.

But here's the deal...

If you or a loved one suffers from sleeplessness, you better listen to Episode 013.

Helpful Links-

CDC Report on Sleeplessness

Dr. Rhonda Patrick

Dr. Matthew Walker

Why We Sleep book

10 Tips To Beat Insomnia

Obesity and Sleep

Heart Failure and Insomnia

Sleep and Dementia

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
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We’re living longer than our ancestors did, no question.

Especially in the States, we’re sicker and fatter than we’ve ever been.

Cancers, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity…

Is the stuff we’re shoveling onto our plates killing us? Maybe.

And we can’t trust the government to monitor what’s allowed on the grocery shelves.

In episode 12 of Winning Your 4th Quarter, we’ll talk about some of the food additives allowed in the US that are banned in much of the rest of the world.

We’re also going to touch on the FDA’s allowable “defects” in our food.

My Dad used to describe disgusting stuff with, “That’ll gag a maggot!”

And believe it or not, according to the FDA guidelines, maggots are allowable in some cases, but only a few.

(Here’s where you say, “OOH MY GAWD!”)

You're unknowingly putting crap in your mouth that you wouldn’t feed your pets.

Let’s try to fix that in this episode.

Links...

Eat This Not That Article

Yoga Mat Bread

FDA Code Title 21

FDA Defect Handbook

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

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Park the Roomba and get out the ol' Hoover.

Not only are simple chores around the house good for your body and your mind, but they're also cheaper than that gym membership (Remember that gym you joined and went to twice? Yeah, that one.)

In this episode, we'll talk about vacuuming the carpet, washing the dishes, and scrubbing your bathroom.

Not the sexiest topic, I realize, but the health benefits of putting in some elbow grease around the house are real.

(Our house gets really clean when we're expecting company.)

Links -

McMaster University study

Calories Burned by Housework

Cluttered Kitchen Overeating study

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Business failure, job loss, divorce, death of a loved one...

Maybe YOU are in the middle of a shitstorm right now...

And when it happens in your so-called "golden years,' it can be devastating.

So how do some people seem to shake it off, regroup, and go on to bigger and better things?

My Grandma would say, "When life gives you lemons make lemonade."

I lean more towards turning them into margaritas...

Or freezing the lemons and throwing them at the culprit's face.

Surviving Life's Shitstorms is an important episode.

(Margaritas not included)

Links-

UH article

NIH article

Al Michaels' call

Photo by Jhefferson Santos from Pexels
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Japan and The UK appointed “Ministers of Loneliness” in an attempt to reduce loneliness, social isolation, and rising suicide rates.

In Canada, loneliness has proven to be a “silent killer,” particularly for seniors who have the highest suicide rate in the country.

Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and South Korea now recognize the costs to society of isolation, friendlessness, and loneliness.

In the US, studies show that more than three in five are lonely, with more and more people feeling like they are left out, lacking companionship, and lonesome.

Retirement, “empty nests,” the deaths of friends or a spouse, and now the Covid pandemic are taking an especially hard toll on older folks.

Maybe that’s you. Maybe it’s someone you know.

And it affects more than simply your emotional health.

It’s killing us.

In this episode of Winning Your 4th Quarter, we’ll talk about what you can do about loneliness…

For yourself and others.

Links…

Oxford report

Health Resources & Services Administration article

Washington Post article on European Isolation

NPR article

Campaign To End Loneliness

The Blue Zones book

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Are you worried about getting older?

Wheeling around a nursing home, sick and decrepit, lonely and sad, is not how I care to spend my "golden years." I'll be damned if the highlight of my day is a chocolate pudding cup and Golden Girls reruns.

I mean, I want to GET older, I just don't want to BE old!

So I'm on a mission to make the REST of my life the BEST of my life.

Can you feel that thumping in your wrist? That's your pulse.

And as long as that's still beating, you've got time.

Hunter Thompson wrote, "Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: 'Wow! What a ride!'"

*Here's a link to my book, 101 Secrets For Living To Be 247
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I'm dying. And so are you.

I checked the most recent mortality statistics and they're hovering at right around 100%.

But there are some things we can do to perhaps stick around for a little longer, maybe even healthier and happier.

Your body, your brain, your heart, and your hands.

We've got to take care of them. And it doesn't have to be difficult, complicated, time-consuming, or costly.

A simple thing like drinking enough water can be life-changing, perhaps even life-saving!
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"It's the little things that are vital. Little things make big things happen."

Coach John Wooden

In the mid-1980s, I found myself sitting next to the legendary coach John Wooden. It almost scared the pants off me. But he couldn't have been nicer or more down-to-earth.

There's a reason why this man is considered to be the best coach ever, in any sport, at any level. And I got an inside peek at how The Coach worked that day.

We'll talk about The Coach, Kaizen, and have a quick tip for taking care of your body, your brain, your heart, and your hands.
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