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| Use gardening to STOP SMOKING!! = = = = = = = = = = = = = It’s my fundamental belief that ANYONE can get healthy and ANYONE can achieve a life-goal if you put your mind to it. It’s as simple as stopping the excuses and applying yourself to your dreams! I’ve improved my health considerably by improving my allergy symptoms – I watch my diet, carefully avoiding most allergy triggers, and garden daily. I also left a tremendously stressful job and started my own landscape design business. It’s not been easy – everything worth having is hard work after all and I know I will not be “financially rich” in this career choice. However, I am wealthy emotionally and healthy physically and that’s 99% of a human being’s battle in life, don’t you think? My thought is all of you can achieve your health and de-stressing goals also – by gardening. I have a perfect example of someone else I know who’s done that: a woman who lives on my block. She’s done something fantastic. Well… more than fantastic - she’s stopped smoking. Her name is Kathy and she’s overcome many burdens in life. Kathy has made a lot of personal sacrifices for her family. She has given her love unquestioningly and asked very little in return for this generosity. Kathy continues to grow, give and live despite a host of negative things that have happened to her. She’s left the excuses on the couch in front of the television and has gotten out and turned gardening to her advantage! It has helped her stop smoking. I’m happy for Kathy as smoking ALONE is a very difficult thing to overcome - she wants to be healthy! Her theory has been that for every penny she used to spend on cigarettes, she now spends it on gardening. Her yard is a beautiful example of love and good health. I’ve noticed my little yard-chipmunk, “Chippy,” even goes over to Kathy’s house every morning for a visit. Nature is testifying to Kathy’s achievement! Kathy’s gardening choice now allows her to get out regularly and bend, lift and dig. She breathes fresh air instead of smoke and gets lots of daylight benefits. Over the last few months I’ve seen Kathy’s strength improve and her yard turn into an Eden. I’ve also seen more smiles coming my direction across the court. Kathy is getting healthier because of her garden and her desire to stop smoking. How wonderful is that? I dream of inspiring people much like Kathy has. Perhaps all the people who read my column can do the same thing for their life: use gardening as a tool to improve health!! You can do it!! Kathy has! I have! It is a life- style choice – choosing to make the time to garden instead of being sick, tired and stressed. Please get off that couch, stop making excuses, stop complaining and start applying a positive attitude to any unhealthy habits you have in your own life. Use Kathy as inspiration! Remember, it’s not about “perfection” – there is no such thing. It’s about feeling better. If you can’t do it by yourself, have your neighbors and friends help you!! If you live in an apartment or condo, why not help the community with community gardening projects? It will improve your health and life AND it will get the world healthy with you. GET OUT THERE!! BREATHE AND EXERCISE! MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY! GET HEALTHY! It’s all about having a Healthy World and a Healthy YOU! Please send your gardening questions for Shawna Coronado, The Casual Gardener to dearshawna@thecasualgardener.com or The Casual Gardener, P.O. Box 358, Warrenville, IL 60555. www. thecasualgardener.com |
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