August 28, 2020 00:40 ET | Source: J. Alexander Martin

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Building An Empire is published by Sfirm Publishing, in association with LC3 Publishing, an imprint of Leeds Press Corp. PR by Qamar Zaman / KISSPR.com

Atlanta, GA,, Aug. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- J. Alexander Martin is a successful entrepreneur, author, fashion designer, trend setter, and one of the co-founders of the urban fashion brand, FUBU The Collection. J, who is a published author, releases his 2ndbook titledBuilding An Empireas an E book. The E book is available on Amazon and other online retailers. J titled his book,Building An Empire, because in it, he tells the story of what it took to grow FUBU, so he could help entrepreneurs navigate the process of growing their own business.

J shares many of the success secrets he used to help grow FUBU from a street corner business to an international corporation, grossing over 6 billion in sales to date.Building An Empireis required reading for the entrepreneur, college student, or just anyone who wants to learn what it takes to be successful in business. Through this book, J becomes the readers personal business consultant, guiding them through the ups and downs expected in any business.

Building An Empireis published by Sfirm Publishing, in association with LC3 Publishing, an imprint of Leeds Press Corp. Melinda Santiago, CEO of Sfirm Publishing says, J is an amazing person whose reputation speaks for itself. Not only is he a co-founder of FUBU, but he is a genuinely authentic individual who is always willing to share his experience and expertise to help entrepreneurs. I am happy to have him a part of the Sfirm Publishing family.

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J. Alexander Martin a Fashion Mogul Behind One of the Most Successful Urban Brands Releases New Book Building An Empire - GlobeNewswire

The 1986 Plymouth-Carver state championship boys soccer team had nine players move on to be a captain on their college soccer team.

What started with heartbreak ended with absolute elation. That was the journey this weeks 50-for-50 profile, the 1986 Plymouth-Carver boys soccer team, took while on its way to the Division 1 state championship.

We had a great team in 1985, said John Tocci, a tri-captain on 86 title team alongside Archie Harlow and Doug Coggins. We beat a really good Needham team in the South finals and then went up against Lexington in the next round and were absolutely crushed, 7-1.

We got our butts kicked that game, but it also lit a fire inside all of us that fueled what we did the next year. It was a defining moment for all of us and as soon as we got off the bus after the Lexington loss we all had the same attitude that this was not to happen to us again in 86. That loss locked us in. We had 80-90 guys working out in the summer before we won the state title that were determined to bring that team to the next level.

The passion was there at the start of the new season, but the results were not. P-C started out slow with a record of 1-2-1 before winning 19 of their next 20 games on their road to the programs one and only state championship.

It was an ominous start to the season, Head Coach Emerson Coleman admitted. We were all disappointed in the way we got out of the gate because we knew we were a better soccer team than what we had shown. (The players and coaches) all had to look inside themselves and find what we needed to be the kind of soccer team that we all thought we could be.

That kind of introspection seemed to flip a switch in the Blue Eagles and they were determined not to be stopped until the Div. 1 championship trophy was in their hands. They soared to a league title in the incredibly competitive Old Colony League and began the playoffs with a win over Brookline before getting the better of familiar foes Needham, Marshfield and then Bridgewater-Raynham to win the South sectional championship.

Wakefield would fall in the Eastern Mass. finals, putting Plymouth-Carver exactly where they wanted to be all along in the state title game opposite Wachusett Regional. Not surprisingly, the victory 3-2 didnt come easily for P-C. The issue wasnt decided until Jeff Schultz scored in the opening minute of the second overtime period giving the victory to the Blue Eagles.

What I remember about that season is what a great group of players and people we had on the team, said Schultz, who went on to be a captain at Boston University. We had a really talented group of players and there were leaders up and down the roster. Everyone knew what their role was and everyone played those roles very, very well.

Archie Harlow got the scoring started for P-C in the state title game when he converted a penalty kick. Wachusett answered back twice and held a 2-1 lead for a good portion of the game until midfielder Doug Coutts scored with five minutes left in regulation to tie things up before Schultz ended the long journey to a state championship with his OT winner.

Peter Kasarjian was on the bench alongside Coleman for the title run along with freshman coach Larry Sheely and junior varsity coach Russ Govoni.

The quality of people and soccer players that were part of the team that year was off the charts, Kasarjian said. There may have been three captains on the team but there were leaders all over the roster and there were also some terrific soccer players on that team.

On their way to the state title the Blue Eagles scored lots of goals (123) and let up precious few of them (19). According to Coleman the eight seniors on the 86 team finished with an impressive varsity record of 68-10-7.

Jim Prouty, Harlow, Jason Malone, Andy Moreland and David Whitaker were up on the attack with Schultz, Coutts and Tocci holding down the midfield. P-C was very fast and athletic on the back line as Mike Barton, Coggins, David McStowe and Chris Nardone tried to keep things safe and sound in front of goalkeeper Doug Maccaferri.

According to Coleman this group always took it as a personal attack if their team was not in possession of the soccer ball.

I used to tell them we are nothing until we have the ball and they really took that to heart, said Coleman, who would go on to coach the Duxbury High girls soccer program to a state title in 2008. If we lost possession of the soccer ball all 11 players on the field were committed to getting it right back. We had a very strong defense that season and a big reason we did so well was there was a total commitment given by everyone to the team.

Tocci, the current head coach of the Plymouth North boys soccer team, said the 86 team was a group of misfit toys that worked perfectly together.

We had talent on the field and off the bench and the key part that made this all happen was everyone in the program was on the same page. Everyone was willing to play their role to help us succeed as a team, Tocci said.

Youd be hard pressed to find a team with more quality soccer players and quality people, said Coleman, pointing out that nine players from the 1986 team would move on to be a captain on their college soccer team. You cant just be a pretty good team to win a state title. You have to have that something special. The 86 team had that something special. They werent playing for themselves, they were playing for each other.

Tocci said the familiarity the teammates developed with each stemmed from their days playing Plymouth Youth Soccer together. It was an important building block to the success theyd have at the high school. Toccis father, Richie, is one of the original founding fathers of Plymouth Youth Soccer and was president of the league for many years.

Plymouth Youth Soccer was huge when I was growing up. No matter what sport you played, it seemed like everyone was part of the league back then and we all grew up playing with and against each other in the town league, Tocci explained. By the time we got to high school we already knew each other pretty well and what everyones strengths were.

Regular season games against talented Old Colony League foes like B-R, Marshfield, Silver Lake and Weymouth got P-C more than prepared for what theyd see in the playoffs each year, Coleman said. I think the OCL was up there with the toughest leagues in the state. Every game was a battle and I knew that after playing our league schedule that wed be ready for anything wed see in the tournament.

The talent in the OCL was incredible. It was really an honor to make the OCL All-Star team, Tocci said, who did so twice. Everywhere you looked there was a great player and all of the teams were good. Wed go so hard against one another for 80 minutes but there was also so much respect between all of the teams at the end of those games.

Success was spreading all over the Plymouth sports programs in the 1980s. Football (two) and boys cross-country also won state titles and the girls soccer and basketball teams were all putting together some incredible seasons. The excitement from one sports season bled right into the next as each team tried to top the success of the one before them.

The fan support in school and at the games was incredible. You really had to be there to experience it, Tocci said. We used to play a lot of boys/girls doubleheaders under the lights at the old Romano Stadium and the atmosphere was awesome when wed walk down the hill to get to the field.

Wed all be bummed out when we saw wed have a day home game on the schedule because the night games were always packed with our fans and the atmosphere was electric.

Each week during 2020, the 50-for-50 project will profile a Plymouth person or state championship team that positively impacted the town in the last 50 years. To nominate someone, email Sports Editor David Wolcott Jr. at dwolcott@wickedlocal.com with information on the nominee.

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PLYMOUTH 50-for-50: All the stars aligned for Plymouth-Carver boys soccer on its run to state title in 1986 - Milford Daily News

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August 28, 2020

Jakie Rodriguez

A bachelor of arts in history can provide a valuable background for many careers, including government service, law, education, library science, business, journalism, and the arts. Pepperdine Universitys Seaver College offers a major and a minor in the study of history, teaching students how to think constructively about the present by making connections with the past. History students develop a deep understanding of the complex factors that have produced and shaped past and present societies. The degree program helps students to refine skills in research, analysis, and reasoning, and how to effectively communicate information. Aside from becoming a historian, high school history teacher, or history professor, history graduates have gone on to find work as politicians, journalists, attorneys, librarians, writers, editors, and museum curators, or directors. Careers in advertising and marketing are also common. Keep reading to discover a variety of lucrative jobs for history majors.

The most obvious choice for history graduates is to become a historian. Historians study resources of the past such as personal letters, diaries, newspapers, and photographs. They collect, analyze, and interpret information before writing articles or books on their findings and theories. Historians are usually employed by governments, businesses, historical associations, and nonprofit organizations. However, some historians may work in colleges or universities. The median salary for this field is $60,000, but will also depend on the individuals employer, experience in the field, and level of education. Many historian jobs require a master's degree or doctorate.

A history professor is a lucrative position for a history graduate with few jobs available in the field. History professors are expected to have at least a masters degree, if not a doctorate and typically work in universities giving lectures, conducting research, and teaching classes. The average salary for a history professor is $74,000, but the salary will fluctuate depending on level of education and experience.

While a political science degree is often considered essential to running for public office, a background in history is an asset to a political career as politicians must have a thorough understanding of past governments in order to make informed decisions about the future. History programs teach students about the role of governments and their evolving nature as well as how to effectively communicate their theories in written or oral form. Many famous politicians such as Dianne Feinstein, John F. Kennedy, and Joe Biden studied history. The median salary for a politician is $116,000.

Being able to research and analyze information and communicate findings effectively are key skills in being a successful journalist. Thus, a history program prepares students for a possible career in journalism. History graduates can find jobs with newspapers, online, or television stations, working to gather and evaluate information before disseminating it to the general public in a manner that is compelling and informative. The average salary for a journalist is $45,800, but earnings depend greatly on employer, experience, and qualifications.

It is common for history majors to continue their education and become lawyers. An attorney must have strong analytical and critical reasoning skills, skills that a history degree helps to develop. In the same way that historians analyze historical data, attorneys analyze legal precedent to persuasively argue a case. Accordingly, a major in history complements the abilities needed to successfully work as a lawyer. The average salary for an attorney is $116,000, but salaries vary widely depending on the success and size of the firm.

Many history majors go on to become paralegals, who support attorneys, law offices, and government agencies by completing delegated and investigative work on cases and preparing legal documents. Paralegals are vital to any organization involved in legal work; their day-to-day activities include fact checking, doing legal research, analyzing documents, and managing case management. Paralegals require the communication and critical thinking skills that are honed during the completion of a BA in history. The average salary for a paralegal is $49,000.

The research and analytical skills history majors develop prove excellent for jobs in human resources. Human resource specialists, managers, and directors are essential contributors to almost all organizations, as they are responsible for administrative tasks such as paying employees, administering benefits, and talent management. The average salary of a human resources manager is $104,000.

A degree in history teaches the necessary skills for working as a librarian. Librarians are responsible for organizing and filing information including cataloging and classifying materials. They are expected to be proficient researchers and excellent communicators with strong critical thinking and analytical skills. Librarians work in academic, law, business, and in private and public school libraries and make a median salary of $59,000.

A bachelor's in history can prepare students to become archivists: specially trained professionals who collect, assess, organize, and preserve records and archives. Archivists also help people access the information they preserve. They work at a variety of organizations, including universities, large corporations, government institutions, hospitals, nonprofits, libraries, and museums. Archivists earn a median salary of $47,000, but can make up to $74,000 in cities where the demand for such skills is prized, such as Washington, DC.

History degree programs require a large amount of writing and editing to communicate research findings. This makes history graduates excellent candidates for careers that are focused on the written word. Jobs in copywriting, editing, and creating marketing content are popular choices in a great many businesses. Salaries vary between positions, experience, and personal background. Writers make a median salary of $60,000, and editors slightly less at $58,000.

A history degree can effectively prepare students for a career as a museum curator or director, as a knowledge of the past and good communication skills are crucial to these roles. Museum work attracts those with an interest in history as museums preserve historical artifacts and knowledge for future generations. The average salary for someone in an administrative role at a museum is $47,000. Compensation will fluctuate between museums, responsibilities, experience, and educational background.

History graduates learn how to communicate information in a persuasive manner, a skill that is critical to careers in advertising and marketing. Work in these positions is not limited to advertising agencies; many corporations, law firms, universities, and nonprofit organizations hire their own marketing staff for roles as sales agents, copywriters, marketing coordinators or managers. The salary for these jobs will vary depending on the organization and the position, as well as on the candidates experience and qualifications.

Earn your history degree at Pepperdine Universitys beautiful Malibu campus. Seaver College , located on the coast of Southern California, offers students the opportunity to study and grow in a close-knit, supportive environment. Our history degree program sets our students up for success in many lucrative career paths through the refinement of essential skills required in the corporate world. History majors or minors will achieve a series of learning outcomes throughout the duration of their study. With strong ties to alumni, Pepperdine has a career center offering a range of support for students including internship and job search services, resume assistance, and networking opportunities. In addition to providing an excellent academic education, Seaver College gives students a chance to immerse themselves in extracurricular activities such as athletics, outdoor excursions, and spiritually based endeavors. Learn more about our history major and minor, and start your application today.

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What Kinds of Jobs Can You Get with a History Degree? - Seaver Blog | Pepperdine Seaver College - Pepperdine University Newsroom

No figure from the 18th-century age of revolution had as extraordinary a life as Toussaint Louverture. He was born a slave in the 1740s, in one of the cruellest and deadliest environments humans have ever created: the French Caribbean colony then called Saint-Domingue (now Haiti), where rapacious white planters worked hundreds of thousands of captive people to death to feed Europes growing taste for sugar and coffee. In the early 1790s, Toussaint helped start the largest and most successful slave rebellion in history and then moulded the rebels into a remarkably effective army.

In 1794 he agreed to join forces with Frances radical first republic, which had proclaimed the abolition of slavery in its overseas empire. As a French army general and the colonys lieutenant governor he defeated a series of enemies, including British invaders, and saved Saint-Domingue for France. By the end of the decade he had outmanoeuvred a series of French officials, overcome black rivals, emerged as the colonys uncontested strongman, and brought it to the brink of independence. In response, Frances new leader Napoleon Bonaparte sent a massive military expedition to reassert full French control. It ultimately failed, leading to Haitian independence at the start of 1804, but it did manage to defeat Toussaint and take him prisoner. He died in the cold, lonely Fort de Joux in the Jura mountains of France in 1803.

The story is astonishing but also astonishingly difficult to write about. Sources for Toussaints life before the rebellion are scant and scattered. Historians only discovered in the 1970s that he had gained his freedom in the 1770s and had himself briefly owned at least one slave. Much more documentary information about him survives, but it is dispersed among dozens of archives in several countries. Haitian historians have never had the resources to compile, let alone edit and publish it in the way that American historians have done for their founding fathers. Only in the past quarter-century, thanks to the academys turns towards global and subaltern histories, has the Haitian revolution attracted sustained scholarly attention in North America and Europe.

Toussaints previous biographers have drawn on the surviving shards of information to produce wildly different portraits. For the great Trinidadian intellectual CLR James, Toussaint was an anti-imperialist freedom fighter avant la lettre. The conservative French diplomat Pierre Pluchon cast him, much less convincingly, as an acquisitive aspiring landowner interested in exploiting the plantation system for his own benefit. Most recently, the French-American historian Philippe Girard has emphasised Toussaints ruthlessness and tendencies towards dictatorship.

Sudhir Hazareesingh would not seem the most obvious candidate to write Toussaints definitive biography. He has not previously worked on Caribbean history. He is best known for books on contemporary French political history and for a sprightly, provocative volume entitled How the French Think. But his Black Spartacus is a tour de force: by far the most complete, authoritative and persuasive biography of Toussaint that we are likely to have for a long time. It is not without its own very strong point of view, presenting Toussaint above all as a fierce and effective opponent of slavery. But it is at times an extraordinarily gripping read.

The book is grounded in a remarkable job of research. Hazareesingh has scoured archives in France, Britain, the US and Spain (not Haiti itself, where, regrettably, relatively little material has survived). He has not been able to resolve some of the greatest open questions about Toussaint, such as whether the black leader plotted the slave rebellion at the behest of French royalists, who hoped it would undercut moves towards independence by white landowners. Rumours to this effect have circulated since the events themselves. Hazareesingh does not believe them, but has little new evidence. However thanks above all to new soundings in the French colonial archives, including both the correspondence of French officials and records of the colonial administration, he has provided a far richer portrait of Toussaints years in power than was previously available. Ten of 12 chapters deal with these later years.

He characterises Toussaint as a canny revolutionary political operator, who knew how to mobilise the black masses behind him, helping him force out the successive French officials who tried to rein in his authority. This support depended on more than just Toussaints own personal charisma. He forged what Hazareesingh calls a creole republicanism that drew on French, African and indigenous sources, was centred on a fierce, absolute opposition to slavery, and inspired genuine confidence and public spiritedness among the former enslaved.

In a careful study of a representative hamlet, Mle Saint-Nicolas, Hazareesingh speaks repeatedly of Toussaints success in shaping a new sort of political community. And he quotes a report to Frances ruling Directory: The commander-in-chief has the confidence, respect, and love of nine-tenths of the population. Hazareesingh also makes clear that Toussaint possessed extraordinary personal qualities, including exemplary personal courage (he was wounded in battle some 17 times), strategic brilliance, powerful eloquence and an almost superhuman stamina and work ethic.

This book does recognise that especially towards the end of his rule, Toussaint turned increasingly secretive and ruthless. At one point, needing to win British goodwill, he cynically betrayed a Jewish agent he had helped send to Jamaica to start a slave uprising there (the man was hanged). Furthermore, in Toussaints desperation to restore the pre-revolutionary plantation economy, he became increasingly trapped in an authoritarian spiral. But Napoleons invasion brought him back to his republican self as he again inspired his followers to bond together to fight for their liberation. He died a martyr of freedom, and ever since his memory has been venerated, especially but not only among people of African descent. Hazareesingh goes so far as to call Toussaint the first black superhero of the modern age.

His admiration does lead him to skate lightly over the most troubling aspects of Toussaints career. The authoritarian spiral to which he refers involved forcing former slaves to return to their plantations in what amounted to a form of serfdom. Toussaint also treated white landowners with undue magnanimity, protecting their property and allowing them to fill most of the political offices in places like Mle Saint-Nicolas. He certainly believed that without the wealth generated by largely white-run sugar and coffee plantations, Saint-Domingue would be left defenceless against its many enemies. But he took some of the richest plantations for his own property, and provoked considerable discontent among the former slaves.

As the historian Johnhenry Gonzalez has recently argued in Maroon Nation, these men and women themselves fiercely hated the quasi-industrial plantation system, and focused much of their revolutionary fury on smashing plantation machinery (Gonzalez calls them more successful versions of Britains machine-breaking Luddites). After independence, they defied the attempts of successive Haitian rulers to corral them back on to the plantations, and instead voted with their feet, moving into unsettled areas and taking up subsistence farming. The plantation economy, which Toussaint had brought back to roughly a third of its pre-revolutionary dimensions, collapsed for good.

His increasing authoritarianism arguably prefigured the dictatorships that have plagued Haiti throughout so much of its history. Still, it would be a large mistake to hold Toussaint responsible for the ills that have plagued his country since independence. If that responsibility lies anywhere, it is with the western powers that long treated Haiti as a pariah state. In return for diplomatic recognition, France in 1825 forced Haiti to pay crushing reparations for lost colonial property (including human property). The US subjected it to 19 years of military occupation in the early 20th century, and later supported the horrific dictatorship of the Duvalier family. Under these conditions, made worse by the difficult aftermath of revolution, and by repeated natural disasters, any chance of establishing a stable democratic state was vanishingly thin. Even so, throughout modern history, as Black Spartacus reminds us, Toussaint and his creole republicanism have remained powerful sources of hope, both in Haiti and beyond.

David A Bells Men on Horseback: The Power of Charisma in the Age of Revolution is out from Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Black Spartacus is published by Allen lane (25). To order a copy go to guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.

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Black Spartacus by Sudhir Hazareesingh review the epic life of Toussaint Louverture - The Guardian

You've heard it a million times before if you want to run faster, you need to run more.

In a culture that promotes a no excuses attitude towards working out, pushing yourself beyond your limits is often celebrated as a sign of discipline, agility and physical strength.

As we fixate on improving our performance and reaching new goals, we rarely consider the future losses of our present gains.

An unhealthy endurance athlete may seem like the ultimate paradox, but its a lot more common than you may think. RED-S is a syndrome that affects countless sports fanatics many of whom dont even know it exists.

RED-S refers to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, and it is exactly what it sounds like. Previously called the Female Athlete Triad, it is characterised by low energy availability due to a caloric deficit.

The condition, which was termed in 2014 by the International Olympic Committee, can affect both males and females, including elite and non-elite athletes. It can lead to irreparable damage, impairing almost every system of the body if left untreated.

With little known about RED-S in the general medical and athletic community, it often goes overlooked. It prevails under the radar, only drawing attention after a drastic injury or mental collapse.

'It is still a relatively new condition,' explains Sports and Eating disorder specialist dietitian, Renee McGregor. 'It is a clinical condition within a sporting community, so only practitioners trained in both clinical and sports science/medicine will have a full understanding.'

However, as the evidence of its dangers mount, more people are speaking out to raise awareness about the syndrome.

One of these voices belongs to Great Britain runner Pippa Woolven, who suffered from the debilitating condition for over five years. Determined now to help others through her mentorship programme, she shares her own experience with RED-S with Runners World.

RED-S manifests in a variety of physical and psychological symptoms, which unfortunately, often go unnoticed. Creeping up in the form of benign colds and general fatigue, its unlikely to sound any alarm bells at first.

'It was worryingly easy to dismiss the initial warning signs, since they were all relatively subtle in isolation,' Woolven says.

These seemingly minor symptoms are in fact indicative of the body slowly breaking down. 'Biological processes become depressed,' McGregor explains. 'When there is not enough energy in the system, digestion slows, resulting in bloating, discomfort and IBS symptoms.'

Stubborn sniffles and chronic coughs are another side effect of this deficit.

'The immune system also becomes impacted, which puts the individual at a higher risk of infections and illness.'

A key symptom of RED-S in female runners is hypothalamic amenorrhea, or the absence of menstruation. While regular periods are a sign of good health, they can also be a major hindrance for many female athletes. Their disappearance is often a welcome relief from monthly cramps, headaches and mood swings all of which impact training and racing.

'It seemed more convenient not to have them,' Woolven reveals. 'I didn't have to worry about being on my period during competitions or buying tampons anymore.'

This acceptance of amenorrhea speaks to an uncomfortable truth about RED-S.

Its early symptoms can perversely enhance performance at least, in the short-term. Excessive training and restrictive eating leads to lower body weight, which can result in faster times. The detriment of these behaviours is obscured by their immediate benefits more PBs, more medals and more acclaim.

'In my mind, I was just doing what it took to reach my potential in sport. I thought the odd illness, body image issue and low iron levels were just part of the challenge,' Woolven says.

The danger of RED-S lies not in its symptoms, but in our failure to recognise them as symptoms.

RED-S is not an invisible illness that wreaks havoc on our internal organs as we ignorantly carry on with our lives. It waves at us in a bunting of red flags, but we remain colourblind to its warnings. In a society warped by messages like No pain, no gain and Eat less, move more, its easy to view physical hardship as fundamental to making progress.

Our ability to detect health problems can, ironically, be corrupted by our determination to reach our fitness goals.

With athletes often unable to identify the issue objectively, its crucial that their support team develops an understanding of RED-S.

Unfortunately, the initial pros of the condition are often applauded by coaches, whose concerns are typically rooted in achieving visible results. Many doctors also have little knowledge of the condition, which further delays diagnosis. Despite displaying all the symptoms, it took years for Woolven to discover she had RED-S.

'Id had countless blood tests, seen multiple doctors and endocrinologists and not once was RED-S or the Female Athlete Triad suggested.'

Woolven emphasises the importance of discussing menstruation more openly in the athletic community. A loss of periods, which is a major indicator of RED-S, is often normalised in female runners and can therefore go unnoticed.

'Every doctor who looked at my body weight and food consumption reassured me: no period - no problem,' Woolven reveals.

The female body requires a certain amount of energy to make sure reproductive hormones regulate and produce a monthly period. Hormones such as oestrogen are also crucial for bone health, cardiovascular health and cognitive health.

'During amenorrhoea, when these hormones are reduced and often non-existent, individuals put their health and performance at risk,' explains McGregor.

Exhausted from her futile chase of a concrete diagnosis, Woolven finally decided to take matters into her own hands. She came across a series of articles and blogs on RED-S, and was shocked to discover how accurately they detailed her own symptoms.

Despite the relief of finding an answer after years of confusion, Woolven felt frustrated by the vagueness of the condition. 'At first, I couldnt believe that the simplicity of the RED-S description could possibly explain the complicated nature of my problem.'

As she delved further into her research, Woolven was confronted by a painful realisation her body had been undernourished for years.

'It became apparent I had quite simply spent years in an energy deficit that was far from replenished during the "reset" I thought was behind me,' she admits.

This prolonged energy deficit is far from benign. The long-term consequences of RED-S include, but are not limited to, decreased bone density, cardiovascular issues, gastrointestinal disturbances and decreased immunity. Armed with this new information, Woolven embarked on a plan to salvage her deteriorating health.

With RED-S often taking years to be diagnosed, there is no fast lane to recovery. As many of its physical symptoms grow from a deeply entrenched mindset, effective treatment requires a focus on ones mental health. Initially, Woolven attempted to loosen her rigid attitude towards nutrition and training on her own. Despite her good intentions, the process was a lot harder than she had expected.

'I seemed to be stuck in an agonising middle ground; motivated enough to start the process but continually falling short, time and time again,' she says.

After 'a series of half-hearted efforts and frustrating partial comebacks', Woolven took a crucial step in her recovery seeking professional guidance. With the help of a psychotherapist, she dug deeper into her disordered eating patterns and established a plan to combat these unhealthy behaviours.

Woolven also began to take time away from running, to pursue other hobbies and invest time in close relationships. To her surprise, varying her interests only benefited her training. She quickly realised that she did not have to neglect all other aspects of her life to reach her athletic goals.

'Ironically, I performed at my worst when I was overly focused on sport,' she explains.

Woolven's experience inspired her to establish Athletes in Balance, a mentorship programme which supports people battling with similar issues. Having struggled to receive a RED-S diagnosis and to implement an effective treatment plan, she now wants to assist those who may be presenting symptoms.

'My goal as a mentor is to be the person who shows up, looks at the bigger picture and then helps someone apply their strength as an athlete to overcoming challenges related to RED-S,' she says.

While she recognises that it is not a replacement for medical intervention, Woolven believes that her mentorship can be a valuable resource for those grappling with RED-S. With her extensive experience of the condition, she aims to a provide the holistic support that may be missing from standard clinical treatment.

'Sometimes science doesnt hold all the answers to the change in mindset an athlete may need to go through,' she explains.

By sharing her story, Woolven hopes to help others identify the warning signs of RED-S, implement effective strategies, and of course, emphasise the importance of balance in every athletes life.

If you think you may be suffering from RED-S and need someone to talk to, Woolven can be contacted here.

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RED-S: The condition all runners need to know about - Runner's World (UK)

The past few months havent been easy, by any means, for anybody. Millions are unemployed and/or infected with the novel coronavirus, nearly200,000 people have died, and it seems the current state of everything has taken a toll on the population. Politico reported that 30.9 percent of those surveyed by the CDC said they had symptoms of anxiety or depression while another 13.3 percent said they turned to substance use to cope with pandemic stress.

This isnt even taking into account those who are already dealing with disorders that make them predisposed to low points. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 18 percent of the adult population suffers from an anxiety disorder. The National Institute of Mental Health says 7.1 percent of U.S. adults have depression.

For those like Meagan Weldon, who was diagnosed with depression and anxiety in early 2017, the pandemic has brought more tension. It has affected my anxiety and depression because you cant go anywhere with friends. You cant go out to eat or go shopping whenever youre feeling down just to get out of the house, Weldon says. That was really tough. Weldon also discussed concern for her photography business, Meagan Weldon Photography, and her struggle to make money amid the economic fallout.

Weldon mentioned that her six-year relationship ended about a month agomeaning she had to tack breakup onto her list of worries. At first, I didnt know what to do; how to cope with things. I basically just laid in bed for a week and a half and binge-watched my favorite Netflix shows. For that week and a half, I allowed myself to feel every single feeling, Weldon says.Normally you would go out with your girlfriends and get a drink in a bar, just go hang out and go out to eat and vent and talk about things, but you cant really do that during a pandemic.

But after that week and a half, Weldon says she came around and found her way forward. I realized I dont want to be with somebody that doesnt want to be with me, and I just decided, I have to pick myself up. I have to move on with my life and figure out what comes next for me.

Interestingly enough, Weldon feelsher experience learning about her anxiety and depression over the past few years prepared her to move on from her heartbreak. Ive had to focus on myself and get really in touch with my feelings, she said. Im not afraid of my emotions, and Im not afraid to feel sad.

As for mental health, Weldon recommends trying to focus on the positives in life, as well as being open with your doctors if youre on medication and reaching out to a therapist if you havent already. Everybody that loves you and cares about you is there to help you, so if youre going through anxiety and depression, its just so important to reach out to somebody.

Weldon also made sure to emphasize the importance of destigmatizing disorders like anxiety and depression. She says when she was diagnosed with anxiety in early 2017, along with a form of OCD called trichotillomania, she realized she'dbeen wrestling with anxiety her whole life. I had always been a perfectionist in school. If I got a bad grade, I would freak out and have a panic attack, Weldon says. I didnt know what that was growing up because its such a taboo subject that people dont talk about it.

Although things feel almost impossible to handle at the moment, Weldon has advice nonetheless. You cant always control what happens to you, but you can always control how you react to the situation and how you move forward from it, she says. The first step to change a situation you dont like is to change your attitude about it and try to find positives, no matter how difficult that might be.

She adds: I always reiterate to people that its OK to have anxiety and its OK to have depression, but its not OK to ignore it and hope that the problems go away.

Here is the original post:
Mental health during the pandemic: advice on processing a breakup in isolation - St. Louis Magazine

Atono Tskr Kense Kohima | August 23

While Nagaland reels under the daily detection of COVID-19 cases, there has also been a surge in the recovery cases. As on August 23, the recovery rate in the State was 62.2%, giving hope that the virus can be contained and with proper precautions, even cured.

In the first part of the series, The Morung Express spoke to some individuals who have successfully outlived Coronavirus infection. They included Advisor for Horticulture and Border Affairs, Mhathung Yanthan, John, a 65-year old sportsperson (name changed) and 17 year old Naro (name changed) from Kohima.

Continuing the conversation, these survivors shared their experiences and words of advice on how to deal with the virus and support the people affected by it.

Stigmatisation scarierthan being infected It was not easy for my family in this journey, particularly for my Mom who underwent mental and emotional stress said Naro with four members in the family who were tested positive but are all COVID-19 free now. Her mother tested negative.

Citing instances of the stigma and discrimination where people had the tendency to avoid them, she said the prejudice and stigma was scarier than being tested positive with COVID-19 which according to her is adding more woes in the lives of those who are tested positive.

I would say they are not matured enough to understand. Maturity does not come with age, it comes with our thinking ability and that shows how we are Naro stated matter-of-factly.

Yanthan, who declared his status publicly in social media said I made it a point to declare my status publicly so that those who have come in contact with me get themselves tested he however, rued that people tend to feel ashamed about to make known of their status due to the prevailing mental attitude of the people.

Stigmatising is happening and we need to revisit our SOPs viewed Yanthan, relating some instances when he was tested positive. All these fears and wrong notions should be dispelled from the minds of the people he asserted.

In times like this, the true nature and colour of the society emerged. It is our attitude which will carry us during this pandemic period pointed out John who also added that this invisible virus doesnt care about anyones status and that anybody in ones family or friends can be infected.

To this, he appealed dont point fingers at him/her or stigmatise a COVID-19 person but show sympathy and compassion as you might be the very next potential victim of this virus.

Psychological support required Rather than the physical pain or discomfort, I feel people like us are suffering more emotionally and mentally observed Naro.

Concurring to this, John said the virus is doing more damage, stress and strain on the psychological health of those infected with the virus and emphasised on the need for counselling, if not, even a short chat and talk which he said can be of a huge relief to the patients.

God willing, he said, he wants to help the people affected with the virus by reaching out to them through telephonic conversation to given moral support and encouragement.

Words of advice Sharing some tips and advices as ones who have been there, Yanthan said the virus is here to stay so we need to build our immune system, eat well, sleep well, rest well and most importantly follow the protocols.

Although three of them were tested positive, he said We were least bothered because we dont have any symptoms and we were pretty sure that we will be fine. He also added that early detection can help to a great extent.

Take precaution and care, be positive, then we will overcome the virus was his message to the people.

Being a survivor, I can say, everything is going to be fine. Have a positive attitude towards life. Dont stigmatise. Pray to God and take good care of your health said Naro.

For John, following the safety protocols by maintaining personal hygiene, social distancing and understanding the virus scientifically with a little bit of compassion and sympathy will greatly contribute in fighting this pandemic.

This is the last of a two-part series.

See more here:
Coronavirus survivors in Nagaland recount road to recovery-II - Morung Express

As he sat in the dirt after a young horse tossed him off while schooling in March of 2018 staring at an exposed portion of white bone, veterinarian Kevin Keane, DVM, knew he was in a bad situation.

I was doing very elementary exercises, and basically he let out a little bit of a buck, and I more or less stepped off of him, but when I did, my leg was at an angle, said Keane. This is apparently a common injury in people who are stepping off a ladder. It was really an innocent maneuver on the horses part.

What happened was, both my tibia and fibula splintered, and they came out the bottom of my leg, he continued. I was in an outdoor arena, where it had rained the day before, and so there was a significant amount of water and dirt around, presumably some horse manure also. I had what they call an open fracture, where the bones are projected out of the leg. The negative aspect of being a vet is the minute I saw my tibia sticking out I thought, Well, this is real, real bad.

Keane, 65, runs a practice specializing in equine sports medicine in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where his clients include eventers, steeplechasers, jumpers and dressage horses. Orthopedics and lameness are a central part of his work.

Sohe understood exactly how dangerous open fractures can be because of their high risk for infection when they happen around water. Or dirt. Or horse manure. The tibia, particularly the lower part of the bone, is notorious for poor healing in humans because of its decreased blood supply. Keanes fracture was just above his ankle, and his ankle joint was also exposed.

Keane directed those at the farm to call for an ambulance and get him to a trauma center. He picked up a call from coach, veterinary client and close friend PhillipDutton, whod heard about the young horse that had been found without a rider.

This isnt the worst thing, he told Dutton. Im looking at my tibia, but I didnt hit my head.

At the hospital, surgeons flushed out the fractures and put Keane in traction, but his leg was too swollen for surgery at first. Ten days later, he learned surgery would be complicated, so he flew from Aiken, South Carolina, where the accident happened, to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, where top trauma surgeon Dr. James Krieg performed the operation.

Months later the pain persisted.

I wasnt doing particularly well for about four months, Keane said. I didnt look well. [Krieg] kept saying, Something isnt right. Of course, I couldnt walk. I was actually unable to walk normally for almost a year.

Keanes vitals were checked daily to detect any possible infection, and they remained normal, so he returned to work, observing his cases while perched on a stool or hobbling around on crutches. Then, a few months after the operation, his leg adopted a slight curvature that no one could explain. Krieg suggested another surgery, and this time, he took tissue biopsies of the area around Keanes tibia.

He came in a little bit like this Dr. House that we have on television and pronounces a brilliant diagnosis. He announced the name of the bacteria, which is an enterococcus, recalled Keane. Enterococcus actually grows in horse manure. Basically, they realized my leg had been infected for four months, but my body never registered any sign of infection with fever or bloodwork. If he hadnt done that biopsy they never would have known. He said, Now you realize most people that have what you have wouldve gone to the ER in the middle of the night for intractable pain.

I had been in quite a lot of pain from the bone being infected, but I thought it was because of the fracture and was more or less what I had to endure healing up, Keane continued.

Now that theyd identified the problem, they could treat it with a strong combination of antibiotics. But if the drugs failed, Krieg told Keane theyd likely have to amputate. For months Keane gave himself intravenous antibiotics every day at the same time.

The treatment was a success, and Keane believes his attitude was as important an aspect of his recovery as any other. Krieg agreed.

He told me that as doctors, we pretty much put the pieces back in order, but it really is up to the patients and their mental attitude and their tendency to keep trying to get over the injury, said Keane. Thats pretty much what I did.

It was nearly a year before Keane got back in the saddle. The many hours spent on crutches had left him with a loss of sensation in both feet, and Keane worked up gradually from short jogs to longer flatwork to crossrails. Eager to return to competition, he asked Dutton if he could enter a horse trial and just take the cross-country slow. Dutton cautioned him that jumping was going to be harder than he thought.

Naturally, Dutton was right. For several months, Keane had to look down at his feet before a jump to verify the position of the stirrup because he couldnt feel it.

I wanted it so badly that I basically did not have any fear, Keane said. What I would do is Id be cautious riding a horse by myself. When I rode Id make sure 1) I had a cell phone on me and 2) that there was someone in proximity to me so that if I happened to fall off due to weakness in my legs Id have a chance of getting some help.

Keane, who competed at the Rolex Kentucky CCI5*-L in 2014 with Fernhill Flutter, started competing again in January 2019, when he finished fifth at novice with HH Ontario, a now 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse.

Now, Keane is back to his usual schedulewhich is a busy one. In addition to his veterinary practice, he competes Sportsfield Candy, his 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse whom hes campaigned at advanced, and HH Ontario,whosbeen cleaning up at preliminary, winning at Sporting Days (South Carolina) and the Horse Park of New Jersey Horse Trials this year. Keane sneaks rides in between cases and said that if hes awake, hes working or hes riding. There isnt room for much else.

He hopes to continue riding at the advanced level as long as he physically can and wants to do a long-format four-star later this fall if the pandemic allows. Keane has also enjoyed the process of training Ontario and looks forward to bringing more young prospects through the ranks. As he approaches his 66th birthday, Keanes vision of an eventual retirement from eventing is far off and probably involves show jumping.

I have no plans of slowing down whatsoever, he said.

Do you know a horse or rider who returned to the competition ring after what should have been a life-threatening or career-ending injury or illness? Email Kimberly at kloushin@coth.com with their story.

Original post:
The Chronicle of the Horse - The Chronicle of the Horse

Angeline Dukes, a graduate student in neuroscience, didnt intend to organize an entire movement.

But she did have a question. She had noticed other Twitter movements highlighting Black scientists in fields like birding, astronomy, and physics. She wondered: Wheres neuroscience?

So in early July, Dukes, who is Black, tweeted: Sooo when are we doing a #BlackInNeuro week?

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Within days, a group of nearly two dozen neuroscientists banded together to found Black In Neuro. Like many such groups, it started out as a kind of Twitter club. Its first act: a weeklong virtual showcase of the field and a series of events on neuroscience research, racism, and mental health.

They pulled in sponsors to pay their speakers, including the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and Stanford University. And theyre not stopping there: Now the group is making a list of Black neuroscientists, 300 and growing, for others to connect with as mentors or invite to present their research. Theyre hoping to eventually set up more formalized mentorships and travel awards.

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The goal: to develop a community for Black scientists who often feel alone or overlooked. Dukes has been there herself. She isnt always confident enough to lift up and showcase her own accomplishments. She still covers her computer and kitchen table with sticky notes of advice and encouragement shes heard along the way from mentors and colleagues, You can do this! and Make your voice heard!

Dukes said that her mentors and colleagues encouragement and support empowered her and now she wants to empower others.

Its important to know that we dont have to be pushed out of the field. We can keep going and we can find mentors and we can have this community, and we do belong here, Dukes told STAT.

Dukes, whos currently a student in the department of neurobiology and behavior at the University of California, Irvine, said it was wonderful to find a community of people who had not only succeeded, but overcome the same struggles shed experienced. She wanted to found the movement in part because of her own struggles as a Black scientist especially as she felt the mental health impact of the killings of unarmed Black people like Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd earlier this year.

In the summer of 2016, when the headlines focused on the police killings of Black men like Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and Freddie Gray and 12-year-old Tamir Rice, no one in her lab at Vanderbilt University seemed affected by it, except her. Dukes was overwhelmed, empathizing with the family members of the victims seeking justice, and it affected her work in the lab.

I was so scared for myself and for my boyfriend and for my family and I didnt care about the science I wasnt paying attention, she said. Back then I felt like I was just an undergrad. Who am I to say anything or demand that you pay attention to this?

Earlier this year, Dukes demanded that her labmates pay attention. She spoke to her Ph.D. mentor, Christie Fowler, who is white, and they postponed an upcoming exam so she had time to focus on her mental health. Her mentors attitude helped her realize the power of support and how a broader community could offer more people the same attitude.

I did feel supported, and I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that Ive had professors and people in positions of power who were willing to try and fight for some kind of change to be made, she said.

In June, when her husband, who is also Black, was stopped without explanation by her own campus police officers, she was shaken. And though her mentor was supportive, and even rallied other faculty members to email university leadership, Dukes wanted to find a community of people who completely understood her experience. So she built it.

A part of me wanted Black In Neuro because I wanted something positive and I really needed a community that would understand without me having to explain why it was so upsetting, Dukes said.

I really needed a community that would understand without me having to explain why it was so upsetting.

Angeline Dukes, a graduate student in neuroscience who helped found #BlackInNeuro

Although Dukes describes herself as a small person who does like little things that maybe might make a change in a small sphere of influence, the people around her made it clear shes a natural fit to lead the group.

Dukes has experience organizing events shes the de facto party planner for the lab and even remembers everyones birthdays.

Shes also shown herself to be a powerful speaker about topics like racism in science. Dukes and two other neuroscientists at UC Irvine organized and led an anti-racism discussion this spring to teach others how to be a better mentor and ally to Black scientists, ultimately creating a better environment for Black colleagues. It was so successful that Nii Addy, an associate professor of psychiatry at Yale University who acts as an accessory mentor to Dukes, said the Society of Neuroscience highlighted it as a resource for the neuroscience community as a whole in July.

Just to be able to have an idea and to be able to run with it and implement it. Thats pretty remarkable, Addy said. Her leadership skills have been impressive to me, and her vision as well.

Dukes ability to turn an idea like Black In Neuro Week into a reality by organizing a group of scientists, finding sponsors, and scheduling speakers and events in a matter of three weeks speaks to more than just her leadership skills it demonstrates her perseverance, a quality that Fowler, Dukes Ph.D. mentor at UC Irvine, who is also an associate professor of neurobiology and behavior, emphasized.

When shes faced with challenges, she just pushes through and does amazingly well, she said.

Case in point: When a last-minute emergency kept Fowler from presenting at a conference in New Orleans in March, she asked Dukes to fill in and present research that was not her own.

Dukes, who was the only Black person in the room, was shaking.

I was absolutely terrified, she said. I guess [it was] just the imposter syndrome and feeling like I wasnt sure if Im qualified to talk about this

But Fowler said her colleagues in the audience thought she knocked it out of the park. Dukes was even offered a job by another researcher at the conference.

Several faculty in her department at UC Irvine recognize her as a force of nature. And they encourage it.

Fowler and another faculty member gave Dukes a painting of a black bird to recognize the important work she was doing as an advocate for Black scientists. She keeps it above her desk as a reminder to keep speaking up a more artistic version of the sticky notes on her kitchen table at home.

It just felt really nice to feel like they recognize the work that Im doing, said Dukes. And so this was just another form of validation for me that I am being heard and that my thoughts are being valued.

Black In Neuro also helped Dukes see herself as others do at least a little bit.

It makes me feel more secure that I do have a place here and I can make a positive impact in science, she said.

Dukes and her 21 co-organizers are still deciding whats next for Black In Neuro.

For now, they are focused on nurturing the community they created. They are gearing up to hold monthly socials, actively developing a list of Black neuroscientists, and profiling individual researchers. Other Black neuroscientists in the field think the increased exposure of Black students to successful neuroscientists like them will go a long way.

So those same folks can now say, OK, well, this theres this person here, this person here, this person here, that I can connect with, that looks like me, that I can relate to. Thats gonna go a long way, so that people arent dealing with imposter syndrome in isolation, Addy, Dukes Yale mentor, said.

Dukes was taken aback by the strength of the community she made. She teared up as she recalled a video meeting for Black women, late in the movements weeklong event in July, when she realized how similar her experiences were to everyone there.

Its so easy to feel like youre the only one and no one understands. And to just know there are people out there who get it, like 100%, they get it, and to not have to explain that, and just see how important that is for so many people. It really means a lot, she said.

It clearly did for the participants, too. Yasmin Hurd, the director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai and one of Dukes science idols, also attended. She, too, was moved by everyones experiences she even turned on her video camera despite her new haircut. But even more so, she was impressed with Dukes. Hurd said she had a way of making everyone feel special for who they are and the research they did.

Its this warm environment [where] people felt safe. And there were just a lot of emotions. And it brought out the raw emotions in me that a lot of these ladies are going through the same things that I went through, and that we havent really moved the dial enough, said Hurd.

Dukes wants to keep moving that dial, both with Black in Neuro and on her own. She participates in a biannual Saturday science event at her local church, where she teaches children, many of them Black, about things like what neurons do she said the students are always a bit freaked out that she works with mice.

At the end of it, I had at least one of them that was like, I think I can be a scientist! and I was like, Yes! Yes you can! Thats exactly what you can do, she said.

She wants to keep showing others that there is a place for them in research, if they want it. She intends to seek a professorship at a historically black college and university so that she can help other Black women see that a career in science, and specifically research, is an option.

I feel very certain that this is the career path for me, that this is what Im supposed to be doing, especially with all of the Black in Neuro stuff, I feel like this is really how I can make a difference, she said.

Elizabeth Cooney contributed to this report.

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Read the original:
The scientist behind #BlackInNeuro is building the hashtag into a community - STAT

We all have read the news of a collapsed bridge or a crumbled flyover. It is not rocket science to understand the reasons behind such accidents. More often than not, it is because of the low quality of construction. Sometimes, it may also be due to the overload of traffic. Somewhere, some rules have been compromised. Either during the construction of the bridge or at the time of usage.

I bring your attention to one more bridge which exists in the human mind. The one which connects a person from his/her current reality to the cherished dreams. The ability to walk through this bridge until the dream milestone is also coined as success.

Well, in most of the cases people spend their entire life navigating on this path. Regret happens when the goal is visible on the way, but people run out of necessary fuel to advance further. All this happens for the same reasons, which made the concrete over bridge collapse. Either the strength of this mental bridge is not appropriate, or it has become exhausted because of overuse!

Let me illustrate the six pillars of this invisible mind bridge, which can not only give it strength but also make it sustainable for a long duration. These are

1. Belief

The first pillar of this unseen bridge is an unquestionable self-belief. A large majority of people do not start their journey only because they lack belief. It is must to be self-confident and aware of the universal powers bestowed on to us.

If this pillar crumbles, there is not much of a scope for the reconstruction of the bridge. It would be wise for a person to step on this journey of dreams with a rock-strong belief!

2. Resilience

The road to success is never smooth. If you can overcome obstacles on the way, you are really worthy of your goals! Traffic jams, potholes, blocks, abrupt turns, rough weathers are part and parcel of this journey. A traveller has to be prepared to face such eventualities and cross over those. Sometimes one might be required to pause a bit or take a bye lane, come what may, but the engine should not stop. Keep moving with your focus glued in the right direction. When this pillar bends, the journey becomes unpleasant. So much so that, one gets tempted to surrender. Acceptance is the key to resilience. Be ready to face challenges, and the problems will never deter you.

3. Intuitiveness

It is said that logic can take you from a to b, but imagination can take you places.

The road less travelled is the one which leads to a never before milestone. To give strength to this pillar, it is mandatory to work on a powerful dream. When the destination is intuitively inspired, it creates abundant energy. For a person, withholding such a motivating goal, obstacles become insignificant, and the travel time becomes joyful.

Practising regular meditation and living a mindful lifestyle are the key sources of intuitiveness. A person who observes these virtues gets to experience peace and pleasure in synchronicity!

4. Decisions and choices

The unfolding of life as future is nothing but the fallout of the choices made by us in our present.

No one can ever be sure of the right decision in any given situation. However, a person driven by values and governed by the instinct of taking calculated risks can always rely on his/her choices. Decision making is an art. Learn it when you are a kid, and the stakes are not high. It is the responsibility of parent and society to inculcate this ability in children.

This pillar is the centre stone of the powerful mind bridge. Wrong choices can lead to misleading directions. The journey of a thousand miles can convert into that of ten thousand miles if decisions go haywire!

5. Giving Attitude

Our life begins with the lessons on acquiring. We strive for getting knowledge, wealth, property, richness, relations etc. In the zest to accumulate so much of all these, we miss out on the real joys.

Renounce, as much as possible, the attitude of getting and nurture the ability of givingthe joy of giving feeds a persons self-esteem and also delivers a sense of self-actualization.

When this pillar is compromised, the journey at the end of the bridge becomes stressful and challenging. Many people sitting on piles of wealth can be seen depressed only because this pillar has not been appropriately curated!

6. Eat & Exercise well

This pillar is the most fragile out of all. The primary fuel for human beings is the food that we eat. When age is in the favourable compartment, youth ignore these aspects grossly. For most of us, the realization to eat well and do proper body maintenance come a bit too late.

Once a very senior doctor said this: Start taking care of your health when it is in the right shape. Otherwise, you may have to do so as per the prescription of a physician!

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

Read more:
Six pillars of the invisible bridge - The Times of India Blog