The Best Dope!

The Best Dope!

Did this get your attention?

Know what the best dope is? Hint: it’s free, builds up your energy, and really makes you feel good, and the more you use, the better it is for you…and, it’s totally legal—and safe! Give up? It’s dopamine (and serotonin). Huh? They are natural drugs (chemicals) that are produced by you!

Gender plays a role in the production and the need for dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine is needed for men and serotonin is necessary for women. The emotional center in the brain, for example, in women is twice as big as it is in men. And when the emotional center gets stimulated, eight times more blood flows to the limbic system. Serotonin gets produced to relax it. So, by the end of the day, women tend to have deficiencies in serotonin. And for men, they tend to have low dopamine levels. Since dopamine gives men energy, by the end of the day, they often feel as if they have no energy. Once you understand the brain chemistry, you understand that when dopamine levels dissipate, activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain - the front part of the brain, actually lessens - and it happens to men and not women. Low serotonin symptoms include feeling overwhelmed, having food cravings, or feelings of depression, which women are more prone to experience than men, because they're more vulnerable to low serotonin levels. Symptoms of low dopamine are simply low energy, and inability to focus or listen. So wives, there actually is a medical explanation for why your man doesn’t seem to be listening to you when he gets home from work.

Ever feel this way? Everyone has. But, you don’t have to - any more. How can you produce dopamine and serotonin? It’s easy: Exercise! And proper nutrition. So, the advice of eat right and exercise is accurate.

The best time to exercise is first thing in the morning—on an empty stomach. When you exercise right after awakening, you burn pure fat that was stored in your body—and build natural healthy chemicals. So, instead of thinking about trying to rebuild it at the end of the day – when it is too late, you want to build your supplies in the first part of the morning. It's the first two hours of the day that you create your supply of dopamine and serotonin. Exercising when you first wake up is the most important thing you can do to produce more serotonin and dopamine—and more energy. It is also the best cure for depression (not a bunch of drugs!) and will boost your energy during the day.

What kind of exercise? Very moderate lymph stimulating exercises are all that’s needed: a brisk walk for one half-hour, and a nutritious supplement at breakfast will produce your serotonin for the day. For nutrition, what you need is mineral/enzyme supplementation, the right balance of a complete protein in the morning, and Omega-3 fatty acids. Health Food Stores sell the supplements you need and you can make it into a delicious shake – a brain shake. John Gray wrote a great book titled, Mars and Venus Diet and Exercise Solution, about the subject and gives some exercise examples that everyone can do—and they don’t require much time.

I often hear people say, unless I have a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, I have no energy. Have you ever said this? And, I’ve also heard people say, I don’t (4 letter word!) have time to exercise. Nonsense! Exercise actually gives you MORE TIME, by building up your energy. We are all comprised of energy; what sounds better to you: taking drugs (caffeine) to give you energy or creating it naturally with the two best drugs: dopamine and serotonin? If you don’t think caffeine is a drug, try to cease using any drinks or foods which contain caffeine (coffee, soda, chocolate, energy drinks). I’ll make a prediction: your head will pound like a drummers’ convention.

Runners often say they get a “natural high” right after running but can’t really explain why. Now you know why. Start each day with one-half hour of exercise and put your physical (and mental/emotional) state in position to maximize your waking time. You cannot attract your bliss without energy. And, dopamine (and serotonin) is the best dope!

(From the deleted chapters section of The Bliss List. Order your copy today at www.YourBlissList.com)

What are Your 3 Greatest Strengths and 3 Greatest Weaknesses?

This is a very common interview question. The first part is a slam dunk; the second is a potential landmine unless you are careful. For strengths, keep in mind that every company needs people who can do three things well: (1) earn revenue, (2) save money, and (3) save time. Plug this in, interspersed with some business traits and make the interviewer smile.

For weaknesses, don’t ingest truth serum and tell of your paranoid fantasy to kill your current boss. Avoid admitting to character flaws like the plague. I prefer a “weakness” to be skill-related and past tense: “I wasn’t astute with PowerPoint when I first started, but I read a great book, practiced, and became very proficient; now I train others in PowerPoint presentations.”

You are admitting to something that everyone had trouble with at first. You are not born with computer software skills, so this is not a damaging answer; furthermore, you can show that you are a quick study, able to learn it and then teach it. Any time you can demonstrate how you overcame a weakness, all the better.

Another good “weakness” example is to give a general answer in which you can plug perceived strengths: “I am passionate about my work and always give each task my all. So, when sometimes I see others loafing, I can get frustrated. I have improved by always trying to demonstrate a positive attitude and hope it will catch on,” or “I set lofty goals for myself and am sometimes too demanding of myself.”

Again, you have another chance to mention that you are a goal-setter who raises the bar very high. Not a bad weakness. The trick with discussing your weaknesses is to avoid the landmine answer. Turn your weakness into an actual strength with a throw-away, past-tense skill that you have now learned.

(Excerpted from The Bliss List. Order your copy today at: http://www.yourblisslist.com/)

If You Could Be An Animal, Which One Would You Be?

I was asked this as the follow up to the color question. My instinct told me to avoid saying panther and polar bear—no benefit in messing up my previous answer with the black and white thing. Also, shark, snake, and turtle were landmine replies.

I answered, “Jaguar.” She looked intrigued, smiled, and asked, “Why?”

I replied, “The jaguar is very versatile—able to patiently wait for its prey for hours on end if needed and can pounce with lightning speed and grace. Plus, it’s a cool car!”

She smiled and said, “Great answer” for the second time as she reached into her purse to pull out her car keys with the Jaguar emblem on it (I got the job offer).

(Excerpted from The Bliss List. Order your copy today at www.YourBlissList.com)

If You Could Be a Color?

Q: If you could be a color, which one would you be?

Recommended Answer: "I was actually asked this question by an impressive, Ivy-League-educated, African American female in a high-powered job interview. Talk about a landmine question for a Caucasian male! If I answered "black," I would have been seen as kissing up to her, and disingenuous; if I answered "white," I would seem like a member of the Klan.

I smiled and answered: "The rainbow." She smiled, looked interested and asked, "Why?" I replied, "There are four basic personality types in individuals, and I pride myself on trying to recognize and adapt to each one, depending on the situation. Sometimes I need to be red; sometimes green; sometimes black and white; sometimes even pink."

She laughed and actually said, "Great answer!"

(excerpted from The Bliss List, available at www.YourBlissList.com)