How Healthcare Works, LLC

As a young girl, I played softball for several years, tennis, volleyball, and I was in track. I tried out for the basketball team, but I quit after learning that in 6 on 6 style play for girls I wasn't allowed to run and dribble with the ball. I couldn't wrap my head around the idea that I could only take two steps and then had to pass the ball. In high school, I was a cheerleader. I only played intramural sports in college, until my senior year. That year, I tried out for the women's varsity soccer team and made the team as a walk-on. I thought that my whole experience trying out for the soccer team was a great example of believing in myself, knowing I deserved to succeed and setting up a plan for success. I should predecess this whole discussion by letting you know that I never played soccer before I tried out for the varsity team, other than in P.E. class in junior high and high school and pick-up games in the schoolyard. I grew up in the Midwest in the 1980s, and soc...

Last summer, I read Rachel Hollis' book, "Girl, Stop Apologizing." I believe I have written about this book before, because I really liked the book. One of the chapters that caught me off guard and was rather surprising to me was "Girl, Clean Your House." The reason that surprised me was because the book was about empowering women and teaching them to be leaders. At first, I wondered what cleaning your house had to do with leadership. Rachel Hollis did a fairly decent job describing why having a clean house helps you become a leader. Recently, I went to visit a family member, and they told me, "My house isn't as clean as your mom's house." Well, I am here to tell you, not that many people's houses are clean as my mom's house was when I was growing up -- except maybe my sister-in-law's. But, I will talk more about that later. My own house isn't even as clean as my mom's house. It is what I call "company-ready-in-an-...

I am about to tell you a secret. Turn off the television, put down your phone, close your other tabs, silence your alerts. Here it is. Do you know what the secret to success is? You don't? You should. Thought leaders around the country are telling you all the time. It's all over the internet. There are actually thousands of books and articles written about how other people became successful. If you are really paying attention, you will start to notice themes among these thought leaders and others that our society holds in "high success" status. One of those themes is that the successful people and thought leaders all express their gratitude for their lives. Expressing gratitude seems like it's easy to do, but for so many people it's difficult. They are distracted by all of the things about their lives that aren't exactly what they wanted or what it should be. Let's admit, too, that there are people who do have challenging lives. They have had to o...

To me, an apology has three parts. They are as follows: 1. Say, "I'm sorry." I remember learning to say "I'm sorry" in elementary school. The students would have to apologize to whoever they did wrong. Then, the teacher would ask, "Now, what are you sorry for?" That's a tough question for an elementary school student. It's also a tough question for adults. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) calls the "what I'm sorry for" part, acknowledgment. That means you have to admit that you did something wrong. In addition, IHI states that you should offer an explanation for what you did. "That happened because I engaged in this behavior and/or because I made a mistake." The actual "I'm sorry" portion of the response is what IHI calls remorse. That means, that you feel bad that you hurt or injured or caused someone else some kind of discomfort. 2. Promising to do better in the future. To me, an apo...

Another Week. Another Race. This makes my third 5K this summer, in case you are counting. You see, when I first embarked on this 5K journey, I was doing it to mark something off my Life List. In case you don't know what a Life List is, it's the same thing as a Bucket List. Instead of focusing on things to do before you die, however, it focuses on things to do to enrich your life. My life. Thus, it's my Life List. Anyone who knows me knows I can't just do something just to do it. I once had a friend tell me, "You can't be good at everything." My response was, "Yes, I can." Of course, I may not be good at everything, but I can try my best at it. That's what running the 5Ks is all about to me. Trying my best and pushing myself to see how much I can improve myself to reach my goal. Yes, I set a goal for myself for the 5K time that I have not reached yet.  I have this timestamp in my head that I want to see when I cross the finish line. Until I ...

In the dog days of summer, the heat index can reach up to and over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. These are some of the hottest days of the year, and the days when the heat can wear you down quickly. Staying outside in excessive heat, or even inside without air conditioning, can be detrimental to your health. Here are some tips to stay healthy and cool and not try to compete with the heat. 1. Drink Water.  Drinking water not only keeps your body hydrated but also helps your body with its natural cooling system. If you are dehydrated, then your body will have to work that much harder to cool off. Make sure you drink plenty of water, during the hot days of summer...and every day. 2. Stay Out of the Sun.  As much as possible, stay out of direct sunlight during the hottest days of the summer. The sun's rays are the strongest in the late morning and early afternoon, but the heat is greatest during the later part of the day. If you aren't able to stay in a cool area, find a local cooli...

On my final walk up the hill after my workout, some days I have to visualize and fantasize about what waits for me at home. I start thinking about the cool air hitting my face as I open the door, take off my shoes and socks, and walk into the kitchen and have a big tall glass of water. Nothing is quite so refreshing as a big glass of ice water after a workout on a hot day. I'm going to come out and admit it. I'm a big fan of water. Fill a glass up with ice cubes and some refreshing water, and I'm happy. Best drink there is. When I was a kid, I would sit down and drink my whole glass of water, and then I would fill up on another one. I would have to be reminded to eat my dinner, too. Water doesn't only taste refreshing and feel good when you drink it, but it's good for your health, too. The human body is made up of 60% water. That's a whole lot of water going on in your body. If you are wondering where the water goes in your body, think of all those bodily...