Dashboard Lights for Life
Bloody Dashboard: Know your basic blood values: 1) Lipid Panel (Total Cholesterol, Triglycerides, LDL [bad cholesterol] & HDL [good cholesterol]), 2) Blood Glucose & A1C, 3) Liver Enzymes (ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, PT, INR, LD, Total Protein, Albumin), 4) Kidney Function (creatinine & blood urea nitrogen [BUN], 5) Vitamin D (25-hydroxycholecalciferol), 6) Thyroid Hormone (T3, T4, TSH) and 7) White Blood Cell Count. Depending on your health status, you may have additional blood values that require monitoring. Learn about abnormal & changing blood values, the causes & the treatments. Then, create a plan with your doctor to treat & optimize the body’s innate healing properties.
Sans Blood Dashboard: Know your basic vital signs & symptoms: 1) Blood Pressure, 2) Heart Rate: Resting, Exercise Zones & Recovery Rate, 3) Body Weight (Waist-To-Hip Ratio), 4) Breathing Changes (Shortness of Breath), 5) Skin/Lesion Changes (ABCDE Rule), 6) Pain & Its Cause, 7) Stroke Signs & Symptoms (FAST: Face: one-sided drooping; Arms: inability to maintain/lift arms; Speech: Slurred/Strange; Time: Call 911 for any of these signs), 8) Body Temperature and 9) Sudden Onset of Symptoms (Call 911 for sudden onset of pain, confusion, dizziness, numbness, visual disturbance/blindness, severe headaches, trouble walking/loss of balance & coordination). Work with a medical team to address all abnormal signs & symptoms & learn about the causes, treatments & methods for healing your body.
Financial Dashboard: Know your basic monetary warning lights: 1) Expenses, 2) Net Earned Income, 3) Unearned Income (interest, investments, distributions), 3) Total Net Worth, 4) Financial Goals (Short/Long-Term Saving Method & Progress) and 5) Charity Contributions. Depending on your financial health, you may need to check these warning lights daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly. Recording & reviewing each of these financial health values will create a deeper understanding of your financial health. Use this understanding to learn new ways to save, spend & share your money. Your financial health is depending on you.
Social Dashboard: Some basic social warning lights are the number of weekly/monthly events on your social calendar. 1) Partner Date Nights, 2) Planned Get-Togethers Events, 3) Scheduled Time with Close Family/Friends, 4) Hobby/Interest Events, 5) Group Projects, 6) Scheduled Recurring Phone Calls and 7) Targeted Personal Digital Communications (e.g., life events, medical appointments, etc.). When you add social calendar events that you love, you create more happiness & build deeper relationships with family & friends. Make plans! Your social health is depending on you.
Mental Dashboard: The mental dashboard indicator is like a fuel gauge. 1) FULL: Thoughts that trigger happiness or positive thinking increase our energy mileage range, 2) EMPTY: Thoughts that trigger stress or negative thinking decrease our energy mileage range. To fill our tanks, add: a) creativity, b) skill practice, c) knowledge development, d) like-minded social events, e) group activities, f) gratitude reflections, g) calmness practices and h) volunteering. Even small frequent mental energy refills will help us to better handle energy drains such as work assignments, health worries, money challenges, food access & low self-worth. Refill often for better mental health so that you can make it to your next destination.
Spiritual Dashboard: Some basic spiritual warning lights can be found in your everyday activities. Review your daily events, routines, to-do-lists and habits to find the number of times that you engage in activities that add to a purposeful, compassionate & belief-driven life. Some examples are: 1) Nature Walks, 2) Creative Social Projects, 3) Cultural Events, 4) Religious Events, 5) Prayer, 6) Barefoot Walking (e.g., grounding/earthing), 7) Tree Climbing, 8) Mind/Body Exercises, 9) Meditation and 10) Reflective Learning. When we add daily self-driven activities that connects our inner & outer worlds, we become more conscious that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves.