Monday Wake Up Call:

Monday Morning Wake-Up Call:

Your Motivation, Inspiration & Direction for the Week Ahead

Giving Gives Your Brain Pleasure

How was your weekend? Relaxing or exciting? Both are great, and we actually need both at different times (or you can have both at the same time)!

 

Thanks to technology, researchers are able to see brain activity during certain acts or activities. Did you know that when you make a donation to charity, your brain acts in a way similar to when you’re intimate or eating chocolate? In a study of those who donated to a worthy cause, the midbrain region of the brain lit up. This is the area of the brain responsible for our cravings and pleasure rewards, showing the link between charitable giving and pleasure. It’s true. This reward or pleasure response to giving is the physiological reason behind the “warm glow,” or that good feeling you get when you give and why you may choose to spend money on others or charity rather than yourself.

 

But does giving actually make you happier? According to a survey and study by researchers, it does. They found that people who spent a higher proportion of their income on gifts for others and donations to charity were “happier.” The researchers randomly assigned people to 4 groups that were told to spend $5 on themselves, $20 on themselves, $5 on others or $20 on others. Those who spent $5 or $20 on others reported being much happier, while those who spent money on themselves showed no change in happiness. Also, the group that gave away $5 was just as happy as the group that had $20 to give away, showing that happiness in giving can be more about the how than the how much.

 

Something to Think About

If giving gives you pleasure and can make you happier, should you start giving to others if you want to be happier? Research says yes; however, there’s more to it: Research also shows that when you give with the intention of giving vs. giving to get, your response and reward is much better! More about that next week.

 

Weekly Activity 

Donate your time or some money to your favorite cause. If you don’t have one, this is a great time to find one!

 

Words of Wisdom

“Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

“The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller

“If we look at the world with a love of life, the world will reveal its beauty to us.” – Daisaku Ikeda

 

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” – Maria Robinson 

Monday Wake Up Call

Monday Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

LOVE: THE MAGIC KEY OF TRANSFORMATION Welcome to Monday! Let's talk about love. What is love? It seems as though it means different things to different people. Love is difficult to explain in philosophical terms because it's not designed to be analyzed or explained; it's designed to be experienced or felt.     Love is the most powerful emotion; it can literally transform a life. When humans feel loved, there is no limit to what they can achieve. I recently met a man who seemed very unsure and lonely, always staying in the background. Several of us started including him when we went to sporting events or social outings and, over the next few months, we noticed that his self-esteem was stronger, and he felt confident to engage in conversations. He seemed and looked happier. It suddenly occurred to me that he felt loved and included. You could see the transformation that had taken place in his life because we took the time to show him love.     Is there a relationship in your life that you would like to have transformed? It all starts with you. Do you love who you are? Do you love where you are in life? Do you express that love in all that you do on a daily basis? Do you show that person in your life love, even if you're not feeling it from him/her? It's been proven that as you give and show love to others, you receive love in return.     SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT     One of the easiest ways to express love is to start your day thinking about what you're most grateful for. Keep that thought as you go through your day. Greet those you meet throughout the day with a smile that says, "You are loved!"     WEEKLY ACTIVITY      Do something special for someone you love this week!     WORDS OF WISDOM     "Don't worry about what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." - Howard Thurman     "Happiness is simple. Everything we do to find it is complicated." - Karen Maezen Miller     "My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness." - Dalai Lama     "The people who are the hardest to love are the ones who need it the most." - Peaceful Warrior

Are Vaulted Ceilings Right for Your next Home?

Vaulted ceilings add space and impressiveness to a room, even if the room doesn't have a lot of floorspace. While the impression of grandeur given by a vaulted ceiling speaks for itself, it's important to understand the specific benefits of different features when buying a home. Here are just a few of the perks that come with this interior feature.

Helps with Cooling

People interested in buying a home that's energy efficient will recognize the value of having a space that helps cool itself. Especially with the right kinds of windows and ventilation, the hot air that rises into a vaulted ceiling leaves cooler air behind at the lower levels. Louvered windows, for example, allow the rising hot air to escape and encourage ventilation when open. If used in a bathroom, high ceilings can also help to minimize humidity.

Makes Use of Roof Space

Even with an easily accessible attic, there is a lot of space that typically goes unused in homes with a traditional roof and low ceilings. Because of structural supports and other obstructions, some areas of the attic space are impractical for storage. Instead of blocking off those areas, a soaring ceiling allows residents and guests to enjoy the extra space whenever they relax downstairs.

Adds Rustic Appeal

Depending on the type of structural supports and exposed surfaces, a vaulted ceiling can compliment a range of different styles in home decor. Sturdy wooden rafters can look rustic, but other spaces may feature beams with a more modern look. For homeowners looking to add vaulted ceilings by exposing the beams, it's important to speak with an architect or engineer who can assess the structural aspects of the home. Removing or altering rafters that serve as structural support for a heavy roof could have serious consequences.

In any event, those who are buying a home or shopping for one should consider the benefits of rooms with more vertical space. Visiting open houses can give you an idea of how this feature works in different homes. Speak with a real estate agent to learn about homes in your area.

Thanks to Ben Heinrich on flickr for the image used in this post.

Monday Wake up Call

Monday Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Play Good morning! Did you find time to play this weekend? By play, I mean did you do something you really enjoy versus all the stuff you “had” to do? We each enjoy our free time differently – for some, it’s quiet time reading a book; for others, it’s running five miles; still others enjoy a round of golf or a night out with friends. In our hectic lives, many of us focus so heavily on work and other commitments that we never seem to have time for pure fun. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we’ve stopped playing. If you don’t plan to have fun, you’re more likely to zone out in front of the TV or sit at a computer when you have some spare time. By giving yourself permission to play with the joyful abandon of childhood, you can reap oodles of health benefits throughout life. Play can: Relieve stress. Play is fun and can trigger the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote a sense of well-being and can even relieve pain. Improve brain function. Playing chess, completing puzzles or pursuing other activities that challenge the brain can help prevent memory problems and improve brain function. Stimulate the mind and boost creativity. You’ll learn a new task better when it’s fun and you’re in a relaxed and playful mood. Play also can stimulate your imagination, helping you adapt and solve problems easier. Improve relationships and your connection to others. Sharing laughter and fun can foster empathy, compassion, trust and intimacy with others. Play doesn’t have to be a specific activity; it also can be a state of mind. Developing a playful nature can help you loosen up in stressful situations, break the ice with strangers, make new friends and form new business relationships. Keep you feeling young and energetic. In the words of George Bernard Shaw, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” Playing can boost your energy and vitality and even improve your resistance to disease, helping you feel your best. Something to Think About Incorporating more fun and play into your daily life can improve the quality of your relationships as well as your mood and outlook. Even in the most difficult circumstances, taking time away from your troubles to play or laugh can go a long way toward making you feel better. It’s true what they say: Laughter really is the best medicine. Laughter makes you feel good. And the good feeling that you get when you laugh and have fun remains with you even after the laughter subsides. Play and laughter help you keep a positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations, disappointments and loss.   Weekly Activity Schedule time to play this week.   Words of Wisdom “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” – Plato “Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.” – Michael Jordan “Surround yourself with people who take their work seriously, but not themselves – those who work hard and play hard.” – Colin Powell “To find a man’s true character, play golf with him.” – P.G. Wodehouse “The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.” – Henry Ward Beecher

Monday Wake Up Call

Monday Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Father’s Day Good morning! Did you do something special yesterday to celebrate Father’s Day? Father’s Day honors fathers and celebrates fatherhood, paternal bonds and the influence fathers have on society. Dads play such an important role – not just in society, but in the lives of those around them. Even as adults, the influence of a father is ever present.   My father was tough and demanded the best in everything we did. He always said, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” At the time, I thought he was too tough. Today I realize that my desire to “get it right the first time” stems from my upbringing, and it has served me well in business. If I was facing discouraging odds, he would say, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” If I was afraid, he would quote Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous words from his inaugural speech during the Great Depression of the 1930s: “There’s nothing to fear but fear itself.”   He instilled in me the value of working hard. Success, he would tell me, is 10 percent talent and 90 percent hard work. Above all, he loved me unconditionally, and his influence on my childhood has reached far into adulthood.   Something to Think About Our fathers help shape us into the people we become. As a parent, you help shape your own children. Being a father is an awesome responsibility and one that brings great joy!   Weekly Activity  Spend quality one-on-one time with someone special this week – someone who has helped you become the person you are. It can be anyone, even a child.   Words of Wisdom “My father gave me the greatest gift he could ever give another person: he believed in me.” – Jim Valvano “My father always told me, find a job that you love, and you will never work a day in your life.” – Jim Fox “When I was a boy of 14, my dad was so ignorant that I could barely stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much he had learned in 7 years!” – Mark Twain “You don’t raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they will turn out to be heroes, even if just in your own eyes.” – Walter Schirra Sr. “A working definition of fathering might be this: Fathering is the act of guiding a child to behave in ways that lead to the child's becoming a secure child in full, thus increasing his or her chances of being happy and fruitful as a young adult.” – Clyde Edgerton

Five Cost-Saving Features in Energy-Efficient Homes

As the largest locally owned realty firm in Greater Syracuse, John Arquette Properties is determined to find clients the perfect home. In this economy, cost efficiency is key, and energy-efficient homes are trending. Here are some aspects of cost-conscious homes that benefit anyone buying a home.

(1) Roofing Material

The type of roof on a home can either cut or increase costs dramatically. A house should have a cool roof, which means the material is made of a type of reflective material so heat can bounce off and make the home easier to cool, to be truly energy efficient. This is especially cost effective in warmer climates.

(2) Skylights

Sometimes, people who are new to buying a home view skylights as strictly decorative or unnecessarily expensive. However, they can actually be a great way to make your home more energy efficient. Skylights provide direct, natural lighting that will help cut expenses on the power bill, as will their ability to improve ventilation and heating.

(3) Decor Choices

Design choices such as having ceiling fans in each room or the exterior paint color can affect heating and cooling costs. Fans help circulate air and lead to lower power bills. Further, lighter colors on the outside of the home can help reflect heat.

(4) Ventilation & Sealing

Making sure windows and doors are properly sealed, as well as providing proper ventilation in your home, are a few of the many ways to save when buying a home. Well-sealed homes require mechanical ventilation, which prevents mold by bringing in filtered, fresh air. This not only helps with health concerns, but it also saves money by not using natural gas or outdated furnaces.

(5) Proper Insulation

Insulation is, perhaps, the most important way to make a house cost effective. For example, adding extra insulation between walls and not forgetting to insulate the upstairs and attic areas can keep costs down by a tremendous amount. The more insulation, the better and easier it is to heat and cool the entire house.

These practical and effective features of energy-efficient homes are great items to look for in your next house. Contact our offices today and we'll get started on finding the right one for you.

Monday Wake Up Call

Monday Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

All Smiles… Good morning! How was your weekend? What brought you joy this past week? What made you smile? Did you know that smiling has many benefits to your well-being? Consider this: Neurotransmitters called endorphins are released when you smile. Endorphins are responsible for making us feel happy, and they also help lower stress levels. Faking a smile or laugh works as well as the real thing – the brain doesn’t differentiate between real or fake, as it interprets the positioning of the facial muscles in the same way. The more we stimulate our brains to release this chemical, the more often we feel happier and relaxed. Endorphins act as the body’s natural painkiller. For sufferers of chronic pain, laughing and smiling can be very effective in pain management, as can laughing off the pain when you bump an elbow or fall. Laughing expands the lungs, stretches the muscles and stimulates homeostasis. This exercises the body, replenishing the cells from a lungful of oxygen. Smiling is an attractive expression, which is more likely to draw people to you, which is great for salespeople. Smiling makes you appear more approachable. Interaction with others is easier and more enjoyable when smiles and laughs are shared, and these behaviors are contagious, making others feel better too. Something to Think About A happy, positive expression will always serve you well in life. This is particularly true for challenging situations such as stressful real estate transactions. Our clients depend on us to stay cool, calm, collected and positive. A relaxed persona indicates confidence and an ability to cope well in stressful situations. Weekly Activity There are many simple ways to bring more smiles and laughter into your life. This week, brighten your days by doing the following:  Smile and laugh regularly.As I mentioned, your brain doesn’t know the difference between a fake smile and a real smile. Laughing and smiling more often will make you feel better, and you will become more likely to smile and laugh spontaneously. Watch funny films, TV and theater shows. Spend time with friends and family who make you feel happy or who cause you to laugh. Find things to smile and laugh about.