Physican Shares 4 Tips for Enjoying Life to the Fullest

Have you ever felt like you need an upgrade on your life? Most of us have - and there's a way to get it, says veteran physician Sanjay Jain.

"First, I tell people, 'Don't be afraid of making your life clearer.' Many argue that life is not simple and, therefore, there are no easy answers, but as we have paraphrased from Chinese philosopher Laozi, 'The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step,' " says Jain, whose specialties include integrative medicine. He's also an international speaker and author of Optimal Living 360 - available February 2014 (www.sanjayjainmd.com).

"Lives are built from many small components which, when viewed as an assembled whole, can appear overwhelmingly complex," Jain says. "But when we break them down and consider the pieces as we make decisions in our lives, it's much easier to see how small adjustments can result in a better return on all of the investments we make - not only in health, but in relationships, finances, and all the other essential aspects of our lives."

Jain offers four points to keep in mind as you start the journey.

• Life is short, so live it to its fullest potential. Live it optimally. This is your life, so don't waste its most precious resource - time. No matter one's spiritual leanings, economic and education status, health, intelligence level, etc. - one thing is true for all: Our time on Earth is finite. There will be a time for most of us when, perhaps after a frightening diagnosis from a doctor, we reflect deeply upon our time and consider the most important moments, and all the time that may have been squandered.

• Balance is key. Too much or too little of something, no matter how good, is actually not good. Balance is one of the easiest tenets to understand, but arguably the most difficult to maintain. Obviously, too much alcohol is bad; then again, there are some health benefits to moderately imbibing red wine. What about too much of a good thing; can a mother love her children too much? Yes, if she is an overprotective "helicopter parent." The best antidote to overkill of anything is awareness; try to be aware of all measures in your life.

• Learn to tap your strengths and improve upon your weaknesses. Engaging your strengths at work and in your personal life is important. When we do what we're good at and what comes easily, we feel self-confident and satisfied. Some people, however, are not in jobs that utilize their strengths, or they don't put their talents to work at home because they're mired in the prosaic work of living. It's important to identify your strengths and find ways to engage them. It's equally important to recognize our weaknesses and work on improving them (because we can!) This is essential for achieving balance.

• Life is about making the right choices. Integrative decision-making makes this easier. There are many different types of decision-making, including systematic, hierarchal, impulsive, decisive and flexible. Integrative decision-making can be used for problems large and small, and includes the following process: 1. Define the problem. 2. Frame the problem. 3. Develop all your options. 4. Analyze your options. 5. Make the decision. 6. Execute your decision. 7. Debrief yourself. While experts may be the best consultants for compartmentalized areas of your life, only you know the other aspects that affect your well-being and can determine how a decision in one area will affect another area.

About Sanjay Jain, MD, MBA: Sanjay Jain is a U.S.-trained physician with certifications in Diagnostic Radiology, Integrative Medicine, and Healthcare Quality and Management and more than 15 years of clinical experience. He graduated from Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and The Ohio State University, where he earned a master's in business administration. This unique blend and perspective has made him a highly sought after domestic and international speaker. He remains actively involved with many medical organizations at both the local and national levels.

Pierre, SD - Monday, December 2, 2013 ? South Dakota Secretary of State Jason Gant announces a solution to address a national problem that servicemen and women overseas experience in casting a ballot.  South Dakota's new system revolutionizes absentee voting by combining advanced technology and the Common Access Card (CAC) issued by the Department of Defense. The new system called Innovative Overseas Absentee-Balloting System (iOASIS) increases the percentage of ballots successfully returned by dramatically reducing the paperwork while increasing security.

"The iOASIS program is based on a concept of simplicity.  These voters will now be able to register to vote, request an absentee ballot, receive an absentee ballot and mark an absentee ballot in seconds. The ballot is then printed and returned for counting," said Secretary Gant. "This is only possible by utilizing the security of the Common Access Card for validation to verify our overseas voters and turn a 60-day process into a less than 5-minute transaction."

The iOASIS program has been successfully tested nearly 1,000 times with the assistance of the South Dakota National Guard.  It increases the percentage of successful ballots; reduces the failure rates (such as blank absentee ballot delivery, absentee ballot tabulation, absentee ballot return verification); and establishes and maintains techniques and best practices of election officials and their services for these voters.  The iOASIS program will be launched in 2014 elections.

"An integral part of iOASIS is the new state of the art election management system that has streamlined the voting process in South Dakota. This system guarantees the security, efficiency and accuracy when validating the absentee process for overseas voters in real time. The critical component is the addition of the Common Access Card which verifies and authenticates the identity of the voter," said Secretary Gant.

Secretary Gant said, "I am proud to play a part in correcting the injustice that servicemen and women experience in their ballots not being counted.  They deserve the same opportunity that everyone else has.  They risk their lives defending our right to vote.  We need to defend theirs."

This effort is sponsored by the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP).  The content of the information does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Government and no official Government endorsement should be inferred.

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WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - Dec. 2, 2013 - Iowa proudly ranks first nationally in production of corn, soybeans, hogs, and eggs, but there's a lot more being raised and grown in fields across the state than just the 'big four.'  Andrew Pittz, a sixth-generation family farmer whose family started the country's first aronia berry farm in rural Iowa, will share his unique story during the 95^th annual Iowa Farm Bureau meeting.  The December 3^rd "Next Generation Innovation: Innovative Niche Ag Business" educational seminar is expected to draw a large crowd of Iowa farmers seeking new ways to diversify their farms by learning how successful niche agricultural businesses contribute to Iowa's rural vitality and sustainability.

The week of Dec. 2-8 has been declared 'Iowa Farm Bureau Week' by Governor Terry Branstad to celebrate the many accomplishments and contributions of the 95-year-old grassroots farm organization.  Innovation and development of niche agricultural businesses promoting rural Iowa prosperity is certainly a contribution worth acknowledging.

Pittz's family farming roots in the Loess Hills date back to 1882, but it's their latest endeavor that has really created a buzz.  After recognizing a market for aronia berries, studying how it could work on their farm, and investing in 207 aronia berry plants, the Pittz family's business venture became the first commercial aronia berry farm in the United States.  Corn and soybeans are still grown on the farm, but their latest addition has helped them diversify and keep the family farm sustainable.

Having a niche crop like aronia berries has also opened up endless possibilities for the Pittzes and their farming neighbors to connect with consumers as they promote agritourism opportunities in the Loess Hills.  "We get along great with our farmers and our neighbors who are conventional farmers and organic.  They support us, and we support them.  We're all in this agriculture 'thing' together," said Pittz.

Pittz seeks to keep the conversation about sustainable agriculture going and uses his family's farm as an example.  "It is important to make sure that everyone knows just how important farming is and how critical it is to the continued success and prosperity of our state," said Pittz.

For a complete listing of events and activities, visit www.iowafarmbureau.com.  You can follow the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #IFBF13.

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