Positive Mind, Healthy Heart! Take Charge of Your Cardiac Health, One Day at a Time
By Joseph C Piscatella
Published January 28, 2010 (Paperback) Workman Publishing Company
Smart that Workman published Positive Mind, Healthy Heart! the beginning of the year, at a time when most of us are open to making big changes in our life. Okay, so you laugh about New Year’s Resolutions, and how long they last. But, here’s the truth – if you make tiny changes and stick with them, the reptilian part of your brain that freaks out won’t be in charge.
That’s where Joe’s book comes in. Joseph Piscatella – I didn’t know until I read the foreword of his book – was only 32-years old when he had coronary bypass surgery. 32!!! And, this was in 1977. Guess who wrote the foreword?
His wife. The two of them together created an entirely new – healthy – life, and a small empire of books. She tells his personal story, because, she says, he is too humble to. It’s a sweet story. Go ahead and read it. Joe, himself, lays out the principles of success that he has discovered, mostly by living:
He calls it the Yogi Principle. As in Yogi Berra. You know the guy: “Baseball is 90% mental – the other half is physical.” He wasn’t a math genius, but, boy was he smart.
- Develop Resiliency
- Develop Perseverance
- Take Responsibility for Yourself and Your Actions
- Set Realistic Goals
- Get Straight Information
- Have Faith
Again, smart. And, proven.
What’s fun about the book, is that there are 365 inspirational messages that Piscatella calls The Motivations. Joe had his ribs cracked open. That’s a motivation. I got diagnosed a few years ago with diabetes type two. That’s a motivation. We both have to exercise daily. I couldn’t not dance six days a week. My soul compels me to dance. Which is great, because I suck at running. Just pick some kind of movement you love, and that will work for you.
Oh, Joe’s motivations! Here’s one he mentions from motivational speaker Mac Anderson. Mac says at 211-degrees, water is hot. At 212-degrees, it boils. And with that, you have steam, which can power a locomotive. Mac calls it his 212-degree attitude. One extra degree makes all the difference.
On Day 71, Joe says that we should do weight training, because it can increase your metabolic rate by seven-percent. I have weights in my bedroom, but no TV, and for that kind of math, I should definitely pick up the weights again. Motivating, Joe, thanks.
I love the quotes in his book, like this one from General Omar Bradley “Bravery is the capacity to perform properly, even when scared half to death.”
Joe reminds us to eat lots of fiber. I’m having trouble with that one. But here on Day 326 – Walt Disney says “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
You know what? This book shouldn’t be read in one gulp…although, it is delicious.
