PAST ARTICLES:

Getting More Mileage Out of Our Actions
Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D.

With the rising cost of gasoline, everyone is trying to economize. Many are looking at ways to get more mileage out of every gallon of gasoline. Did you ever consider how to get more mileage out of everything you do? Have you thought about how you can be more effective and have a broader scope of influence?

Last month, I realized that I had the ability to get more mileage out of my speaking presentations. I had been asked by Jim Tressel, head football coach of The Ohio State University, to deliver a keynote presentation to 130 Buckeye players and coaches. The topic was “Handling Adversity.” With my background as a motivational speaker, I was asked to share my lessons to live by, to help the team members handle their adversities, both on and off the football field.

As I was preparing my remarks, it occurred to me that I could get more mileage out of this engagement. I wanted to facilitate an exercise that would allow the audience to apply what they were learning, as well as to help me with my personal mission or purpose in life: “To make a significant difference in the lives of others.”

The idea came to me to give each person in the audience a piece of 8 1/2" X 11" colored construction paper and a marker. I would ask each of them to write an encouraging note to a recently injured spinal cord patient in Dodd Hall at OSU. Each of the notes would be signed by the player or coach that wrote it. The players would also write their jersey number and position they held on the team. I would collect the notes the night of my speech and deliver them to Dr. Pease, Chairperson of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. The cards would then be posted in Dodd Hall. They would serve as inspiration to the patients and their families to help them to face their adversities with determination and a positive attitude. The team and coaches could make a positive difference on the patients. Coach Tressel and Dr. Pease supported my idea.

On the night I spoke to the team, I guided the audience through the activity. Each audience member wrote a heart-felt note and handed them in. I was moved with what I saw. Many had written quotes that they treasured in life. Others created original verses that read like greeting cards. It was obvious that this team took the assignment seriously.

After I spoke, Coach Tressel agreed to make a financial contribution to a spinal cord injury research fund that I started at OSU. He also agreed to help arrange for the OSU spinal cord injury research department to get recognition at a home football game next year.

I delivered the cards to Dodd Hall that evening and checked in with Dr. Pease three weeks later. Dr. Pease reported that the initial reaction of the doctors, nursing staff, and patients was overwhelming. The timing of these messages at the beginning of the football season added to the excitement. Many view the team members and coaches as celebrities and were awestruck to see these personal greetings.

As I look back, I see the results of my presentation magnified by the ways I was able to get others to assist me with my mission to help others. Individuals, corporation, associations, organizations, and foundations all have missions. We can get more mileage out of our efforts by broadening our scope and influence. We need to think about what we can do to advance our mission and how we can engage others to help us to have a broader affect. Think more about regional, state, national and international reach. We should enlist the support of others whose missions are similar, collaborate on large projects, build synergy and momentum.

Copyright © 2005, Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D. - Rossetti Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reprinted with Permission: Rosemarie Rossetti Oct 2005

Stabilizing Our Lives by Focusing on the Horizon
Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D.

As I prepared for a recent Alaskan cruise vacation, I was thinking about what to pack and how to avoid being sea sick. In my preparation, I looked into the causes and cures for motion sickness.

Motion sickness can occur when riding in a car, boat, plane, train or amusement park ride. It is also known as sea sickness or car sickness. It can strike suddenly, progressing from a feeling of restlessness to a cold sweat, dizziness, nausea and then vomiting.

Motion sickness is related to our sense of balance, equilibrium, spatial orientation, or how we sense our environment. Our bodies sense what direction we are pointing, what direction we are moving, and if we are turning or standing still.

Our sense of balance is maintained by a complex interaction of the following parts of the body: inner ears, eyes, joints, spine, muscles, brain and spinal cord. The symptoms of motion sickness appear when the central nervous system receives conflicting messages from the other systems.

You can reduce motion sickness by choosing a seat that is less likely to experience a rocking action. It also helps if you're riding in the front seat facing forward, or if possible, driving the vehicle. Always ride where your eyes will see the same motion that your body and inner ears feel. Motion sickness may quiet down as soon as the motion stops. The more you travel, the more easily you'll adjust.

When I was on the cruise ship, I spoke with a passenger, Rick, who was wearing wristbands to prevent him from being sea sick. He attributed his sensitivity to motion sickness to an inner ear problem. He told me that the wristbands put pressure on points of his inner wrists and utilized acupuncture principles. Rick wasn't sure how acupuncture worked, but wanted to reduce the risk of being sea sick during the cruise with his wife. So far the bands had worked. We also discussed the oral medications and the medicated patches that other passengers were wearing behind their ears to prevent sea sickness.

Rick explained that oftentimes he got motion sickness while riding as a passenger in a car. He prevented motion sickness by driving the car and looking out far ahead down the road while he was driving.

It occurred to me that Rick's discussion about motion sickness was related to how we can best deal with troubles in our lives. This analogy led me to think about how we need to be the driver of our lives, and focus on the horizon more often when problems present themselves.

If we have the mindset that we are the captain of our own ship, and in control of our lives, we are more likely to steer ourselves into calmer waters. We become less anxious when we feel we have control of our destiny. We try to keep our lives in balance rather than spinning out of control.

If we look into the distance or view the big picture, rather than at the turbulence in our lives that immediately surrounds us, we may be able to better weather temporarily instability. Look ahead. Don't look back. Move ahead. See calmer seas. Focus on future stability not on the rocky times we may be currently experiencing.

Copyright © 2005, Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D. - Rossetti Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reprinted with Permission: Rosemarie Rossetti Sept 2005

Spring is a beautiful season. As I rode around the neighborhood this spring, my eyes focused on the blooming flowers. I especially admired the beauty and stamina of the iris. Some people call these flowers, “flags” due to their large showy blooms. These plants are in the botanical classification, Iris. They have green, narrow, sword-shaped leaves. They are grown from rhizomes, underground stems that send out roots and shoots. Some are dwarf varieties growing only 8” tall, while the bearded varieties grow 28”.

In Greek mythology, Iris was the goddess of the rainbow and the messenger of the gods. There are thousands of varieties of irises that come in a rainbow of bold and pastel colors, many are bicolor: deep purple, pale pink, red, orange, bright yellow, yellow/lavender, blue/white, blue/violet. Iris varieties bloom from early March to late June, depending on the weather. The peak flowering period for most varieties is late April. There are even some varieties that re-bloom again in June and continue until a killing frost wipes them out.

This perennial plant comes up year after year and requires very low maintenance, making it ideal for the beginner gardener. In fact, from my observations as a horticulturist, the plants seem to flourish where ever they are planted. Sunlight is required, however, even in shady conditions, the flowers come into bloom. When soil conditions are poor and rocks are abundant, the iris still manages to flower. When water and fertilizer is scarce, still a flower appears. They can survive and perform satisfactorily in most any environment. These are extremely hardy plants!

When I thought about the toughness of the iris, I thought about my tenacity and vigor. Have I been able to bloom where I was planted? In the most difficult of times, when the situations I have encountered were less than ideal, how have I fared? What vim and vigor was I able to muster? Did I come through with flying colors, like the iris?

Maybe we all have what it takes to endure a poor environment, one lacking in resources. We may also have the capacity to withstand a difficult situation under less than ideal conditions. We can overcome circumstances beyond our control. Sometimes we blame other people, point to our limited resources, and our lack of knowledge to rationalize our lack of success. We may rationalize that because we weren’t born into wealth, we won’t amount to anything.

The next time we are faced with a challenge, we should think about planting ourselves firmly into the situation. We should spread our roots out to gather all the resources, information and support we can, and flourish in spite of the circumstances. Who knows, you may even be a re-bloomer and continue to stay in full bloom for years to come, thriving in the face of your adversity.

Copyright © 2005, Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D. - Rossetti Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reprinted with Permission: Rosemarie Rossetti July 2005

Humor Makes the Unbearable More Bearable
Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D.

Laughter can make a positive difference in our lives, helping us to find balance in our world. Stress is all around us. Life doesn’t always go our way. Problems seem insurmountable and sometimes we make predictions that things will get worse. Our minds focus on the negative and we see our lives tumbling out of our control.

Laughter can be great medicine. When I was in the hospital after my spinal cord injury, and friends came in to see me, they helped me laugh and take my mind off of my troubles. My attention was directed away from my pain. When friends helped me to see humor in the situation, my thoughts shifted. I laughed when someone pointed out the irony of my injury. It seemed funny when I realized that as a horticulturist I got crushed by a falling tree. I love trees! I then started to tell other visitors and nurses to make them laugh too. Spreading laugher certainly was more enjoyable for me than crying about my losses.

Some of us have a heightened sense of humor; others are rarely able to see the non-serious element in a situation. Imagine that you had magical eyeglasses to look through that enabled you to see the humor in intense situations. We need the influence of humor to help us see our world a little more positively.

Physiologically, a hearty laugh is good for us. Our lungs and heart get a mild workout. Our muscles relax and endorphins are produced. Tension is reduced. Circulation is improved.

Psychologically a good laugh can shift our perspective and help us to see the situation as less daunting. Comedy relieves pain and lessons our worries. Humor positively affects attitude. It can rescue us from disappointments and bring a smile back to our faces. Humor short circuits the cycle of depression. As we laugh, we temporarily detach ourselves from our troubles. If we look for humor in our times of crisis, we replace despair with hope.

Disappointments trigger the blues. When life is viewed with a sense of humor, trauma tends to pass more quickly. Soon we return to the peak of wellness. Mentally healthy individuals accept unexpected setbacks as a part of life. They don’t waste time and effort worrying that their circumstance is not ideal. They simply make the best of their situation. They think about their problems, make decisions and act. Whatever the consequences, they know they did their best at the time.

Copyright © 2005, Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D. - Rossetti Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reprinted with Permission: Women's News Monthly, April 2005

Looking at the World through Yellow Colored Glasses
Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D.

“What color lens should I put in my glasses today?" I asked my husband as I prepared to ride my bicycle. The day was overcast and I had a set of four lenses to choose from to put in my sunglass frame: clear, grey, vermilion, and yellow.

I selected the yellow lenses and popped them into my sunglass frame. Suddenly the world looked brighter! My eyes began adjusting to this changed perspective and I started blinking. After a few minutes, I became accustomed to this high contrast view.

While riding, we came across a yard with large clusters of yellow daffodils in full bloom. "Look at those beautiful flowers! Aren't they gorgeous?" Mark acknowledged my comment, but when he viewed that same cluster of daffodils, he saw them from a different perspective. He was not wearing yellow lens sunglasses.

The lenses in my sunglasses intensified the yellow in the daffodils. In fact, the entire neighborhood looked different when seen through yellow lenses. The overcast skies were brighter, and "my world” came into sharper view.

After an hour bicycle ride, we returned home. I took off my sunglasses and was immediately shocked by my new perspective. The sky resumed its grey cast. The daffodils in my yard seemed less intensely colored. I felt less cheerful. I wanted to put the glasses back on for the rest of the day.

Since I was heading inside the house, I left the sunglasses with my bicycle. Once inside, I put on my reading glasses and sat in front of the computer. Once again, glasses changed my perspective, allowing the words on the computer screen to come into clear focus.

Our perspectives can be changed quickly by putting on a pair of glasses. As I thought about this, I realized that people too often see their world as grey or bleak.

Oftentimes, one negative incident in our day overshadows all the positive things going on in our lives. We then focus on that negative incident too long, and feel depressed throughout the day.

If we look at our life situation from a brighter perspective, by figuratively placing a yellow lens over our mind’s eye, we may see things differently. Our attitude is directly related to our performance. By changing our mindset we put ourselves in a positive frame of mind.

Copyright © 2005, Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D. - Rossetti Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reprinted with Permission: Women's News Monthly, May 2005

Moving on with Life by Following Plan B
Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D.

Why it is that life doesn’t always go our way? We move in one direction, headed towards some goal or outcome, having a clear focus of what we want to accomplish, and then bad news is delivered and there is a rigid road block. Our lives come to a sudden stop!

The source of our dilemma can be a person who makes a decision that impacts all our plans, and changes our destiny. Policies or rules stop us cold in our tracks. Accidents happen. Jobs are terminated. Diseases and illnesses are diagnosed. Loved ones die. Personal relationships crumble. We get angry and frustrated and think, Now what do I do?

There is a saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” I say, “Make margaritas!”

We all have choices to make when faced with insurmountable obstacles. We could choose to give up and abandon our dreams, or we can work through life’s challenges, and make the best of a bad situation. We may even find that the bad situation caused us to go a different direction and led us to amazing outcomes.

Most of the time, we want to move forward with our lives and achieve the objectives we had in mind. By nature we want to get things done, and don’t give up easily. We are determined to make it work and committed to get it right.

When faced with problems on the road of life, we have to find a way to get past the road blocks either by removing them, going around them, or taking another road. I refer to this creative problem solving approach as going with plan B.

Plan B oftentimes takes us an alternative direction. I compare it to arriving at a fork in a road and choosing one path over another. We may not know where this path will take us as we travel into unfamiliar territory. By going with this plan, we are forced to think more creatively and look at the situation from a fresh perspective.

We have the same end result in mind, only this time we modify how we will get there. New resources are tapped, including our intellect. We often call upon the advice and advocacy of others to help us.

Many times it turns out in retrospect that Plan B yielded better results. Far more opportunities presented themselves. The new solution was much better; leading to results we never imagined when we started the problem solving process. We actually are able to use the circumstances that we were forced into to work to our advantage.

Over our life, we can look back at the times when we were forced to go with Plan B. As we learn from these experiences, we discover that the sooner we make the mental attitude shift away from our original plan (which isn’t working) to our new Plan B (which does work), the better off we will be. After many such positive experiences with Plan B, we will be prone to shift our thoughts more quickly when new predicaments arise.

Copyright © 2005, Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D. - Rossetti Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reprinted with Permission: Women's News Monthly, June 2005

Human-Centered Housing: A Universal Approach to Home Design
Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D.

How much longer can you live in your existing home without sacrificing comfort, safety, accessibility and independence? Many people are facing tough decisions about moving out of their homes or investing in remodeling. Houses need to be designed so we can stay in them as long as possible, even when health conditions limit our mobility.

Writing from experience, I know this situation all too well. Seven years ago my spinal cord injury left me in a much compromised condition. I came home from the hospital in a wheelchair and realized just how unaccommodating my two-story home was to me. A very steep wooden ramp had to be built to just to get me inside my house. Doors had to be removed in the bathroom, laundry room and shower because they were in the way of my wheelchair.

My life change was sudden; for others life changes more gradually. People develop chronic conditions like arthritis, get shorter as they age, and have hip and knee replacements. For some, adaptive devices like walkers, canes and wheelchairs are needed. For others it becomes difficult or impossible to come into the home without help, due to the steps at the entrance. The microwave or storage areas above the kitchen counter may no longer be within reach. Faucets in the bathroom and kitchen may be too hard to turn on and off. Bathtubs pose a problem getting in and out. Showers and toileting areas have no grab bars to hold on to. If these scenarios are of a concern to you, universal design offers a solution for your next home or remodeling project.

Universal design is a framework for the design of places benefiting the widest possible range of people in the widest range of situations without special or separate design. Universal design is human-centered. Environments designed utilizing these principles are usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. Universal design homes need not look geriatric or hospital-like, but rather homey, spacious and welcoming for all.

I am currently designing and building a universal design national demonstration living laboratory home in central Ohio. After much research and visiting homes that successfully integrated universal design principles, I recognize the benefits it can offer everyone who lives in a home.

Some of the features of a universal design home include: