LIVE LIFE BETTER

WORDS OF JOY Local artist Pamela Joy Trow now hosts a monthly artist get-together and support group for creatives at Seminole Library and The Coffee Mill. For dates, info@pamela joytrow.com. She shared her sea-worthy luggage tags for stylish travelers. “I love designing these. People are traveling more, and they get to bring their favorite mermaid with them. And even better than that, they can continue to carry a message of something meaningful to them: Clean Oceans, World Peace, or plain ‘ole Humanity.

“Travel is not just about exploring new places, but also about discovering the interconnectedness of humanity. It is through our journeys that we realize the importance of reciprocity, for every step we take in a foreign land, we leave a piece of ourselves and take a piece of that place with us. For cards, posters, mugs and more art for those who live colorful lives, visit pamelajoytrow.com

By Nanette Wiser

THE LINK IS

What You

THINK With the kids back to school and September in full swing at work and home, keeping stress under control may seem like a bigger challenge. Dr. Michael Mantell, a noted author and mental health speaker, offers strategies for optimal living. Talk yourself out of worrying. It’s the most unproductive thing you can do.

Turn your fears into faith. Most of the things you fear won’t ever happen. Change your negative perception along the lines of “Even if it does happen, which it probably won’t, I can handle it” and you’ll stop scaring yourself. You can’t ever cross a bridge until you come to it, so don’t try. And don’t put up your umbrella before it starts raining either. Why wait until you die to rest in peace? Find peace now and create it mindfully, so you can peacefully rest. Taking your problems to bed creates tension, the opposite of peace. Run your own race in life. Compare yourself to others and you’ll end up in despair. Stop reading the same chapter you didn’t like over and over again. It’s best to drive looking through the windshield, not the rear-view mirror. You won’t get to 80 if you don’t live to 60.

“Don’t sweat the small stuff.” Find his books on Amazon.

WOOF WELLNESS A rescue dog can heal your soul, keep you moving and help you make new friends at local dog parks, such as A.L. Anderson Park, Boca Ciega Millenium Park, John Chesnut Sr. Park, Eagle Lake Park, Sand Key Park, Helen Howarth Dog Park, Madeira Beach Dog Park, Gulfport Dog Park, Kenwood Dog Park, Crescent Lake Dog Park, Indian Rocks Beach Dog Park, Walsingham Park and others. Fort De Soto has the only county dog park where dogs are allowed on the beach in a designated area. There are also two fenced-in areas with water stations near the beach for large and small dogs. The beach entrance is at the far southwest corner of dog park. At Pass-A-Grille Beach Dog Beach, reader Kerri and her 14-year-young dog frolic. Walking (and aerobic exercise) can boost new brain cell growth and creativity. When you walk, you increase the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the brain that can enhance creativity. Just getting up from your desk and taking a short walk helps trigger ideas, according to a Stanford University study that discovered creative output increased 60 percent when participants were walking, even on a treadmill facing a blank wall.