Everything in life is about as immutable as…the Weather
When a Child is going through numerous growth cycles, we rarely try to slow things down; at least up until they grow fangs and become Teenagers (which is around the time we start keeping tranquilizer guns on standby).
Likewise, we don’t deny them the privilege of “graduating” from Diapers into real Baby clothing. Or complain about having to upgrade their whole wardrobe, just because they grew a couple of inches taller overnight.
On the contrary, we celebrate the change. We celebrate the fact that what they say don’t sound like complete gibberish anymore. We celebrate the fact that they get to wear real shoes and designer sunglasses now. And we rejoice in the fact that they now have more than two front teeth to chew with.
In fact, this is the same stuff we celebrated way back when we were no bigger than a bunch of semi-stoned Koalas. We were delighted to ditch our diapers because it gave us “the edge” over those everyday pant pooping crybabies. And graduating into Third Grade felt like winning the Bubble Gum Lottery because it meant that we owned all of the First and Second Graders on the block (along with all of their younger siblings).
So the bigger the milestones became, the bigger and more grown up we felt.
In essence, we had no problem in dealing with “necessary change” that opened the doors to greater opportunities and broader horizons.
But how about “unanticipated change”, such as your Cat becoming a serial killer after watching its first ever horror movie? Or your Dog becoming a Narcotics Officer after watching an episode of “Angie Tribeca”? Or
your Alligator throwing the Towel on Animal Protein due to “health concerns”? Or something far worse like the loss of a job or a loved one?
In other words, how do we deal with change that is unforeseeable and unfavorable?
For the most part, the answer to that is…not too well.
But unforeseeable doesn’t necessarily mean unpreventable. We do have a ridiculous amount of control over what comes our way. And we can determine how healthy, happy, youthful and vibrant we live our days. But most people don’t because they’re either fed the wrong information (wrapped inside the wrong food) or they’re too busy playing with their TV remotes.
But when we set about transforming our ways in all areas of our lives (through our relationships, eating habits, fitness habits, relationship habits to whatever else); they also get passed down to our Children, our Pets, our Children’s Children and so forth for another 1002 generations.
And those good habits are what acts as the shield that protects us from 99.85451% of the 13768.5 illnesses out there, as well as protect us from “accidentally” being tossed out the top floor window of your workplace. They can also make us immune to rapid aging, catastrophic fashion blunders, untimely bone snapping, relationship and marital issues and even an untimely death.
But wait. There’s more.
Given that influence is like a virus, all of that good stuff can also spread to just about anyone you associate with on a regular basis, giving them a dose of that same immunity.
But proceed with caution on this part, as hanging out with people who are almost as negatively charged as a News Media Archive can cause the process to backfire, leaving you with a sour face and runny nose.
So, here are the “Preventative Changes” to instigate within yourself allowing you to enjoy all of the benefits mentioned above and more:
1. Feed your mind (and the rest will follow) – What goes into your mind often times shows up in your demeanor; much like how you cannot stay a regular smoker for too long, without it eventually showing up through your skin, teeth, hair, nails and… the rest of your organs.
So, begin your day by feeding your mind with an Inspirational or Motivational audiobook, Seminar or a YouTube video…just after thanking your Creator for the fact that you’re still alive and you didn’t get abducted by Aliens overnight. Then top it up with more of the good stuff every few hours to keep your brain awake and your mind cheerful.
2. Break free of those big bad wolves – We all have our share of energy Vampires that we have to eliminate from our lives, preferably without the need for a hitman.
And it starts by kicking out the Worst offender of them all…the News (aka Bad News: Season 98, starring the same 100 people as Season 1).
So, get rid of the News. Get rid of any TV shows drenched with emotional drama. And say Sayonara to anything so gruesome or bloodcurdlingly horrific, that’s enough to make your unborn Children cry.
The simple rule is whether it’s a book, audiobook, magazine, website, Movie or TV show; if it doesn’t leave you feeling empowered, uplifted and smiling broadly at the end of the show, it’s probably messing with your bowel movements.
You may also need to postpone all of your appointments with any whiners, complainers, gossipers, backstabbers, emotional murders, eye pokers, electric chair operators, leg pullers, and haters…indefinitely.
By keeping your emotional reservoir full and at room temperature, you’re able to enjoy life more and resolve any pesky issues that pop up from time to time, quickly, effortlessly and before they have a chance to grow into a real-life fire breathing Dragons.
3. Eat right and eat often – Aside from what goes into our minds, a good portion of our emotional reservoir is governed by what we eat and how active we are every single day.
But most folks…including many of the supposedly “healthy eaters” don’t eat as well as they should. They either have a ton of processed foods or they go with the minimally processed…semi-garbage option.
“True healthy eating” is about eating the stuff that the CEO and Founder of the Universe replenish this Planet with every single morning (about half an hour before we wake up). And about eating them the way they had been provided to us i.e. raw.
So, we’re talking specifically about the stuff that grows on trees such as Fresh Fruits, Vegs, Greens, Nuts, and Seeds. Oh…and feel free to add Donuts and Pizzas to the Menu as well if you find any growing on trees.
Now, if this sounds way too boring or even frightful you’re welcome to toss in a few cooked eggs, some fresh milk, “All Natural” Spices, Sea salt and some healthy oils (such as Rapeseed oil, Sesame oil or Olive oil) into the mix as well.
But definitely, skip the Meats as Red Meat is now said to be the leading cause of Cancer and many other illnesses that can either kill you or leave you half dead. And, if Red Meat is that bad…I highly doubt all of their distant cousins (with the lower shades of Red) are completely innocent either.
This might actually explain why our Creator designed us to be boring old Herbivores (without fangs, retractable claws, a ginormous Alligator-like yawn or even a partially menacing growl).
As per the how and when you can have these in the form of egg salads and fruit/veg smoothies every 2-3 hours as I do. Or just eat them fresh off the trees if you’re feeling adventurous.
And as per the smoothies, I would recommend trying out a few of the insanely scrumptious smoothie recipes that come with a Nutri Ninja, Nutribullet or a Vitamix Blender.
Also, aim to transition slowly by replacing just one of your meals (or a part of it) with a smoothie or a salad and by sticking with that for a month or two.
Then swap the second meal and so forth until you’re done saying your farewells to the folks on the Dark side.
But feel free to keep one day a week free to eat whatever, wherever and whenever so that you don’t feel like a complete Brontosaurus.
By the way, if at any time you hear a growling sound coming from down below and you don’t see the earth shaking below, then assume that it’s just your
Tummy getting a little antsy. And that’s something you can remedy by tossing in a few nuts into your smoothies and by adding a generous drizzle of healthy oils into your Salads.
4. Drink up the good stuff – Drink a glass of water every hour so that it “flushes” out the baddies from your system regularly.
Combine this with a full week of raw foods and you’ll no longer need to take a dozen magazines to read in the bathroom anymore. That’s because you’ll most likely be done before you could even read the very first headline.
And that’s perfectly normal by the way. So, there’s no need to call 9-1-1 or consult a Poop Specialist.
5. Take your daily magic pill –What if there was a magic pill that makes you immune to 95% of all known illnesses? And one that allowed you to wash away a good chunk of your stresses, anxieties, debts and Dorito dust?
Well, the good news is…there is. And it’s called…exercise.
And aside from it being able to do all of the above (except for the “debt clearance” part), it also leaves you feeling like you could run faster than Barry Allen (the Flash) or fly higher than Kara Zor-El (Supergirl). In other words, it leaves you feeling “naturally high” all day long without the risk of being arrested.
Now, if you’re the kind of person who prefers poisonous mushrooms and electric shock therapy to exercise, then there’s an almost effortless way to get you going. And that is to start with a simple 10-minute walk around the block every day with your favorite beats (gently) playing in the background. And once that 10 minutes become too easy, you can extend it to 15 minutes, 20 minutes and so forth until you can comfortably manage a 30 minute “slow” walk around the block (perhaps while reading a book).
Then you can gradually transition that slow walk into a power walk. Finally, when you have a hard time keeping your legs in one place, you could give them something a little more fun and intense to feast on like P90X3 (which is what I am on right now).
6. Take your everyday mind tranquilizer – In many ways, the two halves of your mind are like the two opposites of a battery.
One-half has to be supercharged with positivity and inspiration regularly, whilst the other half keeps the “overly positive” half in check.
It’s much like having a bucket of water nearby a fireplace…in case the fireplace becomes little “overenthusiastic”.
So in essence, the mind tranquilizer plays a role equivalent to that bucket of water.
It keeps the mind from fusing out, short-circuiting or bursting into flames in the middle of an important Business meeting etc.
Now, there are many ways that you can inject some serenity into your state of mind at any given time. For instance, you could take a break from Work or Child care duties and spend a few minutes staring at a fish tank. Or you could turn off all distractions (including electronics) and go into the silence for about an hour…to do… nothing.
Or you could plug into a guided meditation program of your choosing (such as “Life Flow” or the “Mindfulness of Meditation”).
Or you could just go for a 30-60-minute relaxing walk by the Park, Beach, a Live Volcano or a Lake (preferably not Loch Ness).
Or you could just spend that time teaching your Cat to play Pool or Chess.
The “tranquilizing activity” you choose is entirely up to you.
But it’s important that you avoid anything stimulating such as TV, Food, Beverages, Narcotics and any kind of Music that makes your body sway, twirl and wiggle.
Also, don’t discount something (unless it’s unhealthy) after the first attempt. Often times, when you introduce something unfamiliar to your mind, it takes around a fortnight for them to get fully acquainted.
7. Snooze like a Baby – A good night’s rest will set you up for a full day at your best.
If you ever missed a night of sleep, you may or may not recall just how many people you shred to pieces the following day. And that’s not counting the ones that “vanished under mysterious circumstances.”
So Guarantee yourself a Goodnight’s sleep every time just by following the first 6 guidelines outlined above.
And then boost the quality of that sleep to the point of making even the Snooze Champs of all Babies to feel jealous; by getting yourself a Memory Foam Mattress, a Siliconized Fiberfill Duvet, an Electric Underblanket, Hotel Luxury Bedlinen and Pillowcases, a 100% Organic Buckwheat Pillow and a set of Blissfully Comfy Pajamas.
Additionally, start going to bed and waking up at the same time (even during the weekend). And have a “relaxing book” on standby to read for about half an hour, whenever you have trouble sleeping.
But if the sleep issues still persist, then get yourself a copy of “Say goodnight to insomnia by Gregg Jacobs” and put those worries to…Zzzzzz…sleep…for good.
8. Buy some “Supernatural Insurance” – “Shite” doesn’t always just happen. You can safeguard yourself from a good chunk of it without having to look up any Warlocks or Witches on the Yellow Pages. And even without having to rely on religion.
You see, whatever put out to the Universe (in the form of words and deeds) always comes back multiplied. It’s just the law in which our Creator designed the Universe. And much like Gravity (which doesn’t care about our Race, Religion or Favorite Football Team), these laws are equal and fair.
If they weren’t some of us would be breathing in Oxygen, whilst the rest of the Human Race would be giggling away on Nitrous Oxide (aka Laughing gas).
Real World evidence of this can be seen in how Acid Rain and Clean rain is formed. Neither is an overnight process. But the results become evident usually after the first sip.
Now, “Supernatural Insurance” works much the same at a conceptual level. But it’s much more powerful in that it always pays back your investment (of time, effort and money) manifold. And it has the ability to influence every single aspect of your life, be it in what you do in your everyday life or what you’re planning on doing in the future.
So, it can protect your finances, keep your loved ones from harm, keep you from being attacked by an army of menacingly cute squirrels, open doors of opportunities that you wouldn’t have seen otherwise, close doors that could potentially result in a 70 story drop, save your house from a possible fire, foreclosure or…a window shopping raccoon. And it can even do the unthinkable…such as physically pull you away from an ongoing Bus (as it did for me). So, it will still have your back, even in your most glorious of Doh! moments.
Now, that’s not to say it’s gonna give you a cushy life. In fact, it might do the very opposite because great lives are built through strength and endurance. And those traits (strangely enough) are acquired through badass amounts of strain and strife (not by speedily munching through several boxes of donuts).
So, what do you need to do to make yourself eligible for all this?
Easy. You go to the settings page of your brain and turn on “Supernatural 4G”. Supernatural 4G stands for Graciousness, Generousness, Gratefulness and Greatness.
Now, if for some reason you can’t find the settings page anywhere, you may need to activate it manually. And here’s how that’s done:
(a) Graciousness: Be gracious, considerate and compassionate every single minute of every day;
(b) Gratefulness: Take a few minutes every day to express your gratitude to your Creator (for everything that we take for granted);
(c) Generousness: Pay your Supernatural Taxes (which is to donate 10% of your net income every month to a Cause or Charity that helps people who genuinely cannot help themselves) and
(d) Greatness: Take time to develop your Greatness (so that you can live a more rewarding life and bless others even more).
Also, feel free to sneak in a few prayer requests with your “gratitude sessions”.
The minute you become Supernatural 4G active, much like a dimmer switch, you start off with the lowest setting. And a glow no brighter than a firefly. But as your Supernatural 4G score begins to grow, so does the glow in your life and the brightness you bring to everyone you meet.
What?! Is it that simple?
Yep. That’s all it takes to tap into this “secret supply line” of supernatural favor, wisdom and protection that most people discount as yet another pipedream.
But, there is a catch, though. You don’t become a Doctor within a week of showing up at Med School. You actually have to stay the course with an unwavering commitment to excellence and meet the set criteria and standards in order to be classed as “safe enough to be released back into society”.
They know only too well that allowing a “half-baked Doctor” to run free can be as hazardous to the Patients as leaving a herd of Cats in charge of a furniture store.
Likewise, acquiring the eligibility to have a direct line to the Supernatural Realm is a process that also takes an unwavering commitment to excellence, total integrity and time (usually anywhere from a few months to a few years).
But you do eventually graduate when you’ve to build enough Spiritual Biceps to be able to stay the course, without ever getting the urge to go on a killing spree. And when you do, you’ll never walk alone on this Planet ever again.
By the way, you do become eligible for some interim privileges while you wait; such as free parking (where available), a mild sprinkling of Supernatural favor (without any of the sugary stuff) and a “get out of trouble free” card whenever you’re in a tight spot.
9. Learn from the Experts – Most people “stumble” facedown into their life decisions. And then start paddling away so as to not sink or become fish food.
They treat life as something that happens to them as opposed to something they can sculpt and mold in fine detail starting with the quality of all their relationships, their finances, their health, their level of fitness, the “pull” they have with the Founder/Chairperson of the Universe, the breadth, and frequency of their smiles etc.
But the life that you wanna live is yours for the taking…if you just take the time to ‘Learn from the Experts’ and apply that time-tested wisdom into your life too.
And where do you find this wisdom? Roughly about halfway up Mount Everest, right next to the funky looking Birch Tree marked with a red “X”. But, if that sounds way too adventurous, you can just pop into to your local Bookshop and have a look under their “Self-help” section instead.
By the way, if you’re one of those people whose totally convinced that you’re somehow different and unique and “beyond self-help”, then I urge you to grab a well-reviewed book on an area that you currently have issues in and then try reading just the first 3 chapters of it, before calling it quits. Often times, you’ll be astonished at how “normal” you really are and how you had gotten by without that “fundamental knowledge” to begin with.
10. Plot the route and put the pedal to the metal – Most folks who read self-help books don’t use from any of that knowledge to improve their lives, mainly because they never had an action plan to bring any of it to life.
Obviously, you cannot implement all 107,265 ideas that you may/may not have across in a single book. But you can make a list of the 12 most profound bite-sized ideas/tasks that stood out. And then write them into the individual pages of a Month-per-page calendar. After that, you can “action” those “tasks for the month” every day for the entirety of that month, whilst marking off each accomplishment with an X (or a smiley face sticker) over each calendar date.
The idea behind this is to cultivate a series of lifelong habits using the 28-30 day monthly blocks allotted. But that’s only possible if the tasks are actioned daily and in an uninterrupted manner throughout the 28-30-day cycles. Otherwise, you’ll have to redo them the following month.
And once you get into a rhythm and gained some momentum with this, you’ll be able to scrunch through 2-3 of these “tasks of the month” at a time, easily.
Whilst the Preventative Route does change the winds in your favor dramatically and gives you the opportunity to get ahead and stay ahead in most areas of your life, there are still a few factors we cannot control such as the weather, the dumb decisions of other people, the will of your Maker and so forth.
So, when the “inevitable” does happen, you can use the following 7 steps find your way back:
1. Stay Calm – Bad news never gets a good reaction. And it shouldn’t. But your reaction (especially where other people are involved) can decide what happens next.
The loss of my first marriage made me take my eyes off everything else momentarily (through no fault of hers by the way). And that resulted in me to overlooking the “divine messages” that I had been receiving to help my dying Brother at the time.
To be perfectly honest, I was the furthest thing from a believer back then. And I had convinced myself that the World was being governed by a Ginormous Koala whose way too high on Eucalyptus to even be bothered.
And for years I used to wonder, whether I would’ve somehow noticed these “in my face” messages (backed with loud sirens) if my mind wasn’t completely wrapped up with Candy Floss at the time.
The loss of Brother then led me to make a few more bad decisions. The most profound of them all is my attempt at filling that hole in my soul by aggressively advancing my career plan with my Employer at the time; a move that wasn’t well received by my Big Bad Boss.
And as fate would have it, that chapter closed shortly thereafter.
Later, that incident along with my divorce turned out to be two of the best things that’s ever happened to me, mainly because they forced me to grow and identify a billion and one flaws that I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. But at the time it hurt like a Sandy Beach.
So, whenever you get any kind of bad news (however bad it is), don’t start out by quietly whacking off the messenger. And then going all Zombie on everyone else around you. Take a while to acknowledge the situation first. And then take the time to mourn for your loss.
Afterward, grab yourself a copy of the “The Grief Recovery Handbook by John W. James and Russell Friedman” to set the healing process in motion.
Now, if you’re specifically dealing with the loss of a loved one, I would also recommend getting yourself a copy of “Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations for Working Through Grief by Martha Whitmore Hickman” as well.
These two resources combined (or just one if you prefer) should bring about a kind of healing that most people don’t often experience in years. But it does require that you to complete the exercises in the Books in order to reap the benefits; much like “theoretically” knowing how to fly a plane won’t do you much good if you were ever put behind a real cockpit after the Pilots decided to parachute down for an early lunch.
2. Start moving forward – Whilst it’s important to grieve your loss and the sudden change brought into your life, it’s just as important to keep moving forward…despite how heavy and slow those steps may feel right now. That way you won’t have to call a Snow Plowing service to pull you out of bed the following week.
3. Ask for help – No one is immune to change, not even Darth Vader. In fact, you might recall from Episode III of Star Wars, that Darth Vader was actually the result of Anakin Skywalker having a bad Sandwich one morning and then getting his ass mashed to a pulp by Cocoa Donut (or was it Count Dooku?).
So, we all go through our share of phases and losses. There’s just no way around that.
But, if someone you know has been through a similar experience and has made a full recovery from it, then why not grab a box of Cookies and head on over for a visit? Or plan a Bowling night out together?
It’s important to realize that whatever you’re going through, someone else has already gone through before. Therefore, they may be in a position to help you with your recovery.
In addition to reaching out to family and friends, also consider reaching out to the one person who already knows and feels your pain; your Creator. He may not heal your pain directly. But he can align the right people and resources to help you with your healing. And he may even find ways to make life a little bit easier for the chapter that follows.
4. Adapt slowly – Recovery takes time. Adapting to the change may take even longer. You would first need to work toward overcoming your situation at an emotional level. And then adapt to the new situation.
And we do that by first identifying what our daily regimen would need to look like after the transition. And by breaking that list of “new habits” into a tasks list.
Then we would go about conquering that list at a pace of one habit per month using the same “One habit per Calendar Month” approach discussed earlier.
5. Grow with it–Look forward to what life would be like after the transition. And invest 30-60 minutes of every day indulging in something that you really enjoy, ideally with someone (that you don’t absolutely hate).
Fall in love with life again, so that you have the strength to come up higher without falling asleep in midflight.
6. Reframe your thinking – We don’t always understand why things happen and why they happen in the way they do. But often times those setbacks are a part of a bigger plan that we cannot yet see.
The loss of my first Marriage made me realize how flawed I was in so many areas. And it started transforming me from the fat, clueless, sick, broke, ugly, weak and goalless loser I used to be into someone that I have a hard time recognizing in the mirror now. To make things worse, the mirror doesn’t recognize me now either.
So, whenever you see a discouraging thought trying to sneak into your mind, grab it by the nose, reframe the thought and then cut it lose.
For example, my initial thought about the loss of my Brother was
“How could I have let him down, when he was the first person to show me how to love, live, laugh and grow in a World that Ostracized me at every corner?”
But with time I managed to reframe that to:
“He lost his battle with life because his roots weren’t strong enough to carry him through his darkest hour (as a result of ‘experimental’ parenting); because he thought that he had run out of luck and opportunities (as a result of all the misinformation that had been passed down to him through the generations). And because the only friends he had next to him when he had lost every ounce of love, respect, dignity and hope were Cigarettes and Alcohol.
But instead of it being the end of yet another Awesome Human being falling victim to ‘life’, it can be a new beginning.
The flame that he once used to light my fire with when I had nothing to live for, can be the very flame that guides many others who are battling similar storms, safely to shore.”
And if you’re faced with a challenging illness/medical condition, instead of letting your mind talk you into blurting out something like:
“Momma told me one day it was gonna happen. But, she never told me when. Yikes! Is this end?”
Reframe it with a more affirming and “true” statement like:
“I live an upright life, pay my ‘supernatural taxes’ (10% monthly donation to charity), do my part to help others whenever I can and therefore my Creator will do the impossible and bring me out of this icky situation as well (as he always does).
And when he does, I can have a blast inspiring others with my story of recovery and in showing them how to do the same.
And that ‘Glory’ and ‘Sense of appreciation’ I can reminisce and bask in for the rest of my days (provided I have enough SPF 50 sunscreen on standby)”
Now, if your thoughts keep reminding you of the Spouse who ran off to the Moon with your Astronaut friend, instead of saying something like “Why didn’t I slip in more sedatives into what they were drinking?” say something along the lines of “Wow! I now have the opportunity to find someone who’ll be loyal to me for the rest of their days. And someone who’s a little less like to greet me with a Taser gun every time we meet.”
Likewise, you can apply this little “reframing” technique to “rectify” just about any negative thought that tries to wiggle its way in.
7. Avoid toxic crutches – We all need someone or something to lean on from time to time…like tuning into some “iPod therapy” after a heated debate with your Boss, like going to the Cinema to take the edge off after spending the day at the Beach, like playing with a ball of string before a job interview etc.
But instead of going with the heart-friendly options, we tend to lean on the kind of “crutch” that turns us into Grandmas or Grandpas in as little a few years…literally.
And that would become glaringly evident if you just take a few head-to-toe photographs of what you look like before the “crutch” and compare them against what you look like after.
The unhealthy crutches we’re talking about here are specifically drugs of all kinds (mainly cigarettes, alcohol and sleeping pills) and also “processed” foods (which is what we normally turn to when the Stores are fresh out of Cocaine).
So what’s the big deal with a “relaxing” smoke?
Well…Cigarettes kill over 6 million people every single year including 600,000 innocent bystanders who are dumb enough to stand inside a 30-foot radius of a lit Cigarette. And that’s discounting the fact that a cigarette cuts 11 minutes off a person’s life expectancy anyway.
Now, if the passive smoking doesn’t kill them, they get a second chance at knocking themselves out as a result of inheriting their Parents habits (which is ‘normally’ how it works).
So, if Cigarettes are bad, how about a Beer or a few shots of Tequila?
Interestingly enough, Alcohol also has a hideous reputation of killing a whole bunch of fun-loving people (2.5 million people per year in fact). And it also cuts the vacation time here on Earth (of anyone who drinks more than 2 alcoholic beverages a day) by 23 years (even if they love Puppies and Kittens).
And then there are the seemingly helpful “sleeping pills” that are called “As risky as Cigarettes”, primarily because people on sleeping pills have a 4.6 times greater chance of falling asleep for good. And even if they wake up from that, they still run the risk of having their butts decorated with all kinds of infections and cancers.
Lastly, there’s the fourth group of baddies that’s been getting away with murder for years. And has been silently sitting with us at our Dinner Tables looking…delicious…called “Processed foods”.
Yep, processed food is bad news too. In fact, it’s bad news for the 2.8 million people who die from obesity and weight-related issues every year. And, it’s bad news for most folks who get sick regularly because more than half of all known illnesses are somehow related to having an “inflated” tummy. The rest usually gets blamed on the ex or some distant relative that we never knew.
Now, if death doesn’t sound so bad, then it might be worth considering the dozens of torturous medical conditions associated with each of the above, that can make dying look like an Evening Movie with a big stash of Popcorn.
So, embrace your clutches when you need them. But be sure to skip the ones that’re likely to kill you (even partially).
