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Positive Adaptations

Hello, I hope all is well with you and your family. My children traveled to Greeley, Colorado two weeks ago for the Pathfinder Bible Experience. As team of 6 members with more than 800 youth competitors, they were tested on 90 hard questions on the book of Judges and Joshua in the Bible. So my wife and I flew by plane with the children to support them. Their team, thank God, did well and it was amazing to see what young people can achieve when they have guidance and are willing to work together.

Greeley, Colorado. Courtesy of google.com

Concerning Positive adaptions, Merrem-webster defines adaption as: “modification of an organism or its parts that makes it more fit for existence under the conditions of its environment : a heritable physical or behavioral trait that serves a specific function and improves an organism’s fitness or survival.”

Why are some more likely to adapt, while others refuses to embrace positive change and become extinct ? The answer is intentionality, chance and God’s grace.

Here is a great example about positive adaptations. According to Wikipedia, Blue Zones are regions in the World where people are claimed to live longer than average. The Five Blue Blues in the World are Okinawa, Japan, Sardinia, Italy, The Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica, Icaria, Greece, and Loma Linda, United States. What do people living in the five Blue Zones have in common? They minimize stress, move regularly throughout the day, having a clear sense of purpose, and sticking to a mostly plant based diet. Take time and read about the Blue Zones and you will be impressed, and will learn more positive adaptations that will add longevity and productivity to your lifestyle.

Hear this quick story. I was driving to work one day and experienced something wonderful. Two animals and their adaptations. The bug hit my windshield, it splatted and died. The butterfly was just about to hit the windshield but it graciously and parabolically rotated itself in midair, escaped disaster and lived. Yes, indeed, like the adaptability traits of the butterfly, we, as humans,must make positive adaptations to live, must be flexible , intentional, careful, while staying genuine to our God given talents and personalities. We must adapt to the “windshield” events happening in our lives.

From Dr. Kofi Amo-Mensah.

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Got Water?

Water is very vital to sustaining life. As a matter of fact, 60% of our total body weight derives from water. Drinking water nourishes the cells in our body, it provides adequate hydration to our body, assist the digestive tract in eliminate digestive waste in the gastrointestinal tract, which is a great way to prevent constipation. According to the National Institute of Health Survey, approximately over 4 million people in the United States have frequent constipation, roughly about 2% of the population.

Water therapy can provide adequate hydration to improve dizziness and headaches from dehydration. The symbol for water is H20. Taking a bath twice a day with water relieves stress on the body. Remember, without water, there will be no life.

Moreover, for dehydrated patients in hospitals, hydration with either dextrose or saline solutions( NaCl) are methods used to reverse the effects of dehydration and slowly improves patient status towards achieving optimal health. For example, hydrating a patient with Intravenous fluids assists in the replenishment of dehydration in clinical diagnoses such with diarrhea, syncope (fall), and intractable nausea and vomiting. As we have entered the Spring Season and are heading towards Summer in the United States, one of the best advice for everyone is to stay hydrated by drinking adequate water.

On average, drinking at least 6 cups of water daily for most people will be the minimal amount of water to keep our body hydrated. There are always exception to this rule, such as heart failure and renal failure patients, who may require less water intake. I will be honest with you and say that some people just do not like the taste of water, so they may choose not to drink water at all. If you happen to be one of such people, then try flavored water. As always, I recommend you discuss with your doctor before trying any new regiment.

As a physician, one of the top pre-procedural questions from people awaiting a procedure such as abdominal surgery is “can I get a drink of water”?

Interestingly, according to a study by Leng and colleagues our bodies contain osmoreceptors or thirst sensors in a specialized part of the brain called the Anterior Hypothalamus, which receives signals and collaborates with our carotid sinus located around our neck, and other baroreceptors in the left atrium of the the heart, and our kidneys to maintain water balance and conserve water, especially during periods of dehydration. Unfortunately as we approach 50 years of age, our thirst sensors ability to sense thirst slowly diminishes and we may not remember to drink adequate water to prevent dehydration.

On a philosophical note, thirst is symbolic for deprivation in life. Are we thirsty enough for personal success that we are willing to take the proper steps to change our current situations? Are we thirsty enough for better retirement that we are planing on saving 15-20% of our gross paycheck for a better future? Are we thirsty enough for a great family life that we are willing to listen well to the concerns of our children and our spouse? Are we thirsty enough for proper guidance in this life that we pick up our Bible daily to read for instructions? Are we thirsty for a better society, that we live responsibly with integrity that our personal lives can be seen as good examples for the current and future generations to emulate? Are we thirsty enough to transmutate our small business ideas into becoming a realty? Are we thirsty enough to create multi-generational wealth?

Well, now that you are thirsty, please don’t just sit there, get some water to drink. After all, water is good for you and it contains zero calories!

Cheers,

from Dr. Kofi Amo-Mensah.

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Life is what you make of the opportunities present and ahead.

February is a Leap Year and according to the records, it will take another four years to repeat this cycle. Wow, imagine what can happen in four years. I will leave that to your imagination.

Great thinkers ,past and present with enormous talents, took on the world and won by stepping forward with the opportunities of their lifetime. To name a few, Jesus Christ, Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Mother Teresa, Dr. Charles Drew, and finally you!!!

History teaches that the industrial revolution changed commerce from an Agrarian to a capitalistic society.

The amazing dilemma is that tomorrow opportunities may present themselves in ways that the true winners must pay attention and position themselves in optimal positions in order to ride the waves to success. Such examples include The information age, the social media wave, the promise and dilemma of artificial intelligence, digital currency, etc. In their book The Sovereign Individual–Mastering The Transition to the Information Age, James Dale Davidson and Lord William Ree-Mogg stated” You cannot depend upon conventional information sources to give you an objective and timely warning about how the world is changing and why. If you want to understand the great transition now under way, you have little choice but to figure it out for yourself.”

Having Self Control at all times, is also another key quality necessary to make your dreams come true.

I sincerely hope you continue to keep your eyes open and mind searching for ways to discover the sea of possibilities that awaits you.

Cheers!

From Kofi Amo-Mensah, MD.

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Navigate Well Through The Ford of Life.

Happy New year my good friend! It is great to be alive and thank God that we have made it safely from 2023 to 2024. One of the interesting ways to know you are at the beginning of a new year is when you suddenly write the previous year date when dating a document, a note, a letter for the first few days of the new month. I know for sure, that you have well adjusted into the year 2024. When was the last time that you and your family went on a great trip? Perhaps you drove a car to your destination, flew on a plane, took a train, a boat, or you walked there. Interestingly, when traveling to a new destination, the experience is fun, because you have simply not been there before. Your mind gets excited through the journey imagining how the place will actually look like. Sometimes, the place is less exciting or otherwise, better than what you imagined. If you are the one driving, the kids may ask you “are we there yet? The next 12 months is a journey.

Good navigational system is a must to get there safely to your destination. A wrong move will delay your progress. A mediocre system will prolong your goals, but a great navigational system will get you there on time.

Photo by Asad Photo Maldives on Pexels.com

The ford of life literally means how well you are crossing from where you are today to where you want to be with your interpersonal relationships: emotionally, financially, spiritually, and psychologically. The goal for this year is to make a GIANT Progress.

Stay motivated and as one mentor told me “finish strong.”

From Kofi Amo-Mensah, MD.

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The Year Of Awakening

First of all, I want to thank you for the time you took this year to read these blogs. I hope you found some advice that enriched your life.

The year 2023 has been a year of awakening, a year full of blessing from the Almighty, a year of financial awakening, a year of spiritual awakening. From changes in the stock market, to the price of daily groceries, 2023 was indeed the year of change.

For this year we paid more money at the gas station to fill our cars and the cost of consumer goods such as eggs were higher .

Peaks of Otter,courtesy of Kofi Amo-Mensah,MD

This post COVID 19 era has innately awakened our attention span to be better prepared for future pandemics, and has awakened our realization that we are mortals.

I sincerely hope you continue to find all the answers to your questions and most importantly, that the Almighty grants you good health and prosperity in all your future endeavors. I hope you continue to make better strategic plans to improve your life everyday. May you continue to be a beacon of hope and a blessing to all the people that you encounter. Until the next year, cheers!

From Kofi Amo-Mensah, Medical Doctor.

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Every Parent’s Duty to the Next Generation.

Each year, as I grow, one of the most striking observations is how different life continues to change progressively right in front of my eyes. Some of the changes are good, but some of the subconscious ideas, are in fact dangerous for the well-being of children and our youth. If you ask some or most adults living today to compare their childhood to how children are growing up today, one of the answers you may get is that children growing up in today’s society are exposed to too much ideas than they did at a younger and fragile age. As we all know, we are living in the information age.

Photo by Agung Pandit Wiguna on Pexels.com

For a better change, it will be great if as parents, we can continue to increase outdoor play time for children and decrease screen times on phones and computers. Studies have shown that too much screen time may negatively impact the cognitive learning process of children.

It is also essential for each parent to teach our children about God and what God expects from each one of us. Micah 6: 8 states:” He hath shewed thee, O man what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humble with thy God ?”

For example, it is a great idea for the family to have daily devotions with God every morning before the children go to school. This personal time spent with the children and God will strengthen and remind the children to behave themselves well at school, the time spent will increase the family bond, and most importantly will allow children and parents/guardians to spent time with our Heavenly Father, who gives guidance, purpose and protection for our lives. While growing up as a teenager, I remember during our devotional studies , my mother and my father will pray for their children to have retentive memories to study at school and the prayers of my parents have gone a long way into making all their children successful adults.

If possible, it is important for parents to read stories to children at bedtime for as long as possible to enhance our parental- children family bond.

Economically speaking, it is also important to teach children slowly but progressively about savings, investing money and about how money works, so they can use money as a positive tool that will help them build a brighter future. Ideas to be taught include telling our children to take advantage of opening a Roth Individual Retirement account once they start working. One advantage of a Roth Individual Retirement Account is that since it is an aftertax money account, it gets the opportunity to growth, and compound interests on the childs behalf, which will lead to money the child will not have to pay taxes on when they take that money from their account. As Parents and Guardians, it is our duty to teach each child early about the positive and negative impact of credit cards. It is also important to teach children about ways to manage and avoid unnecessary debts.

Thank God, there are many responsible young adults doing amazing things for our society and they should be acknowledged for their positive impacts on our society.

However, in our modern society, there is an increased opioid and alcohol endemic going on across our nation.

As parents, we must continue to be vigilant and pro-active to warn our children about avoiding illegal and unprescribed drugs such as Marijuana, oxycodone, cocaine,meta- amphetamines, etc. As a physician, I had to managed a young adult in her twenties who had overdosed on illegal drugs. We as parents must reach our children first before the sellers or friends of our children get to them. There are many programs available to help young adults addicted to illegal drugs, such as narcotic anonymous. However like they say, prevention is better than the cure.

Positive parental guidance shields our children from unnecessary headaches and points them towards building a future that will benefit the child, his/her family, and most importantly the society as a whole, because every one responsible young male or female can contribute to the stability of our society.

Last week, one of my patients was admitted to the hospital for uncontrolled Hyperglycemia and Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome. He plainly told me Doc, I have been an alcoholic since the age of 18, and am still trying to fight this disease at the age of 50. He had been to numerous alcoholic anonymous programs but relapsed many times in the past. Prior to his discharge from the hospital, thankfully his brother and sister had arranged with the hospital Social Worker and enrolled this patient in an intensive alcohol rehabilitation problem to help him. Sadly his case of alcohol dependence is one example of many alcohol addiction problem facing our nation.

In conclusion as Parents and Guardians, we must commit the time to spend and teach our children about the importance of God, virtue, stewardship, accountability, personal investment, and the avoidance of alcohol use and drug use. Proverbs 22: 6 states: ” Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it. “

If you or someone you know is addicted to alcohol or illegal drugs, there is help to change your life around. You can contact this national hotline number at 1-800-662-4357 for information on programs for drug addiction and mental health programs. You can also contact your local town community service board for more help.

from Kofi Amo-Mensah, MD.

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Do you need a car?

For most people living in the 21 first century, driving a car has become a necessity for commute to work, errands, family vacations,ets. At some point, you will need a car. Here are tips when you need to purchase a new, pre-owned or used car. For the record, I am also a car enthusiast. One of the best cars I have ever driven was a manual transmission 1987 Acura Integra. It was so much fun to drive from Queens New York City to Brooklyn on the Beltway Parkway.

Cadillac ATS courtesy of Car and Driver Magazine.

Tip#1 : Find a car price within your working budget. ( A price that will not cause a dint in your savings for the future. )

Tips#2: Test drive the car and if during the test drive, you find a fault with the car, simply walk away. ( From my personal experience, In the past I once bought a vehicle even though I felt something was wrong with the car. During the the test drive, I heard the wheels shaking, and had thought the fault was due to bad tires, I bought the vehicle anyway and changed the tires and the problem persisted, to my surprise and hurt.

Tips#3: Buy a car with great gas mileage per gallon. For example a car with a V6 engine will give you on average a combined 24 miles per gallon compared to a bigger V8 engine which may only give you 15-18 miles per gallon. Spending less on gasoline means more opportunity to save money and invest for your future.

Tips# 4. Explore the option of an electrical vehicle as one of the two vehicles in your household. Electric car owners on average pay lower maintenance cost when compared to gasoline cars owners. Unlike an combustion engine, with electric cars you will have no more need of changing the oil, changing the radiator, changing the alternator, no more changing the engine gasket.. If you decide to buy an electrical car, make sure the company has superchargers around the country for longer distance travel,

Tips# 5: Buy a good car with the longevity track record and reliability that will last 15 years or more. You may pay more upfront but you will be get the most out of that car with fewer costs and repairs over the years. If you decide to buy a very cheap car, either make sure you are a good mechanic yourself or knows someone who can fix that car, because the maintenance cost over the life time of that cheap car may be more than the actual purchased price.

Tips#6: Perform your due diligence and do your good research on the car you are interested in such us the model, make and year manufactured before making the purchase. Good car purchasing resources include Car and driver magazine.com, Kelley Blue Book.com, Edmunds.com

Tips#7: Take your trusted mechanic with you to inspect a used car before purchase.

Tips#8: Plan to pay off the car within 5 years and no more. Better yet, if possible, save and pay for the car in cash.

Tips#9: Purchase a car that may have affordable parts, and a car that spends less time in the mechanical shop.

Tips# 10: Read car reviews about previous owners that purchased the car of interest before buying.

Tips#11: Compare car prices on web sites such as cargurus.com, autotrader.com, carmax.com They may tell you if you are getting a great deal, good deal, or a fair deal price , or if you are spending too much money for the car.

Here are some example of best cars for college students in Snow Areas: Toyota RAV- 4, Jeep Rubicon.

Best 3 Row Luxury SUV: Mercedes GLS 450, Mazda Cx9, Chevy Tahoe, Cadillac Escalade, Toyota Sequoia , Toyota Landcruiser. Lexus LX 600

Best Sport Sedan: Infinity G35, Lexus 250IS, Cadillac ATS, BMW 3 Series-the maintenance cost is too high so think twice before buying a BMW.

Best Midsize Sedan: Toyota Corolla

Best Sedan: Toyota Camry, Acura Integra( Also comes in a manual transmission.)

Best Pickup truck: Ford F 150.

Best Minivan: Honda Odyssey

Best Electrical Midsize SUV: Tesla Model Y.

Best Reliable SUV: Toyota 4 Runner. It also has a high resale value.

Best Sport Coupe/Convertible: Chevy Corvette, Porsche 911, BMW 4 Series,

Best car for you: A safe car and the right amount of money that you can easily afford without breaking the bank!!

From Dr. Kofi Amo-Mensah.

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A Life of Discovery.

Wow what a month in August. For our family vacation we visited Ghana. It was very exciting to go visit my childhood home, visit my grandmother and for my son and daughter to meet their cousins, great grandmother and experience the ways of life for people in Ghana . The time spent visiting families, old childhood friends, worshiping God, created lasting memories that I sincerely thank God for.

Manhyia Palace Museum, Kumasi, Ghana. Courtesy of Kofi Amo-Mensah, MD.

Accra at night. Courtesy of Kofi Amo-Mensah, MD.

When I was in school, my French teacher Mr. Morgan stated in our french class” when I discover who I am, then I will be free”. As individuals, we all have great strengths and weaknesses. Self discovery is one of the greatest turning point in achieving greatness. Discovering the meaning of life, discovering the importance of marriage, discovering the key to happiness, discovering the intent behind your friends questions, discovering the path to financial independence are all momentous steps that moves all of us as individual to accomplishing our goals.

Kwame Nkrumah University, Kumasi, Ghana.

Black Star Square , Accra Ghana, Courtesy of Kofi Amo-Mensah, M.D.

I sincerely hope you discover yourself and know your strength, your weakness, your short comings, find the diligent paths to your dreams, and endeavor to keep your ambitions alive. At the same time, In the process, I hope you find time to be nice to yourself. I have discovered that some of the key components to true happiness is to trust God, be nice to self by treating self sometimes, be diligent, and have the courage to take the necessary risk needed to achieve your goals and your happiness.

From

Kofi Amo-Mensah, MD.

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Learn to Live Well!

Good day friends. Wow, now that are in the middle of July, we are now only 6 months till the end of the year 2023. Through the ups and down and surprises of life, we are “still in the land of the living”.

This month topics centers on learning to live well. The other day I was reading a passage in the Bible in Isaiah 1:17 which states” Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

How does an individual learn to do well? For many, the path to living well will be different. But for most, it starts by acknowledging our current position in life and making the conscious decision for self improvement. For some, they may be at the zenith of life’s achievement, while for others, they may be beginning the path to living well. Where ever once finds his/her self this day, the important part is to formulate your plan to live well, and to surround oneself with thinkers who can help you to achieve your goal. Finding a good mentor, reading many books in the area of interest, and carefully attending seminars in your field of interest will guide you to keep the burning desire alive till discovery and breakthrough stage is obtained.

Photo by Oladimeji Ajegbile on Pexels.com

Names such as Ray Kroc, former American Entrepreneur known for expanding McDonald from a local chain to one of the most profitable Restaurant Franchise, to Jeff Bezos, co- founder of Amazon, have built conglomerate Empires. They both started with new ideas and implementation of those ideas. Who knows, for in the next few years, it may be your business that may be featured in Fortune Magazine.

Jeff Bezos by U.S. Air Force is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0

In conclusion, seeking to maintain a balance life, having a humble mindset and preserving your individuality are important traits to hold on to when success comes into your life. Finding ways to live well will enhance your happiness and allow you to be of service to your communities and to the whole world.

from Dr. Kofi Amo-Mensah.

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Sustain your Life of Personal Transformation.

Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful men in our society. May God continue to bless you as you care and love your families through your guidance, sacrifice, leadership and your presence.

Self understanding of one’s deficiencies are essential for personal growth and improvement. In his book Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill talks about having the desire and thinking positively, to achieve all your dreams. When I was in elementary school, one of my teachers would ask” What is energy? Simply, Energy is the ability to do work. Work is the force times the distance required to complete the work. To sustain a good personal transformation requires been persistent by spending time to perfect your masterpiece that only you can create. You and I must continue to persevere and be determined to achieve all our goals. For example, In order for our house to stay immaculately clean or for our lawn to be beautiful , we must put in the work to keep the place clean and keep the weeds out. The Second Law of Thermodynamics Entropy states that an object will stay or increase in a state of disorder unless an energy is acted upon it.

We all must be persistent in every faucet of our lives. On the topic of Persistence, President Calvin Coolidge stated: ” Nothing in this world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and Determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “Press On!” has solved and always will solve the problem of the human race”

In conclusion, one must remain persistent, determined, have the desire to achieve all of one’s goals and objectives. Proverb 13:19 reads : ” The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul.”

From Kofi Amo-Mensah, Medical Doctor.

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Happy Memorial Day.

Happy Memorial Day to our brave men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice of love for our country. Currently as rains tears of joy and remembrance on this beautiful day, I want to thank our Soldiers for their life of service. May the Almighty God bless, guide and nurture the wives, husbands, children, parents, nieces, nephews that such soldiers left behind. May we as individuals continue to hold on to the memories, the love, the ambitions, creativity, humility and services of our heroes.

From Dr. Amo-Mensah.

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Flow

First of all, Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful Mothers across the whole globe. I want to personally thank you for the love, patience, hope, nurture, and stability that you bring to our families. May the Almighty God bless you and your families everyday.

Interestingly, Flow is defined by Merriam Webster definition as “to proceed smoothly and readily.” Flow is synonymous with circulation and circulation is synonymous with life. As a physician, I encourage my patient to have more flow in their lives. The circulation of blood from our pumping heart to our brain, and all other organs depend on adequate flow. Our Respiratory System circulates oxygenated blood to all our cells for life sustenance.

Interestingly, flow is life and the lack of flow is the absence of life. The lack of flow to vital organs ultimately results in disease processes such as Myocardial Infarction(heart attack), Cerebral Vascular Accidents( stroke) and Mesenteric Ischemia( gangrene of bowel), and peripheral artery disease which is insufficient flow to the lower extremities (legs) which can cause a condition called intermittent claudication. Patients with claudication may feel numbness, pain, tingling sensation with ambulation.

Here are advantages to having greater flow in our lives.

According to the Center for Disease Control, exercising for 150 minutes a week provides our bodies with adequate flow of blood, and promotes good health.

Better Flow of words, between husbands and wives, parents and children promotes trust, an essential ingredient in building healthy relationships between families.

Economically speaking, having increasing cash flow into our accounts, and other assets , promotes wealth and freedom to live the life that we desire.

Spiritually, spending time daily in prayer with our Maker promotes healing and guidance for every facet of our lives.

In conclusion, do you have flow? If not, make the changes today. After all, optimal flow will result in a greater life for all.

from Dr. Kofi Amo-Mensah.

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A life of Remembrance.

What is happening in that beautiful mind of yours from infancy to adulthood? The unique ability to remember and retain all things happening in our lives are assets to unlocking some of life’s greatest rewards. But first, what is going on in April?

The month of April is filled with significant memorial Holidays in the Judeo-Christian faiths such as Passover and Easter. During these Holidays, we are called to remember particular events that positively impacted the past, present and future of our existence. Whether one identifies himself as a Christian or not, the eschatological questions, such as who am I, why am I here, where am I going, and what happens when this life on earth seizes for the individual, are important questions worth asking of self. Some individuals simply chooses to ignore these thoughts and continue to focus on the present demands of this world such as our work, of family responsibilities , mortgage payments, planning for the future. On the other hand, a few individuals take the necessary time to study and research the past history of humanity and obtain the keys to build a better future.

Now a focus on memory. Our memory is made up of short term and long term memories. The part of our brain that controls memory is called the Hippocampus. Modern science tells us that most of our long term memories stays intact. The ability of our grandparents to tell us many events from the distant past is a good example. On the other hand, our short term memory allows for us to recall recent events such as to remember the details of a recent school or business meeting, or to remember the immediate questions that our children asked us two minutes ago. The short term memory may experience changes depending on how it is exercised. Other factors that may positively or negatively impact memory depends on inherited genes. There are some neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimers disease and Parkinson’s Dementia that negatively impact our short term memory.

However, the great news for everyone today is that there are great physiological adaptations that each of us can take advantage of immediately to increase and maintain our mental capacities and vitality. For example, eating a well balance diet with fruits, vegetables, nuts, protein, less fatty meals, improves our mental capacities and decreases the incidences of severe debilitating illnesses. Healthy food contains antioxidants that facilitate and repair damages to our DNA.

Secondly, participating in a 150 minutes per week of resistance training and aerobic exercises increases perfusion of oxygenated blood to vital organs such as the brain, the heart, the lungs, the stomach, and kidneys and removes excess carbon dioxide in our bodies.

Thirdly, drinking adequate amount of water provide the cells in our bodies with decreased viscosity and increased permeability necessary to removes excess nitrogenous waste from the kidney. Simply, check the color of your urine throughout the day. The more water one ingests during the day, the less concentrated the color of the urine and vice versa.

Fourthly, remember to read good books. Reading is a great way to mentally stay sharp for many decades.

Photo by SHVETS production on Pexels.com

In conclusion, remember to stay mentally and physically sharp in every decade that God has given you. Remember to dream big and achieve greatness for yourself and your family. Some of the greatest ideas in this world came when people remembered to put the ideas into actions. Remember the story of the personal computer and Bill Gates. You and I are gifted with a beautiful mind and we must continue to exercise our minds daily to extract the most opportunities that life will present our way. Finally, remember that you are and will always be the child of the King.

from Dr. Kofi Amo- Mensah.

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Living out your Freedom.

2023 is already going full speed ahead. I hope all is well with you and your family and my sincere desire is that the Almighty shield and protect you and your love ones this year.

According to Archives.gov, In 1776, our founding Fathers stated in the Declaration of Independence from the 13 colonies of United States of America that “we hold these truths to be self-evident , that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. “

History teaches us that freedom is important. In a society where people are free, advancement through innovative technology, medicinal breakthrough, enhances the lives of humanity. For example, Tesla motors with their advancement with Electric Vehicle technology continues to create cars and SUVs that operates without gasoline. Cars that do not have engines and yet are able to move passengers with advanced battery technology from the West Coast to the East Coast of Unites States of America.

On another note, what are we doing with the freedom and time that we are given on this Earth? How can you and I be more happier this year? What one extra plan or activity must one incorporate or remove from our routines to increase our satisfaction and obtain inner peace?

A few days ago, I was managing a Covid 19 patient in the Emergency room who was in acute respiratory distress. He was managed with supplemental oxygenation, and covid 19 protocol medications. After he felt better and just before I left his room, he told me a story that intrigued and amazed me. He said only in America can a humble person who grew up with little get the opportunity to become a Navy fighter pilot and achieve his dreams. His story of success is one of the many millions of Americans stories envisioned by our founding fathers 247 years ago.

If I may suggest, find opportunity near you, reach out to newer heights today. Envision a better tomorrow for yourself and efficiently make your dream become a reality by working on your dream everyday. It could mean saving every month for your Children’s 4 year college tuition starting today, it could mean retiring from the workforce 10 years earlier than you had planned, it could mean achieving financial independence at an earlier age, it could mean volunteering to assist the homeless or less fortunate in your society with your free time. It could mean savings 10-20% from your gross income to enable you to achieve financial freedom to have the choice to live the life that you choose for yourself. Your dreams can be endless.

Seek your path to pursuit your happiness. Make time to take care of your health. Take time to laugh. Make time to watch the sunrise. Truly listen to the bird singing. Find the time to communicate well with your children and your spouse and try the technique of listening more than speaking. Read a good book once every 2 months, if time permits. Visit your library and explore something new. Make time for what is important for you. Enjoy the simple things in life like riding your bicycle in the park, going fishing, watch the stars at night, plant trees or grow vegetables and fruits in your garden. Travel and explore different cities to experience the essence of life and create beautiful memories.

In conclusion, make this year a new year to find true happiness.

From Dr. Kofi Amo-Mensah.

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A life of Greatness

Wow, the 2022 world Cup was a great event for the world! Congratulation to the 32 teams who competed and brought excitement, joy, fun, laughter and amazement to everyone who loves the game. There were lessons that I took from this world cup. For example, intense personal preparations, out of this world mental toughness during penalty kicks, perseverance, courage, great decision making skills by these players, excellent communicative abilities, the coaches making the right adjustments when down in points and most importantly the players cohesive team chemistry were the characteristics traits and the ultimate ingredients to win the world cup.

Now let us focus on a personal level. How can one obtain greatness? Greatness may be defined as achieving all your set goals over a specified time period. You see, time is the limiting ingredient which will run out for each of us at some time on our journey in this life. Therefore, one must seize each day and maximize his efforts so he can finish what he starts. Achieving greatness will have different goals and meaning to each individual. It could mean competing and finishing a marathon race, obtaining a college and a post graduate degree, being a mentor to your children, setting a clear path for the generation behind you to emulate, living a life of self control under all stressful conditions, or achieving financial independence at an earlier age. A life of greatness is a process more than a destination. Others may differ to say that a life of greatness is more of a destination than the process involved. The beautiful thing about achieving greatness is that it brings so much intense joy to its owners that, even money at that moment ,cannot be compared to it. Proverbs 13: 19 states ” the desire accomplished is sweet to the soul.” The great ones, Albert Einstein, Michael Jordan, and Dr. Benjamin Carson, just to name a few, achieved greatness through hard work, determination to be the best and demonstrated the desire for knowledge. Furthermore, the application of knowledge is what separates the best from the rest.

_{Albert Einstein .courtesy of google.com}

Dr. Benjamin Carson, courtesy of google.com

In conclusion, one must endeavor to be the best in every aspect of life. One must have patience, show courage, demonstrate love, have determination, work efficiently, exemplify hard-work characteristics, have integrity, develop an intense desire for knowledge and most importantly ,apply knowledge to every faucet of one’s live to propel and achieve greatness.

From Dr. Kofi Amo-Mensah.

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A Life of Stewardship.

Wow. I will start by saying good morning, afternoon to you. I hope you are having a good day so far. Accountability, responsibility, budgeting, planning ahead, and situation awareness are some traits that separates the best individuals from the rest. Stewardship is life. Stewardship is managing effectively and efficiently the resources that our Almighty has given us. Our resources come in the form of our time, our talent, our money, our environment, and the decision-making choices we make regarding our relationships with our spouses, children and others.

Photo by Guduru Ajay bhargav on Pexels.com

Who then is a good steward? A good steward is a person who pays his/her tithe. A good steward is a person who cares for the life of people and animals alike. A good steward protects his family at all cost. A good steward opens his eyes and is able to plan and foresee events before they actually happen. In this life, character development is essential to become a great steward, so does recognizing our self limitations early on in life and therefore making the necessary adjustments. To be a good steward is to be aware of where every single dollar you earned is going, and consciously growing all your assets over time while limiting your liabilities. You see, the choices that we make everyday ultimately defines and makes us. Thomas Stanley wrote in his book The Millionaire Next Door that to make great fortune, one must play both offense(make money ) and defense ( keep your money for your projects and out of the hands of creditors). He also states in the same book that “wealth is more often the result of a lifestyle of hard work, perseverance, planning , and, most of all, self discipline.”

In conclusion, a great steward is one who looks for ways to improve his/her current condition. A great steward is self conscious of his/her time, plans ahead to make sure his decisions today will benefit his family, and grand children for over many generations. A good steward is a person who is equally balance with his financial matters, has emotional stability, is physically active, spiritually stronger, and one who provide services to his/ her community. Look at the life of Mr. Warren Buffett and you may find traits of a great steward.

Remember Proverbs 13:22 : ” A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children.”

From Kofi Amo-Mensah, Medical Doctor.

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Be Brave and Courageous.

Looking through the lens of our recorded history and the archives of human existence, life has rewarded individuals who mustered enough courage to fight the giants of their times.

Noah’s Ark Encounter, Williamstown,Kentucky

For this month, my family traveled to Williamstown and Petersburg, Kentucky and visited The Noah’s Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum. Both places were spectacular and I will highly recommend to every family to visit these places when time permits. One day at each place is minimally recommenced to fully enjoy the attractions. The Noah’s Ark visit was amazing! Three unique levels that showed how food, were stored for the people and animals, living quarters demonstrating places that Noah, his wife and family could have stayed. For lunch, we enjoyed a buffet at the Emzara’s Food Court, all you can eat salad, fish, spaghetti, chicken, which filled our stomachs.

Garden at Creation Museum, Petersburg, Kentuchy

Introspectively, the take away point from our trip to Kentucky was the importance of preparation for life events while living in this world. For example, Noah was warned of a flood and he built a big ark to save his family. The ark was big enough to accommodate thousands, but sadly only eight people were saved. Currently as we make preparations for our families, life events, it is so important to think and plan ahead to ensure the safety of our families in various avenues, such us Parents having Term Life Insurance policies to ensure that our families lifestyle can be protected financially in the events of our absence, and the importance for parents to educate our children on the importance of virtue, kindness, self control, loving others, and using non- violence to settle disputes.

Furthermore, Life as we know it is getting harder for everyone in this world. From personally observation, younger adults are working three times as hard just to have and possess what their parents achieved generations ago. Young adults are graduating without jobs. Our younger children are experiencing many public gun violence with increased frequency compared to previous generations.

The current events of our times, Pandemic, Financial recession, increased stresses, all calls for each individual to rise to the occasion and become the good change that we expect to see in our society. President John F. Kennedy once said “ask not what your country can do for you- ask what you can do for your country.” Every generation stands at a crossroad and must choose and stand up for the right causes which will define their time period forever.

The second point is the importance of spending quality time with our families and also to understand early on in our lives that God and our families are all that we have in this world.

President Truman and Desmond Doss-Courtesy of google.com

Furthermore, the individual approach to making a positive difference has been a highly effective tool in the past, the presence and will continue to work in the future. For example the bravely acts of Captain Sullenberger and Desmond Doss, demonstrates the paths we must take as individuals within our societies so we can save people’s lives. Desmond Doss was an American Paramedic, Conscientious Objector, a devoted Christian, Presidential Medal of Honor Recipient who enlisted in the Unites States Amy in April 1942 to serve his country. However when he refused to carry a gun, he was criticized by many of his colleagues, whom he later saved in the battlefield at Hacksaw Ridge, Okinawa by tying a special knot and carried and lowered his wounded comrades down to safety from the top of an escarpment while under direct enemy fire. He was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor by President Truman on October 12, 1945. Mr. Desmond Doss will forever be remembered for running into the crossfire to save the lives of 75 of his battle wounded comrades at Hacksaw Ridge, Okinawa, Japan. He led a life of service to God, duty to his country and to his fellow man and woman, he was man of true integrity.

Likewise Captain Chesley Sullenberger III is a retired American Pilot who, as Captain of the US Air Flight 1549, landed his airplane in the Hudson River in 2009 to save the lives of 155 souls aboard his plane that suffered catastrophic engine failures from encounter with geese shortly after take off. His quick thinking, years of preparation for all possible disaster encounters saved so much lives that day.

Airline passengers wait to board a ferry to be rescued on the wings of a US Airways Airbus 320 jetliner that safely ditched in the frigid waters of the Hudson River in New York, Jan. 15, 2009 after a flock of birds knocked out both its engines. All 155 people on board survived. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger arrives at the LA Premiere of “Sully” at The Directors Guild of America Theater on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016, in Los Angeles.

In conclusion, been brave and courageous are two of the most importance pieces to living the best possible live ever. The choice to be brave and courageous will prepare each of us to be of good service to our society, and positively be the good agent of change that are needed to feed the hungry, heal the sick, shelter the homeless, encourage the down-trodden, be the light in this dark world and point the Lost back to God. You and I must continue to train and prepare ourselves everyday for the events that are still ahead of our lives. Remember to be strong and of good courage- Joshua 1:9.

From Kofi Amo-Mensah, Medical Doctor.

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The Gift of Time.

First of all , Happy Mother’s Day to All the Beautiful Mothers in all over the World. Thank you Mothers for all the wonderful work that you continue to do for your families!!

Carl Sanburg once said: Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spend.. Be careful lest you let other people spent it for you.” As a people, those who were able to use time wisely went on to create beautiful masterpieces in their lives. Think of Mr. Warren Buffett, Dr. Benjamin Carson, Mr Elon Musk, Mr. Albert Einstein and Mrs Marie Curie. Therefore it is up to you and I not to waste our time but rather to maximize our productive time in order to achieve greatness.

When was the last time someone asked you ” what time is it ?” Growing up as a young boy, my first answer to that question was to say in my mind to ” get your own watch,” and then to obviously say the real answer. When we look through the lens of our existence on this earth, our Heavenly Father has granted each of us the gift of time, and how and what each of us do with that time will define our destiny in this world and the one to come.

Yes we are all aware of having 24 hours in a day. Within this 24 hours time, we sleep, eat, take shower, use the bathroom, commute to various destinations, plan, create, pray or meditate,etc. Sometimes we are conscious of the hours and at times we are not.

Two of the best techniques that can help everyone to get the most out of the day is to start the day with a prayer for guidance from God and to have a “To Do List”. Checking a completed task for the day gives one a great satisfaction, but most importantly gives one control over how to effectively manage the day .

As a practicing physician I evaluate, diagnose and treat patients on a regular basis. It is through the gift of time that I can see if my patients are improving or deteriorating and to make the necessary adjustment.

As parents, it is through the lens of time that we can see how our children are growing right before our eyes.

As a man of faith, it is through the gift of time on been on this Earth, that I have gotten to be appreciative of the love, friendship, and patience of God in my life.

It is also through the gift of compounded interest of time that all investors see the exponential growth of their portfolio, which will allow them to retire one day as Millionaires

In conclusion, remember time is life, time is money, time is short, time is fleeting, time is now. It is now time to envision where you are right now in your state of health, in your state of personal growth, in your state of personal relationship with your spouse, your children, your Heavenly father, and your personal dreams for your better life. If we are not where we hoped to be in life at this point, then let us get back to the drawing board, and actively make the necessary steps to live our best possible life ever. What are we waiting for? The sun is shining, it is time for you and I to have some fun and work towards that goal today!!

Benjamin Franklin once said “Take time for all things: great haste makes great waste. You made delay, but time will not, and lost time is never found again. Waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both.”

From Kofi Amo-Mensah, Medical Doctor.

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Living a life of Self-Control and Temperance.

I must begin by saying hello to everyone who will be reading this blog. For the majority of us living today, ideally speaking, it will be great to live to be 100 years on this earth. I picture a healthy 100 years of independence and productivity, having the ability to have good health and the chance to enjoy the beauty and splendid attractive destination places of this world, enjoying the company of your good genuine friends. A life where you know your house mortgage was paid off within 15 years or less after the purchasing of your house, a life where your grandchildren four years of college tuition are paid off in advance, a life of talking and having a great lasting relationship with your beautiful wife or gorgeous husband, a life where your now responsible grown up children are all independent in the management of their personal and financial life, a life of donating to charities of your choice, a life of providing service to the less fortunate. This depicted picture can be your life if you choose to actively plan your life today and practice self control, patience and temperance. The good news is that you still have the opportunity to create a better future than you could have ever imagined!!!. Galatians 5: 22-23 states: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Against such there is no law.”

Importantly speaking, having self control and temperance are necessary steps to living a happy and a productive life. For example, having self control is to become patient with the obnoxious driver in front of you that just cut you off and almost caused an accident, self control means keeping your cool and not acting like a fool when you find yourself in a heated argument with a colleague, self control means to not hit your spouse during an altercation at home, self control means not to cheat on your spouse when you are away on a business conference when an opportunity present itself, self control means to not steal funds from your work by not overcharging the company for purchased funds and deciding not to keep the rest of the money in your pocket, self control will keep your hard earned money in your pocket for your personal investments because you will not have to spent that money on that unnecessary lawyer’s fee, or court fee, because you learned to control yourself in all matters that you encountered. Having self control will prevent you from personal humiliations. Self control is being careful in every aspect of your life so your present actions have continuous positive impact on your current and future plans.

Additionally speaking, Temperance is a good way of life. Believe it or not, most of us love to eat, mostly because we are either hungry or eating as a coping mechanism. Food is good but overeating all the time can lead to obesity, Diabetes Mellitus and other health diseases that can lead to an accelerated premature death. Temperance is eating in moderation. Eating enough balanced nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, proteins, leaned meat to give our beautiful bodies the needed calories to perform our wealth building tasks. Unfortunately, the excess calories eaten will be stored as fat, which having too much fat is not good for our long term health and will limit our productivity in all avenues of our lives. Temperance is to spend time exercising our God giving body each week and to drink at least 5 cups of water every day, which helps to excrete nitrogenous waste from our bodies.

Furthermore, two of of the essential keys steps necessary to build perpetually generational wealth, long lasting happiness, and true financial freedom are self control and temperance.

In conclusion, we become what we think of and practicing Self Control and Temperance will add valuable wealth and colorful vitality to our lifespan.

By Kofi Amo-Mensah, Medical Doctor.

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A life of Integrity.

Welcome good friends and family. I hope you and your family are staying safe and warm from the cold weather that we experienced on the East Coast of The United States over the previous two weeks. We had snow, ice, slippery roads. Mother Nature really at her best. I hope my family in Canada are also doing well with this cold weather. I also hope you are safe in your part of the world today.

Interestingly, when we view the structure of our society today, there are so many vital career positions and important people who serve our communities. For example, we have Teachers, Engineers, Bus Drivers, Plumbers, Mechanics, Doctors, Pharmacists, Lawyers, Pilots, Cab Drivers, Nurses, Scientists, Salespersons, Chefs, Athletes, Police Officers, Fire Fighters, Actors, Musicians, Accountants, Pastors, Business Men and Women, Philosophers, Judges, Stay at home parents, and the list goes on…

Moreover, it is a fact that true talents are essential in order to fill the void for these above mentioned positions. In addition to natural talents , integrity matters. We need more men, women, children today to have more Integrity, a lesson that must begin in the homes by loving parents. The Bible states in Proverbs 22:6: ” Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

A society only stands if it has a thriving population. A population increases only if there are healthy children. A nation tremendously prospers when its people and leaders are men and women with integrity. Names such as President Abraham Lincoln, Former Basketball Player Mr. David Robinson, Dr. Charles Drew, who was the father of our modern day blood bank for Transfusion, Mother Teresa, are examples of people who lived or are living proof of the benefits of integrity to our society as a whole. Each of of these individuals transformed our world and left it a better place for future generations.

According to an article by the American Chemical Society, Dr Charles Drew was a successful American Surgeon and Researcher that broke racial barriers in America to become the most important physician Scientist of the 20th Century. His pioneering research and systematic techniques in the preservation and storage of blood plasma saved thousands of soldiers during World World II and later his storage techniques were adapted by the American Red Cross. He received his Medical Degree from McGill University College of Medicine in 1933 in Canada, and graduated second in the class of 137. His Doctoral dissertation work Bank Blood: A Study in Blood Preservation made him the first African American to earn a Doctorate from Columbia University. In October 1941, Dr. Drew returned to Howard University and served as Head of Surgery and Chief of Surgery at Freedman’s Hospital for 9 years. Dr. Charles Drew dedicated his life to teaching academic excellence to Resident Surgical Physicians. Dr. Drew was a pioneer physician scientist who lived a life of integrity, combined with a laser- focused purpose that will inspire our current and future generations for ever.

President Abraham Lincoln. Courtesy of Google.com

President Lincoln, also known as Honest Abe, worked tirelessly to save the Union and the country during his lifetime. Life was not always easy for Abraham Lincoln. According to author Kay D. Rizzo book Over the Top, at age 7, he had to work to support his family after they lost their house. At age 9, this shy boy lost his mother. At age 22, he lost his job as grocery store clerk. he also desired to attend Law School but could not attend because he did not have the money. At age 23, both him and his friend borrowed a large sum of money to buy a grocery store. Unfortunately his friend died three years later and he had to payback the loan all by himself, an act that took him many years to accomplish. At 28 he was in love and asked a beautiful woman to marry him but she refused. At 37, he was elected to Congress on his third try, but only to lose the seat 2 years later in re-election. He became ill and suffered a nervous breakdown or job burnout. At 41, his- 4 year old son died. A year later he applied and was rejected for the position of land officer. Later he was defeated for the nomination of Vice President of the United States. At 49, he ran for the U.S. Senate again and lost. At 51, he was elected president of the United States. Throughout his life, President Abraham Lincoln stood out among his peers because he believed in his core values and principles,and was a man of integrity.

Mr. David Robinson, a very successful basketball player, 2 time NBA Champion 1999,2003 and businessman continues to live a life of duty, integrity and grace for our current generation. Mr David Robinson grew up from humble beginnings. He attended the Naval Academy and went on to play Professional Basketball Ball for the San Antonio Spurs. His life of purpose, dedication and focus has made him unique among his peers. As a basketball player, he behaved wisely on and off the court. He also played an active part in the lives of his community. According to Wikipedia, In 2001, Mr David Robinson created the Carver Academy in San Antonio, Texas to give more opportunities to Inner City Children. He is a man of his word. In 1991, he once visited Gates elementary school and he promised the visiting 5th grader class he will pay $2000 in scholarship to each student that will attend college. In 1998, He ended up paying $8000 to each student in that class that attended college. In 2011, he earned his Masters of Art Degree in Administration. Mr Robinson also collaborated with Daniel Bassichis to form the Admiral Capital Group, a private equity Firm, with a portfolio of $100 million, that invest in various opportunities for the company. Mr David Robinson is a man of integrity and has made the necessary adjustments in responding to the different challenges and struggles in each stage of his life.

Mother Teresa lived a life of service and helped the poor and the sick. Likewise, good parents everywhere are training the next generations of leaders.

In conclusion, people with integrity matters to the advancement of our lives and our societies.

From Kofi Amo-Mensah, Medical Doctor.

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A year of Limitless Possibilities

Happy New Year my friends and family! Thank God, we made it through 2021. I hope all is well with you on this beautiful day. The year 2022 is here and the good news for you and I is that we have another opportunity to spread our wings and push our limits to achieve our most improbable goals. Proverbs 13:19 states: “A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul.” It is my desire that you stay healthy throughout the year and for you to accomplish 100% of the tasks this year.

Moreover, I have found it helpful to start the year with a prayer to God for guidance and the faith for a heart of perseverance.

Praying for wisdom from God is one of my goals that I have set for myself because having true wisdom is important to process various information and make good decisions that can benefits everyone we may encounter.

The month of January is figuratively speaking the month to sow our seeds that we hope to reap at harvest time before or by December 2022.

In addition to what you have done that has worked for your current successes, I sincerely hope you consider spending 20 minutes every day to think on ways you can improve your current position in this life and find the means to improve your physical, social, emotional, financial, and spiritual state of being. Like Elon Musk once said ” Stop being patient and start asking yourself, how do I accomplish my 10 year plan in 6 months? You will probably fail but you will be lot further ahead of the person who simply accepted it was going to take 10 years.”

Ladies and Gentlemen, let us start our engines and make this year a wonderful and successful year to remember!!

From Kofi Amo-Mensah, Medical Doctor.

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A year of Thanksgiving

Hello my good friends. I hope all is well with you and with your family this November. Wow, in just one more month and the year 2021 will be part of history. As I walked outside today and felt the cool breeze and the magnificent changes in the leaves on the trees, I was amazed and suddenly realized an important concept: we all have to adapt as well to the changes in life. Now that we are in the Fall season In the United States, the trees, plants are already adapting to this change by shedding their leaves to prepare for the winter.

Personally, I asked myself how am I positively adapting to the changes and surprises in my life?

On a bigger note, November 25th will be Thanksgiving Day, a time where families across the United States of America gather together to give thanks to the Almighty God for His marvelous grace and innumerable benefits to humanity, and to enjoy each other’s company with food. This celebration originally was started by the early American Settlers in 1621 who showed their appreciation to the Native Americans who provided them with food, blankets and saved their lives. According to history, it was made an official Holiday by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 to be celebrated every November.

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

In conclusion, my hope is that we all find time to reflect on this year’s progression of events and thank God everyday for keeping us alive and for keeping our families safe. Happy Thanksgiving!!

By Dr. Kofi Amo-Mensah

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A life of prayer.

I hope all is well with you and your family on this special day. A daily life of prayer is simply one of the best practices to prepare each of us for the continuous unexpected surprises of our lives!! Just like you, as I continue to look at the fast events in our world, and the constant unpredictable events in each of our personal lives, it gives us more than a million reasons to pray to God for protection, guidance and wisdom. A ” sweet hour of prayer” can and will make a big difference in the paths and directions of our lives. A daily life of prayer to God is an essential weapon that will strength you on your life’s battles. Just as breathing air is vital to our body’s survival, so is prayer to sustaining our soul. Jesus is the greatest man to have ever walked on the face of this earth and He, who is our example, spent many hours in the mornings and evenings in prayer. I humbly ask you to consider spending more time in prayer and fasting as a way to gain the advantage needed to have a successful life on the this Earth.

For the middle of of last month, my family visited The Natural Bridge located in Virginia. The amazing part of the visit was that this bridge connects the past to the present and hopefully to the future. According to historians, the Monacan Indians who originally inhabited this area considered the place a sacred site and called this place the “Bridge of God.”

In conclusion, Jesus Christ is the Rock of Ages that holds our past, present and future lives simultaneously in His hands . By praying daily to Him, we grow wiser, and are given the most potent arsenal to be victorious people in this world and the next one to come. Remember to pray everyday and you will endure and over achieve your set goals . Until the next time, stay blessed, humble and enjoy each day to the fullest.

From Kofi Amo-Mensah, Medical Doctor.

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How can I change my current situation?

Welcome to another episode on Living the best possible life ever. I hope all is well with you and your family, and my sincere wish is that you continue to achieve more of your dreams this year . The above statement of how can I change my current situation is one of the questions that you have either asked yourself in the past, or you are either asking yourself presently or you will be asking yourself this month, this year or in the near future. The simple answer to the above question is that you need to consider doing these four things. First, pay tithe on all your paychecks and the second is to develop a better catalyst system. Tithe is the concept of paying one-tenth of your paycheck earnings and giving that money back to God. The money you pay as Tithe is used by your church, donation center to provide much needed community outreach services to those in need. The reward from Tithing results in overall blessings to you and your family with good health, enormous prosperity, overall protection from life events such as robbery and misfortunes . The second advice is to save 10-20% percent of your gross paycheck every 2 weeks when you are paid for investments and for funding your retirement. The third advice is to slowly build up 6 months to 1 year of your emergency funds. The fourth advice is to develop and stick to a monthly budget.

An example of a gentleman who benefited from Tithing was William Colgate. According to Wikipedia, William Colgate was born in January 25, 1783 in Hollingbourne, Kent, England and died March 25, 1858 at the age of 74 in New York City . His family shortly moved to Baltimore, Maryland after his father’s life was in danger after he became a sympathizer of the American War of Independence. His family later moved to New York City where he became an apprentice as a soap maker. During his training, he developed a more efficient way to make soap. Colgate was a tither through his long and successful life as a businessman. He initially tithed, one-tenth, two-tenths, three-tenths of all his income from the soap business and surprisingly became more wealthy. Towards the end of his life, he was tithing five-tenths of all his income. He later became one of the richest and most influential men and philanthropist in New York City. He was also founder of Colgate-Palmolive Soap Company.

Courtesy of Google.com

A catalyst decrease the amount of work needed, or time needed to accomplish any specified task without getting involved in the reaction. For example, if going from town A to town B requires 50 minutes travel time, the addition of a catalyst will decrease the time to reach the destination from 50 minutes to 25 minutes, saving you 25 additional minutes. Good personal finance books such as The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley and Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki , are two must read catalyst books that will decrease the amount of time you will need to reach financial freedom, only if you can follow the golden steps in these books.

Moreover, You have to envision where you see yourself in the next 10 years and legally start the necessary steps to make your vision become a reality. In our lives, you have doers and sayers. Make it your goal to be a doer. Take the necessary actions needed to enrich your life today. To live the best possible life ever will require you to trust God, think critically and continue your task of educating your mind, and physically training your body to stay fit.

In conclusion, most of us do not get the option to choose where we are born or to choose our parents. But the one thing you can choose today is to make the choice to create a better future for yourself and your family. You can create a better future for yourself by starting to use a better catalyst system in your life such as trusting God, paying your Tithe, reading good Personal Finance books , creating and contributing to your retirement account every 2 weeks or monthly, investing 10-20% of your gross paycheck to build a healthy nest egg that will allow you to retire when the time comes.

By Kofi Amo-Mensah, Medical Doctor.

Disclaimer: Remember this blog is for your educational purposes only. Seek Professional advice if you are going through any life changes. Also remember to seek professional financial advice if you are going through financial changes.

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Invest time in your family

Once again, we are in August 2021. Summer is winding down and the Fall season is just around the corner in the Unites States of America. In life, advise from others may come and go, also money comes and money goes, but your true family stays around you forever!! Your close family is perhaps one of your most valuable assets that will bring you true happiness. The family is the backbone of every strong society.

Going through memory lane, growing up with my four brothers and sisters gave me some of the greatest memories of my life. Most importantly we had God, our parents and each other. Growing up, we did not have a lot of friends because as brothers, we had each other. We played together, laughed together, fought sometimes and most importantly, we had true love for each other. The bond of brotherhood kept us very close, although we each had different personalities.

Interestingly, fast forward to 2021 and by the grace of God, I am now a father, a husband to my own wonderful family ! When I look at the personality traits in my children, I can see flashes of myself and my wife. More than ever, I enjoy the laughter, the sound of my children in our house because their presence makes our lives fuller. We have spent more time together as a family this past one and half years because of the Covid 19 Pandemic than we have ever done in the previous past. The family time together has afforded my wife and I the opportunities to understand our children a little better.

For our family Getaway this month, we visited the Virginia Safari Park , which is an 180 acres of land located at Natural Bridge, Virginia. You can see all the animals while driving your car through the Park! We saw Giraffes, Cheetahs, Water Buffaloes, Zebras, llamas, and deers. Other animals at different designated parts of the park included Tigers, Pythons, Rhinoceros, Birds, Turtles, and a Sloth. I highly recommend you and your family visit this Safari Park when you visit Virginia.

In conclusion, continue to invest and spend adequate time with your family to enrich your present and future memories. There is a saying that money comes and may go, opportunities comes and goes, but the good memories that you create and build with your own family will last you a lifetime!!

By Kofi Amo-Mensah, Medical Doctor.

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Enjoy your Freedom and Independence

Today is July 4th, and it is Independence Day in America!! Throughout the Unites States of America, families, friends, embraced the warm weather and gathered in the spirit of brotherhood to enjoy this day. Fireworks, grilled burgers, cooled water, smoothies, the sound of laughter of children and adults could be heard everywhere today. The United States is celebrating 244 years of freedom from England. America still is a beacon of hope for the oppressed, “One Nation under God, indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all.” History teaches us that America gained her Independence through trials, tribulations, bravery, resilience and a mighty helpful hand from the Almighty.

It will be a good exercise to take a minute to ask ourselves, how are we using the Freedom and Independence in our lives for a good and a greater cause? In the spirit of Independence, everyday should be a day of thankfulness to the Almighty for the opportunity to exist and built a better future for the Nation and future generations.

Likewise, I hope you use your freedom to create a life that will one day better your family, your society and your world.

By Kofi Amo-Mensah, Medical Doctor.

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Spent Time Enjoying Nature !!

Spending time in Nature is one of the best activities you should participate in as a way to recharge your batteries. What can I say ! Recently my family and I traveled to Roaring Run, a hiking trip to get away from the city. The road trip was quite refreshing because it was a quick getaway from the house and from the cares of the world. The trip to Roaring Run was a transitional place of peace, tranquil and refreshment for the mind. The sound of the rushing falls created a melody that was a delight to the ears and a peaceful orchestrated symphony to the mind. The place rejuvenated my mind and redirected my focus to understand that being in Nature can be a peaceful and an enjoying event to the soul at the same time. I was reminded once again that the best things in life do not cost too much!

It is to your personal advantage to break the monotonous cycle of the week by taking time to rest your body, mind and soul. As humans, we were not designed to work continuously without resting. Unfortunately, too much stress has been associated with long working hours, which if not corrected may have negative long term effects on our health.

In order to increase your focus and maximize your inner creativity and raise your productivity to the next level, spend some time in nature so you can obtain true inspiration from the wind, the trees, the birds and the therapeutic water. In such an environment, you get total connection to your Creator, who is the source of strength for your everyday life !!

In conclusion, it is essential for you to imagine and create the life that you want to live. Spending time in Nature will give you the courage to focus, design and create the ultimate carefree life and enhance your path to achieving greatness in every aspect of your life.

By Kofi Amo-Mensah, Medical Doctor.

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Getting and Staying Ahead in life.

Life is very interesting and has a funny way of working out for most of the time. When you look through the lens of your past, you will find that life is a race and the better you learn how to run it efficiently, the better you will be well off. The life before us is very complicated and very intricate with it sets of rules and regulations with social normalization and contracts that are expected of every individual. For example, when you are born, and matriculates in Kindergarten, your teacher presents you with sets of rules and regulations that must be followed. Of course, I cannot forget to mention the rules that we all had to live by at our parent’s house. Rules are important for the peaceful well being of every society and must be obeyed at all times. Did you also know that there are rules for getting and staying ahead in life? Understanding these personal rules are crucial to your physical, social, economic, financial and spiritual well being. I am in the process of learning some of these rules and will simply like to share what I have realized through the past few years.

1 . Set daily and yearly small personal goals and work happily to achieve them.

2. Reprogram your mind to understand that you can accomplish any goal if you constantly work at it every day.

3. Complete a monthly budget to track every single dollar, cedi, yuan,franc,that you spend and save.

4.Have extreme confidence in yourself. For I have experience that all overachievers personally believe in their heavenly given talents.

5. Plan for your retirement today. Where there is vision, there is a future!!

6. Stay healthy. Listen to your body. If you notice something is wrong with you, and whatever you are experiencing is not improving, have it evaluated by your doctor because that may a sign of an underlying medical condition that may need to be accurately diagnosed and treated.

7. Exercise for 30 minutes for 3 times per week. One of the best kept secrets to enjoy life is to live longer!! Studies have demonstrated that regular exercise regiment have been showed to decrease Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes Mellitus, Stroke, Depression and increase your longevity!!

8. Have fun. Yes life can be stressful, but see every opportunity and life circumstances as learning tools that will make you a better person. Laugh and enjoy every day that you are alive!

9. Be willing to accept constructive criticism from mentors you trust to improve on your personal growth.

10. Enjoy spending time with your children. The younger and upcoming years are the most time fulfilling memories that you will create with your family.

By Dr. Kofi Amo-Mensah, Medical Doctor.

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A life of Reading.

Living the best possible life ever is possible for everyone. It pays to read good books. There are so much misinformation out there these days in our world that everyone must read for himself/herself to acquire the truth, and knowledge which are the first steps, necessary to make good sound decisions on every aspect of our lives. Researchers found out that readers were less likely to develop dementia, and more importantly were able to stay focus and maintain a high level of cognitive function from reading books. A research study published in JAMA Psychiatry in July 2018 stated that intellectual activities such as reading books delayed or decreased the rate of dementia among the participants. Furthermore, reading books help you to acquire the knowledge to make better decisions in life. I seriously encourage you to pick up a good book this month from your library or buy one from your local book store, or online and start reading today.

Here are some books that I will highly recommend:

The Bible- for guidance on your life and eternal salvation. This Book is the most important and the best book you will ever read!!
Raising Responsible Kids by Jay Kesler, Ten Things you can do now to prepare your child for a lifetime of Independence.
Highly Effective Marriage by Nancy Van Pelt- A book on secrets on how to keep your marriage full of life and spice and how to sustain a greater intimacy with your spouse.
Days of Grace– A Memoir of Arthur Ashe, A Great American Hero.
Return with Honor- Captain Scott O’Grady- A remarkable story about courage, resilience and faith in God.
Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money- An important foundation needed by beginners to start and achieve financial independence.
Gifted Hands– by Benjamin Carson, MD- A Pediatric Neurosurgeon’s humble beginnings and rise to success.
The Richest Man in Babylon by George S Clason- Advice on the acquisition of wealth.
The Wall Street Guide to Understanding Personal Finance by Alan H Siegel and Kenneth M. Morris.
The Boy who Harnessed The Wind by William Kamkwamba. A true story of courage, hope and determination of a teenager who built a windmill to create electricity for his town in Malawi, Africa.
Chasing Space: An Astronaut story of Grit, Grace and Second Chances by Leland Melvin- A remarkable man’s journey from childhood to playing American Football and amazingly becoming an American Astronaut- A must read for your teenager!

In conclusion, I encourage you to read and create your own top eleven books that you will recommend for me to read and enjoy. Remember, the more you read, the more you know and the more you know, the better decision you can make for yourself and your family in creating your best possible life ever!

by Kofi Amo-Mensah, Medical Doctor.

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A Life of Service.

Hello good friends. It is good to stay in touch with you once again. Can you and I truly find sustained happiness in this world? Simply put, what are the keys to a true continuous happiness? There are many keys to unlocking true happiness in this life. Some happiness are short lived and materialistic, like the excitement we experience when we purchase a new car, a new bicycle, a new dress or a new pair of shoes or sneakers. Although the materialistic objects gives us an instant happiness for a while, soon the happiness fades away and can be compared to how we feel like at the end of every good laughter- we come back to square one. On the other hand, one of the ways to live and enjoy a sustained life filled with happiness is for us to be of service to others. Donating our time to a good cause will give us true happiness.

Throughout our lives, there are many activities that can give us burst of instant happiness. For example, the day I was reunited with my parents in the United States brought me happiness, getting accepted into medical school brought me instant happiness for a while, the day I married my beautiful wife brought me an extreme happiness and I am still crazy in love with my wife to this day, witnessing the birth of my first child into this world brought me an intense powerful flow of happiness, and meeting all my family members on Thanksgiving Day makes me very extremely happy. When I try to recall through memory lane, some of the happiest days of my life are filled of memories of immediate events that suddenly takes my breath away, and although they are quite good memories, afterwards my mind returned to the constant mundane state of our every day life, which as you know, is very unpredictable.

So how does one obtain sustained happiness? Sustained happiness can be achieved in two ways. One is to spend some quiet time every day with God through reading the Bible. It is through reading the Bible that we can understand the will for our lives and our purpose. The second part is to donate our time for a good cause. As a young boy growing up, I discovered one day that God was and is the only personal friend who always came through for me when I was in my loneliest and most difficult times of my life. The more I understood about Him and His will for my life, the more I was filled with the sustained amount of happiness that was not based on the events or the circumstances of life.

Interestingly, I once volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club in my city, and although the work was somewhat demanding because of my work schedule as a physician, I was filled with happiness in seeing the joy and excitement of the children during the time I spent with them. Moreover, it felt good to know that the time I spent with them was creating a beautiful memory and planting the seeds and dreams of the next generations of leaders. In the spirit of volunteering, donating goods to those in need are also activities that have brought extreme happiness to my family and I. When I was in college in Buffalo, New York, one picture that hung in the restroom of my church read “What we are is God’s gift to us and what we become is our gift to God.” It is up to you and I to bring positive changes to the lives of the people that we encounter everyday.

In conclusion, I encourage you to spent some time with your maker daily in prayers and in the Bible for true direction and purpose for your life. Also volunteer your time to a good charity organization around you and I guarantee you will be filled with sustained happiness.

From Kofi Amo-Mensah, Medical Doctor.

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Cheers to the next 100 years!!!

Did we really experience the year 2020 or did we wake up from a scary dream? Thank God that we are still alive. On a good note, the year 2021 is indeed a New Year with endless possibilities. Certainly, I hope that you find true love, peace, courage to stand firm to tackle and overcome the obstacles in your life. I hope that you continue to show earnest kindness to others and receive true love in return. For this New Year, I wish for you to obtain a greater inner peace within yourself, which will serve as a special tool for you to stay calm ,even when life’s uncertainties attempt to knock you down. Cheers to all our humanly brothers and sisters throughout the world. Cheers, because through divine grace, we are still alive in the land of the living!! Now that we are indeed alive, it is very essential to ask ourselves the next question.

Where will we all be in the next 100 years? I sincerely hope you take a minute to ponder and have an honest answer to this question because your answer will positively impact your future forever. For instance, a child that is born on January 31, 2021 may answer this existential question and say “here on Earth.” However, for most of us reading this article, the answer is not so straight forward. The next 100 years may be different from the previous past 100 years or may be the same in some aspects. But in actuality, only God really knows. My hope for the next 100 years is to live a productive life as long as possible, build a creative program that will enrich the lives of my communities, and finally to be in Heaven one day with God along with my family, friends, colleagues and strangers that I have come into contact with while on this Earth. Our time given to us on this Earth is one of our most important commodities that we possess, and how we choose to spend that time will define our destiny. For this year I hope that you use your time wisely to create the beautiful life that you want to live.

Speaking about the concept of time, one day at work, I asked my 101 year old patient the key to living a longer life. Her answer was to enjoy working. She grew up working on a farm. I was amazed and astonished at her response because throughout our whole life, half of us worry about the long hours and constant demand of our work schedules, which can cause a lot of strain on our mind and body. Her answer opened my eyes to the fact that the right balance of work and play is essential to our longevity on this Earth. For the right balance of work and play creates a greater character for that individual and in the process toughens our body, mind and enables us to develop the art of perseverance- which is a successful trait demonstrated among the heroes of previous and current generations such as Thomas Edison, former Presidents Abraham Lincoln, and

President Jimmy Carter, who also was a farmer, and is still going strong after all these years at the age of 96.

In conclusion, the next 100 years will be the most exciting times of our lives. I sincerely hope that you develop a stronger relationship with your God this year so that you can be ready for all the possibilities that will come your way. Cheers!!!

From Kofi Amo-Mensah, Medical Doctor.

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All in a day’s work: Managing Covid-19 patients and baking cookies

There are certain activities in our lives that leaves us with good memories. Eating a good food is certainly one of them. What is the best food that you ever ate? My mother makes the best pancakes in the whole world!! Her pancakes are so good that you do not have to add any syrup! My wife makes the best Bofrot in the whole world!!! Bofrot is the Ghanaian version of Munchkins Donut Hole Treats from Dunkin’ Donuts.

For most of us, life is not scripted because it can be filled with surprises. For me, that surprise occurred one day when my daughter transformed one routine day into a special day. As a physician, I was post call and had arrived home from the hospital. I was physically drained after taken care of my patients, a few of them with Covid-19. My daughter’s school was cancelled due to a wintry mix of snow and sleet and my children were off for that day. After arriving from work, I performed my newly crafted routine of removing my shoes in the back of my car, washing my hands thoroughly, rushing to the bathroom to take a shower to get rid of any possible germs or viruses, then lastly, coming downstairs to meet my family. Like all healthcare workers, I have been doing my best to prevent bringing any disease from work to my family.

For this particular day, my daughter insisted on me baking her a cookie!!! I was blind sided by this request because I had never baked a cookie before in my entire life. I promised her we would bake her a cookie after I had eaten breakfast.

We got the cookies mix, preheated the oven and kneaded the dough and to my surprise, with my wife’s help, I baked my first cookie for my daughter!! The process of dough kneading was actually therapeutic to my mind and was a great stress reliever. While the chocolate chip cookies were baking in the oven, my daughter was patiently sitting three feet from the oven, and took a deep breath and smelled the aroma and inhaled the fresh scent of the cookies. I stood adjacent to her and saw one of the happiest smiles on her face. My wife decided to bake us banana bread also that day. Although it was cold outside, the inside of our house was warm with the enticing smell mixed of baking chocolate chip cookies and banana bread.

Will you believe it that after my wife’s banana bread was finished baking, the aroma transported my mind to a time period about 35 years ago when I was a child at the age of 5 or 6 years old, when my mother and her friend were baking us banana bread!!! When the cookies and banana bread were baked, my daughter, son, wife and I had the cookies and banana bread for dessert that day. They were sweet and delicious!!

In good faith, this story is shared to simply illustrate the importance of creating beautiful memories with our children, especially in such times as these. Likewise, these golden periods between the age of one to eighteen years, are the best times for us as parents to teach our children the importance of virtue, honesty, hard work, efficiency, developing great self esteem, sharing, loving others, becoming law abiding citizens, showing respect for our elderly population and providing age appropriate discipline to our children. The scripture states in Proverbs 22:6 : “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” It is an honest fact that one day these children also will grow up and start families of their own. In conclusion, let us always remember that the mutual time spent with our children will always create positive memories that will last them a lifetime!!!

By Kofi Amo-Mensah, Medical Doctor.