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.

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.