There’S Got to Be a Better Way . . . of Living

By Lynn M. McHale

Have you ever felt frustrated with the situation in which you find yourself? Take a step back, breathe, and with an open mind, read one womans story of self-discovery, her battle with multiple sclerosis, and journey to find her better way of living. You are bound to read something that resonates with you. Theres Got to Be a Better Way . . . of Living is filled with life lessons, tips on green living, and even some recipes. Give it a try. Youll be the better for it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 29, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499076912

Lynn M. McHale

Lynn M. McHale is a practicing attorney and entrepreneur. She lives in Watertown, Connecticut, with her pug, Rollie, where she continues to find her better way of living. If you have comments about her book that you would like to share, you can write to her at [e-mail].

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There’s Got to be a Better Way … of Living

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Lynn M. McHale

Copyright © 2014 by Lynn M. McHale.

Library of Congress Control Number:          2014917148

ISBN:          Hardcover          978-1-4990-7692-9

                    Softcover            978-1-4990-7694-3

                    eBook                 978-1-4990-7691-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Author photo on back cover appears courtesy of McHale Photography & Design, www.mchalephotodesign.com

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible Catholic Edition © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Rev. date: 10/27/2014

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Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

Chapter 1   Introduction

Chapter 2   A Better Way

Chapter 3   Ask Questions

Chapter 4  

Believe

Chapter 5  

Exercise

Chapter 6   Try to Hang On for the Ride

Chapter 7   Take a Deeper Look

Chapter 8   Eat Better

Chapter 9   Reduce the Stress

Chapter 10 Wake Up!

Chapter 11 Arm Yourself with Facts

Chapter 12 Yield to Your Gut

Chapter 13 Offer Support Now

Chapter 14 Follow Your Passion

Chapter 15 Learn to Do More with Less

Chapter 16

Invest

Chapter 17 Value What You Have

Chapter 18 Inspire Others

Chapter 19 Never Give Up

Chapter 20 Give Yourself a Break

Epilogue

Appendix

Acknowledgments

T o my extended family, friends, colleagues, mentors, teachers, coaches, and pets too, each of you has had a part in helping me on this journey called life. I thank you.

To my friend Carrie, thanks for walking into A Better Way of Living, for your understanding and friendship, and for helping me to bring this book to fruition. Remember, dream big and believe!

To my nephews, Rob, Chris, Mikey, and Ryan, and my nieces, Amanda, Katie, and Megan, each of you is in a different stage of your life, but when the time is right for you, consider the torch passed. I hope that after reading this book, you understand what consider the torch passed means and rise to the challenge.

To my brother-in-law, Michael, and sisters-in-law, Jane and Enza, thank you for your support through the years. I’m thankful that you are part of the family!

To my sister, Alane, and my brothers, Mark and Michael, thanks for being the epitome of a big sister and big brothers. You have always looked out for me and have always been there to help me when I needed it most, whether I wanted that help at the time or not!

To my mom and dad, thanks for your love and support through all the good and the bad. I hope that this book helps you to worry a little less about me and trust a little more that I am on my right path as difficult as it may seem at times.

And finally, thank you, God, for always making sure that I have what I need, when I need it and for teaching me that it’s not about what I want, when I want it. It’s about what you want, when you want it.

Lynn

Preface

I t’s January 28, 2006, at 4:32 a.m., the morning after my latest round of IV Solu-Medrol, and I am wide-awake in bed with my two-year-old pug, Rollie, snoring away next to me. I guess this is as good of a time to start as any. Start what? you ask.

Doing something about it.

Chapter 1

Introduction

W here do I start? I guess by telling you a little about myself. I believe that when you deal with people in any forum, it helps to understand what makes them tick. I’ve been to quite a few seminars and learned that if you really want to get the most out of the experience, you need to know the speaker’s background, affiliations, and I guess, cynically speaking, the sponsor of the seminar. A healthy dose of skepticism can prove to be a good thing.

In a nutshell, I’m a single, professional forty-something-year-old Catholic American woman of Irish and Italian descent, battling a chronic illness.

That means:

Single—in the world that we live in, marital status seems to be one of the first questions asked. Everyone else seems to think that it is important, so I thought you might too. Come to think of it, I guess that knowing someone’s marital status does give insight into that person’s perspective.

Professional—I have a BS degree in civil engineering, a juris doctor, and I am licensed to practice law in two states. After nearly thirteen years of working for a municipality in a part-legal, part-engineering capacity, I took a leap of faith and ventured out on my own into the small business world—both of the law and retail variety. After a few years, I found myself back working as an attorney for that same municipality. I’ve worked with municipal, state, and federal leaders, lawyers, engineers, accountants, union and nonunion employees, and the general public. I’ve seen the public and private sector firsthand.

Forty-something—I grew up in the seventies and eighties. I have been around long enough to have amassed enough life experiences to become a bit jaded, but I am still young enough to believe (some may say naively) that I can still change the world, if only a small piece of it.

Catholic—I am a practicing Catholic, but by no means an expert in theology. I do struggle with some of the church’s teachings, but I believe much more than I question and try to do more than just show up to church on Sundays and holidays. As many, I strive to do better but all too often fall short.

American—the meaning of this has certainly changed over the years. Suffice it to say that I am proud to live in the United States of America, but I fear that this nation is falling short of what it started out to be. I hope this country can get back on track, and I hope that the pages that follow help in some small way.

Woman—need I say more?

Irish and Italian descent—I was raised in a middle-class family of Irish and Italian descent. Actually, a few years ago, my dad disclosed that there is a speck of Welch on his side of the family. I would not be surprised if specks of a few more nationalities surfaced with a bit more digging. For the purposes of this book, I’ll keep it simple and stick with the fifty-fifty thing. I’m sure that my heritage has many social, political, and religious connotations. In summary, I’d say that I inherited traits ranging from hardworking to hardheaded. Which traits come from which side? You’ll have to take that up with my parents. Good luck with that.

Battling a chronic illness—though I was an amateur athlete most of my life and in general good health, I have been battling multiple sclerosis for more than seventeen years. I was a volunteer for, and member of, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for about ten years. Living with MS has given me an appreciation for the struggles of the disabled and has more than a little to do with me writing this book.

I believe that people generally fall into one of the following three categories:

1. Those that already know more than I can ever hope to learn about the subjects covered in this book and are already making this world a better place

2. Those that, when they know better, more often than not, will do better

3. Those that even when they do know better, more often than not, by choice will not do better

For those of you that fall into the first category, I applaud you, I am jealous of you, and I hope that your numbers continue to grow. I’m sorry if you find this book too simplistic or remedial.

For those of you that fall into the second category, I think that you are the largest group of which I consider myself a member. I hope that reading this book helps you in some small way to find your better way of living.

For those of you that fall into the third category, I’m guessing that reading this book is not on your to-do list. I’m also guessing that there is nothing that can be said by anyone (least of all, me) that will ever change your mind or actions. I hope that your numbers are small and continue to decline.

Now that you know more about me than you probably cared to, I hope that you have an appreciation for my perspective on life. Keep that in mind as you read the following pages.

One last thing, what is to follow is my story—my version of the world. What works for me may not work for you. I share my story with you in hopes that it encourages you to think, ask questions, and find your better way of living.

Disclaimer: The statements made in this book are my personal opinion. Let me be clear that I am not a doctor and what follows is not intended to be medical advice. The statements made in this book have not been evaluated by the FDA. Nothing contained herein is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Chapter 2

A Better Way

T here’s got to be a better way. What does that mean?

I grew up down the street with my grandparents in