Fare-Thee-Well

The groundwork for all happiness is good health.
- Leigh Hunt

How your body influences your emotions

www.sparkspeople.com

There is an undeniable link between feeling healthy and feeling happy. When was the last time you had the flu, a migraine, or heartburn and felt joyful at the same time? While many of us would agree that there is a relationship between our internal workings and our feelings of happiness, many of us don't take active steps toward living a healthy, positive life. How can we meet our goals when our body isn't feeling up to par? Tiredness, aches and pains, and feeling under the weather can all be big hindrances to our goals. It is very important that we nourish our bodies with adequate amounts of the right foods, condition ourselves to maintain and build strong bones and muscles, rest properly at night, and generally adhere to a healthy regimen if we expect to feel positive emotions.

Your Best may (not) be Good Enough...

There are only two options regarding commitment. You're either IN or you're OUT. There's no such thing as life in-between.~Pat Riley, basketball coach

-
Are You Giving Your Goals Your Best Effort?

Your dreams deserve better than a half-hearted effort. Meet your goals with a weak handshake and they'll soon be waving you goodbye. Since you probably don't want to look back on a life full of "almost made it" memories, it's time for total commitment. Leave it all on the field, don't hold anything back. Is there anything more satisfying than pouring out your entire being, straddling the cliff, reaching your total limit, then looking up and realizing that oh-my-gosh-I-can't-believe-I-really-did-it? And is there anything more tragic than failing and realizing you could have done more? If you feel "tuned out" of your current life, that's okay. Make your first goal to build a life that you can get "in"-to. Then don't look back. Make every day count and live purposefully, live energetically, live completely.

Go out & shake a tail feather (and all the jiggly parts)!:Ya, Ya Miz Nicey!

I do not have to be the chubby girl who stands in the back. I CAN be the nice thick grownup woman in the front shaking a tail feather" Nicey Nash, actor & comedianI do not have to be the chubby girl who stands in the back. I CAN be the nice thick grownup woman in the front shaking a tail feather" Nicey Nash, actor & comedian


Unlike Nicey Nash I was not a chubby girl. In fact I was weigh too skinny all the way up into a few years after marriage, but I am cheered & encourage of her embracing her "Jiggkly parts" & working her "thick girl" fattitude.

In no way was she ever say that be unhealthy, simply as she puts it to be healthy & accepting of where she's at.

May many of us embrace and not stand in the back..
Go out & shake a tail feather (and all the jiggly parts)!

How timely is this?

As I dragged myself out of bed this morning, ,slept well but still feeling a lil funky, my 1st thought was I did "not want to feel another let down day". Why I've been feeling funky is in part the post move let down that typically comes when you moved to a new area, new venture new time.

We hear a lot about (well at least in the movies, motivational speeches in all the wonderful articles about "You can do it! It's your time! All you have to do is take the 1st step!" kind of pep talks but I always wonder why little is spoken of what happens directly after you make the leap. Perhaps that is why when people start their health & wellness program, or sometimes smack dab in the middle of it, or after awhile of success you have a moment of KA-Plunk! when all the pep in your step poops out or despite it all you throw caution to the wind & step off your goals they berate themselves for failing when in actuality you didn't.

But more of you are being human.

Back to my 1st hour of awakening... After getting the newspaper, turning on GMA I checked my email and here was an encouraging email from a supporter who has been exceptional in her own right. Her remarks lifted me and actually inspired this post.The there was reading from Sparks People's Healthy Reflection (see below).

My thought, how timely was this for me...

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
- Martin Luther King Jr.

How Do You React to Setbacks?
When problems come up, how do you react? Do you look for blame, or do shoulder what you can and try to repair it? Do you throw up your hands and look for an easier way, or do you learn, adapt and keep pushing? There's a lot of talk nowadays about 'personal responsibility'. That's great. But it's usually brought up only in finding fault. It's true that to show 'responsibility' is to own up to your role in the problem's cause. We don't often hear about the other side of responsibility--an obligation to be part of the solution. Even when a hardship is not your fault at all, you can--and should--do what you can to fix it. Your skills and abilities create an obligation that only your character can fulfill.

Thanks girlfriend...

Absolutely,never, ever say always some times

Do's and Don'ts of Goal Setting;Key Pieces to the Puzzle~ By Mike Kramer, Staff Writer

Goal achievement, especially when it comes to health and fitness, can be a mystery. Most of us have no trouble with Step 1 (Setting the Goal). Setting a goal is the easy part, it's those other steps that can be a puzzle. But you CAN turn achieving your goals into a science with the right strategies. Here are a few of our favorites:

DO create a plan.

DON’T wait for "someday" to roll around.Setting the goal is just the first step. Know where you’re going, what resources you’ll need, who can help and – most importantly – what Plan B is when life throws a monkey wrench into Plan A.

DO start small.

DON’T focus on too many things at once.Try focusing on one goal at a time. Use a small goal that you know you can do each day for the next two weeks, like getting up without the snooze or drinking eight cups of water. Build that first habit to boost your confidence and pick up speed.

DO write it down.

DON’T forget to give yourself a deadline.Deadlines turn wishes into goals. The act of writing down your goal is powerful enough to keep you committed and focused. Better yet, find a visual that represents your goal or how your life will be different. Seeing it makes it seem more possible.

DO be specific.

DON’T deal in absolutes.Avoid the words ‘some’ and ‘more’, as in "I will get SOME exercise" or "I will eat MORE veggies." It leaves too much wiggle-out room. Deal in measurable things that you have control over. And never say ‘never’ or ‘always.’ All or nothing is a common attitude that leads people back to bad habits.

DO leave room for failure.

DON’T expect perfection.Persistence is key. Accept the fact that you might not make it on the first try. In a recent study, only 40% of people who successfully followed New Year's resolutions did it on the first try; 17% of resolution achievers took six or more tries before they got it right – but they did get it right.

DO track your progress.

DON’T fool yourself into failure.Memory can be pretty selective. It conveniently forgets that extra brownie while remembering activity that never happened. The only way to know for sure is to track goals regularly with a checklist or journal.DO reward your success.

DON’T beat yourself up over failure.This is the step that trips up most people. Negative thoughts are usually in our heads, telling us every day what we’re doing wrong. This is not the approach to take to succeed with your goals. Why not focus on what you’re doing right instead? If you take a step back, learn from it and take two steps forward.DO find a support system.

DON’T try to do it alone.A goal buddy can make all the difference this time. People that can help are all around you – on the SparkPeople support message boards, at work, even in your own family. Just add one person to your support group, and you double your motivation, double your energy, double your commitment – and double your FUN.

DO make a commitment. DON’T ever forget that you can do it.

What I say?

"Your behavior will be consistent with your beliefs. If you believe you are a "fat person" instead of just having "excess weight", you will act and behave like a "fat person". Your life is defined by your beliefs, said another way, life has no meaning except the meaning YOU assign to it. Thus..Who are you? Why do you exist? Are you all that you are capable of being? Control your own destiny or someone else will~George Frasier CEO Success Net

I love this quote by Mr.Frasier a decent honorable man, a formidable force in the importance of net working.

If you let, as said by H.David Thoreau: "Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared to our own private opinion. What a person thinks of him/her self, this is what determines or rather dictates their fate".

or as someone I knew years ago who had an issue with others weight "Any one can put a jacket on you, but YOU do not have to WEAR it" makes sense to me.

So often we are focused on way down the road when we reach what we see as the "ideal" weight, we forget on the weigh of several transformation we may have. How well I feel I treat myself has in my opinion, a great deal to do with how successful I will be in the weight release and the substaining of it once I am there!

So I prep now, developing & managing myself far more respectfully and not without zip dee doo dah, delicious, juicy rockin' cool NOW.

As I begin my 59th year today, deliriously excited of what my year will bring and executing my "60 things to do before I turn 60" strategy today, I want to be woke, alert and ready to rock & roll.

I was sent this today:"After enlightenment, the laundry"~Zen Proverb.

So I know there will be work and also days when I will wonder what on earth did I start? But I will look back and remember and keep on stepping!

It's Your Attitude, along with Aptitude,that can make you reach the Altitude of your Goals

Over the last few days I have engaged in a email conversation with a friendly acquaintance as she has gone about starting a new stage in her life by opening up a store servicing plus size women.

I found the last few days somewhat intriguing as reading some of her responses to my comments on presentation, body language & styles she feels would be appropriate for the lagniappe woman ("lagniappe" is a Creole word loosely translated a little bit extra).

I was a little taken aback in some of her attitude of how "most" plus women would hide their bodies, would not wear pretty clothing would want to stick with "timeless clothes" when I question what she saw as timeless mounted to no more then dowdy, boring,cover up the shame i.e fat.

My suggestion to her about having a new "fattitude" a term another woman coined since she felt obese sounded so ominous. I love it "Fattitude"!

My suggestion to my friend was to look up websites that catered to amply endowed women and see that yes women wanted to look good whether they were in the process, thinking about it or wishing to release the weight. Look at their posture their stance. Beating & shaming does not work otherwise we would not have 50% of the population overweight and 30% of that number at the obesity range.

I was yet amazed even more so when her remarks about telling a woman she shouldn't wear XYZ or ABC because how SHE feels, not the woman, should hide away looking dated, dumpy & distressed until the magical day comes when all the weight simply rolls off her body & then now she is good enough to look good.

Please understand this is not criticsm of my acquaintance, she is not very different then many other women. We know what we know even when it maybe distorted.

I simply find those kinds of attitudes self-defeating, has never worked and needs to be re-thought.

Lets face it, by today's standards, Marilyn Monroe would not have the audacity of thinking about putting on a bathing suit let along become this sexy sexy woman who decades after her death men still drool over and women envied her. Marilyn would have been considered far "too big".

We all know plus women comes indifferent sizes and shapes and there is no one size fits all approach.

People who have a higher regard for themselves, not beating up on oneself have a better chance of successfully releasing and keeping off the weight then one who beats up, do or die to "lose" weight. Even the word "lose" weight is a contradiction to me. When you lose something that perhaps means more to you then perhaps it should, who would move hell & high water to "find" it again?

Several years ago I released about 50 pounds and regained them 5 years later. It was a stressful period 2006-09. Funny thing is when the pounds came back, I did not feel ashamed or guilty. I was so busy caught up in what was causing the stress I did not realize the gradual increase in my weight.

I can almost tell you the moment when it hit me like a thunderbolt how weighed down I was. Yet I did not have the energy or wherewithal at that moment in early 2007 to do much at all about it. It took several more months before I made any steps, slow methodical steps to re wrap my brain not yet even my body behind really getting down to the core.

I still believe that shame does not bring change & feeling ashamed was counter productive.

I had to really peel away layers, releasing people, places & things look inwardly, intently & intensely at my whole self. So I went about doing just that BEFORE I even attempted anything else.

I now tend to avoid reading /engaging anything or anyone who has a do or die, either/other approach to hour health weight or well being as it stresses me so I know stress is a huge component for me (no pun intended). I could have never told you I would have seen myself at this size, but ashamed of myself I am not. Without a doubt I should have cared better for myself before, but that is then, this is now.

I know it is probably harder on people who have known me most of my healthier, productive and active life to see me like this who genuinely care about me. Who knows what they are really thinking, the ones who care for me still care for me the others who might be embarrassed or ashamed or repulsed?

Well it stopped mattering to me awhile back.

Whatever length of time it takes is the length of time it takes. In the meantime I will live, go to great lengths to nourish myself mind, body & spirit, cheer other folks on if they want that or be still if I need that too.

I am not doing this to seek anyone's approval or for them to grant me permission to do this.
I want happiness,autonomy & pro activeness to be on my order for each day allowing for moments even when I do not want to or feel like it. And in the process as I've learned here on Sparks and other places, I will be just find during the process of seeing how far I will fly!

Coming to a Fork in the Road~Can I Get a Witness?

A conversation on the difficulty in being our own cheerleader led me write this.

I was amazed how with such candor how many people struggle with giving praise to oneself & easy to another by citing different words (kinder words) to others and harsher ones to themselves... Somehow we've becomed so conditioned to believe if we give ourselves a compliment or praise that we are swelled head, boastful, prideful et al.

Where did we learn that? Should we take pride which in itself not a bad thing when we've done well? Or if we "failed" is it really failure? A favorite adage is "If I did all I could & did not succeed, at least I did not fail". Some do what they've seen or taught. And we are always being taught.

Make no mistake family, friends,associates,community, media you name it have a vested interest in making sure that conditioning continues. So do we... And it does not mean that intent is malovent perhaps when it is family or friends, buv how often have we heard the stories of ones who released weight made their goals and then people's attitude toward us change. And make no mistake, if you think well of yourself it can so rattle some, that they will be bound & invent at times to reduce you to how they see themselves instead of pulling out their own pom-poms.

Don't you let them do it.

And discounting our OWN emotional response to that attitude when all the things we thought should have happened once the weight was released is still there? Weight can be a reaction to a host of other things good bad or indifferent.

A a wise person said to me once when the weight peels off like thin membranes of an onion, what ever it insulated us from will still be there. Peeling away will like the onion bring tears, but it could be cleansing tears of release if we want.

I am a flawed person not always up but then I would need to be on medication :=) if I was way up there all the time. But I store away enough good cheer for myself to lift me up when I don't want to get up. Some already know this about me, I like to use is instead of the word weight "loss" is weight "release". It may seem awkward at 1st, but if you think about it when you lose something that means something to you, how much effort you put into "finding" it? And the weight DID indeed mean something,even if it does not now or matter as much!

So this is for posting your "atta girl" or "atta boy" for shifting the paradigm. If it is uncomfortable or you find yourself feeling you've "failed" how can you change that wording?

Example: I only lost 1 of the 2 pound goal I set, I've failed.

Rephrased: I lost a pound! Whoo Hoo!

Example: Although I said I would walk everyday, I only got in 2 days. I failed"

Rephrased: Maybe my original goal was not attained, but I DID get 2 days in" Whoo Hoo!

Or even looking at your body differently... How about thanking your body for carrying you all these years with whatever weighed you down? How about saying you're welcome when when your body respond with more pep when you nourished it? How about thank your body for breathing for functioning?

See how kind you are in your words to others, substitute YOUR NAME in its place, even if you do not believe it yet! It may sound silly in the beginning & some days may be more of a stretch then others, but you will indeed create new neurons & synapses in your brain, rewiring your thinking.

I did not want believe it at 1st but somewhere unbeknown to me my attitude shifted, 1st in somewhat small, subtle ways then in bigger ones. It takes on an average 30 days to undo and redo.

What will you have to lose?

Oh yeah weight!

A Chinese proverb states "Barn burn down. Now I can see the sky".

Shared,Received & Inspired~enJOY this Day today...

Gorden Bay Dock, South Africa©09~Ria Grobler, artist

A ship in a harbor is safe - but that is not what ships are for."~ John A. Shedd

A delight I had received this day was from a person previously unknown to me who wrote to me. Not only were his words inspiring & touching to me, but it reminded me that on any day, just like toDAY someone CAN (it could be you, raise & lift another person up from the simplest gesture. One thing he said that I can share as he is finding his weigh to grow was

"being grateful and recognizing who and what I am grateful for
-
forgiving everyone and everything
- DOing that which brings me JOY - which
happens to be writing, drawing and music
- choosing to BE the happiness, not
striving to get there someday

I now make better choices when I eat. Better decisions when I interact
with others. And the weight is coming off so easily. The cravings are nothing
what they used to be. The things that would trigger my appetite in the past do
not affect me now".

And I say ashe'.

Some days and any of us can get caught up in it, we really do not focus energy on the joy giving for too much time and energy into things that weigh us down. I am no different. It can indeed become an ugly habit one that can be done away with but can take time. One thing this young man had said of thinking always of himself as a spiritual person reading the books, attending lectures,seminars etc, but then realized he had not been committed to anything.

I say however it should be more then even being committed, but being dedicated which really sounds like what he, I and perhaps the whole Sparks community is doing...

At one point one of the founding fathers of the U.S. wrote these words:

"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...life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness".

As well intentioned as and beautifully written the ideals were (we all know all men were not equal & women were left out), he made a very valid point; we do have to be SELF evident and it IS endowed by our Creator as inalienable. So I say I do not want to PURSUE happiness I will take a line from the aforementioned lurker, I want to BE happy.

So do I want to commit to that end? Or dedicate to that purpose?

Commit: to put in charge; to trust;to carry into action deliberately

Dedicate: to set apart to a definite use;to commit to a goal or way of life.

A synonym is devote: to give over or direct (as time, money, or effort) to a cause, enterprise, or activity

Commit or dedicate both powerful one shows having an action, the other making it life long/a way of life.

Just a moment ago as I was writing this, a beautiful silver grey Himalayan cat strolled into my lil courtyard sniffing around. He was magnificent & I had to stop for a moment to watch him in his grace and beauty stroll and sniff in my garden. Perhaps a connoisseur of fragrances? Or simply looking for food? Who knows but it brought a smile to my face with simply the thought.

Now back to my thoughts here...

So for me will I commit to having a healthier life well being which will be the act? Or will I dedicate in making this as well as enJOYing this day be a life long action? I want the long term as I cannot see it as a temporary fix. I want to enJOY the rest of my days health filled with a wealth of joy and wise so I will abe able top apply all I learn from this day of joy.

Ok, So when did this Happen?

Asphalt Acorn~Diana Prescott,photographer


So when did it happen for you when when your refrigerator became healthier?

It struck home for me last week doing something as innocent as opening the refrigerator and noticing that mine is full of blueberries, raspberries, omega-3 eggs 2% milk, salmon, veggies etc.

It then dawned on me that unconscious and more now consciously that the more I've read & learned the more I have put into practice. It was a slow but steady metamorphosis. Other changes came about gradually sometimes almost imperceptibly but progressive. I am not saying its been perfect but definitely not as hard as I would have thought. But I've been priming myself for sometime.

I just read this great quote by Robert Frost: "Something we were withholding made us weak, until we found it was ourselves".

Whether it works for someone else I cannot say, but I know what has been working for me and that has been working on the "innies" as much as the "outties". I still agree with that commercial slogan "Its not what you are eating, but what's eating YOU". So as a nod to Frost & a commercial paying attention to the whole enchilada is important. We can and very successfully drop numbers but if we don't pay attention to it all one can as been attested to by many can easily put it back on even easier then taking it off.

I recalled resisting salads (still not a fan) but enjoy them more now. I so enjoy all the fresh fruit, the taste of organic Omega 3 eggs, still do not care for oatmeal, but able to tolerate it. And for a person who did not ever, ever thought I would see myself eating white chicken breast or turkey breast, prepared well I actually like it. Even to the point that I am rarely purchasing dark meat.

Hmmm.

I still enjoy an occasional KFC or a bowl of ice cream. I do get on occasions popsicles but still will a couple of times a month have "real" ice cream, speaking of which Hagan Daas has come out with a wonderful one called Five. Very healthy and very tasty.

It hasn't been a major struggle just trying different things and it is true using herbs & spices and my all time fave, garlic, has done wonders. I am now introducing ground flaxseed in my food. Proudly now enjoying 7-8 hours of sleep & most days drinking 7-8 glasses of water.

I wish I can walk more however until I have needed surgery it is a slow progress having to avoid some things but finding other creative means to get some movement.

So it is not impossible.

I have done some other things that have been wonderful almost liberating. Breaking goals into very small pieces over and extended period of time works. I also have discovered that some of the holding back can be in the words we use applying to ourselves when we have a setback, using words like "defeat" "bad" "failure" "devastated" for something which is minor when you look at it setting up ourselves to throw in the towel (or perhaps the apron).

One of Sparks' Healthy Reflections I read last night was timely:

Who is standing in your way?

http://www.sparkspeople.com/


Imagine someone regularly tying small weights around your ankles as you try to climb a mountain. Doesn't sound fair, does it? But that's exactly what you can do to yourself, a little bit at a time, if you don't watch out. When you think of who and what is standing in the way of your dreams, it's easy to forget your own responsibility. Even the best of us can be guilty of unknowingly hurting our own progress.

Procrastination, lateness, being disorganized, pessimism, not being honest with yourself, severe self-criticism, downplaying achievements, focusing only on weaknesses while ignoring strengths, keeping goals a secret, demanding perfection, giving up after a small setback--these are all ways you can make it tough to be (and do) your best.

Smart systems, the right attitude, and a promise to keep going no matter what will make a world of difference".

And discovering I have a healthy refrigerator is proof possible of just that! And even moreso having a healthier work in progress attitude and disposition aids me immensely!

How Cool is that?

Wigs, Butterflies and other Crazy things that can Happen on a Sun Sun Monday (for a Free Woman)

Erykah Badu, singer

Wigs, Butterflies and other Crazy things that can Happen on a Sun Sun Monday (for a Free Woman)

©09

Can I Parler sans fards? ( to speak openly)?

I know some will wonder by the title, what any of this has to do with weight loss. Well it does and I must say that our bodies and our mind & emotions are clearly interlinked & there is no need to call in a rocket scientist to solidify that!

I should first explain what a Sun Sun Monday is. It came about last year with a sweet at that time 6 year old and I who had a conversation while waiting for his parents a lazy Sunday afternoon in the car. I wanted to keep him entertained as he was getting a little antsy and I asked him what his favorite day of the week. He liked Sundays, did not like Monday and was quite articulate in why.

So I said to him since you gave me all the virtues of Sunday and why you do not like Monday, we can move Monday aside and designate our new day as Sunday~Sunday so we can extend the enjoyment of Sunday for one more day. And it kind of stuck. Another artist shortened it to Sun –Sun & a new day is born!

So now Sun-Sun is a day designated as to how you want to use it and you do not need anyone’s permission as to how you will use it. Since you are a free woman or a free man. It is not bounded by space, time, or schedules, but by your own energy to do with it as you see fit. And it does not have to be the calendar Monday; it is the day as you see fit to be fit.

We can become so caught up in pounds, fat, calories, failure (?) success that when we achieve what some may see as unachievable we when we get to the Promise Land then it becomes: so now what? And sometimes when one achieve and then not too sure what to do now can slip back into old habits for not working on making a golden life while in the process. I am no different then any of the other very smart, capable women and men here or elsewhere as they find their way and make their mark.

This is simply an account of my everything that started on Sunday and heated up on Monday.

It has been no big secret of my interest & desire to return to my hometown. Ask and ye shall receive. Speak truth and truth will be found. Sometimes in the oddest places, times and people. I've learned as things unwrap physically in the weight release process, so can other facets can come unwrapped, in some cases unglued revealing all that simply is.

For me timing had not been right, health and wealth had not been right. And then it dawned on me when is it ever going to be right? Yes there are tose days when all systems are cookin' but most of the time, you get what you get until what you got doesn't work any longer...

A place I had been looking at rather casually and had actually veto in New Orleans ended up being revisited this week with renewed interest. After trying to find it on Google Earth unsuccessfully, I enlisted the aid of someone else and thankfully they found it!

Upon my searching out the neighborhood an adjacent street caught my attention. It sounded vaguely familiar but I did not know from where. And then it struck me, my parents, still in love and a young couple my mom then age 33 and daddy age 40 & I was a wee, newly born itty bitty one, fresh and wide eyed with out a clue as to what the world was going to throw at me lived on this adjacent street!

So I went on a search after confirming it on my birth certificate & found the place which literally was 3 blocks over from the house I am getting. My 94 year old mother confirmed the house which is now boarded up after Hurricane Katrina.

My 1st thoughts were "hmm so I am really returning to my roots". And then my 2nd was while discovering this part of my past, something clicked in my head from a article I read upon arising today in a wonderful article on "the Power & the Vision" of how some people, many times spend their whole lives: "it's interesting that most work makes us look downward, while dreams lift our eyes to the sky. While you're keeping that nose to the grindstone, make sure you keep your head up to see where you're going".

I've always known I was going somewhere even if the "where" may not always be clear & apparent to me and even less to others. As the artist, said to me today" I believe some people are being positioned in many aspect for some things big to happen. And if you are in the right place at the right time and ready, you will be there to reap large benefits".

Of course those benefits may be different things to different people. But what is clear if you are not there you will reap absolutely no thing but the same old thing. And the same old thing can get really old, you can start to tolerate what's intolerable, suffer in silence, get smaller, shrinking down and expectations narrow and then you are stuck miserable, bored and not filled. Not even knowing why or worse how you got there...

And even worse, how to get yourself out of it. So while looking into my little garden courtyard, I saw my 1st butterfly of the season. It was beautiful sort of a yellowed lime or a limed yellow color almost translucent. I found myself smiling and wow I get to see some before I leave. And then I stepped out into the garden and though it was high noon fed my plants, watering the ground, being soothe by the act though my thoughts were grumbling over some of the plants still not in the ground and other bulbs I will not get in the ground when it hit me, a missing link of my "Bringing it on Home" project I want to implement once I get there.

It was part of a proposal that was not accepted a year and a half ago when I thought I was going elsewhere. But here was a golden opportunity to bring this vision into fruition! And what a better place then New Orleans with its transformation in action now to do this! If that butterfly had not graced my garden on a Sun Sun Monday I might not have stepped outside to water and subsequently gotten the idea.

Of course I am not attributing anything mystical to this. My mind was relaxed, clear and comforted which allowed my creative juices to flow and with it the vision came & the idea resurfaced with a plan.

So now what do wigs have to do with all of this? Whenever I am ready for a change, I get the urge to cut my hair. Some women will identify with this. I've worn a curly blond fro for almost a decade and now I am bored, not knowing what I wanted to do as I am not prolific with hair. I knew I wanted to change the color, wasn't sure what style when I decided to look up wigs which can evoke a different mood experimenting with different looks without a permanent investment. So I found three. One is reminiscent of a period of Erykah Badu's many looks or a 1970's earlier Pam Grier style.

Yet another of an earlier Phyllis Yvonne Stickney, an actress and comedian I admire. Sharp clean and distinctive and one of a style I enjoyed on Gabrielle Union. Understand, I am not a 59 year old woman looking to be 16 who is aspiring to look 25 (years old). I am not going to lose me, but a fresher transformed me is where I want to be.

I know for sure that many things work in concert when a person is ready. While the emphasis is and will remain in shedding the physical weight for health many other things work in symphony with that. How exciting is it all!

So among a lot of smaller but weird things that occurred today, these were the thing that swung my day's rhythms. I never got to my "to do list" for a Sun Sun Monday, but that's ok because what needed to be done was indeed done. And embracing all that indeed can be golden...How cool is that?

Moon (being a free woman)

All rights reservedJHM6-23-09©09

What it looks like...

"To be nobody but yourself--in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else-- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting". ~E.E Cummings

This remark by Cummings, a poet, made wonder why on earth would one have to fight to be themselves or living a fruitful productive life?

Of course then I realize that there is always always, always someone who seem to want for you not to be acceptable of oneself or accepting what is an inalienable right to have a joyously, juicy, delicious golden life. When ones may have embarked on doing things like can make a life, their life shimmer as encased in gold.

Whether it is something as simple as learning to ride a bike at 65, going back to college at 50, even hang gliding (though its not something I want to do) or be like the Scottish woman who all she wanted to do was to fufill a promise to her mother after years of loving care was to sing, someone had to put her up to put her down.

then when she did not win the top spot, but most certainly did not lose tabloid had her in rehab, in a mental health hospital a Boyle gone wild scenario. Yet she was like most of us an average person with an amazing voice who simply wanted to use it in a larger way.

And it is well earned for her you & me to follow your heart desire.

Anthony Robbins said once about dreaming so big that people will laugh at you. If they are not, you are not dreaming big enough. It don't matter if it not come to fruition, but wouldn't just imagining it can make your life golden? What will success look like to you now or when you reach the goal weight you want? Are your preparing for that eventuality or is it somewhat half cocked, a vague idea of what life will be like. And what if life does not end up being what you envision?

Some who have reached that goal in a successful weight lost first of all brava to 'em. But how many say as some who've been on shows like the Biggest Loser or perhaps someone you've personally known could not handle the "new" you.

Adjusting your vision tweaking it as you are going through the process is smart & healthy. Even if you have a regression which is also normal having an idea of your vision plan, a guide or outline will aid you greatly in saying on track or a map to guide you back if you were distracted.

A successful plan can engage you into seeing yourself doing something you've only talked about whether it is something as simple as learning to ride a bike at 65, going back to college at 50, even hang gliding (though its not something I want to do) or be like the Scottish woman who set out to accomplish all she wanted to do & that was to fufill a promise to her mother & herself. After years of loving care she opened her mouth & the world fell in love with her heart's desire, to sing, reached a mega number audience in the process. What she had only dreamt about, she created a vision plan, acted on it & won.

Not the contest which was really secondary, but she won...

She won even as some put her up to put her down. Even the ones who did not want her to change. It was interesting both camps seemed to focus on the same thing; her weight "dumpiness" lack of sophistication, "unattractiveness". Some clamor for an improvement, others wanting none.

But she knew what she wanted, went after it and got it!

Although she did not win the top spot, tabloidstrashed her had her in rehab, in a mental health hospital a Boyle gone wild scenario. Yet she was like most of us, an average person with an amazing voice who simply wanted to use it in a larger way. And dared to dream big so much that others took noticed.

And it is well earned for her, you & me. While that might not be our aspiration, your bigness could be something more modest.

You go after it, after all, to see what success can look like.

And the more you shed and the more the you under is revealed, you will also reveal things internally from the heart & soul. Can you adjust, tweak and accept? Revamping the goals, discarding what is no longer viable or useful or maybe even restoring somethings as still having merit you previously discarded.

A vision is a very good thing one with a plan is an excellent one. One put into action is supreme. A vision keeps you excited, keeps it juicy, keeps you from bumping around in the

dark.

It will make you know success when you see it .

How cool is that?
Moon

Laughter as emotional aerobics

Corny one liners, but true:

The Economy Is So Bad...


CEO's are now playing miniature golf.

Hot Wheels and Matchbox stocks are trading higher than GM.


McDonald's is selling the 1/4 ouncer.

Parents in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their children's names.

A truckload of Americans got caught sneaking into Mexico.

The most highly-paid job is now jury duty.

People in Africa are donating money to Americans.

Motel Six won't leave the light on.

The Mafia is laying off judges.

No More Drama...

Please do not think you are exempt if you are not African American...Get to stepping, moving, remove what is humanely possible any and all that causes you grief.

Have a svress free diet. Iv can be done in different degrees of modificaion. Create the vision plan that works for you hat is healthy safe A& productive...Believe it or not music you enjoy can do it, laughter, sharing, dancing, plants in your home, prayer, meditation, writing are some ways.

Stress May Raise Diabetes Risk for Obese Black Women


Surge in anxiety-linked hormone worsens blood sugar level, researchers suggest

THURSDAY, March 5 (HealthDay News) -- Stress may play a key role in the development of type 2 diabetes in obese black women, U.S. researchers say.


"Much attention has been given to the role of obesity in the development of type 2 diabetes, but stress may be as important in this at-risk population," study co-author Anastasia Georgiades, of Duke University in Durham, N.C., said in a news release.


The study included 62 healthy, non-diabetic black women who were asked to recall stressful life events. As they did, the researchers measured the women's levels of blood sugar and epinephrine, the "fight or flight" hormone that's released in reaction to stress.


Women with high epinephrine levels (25 picograms or more per milliliter of blood) while recalling stressful events and with more belly fat (33 percent or more of total body fat) had significantly higher fasting glucose scores (about 100 milligrams per deciliter) than women with lower epinephrine levels and less belly fat (85 mg/dl). A fasting blood glucose level of 100 mg/dl is considered within the low range of pre-diabetes, and a level of 125 mg/dl is the benchmark for type 2 diabetes.


Women with high epinephrine levels and more belly fat also had bigger increases in blood sugar levels during the stress test.


The findings were to be presented this week at the annual scientific meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society.


"While we don't fully understand the nature of the association, women with abdominal obesity may be more vulnerable to the impact of stress -- causing their body to increase blood sugar production and elevating their risk for diabetes," Georgiades said.


Further research is needed to determine exactly how epinephrine production affects blood sugar levels in black women. Nearly one in four black women in the United States has type 2 diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.

information
The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has more about type 2 diabetes.
Content bySOURCE: American Psychosomatic Society, news release, March 4, 2009

Ah ha ha ha ha-Emotional Aerobics...

For ones who did not want to believe me:

Laughter Can Boost Heart Health

Research finds it improves blood flow and may help ward off high blood pressure

FRIDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) -- New research lends weight to the old adage that laughter can be powerful medicine, particularly when it comes to your heart.

Two studies presented at the American College of Sports Medicine's annual meeting in Seattle found that laughter not only can reduce stress, which can damage the heart, it can lead to improved blood flow, which can help ward off high blood pressure.

The first study included a small group of healthy adults who were asked to watch either a comedy or documentary film. They were then checked for activity of the carotid arteries -- the main arteries in the neck that bring blood to the brain and face -- during the films.

People who watched the comedy displayed improved "arterial compliance" -- the amount of blood that moves through the arteries at a given time. Decreased arterial compliance is often linked with high blood pressure and heart disease, according to an American College of Sports

Medicine news release.

"Arterial compliance was improved for a full 24 hours after subjects watched a funny movie," said lead researcher Jun Sugawara. "Laughing is likely not the complete solution to a healthy heart, but it appears to contribute to positive effects."

The second study focused on vascular function and the dilation of blood vessels. When a second group of adults watched either a comedy or a serious documentary, there was more dilation of blood vessels during the comedy. Constricted blood vessels can be a cause of high blood pressure, the news release said.

"Not only did comedies improve vascular dilation, but watching a documentary about a depressing subject was actually harmful to the blood vessels," said Takashi Tarumi, lead researcher on the second study. "These documentaries constricted blood vessels by about 18 percent."

In both studies, the beneficial effects of laughter lasted for 24 hours, the researchers said.
The college's annual meeting concludes May 30.

For more on healthy lifestyles for heart health, visit the American Heart Association.

Content by:

SOURCE: May 29, 2009, news release, American College of Sports Medicine

Happy People are Happening People;Gail Hayes, SA

Be Happy

Courtesy of Sandra Garth, Fitness trainer & World Class Chef

www.onebodyonelifetime.com

Are you still waiting for your circumstances to change before you’ll allow yourself to be happy? Most of us have preconceived ideas of what would make us happy, and we refuse to be satisfied until those things happen.

The problem is that even once specific things happen in our lives, we’re rarely satisfied with them. Instead, we shift our focus to something even bigger and better, believing “it” will make us happy (or happier). We never allow ourselves to reach a point of contentment. Have you done the same thing?

The good news is that you can decide to be happy NOW – even if everything in your life isn’t perfect. Below you’ll find 3 easy ways to start:

Be grateful. Gratitude is one of the most powerful states of mind that you can adopt. Not only does it make you feel good, it shifts your focus from what you don’t have to what you DO have, and keeps it there! As you focus more on what you are grateful to have in your life (even the really small blessings), you worry less about anything that may be lacking. The result? A more persistent sense of happiness!

Take time to smell the roses, coffee or grilled chicken. If you spend most of your days feeling rushed and scattered, it’s hard to feel happy and content. In order to be truly happy, you need to make time for yourself to relax, dream, and take pleasure in life’s simpler moments. Beginning today, make sure to spend time doing things you love on a regular basis. Read books that stimulate your imagination; listen to great music; take long walks, and generally make an effort to enjoy your life as it is right now.

Love the journey. This may be the most challenging. Many of us make the mistake of pinning all of our expectations on some vague, far-off result, like the completion of goals. We believe that once we “get there” everything will be perfect and we’ll finally be happy. However, there is much to be gained from enjoying the journey TO your destination!

Make it your mission to revel in every moment that you’re working toward higher goals. Enjoy the sense of self-mastery and accomplishment you gain with every goal you achieve. Make it a worthwhile journey and you’ll savor the end result that much more.

The most important thing to understand about happiness is that it is largely a CHOICE you make from moment to moment. Though certain serious situations make it difficult to feel happy at times, most often we allow the little things to bother us and block any happiness we would otherwise feel.

Embrace happiness, and it will grow to monstrous proportions in your life!

Essay & Lemon Boat recipe are from her website www.onebodyonelifetime

Feed your Mind-Coping

Although this segment that appeared on Good Morning America aired on 5/5/09 and had to do with coping with the recession, the guest Anthony Robbins made some very valid points that can be used in a lot of arenas.

I especially like his remark :" Feed Your Mind otherwise it will be fed elsewhere", the elsewhere could be a lot of junk that is totally useless and unusable for you.

His other point about "getting out of yourself" as being in service, no matter how bad it is for you at the moment.

Mr. Robbins said other things to but I will let him speak for his ownself.

Enjoy!

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=7506072