One Step at a Time

This a follow up to the previous post...

a journey to my fitness goals...

Join me by clicking on the title link to read more.

On exercise:
"...But without that inner desire and strength to do it on your own and cognizance of your purpose for doing it, you will fall by the wayside and it's even harder to get back going again. It is indeed a lot of work and although it's not one of my favourite things in the world it's worth it in the end, as you reap not only physical benefits but overall well-being..."

Turn over a new leaf

So I decided to turn over a new leaf when it comes to healthy living...I joined a new online network in an attempt to give it my all when it comes to eating healthy and exercise especially. What prompted this metamorphis, you ask? My trainer gave me a strong reprimand the other day at the gym. His complaint: my complaining! In all seriousness, I need to take heed. Although I am not overweight, there are some things I need to work on. So this time, I am going to try to keep it zipped and just do the exercise! I try to eat healthy most of the time, but sometimes you need to reward yourself and cheat a little, just don't make it a habit. Cardio is also a weak area of mine...that I need to work on, so once I condition my mind to do more of it, it should be okay.  Bread and pasta has been absent from my diet for some time now, so too have been carbs and sugars after 6:00 pm and I have seen an improvement. It is my goal to start cooking up some healthy and creative recipes that promote even more healthy living!

Anyhow, check out my new find!: http://www.wholeliving.com/

Top 10 List of things you hate about social networks!

Okay this post is a diversion, but the whole idea of a blog is for it to be “cathartic” and have a release/purge of emotions/thoughts and this is simply that. 

Do you hate those fake social networks as much as I do? Don’t even utilize it much anymore except for maybe short glimpses to retrieve something of vital importance that I did not store anywhere else or to wish someone Happy Birthday...gone are the days of just remembering someone’s birthday or storing it in a diary!
Anyhow, I compiled my Top 10 list of things most despised about social networks:

1) The way random people add you for no apparent reason except to mind your business or to buffer the quantity of friends on their friends list!

2) When you log on and your supposed “friends” do a disappearing act from your profile for no apparent reason except maybe jealously, falseness or snobbishness and you wonder how those very people ended up on your friends list in the first place!!!
3) The way the said persons who disappeared are the same persons that sent you a friend request!
4) People who throw a hissy fit for months on end because you did not accept their friend request!
5) Why persons send you a friend request and then block out portions of their profile after you have given them “whole hog” access to yours and you discover it randomly while trying to send them a birthday greeting!
6) People who delete you then still try to mind your business!!
7) The way you log on just for a minute, then end up getting caught up for periods on end in everyone’s status updates before finding what you came on to do in the first place!!
8) The way persons on your friend list feel the need to announce every single thing under the sun that they are doing at any given moment in time, like if anyone wants to know what they had for breakfast, lunch AND dinner or how they can’t seem to find the right partner or job! It’s like: “why are you airing your dirty laundry in public and do we even care???" For heaven’s sake be a woman/man, suck it up and DEAL WITH IT!!!! Nobody likes a crybaby who is moping all the time!
9) Those damn virtual hearts, pillows, friends circles and sorority girl requests that “pull” all your personal information and those non-stop status updates for mafia points, potatoes that need harvesting or golden eggs that were laid!!
10) And last but not least those FAKE PEOPLE!! If you are truly my friend pick up the phone and call me, send me an email/text message or drop me a line the old fashioned way!! I still have all my old letters and cards from my long time friends.
It's a vicous cycle out there folks, let's not get caught up in our virtual worlds and forget the essence of what friendship is all about. Lot's of people are getting themselves into serious trouble through social networking...It's time we start acting like friends instead of letting the click of a mouse dictate our pace when it comes to choosing and keeping friends...for the most part we don't communicate with our real friends soley on networking sites.

Easter Reflections

It’s Easter weekend and though this signals the end of Lent, it is also a time of reflection for the Christian community as it is a reminder of the suffering Christ endured when He gave up his life for our salvation. And at this time we should turn inward and give thanks for the little things in our life. Even if we are not deeply religious or we did not give up anything during the lenten season, we can certainly make sacrifices in our everyday life in appreciation of the things others may have sacrificed for us at one time or another, whether it is our parents, a loved one or a friend. Whatever we do, we must never take things for granted and always remember the good which has been done for us...and if we look at the bigger picture we should be aware of the reason we are all here today, whether you believe in Jesus, God, or some other Divine Being. Without a belief in something greater we are mere aimless souls without direction or purpose. So although we may be using this long weekend to catch up some much needed zeez and relaxation, or taking advantage of the great outdoors, hitting the books or just spending time with family and friends, there should be a moment of reflection and appreciation of a more holistic view.

"Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." - Voltaire (Francois Marie Arouet) (1694-1778)

Reward yourself: You deserve it!

Sometimes we need to reward ourselves for a job well done, accomplishing one of our goals or just being one step closer to living a life of peace and contentment. Whatever the reason I am sure it feels good to treat ourselves lavishly if only for a day or an hour. It sends a signal to ourselves that we are capable of great things and provides an incentive to keep on reaching for the stars. Too many times we let people rule our lives and prevent us from living unfettered. The sky is the limit to our accomplishments if only we believe.

This one is for that group of daring people I just spent the last three months with conquering our fears together and doing crazy things that I would never have dreamt of doing say maybe 10 years ago..."Murder & Mayhem" maybe at first....but fun it was!

When was the last time you heard this one???!!!

Who am I?

First quarter of the year and putting goals aside for now…how many of us have wrestled with our demons and came up the winner? How many times you say to yourself that you have a grip on situations and then life turns around and surprises you? When you think that you have faced those fears and made those life-altering decisions but still you have not conquered your deepest fear. I propose that we first get to know our true self – have a relationship with ourself and get to know that person deep inside and discover the essence of who we really are. Not the persona that we may sometimes adopt for different situations or people in our lives, but who we really are unawares. In so doing, we discover what makes us tick, what drives us, our passions, our goals, our likes and dislikes, then we will have a greater appreciation and understanding for what goes on around us, the people and situations that surround us. You're probably saying: but wait I already know who I am! But I am sure there are things we are still learning about ourselves every day and they are sometimes triggered by the simpliest of things. When we know who we are, our relationships with others are enhanced. No one can mislead, tempt or deceive us into thinking or behaving in ways that are not in keeping with what we want for ourselves…or anything that is not responsible or healthy emotionally or physically. When we become in tune with our inner and outer self we experience peace and contentment. Situations seldom confound us, for we are able to rely on our good judgement and intuition. Even if our first instinct is to react in a certain way, the right attitude surfaces and we are able to recoup without delay.
I resolve this day to turn inward and above for guidance and judgement to make the right decisions from this moment onwards.

Are you living your dream?



photo credit - google image



 Did you ever wonder when you were younger where you would be at a certain age? As a teenager you read in magazines about what it's like to be in your 20s and 30s or even 40s and now you're there in the bat of an eye! Has it all cracked up to be what you thought? Did life turn out the way you expected? After all, Glamour magazine can't portray what life is really about in all its intricacies. Even those family magazines with the career woman at the front with a baby in hand and a handsome hunk at her side that depicts the supposed perfect life is just an illusion. I know we can't all expect real life to be portrayed accurately in the pages of our favourite magazine; at the end of the day you have to ask yourself how much of it is really real. You know what they say: all that glitters is not gold. We have to determine what is our real life fantasy and take steps to make it a reality. Think it in our head and then live it. Whether it is to climb a mountain or to be a mother of six, or to land that dream job jet setting across the globe. Once we are persistent we can live that glamourous life we have in our head. And the mistake we too often make is our expections: we expect things to be perfect ALL of the time. But life is not like that. Life is not what they sell us in those magazines. We are now grown enough to know that this is farce. What we once thought was happiness was just another attempt to sell a product or a lifestyle. Life is sweat, life is tears, it's the unexpected moments that bring joy. Life is anticipation, life is hurt, life is love. We need to evaluate what we want out of life and what will make us happy. Whether we want to be "thirty, flirty and thriving" or just kick back and take life as it comes...one day at a time, in so doing we live life to the max and fulfull what is OUR perception of happiness. No one can tell us how to be happy, we have to find it for ourselves. We have to OWN our happiness and create our joy...so that it sustains us and keeps us going when life gets tough, and gives us exuberance to wake up each morning and share our lessons with the world. That's what life is all about...regardless of what anyone says, you need to keep on keeping on, and be true to YOU!!! ©



google image

"Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of travelling"

-Margaret Lee Runbeck (1905-1956)

New Year: New plan

Wow we're in 2010...and with this new year we behold a chance to transform the old and turn it into something brand new, to make our dreams a reality, to do all the things we wanted to do for so long but never got around to for one reason or the other. This a brand new opportunity to allow life to work for us, to rid ourselves of the clutter, the baggage, the negative people and situations that only serve to prevent us from living unfettered and free from restrictions. I know there are things that we want to accomplish, there may be habits we want to kick, there may be places we want to go and a new year is usually the time to set goals for ourselves as we have the whole year ahead to plan and put it into motion. Whatever we want is within our reach if only we put our mind to it and start with small steps. I know I have put things in place already to achieving some of my long term goals. This year is your year to make YOUR dreams come true if only you BELIEVE IT in your heart, mind and soul!! (c)

Say it aloud: I will make my dreams a reality this year!! Think it, believe it, live it!!!

Happy New Year!!

As we embark on another year, best wishes go out for a New Year filled with an abundance of joy, love, friendship, wisdom, courage, grace and prosperity. May your riches not be only of the material kind but may you be blessed with all the righteous virtues necessary for true wealth.

Happy New Year 2010!!!!