1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day, and while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate antidepressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. I like to take this 10 minutes (sadly sometimes just 5 minutes if pressed for time) to think of everything that is going RIGHT and not wrong and to give thanks for what I do have...so many people have it worse.
3. Buy a DVR and record your late night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, “My purpose is to _______ today.”
5. Live with the 3 E’s – Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2010.
7. Make time to practice meditation and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of six. There is so much wisdom to learn from people in their 60's, 70's, 80's --take some time to take it all in. As far as kids go...try to remember what it was like to find everything so exciting and so new. We can learn a lot from kids!
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants. Eat less food that is manufactured in plants!
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water.
12. Try to make at least 3 people smile each day.
13. Clean clutter from your house, your car, your desk, and let new and flowing energy into your life.
14. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, or issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out credit card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the NEGATIVE BLUES away.
18. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
23. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”
26. Forgive everyone for everything.
27. What other people think of you is none of your business.
28. Ask, Believe, Receive. (And it WILL happen!)
29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
30. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
31. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful, or joyful.
32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
33. The best is yet to come.
34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
35. Do the right thing!
36. Call your family often.. (Or email them to death!)
37. Each night before you go to bed, complete the following statements: “I am thankful for _________________. Today I accomplished _______________.
38. Remember you are too blessed to be stressed.
39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don’t want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
40. May your troubles be less, May your blessings be more, May nothing but happiness come through your door! It just doesn't happen though on it's own YOU NEED to stop thinking negative thoughts and focus on wishing good things in your lives and everyone around you!
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
40 Tips for a Better Life in 2011!
Saturday, 20 November 2010
WORKOUT! Looks Better Nekkid at home and at the Gym!
It is a Core dominate workout. If you are doing this workout at home all you need is a Pillow. If you are doing this workout at the gym a matt that you can fold over itself and a barbell as an option.
Do these 10 exercises in a row 12 - 15 reps and repeat for 3 sets
1. Alternating Tow touch (setting 1) - keep the legs straight raise one up and touch with both hand and then alternate legs crunching up each leg raise.
2. Alternation Tow touch (setting 2) - same as setting 1 but double over the pillow and fold the matt over a few times and place it under your lower back. It will increase the flection of your trunk, increase range of motion thus increasing work done.
3. Over Head Squats - arms are straight over head while you squat just like normal trying to get as low as you can. At the gym you can use a bar, at home use a pillow
4. Left turn / Right Turn (setting 1) - lay on your side grab an imaginary steering wheel in front of you. As you turn the wheel to the left raise you torso to the left. Trying to get the Rib cage and the hip on the left side to touch. Same to the right.
5. Left turn / Right turn (setting 2) - same idea as setting 2 for tow touches
6. Spider Man push ups - as you lower yourself to the ground bring one knee to the bent elbow raise up and replace leg to starting position. Next rep switch legs.
7. Standard Crunches - pull the belly button down as you raise you shoulder blades off the matt
8. Get ups - roll back to the shoulders as you roll forward generate some momentum and kick up your legs to your butt to stand up. Swing you arms if you need for assistance.
9. Single Leg get ups - Same as above but with one leg. Do all with the left then switch to the right. Much harder the both legs
10. Circle Crunch - Trace a semi circle one direction then the other as you raise your torso off the matt.
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Turn hating into APPRICIATION! The Shift
The last entries were about hate. It was a hard post to write but we all need to be aware of the things that are still happening in our world today.
Now for the next step . . . In order to move forward we need to think and remember the positive things. Hate spreads like a disease so why cannot we change that and spread happy all over the place! Here are a few things that bring me Joy.
1. My friends and family – Really it is just that. They make me laugh they make me cry. There are there when you need them, they are there when you do not.
2. Jamming with my iPod – Because and I dance and feel like no one is watching. My love of the musical arts can be enjoy anywhere I go.
3. My BlackBerry – It is a great tool to keep my life organized. Keeps me up to date. Helps me when I am lost, never talks back AND help me stay in communication with the friends and the family.
4. My Pets – They are always happy, they never judge. They do not care what happened that morning or the day at work. They are always up for something when everyone else is busy or lazy. They are always ready for a cuddle when staying at home under a blanket with a movie is required.
5. A hot and sunny day – the smell of the earth warming the air. The brightness and richness of colours for the shining raise of sun beaming into everything. The warmness of the air on your skin. People outside having fun enjoying the world we live in going back to nature. There is nothing like it.
6. Tempo on CBC Radio 2 – My daily douse of the greats. Hosted by Julie Nesrallah, Canadian mezzo-soprano, guides us through all the classical delights from 9:00 until 1:00 every week day. It is amazing what thoughts and emotions this music can manifest (even if you are a robot or say that you have no heart)
7. Tea – This was started with my Nana and her British ways of tea time. Now I love it. Tea is so warming and comforting. So many styles, flavours and traditions to explore in every cup.
8. HOT people! – Be it celebrities, athletes, or Models hot people make me happy. I was going to try and narrow it down but there are just to many people that I think are hot inside and out. Call me shallow but makes me happy.
9. Soup – A day without soup is like a day without sunshine to me. You can miss a day without the sun but it is not as bright or warm as with sun. For me it is the same with soup.
What brightens your day or keeps you going when the going gets tough? Write a couple things in the comments box.
Saturday, 6 November 2010
HateEffects! Part 3 of 3
Andrew Shirvell, a Michigan Assistant Attorney General set up a hate blog against student body presented of Michigan State University. Chris Armstrong was elected by his fellow student as the Student Body President. Shortly after Armstrong was elected Shirvell started the hate blog and admitting to following, and tracking facebook comments of Armstrong and his friends and family. Shirvell has a restraining order against him from the Michigan State University. Armstrong is a 21 year old kid wanting better things to happen at his college, the reason why he is getting so much attention because Armstrong is gay. Shirvell, an “adult” has been attacking his putting Nazi swastikas on pictures of Armstrong, videotaping his house and following him around. Another elected to office that supports the people of his state. Can you by day support people that live in your state and by night attack them to their core. Shirvell saying that he is doing God’s work because Armstrong is Satin’s representative on the student body. Shirvell is “hating” on the persons of Michigan that he was elected by to represent.
What is worse is that Andrew Shirvell’s boss Mike Cox, State of Michigan Attorney General, has allowed Shirvell to continue his actions. It is not enough that Shirvell has been on a big hate campaign and his boss Mike Cox is allow hate to infect his employee, and his office, and will continue to spread. This is not the conduct of an elected office in our society.
I wish Chris Armstrong great safety and strength for this situation and a quick resolution so that he can live the life he wants and not be bullied by Shirvell.
In the last bit of McCance’s attack and in Shirvell’s attack they mention their Christian Beliefs, as many Christian protesters and organizations do against those persons that are different, as a justification and permission for their actions and comments of hate. More of this hate comes out with the argument of legalizing gay marriage. Some believe that it will end the sanctity of marriage. Let us just do a quick review; greater than 50% of marriages end in divorce, that is only heterosexual marriage since homosexual unions are not legal and thus not recorded and not part of that statistic. How can the assertion of love between two people be ending the sanctity of marriage? Maybe divorce is the destruction of the sacred belief of marriage. Divorce means just that, the declaration of dissolving or ending a marriage. People are allowed to get divorced and that is fine cause that is not the problem with marriage…the gays are.
This goes against anything that I have learned as a Christian. I do not believe that in my relationship with God and his son Jesus Christ that they would hate like that. It saddens me that I may be grouped with these people as a person against myself. It is also disappointing that the Church saying it will support its people may actually leave them for dead as according to Andrew Shirvell and Clint McCane. I really truly challenge that these people are Christians and have actually read the Bible and know what it teaches.
Here are some comment from another Blog written by Levi Poulter about the Church and Christian beliefs, he put it brilliantly (you can find the whole blog at http://www.miamilevi.com/blog under the FUCKING LOSERS! Post on October 29, 2010),
“Like so many Christians let’s ask ourselves…what would Jesus do? Push someone to the breaking point of taking one’s own life??? Another question I will answer for you…NO…he wouldn’t. He would put his arm around them and shield them from harm and tell them they are loved.”
In the Bible it says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered, it keeps no record or wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13: 4 – 7)
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born from adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17)
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Great love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15: 12 – 13)
“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbour as yourself. I am LORD” (Leviticus 19:18)
Those do not seem to be the words of a God that wants it people to hate and judge. A sin is a sin so it does not make you a better person just because you are calling yourself a Christian. Action speaks louder than words. Christianity is an act of love, peace and support both inside and out, it is not a judgement. Whether you are Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Kabbalah, or what every you belief in there is not
I do use a lot of sexuality examples but it is not a gay problem it is a hate problem in these backwards times we live in.
Why are people like this?
Why do people do this?
What are they thinking that justifies their hate actions?
In the last couple of years there has been main babies coming into my life with Family and friends starting families of their own. Spending time with them and their young kids it is hard to believe that we has humans are capable of hate. They are always happy and when their world comes to fall down they get over it very quickly and move on to being happy again. It makes me wonder and pretty sure that we are not born with the capacity to hate. It does not seem to be party of human survival to hate. Does that mean the hate is learned? Where do we get hate from? These kids would not know if parents. Are we passing hate onto the next Generation? These kids are learning from the examples (or lack thereof) of their parents or guardians.
In general we really are all the same. We as people are all from the same basic design with some variations of course. We all have a cranium that houses a brain. We all two arms and two legs, which has one hand and one foot on each limb respectively. Some of us have are male and some of us are female. We all have flesh and blood. There are degrees of variation in skin color, height, width, and weight. Does that make each of us really that different? If that is the case than hate for others is hate of ourselves.
Are there no better places that we as a species can better spend our time and energy? It takes energy to hate. Hate does not move us forward. We do not gain anything from hate. Hate does not cure cancer or hunger, hates does not help the sick or poverty. Hate does not bring peace; it is not loving or caring.
Remember that every minute of hate and anger we harbour is sixty seconds of joy, happiness, and laughter we will never experience.
Thursday, 4 November 2010
HateEffects! Part 2 of 3
For part 1 click here
More examples of the effects of hate can be remembered on October 12th 1998. Matthew Wayne Sheppard was brutally beating and murdered because he was homosexual. After finding out Shepard was gay two men, Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney, robbed and beat Shepard and then left him to die tied to a fence in a remote rural area. People just do not set out to do things to people. Hate involves action and doing. This was nothing but an act of pure hate for a fellow human being that was a little different than they were. This case brought hate crimes to the forefront of legislation for many nations.
Suicide did not kill five gay teens, hate did. Tyler Clementi (19 years old), Asher Brown (13 years old), Seth Walsh (13 years old), Billy Lucas (15 years old) Zach Harrington (19 years old) ended their lives’ because of bullying. I can understand what was going through these kids head. From grade four to grade eleven a day would hardly go by without someone or several people say something while walking to my next class. I was scared to walk through the hallway or be in the library. The only safe place was in the class room during class time. It was a race to more from room to room and get out of school at the end of the day. Teachers would duck their heads and walk away while fellow students said something degrading or derogatory. These kids were constantly badgered and intimidated by others day by day by day. Do you know what it is like to be constantly antagonized, intimidated, tortured, and threatened at you school where it is supposed to be a safe supportive learning environment? I do and it is terrible, scary, and heartbreaking.
Right where we think that these kids have support we find out that they may not. To raise awareness and support for young kids thinking about suicide we all wore purple on October 20th for Sprit day. A Midland school district member, Clint McCance posted very publicly on facebook his hate for the fact that we were to wear purple in member of these kids. Everywhere else school are taking actions against bullying but not McCance. On his own facebook page, McCance wrote (his words and his spelling),
"Seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers killed themselves. The only way im wearin it for them is if they all commit suicide. I cant believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and killed thereselves because of their sin. REALLY PEOPLE."
In response to another challenge, McCance replied,
"I would disown my kids they were gay. They will not be welcome at my home or in my vicinity. I will absolutely run them off. Of course my kids will know better. My kids will have solid Christian beliefs."
These are some of the words of someone that is an elected official that may have been responsible for the goings on in YOUR child’s school. McCance later appeared on Anderson Cooper 360 to talk with Anderson about his words. McCance apologized without apologizing; it was a non apology apology. This was best said by Dr. Phil McGrew the next day while he and Cooper talked. There is a difference between opinion and attack on persons that are different. McCance attacked children, these kids are dead and he attacked them and their memory on his facebook page. The words McCance support hate and support kids killing themselves, supports suicide. From his words he supports the death and killing of children.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
HateEffects! Part 1 of 3
Don’t ask don’t tell (DADT) is become synonymous with people in the armed forces in the United States and all of North America. This policy was started in the 1990’s to stop the attention of homosexuals serving their nations. As long as no know asked a soldier what their sexual orientation is, it does not matter whether one is heterosexual or homosexual. However if asked (or accused in many cases) then the soldier much resign their commission or be discharged. Some National leaders and Politicians felt that homosexuals would either be distracted because they would be in such close guarders with members of the same sex, or no tough enough for combat. If someone is not tough enough I am certain that they would not even sign up for service, in Canada and United States there is no conscription at this time, so signing up with the armed forces is a choice. If people choose to service their nation and fight for what they believe in I say let them. If homosexual should be kicked out, are those who feel that way going to take their place? I doubt that they would be as selfless, noble, honorable, and brave as those persons in the forces gay or straight. I know I am not… would you be? Why does that really matter to you if you rights are still being defended and fought for but you would give these people that right to exercise their rights, your rights?
Click here for part 2