We Are The World!

How poignant is this song?  It’s easy for any of us to take for granted what we have and choose to turn a blind eye to the struggles of others.  I don’t believe much has to be said regarding the meaning inferred by this song.  Perhaps we can each think twice when we see someone in need and remember the paradise we are living in.  There are many ways we can each be involved to help those less fortunate.  From volunteering at a soup kitchen, or various other activities to donating what spare change, if any we may have.

How much better would this world be if we each took a moment to help out those in need?  We are the world, we are the children, we are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving.

In lieu of this, I'm climbing the 1,776 steps of the CN Tower on October 23, 2011, with my team of Canadian Athletes in the Enbridge CN Tower Climb for United Way.  If you can please help me reach and surpass my goal of raising $500 for the United Way by clicking here to sponsor me.

Money raised goes towards mobilizing people from every part of our community. We are changing lives and shaping a stronger and healthier city, with opportunities for all.  Together we can all make a difference!


We Are The World by USA for Africa

There comes a time

When we head a certain call

When the world must come together as one

There are people dying

And it's time to lend a hand to life

The greatest gift of all

We can't go on

Pretneding day by day

That someone, somewhere will soon make a change

We are all a part of

God's great big family

And the truth, you know love is all we need

[Chorus]

We are the world

We are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day

So let's start giving

There's a choice we're making

We're saving our own lives

It's true we'll make a better day

Just you and me

Send them your heart

So they'll know that someone cares

And their lives will be stronger and free

As God has shown us by turning stone to bread

So we all must lend a helping hand

[Chorus]

We are the world

We are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day

So let's start giving

There's a choice we're making

We're saving our own lives

It's true we'll make a better day

Just you and me

When you're down and out

There seems no hope at all

But if you just believe

There's no way we can fall

Well, well, well, well, let us realize

That a change will only come 

The Thing They Said Was Impossible, He's Done!

Sunday's Lyrics - Ali in the Jungle, by The Hours

I never grow tired of this song.  It is my anthem to what is possible!  It is a song that best captures to me, the power we each have, to endure in spite of the challenges we might face.  It draws reference to people in history (Muhammad Ali; Nelson Mandela; Helen Keller, Lazarus, Ludwig van Beethoven, Francis Adams, mountainer Joe Simpson) each of whom have demonstrated time and time again, how they were able to over come, and the same can be true for us - if we should choose... The thing they said was impossible, we can do!

Lyrics to Ali In The Jungle (by The Hours):
It's, not, how you start, it's how you finish,
And it's, not, where you're from, it's where you're at,

Everybody gets knocked down,
Everybody gets knocked down,
How quick are you gonna' get up?
How quick are you gonna' get up?
Everybody gets knocked down,
Everybody gets knocked down,
How quick are you gonna' get up?
Just how are you gonna' get up?

Like Ali in the jungle,
Like Nelson in jail,
Like Simpson on the mountain,
With odds like that, they were bound to fail
Like Keller in the darkness,
Like Adam's in the dock,
Like Ludwig Van, how I loved that man, well the guy went deaf and didn't give a f, no...

No, no, no

It's, not, where you are, It's where you're going,
Where are you going?
And it's, not, about the things you've done, it's what you're doing, now,
What are you doing, now?

Everybody gets knocked down,
Everybody gets knocked down,
How quick are you gonna' get up?
How quick are you gonna' get up, now?
Everybody gets knocked down,
Everybody gets knocked down,
How quick are you gonna' get up?
Just how are you gonna' get up?

Like Ali in the jungle,
Like Nelson in jail,
Like Simpson on the mountain,
Well with odds like that, they were bound to fail
Like Keller in the darkness,
Like Adam's in the dock,
Like Ludwig Van, how I loved that man, well the guy went deaf and didn't give a f, no...

Oooh, ooh, ooh
No, no, no
Oooh, ooh, ooh
No, no, no
Oooh, ooh, ooh

It's the greatest comeback since Lazarus,
The greatest comeback since Lazarus,
It's the greatest comeback since Lazarus,
The greatest comeback since Lazarus,
It's the greatest comeback since Lazarus,
The greatest comeback since Lazarus,
The greatest comeback since Lazarus,
The greatest comeback...
It's the greatest comeback...

(Radio Commentator) This, is the most joyous scene, ever seen in the history of boxing, this is an incredible scene, the place is going wild, Muhammed Ali has won, Muhammed Ali has won, by a knockdown! By a knockdown! The thing they said was impossible, he's done!

Something to chew on in the mean time.... (and while I am a MIZUNO girl and this is an ad from our competitor, in this case I think the message at hand is most important and universal to all.)

What if God was One of Us

Sunday's Lyrics

I originally chose this song as a Sunday's Lyric last year.  These lyrics will probably always be profound to me.  It is a song I believe which is relevant to whether someone is a believer or non-believer in God... And simply a question to ponder how it is we treat others and would our actions change if it they were God?  Perhaps the real thought to consider is whether we should be striving to treat our neighbours better than we do?  

What if God was One of Us, Joan Osbourne

If God had a name, what would it be
And would you call it to his face
If you were faced with him in all his glory
What would you ask if you had just one question

And yeah yeah God is great yeah yeah God is good
yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah




What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home

If God had a face what would it look like
And would you want to see
If seeing meant that you would have to believe
In things like heaven and in jesus and the saints and all the prophets

And yeah yeah god is great yeah yeah god is good
yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home
He's trying to make his way home
Back up to heaven all alone
Nobody calling on the phone
Except for the pope maybe in Rome

And yeah yeah God is great yeah yeah God is good
yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

What if god was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home
Just trying to make his way home
Like a holy rolling stone
Back up to heaven all alone
Just trying to make his way home
Nobody calling on the phone
Except for the pope maybe in Rome

Monday's Lyrics - COMPETITON

Competition can bring out the best in each of us.  Dare to explore another level of possibility within us.  And competition does not have to be limited to another individual, but rather the greatest competition can sometimes come from oneself. 

Competition

No one trains to fail

Nobody prepares to loose

Everyone wants to prevail

You must compete

Competition is perseverance

Competition is passion

Competition is focus

Competition is adversity

And the will to triumph

Competition is life

Live to compete

It’s on!

The Station

By Robert J. Hastings
Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We are traveling by train – out the windows, we drink in the passing scenes of children waving at a crossing, cattle grazing on a distant hillside, row upon row of corn and wheat, flatlands and valleys, mountains and rolling hillsides and city skylines.

But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day, we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there, our dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. Restlessly we pace the aisles damning the minutes – waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.

“When we reach the station that will be it!” we cry. “When I’m 18,” “When I buy a new 450sl Mecedes Benz!” “When I put the last kid through college,” “When I have paid off the mortgage!” “When I get a promotion.” “When I reach retirement, I shall live happily ever after!”

Sooner or later, we realize there is no station, no one place to arrive. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.

“Relish the moment” is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24: “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.

So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough.

All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten

All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum

  

An excerpt from the book, All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school. 

• Share everything.


• Play fair.


• Don't hit people.


• Put things back where you found them.


• Clean up your own mess.


• Don't take things that aren't yours.


• Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.


• Wash your hands before you eat.


• Flush.


• Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.


• Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.


• Take a nap every afternoon.


• When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.


• Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.


• Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.


• And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.


• Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world - had cookies and milk at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

These are the things I learned:

Unanswered Prayers

Have you ever wanted something so bad, and became filled with frustration and disappointment when it didn't happen?  Yes, life is filled with many of those stories.  However, sometimes time has a funny way of revealing that this let down may have been a blessing in disguise.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but I guess sometimes it is good that we don't always get what it is we want.  I know I would be in some serious trouble with some of my past desires in life. 

Whether in love, career, life, or day to day things, Unanswered Payers, seems to sum this point up nicely...

Unanswered Prayers by Garth Brook



Just the other night a hometown football game
My wife nd I ran into my old high school flame
And as I introduced them the past came back to me
And I couldn't help but think of the way things used to be

She was the one that I'd wanted for all times
And each night I'd spend prayin' that God would make her mine
And if he'd only grant me this wish I wished back then
I'd never ask for anything again

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs
That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers

She wasn't quite the angel that I remembered in my dreams
And I could tell that time had changed me
In her eyes too it seemed
We tried to talk about the old days
There wasn't much we could recall
I guess the Lord knows what he's doin' after all

And as she walked away and I looked at my wife
And then and there I thanked the good Lord
For the gifts in my life

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers

Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs
That just because he may not answer doesn't mean he don't care
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered

Some of God's greatest gifts are all too often unanswered...
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers

VISIONS & IDEALS

As a Man Thinketh by James Allen is one of my most favourite books.  I discovered it about 10 years ago, and have continued to read it repeatedly throughout the years.  In this tiny book James Allen aptly maps out the powerful potential each of us embodies, that it is hard to believe it was written in 1904.  Funny while we move forward with new inventions and gadgets, the simple principles of human nature remain the same… We can achieve as much or as little as we think we can… And visions are always a portal to life’s achievements. 

Visions And Ideals

The dreamers are the saviors of the world. As the visible world is sustained by the invisible, so men, through all their trials and sins and sordid vocations, are nourished by the beautiful visions of their solitary dreamers. Humanity cannot forget its dreamers; it cannot let their ideals fade and die; it lives in them; it knows them as the realities which it shall one day see and know.

Composer, sculptor, painter, poet, prophet, sage--these are the makers of the after-world, the architects of heaven. The world is beautiful because they have lived. Without them, laboring humanity would perish.

He who cherishes a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart, will one day realize it. Columbus cherished a vision of another world and he discovered it.  Copernicus fostered the vision of a multiplicity of worlds and a wider universe, and he revealed it. Buddha beheld the vision of a spiritual world of stainless beauty and perfect peace, and he entered into it.

Cherish your visions; cherish your ideals. Cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts. For out of them will grow all delightful conditions, all heavenly environment; of these, if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built.

To desire is to obtain; to aspire is to achieve. Shall man's basest desires receive the fullest measure of gratification, and his purest aspirations starve for lack of sustenance? Such is not the Law. Such a condition can never obtain, "Ask and receive."

Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.

The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn; the bird waits in the egg. And in the highest vision of a soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities.

~ By James Allen (excerpt from As a Man Thinketh)

Bitter Sweet Symphony

The beauty of children is their infinite imagination and their ability to see only the ways, instead of the obstacles.  But, something funny happens as we mature and grow older we gain more life experiences, more heart aches and more obstacles that begin to cast a shadow over our once youthful imagination of possibilities.  The world of conformity beckons and it is easy to see how people become caught in a rat race, as they watch time slip so rapidly through their hands.  But, I believe it doesn’t have to be that way.  

We are the captain of our fate and all it takes is courage to dare to be whom and what we want to be, free from the opinions and expectations of others.  Sure, there are elements in life that will make our pursuits challenging but if you have the will, dedication and commitment to a goal anything is possible.

Bitter Sweet Symphony paints this melancholy picture of people caught in this mold of trying "to make ends meet , you're a slave to the money then you die" and with the added conflict of wanting to change but feeling trapped that you can’t change.  I challenge you to be true to your self.  Life is there for our taking.

Colouring outside the lines,

Nicole

Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve

Cause it's a bitter sweet symphony this life...
Try to make ends meet , you're a slave to the money then you die.
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down...
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the things meet, yeah.

No change, I can change, I can change, I can change,
but I'm here in my mould , I am here in my mould.
But I'm a million different people from one day to the next...
I can't change my mould , no,no,no,no,no,no,no

Well I've never prayed,
But tonight I'm on my knees, yeah.
I need to hear some sounds that recognise the pain in me, yeah.
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind , I feel free now.
But the airwaves are clean and there's nobody singing to me now.

No change, I can change, I can change, I can change,
but I'm here in my mould , I am here in my mould.
And I'm a million different people from one day to the next
I can't change my mould, no,no,no,no,no,no,no

Have you ever been down?
I can change, I can change...

Cause it's a bittersweet symphony this life.
Trying to make ends meet, try to find somebody then you die.
You know I can change, I can change, I can change,
but I'm here in my mould, I am here in my mould.
And I'm a million different people from one day to the next.
I can't change my mould, no,no,no,no,no,no,no

We've got ya sex and violence melody and silence
(Have you ever been down)
(I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down)

I Don't Want To Be Anything Other...

"We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be." - May Sarton

Whenever, I feel judged or that I am trying to meet the expectations of others I'll remind myself  "I can only be me.  I am what I am."  It's a simple statement, but feels very comforting and grounding.  It reminds me that I cannot please everyone all of the time, and the most important thing is to be true to myself, never compromising my values.  Sure, I may fail sometimes, but as long as I learn and move forward I can only stand to do better.  

Recently, I've felt inspired to emphasize this need to be authentic, because, I believe there is strength in authenticity.  By being ourselves we unconsciously give others the comfort and empowerment to be themselves as well.  And really, wouldn't you want to be in the company of someone who is authentic rather than an untrue representation of themselves.

It is for this reason, "I Don't Want to Be" by Gavin Degraw has always resonated strongly with me ...  In the theme of authenticity it is today's Sunday's lyrics.

"I Don't Want to Be" by Gavin Degraw

I don't need to be anything other

Than a prison guard's son

I don't need to be anything other

Than a specialist's son

I don't have to be anyone other

Than the birth of two souls in one

Part of where I'm going, is knowing where I'm coming from

I don't want to be

Anything other than what I've been trying to be lately

All I have to do

Is think of me and I have peace of mind

I'm tired of looking 'round rooms

Wondering what I've got to do

Or who I'm supposed to be

I don't want to be anything other than me

I'm surrounded by liars everywhere I turn

I'm surrounded by impostors everywhere I turn

I'm surrounded by identity crisis everywhere I turn

Am I the only one who noticed?

I can't be the only one who's learned!

I don't want to be

Anything other than what I've been trying to be lately

All I have to do

Is think of me and I have peace of mind

I'm tired of looking 'round rooms

Wondering what I've got to do

Or who I'm supposed to be

I don't want to be anything other than me

Can I have everyone's attention please?

If you're not like this and that, you're gonna have to leave

I came from the mountain

The crust of creation

My whole situation-made from clay to stone

And now I'm telling everybody

I don't want to be

Anything other than what I've been trying to be lately

All I have to do

Is think of me and I have peace of mind

I'm tired of looking 'round rooms

Wondering what I've got to do

Or who I'm supposed to be

I don't want to be anything other than me

I don't want to be

I don't want to be

I don't want to be

I don't want to be

TO RISK

In this age where social media promotes extreme narcissism, a quest for fame and a means to create a false hyperbole version of ourselves, I wonder are we losing our identity?  Being authentic  involves taking a risk.  We are exposing ourselves to the judgement and assessment of others.  There is no mask to hide behind.  But, in taking this "risk" comes growth, satisfaction, liberation and real happiness.  And living.... In the words of May Sarton "We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be."

TO RISK
To laugh is to risk appearing a fool,

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out to another is to risk involvement,

To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.

To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.

To love is to risk not being loved in return,

To live is to risk dying,

To hope is to risk despair,

To try is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

The person who risks nothing,
            does nothing,
                    has nothing,
                          is nothing.

They may avoid suffering and sorrow,
                    but he cannot learn,
                              feel, change,
                                      grow or live.

Chained by his servitude he is a slave who has forfeited all freedom.

Only a person who risks is free.

The pessimist complains about the wind;

The optimist expects it to change;

And the realist adjusts the sails.

~by William Arthur Ward

A ROOM FULL OF CROSSES

SUNDAY'S LYRICS

"God never sends us more than we can handle." - Mother Theresa

The first time I read this, I was just a junior in undergrad.  I had received it in my inbox and began glancing through it, not expecting it to be important or to deliver anything special.  What I found was as I read each line I began hanging onto every word only to be surprised by the ending, AND finding truth in it.  It's a story I often reference to others, and turn to when life is challenging.... Whenever you are weathering a storm or feel like you're spiraling downwards in a bottomless well,  know that this too shall pass and you are equipped to handle whatever life is throwing at you. 

 A Room Full of Crosses

A young man was at the end of his rope one day. He felt as though he had tried everything he knew to remedy his situation. Seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer.

"Lord, I can't go on," he said. "I have too heavy of a cross to bear."

The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room. Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you wish."

The man was filled with relief. "Thank you, Lord," he sighed as he did as he was told. Upon entering the other door, he saw many crosses, some so large that the tops were not visible. Then he spotted a small cross leaning against a far wall. "I'd like that one, Lord," he whispered.

And the Lord replied, "My son, that is the cross you just brought in."

The young man had just been taught that when life's problems seem overwhelming, he should look around and see the problems of others.

He probably will find — as we all would — that he is far more fortunate than he ever imagined.

When is the last time you stopped and looked around to consider your blessings?

-Tim Woodward

Smells Like Teen Spirit

As a HUGE music enthusiast with the most eclectic collection of songs, my Sunday’s Lyrics was initially based on the lyrics of songs I enjoyed immensely.  I’ve shared songs that have moved me to tears like “One” and songs that inspire me to dig deep like “Ali in the Jungle.” 

Music is powerful!  It can make you happy, glad, inspired and it can heal.  Too often we may like a song without actually listening to what is being said and so I wanted to shine the light on lyrics.  Overtime I’ve expanded my Sundays to include the likes of poems and stories I’ve found inspirational or to carry a heavy meaning.  I usually write a little blurb on my interpretation of the lyrics and how I apply it to life. 

So, today I thought I’d share a song, I loved when it first came out and memorized the words long before you could “google it” to find out what was being said.  It never fails, to this day, when Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is played I’ll start singing along and someone will inevitably say “You know the words to this song???” 

See, although this song was a chart topper most people didn’t know the words to it.  And if you did you’d realize it didn’t make sense... AT ALL!  Lyrics that contradict each other and reflects meaningless (as Kurt Cobain once explained.)  Think about that for a second. 

Should songs have meaning?  And if not, why are lyrics important?

 

Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (1) von Electric_Eye

Load up on guns
Bring your friends
It's fun to lose and to pretend
She's overborne and self-assured
Oh no, I know a dirty word


Hello, hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello ,hello
With the Lights out it's less dangerous
Here we are now entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now entertain us
A mullato an albino
A mosquito my libido
Yay

I'm worse at what I do best
And for this gift I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will until the end

Hello, hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, hello
With the Lights out it's less dangerous
Here we are now entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now entertain us
A mullato an albino
A mosquito my libido
Yay

And I forget just why I taste
Oh yeah I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard it's hard to find
Oh well whatever nevermind

Hello, hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, hello
With the Lights out it's less dangerous
Here we are now entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now entertain us
A mullato an albino
A mosquito my libido
A denial

Sunday's Lyrics - PAID IN FULL

Something to make us think... 

A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.

As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited  signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning  of his graduation his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and  told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box.

Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible. Angrily, he raised his voice at his father and said, "With all your money you give me  a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy book. 

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care things. When he arrived at  his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart.

He began to search his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears,  he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he read  those words, a car key dropped from an envelope taped behind the Bible.

It  had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports  car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...PAID IN FULL.How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?

~Author Unknown

10 EASY WAYS TO LIVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE - Achtung!

TODAY'S PRESS RELEASE - Six Canadian Athletes in Elite Group of Olympic and Paralympic Athletes Sponsored by Visa "I'm thrilled to help Visa tell its Olympic story and join so many other world-class athletes who have benefited from Visa's support," said Nicole Forrester. "Team Visa has been ...

The most important thing that each and every one of us has is our health. WHY??? Well, you can’t take care of your family and those you care about if you can’t take care of yourself.  Think about it.  Do you ever notice that when you fly, the flight attendant instructs you to secure your mask on YOUR face before attempting to help someone else, in the case of an emergency?  They tell you that because if you lose consciousness you are not in a position to help those around you.

The same is true with life.  Remember the number one cause of death in North America is lifestyle related - also known as having an inactive and unhealthy lifestyle.  A massive heart attack or stroke can remove you from your family within 3 minutes of setting in.  Why not take time now to ensure you’ll be around for years to come.

Now I realize busy schedules, working long hours and various life duties can make being healthy challenging, so I’ve thought of 10 ways you can incorporate a healthy lifestyle and turn your life around right now, if you desire.

1. Control Your Weight.  You don’t just wake up one day and boom you are overweight… it creeps up on you, giving way to an expanding waistline.  Pay attention to your weight and manage it.
2. Drink WATER instead of JUICE/POP.   We are supposed to drink approximately 8 cups of water a day.  Water does a body good while successfully cutting out the sugar and caloric intake found in juice and pop.
3. Commit to eating healthy 6 days a week.  You are allowed one cheat day if you can eat healthy for 6 days.  And that means eating healthy with appropriate serving sizes, loading up on vegetables and fruits.  Try eating frequently throughout the day with smaller portions - your 3 meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner plus snacks (i.e. yogurt/apple) between mealtimes. 
4. Exercise your HEART.  Try adding some cardiovascular exercise such as walking, jogging, biking or swimming to your weekly activities.  Make it something you do 3 times a week for at least 20 minutes a day. 
5. Add Some Muscle. This is a good idea because it elevates your metabolism even when you’re doing nothing.  Greater muscle mass makes it easier to keep lean.  You can do this by adding strength training twice a week to your routine.  It could involve simple exercises like Squats, Lunges, Push-Ups, Pull-Ups, Crunches/Sit-ups.  You can do an exercise routine of just those 5 exercises with 2-3 sets of 15 (be sure to be slow while doing them) to benefit.
6. Explore the Athlete in You. Set Varying Fitness Goals during the Year.  Try running half a marathon or a bike race.   By setting a performance goal of running a certain time or maybe just finishing the race it gives you motivation to exercise. 
7. Use the Buddy System.  Recruit a friend or involve your family with adopting this healthy lifestyle behaviour. 
8. Adopt a routine.  Just like you get up each morning and brush your teeth, shower and get ready for work, having a healthy lifestyle means incorporating it in your regular routines.  So, if you commit to work out 3 times a week, schedule it and stick to it.
9. Pay-up First.  Anticipate feeling some Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness when first beginning an exercise routine.  Fortunately, the more you exercise the easier it gets!
10. Reduce Stress Levels.  Take time to think of the good things (a glass half full approach), sleep more, or set 1 hour in the week (or in a day) for you to just relax.

Committed to a healthy lifestyle,

Nicole

Sunday's Lyrics - THE WORLD'S GREATEST

YOU are truly amazing! I mean that.  You and you alone are capable of moving mountains... of making the impossible become possible.. and incredibly, changing the world!  But, you have to see those qualities in yourself.  Because, the truth of the matter is that we are all amazing.  And the opinion we each carry about ourselves may just be the greatest determining factor in what we achieve.  Life doesn't just happen to us, but we play an active role in it. 

I can't helping feeling empowered everytime I hear the song "The World's Greatest."  It's a song about seeing yourself as the powerful being you are and achieving greatness because of this realization... My favourite line is

"I'm that little bit of hope
When my back's against the ropes
I can feel it
I'm the world's greatest"

 Listen carefully to these simple lyrics and I dare you to have a week of powerful actualization!

Have a fabulous and blessed day!
Nicole

The World's Greatest by R. Kelly



[Intro]
Yeah, uh, uh
Yeah
It's the world's greatest
It's the world's greatest
C'mon, yeah
The world's greatest

I am a mountain, I am a tall tree, oh
I am a swift wind sweepin' the country
I am a river down in the valley, oh
I am a vision and I can see clearly

If anybody asks you who I am
Just stand up tall
Look 'em in the face and say

I'm that star up in the sky
I'm that mountain peak up high
Hey, I made it
I'm the world's greatest
And I'm that little bit of hope
When my back's against the ropes
I can feel it
I'm the world's greatest

(The world's greatest, yo)
(The world's greatest ever)

I am a giant, I am an eagle, oh
I am a lion, down in the jungle
I am a marchin' band, I am the people, oh
I am a helping hand, I am a hero

If anybody asks you who I am
Just stand up tall
Look 'em in the face and say

I'm that star up in the sky
I'm that mountain peak up high
Hey, I made it
I'm the world's greatest
And I'm that little bit of hope
When my back's against the ropes
I can feel it
I'm the world's greatest

In the ring of life I'll reign love
And the world will notice a king
When all is darkest, I'll shine a light
And use a success you'll find in me

I'm that star up in the sky
I'm that mountain peak up high
Hey, I made it
I'm the world's greatest
And I'm that little bit of hope
When my back's against the ropes
I can feel it
I'm the world's greatest

I'm that star up in the sky
I'm that mountain peak up high
Hey, I made it
I'm the world's greatest
And I'm that little bit of hope
When my back's against the ropes
I can feel it
I'm the world's greatest

I'm that star up in the sky
I'm that mountain peak up high
Hey, I made it
I'm the world's greatest
And I'm that little bit of hope
When my back's against the ropes
I can feel it
I'm the world's greatest

It's the greatest
Can you feel it
It's the greatest
Can you feel it

Repeat 1 while:
I saw the light
At the end of a tunnel
Believe in the pot of gold
At the end of the rainbow
And faith was right there
To pull me through, yeah
Used to be locked doors
Now I can just walk on through
Hey, uh, hey, hey, hey
It's the greatest
I'm that star up in the sky

I'm that star up in the sky
I'm that mountain peak up high
Hey, I made it
I'm the world's greatest
And I'm that little bit of hope
When my back's against the ropes
I can feel it
I'm the world's greatest

Sunday's Lyrics -- It's Never Too Late by Three Days Grace

I believe it is never too late to become what it is that you wanted to be... I believe that life isn't always easy.  I believe we all have our own crosses to carry.  And I can't help believing and hoping that the hard times faced only rebuffs and refines us... though we may not understand it at the time...

It's so easy to give up in all that we do and aspire to be when we are tried, and things may appear impossible.  Unfortunately, too many people give up too soon.  Life is meant to be abundant.  It may not be an easy journey to get there, but it can and is as great as we make it.  You cannot undue the past, no matter what scars they may leave, but you can acknowledge them and decide to move forward.  Otherwise they will always be the shackles that keep you constrained, and realizing it's Never Too Late.   

Today's lyric choice epitomizes this to me... A somewhat melancholy song... but one with hope.

Believing,
Nicole

It's Never Too Late by Three Days Grace



This world will never be
What I expected
And if I don't belong
Who would have guessed it
I will not leave alone
Everything that I own
To make you feel like it's not too late
It's never too late

Even if I say
It'll be alright
Still I hear you say
You want to end your life
Now and again we try
To just stay alive
Maybe we'll turn it all around
'Cause it's not too late
It's never too late

No one will ever see
This side reflected
And if there's something wrong
Who would have guessed it
And I have left alone
Everything that I own
To make you feel like
It's not too late
It's never too late
Even if I say
It'll be alright
Still I hear you say
You want to end your life
Now and again we try
To just stay alive
Maybe we'll turn it all around
'Cause it's not too late
It's never too late

The world we knew
Won't come back
The time we've lost
Can't get back
The life we had
Won't be ours again

This world will never be
What I expected
And if I don't belong

Even if I say
It'll be alright
Still I hear you say
You want to end your life
Now and again we try
To just stay alive
Maybe we'll turn it all around
'Cause it's not too late
It's never too late
Maybe we'll turn it all around
'Cause it's not too late
It's never too late (It's never too late)
It's not too late
It's never too late

JESUS WALK

SUNDAY'S LYRICS

The other day I gave a talk to a school and was asked who I turn to for help when I am challenged?  Now, I give many talks and this was the first time I had ever been asked that question.  Without hesitation I responded, “God.”  My faith is a fundamental part of who I am.   God is my best friend.  And while there are times I may be frustrated with Him, it is Him who I turn to in my joy and sadness.

I am mindful of people’s faith, belief and lack thereof, so I do not try to place judgment or convert nonbelievers into believers.  Ironically, I can’t help finding it funny how taboo the topic of God has become these days. However, if I can blog about Achtung topics, certainly I can and will blog about Jesus… After all He is a part of who I am.  To the people that know me best, they know it is certainly one of my favourite discussions to have… if only to gather a deeper understanding of my faith.

There are times I feel very close with God and times I feel I have strayed away.  I love the song “Jesus Walk” by Kanye West because it speaks of a yearning to be one with God especially in those moments I’ve strayed away.  Perhaps my favourite line in the song is:

I ain't here to argue about his facial features
Or here to convert atheists into believers
I'm just trying to say the way school need teachers
The way Kathie Lee needed Regis

That's the way I need Jesus

So here go my single dog radio needs this
They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus
That means guns, sex, lies, video tapes
But if I talk about God my record won't get played

Huh?

Likewise, if I can blog about everything else, why can’t or wouldn’t I blog about God.  Indeed, Jesus walk with me.

Walking,

Nicole

"Jesus Walks" by Kanye West



Yo, We at war
We at war with terrorism, racism, and most of all we at war with ourselves
(Jesus Walks)
God show me the way because the Devil trying to break me down
(Jesus Walks with me) with me, with me, with me

You know what the Midwest is?
Young & Restless
Where restless (People) might snatch your necklace
And next these (People) might jack your Lexus
Somebody tell these (People) who Kanye West is

I walk through the valley of the shadow of death is
Top floor the view alone will leave you breathless

Uhhhh!
Try to catch it

Uhhhh!

It's kinda hard hard
Getting choked by the detectives

Yeah, yeah now check the method
They be asking us questions, harass and arrest us
Saying "we eat pieces like you for breakfast"
Huh? Ya’ll eat pieces of what? What's the basis?
We ain't going nowhere but got suits and cases

A truck full of crap rental car from Avis
My momma used to say only Jesus can save us
Well momma I know I act a fool
But I'll be gone 'til November I got packs to move

I Hope

(Jesus Walks)
God show me the way because the Devil trying to break me down
(Jesus Walks with me)
The only thing that I pray is that my feet don't fail me now
(Jesus Walks)
And I don't think there is nothing I can do now to right my wrongs
(Jesus Walks with me)
I want to talk to God but I'm afraid because we ain't spoke in so long

To the hustlers, killers, murderers, drug dealers even the strippers
(Jesus walks with them)
To the victims of Welfare for we living in hell here hell yeah
(Jesus walks with them)

Now hear ye hear ye want to see Thee more clearly
I know he hear me when my feet get weary
Cause we're the almost nearly extinct
We rappers are role models we rap we don't think

I ain't here to argue about his facial features
Or here to convert atheists into believers
I'm just trying to say the way school need teachers
The way Kathie Lee needed Regis

That's the way I need Jesus

So here go my single dog radio needs this
They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus
That means guns, sex, lies, video tapes
But if I talk about God my record won't get played

Huh?

Well let this take away from my spins
Which will probably take away from my ends
Then I hope this take away from my sins
And bring the day that I'm dreaming about
Next time I'm in the club everybody screaming out

(Jesus Walks)
God show me the way because the devil trying to break me down
(Jesus Walks)
The only thing that that I pray is that my feet don't fail me now
(Jesus Walks)
And I don't thing there's nothing I can do now to right my wrongs
(Jesus walks with me... fades)
I want to talk to God but I'm afraid because we ain't spoke in so long