And now I give you, your moment of recognition, if you are honest with yourself (and it's hard to be when you see it just once, so it might take a few views to accept that you are a witness or a perpetrator of these thoughts or language). An interesting take on male and female roles and how they are perceived because of our biases:
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Knowing is half the battle
I have to admit, even I am guilty of some of these situations...I maintain that knowing is half the battle, but I would add that sharing your knowledge is another 1/4 of it. Knowledge is power. If we begin to recognize the biases that we hold, for whatever reason we hold them, we have already taken a step to resolving those biases because that recognition is now part of our makeup. It is in our brains both chemically and electrically wired. So, the next time that we see the bias being generated, our brains will flash back to the point of recognition, and we will have the capacity to stop ourselves or to educate others, from the judgement that we have become mechanized to spew and to accept without thought or logic.
And now I give you, your moment of recognition, if you are honest with yourself (and it's hard to be when you see it just once, so it might take a few views to accept that you are a witness or a perpetrator of these thoughts or language). An interesting take on male and female roles and how they are perceived because of our biases:
And now I give you, your moment of recognition, if you are honest with yourself (and it's hard to be when you see it just once, so it might take a few views to accept that you are a witness or a perpetrator of these thoughts or language). An interesting take on male and female roles and how they are perceived because of our biases:
What if money were no object?
Many people are leaving their traditional careers for innovative jobs and self-started businesses, some unimaginable just a few years ago. This is a trend around the globe. It has to do with passion and what you like to do and how you can sell what you love, whether it be an object like art or writing pieces, or skills like language or window-washing, or playing a musical instrument.
In case you are skeptical about why it is such an important trend for humanity, and even if you aren't, you should watch this video. I saw it a while ago and it has some really great leading questions that might help you to know what is best for YOUR situation, because we are all different, and therefore no solution will be exactly the same for any of us!
In case you are skeptical about why it is such an important trend for humanity, and even if you aren't, you should watch this video. I saw it a while ago and it has some really great leading questions that might help you to know what is best for YOUR situation, because we are all different, and therefore no solution will be exactly the same for any of us!
Football and Gay in the Same Sentence
Just wanted to give props to a writer via NPR who crushed any argument regarding why being gay and playing football removes some 'manliness' from the sport by negating all commentary from people who chose to remain anonymous as "unmanly," themselves. If you can't stand behind your opinions as yourself instead of the all-too-well-known author named Anonymous, you're not much of a typical "man's man" yourself so you probably don't have too much leverage to bolster your opinions, facts, or whatever your negativity regarding a young man's future in a sport (that he is good enough to have gotten this far playing) is, exactly.
Also...why is it such a big deal that this guy would be the first openly 'out' (please see the article for a laugh on these terms)NFL football player when there have certainly been many 'not out' players that just kept their personal life...personal? Leave their personal stuff where it belongs, no matter their sexual preferences. Live your life. Love football or hate it because you do or don't and not because someone gay-bashes or gay-supports but because you care that huge dudes run, kick, throw, intercept and fumble a weirdly shaped ball 100s of yards once a week for multiple months so that you can be entertained. Beyond that, just like movie stars, they are normal people doing normal people things (but probably with lots more money!).
Thanks for up-ending some strange media negativity and making it something that highlights what's actually important...recognizing that men are men are men...no matter what anyone calls "manly..." even you, eight men who not-so-publicly decried gayness and particularly gay football as an athlete, teammate, coach, or spectator as 'unmanly.'
Also...why is it such a big deal that this guy would be the first openly 'out' (please see the article for a laugh on these terms)NFL football player when there have certainly been many 'not out' players that just kept their personal life...personal? Leave their personal stuff where it belongs, no matter their sexual preferences. Live your life. Love football or hate it because you do or don't and not because someone gay-bashes or gay-supports but because you care that huge dudes run, kick, throw, intercept and fumble a weirdly shaped ball 100s of yards once a week for multiple months so that you can be entertained. Beyond that, just like movie stars, they are normal people doing normal people things (but probably with lots more money!).
Thanks for up-ending some strange media negativity and making it something that highlights what's actually important...recognizing that men are men are men...no matter what anyone calls "manly..." even you, eight men who not-so-publicly decried gayness and particularly gay football as an athlete, teammate, coach, or spectator as 'unmanly.'
And now, back to reality (and not the type you see on TV).
Monday, February 10, 2014
Smiles are like wagging tails...
...they let people know you are friendly and approachable!
It helps you:
A) Fake it 'til you make it.
B) Share kindness with people who need it most.
C) Make people wonder what you're thinking.
Don't forget to smile!
It helps you:
A) Fake it 'til you make it.
B) Share kindness with people who need it most.
C) Make people wonder what you're thinking.
All of the above and more!
What else does smiling do for you and others?
(Buddy the Elf, a great role model from the movie "Elf") :-D
Sunday, February 9, 2014
A reminder about love...through love of a place
Reminding us what love is all about, this blog post I just saw responds to another more negatively-worded post. I love it because it shows that there are two ways to look at life. If you look at it through the lens of love, like this one, then there is hope for a bright and happy future.
Choose hope.
Choose to be your own change.
Reason number 932874462395 I love the Olympics!
The athletes. The camaraderie. It's like the phrase "for love of the game"...and they all have it. Sport.
Last night, while watching a plethora of athletic events and victories and failures of different athletes...I reflected.
These athletes are BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE. Not only are they spectacles for the eyes because of their athletic and toned physiques, but they are graceful and their smiles light up the whole screen. Their tears (and faces for holding back tears) are even beautiful. They are so human and they remind us that we are, too. We all know both the soaring and ecstatic emotions of victory as well as the dark and frustrating feelings of defeat. But these athletes, like us, have found that the best way to move out of the darkness of defeat is to get up and try again, to brush away tears and to congratulate their fellow teammates, athletes, and competitors. They know that only in respecting and learning from their own mistakes and from the skills of others can they become better than they were in their defeat. It's beautiful.
I loved seeing the American, Norwegian, and Canadian snowboarders full of HUGE smiles that lit up the podium as they embraced one another in front of the world and were awarded the first medals of the Sochi Olympics. THIS is teamwork. This is beauty. This is the Olympic Spirit that we know and love. At the end of the day, above the competitions and the politics and the defeats, we are people and we are celebrating our victories TOGETHER.
Thank you, athletes, for being your beautiful, graceful, human selves...for singing your national anthems with pride and then embracing your competitors from around the world as friends. You make it worthwhile to emulate professional athletes again. You make the world better because of your tenacity and your ability to lift us with you as your spin and soar and skate and ski and push and speed along. You bring us with you in your victory, and we continue to cheer you through your defeat so that you can rise again and continue the ride.
Last night, while watching a plethora of athletic events and victories and failures of different athletes...I reflected.
These athletes are BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE. Not only are they spectacles for the eyes because of their athletic and toned physiques, but they are graceful and their smiles light up the whole screen. Their tears (and faces for holding back tears) are even beautiful. They are so human and they remind us that we are, too. We all know both the soaring and ecstatic emotions of victory as well as the dark and frustrating feelings of defeat. But these athletes, like us, have found that the best way to move out of the darkness of defeat is to get up and try again, to brush away tears and to congratulate their fellow teammates, athletes, and competitors. They know that only in respecting and learning from their own mistakes and from the skills of others can they become better than they were in their defeat. It's beautiful.
I loved seeing the American, Norwegian, and Canadian snowboarders full of HUGE smiles that lit up the podium as they embraced one another in front of the world and were awarded the first medals of the Sochi Olympics. THIS is teamwork. This is beauty. This is the Olympic Spirit that we know and love. At the end of the day, above the competitions and the politics and the defeats, we are people and we are celebrating our victories TOGETHER.
Thank you, athletes, for being your beautiful, graceful, human selves...for singing your national anthems with pride and then embracing your competitors from around the world as friends. You make it worthwhile to emulate professional athletes again. You make the world better because of your tenacity and your ability to lift us with you as your spin and soar and skate and ski and push and speed along. You bring us with you in your victory, and we continue to cheer you through your defeat so that you can rise again and continue the ride.
Go WORLD!
Be a Success!
Here are some things to help you see if you're setting yourself up for success! Is there anything you can make an effort to do more or less of to be more successful? If we are able to look at ourselves objectively and notice our own short-comings, we will be THAT much closer to being able to rectify these things and to be better people!
I personally love the "keep a 'to-be' list" and would like to try this.
I always try to tell people compliments that I previously kept to myself. Why NOT share that you love someone's outfit? Or that you like how someone sings or dances? Or that you really appreciate that someone did such-and-such? Making others happy makes us happy, too! Yay for everyone involved!
I need to read more. That's probably the one I do LEAST and need to make that a habit.
Take a look!
What can YOU do better to make you more successful?!
Oceannow
OCEANNOW is an organization dedicated to protecting the oceans of the world (which cover 72% of planet Earth) from our own human destruction, for our own benefit. We receive half of our oxygen from the life in the oceans, which also provide us with food sources and give the world's living populations balance, when functioning as it should.
There are negative impacts that have happened, but it's possible to make a change.
You can see their National Geographic-sponsored video here and follow the instructions to find out more on how to help. It's never too late to make a Change!
There are negative impacts that have happened, but it's possible to make a change.
You can see their National Geographic-sponsored video here and follow the instructions to find out more on how to help. It's never too late to make a Change!
Saturday, February 8, 2014
The next Matisyahu? Garden of Eden rap!
This Jewish rapper, Ari Lesser, is awesome!
Check out his skills!
Be good to each other :)
Love seeing these cool videos of how different religions are bringing their faith (whatever it may be) into the modern day! Living the overall belief of all religions that I've ever heard of, calls primarily for being good and treating others with kindness.
That's ALWAYS a belief I can get behind.
Friday, February 7, 2014
I LOVE THE OLYMPICS! (PART 983486238756)
Ok...they just got started (in my time zone) last night...but I can't tell you HOW excited I was to hear the Olympic jingle on NBC...it just makes me feel joyful and alive!
I love to see the athletes from my own country, and from countries I've visited. I love seeing the incredible things they have taught their bodies how to do...and to do it better than (most) other people in the world.
I love to see the difference between videos at the beginning of the Games, when the focus is on the national team, and at the end, where we see the friendships that have been created between athletes from around the world. THIS is how I imagine peace. People who are different, coming together, and realizing they are not so different, and bonding and becoming friends. It doesn't mean they don't compete sometimes with all of their passion, it doesn't mean they always get along every second of the day and that they agree on all points...it means they're normal. My friend, Brooke, who is a comedian and a wonderful human being, wrote a post recently about some of the differences we have and how we are somehow able to (if we want) get over them, for the sake of the Olympics! It means we are open and inviting to others, wherever they come from and whatever their backgrounds and misgivings and misconceptions and with respect for their skills and things that make them happy and things that rock their socks so hard that they want to dedicate their lives to being an athlete whose MAJOR competition only happens every four years. I mean...just think about that! The world is FULL of amazing people doing spectacular things everywhere! Tune in (on TV and in your life)!
*sigh...the Olympics...* (stares off dreamily)...
I love to see the athletes from my own country, and from countries I've visited. I love seeing the incredible things they have taught their bodies how to do...and to do it better than (most) other people in the world.
I love to see the difference between videos at the beginning of the Games, when the focus is on the national team, and at the end, where we see the friendships that have been created between athletes from around the world. THIS is how I imagine peace. People who are different, coming together, and realizing they are not so different, and bonding and becoming friends. It doesn't mean they don't compete sometimes with all of their passion, it doesn't mean they always get along every second of the day and that they agree on all points...it means they're normal. My friend, Brooke, who is a comedian and a wonderful human being, wrote a post recently about some of the differences we have and how we are somehow able to (if we want) get over them, for the sake of the Olympics! It means we are open and inviting to others, wherever they come from and whatever their backgrounds and misgivings and misconceptions and with respect for their skills and things that make them happy and things that rock their socks so hard that they want to dedicate their lives to being an athlete whose MAJOR competition only happens every four years. I mean...just think about that! The world is FULL of amazing people doing spectacular things everywhere! Tune in (on TV and in your life)!
*sigh...the Olympics...* (stares off dreamily)...
Knowing what you want...
I want to be so inspired that I could burst.
I want to feel like what I do matters in the world.
I want to use what I know, and learn what I don't.
I want to be free from location, and connected to the world.
I want to serve others.
...because knowing is half the battle...
What do you want?
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Dare you to move...or be moved!
Predictable? I don't know...but it's probably the most moving piece of film I've seen in...a long time.
(This is isn't the best version, I believe the original can be found at this address)
Character is how you treat those who (you think) can do nothing for you.
Feelin' GOOD!
Speaking of mantras...check this one out...
"It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me
...and I'm feelin' good!"
from the mouths of babes...13 year old Carly Rose Sonenclar.
DANG, GIRL!
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