The dangers of Contra

For the last few years I have been involved in a seemingly innocent and fun activity called Contra dancing. I invite you to watch this video to get an idea of what Contra is all about, then come back and read the rest of the blog posting.

So, in no particular order, here are the dangers of Contra dancing:

• It is addictive — oh, sure, at first you can go once a month to the local dance and be happy with just that. But then horrible things begin to happen. By Wednesday morning you begin to have withdrawal symptoms. When there is no local dance scheduled for that weekend, you start looking for dances in nearby communities. Soon you find yourself driving one, then two, then three hours to a dance. In my case, I started with Lake Murray Contra (thanks to my friend Robin), and then to Columbia Contra events. Soon we were going to Charleston, SC, and Charlotte, NC, for some dances. Now, I routinely go to dances in all those places plus Greenville, River Falls and Spartanburg (website coming). The addiction is so bad that I find myself missing the Contra dance on Monday instead of Wednesday. See how bad it is? And now I am thinking maybe I can drive to Atlanta or Florida for a dance when there are none in my areas. Bad, isn't it? And don't even get me started on Contra weekends! I attended my first weekend-long event this April (The Palmetto Bug Stomp in Charleston, SC) and now I keep looking forward to more weekend-long events!
• It disallows any sense of inactivity and boredom. If you are a coach potato, being exposed to Contra dancing is a bad idea. You will quickly find yourself wanting more activity. It will start with one dance per month, then two per month … soon you will want to start running and lifting weights. And you might as well cancel your cable subscription and sell your TV(s). You will not have time or desire for those things.
• It makes you new friends even when you don't expect them. Picture this: you show up at a Contra dance having 20-30 friends. After just two or three hours you leave the dance with 50 more friends. Oh, but it does not stop there.  Wait until you attend a weekend event -- then your circle of friends grows exponentially. It can be exhausting having these many friends! And some even bring you into their homes and make you part of their family just because you are a Contra dancer.
• As if all the above was not enough, your sense of community gets inflated almost as much as a politician's ego at a political rally. Soon you find yourself volunteering to be a Board member for one … two … three or more groups. You volunteer to do events. And someone gets you started as a Caller. It is all very dangerous, I am telling you!
• You will be forced to learn new skills — not on the dance floor, as Contra dancing is nothing more than fun walking to fantastic music, but in many other areas. For example, if you start calling, your memory will improve, you will learn to modulate your voice, improve your listening skills, and work on having great timing and rhythm.
• You will be forced to give up on perfection and focus on having fun. Dancers, callers, organizers, musicians — they have all abandoned the concept of perfection and embraced the joy of having fun, laughing at all the goofy stuff that happens, and moving on quickly so that the moment can take over and fill your heart with joy. Contra teaches you to be in the here and now; what happened a moment ago is gone and what may happen tomorrow has no room in your mind and heart. The only thing that matters are the people you are with and the fabulous music you are dancing to. You focus on the here and now or the group will bring you there very quickly. Beware: Contra dancing is pure mindfulness in motion.
• You will develop smile muscles you never knew you had.

I am sure there are many other potential dangers of Contra dancing that I may have missed. If so, please feel free to comment and let me know what perils you have encountered in your Contra dancing journey.

Looking 10-15 Years Down the Road

Goals are dreams with a deadline.

Plans are what helps us achieve our goals.

How far ahead do we plan?

Source: http://7-themes.com/6776415-beautiful-scotland-wallpaper.html

I am beginning to plan the trips I will take when I retire some 10-12 years down the road. If all goes well, the road will be my home. I will have a modest vehicle to live in and will criss-cross the USA, Canada and (perhaps) Mexico. I have a three-prong mission and a clear vision. And when not on the road on the American continent, I am planning trips to visit other countries. First stop: Spain. That will be followed by Scotland and England. Each will be at least three weeks long. I have books I am reading and planning my trips.

Do you have long-term plans, goals, mission and vision?

When we fail to plan we plan to fail. (Benjamin Franklin)

It is time for reform and re-evaluation

The latest scandal on a large organization (this time FIFA) is a clear indication that our society needs a re-boot. Organizations such as FIFA, the International Olympic Committee, all governments, and most corporations have become corrupted. Their sheer size is a perfect conduit for corruption. The larger the enterprise, the more likely that things will begin to run amok, that accountability will fade away, and that transparency will be replaced with secrecy.

It is time for all of us to demand reform, accountability and transparency. We are all paying the cost for this corrupted system.

It is also time for us to take action. Let us not support organizations that fail to meet high ethical standards. Let us all re-evaluate our own behaviors.

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

Mahatma Gandhi

"The Door to December" by Dean Koontz

I recently finished reading "The Door to December" by Dean Koontz. I have been a fan of his for many years (ever since I read "Lightning"), and this book is a great read. It explores the effects of scientific experimentation mixing the occult and paranormal phenomena. This is a definite page-turner from start to end.

The Minimalists

Have you heard of minimalism? I briefly mentioned it in my 2014 Challenges post.

I first became aware of minimalism through Leo Babauta at Zen Habits. Then I was introduced to the Minimalists website ran by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus.

When Joshua and Ryan announced their 2014 Tour and I found they were coming to Columbia, I volunteered to help anyway I could. So I will be taking pictures of their visit. They will be in Columbia on May 17 and in Charleston on May 18. Tickets are free! :-)

Joshua and Ryan recently started a new Minimalists Meetup site. I applied and was selected to be the leader for the Columbia group. We plan on meeting at least once per month to talk about making our life's better through minimalism.

Come join us! It is free. It is simple.

Picture of the Day: 2014-01-05

It is (about) time: more minimalism.

These two clocks (with batteries that have been dead long ago) have been sitting on a bookshelf for years. They will now go to charity. Part of the steps to rid our home of unused, unneeded "stuff".

(Sorry the picture is blurry — probably all the dust on the items. <G>)



Picture of the Day by Victor Gascon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://gasconjedi.blogspot.com/.

Picture of the Day: 2014-01-04

My new desktop: clean, uncluttered

I have finally cleaned my desk. It is now fairly uncluttered. I installed a new LED light so that I can see better when it is dark. I keep my water bottle near all the time.

I use a traditional Day-Timer and my electronic calendar to stay organized. I accomplish more when I write tasks and appointments down by hand. I once was completely electronic (I loved my Palm Pilot) but things have changed and I find myself better off this way. But I am also sure things will change again and I may go completely electronic in the future.


Picture of the Day by Victor Gascon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://gasconjedi.blogspot.com/.

Picture of the Day: 2014-01-03

Running at Sesqui State Park - no danger of me exceeding the speed limit. :-)

View from new bridge at Sesqui State Park

One of the many pleasures of running is being able to capture great pictures. Even if you don't run, just walking outdoors will present you with many photo opportunities.

Have you noticed that no two sunsets are quite the same?


Picture of the Day by Victor Gascon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://gasconjedi.blogspot.com/.

Picture of the Day: 2014-01-02

Minimalism, step 1: five bags, one room

The kids and I cleaned out our guest room. This donation went to the Kidney Foundation. One room down, several more to go.


Picture of the Day by Victor Gascon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://gasconjedi.blogspot.com/.

Picture of the Day: 2014-01-01

Today, I have two pictures to share with you.

January 1 run with the Columbia Running Club! Great way to start the new year!

All structures are unstable, impermanent.

As I was running I came upon the above structure and could not help but to think of Eckhart Tolle's story of unstable structures.

Licensing:
 
Picture of the Day by Victor Gascon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://gasconjedi.blogspot.com/.

2014 Challenges

Happy 2014!

Here are my challenges for the new year. These are my opportunities for growth in 2014.

1. Picture of the Day: I will publish at least one picture evey day. I am undertaking this challenge in memory of my friend David Martin who passed away unexpectedly in 2009 at the young age of 39. He had started a similar challenge back then.
2. Daily Blogging: I currently have five blogs, and I will update at least one of these every day.
• Victor's Journey: my personal blog (which you are currently reading)
• Victor's Technology Corner: a blog about computers and technology in general
• Fitness is LIFE!: a journal about fitness and health
• My fitness blog at SparkPeople
• Motivate, inspire … live!: a blog about my public speaking journey
3. By December 2016, I will be back at 180 pounds and be fit and healthy. I will do so by:
• Exercising daily
• Eating healthy
• Resting enough
• Recording my activities and nutrition using SparkPeople
4. I will be more active in minimalism and will remove at least one thing I do not need from my life everyday.

Thanks for sharing my journey!

PS: I am pre-dating this post so that future posts can make sense. For example, I already took the pictures for several days and will be posting them separately.

Free books!

For quite sometime now I have been receiving free (and very inexpensive) e-books from BookBub

BookBub: Free and Bargain Kindle Books, Nook Books, and more

I can read them anywhere on my SmartPhone or any computer. Love it!

Two new blogs

Greetings!

I am announcing the start of two new blogs:

• Fitness is LIFE! : a blog dedicated to sharing information on getting fit and staying healthy. 
• Motivate, inspire … live! : a record of my journey as a public speaker and a tool for anybody to find ways to positively impact others with their words.

Why two more blogs? In one word: specialization. This will help keep different aspects of my rantings under different roofs.

Iin case you missed my other blogs:

• Technology Center
• Fitness story

Enjoy … and please send your thoughts, comments, requests and suggestions so that I can help as many people as I can!

Travel tips that make sense

Here is a recollection of Leo Babauta's latest vacation trip with his family.

» 16 Essential Tips for Traveling with a Family :zenhabits

He shares excellent tips on how to have fun, enrich your mind, and make the best of the places you visit.

And this is his wife's perspective on traveling light. But forget the "women" slant: her advise is great for all genders and for all parents.

» Eva’s List: Traveling Light for Women :zenhabits

I know I will be using their ideas in future trips.

And from the "my friend told me about this" file, here is a recommendation from a good friend of mine: Airbnb.

Vacation rentals, private rooms, sublets by the night - Accommodations on Airbnb

She had an excellent experience and I definitely will plan on using this website for future travel plans.

Enjoy!

The Magic 9-Letter Word

Courtesy of OmHarmonics

Studies show that this one thing can make you 25% happier.

It makes you immune to anger, disappointment and frustration.

It's even been shown to heal pain and illness in your body.

That one thing is GRATITUDE - and amazing things happen when you integrate it into your meditation practice.

Here's a fun exercise to try:

1. As you sit down to meditate, breathe in deeply and imagine your heart filling up with gratitude. Radiate that energy and light from within feeling blissful and deeply thankful.

2. Think about five specific things to be grateful for on this day. This can be something simple like "that pasta I had for lunch was delicious", up to something really important like "I'm blessed to have a loving partner and family".

3. Think about the people behind the situations you were grateful for and express thanks to each of them.

4. Remind yourself that whatever you focus on, expands. When you focus on gratitude and positivity, you will get more of that in return. Be mindful that you will attract more abundance, love and health by being grateful for your current state in these areas.

Allowing Things to Happen

» The Wisdom of Allowing Things to Happen :zenhabits

The Master allows things to happen.
She shapes events as they come.
She steps out of the way
and lets the Tao speak for itself.
~The Daodejing

What is your motivation?

Here is an excellent video from Tony Robbins that gives a very interesting explanation of what motivates people.

Tony Robbins: Why we do what we do, and how we can do it better

Gas Mileage Tips

There are many myths about what works to improve gas mileage. Even with today's gas prices, it makes sense to watch our gas consumption. There is no guarantee that gas prices will stay low, and the environmental impact of higher gas usage is significant.

Good Hands News: Perplexed-at-the-pump

Enjoy!

Daily Reflection from Napoleon Hill

A long time ago I bought the book "Positive Action Plan" by Napoleon Hill. It is a compilation of "365 meditations for making each day a success."

I thought it may be helpful to share some of these with you here.

Part of today's reflection reads: "Spend your time and energy in constant self-inspection and self-improvement, building strong character, and you will never have to worry about what others think of you."

I believe that is why I have spent so much time with Toastmasters and why I love Yoga and meditation. They are perfect vehicles for self-inspection and self-improvement.

Ultimate Guide to De-cluttering

Here is a great guide to de-cluttering and minimalism:

» Your Top 10 Clutter Questions, Answered :zenhabits

This year, I have been working steadily on de-cluttering. With the help of Freecycle, I have found a home for many things that had been around, unused, for years. It is a liberating process that I highly recommend.

A Bad Popular Exercise?

Interesting article that reveals too much running can be bad for you. Balance is the key. Benefits of HIIT are explained.

Dr. Doug McGuff on the Benefits of Exercise

Long, slow, distance-type of exercise can actually cause your intermediate and fast-twitch fibers to begin to atrophy. Aside from losing muscle mass, this also promotes onset of loss of insulin sensitivity

Benefits of a Healthy Diet

Here is an excellent article on what two scientists found about proper nutrition.

Dr. Paul Jaminet Discusses the Benefits of a Healthy Diet

"I think there are so many people who have developed health problems because of the bad advice they've gotten from government authorities and the medical establishment," Dr. Jaminet says.

"Fortunately, things are changing now. I think people are realizing that advice didn't work, and it didn't have evidence behind it really. People are learning that there are much better ways to eat out there. Hopefully, it will start turning the tide on these chronic disease epidemics that we're experiencing."

A valuable lesson for the New Year

The Ziglar Weekly Newsletter » January 3, 2012 Edition 1

Old Fred, our town’s 85-year-old bachelor, loves children.  He frequently sits on his shady lawn in a rocking chair, whittling toys for the kids when they gather around him in droves.  Most of the townspeople often wondered why Fred had never married; one day someone asked him the question.  Fred’s response gives all of us something to think about: “Well, I’ll tell you,” Fred replied, “I was like a man riding a horse through the woods looking for a switch.  Every time I saw a likely-looking one I’d pass it by, thinking I’d find a better one.  And before I knew it, I was clear through the woods.”

24 Ways to Lose Weight Without Dieting

Here is an excellent set of tips from WebMD. Of course, the "without dieting" part is a bit misleading. But the tips are still worth looking through.

24 Ways to Lose Weight Without Dieting

WebMD also has a nice Personal Diet Evaluator that you may want to look at. I still like the one provided by SparkPeople, but more knowledge is usually better, right?

Enjoy!

For those with a New Year's Resolution

New Year is the day we typically set resolutions. One of them, for many people, is to lose weight and get in shape. If possible, I suggest that you consider running. Here is a nice article on training for a 5K race: Sofa to 5K: Training Program for a 5K Run

Here is an even easier system: Couch to 5k - C25K Running Program

And you may want some music to go along with that: Podrunner: Intervals - Free Workout Music from dj steve boyett

Or try this 5 K Training system by Hal Higdon.

Do you need help? Find a running club in your area. Start at your local running shop; they can guide you. If you are new to running, have your self fitted for proper running shoes. If your local shop is very expensive, find the brand and model of shoes they recommend, then head to the Running Warehouse website and find the same shoes at 40-60% off, with free shipping and free returns.

Find a running partner! I think it is one of the best motivational techniques. When you are accountable to someone else you tend to push a little harder.

Join a community, like SparkPeople. They are awesome! The site is free and the tools are fantastic!

When you do not feel like running, simply walk at a fast pace. You will still get a good workout without the impact on joints.

Listen to your body, but don't let your mind play tricks on you. :-)

Remember to stretch, stretch, stretch, but do it mostly after you warm up and after you finish running. Try some Yoga to improve your flexibility. The more flexible you are, the better you will run and the more you will enjoy running.

Most of all, have fun! When it stops being fun, then it may be time to try something else for a little while. Again, be careful of tricks your mind may play.

Happy New Year to you!

What Happened to Customer Service?

Today, as a start of a school science experiment for my son, I went to three fast-food restaurants to purchase a small order of French fries. What I found was despicable customer service and an obvious need for these restaurants to remove the "fast" from their branding.

First, it was Burger King. I entered the restaurant because the drive-thru line was rather long. I was third in line. It took almost five minutes to get to me. The cashier almost did not look up from the register to address me; there was no greeting or smile. The best I got was "What can I get you?" I placed my order and then waited over five minutes for a small set of fries; the staff had none out. At almost dinner time, it seems like a bad idea not to have French fries ready. I was given my order and did not receive a "thank you" or a "Happy New Year" or even a "go away and leave me the hell alone." Blank face, complete silence. WOW! It is a very different feeling being a customer of this store. Needless to say, I am not coming back.

Next it was Wendy's. There was a short line at the drive-thru, so I opted for that. The cashier asked me to hold and then disappeared for two minutes; again, no greeting. When he came back, he gave me the customary "Can I take your order?" I drove to the second window and the guy took my money. Five minutes later I still did not have the fries. They must not have fries ready at this restaurant either. I finally see a guy approaching the window with my food; he shoves it out the window without saying a word. I say "thank you" and he closes the window without a word. I was now fuming. I yelled at him and told him he was rude. He cracked open the window and asked me to repeat myself; I told him he was rude, that I deserve at least a "you are welcome" since I had addressed him politely. He said "well, you are welcome." Two for two; that Wendy's will never see me again.

Lastly, a McDonald's. The drive-thru was packed, so I went in. This was perhaps the worst. Two cash registers. I stand on the first one. Of course, that was a bad move. After taking the order ahead of me, the cashier disappears into the back to do something. And now the other line has gone from one customer to six customers. The supervisor starts yelling instructions and tells the cashier to get back to the front. She comes back and starts to argue with the supervisor; back and forth they went. By now, it has been at least five minutes and they have not even taken my order. I finally speak up and ask if they can possibly take my order. A different cashier, younger and very unhappy, comes over and takes my order. I see a bunch of French fry envelopes under the heating lamps, yet it still takes another three minutes for the lady to come back with a bag. She extends her arm at me and, without a word, gives me my food.

I know it is New Year's Eve. I know food service is a tough job. But it never hurts to have some basic customer service skills. Does it hurt to smile and say "Hello!"? Does it take such a great effort to say "Thank you for your order? Come back and see us!"

I think these food service employees need to remember that they are fortunate to have a job. I remember working through Christmas, New Year's, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, etc. It was not fun; but I was grateful for the job and the money. And I was always polite to my customers.

I will voice my comments to all three chains. None of those restaurants should call themselves "fast food" and all of them need some serious refresher on how to be polite to their customers. And all of them have lost my business.

No Black Friday for us

Our family will not partake in Black Friday. The weather here is cool, so we will find something to do indoors for the morning, and then head out to a trail in the afternoon. What a great gift that will be!

The end of capitalism?

The Occupy movement has caused fear amongst many in society. They fear that capitalism will come to an end. It reminds me of the concept of impermanence. Nothings lasts forever, everything changes constantly. During the last few decades, capitalism has changed to mostly benefit an elite few. It appears it now will be transformed into a system that will benefit the majority.

Will it be the same as it was before? Probably not.

Will the change be pain-free? Probably not.

Will the change require sacrifice? Probably so.

Will this generation see the benefits of this shift? Probably not completely. Our children and grandchildren will be the greatest benefactors.

Call me a Twitter

I am more involved in Twitter thanks to the Occupy movement. I am still learning. The 140 characters forces clarity and brevity. Love it!

We need a diet revolution!

Japanese Diet vs USA Diet, Nutrition by Natalie - PsycheTruth

These are bare facts as to why our diet needs to be revolutionized.

The power of No

» The Four Things I Wish I Could Say No To :zenhabits

In that statement is the fundamental choice at the heart of Great Work: focus on the No to become clear on the Yes; define the Yes by clarifying the No.

Personally, not being disciplined in saying "No" has caused me greatly over the years. Not saying Yes to the more important aspects of life has been very significant. So I enjoyed reading this blog and its lessons on Good Work v.s. Great Work. Which one are we focusing on most of our time?

Powerful principles for a mindful workday

The 5 Principles of a Profound Workday | zen habits

‘Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.’ ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Being Quiet and Successful

I recently read this excellent blog (partial quote follows):

The Quiet Theory of Influence | zen habits

When everyone yells “Look at me!”, become quiet.

When others seek attention, turn your attention inward.

When everyone wants pageviews and sales, be valuable.

When others try to pull visitors to their sites, let people find you themselves.

When most blogs have popups and drop-downs urging readers to subscribe to their newsletters, get out of your readers’ way.

When others brag of their success, let others laud you instead.

When others cling greedily to copyrights, give your work away.

When others use goals to drive themselves to change the world, learn to be content, and people will ask to learn your secrets.

My friend John Fay found this excellent demonstration:

xkcd: Marketing Interview

Peace, everyone!

Some fruits and vegetable are more susceptible to pesticides. Learn which are and are note.

Executive Summary | EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides | Environmental Working Group | EWG.org

Eat your fruits and vegetables! The health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure. Use EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides to reduce your exposures as much as possible, but eating conventionally-grown produce is far better than not eating fruits and vegetables at all. The Shopper's Guide to Pesticide in Produce will help you determine which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticide residues and are the most important to buy organic. You can lower your pesticide intake substantially by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated produce.

Emails and attachments (my gripes)

Often, I receive emails asking me to open an attachment so that I can learn details about an event/fundraiser/etc. It seems to me that it would be just as easy for the sender to paste the details in the email body and save everyone the bother of having to open a document. It would also save our email servers from having to store documents that are not needed.

While I am at it, please consider not using PowerPoint to create a fancy-looking one-slide document. We need less "artistic" and more information, more simplification and less decoration.

And let me not forget this one: I will not support a fundraiser for a "health" cause that sells unhealthy products. Selling cookies, pies, and fried chicken to raise funds for the American Heart Association makes as much sense as selling guns to promote gun control, or selling joints in an anti-drug campaign.

Education is critical to progress

Here is an opportunity to take college courses for free:

Free Online College Courses

There are two parts to this article. A link to the second part is at the bottom of part one (which this link points to).

Enjoy exploring the work of free college courses!

Blood Work by Michael Connelly

I recently finished reading Blood Work by Michael Connelly. It is a great murder mystery book. It has a great cast of well defined set of characters that remain true to themselves from start to end. Connelly grabs your attention from page 1 and does not let go until the very end. The conclusion was unexpected and a little disappointing to me, yet it did not diminish the overall value of the book as a whole. I recommend this author and book.

Mister Monday by Garth Nix

The kids and I just finished listening to Mister Monday. This is a great book to read or listen to. It is the first in a seven book series by the author. We recommended it for it's great use of imagination and vivid descriptions. It was very entertaining and has a few good moral lessons along the way.

A Man's Guide to Balanced Nutrition | Active.com

A Man's Guide to Balanced Nutrition | Active.com

Effortless Decision-Making

Effortless Decision-Making | zen habits

How do you make a choice when you’re stuck at a fork in the road?

How can you decide when two or more possibilities seem equally good?

This is an easy-to-read, easy-to-follow advise that can be helpful at many times in our lives.

Marcin Jakubowski: Open-sourced blueprints for civilization

Here is a revolution in an unexpected way:

Marcin Jakubowski: Open-sourced blueprints for civilization | Video on TED.com

Six Money Lessons

Great advise we can all use:

6 Money Lessons for My College-Aged Daughter | zen habits

I always dreaded budgeting and paying bills and thinking about savings and retirement, and figured I could always deal with it later.

Problem with that is you end up screwing yourself if you put things off until later. Living for the moment is great, until the finances catch up with you and the moment starts to suck because you owe a ton of debt.

I’ve found that living mindfully means not just partying in the moment, but taking care of things now, when they’re small, rather than when they’re huge.

Cancer: the ugly truths, the better treatments

If the "c" word (that is, cancer) has touched your life (directly or indirectly) then you need to read this book.

Cancer-Step Outside the Box

The author seems a bit repetitive at times, but perhaps that is a needed technique as people tend to jump in to read parts they want/need to learn about.

The truths about the cancer industry are very real based on my own experience with Tracey. It is obvious that the cancer machine does not want to allow more effective treatments to come to surface. How could then they make billions of dollars per year? It is this reality that has caused me to stop contributing to charities associated with cancer treatments and cures. Sadly, they are a farce. Whether the people that head and work for such organizations as the American Cancer Society or Susan G. Komen Foundation know it or not is debatable. What is not so unclear is that there are more humane treatment methods and they have been shutdown, repeatedly, by government agencies that are too vested in the status quo to be a conduit for progress.

Not only is this book an exposé of these organizations, it also provides great treatment protocols and excellent preventive methods.

If you take only one thing out of this post then take this: we owe it to ourselves not to be part of the current cancer machinery that slashes, poisons and burns patients with a pathetic 3% success rate; compare that with a 90% success rate of the protocols listed in this book which use more natural and effective methods.

Do you want to learn more? Please visit: Cancer Truth | Alternative Cancer Treatments

One tiny change -- that's all it takes

Get Started: From Overweight to Healthy | zen habits

If it were just a body-image thing, I’d say learn to love your body — and I believe that. Forget the cover models on magazines, the perfect people on TV and in movies. They’re just being used to sell us stuff, but the result is that we get bad body images for not having rock-hard abs. Forget about that. What worries me, though, about friends and family who are overweight is their health — having a big belly puts you at risk of heart disease, diabetes and other similar problems.

Scary stuff.

But how do you start getting healthier and fitter? How do you change a whole slew of habits, from eating too much to eating fried and sweet and fatty foods to drinking sodas and sweet coffee drinks to being sedentary?

You make one change. A tiny little one.

It really can be that is. One small change. My first change was to increase water drinking. Then I moved more. Then … 65 pounds later, I was in the best shape I had been in decades!

So make one small change; and please do it today!

Breathe!

Breathe. | zen habits

Breathe.

Breathing can transform your life.

If you feel stressed out and overwhelmed, breathe. It will calm you and release the tensions.

If you are worried about something coming up, or caught up in something that already happened, breathe. It will bring you back to the present.

If you are discouraged and have forgotten your purpose in life, breathe. It will remind you about how precious life is, and that each breath in this life is a gift you need to appreciate. Make the most of this gift.

If you have too many tasks to do, or are scattered during your workday, breathe. It will help bring you into focus, to concentrate on the most important task you need to be focusing on right now.

If you are spending time with someone you love, breathe. It will allow you to be present with that person, rather than thinking about work or other things you need to do.

If you are exercising, breathe. It will help you enjoy the exercise, and therefore stick with it for longer.

If you are moving too fast, breathe. It will remind you to slow down, and enjoy life more.

So breathe. And enjoy each moment of this life. They’re too fleeting and few to waste.

Be still

Be Still. | zen habits

From the Tao Te Ching:

It is not wise to dash about.
Shortening the breath causes much stress.
Use too much energy, and
You will soon be exhausted.
That is not the Natural Way.
Whatever works against this Way
Will not last long.

The Illusion of Control

A good friend of mine sent me this, and I wanted to share it with all of you.

breathe. | zen habits

May you live like the fish … at least some of the time.

The Illusion of Control

‘The Master allows things to happen.
She shapes events as they come.
She steps out of the way
and lets the Tao speak for itself.’
~Laozi

Post written by Leo Babauta.

When you think you control something, you’re wrong.

It’s amazing how often we think we’re in control of something when really we aren’t.

Control is an illusion, as I’ve said many times before.

We constantly make plans that never actually turn out the way we envisioned. ‘If you want to make God laugh, make a plan,’ an old saying goes.

We have been trained to set goals, and then work on the actions that lead to those goals … and yet how often do those goals fail? How often are we trying to control a future that we cannot predict?

Did you know five years ago that the world would turn out as it has — that Obama would be president, that the stock markets would have crashed, that we’d be deep into a recession, that earthquakes and tsunamis would hit, that you’d be doing exactly what you’re doing today?

Of course not. We don’t know the future, much less control it. We like to think we do, but that never turns out to be true.

And yet we continue to believe in the illusion of control. We face a chaotic and complex world, and seek to control it however we can.

Our attempts to control the world can be seen through:

• Trying to control how our children turn out, as if we can shape them like blocks of clay, as if humans aren’t more complex than we can possibly understand.
• Tracking every little thing, from spending to exercise to what we eat to what tasks we do to how many visitors are on our site to how many steps we’ve taken today and how many miles we’ve run. As if our selective tracking can possibly include the many, complex factors that influence outcomes.
• Trying to control employees — again, complex human beings with many motivations and whims and habits that we don’t understand.
• Obsessively planning projects, trips, days, parties, as if the outcomes of events are things we can control with our powers of manipulation of the world.

If we can let go of this illusion, what are we left with? How can we live among this chaos?

Consider the fish. A fish swims in a chaotic sea that it cannot possibly control — much as we all do. The fish, unlike us, is under no illusion that it controls the sea, or other fish in the sea. The fish doesn’t even try to control where it ends up — it just swims, either going with the flow or dealing with the flow as it comes. It eats, and hides, and mates, but does not try to control a thing.

We are no better than that fish, yet our thinking creates the need for an illusion.

Let go of that thinking. Learn to be the fish.

When we are in the midst of chaos, let go of the need to control it. Be awash in it, experience it in that moment, try not to control the outcome but deal with the flow as it comes.

How do we live our lives like this? It’s a completely different way of living, once we let go of the illusion:

• We stop setting goals, and instead do what excites us.
• We stop planning, and just do.
• We stop looking at the future, and live in the moment.
• We stop trying to control others, and focus instead on being kind to them.
• We learn that trusting our values is more important to taking action than desiring and striving for certain outcomes.
• We take each step lightly, with balance, in the moment, guided by those values and what we’re passionate about … rather than trying to plan the next 1,000 steps and where we’ll end up.
• We learn to accept the world as it is, rather than being annoyed with it, stressed by it, mad at it, despaired by it, or trying to change it into what we want it to be.
• We are never disappointed with how things turn out, because we never expected anything — we just accept what comes.

This might seem like a passive way of living to some, and it’s against our aggressive, productive, goal-oriented cultural nature. If you can’t accept this way of living, that’s OK — many people live their lives with the illusion of control, and not realizing what it is that makes them unhappy or frustrated isn’t the worst thing ever.

But if you can learn to live this way … it’s the most freeing thing in the world.

Becoming a Lay Buddhist

Today, I officially became a Buddhist. It is not that today I became a much better person. I feel I have lived my life with good intentions and through good deeds. I do the best I can and try to help others when possible. But today I made it "official."

Being a Buddhist may not be very different from being a person of other faiths and beliefs. We all share certain "sacred" values that bind us. In Buddhism we call these values The Precepts. We believe in the Three Pure Precepts:

• Cease from evil
• Do only good
  
• Do good for others

We also follow the Ten Great Precepts:

• Do not kill
• Do not steal
• Do not covet
• Do not say which is not true
• Do not sell the wine of delusion
• Do not speak against others
• Do not be proud of yourself and devalue others
• Do not be mean in giving either Dharma or wealth
• Do not be angry
• Do not defame the Three Treasures

Many of these are familiar to most people; they are the common rules most humans follow to be good members of society.

The greatest change for me today is becoming a vegetarian. This is not a requirement for becoming a Buddhist, but it is a choice I am making for many reasons, not the least being that this will (even in a small way) reduce the demand for meat and make a small impact on the cruelty suffered by farmed animals.

My biggest challenge over the last few years has been anger. I have had a lot to be angry about, and I was not dealing with these issues in a healthy manner. Through Buddhism and meditation I have gained tools to deal with this aspect of my humanity. It is not perfect but it is a lot better.

I am grateful everyday  for all I have.

The Year of Money

I received the following from a friend through an email. Take it for what is worth:

"This is the year of Money! This year has four unusual dates: 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, and 11/11/11. That's not all. Take the last two digits of the year in which you were born; now add the age you will be this year, and the result will be 111 for everyone! This year October will have 5 Sundays, 5 Mondays and 5 Saturdays. This happens only every 823 years."

Book Review: "Last to Leave" by Clare Curzon

I read this book a few weeks ago. It is a great mystery novel with excellent descriptions of places and people. It is a bit slow at first and the British police ranks are confusing for an American reader, but the twists and turns each character takes are worth the time reading each page. I loved the end -- very unexpected. I recommend the book.

A talented rendition of an oldie

A beautiful rendition of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum

My HIIT Plan

HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) has been proven to increase metabolism and improve fitness. Today I started a HIIT program to help with weight loss and fitness. Here is my plan:

Week 1: three times per week
* walk at 3.6 mph for 2 minutes
* run at 7 mph for 1 minute
* 10 cycles (about 40 minutes with a 3 minute warm up and 3 minute cool-down)

Week 2: three times per week
* walk at 3.6 mph for 90 seconds
* run at 7 mph for 1 minute
* 10 cycles

Week 3: three times per week
* walk at 3.4 mph for 1 minute
* run at 7.2 mph for 1 minute
* 10 cycles

Week 4: three times per week
* walk at 3.4 mph for 1 minute
* run at 7.2 mph for 1 minute
* 12 cycles

Week 5: three times per week
* walk at 3.2 mph for 1 minute
* run at 7.4 mph for 1 minute
* 12 cycles

Week 6: three times per week
* walk at 3.2 mph for 1 minute
* run at 7.4 mph for 1 minute
* 14 cycles

Week 6: three times per week
* walk at 3.2 mph for 1 minute
* run at 7.4 mph for 1 minute
* 16 cycles

Week 7: three times per week
* walk at 3.0 mph for 1 minute
* run at 7.4 mph for 1 minute
* 18 cycles

Week 8: three times per week
* walk at 3.0 mph for 1 minute
* run at 7.4 mph for 1 minute
* 20 cycles

1/3/11: Week 1, Day 1 has been done. More updates as available.

Happy New Year! Let 2011 be the best year ever!

It has been a while since I wrote on this blog. The absence was due to many factors, not less the lack of time. Or, better yet, the lack of time management. It is my intention to manage this finite resource wisely from now on.

I write about my intention and not my resolution. I believe the latter are easy to abandon because they lack an anchor into something deeper. Resolutions are similar to goals without a vision; they lack the deep foundation needed to make them happen. I came across the concept of intentions in 2009. I encourage you to visit the Intenders website; specifically, you may want to visit The Code page for a great example of some worthy intentions.

As of today, I am going to dedicate this blog to personal reflections. I am starting a new blog dealing strictly with technology. The address is http://vgascontech.blogspot.com. Among the things I will publish there is a copy of the newsletter I publish every week for the protonic.com website.

And speaking of personal reflections. the kids and I spent part of our New Year's Eve evening at Finlay Park for the City of Columbia New Year's Eve Carnival and Fireworks. We got there a little late for the carnival portion; at $10 per person, it might have been worthwhile had we arrived earlier. The kids and I definitely enjoyed the fireworks sitting on a bench on the high end of the park. We then went home and watched two episodes of "Bones" (season 1, which we got from Netflix). And just around 11 PM both kids fell asleep on the couches. At 11:55 I woke them up and we celebrated New Year's with some healthy OJ. There were plenty of fireworks in our neighborhood. You should see the mess on the streets! I am sure it will all be cleaned up later today.

May your 2011 be filled with health, happiness and prosperity!

Remembering Poppa

Last Thursday we lost one of the kindest men I have ever met. He was famous and yet never showed it. He was brilliant and always down to earth.

Ben Viccari was Tracey's grandfather and my kids' great-grandfather. I only met him twice -- once in 1998 and once when we visited him two years ago to celebrate his 90th birthday. Poppa had a warm, friendly smile that set you at ease, and a sparkle in his eye that told you he was full of life. He was kind to the kids and made everyone around him feel important. We will miss Poppa.

Here is a link to his obituary.

Here is a link to his Wikipedia page.

Brilliant!

Asereje - opera singers version :) - watch in high quality

From the Heart

My friend and Yoga teacher Juliet wrote this great insight for our internal newsletter:

Happy 2010 everyone!  As we move through the early part of the year, passing Valentine’s Day and the SCANA promoted events for the Heart Association, I have been contemplating the symbolism of the heart and the unlimited nature of love.  Although Valentine’s Day typically is associated with “romantic love”, this is only one of the many types of love that we experience.  Other types of love are:

·         Loving Kindness – sending out love and happiness to all beings.  Including loving ourselves.

·         Compassion – wishing love and happiness to others through the end of all suffering.

·         Sympathetic Joy – feeling love and happiness for the good luck and success of others.

·         Equanimity – Loving others because you see their qualities in yourself and your qualities in them.

The beauty of love is that the more generous we are in giving it, the more we are able to receive it.  Perhaps the most important type of love we must cultivate is self love.  It is difficult to give and receive love if we don’t feel worthy of it.

Most dogs have the concept of love down pat.  They approach their owners expecting affection, and in receiving it, give it back unconditionally.  They don’t question if they are lovable or not.  They know that they are, just as we should know that each of us is lovable and worthy of love.

This year, let’s exercise our heart by building loving relationships with ourselves and others.  It is through relationships that we experience the greatest joy.

Movement Against Unsolicited Phone Book Delivery

The EPA estimates that 650,000 tons of phonebooks are delivered annually to 100 million households in the United States. Producing those 650,000 tons of phone books uses 11.6 billion gallons of water and sends 1,650,880 tons of Carbon Dioxide into the air (CO2 is a greenhouse gas and contributes to global warming). The EPA estimates that only 18% of the phone books that are discarded in the United States each year are recycled. That leaves 533,000 tons to take up 1,758,900 cubic yards of landfill space.

Opt Out
If you are among the 54% of Americans that use the internet or a cell phone to search for phone numbers, you can opt out of receiving your annual phone book (or books).

I think this is the only responsible thing to do — if you do not want a phone book next time around, then please opt out at this web page:

YellowPageGoesGreen.org

There is no need to be a PC victim!

The Thin Line Between "Victim" and "Idiot"

From outer space and from beautiful Earth

It's amazing what we learn about cosmical bodies: APOD: 2010 January 4 - Comet Halleys Nucleus: An Orbiting Iceberg

And yet there is so much wonder right here in our own planet: APOD: 2010 January 5 - A Roll Cloud Over Uruguay

The future of computers?

Here is a neat look at what is coming:

I cannot wait for these to come out (at a reasonable price, of course!).

Think, Focus, Feel, Attract

Andy Dooley not only creates amazing artwork, he is a great teacher and a fantastic speaker. I think you will definitely enjoy and benefit from this very short but very powerful lesson:

Andy Dooley ART - Think, Focus, Feel, Attract

Interestingly, something similar happened to me last night. I could not find the dog's leash anywhere. I stopped and focused, felt as I had found it, and within seconds knew where to look for it. My intention was clear (to have the leash in my hand). And it happened. The leash was outside on our BBQ cart -- a place I would have never thought of looking. But the location came to me easily as soon as I allowed the feeling of finding to happen.

Enjoy!

We should never allow this to happen again!

Warning: very graphical images at this page:

Shame to Humanity....!!!!

Why Aren't My Abs Toned?

Excellent, short article on how to have more toned abs: Why Aren't My Abs Toned? - Specialist Q&A - Fitness Team - Fitness Basics

Speed Reading Techniques

I have been, lately, very interested in improving my reading efficiency (not just speed, but also comprehension). Here is a nice clip that summarizes many accepted speed-reading techniques:

Enjoy!

Clear Out the Clutter

The following is from Denise Austin's newsletter:

Keeping your home clean and free of clutter is a key component to healthy living. Clutter builds up quickly; most people don't even realize that they're pack rats until they start going through closets and realize they have shoes they haven't worn in a decade or piles of newspapers dating back to 2000!

If this is you, it's time to declutter your home. Remember the old adage "Cluttered home, cluttered mind"? Rejuvenate your peace and well-being by vowing to clear up the clutter. To decide whether something is worth keeping or not:

• Go room by room, tidying each room completely before moving on.
• Establish zones or boxes for trash, recycling, charity, sentimental or monetary value, and undecided items.
• If an item is going into the sentimental box, ask yourself what you plan to do with it. Will you give it to your children or a friend? Is it really worth keeping? For example, do you think your child will want your fifth-grade report card?
• If you think an item has monetary value, consider having it appraised. You may learn it has none, or you might decide to sell it for some extra green!
• For items in the undecided box, give yourself a deadline. If you do nothing with the items by your next decluttering session (say, in three to six months), consider tossing or donating them to charity.

Remember, coming home to a clean and clutter-free space will leave you feeling calm and relaxed. Embrace the concept — you'll be glad you did.

This will be our project for this weekend: clear lots of clutter from our house!

World Record Worth Striving For

One of the nicest, craziest persons I have met online is Andy Dooley. Actually, he is quite an inspirational person. He recently went after the world record for giving hugs. Watch his video:

Free hugs -- what an awesome idea!

Solid suggestions to help kids stay healthy

Here is a great, short, article on what we all can do to help prevent childhood obesity:

The Growing Problem of Childhood Obesity - Weight Center - Everyday Health

I know it is a difficult thing to do. Society bombards us (especially kids) with all types of junk-food temptation. I battle this with my kids and, most of the time, I steer them in the direction of healthier choices.

But diet is not the only problem -- lack of exercise is a huge factor in childhood obesity.

Enjoy the article!

Interesting video on aging

Reverse Aging Explained… Fact or Fiction?

Going Green

We have all heard the "going green" campaigns to save our planet. Here is a "going green" idea to save your body:

I have used "green smoothies" on and off for the last several months. Unfortunately, it has been more off than on. I will start a daily routine of them. They are so yummy that even the kids love them!

Natural Awakenings - Worth Reading

For some time now I have been hooked on reading the "Natural Awakenings" magazines. I began by picking up the issues at my chiropractor and other places around town, but then I have been getting the electronic version and I want to share the latest issue with you:

Natural Awakenings: Columbia Edition Cola1209

It has some excellent articles that are not specific to Columbia. Actually, most of them are very global in nature and are as applicable in South Carolina as they are in any other part of the world.

Their main website (which includes many previous issues) is at http://www.healthylivingcolumbia.com/.

Enjoy!

A great guide to Ubuntu 9.10

As some of you may have read, I have finally moved all of our home computers to Linux. I chose Ubuntu 9.10 as the distro for our home.

Here is an excellent guide to Ubuntu 9.10:

Eva's Useful Guide to Ubuntu 9.10

Enjoy!

The many benefits of Yoga

Relax Your Mind and Body with Yoga

Yoga is a great addition to a well-rounded fitness program. Yoga can help increase flexibility, reduce stress, and build endurance.

Let's Say Thanks -- Thanks to Xerox

Let's Say Thanks

If you go to http://www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq.

You cannot pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services.

How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one! It is FREE and it only takes a second.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these? Whether you are for or against the war, our soldiers over there need to know we are behind them.

This takes just 10 seconds and it's a wonderful way to say thank you. Please take the time and please take the time to pass it on for others to do. We can never say enough thank you's.

Thanks for taking to time to support our military!

Let's Say Thanks

Windows 7 & GNU/Linux -- Part 2

Wouldn't you know it? The adventures in Windows 7 and Linux continued today. The system I thought would be a cinch to upgrade turned out to be just as interesting as the two older machines. But it really was not all that bad. Windows 7 installed flawlessly except it would not allow me to set the partition size to the desired amount from the installer. No big deal, as I just did it later on through Drive Manager. However, I could never get it to go to the 60 Gb that i had originally planned. I may be able to force the issue later. However, I do not have the same document sharing issues that my kids have. First, I intend to work mostly out of my Linux partition. Windows 7 will be used for work-related activities. Second, I have access to two large external drives that I use for storage and backups.

Linux installed OK except for a temporary problem with the video driver. By default Ubuntu does not use the Nvidia proprietary drivers needed to drive the GeForce 6150 LE that came built-in with this machine. I also ran into a bad wireless dongle that was making things difficult. Fortunately I had a spare and that seems to be working fine. Once I ran all the updates I was able to (rather easily) install the correct drivers for my video card. I have been working in Linux for several hours now. All is good. So far it appears that Ubuntu is considerably faster than Windows in most things I have done, but that is a subjective assessment. I am definitely glad not to have to worry about viruses and miscellaneous malware that affects Windows users. And you cannot beat the price for Linux and all the fantastic software out there. And speaking of such, I love the fact that I can use WINE to run some of the Windows applications that I love and depend on (and for which I have not found a Linux alternative). It is the best of both worlds.

Journey into WIndows 7 & GNU/Linux Dual-Boot

During the last three days I have spent a few hours upgrading the kids computers, something I had promised them a long time ago. Poor MacK has been SO very patient! She has been struggling with an older PIII-1 GHz machine that was truly on its last leg. For months, almost weekly, she would come to me and ask: "When are you going to do my computer?" Finally, Thursday it was her day. She did not get a "new" computer; she inherited my 5-year-old 2 GHz AMD sytem with 2 Gb of RAM. I installed a 250Gb hard drive to replace the two smaller drives that were in the machine originally. As luck would have it, this older machine would not boot from a DVD — it is a limitation of the BIOS. So I tried to update the BIOS but could not find the correct updater for it. Fortunately I did not damage the BIOS in the process. I searched the Net for a solution and, of course, many people had faced a similar scenario. But, in order to boot the machine, I had to have a 4Gb or larger USB pen drive. We had to wait until Friday morning to get one from Wal-Mart (for the great price of $8). The SanDisk Cruiser device came with the annoying U3 software pre-installed, and I was unable to remove it for several days (more on that later).

Here is the page that guided me to the preparation of the USB pen to install Windows 7 on MacK's machine:
http://computersight.com/software/install-windows-seven-without-iso-dvd/

I did a manual installation of Windows 7 allowing it to use half of the drive. The other half, of course, would be for GNU/Linux (Ubuntu 9.10). Everything went well and Windows recognized all the built-in hardware. It did not recognize an add-on NIC and modem, which I then removed from the machine since they were not needed anyway. After installing Office 2007, ClamWin, Firefox, and all the needed patches and service packs, I began the installation of Ubuntu. As expected, all went well. I allowed it to use the remainder of the drive.

I was very lucky because one of the big question marks I had was the wireless card. The existing wireless card (USB based from Linksys) is not supported under Windows 7 or Linux. About two years ago I had purchased five RALink (RT73) USB dongles from one of my favorite vendors (3BTech) specifically because they were compatible with Windows and Linux. They had been sitting around in a bag unused and (mostly) untested. I had used one on my PC and one on an old laptop, and they had worked well. The dongle worked flawlessly under Windows 7 and Ubuntu 9.10. They were automatically recognized by both systems. Setting up the network connection was fairly easy and straight forward. Notably, the card works better under Linux than under Windows: better signal strength for extended periods of time.

The final step was to create a "Data" partition that would hold MacK's files so that they could be accessed from both Windows and Linux. I went into Windows 7 and shrank the C: drive to half its original size. I formatted it with the exFAT format, but that was not recognized by Linux, so I reformatted in Linux with straight FAT32. I then restored all her files and that was it. Friday ended with MacK's machine being done.

Saturday was the day for Noah's machine. I thought that, since it was identical to MacK's PC, I would get through it in no time. But that was not the case. For about an hour I could not get the machine to boot using the USB pen. I even re-did the installation steps on the pen thinking maybe something had gotten corrupted. Nothing. Regardless of which port I used the machine would not boot up. I re-checked all cables inside (thinking maybe something had gotten unplugged when I removed the old drives and installed the new 250 Gb disk). Everything was OK. After fighting with it (and using a few choice words) I went to the BIOS set-up one more time and reviewed every choice possible. And there it was! Somehow, "USB Legacy Support" had been set to Disabled. Once I enabled that setting, I was able to boot to the USB pen and repeated the process I had followed with MacK's PC. Saturday ended with Noah's machine being done. He had already backed-up his data, and he had unplugged his machine and then re-plugged it. That was great help!

About the U3 pre-installed software. On this Compaq Presario machine, I had to "eject" all the card reader and other USB drives before the U3 un-installation process would work. Once that was done, the complete process of having just a plain USB pen drive took almost no time. See these pages if you need more information on the U3 uninstallation process:

http://www.u3.com/support/default.aspx#CQ3

http://kb.sandisk.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2550/kw/U3%20Removal%20Tool/r_id/101834

Today I will begin the process of converting my new machine (which was Tracey's new machine three years ago). My setup will be similar to the kids' (three partitions, etc.) with Windows 7 and GNU/Linux (Ubuntu 9.10). I intend to run mostly out of the Linux partition. So far, MacK is more into Windows (although she loves Linux) and Noah more into Linux. That does not surprise me. At least they will both be exposed to the two different operating systems and not be "boxed in" into one or the other.

Abundance Challenge - Lesson 2

If you are tired of cruising along this journey called life, then you owe it to yourself to take control and set things in motion for a better experience. Here is lesson #2:

Abundance Transformation in 15 Days | Lesson 2 - Create instant shift by clearing limiting "Money Beliefs"

If you wish to experience greater flow of abundance & prosperity, you would be wise to first examine your beliefs about money and see if any of them might be hindering your objective. Beliefs don’t usually work alone, but rather determine the ACTIONS you take, which affects the result you receive.

This lesson has a great video clip from Tony Robbins as well as a powerful exercise to discover those beliefs that may be limiting you in your quest for abundance.

I wish you an enjoyable journey!

The Abundance Challenge -- Lesson 1

I mentioned the challenge of gathering one million people to bring increased abundance to everyone on Earth. Here is lesson 1:

Abundance Transformation in 15 Days | Lesson 1 - Realizing Your True Nature of Limitless Abundance!

Abundance is a state that includes wealth but means more than that. True abundance is the state of being connected to the primary source of everything that is, of manifesting a steady flow of positive energy to nourish and expand life, love, and creativity. Abundance is unlimited and effortless; it is experiencing joy. Abundance is not something that exists outside yourself; rather, it is a state of being that is experienced in your mind. You have the innate ability of attracting abundance.

Enjoy!

A Worthwhile Website

As you know, cancer touched our family in big ways. Here is a way to give that is free: a simple click of the mouse everyday can generate revenue to help raise funds for breast-cancer research and prevention:

Click to Give @ The Breast Cancer Site

In addition to benefiting breast cancer, this site also has areas for fighting hunger, promoting child health, literacy, the environment and animal rescue.

What a great website!

The Abundance Challenge

Every January most of us make resolutions to improve one or more aspects of our lives. For some, it is weight loss, or better fitness, or getting organized. I recently received a challenge: to join the Abundance effort:

The Abundance Challenge — Manifest New Level of Abundance, Prosperity & Success

The challenge is, in essence, to join at least one million people world-wide for a moment of meditation so that we can bring abundance to everyone in the world. That is a cause I can definitely join!

A few disclaimers and notes:

1. I have already joined. :-)
2. I have no commercial interest in whether you join or not. The challenge is free to join. There are some links to commercial products, but you are not obligated to buy in order to join or be a part of the challenge.
3. The community website is much like LinkedIn or Facebook: a nice, social networking site that could prove to be very interesting as long as the purpose remains to bring abundance to everyone on Earth.
4. It appears to be a spin-off of "The Secret," including use of such visualization techniques as that shown below:
   

I look forward to starting the new year knowing maybe I have contributed to everyone's abundance.

Your camera could save a child’s life

The PhotoZone: Your camera could save a child’s life. A true story ...

Eating fresh healthy food on a budget

On Sunday we took a drive to the local Farmer's Market in the downtown area. We walked around the (very few) vendors and we came to one that had great prices AND with people that had a fantastic attitude. The couple tending the stand just happened to be Latin American. It was a pleasure dealing with them. We also got a ton of fresh tomatoes for a great price.

Here is a nice article on Eating fresh healthy food on a budget

Enjoy!

Smart Travel

It's smarter to travel in groups

Not every salad is healthy -- read why

Best and Worst Salad Toppings

A unique perspective about the mind

There are only a few times when you get to receive a truly unique perception on the human mind; this is one of them. It is an 18-minute presentation that changed my understanding and impacted me greatly. I think you will find it just as inspiring:

Jill Bolte Taylor's stroke of insight | Video on TED.com

---

Es raro recibir una percepción verdaderamente única acerca de la mente humana, esta es tal. Es una presentación de 18 minutos que cambió mi comprensión y me impactó mucho. Creo que lo encontrará como fuente de inspiración. La página tiene subtítulos en Español.

7.5 Hours on the Edisto River

The kids and I, along with a few families from our Trailblazers group, went to the North Fork of the Edisto River yesterday for some canoing. What was meant to be a nice, easy excursion of three hours down the river, turned out to be a significant obstacle course that lasted seven hours and 30 minutes. We put in the water around 12 Noon and just barely made it out of the river before nightfall.

Here are some pictures of the trip taken by our good friend Scott Broam: Picasa Web Albums - Scott - Trailblazers On The North Fork of the Edisto

The river is peppered with large logs across the width of the waterway. Some of them we could navigate around, some under, but most of them we have to go over. At least twice we had to take the canoes out of the water in order to continue.

The whole day was a great experience. The kids and I grew together as we conquered most of the challenges. We learned to accept help from more experienced canoers and we had many other lessons that we will remember for the rest of our lives.

One of the many things I came to realize during the trip is that my Yoga and fitness training was invaluable during this adventure. I could not have attempted to climb in and out of a boat that many times if I had been out of shape and weighed 255 pounds. The flexibility and endurance I have built over the last nine months have definitely changed me. Even today I do not feel all that tired or sore (except for my sitting bones, aka "the butt") despite the hard work we went through yesterday.

I am grateful that the kids and I had the chance to navigate the Edisto River with our Trailblazers group. I look forward to many more adventures with them.

The problem with medical studies

Here is a clear example of why we need to be skeptical about medical studies:

Daily aspirin may do more harm than good: study on Yahoo! Health

At the very bottom of the article it states:

While there was no difference in the number of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events suffered, major bleeding occurred in two percent of the aspirin group compared to just 1.2 percent of the placebo group.

The problem, of course, is that we do not really know if the 0.8 percent difference in "major bleeding" could be caused by other factors not related to the use of aspirin.

I am sticking with my daily 81 mg dose of Aspirin unless I see a change in my body that tells me I should do otherwise.

We The People

I may not agree with everything in this video, but I am pretty close to his views in many areas:

Video: We The People Stimulus Package

Mourning Sen. Kennedy's Passing

It is sad to know that one of this country's true leaders has passed. Cancer has taken yet another precious life. It is unfortunate that Mr. Kennedy will not see his efforts toward Health Care Reform come to fruition — but the rest of us can do what we need to do to make sure this country gets Health Care Reform so that we can honor his work in this area.

10 Cheapest Cars to Own

Are you looking for a new car? Here is an excellent article: 10 Cheapest Cars to Own

Get the facts on Health Care Reform

There is so much falsehood circulating about the proposed Health Care Reform that I am surprised this country can function at all sometimes. Please, get the facts!

FACT CHECK: Health overhaul myths taking root - Yahoo! Finance

The judgment is harsh in a new poll that finds Americans worried about the government taking over health insurance, cutting off treatment to the elderly and giving coverage to illegal immigrants. Harsh, but not based on facts.

Four Lies That Can Cost You Your Job

Interesting article that shows why we should always be honest:

Every day individuals fib, lie and embellish their way through the work day, not realizing that there are repercussions. The consequences may not always be as severe as termination, but it can be a reduction in bonus, a permanent mark on your record or a poor score on your yearly review, not to mention the damage done to your reputation among fellow colleagues. MORE

Every thought you think …

Every thought you think sends waves into motion.
Every word you speak reaches millions of ears.
And every act you perform literally rearranges the stars.
Now … what was it you wanted me to do for you?
The Universe

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