Month: April 2016

Dear Readers,

Last night at our Toastmaster meeting, the theme was fear and we had some really great like Ted-Talk caliber speeches about the topic. Some of them were even in the table topics section. It reminded me how important it is to spread the message far and wide. Fear is a liar and thief. When you worry, it steals time from you.. When fear tells you “it’s too late” it will also lie and tell you, “You are too young” or “You are too old”.. the list goes on.. I am sure you can think of some new and different ways to express those fears that hide in the dark. I heard a great speaker, Jon Acuff, discuss this in his book, “START” and while this is not an ad for his book, the message is incredibly important and what I took away from it is the idea that you shouldn’t judge your start by someone else’s middle…

I wish I had written this list that someone posted on Facebook but it’s just such a good list I have to pass it on. I can NOT stop thinking about it… so g about it so decided it would be the focal point of my post today. So in conclusion, I say, feel the fear and do it anyway, as was mentioned in our meeting last night, “Jump and the net will appear”

“At age 23, Tina Fey was working at a YMCA.

At age 23, Oprah was fired from her first reporting job.

At age 24, Stephen King was working as a janitor and living in a trailer.

At age 27, Vincent Van Gogh failed as a missionary and decided to go to art school.

At age 28, J.K. Rowling was a suicidal single parent living on welfare.

At age 28, Wayne Coyne (from The Flaming Lips) was a fry cook.

At age 30, Harrison Ford was a carpenter.

At age 30, Martha Stewart was a stockbroker.

At age 37, Ang Lee was a stay-at-home-dad working odd jobs.

Julia Child released her first cookbook at age 39, and got her own cooking show at age 51.

Vera Wang failed to make the Olympic figure skating team, didn’t get the Editor-in-Chief position at Vogue, and designed her first dress at age 40.

Stan Lee didn’t release his first big comic book until he was 40.

Alan Rickman gave up his graphic design career to pursue acting at age 42.

Samuel L. Jackson didn’t get his first movie role until he was 46.

Morgan Freeman landed his first MAJOR movie role at age 52.

Kathryn Bigelow reached international success after making The Hurt Locker at age 57.

Grandma Moses didn’t begin her painting career until age 76.

Louise Bourgeois didn’t become a famous artist until she was 78.

Whatever your dream is, it is not too late to achieve it. You aren’t a failure because you haven’t found fame and fortune by the age of 21. It’s okay if you don’t even know what your dream is yet. Even if you’re flipping burgers, waiting tables or answering phones today, you never know where you’ll end up tomorrow.

Never tell yourself you’re too old to make it.
Never tell yourself you missed your chance.
Never tell yourself that you aren’t good enough.
You can do it. Whatever it is.-“

I want to give credit where it is due- Here is the blog that I got this from today-

https://runningfromadventure.wordpress.com/

Thanks Drew, through the magic of the internet, I now know about you, and

am following your blog.

So back to my words, Fear is a liar, a thief and a cheat.. Don’t let it win..

DO WHAT YOU FEAR MOST and CONQUER IT!

Think about it……

 

 

Dear Readers!

My good buddy and fellow blogger, Chelsea does a post on Fridays that is called “Tell Me Something Good” (hearing Chaka Khan now in your head? I Know.. it’s awesome!) In case you are not.. Here you go! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR–nDR88b0

Here is Chelsea’s Post-

http://thenewwifestyle.com/tell-something-good-neighborly/

But back to my high! My fabulous and wonderful friend Dr. Keya Howard is getting married this weekend and I can’t believe it! Not only do I get to be there, I get to be her bridesmaid and to my fellow Toastmasters, I am actually really excited to be asked to give a toast. Believe it or not, I have been in Toastmasters almost 16 years and this will only be my third wedding toast!

Beyond being in the presence of her greatness and sweetness for 12 years, it reminds me of how that friendship started and it still kind of blows my mind. She was a receptionist at Apple (where I worked way back when) and on my way to cafe I asked if she wanted some french fries.. (I used to be a receptionist and I know that you don’t often get to walk away from your desk and if you take a lunch it’s usually abbreviated) she said yes and when I brought them back to her and we started talking about this and that and then I had to go back to work but the contact had been made and we started coming by each other’s desks and just talking.. then I asked her out to see a movie which is a very big deal. It’s not a test but (okay, who am I kidding, it’s totally a test) .. If you like the movie I pick, it means we have more in common and there is more to build on.. etc etc.. we went to the Alamo Drafthouse and saw “I Heart Huckabees” which if you have not seen it, I recommend it, it’s a quirky, existential movie with Jude Law and Dustin Hoffman, and Lily Tomlin. We bonded over it and a great friendship was born.

It’s been said about me, and by me that I collect people, not things, I think that is true..

This friendship story is one of many that I could tell about how people come to be in my “people collection”— but the thing I am most struck by is how easy it was to start something….one contact, followed by several others…. however, sustaining it over miles, time zones, (she lived in Switzerland at one point!!) weeks, months and years.. that is the real accomplishment. My darling doctor, if you are reading this, know how much I love and cherish you and am so PROUD to call you friend!

Think About It….

Dear Readers,

I am not a “go with the flow” kind of woman. Allow me to illustrate.

When I moved from New Orleans to Austin, I had an apartment and a job before I put one foot in a moving truck. (Never mind that my car broke down on the way here and I had to take a bus from Mount Pleasant, Texas to Austin) 

I meticulously planned our wedding within an inch of it’s life.  (Never mind that many, many things did not go according to that plan) 

If I have a new place I need to drive, I ALWAYS do a trial run. (Never mind that I still sometimes get lost) 

So to say I like to organize and plan is really an understatement.

But after being pregnant for 16 weeks (today!) I am beginning to realize that NOTHING is going to go according to plan, and we can plan all we want to.. but in observing my very organized friends who are parents (you know who you are!) I watch them have to “flex” and “change” all the time.. so I guess I need to think about that being something to adopt.

As you can see,  in looking back at all those events, some “going with the flow” was required and it’s important to note, the planning was NOT infallible so I suppose “flow” is not all bad and in anticipation of becoming a parent, the adoption of some “flow” wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

Think about it…… 

 

Dear Readers,

For a long time now I have been actively seeking a healthier lifestyle, I eat mostly healthy food, I exercise and I drink a lot of water.

Of late, this has become even more important as I am growing a human inside my belly. It still boggles my mind to type that. The optimum diet is best for a healthy baby and I know that with my head..but then emotion takes over and the minute things get a little stressful, I run to Taco Bell and indulge the impulse to eat food that is not only unhealthy but contains lots of high fructose corn syrup which continues the cycle.. the more you eat, the more you want.. and it also has a property in it that doesn’t tell you when you are full which is even more fun!

So in talking to my Mom, who is very wise, we discussed it rationally  and logically and she pointed out a few things to try when encountering the impulse.

1. When you get a craving, why do you have it? Are you hungry, angry, lonely or tired? HALT..Stop and think about it! Be intentional.
2. If you get the impulse to go eat something not very healthy think about it and try to hold of for at least 20 minutes while thinking of all the rationalizations for eating the not so great food.
3. My doctor has said that the most weight I should gain for the baby is 10 pounds so it is my responsibility as a mom in the making to do the right thing for the baby.
4. Pregnancy weight is easy to gain, hard to take off
5. Begin with the end in mind. My end goal is to model healthy behavior for my child. That means that I need to have healthy habits myself that she can emulate

 

All this is NOT to say that there will not be times when I eat cake and chocolate and yes, even Taco Bell.. I know that I will give in to the impulse but at this point, I am trying hard to “THINK” before I “EAT”

I think it’s just as important to discuss the struggle as it is to discuss the triumph so right now I am celebrating the fact that I didn’t eat Taco Bell or other fast food for lunch today.

Think about it!