Beautiful World, Wonderful People

We Can Either Pay The Farm, Or We Can Pay The Hospital

2012-01-26T08:39:00.000-08:00

I feel like I saw this circulating long ago, but never took the short 5 minutes to watch it. Don't be foolish like me, this 11 year old concisely lays it out and it breaks it down! Let me know what you think.

OverAccessorized Fabulousness

2012-01-20T09:41:00.000-08:00

Urban Garden Pioneer

2012-01-19T20:15:00.000-08:00

The whole time I watched this I kept saying "Amen" and "Praise God"! It's not church, but I just love this man. He is so right on it. Sustainable solutions for everybody. It should go without saying, but Everybody has the right to Real Whole Food, not packaged and processed foods unhealthy foods. Plus, if you have a garden and not a lot of money, that's okay, you will still be able to EAT and that's a human right, not a privilege! I am very interested in Urban Gardening as it is such a great solution for impoverished people living in our cities. Will Allen is an example of a pioneer who understands the holistic approach of providing, educating and engaging youth in the process. If we could all duplicate this type of organization in our communities we would be off to a great start to feeding the world and in a healthy too!

Fabulous New Home!

2012-01-13T05:55:00.001-08:00

Hello Loves!

BWWP is moving locations and getting even more fabulous. I've listened to your feedback and am better prepared to serve as your coach and cheerleader in walking in your destiny and creating the life that you love. Please come over to Beautiful World with JCov and get ready to take your life to the next level! See you there!!

xoxo

Fabulous New Home!

2012-01-13T05:55:00.000-08:00

Hello Loves!

xoxo

One Penny More

2012-01-10T17:47:00.000-08:00

One Penny More: Farm workers ask for a living wage – just one penny more per pound of tomatoes. Farm workers in Florida have come together to make incredible changes against overwhelming odds for workers’ rights and fair pay.

Join with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to make fair food a reality at ciw-online.org. They have fought and won slavery cases for their workers, yes, right here in the USA! Learn about the people growing your food in this short and creative video that clarifies the connection between the worker and the consumer.

This video is in Spanish with English subtitles. Video was directed by Shalini Kantayya of 7th Empire Media.

Take action on for fair food.

(via ParentEarth.Com)

This Just In...

2012-01-10T06:49:00.001-08:00

There will never be another ME. Only one Sunshine Builder Freedom Dancer in this space and at this time in all of the existence of the world...just as there will never be another you, you, you, you or YOU!

Okay your kindergarten teacher maybe told you that...or you most certainly picked it up at church or possibly in your yoga class...

but did you also know that that means...

You have a Unique Message, a Unique Voice and even if you think you have Ideas that are similar to anyone else in the world...the way you deliver the message is in a way that only You can deliver it!

Can You Handle More!?

There exists a population of people who are in need and actually waiting on the specific message you have to share AND by not sharing due to fear of any kind, you are actually being selfish by keeping your gift hidden from the world and all to yourself!!

Boom!

Now Make Like A Snowflake and Flaunt all that is Unique and Beautiful about YOU the world is Waiiiiitttiiinnnnggg........

How To Create A Peace Full World

2011-12-30T07:21:00.000-08:00

Watch and Learn...it's This Simple...

Favorite Definition of Abundance

2011-12-26T10:10:00.000-08:00

Webster may not agree, but this is a definition of abundance I heard awhile back and I love it and it's something I am going to be meditating on more as I continue to create the Life I Love!

ABUNDANCE: The ability to do what you need to do when you need to do it.

There is no formula to how and it says nothing about money.

To me that is in the Spirit of "give us this day our daily bread", don't fret over tomorrow live in abundance where you stand currently. Sometimes I think I don't have enough money, time, resources to take me the distance over the next five years. Then a voice says to me, but do you have enough today? Do you have just enough or do you have MORE than enough today? Usually I have an overflowing amount for the day, the next day and the week. Do I honestly think that God won't provide for me the next week, month or year? Of course not, the same way I have been sustained all these years is the same way I will be in the future. Realize that where you are Right Now you are overflowing with an Abundant amount of anything you want and need. Right.Now.

ABUNDANCE: The ability to do what you need to do when you need to do it.

Isn't that so true? Most people I know don't really need to have a million dollars in the bank and live in a mansion. What most people I talk to want, is a sense of security, a sense of being comfortable enough to provide for oneself and for loved ones. If you knew everyday you would have enough to do what you needed to do on a daily basis would that be enough? Isn't it such a great thought to know the days you wanted to just lay on the couch and relax that all you would need to feel abundant is a safe place to rest your head, time and a soft couch? While other days if you wanted to start the charity of your dreams you then too would have all the finances and resources you needed during that time? It's such exciting news and the best part about it is it's true. Most of us are leaving Amazingly Abundant Lives and don't even realize it!

Makes me wanna do an Abundance Dance!

Join me won't you ;o)

As you move through this holiday season and the rest of your year, begin to observe the places in your life that are full and abundant. Dwell on these things and give Thanks and watch your world expand to become even more abundant.

Lot's of Love!

Seasons Greetings!

2011-12-25T08:56:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, from the Mitad del Mundo (Middle of he World), where Salsa is played in place of Jingle Bells, Coconut Batidos are consumed in place of Egg Nog and sand castles are made in place of where snow angels would be. My third Christmas here in Ecuador. Thinking of my friends and family during this (very hot) holiday Season. Love you and miss you All!

Fabulous Festival of Lights

2011-12-23T07:08:00.000-08:00

How To Make A New Years Resolution That Will Give You Results!

2011-12-20T19:43:00.000-08:00

I have received several inquires pertaining to making "good" resolutions and dreaming big enough to even have something to look forward to.

So in response to that I have compiled a list of questions I'm asking myself this year and tips on how to create a "stickable" resolution.

Now this is not a passive process. This takes ACTION which is why it's posted on a Take Action Tuesday! You will be amazed and dazzled by the results if you simply take some time out of your day to make Real plans to Create your Perfect Life. I can help you Live the Life You Love, just keep reading.

Close your eyes and really dig deep for the answer to each one of these questions. After you've answered them in your heart, write down the answer.

In reviewing the past year (2011):

What are you most proud of?

(remember: close your eyes breath deep and search for the answer, write down what you come up with for every single question)

When were you most excited about life this past year? Where were you? Who were you with? What other details can you add to paint a vivid picture?

What dream did you achieve or realize (no matter how big or seemingly small)?

What would you have done differently?

In what area of your life did you allow FEAR to get in the way of you achieving your goals?

How does that make you feel?

What will you do differently to insure FEAR doesn't get in the way this NEXT year?

Now it's time to make your 2012 Resolutions!!!

Things to keep in mind when making your resolutions:

1) Choose a Resolution Worth the Sacrifice- You're changing a habit, the way you think, maybe the way you eat, the way you spent your time etc. It's not easy to change, so make sure that your resolution is in an area you REALLY want to see results in. If not, you'll abandon it before the end of January and never look back!

2) Be Specific-

(and I can show you how! Email me at BeautifulWorldWonderfulPeople@Gmail.com for a more in depth Resolution Step By Step Worksheet)

Making your goals as measurable as possible is a plus, but if that is not possible at least whittle your goals down to very specific steps you can take. All big goals can be broken up into smaller goals. The point is you must realize that general resolutions don't speak to the real task at hand. Ex. "I want to get healthy in 2012" Well that requires a new meal plan, workout plan, timeline etc. You get the point.

3) Put Pen To Paper- Maybe I'm just old school but I like to WRITE THINGS DOWN! Also, the movement of forming each letter as you physically right the words, incorporating your eyesight to see the ideas form on the page and thinking about what you are writing, a transformation happens in your mind and really cements your the intentions you are writing down into your brain. Some call it Neurological Programming, I just call it Guaranteed to bring your dreams to you that much faster!

4)Make a feasible plan you can live with- Sure you can dream big and shoot for that stars, but it will only be a blow to your self esteem if you can't keep up the pace. The better idea is to take small achievable steps to your smaller goals to be sure to reach the big goal you've set out to achieve this year. (remember if you obtain your goal faster than Dec 2012 you can always dream another bigger, better and bolder dream!)

5) Prioritize- Make sure to put your new Resolution on the top of your list. Remember this quote: "The definition of Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results" (Einstein) Therefore, if you love a cigarette at night, or love sleeping in instead of jogging, but you clearly stated you want to quit smoking or you want to start working out in the mornings....guess what? You are going to have to put your resolution OVER your comfort zone and comfortable habits. Going back to Tip #1, it's important you pick a resolution that is worth it to you because it needs to become a priority in your everyday life from this point forward! (p.s. if that sounds too heavy for you, go back to tip #1 and pick a resolution that IS worth it to you.)

6) Stay Focused and Flexible - Yes, keep you nose to the grind stone, as they say. Stay on track and keep that map in front of you at all times telling you where to go. However, please know that challenges will come, obstacles will arise and detours will obstruct your path. Instead of falling apart, plan for them, remain flexible and get back on course as soon as possible.

6b) To piggy back off of Tip #6: If you get off track for a day, week, month or many months, don't let it throw you off for the rest of the year! Whenever you realize you have veered to far left or right, get back on your path by revisiting your list, timelines and your smaller achievable goals. You'll be back in the swing of things in no time!

Other Fun Tips & Ideas To Consider:
Get a partner in crime - surely someone in your circle of family, friends or even associates have some similar desires to you. If you can find someone on the same page as you, travel the road together and it can be a lot more fun that way.

Get a Mentor or a Coach - (to inquire about my coaching services, email me at BeautifulWorldWonderfulPeople@Gmail.Com) Either find someone who has already achieved that goal you're setting out to conquer or find someone trained in how to support people to excellence. Having someone hold you accountable can work wonders you can't even imagine!

Make a Vision Board - I swear by the magic of these things! Don't forget, Dream BIG!

Engage in Positive Reinforcement- As you break your Big Goal into smaller achievable steps, also incorporate a reward system every time you achieve one of the smaller goals. Just be sure it's not something that will derail your progress i.e. cupcakes for working out everyday for a month.

I would Love Love LOVE! To hear your resolutions and how they are coming, so email me your resolutions or post them here in the comments! Remember we're a community here and we can support one another to make 2012 our best year yet!

We don’t see things the way they are, we see things the way WE are.

2011-12-19T08:41:00.000-08:00

We don’t see things the way they are, we see things the way WE are.

Ever wake up on the wrong side of the bed and from the moment forward EVERYTHING seems to go wrong. You stub your toe on the bed, you look horrible in your clothes, the weather isn’t right. Even if it’s a sunny day outside, you squint your eyes annoyed at how bright it is. On the other hand, ever get a promotion, or been in love, or heard a song that has strong nostalgic value of a wonderful time in your life? The birds seem to chirp, rainbows appear and if a friend comes to you with a story of misfortune you are able to see the bright side right away to help bring them out of their misery.

The point is the sun will rise, the sun will set, there will be sunny days and cloudy days that’s for certain. The thing that changes day to day is how we interpret the things happening around us. Depending on our moods, a rainy day can be a nuisance or a fun excuse to frolic outside.

When we are in a certain mind set we tend to Frame things that are in correlation with that mindset. That is where the term “looking through rose colored glasses” comes from. When we are in a good mood we are looking through those good mood glasses all day long.

This is good news because when we find ourselves seeing everything in a negative light we have the power to change it. Just by pulling our thoughts into the awareness that we are creating the suffering things will automatically change. The facts will remain facts, but how you react to them will be different and how you Feel about them will change.

Recently, one of my very best friends had her moving truck stolen. Can you imagine!?!? ALL of your belongings gone in a moment, just like that. Talk about a violation! My pet peeve is when bad things happen to good people and I was just completely distraught over the news. When she wrote me she expressed of course her dismay, but in the same sentence wrote that it was “just stuff” and that she felt fortunate that the criminals didn’t harm her or her fiancé! She is such a super hero cosmic warrior! You can do the same? A fact is a fact, her stuff was gone and that sucks. She wasn’t in denial; the truth was the truth. The truth also was that she has the love of her life, her health and well being and NO ONE can take THAT away. She just as easily could have fallen apart over material things but instead framed the situation to where she could see how she actually came out on top.

Can you think of situations that were truly difficult, but if framed differently, you may not have felt so bad about the outcome?

Keep this in mind the next time you find yourself saying, “NOTHING is going right for me today”. When that thought crosses your mind, quickly make a mental list of all the things that are going oh so right for you. You can always start off with, how it easy it was for you to take the breath you just took without even having to think about it, what a blessing. Go from there.

Remember: We don’t see things the way they are, we see things the way WE are.

How are you going to show up today?

Plant A Row for the Hungry

2011-12-15T17:29:00.000-08:00

This idea works for both small backyard gardens to larger scale farms. The idea is out of the crops that you are planting, you set aside a row that is purely for donations. You can use that food grown to donate to a local food pantry our soup kitchen. Could there be any greater gift than the gift offood to someone that is hungry!? I really love this idea. It's definitely a sustainable solution and it's community based. Amazing.

(For more information go to ParentEarth.com)

Ouch...Needed This!

2011-12-12T05:15:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, when you don't know the answer to a question that keeps playing over and over again in your mind, it's because you're messing with the wrong question.

Do you still love me?,
The Universe

(via: www.tut.com)

Edible School Garden

2011-12-08T16:57:00.000-08:00

Oh I Love this idea! I am hoping to do something like this with my youth group!

(Go to ParentEarth.Com for more inspiring videos)

Toned vs Skinny - Why you should Tone It Up for your Health!

2011-12-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

I liked this article about getting toned and healthy versus skinny, which has been

the overwhelming goal for so many. Let me know what you think.

A lot of you tell us you work so hard to be healthy, but we've begun to notice that when we open our favorite magazines, all we see is skinny; when we turn on the television, all we see is skinny; when we go out for our holiday shopping, all we see is skinny marketing, everywhere! What gives then? Why would we ever want to be anything but skinny?! Simply Put, Skinny doesn’t necessarily mean healthy; and in most cases, if you are ‘skinny’ you may not be healthy at all! A lot of us focus way too much effort on the number below our feet.. That’s right, the scale. This number may be important in the grand scheme of things, but there is a number that is much more accurate than this at providing a measurement of health…

Body Fat Percentage, three little words that can change your entire attitude towards wellness. Your BF% is a number that provides you with the amount of stored fatty tissue compared to the amount of lean tissue (bones, muscle, organs etc..) in/on/and around your body. This number can be high or low; regardless if you are skinny, fat, or anywhere in between. Just because you have FINALLY dropped below 120 lbs, your BF% may still be above 25, which can create a lot of problems in the long term, especially if you have to cut out a lot of calories to keep yourself at what has been marketed as a ‘healthy weight’. Even the term ‘Healthy Weight’ needs to be updated, it should always be referred to as ‘Healthy BF%’, which can be found as defined by below:

From the American Council on Exercise

As you can see, if you are 140lbs, and at 18% BF you are still considered healthy! This means that you may be technically heavier than what you would like, but what you ‘like’ is based on an error in education! We want you to be as educated as possible, and this means understanding why a ‘healthy BF%’ is so much more accurate of a goal than a ‘healthy weight’.

One~ Body Fat isn’t just on the outside, it’s on the inside too. Visceral Fat is the tissue found inside the body, between the organs; and if it builds up it can restrict the heart from beating properly when stressed, it can prevent the lungs from fully expanding to provide oxygen, and it requires more blood which takes away from the nutrient delivery to organs that require energy to operate! Having a Toned Body means your organs are able to operate freely without being cramped for space.

Two~ Restricting Calories to Lessen Body Weight will diminish the body’s ability to fight illness and disease! Having a Toned body means you are fueling it properly, and each of the body’s processes are operating to their maximum ability.

Three~ Working on being ‘Skinny’ requires a sever deficit of calories, and Bone Density will begin to diminish right away; which if left over time can create issues with Osteoporosis – a condition where your bones are left brittle and easily breakable, and since you aren’t able to combat illness or disease as well, your chances of a full recovery are slighted. Having a Toned Body means your bone density will remain in the healthy zone, which will be resistant to breaks during most falls or collisions.

Four~ With less lean muscle-tone, your metabolism is going to be moving much slower, and since your metabolism slows naturally as we age, each day your body will be more prone to easily put on weight, and less able to take it off. Having a Toned Body means the added muscle-tone provides for an increased metabolism 24/7, and it means that more of the foods you eat are used as fuel, while the extra is passed and not stored! Also, continuing to exercise will aid in keeping your metabolism boosted so that you continue to feel younger, and look your best; Remember that we love Family & Friends, and that they are usually accompanied by copious amounts of great food & drink! Being Toned also means you are able to bounce back quicker from a weekend full of your Aunts Famous lasagna, or your Dad's award winning Burgers!

Five~ With all of the above considered, you must understand that your chances of becoming Obese (which is a medical classification, not a judgmental adjective) are much higher when you only focus on being ‘skinny’; where when you work on Toning, you will continue to ward off obesity, and all the diseases associated with it!

Now this isn’t meant to say that we don’t think people shouldn’t lose weight.. If you look at the obesity epidemic in the US, you’ll see that weight loss is as important as ever, but we need to be cautious about how we approach that goal. Cutting calories, Diet Pills, and ‘weekend juice cleanses’ aren’t the right answer; the right answer is a life of fitness – daily activities, a Nutrition Program rich in natural & healthy food choices, proper amounts of hydration.. all these things add up quickly to provide for a proper picture of wellness in the long term! And that’s what Tone It Up is all about, proper wellness for the long-term

Check out more of the Tone It Up Girls on Toneitup.com!

(this article:http://toneitup.com/blog.php?Toned-vs-Skinny---Why-you-should-Tone-It-Up-for-your-Health-5303)

In yo' face: The Media vs. Women's Self Esteem

2011-12-06T12:08:00.000-08:00

When I saw this, I was like, YES that is so what it feels like...being BOMBARDED with the same messages of inadequecy! I know the deal, (and even I suffer from the effect), but who I really worry about are the Young girls that are getting these messages from everywhere and believing they are less than and are in need of some kind of improvement due to our media relentlessly bombarding them with that very message. Body Image is always one of my main topics I discuss when working with girl groups. I think this is a really good, short video to illustrate exactly what I'm talking about. We need to Take Action and be talking to our young girls and boys about the difference between fantasy, make believe and consumer machine versus reality, healthy, self worth and the value of being comfortable in your own skin! What are your thoughts on body image, beauty and the media's potrayal?

Sparkle Dust

2011-12-05T08:06:00.000-08:00

Thinking different thoughts than you have ever thought before, DUST SPARKLES, is the only path to answers, healing, new epiphanies, or anything that glitters.

And you know how FANTASTICAL GLITTER is…

The Universe

(via http://tarahsmith.wordpress.com/)

Live the Life You Love With JCov!

2011-12-04T08:16:00.000-08:00

We all have a destiny we fill pulled to fulfill. We all have a mission that springs us into action. For me it’s motivating people and encouraging them to walk in their purpose. I truly believe we can create the lives we want to live if we are just willing to Believe we can. I am reminded of that as I sit on my balcony in front of the Pacific Ocean with the crashing of the waves as the soundtrack of the evening. I NEVER though in a million years I would leave on the beach. I didn’t see how it would be possible. Still, I put it on my vision board as a challenge, as if it say, “I can have ANYthing I want? Let’s see if you can pull THIS off!”. Less than a year later there I was on the beach.For a LONG time after that I didn’t even HAVE a vision board up, which was So unheard of for me. I felt with contentment no longer came the need for one. However, what was really happening was that I was scared to dream a bigger dream.

Anytime we visualize something for ourselves and it comes to manifest, it’s our jobs to dream a bigger dream! One aspect of my dream is to be involved in youth programming. I have no formal experience working with youth, but yet I feel strongly compelled to do this work. When I was in LA, I prayed and prayed about having the opportunity to realize such a dream. God put all the people and circumstances right into order and I, with a team of great people, was able to hold a workshop for girls that was absolutely magical! It was the start of something beautiful right?

Wrong. I was SO terrified by the success, by the possibility, I never did anything else! Sure I planned things out in my head, wrote them down and maybe even half heartedly pursued some things, but I was operating out of fear, and so the magic from before didn’t happen again. When this happens that is usually the Ego getting in the way. The Ego asks, “how are you going to top that?”, “what else you got?”, “Sure you can do this one, but if this is successful you’ll have years of material to come up with, where is that going to come from?”. Well a Spiritually grounded person knows Exactly where it comes from; The Unlimited Source of Love and Knowledge of course, God. To not trust yourself is to not trust the God in you, it’s to ignore that fact that you are an important necessary component in the Universal web we are all intertwined in. To think it’s about ‘you’ is all wrong, it’s about serving a higher purpose. Why is that so hard to remember some days and why is it so hard to act on even when we know better?

Well this year, like every year J I’m acting out. Going for it. Living out loud and I encourage you to do the same. That was the point of this blog to begin with. To encourage people to live out their dreams by writing anecdotal stories, testimonies and theories that push you closer to living the life that you love. This blog is meant to be a meeting of the minds and a community. It’s supposed to be fun and at the same time informative. I have shied away from writing as an effort to not “be seen” which is ridiculous because I’m here to

serve a higher purpose to which I am being called to. I hope that I can be a living example of the fact that you can create the life you love and continue to dream bigger dreams.

Like I said before, when I whittled down to what my dream life would look like, it was living on the beach and working with kids. I’m doing that now and I’m loving it. I’m learning so much and the necessary situations and circumstances are happening around me and teaching me so that I will be ready to take the next step when I am ready to expand even more.

This month, even though it feels scary to me, I am continuing to pray and meditate and ask the Universe where do I go next? What are we going to Co-Create together? What will the next year look like for me? It’s Vision Board making time!!

New Year, New You: 2012 Edition

2011-12-02T05:20:00.000-08:00

Is it that time already! It feels like just yesterday I was writing this , I barely even realized December is here and that means the year is coming to an end once again.

I started thinking to myself, “Uh-oh I need a New Years Resolution”, and then in that same moment I thought “wait, do people even have resolutions anymore or is that so 80’s?” Haha. The point is, people after a couple of years of forgetting ALL about their resolutions by February stop making them year after year. I get that, but as a person who is always trying to evolve and grow (and shouldn’t we all?), I love a good excuse to make some positive declarations and changes. It’s also a great way to celebrate what you HAVE accomplished in the past year. Maybe you didn’t go to the gym five times a week like you were so gung ho to do January 1^st, but you certainly made some strides in other areas that you maybe didn’t even realize. It would be a great idea to reflect on those accomplishments this month and reward yourself, even if it’s a simple mental pat on the bag. Acknowledge yourself; it’s the best way to ensure more success in the future.

I haven’t prayed and meditated completely on what my official New Year’s Resolutions are going to be but one thing came up for me just as a casual thought about it and kind of took my by surprise. When I asked myself (and God) what do I need to work on this next coming year, I heard:

Be seen.

What? What does that even mean? But then I realized, it’s so relevant. This may sound strange to some, but I realize a lot in my life right now I hide and try my best not to be seen. Now my Ego/Rational/Logical Mind says it’s probably because you live in a foreign country where the men can be over the top with the cat calling and your obligated to talk to your neighbors for at least 30 minutes if you pass by them. These things are a 100% TRUE. However, I think it’s gotten out of hand. I don’t go run on the beach (which was a dream of mine I totally manifested) because I don’t want the men to bother me, when really they are used to me now AND I could put on headphones if I REALLY wanted to go run. If and when I don’t have time to stop and talk to my neighbors I do feel guilty (and we know how far guilt takes us…) however when I have some speed in my step and I give a big warm wave and greeting, that is also sufficient and does not warrant me hiding out at times when I should be out and about.

It has also manifested in my demeanor, I find I hold my shoulders slumped over and I’m now even experience back pain. Are you kidding me! See how far this has gone? Subconsciously, I’m saying, I’m small, don’t see me, don’t bother me. Well I know that anyone that looks like that is a Target for anyone looking to bother someone, so why not straighten up and look like the girl you Don’t want to mess with! Lastly, blogging, guest blogging, writing and sharing all things creative, are things I have NOT been doing even though I have been asked to or know I want to do, just in the name of “not being seen”. I have so many writings that I think of everyday for this blog, but then I think, “oh you’ll sound preachy”, or “that is just silly”, or “that is too syrupy sweet and no one is gonna wanna read that”. Well the Truth is that it’s MY blog! I write what I want. Don’t like it? Don’t read it. Simple. If I KNOW that, why do hesistate? Why if someone asks me to contribute to their website I all of a sudden get shy?

Be Seen.

Two words, but they have a huge impact on my life right now. I have to break out of it. I have told myself once I go back to the USA I’ll be more in my element, but the truth is a) things like Writing have nothing to do with where I am geographically. b) Anytime you start a statement with “I’ll start tomorrow” you might as well hang it up now, because you’re head is in the wrong spot.

Man, I didn’t even know how much I felt and knew about this issue in my life until right now! I almost didn’t write this post because I was thinking I should have something organized, but in the spirit of just going for it I sat down and wrote, and I’m glad I did. I now have a clearer understanding of where I am and what I need to work on.

What have you found stirring in your Spirit as something that has GOT to change in this coming year?

Dec 1st- World AIDS Day

2011-12-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

In Observance and Service...

The Gift Of Fab...

2011-11-25T09:37:00.000-08:00

The Great, The Fab, Gil Scott Heron

2011-11-21T07:46:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, when you’re feeling your lowest, PETUNIA PUFFS, the real you is summoned. And you understand, maybe for the first time ever, how grand you are, because you discover that vulnerable doesn’t mean powerless, scared doesn’t mean lacking in beauty, and uncertainty doesn’t mean that you’re lost.These realizations alone will set you on a journey that will take you far beyond what you used to think of as extraordinary.

There is always a bright side.

The Universe

Coffee & Conversations

2011-11-14T08:18:00.000-08:00

Maybe you know her as a benevolent Philanthropist from Missouri to DC, maybe you know her from her all about how to find true love website The Love Journey or maybe you have read her guide on how to foster the best relationship for you in her Free Downloadable E-Book "What´s Love Got To Do With It". However you have heard of Desiree Mitchell consider yourself lucky. Desiree has a big heart and cares about everybody. It can be the youth in the community, sista´s looking for love or children in Africa unsure about their spirituality, Desiree touches them all...or should I say US all!

If you live in Saint Louis consider yourself Lucky!! This Thurusday, November 17th, leading lady of The Love Journey is hosting a "Coffee & Conversations" Event. This is a Ladies Only event promoting free discussion on love, dating and relationsihps. This is event is Free, Free, Free and I know a good time will be had by all. Please check out the flier for all of the fine details. Whether you are single or hitched, definitely attend this event to share your stories and insights on the one thing that makes this world go ´round...Love.

So Right On...

2011-11-14T05:59:00.000-08:00

When you start discovering a pattern of behavior that brings you anything other than peace, you have to change the pattern. To do so, we have to be willing to do two things: You've got to be willing to give up everything you believe that you need, and you've got to be willing to do the work to get along without it. - Iyanla Vanzant

Fabulous.Arie

2011-11-11T09:35:00.000-08:00

I AM NOT MY HAIR, FIERCE

Count Your Lucky Stars - TS

2011-11-07T19:22:00.000-08:00

If there was an event that was so super-extraordinary, so rare, and so fantastically incredible that it only happened ONCE every 7 to 10 BILLION years, PIXIE POOFS, it would still be infinitely more ordinary, routine, and credible than the passage of today.

InfiNITeLy.

Count your lucky stars, The Universe

NaNoWriMo Otra Vez!

2011-11-01T04:52:00.000-07:00

It's Here Again and I WILL be participating!! Dust out those cobwebs in your mind and get to writing!

Jeepers Creepers!

2011-10-31T10:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!!

Good news from the Universe!

2011-10-24T06:52:00.000-07:00

It really is easy, You really are powerful. I really do love you.

You can have it all. You will live forever. And the best is yet to come.

You’re already rich. There’s more on the way. It’s closer than you think.

There’ve been no mistakes. You’ve never been judged. And all things are playing out in your favor.

Cheers to you,

The Universe

Fabulous Fros Roam In Packs

2011-10-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

Dream Posse From LeCoil

Insanity!!!!!

2011-10-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

Adding some Insanity to my Wellness Program...
Stay tuned to hear how it goes!

Message from the Universe (according to T.Smith)

2011-10-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

Actually, smiling or laughing for no reason at all is one of the best reasons to smile or laugh. Because doing either, turns wheels in the unseen, rearranges players in your life, and summons reason after reason after reason.

Grins,

The Universe

(via http://tarahsmith.wordpress.com/)

Universally Fabulous

2011-09-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

Ms. Universe 1998 Wendy Fitzwilliam

It Truly Is A Beautiful World-Submit Your Story Today!!

2011-09-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

Beautiful World Wonderful People is here to serve as a countermovement to all of the ideologies of fear, negativity, scarcity and separation. We live in a world where the media and other contributors do an exceptional job of painting a false impression of humankind and the human experience. The TRUTH is that we are all One with the common interests of Love & Peace.

I haven't watched the news in over a decade. Why? Because it's SOOO negative. I have plenty of friends and associates who work or have worked in News and they'll tell you like they have told me, "Good News Doesn't Sell". That, plus FEAR keeps us as a society in a position where we can be controlled, believing we need to be saved, need to consume and not to trust our neighbor. Well, I know that there is more out there, there is good, there is sharing, there is love everywhere. People are sacrificing for one of other, there are random acts of kindness and friendships blossoming up all over the world.

You don't have to take my word for it

I love to travel and hear stories from around the world. In my travels I have found that my favorite type of tale is one where cross cultural differences were overcome and Love prevails. That's why I am introducing Friendly Fridays to exhibit the fact that we Do live in a world of peace, love and abundance. Just as the news chooses to focus on the negative, I am painting my canvas with stories of Positivity.

But I can't do it alone! I need your help!

If you have stories that exemplify Acts of Love, Friendships Formed, Cross-Cultural Acts of Sharing & Caring send them to:

beautifulworldwonderfulpeople@gmail.com

If you have an anecdote illustrating when Humanity Prevailed, Social Barriers were Crossed and -Isms Crossed out please submit your story to:

beautifulworldwonderfulpeople@gmail.com

Together we can show the world that we live in a positive, uplifting place because we have each other.

Looking forward to reading and posting your stories!!

Have A Beautiful Day!

Watch Out For That Ego!!!

2011-09-12T04:45:00.000-07:00

(via Blissed)

On Pointe Fabulousness

2011-09-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

Misty Copeland...If you Don't know....Now you know....

20 Tips for Optimal Health...

2011-08-31T06:31:00.000-07:00

according to Naturopathic Physician DR. SANDRA OLIC (and I whole heartedly agree)

1. Eat as close to nature as possible, focusing mostly on organic plant based foods, but not too much.

2. Drink 8 glasses of pure water daily.

3. Sleep 7-8 hours every night.

4. Take a good quality multi-vitamin and mineral supplement.

5. Move your body regularly and practice yoga.

6. Breathe. Meditate. Calm your mind.

7. Be present. Let go of the past and don’t worry about the future.

8. When you have a negative thought, replace it with a positive one. Optimism is healing and pessimism will make you sick.

9. Practice gratitude. What you focus on grows.

10. Do what you love as often as you can. Travel, dance, write, paint, play music.

11. Surround yourself with awesome people and spend more time with those you love. Love is the best medicine.

12. Express your love.

13. Express yourself.

14. Let go of anger, regret, guilt or any other emotion that isn’t serving you. These lead to diseases of the mind and body.

15. Help others, especially when you are down. This will uplift you too.

16. Live a non-toxic lifestyle. This includes avoiding unnecessary drugs and chemicals, as well as people, relationships and jobs that bring you down. Your time is valuable; don’t waste it on anyone or anything that doesn’t deserve it.

17. Spend time in nature.

18. Leave your to-do list undone, re-charge, take vacations and don’t work too much. In the end, no one says they wish they had spent more time at the office.

19. Create goals so you know where you’re going and have things to look forward to, but be open to detours.

20. And believe in yourself.

I love it!

Newest Wellness Program

2011-08-24T07:36:00.000-07:00

Remember Get In Shape Girl? LOVED IT! How could I not with it being he original source of my love for leg warmers and side ponytails! My favorite was the Gymnast one with the Lyrical Gymnast Ribbon. Do kids even have toys that encourage them to move around and feel good? I know I'm always singing the Get In Shape Girl song when I'm doing my push-ups. Thank you GISG for being my inspiration 3 decades later!!!

I have been asked by a few people to post my Wellness Program so here it is. The latest and greatest!

This is the Newest Wellness Program I am doing.

5:00am - Prayer/Devotion/Meditation/

6:30 am- Official Rise & Shine

7:00-7:30 am - Cardio (ex. jog, jump rope, swim)

7:30-8:15 am - Mini Workout/Challenge (I have monthly challenges I give myself, example below)

8:15-9:00 am - Yoga

See? It's simple and eliminates the whole "I have no time" excuse. With this program I was hoping to be able to do it at LEAST 3x a week if not everyday because it's short and simple and I get it out of the way early! I am trying to create a habit more than get any dramatic results.

**After some weeks of doing this, I only sometimes wake up at 5:00 am. To make sure I get my Me time, I will either push the schedule back, or take do it in the evenings. The reason why 6:30 is the official Rise & Shine is because I knew I wouldn't be getting up at 5:00 everyday.

**The Challenges are little things I want to work on to keep myself motivated and not get bored. Like this month my Challenge was to do 100 push-ups and 500 sit ups. I was doing a good job for 2 weeks, then I went on vacation so I need to get back on it. I might need to create a new Challenge for every week or every 2 weeks, because I get SO bored SO easily.

Other future challenges I anticipate is Cardio Crunch (more so basically all cardio for the whole hour), Yoga Challenge (lots and lots of Yoga), Weights (the thing that bores me the most!). The Mini workouts are little things I have written down that are several reps of things like jumping jacks, leg lifts & lunges. I'll take a picture of my spiral and post that one of these days.

** My Yoga sessions are NOT lasting 45 minutes. I need more sequences. I love my sun salutation and I have a few sequences that I add on, but I really end up doing Yoga for about 25 minutes. Anyone have tips on where to get some good Yoga Sequences?

Now I'm intrigued at what other people's fitness programs are. Share if you feel so obliged!

What Surprises the Dalai Lama the Most About Humanity?

2011-08-22T06:44:00.001-07:00

When asked what surprised him most about humanity, the Dalai Lama answered “Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."

Food & The Fitness Equation

2011-08-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

So I've been getting my workout on a bit, but I realize that there is a Food & Fitness Equation to consider. You know you have to have more output than input to get fit. One day I was thinking, alright then I need to create a super diet plan that will go with my fitness plan! Yeah...let me tell you a little something about me. I LOVE Food. I love to eat, snack, prepare, go out and eat...all of it. I don't like to restrict when it comes to mi comida!

Moreover, I am a recovering junk food junky, so vegetables, real food that isn't fast food is kind of new to me. Really in the past year, maybe even the past 6 months I have learned how to cook. When I started trying to think of a restricted diet I felt limited in what I can cook; it took the fun out of it. So moving forward I am going to be tranquilo about my eating. I know that the ice cream sandwich I had before bed is not something I should make a habit (and I PROMISE that was the first time I've done that!) and I do figure that making my own food is a healthier option, but most of all what is clear to me is that if I want to get FIT it's going to have to be ALL about activities, movement and burn, burn, burn.

What does that mean? It means, even though the men I live near make it a Nightmare to go running, I gotta get up and do it sometimes, it means practicing salsa cause I love it and that's gets me moving, it means searching then splurging on a bike because I feel if I had one I would ride it. I want to find a surf instructor and play with a girls soccer team. There are lots of fun things I can do to get more active and I need to hone in on those because chewin on celery sticks does NOT seem like it's what I'm tryin to do at this juncture in my life!

How do you resolve your Food & Fitness Equation?

Fabulous Facial Features

2011-08-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

Lauryn!

TOP 5 Ways to Insure Success in Your Fitness Program (Before even walking out of the door!)

2011-08-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

1) Prep your clothes the night before

This cuts down on that “groggy, snooze” moment when you wake up and think “Will I, or won’t I?”, when you have your tennis shoes and workout gear looking at you all ready to go like a puppy ready to go outside, that might be JUST the extra nudge you need to get up and get out!

2) Vizualize yourself having a kick-butt workout as you drift off to sleep

The Power of visualization! If you see yourself the night before achieving your workout goals the next day, you are MUCH more likely to get up and get to it and there is a great chance that you’ll have one of the best workout days as well!

3) Hydrate

It’s hard to get up and it’s hard to complete a great workout without the proper hydration, so help your body help you and get to guzzlin’ your H20!

4) Vision Board or other Visual that will serve as a constant reminder

You know I’m a fan of a Vision Board, but having something in your home as a constant reminder works. Some people put pictures up on the fridge (way to harsh for me! Lol) or some people just wear a rubberband around their wrist. Whatever works for you have that something that reminds you to get out and move around!

5) Plan your workouts ahead of time, but be flexible.

It’s harder to say “I just didn’t find the time…” when you’ve wedged out time specifically ahead of time when you plan on working out. In life things come up of course, so be flexible, that way an unexpected scheduling conflict won’t have the power to knock you off of your whole plan!

Give these a try and let me know what works best for you! ☺

Compare Shots- Twists

2011-08-05T20:45:00.000-07:00

Compare Shots- Twists

2007

2009

May 2010 (Heat Stretched)

April 2011 (Braid Stretched)

Feeling Guilty Allllready....

2011-08-02T18:23:00.000-07:00

Man, I just did my Fitness Confession, which I knew would be a journey of natural highs and lows, but I've hit a low before I have even started!

This past week I was sick with Dengue Fever, and so needless to say I didn't work out. Well this is now a new week and I thought I was feeling better since the skull crushing headache was gone, the body aches had dissipated and my temperature was back to normal. Well I was wrong, I still have little to no energy nor appetite.

Today I have felt TOTALLY bummed, disappointed and guilty feeling for not following through with my plan. I was super amphed to get in shape and I think I did two days of my proposed program and now nothing. I think more than the thing itself (being sick for a week) I'm afraid what it implies, or what it could imply: I started something and I'm not going to finish.

Well, the solution is really simple now isn't it? Simple don't let that be true right? Let the week "off" be just that, and then jump back on the wagon. FINE! No more pouting, or feeling guilty. Guilt is a learned emotion and it has no value. We were taught to feel guilt and it is a wasted emotion indeed.

Bueno, so tomorrow I will do what I can do, but I will do SOMETHING and I will let me week slump be only that and will give my self props for not giving up completely. Hope your week was a wee bit more productive than mine...but even if it wasn't let's get this thing going THIS week!

Peace, Love & Motivation :)

2011-07-31T20:35:00.000-07:00

Compare Shots- Braids

June 2010

December 2010

May 2011

The Echo of Life

2011-07-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

A father and son were walking in the mountains. Suddenly, the boy fell and screamed loudly. To his surprise, he heard his voice repeating somewhere in the mountain:

“AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!” Curious, he shouted again: “Who are you?” He received an answer: “Who are you?” And then he screamed to the mountain: “I admire you!” The voice answered: “I admire you!” Angered at the response, he screamed: “Coward!” He received the reply: “Coward!”

He looked at his father and asked what was happening. The father smiled and said: “My son, pay attention and he shouted at the top of his voice: “You are a champion!” The voice echoed: “You are a champion!” The boy was surprised, but still did not understand. Then the father explained:

“People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE.” It gives you back everything you say or do. Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart. This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life; Life will give you back everything you have given to it.”

Fitness Confession

2011-07-24T01:10:00.001-07:00

So it's stupid o'clock in the morning, and I'm awake because I pretty much laid around all day and now have woken up in the middle of the night. Argh! Sure today was going to be a Harry Potter-a-thon Day. My first day to just rest and chill and clean up the house. Instead it was taken to new levels of laziness and turned into, in bed all day, eating a quiche I made in the morning, then sunflower seeds all day and then a late night bowl of lentils and beans. There were some jellybeans and chocolate covered almonds in there somewhere too.

What's my point? My point is that I actually have a Fitness Confession to make. It turns out maybe in the past few months I've been feeling like I need to get healthy and into shape. The quick run down of THAT feeling goes a little something like this: Went to the States in January ATE like there was no tomorrow and LOVED it, then every month since then I have continued to eat the same way saying, well I just got back and so I'll get back "on it" soon. Well in JUNE I was like, "girl you didn't just get back that was half a year ago!". That was kind of my first wake up call. Also, when I got in the mood to make a vision board THIS is what came to be...a subconscious desire to be fit, healthy and active.

The feelings that came up when it was time to put my Health Vision Board on the wall were actually feelings of guilt and hesitation.

I am super "I Am Woman, Here Me Roar" in my beliefs. I know that we are all beautiful in our individual packages, I know that I am beautiful inside and out and I abhor these images and messages that we get from the media so much it makes me want to pull my hair out. I haven't owned a TV for YEARS for that specific reason and I just can't enjoy a magazine because the message that "you're not good enough" is so blatant... especially, in my opinion, against women!

SO as of late, being with my sweetie, who loves movies, I have been taking in way more visual media than normal and I wondered did that have something to do with my "motivation". I mean, if I am know that I am perfectly made in God's image why would I want to change? There is no perfect ideal, so what am I striving for?

One thing I have noticed is when I sit, I slouch and when I straighten up, it takes a conscious and physical effort to stay erect. I literally feel like I can't hold my body up! That means I def need to get my core stronger. Also, going up stairs, running after the bus and feeling winded is something new for me! All of these warning signs and more is what set the alarm off for me, that I need to get fit and strong again.

The thing about me and "working out" is that I don't do it. I just happen to be an active person, so my lifestyle and activities would lend themselves to me moving around. I went to dance class, yoga class, hiked, would ride my bike to work etc. Never have I been a skinny minny, and really never have I been super buff, but also I have never really been that concerned with my body like that. Like on FB when people post old pics, I'm like MAN I was kinda chubby in that pic and others I'm like man I was fit! I am never conscious of it at the time and I don't really mind the fluctuations, which is all the more reason why I'm so not used to actually being Aware of my body concerns.

So here I am wanting to get fit and kinda lost at how. Food. My fav thing. I am sure has to change. I was enjoying all the natural fruits and veggies of Ecuador, but then I sent a request for Cheezits, Goldfish, chocolate covered everything and more fav junk food from the States and my sweetie totally brought them so the apartment right now is like Willy Wonkas (oh I should have taken a picture of my shelf when we first unpacked everything!) I tell myself that once it's gone, I will go back to healthy eating, the thing is, I don't monitor at.all. what goes in my mouth and here, there is fried everything, ice cream all the time my thought is always "hey what's one ice cream sandwich!!?".

The other thing is activities. I am trying to get into running, but with the Machismo men here it's hard. A gringa running around just for fun is really asking for it, but I know it's a great way to get in shape. I also could do workouts at home, but that sounds Soooo boring and I get bored quick. What I need is an activity that just gets me up and moving. I am hoping to work out with the girl's soccer team the two days a week I am free to, and maybe just suck it up and run in the mornings and put in headphones to block out the whistles, hoots, and hisses from my admirers :0/, I am also actively looking for a surf instructor, I think THAT could be life changing!

The main obstacle I have to battle is the voice in my head that says "why are you doing this anyway, you're fine, no go lay down and take some jelly beans with you!" I need a new mantra, and a new healthy outlook so I can get on the path to my own Personal Best.

Any suggestions from my health gurus, workout gurus, and foodies out there!!?? (or anyone really!)

Peace, Love & Cheezits!!...I mean, Carrots :o)

(picture from FB that I saw and thought...huh, I was kinda fit then...I was hiking a lot then...)

Compare Shots: Fros

2011-07-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

Compare Shots: FROS

2006 (Heat Stretched to the Max)

March 2010 (Wet Fro same length as stretched Fro in 2006) May 2010

December 2010

What's the 4-1-Fab?

2011-07-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

MJBlige Keepin It Real, Keepin It Beautiful, Keepin it Fabulous

Just Tweeted...

2011-07-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

Yes! My Vision/Inspiration/Dream has come back to me! So excited to start planning & researching all weekend long! #GodAnswersPrayers

The Long and Short of It: My Hair Journey

2011-07-12T07:35:00.001-07:00

Been Natural since I moved to LA way back in 2004 (wow!) but I started growing my hair really starting starting last year

This was one of my birthdays I believe in 2005-

I had never had color in my hair before, but I heard when you’re natural you can do things like that because you’re not putting chemicals in your hair. So I let my friend who loves dying hair, put hair color in my hair. It wasn’t that flattering on me, it was a light brown and next to my face it wasn’t that cute. As it grew out though I like it better as it just was on my tips. The one thing I noted, but didn’t give much thought was that that color was growing out, but yet my hair didn’t seem to be Growing! The color was moving back and back and back, but length? Forget about it. Ha, so In fact I did.

Miami 2007

Here I am in Miami for a friend’s graduation and birthday party (her bdays are like National holidays so that is why all the singing to the heavens going on in the pic lol) It also shows the front and back of my hair so I thought it was a good pic. I DID like my hair short with big earrings it was my style. But now that I am learning more I also never considered growing my hair out because I thought hair like mine didn’t get long, so I wonder how much was belief and how much was preference. I do look back at this particular pic though and remember how I did love it like this. It was moisturized and healthy in this particular pic, but the problem was I didn’t have ANY control over it. I didn’t know the importance of mositures and since my hair was short and gonna always BE short I didn’t know what difference it made. I probably had just washed and twisted it for this trip and that’s why it appears to be more healthy than it was.

Now in between 2007 and 2010 there were different lengths and styles happening but again I never really thought of growing my hair out and I knew “hair like mine” didn’t grow and it would be too much to manage anyway. The shorter the was the less there was. That was me still operating under the belief our hair has to be tame to be presentable.

The only time I saw growth was when I took it out of a protective style, mainly kinky twists.
It would be soft and notably longer, but the length never stayed and the softness would be gone by the next day. Had no idea what I was doing! More than that I had no idea that I HAD NO IDEA of what I was doing that made it worse!

The thing about me and a low maintenance hair style is that I take it make NO maintenance and for a really long time. So there are the twists in their prime, but I let them stay for too long and they started pulling out my edges.

This was me after taking out the kinky twist and it was the longest and softest my hair had been I Was tooooo excited

I think I was stoked because I felt like this was Teenie Weenie nor more and I had entered into another stage. This process of my hair growing a couple inches every year was Exactly what I expected so again, note the excitement, I thought I was ahead of the curve!

I could take you through the different twists, sets and setbacks! But again, I was happy enough with my hair, did it myself, always was cutting my ends and did not have a clue about moisture, washing, detangling or really anything about hair routine.

In 2009 I moved to Ecuador as Youth & Family vounteer with the Peace Corps. I had in kinky twists for as long as I could but they eventually had to come out. When they did it there was a lot to deal with. Living in a new place, new climate, different culture. Let’s just say my hair care went from modest and innocently clueless to non existence and a half. I’ll show you the the pictures I saw when I said "SOMETHING has got to give!!"

I had put my hair in these tiny braids to give it a “Break” because I just couldn’t deal with it anymore. The bad hair days were all the time, I didn’t know what to do with it and while I embrace short hair, this in between not short and sheik, and by no means long, was a nightmare. Since I had no control over my hair I didn’t know where to go how to get it to do what I wanted to do. Being in Ecuador I didn’t have someone to just cut it short and in a style, and hair for extensions didn’t look like my hair it looked like a Barbies hair (oooh but later I went there anyway!) The other thing about these tiny braids is there were a nightmare to take out and I didn’t realize that ripping away at my hair was only doing it more damage and was by no means a protective style.

This picture was taken in June 2010 and was the beginning of me asking myself “hey whats up with my hair” (also others had askED…why hasn’t my hair grown for real in over 5 years!) It was at this time my mother discovered YouTube and all of the hair divas on there. My mother being researcher, got to the bottom of what it Healthy hair really was and how to achieve it.

I still felt I had other things to worry about like learning Spanish, but she was so enthusiastic about and wanted to give workshops on it, she asked me to try to start taking care of my hair and logging it in a journal so I could be one of her before and afters. She was also educating me. It was from her I first even heard we could grow our hair…long if we wanted to. Of course my response was, I don’t want to grow long hair. Then she mentioned even if I don’t want it long, the longer I grow it the less I have to worry about shrinkage. Bingo! Shrinkage is a huge issue for me, so I was listening after that. She went on to explain how long hair means you are able to retain length because you hair isn’t suffering and breaking off. If you want it short, keep it short, but in a deliberate style, not in a broken off state of shortness.

So with that I set out to get a routine down. My mom and I swapped ideas, recipes and routines. She sent me a ton of products to try and I was just experimenting away. Earlier in the blog I have product reviews. I had planned to do SO many more and just ran out of time, and now I’m into finding a more simple routine.

I always said I wanted to log my journey, but I knew I had just started to talk about growing my hair so there wouldn’t be much to log. It wasn’t until I was going through albums tonight that I realized I guess my hair HAS Grown. I don’t know if it’s as tremendous as the YouTube Gurus’ but it has grown this past year and that is actually a first! As you’ve seen what it looked like after 3 years. So now you can note that after 1 Year there has been growth!

In the past year I wore my hair first in twist. I was blow drying my hair and STREEETCHING them out. My mom was educating me on how good water was for my hair. I was washing it regularly but I realized I was still not wetting it during the week cause that would shrink my twists!

First wet fro and SUPER Stretched out Twists.

Just putting water on my hair keeping it moisturized made a difference this wet fro is as big as my first blown out straight fro I was so excited about. Once I saw my hair stretched I really loved it and understood how a little length could be okay. I had to get used to putting water on my hair so that it would stay hydrated and that weekly heat on my hair was not the answer, blowdried twists had to go. I instead needed to focus my efforts to growing my hair to get twists this length in their shrunken state.

For me the next step had to be protective style so that I wasn’t messin with my hair so much. I was so excited about a new project I was doing all kinds of things with my hair when what it needed was to be left alone! Something else my mom informed me was that a real protective style protects your ends so while twists are great, having twists with ends tucked is even better! So I got this style, with the Barbie hair (which was all that was available in Ecuador) and everything.

I kept my hair like this or a version of this for about three months. I had to undo and redo somethings, but it was in this style more or less. I think I did a pretty good job of spraying with a combo of water and coconut oil and applying castor oil occasionally as well. I was also washing it on average of 7-10 days. When I finally took my hair down I could definitely note some growth. I was a believer in “my hair could grow” and I also believed in protective styles. I was down to do protective again, but I didn’t want extensions they pull at my hair, I prefer my own natural hair AND with the options here it was the only way to go. I ambitiously thought, hey with this growth I can just duplicate the style I had with no extensions! French braids in the front and loose braids in the back!

I was so excited that I could actually put my hair into a puff! Even when I wasn’t interested in growing out my hair I ALWAYS loved a puff!!

I thought about just keeping my hair like this, but I was in protective style mode so I kept on with the mission. I knew from my past experience with doing braids with my own hair, I needed to make the braids bigger so they’d be easy to take out. That was more possible with my hair a bit longer (so okay another point for growing hair a bit longer.) I couldn’t wait for

the end result! And THIS is what I got…

Ugh! I was so disappointed. From the front was the real disaster. It just was NOT what I had envisioned! It was full enough. That could have been solved with smaller braids but I know better than that. I was stuck I had spent time to do a protective style but I really didn’t like it.
So I played with some ways to put it up but knew I could only hang with It for a week or so. I stuck with this last one because at least the ends were tucked. I think it lasted me a week or two before I took it down. But when I did I again could note a difference! This was after I took out the braids and had sprayed my hair as took them down, so it was stretched a bit from braids and shrunken a bit because of the water. I see I am always happy with a fro on my head haha! I was really pleased at how big he fro was! This was Christmas Eve 2010. I couldn’t wait to Skype my momma and show her the progress. I twisted my hair in big chunky twists and tucked the ends to have a chunky twist out.

and this was the result the next day.
Where I live is Extra humid so my hair changes throughout the day and this style did too, this was about midway through. The twist got less defined as the night went on but it was still fluffy, soft and I looked about the same even with all of the humidity. I was happy with it. I retwisted it when I got home again and pretty much wore my hair like this for the rest of the year.

Now it’s 2011. Where I moved has a pool so that has only made things crazier. I live on the beach too so salt water, chlorine, and trying to grow natural hair. Plus I am looow maintenance so I do not want to have to spend a lot of time on my hair!

Since I was swimming I tried to do some old skool hair styles my mom used to do when I was in swimming camp. Like two French braids or a connected French braid jam. It was okay but not really all that flattering. From the front. These styles are what I use though on wash to day to let my hair air dry and stretch. Got my hair in two French braids right now!
Tried a Wash n Go Puff (since I could now!) But after swimming it was a detangling nightmare. Desperate for a protective style I went back to the one that worked. The Barbie Hair. I didn’t have enough this time so it was a real make shift situation. But protective is protective. In the past when I had just done my favorite fall back style, two strained twist. They were great when I did them, but after getting wet there were stiff and unattractive. This last time I revisited my two strained twist I got a few welcomed surprises. One I did my twists after having my hair stretched from wearing two French braids for two days. This was the result. I loved these twists! I had twisted them in the morning so this was them after a long day in the humidity. I was pleased. After two weeks of the same twists being swam in and washed and wet, I was able to shake my hair out and just go. Sure they got shorter and shorter with every water activity, but I had never had been able to do that before and it was so easy and low maintenance.

These are the twists after two weeks of me letting them HAVE IT!

I have never been able to wear my shrunken twists because they would be too short and start sticking out. I loved this. I wasn’t sure it was protective enough for my ends (even thought I was spraying my hair and treating my ends with castor oil) So I decided to brave my protective hair style once again hoping that I maybe got some more length. This was the result.

I was MUCH more pleased with the result. It didn’t seem like my hair had really grown, but I guess it had. The first Protective Style Attempt was taken in December 2010. This style was done in May 2011. So 5 months. I don’t know if that’s me getting the optimal growth a little slow or what. But I do know that it is growing and it really just dawned on me.
I didn’t love how this style looked from the front at first so I wore it like this most of the time (ends tucked baby!) however, as it got worn in a little I wore it down with elastic headbands. I was trying to keep it in for a month. I lasted about 3 weeks ☺

I washed my hair today and did an Egg and Mayo Deep Conditioner in it and it was amazing for my hair. I am going to keep it in French braids all day tomorrow so it can dry (it takes forever for my hair!). Then I’m going to two strand twist for the next week or however long it lasts. Now you are up to date on my hair journey. I am revamping my routine so I will be posting that one of these days. Stay tuned!

*I tried to post as many pictures as I could but I sometimes have trouble on blogger. For a more fluid rendition of the same story check out My Tumblr

Ms. Jackson If You're Fabulous!

2011-06-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

I Neva Seen Janet like this!!

FroFabulocity!

FREE Your Mind

2011-06-18T04:02:00.000-07:00

Free Your Mind-EnVogue

Prejudice, wrote a song about it.
Like to hear it? Here it go.

I wear tight clothing, high heeled shoes
It doesn't mean that I'm a prostitute, no, no, no
I like rap music, wear hip hop clothes
That doesn't mean that I'm sellin' dope no, no, no
Oh my forgive me for having straight hair, no
It doesn't mean there's another blood in my heir, ya, ya
I might date another race or color
It doesn't mean I don't like my strong black brothers.

oh la la, oh la la, oh la la, oh la la
Why oh why must it be this way?
oh la la, oh la la, oh la la, oh la la
Before you can read me you got to learn how to see me, I said

Free your mind and the rest will follow
Be color blind, don't be so shallow.
Free your mind and the rest will follow
Be color blind, don't be so shallow

So I'm a sistah
Buy things with cash
That really doesn't mean that all my credit's bad, oooh
So why dispute me and waste my time
Because you really feel the price is high, for me
I can't look without being watched, and oh
You rang my buy before I made up my mind, OW!
Oh now attitude, why even bother
I can't change your mind, you can't change my color

oh la la, oh la la, oh la la, oh la la
Why oh why must it be this way?
oh la la, oh la la, oh la la, oh la la
Before you can read me you got to learn how to see me, I said

Free your mind and the rest will follow
Be color blind, don't be so shallow…
Free your mind and the rest will follow
Be color blind don't be so shallow....Free Your mind!

oh la la, oh la la, oh la la, oh la la
Why oh why must it be this way?
Before you can read me you gotta learn how to see me, I said

Free your mind and the rest will follow
Be color blind, don't be so shallow
free your mind and the rest will follow
Be color blind, don't be so shallow....Free your mind!

2011 Health & Fitness Vision Board!

2011-06-11T21:49:00.000-07:00

Hot off the Presses!

I finally felt inspired to make a vision board!

I don't think I blogged about the fact that I ALWAYS have a Vision Board in my living space and since I've moved into this apartment in December I haven't created one. I it was kinda of bugging me. II wasn't sure why the block. Was it because I felt things were kinda perfect. I mean, I had manifested living on the beach and everything!

Well I don't know what happened today, but I got the itch to create this is what was born....
Health & Fitness came up & out of me, so I'm going to be praying and meditating on that, and will blog insights soon.

If you love vision boards like I do please share them with me!!

Fabulous Grey Goddess

2011-06-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

Fiercely Fabulous Renee Davis

Fabulous Flower Power Love

2011-05-27T08:46:00.001-07:00

SEVEN

2011-05-21T16:12:00.000-07:00

Seven- Prince
(Think about it...)

All seven and we'll watch them fall
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and you are mine
And together we'll love through
All space and time, so don't cry
One day all seven will die
All seven and we'll watch them fall
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and you are mine
And together we'll love through
All space and time, so don't cry
One day all seven will die

And I saw an angel come down unto me
In her hand she holds the very key
Words of compassion, words of peace
And in the distance an army's marching feet (1,2,3,for - 1,2,3,for)
But behold, we will watch them fall

And we lay down on the sand of the sea
And before us animosity will stand and decree
That we speak not of love only blasphemy
And in the distance, 6 others will curse me
But that's alright, (that's alright)
for I will watch them fall(1,2,3,4,5,6,7)

All seven and we'll watch them fall
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and you are mine
And together we'll love through
All space and time, so don't cry
One day all seven will die

[(Just how old)]

And we will see a plague and a river of blood
And every evil soul will surely die in spite of
Their seven tears, but do not fear
for in the distance, 12 souls from now
You and me will still be here - we will still be here

There will be a new city with streets of gold
The young so educated they never grow old
And a, there will be no death for with every breath
The voice of many colors sings a song
That's so bold
Sing it while we watch them fall

All seven and we'll watch them fall
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and you are mine
And together we'll love through
All space and time, so don't cry
One day all seven will die

[(Just how old)]
[(Just how old)]
[(Just how old)]

Takin Care of Mind, Body & Spirit Before Sunrise

2011-05-20T04:21:00.001-07:00

I can go to asleep with lights on if I'm dead tired like I have been lately, but I don't like to because I inevitably wake up unrested and irritable in the middle of the night or early morning...

Today that happened and I woke up SUPER grumpy. I just recently revisted A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and I remember he said that if you are complaining you are creating your suffering. The idea that "This isn't supposed to be happening me" is wrapped in the Ego and shows that you are not being Present in the Now.

So when I arose at 3 something in the morning I was grumpy for a while thinking about how I had so much to do, how I needed my rest, as I tossed and turned not being able to go to sleep a little voice said to me "you know you are creating this suffering, right?". Oh right! I forgot that fast! So I laid there thinking, "stop creating your suffering"... I guess Zen is hard to find at 3am... it wasn't working.

Then I remembered my morning ritual of at least giving thanks for waking up and taking my first breath...that was working.
I was giving thanks for where I live for my health etc. Then I remembered I've been trying to get up early and meditate ANYWAY and that I should be Thankful that I was able to get up and me not being able to go to sleep meant that I wasn't groggy and tired and dragging myself out of bed.

So I got up lit some incense and prayed, then meditated. Still dark outside, very still and quiet. After my hour of devotion I went outside to get some air and took my yoga mat with me. I had the best yoga stretch I've had in a long time. I was very focused and present. After that, since the world was still sleeping and my blood was flowing, I jumped in the pool and got my cardio out of the way. By this point I'm filled to the brim with Gratitude for everything and awed at how a change in perspective can reframe your whole outlook.

Now I'm going to be able to get to some writing and communications I've been trying to get to all week. I've taken care of my Mind, Body & Spirit all before the sun rise. A morning that started off rocky is now one I hope to emulate multiple times a week. I invite you too to change your perspective, change your attitude and watch the world change around you :)

Que Tengan Un Buen Dia!!!

Stream of Consciousness: Things I want to Get Back To/Get Into

2011-05-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

Activities: Capoeira, Salsa, Surfing, Soccer, Budgeting, Blogging- Journal as a Blog Style, Positivity Expert Extraordinaire, writer, Super Youth Facilitator...

Places on My Radar: Every Corner of Ecuador, Bali, New Zealand...

Remembering: I'm an Infinite Being, Ego is the death of Consciousness, Living in your Greatness is the Biggest Act of Humility...

I Know I can Do, Be, Have Anything my heart desires, all I have to do is Manifest it for Myself....

Bare feet & souls 101- Part IIII

2011-05-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

76. Walking on slow days is fine. Many barefoot runners start out as barefoot walkers. Working your way to a better body is a gradual path.

77. Gimmicks don’t help you to achieve your goals. Feel good about your equipment, but don’t make it an obsession. Get out and run instead of fretting about toys.

78. Plan to be sore. Give yourself time for some soreness. You are about to awaken a giant. The giant is your body’s original state.

79. If you tired, don’t quit – just switch back and forth between running and walking that day.

80. Learn distances at local venues. For example, if there is a school track near your house – learn the distance, so you can log your performance.

81. Keep venues interesting. If you only batted in batting cages or only swung at golf ranges, you would quit those sports. Sometimes weather doesn’t permit, but you need to find interesting places to run. And, you need to consider whether they are amenable for barefoot runs.

82. Find a new running location each month until you have a portfolio of locations that are fun and good for a barefoot enthusiast.

83. Bring your running gear with you everywhere. Without shoes, the bag will be light enough to keep with you. You never know when a chance for a short run will come up.

84. Vary your speeds when you are running. It’s all part of keeping things interesting. You’re barefoot and out of the rat race; now have some fun with it.

85. Expect certain spots in the trail to be tough. Get through them by listening to your breathing and by feeling what is under your feet.

86. Work on your endurance prior to improving your time. Once you are trained in endurance you can strive for speed.

87. Some barefoot runners never run on roads. They use soft trails instead.

88. Watch out for debris from heavy rain or hurricanes. A novice barefoot runner needs to be more mindful of junk in the road. Even if you are a expert barefoot runner, it might make sense to don the shoes when there are unusual rough spots in your usual trails.

89. Relaxation should be built into your running schedule. Even if you are training for a marathon, you’ll want to take breaks.

90. Running will make you warmer, so always assume you’ll feel the heat. You’ll want to dress for a temperature that is 10-15 degrees warmer than reality.

91. Some barefoot enthusiasts are fair-weather friends and there is nothing wrong with that. If you don’t enjoy running barefoot in snow; don’t do it. Break out the traditional shoes once in a while. Or, better yet, find a few good indoor locations that you can frequent during the cold spells.

92. Test blacktop surfaces prior to taking runs on them. Barefooters need to be aware of how their feet feel on each new surface. It takes some time to get accustomed to new feelings now that you are reawakening your feet.

93. Many barefoot runners claim that they have less running cramps, but all runners should learn about and practice abdominal breathing exercises.
94. Expect to miss your goals every once in a while. Build bad days into your improvement plans.

95. A bare head isn’t helpful like a bare foot. Hats can be great for keeping the sun out of your face.

96. If you chose to run barefoot on snow and ice, and a lot of people swear by it, be aware of the cold. You’ll get colder faster if you are barefoot.

97. Sweat in your face will distract you while your bare feet are helping make a connection to the trail. Try out some different sweat bands or bandanas.

98. Make sure your minimalist shoes are clean inside. You don’t want to get bruised by debris that is caught inside the toe, arch, or heal area.

99. Alternate terrains to find your groove and keep it interesting. Mountain, beach, trails, paths, the gym – they are all great.

100. Barefoot running was the only kind of running for millions of years. You really aren’t doing anything new, so don’t get too uptight about it all.

101. You won’t really understand this one until you have conquered the trail without shoes – let yourself be ‘at one’ with the trail.

original website

Bare feet & souls 101- Part III

2011-05-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

51. If you accomplish a really hard run, you are often inclined to try it again tomorrow. Don’t! Alternate easy and hard runs.

52. If you are prone into injuries in the lower legs – like shin splints, take the softer trails. You can spend your entire barefoot running life on soft trails if it works better for you.

53. If it hurts, ice it now. Reducing swelling quickly is important for quicker recovery. Take some time, and use the ice.

54. Form and function both matter. If your form is poor, take a step back and focus on form. If you are running with bad form, you will get hurt. When you are running barefoot, it is even more important. You are becoming one with the trail, and you need to bond with the trail the right way.

55. Marathon runners should cut their training regimes at intervals. You need to give some breaks for healing and preparing for greater runs. Taking a step back every month for a week is worthwhile.

56. Some chafing is inevitable if you are pushing yourself out there. Take care of chafed areas until you get used to your running schedule. There are lotions and creams available. If you see red, consider antibiotic creams.

57. This should almost be at the top of the list; your toes matter. They are so neglected by traditional runners. They aren’t there by accident. Toes are important for traction and balance. You are relearning how to use them. Take care of them – cut your nails, use Vaseline between toes if it helps you.

58. Barefoot running has been said to do great things for alignment. By the same token, don’t run on any path that forces you to stay on a slant. It damages your hips and knees – plus it isn’t fun.

59. Stretch prior to running, and include a short walk or jog in your start up each time you run.

60. If you ice something, don’t get an ice burn. Do 15 minutes on and 5 minutes off; then repeat. And, wrap the ice, so it doesn’t directly touch the skin.

61. Extreme hot isn’t good right after a run. Cool down a little before hoping into a Jacuzzi.

62. Make race day as boring as possible. It’s the time for status quo; not the time to try new ideas that will make you run faster or longer. It’s the time to wear your favorite gear – nothing new. Also, no new foods ...keep it boring. If you haven’t been running barefoot; race day isn’t the day to try something new.

63. Build up to a marathon. Learn how to race before you get into a marathon. Treat a marathon with the respect it deserves’ otherwise you’ll pay the price.

64. Think tortoise and hare – start slow on a race. You’ll build up your momentum. Many people spend all week in shoes; you need to slowly break out the bare feet each time.

65. You need to conserve energy when racing. Note the first half, and then speed up.

66. If you are planning to participate in a race, dress appropriately for weather. Just because you might have barefeet, doesn’t mean you can bring a poncho to keep your body dry.

67. Everyone knows the danger of cars, but runners have been known to get killed by cyclists. Share the road. If you are listening to music and feeling the trail with your naked feet, it is easy to forget about the world. Be mindful of cyclists.

68. Running barefoot or with shoes – you still need to be a professional. Mind the rules – run against traffic.

69. Trails are for everyone, and that includes animals. Be aware that dogs and horses are often jumpy. Approach and pass with caution. Give them clearance. They don’t understand your intentions, and surprising a dog or horse can have dire consequences.

70. Bring your drivers license or other identification whenever you exercise. Since you don’t have shoes, you’ll likely want to keep it in a pocket or pack.

71. As a yoga instructor will tell you, breathing right is critical. Be aware of your breathing and control it. You are running barefoot to get in-touch. If you are breathing too fast, adjust until you get comfortable.

72. Have some routes that are near home for days when you aren’t in the mood to drive anywhere. You don’t want the hassle factor to prevent a good run …or become an excuse that day.

73. Do other exercises barefoot. Barefoot is a way of life. Don’t take risks – like weigh lifting, but consider barefootin’ through more of your life.

74. Set realistic goals for yourself and your running mates.

75. Read running magazines. It is important to be a part of the community and to learn from others. If you can find articles about barefoot running; even better.

Bare feet & souls 101- Part II

2011-05-10T09:04:00.000-07:00

26. This is controversial – running with music. Barefoot running is about feeling the Earth under your feet. You can still listen to music, but try an occasional run without it, so you can hear some natural sounds.

27. Change the music. Have three musical tracks – one for barefoot running, one for when you are wearing minimalist shoes, and one for when you have regular shoes on. You are creating a complete environment; little things matter.

28. Your feet are more important than most people think. Barefoot runners often discuss improvements in health, feelings, and appearance. You may have similar experiences, but don’t expect immediate improvements.

29. The storm before the calm – sometimes the transition to barefootin’ will hurt a little. Take it slow, and build up to your new strength.

30. Don’t expect immediate improvements in your glutes or how your butt looks. Even though the barefoot experience will work new muscles, it still takes some time.

31. Don’t expect all of your pains to go away. Many barefoot runners talk about the decreases in back pain and improvements in body alignment. Those things do take some time. Your body needs to get back in shape.

32. Barefooters talk about getting in shape – about losing weight. After all, you are starting to engage muscles that have been neglected over the years. You might be surprised how quick you’ll see some weight loss, but don’t expect miracles.

33. Run; don’t spend your life on the Internet, but it is useful to get involved in blogs. You, and a lot of other people, have passionately embarked on improving their health. It helps to talk about it online with your cohorts.

34. Put the cake down. Barefoot running should wake up some sleepy muscles, but it isn’t an excuse to make poor food choices. You are working hard to respect your body again – food is a big part of that success. (yikes!)

35. Presumably, you have decided to get your body realigned to its default position. Lose a few pounds. It will help you get there faster.

36. Hydration is critical. Drink more than you think you need. And, remember that water is the best drink choice. If water is too boring, mix it up with some drink mixes.

37. As you wake up those muscles again, you will realize that protein is important. Sports drink mixes are a good source.

38. Don’t get too hungry. Hungry people get hurt out there. Carry some snacks – healthy snacks (bars, goo, trail mixes, etc.). Eat every hour.

39. Don’t get too tired. Tired people get hurt out there. If you aren’t sleeping right, neither are your feet, and they won’t be up to the challenge. The good news is that barefoot running should help you feel tired (in a good way) when you get the pillow.

40. Your mommy isn’t there to ask if you need to go potty; that’s your job now. Don’t hold it. Stop to go. Again, distractions hurt runners, and barefoot runners need even more focus.

41. Again, water is the best, but if you are going on a very long run, it’s a good idea to drink some electrolytes, like Gatorade.

42. Know your route. You’ll want to know where you can stop along the way in case you need to use a bathroom or need something to eat. Remember, you might be barefoot; meaning there are some places you can’t go or don’t want to.

43. Bring some cash. If you need food, drinks, or if you get hurt, it’s always good to have some money along. While your feet are in their birthday suits its easy to forget about the world, but money makes the world go-round.

44. Celebrate your barefootin’ experiences, but don’t drink too much for a long time prior to a run. After you party, your body has to work through alcohol – that is a real burden. You want your energy available for your run.

45. Watch what you are eating prior to running. Spicy foods can work against you.

46. After the run, slowly eat some food and rehydrate. 60-90 minutes after the run are important eating and drinking times. Your body needs it.

47. Chafing can make everything unpleasant. More than a few people have quit barefoot running because of chafing. Protect yourself while you are getting used to it. Be creative, and even consider using Vaseline on sensitive spots (around the shorts, men’s nipples, armpits, etc.).

48. Although you are getting back to nature, bugs and sun can slow you down or hurt you. And, there are perfectly good solutions. Wear appropriate sunscreen. Otherwise you are hurting yourself while you are working out. And, use bug repellant when it is necessary. You are creating a pleasant environment for yourself.

49. Don’t overdo it. Increase you barefoot running miles by less than ten percent a week. Your body is working extra hard to get used to something new. Give it time.

50. Log your miles. Keep track of how much you are running, when you are wearing transitional minimalist shoes, no shoes or traditional shoes. It is important that you aren’t overdoing it; you don’t want injuries.

check out the original website

Ghandi's Top 10 Fundamentals (according to idea obscura)

2011-05-09T05:43:00.000-07:00

(via idea-obscura she even has a downloadable version on her page!)

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T09:47:00.000-07:00

To all of those who are are a Nurturing Spirit to those around you....

Happy Day To You!

Fabulous Faux Hawk

2011-05-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

If I was tryin to rock a faux hawk it would look a lil somthin' like this!

Bare feet & souls 101

2011-05-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

Where I live it's hard to find good running shoes and since they are imported they are extremely expensive. Well being on a shoestring budget and not yet an avid running I don't want to spend hundreds on mediocre shoes only for them to collect dust.

I live on the beach and I want to get running on the beach. The thought came to me...why not just go au naturale..barefoot! The locals here go everywhere without shoes and my life of frolicking in my backyard sans shoes all the way to my African dance class as an adult have giving me some feet that I know can go the distance. No baby soft pads here!

So I started looking into it and I found this interesting countdown of things to keep in mind when getting into your Barefoot Running Groove. Thought I'd share in a series of posts. Enjoy!

1. Make sure your minimalist shoes fit well. You are trying to mimic your feet. Those are a product of Mother Nature – a force a lot smarter than anyone at a shoe company.

2. Wear the right shorts to avoid chaffing. Do a test run with your favorite running shorts to find which one fits best. Again, you are trying to get back to nature – and chaffing in your privates isn’t going to help.

3. You’re probably used to running in socks, and that’s all about to change. Ease in –you need to get your feet back into shape. Take short runs – then longer and longer. Life is a marathon; not a sprint.

4. The ride will be a little more bumpy than you’re are used to. Support the rest of your body until you get used to the change. The most obvious issue is for women – wear a supportive running bra.

5. This isn’t a beauty contest, but athletes who succeed usually dress the part. Wear clothes that you feel good in. While you are out running or at the gym, you don’t want to be self-conscious. This is about running – get rid of the other distractions.

6. Stretch your feet before and after running. Many runners will stretch their legs or their back. Remember your feet. They are doing the hardest part.

7. Build a relationship with your feet. It sounds silly, but it isn’t. Much of your well-being relates to your feet. Pardon the pun, but you should know your feet like ‘the back of your hand.’ Before and after running, look at your feet, massage them – they are the only feet you’ll ever have – get to know them.

8. Don’t price yourself out of having good running gear. High quality gear is often discounted during holiday sales, on the Internet, or at the end of the season. Get the best, but pay the least.

9. Running alone is always the easiest thing to schedule, but it’s also the easiest thing to quit. Find a barefoot running buddy who has similar abilities. Keep track of progress together. It is much harder to skip a run when you have someone else depending on you.

10. Patronize your local running stores. They are usually runners. They talk to runners all day. They can really help you. Build some personal relationships there.

11. Join local running clubs. Just ask for ideas when you are at a running store.

12. Do more than run; barefoot runners are a community. If you want to be part of the community, get involved. Volunteer at races and events. You’ll get as much out of it as you put in.

13. Be respectful of other participants. People who volunteer at marathons or mountain races are there to help. They aren’t getting paid. Don’t treat them like water vending machines.

14. Share the road. If you are on a trail, proactively think about other runners, bikers and walkers. It makes everyone safer if you try to anticipate their actions. And, open your mouth – tell them if you are coming on the left or right. It prevents injuries.

15. Empty your pockets. Jingling coins or heavy items in your pockets will distract you and others. It will slow you down. Barefootin’ is about getting back to nature – feeling free. You aren’t going to feel free if you are a pack mule.

16. Talk about barefoot running with other barefoot runners. Other people probably don’t want to hear about your experiences 24 hours a day. Be mindful that your barefoot running experience isn’t important to some of your friends.

17. Sign up for some races. Racing will make it more REAL, and it will keep it exciting. If you aren’t ready, switch to shoes at a pre-determined mile-marker until you are more ready. Don’t abuse yourself.

18. Remember – there are good days and bad days. Don’t obsess about a bad barefoot running day. And, don’t get giddy about a great day. You are working on a long term plan. Again, it’s a marathon.

19. Running barefoot will make you stronger. In simple terms – it will continue to get easier. Athletic endeavors usually start out hard, and they get easier. Barefoot running is no different. What once seemed insurmountable will look easy later.

20. You are competing with yourself. Every runner is different. You shouldn’t expect others to keep up, and you shouldn’t expect to keep up with everyone. You are just trying to be your best.

21. You have decided to park your Nikes in the closet, but keep their old tagline in mind: Just do it. Stay motivated, and let your feet make you stronger than you thought you could be.

22. Don’t expect each day to be better than the last day. You are a human animal. Expect a certain number of challenging days – don’t let that disappoint you.

23. Don’t think about it; just run. Some things are worth analyzing on spreadsheets. Running barefoot should be about freedom; not analysis paralysis.

24. If you don’t feel like running today; do it anyway. Make it one of your shortest run days, but get out there.

25. Pizza, sex and barefoot running – even a bad one is still pretty good. ☺

(Re)Discovering Compassion for Myself

2011-04-25T04:13:00.000-07:00

Ahhh! I'm on the tightrope teetering between patience with myself and freaking out.

Small me wants to freak out and say "there isn't enough time", "you don't have enough experience", "what is your plan!?!", "are you Sure about that!?!". My Higher Self knows that everything works out the way it should and that I AM Enough Right NOW. But let me tell ya they keep having it out.

After a crazy week of hosting festive friends during holy week I am proud of myself for getting right back on track Monday morning. I woke up at 4 am having a great meditation and I was actually inspired.

I started writing things down. That voice came up again. "This is the time you are supposed to be doing Yoga, not writing!".

Geez, my Gremlins are on a roll, what's the deal!?

That's when I had to say Enough! I don't know what I have been feeding my subconscious, but obviously my Gremlins are feeling really strong and powerful right now, and it's time for them to know, that I do not honor their opinions.

After writing some things out I also realized why I've had an anxious, "not enough" feeling as of late.

Everything I'm attempting is really new to me, and I'm attempting a LOT of new things.

I'm trying on the new hat as being a writer.
I know it came to a shock to me when I realized it myself.
My spelling is not perfect, I think a 1,000 thoughts at once and my sentences get jumbled sometimes and editing? You can forget it!
How can call myself a writer? (This is when my Gremlins were getting some airtime...)

Because right now it's kinda what I like to do! I am managing three different blogs right now and contribute to more than that. I have a list of book ideas that are just sitting around because "I'm not a writer". It's just ridiculous and I'm glad I see that now. There is a way to realize your dream of whatever you want to do. I have a family member who is a fabulous writer. He has no formal education, but know's he's intelligent. He writes from his heart and then hires a college student majoring in journalism to edit his work. Genius.

I'm also trying to become a master youth facilitator, master life coach, learning this guitar, finding my voice, mastering my discipline when it comes to physical fitness and eating to live. The list goes on really.

The point is, I am always evolving and growing and there are a lot of things right now that excite me and that I want to delve into and do a great job at. Instead of being frustrated, anxious and allowing room for those Gremlins to talk smack, I am instead having nothing but compassion for myself and exhibiting patience and I take on these new projects and interests and continue to grow into an ever more rad version of ME!

I invite you to do the same :)

Love and Light!

E.BaFab!

2011-04-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

E.Badu knows a Fabulous Fro when she encounters one...and Rocks IT!

New Wellness Program

2011-04-20T13:08:00.000-07:00

4:00 am ~Rise and Shine

4:00 am - 5:00 am ~ Meditation (Guided, with Music, Silent, Vipassana)

5:00 am- 6:30 am ~ Yoga (Sun Salutations + Featured Asanas)

6:30 am-7:30 am ~ Cardio

Then it's Raw Breakfast (i.e. Green Smoothie) and on with the production of my day!

This is the schedule I laid out for myself. What has been happening is the early rise happens every other day. I am being compassionate with myself and allowing it to be and knowing that I'm pretty cool for waking up at 4:00 am when I'm a late sleeper naturally. The hard hour time sets are more fluid but everything does seem to conclude around 7/7:30. More like 7 because I have yet to do an hour of cardio. It's usually more like 30 min. Again, I feel rad about it so it's all good :)

I must say it's really rewarding getting up early, being surrounded by silence and as the clock ticks on the world slowly comes alive and the sun greets me as a do my Sun Salutations. When it's 7:00, I have already taken several hours just for Myself and my Wellness and I'm able to give of myself the rest of the day to my projects and other people and I don't feel robbed of my ME time, because I took care of that first thing in the am.

Give it a try for a week. I know everyone is thinking Four AM are you crazy!! But it's been TRULY rewarding. Suerte!!

Namaste :)

Fly Away

2011-04-16T04:33:00.000-07:00

Fly Away- Lenny Kravitz

I wish that I could fly
Into the sky
So very high
Just like a dragonfly

I'd fly above the trees
Over the seas in all degrees
To anywhere I please

Oh I want to get away
I want to fly away
Yeah yeah yeah

Oh I want to get away
I want to fly away
Yeah yeah yeah

Let's go and see the stars
The Milky Way or even Mars
Where they could just be ours

Let's fade into the sun
Let your spirit fly
For we are one
Just for a little fun
Oh, oh, oh yeah !

I want to get away
I want to fly away
Yeah yeah yeah

I want to get away
I want to fly away
Yeah yeah yeah

I got to get away
Girl I got to get away
Oh oh oh yeah

I want to get away
I want to fly away
Yeah with you yeah yeah
Oh Yeah !

I want to get away
I want to fly away
Yeah with you yeah yeah
I got to get away

I want to get away, I want to get away
Yeah
I want to get away
I want to fly away
Yeah with you yeah yeah
Girl I got to get away

I want to get away, I want to get away
Yeah

I want to get away
I want to fly away
Yeah with you
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

Peru Activities Blog!!

2011-04-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

Now this is going to be the fun one!!!

I have a ton of pictures and I'll overwhelm myself trying to pick the best ones...but I'll try to pick some to illustrate all the fun we had. When I think of all the things we did I guess in words it could be summed up pretty quickly, however the inside jokes that were created, the culture we experienced, bonding that occurred, the new friends that were acquired the list really goes on and on and that it hard to capture in a recap of the trip.

In an attempt to take the pressure of doing justice our amazing time, I will just make this a log of the activities we did, recommendations I have and punctuate every line with a "You should really see for yourself!" because it's almost a guaranteed good time.

I guess I can start off with Lima. We stayed in Miraflores and I would definitely recommend that area. It was a neighborhood made up of small streets quaint little stores and pretty easy to maneuver. We were in walking distance to the Malecon Mall (not the official name lol) that was a shopping center that overlooked the ocean! Preeettyyy amazing.

We went there several times during our visit and we were only there a couple of days. Our first night we had dinner there and watched the sun set on the water. We went to a place called CafeCafe. The food was pretty good, I think, but considering it was my first meal after a two day bus ride, my delicate pallet's taste may not have been as discriminatory.

We DID make it for happy hour and their drinks were excellent. I wish we could have gone back from one more. Another place we stopped by in Miraflores was "The Corner Sports Bar" which was pretty much a magnet for extranjeros because they show baseball and basketball and even football all the time. We made some friends there as well, so if you're ever in that area and your feeling down on your Spanish, I think if you swooped through there you'd make a buddy or two.

We went downtown in attempt to go to the museum but it was closed by the time we got there. We did however find another mall that was attached to the Sheraton. It was this strange underground outside mall that was pretty cool. We ate there twice, but the two places we went weren't anything to write home about, so the names escape me. We went to this one "pizza" place that was a nightmare for dining but seemed like it turns into a happening salsa club, so check that out for some nightlife!

The one Lima mention that cannot be forgotten is the restaurant Alfrescos, direccion Santa Luisa 295, San Isidro. We went to this place twice and it was AMAZING. Both times we went we received free drinks! Bonus! The first time we went upon the recommendation of our wonderful hotel El Ducado, we also received free drink vouchers were we got to enjoy the drink of Peru a Pisco Sour! Whoooo we, we got a sample of that and were ordering them everywhere we went. Delicious! The second time we went, I'm not even really sure why...as a desert drink we got Chocolate Pisco Sours on the house after we had paid our bill. The service at Alfresco is out of this world amazing. The atmosphere manages to be somewhat formal feeling but free at the same time. We also ate great gourmet cuisine for great prices. Alfresco is my kind of restaurant for sure.

Next stop Cuzco (or Cusco)
After leaving the big city of Lima I was more than delighted to arrive into the quaint ciudad of Cuzco. It has a small town feel complete with cobblestone streets.

We were welcomed with a desfile, or parade, that was celebrating the traditional dances of the area but it seemed like it was just for us :) We got to see a church that now is a University and a Library. Our guide was speking in Spanish of course,I believe he said the place used to be a holding area for prisoners and even THE Tupac Amaru stayed there. It was all in Spanish and he was going a mile a minute.

We walked around the lovely downtown area which was delightful. They have small shops of everything and I only wish we had more time to explore. Definitely if you have time go to downtown area and don't leave a corner unturned. Later we heard about chocolate shops we missed and some great food we skipped over too. Apparently there is a chocolate shop that has THE BEST hot chocolate. Oh well, next time Cuzco!

We also went to the mercado which I was excited to find. It was finally something that looked like something I was used to and not so touristy. In the center people are selling food, cuts of meat, batidos, almuerzos etc. on the perimeter people are selling their alpaca wares, shalls, sweaters, scarves, all things alpaca. SO many rich colors! It was just beautiful. My sweetie bought me an alpaca shirt that will be great for my trips to Quito.

For me a huge highlight of the trip was just hanging out at Niños Hostel. They had a super cute cafe with surprisingly delicious food. We hung out, played cards, listened to music and conversed with the staff. The environment there is like none other. Hotel Niños is SUCH A special place. It's more than just a place to lay your head, it's a foundation. You have to do yourself a favor and look it up here. But basically Niños Hotel uses the money from the hostal the children in Cuzco . They provide the children with a place to stay, hot showers, food, work with homework, support on their projects and the list goes on. It's an AMAZING Project and an Amazing place. Everyone wins in the situation. You get a cute place to stay with great service and even delicious cafe you don't have to leave the grounds to enjoy AND The children of Cuzco benefit from your contribution. What could be better!!?

After spending the night there we got up bright and early to catch the train to Agua Calientes. Due to the rainy season we actually had to take a van to the train, but the train company PeruRail handled all of those changes and it was a really seamless transition. The drive to the train was Beautiful. The crew slept, but I couldn't peel my eyes away from the sprawling landscape. It was so beautiful the whole way. When we get to the train station we had bit of a wait until ours came. The train was nice and smooth and again another Beautiful ride. The river runs along the train, there are waterfalls from time to time and the green mountains peak and valley as the train trudges on. I love it. We got a snack on the train as well. We had been drinking our Mate de Coco since Cuzco to help us adjust to the altitude.

The Mate de Coca is a tea that they make out of the Coca leaves... You might be thinking Coca as in... Cocaine? Yep...Same stuff. The thing is there it's not illegal. I think only in the states are the ones trying to make it illegal.(or it totally is not sure...we didn't take our chances) People were chewing it for strong effects or for us, to adjust we were drinking the tea, which was just the leaves in hot water. Delish! The locals feel Strongly opposed to the attitude that Coca is a drug because for them it's part of the history and culture. The wise men in the mountains can read the leaves and predict the future. I had woman from Washing gave me a first hand account. A girl in my group had bought some leaves para llevar (to go) but everyone abandoned the idea i.e. threw them away, when we realized not every border and country has the same views as Machu Picchu and Agua Calientes.

Once we got off the train we were finally in MACHU PICCHU!!! The Main Event!! Now this is the part that I have few words I feel but so much happened.

We get there get our hostal and first thing we want is some gruuub! The people on the street totally bark at you to come to their place. We finally caved for a place that offered free guacamole. Big mistake. The food was awful and expensive. I loathe tourist traps! They claimed to have Mexican food. We thought that was strange, we should have all followed our first instinct.
That ick experience just made a later experience so much better, so it is what it is. We then go to buy our tickets to Machu Picchu. The entrance fee to MP is about 130 soles which is about $50 there was a student option that was considerably cheaper, so I'd say if you're a student get that national student card to prove it. You have to pay in soles, no credit cards allowed. We then went and bought our $15 ticket to ride up to the Lost City. I thought $15 was a LOT to pay...but when you're the only ones providing the service 'tis your right I suppose. We only had a few hours and it was a debate whether we should pay the money to go MP that day. We are all glad that we did...

We were able to behold the lost city and all of it's glory. We saw Llamas and chinchillas and even a RAINBOW! It was incredible. We ran up stairs and felt like we were goin to pass out. Once the initial awe semi wore off (because let's be honest I'm STILL in awe) I noticed that people were on tours with guides. I had heard about guides which I quickly scoffed at. However, as I snapped shots of the amazing house like structures and seeming to be altars, I wanted to know the history. I was becoming aware that this rock was maybe more than just a rock. I told the group that day 2 I want to get a guide so that we can really get the scoop on this Lost City. To extend our adventure we decided to take the "stairs" we had heard about back down to Agua Calientes. The part closes at 5:00 I'll say 5ish...sometimes. We had arrived at around 3ish. So we gallantly take to the stairs. I guess when people said stairs I envisioned a pretty straight forward staircase. No sir. It was a rocky windy descent through a leafy woodsy canopy forest. It was fun at first though, very adventurous. However, when the sun started going down and the descent seemed endless we all started to worry. We were an hour into our adventure but still not to Agua Calientes. We finally reached a road indicating our journey had ended, but that's where we were wrong. We still had a bit of a hike up the road, and by this time shadows are turning into people and people into shadows and all I can say is that I was happy we were 4 deep. WE FINALLY made it to Agua Calientes well after dark.

So my advice. Totally take the stairs up or down. Give yourself an hour or more, just what I wouldn't recommend is doing it right before sundown!

Day 2 we get up at what, 4:00 am to be one of the first in line for Huana Picchu or Waynapicchu. The hostel provided us with wake up call and breakfast which was really sweet. We also had packed our bags the night before with cheese, bread, jam, crackers, carmel and granola bars since we were going to be there ALL Day. When we went outside and got in line at around 5:00 (we left later than we had anticipated) The line was already all the way up the hill, DRAT! The thing about Huana Picch is this: Only 400 people can go up a day. 200 in the morning at 7:00 am and 200 later on at 10:00 am. To even have a shot at going up you have to be in the first 400 people. So I heard in the past it wasn't a big deal but now people start camping out as early as 4:00 am to be in line for the first bus that leaves at 5:30 to ascend the mountain to Machu Picchu. From there you have to sign up and say which time you would like to do.

So when we approached the line we were trying to count and see if we had made it, there was no tell though. We HAD gotten our tickets the day before (round trip this time up and down the mountain no more walking down for us), while some people had to wait for the ticket office to open, so that was a score. When the buses finally started running we held our breaths and went up to the Inca City. The lines had already formed and we totally forgot to consider that people staying at Sanctuary Lodge, the only Hotel up at Machu Picchu, might also be wanting to go to Huayna Picchu (also spelled WaynaPicchu) . Double boo. Well we kept faith alive and waited in line and sure enough WE GOT A SPOT! 10:00 am just what we wanted. A little birdie at our hostal told us that you want the later time because by then the fog would have had a chance to clear. Great advice.

We got our stamp to go to Huayna Picchu and then we realized we had a lot of time to kill. It was raining at this point so we camped out under some umbrellas and had some coffee, hot chocolate and egg croissant sandwiches. Finally the rain slowed up and we're like, we might as well do the Inca City again. As we get up a man approaches saying he'd guide us on a tour. We were really hard about the price and we finally got a really good deal. Man I can't remember how much it was though. I think he was originally asking for 20 soles but we wouldn't budge for more than 10, he finally agreed and off we went. Um, turns out this guy was the truth and wonderful at his job! We thought it was just a hustle are on, but our guide was the real deal. Just as I suspected a guided tour really added dimension to our preview from the day before.

Sure enough the rocks we had seen turn out to be alters, sacred rooms, sun and moon mirrors, sun dials, condor rocks, sun gates the list goes on. You have to go. You don't HAVE to have a guide, but I will say it really enriched our experience. We told our friends our guides name and told them don't let them up the price but it turns out we got a REALLY special deal and they wouldn't able to swing it. Finally our time came to ascend Huana Picchu!!!

Now this I REALLY can't describe but was definitely a highlight of the trip. We laughed, we sang, we gasped for air, we stopped and rested, we booty scooted the steep parts and scaled the wall at other parts, did the electric slide hundreds of feet up, it was THE BEST TIME!!! We had a feast on the mountain and photo shoots galore. When we saw how high we were none of us could believe. A lot of people were passing us but for us we were in it for the fun not the race so I would say no matter what your fear level and physical level I think you can do it. Just pace yourself going up and down. TOTALLY worth it though.

One we finally got back down we just sat and reflected and recapped the awesome time we had. It was so surreal. Climbing a mountain is always a metaphor for life and it's challenges and we definitely felt like we had accomplished something huge. The sun was shining the wind was blowing and we literally had just be sitting on top of the world. It was a special moment for us.

Another bonus was that night we discovered this upstairs market of food that was AMAZING. It was the local people cooking the local food at the local prices and the food was out of control delicious. We had some fried fish that knocked our socks off and fresh fruit batidos to go with it. We were through the roof overjoyed to have found that place and I don't think we would have been as appreciative had we not had that awful food the day before. If you ask were the fresh food market is go there and the GO UPSTAIRS to the second floor and viola. We ALMOST missed out and though we couldn't find it, but my sleuthy sweetie figured it out.

The next day we went our separate ways due to different train tickets. The girls left bright and early to head back to Cuzco and my sweetie and I went Back to Machu Picchu to SUMMIT the actually Machu Picchu mountain and to check out the Inca Briddge we had heard about. Our train didn't leave until the evening so we had all day to explore.

We bought a map this time (worthless) trying to figure out where the Machu Picchu mountain was. Here's the thing. We entered the Inca City and everyone would be talking about "going to Machu Picchu" and I was like "aren't we at MP now!?" well actually the ruins are known as the Inca CIty or now it has been officially named Machu Picchu city and Machu Picchu is actually the mountain. Once we heard that we decided we HAD to climb it just off principle!

As I said the map didn't really help but we found the entrance to climb Machu Picchu anyway. We passed some llamas grazing just to set the tone I suppose.
It was a foggy day, it had rained that morning and we were hoping that it would clear by the time we reached the summit. When we signed in we saw we were 10th on the list, versus being number 222 at Huayna Picchu. Okay so not the popular choice of the day... Our guide from the day before had put it into our heads that "Machu Picchu is flat" Um, lost in translation, there is nothing FLAT About this mountain. It's a steep ascent that only gets steeper and steeper! It was beautiful though. I definitely felt more winded this day and I'm not sure if it was just me being exhausted from days before or if MP is just that high up. It took us as long to go up as it did down, which was about an hour and a half. Again, I'm at a loss for words when it comes to describing the majesty that is the climb of Machu Picchu. All I can say is that I recommend it. When you reach the top there is a little hut and seats for one to bask in all of their glory of such a great feat.

As I said going down took just as much calculation as going up...but that could be because it started raining. I'll say this the lack of sun going up was a blessing and the view was still nice, albeit foggy at times and the rain coming down actually wasn't that bad. It was kind of magical in a sense. I didn't mind it. Once we made it out of the canopy and out into the open though we got pretty drenched, and then we got cold and then it got a bit uncomfortable.

We had checked out of our hotel but the lovely people at the hostel allowed us to keep our bags behind the desk while we enjoyed the day. We didn't want to be high maintenance but were desperate to get out of those drenched clothes. They kindly let us change in the kitchen which was hilarious but oh so sweet! Shout out to Hostal Varayoc!

We change ate at that fabulous market again and headed to our train. It was a great journey back, long but great. The train ride was okay,
but waiting for a van to take us back to Cuzco due to the rainy season issue as a bit daunting. We got back around midnight with all of our bags and no one was answering the door of our hostal. Now I knew my girls were waiting for us to come back so we started getting worried. We had phones to call each other and everything but nada. No one was answering the phone and no one was answering the door. FINALLY the man we came to know as Fernando answered the door flustered saying something ins Spanish about my friends were the reason why he didn't hear the doorbell. Upon entering the cafe of Niños Hotel I figured out why. It was like it was a surprise party just for us! There were drinks, a fire and good friends gathered around. It was a great end of a long journey. We stayed up all night talking and laughing. It was such a great moment looking around at my friends both old and new and soaking in the moment of how lucky I am, how lucky we are all are. It felt like the finale of the trip but it was a great way to go out. Fernando who worked at Niños was SO accommodating and sweet. Later we reflected on how much noise we must have been making and just hope he is still working there!

We finally said our good nights, not before exchanging Facebook information of course, and headed to bed... or so we thought. We had our wet clothes hanging up everywhere the girls had their stuff out from being there all day. We had quite the packing task ahead of us and we needed to be leaving the hostal at 6:00 am! So we pretty much took naps on and off and packed for those couple of hours we had in between the ending of our party and catching our flight.

We ended up making our wake up call, pre ordered taxi and our flight to Lima. Once back in Lima we bought our tickets to head back to Guayaquil. The only bus back was leaving at 8:30 pm so we had a whole day to kill. No worries we headed back to the beach front mall and actually ended up going to the beach, it was lovely.

The bus ride back was eternally long. There was traffic leaving Lima, our bus kept stopping but we finally made it to Guayaquil, after that we had to hustle to get tickets back to Atacames but once we made it we had arrived and couldn't be more pleased. What seemed like the end of an epic trip only was accented by an encore experience of spending the most perfect day at Atacames beach. Only my friend Crystal has those pics and I don't know when I'll have those, so you'll have to take my word for it.

All in all, life changing trip.

For more specifics travel and lodging check out this post.

P.S. WE TOTALLY went to the Hot Springs too, that's why it's called Agua Calientes!! We went at night and they were open until 8 or 9 at night. I completely forgot to add that...sigh...Good times :)

P.P.S I couldn't wait till Sunday to Post this!

Peru Travel/Lodging Edition

2011-04-10T08:05:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to write this as soon after my trip to Peru as possible. I had such a blast and will never be able to capture all the little moments of laughter, storytelling and encounters. I would suggest taking this trip yourself and you'll see.

One thing that help me tremendously doing my research on Lima, Cuzco and Machu Picchu were Travel blogs and discussion threads. I was freaking out over crossing the border for example and people in discussion boards gave names on bus companies what they did to help you cross the border etc. It was great.

So in a act of giving back I'm creating a blog that maps out the details of our travel and lodging. I predict this will be long, so I will do an activities and sites blogs separately. Enjoy!

Alright for starters my sweetie and I bussed it down to from Esmeraldas to Guayaquil, about 8 hours on an overnight bus. We took Occidentales. I like this bus like as they are really clean, comfy seats and go directly to the destination with minimal stops. The only bus I know here in Ecuador that will go truly, truly direct is Transportes Ecuador. I love them! But they don't go to the Esmeraldas region.

Once we get to Guayaquil due to my research I knew we had two options. CIFA and Ormeño. I had looked both offices up online and it appeared they could both be found in the Terminal Terrestre in Guayaquil but we got the truth when we arrived.

The reason I chose CIFA and Ormeño as my two options is because they are the only ones I found that will stop AND wait for you at the border crossings, both in Ecuador and in Peru. There are several buses that take you to Huaquilllas (border of Ecuador) or Agua Verders (Border of Peru) and then you have to find another bus. In doing that you have to deal with a border town, cabs (That could be shady) and playing it by ear hoping a bus passes by. I wanted to cut down on the calamity as much as possible. I imagine you pay for the convenience though, but I'll get to that later.

We get to the Terminal and since our night bus arrived later than I had planned the 7:00am CIFA bus had left. I This CIFA Bus was going to take us through to Piura which is well into Peru and from there we would have switched buses. No problem we had a plan B...Ormeño AND rumor had it that Ormeño would take us all the way to LIMA!! our finally destination! The men at CIFA were telling us that we could catch a 10:30 bus or a 1:00 bus but they were stopping close to the border and I didn't want to deal with that. When we went looking for Ormeño however it turns out they are NOT in the Terminal anymore. They are around the corner...so that meant leaving the Terminal on whim hoping that this story about a direct bus was true. We figured it was worth the gamble. We grabbed a bite to eat and hopped in a cab for the office of Ormeño.

Turns out their office is located at (as of March 2011) Centro de Negocios El Terminal Blq C Lc 33-34, Guayaquil number 04-2130847. We took an 11:30 bus Straight to Lima!! Joy!!! They watched our bags while we went and bought snacks for the bus ride and everything. The bus from Guayaquil to Hauquillas (the border) is 5 hours, Huaquillas (passing through Agua Verdes, border of Peru) to Lima is an estimated 19 hours. I believe our trip was about that. Tickets cost $70.

I would like to go on record saying that the ride was a Breeze! I was nervous about being on a bus that whole time but the crew at Ormeño were awesome. We had 3 meals, dinner that night, breakfast in the morning and lunch before we arrived to our destination. They even honored vegetarian options, which I really appreciated. The ayudante on our bus was really helpful and prepared. Just as promised the bus stopped at the border leaving Ecuador and again arriving in Peru. When anyone hit a snag the ayudante was there to help. One lady had some issue and it held us up a bit, but I was like I Love this bus, cause they didn't leave her, it was a "we came together we leave together" mentality and hey, if that were me I would be so thankful the bus waited, so I appreciated it.

They showed movies, served snacks and provided a comfy environment the whole way. So thumbs up to Ormeño all the way. (1 472-5000 is their Peru number I believe).

So we arrive in Lima at their station that was luckily pretty close to Miraflores, the area we were staying in Lima. We took a cab...about 15 soles to our hotel. Oh by the way we exchanged our money at the Peru entrance border. They were safe and gave a pretty good exhange rate. It was really helpful having the money ready when we left. There is also an ATM at the Ormeño station however that I imagine would only be spittin out soles.

I would recommend the area of Miraflores. It's super cute and safe. I'm not always down for a super touristy scene, but it provided a way for us to walk around see sites, the beach, have food options, fresh air and not have to worry about cabs or ladrones.

We stayed Hotel El Ducado which I totally recommend. The people there were extra attentive and it was a cozy set up. Four of us stayed in a suite so we had a stove, pots, a microwave, dishes, dining table, living room, huge flat screen tv with cable etc. Really nice. Great bathroom and shower. The pricing on the website is user friendly and I'm blanking on actually how many nights we paid for as we all arrived at different times. I think my bill came out to be 916 soles which was for I believe two nights but check the website to be sure. They are located at 337 (can you believe it!) Juan Fanning, Miraflores Lima. #51 447 1919. I'll go over the sites and activities in another post.

After the night spent in Lima together the crew was all together so it was off to the airport to fly into Cuzco! We flew StarPeru. Now let me tell you about Star Peru. After being on their website a couple of times, I had to Google and make sure they are a legitimate company! Their site kept logging me out, not letting us make reservations, just loco!

However, it turned out to be legit and we ended up flying with them. A couple of things. It seems like the sooner you can buy your ticket the cheaper. We were all buying our tickets together and the first girl who bought hers got a a $203 ticket, but the end of that week the tickets had gone up $80 bucks, and as we bought each individual ticket the praise went up and up and up. So beware of that. Another thing is we had trouble buying all of our tickets together. I don't know if the site was just having issues or if that was standard ops for StarPeru. We had to buy them one at a time. Lastly and most importantly, you cannot buy these tickets if you have a free email address. ??? I know. So if the email you enter is gmail, hotmail, yahoo etc, those free services are not honored. We all ended up using my friends work email and that finally worked. We though our credit cards were getting rejected but it was all about the email. Talk about heavy security! All in all StarPeru can offer really affordable prices (and at the last minute! we were buying tickets a week before our trip). The plane was tiny but comfy. The flight is like an hour our two but they served us a snack, ham and cheese slider and cake. Not too shabby.

Once in Cuzco we stayed in Niños Hotels. I can't say enough good things about this place. If you go to Cuzco STAY There. It has a chill ambience, white and green decor which I loved AND the most important thing....The place is a hotel but also a foundation. All of the profits from the hotels are used to give 500 extremely neglected children from Cuzco a hot meal on a daily basis, a warm shower and medical and dental assistance! Plus so much more like support on their projects, help with homework the list goes on. All that good heart energy is felt and it's an amazing place. More on that in the Activities blog though. Apparently their are two locations we stayed in the Calle Meloc 442 y Calle Fiero 476, Cusco location. AMAZING!!! Please check out the website or hit me up with any questions about this place. Loved, loved, loved it. We stayed here both before and after our Machu Picchu trip.

We spend the night in Niños hotel and then we caught our early (and only) train on PeruRail. PeruRail I believe is the only way to get from Cuzco to Machu Picchu and the train leaves once a day. Coming back there are several options but going there is only one time. There are different train types. The Expedition is the "Backpacker" train and the Vistadome is the high end option. The Expedition ticket prices were about $56 (you KNOW that's what I was on) and it was a fabulous ride. It was a BEAUTIFUL View and the staff was helpful. Since it's the rainy season now (March/April) we had to take a shared van to another train station, but if you travel during these months PeruRail takes care of all the travel changes so don't worry.

When we got off of the train we were in Agua Calientes!!

We stayed at Hostal Varayoc which was okay. The family was super nice and it was certainly affordable. I think it was $35 for 4 of us a night and we had two separate rooms. They had an internet cafe attached which was open pretty late. The connection was slow, but hey you're supposed to be climbing mountains not surfin the web right!? There were times there were super accommodating, like when we just wanted to look something up really fast and didn't make us pay for the internet service or when we got drenched on the mountain and they let us change our close in the kitchen since we had already checked out. Another helpful accommodation was they let us leave our bags behind the front desk after checkout so we could spend one more day at Machu Picchu before our train. It wasn't a five star establishment by any means but it definitely fit all of our needs. I would check it out at least if you stay in Agua Calientes.

Note: The only place to stay at Machu Picchu is Sanctuary Lodge (starting at $925 USD) other than that you have to stay in Agua Calientes.

Another note: The van from Agua Calientes to Machu Picchu is $15 that is USD. You can walk up the stairs but that takes over an hour so be warned.

For all the fun had at Machu Picchu check out the Activities blog, we had a blast.

After our last day at MP/AC we took the PeruRail train back to Cuzco stayed at Hotel Niños and flew Star Peru back to Lima. Our bus didn't leave for Guayaquil until 8:30 pm that night and we arrived back into Miraflores in the afternoon. The folks at Ormeño let us "check" our bags for no cost, just a tip (I tipped 10 soles I have no idea if that was a good tip or not) and none of our stuff came up missing so that was a relief.

The ride BACK to Guayaquil was a grueling one. It was the same company but we didn't get fed as many times, they didn't ask about vegetarian, we stopped a lot and it made the trip a lot longer. Also, coming back is always a tougher trip than going, so I guess I should take that into account too. I still stand by Ormeño. After that we took Aerotaxi back to Esmeraldas. I would not recommend this bus line. There are so many other options while traveling within Ecuador. We chose it because their office opened first and we wanted to finally be home. Next time I will wait for TransEsmeraldas or Occidentales.

That pretty much concludes the Travel and Lodging Edition of my Peru Travels. Next up is the Peru Activities blog where I'll talk about what we actually did, restaurants I recommend and things of the like. I really hope this helps!!

Safe Travels!!!

Unscripted...

2011-04-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

I don't even know where to begin so I suppose I can start in the middle where I feel I am standing now...

This is a blog, and with blogs you're supposed to, well, blog...

My sister was telling me the other day that she has people at her job that won't even read a blog unless the person posts everyday! I was like who has time to read all of that and write all of that. Well apparently people do, so hey why not me.

I don't strive for the goal of posting everyday, but I DO need to keep this blog updates. I have so many thoughts, theories, ideas etc to share and I feel I can only share them when they are super organized and I have hours to sit down and put all my pens in a row and then map out the post and then finally write... No! That's not blogging! I should just get on the computer and have a free flow of consciousness.

The other conflict I've been having (one thing?) is that I am striving to live a simple life and sitting down to a computer everyday seems a little contradictory. The truth is though, I have a computer, I love in a small studio on the beach, I wash my dishes in plastic bins and I'm a volunteer. It may not fit this picture I have of the starving volunteer or what have you, but it's the reality of my current situation.

Speaking of "pictures" the other reason why I'm shying away from my blog is because I don't feel like I have major insights to share. More than that I feel like I'm in a cloudy space right now. I know that I'm an Infinite Being Super Heroine that can do anything and whatever I dream/create will come to pass, but I'm not acting like it. Instead I'm shrinking being fearful of making any decision because I want it to be the wrong one (Impossible!) and who wants to write about that? Well who wants to be exposed like that is what I really should say.

But then I remember the whole point. This forum is to share, this forum is about all of us discovering and living our inner super hero, we all have those insecure moments, those times we actually let fear and ego have a place in our worlds and moments of uncertainty. The point of this is to create a global community to let us all know we are not alone and in fact are One.

So I'm going to start writing, almost online journaling. I have just looking into starting a tumblr page since this blog has pictures that are predated to post through the next year. That's more Tumblr style than Blog. I'm going to keep this one up as I'm more comfortable with this format as well but you will also be able to check me out at beautifulworldwonderfullpeople.tumblr.com

Peace, Love & Blessings!!

Hide, hide, saaave yourseeellff.....

2011-04-07T05:23:00.000-07:00

(via Blissed)

Just.Fine.

2011-03-26T04:50:00.000-07:00

Just Fine- Mary J. Blige

You know I love music
And every time I hear something hot
It makes me wanna move
It makes me wanna have fun
But it’s something about this joint right here
This joint right here
Its makes me wanna…..Woooh

Let it go……
Can’t let this thing called love get away from you
Feel free right now, going do what you want to do
Can’t let nobody take it away, from you, from me, from we
No time for moping around, are you kidding?
And no time for negative vibes, cause I’m winning
It’s been a long week, I put in my hardest
Gonna live my life, feels so good to get it right

So I like what I see when I’m looking at me
When I’m walking past the mirror
No stress through the night, at a time in my life
Ain’t worried about if you feel it
Got my head on straight, I got my mind right
I aint gonna let you kill it
You see I wouldn’t change my life, my life’s just…..

Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
Just fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
You see I wouldn’t change my life, my life’s just fine

Feels so good, when you’re doing all the things that you want to do
Get the best out of life, treat yourself to something new
Keep your head up high
In yourself, believe in you, believe in me
Having a really good time, I’m not complaining
And I’m a still wear a smile if it raining
I got to enjoy myself regardless
I appreciate life, I’m so glad I got mine
So I like what I see when I’m looking at me

When I’m walking past the mirror
Aint worried about you and what you gonna do
I’m a lady so I must stay classy
Got to keep it hot, keep it together
If I want to get better
You see I wouldn’t change my life, my life’s just…..
Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
Just fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
You see I won’t change my life, my life’s just fine

I aint gon’ let nothing get in my way
(I ain't gone let nobody bring me down, no, no, no)
No matter what nobody has to say
(No way, no way, no way)
I ain’t gon’ let nothing get in my way
No matter what nobody has to say

Feels so good, when you’re doing all the things that you want to do
Get the best out of life, treat yourself to something new
It’s a really good thing to say
That I won’t change my life, my life’s just fine

Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
Just fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
You see I won’t change my life, my life’s just fine

So I like what I see when I’m looking at me
When I’m walking past the mirror
No stress through the night, at a time in my life
Ain’t worried about if you feel it
Got my head on straight, I got my mind right
I ain’t gonna let you kill it
You see I wouldn’t change my life, my life’s just…..

Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
Just fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, fine, ooooh
You see I wouldn’t change my life, my life’s just fine

Electric Fabulousity!

2011-03-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

Dwana Smallwood...Holla!!!

Palms,Sand,Waves,Wind,Love...

2011-03-20T07:17:00.000-07:00

Beach Camping With My Sweetie Is Just What the Doctor Ordered.

Thank you God for the Power to Create....

Royal Fabulousness

2011-03-11T07:55:00.000-08:00

What Plan B?

2011-03-07T05:12:00.000-08:00

"I tattooed my body so I couldn’t fall back on anything. I purposely did that so I couldn’t get a normal job and live a normal life. I did it so I had to play music." Travis Barker from Blink 182.

THAT is how you "Act As If...." That's how I'm trying to be. Sometimes we use our "back up plan" as a crutch and we never propel ourselves to the next level...think about it...

HILLs and Valleys: Study and Mastership

2011-02-28T02:26:00.000-08:00

WORDS OF WISDOM! Please watch, absorb, then live it! I'm taking it back to basics and starting to LIVE all the of TRUTH I know to be true.

As they say "There is a world of difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it..."

Old video, old ideas, taking it to a new place...

"...have courage to follow your heart and intuition...."

2011-02-21T04:28:00.000-08:00

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

- Steve Jobs

(quote via Blissed)
(Pic via EmilyMPhotography)

I Get Out

2011-02-19T04:16:00.000-08:00

I Get Out - Lauryn Hill
(*Warning...may try to teleport your way to the Moon after listening/reading...*)

[Singing Chorus]
I get out, I get out of all your boxes
I get out, you can't hold me in these chains
I'll get out
Father free me from this bondage
Knowin' my condition
Is the reason I must change

[Verse 1]
Your stinkin' resolution
Is no type of solution
Preventin' me from freedom
Maintainin' your polution
I won't support your lie no more
I won't even try no more
If I have to die, oh Lord
That's how I choose to live
I won't be compromised no more
I can't be victimised no more
I just don't sympathize no more
Cuz now I understand
You just wanna use me
You say "love" then abuse me
You never thought you'd loose me
But how quickly we forget
That nothin' is for certain
You thought I'd stay here hurtin'
Your guilt trip's just not workin'
Repressin' me to death
Cuz now I'm choosin' life, yo
I take the sacrifice, yo
If everything must go, then go
That's how I choose to live

[Pause]

That's how I choose to live...
Hehehehe, awhh
No more compromises
I see past your diguises
Blindin' through mind control
Stealin' my eternal soul
Appealin' through material
To keep me as your slave

But I get out
Oh, I get out of all your boxes
I get out
Oh, you can't hold me in these chains
I'll get out
Oh, I want out of social bondage
Knowin' my condition
Oh, is the reason I must change

See, what you see is what you get
Oh, and you ain't seen nothin' yet
Oh, I don't care if you're upset
I could care less if you're upset
See it don't change the truth
And your hurt feeling's no excuse
To keep me in this box
Psychological locks
Repressin' true expression
Cementin' this repression
Promotin' mass deception
So that no one can be healed
I don't respect your system
I won't protect your system
When you talk I don't listen
Oh, let my Father's will be done

And just get out
Oh, just get out of all these bondage
Just get out
Oh, you can't hold me in these chains
Just get out
All these traditions killin' freedom
Knowin' my condition
Is the reason I must change

I've just accepted what you said
Keepin' me among the dead
The only way to know
Is to walk then learn and grow
But faith is not your speed
Oh, you've had everyone believed
That you're the sole authority
Just follow the majority
Afraid to face reality
The system is a joke
Oh, you'd be smart to save your soul
Oh, and escape this mind control
You spent your life in sacrifice
To a system for the dead
Oh, are you sure...
Where is the passion in this living
Are you sure it's God you servin'
Obligated to a system
Getting less then you're deserving
Who made up these schools, I say
Who made up these rules, I say
Animal conditioning
Oh, just to keep us as a slave

Oh, just get out
Of this social PURGATORY
Just get out
All these traditions are alive
Just get out
Superstition killing freedom
Knowin' my condition
Is the reason I must die
Just get out
Just get out
Just get out
Let's get out
Let's get out
Knowin' my condition
Is the reason I must die
Just get out

That’s So Yesterday

2011-02-16T09:53:00.000-08:00

Now that we have kicked off a new year, people are inspired to reinvent themselves, do better, improve on things they didn’t like from the year before. The new year brings about new energy and the winds of change. However, have you ever found that when you are trying to improve or change something about yourself, you receive negative feedback from the people that surround you? A lot of times it’s your family or friends, the people closest to you.

They hold you to the “old” you. The You from the past. “Oh now you’re too good to eat meat?”, “You didn’t get up in the mornings and exercise before, why are you trying to do that now?, “You used to hate to read, trying to act smarter than you are or something?”. I had a friend that had lost weight in a healthy way by trading in her processed junk food habit for a whole foods way of eating. She had also started running in the morning and wow what a difference a year makes! When she was going home for the holidays to see her family that she hadn’t seen in a year she was all too excited to show off her new physique and healthy lifestyle. She came to my house in sad and discouraged state after seeing them and she told me that they had nothing but negative things to say to her. Instead of embracing and supporting her healthier lifestyle they accused her of forgetting where she came from and that she thought she was better than everyone else. Wow, talk about hurtful. It’s shocking coming from those that love you!

And it’s not like change is easy. I’m trying to create a new schedule for myself, a workout plan, a healthy eating agenda a business layout etc. Holding myself accountable daily is hard enough, but then encountering one of these naysayers is enough to make anyone want to quit their schedule and say “you’re right, what’s the point, what you see is what you get, I’ll be the same today as I was yesterday”.

Please do me and yourself a favor and reach for the stars anyway! Do not let the negative voices (whether in real life or inside of your head) affect your progress and journey to self improvement. Yes, that’s who you were, but that’s not who you ARE, NOW. If last year you had no ambitions and lacked direction, that doesn’t have to be your current reality. You can choose a new start every moment of everyday. If you fall of the wagon, don’t say to yourself “yep, I knew it and my naysayers knew it too, I just can’t do this, I’m not capable” . We all have set backs, but it’s those who persevere that see results. There is a Japanese Proverb that says “Fall 7 times, get up 8” because that is the formula for success.

What I’ve started saying to myself, and maybe this will help you too, when the negative record player starts playing it’s age old tune in my head or when the negative people (or haters as some people refer to them as) start imposing their negative opinions on you, I say your response is “That was so Yesterday”. You don’t have to say it aloud, just to yourself to let yourself know that maybe you smoked yesterday, but today you are a non-smoker, maybe you used to gossip and that’s what your circle of friends are accustomed to, but “that was so yesterday” and today you don’t. Or maybe you’re a work–a-holic or a “yes” person, but today, you are taking time for You. When you start catching the heat from people, just smile to yourself and think “That was so Yesterday”. They do not define you. You define You and through prayer, meditation or whatever you use to connect to Your Inner Voice and Spirit you will get to know more about Who You Are.

Try this through your journey we call life and let me know if you have success with this!

Love, Light & Hugs

How'd You Do That? Manifest It!

2011-02-14T04:05:00.000-08:00

Every generation has a limit to what it believes can be real. At one point we thought the world was flat, that it was impossible to fly or that putting a man on the moon was impossible.

The same thing can be said about how other people perceive you when you have a vision or a dream.

Not everyone will see it. Many will doubt it. In the beginning almost none will help make it happen.

But the magic lies in this: KNOWING, AFFIRMING and BELIEVING that your inner world creates your outer world. The thoughts and vision you are thinking about creating the life of your dreams, are the blueprints of your eventual success.
When you are inspired, don’t seek the approval of other people before you begin taking action. Just take action and produce results. You will learn from the action you take and if you take consistent and daily action eventually you will begin to show positive results.

When you show positive results, instead of other people saying, “Ah, that impossible”, they’ll start to ask you, “How’d you do that?”

- Mastin Kipp, The Daily Love, Daily Email - Nov. 5th, 2010

(Someone sent me this email, after I read it I signed up for the "Daily Love, Daily Email", you can too here if you would like to receive a daily love message)

Fabulously Eartha

2011-02-11T07:35:00.000-08:00

Show'em how it's done!

Allowing the Flow in February

2011-02-07T09:44:00.000-08:00

That is this Months Theme:

Ideas on how to live in the Flow:

Write a Daily Dream Script of Your Life. Everyday write down exactly what a day in the life of you would be like if you had all the money in the world, all the time in the world, access to whatever you wanted etc. Update it like a journal everyday and take inspired action as opportunities arise. *Bonus- look back at your February 2011 entries in February 2012 and see what has come to manifest itself!

Daily Gratitude list of Things you are thankful for. I always do this in my head, but in February I'm putting it down in writing. Join me won't you! There is something about the act of writing. You are physically forming the letters with your body (using a writing instrument of course) you are visually seeing what you are writing and you are thinking about the concepts you are writing. It's a fully creative moment that will surely manifest more of the things you are grateful for just by writing them down.

Come up with a Monthly Mantra. What will it be this month!? Living Full Out? Allowing My Light To Shine?, Allowing Creativity to Flow? All of those and more!? Great, figure out what it will be this month and meditate on it in the mornings, while in your car, while walking, before you go to sleep, let your Personal Mantra this month take you to the next level!

Exhibit Excellence in Your Current Situation. It's so easy to write your script of your dream life, and forget your present. So while you are creating your fabulous future, show up as a rock star right now in your current situation. So if you are at a job you don't like, studying something that doesn't interest you or are just eager for the next stage in life (cause it will be awesome..) try to focus on being the best You you can be Right Now, as nothing will shift your reality more. I've been so excited about things to come that I have forgotten about my current task at hand that I actually enjoy and it deserves my full energy and attention as well. So this month let's be present for the tasks at hand WHILE we create our dream lives as well.

Continue to Allow the Flow This February!!

I found my February Mantra!

2011-02-07T05:36:00.000-08:00

2nd Timothy 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Hope this helps someone out there. Does anyone have a different mantra for Allowing the Flow in February?

This week's Inspirations

2011-02-06T10:02:00.000-08:00

This week I have been asking for signs of what direction I should be taking and I feel like very poignant inspirations have been jumping out all over the place...just this week!

Raul: 7th Child out of 14 children. Lived in extreme poverty growing up with an abusive alcoholic father and a understandable exhausted mother. His mother told him education was his way out of that situation. Raul has been working since he was 6. First job as a "parking attendent" (the people that watch your car on the street so they don't get broken into in a dangerous neighborhood) and he went onto various jobs. No matter what the occupation, he always kept his vision in mind. He wanted to DJ as a teen. He entered the radio station as a janitor and left as the main DJ and Program Manager. He wanted to work for a NGO he entered in as some fix-it guy and came out as the Director...or the Region. ALL the time he is master these feats he is also attending school. Always. School during the day DJ at night, Work during the day, school at night and weekends. He is not the Director of the orphanage I am volunteering with and he is going to school to study law. He also happens to be a Life Coach which you know is after my own heart. Talking to him about his history, which he doesn't discuss much because, 1) it's painful 2) doesn't want to come off as bragging, I was inspired to get the fire back that I used to have.

I was always criticized for burning the candle at both ends, but MAN you get a lot of stuff accomplished when you do... Alright, what I used to do was NOT healthy, but I feel I have mellowed WAY out and now I know how to focus on what is important. I'm working on Getting up Early in the morning, because well...when you sleep until noon you get a lot less done for some reason... I aspire to do a lot of things so I need to go after them with the same hunger and tenacity that Raul did and still does to this day. Thanks for the swift Kick Raul!

My GodBrother Lincoln: I don't even know where to begin as this brother has been a beacon of light and love for a long time. He's a brother to me, a friend and a someone who's always shakes up that "you can do it if you put your mind to it" itch in me, just by living the way he lives. He's a an example of entrepreneurship and connectedness. He has a great Spirit and really I could go on and on.

Since we are talking this weeks inspirations I can say Just This week I drew inspiration from his new tumblr blog specifically his first real post here. You can keep up with his blog under the Sun Sprites, Rays and Beams section of this blog or you can subscribe to his blog directly.

Agent IAEBC: Teaching me by being a living example of love, affection, patience and consideration, just to name a few. Being vulnerable and sincere take strength too.

Sra Lola: I just got word yesterday that a project I was working on in Guayaquil with the Mujeres de Lucha and Sra Lola just went though and they got money to start constructing a community center that is going to house all of the small micro enterprises allowing them to be in the same buildling! "She does it again!" I thought to myself. Sra Lola is TRUE Visionary. When everyone around her is telling her she can't, it's impossible, how dare she even dream that big, this woman continues to have the Audacity of Hope :) I can watch "The Secret" all day, but Sra Lola has it down. She only focuses on the Goal and the End Result and perseveres through it all. This is not fluff. If you could see the poverty, the violence the dismay that surrounds her and the ladies daily it's enough to kill any spirit. They encounter more devastating setbacks in a day sometimes than we experience in a year. Honestly, I know because I've been there to see it. When I am next to her I feel like I know what someone felt standing next to Rosa Parks (and ya'll know I love me some Rosa Parks!! sooooo.biggest.compliment.EVER). I credit us all working countless hours on the grant proposals, researching and setting up meetings, but I know that none of this would have ever been accomplished had it not been for the unwavering faith and steadfast vision of Sra Lola. She is living proof. Anything is Possible.

Oh and this just in as I logged into my blog. I had two super uplifting comments!!
So shout out to Sunkiss (another trailblazer and light!) and Musicfan. Thank you So much for you words of encouragement. You have no idea how taking just a moment of your day to send sunshine my way helped to light my path!

Green Machine(s)

2011-02-02T06:44:00.000-08:00

Green Smoothie Recipes I'm trying....

Green and Yellow
1 banana
2 cups chopped Chard
soy milk (of soy apply juice!)
1 tablespoon flax seeds

Sweet Pea
1 banana
1 cup grapes
6 oz tub vanilla yogurt
1/2 apple
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach leaves or Chard

Island Green Breeze
1 frozen banana
2 cups chopped kale
1 tablespoon flax seed meal (optional)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup orange juice

Green Tease
2 cups Chard
2 cups frozen strawberries
1 banana
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup ice

That's My Name & That Is So ME!

2011-01-30T07:07:00.000-08:00

Confucius Theory

Confucius defined humanity, or jen, as a “love of people” stating “if you want to make a stand, help others make a stand.” That is, the Confucian theory of humanity exemplifies the golden rule. It is so central to Confucian thought that it appears 58 times in the Analects. Similar to the Christian process of seeking God, Confucius teaches seeking jen to a point of seemingly divine mastery until you are equal to, or better than, your teacher. The Confucian concept of jen encompases both love and altruism.

***********
I like it! It's all in the name I suppose. Can your name dictate your life's purpose? What do you think!?

It Takes a Village

2011-01-23T09:25:00.000-08:00

Speaking of forming Communities..

In this blog I cover a lot of topics, have several foci and therefore find myself as a member of many different communities.

So in the same vein of Mocha Mamas on the Move, I am also creating Napptural Knowledge, Vibrate Higher and Eat2Live.

Napptural Knowledge will be links and blogs that relate to the natural hair journey, product reviews and all things natural hair.

Vibrate Higher will be links that deal with Human Potential, Walking in One's Purpose and Living the Life That You Love and Deserve. Most of the blogs and links will related to material found in the Manifestation Mondays section.

Eat2Live will be all links that explore veganism, vegatarianism, whole foods, healthy recepies, food challeneges to a healthier way of eating. I'm sure some exercise links will find their way here too. If you gravitate towards Wellness Wednesday then this will be your favorite blog roll.

Stay tuned! I love Community Building!!!

Mocha Mamas on the Move!

2011-01-23T09:12:00.000-08:00

From my Sunshine Builder Volunteer/Travels In Ecuador Blog it has been brought to my attention that there is a sub community brewing. There are Sistahs everyone breaking the mold and getting their travel on. I have received a lot of support from these ladies all over the globe and I'm going to return the favor. I'm going to spend a day, reading, following, commenting and linking to those blogs that I am able to, to both my Sunshine Builder Blog and BWWP. From there I will continue to follow and support. All of this social networking is about forming communities and I haven't been active in that. I'm calling this group Mocha Mammas on the Move!!

Fabulously Dorothy

2011-01-21T07:30:00.000-08:00

Life Is Too Short For Regrets...

2011-01-17T03:58:00.000-08:00

(via SuperForest)

Face the Light...

2011-01-15T05:48:00.000-08:00

(via idea obscura image created with legos and their shadows, message..oh so true...)

STAND!!

2011-01-08T15:39:00.000-08:00

Stand! - Sly & The Family Stone

Stand
In the end you'll still be you
One that's done all the things you set out to do
Stand
There's a cross for you to bear
Things to go through if you're going anywhere
Stand
For the things you know are right
It s the truth that the truth makes them so uptight
Stand
All the things you want are real
You have you to complete and there is no deal
Stand. stand, stand
Stand. stand, stand
Stand
You've been sitting much too long
There's a permanent crease in your right and wrong
Stand
There's a midget standing tall
And the giant beside him about to fall
Stand. stand, stand
Stand. stand, stand
Stand
They will try to make you crawl
And they know what you're saying makes sense and all
Stand
Don't you know that you are free
Well at least in your mind if you want to be

Everybody
Stand, stand, stand

Staaaand, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na-na-na....(Fade Out)

Happy Birthday to Me! My Mantra...

2011-01-06T05:26:00.000-08:00

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

by Marianne Williamson

My New Year New You Program:

2011-01-03T09:21:00.000-08:00

I'm always coming up with a new program, this is my latest....

I wrote a calendar in my spiral (I'm thinking about getting a poster board and making a big one for my wall, but the idea just came to me while I was journaling, for now it's in my spiral)

I wrote down all of the things I want to work on. For example, morning prayer, meditation and yoga hour, wake up early (5/5:30) to have quiet time to do those things, whole foods eating and as Green as possible, 30 min of cardio, Productivity which is working on my dream life basically, camps, workshops, life coaching etc, writing (be it journaling, writing my 750 words etc), Scholastics (this used to be "reading" but now it includes, the current book I'm reading for leisure, catching up on current events, or studying Spanish), Band Practice (as I affectionately call it which is either continuing to teach myself guitar or even singing!), and To Do List (just making sure in doing all of these self improvement things I am handling my responsibilities as well).

As you can see I have the calendar drawn out, you can also purchase a planner that you dedicate to tracking your process and nothing else. I suggest that, because if your planner is anything like mine, it's full of quotes, scribbles, and my tedious "to-dos", this planner should be dedicated only to the program so that you don't get your wires crossed. Next, I created little symbols to represent an activity and if I completed it that day, I drew the symbol in the box of the day I completed the action.

I also have a key or a legend that explains each activity, duration of time and frequency it would ideally happen. For example, Morning Prayer time is a 7x a week jam, while the "Band Practice" is a 4x a week thing because it's more of an enrichment activity. Most of the activities are 5 or 6 x a week. Try not to get caught up in the day to day, but at the end of the week review your progress. Where are you excelling? Where do you need to focus more effort?

I am also going to come up with rewards of some kind to acknowledge extra effort on my part, if I can hit 7x a week on these things. Ideally I would workout, eat healthy, work on my dream projects and read to my hearts content everyday, but that probably won't happen all the time. I allow room for Life to happen and still be a success, achieving working out 5x a week would be huge for me, so that's why I have them as mandatory 5x a week so I can still be pleased with my progress. However, if I hit 7x, fiesta!! Maybe just knowing I did something every day that week that I have identified as something that will improve my way of living is enough.

If you incorporate this program let me know how it goes it for you and I will definitely keep you posted on my progress as well. You see how my illustrations and calendar are Very basic and rough. Your can be too, no need to spend any money or hire an artist! The point is just a way to keep you prioritizing and focused on what you want to continue to create and manifest the results that you desire in your life. These photos were taking January 3rd, so there isn't much filled out, but it's just to give you an idea. Good Luck, Buena Suerte!!