Giddy up!

Me & Destiny

Last Friday Pina and I headed out for another K&P adventure.  This time we hit the trails in Monroe at Blue Spruce Farm.   There was a chance of rain, but despite the gray skies we enjoyed a beautiful trail ride through the woods with our guide John. 

Here's what I was reminded of while on the trail:

• Get outside! Everything feels better when you spend time in nature.
• Spend time with a friend, but try doing something active for a change 
• Go with the flow!   Pina's horse, Lady, was NOT in the mood to trot.  Honor YOUR moods and go with them.
• When your life speeds up (my horse Destiny DID want to trot) HOLD ON TIGHT and hope for the best!

Now go for it!

 

Summer wish list....

Summer is here folks!  How will you make the most of it?   NOW is the time to consciously design your summer.  Otherwise, you will be asking yourself over Labor Day weekend 'where did the summer go?'

I know it will go especially fast for me this year as I'll be spending a good chunk of July traveling to China on a cultural exchange/service trip.  And while that's VERY exciting for me, there are plenty of other things I want to be sure to include in my summer.

Here's a few items on my summer wish list....

• Hit the Farmer's Market every week   
• Rollerblade at the beach
• Get a pedicure with a bright happy color
• Visit the library for mindless summer reading, especially some good mysteries & chick lit
• See the last Harry Potter movie
• Play golf with my hubby as often as possible
• Enjoy Happy Hour on patio with my hubby on the weekends with a glass of cold Pinot Grigio or a margarita - our best chats happen here!
• Plan an outing with the Jazzer-girls to see The Help
• Eat lunch outside on every day that weather permits
• Host a summer cookout with THE gang 
• Get to NJ to visit my adorable nephews
• Celebrate the 4th of July with the Rzasa clan
• Have a summer adventure (or two) with Pina

What's on yours?

Fitness doesn't respect future workouts

 This morning I happened up a blog post by Peter Shankman which was honest and real and hopefully will make you think.  For those of you who know or follow Peter (met him a few years ago at a networking event) he's the PR and social media guru.   In his blog Peter shares the truth about his own journey and his struggle with complacency.

It's so easy to fall out of the habits that make us feel good and keep us healthy.   And as he says, we're often not even quite sure how it happens. What matters  most is making the choice to get back on track, as he's doing.

Here's a peak, but I encourage you to read the full post and be inspired!

"Fitness doesn't respect future workouts. Fitness only knows the here and now. If you eat a whole pizza now, that workout in three weeks won't mean shit to it. In the world of being healthy and in shape, there are millions of "I'll do this tomorrow" excuses lying by the side of the road, while the few healthy and in-shape people running past them shake their heads in pity.

You can't justify yourself to a better shape. You need to act on it, and you can't "schedule time" to act on it. It needs to happen all the time."

Amen to that Peter!  And all the best on your journey. 

Fresh from the Farmer's Market

Friday night's dinner

It's that time of year again - Farmer's Markets are opening up all over the area.  I love getting as much of our groceries as I can from local farmers and merchants.  The best organic food is what is grown closest to you.   The food doesn't have to travel as far, can be picked at its ripest and therefore needs fewer chemicals.  

I have been on a mission for a while now to buy as little processed food as possible and the summer Farmer's Markets make it easier.   

Last night we had fresh bread, fresh mozzerella, pesto and hot house tomatoes all made locally.

Our whole dinner was from the area (except for the wine :)). It was a quick easy dinner and healthier and tastier than ordering a pizza.  Plus since it is all local, this meal had much less impact on the environment, and lessening my carbon footprint has been an ongoing project in our  house. 

I encourage you to check out one of the local markets this week!   You can find one nearby almost any day of the week.  Happy shopping!

From Complaining to Campaigning

I loved this article so much that I had to re-post.   You'll hear no complaints for me today!


From Complaining to Campaigning
by William Frank Diedrich

If complaining were an Olympic sport, there are, no doubt, people in your life who would be gold medalists. Complaining ranks up there with baseball as a national pastime. It may be that it is human to complain, but the downside of complaining is substantial. The cure for any complaint is to clarify what you want and then to begin taking action to claim it.

To complain is to express dissatisfaction with a person, situation, or event. When we complain we express the frustration or pain we are experiencing. At first this is necessary. We vent to release negative emotion. Once the negative emotion is vented we can focus on a course of action. Telling one or two people how you feel is often healthy. Telling lots of people your negative feelings does not help you to release the negative. As you tell more people your problems and as you experience the negative emotion that goes with those problems, you are practicing feeling badly. Practicing complaining makes you good at it. Practice, in this sense, hard wires the negative emotion in your body. Repetitive complaining makes you feel helpless and powerless. Repetitive complaining is a focus on what you don't want.

As you continue to complain you make it difficult to solve anything, because you convince yourself that nothing can be done. Also, no one really wants to listen to it. Think about this: Who would you rather be around---a person who complains a lot, or a person who takes effective action to solve their problems? Which person inspires you? I have read numerous stories about people who have overcome the odds and accomplished their goals. I have not read any stories about people who complain day in and day out and don't change their thinking or their behavior.

There are two steps to transcending the complaining mode and moving forward: Step one. Clarify what you want. Whatever is dissatisfying to you, determine what you want instead. If you are complaining about things you can't control, still determine what you want. You can complain about how people treat each other in the world, but how do you want to live your life?

Step two. Campaign. A campaign is an organized course of action to achieve a particular goal. It is determining what you want and taking action to achieve it. This requires focus, discipline, and courage. It requires that you build up your passion, your energy, and use it to motivate you.

You may think that it just takes too much energy to clarify and to campaign. Nothing drains your energy more than complaining. Chronic complaining by you or by others around you will tire you faster than taking action will.

Ask yourself this question: What am I complaining about and not really doing anything about? Is it another person? If so, are you willing to clarify what you want from that relationship and then change your thinking and behavior to make something good happen? If things are not satisfactory at work, are you willing to step up and create a vision for how it could be?


We each have the gift of life. If you are awake for at least 16 hours a day, then you and everyone else have been gifted with 57,600 seconds today. How are you using those seconds? Are those seconds filled with complaints, blaming, and expressions of frustration? Or, are those seconds filled with the satisfaction of you living on purpose. Each second provides opportunity for choice. When you catch yourself complaining, make sure you are talking to someone who cares and that you are doing it to let it go. Clarify what you want. Launch your campaign toward whatever lofty goal you have set. Your action and your example will inspire both you and the people who know you.

William Frank Diedrich is an executive coach, public speaker, and the author of three books, including Beyond Blaming. For speaking on topics such as leadership, moving beyond blaming, emotional intelligence, increasing influence, and being a true adult, contact Bill at Bill@noblaming.com . For information on Bill's books go to http://intelligentspirit.com/. Click on "Catalog".

To comment on this article, reply to Bill@noblaming.com

Safe Fun in the Sun

It’s summertime and it feels great to be outdoors, soaking up the warmth of the sun that provides us with a healthy dose of Vitamin D. But it’s important to take precautions when outside for extended periods of time.

Remember that the sun’s UV rays are harmful if we are exposed to them too long. Here are some tips for being safe in the sun from www.jazzercise.com:

Drive Time
If possible, drive before or after peak sun hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. because the sun’s UV rays can be magnified coming through car windshields, bathing your face, arms, hands and chest more than you may realize. 

Seek Shade – When you are outdoors, seek a location where you can sit or stand in the shade once you’ve had enough sun. Remember that water, sand (and snow in the winter) reflect and intensify the sun’s rays, increasing your chance of sunburn.

Wear Dark Colors – Summer-weight light-colored cover-ups are fashionable, but they allow more of the sun’s rays onto our skin than we might know, protecting us only minimally, according to the American Cancer Society. The ACS recommends wearing dark colors, fabrics with tight weaves and specially treated garments and bathing suits for more healthy sun exposure. 

Skip Tanning Salons – Tanning beds and sun lamps give out harmful UV rays that can contribute to skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Also, getting a “base tan” is equivalent to only a sun protective factor of about 4, much less than most sunscreens.  

Baby the Babies – To protect babies younger than six months, the American Cancer Society recommends shade, sun-protective clothing and hats. As a last resort, pediatricians now say that very small amounts of sunscreen can be used on small areas, such as baby’s face and back of the hands.

Go Incognito – Wear and wide-brimmed hat and UV-protected sunglasses when outdoors

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Always Use Sunscreen – Remember that the SPF number describes how long a product will protect your skin, but only if you reapply every two hours, after going in water or toweling off. For example, if a person would begin to sunburn in 15 minutes, sunscreen with 20 SPF will prevent sunburn for five hours (15 minutes x 20 = 300 minutes).  

Follow these recommendations and you’ll enjoy carefree fun in the sun all summer long.