Mahalo, Monica

There is nothing more traumatic than listening to your Spirit tell you to release your grip on something you want to hold on to with all your might.  You’re just so afraid that you’ll lose it if you let go.  What I wrote about in I’ll Keep Travelin’ was probably what helped me begin to relax my grip; today I was inspired to release it a bit more.  

Have I built it up enough?  Well it’s no suprise that I’ve been dealing with a lot of changes in my life because I’ve written about it over the last few months.  In the Real World, I’ve been very reclusive as I’ve worked through alot of it.  Because of this, I’ve been putting off a visit with an old friend who recently came back to town - until today.  OMG!!!  Monica & I were so happy to be reunited.  We both needed this reunion.

I decided to write this post as a tribute to Monica because she is celebrating the near completion of this website as much as I am.  And even more important, I wanted to tell everyone that Dream Home Profile™ had it’s beginnings with Monica and tissue paper in the back of a bus.  (Strange, memorable beginnings usually make great impacts!) 

Mahalo, Monica, for welcoming me back into your life today.  And you know what, Izzy’s "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is just the beginning …   

 

Just Give Me 15 Minutes …

of Fame. We all want it!  And by golly, if we don’t get it one way, we’ll try another. Then we start questioning ourselves … if only I could be … if only I could do … if only I could meet …. if only I were younger … taller, smarter, prettier, skinnier. You know what I mean. If only …

I, myself, am suffering from this desire for that illusive "15 minutes". But, I have to remember a few things from all my years of studying history. Although, I know fame is a function of the “who-you- know- world”, it’s even more a function of an “already planned” world – not from a religious point of view, but from a Historical point of view – (a cyclical one, not linear).

I’ve recently offered a taste of my thoughts about “cyclical history” in my first article to Blog Critic – “Taylor Swift & Friends – Millennial Entertainers Remove the Gloom”. As I wrote, much of what I believe was validated by the book, “The 4th Turning”, which I still use to uncover likely future events.

Another way I consider FAME, is as a function of “The American Dream – Idol Style”. (I’ll soon have this article written.) Let me just say three words – Skill, Authenticity & Resonance. Last night, for my New Years entertainment, I watched Taylor Swift on GAC (Great American Country) count down the Top 50 Videos of the Year. I was blown away (again) about how adorable and confident she is. The Hottest Girl in Country!

Anyway, out of 30 Videos, there was one that totally got me – Sugarland’s “Already Gone”.  It’s one my favorite Sugarland songs.  Take a look at the Video and I think you’ll see how it captures their “Star Quality”, especially when they look into the camera at about the 3.40 mark. Awesome – they are 100% transparent – That’s what draws fans to them. That’s why people relate – they are HONEST and TRUE to themselves … and they let us see them for who they are … just like Taylor.
 

I’m a Country Girl from way back.  America - We are Real Deal!  Like Miranda Lambert sings, we can be famous in our small towns, and in our own little circles.  I’ve got to remember that. 

 Watch other Videos

Sugarland’s YouTube Channel 

Taylor Swift’s You Tube Channel

Miranda Lambert’s You Tube Channel

Take Oasis

Have a listen to "We Walk" by REM 

"Take Oasis" …

Take a walk, take a bath … hey, just take a deep breath and stop what you’re doing!

There might be some deeper meaning in REM’s song, but I love the phrase “take oasis”. It’s like saying, “Just Stop!" or "Chill Out!"

For me, life gets too busy and confusing; I just need to stop and take a moment to relax and reflect.  Well, that’s the premise and solution I present in “The Ugly Duck Makeover” .   I’m always using the 7 steps in Ugly Duck to do just that. 

Here’s the bottom line, and what I think I’ll plaster on my car … 

Life is Short … Get the Last Quack!

Are you getting the last quack?  Let me know …

 

Everybody Wants to Go to …

Heaven!

Isn’t it true?  This is my new favorite song.  It has the island sound, which Kenny does so well.  If you’ve read my book, Secrets to Healthy Aging & Ageless Beauty, you’ll understand why I like this song so much.  One of my favorite "country boys" is singing an island-style song.   (I’m a Texas girl, who had the good fortune to have lived for quite some time in Hawaii.)  To watch the video, just click the arrow below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do …

  
Kenny Chesney with The Wailers - Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven

Take a Chill Pill

This is not meant to be a cliché.  It’s a real suggestion because I’m just like you, personally experiencing stress & anxiety related to the econmy.  And, perhaps unlike you, I experience it all day at work because home furnishing sales are directly linked to housing, and the mental mood of the country.

 ♥

So, I know firsthand how difficult it is to remain stress-free, healthy and happy.  But, I also know that I have resources available - my own personal Chill Pills.  The Chill Pills I take aren’t related to drugs, alcohol or professional intervention.  Rather, they are self-help, natural things I do to "chill out".  Here’s my list, and hopefully some of these things will be great Chill Pills for you, too:

Watch the Dream Movie.  (I’ve watched it at least 50 times in the last few months, and I never get tired of it - it’s tremendously inspiring and soothing.) 

 

I sometimes treat myself to a massage if I need a high dose of chill.

 

I talk about my feelings to my closes friend and loved ones.  But I never talk about my anxiety to any one else.  How boring is that?  I prefer not to add a heavier load to those around me.  I try to stay calm and unafraid (I give myself lots of pep-talks.)

 

I try to add more "Favorite Day" elements to my day, and eliminate my triggers for stress.  (The "Favorite Day Finder" helps me identify the good and bad elements of my days.  It’s available in The Duck Directory, The Ugly Duck Makeover, and The Not So Famous Celebrity Makeover.)

 

I use the Awakenings Program from Centerpointe to de-stress whenever I have an extra hour of quiet time.

 ♥

So, if you need a little something to take the edge off things, just pop a few Chill Pills, and see if you don’t feel a little better.   And as our friend from England, Duncan, says … Cheerio! 

A Diet Book for Tired-Of-Dieting-Dieters

Another diet book.  Thousands upon thousands of “wanna-be diet gurus” confusing most of us, most of the time with some recycled diet and weight loss idea. 

However, The Younger (Thinner) You Diet by Eric R. Braverman, MD is really different!  I’m inspired by a few things.  It approaches anti-aging, dieting and weight loss from a "brain perspective," not a "time and stomach perspective."  And Dr. Braverman uses an integrative approach in his medical practice, which puts him in the same niche as Dr. Andrew Weil.

The first rule that I use to evaluate a non-fiction book is to see if it sufficiently addresses the problem or situation addressed by the title and tag line. The title, The Younger (Thinner) You Diet, draws me in (as a resistantly aging baby-boomer) by suggesting that I can be younger and thinner with this particular You Diet.  What a hook!  It intrigued me!  Of course that’s exactly what I care about, and will likely care about for the next 20 years.  Next, his tag line, How Understanding Your Brain Chemistry Can Help You Lose Weight, Reverse Aging and Fight Disease, places him in a very unique niche as far as diets go.  Wow, this tag-line promises all this from “Brain Balance!”

Okay, did he succeed?  Yes, he delivered a do-able, anti-aging diet and weight loss book - one that I’m going to use.  Of course, not all of it appeals to me. The beginning of Part II offered quite a few details, along with the rational of the Diet.  For me, this was TMI (too much information) for my time constraints.  However, the latter part of Part II was filled with fantastic recipes, which he coded to the specific brain chemical deficiencies that I discovered in Part I, when I took his Younger Thinner Diet Quiz.  The quiz was so practical, and completely held my interest.  I also felt the results were quite accurate.

Another interesting part of Braverman’s book is how he uses herbs, foods and supplements to balance out the four brain chemicals, suggesting prescription medication as the last resort.  The premise he uses in his medical practice is mind-body balance, and it’s the foundation of this book.  I totally buy into this primal connection in regards to natural beauty, health and wellness. 

Would I recommend this book to you?  Yes.  I would suggest that you get a support group started of “Tired-of-Dieting-Dieters” because you can have a lot of fun identifying with someone who is deficient in the same brain chemicals as you are.  I always feel that accountability helps in our diet and weight loss journeys.