"Hey Black Child! Do you know who you are, who you really are?"

• Most of us had to learn that poem somewhere along our childhood. However, what began as a simple testament to what lies within each of us, has developed into a thought-provoking inquiry into where our true SELF lies.

• Recently I began reflecting on who I am, who I have been, and who I will become. I must say that by looking at the images of who I have been and who I am today, I can definitely say that age has improved me. I'm more mature. I'm more determined. I'm more disciplined (not evidenced by the fact that I am using this post as an opportunity to procrastinate from work). I'm more independent. I'm more patient. I'm more faithful. I'm more beautiful, and I'm even more stylish. All of these things make me love who I am today. Now that isn't to say that I'm perfect...there are always areas in which we can grow. However, I can't too much complain.

• Yet, as I began to think of who I will one day become, I struggled to form the image. I was halted by the fact that some of who I was and who I am has been circumstantial. Don't get me wrong...I think that there are parts of me that are changed for the better, and will always remain so. However, perhaps some parts of me, such as my independence (and in some ways my faith), have strengthened out of pure survival and necessity. When I no longer 'need' those traits, then will they remain the same or will the revert back to their previous hiding places?

• I hope not, as they are truly some of the best aspects of my character. Yet, this was the quandary that left me wondering...who is the REAL me? What parts of myself are ME no matter the circumstance? What does my 'authentic self' look like? Yeah, we're getting philosophical on a Monday morning :-)

• These are questions for which I don't really have answers. All that I can say, is that we each need to know the parts of ourselves that we most value and that ring the most true. Once you know the person that is most critical to your 'self' (kinda like your personal critical path, for any process improvement folks out there), then you can fight to remain grounded as that person moving forward. Think about people who say they 'lost themselves' as other situations and roles arose in their lives. Those folks got so swept up in the something new (new mate, new child, new job, etc) that they lost sight of their critical path and swayed from it.

• I cannot say what will be my future circumstances. However, I can say what will be my future ME. If nothing else, I expect the image of me 20+, 40+, 60+ years from now to look like this:

Faithful

Compassionate

Thoughtful

Disciplined

Patient

Giving

Independent

Talented

Humble

Silly

High Class

What characteristics make up your critical path?

Whew...I logged on knowing exactly what I wanted to talk about...and then someone hit me with one of those 'Makes You Think' quotes. Now I don't know in which direction I want to go, but I'm going to try to cover both.

So here is the quote (which I LOVE): "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain."

Every time that I hear something like this, then I feel as though I've just heard something profound. The funny thing is that this is essentially how I've been trying to live my life, buuuut...no matter how hard you try, it's just easier said than done. Hence, when I read a quote like this, then it helps me to re-focus on who I really want to be, and it makes me happy and optimistic (not just for the future, but for the right now!).

The thing is...it's hard as hell to dance in the rain, and I don't think that there is anything wrong with admitting to yourself that 'Damn, my shoes are now soaked, the outdoor bar-b-que is a flop, and freshly washed car has to be re-done.' However you just can't get STUCK in that place. You have to be able to admit those things, assess what's left of your situation and then move on. You might just find that 'Hey, now I have the perfect excuse to curl up on the couch with a book or that 24 hr Twilight Zone marathon (yep, your girl LOVES it), I can rock my new rain boots (which are totally in style), or I can try out that new recipe that I picked up (instead of going out for lunch). For most of us, life really isn't so bad. Rather than always looking for a better time, and letting life pass me by (during the rough times). I'd prefer to enjoy what's good about everyday, even if everyday isn't perfect.

Actually...I think that's enough for today. I'll pop back later in the week with my thoughts on being your 'authentic self'!

Holy Moly, Bikini season is 2 weeks away!

Well your girl is heading off to the south of France in just two short weeks. I hadn't thought much about this, but I see that the little towns of Marseille and Aix-en-Provence are just off the ocean, which means...the clothes are coming off.

Now, there are two thoughts about this.

#1. I feel pretty good about getting out there in my itty, bitty, teenie, weenie...you know the rest, looking just as I do right now. This is great b/c it means that I've achieved one of my goals of getting my body in a shape that I enjoy and am proud of year round (though let's be real...traveling anywhere w/a European crowd you can pretty much head out there looking like a walrus and STILL do better than the 250lb grannys that will be out in your SAME bikini).

#2. Buuut, you know your girl...I want to HURT 'em, so I have to make sure that the tummy is flat and firm. I cannot lie, we did some SERIOUS damage at the family bar-b-que this weekend. I won't even tell you what all was on the spread. That being said, I need to make sure that I stay on my workout routine (maybe adding in a couple of extra crunches), and I don't have any further dietary splurges (ummm...except for Sunday brunch, which I already committed to ;-).

I'm traveling for work this week, and while I was disappointed that there is no LA Fitness in the area to swim, I did bring my yoga mat and clothes. My morning routine will not be shaken!

For my traveling compadres, here are some tips to keep you fit while on the road:

For Women
For Women II
For Men
For Men II and III

Do you ever feel like the sky is the limit? That's how I'm feeling right now. I don't know why, but lately I've been feeling so light and worry free. It just feels like only great things are on the horizon. Doesn't that sound awesome!?!?

Of course, I'm all about helping you reach your full potential as well, so here are a couple of tips and 'pick me ups' for this beautiful Friday morning! I hope that they lift your heart and leave you excited about yourself and your life (**No...I haven't been drinking the kool-aid**).

#1. Plan some time off. Time spent w/family can be surprisingly fulfilling...not to mention cheap (free room and board), but if you're looking to get away w/friends or alone, then here are some other options: LINK

#2. Have a laugh. I don't know about you, but a good laugh works every time! Enjoy. LINK

#3. Shake your booty! Nothing like a good club joint to get things going...work it! LINK

#4. This one actually goes in two different directions...depending on how you get down. In order to get the full effect, then you might want to visualize your conscience as a little angle on one shoulder and a little devil on the other shoulder. You be the judge.

- Little Angel: Go to church. Read your Bible. Get your praise and worship on! There's no dispute that belief in a higher power will brighten your outlook.

- Little Devil: Get freaky w/your significant other. Treat yourself to some erotica and 'alone time'. Make a booty call. A good release of endorphins will leave you feeling refreshed and energized.

On that note...I'm off for a great weekend! TTYL!

Down, cholesterol! Down! Good girl!

Ok, so let's talk about what you actually should be doing to lower your cholesterol. Well let's 1st talk about what I have been doing. For just over a week, I have been fasting from meat. Now this is primarily for spiritual reasons, but I feel good about the added benefit of living just a bit healthier. I don't plan to give up all meats permanently (as a matter of fact...I MIGHT be on my way to Subway in about an hour). However, I do think that I can crop red meat out of my life, and whittle my overall meat eating down to about once per week. This has been a goal of mine for a while, so maybe this whole cholesterol thing is just the kick in the pants that I need.

Now, according to the 'experts' the best way to lower cholesterol is by maintaining a healthy weight, dieting, and exercising regularly. I'm going to focus primarily on diet, since I really have the other two on lock. I think that I spend the majority of my time talking about exercising, so there isn't a major need to touch on that in this post. But if you're looking for tips/tricks, then browse through some of the archives, and of course, I'll be touching on that going forward, as well.

This website gives a pretty decent breakdown of what you should and shouldn't be eating, and the gist of it all is the following:

- Minimize overall dietary fat (esp. Saturated fats...those found in meats and whole milk dairy products)
- Minimize the amount of actual cholesterol consumed (stick to the recommended daily amounts)
- Limit the amount of sodium you consume (guess, I'll have to back off of my frozen lunches)
- Increase the amount of fiber and complex carbs that you consume
- Decrease your daily calories (if you need to reach a healthy weight)

Sounds pretty easy right? Not...well actually it is easy. You want to be packing your plate w/fruits, veggies, and whole grains...and then consume meats, dairy products, and sugars sparingly. The hard part is that most of the foods that we 'love' fall into that latter category. Don't worry, though. You/We can do it!

I'm off to grab myself some lunch right now, and I will be making sure to follow the rules listed above. I head back to the doctor for another checkup in 6 months, so we'll see just how far these tips have gotten me. Don't forget to check the link above to meal plans and recommended foods!