Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Dear Future Me
Dear Future Me....
A subject very close to my heart - my daughter Kobi, at the time of creating this video she is 4 1/2 years old. The date is December 2011.
I will pull this video out again when Kobis around the age of 30 and show her. A great memory for everyone.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
"Discovering Your Smiling Soul"
Friday, December 16, 2011
Choose Your Thoughts Carefully
These beautiful thoughts have been sent by a Friend and I wanted to share them with YOU ALL!
Thoughts are the seeds which we sow every moment of our Lives. Apple Seeds will grow Apples & Cactus seeds will grow Cactus.
So choose Your Thoughts carefully as Every Thought Conscious or Unconscious resonates Energy & that Energy exudes itself in different forms on different aspects of our Lives; Knowingly or Unknowingly!
1. Even with a small bank account, the one, who is contended, finds himself with great wealth.
2. Freedom starts in the Mind, not by cutting ropes.
3. To give happiness to others is a great act of charity.
4. Cheerfulness keeps up the spirit of the one who possesses it and brings a smile to the lips of others.
5. A smile can make short work of any difficulty.
6. Give a lot of time to the improvement of yourself, then there is not time to criticize others.
7. To taste the sweetness of Life, you must have the power to forget the past.
8. Waste work will make your heavy and tired and positive work makes you happy, light and refreshed.
9. Those who remain very happy will never internal laziness. Laziness is a great vice.
10. Balance is the real foundation of a blissful life. Keep this always in mind and your present and future will always remain bright.
11. Contentment and bliss go hand in hand. These qualities create great fascination for you among others.
12. If every step is taken in the remembrance of God, just imagine how much fortune there is in every moment.
13. If through some error yesterday was lost in grief, don’t lose today by keeping it in your memory.
14. Cheerfulness is the beauty of the face. He who is sullen is really ugly.
15. Life is like a drama. If I understood the plot, there is great happiness.
16. The more you enjoy putting in good efforts, the greater will be your happiness on receiving the fruits of those efforts.
17. When you smile, not only do you feel happy but you bring a ray of light into the lives of others.
18. Many people will want to quarrel and fight with you; realize that the only weapons you need are a smile and a loving nature.
19. To have balance in all situations is the key to happiness.
20. Sometimes a smile can be like a drop of water in the desert.
21. You must enjoy yourself and have recreation, but check whether it enriches your life internally.
22. If I make THIS MOMENT happy, it will increase my chances of having the next moment happy also.
23. The wealth of a rich man can be stolen or burnt, but the happiness and wisdom of the wise remain.
24. In the world of sorrow, what brings greater wealth- money or happiness?
25. A person is pronounce great when he can face a difficult situation with happiness and laughter.
26. Physical beauty can be lost with marks of age or through accident. Spiritual beauty cannot be destroyed.
27. The fool wants others to see him; the wise man smiles in the audience.
28. The one who is honest and has a true heart will always feel light and tension-free.
29. True victory means complete control over your sense-organs.
30. If you mind is caught in bondages and problems of the past, you will not experience the joys of the present.
31. If you want to advance in life, make sure that your wants don’t advance.
32. To forget your troubles, remember your Angels are there.
33. If you wanted and didn't get, may be you don’t need.
34. Condition your mind and remain cool under all conditions.
35. In the long run the most difficult thing is to search for an easy way out.
36. Nothing is just coincidence. Every tree in Life’s garden bears significance.
37. The one who knows how to adjust is the one who knows how to survive.
38. If others are against you, don’t put your back against the wall, see what you can gain from the company of the universe.
39. If you give your heart to someone they might break it. If you give your heart to your Angels, it gets strengthened.
40. If you beat your head against the wall when problems come, your intellect to decide will be messed up.
41. When the world becomes like a wild storm- the most beautiful shelter are your Angels.
42. If you do everything with the feeling of happiness, there will be no task too difficult to perform.
43. When you try your best and your best is not good enough, leave it in the hands of your Angels.
44. Remember you are very special. NO ONE can play your role better than you.
45. Loneliness comes when I forget that the universe is my Supreme companion.
46. Pin all your hopes in the universe, then you will not be pinned down by man.
47. To age does not matter, but by taking on matters you will age.
48. If there is no filament in a bulb, there is no light; If there are no Angels in your Life, there is no Life.
49. The more you understand yourself, the easier it is to remain happy and peaceful.
50. When all your attachments are with the Universe, then your achievements are many.
Thoughts are the seeds which we sow every moment of our Lives. Apple Seeds will grow Apples & Cactus seeds will grow Cactus.
So choose Your Thoughts carefully as Every Thought Conscious or Unconscious resonates Energy & that Energy exudes itself in different forms on different aspects of our Lives; Knowingly or Unknowingly!
1. Even with a small bank account, the one, who is contended, finds himself with great wealth.
2. Freedom starts in the Mind, not by cutting ropes.
3. To give happiness to others is a great act of charity.
4. Cheerfulness keeps up the spirit of the one who possesses it and brings a smile to the lips of others.
5. A smile can make short work of any difficulty.
6. Give a lot of time to the improvement of yourself, then there is not time to criticize others.
7. To taste the sweetness of Life, you must have the power to forget the past.
8. Waste work will make your heavy and tired and positive work makes you happy, light and refreshed.
9. Those who remain very happy will never internal laziness. Laziness is a great vice.
10. Balance is the real foundation of a blissful life. Keep this always in mind and your present and future will always remain bright.
11. Contentment and bliss go hand in hand. These qualities create great fascination for you among others.
12. If every step is taken in the remembrance of God, just imagine how much fortune there is in every moment.
13. If through some error yesterday was lost in grief, don’t lose today by keeping it in your memory.
14. Cheerfulness is the beauty of the face. He who is sullen is really ugly.
15. Life is like a drama. If I understood the plot, there is great happiness.
16. The more you enjoy putting in good efforts, the greater will be your happiness on receiving the fruits of those efforts.
17. When you smile, not only do you feel happy but you bring a ray of light into the lives of others.
18. Many people will want to quarrel and fight with you; realize that the only weapons you need are a smile and a loving nature.
19. To have balance in all situations is the key to happiness.
20. Sometimes a smile can be like a drop of water in the desert.
21. You must enjoy yourself and have recreation, but check whether it enriches your life internally.
22. If I make THIS MOMENT happy, it will increase my chances of having the next moment happy also.
23. The wealth of a rich man can be stolen or burnt, but the happiness and wisdom of the wise remain.
24. In the world of sorrow, what brings greater wealth- money or happiness?
25. A person is pronounce great when he can face a difficult situation with happiness and laughter.
26. Physical beauty can be lost with marks of age or through accident. Spiritual beauty cannot be destroyed.
27. The fool wants others to see him; the wise man smiles in the audience.
28. The one who is honest and has a true heart will always feel light and tension-free.
29. True victory means complete control over your sense-organs.
30. If you mind is caught in bondages and problems of the past, you will not experience the joys of the present.
31. If you want to advance in life, make sure that your wants don’t advance.
32. To forget your troubles, remember your Angels are there.
33. If you wanted and didn't get, may be you don’t need.
34. Condition your mind and remain cool under all conditions.
35. In the long run the most difficult thing is to search for an easy way out.
36. Nothing is just coincidence. Every tree in Life’s garden bears significance.
37. The one who knows how to adjust is the one who knows how to survive.
38. If others are against you, don’t put your back against the wall, see what you can gain from the company of the universe.
39. If you give your heart to someone they might break it. If you give your heart to your Angels, it gets strengthened.
40. If you beat your head against the wall when problems come, your intellect to decide will be messed up.
41. When the world becomes like a wild storm- the most beautiful shelter are your Angels.
42. If you do everything with the feeling of happiness, there will be no task too difficult to perform.
43. When you try your best and your best is not good enough, leave it in the hands of your Angels.
44. Remember you are very special. NO ONE can play your role better than you.
45. Loneliness comes when I forget that the universe is my Supreme companion.
46. Pin all your hopes in the universe, then you will not be pinned down by man.
47. To age does not matter, but by taking on matters you will age.
48. If there is no filament in a bulb, there is no light; If there are no Angels in your Life, there is no Life.
49. The more you understand yourself, the easier it is to remain happy and peaceful.
50. When all your attachments are with the Universe, then your achievements are many.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Good Ole Smiggles – Who Would Have Thought
I have bought the new Samsung Galaxy S2...
And do you think I could find a hard cover for it so I could just chuck it in my bag, throw it around at work, or the real reason was when I take it to the beach and sand would not get into it!
Also the bright colour tells me exactly where it is in my handbag which is practically a home, housing so many items that I can never find anything in there.
Trolling the shopping centres for a couple of days I could not find anything, then as we walked pass SMIGGLES, Kobis favourite shop as we always go to the Gold Coast Airport for a coffee now and then and she has purchased a few items at SMIGGLES there herself – she dragged me in the shop once again and there starring at me, this bright green case!
BINGO! There it was the something I was looking for to put my phone in. These are NOT marketed to phones, but I did a dam good job telling the chick at the counter to market them also for the smart phone!
So there you have it. If you’re looking for a case for your smart phone, but in my case for my Samsung Galaxy S2 SMIGGLES is the place to go!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Emotional? Me?
So there I was, I’d walked in at 11pm last night from work and on the table a big envelope from Currumbin Primary School stared at me!
Excited I was to see what teachers had Kobi and to see what side of the school she will be in. I opened the letter from both her teachers and all of a sudden my heart started pounding and my chest kind a hurt and I was blinking to hold back tears???
OMG, I was getting sad that my little girl was growing up and going to Big School next year and I felt like I was losing her!
I know I’m not loosing Kobi but it was freaky seeing my emotions just take over like that. I paced the lounge room reading that she was going to be in class PE and on the BIGGER SIDE OF THE SCHOOL. Arrrgggggggggggggg........
There are 4 Prep classes across the road in a nice little quaint area just for them and on the bigger side 2 Prep classes and this is where Kobi will be. Turning up for morning orientation not long ago to experience the whole school vibe took me back to when I started at Maclean Primary School. As I stood in the quadrangle a class of 8 year olds walked pass, no smiling, just staring us all up and down so in my own little head there I was playing a 5 year old looking at the older kids just staring me down, not smiling, walking with attitude, waiting for my mummy to walk out the gate so I could get picked on! I was looking at Kobi when this movie was playing in my head and straight away I could see myself putting Kobi into Self Defence classes, Karate classes, Kung Fu classes, just so she knew how to stick up for herself and stand strong.... Then I came back to reality, gulped and moved on...
The list of items needed comes to $177.80 – most of these I can see getting lost, left at school or the dog will probably eat! Then the uniforms... Of course these are going to be real expensive because NO price list was attached for this one!
I know Kobi will be fine. She has been attending Kangas since she was 8 months old, being surrounded by strangers most of her life. We have no family to help, no family to call on for ½ a day or a full day while we have to work ( no say in this one) and that thing we all have called a ‘Mortgage’. The only choice was this.
But I look at everything as a POSITIVE. In any situation that does not agree with me, I always see the POSITIVE SIDE.
Kobi loves people, very much a people person. Has wonderful manners, is polite and knows how to act around a bunch of strangers. Has learnt to stick up for herself at an early age. Being hit in the face by a stranger baby has made this cherub a little bit stronger in personality.
She will be FINNNNNEEEEEEEE at school I know. I have many wonderful friends who’s’ children have gone through the same thing, not once but even 4 or 5 times! First day at school photos I still have with me of some of my friends or in my mind I remember seeing the photos of their precious cargo all ready for big school. This comforts me.
So bring on 23rd January for I am ready for you!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Sunday Shout Out - Vicki James Creative Imagery - Yamba
Vicki is a young Yamba lady who specialises in wedding and portrait photography. Her work is breathless and every detail will be captured to precision.
Below is an excerpt taken from Vicki’s Blog....
Hello and thank you for visiting the Vicki James blog. I’m Vicki, it’s lovely you have stopped by to check out who I am and what I do. I specialise in Wedding and Portrait Photography. I’ve photographed hundreds of families and couples around service Northern NSW and the Gold Coast for quite a few years now. I am also available for interstate travel.
Before we meet, you might like to know that:
The following list may be a bit tedious, so if you only read this point, please know that while this page is all about me, when I photograph, it is all about the person in front of my camera. This page is to help you decide if I would be the right photographer for you. Writing my own story does not come easily……….
To read the rest of Vicki’s story, click on the click below and see how it ends!
http://www.vickijames.net/blog/about/
With a professional, fun and happy personality you will not be disappointed by inviting Vicki James to be your next photographer at your wedding or your family portrait.
You will find Vicki at:
Vicki James Creative Imagery
Yamba, NSW 2464
Clarence NSW, Far North Nsw Coast, Mid North Nsw Coast
P: (02) 6646 9589
http://www.vickijames.com.au
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Places Ive Worked All Over The World
"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”
My father told me along long time ago... "Jecca, keep a record of all the places you will ever work, so you can look back on and see how far you have come". And so I did.
Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.
A lot of people prefer the road less travelled because it means less change and less change results in less conflict. So many make choices that are safe and comfortable so they avoid the road less travelled because its the safer path. However, at the age of 16 I knew I WAS NEVER going to take that path....
One of my favourite quotes by Robert Frost, around the year 1920, wrote the quote called
'The Road Not Taken'...
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
By ― Robert Frost
Below from the age of 16 to 41 are places I have worked - I loved moving about. I guess thats just me!
AUSTRALIA
Channel 9, Sydney NSW
Fishmongers Restaurant, Manly Sydney
Hamilton Towers, Hamilton Island, QLD
Denny’s Family Restaurant - Broadbeach Gold Coast
Chloe’s Restaurant, Quality Inn Hotel, Gold Coast QLD
Seaworld Theme Park Gold Coast
Perisher Valley Chair Lift Restaurant – Perisher Valley
Pacific Hotel, Yamba NSW
Australian Hotel, Mackay QLD
Travelodge Hotel, Surfers Paradise
Centrepoint Motel, Lismore NSW
Yamba Bowling Club, Yamba
Castalia Restaurant, Yamba NSW
Kern Consulting Group (Financial) - Cairns
CBC Staff Selection Cairns - Assignments Completed:
Petersen McCullough Robertson Lawyers
Department of Environmental Heritage
Department of Tourism, Sport & Racing
Bay Village Tropical Retreat Resort – Cairns
Tax Refund Centre – MGI Cockrell Reese Chartered Accountants - Cairns
Kosciusko Thredbo Resort – Thredbo
NSW Sugar Milling Cooperative – Harwood
RQ’s Tavern, Robina, QLD
Atkinson Gore Group / WPS V8 Supercar Racing Team – Gold Coast
Velocity – Gold Coast Airport
Hill View House - Administration
Solomons Flooring Tweed Heads
Tweed Heads Hospital, Sterilisation Technician – Tweed Heads
NEW ZEALAND
Carlton Hotel, Auckland NZ
Park in the Bar, Auckland NZ
Poenamo Hotel Auckland NZ
Autowash Company, Glenfield Auckland NZ
New Zealand Spirit Merchants – Browns Bay NZ
USA
Camp Counsellors USA - Full time Life Guard, Swim Instructor
ENGLAND
Harrods - Harrods Restaurant England
Cook Dennehy Recruitment London - Assignments Completed:
Frogmore Real Estate - London WC2B 6AA
HSBC Holdings Banking – Midland Bank
Merrill Lynch – Merchant - London
ABN AMRO – Dutch Bank – London
Devonshire Art Publishers - London
Medical & General Employment Agency - Temping
Prudential Assurance - PruTech Limited, 250 Euston Road London
Marler & Marler Surveyors & Estate Agents – Knightsbridge London
My father told me along long time ago... "Jecca, keep a record of all the places you will ever work, so you can look back on and see how far you have come". And so I did.
Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.
A lot of people prefer the road less travelled because it means less change and less change results in less conflict. So many make choices that are safe and comfortable so they avoid the road less travelled because its the safer path. However, at the age of 16 I knew I WAS NEVER going to take that path....
One of my favourite quotes by Robert Frost, around the year 1920, wrote the quote called
'The Road Not Taken'...
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
By ― Robert Frost
Below from the age of 16 to 41 are places I have worked - I loved moving about. I guess thats just me!
AUSTRALIA
Channel 9, Sydney NSW
Fishmongers Restaurant, Manly Sydney
Hamilton Towers, Hamilton Island, QLD
Denny’s Family Restaurant - Broadbeach Gold Coast
Chloe’s Restaurant, Quality Inn Hotel, Gold Coast QLD
Seaworld Theme Park Gold Coast
Perisher Valley Chair Lift Restaurant – Perisher Valley
Pacific Hotel, Yamba NSW
Australian Hotel, Mackay QLD
Travelodge Hotel, Surfers Paradise
Centrepoint Motel, Lismore NSW
Yamba Bowling Club, Yamba
Castalia Restaurant, Yamba NSW
Kern Consulting Group (Financial) - Cairns
CBC Staff Selection Cairns - Assignments Completed:
Petersen McCullough Robertson Lawyers
Department of Environmental Heritage
Department of Tourism, Sport & Racing
Bay Village Tropical Retreat Resort – Cairns
Tax Refund Centre – MGI Cockrell Reese Chartered Accountants - Cairns
Kosciusko Thredbo Resort – Thredbo
NSW Sugar Milling Cooperative – Harwood
RQ’s Tavern, Robina, QLD
Atkinson Gore Group / WPS V8 Supercar Racing Team – Gold Coast
Velocity – Gold Coast Airport
Hill View House - Administration
Solomons Flooring Tweed Heads
Tweed Heads Hospital, Sterilisation Technician – Tweed Heads
NEW ZEALAND
Carlton Hotel, Auckland NZ
Park in the Bar, Auckland NZ
Poenamo Hotel Auckland NZ
Autowash Company, Glenfield Auckland NZ
New Zealand Spirit Merchants – Browns Bay NZ
USA
Camp Counsellors USA - Full time Life Guard, Swim Instructor
ENGLAND
Harrods - Harrods Restaurant England
Cook Dennehy Recruitment London - Assignments Completed:
Frogmore Real Estate - London WC2B 6AA
HSBC Holdings Banking – Midland Bank
Merrill Lynch – Merchant - London
ABN AMRO – Dutch Bank – London
Devonshire Art Publishers - London
Medical & General Employment Agency - Temping
Prudential Assurance - PruTech Limited, 250 Euston Road London
Marler & Marler Surveyors & Estate Agents – Knightsbridge London
Monday, November 14, 2011
Today the Funeral of Daniella Louise Meads-Barlow will be held - 14th Nov 2011
Daniella Louise Meads-Barlow, aged 17 years old.
Sunday, 19 June 1994 - Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Bright young and full of aspiration, she had already lived a full, loving life with so much energy and pizzaz!
Below is the poem I wrote for Daniellas family.....
DANIELLA MEADS –BARLOW
Our Beautiful Daughter
You came into the world one day
A few short years ago
We wrapped you up in arms of love
And you began to grow
You learned to walk, and then to talk
When you were very small
We watched you dazzle with a smile
you gave to one and all
You learned to care about others
And often showed them how
We saw with joy and pride so great
and often remember now
You worked so hard at your books
Because they were so tough
We tried to help you as we could
And hoped it was enough
You treasured every single friend
Be they young or old
We could not help but think
You had a pot of gold
You filled the world with sunshine
With your beautiful voice
We held you high for all to see
and knew that you were right.
You left us on the 8th of November
When you were just half grown
We knew God sent an angel down
To take you to his home
You could not ever be forgotten Danni
As if we'd ever try
We try to see the love you left
Even as we cry
You will always be Mummy & Daddy’s little girl and big sister to Josh and Codey
Now we will look up in the sky to see the stars shining brightly, and there we will find you winking and smiling
Below is how you can donate towards the memorial fund established in Daniella’s name. - WRITTEN BY DANIELLAS MOTHER DONNA......
Donna, Brian Meads-Barlow and their family extend their gratitude for the enormous support and condolences they are receiving from friends, family and the community.
They have expressed a desire for this support to be channelled towards a memorial fund established in Daniella’s name. The funds will be used directly in the development of an appropriate alarm device for the pump used by Diabetics approaching Hypo-glycaemia. The alarm will send an urgent alert, not only should the pump malfunction, but in its design, will alert of a pending emergency of the sufferer of this dreadful disease.
Brian and Donna will continue to lobby in Daniella’s name this device onto the PBS in Australia to prevent this occurrence taking another life.
In lieu of sending flowers please help them take up this cause by donating to;
"Danii Meads-Barlow Memorial Fund"
By direct deposit: Australian Diabetes Council - Danii Meads-Barlow Memorial Fund
BSB: 062284 ACCOUNT: 10331874
Cheques F/- 'Australian Diabetes Council - Danii Meads-Barlow Memorial Fund'
GPO Box 9824
Sydney NSW 2001
Your contributions are greatly needed and shall assist in preventing another tragedy such as that which took our beautiful Daniella.
Danni looking up lovingly at her mum and dad...
Sunday, November 13, 2011
SUNDAY SHOUT OUT - Smith & Brown Boutique, Yamba
Owner Kelly Smith has lived Yamba most of her life and in 2009 started up Smith & Brown Boutique in Yamba introducing many new styles of fashion and flair.
If you always wanted to look stylish and beautiful you may want to browse Smith & Brown Boutique in Yamba for high quality fashion that can be customized according to your taste which is the latest word in fashion today.
Although the task might seem simple, finding the perfect dress for a particular event is actually more challenging than you think. The combination of elements used on a dress and other fashion pieces you plan on wearing must blend perfectly to create a balanced look. Luckily, if you visit Smith & Brown Boutique you are guaranteed to find that perfect creation.
Click on the link below to find out more:
http://www.smithandbrownboutique.com/about-us
Sunday, November 6, 2011
SUNDAY SHOUT OUT - EMERGE ON COLDSTREAM
Today's SHOUT OUT goes to a beautiful shop in Yamba called: EMERGE ON COLDSTREAM.
I was in town this week and Kobi always makes me visit this wonderful kids shop and not to mention adult apparel also.
This shop is a success in Yamba and the owner Leanne Spears is one Super Woman thats for sure.
I was in there Melbourne Cup day and Leanne was here there and everywhere, working to help everyone that came in and not to mention the people ring up at the same time!
The balancing act was perfect, with a smile and politness you can never forget.
This makes me come back to EMERGE ON COLDSTREAM time after time.
The kids clothes and toys are AMAZING!
Emerge offers a stunning range of clothing and accessories from 0 - 16years through to ladies, plus a huge range of delightful wooden, tin and creative toys for all ages. Shop for yourself whilst the kids are happy playing in the enclosed kids area.
Please pop on in and say hi to leanne from me (Jess Jantzen) and feel the happiness when you walk in.
You will find EMERGE ON COLDSTREAM AT: Shop 3/32 Coldstream St, Yamba, Australia 2464
Phone: 0266463008
Website coming soon: http://www.emergeoncoldstream.com.au
Sunday, October 30, 2011
SUNDAY SHOUT OUT!
Todays Sunday Shout out I'm Shouting out to: THE YAMBA PHOTO SHOP
You walk into the shop and you are greeted warmily by Tania and her team.
Tania always has the time to help and even show you how things are done on the computer.
I always make sure that when I am home that i pop into THE YAMBA PHOTO SHOP and say HI!
The team know everything about cameras, printing on canvas and its a pleasure to know you are in good hands.
You will find The Yamba Photo Store at: Shop 7- 8 Yamba Street, Yamba NSW 2464, Phone: 02 66461983
A Positive Inspirational Story
When you thought I wasn't looking is a message every adult should read, because children are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator and I immediately wanted to paint another one.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favourite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.
When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's alright to cry.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, 'Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.'
Each of us (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher or friend) influence the life of a child. How will you touch the life of someone today?
Written by a former child
Author Unknown
Friday, October 28, 2011
Work Place Headaches
A lot and I mean ALOT of people in my workplace suffer from migraines and headaches. I came across this excerpt from ‘The Secret’ today which reminded me of what I do daily when this problem occurs.
When someone is always talking about their bloody headache and making sure 20 other people around them know about it too? I well talk about how healthy I feel and fit and how I jumped out of bed at 5am in the morning. What’s the difference? NOTHING... You want us to know about your headache, and I want YOU to know about my HEALTH!
When you focus with someone on a problem they are having, you are not helping them or you, because you are both adding energy to the problem. You are also both attracting more “Like’ problems to you. Knowing this, it’s very important for you and the other person to focus on what you both want. The person with the problem should be encouraged to speak about what they want instead of about the problem, which is what they don’t want. The problem arose in the first place from the person thinking or talking about what they didn’t want, so the chain reaction must STOP.
Help those close to you be encouraging them to speak the words of what they want. That is always the solution.
Sourced from: The secret
HELPFUL WEBSITE FOR HEADACHE SUFFERS: http://headacheaustralia.org.au/headache-management/6-workplace-management
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Two People I Would Love to Meet - FOODIES
I’ve been doing a whole load of research lately and I have stumbled across two amazing women! Sarah Wilson and Samantha Gowing.
Both their approach to food is amazing, healthy and inspiring. I have downloaded Sarah's E-Book called "I Quit Sugar" for only $15 and I have benefited so much from this. Sarah is an Australian media personality, journalist and blogger with an integrated voice across television, radio, magazines, newspapers and online. She’s the former editor of Cosmopolitan magazine and was the host of the first series of Master Chef Australia, the highest rating show in Australian TV history. She’s now the host and program developer for Foxtel’s Lifestyle YOU, writes a weekly column for Sunday Life magazine about how to have a better life, and is a regular guest on Channel 7′s Sunrise.
Ok, so its not for everybody, but I'll tell you that MY body is loving this way of life as much of it as it can take. I’m not religious about this in anyway but when the opportunity is around for me to SWAP it I do and I have more energy, I’m a happier person to be around and people who whinge and whinge at me about trivial stuff, I don't give them my energy but quiet nods and then more on along my day!
I can not afford to give my energy away to people with high opinions any more. I am more sensitive than others and find these people grab my energy levels and then they get all topped up and ready to find the next person to have a whinge to about, well, really, NOTHING!!!
Then there is Samantha Gowing a therapeutic chef, an award-winning clinical nutritionist and a renowned teacher of FOOD AS MEDICINE. Born, bread and raised in the inner city of Melbourne, Sam now lives in Byron Bay, New South Wales where she enjoys the beautiful beaches, great surf and revered produce and lifestyle of the Northern Rivers region. She writes a popular gluten free recipe blog called Bitter Sweet Sour and is enjoying her new role as Head Chef at the brand new Cabarita Ocean Retreat.
Having a father as a Chef I have always been intrigued with food and the benefits it has. Its just sad that the big companies are injecting our food with Fructose, preservatives, additives and alike that our.. well MY body cannot handle anymore...
If you would like to pop on over to them and say Hi, please do so:
http://samanthagowing.wordpress.com/home/
http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Excerpt from 'Skinny Bitch in the Kitch'
By Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
Introduction
What's better than eating? (If you say "sex," you're either a liar or a pervert.) The answer is: Nothing! There's nothing better than eating! We're total pigs and eating is, without a doubt, our favorite thing to do. We love eating so much, it makes us mad. We have, like, a violent passion for food. When we go out to eat, if something we order is really good, we talk about killing the chef. Or our pets. Or ourselves. Good food makes us want to die.. .you know, like that expression, ".. .to die for." But ironically, we also care about our health.
It was these two things—our obsessive passion for food and our concern for health—that led us to write Skinny Bitch. If you haven't read Skinny Bitch yet, get your head out of your ass and go buy a copy. It will change your life. Seriously. Don't be fooled by the title; it's not some dumb, fluffy, weight-loss book. It's a comprehensive guide on how to eat well and enjoy food. But it's also a well-researched exposé documenting the shady business surrounding what we eat.
Much of what we learned while researching Skinny Bitch blew our minds. So we've made it our personal mission to share this information. We wanted to reprint Skinny Bitch in its entirety right here in the introduction, but our whore publisher wouldn't let us. So we're gonna give you the Cliff Notes.. .
Meat:
Hmm.. .dead, rotting, decomposing flesh of carcasses. Doesn't sound like something you'd want to eat, huh? Not to mention the pesticides, hormones, steroids, and antibiotics. Oops! We almost forgot mad cow disease, bird flu, salmonella, E.coli, trichinosis, and mercury. Well, no wonder Americans are suffering from obesity; cancer; liver, kidney, lung, and reproductive disorders; birth defects; miscarriages; and nervous system disorders.
You can call it steak, tuna, bacon, or chicken. No matter how you slice it, it's a piece of decaying, decomposing carcass. We know you like the taste, but there are other foods out there that mimic the flavor of meat but don't come with the same side effects. Smarten up, bitches.
Dairy:
Got osteoporosis? Researchers at Harvard, Yale, Penn State, and the National Institutes of Health have studied the effects of dairy intake on bones. Not one of these studies found dairy to be a deterrent to osteoporosis. On the contrary, a study funded by the National Dairy Council itself revealed that the high protein content of milk actually leaches calcium from the body. These findings are consistent with many others that blame milk not only for osteoporosis, but also acne, anemia, anxiety, ADD, allergies, asthma, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, autism, and multiple cancers.
Just like human milk is for baby humans, cows' milk is for baby cows. We're the only species on the planet that drinks the milk of another species We're also the only species on the planet that drinks the milk as adults. It's not only gross, it's creepy. We've been totally duped by the dairy industry and their hundreds of millions of advertising dollars. And now we're totally addicted to their disease-causing products.
There's no need for any of them. It's the new millennium. There are so many awesome alternatives to dairy products. Get with the program, bitches.
Carbs:
There is so much bullshit around carbs now; we've got to set the record straight. There are two types of carbs—simple and complex. Complex carbs are not only good for you, but they're a vital part of your diet. They consist of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, and they should be eaten all day, every day. Simple carbs suck and should be avoided: white bread, white flour, white pasta, white rice, and white sugar. Most cookies, cakes, snacks, and processed foods are simple carbs.
So what's a pig to do? Have her cake and eat it—just make the cake with good ingredients. Duh!
Whenever we do interviews promoting Skinny Bitch, we're always asked the same questions: "What do you do when you get cravings for cookies? Or does that never happen to Skinny Bitches?" Um, we're Skinny Bitches, not aliens! Of course we get cravings for cookies. And when we do, we eat 'em!
Unfortunately, most people have no idea that they can truly enjoy food without getting fat, sick, or sad. So it's our pleasure (oink, oink) to educate and feed the masses. We hope you'll love these recipes as much as we do. If you don't, go have sex, you pervert.
Bitchclaimer:
There's nothing more annoying than recipes with a million obscure ingredients. So we tried to make all our recipes as "normal" as possible. However, there are a few products we insist on using, despite their potential to peeve you. You may not have whole wheat flour lying around in your cupboard, but too bad. White flour is crap for your body and should only be used when absolutely necessary. Whenever we can, we use products that are as pure and healthy as possible. And we want the same for you. We want you to replace your old, shitty ingredients and start eating better.
Now granted, there's nothing wrong with olive oil. In fact, we love it. But did you know that when you heat most oils at high temperatures, you change their molecular structures, causing free-radicals? And that free radicals have been linked to heart disease and cancer? Well, we knew that (we're really smart), so a lot of our recipes call for coconut oil instead. Yeah, you may have to go to the health food store to buy it, but isn't a trip to the health food store better than a trip to the Emergency Room?
So if you come across a few ingredients that irritate you: Don't hate. Appreciate. We love you and we want you to enjoy food and be healthy. We have a glossary in the back to explain some of the funky stuff. So quit your bitching, restock your cabinets, and get cookin'.
(Don't worry though—there are some naughty, crappy ingredients in here, too.)
Sunday, August 7, 2011
20 High Street YAMBA
A place where I grew up with all my friends, sleepovers, hangovers, drinkovers, birthday parties every year, laughter, camping in the back yard, listening to the Picture Theatre playing its movies, the drunks rolling and laughing down the hill from the pub and yahoooing, the childhood friends I am still friends with today who would come and holiday in Yamba, being able and very blessed to walk to the pub, the golf club and the bowling club every weekend, especially the smell of my dad’s cooking from down the street... the way the shop owners would always so.. 'I can always smell your dads cooking', and just a great place and best position to be bought up in.
So it comes to no surprise then, with the strong connection I feel about my 'old' home, that I defend it like it’s a part of my physical body. It was my sanctuary, the place I always came back to.
So it caught on fire... this is telling me that it’s about time the ole girl was laid to rest and a brand new start must be made and new memories on this spot.
Yes, I am very sad, very sad, tears well up, but the memories will live on in my photo albums, and I have plenty of them.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Recurring Plane Crash Dreams
This link is about the closest I could find to show you how my dreams look and feel to me - They feel real to me like this... - ONLY THE BEGINNING PART AS IT IS AN EDITED VIDEO CLIP - IT TURNS OUT FINE IN THE END..Click on link below to view or cut and paste...
http://youtu.be/CGBLVp_7yUE
I have these recurring dreams of planes crashing. I’m not joking, these dreams are so so real but don’t happen that often, but often enough to disturb me, and cause me to do a quick search on the internet about it.
I am never inside the plane, always on the ground watching. And the plane always tries to pull out of the crash using some strange physics that is only available in dreams, but then ends up ploughing into the earth and basically disintegrating. I am never aware of knowing any of the passengers, just that there are passengers.
I always realize that the plane is going to crash before it actually does, and all I do is stand there and watch it (what more could anyone do in that circumstance?). It usually crashes quite close to me, no more than a few hundred feet away. Sometimes it crashes into a building and other times into the ground (my next-door-neighbour’s yard in another dream).
This morning’s dream I was with my girlfriend Nicole, we were outside, and I was talking to her husband on the phone then he put Nicole’s mum on the phone and she was yelling at me as I left Kobis birthday cards on her table back in Newcastle with money in them, which in my head was really the table at 20 High Street Yamba where I use to live. And I turned around and this plane was a BIG LONG plane blue and white, I was showing Nic, as we live near the airport ( in my dream and in real life) pointing to it and then it went over us and wobbled really badly, they always seem to wobble in my dreams and then it turned around towards us and back away and BANG!! It crashed down on to a main highway and in the distance I could see another small plane crash.... I always cower down and cover my head.
In other dreams, the plane was about to crash down onto me, but somehow put on the “brakes” and slowed to a stop right above my head, then sort of swung like a pendulum for a moment before being shot off to the side, but not at a high enough angle to pull out of the crash. The plane crashed into a building just past the building I was standing near.
In the neighbor’s yard dream, ( it was the street behind me) I saw the plane up in the sky flying normal when all of a sudden, the plane did a barrell roll to try and turn around I was thinking about whether or not the passengers were rolling around in the plane, when the plane suddenly made an abrupt u-turn and began flying toward my direction. I think at this point I realized that for the plane to do a barrell roll was not normal and meant the plane was in trouble. The plane then proceeded to dramatically lose altitude as it flew, and crashed into my neighbor’s yard. There was lots of schrapnel after that, and I put my arms over myself for protection, but was never hit by anything anyway.
I Goggled this and found an answer below:
Dreaming of Plane Crashes may represent a necessary change, usually in your thinking that allows you to enter another 'plane' of existence--the current 'plane' must crash to allow new freedom of existence. Should this be the case, remember that what always survives the crash is the black box--that part of you that keeps your memories, your dreams, and your soul alive!
A final note about plane crash dreams. Planes involve soaring, of reaching unbelievable heights and travelling at amazing speed. Your dream may simply be telling you that you have the ability to accomplish more than you ever thought humanly possible but the fear of taking flight and going into a place you've never been is overwhelming you. If this is the case, I encourage you to step on the plane, get in that seat, and prepare for the adventure ahead...even if you need a friend to help you do it!
Mmmm, Something for me to ponder about I think!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
A tribute to my Uncle Kelvin - with a Poem at the end
My Uncle Kelvin was a character; he had many a personalities that I remember growing up. Here are some of the fondest memories I have of my Uncle:
I was around 7 or 8 and my dad lifted me up onto our dining room table at our house at Roberts Creek Brushgrove.. As mum wanted to do my hair. Our Christmas tree was up all sparkly and we were on our way to Calliope to celebrate Christmas with our Aunty Mary, Uncle Kelvin and my three cousins, Leanne, Lisa and Susan. My god I can still feel the excitement I had right now, I remember my legs swinging under the table and me singing’ Goodie, Goodie Gum Drops, Goodie Goodie
Gum Drops. I was going to play and have fun with my cousins and I was going to play with Bracken the dog. Aunty Mary would pamper me and give me loads of hugs and kisses, and then there was Uncle Kelvin, who I loved getting a big hug from but at the same time he scared me. He was a big man compared to my dad, a deep strong voice and whenever he used it I would get scared, but never tell anyone or show it, but then he would go about whatever he was doing and I would smile and carry on again.
I remember mostly the word SUUUSSSANNNNNNNN!!!! Coming from him. It was just Uncle Kelvin. I use to watch him take photos and be in awe of this and wished I was just like him taking the photos. It was something that really grabbed me from an early age. I remember being so proud that he would take photos for the Grafton Daily Examiner and his name would be attached, and while I was at St Marys College, I would make a point to say “That’s my Uncle who took those”! I was also proud to say that “My Uncle worked and the Grafton Brewery and was management”.
Christmas time was always my favourite time, with everyone laughing and carrying on, yelling over top of one another, then Uncle Kelvin would put on his Country and Western Music. That’s right my Christmas were full of Country and Western Music, not Frosty the Snow man or jingle bells. This I loved! I love different.
I’d ask him questions and he would happily answer them but I knew when he was finished – a short fuse I think and I always had that bit of “I’m a little scared” still inside of me as I grew older.
It was Uncle Kelvin who got me into loving taking photographs which I thank him for this today. What you can capture in one second, you can hold onto a lifetime...
I was also bought up with stuffed animals peering out at me from the walls! Deer’s were my favourites. I would sneak a pat looking very wearily as I was waiting for Uncle Kelvin to jump and yell “Don’t you bloody well touch that” and make me fall to the ground trembling. But I got away with it.
Uncle Kelvin was a strong man, and he has not gone too far, his spirit is here with us every day, it’s just the body that dies, not his spirit.
Look into your heart and be honest about all the people in your past who have harmed you in any way. Where there is pain, practice pardon. Forgiveness is the very foundation of spiritual awakening. - Dr. Wayne Dyer
My Poem
My dear Uncle Kelvin can't you see?
I'm not the little niece you remember me to be
I am now 40 years of age with a family of my own
But just always remember that you will never be alone
My Uncle Kelvin he was loud, and by god was he proud
He also had a strong personality
Which really stood out in a crowd
He also had his soft spots too
I witnessed with his children
They hugged and kissed and played with him
And he also loved his grandchildren
I will always remember our arguments
Our feuds, even our different points of views
There is one thing that I know will never change
Is the love I had for you
I hope that you can hear me
And even if you can't
I want you to know
You're always in my heart.
God bless,goodnight and sweet dreams Uncle Kelvin
Love your neice Jessica
I was around 7 or 8 and my dad lifted me up onto our dining room table at our house at Roberts Creek Brushgrove.. As mum wanted to do my hair. Our Christmas tree was up all sparkly and we were on our way to Calliope to celebrate Christmas with our Aunty Mary, Uncle Kelvin and my three cousins, Leanne, Lisa and Susan. My god I can still feel the excitement I had right now, I remember my legs swinging under the table and me singing’ Goodie, Goodie Gum Drops, Goodie Goodie
Gum Drops. I was going to play and have fun with my cousins and I was going to play with Bracken the dog. Aunty Mary would pamper me and give me loads of hugs and kisses, and then there was Uncle Kelvin, who I loved getting a big hug from but at the same time he scared me. He was a big man compared to my dad, a deep strong voice and whenever he used it I would get scared, but never tell anyone or show it, but then he would go about whatever he was doing and I would smile and carry on again.
I remember mostly the word SUUUSSSANNNNNNNN!!!! Coming from him. It was just Uncle Kelvin. I use to watch him take photos and be in awe of this and wished I was just like him taking the photos. It was something that really grabbed me from an early age. I remember being so proud that he would take photos for the Grafton Daily Examiner and his name would be attached, and while I was at St Marys College, I would make a point to say “That’s my Uncle who took those”! I was also proud to say that “My Uncle worked and the Grafton Brewery and was management”.
Christmas time was always my favourite time, with everyone laughing and carrying on, yelling over top of one another, then Uncle Kelvin would put on his Country and Western Music. That’s right my Christmas were full of Country and Western Music, not Frosty the Snow man or jingle bells. This I loved! I love different.
I’d ask him questions and he would happily answer them but I knew when he was finished – a short fuse I think and I always had that bit of “I’m a little scared” still inside of me as I grew older.
It was Uncle Kelvin who got me into loving taking photographs which I thank him for this today. What you can capture in one second, you can hold onto a lifetime...
I was also bought up with stuffed animals peering out at me from the walls! Deer’s were my favourites. I would sneak a pat looking very wearily as I was waiting for Uncle Kelvin to jump and yell “Don’t you bloody well touch that” and make me fall to the ground trembling. But I got away with it.
Uncle Kelvin was a strong man, and he has not gone too far, his spirit is here with us every day, it’s just the body that dies, not his spirit.
Look into your heart and be honest about all the people in your past who have harmed you in any way. Where there is pain, practice pardon. Forgiveness is the very foundation of spiritual awakening. - Dr. Wayne Dyer
My Poem
My dear Uncle Kelvin can't you see?
I'm not the little niece you remember me to be
I am now 40 years of age with a family of my own
But just always remember that you will never be alone
My Uncle Kelvin he was loud, and by god was he proud
He also had a strong personality
Which really stood out in a crowd
He also had his soft spots too
I witnessed with his children
They hugged and kissed and played with him
And he also loved his grandchildren
I will always remember our arguments
Our feuds, even our different points of views
There is one thing that I know will never change
Is the love I had for you
I hope that you can hear me
And even if you can't
I want you to know
You're always in my heart.
God bless,goodnight and sweet dreams Uncle Kelvin
Love your neice Jessica
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Dad - My Angel Experience
Trying to write an experience on FB is not so easy as it must be said in 420 words – So I will put it into my blog in more detail.
I was driving to work yesterday ( Monday June 13th) it was raining and miserable and being a public holiday most people were home with their loved ones or families and I got thinking of my dad. It was exactly just as I drove past the Coolangatta airport. I think of dad now and then and as you do, I get all choked up and a little upset but it only ever last for around 30 seconds and then I smile and move on. Well I got to the hospital, and into work I went.
There was only 3 of us working instead of 13 & more due to the public holiday and its like this on the weekends too. So I was put on wash up out the back as I am not a senior yet and unable to operate the big sterilisation machines. But being out the back on your own has its advantages, I get to put my own music station on – triple J, turn it up and dance and sing away while working. It gets my spirit going!
There was a knock at the door from someone out in the corridor, and it opened. A ladies head poked in and said in an accent... “Do you have any Scourers?” I couldn’t quite hear her so I moved closer and she repeated herself... “Of course I do, here have a hand full”. She then proceeded to speak to me about her work and straight away I knew she was Polish, it was like listening to my Grandma, Nanny Choo dads mum, and listening to dad all over again. Oh boy I was tearing up slightly listening to her but I took a deep breath and I smiled so BIG my cheeks were hurting.
I asked her “You are Polish?” she said yes. I told her my dad was from Bielsko Biala http://www.bielsko.biala.pl/eng
but died 5 years ago at 80. She told me she was from this town and then we talked for ages about how I travelled and stayed in Bielkso Biala and had a fantastic experience. She knew straight away and asked “How did you cope with no one speaking English?” I told her I would go to the Hotel President http://www.hotelprezydent.pl/ to speak to the one lady at the desk who spoke English. Everything during the day was by sign language and pointing.
She starting talking about cooking and the food dad use to make or eat like Bigos, Pierogi, Kapusniak, Klopsik, Kluski, Ogorki kiszone. This blew me away! I was in heaven and as you know me, I started talking hundred miles an hour.
She then told me of a little place in Bay street, tweed that sells some ingredients to this food and as a lot of the polish salamis too! And its on my way to work? I will be going there defiantly.
I didn’t want her to go and just listening to her voice gave me a great comfort. But I must soldier on in life and I just thank my Angels and Dad for coming and saying HI! It’s so great to know he is around me and this is only one of 4 experiences I have had since dad died.
Angel of God, my guardian dear,
To whom God's love commits me here,
Ever this day be at my side,
To light and guard, to rule and guide.
I was driving to work yesterday ( Monday June 13th) it was raining and miserable and being a public holiday most people were home with their loved ones or families and I got thinking of my dad. It was exactly just as I drove past the Coolangatta airport. I think of dad now and then and as you do, I get all choked up and a little upset but it only ever last for around 30 seconds and then I smile and move on. Well I got to the hospital, and into work I went.
There was only 3 of us working instead of 13 & more due to the public holiday and its like this on the weekends too. So I was put on wash up out the back as I am not a senior yet and unable to operate the big sterilisation machines. But being out the back on your own has its advantages, I get to put my own music station on – triple J, turn it up and dance and sing away while working. It gets my spirit going!
There was a knock at the door from someone out in the corridor, and it opened. A ladies head poked in and said in an accent... “Do you have any Scourers?” I couldn’t quite hear her so I moved closer and she repeated herself... “Of course I do, here have a hand full”. She then proceeded to speak to me about her work and straight away I knew she was Polish, it was like listening to my Grandma, Nanny Choo dads mum, and listening to dad all over again. Oh boy I was tearing up slightly listening to her but I took a deep breath and I smiled so BIG my cheeks were hurting.
I asked her “You are Polish?” she said yes. I told her my dad was from Bielsko Biala http://www.bielsko.biala.pl/eng
but died 5 years ago at 80. She told me she was from this town and then we talked for ages about how I travelled and stayed in Bielkso Biala and had a fantastic experience. She knew straight away and asked “How did you cope with no one speaking English?” I told her I would go to the Hotel President http://www.hotelprezydent.pl/ to speak to the one lady at the desk who spoke English. Everything during the day was by sign language and pointing.
She starting talking about cooking and the food dad use to make or eat like Bigos, Pierogi, Kapusniak, Klopsik, Kluski, Ogorki kiszone. This blew me away! I was in heaven and as you know me, I started talking hundred miles an hour.
She then told me of a little place in Bay street, tweed that sells some ingredients to this food and as a lot of the polish salamis too! And its on my way to work? I will be going there defiantly.
I didn’t want her to go and just listening to her voice gave me a great comfort. But I must soldier on in life and I just thank my Angels and Dad for coming and saying HI! It’s so great to know he is around me and this is only one of 4 experiences I have had since dad died.
Angel of God, my guardian dear,
To whom God's love commits me here,
Ever this day be at my side,
To light and guard, to rule and guide.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Sucker Punched by a Potato Chip?
I came across this article and found it interested and would like to share it with you......
Everyday foods that can cause you pain.
How your diet can ease your aches.
Most of the pain people suffer from, both in the U.S. and in other parts of the world, involves the complex system of nerves (neuro), muscles and tendons (musculo), and bones, joints, and cartilage (skeletal). MSK [musculoskeletal] pain, which covers a wide range of symptoms and causes, affect one in four adults worldwide and is the most common source of serious, long-term pain and physical disability. Chronic pain, often a result of unresolved MSK pain, is the cause of as many as 60 percent of people requiring early retirement or long-term sick leave.
Research has shown that the everyday decisions you make regarding the kind and amount of food you consume have a significant impact on your health. Food provides more than energy for your body to function. It also contains vital nutrients, including vitamins and minerals that are critical for the well-being of your bones, and substances such as antioxidants and phytonutrients that can slow down the inflammation that plays a key role in the development of MSK pain.
The most recent scientific research has also found that nutrition has a direct impact on inflammation, which is one of the key components of chronic pain, osteoarthritis, and heart disease. Perhaps the most radical medical insight to come out of all the research into the relationship between food and its impact on the body is the role that certain foods play in initiating inflammation. Food and food additives that trigger inflammation are labeled as “pro-inflammatory” because they cause the body’s natural defense system to respond in much the same way it would to a wound or other injury. For example, trans fats—a kind of unsaturated fat created by using hydrogenated oils—are known to increase the risk of a number of degenerative chronic ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, by raising levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and lowering levels of “good” HDL cholesterol. (LDL cholesterol transports cholesterol throughout your body and, at higher levels, accumulates in artery walls and makes them hard and narrow. HDL collects excess cholesterol and carries it to your liver.)
Food manufacturers have known for a while now about the dangers caused by trans fats, but because trans fats enhance the taste of certain foods, as well as add calories and artificially slow spoilage, they continue to be used. This all adds up to higher profits for food companies, but the real costs of trans fats are shifted to consumers. Health authorities worldwide agree that we should reduce all consumption of trans fats to trace amounts.
Trans fats along with the preservative sodium nitrite, the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate, sugar in its many forms (dextrose, sucrose, lactose, high fructose corn syrup), artificial chemical sweeteners, artificial colors, homogenized fats, and other toxic, disease-promoting ingredients, can still be found in abundance in the American food supply, all approved by the FDA.
These foods and additives promote inflammation by generating free radicals—atoms, molecules, or ions that lack an electron in their outer shell and seek to bond with other atoms or molecules to stabilize themselves. Once formed, these highly reactive radicals can start a chain reaction, like dominoes, forcing other molecules to become unstable in turn. They build up over time and cause cartilage to lose its ability to bounce back, artery walls to lose their ability to resist plaque, and airways to lose their tendency to remain open. The body reacts to inflammation in the arterial walls in a similar way to how it reacts to cuts and other external injuries.
This can result in the formation of scar tissue that attracts plaque “essential” because our body cannot produce them, yet they are present in every living cell in the body and are critical for normal functioning of the body. The omega-3 EFAs that are found in foods such as cold-water fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, bass, swordfish, and tuna) and flax seeds, walnuts, and dark green leafy vegetables (including kale, spinach, chard, broccoli, and dark green lettuce) have been shown to discourage the production of inflammatory chemicals that harm the joints and other parts of the body. These omega-3 EFAs appear to turn off inflammatory reactions when the body no longer needs them, and so to keep the inflammation process from running amok. They also contribute to the creation of a variety of powerful anti-inflammatory substances.
By contrast, omega-6 EFAs, which are found in red meat and other animal products and in many vegetable oils used in cooking and baking, promote inflammation. Our diet is overloaded with omega-6 foods, including the omnipresent vegetable oils (corn, sunflower, safflower, peanut) not only used to fry foods and make potato and corn chips, but also added to most processed foods, commercial salad dressings, microwavable food, frozen food, and many brand-name breakfast bars and candy bars.
Until about a hundred years ago, our ancestors lived well on a diet in which omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids were in balance.
The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats is roughly 2:1, which has been our traditional diet for many thousands of years. Today, the ratio averages more than 20:1, which is dangerous to health. If you eat fast food more than four times per week, chances are your ratio is closer to 40:1. A study in the January 2002 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition determined that the omega-6 EFAs increased inflammation in heart cells.1 Because omega-3 and omega-6 interact with each other, it’s important to maintain the proper balance between them that is crucial for good health.
References
1.Michal Toborek, Yong Woo Lee, Rosario Garrido, Simone Kaiser, and Bernhard Hennig. “Unsaturated fatty acids selectively induce an inflammatory environment in human endothelial cells.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 75, No. 1 (January 2002): 119-125.
Excerpted from Stop Pain by Vijay Vad, M.D. Copyright © 2010 (Hay House).
Vijay Vad, M.D., is a sports-medicine specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery and a professor at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. He is the author of Back Rx and Arthritis Rx. In 2007, he created the Vad Foundation, dedicated to two causes: supporting medical research into back pain and arthritis, and funding education for disadvantaged girls worldwide. He co-founded The Inflasoothe Group in 2008. Dr. Vad lives in New York City with his family.
Everyday foods that can cause you pain.
How your diet can ease your aches.
Most of the pain people suffer from, both in the U.S. and in other parts of the world, involves the complex system of nerves (neuro), muscles and tendons (musculo), and bones, joints, and cartilage (skeletal). MSK [musculoskeletal] pain, which covers a wide range of symptoms and causes, affect one in four adults worldwide and is the most common source of serious, long-term pain and physical disability. Chronic pain, often a result of unresolved MSK pain, is the cause of as many as 60 percent of people requiring early retirement or long-term sick leave.
Research has shown that the everyday decisions you make regarding the kind and amount of food you consume have a significant impact on your health. Food provides more than energy for your body to function. It also contains vital nutrients, including vitamins and minerals that are critical for the well-being of your bones, and substances such as antioxidants and phytonutrients that can slow down the inflammation that plays a key role in the development of MSK pain.
The most recent scientific research has also found that nutrition has a direct impact on inflammation, which is one of the key components of chronic pain, osteoarthritis, and heart disease. Perhaps the most radical medical insight to come out of all the research into the relationship between food and its impact on the body is the role that certain foods play in initiating inflammation. Food and food additives that trigger inflammation are labeled as “pro-inflammatory” because they cause the body’s natural defense system to respond in much the same way it would to a wound or other injury. For example, trans fats—a kind of unsaturated fat created by using hydrogenated oils—are known to increase the risk of a number of degenerative chronic ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, by raising levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and lowering levels of “good” HDL cholesterol. (LDL cholesterol transports cholesterol throughout your body and, at higher levels, accumulates in artery walls and makes them hard and narrow. HDL collects excess cholesterol and carries it to your liver.)
Food manufacturers have known for a while now about the dangers caused by trans fats, but because trans fats enhance the taste of certain foods, as well as add calories and artificially slow spoilage, they continue to be used. This all adds up to higher profits for food companies, but the real costs of trans fats are shifted to consumers. Health authorities worldwide agree that we should reduce all consumption of trans fats to trace amounts.
Trans fats along with the preservative sodium nitrite, the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate, sugar in its many forms (dextrose, sucrose, lactose, high fructose corn syrup), artificial chemical sweeteners, artificial colors, homogenized fats, and other toxic, disease-promoting ingredients, can still be found in abundance in the American food supply, all approved by the FDA.
These foods and additives promote inflammation by generating free radicals—atoms, molecules, or ions that lack an electron in their outer shell and seek to bond with other atoms or molecules to stabilize themselves. Once formed, these highly reactive radicals can start a chain reaction, like dominoes, forcing other molecules to become unstable in turn. They build up over time and cause cartilage to lose its ability to bounce back, artery walls to lose their ability to resist plaque, and airways to lose their tendency to remain open. The body reacts to inflammation in the arterial walls in a similar way to how it reacts to cuts and other external injuries.
This can result in the formation of scar tissue that attracts plaque “essential” because our body cannot produce them, yet they are present in every living cell in the body and are critical for normal functioning of the body. The omega-3 EFAs that are found in foods such as cold-water fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, bass, swordfish, and tuna) and flax seeds, walnuts, and dark green leafy vegetables (including kale, spinach, chard, broccoli, and dark green lettuce) have been shown to discourage the production of inflammatory chemicals that harm the joints and other parts of the body. These omega-3 EFAs appear to turn off inflammatory reactions when the body no longer needs them, and so to keep the inflammation process from running amok. They also contribute to the creation of a variety of powerful anti-inflammatory substances.
By contrast, omega-6 EFAs, which are found in red meat and other animal products and in many vegetable oils used in cooking and baking, promote inflammation. Our diet is overloaded with omega-6 foods, including the omnipresent vegetable oils (corn, sunflower, safflower, peanut) not only used to fry foods and make potato and corn chips, but also added to most processed foods, commercial salad dressings, microwavable food, frozen food, and many brand-name breakfast bars and candy bars.
Until about a hundred years ago, our ancestors lived well on a diet in which omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids were in balance.
The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats is roughly 2:1, which has been our traditional diet for many thousands of years. Today, the ratio averages more than 20:1, which is dangerous to health. If you eat fast food more than four times per week, chances are your ratio is closer to 40:1. A study in the January 2002 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition determined that the omega-6 EFAs increased inflammation in heart cells.1 Because omega-3 and omega-6 interact with each other, it’s important to maintain the proper balance between them that is crucial for good health.
References
1.Michal Toborek, Yong Woo Lee, Rosario Garrido, Simone Kaiser, and Bernhard Hennig. “Unsaturated fatty acids selectively induce an inflammatory environment in human endothelial cells.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 75, No. 1 (January 2002): 119-125.
Excerpted from Stop Pain by Vijay Vad, M.D. Copyright © 2010 (Hay House).
Vijay Vad, M.D., is a sports-medicine specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery and a professor at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. He is the author of Back Rx and Arthritis Rx. In 2007, he created the Vad Foundation, dedicated to two causes: supporting medical research into back pain and arthritis, and funding education for disadvantaged girls worldwide. He co-founded The Inflasoothe Group in 2008. Dr. Vad lives in New York City with his family.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Unconditional Love – A Simple Experiment by DR. WAYNE W. DYER
I would love to share this with you all.... Dr Wayne Dyer is one of my favourite and I own alot of this books.... Enjoy....
There is no greater power in heaven or on earth than pure, unconditional love. The nature of the God force, the unseen intelligence in all things, which causes the material world and is the center of both the spiritual and physical plane, is best described as pure, unconditional love. This God force is the oversoul to which we are always connected because we are localized extensions of that force.
I suggest you embark on an experiment in which you practice only unconditional love for several days. Vow to yourself that you will only allow unconditional loving thoughts to emanate from your consciousness. Make an intense proclamation to live unconditional love. During this time, refuse to have judgmental or critical thoughts. In your quiet time, think only peace and love. In all of your relationships, think and act in only loving ways. Extend loving thoughts and energy wherever and whenever you encounter anyone or anything. Become unconditional love for this period of time.
By pouring love into your immediate environment and practicing gentleness in all of your thoughts, words, and actions, your immediate circle of friends will begin responding in a whole new way. This act becomes expansive very quickly and you can radiate this love to your whole community. You become detached and loving toward all. You are not loving the hostile acts of others, but you are loving the spirit that is blocked in those who are harmful and unloving. When you can live this way and reject all thoughts and actions that are not of an unconditionally loving nature, you will experience the essence of your spirit and discover how to overcome limitations in your life.
What can you expect as you practice a few days of being total unconditional love? If all of your meditations are devoted to love, and if you pour love into every single situation and every single person you meet, and beyond that to everyone on the planet and to the infinity of the universe, you will feel yourself becoming a different person. You will sleep more soundly. You will feel at peace virtually all of the time. Your relationships will be more deeply spiritual. You will begin recognizing the “coincidences” of your life with greater regularity. Your thought forms of unconditional love will begin to produce what you desire without your even being aware of how it is happening. Your dreams will be more intense, and the vision of your purpose will become clearer.
There is no greater power in heaven or on earth than pure, unconditional love. The nature of the God force, the unseen intelligence in all things, which causes the material world and is the center of both the spiritual and physical plane, is best described as pure, unconditional love. This God force is the oversoul to which we are always connected because we are localized extensions of that force.
I suggest you embark on an experiment in which you practice only unconditional love for several days. Vow to yourself that you will only allow unconditional loving thoughts to emanate from your consciousness. Make an intense proclamation to live unconditional love. During this time, refuse to have judgmental or critical thoughts. In your quiet time, think only peace and love. In all of your relationships, think and act in only loving ways. Extend loving thoughts and energy wherever and whenever you encounter anyone or anything. Become unconditional love for this period of time.
By pouring love into your immediate environment and practicing gentleness in all of your thoughts, words, and actions, your immediate circle of friends will begin responding in a whole new way. This act becomes expansive very quickly and you can radiate this love to your whole community. You become detached and loving toward all. You are not loving the hostile acts of others, but you are loving the spirit that is blocked in those who are harmful and unloving. When you can live this way and reject all thoughts and actions that are not of an unconditionally loving nature, you will experience the essence of your spirit and discover how to overcome limitations in your life.
What can you expect as you practice a few days of being total unconditional love? If all of your meditations are devoted to love, and if you pour love into every single situation and every single person you meet, and beyond that to everyone on the planet and to the infinity of the universe, you will feel yourself becoming a different person. You will sleep more soundly. You will feel at peace virtually all of the time. Your relationships will be more deeply spiritual. You will begin recognizing the “coincidences” of your life with greater regularity. Your thought forms of unconditional love will begin to produce what you desire without your even being aware of how it is happening. Your dreams will be more intense, and the vision of your purpose will become clearer.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
I Challenge you to go on a 24 hour Positive Spree
So from now on... for 24 hours of reading this, Go on a 24 hour Positive Spree, no negativity, catch yourself before you speak.
Positive 24 Hour High Five!
We have all been bought up and conditioned to a certain style and way of life.
Instead of striving to see yourself as superior to others, why don’t you choose a self image of a valley. From this grounded and receptive position be willing to HEAR and RECEIVE.
My how I use to be so self destructive on myself when things did not go my way, but I’ve learnt to seek a calm inner response to the circumstances in my life.
Everyone I know or who I have meet out there in the world who knew me – actually knew me as loud and boisterous, so out there doing my own thing, not following any sheep, dressing up in weird stuff going out at night, laughing loud and not having any responsibilities. I’m still loud! As most of you still know, but so much less negative.
You know the old saying “Knowledge is Power” and if you find it works for you that’s fantastic, if it doesn’t why is there a need for your ‘ego’ to say so... You’ll end up with stomach ulcers, irritated, stressed, and aching bones, feel miserable, catch colds regularly and complain you don’t feel well.
If you really listen to what comes out of your mouth, try to see how positive it really is. Really LISTEN to what comes out of your mouth and try to catch yourself doing this, try to catch all the aches and pains the sickness you feel in the bottom of your tummy, the colds and then throw them over your shoulder or into a fire and say “Ta Ta, goodbye forever”!
Life is a breeze when ego is not in charge.... I’m in charge of my inner world, not ego.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
FIND THREE GREAT FRIENDS
FIND THREE GREAT FRIENDS
Cultivating great friendships is one of the surest ways to find more happiness and joy in your life. Recent studies show that those with a wide circle of friends and family live longer, laugh more, and worry less. But friendships, like all other good things in life, take time, energy, and commitment. Having said this, few things will offer greater rewards. As one philosopher wrote many centuries ago, there is nothing in the world more valuable than friendship. Thos who banish it from their lives remove as it were the sun from the earth, because of all of nature’s gifts it is the most beautiful and the most pleasing”.
As I grew up, my father often said that the person with three great friends is a rich person indeed. I have never forgotten this advice and encourage you to take it to heart as well. To build deeper friendships, you must be willing to move out of your comfort zone, break the ice with people you might not know very well, and show sincere warmth. You plant the seeds of friendship; you are bound to receive a rich harvest of great friends. At a party or a gathering have the courage to walk over to someone you would like to get to know better an introduce yourself. Every human being has a deep need for affection, and most people will be delighted you took the initiative. And if they do not respond to you, so what? Rather than viewing it as rejection, see it as their loss and politely move on to the next person who can benefit from all you have to offer.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Norway, Finland, Amsterdam, Denmark
Scandinavia well what can I say..
It is one of the most unique untouched parts of the planet I have ever seen. It is magical, mystical and made me feel so so close to Mother Nature and the universe. If you have read my earlier blog on My Journey from Sprit it explains how I came to travel this country. It was 1998, I was 28 years of age, I travelled from London to Amsterdam to Germany to Norway up the top to ........ across to Finland into Santa Clause Land back down to.... across on the ferry.... to Estonia back to ... and then I flew back to London.
The people and friends I meet along the way will always be with me. As most of you may know I ALWAYS have my video camera or camera glued to my eye, so on this trip, I happened to capture all on DVD.
WOW! I cannot wait to show Kobi my trip. She understands that her mummy has been to Santa Clause land and I have seen Santa and the reindeers who live at ......... and now at her age of 4 she is wanting me to take her to Santa Clause Land now. I’ve told her ‘One day sweetie, I’ll take you’...
I have a ..... calendar on my wall at home and I’ve shown Kobi the months and we point out December and tell her this is when Santa comes down under to visit so we have to wait all the months in-between until he comes.
The trip went something like this: On the bus at 6am travel the countryside stop around 12pm for lunch – Trev the cook would get his set up from under the bus and set it up for lunch, put it away, on the bus until we got to the next town, get out and look around for a couple of hours, back on the bus 3pm, travel to our destination to stay the night. Unpack, set up tents or like myself and others who preferred to stay in cabins (it’s very cold up there) make ourselves at home. Trev set up the cook’s tent and always made the BEST food ever for us all! When we were finished we were in teams of 3 or 4 and helped to wash up and ‘Air Dry’ all the plates.
Play a few games, have a drink and in for the night. Start all over the next day.
I hope one day Kobi gets to travel the world like I did. If it wasn’t for my dad telling me stories most of my younger life about the travels he did when he lived in Poland, I would not have known what laid out there in the big wide world.
It is one of the most unique untouched parts of the planet I have ever seen. It is magical, mystical and made me feel so so close to Mother Nature and the universe. If you have read my earlier blog on My Journey from Sprit it explains how I came to travel this country. It was 1998, I was 28 years of age, I travelled from London to Amsterdam to Germany to Norway up the top to ........ across to Finland into Santa Clause Land back down to.... across on the ferry.... to Estonia back to ... and then I flew back to London.
The people and friends I meet along the way will always be with me. As most of you may know I ALWAYS have my video camera or camera glued to my eye, so on this trip, I happened to capture all on DVD.
WOW! I cannot wait to show Kobi my trip. She understands that her mummy has been to Santa Clause land and I have seen Santa and the reindeers who live at ......... and now at her age of 4 she is wanting me to take her to Santa Clause Land now. I’ve told her ‘One day sweetie, I’ll take you’...
I have a ..... calendar on my wall at home and I’ve shown Kobi the months and we point out December and tell her this is when Santa comes down under to visit so we have to wait all the months in-between until he comes.
The trip went something like this: On the bus at 6am travel the countryside stop around 12pm for lunch – Trev the cook would get his set up from under the bus and set it up for lunch, put it away, on the bus until we got to the next town, get out and look around for a couple of hours, back on the bus 3pm, travel to our destination to stay the night. Unpack, set up tents or like myself and others who preferred to stay in cabins (it’s very cold up there) make ourselves at home. Trev set up the cook’s tent and always made the BEST food ever for us all! When we were finished we were in teams of 3 or 4 and helped to wash up and ‘Air Dry’ all the plates.
Play a few games, have a drink and in for the night. Start all over the next day.
I hope one day Kobi gets to travel the world like I did. If it wasn’t for my dad telling me stories most of my younger life about the travels he did when he lived in Poland, I would not have known what laid out there in the big wide world.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The Essence of Happiness
Now sometimes people confuse happiness with pleasure... from my point of view, the highest happiness is when one reaches the stage of Liberation, at which there is no more suffering. That’s genuine, lasting happiness. True happiness relates more to the mind and heart. Happiness that depends mainly on physical pleasure is unstable; one day it’s there, the next day it may not be.
One interesting thing about GREED is that although the underlying motive is to seek satisfaction, the irony is that even after obtaining the object of your desire, you are still not satisfied.. The true antidote of greed is contentment. If you have a strong sense of contentment, it doesn’t matter whether you obtain the object or note; either way, you are still content.
Whether our action is wholesome or unwholesome depends on whether that action or deed arises from a disciplined or undisciplined state of mind. It is felt that a disciplined mind leads to happiness and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering, and in fact it is said that bringing about discipline within one’s mind is the essence of the Buddha’s teaching.
(The Essence of Happiness – Dali Lama – From “A Guidebook for Living)
One interesting thing about GREED is that although the underlying motive is to seek satisfaction, the irony is that even after obtaining the object of your desire, you are still not satisfied.. The true antidote of greed is contentment. If you have a strong sense of contentment, it doesn’t matter whether you obtain the object or note; either way, you are still content.
Whether our action is wholesome or unwholesome depends on whether that action or deed arises from a disciplined or undisciplined state of mind. It is felt that a disciplined mind leads to happiness and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering, and in fact it is said that bringing about discipline within one’s mind is the essence of the Buddha’s teaching.
(The Essence of Happiness – Dali Lama – From “A Guidebook for Living)
Monday, May 30, 2011
GET GOOD AT ASKING
"He who asks may be a fool for five minutes. He who doesn’t is a fool for a lifetime,” goes the wise Chinese’s proverb. It makes me think I an ad I read in the classifieds recently that said, “To the beautiful woman in the brown suede coat at the chemist at xyz on Saturday, November 28 @ 4pm. You bumped into me in front of the magazine section. I would love to meet and chat”. The man who placed this ad then left his phone number. Destiny had given him an opportunity – possibly to meet the woman of this dreams – and he had squandered it. And now, after regretting the fact that he “did not ask” he has had to resort to placing an ad in the newspaper in the desperate hop of finding this woman.
The more you ask, the more you get, but it takes practice to get good at it. Success is a numbers game. As the Buddhist sages observed, “Every arrow that hits the bull’s eye is the result of one hundred misses”. Over the coming weeks, flex your “asking muscles” by asking for a better table at your favourite restaurant, for a free second scoop at your local ice-cream shop, or for a complimentary upgrade on your next airline flight. You might be surprised at the abundance that will flow into your life when you just ask sincerely for the things you want.
Remember, the person who asks for what he wants at least has a chance of getting what he wants. The person who does not ask has no chance. “It’s a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it”.
By Robin Sharma (Who Will Cry When You die?)
The more you ask, the more you get, but it takes practice to get good at it. Success is a numbers game. As the Buddhist sages observed, “Every arrow that hits the bull’s eye is the result of one hundred misses”. Over the coming weeks, flex your “asking muscles” by asking for a better table at your favourite restaurant, for a free second scoop at your local ice-cream shop, or for a complimentary upgrade on your next airline flight. You might be surprised at the abundance that will flow into your life when you just ask sincerely for the things you want.
Remember, the person who asks for what he wants at least has a chance of getting what he wants. The person who does not ask has no chance. “It’s a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it”.
By Robin Sharma (Who Will Cry When You die?)
Sunday, May 29, 2011
MASTER YOUR TIME
MASTER YOUR TIME
I have always found it ironic that so many people say they would do anything for a little more time every day, and yet they squander the time they already have. Time is life's great leveller; we all have the same allotment of 24 hours in a day. What separates the people who created great lives form the also- rans is how they use these hours.
Most of us live as if we have an infinite amount of time to do all the things we know we must do to live a full and rewarding life. And so we procrastinate and put the achievement of our dreams on hold while we tend to those daily emergencies that fill up our days. This is a certain recipe for life regret. As novelist Paul Bowles once wrote:
.......because we don't know (when we will die), we get to think of life as an inexhaustive well. Yet everything happens only a certain number of times, and a very small number, really. How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, some afternoon that's so deeply a part of your being that you can't even conceive of your life without it? Perhaps four or five times more. Perhaps not even that. How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, some afternoon that's so deeply a part of your being that you can't even conceive of your life without it? Perhaps four or five times more? Perhaps not even that. How many more times will you watch the full moon rise? Perhaps twenty. And yet it all seems limitless.
Commit yourself to managing your time more effectively. Develop a keen sense of awareness about how important your time really is. Don’t let people waste this most precious of commodities, and invest it only in those activities that truly count.
I have always found it ironic that so many people say they would do anything for a little more time every day, and yet they squander the time they already have. Time is life's great leveller; we all have the same allotment of 24 hours in a day. What separates the people who created great lives form the also- rans is how they use these hours.
Most of us live as if we have an infinite amount of time to do all the things we know we must do to live a full and rewarding life. And so we procrastinate and put the achievement of our dreams on hold while we tend to those daily emergencies that fill up our days. This is a certain recipe for life regret. As novelist Paul Bowles once wrote:
.......because we don't know (when we will die), we get to think of life as an inexhaustive well. Yet everything happens only a certain number of times, and a very small number, really. How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, some afternoon that's so deeply a part of your being that you can't even conceive of your life without it? Perhaps four or five times more. Perhaps not even that. How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, some afternoon that's so deeply a part of your being that you can't even conceive of your life without it? Perhaps four or five times more? Perhaps not even that. How many more times will you watch the full moon rise? Perhaps twenty. And yet it all seems limitless.
Commit yourself to managing your time more effectively. Develop a keen sense of awareness about how important your time really is. Don’t let people waste this most precious of commodities, and invest it only in those activities that truly count.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
GET BEHIND PEOPLES EYEBALLS
One of the deepest of all the human hungers is the need to be understood, cherished, and honoured. Yet in the fast paced days we live in, too many people believe that listening involves nothing more than waiting for the other person to stop talking. And to make matters worse, while that person is speaking, we are all too often using that time to formulate our own response, rather than empathizing with the point being made.
Taking the time to truly understand another’s point of view shows that you value what he has to say and care about him as a person. When you start "getting behind the eyes balls; of the person how is speaking and try to see the world form his perspective, you will connect with him deeply and build high trust relationships that last.
We have two ears a done mouth for a reason: to listen twice as much as we speak. And having the courtesy to be a better listener has another advantage: Since you are not doing all the talking, you are doing all the learning, gaining access to information you would have missed had you been engaged in the usual monologue. Here are a few practical tips to become better at the art of listening:
1. If you are speaking and the person you are having a conversation with has not said something within the past 60 seconds, there is a good chance you have lost her and it’s time to stop talking so much.
2. Resist the temptation to interrupt. Catch yourself just before you do so and pay more attention to the content of what the other person is saying to you.
3. After the other person makes her points, rather than immediately responding with your opinion, reflect on what you have just heard. Saying something such as, Just to make sure I understand you, are you saying.....?" And doing so with complete sincerity will bring you much closer to the people you interact with every day of your life.
(Who will cry when you die - Robin Sharma)
Thursday, May 26, 2011
The Poem I wrote when Dad Died
FARWELL DAD
(My Dad – Jan Jantzen)
My father was a Master Chef and worked into his prime
He worked hard everyday and night and he was always on time
He walked to work in weather both foul and both fair
He worked long into his fulfilled life until he had white hair
My dad would stand all day and night in front of a hot flaming stove
With pots and pans and food galore,
Thrown around a creation was wove
Bellows could be heard by dad from the kitchen far and near
“Get out of my bloody kitchen – Can’t you see I’m in top gear”?
Flames from the stove produced beads of sweat
But not once did he ever voice any regrets
Into his pan he would create his famous master piece
Then add a bit of this and that which went down like a treat
Then on the plate he would then create this unbelievable dish
This man-made creation right from his hand
Revealed creations so so lavish
He made meals for the public to line up to eat
And every night for us, this was a treat
He also made meals for his family – 3 meal courses
He made meals for all our childhood friends
He made meals that could feed 100 horses
My father raised 2 kids
He shaped them too as the food he did
He moulded them to be generous and kind
Tempered by his love and by his design
He instilled in them a sense of right and wrong
He prepared them for the life ahead and to be strong
He gave to each of them whatever it was that he had
And made them proud that he was their dad
My father worked until the night he fell asleep
And then silence engulfed our little Yamba town - we all wept
The banging and crashing we all got to know so well
Had stopped inside his kitchen
But since I am my father’s daughter, time will only tell!
Give 'em a hug, a great big kiss.
Because one day, he will be greatly missed.
Now I will have to look up at the stars and
say, "I love you, Daddy, more and more each day
For if you keep these moments, you will never be apart
And my daddy will live forever locked safe within my heart.
By Jessica Jantzen
(My Dad – Jan Jantzen)
My father was a Master Chef and worked into his prime
He worked hard everyday and night and he was always on time
He walked to work in weather both foul and both fair
He worked long into his fulfilled life until he had white hair
My dad would stand all day and night in front of a hot flaming stove
With pots and pans and food galore,
Thrown around a creation was wove
Bellows could be heard by dad from the kitchen far and near
“Get out of my bloody kitchen – Can’t you see I’m in top gear”?
Flames from the stove produced beads of sweat
But not once did he ever voice any regrets
Into his pan he would create his famous master piece
Then add a bit of this and that which went down like a treat
Then on the plate he would then create this unbelievable dish
This man-made creation right from his hand
Revealed creations so so lavish
He made meals for the public to line up to eat
And every night for us, this was a treat
He also made meals for his family – 3 meal courses
He made meals for all our childhood friends
He made meals that could feed 100 horses
My father raised 2 kids
He shaped them too as the food he did
He moulded them to be generous and kind
Tempered by his love and by his design
He instilled in them a sense of right and wrong
He prepared them for the life ahead and to be strong
He gave to each of them whatever it was that he had
And made them proud that he was their dad
My father worked until the night he fell asleep
And then silence engulfed our little Yamba town - we all wept
The banging and crashing we all got to know so well
Had stopped inside his kitchen
But since I am my father’s daughter, time will only tell!
Give 'em a hug, a great big kiss.
Because one day, he will be greatly missed.
Now I will have to look up at the stars and
say, "I love you, Daddy, more and more each day
For if you keep these moments, you will never be apart
And my daddy will live forever locked safe within my heart.
By Jessica Jantzen
Favourite Websites
Your Wish Is Granted DVDs
http://www.yourwishisgranted.com.au
Twig the Fairy
http://www.twigthefairy.com/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/twigthefairy
Zinnia the Fairy
www.facebook.com/zinniathefairy
Dr. Wayne. W. Dyer
http://www.drwaynedyer.com
http://www.facebook.com/#!/drwaynedyer
Louise L. Hay
http://www.louisehay.com
http://www.facebook.com/#!/louiselhay
The Secret
http://www.thesecret.tv/
Doreen Virtue
http://www.angeltherapy.com/
Allison Dubois
http://www.allisondubois.com/
The Tao Bums
http://www.thetaobums.com/
Gold Coast City Parks and EVERY ACTIVITY
http://www.gcparks.com.au/social-gatherings.aspx
http://www.yourwishisgranted.com.au
Twig the Fairy
http://www.twigthefairy.com/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/twigthefairy
Zinnia the Fairy
www.facebook.com/zinniathefairy
Dr. Wayne. W. Dyer
http://www.drwaynedyer.com
http://www.facebook.com/#!/drwaynedyer
Louise L. Hay
http://www.louisehay.com
http://www.facebook.com/#!/louiselhay
The Secret
http://www.thesecret.tv/
Doreen Virtue
http://www.angeltherapy.com/
Allison Dubois
http://www.allisondubois.com/
The Tao Bums
http://www.thetaobums.com/
Gold Coast City Parks and EVERY ACTIVITY
http://www.gcparks.com.au/social-gatherings.aspx
Books I Love to Read
Excuses Begone! Dr. Wayne. W.Dyer
Change Your Thought Change Your Life - Dr. Wayne. W.Dyer
Inspiration - Dr. Wayne. W.Dyer
10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace - Dr. Wayne. W.Dyer
Chicken Soup for the Soul - Jack Canfield & Mark V Hansen
Who will Cry when you Die - Robin Sharma
The Three Keys to Self-Empowerment - Stuart Wilde
The Secret - Rhonda Byrne
The Power of I AM - Johna Maxwell Taylor
You Can Heal Your Life - Louise L. Hay
The Chemical Maze Shopping Companion - Bill Statham
The Essence of Happiness - The Dalai Lama & Howard C Cutler
Ask your Guides Connecting to Your Divine Support System - Sonia Choquette
How to DevelopYour Sixth Sense - David Lawson
Calm Kids - Massage Stories for Children by Tricia Riordan
Change Your Thought Change Your Life - Dr. Wayne. W.Dyer
Inspiration - Dr. Wayne. W.Dyer
10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace - Dr. Wayne. W.Dyer
Chicken Soup for the Soul - Jack Canfield & Mark V Hansen
Who will Cry when you Die - Robin Sharma
The Three Keys to Self-Empowerment - Stuart Wilde
The Secret - Rhonda Byrne
The Power of I AM - Johna Maxwell Taylor
You Can Heal Your Life - Louise L. Hay
The Chemical Maze Shopping Companion - Bill Statham
The Essence of Happiness - The Dalai Lama & Howard C Cutler
Ask your Guides Connecting to Your Divine Support System - Sonia Choquette
How to DevelopYour Sixth Sense - David Lawson
Calm Kids - Massage Stories for Children by Tricia Riordan
Peek into the beginning of my life
I was born at Grafton Base Hospital, NSW Australia. Jessica Alexandra Anne Janczar-Jantzen. I was the first for Anne & Jan Jantzen. My mother and father met, while my father was working as a chef on Hayman Island and my mother a waitress on the same island. I remember my mother showing me this beautiful black & White photo of her in a grass skirt which was her uniform and such a happy smile.
18 months down the track my mother gave birth to a baby girl to be my sister named Rebecca Jan. I don’t remember anything about her birth or coming home as I obviously to was young. I do remember any how the times we played. We grew up on Roberts Creek Brushgrove while dad was farming and mum looked after us. But soon dad was to start work as a chef again.
My father Jan Edward Jantzen was a Master Chef and trained in Switzerland, Vienna and worked in many restaurants overseas. Dad was born in Poland – Biala Beilsko. Dad worked in Sydney alongside my godfather Alex (also Polish) at the ‘Summit’ – Australia’s first revolving restaurant. (my godfather Alex sadly passed away while I was in England in 1997 while travelling in England and was going to see me. I did attend his funeral in England though and dad was very very glad that I did. Alex was his best friend). Dad also worked at the Cebel Town House and the Chelsea in Kings Cross Sydney. Dad would tell me the story about how has a waiter the guy who played Dracula in the movies back then was in the restaurant & he saw him drop a large amount of cash on the floor. Dad picked it up and gave it back to him and this guy told dad that he should have kept it! I don’t know why I was told this story, I forget.
Dad & mum use to drive myself and my sister to Sydney on trips in a big blue ford car when I around 7/8 years of age. My sister asleep across on the back seat and me on a make shift seat behind the two front seats so we could sleep on these long trips. I remember looking out the car window and letting my eyes catch everything in site. Mum had this smelly stuff that she would put under our noses if we were feeling car sick, and it was around the New Castle area that mum decided to stick this under my nose, Oh my god! I can still smell it today. It did work thou.
I remember all the big lights and houses in Sydney. We would stay at my god mothers house, her name was Alexandra. That’s were my middle name came from. I still remember having a skipping ropes and I would go outside and skip on the footpath. There was a little tree I would climb up into and hand the rope from and just basically play. The neighbor did not like this at all & I left my skipping rope out in the tree and when I went to get it, he had taken it! I knew he took it & never told mum as I would have gotten in trouble. I still remember my rope to this day!
We would site see around Sydney and when visiting the Kings Cross District I remember Mum & Dad playing a little trick on us. When we were wandering off they would hide in a shop and then when we realized they were gone, I would panic and start crying. They then would come and give us a lecture about what happens if you go off and get lost? “Stay with us” they would say… To this day I could stand in the exact spot I was crying. And I was only 8 then!
Back home on the farm we had our horses named: Tango (mums horse), Texas (dads), Tiffany (Becks) Misty (mine). There was also Rajah who never really got used. Then we had our cattle dogs Sparky and Spikle. Sparky was the vicious one and never really liked strangers. We had a lassie dog called Sandy and Toppa which Nan had the brother to that dog out on her farm. Then along the way our lassie dog was running next to the car just passed the mailbox and at the first corner she collapsed. I still remember watching her next to the car and then she just fell. She died! I still must find out why? she hadToppa also died of old age I think. We buried Toppa in the paddock diagonally from the farm house that was a sad moment.
We use to go to the Brushgrove hotel also for lunch and one day when I came home from school walking down our dirt road as usual we arrived home and there was this puppy dog, a Springer Spaniel. Dad had saved it from drowning as the owners had to many puppies. But is this true? Another thing to find out. Anyways, we were trying to name it and first there was Scotch, then Whiskey, then we settled on Brandy. So Brandy was our in house pet. I remember one day mum shoeing us in the bathroom with Brandy as someone came to our door! Then mum said it was ok to come out. Mmmmm, still don’t know why…..
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