About Me

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When you fail to follow your dreams, you cheat yourself out of being you.
Be proud of who you are and don't back down.
Be a winner at the game of life!

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

I want WORTH IT!



Not long ago, I started talking with a gentleman who was closer to the My Ideal Partner list than I've met in many years. We discussed the possibility of dating, even though we live very far from each other.

I was actually excited... but my honesty scared him.


Friends say "if it's too good to be true, it probably is" and that I invested emotion too early. People often miss out on what they want most in life is because they are too skeptical to believe it can be real. But sometimes opportunities present themselves & miracles do happen.

I thought he was my unicorn, so I wasn't going to passively wait. I told him how I felt.
Maybe my parents screwed me up by teaching me to be honest with people and expecting the same in return. They certainly didn't prepare me for a world where deception is the norm. I am secretive when I first get to know someone but, once I accept someone into my circle, I am very open about who I am, how I view others, and what I want in life. It might be naive of me to require such honesty from friends and lovers--but it isn't worth keeping people in my life who are not.

Extremely discouraging quote about how people are shocked by honesty and not even phased by deception.


 After watching this video, I suspect finding someone who will be "honest with me always" and who is "trustworthy" might be close to impossible. However, I need that in order to be happy with someone and fall in love.





I'm not crazy; I just know what I want. Test taken today:
Advanced Global Personality Test Results
Extraversion||||||||||||||||||||||94%
Stability||||||||||||||||||||88%
Orderliness||||||||||||||||||77%
Accommodation||||||||||||||55%
Intellectual||||||||||||||||||||||91%
Interdependence||||||||||||||||||||83%
Mystical||||||||||||||||||75%
Materialism||||||||||||50%
Narcissism||||||||||||||58%
Adventurousness||||16%
Work ethic||||||||||||||||||||||91%
Conflict seeking||8%
Need to dominate||||||25%
Romantic||||||||||||||||||||83%
Avoidant||||16%
Anti-authority||||||||||||||58%
Wealth||||||||||||41%
Dependency||||||||||||50%
Change averse||||||||||||||||||||88%
Cautiousness||||||||||||||58%
Individuality||||||||||||||||||77%
Sexuality||||||||||||||||66%
PeterPan complex||8%
Histrionic||||||||||||50%
Vanity||||||||||||||||||75%
Artistic0%
Hedonism||||||||||||||||||72%
Physical fitness||||||||||||||||||77%
Religious||||||||||||||||||||83%
Paranoia||||16%
Hypersensitivity||||||||||||||||||||88%
Indie||||||||||||||||||||83%
Take Free Advanced Global Personality Test
Personality Test by SimilarMinds.com

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Compromising safety for convenience


How many times have drugs been released after we assured they were safe, and then we found out they really weren't? You can apply this to many other scenarios too: power lines, vehicles, toys, foods, war, and the list goes on.

The vast majority of people put their most valuable asset (their own life) at risk all the time without giving it a second thought because they want to believe. They trust whatever they are told.



Yesterday I got into a brief Twitter discussion about biometrics. The other person said that using an iPhone for payment will lower crime because it will also require a fingerprint for payment. I supplied two links showing biometrics is hackable:
(1) http://www.zdnet.com/apples-advanced-fingerprint-technology-is-hacked-should-you-worry-7000020998/
(2) http://www.fastcompany.com/1790444/dark-side-biometrics-9-million-israelis-hacked-info-hits-web

In the case of biometrics, you can't change your fingerprints, iris, etc., after they are compromised. If there is one thing that we should all know by now, is that nothing is 100% unhackable. Anonymous has proven that.


This lack of knowledge (or care?) about the basic world around us extends so much further--even into most people's kitchens. For example, few people eat real food anymore. Most people eat "foodstuffs" which may taste good but are high in many chemicals which poison our bodies. It's no wonder the cancer rates are so high.

To add to that, as of 1994, genetically modified foods have been available. Maybe nobody told you until recently that you are eating Frankencrops; afterall, there is no labeling requirement. The foods your parents grew up on are NOT the same today: fruits, vegetables, and now even other living things. That's right, they are now taking DNA from one type of fish and injecting into another type of fish to create artificial salmon--salmon that will be marketed the same as a naturally created fish. This is happening even though there are studies which prove that DNA from GMO foods are transferred into humans who eat them! Unfortunately, Monsanto has established relationships with many important people and politicians in America.



Universities usually require critical thinking and research classes to graduate. But you certainly can't tell based upon just how many people accept everything they are told without questioning it's validity. You should always view the sources for credibility and to see if there are conflicts of interest.

What about our ever increasing loss of privacy?
Or the disintegration of our Constitution?

 If you are one of those people who doesn't care about these issues, then you are a sheep.




Saturday, September 6, 2014

How to become a SLAVE to the system



I am still sometimes guilty of #4. However, I live my life with purpose and am happy.

“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don't need to escape from.”  --  Seth Gobin

Sunday, August 31, 2014

The frustration of dating

Many years ago, a man I was seeing told me that he (or any other man) would marry me based upon sexual skill alone. While that was probably meant as a compliment, it made me a little sad. I am an awesome catch yet often men focus on my physical potential.

For precisely this reason, I won't have sex with someone new early on to prevent being used for sex or getting prematurely emotionally attached. After becoming friends with a potential, the Dealbreakers from the My Ideal Partner list or not being made a priority is what disqualifies. Even when I find a man who is close to my list, he usually loses my interest by not expressing enough interest himself. I am not needy nor clingy, and I don't want that from a man. At the same time, I do want to be thought about, appreciated, and shown.

Once upon a time, men knew how to court women; now so few understand what that means. I fully blame the gender-equality problem I've talked about before. This is why, after several months of being ready to date, I am still single. I won't settle; I've done that and it wasn't worth it. I need to be swept off my feet.

Geography doesn't factor in. Money and flight schedules solve distance. I once casually joked that I wouldn't date someone because he lived where it snows but--in all reality--if the mutual chemistry were strong enough, that wouldn't have been a deterrent. So, what stops me from dating someone who lives far away? Nothing. The world is huge.

Friday, August 15, 2014

5 Years Sober

Life is good. No temptations to drink..

Sunday, May 11, 2014

My Ideal Partner 2014

   Without referring back to the most recent version, I re-wrote my My Ideal Partner list from scratch, changing the format a little.

MUSTS: genius intelligence, honest with me always, motivated, family values, good in bed, generous, knows and likes the true me, gentleman, encourages and helps me to better myself, loyal, compassionate, spiritual, affectionate, emotional/physical/financial support, healthy eater, trustworthy, apologizes, ethical, has patience, shows that he values our time together, prepared to commit

WOULD BE NICE: athletic, speaks more than one language, high sex drive, world traveler, computer geek, likes dogs and cats, similar political beliefs, ex-pat mentality, father figure, teaches me, always "into me", wants an immediate family

DEAL BREAKERS: passive-aggressive, alcoholic, drug addict, liar, thief, disrespectful, physically or verbally abusive, uses denial-of-relationship-sex as a weapon, Capricorn (male), never takes responsibility, refuses to admit when he's wrong or when he doesn't know something, smokes cigarettes

This narrowed shortlist of which qualities matter most will make it much easier to quickly see if someone is in my "Maybe" category. Friends first before anything romantic develops.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

My love-hate relationship with cake

So it happened again yesterday. I was passing a bakery when I saw a gorgeous slice of cake. I should've known better as, the majority of the time I have eaten there, I have often been disappointed. But, I bought it. The first bite was amazing--everything I hoped it would be and more! The second bite was still good, although not nearly as great. The third bite started to taste waxy. After a few more unenjoyable bites, I threw away the slice of cake without finishing it. Why does my brain discard all the information it has gathered when I see a delicious-looking cake?



I'm starting to think that's what I've done with men too.  *sigh*  Since I'm resuming interest in dating, I need to examine why I do this and fix it.

Friday, April 25, 2014

What happened to gender differences?

Feminist women have trained men to believe that they do not have to be men anymore. Most men are oblivious, only noticing the money they save while courting and how much easier it is to get sex. But it runs much deeper than that. There is an inherent lack of respect for men by women once women have to take on a more masculine role. Why should I respect him as a man when I can be my own provider? Why should I respect his penis when I can easily get another?

What is the male role? The ability and desire to provide for and protect his family at all costs. A man's goal is to work and make as much money as he can to provide. While he's single, this is to prepare for his eventual wife and children. No real man would ever allow a woman to pay for dates, as doing so demasculates him to the core. The money saved doesn't justify the lost respect. Fathers who allow their children to go hungry, without clothes, or without intellectual stimulation aren't men either. Whether with his child's mother or not, a man will do whatever it takes to have enough money to make sure his family is ok. "Wanna-be men" believe that paying court-ordered child support (which they are often bitter about) is good enough. And lastly, men are supposed to be able to fix and repair things. Even if you have plenty of money to hire someone, the ability to do basic house and car repairs is expected of all men.

What is the female role? To be a caretaker and raise healthy children. Most women have jobs, yet at the same time this can defeminize them. A woman takes care of her family--and not by paying someone else to do it while she goes to work. A woman puts her children first (because they cannot protect themselves) and her partner second. Woman are excellent comforters and are there to lend a hug or supporting comment when her child or man needs it. Women are expected to "step back" when it's helpful towards encouraging her family to to grow and succeed. In addition, frugal shopping and cooking are essential skills all women should have.

Surely it is clear that I do not believe in equal rights. I never have. Men are providers and protectors; women are caretakers. This is natural and works the best because men and women are biologically different. In today's society, many females try to prove they are equal to or better than men. Sadly, laziness has caused just as many males to expect women to pick up the man's slack. Divorce rates in the U.S. are over 50%, and I am convinced this is why. Having a vagina doesn't make you a real woman just like having a penis doesn't make you a real man.

Once upon a time, men knew that they had to "step up" to the husband and father role when they got a woman pregnant. Now, instead of being selective when choosing sex partners, boys are taught (often by their parents!) that they have the option of running away from their male responsibility. Parents claim they want their children to be successful in everything; however, for the past 50 years these same parents have neglected insuring that their children can live up to the most basic of gender roles. These roles exist for a reason and create a harmonious society. When gender roles are not respected, everyone suffers. Do you have children? If so, are you teaching your son how to be a man? Your daughter how to be a woman?

Need help? While written in a religious context, these two books are the best I've seen for teaching a woman how to be proper wife: For Woman Only and More Hours In My Day. If you love your daughter, you will teach her these skills. You can also teach her how to be self-sufficient, but she needs to know how to be a proper woman first and foremost. When parents fail to teach their boys what it takes to be a man, women and children get neglected. Since I am a woman, I do not have any book suggestions for men--but I will start looking, and will add a comment below when I have some. If you do not live up to your gender role, you need to evaluate why and fix yourself.


**** Just a side note, after working in strip clubs I can tell you that most strippers have children. The same holds true for prostitutes. A large percentage are forced into adult work to support their child(ren) because the males who got them pregnant weren't really men. These women are often looked down upon, when in reality they do whatever it takes to take care of, provide for, and protect their children after a man has chosen not to be there.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Lent 2014

It happened again. Since I'm not religious in a traditional sense, I forgot about Lent (it ends in 9 days). Coincidently, it was around the beginning of Lent that I decided to quit cake again--this time using the method which works for me.

Food has always been the only vice that I've had difficulty controlling throughout my life. With everything else, I successfully quit by keeping temptation around to remind me that I didn't run out; I chose to quit. After telling a friend about this, it occurred to me that I had never tried this with food. So, I took the last remaining slice of a delicious Strawberry Lemon Coconut cake and put it in the freezer. I am pleased to report that after a month, it is still there! Since I know I can have my favorite cake whenever I want, I don't have a desperate need or withdrawal urges.  :)

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Reversed cancer without chemotherapy or radiation




I strongly believe that traditional chemotherapy and radiation isn't nearly as effective for treating cancer as nutrition and attitude. While the following story is personal, the benefit of sharing my experience far outweighs my need for privacy.

Much of last year I had all the symptoms of late-stage colon cancer. I had diarrhea or soft pencil stools every time I used the bathroom for several months, had obstructions, was bloated, and my lower abdomen and rectum were in severe pain. I lost 35 pounds before I got so nauseous that I didn't want to eat anymore. There were days when I had to lay on the floor in fetal position unable to move from all the pain. I did not have insurance and could not afford the expensive tests I needed.

I turned to Traditional Chinese Medicine. I went to my Chinese practitioner weekly (more often when needed), followed the herbal recommendations he suggested, and switched to organic non-GMO foods. Twice I came in with obstructions so bad that I hadn't excreted in days and he was able to unblock it. I revamped my exercise and meditation routines--adding yoga and Qigong. This was a combined effort: nutrition, exercise, meditation, and Chinese bodywork alignment. I also started going to church. It took 5 months for my health to be restored completely.

Six months after my symptoms first began I was able to come up with resources for a colonoscopy and endoscopy. Even though I had been cured, I went in. The gastroenterologist couldn't explain it. He said there was evidence that I had had chronic irritation, but my health was now fine. No cancer or anything else and my blood work was also back to normal. It is possible to cure cancer and other diseases naturally--without pharmacology. People who don't believe that are generally the same people who aren't willing to spend any time researching.


*       *       *       *       *

Be careful when you trust Big Pharma with your life. Anybody who profits off of another's poor health could be guilty of conflicting interests. The longer you are kept alive dependent upon medication, the more money the pharmaceutical companies make. Even if you don't believe that they care more about their own bottom-line than your health, their mistakes are too numerous to count. Often drugs make so much in profit that, even after factoring in lawsuits, the revenue generated keeps it on the market.

An interesting fact, if you are not already aware: Bayer introduced heroin to the general public as a cheap cough suppressant and as a non-addictive morphine substitute. You can imagine how profitable it became. They even encouraged it to be given to children. Oops!



Sunday, March 23, 2014

On the Down Low?

This blog post was inspired by the following redacted email which I received earlier today:
I had a friend in college...he dated women, got married, etc. When his wife announced that she is pregnant, he came out. It's pretty selfish to pull someone (and then a kid) into a life that cannot possibly end happily.

After living in Atlanta, I must say I am shocked by how many DL men there are. For those who are unaware, DL (down low) refers to discreet male-male hookup sex by men who publically identify as straight and often have wives or girlfriends.

http://pittqueertheoryf11.wordpress.com/2011/12/06/finding-the-down-low/
 

A smart man once told me that "Nobody ever does anything that they cannot rationalize." That is true. Most of the DL men rationalize it by saying their woman doesn't give them enough sex, oral sex, some other fetish sex, or even that they are bisexual and need to have sex with both genders to feel satisfied. They justify their disloyalty by rationalizing why it should be okay. The men they hook up with are on the same page, which further reinforces their warped view of right versus wrong.

My sex drive is on the high end of healthy, I enjoy kinky sex, and I am bisexual--yet I can honestly say that I have never cheated. It is tough to get me to commit because I expect monogamy in my committed relationships. This is why I have only committed to 3 men in my life, the others never got to that point. In relationships where monogamy is negotiable, the couple still needs to discuss and agree upon acceptable alternatives BEFORE anything ever happens--otherwise it is cheating. Honesty and communication are essential for committed relationships to be healthy. If either are missing, at least one partner is being held hostage in a relationship he/she might not consent to otherwise.

Maybe it's because I was raised in California, but I cannot understand why a man would be so deceitful. If you like having sex with men, be open about it. Some women are really turned on by that! If you are gay and want children, there are plenty of women who would love to have a child but don't want a romantic relationship. If you are in a committed relationship, whether with a man or with a woman, having sex or getting sucked off by ANYONE else without your partner's knowledge and permission in advance is cheating. If the temptation is too great, leave your partner first. That shows respect. Cheating and exposing your partner to risk and humiliation is the ultimate in disrespect.

Not only is it scarring for a woman to find out her partner is going outside their relationship for sex with men, but there is also a huge safety issue. In 2011, Atlanta was 8th in the country for new HIV infections; now it is 4th. While most people won't choose to have sex with someone they know will give them a disease, 62% of aware HIV+ men have admitted to having unprotected sex within the past year. Not everyone honestly discloses their status, and many never get tested. Even scarier, much of the "down low" sex is with strangers.



For all the DL men, the female in your life deserves someone who will love her with loyalty and find her sexually attractive, not to be used as a "cover" to hide your sexual orientation or other secrets. If you are homosexual and afraid to be honest because of how people will view you,  move somewhere more open-minded (California?) where you can be your true self and start over.

If you stumbled upon this blog post after catching your man on the DL, contact the Straight Spouse Network to get support.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Why I dropped out of college

I had norovirus all last week and, since I had so much down time, I pulled up Season 1 of Ally McBeal on NetFlix. When it was on TV over a decade ago, it was my favorite show. Watching it again has gotten me to think quite a bit. It is strange how years can go by before you realize what actually happened in your life.




When I met my ex (I'll call him Mr. Racer for this article), I was a college senior, serious about school, and had many more years of education planned. I also had a great job. After I started dating Mr. Racer, I pretty much stopped going to school completely and focused on adultwork. It hadn't occurred to me until now how much he played a role in that.

My last semester at University was a few months after Mr. Racer moved in. He did not like me being at school. He said the amount of stress that I experienced during school and with deadlines was too much for him. He encouraged me to ask for a raise at my marketing job and helped me with Adult business. He is the one who invented Trixie Racer and eventually suggested we move to Las Vegas so I could strip full-time. Since he couldn't qualify to purchase a condo there, I bought one in my name. We broke up at the end of 2005--and I was stuck having paid top dollar for a condo in a collapsing city.

We didn't talk for 4 years. During that time, I went back to school, took computer classes, and received certifications for A+, Network+, and Security+. After Mr. Racer and I started living together again, I told him it was important for me to keep my certifications current, but he would not allow me study time. He also knew that I wanted to go back to school as soon as I was legally considered a resident of the state we were in for tuition purposes. The first semester I would have qualified for was this semester: Spring 2014.

I'm not sure if it was because of my love for him, or not wanting to believe that our relationship was unhealthy, but it didn't occur to me until recently that Mr. Racer basically sabotaged my education. Obviously I must take responsibility in this too--since I allowed him. Even though I am a strong woman, I have a submissive side which naively trusted that his intentions were pure. From this sad realization, I also know now--without a doubt--that Mr. Racer never actually loved me. Love is encouraging and helping the person you love to succeed and achieve to be the very best they can, even if it means that their improved self won't want you in his/her life anymore. Love is totally selfless. He didn't do that at all. He discouraged me from growing into who I naturally am and molded me into what he wanted me to be.

I won't say that I never enjoyed stripping. Some times it was really fun and I met a lot of great people. At the same time, doing that for work never gave me the same satisfaction as college or my marketing job. I love to learn and use my brain. By working in Vegas strip clubs, I basically had the same, simple, monotonous conversations with drunk men every night. I was no longer valued for my brain; only for my body and my ability to move it. I can't even imagine where I would be today if I had dated somebody who had supported my going to school. :(   

In the near future, I will be re-entering college. This time around I know that if anyone tries to stop me it will be for their own selfish reasons--and not in my best interest. That applies to all forms of improvement. When someone doesn't support you improving, it means they prefer you to be stagnant or regress; either way, it's a sure red flag and you should run.

Friday, February 14, 2014

I'm Not Your Valentine

Don't ask me to be your Valentine or wish me a Happy Valentine's day. Valentine's Day is for lovers, and I have none.  I am single because the man whom I believed was the love of my life proved he wasn't. When you wish me a Happy Valentine's Day that is the same as wishing a friend whose mother died 4 months earlier a Happy Mother's Day. Not appropriate nor polite. Think about that.

 

Friday, January 10, 2014

Living life

When I was a kid, I loved the Choose Your Own Adventure books. I would read them, and then go back and see what other options I could've chosen. This taught me to carefully think through my choices because my life might depend upon them. While in real life our choices are rarely so dramatic, they are equally as important.


Today's thought from Hazelden is:

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.
--Goethe

Here is a simple way to get in touch with your priorities. Imagine that you have an incurable illness and are given six months to live. As the doctors inform you of their findings, see yourself accepting your imminent mortality with the resolve, "I am going to spend the last months of my life living to the fullest, doing those things that are truly important to me." Then imagine yourself living out those six months in the manner in which you have decided.

Afterwards, note your experience. During your remaining days, what did you do, who did you see, and where did you go? What do these choices say about what is really important to you - your values and priorities? Are you living them today? If you are not, you may want to learn from Tony's story.

After being diagnosed with AIDS, Tony decided to embrace life. He bought a house, planted a garden, and nurtured his important relationships. As a result, he lived the remaining three years of his life in pure joy.

The tragedy is that his life ended just as he was beginning to live. Why wait for a life threatening experience to motivate you to take action? Confront your fears and pursue what brings you happiness and joy.

There is no better time than now.



Friends have always been amazed at how quickly I accomplish my goals after choosing them. This isn't by mere chance. Since it doesn't make sense for me to only dream of a life I want without living it, I immediately create an implementation plan.

Why are so many afraid to live their dreams? "It's just not the right time," "I'll do it later," and "I want to, but ____." are all excuses from people who enjoy the complaining process more than they want to succeed. That boggles my mind.

Anything below full commitment isn't really choosing. You are in complain mode.
 
Life is easy: decide what you want, map out what it takes to succeed, have confidence that you can do it, commit, start, and follow through. If you're reading this and thinking "But in my case, ____,"--no matter what that "but" is--you're still making excuses. Your success and happiness is completely in your hands. Claim it!



Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Selling ES300 Lexus LOADED with Adult items


I am selling my 2001 Lexus ES300 fully loaded with HUGE lot of new unopened adults novelties, new unworn stripper outfits (with tags still attached), wigs, stripper shoes, and a metallic purple static/rotating stripper pole. I am not interested in parting this out, it all goes at once. $8000 with local pickup in Atlanta includes the car and everything inside. I'll even throw in my used stripper items, if you want them.

Whether you are good with eBay or have a retail/online store, work in porn production, are a stripper (or are in love with a stripper), buying this lot is almost like getting a free Lexus because the adult items alone are worth what I'm asking.  

Southwest now flies to Atlanta so, no matter where you live, you can get here one-way for less than $200. I recommend flying in because there is too much stuff to take without a full car; the Lexus will be completely filled.



Yes, this is an unusual bundle--but perfect for the one who is interested! 

Friday, December 20, 2013

Good Girl or Bad Girl?

After much reflection, I understand the common theme behind why my relationships haven't succeeded. Despite having worked as a stripper, I'm primarily a Good Girl. This is a significant contradiction which most people cannot fathom.

Years ago I seriously dated a man who said he couldn't figure out if I was a Good Girl or a Bad Girl. That's because I am both. I do have a bad girl side which I am completely honest about, but it's minor and only a fraction of who I am. It seems that most men do not believe these can co-exist and want to put you in one category or the other.

The majority of the men I've dated I met through work. These men liked the excitement of dating a Vegas stripper and wanted to harness a Bad Girl, never viewing me as the Good Girl I actually am. They wanted to party; I wanted to settle down.

How to explain to someone who likes viewing me as a Bad Girl that I am 90% Good Girl? What I say or do doesn't seem to influence who they believe I am. Even though I tell my partner all about me, they listen to what they want to hear, make the judgements they want to make, and form the opinion they want to have. This would cause me to "act out" and be bad--but not in the way they had hoped.


My longest relationship had the opposite problem. He knew that I was mostly Good Girl and was attracted to me because of that. At the same time, he enjoyed that I had a Bad Girl side and encouraged it beyond who I instinctually am. Because of his Madonna Whore complex, he loved me as his pure partner but was only turned on by those he considered bad. *sigh*  It was almost like he wanted me to be the wild stripper the other men believed I was, but then chose to be with me because I wasn't. I thought we were both on the same page and believed we would spend the rest of our lives together.

Since I no longer strip, at least when I am finally ready to date again it won't be with men who met me that way. Even so, I am worried that--because I am so open about who I am--I will keep attracting men who believe my Bad Girl/Good Girl ratios are different than they are or who will want to change them. The easy solution would be to stop being so open, but I want my partner to choose to be with me because he knows who I truly am.

Why are honesty, disclosure, and acceptance such rare relational traits?

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly....

Today's thought from Hazelden is: 

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly...." --Antoine de Saint Exupery 

If we look at the world through suspicious or angry eyes, we'll find a world that mirrors our expectations -- a world where tension will mount, arguments will abound, strife will be present where none need be. However, our experiences in some manner bless us, and we'll recognize that if we look upon them with gratitude. Everything in our path is meant for our good and we'll see the good when our hearts act as the eyes for our minds. When we see with our hearts, our responses to the turmoil around us, the fighting children, the traffic snarls, the angry lovers, will be soft acceptance. When our hearts guide the action we can accept those things we cannot change, and change those we can. And the heart, as the seat of all wisdom, will always know the difference. 


You are reading from the book: Worthy of Love by Karen Casey

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Unhappy birthday

My birthday wasn't pleasant. In fact, it was pretty sad because the reality of my failed relationship finally left the shock phase and entered the grieving stage. While around others, I put on a "happy face"...but whenever I was alone, I cried.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Your New Body in 30 Days

A friend of mine and I were recently talking about our bodies. She retired a decade ago and misses her stripper figure. To help her get back in shape, I sent her this email:

This is the Body Pump workout that I do at home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhaKN8sAocI.

Keep in mind that it is easy to injure yourself with BodyPump. You must use proper form! This means always keep your wrists straight, never let your knees go pass your toes, in squat position all your weight should be on your heels (I lift my toes the whole time to be sure), and keep your chest "proud" throughout your workout. I recommend attending live classes because being in a group will help you get through when you want to stop (and you will want to stop early) and mirrors help with form. Start with only the bar for the first class. If you are not sore the next day, you were probably using incorrect form. If ever you feel like class was too easy (after the fact) or you don't get sore, it's time to up your weight with the minimum increment on each side. This class should always be challenging.

For cellulite, you should do body scrubs: http://www.essenceofmyinstincts.com/the-importance-of-a-good-scrub-body-brushing-and-exfoliation/. In addition, you need to drink a ton of water. Whatever your weight is, divide by half, and that is your minimum amount of required daily water. For example, I weigh 140, divided in half means I need a minimum of 70 ounces of water per day. If you want to lost weight, it's even more: http://www.slenderkitchen.com/how-to-calculate-how-much-water-you-should-drink-a-day/.

This is not easy. It may be the hardest you've ever worked on your body. But I guarantee that if you do an hour class 3 times per week, within a month your body will be changed. And, if you also add 2-3 spin classes per week during that same month, you will go from however you look now back to having a body you will be proud of.

I forgot to add: what you eat is extremely important! Seriously. You can't make a regular habit of eating fast food and have a ripped body. When you start tracking, you may be surprised at where your calories are coming from and which activities burn the most. There are several free programs which help you do this. For your smart phone, MyFitnessPal and LoseIt are the most popular. Enter in all your food, exercise, and weigh-ins. Chances are you'll lose weight from making smarter food choices.

Are you ready for your new body? Then take control of yourself and get it! It only takes 30 days to make an impressive change. This is what I do and it will work for you, too.  :)