It says you can figure out your life purpose by answering these questions:
Who am I?
What do I do? (Something you love doing that you feel extremely qualified to teach others)
Who do I do it for?
What do they need or want?
How do they change as a result of my contribution?
The speaker had the audience answer these questions on the fly, but I had a hard time answering even #2. I LOVE learning new things (my MCAT book is buried in a box somewhere in my basement), but I am extremely qualified to teach People-centric project management techniques. Do I love PM? Yes, I do. But somehow it feels unsatisfying to admit that to myself because it is not something that serves ME. It’s something I do foe other people. The speaker said that’s exactly the point of happiness: having an external locus of satisfaction.
I uninstalled Candy Crush and installed Duolingo instead. I am excited by the prospect of leaening French in mini spurts.
Catchy title, ain’t it? Yup, that’s what I thought, too. You see, it was 7pm on a Sunday, baby was down, I had had dinner, my husband was watching Dr Who (a show I have absolutely no interest in), so what is a girl to do? Browse the internet.
Somehow in my click-surfing, I came across this video. Before you invest the 40 minutes the video requires to watch, let me give you some information:
You don’t have to watch it, I summarized my take-aways below. Note, I did not summarize the VIDEO, I summarized the things that caught my eye.
Dr David Brownstein has an impressive list of published books on holistic methods, nutrition and enhancing your immune system. See it here: DrBrownstein.com.
I had to constantly remind myself that he IS trying to sell something, so I had to take every word with a grain of unrefined organic sea salt. Despite his yellow-journalistic and alarmist style, I thought he had some good advice for us all.
Good advice for us all
Don’t smoke. You’re an idiot.
Conventionally trained doctors are not trained on nutrition and prevention of disease, but more to treat them with medication/surgery. Seek holistic doctors that will help you get your immune system back in order naturally.
Iodine good. Bromine bad. Iodine is great for you because it helps cells in your body through their regular life-and-death cycle (so they don’t become cancerous). Avoid bromine, which apparently is in every food known to man. Bromine appears to counter the effects of iodine, so if you’re not getting enough iodine, and on top of that you’re getting bombarded with bromine, you are pretty much screwed.
Red meat doesn’t give you heart disease. Chemicals in red meat are the ones that are bad for you. Only consume certified organic beef, chicken, pork, fish, fruits and vegetables.
White refined sugar is the enemy of the State, while artificial sweeteners are Osama Bin Laden himself. Instead, use pure organic stevia, raw honey, or unrefined cane sugar.
How to eat yogurt. Buy plain yogurt and add natural fruit yourself.
Foods to avoid. white rice, white potatoes, cookies, cakes, chips, all processed food in boxes, bags or cans. Refined flours, oils and salts. Oils: canola, corn, margarine, cottonseed, soybean oils, or anything that says “Partially Hydrogenated” on the label. Salts: table salt.
Foods to eat. oatmeal, nuts, anything made with organic whole grain flours that have not been bromated, yams/sweet potatoes. Oils: organic butter, coconut oil, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. Salts: organic unrefined sea salt.
Soy is good? Try NOT. Only fermented soy is good (found in miso and tempeh). Everything else is crap.
Get rid of heavy metals in your body. No doctor will test you for this, so you have to find yourself a holistic doctor who will agree. It’s supposed to make a huge difference in your well-being and your well-feeling. Metals to test for: mercury, nickel, arsenic, cadmium, lead and aluminum.
So what did I get out of this? Well, that most likely I will be getting cancer along with everyone I know, unless I actually make a change. That was pretty much his point, so I guess I owe it to myself to make some adjustments? (I end that sentence with a question because I have not decided to do anything yet) This is just a good jumping off point to start figuring out better ways to nourish myself and my family. What about you?
I told my friend Robin (episode 10) that I could feel myself gaining weight. She suggested I kept track of the things I eat. Eventually, I’d start changing my ways. I thought that was a great idea! So I did it for 3 days, and did NOT like what I saw. Here’s what those 3 days looked like:
So I started tracking my meals for REAL using the MyFitnessPal.com and I’m loving it! I am actually withholding big meals so I can have one later and not run out of calories too early in the day. I’m not getting paid for endorsing it, I’m just saying it’s worked for the past 3 days! Love it!!!
I headed out to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, to attend a classy event for the Big Sister Association of Greater Boston. It was a beautiful event sponsored by many local organizations, such as Partners Healthcare, TJX, Blue Cross Blue Shield, State Street, Fidelity, Liberty Mutual, Citizen’s Bank, Tufts Health Plan, and supported by The Boston Foundation and United Way.
[slideshow gallery_id=”1″]
My friend Ana, who has a pet sitting business (contact me if you need such services in the Boston area!), was kind enough to come with me, and we had a great time!
During the cocktail hour I had the opportunity to chat with many interesting people. It felt great being out and mingling with such wonderful people. I even got to speak to some of the Big and Little sisters that are part of the program, and they were just lovely. They were so positive, and the littles seemed so grown up! They appear to have as busy schedules as I do! And then… the music started, and we were in the middle of a bona-fide flash mob! Take a look:
After cocktails, we moved onto the dining hall and had a delicious dinner while we watched a few of the presenters do their thing. The president and chair of Big Sister managed to do a bidding-style fund raiser that accumulated $75,000 ON THE SPOT. It was very impressive! Even *I* got in the spirit and pitched in!
I must say the highlights of the night where a speech from the heart by Mr. Wayne Ashley, the father of 5 young ladies who all have Big Sisters. His story is one that is not uncommon in the Boston area: widowed father in need of help to raise his bright daughters. I have seen professionals perform poorly in comparison to Mr. Ashley’s heartfelt, moving and, yes, funny account of his family situation.
A close second was the account of Olympian Kayla Harrison, who shared with us the story of her darkest hours and how she determined to quit judo altogether, only to pick it back up and wind up winning a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games all due to a valuable mentor who listened to her and guided her through the most difficult times of her life.
At the end of the night I saw our Martha Coakley, Attorney General of the state of Massachusetts, and her husband, Tom, waiting for their parking to get validated. I was going to say hi and keep moving, but Martha made me feel like my salutation was welcome, so I lingered. I was more excited than I care to admit. I was completely star struck, and I am sure I said so many things she has heard many times before. I explained how I just became a US Citizen, and I would have voted for her for sure, and how she met my husband when he was in 8th grade at some school outreach event, and how I was so very excited to meet her. I told her Thank You for everything you do for us.
I must say I was surprised at her warmth and openness. She kept complete eye contact with me (she has the most beautiful and hypnotizing blue eyes I have ever seen), and she commented on every single thing I threw at her. Congratulations on becoming a citizen, how sometimes Americans take that valuable right (to vote) for granted, what was my husband’s name? She must have been the DA and doing a school function when they met. She loves what she does and that is why she does it (in answer to my thanks).
She was also gracious enough to take a picture with me. She was so welcoming and warm. I cannot say enough good things about “Martta Cocklee” (as I like to call her in my Spanish accent).
I also gave her the honor of taking my very last business card, and I told her as much. She said she would cherish it 🙂
That was my incredible night at the museum. What a great cause, what a great way to spend a few hours on a Saturday night.
Last Friday I decided to let my hair down and go watch a few local bands play at the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge. I only made it there in time to see Arthur (the band) and, the band I came to see, Bitch Trifecta, in which Robin Melendez was playing (see Episode 10).
It was a fabulous time, and I even ended up making some new friends! So I put together a couple of fan videos. I thought they turned out ok, although the sound is not the best, but I attribute that to my phone not really being equipped to handle so much rock. I recommend you check out the music at the bands’ individual bandcamp sites, listed below:
Last weekend I ventured out to Marlborough to see my friend Robin Melendez (see Episode 10) perform her vocal stylings at her latest gig with the Arts Alliance of Hudson, MA. The Arts Alliance is performing their Series called “Ghosts, Spirits and Past Lives” and this Broadway Cabaret was part of it. Check it out here:
House Upon the Hill
I heard someone crying
It was a great time, and we all enjoyed singing along to our favorite Broadway tunes (Secret Garden, Phantom of the Opera and Les Mis, among them). We also got a kick out of the Silent Auction, and Christine Dunne (see Episode 9 and Episode 11) and I walked away with two pieces of local art! Check us out:
Tonight I decided to do something a little different. I have been dreaming about performing a comedy stand-up routine for years now, and I always found myself too busy or not ready to do it. This week I decided to bite the bullet and get it over with. As soon as I made the decision I came up with what would probably constitute 15 minutes worth of material. It just came rushing to me.
And so I headed for the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge and participated in their weekly open mic. It was a wonderful experience and I got to meet a lot of people who were so incredibly open and supportive. I would do this again for sure!
I felt my performance was actually pretty good for a first-timer, and thought that sharing it might not be such a bad thing. Here it is, for you. Enjoy.
ina
Cantab Lounge 738 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA
Open Mic Schedule:
Wednesdays
Line begins to form at around 6:30pm
Doors open at 7:15. Sign in on a first-come, first-serve basis
Performances begin at 8pm. Visit the Poetry Slam Website | Like them on Facebook
