Don't know about where you are but around these parts things are chaotic. The usual friendliness seems gone and everyone is in a rush.
There's a constant struggle highlighted in the news about using the word Christmas or holiday. It appears that everyone is in a shopping, present-buying frenzy.
I'm sure that some are carefully selecting and thinking about a personized gift, but it sure looks like many people are buying for the sake of buying. Surely you've seen the news footage of people stampeding into the shops for the "ultra-deal". Is this truly the spirit of the season.? Is this really what it is all about?
I sure hope not.
Personally this has been a year of loss. And I am haunted by those who have gone as in each case they were people that were genuine, had strong beliefs which they lived by and in doing so inspired those around them. The loved ones they have left behind are lost. Slowly they try to put their lives together and at the same time take care of the young ones left in their charge.
There are no words to say. But if you could, you might say to them that the tremendous loss they feel is a reminder of the tremendous love they had and the true greatness of their now deceased loved one.
Their loss is a reminder to the rest of us that it isn't about being able to snag that XBox 360 on the day its released, it is not what we give from our wallet but what we give of our heart. It is the example we set by the way we act, behave and treat others AND ourself.
Actions really do speak louder than words.
So during this crazed time of celebration and excess - try to slow down, be polite and generous, show kindness and appreciate all that you have; family, relationships, work, home, children, dog etc.
If your life isn't what you want, take stock and consider what you can do to move in the right direction.
Give your time to someone who needs it. Love. Be grateful.
You'll reap the rewards.
Thoughts and ideas from personal and business coach Karen Lee
Monday, December 12, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
K-12 Education via the internet?
I read this article the other day LINK and the idea has been running through my head since.
I truly can't see that young students - pre-college students - will gain all that they should from this type of education. And yes I know that home schooling has also been gaining momentum and I have similar issues with that which I will discuss later in this entry.
This article highlights that the test scores of online schooled students are lower in every category (quoted from a study of 2010 test scores in Colorado) than students that attend traditional schools. This doesn't surprise me nor should it surprise anyone who has 'attended' a webinar or taken online courses.
The academic aspect though isn't what most concerns me. It is the isolation and lack of development of social skills. It is removing the mingling with all different kids, it is removing teams and music groups and activities.
It is removing the need for communication skills and it is removing 'penmanship' skills completely. And yes I know, NOBODY can write in cursive any longer but when you start cyber-schooling as a 5 year old, when do you learn to hold a pen and write? I am sure many of you know that skill is a developer of fine motor skills.
I understand that bullying is worse than ever - well I don't know that - what I do know is that the consequences of bullying are worse than ever. And I honestly have wondered what factors are at play in these consequences becoming more severe. Those thoughts are for another entry I suppose.
Back to this one on cyber-education - I am deadset against it. I can't see how the students will learn as well and the isolation factor is not something I can see them overcoming.
I believe strongly that children LEARN social skills, communication, and emotionally and cognitively develop better with interaction. And learning to deal with the fact that one child may excel at math, another at languages, another at soccer while others find those tasks challenging. They learn the ins and outs of social communication and they deal with varying levels of competition. Not to mention the fun of the playground!
So count me out for cyber-learning as an exclusive schooling method
I truly can't see that young students - pre-college students - will gain all that they should from this type of education. And yes I know that home schooling has also been gaining momentum and I have similar issues with that which I will discuss later in this entry.
This article highlights that the test scores of online schooled students are lower in every category (quoted from a study of 2010 test scores in Colorado) than students that attend traditional schools. This doesn't surprise me nor should it surprise anyone who has 'attended' a webinar or taken online courses.
The academic aspect though isn't what most concerns me. It is the isolation and lack of development of social skills. It is removing the mingling with all different kids, it is removing teams and music groups and activities.
It is removing the need for communication skills and it is removing 'penmanship' skills completely. And yes I know, NOBODY can write in cursive any longer but when you start cyber-schooling as a 5 year old, when do you learn to hold a pen and write? I am sure many of you know that skill is a developer of fine motor skills.
I understand that bullying is worse than ever - well I don't know that - what I do know is that the consequences of bullying are worse than ever. And I honestly have wondered what factors are at play in these consequences becoming more severe. Those thoughts are for another entry I suppose.
Back to this one on cyber-education - I am deadset against it. I can't see how the students will learn as well and the isolation factor is not something I can see them overcoming.
I believe strongly that children LEARN social skills, communication, and emotionally and cognitively develop better with interaction. And learning to deal with the fact that one child may excel at math, another at languages, another at soccer while others find those tasks challenging. They learn the ins and outs of social communication and they deal with varying levels of competition. Not to mention the fun of the playground!
So count me out for cyber-learning as an exclusive schooling method
Friday, June 3, 2011
Race for a Cure 2011
In one week I will be competing (more like completing) my third Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure 5k.
I've written about this race before in other blogs but I'll iterate here saying, it is far and away the most awesome 5k you could ever enter.
It is tremendously powerful to line up with so many others whose lives have been impacted by cancer; everyone is there because someone they love has been affected.
You can feel the emotional power of the crowds.
The race is superbly organized, incredibly well funded by sponsors and of course the attendance is beyond words. Add in the community support, the people that line the streets and spray the hoses and hold signs and cheer you on. It is all just...something.
It is beyond words for me.
Each year I cry at some point. Or several.
I cry for my personal losses to cancer, some as recent as September 2010.
I cry because so many are crying and there because of their personal losses.
Children running for their mom, who is gone.
And I cry because I am overwhelmed by the community that turns out and pulls together on this always steamy, hot morning in June.
From the survivors, runners, media, course attendees, sponsors, musicians, Meredith College, City of Raleigh, bus companies and the volunteers that drive the shuttles and every heart, hand and soul that does something to make this race what it is, there is a unified spirit.
We are all here to support finding a cure for cancer. We are all here because we hate cancer.
So even though my time will be worse than last year because my fitness isn't as good, I will run and no doubt walk a bit, but I will run.
I will sprint to the finish to honor all those who have battled cancer, surely my burning chest and heavy legs are no match for the fight they put up.
And I will cry when I finish and look at all the survivors wearing their pink tee shirts.
And I will cry when I see handicapped individuals being pushed in wheelchairs, handicapped individuals on their own, children, elderly and everyone in between, all crossing the finish line in however long it takes on this steamy June morning.
Everyone that is there on Saturday June 11th is a hero.
PS it is not too late to sign up, sponsor me, sponsor someone else, turn up to cheer others on. I do think you will never forget or regret being involved in this event.
I've written about this race before in other blogs but I'll iterate here saying, it is far and away the most awesome 5k you could ever enter.
It is tremendously powerful to line up with so many others whose lives have been impacted by cancer; everyone is there because someone they love has been affected.
You can feel the emotional power of the crowds.
The race is superbly organized, incredibly well funded by sponsors and of course the attendance is beyond words. Add in the community support, the people that line the streets and spray the hoses and hold signs and cheer you on. It is all just...something.
It is beyond words for me.
Each year I cry at some point. Or several.
I cry for my personal losses to cancer, some as recent as September 2010.
I cry because so many are crying and there because of their personal losses.
Children running for their mom, who is gone.
And I cry because I am overwhelmed by the community that turns out and pulls together on this always steamy, hot morning in June.
From the survivors, runners, media, course attendees, sponsors, musicians, Meredith College, City of Raleigh, bus companies and the volunteers that drive the shuttles and every heart, hand and soul that does something to make this race what it is, there is a unified spirit.
We are all here to support finding a cure for cancer. We are all here because we hate cancer.
So even though my time will be worse than last year because my fitness isn't as good, I will run and no doubt walk a bit, but I will run.
I will sprint to the finish to honor all those who have battled cancer, surely my burning chest and heavy legs are no match for the fight they put up.
And I will cry when I finish and look at all the survivors wearing their pink tee shirts.
And I will cry when I see handicapped individuals being pushed in wheelchairs, handicapped individuals on their own, children, elderly and everyone in between, all crossing the finish line in however long it takes on this steamy June morning.
Everyone that is there on Saturday June 11th is a hero.
PS it is not too late to sign up, sponsor me, sponsor someone else, turn up to cheer others on. I do think you will never forget or regret being involved in this event.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
It's in your heart
On Saturday my 16 year old niece won her state championship at the 800m distance. I'm so very proud of her I could easily wax on about it but that isn't the focus of this blog post.
The focus is going to be on her description of what was happening inside her during the race, it is inspiring and a simple message.
I am not going to rewrite others work so I will direct quote and link to the articles.
From the Patriot-News
"I had my eyes locked on the first girl and I thought she’s kind of far away so I better make my move," Brown said. "I made my move a lot earlier than I usually do, but at states you have to do that. I came around the 200-meter mark, caught her at the 100. I had to do it and I believed I could do it … and I did."
What a simple message - I had to do it, I believed I could do it.... and I did.
When is the last time you had that thought string?
Personally its been a while for me. I tend to start thinking about why I can't or the factors I need to overcome or can't control.
I had to, I could, I did.
Simple stuff
Another quote from the above article:
"I thought about how my legs were killing me, but it’s what is in your heart that gets you to first, not your legs""
Truer words have never been spoken.
It is what is in your heart that brings you to success.
Remember that when you are struggling to think, "I can"
Thank you my niece for making it all seem so simple, yet glorious.
A few additional quotes from The Sentinel
"I saw it, it was right there in front of me," Brown said. "I told myself, ‘I can get it!'"
"I had to find a little bit extra (within myself) to help me pass (Weisner) and move on," Brown said. "If you put your head to it, your body can perform."
The focus is going to be on her description of what was happening inside her during the race, it is inspiring and a simple message.
I am not going to rewrite others work so I will direct quote and link to the articles.
From the Patriot-News
"I had my eyes locked on the first girl and I thought she’s kind of far away so I better make my move," Brown said. "I made my move a lot earlier than I usually do, but at states you have to do that. I came around the 200-meter mark, caught her at the 100. I had to do it and I believed I could do it … and I did."
What a simple message - I had to do it, I believed I could do it.... and I did.
When is the last time you had that thought string?
Personally its been a while for me. I tend to start thinking about why I can't or the factors I need to overcome or can't control.
I had to, I could, I did.
Simple stuff
Another quote from the above article:
"I thought about how my legs were killing me, but it’s what is in your heart that gets you to first, not your legs""
Truer words have never been spoken.
It is what is in your heart that brings you to success.
Remember that when you are struggling to think, "I can"
Thank you my niece for making it all seem so simple, yet glorious.
A few additional quotes from The Sentinel
"I saw it, it was right there in front of me," Brown said. "I told myself, ‘I can get it!'"
"I had to find a little bit extra (within myself) to help me pass (Weisner) and move on," Brown said. "If you put your head to it, your body can perform."
Monday, April 4, 2011
Susan G Komen Race for a Cure - Raleigh, June 11, 2011
Just a brief post stating that we've signed up to run the world's best 5k once again.
If you are local please consider joining us. It is a life changing event.
We have all been touched by cancer through loved ones or ourselves - the camaraderie you will feel during this event is unsurpassed and highly motivating and flat-out powerful!
Here's a link to our page
Carolina Life Coaching
Join us, support us, join another team, just get involved!
If you are local please consider joining us. It is a life changing event.
We have all been touched by cancer through loved ones or ourselves - the camaraderie you will feel during this event is unsurpassed and highly motivating and flat-out powerful!
Here's a link to our page
Carolina Life Coaching
Join us, support us, join another team, just get involved!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Give yourself a compassion break
I read an article on this last week and its been on my mind since.
Do you treat everyone else better than you treat yourself?
Do you ensure that others eat the right things while you do not monitor your own nutritional intake?
I know that I had to admit that I cut others a lot more slack than I do myself. I am the first person to tell someone who is feeling overwhelmed that they need to take a break, yet I will keep pushing myself even though I know I am on the edge.
Why? Why do we do this to ourselves yet show others such kindness?
I'm not sure why it has taken researchers so long to start looking into this but it is no longer a neglected area.
There are books and websites and articles all dedicated to the topic.
Here is a self assessment link
The person who created that assessment, Kristin Neff, is a pioneer in the field, and shares information on her site.
The people most likely to score low on the self-compassion tests are those who are most likely to be supportive and understanding to others.
Research shows that giving ourselves a break and accepting our imperfections may be the first step toward better health. People that score high on tests of self-compassion have less depression and anxiety, and tend to be happier and more optimistic.
Self-compassion contributes positively to motivation, with self-compassion you do what's healthy for you rather than what's harmful to you.
So what can you do to improve your self-compassion?
Here are a few tips:
Do you treat everyone else better than you treat yourself?
Do you ensure that others eat the right things while you do not monitor your own nutritional intake?
I know that I had to admit that I cut others a lot more slack than I do myself. I am the first person to tell someone who is feeling overwhelmed that they need to take a break, yet I will keep pushing myself even though I know I am on the edge.
Why? Why do we do this to ourselves yet show others such kindness?
I'm not sure why it has taken researchers so long to start looking into this but it is no longer a neglected area.
There are books and websites and articles all dedicated to the topic.
Here is a self assessment link
The person who created that assessment, Kristin Neff, is a pioneer in the field, and shares information on her site.
The people most likely to score low on the self-compassion tests are those who are most likely to be supportive and understanding to others.
Research shows that giving ourselves a break and accepting our imperfections may be the first step toward better health. People that score high on tests of self-compassion have less depression and anxiety, and tend to be happier and more optimistic.
Self-compassion contributes positively to motivation, with self-compassion you do what's healthy for you rather than what's harmful to you.
So what can you do to improve your self-compassion?
Here are a few tips:
- List yur best and worst traits, reminding yourself that nobody is perfect
- Think of steps you might take to help feel better about yourself
- Take mediation and "compassion breaks," which involve repeating mantras like "I'm going to be kind to myself in this moment."
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Useful Calorie Trackers
Many of us know that if we are serious about losing weight we need to keep track of the number of calories we take in. We need to know how many we are eating (it's also good to know how many you are expending so that you can ensure that you are expending more than you are taking in.)
Unfortunately it isn't always easy or pleasant to accurately track calories but now there are some quite good online calorie trackers that also make use of mobile apps.
Here is a little info on four good ones:
CalorieKing.com - $12 – the mobile apps (apple and android) are at gomeals.com
Features an exercise log and you can set nutrition targets. It is easy to use and has a thorough list, though some ethnic foods are not available. Great for browsing for additional info about healthy eating.
MyFoodDiary.com - $9 – mobile apps (all mobile OS's) included
Easy to read graphs and nutrition labels. Good quality database, searching can take time. To get an item's calorie count you have to click on it to get its nutritional information label
MyNetDiary.com - $9 – free version available but doesn't provide a daily food analysis – mobile apps included (apple, android, & blackberry)
You can customize to track nutrients and also features exercise tracking. Excellent, quick food input, large community database. As-you-type search feature guesses the item you want to select.
MyFitnessPal.com – free – apple, android & blackberry
Recipe builder and an active online community are nice extras. Easy-to-use, some irrelevant search results. Few bells and whistles made the information from the food diary easy to understand
All four are fairly accurate in calorie counting with MyFoodDiary and MyNetDiary the most precise. Although on a test day the four sites were within 311 calories of each other, which isn't too bad.
I haven't tried these myself the information above was taken from a WSJ article.
I do think that I will give one of them a try and see how easy it is and how beneficial. Although I am not sure I want to start today – it's St Patrick's Day and I am sure my input will be greater than my output!
Which reminds me – keep in mind not to obsess about calorie intake – the most important thing is that you are eating fewer calories than you are expending!
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