Love yourself because you are the REAL deal

I cut the Nike ad that follows out of a magazine about 12 years ago and kept it in my dresser for those days I didn't feel beautiful...The paper has yellowed, so I wanted to keep it electronically. Go Nike's ad agency (Nike is also the goddess of victory btw) for drafting this powerful copy.

(Reminds me of my favorite sculpture ever from the Louvre in Paris - Winged Victory. Image from SandraShaw.com)

Yes, this is a goddess.

but you are not a goddess and you aren't ever going to be a goddess so maybe you should just get used to it. You'll never be perfect (sorry) and you're not worshipped (usually) and does this matter? No.

Goddesses are worshipped because they aren't real and they aren't us and they aren't allowed to complain. Goddesses are worshipped even though (and this is important) they are really stone and really plaster and, more often than not, really dead.

And yes they will never grow old and they will never grow up and they will stay that way (stay that way stay that way). This, however, is not the way you will stay.

Because someday, since you are human, you will notice that time has passed and you are not who you were twenty years ago or ten years ago or even last week. Someday, since you are human, you will notice your body has changed and your kneecaps look more like Winston Churchill than ever before.

Do not be alarmed.

Because someday, since you are human, you will decide it is time to take those long walks and run down the streets and push and bend and move your body in ways you'd never thought possible. And it may be harder than you think. And you will get tired and kind of cranky and you may want to stop.

But you won't.

And as you move you will learn to rejoice in your body because it is yours and no one else's. You will learn to rejoice in being imperfect because perfect is such a complete and utter bore. You will learn to rejoice in your kneecaps because they are your kneecaps and they have seen the world.

And the goddesses, from some high and chilly mountaintop, will be jealous of you. Let them.

They are stone. You are flesh. They have pedestals. You just kicked the hell out of yours. They can't move. But you can.

JUST DO IT.

Sunday Song: These are a few of my favorite things...literally

Rain storms in summer and freshly cut grasses,
Cheesy 90's music and beer in chilled glasses,
Bright flashy earrings and fun sassy rings,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Cute chubby babies and orange colored kittens,
Chapstick and perfume and soft homemade mittens.
Playing trivia at Buffalo Wild Wings,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Snow on the ground, but not ice on the road
Coming home to my humble abode
Beautiful sunsets to watch on our swing,
these are a few of my favorite things.

When my back aches, when the alarm rings,
When I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad...

It's all about just having a bit of FAITH

If you only read one book this year, I'd suggest Have A Little Faith by Mitch Albom.

I love Mitch's writing. In fact, I briefly wrote about him awhile back when I had the privilege of hearing him speak (he speaks just like he writes - very eloquently).

My love for him aside, I just knew this book would instantly be a new favorite of mine. I read a few reviews online before deciding to make the purchase. Of course, the fact that a chunk of the book takes place in Detroit was appealing to me, as I always feel the need to be a cheerleader for the city. But regardless of the local flavor, I was entranced.

If you aren't familiar, in the book Mitch tells the story of his interactions with two men of God - one being his childhood Rabbi and the other, a Pastor in Detroit. The two men don't share beliefs, backgrounds or skin color even, but they do share the one thing that often divides people: faith.

To shed light on these "Men of God" was what was so fascinating to me in this book - often people think of their pastor/reverend/priest/rabbi/spiritual leader as untouchable - maybe even perfect. This book proves that isn't the case at all. In fact, it shows they too can have doubts and fears, just like the rest of us.

The way Mitch interweaves both of these men's stories is amazing. I could go on and on with quotes and spoilers, but instead I've decided to leave you with a story I've heard before and was reminded of in the story. Read it and reflect.

The difference between heaven and hell

Heaven and hell are shown to a man. In hell, people sat around a banquet table, full of exquisite meats and delicacies. But their arms were locked in front of them, unable to partake for eternity.

"This is terrible," says the man. "Show me heaven now."

He was taken to another room, where things looked remarkably the same. Another banquet table, more of the same meats and delicacies. The souls there also had their arms in front of them. The difference was they were feeding each other.

I enjoy this story because it translates across all religious denominations and teaches us two lessons I believe we should think about each day: 1.) treat others how you want to be treated and 2.) you help yourself when you help others.

Wordless Wednesday: Thanks to my brave brothers and sisters...

Sunday Song: "When Fall Comes to New England" By Cheryl Wheeler

Fall is by far my favorite season...I just love the colors of the changing leaves, the change in wardrobe, stopping by cider mills and most of all, just being outdoors taking it all in.

Living in a larger city, away from nature, is tough for me at times...and I often miss my days of growing up in the country. So when I read about a cool trail in The Oakland Press just a few miles from my house, I knew I need to check it out. The spot is called Friendship Woods and its in Madison Heights off of 13 Mile.

This little haven is perfect for a 2-mile walk and is especially stunning during this time of year. The photos included on here are ones I took when Jason and I checked it out. We'll definitely be back for future walks to escape the big city without going too far.

There's just nothing sweeter than enjoying the beauty of nature, all the while being close to amenities!

This spot reminded me of a folk song I like called When Fall Comes to New England by Cheryl Wheeler. Even though I technically don't live in New England, the lyrics paint a picture of what's happening in Michigan, too. Listen to it, take a drive down a country road (or a walk in a city park) and take in the beauty that has been painted for all of us to enjoy.

Sunday Song: errr...music - GOSPEL

This past week I had a spiritual experience.

It all started when I was talking to my mom a few weeks ago and she mentioned she was organizing a trip to a gospel concert at Joe Louis with some of her church choir friends.

Knowing her choir is an older crowd of white folk, I was quick to say, "Hm...mom, I don't think you're really going to fit in there."

She was then quick to reply, "I don't care. I think it will be a great experience."

Curious, I agreed to go as well...after all, I've never heard gospel live and thought it might be a cool experience outside my typical musical box.

Wow, she was right...it was quite the experience. I had no expectations, but was pumped to see some of the region's best church choirs after reading up on them. The concert was part of the How Sweet The Sound gospel series, presented by Verizon, which seeks to find the "Best church choir in America."

Dang, these choirs have got to be good then, right? Ummm yeah! The word "good" doesn't even do the music I heard justice.

I am a fairly religious person, but spirituality aside, hearing these choirs raised the hairs on my arms and the giant sound produced was nothing short of AMAZING. The vocals, harmony and instrumentation were gorgeous...but more than anything, these people were singing with their hearts and it showed by hand motions and facial expressions. It touched me to see how passionate these people were about the music and about singing for the big man upstairs.

We all left the concert inspired and now I have a new appreciation for gospel music.

Check out the top two choirs from Detroit here. I enjoyed all of the choirs that performed, but I have to say that the Calvary Church was my favorite and the folks of Detroit agreed when they won the people's choice award. It's one thing to watch the video on here, but it was a whole different experience seeing it live.

If there's one thing "outside your box" you should do this year, it's to go see the finals of all the regions across the U.S. perform on Nov. 7 (in Detroit, woot woot!). Check out additional information and purchase tickets here.

Major props to Verizon for putting this together. I know a good event when I see one and this one was flawless and I am already looking forward to next year's show.

Technology: A blessing or a curse?

*Photo from the Pop! Tech blog*

I've been thinking a lot lately. It started out with a conversation Jason and I had. We were walking and discussing what life will be like for our children one day. He reminisced about how growing up on a farm taught him the value of hard work and I talked about how my curiosity drove my mom berserk, but taught me a lot. I said "What am I going to say to our kids when they ask a question? To go get on the computer and Google it?"

Looking back, I appreciate my mom telling me to "go look up" the strange questions I would ask her. I'd go over to the bookcase, skim the sleeves until I found the letter of the subject I was curious about and read away. Not a glamorous task, but it helped me to learn. Now, the Internet is there for our children like that shelf filled with a dictionary and a set of Britannica's once was for me.

I always say how strange it is that my generation is the last one to not be completely reliant on technology. My family didn't have a computer until I was in the 5th grade. And even then, nobody was that interested in them until I entered high school and chat rooms got popular. Blackberrys were unheard of. Cell phones, for that matter, were unheard of. Video games, well Atari, was for only the cool kids. MTV and VH1 were barely in existence. The brand iPod could've been the dog's name in The Jetsons. Plasma screen, LCD, DVD, laptop, blogs and YouTube didn't mean jack.

After much reflection, I still can't decide if technology has been more of a blessing or a curse in my life. I've weighed some pros (roses) versus the cons (thorns) and am still at a loss. Here's a piece of my logic:

ON CONNECTING & LEARNING
Rose: Long lost family, friends and professional colleagues are able to reconnect easily thanks to Geni, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social web tools.
Thorn: Children can easily connect with bad, bad, dirty people.
Rose: I get to learn new information everyday and easily see updates and photos of friends', their husbands, their children and their adventures in general on social networking sites.
Thorn: There's so much great and interesting content online that it makes for an annoying distraction at times (really, is it a need to check Facebook again?)

ON HEALTH
Rose: Everyone is their own doctor thanks to WebMD.
Thorn: I've been known to diagnose my own health issues...and have scared myself to death (thankfully most of my diagnoses were wrong).
Rose: We are able to delay death by diagnosing and treating major health issues by using advanced medical technology. Apple even has an iPhone app to check blood pressure for goodness sake.
Thorn: Knowing about these major issues can cause major stress in our lives. In fact, sometimes I wish we could go back to the caveman days when ignorance was bliss.

ON WORK
Rose: Being out of the office is possible during the day thanks to cell phones, smart phones, Wi-Fi and remote email access.
Thorn: Friday used to be the end of the work week. Now it doesn't ever really end.
Rose: Email makes things more efficient in the office.
Thorn: Email makes it easy to not have to pick up the phone to talk with colleagues across the office. I could use the human interaction sometimes....and exercise for that matter.

Would I change progression? Absolutely not. I couldn't live without most of it. But much like my parents like to tell me about how they walked to school up hill both ways, I'll be damned if I don't rant to my kids about the good 'ol days of BG: before Google.