Resolution Inspiration from a 92 Year-Old Diva
Are you struggling through the early days of your resolution to lose weight, hit the gym, or “fill in the blank” with any other healthy habit? Experts say that your odds of succeeding are greater when you make long-term lifestyle changes instead of trying crash diets or other fads. Sure, that’s obvious, but how long- term are we talking about here? This 92 year-old woman(not pictured above) sets an example for all of us to follow in thinking long past January!
As the clock ticked toward midnight on New Year’s Eve, the topic of conversation inevitably turned to resolutions. Mae, a young Filipino Au-Pair, shared diet tips that recently helped her lose a few kilos, but Mae has the look of a skinny fourteen year old girl that couldn’t gain weight if she tried, so none of us reached for a pen or (insert your favorite smart phone here) to take notes. Mae then mentioned that she was not the Au-Pair for a brood of small children, but one little old lady. Mae caught our attention when she said she was dieting with the old woman, who asks Mae to bring in the scale each week. When the needle is moving in the wrong direction, she requests salads and fruit to drop the extra kilo(s). Maybe you’ve been clinging to the excuse that it gets too difficult to lose weight after 30, 35, 40, etc., but obviously this woman doesn’t buy into it. Continue reading »
Filed under Inspiring, Just Life, Just for fun, Women | Comment (1)
Serendipity and Social Media Superhero Chris Brogan in Action!
No, I didn’t just happen to bump into my favorite superhero, Chris Brogan, at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. Our chance meeting occurred via the modern, social media serendipity engine, Twitter.
Chris Brogan was in Paris speaking at Le Web and I was home in The Hague, still feeling sorry for myself for missing Le Web. Late Saturday night after a completely offline day, I quickly jumped online and noticed on twitter that @chrisbrogan had just arrived in Amsterdam. I replied to ask if he would be speaking at any events the next day or if there were any opportunities to meet him. Chris Brogan is mentioned in hundreds, thousands of tweets every day, so I didn’t expect a reply. It was nearly midnight.
He immediately sent a Direct Message to say he was just passing through the Netherlands, but would be happy to meet me for tea at Schiphol Airport in the morning. I won’t pretend that I kept my cool, I was shocked and shaking! Continue reading »
Filed under Blogging, Inspiring | Comments (6)
One good reason to connect with old highschool friends and frenemies on Facebook?
People often search for old friends (and lovers) when they join a social networking site, but in many cases the “old friends” have little in common or don’t make the extra effort to genuinely reconnect.
One too many Mafia Wars or In God we Trust updates and these superficial friendships are a click away from oblivion.
Here is a refreshing story for a change, of high school friends connecting on Facebook to make a difference. I am proud to say it is my very own, Mehlville High School in St. Louis, Missouri.
Operation Ozzy is a Facebook group that was created to literally rescue Mehlville’s all time number one fan, Tim Osborn “Ozzy” from hard times and homelessness. It is difficult to describe the devotion “Ozzy” had to our school and our sports teams for so many years. You had to see it to believe it and as a cheerleader, see it I did! “Ozzy” was a fixture at the games; his enthusiasm and loyalty equally impressive. You can read more about Ozzy’s situation here at OperationOzzy.com.
Originally, a few alumni got together to see how they could pitch in to help out Ozzy once he was located. This group has achieved so many practical (lifesaving) things like offering housing, arranging a job, applying for benefits and getting medical attention. They also started planning a benefit and the Facebook group has now grown to nearly 700.
Tonight’s Mehlville Panthers football game will be the biggest game of Ozzy’s life. He will be officially honored as the MHS number one fan and all proceeds go to the Tim Osborn trust. The organizers have captured the hearts of the media and rallied the community. It is sure to be a success.
I feel very far away from Mehlville High School tonight and for the first time in ages, long to be part of my high school gang. They have obviously grown up to be amazing, caring individuals, and unlike highschool, considerate as a group too! Sure, I have made a donation and arranged to snag a t-shirt, but due to the distance, I find myself cheering from the sidelines. Go Panthers! Go Ozzy!
Filed under In the news, Inspiring, Social Issues | Comments (2)
Dare to Shoot for the Moon
What is more personal (and potentially scary) than exposing yourself and your art to the world for the first time?
It was quite unexpected to be greeted by Nils van Breugel as we entered his exhibition, “Bouncing with the Atoms” this weekend in Delft. Not exactly a wallflower, Nils was dressed in a very official looking and very bright orange NASA space suit. In contrast, some of his pieces are dark in both color and emotion.
Nils’ artistic style is difficult to describe or define, but his talent and passion are both abundantly clear. PrimeShapes.com was launched by Nils as a platform to launch other artists into orbit and make art accessible to all. He is an entrepreneur in the IT sector by day as well as a Man on a Mission in the Art World and beyond. In the period leading up to his expo, Nils put all other pursuits aside, including his business, and focused solely on preparing for takeoff!
Nils is a great example of someone truly going for it and his focus and determination are to be admired. In the photo, Nils poses in front of my favorite piece, “Goodbye My Jag”.
Filed under Entrepreneurship, Inspiring | Comment (0)
