Do You Have A Hobby?

Do you watch Dr.Oz?? If not, i encourage you to do so. It is amazing how informative that show is. Be it health, fitness, sexuality, relationships, lifestyle and much more, this man is amazing.

This past Friday as i watching his show which airs at 5pm every evening, i tuned into this particular show because it focused on Holistic Well Being
To get a complete 28 Day Holistic Health Overhaul, log onto this link and view. It is simple and I'm actually taking it on :-)

There was one thing that really caught my attention tho...Dr.Oz asked the audience how many of them had a hobby? In other words "something they do for fun on a regular basis" I stopped and was so shocked that i did not have an answer.......................................I felt so sad that i really could not answer this question. I mean if someone had asked me about 20 years ago, i would have so much to say BUT i was lost for words (to myself) He went on to say "I mean I'm sure many of you meet people that ask what you do for fun or what are some of your hobbies" I clearly recall many times being asked that very question numerous of times and i don't even know what i answered. The truth is, i don't have a hobby. Well i love writing and would like to consider it a hobby but i don't do it often enough anymore (until now)

As a child i loved so many things. Skipping/Double Dutch. Designing Jewellery. Art. Sewing. Reading (almost a book every few days) Walking (i walked every where) Skating. Roller Skating. Gymnastics. Bally. Swimming. Dancing. Skate Boarding (i was very good at it) and my list can go on. However as i got older i lost my passion for many of these things. You could not pay me to get on a skate board now lol.

This past weekend i decided to write down a list of four hobbies i would like to start again on a monthly/weekly basis.

Yoga ( i stopped this because of all the religious beliefs-retarded)
Writing (on a full time basis)
Bally or Gymnastics
......and the fourth is yet to be announced. I would say walking, but i do not know if i want to commit to this one during the winter days lol.

I have been reading a lot lately (at least a couple pages a night) I stopped this for about 5 months last year. Too many distractions and instead of going to bed with "Reading" on my mind, i was thinking about other much less important things.
Currently I'm reading Oprah Winfrey's bio written by Kitty Kelley. Great Read.
Someone once told me if you read 15 minutes a day ( in the morning before your feet hit the floor) you would be amazed at what you can get from it.

We run around all day being human"Doers" and not "human beings" and then wonder why we are so exhausted. How many of us are truly enjoying our everyday lives? What are we doing to benefit our well being? We are so consumed with work, work, work...and no play! Well I'm not living like this anymore.
We have got to take responsibility and make the changes we want to see in ourselves.

My Landmark Leader challenged me to recreate a new character for myself on a bristal board or paper. So like a new person all together. He said "new job, talents, personality, hobbies etc" As i did this last night on a board, i asked myself "why would i have to IMAGINE this when i can HAVE and BE this right now" So I'm committed to becoming this "new character" i have created on paper. It's exciting. I'm determined to making her come to life. I mean, I'm already a pretty fab chic, but i could be better (wink wink)

So, what is your hobby?
Don't have one? Create one and commit to it.

Love ya.
Lizzy Liz.

They Inspire ME!

The other day i got the greatest privilege to meet with an amazing woman named Poonam. She is the program coordinator at Youth Without Shelter.
I found this great organization while researching for a new place to volunteer my time. I came across a few, but this one truly resonated with me as i read the stories online. I was completely inspired and blown away but the amount of programs they had. I had no idea which program i wanted to get involved with. So, i chose 2 that really stuck out for me.
"My Own Kits" and "The Cooking On Site"

As i waited just a minute for Poonam in the lobby, i looked around and enjoyed the smiles on every ones faces. This was already a great impression for me. It is important for me to feel love in the place i give back my time too. Why? Because if there is no love, it is only a matter of time, that the people will reject you. Be it, the kids or the staff. But this place was amazing.

Poonam happily gave me a tour of the building and i was in awww! Her mannerism was on point yet so natural. She was young and sweet. I could def see that her heart was in it for the long run. After our tour, we took a seat in her office where she began to tell me in detail about all the programs. I remember at one point, i almost started to cry. Ther is a program called ADOPT -A-BED where a company or group of people raise $1000 to give a room a total make over. I'm talking lighting, painting, heating etc. You should see these rooms. Talk about IKEA style. All different shapes and designs on the walls. But their all shapes. triangles, circles and squares. The colour theme is green, blue and some yellow. They are painted ONLY by professionals. Right now, there are 5 rooms left to be painted. This project blew my mind.

I mean, you could feel the amazing energy in this place. The smiles. The warm eye contact from the youth and staff. I could clearly see they were happy and this humbled me so much. As a foster parent myself, i know exactly  how they feel. As a youth, i was also homeless at one point and know the feeling of not trusting anyone or not having anywhere to go. God, i wish they had more places like these in Toronto/Peel. I could almost feel that the youth probably don't want to leave when it is time to go. lol. I didn't want to go either lol.

Poonam and i had such a great time chatting and I'm officially a volunteer :-)))
This is not just a place for youth to sleep. They literally receive all the assistance they need to be young men and women and to go on their own. Eventually. Education is a MUST here. Life skills workshops. Health needs...and much more. Please take a moment to log onto their site and see for yourself.

I'm writing this blog to ask you for a favour.

I have taken the responsibility of volunteering for My Own Kits Program.
When a youth arrives at Youth Without Shelter they are provided with an "intake kit". This lit contains all of the items they need to look after their hygiene. Each year the serve more than 1,000 youth and on any given night 50 youth will sleep under their roof (they house 50 youth)
The following items generally make up an "intake kit"

• One tube of toothpaste
• One toothbrush
• One larger bar of soap or several smaller bars of soap
• One deodorant
• One package of skin care product
• One small container of conditioner
• One small container of shampoo
• One comb/hair brush
• Lip balm (chap stick)
• A washcloth

Please visit their website at http://www.yws.on.ca/volunteer.html to donate directly to them or please contact me direct and i will make arrangements to pick up the items.

Look, if you make one stop at the dollerama and spend $10 on toothbrushes, that is 10 tooth brushes. Or $5 on wash clothes and $5 on soap bars. Spend how ever much you want. Every piece makes a difference. You can also donate funds and i will make sure you receive a receipt for your donations.

I'm telling you all, you have no idea how this visit impacted me. I will never forget it.

February 13 will be my first "cooking session" with the youth there and I'm totally looking forward to it. My great friend Veena will be joining me and I'm so excited. We have decided to go with an Indian dish and i will probably make a fish dish.

Please help me to make a difference. Many of you know how important this is to me.

Kids Are Smarter Than You Think!

I truly believe we underestimate children and toddlers way too much. I tell you these little guys are the smartest human beings on the planet. Why? Because they are learning and eager and way too observant.

The strangest thing happened late yesterday evening with my little one "Captain"
About 5 months ago, Captain had done something and then told me something and then told me where he got it from. It was out "of the norm" I mean i could not believe what he was saying and honestly i got a bit upset. It was not that he swore but he said something that 2 year old toddlers should not say or do. Well, in my eyes...that is. What i did not take the time to understand or see is that children will almost ALWAYS copy what they see their parents doing or someone at school...even on TV. It's how they program. There is nothing you can ever do to prevent this. It's natural. So why would we want to prevent this. Right?

I asked him where he saw that and he answered me. My eldest son Keeno and i asked about 4 times and he kept assuring me that's where he saw it. I thought there is no way. He is making this up and is ONLY 2 YEARS old so he does not know what he is saying.

Well, i called dad and spoke to him about what Captain did and dad figured he was watching too much TV. So i agreed and told Captain never to say or do that again and since then he has tried but i make sure to correct him not too. He listens, but has that little "curious" brain growing and figures he can get away with it sometimes. Well he sees it on TV right? So why not? Right? (this is what I'm thinking)

Yesterday, many months later, after an altercation with dad and i.....sure enough my Captain was telling the truth months ago. I could not believe it. My then, 2 year old who is now 2 and 10 months, knew exactly what he was telling me and even got on the phone and told dad months ago. Without fear.Well of course without fear. He does not realize yet that what he was saying and doing was wrong. After all the "grown ups are doing it"
I felt so guilty and bad that i doubted what he said and did not believe him. I mean what was i thinking? The poor child was trying so hard many times since then to explain why he was doing what he was doing and i did not give him the chance to express it fully. I shut it down and told him not to do those things again and even prevented Keeno from watching certain movies in front of him again.

To all you mothers and fathers, when you toddler is trying to tell you something that may seem "the impossible" Please listen! Children do not get these things from nowhere. Either it is behaviour they are witnessing at home, families house, school or TV. But it is coming from somewhere. This is why C.A.S takes things so seriously. Because they have seen it all....and almost ALWAYS they are right. Sit your child down and have a heart to heart. Allow them to express themselves and then educate them accordingly.

This broke my heart and i could not sleep last night just thinking about how i could have prevented my little guy to express himself for the rest of his life. A child's personality is developed between 0 months to 6 years of age. The fact that he was actually trying to tell me something for several months and i did not believe it so i stopped him from saying it, could have and would have affected him forever.

Bad mommy :-((

Thank you Lord for revealing the TRUTH to me. Thank you for opening up my eyes to the TRUTH. Thank you for being our protector and father. Thank you for your timing.

Everyday i pray that God sees me and my kids through another day and that if there is anything i should see, learn or know to better me as a mother and woman, to reveal it to me without causing more than i can handle. But God assures us that "He will never give us more than we candle"

From this day forth, i vow to be the best mommy i can be and do whatever i need to do to protect my baby from the "bad people" Because folks there are sooo many out there. Keep a sharp eye on who you bring around your children. I'm VERY skeptic on the people i bring into my children's lives. I have always been this way and i will not BUDGE for anyone. The reason my 18 year old is such an amazing young man is because of what he was NOT exposed to as a child. This is not a joke. There are many things my mom does not know that happen to me and my siblings as children. I'm talking family members and people my parents trusted. So keep your eyes wide OPEN!

Captain and i had a nice chat last night. I said i was "so sorry" for not believing him....and although he may not have understand fully what i was saying, he will one day.....soon.

You Have A Voice

princess"Life is based on language" said a friend of mind on conference call this morning.
Wow, i thought.... that really resonated with me.

The general language is "fear or guilt"
But, having "Integrity" gives you a voice! It is all we have. It is what makes or breaks us in anything we do in life.

If you are living with Integrity and you feel the people around you are not, maybe there is something your just not getting. But i assure you, if you try to communicate with him/her in an OPEN way...things will change.

Many, if not most people really never "get- gotten" What does this mean? Well they go their whole lives feeling like no one truly understands them or even listens when they speak. So what do they do? They scream, they nag, complain, blame or simply say nothing. They are the ones that sit in a room and don't say much. Sometimes; it is because they feel they have nothing to say.

Getting connected with another person is so powerful. I mean, its like nothing i have ever experienced in my life.

I currently lead a group of 6 people (including myself) as apart of the Landmark seminar I'm doing, and the way we have all become so authentic and real is beyond what any words here could express here. Things have come out of these "chats" you would not believe. As my dear friend Cystine would call it "skeletons in our closets"
So why are we able to communicate on this "real" level with a powerful voice? Because we have all come to the table in a "vulnerable" manner. We are not judging nor do we care too.

We all play a character in life. It's crazy when i had to dig deep to find what character i was playing. For a whole week i chose Jennifer Lopez (yeah ok laugh lol) Only because i love her so much and wants to be like here...so i did not choose her for the right reasons. But the character you play is the person who you think you are but are not. For instance if you are always trying to please people, think of a movie star or a role someone you know plays, and that is who your character is. I started thinking of Wonder Woman and then that changed too. I ended up choosing Mary Poppins. For the obvious reasons. For those of you who know a bit about her, you know.

My Landmark leader challenged us to get to know what our "Souls Purpose" is and why we are here. To truly look deep within ourselves withing the next couple months and discover our purpose. I don't think i have ever really had to do this.

Our character has no interest in finding what our souls purpose is. It's existence is only interested in SURVIVAL!
Our character is an aspect of who we are. NOT who we are.

The quicker we get in touch with our souls purpose is the quicker we will be at our steering wheels.

The conflict in our lives is between our character and our souls purpose. Everything we go up against; it's our character trying to stay in control.

I challenge you to discover who that "character is" that you have been playing and get in tune with WHY you do what you do.

For me, i always wanted to please people and often neglected my needs or desires. Why? Because on the forefront i was "needing so much" so i did these things to fill that void. A void-for many years i did not know i had. I also used that character to act like everything was always OK but inside i was hurting. I did this because i built this "tool" as a child growing up at home. At home, it was a mess. But on the streets with my friends, i was the happiest girl alive. So i grew up knowing how to master this.

Today, I'm up against this character and I'm letting her know that i HAVE A VOICE!

I Called A Lost Friend

I was sitting at home not too long ago writing down some notes on my Commitment List and one of my commitments were "To get in touch with 2 lost friends"

Well, i did not know how i would find her until my sister and i sat at my computer on Facebook looking through friends pages (which i rarely do) and i mentioned my friend to her "Jeninha" and she told me to try Facebook. Hours later i got back on and i found her.

I did not know what to expect because its been years since we have spoken. But i was determined to find these two lost friends. When i spotted her photo i was so happy. There she was in her profile pic standing tal and beautiful with a very handsome man. Her man. Her hubby. I was so happy to see how happy she looked and did not hesitate to ask her to "be my friend" (awww i love the way that sounds lol) I held no shame or regret or held nothing back. I mean... we were kids and we were foolish lol.

She added me and i was happy. We began chatting and it was as beautiful as i imagined. She is happily married and could not ask for anything better or more in her life. She was delighted that i asked her to be "my friend" and now we are on our way to rekindle a friendship. I feel amazing.

One; that i did not care to think of my past. Two; that i have a new friend.

Think of a lost friend today who you may have lost contact with over silliness. Call that person (if you have her/his) number or email them. You can even try FB. Like i did.

Even at a distance, if we are committed to it, old friends can slowly grow older together.


There are so many ways you can go about doing this. But just DO IT!
Life is too short and we all know those "special people" that we should have never lost in the first place. Yeahhh that one. Go ahead. your thinking about him/her right now.
 
Give it a shot. I did! And im sooo looking forward to going home tonight after skating with Captain and getting on my Skype to chat with her. We sure do have A LOT to catch up on (she lives in NY)
 
Love, Liz

So....Why Do We Avoid Confrontation?

So many of us avoid  confrontation because we have a "hidden fear" around confrontation. Unfortunately we may not realize this but avoiding it is a confidence sucker!

We fear exploding, upsetting others, being way too sensitive or just not wanting to be bothered.
My whole life (almost) i believed confronting someone meant there was a possibility of myself upset or the other person angry. So what did i do? I RAN AWAY!

Only recent;y did i discover why i did this. I ran because as my ex would say "I had been running my whole life" It was all i knew. I avoided confrontation all together to show that i was strong enough to move on (uumm i was so wrong) I simply thought it was a lot safer. Which i will admit, in some cases, it was..but in some others it was not.What almost always happened in response to my running, i either got over that person quickly without him or her being a thought in my mind, i got more and more resentful of that person with it having an obvious impact on my actions, or i would continue to keep my eyes on that person with a closed heart and then the moment i saw something i would explode and say mean and very hurtful things and removing that person from my life all together. This was my almost always result in avoiding confrontation.

I was recently confronted with this "habit" at Landmark Education Yup Landmark does it to ya!
Let me tell you, this is not easy at all for me. I mean it's by far one of the most challenging things i have ever had to take on or commit too. I just found that it takes too much explaining, energy, WORK and pain to bother. But if I'm out here trying to transform lives, how can i go on lying to myself or others? This goes against what I'm committed to giving back in life and above all, it's against what God wants and expects from me.

I have been taking blows to my confidence my whole life in living this way without even knowing it. It's a vicious cycle and i guess i needed someone to break it down me REAL and RAW! Boyyy it hurt.

Confronting people does not have to be an argument. Also it is not a "power trip" Meaning, we assume there will always be a winner or looser. Anger does not have to be the outcome of communicating to someone that something is bothering you. We have the power to create "a winning situation" for both parties. But, we don't tap into this gift enough.

Our fears are usually invalid and believe me, this is what tricks our minds. We believe that the confrontation will be a battle and assume the others person reaction and go into the confrontation with all our walls up, ready for war! Hhhmmm i know a little something about this behaviour.

How do we avoid doing this?

We go into the "confrontation" by pointing out the facts and knowledge of what is happening and the impact it has caused on the relationship/friendship. We need to first acknowledge what is actually happening or happened and not our stories we create about how we want to make this person wrong and angry. We create this "garbage"

We can easily communicate what we want or don't want without shouting or saying hurtful things or like myself "running away" We just need to stop the blaming game. Look, I'm not saying most of us don't have valid reasons to be hurt or angry, but pointing the finger or fighting does NATHA! (nothing in Portuguese) When we stop this, the other person automatically becomes less defensive and is actually open to being "vulnerable"

We have got to stop this "Poor Me" attitude. People know when they have done something wrong and believe me they live with it everyday....so no need to add insult to it all.
Take responsibility for your emotions (i did) Instead of saying "you did this....you did that....you are...." A more affective way is "when THIS took pace, it just OCCURRED to me that you were trying to take advantage of me ....or thought i was stupid.....or naive....and so i got upset. I'm not saying you intended on hurting me, it's just how i saw it"
Friends, most people do not set out to hurt people they love. It just happens. Unfortunately.

You see here how taking responsibility for your emotions and actions is different from pointing the finger. Again, I'm not saying you don't have valid reason for being upset...but it's all in the approach we take.

When YOU blame, THEY attack!

Remember i wrote about being "vulnerable"....well this also ties into that blog.
Using these tools are the most empowering thing i have ever had to learn to do.

I'm going to master this. I have already committed to it.

We have got to be the change we want to see in the world we live in and the people in our lives.

Love, Me!

The Risk of Being Vulnerable

For the past couple months i have been trying to fully understand this whole "vulnerable" thing. I mean, what i thought it meant is totally opposite of what it truly means. When we hear the word "vulnerable" many of us think of "weak" I know i did. However, i GOT IT now!

Vulnerable means to show yourself to others completely and utterly without holding back for fear of rejection or judgment. At the same time, it's like saying "here are my strengths and my weaknesses and here is what i stand for"

Despite what you may think or hear people say, it is actually very attractive to be vulnerable. The reason this may not work for many people is due to "low self-esteem" That's a whole other topic.

In order to be vulnerable with someone, you must first be honest with yourself/ourselves.
Love and respect who you are!
Don't be needy. You will almost certainly attract the wrong person (without even knowing it)
Don't be a victim to your vulnerable side.

There is nothing to change about you in order to be vulnerable. Just BE! You are perfect. Your flaws, fears and insecurities.
Note:
It's only your EGO that judges. It's as if the "ego" is another person. A separate being from "YOU"

Once you love and accept yourself, you will no longer fear others or judgment. We only fear the judgments we FIRST judge ourselves. Neediness in the area of being vulnerable will only come if we want external validation from someone else- a desire to be told it's ok to feel this way.

Accepting your flaws does not mean you sit there and complain about them and become a victim to those flaws. Becoming a victim to anything is going to kill the attraction. Period.

Most people fear being vulnerable to others and as a result, they hold back. Often when we are vulnerable with another person they see themselves in us and will react negatively and then attack. They do this because they don't like what they see in us only because they don't like it in themselves and judge harshly. When this happens, we must remember that it is not about "YOU" (It is critical that you get this)

Another reason people hold back being vulnerable with each other is because they don't know how to hold their own strength. We give all our power away to people and then get crushed by them so we end up closing our hearts up and pulling back. It can get painful, so we "play it safe"

We must own our strength first before we can open our hearts. Often, people think it was because "they loved too much and its why they got hurt" It was not"our" hearts that was the problem, it was the fact that we do not own our own strength.

Being vulnerable scares me a bit but it's something we must do with our "eyes open" It does not mean we are "open to being dumb" It's just a way to tell yourself and others that you are not afraid of people only because they will never be able to take your power away. I can be as free as i want to be and not worry about anyone taking advantage of me now because i have the power to "smell games" We all do. However some of us get caught up with "needing" something or someone at that moment. You have the power to set the boundaries and that does not mean you are "bossy" it just shows that you are open enough to be vulnerable but not dumb enough to give away your power.

We must let go of our pasts and learn to own our strength in order to be VULNERABLE. It's the greatest gift you can ever give yourself. Not being who you are inside is very LONELY.

Let your walls come down and be willing to "Break All Your Rules" The rules that your "ego" created.

Love you all.
Smile, Love and Learn to Dance!

Right NOW!

I recently found this article and ohhh my it blew my mind. Please read.
You will notice some of them are highlighted...well those are the ones that i have experienced since Dec 2010. Take a look at them and count how many you can also relate too since December. I say December because Jan is not a month for change for me. It starts at the ending of the year. I like to make transformations GOING INTO the new year NOT starting the new year.

Right now extraordinary things are happening.


Right now…

1.A soldier of sorts is diligently fighting the fight so you don’t have to.

2.Someone who suffered from a severe injury last year is back on their feet.

3.A small group of people are building something that will soon make the impossible possible.

4.Somewhere on Earth a double rainbow is stretched from one end of the horizon to the other.

5.One of the next Billboard-chart-topping musical artists is patiently rehearsing in her garage.

6.A piece of literature is being written that will eventually change your perspective on life.

7.Young children all over the world are singing and dancing before they even realize there is anything that isn’t music.

8.A friend is helping a friend rise above thoughts of suicide.

9.Someone is thinking what you’re thinking, but hasn’t said anything yet either.

10.Two people in your hometown are falling in love.

11.Somewhere someone is admiring a breathtaking sunrise, and somewhere else a surreal sunset.

12.People of various religious backgrounds are in temples, churches, mosques and other places of worship praying, wholeheartedly, for world peace.

13.Someone who has struggled with their weight for the last several years is standing on a scale and smiling.

14.Hundreds of cute elderly couples are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.

15.A baby girl just took her first few steps without falling.

16.Two best friends are laughing so hard they aren’t even making any noise.

17.A future world leader is in grade school at recess.

18.Someone is in the process of sincerely forgiving a seemingly unforgivable act.


19.There’s a kid studying hard somewhere who aspires to get to where you are in life.

20.A firefighter is running into a burning building to rescue a perfect stranger.

21.Someone in your vicinity genuinely wants to be your friend.

22.A young mom is lying in a hospital bed and holding her newborn baby twins for the very first time.

23.Someone is taking a shower and singing happily at the top of their lungs.

24.There is someone out there who smiles when they think of a specific moment they once shared with you.

25.An alcoholic just celebrated one full year of sobriety.

26.Volunteers in major cities all over the world are working at homeless shelters caring for those who are less fortunate than themselves.


27.A young man is pulled over on the side of the road helping a young woman change a flat tire.

28.A high school athlete just broke her own personal record.

29.Two teenagers just received their very first kiss ever from each other.

30.A husband and wife who were drowning in debt five years ago proudly hold a balance of zero on their credit cards.

31.Someone is hugging a friend who desperately needs it.

32.A new small business owner just wrapped up his first profitable year working for himself.

33.A grandfather is holding his granddaughter’s hand and they’re both smiling from ear to ear.

34.Someone just placed their spare change in the charity collection cup at the grocery store.

35.A small group of friends are sitting around a table sharing funny stories and cheerfully reminiscing about the good old days.

36.A breast cancer patient just found out her cancer is in complete remission.

37.Someone out there is missing you and looking forward to your next visit.

38.Honest people are working for various government entities to help protect your basic human rights and civil liberties.

39.An emergency room surgeon is in the middle of saving his patient’s life.

40.Someone is holding the door open for the person behind them.

Right now is a new beginning. Right now is an opportunity.

Do something extraordinary.

Complete 2010

Ok your probably wondering what this title really means?

Wel,l my Landmark Seminar leader asked me "Liz, what is incomplete with 2010? What would you like to complete for last year that you would not want to carry on for 2011?"
Now, at first it took me a moment to really think about the question.......

I finally realized what he was asking and felt i was complete with everything. Now if he had asked me this months ago BEFORE the course, i would have named about 5 things. However as apart of the forum, my homework was to complete everything that was not complete and i did so. There had been a transformation in my life from the moment i registered for the forum but the real work started while IN the forum.

I named out a few things to him and told him how i got complete with it all and he was amazed and asked me how i was going to celebrate. I was like "huh?" lol So he explained and again, i GOT IT lol.
He advised me to think of a way i can celebrate and make sure it happens. he gave a few examples; take myself out to a spa, get together with family or friends etc

I'm choosing today to celebrate by "Booking My Mission Trip" It is a treat to myself and family for what i have overcome and made complete for 2010.

Now i have an excuse to take this trip and it has got to be done. There will be no "holding me back" on this one. My son is excited, I'm excited and the girls are totally excited. This is fab.

So i challenge you to think of something that may incomplete for 2010 that you REFUSE to bring into 2011 and give it a shot.

Examples:
You have not forgiven someone (do so verbally or by letter)
You owe somebody money and need to pay them
You have been treating your mother or father badly
There is a friend you have been fighting with or no longer speak too (you need to make peace)
There is a secret you have been hiding from your partner
You have been lying to someone (and need to clear it up)
You have been blaming someone for something (take responsibility even if you were right)

Those were just a few to clear your mind a bit and get your brain going.
I know you can think of something.

Do NOT bring this into 2011. Clear it up and then find a way to celebrate your accomplishment. This is a great excuse to treat yourself :-))

Live a life of peace and freedom. I'm telling you, there is no feeling like it. To me, it's bran new. these feelings are new for me and i will NOT loose it. I want to hang onto my new "ME" forever and i WILL!

Love, L:iz

JoyeRide Presents "The PUSH Project"

Ernie and i would like to send out a "Big hug and kiss" for all of you who assisted or donated with The Project Blanket. We are going to continue this project throughout the year and have another delivery date set for January 16. If you have any winter jackets or clothes, please contact us for a drop off location. These people are in dying need.

Ernie and i would like to announce our second "joined" project:


The “PUSH” Project

This Project organized by founder Ernie and Co-founder Elizabeth of JoyeRide Channel, will give women from shelters and rehabilitation centres a chance to transform their outer image and receive tips on self care and communication skills.

Ernie and Liz have developed a mission to help the often forgotten women in society. Many times these women, who are also mothers, have no sense of direction and feel low within their own skin. All they need is the “PUSH”. So we have created this project to make that difference in their lives.

We will be going into the shelters with our team, made up of professionals in the industry to provide total makeovers. They will be doing hair, makeup, wardrobe, massage, facials, and teaching them basic life skills.

We understand that many of these women have deeply rooted scars and the hands on attention they will be receiving from our group can heal some of these scars beyond what the concealer or blush brush can do.

We have been fortunate in our own lives to have survived our traumas and come to know and love ourselves. Now we would like to pass on what we have learned along our journey and how to keep and master it. We recognize that these women could have been us and still could very well be.

Our long term goal is not to just impact how these women see themselves but how society and the world “they” live in sees them. Clothes and makeup are just the beginning. Confidence will set them free. Our hope is to assist them in their healing process because we’ve been there and know the pain. In turn it offers them the chance to be successful women in their communities.

Mission Statement –
The mission of PUSH is to promote the confidence and independence of disadvantaged women by providing a full makeover, a network of support, career and life development tools to help women thrive in life and in work.

What do we need from you?
We are kindly asking that if you have any items at home that are in good to almost great condition but have not worn them in over 6 months to a year and don’t mind donating it for a great cause, please help us. Our goal is to style these women in clothing that they can actually attend a job interview in or wear to a family/friends function. We can’t do this without YOU!

We are REAL women, with a REAL story, that are striving to help REAL people.

To join us live on our JoyeRide Journey please log onto:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheJoyeRide

Make The Change Your life NEEDS!

You are already the person you were born to be. But we are too obsessed with the other stuff like fixations, media and what we think people want us to be. So the question is, how do we stop being who we aren't?
At what point do we realize that we are just trying to please people, or the need to come out on top, or the desire to compete with a friend or co-worker for the lime light. What is all this about and why do we do these things?

When i really had to face myself (At Landmark) my mess, failures, stupidities, lies, pain, betrayals, obsession with always wanting to be right, my stubbornness, the need for power, disappointments, my desire for my children to be the best....and this list goes on. This is the time when i truly realized how much of a mess i was! No one else but ME! I created this mess. Not my friends or ex or children. It was ME/YOU!

Ok you are probably sitting there saying "oh don't be so hard on yourself" No, that is not what I'm doing. Rather I'm taking responsibility for the interpretations i made up about what happened. Whether it was a friend who lied to me, my son who broke something in the house or a friend betraying me. We think our way too much "into becoming ourselves" (or who we think we are)

I can't speak for you, but what i had to do to get out of the mess i created was to STOP living.unconsciously!

All the good, humble, peaceful and happy YOU will surface, but not when its buried under so much junk and stories you created. So one day i just stopped. I became present to the NOW. I started staring into peoples eyes more. I turn off my phone in meeting or even while out with friends. I'm much more patient with my 2 year old (although my eldest says I'm too patient lol) and something happened the other day that was so amazing. While i was driving into work i noticed so many billboards on the highway that i had never noticed before but the wildest part was while i was dazing from afar into the many tall trees to the left of me, naked from leaves and i noticed the birds nests planted up high on the tree branches. I was so amazed. Mostly with myself!

Everyday i a new day for me (now) It is the most amazing feeling to stop living in the stories you create about people, things and situations in your life. Ok so someone once hurt you...so what!! Why carry that into your future and allow it to eat you inside or prevent you from seeing the good in others. Or even making others suffer for pain that has nothing to do with them! Its your PAST so leave it in the past. Stop carrying around all that weight that is pulling you down into a pit. Believe me, i speak from experience. Now, I'm not justifying what another person has done to you or saying "it was ok to do what they did" NOOOO please don't think that. What I'm saying is IT'S OVER and it is what it is. People who hurt people are "hurting people" If you can just get that, you will be literally set free! I mean think about it. Does it not make sense? YES exactly. So stop walking around feeling guilty or bad or thinking there was something you could have done. NO there was not. So leave it. Kiss it good bye :-)
You get to change your mind about everything you have created.

Deal with what ever anger or bitterness or even sadness you have. You may not even realize you are these things. It may show in things like "binge eating, addicted to spending money, or compulsive exercising" You must find a person or thing that will help you. It won't be a vacation (to escape for a period of time) It is going to be very hard at times. I mean like you will be using apart of your brain that you have never used. Dealing with your grieves and pain will set you FREE! Burying it WON'T. Complaining about it WON'T.

You are holding your future in your hands right now. What do you want to do with it? There will always be something ending and then something beginning. Always. In the center of all this is YOU. The beautiful you, smart, geeky screwed -up you. Allow yourself to be loved by God. Be your truest self. The self that you see in the reflection of your best friends eyes. The self that gets emotional while watching a love movie. The self that loves to love.

Look into the eyes of those women who you know are divine and study their peace.

I promise you, you will be set free. No one can do this for you. You must just let it all go. So from this day forth THE FIRST DAY OF A NEW YEAR, promise yourself that you will do what you have to do to rid all the drama and you will not complain another moment. Entertain gossip another moment. Judge others-another moment (Trust me, God will handle that) Yell another moment. Be impatient another moment or blaim another moment. This is it my people. Live as if you truly only have ONE life to live. This is it. This is it.

"NOW" is all we have.

I will pray that this awakening comes with grace for you as it did for me :-) Allow yourself to feel. Love yourself as you are.

Make the change your life needs! There isn't much time :-)