How 3 Words Can Change the Planet

The SuperForest Humanifesto

What is going to save the human race?

Please.
Thank you.

Three words that will totally change this planet.

More than solar power. More than recycling. More than wind energy.

Why?

Because if we all started treating the people and things that we interact with every day with respect and compassion, the effects would ripple through every aspect of our lives, transforming society.

Our parents taught us the manners “rule-sets” that we use every day, and as a result, we feel that we have (through years of introspection) begun walking the path towards enlightenment. Our manners dictate the way we treat the external world, the Environment. We feel that it is primarily our manners that dictate our success as humans.

Folks talk about wanting to save the “Environment”, and that conjures up images of bubbling brooks and unspoiled forests. But “the Environment” isn’t just greenery and pretty scenery. It’s our slums, our airports, our houses, our supermarkets.
The Environment is everything that disappears when you close your eyes.

If you want to improve it, you must begin with what you see and encounter every single day of your life.

Before we can set about elevating our present society from a carbon-based one to a solar-electric one, knowing full well that solar-electric decentralized power means a higher quality of life for all, we must first pause and ask ourselves: Why? What is worth saving?

Human Consciousness.

Our gift and curse as humans is our incredible consciousness. We are aware, and that is the greatest and worst thing we’ve got going for us. Because we can clearly see how well we could be living, how politely we could be treating one another, how incredible life could be; we feel it is our duty to delight and inform our fellow humans in the hopes of creating a better world.

There is no reason every human on Earth could not have access to:
Clean Water
Nutritious Un-modified Food
Shelter
Education
Open Source Communication
Freedom from Oppression and Fascism

But, as is painfully obvious, most humans don’t have those things.
Most humans don’t have two of the six!

They could, but they don’t.

Why?

Bad Manners.

Nearly every religion this planet has yet produced has as one of its tenets the idea that to be happy, you must treat others as you yourself would hope to be treated.
A failure in this respect is simply bad form.

When a company decides to dump its waste into a river that others downstream use for drinking water, that is bad manners.

When a society chooses to isolate its citizenry in prisons and not offer any chance at rehabilitation, that is bad manners.

When a person decides to walk into a school and open fire on their classmates, that is extremely bad manners.

That is why we MUST START NOW.

All new generations must be schooled in the art of good manners if we are to survive, let alone flourish, as a species.

Try your hardest to treat others as you hope they would treat you, and actively look for ways to help the people around you. Do this from a pure place within you and watch the effects ripple outward!

Why?

Because so few are doing it.

Good manners make you stand out like a struck match in a dark room.

Three Essentials:

1) Make eye contact with anyone you interact with. Smiling is optional but highly encouraged.
2) Use the words “Please” and “Thank You” as often as you can.
3) Seek out ways to improve the lives of others. This can be as small as carrying someones bag up a flight of stairs, or holding a door open.

Do these three things and your life will change immeasurably. And you will begin to change the lives of those who come into contact with you in a measurable and positive way.

We are filled with optimism and hope.

Thank you for reading this.

-Team SuperForest

Jackson, Niki, Andrew, Alex, Taylor, Jaell, Julius, April, Jordan, Spoon, Carla, Iman, Chris, Aaron, Jo, Jackie, Drake, Bee, Patricia, Heather, Amy, Mathew, Ewa, Jon, & Jesse

You can also watch an audio/video version of this manifesto here:



Thanks to Jason Mraz for posting this on his blog.

On Bicycling by Einstein

Taken from Tristan Prettyman's blog.

Music?

"Music is for dancing – for penetrating your subconscious and having sex with your soul. Music should leave you feeling satisfied and full, like you’ve just had a big meal and need to take a nap. or a crap." (Jason Mraz)

this month's affirmation

(c) me:)

water your dreams

Spreading the light

I found this on another blog, momentary lapse of reason, by a cool gal named Tawney. I've never met her but she lives in SoCal where she is committed to service, surf and yoga as well as inspiring her blog readers, among other things! After reading her post which contained this lovely poem by an unknown author, I felt filled with her light and wanted to continue spreading that light, whether you're reading this with the moon or the sun.

Namaste.

Practice Gratitude. Be Present.

...a reminder from Oprah



This was the concluding comment at the end of the episode about Geneen Roth's Women Food and God. While I haven't read it, it sounds like a book worth reading, whether you're a woman or a man, whether you're religious or not.

Inspired by a Boy on a Bike & A Sultry Songstress

I'm totally inspired today and since the purpose of my blog is to share what inspires me in the hopes of inspiring others, I had to share. So why juxtapose these two seemingly unrelated sources of inspiration? To remind myself and you that we can find inspiration in everything around us! You can be inspired to tears one moment and immediately be inspired to dance around in circles with joy the next. Embrace it all. Connect with it and FEEL inspired!

First, my friend David just completed AIDS/LifeCycle 9, raising over $5,000 for HIV/AIDS research and awareness while cycling 545 miles from San Francisco to L.A. "to make a world of difference in the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS." I wish I could give David a high-5, a hug and sit with him for hours hearing all about his adventures. Sadly, he lives in L.A. and I live in upstate NY. Hopefully we will connect via cell soon. Knowing David, he must be giddy with excitement and eager to share lots of stories about all of the cute boys he met!


Isn't he cute? :)

To prepare for his journey, David got a new bike, learned how to ride with pedal clips and trained last year. He completed this 7-day journey a few days ago. To say I'm proud of him is an understatement. He has so inspired me to re-evaluate my own interest in biking and philanthropy so much so that I started researching what kind of bike I'll need and plotting out whether I can train to join him next year. Instead of getting freaked out, I was totally energized by the thought of accomplishing something so awesome in a place so beautiful that is so near and dear to my heart with a friend who I love. I was up until midnight scouring websites looking for the answers.

Please check out David's story here.

I'm hoping to snag some of his notes and photos to post here once he settles in and shares them, so please check back!

The other source of inspiration is probably of no surprise... MUSIC! Unlike my previous blogs which are filled with references to Dave Matthews and Jason Mraz, who are surely my greatest sources of musical inspiration, I can't get away from this new Christina Aguilera song, "You Lost Me". She co-wrote it with one of my favorite sing-songwriters, Australian-born Sia. If you're unfamiliar with Sia, please check out this video featuring her song, "Breathe Me":



I think this video in and of itself is inspiring but that's a whole other blog post! Perhaps you've already watched Six Feet Under and have seen this to know what I mean!

So back to the Christina-Sia collaboration... the song, "You Lost Me" is absolutely riveting, to me. I can't stop listening to it and looking for good live versions online. She recently performed it on the finale of American Idol and it stood out among the sea of mediocrity. I hadn't heard the song before at that point and was instantly glued to my TV and in tears by the end. Last night, I caught another performance as part of VH1 Storytellers so check your OnDemand directory or local listing to find it. Even if you're not a Christina or pop/top 40 fan, I think this song is worth a listen. The blue notes are just gut-wrenching.



What's amazing to me is that even though the lyrics aren't exactly positive, there is something about the melody and harmony that makes me feel good. The emotion is so raw, she is so revealed. There is something comforting about that.

Hoping one or both of these examples has inspired you in some way.

-mandy

Don't Let Your "Life" Get in the Way of Living

What defines you? Are you really living or just checking things off your to-do list?

Do you define yourself by your occupation? Your name? Your family? Where you live? How much money you make or the kind of car you drive? How fat or skinny you happen to be or the kind of clothes you wear? I've been meeting a lot of people recently as I moved to a new place and started a new job. In meeting all of these new faces and shaking these new hands, I found myself wondering, "Why do we all introduce ourselves like this?" Does, "Hello, I'm Mandy." tell anyone ANYTHING about who I really am? Would, "Hello, I'm a 30 year old optimistic atheist who sees sun, music and water as my divine inspiration." more clearly reflect me? After pondering this for a few days and throwing around the idea with a few friends and my mom, I decided to abandon such deep thoughts and just stick with the normal greeting. For now. I had no answers and I think I was freaking everyone around me out a little.

Then weeks later, while losing myself (or, perhaps, finding myself) at an outdoor Dave Matthews Band concert, I turned around from my most bodacious seat in the 7th row, to look out into the sea of smiling faces, waving arms, clapping hands and girating hips... about 30,000 faces to be exact. There we all were. United. In rhythm. Loving the moment. A community brought together to celebrate our love of music. Really, it was a celebration of life and joy. Unabashed expression of joy, gratitude and inspiration was happening all around me. 360 degrees. And in surround sound, courtesy of Dave's celebratory lyrics. It's difficult to articulate what that experience really felt like. Let's put it this way, it inspired me to write this blog post. I couldn't tell if it was the herbacious contact high, divine musical enlightenment or the awe-inspiring awareness of this connectetedness that jolted me into a place of true, pure euphoria. Needless to say, my world was rocked that night. For that I am truly, truly grateful. I thought to myself, both in that moment, and on my bike ride home in the cool night, "THIS is life. THIS is what makes life worth living for. I LOVE this life. THANK YOU." I'm not sure who I was thanking... Dave himself for bringing us all together like this? Myself for always finding a way to make the pilgrimage to DMB shows every summer no matter what my geographic or economic situation? The good folks who built and preserve the lovely Saratoga Performing Arts Center and surrounding state park? Whoever the hell it was, I was in a state of absolute gratitude.

That night, the band treated us to a fairly rare performance of an early song, "Dancing Nancies". What is a Nancy? Literally it means a transvestite prostitute but most fans interpret Dave's use as a metaphor to the general sense of confusion about ourselves that we all have to deal with in life but that when we look around, we realize the beauty in everything and everyone that surrounds us. The opening lyrics reflect the question, "could I have been anyone other than me". When I heard these lyrics Friday night, I was brought back to my questioning about what defines me and thusly, how do I introduce myself when meeting somone. Hereis the first part of the song (sorry for the shakey camera):



Later in the song, one is reminded:

"Sing and dance I’ll play for you tonight
And thrill at it all
Dark clouds may hang on me sometimes
But I’ll work it out then

I Look up at the sky
My mouth is open wide, lick and taste
What's the use in worrying, what's the use in hurrying
Turn, turn we almost become dizzy"

So, really, does it even matter anyway. (question marked intentionally omitted)

For the full lyrics, click here.

The next night, in true DMB fan fashion, I prepared to head out to another concert - N2. "N2" is night two in DMB fan land. This time, I would be accompanied by a dear, "old" friend from my beloved days as a music student at Hartt. Lauren and I had barely seen each other in almost the decade (yowzahs, a decade?) since I graduated. While this saddened me greatly as we always had such a blast together, I was so grateful that I'd be seeing her, especially in this context of music and mutual DMB love. And so grateful that we'd be sharing in this awesome connectedness together! Again, I was reminded (really, smacked in the face) music's power to bring people together. Not only was I brought together with complete strangers, but Lauren was entering my life again via music. How freakin' cool!



As Lauren and I anxiously awaited DMB to take the stage, we played with our beach ball, wondering how we could make our apparently typical rainbow colored ball stand out as there would be many balls bouncing around the mass of bouncing bodies that night. All inspired and feeling green from walking to the concert, I thought, "What would Jason Mraz do?" He's a DMB fan. He loves fun stuff like beach balls and connectedness. I took all of the great things he puts out there about life and we covered that ordinary beach ball with lots of words everyone could appreciate. Words like love, gratitude, sex, joy, recycle and inspire. Before that ball even got a bouncin', it started infecting people with its message. Unexpectedly, people around us started talking to us about the ball, pointing at it or asking to look at it. It was cool. About halfway through the setlist, we launched that ball into the masses. I felt like we were literally throwing out something to remind everyone about all the good this life has to offer and how we can participate. While its bouncy trip around the sea of clapping hands was short-lived, as are most potentially harmful beach balls at concerts often are, to me, even if only one person caught a glimpse at one of those words, it would have an impact. And all of the words surely conjure up positivity. And what else were we really there for anyway?



As Lauren and I reflected on our most awesome weekend of music, re-connecting, cheap beverages, indulgent SNAKs and other mild debauchery, I think we were subconsciously energized by the fact that it had been years since we had spent time together and yet while we were up to very different things in our lives, we are both LIVING. We aren't just letting life happen. We affirmed one another's sense of centeredness and clarity. I was inspired by Lauren's account of a recent 4-day hike along the Appalachian Trail. To be one with nature, with just a pack on your back means you let your to-do list go for a few days and just let go. Let go of your car, your toilet and bed lamp. Let go of your fears. Fears of being eaten my a mountain lion, falling and breaking your ankle or running out of food. How often do we let ourselves truly let go like that? Just surrender to LIFE? It's saddening that our lives practically prevent us from being able to just unplug. We have to pay our bills and to do that we must go to work. I accept that. And I love my job and the things it affords me to buy. Like 7th row tickets to two DMB concerts. But for a moment, I escaped to the possibility of when/where/how to strip down, let go and live for living. What does that mean? What would I do? For how long could I escape? Maybe in the meantime, I can work out ways to fit this in daily? If you have any ideas, I'm listening!

I'm also going to continue to figure out a better way to introduce myself that will satisfy my intellectual needs but not scare off the person I'm meeting. And I'll remind myself that my car, my job, my geographical location and hair color doesn't define me.

In addition to being grateful for having a boat-load of fun this weekend, I'm also so joyful as it all caused me to actually say outloud, "We must never let our life prevent us from living." Now that I've vocalized it, from this moment on, I'm committed to not letting this happen. I simply haven't got the time. From where I sit, I believe I have just one life. I'm choosing to live it. Fully. Aware. Open-eyed and open-armed.

As Dave said it last night, "celebrate we will 'cause life is short but sweet for certain."

Inspired.
-mandy

Daily Dose of Inspiration

Today I was super-inspired because both my visual and aural senses were enlightened simultaneously.

Check it:

Jason Mraz : Tour 2009 Video Backdrop Graphics from colin gill on Vimeo.

This features one my favorite JMraz songs, "Beautiful Mess" and reflects a sampling of what you would've seen during his most recent tour, appropriately named the Gratitude Cafe Tour. Friends and co-inspirers of Jason, Colin Gill & Jon Marro collaborated to create this artwork and animation. Colin works for Nova Cart and Jon created his company, Blend Apparel and has also done design work for DMB.

Here's another montage produced by Colin, featuring "The Dynamo of Volition":



Here's a little bit about Blend Apparel from their website:

Blend Apparel is a culture of connective communication. Our colorful, quirky, and self-aware t-shirts invite internal and external conversation. They are wearable question marks openly aimed at the hows and whys the world works. Our shirts encourage people to smile wider, look closer, and think broader. Blend Apparel offers a visual means with which people can be heard. Using the privilege of business, we provide messages our customers can literally try on. We are creating, and simultaneously communicating, through a questioned-based language of iconography. This is a revolution. We believe it is our assignment to unite people in such a way, where if you are wearing one of our shirts, and you see another person wearing one of our shirts, even the exact same shirt, in the exact same room as you…you acknowledge that person for their part in the greater cause, rather than feel awkward and or fashionabley unoriginal. Blend Apparel uses eco-friendly fabrics, dyes, and printing methods. It is our planetary goal to leave the lightest possible footprint, and deepest possible imprint. We are committed to inspiring. To helping awaken. To showing up as beacons, messengers, and transformationaries. To always choosing the highest path. To listening from within, and to holding love higher than any circumstance. We are completely. Undoubtedly. and absurdly committed to “wear we live.”

BE INSPIRED. BE CREATIVE.

"I'm only this far and only tomorrow leads my way..."

After last night's blog entry, I woke up this morning craving to hear a couple of inspiring songs which have carried me through highs and lows over the past 10+ years. At 30, a lot happens in the previous 10+ years. If songs can stand the test of that time, then they must be pretty special.

Specifically, I was drawn to Dave Matthews' #41 & Pantala Naga Pampa. Simply put, here are the key lyrics which I go to when I'm feeling happy and when I'm feeling sad:

#41
I will go in this way
And find my own way out

I'm only this far
And only tomorrow leads my way

PNP
Come and relax now
Put your troubles down
No need to bear the weight of your worries
Just let them all fall away.

Of course, with any great song, it's not just the lyrics which infuse themselves into your soul. It's the way the melody and harmony interweave themselves to breathe a deeper life into the lyrics. So, here are a couple live versions of these songs. Take a listen. I hope they lift you up as they have done for me countless times.

getting over being under

In the midst of writing a new chapter in my life, turning down another road on my professional path, I've been pondering this past year. I've experienced some of the deepest, darkest lows while also some of the most amazing, inspiring highs in my 30 years. Through it, I truly feel enlightened with a renewed sense of clarity, internal calm and zest for life. While I feel that my direction has come into focus, I also feel less urgency to get there. A cliche comes to mind: it's about the journey, not the destination. It's really a metaphor for life, whether you're religious or not. None of us really know what's at the end of this life. Though we may disagree as to what's in store for us, I think everyone is united in the best way to get there. My journey to today, so far, has been filled with love, joy and laughter as well as some less-than-happy feelings. However, it all got me to today. I can say with confidence that I'm happy with today and who I am in this moment. So as I travel down another road of discovery, new friends, new places and undoubtable growth, I find it only fitting that I reflect on my most recent journey which brings me to the title of this post.

Getting over it. I got over so much this past year: myself, others, pre-conceived notions, setting deadlines for things that are out of my control and I'm sure much more that I just can't recall at the moment. While I was forced to get over it after abruptly losing a job I loved, I'm grateful for the self-evaluation that ensued, the time to sort myself out, the ability to stregthen relationships with friends, family, music and myself. This past year I was "under" employed, a term I had never heard before, and one, quite frankly, I believe was generated by the media as a reaction to the recession. Un- or under- employed, it still sucks. Saying you're underemployed is still humiliating. Fortunately for me, I was one of many, so I was part of one big pity party.

If you've never lost your job, whether fired or "let go", I can tell you, it's a jolt like you've never experienced. You'll take it personally. You'll cry. You'll be angry. You'll grieve. But you'll also become incredibly strong. Actually, you'll find your inner strength, pick yourself back up and figure out how to deal. Of course there are mundane details to sort out like unemployment, health benefits, job searching and the like. But really, what you're figuring out is who you really are. What matters to you? Who matters? What is going to be your next step? You can either become overwhelmed by these heavy-hitting questions or jump in head first and keep swimming until you find your island. Admittedly, I started drowning a few times, had to rely on some life-savers along my voyage but eventually I found my island and now I'm basking in the sun, so grateful for the swim.

So here's what I learned, in no order of importance, cebral & silly, all-in-one:

-Water is a true healer. drink lots of it. visit the ocean. listen to the rain. you'll feel better. i promise.

-Family are the legs to your table, until you can stand on your own legs again. don't be ashamed to ask them for help, whether it's a hug or a hundred bucks. they WILL help you.

-Friends will cure you. lean on them, cry on them, laugh with them and spend as much time with them as you can. they'll celebrate your joys and help you beat the blues. you'll find friends in the strangest places while you're finding your way. let them in and embrace what you may learn from them. however, you will also lose some friends, either by your choice or theirs. some people just can't handle the tough times. it's ok, maybe they'll be back. hopefully they won't. you don't need them.

-Farmville is extremely relaxing. even though i'm not a fan of video games, i've become a farmville addict.

-Music should be classified as a religion. it's mine. without it i think i'd still be swimming, or possibly drowning. thank the music gods for jason mraz this year. his music, his outlook and teachings of gratitude and health really pulled me through the last leg of my journey. i'm amazed that despite my own personal troubles, i was still able to connect with music, allow it to enter my soul, fill me with joy and comfort me.

-Public libraries rock. they're free, they're cool in the summer and they're filled with many answers. if you don't already have a library card, get one and check out your local bibioteca today. make a list of things you'd like to learn about and hit the books. like music, i'm grateful for some good reads. i'll admit it, the twilight saga definitley distracted me during my june blues after my pet died.... which brings me to the next one...

-Animals teach you things that no one else will. they love you unconditionally and appreciate anything you do for them. i volunteered as much as i could with my local SPCA this past year thinking i'd "give back". boy was i wrong. i was the one who received. if you don't already volunteer in your community, you should start. do so right after you get that library card.

-Taking time for your Mind, Body and Spirit daily is a must (after you've applied for those jobs, volunteered and checked out the library). exercise as much as you can, not just for the obvious health benefits but for the confidence you'll gain and power you'll feel. the endorphin rush does amazing things for your shattered emotions. take this endless time on your hands to explore nature while exercising. biking, nature walks, geocaching all worked for me. if you do join a gym, become friends with the trainers and fellow gym mates. i even had a "gym crush". just knowing he would be at the gym, kept me motivated :) i also practiced yoga and enjoyed monthly massage treatment. hint: ask for spa gift certificates for every holiday. spa visits accomplish mind, body and spirit.

-See everything you'll do as an Adventure. adjusting your outlook in this way really makes a difference.

-Practice Gratitude. i know it's tough to think of what you're grateful for when it seems like your world has been turned upside down but there's always something to be grateful for. i have a few things to get you started: that nifty library card, hugs from friends, wet noses on your hand from the dogs you've walked, time to do what you please and the opportunity to really think about what you want to be doing from 9-5 and making it happen. If it helps, use this online journal/gratitude community: gratitudelog.com

-Humility will go out the window. get over it. ask people for help. dig out those old contact lists and start calling. attend networking events. ask for recommendations/endorsements. offer to work part-time or even for free if it will get your mind going, get some cash in your pocket or boost your resume.

-Be open. open to meeting new people, feeling new feelings, moving to a new place, veering off your career "path" and letting go. just let go.

-You don't need caffeine, alcohol or processed foods to get through the day. start exploring a new "diet". start eating only foods that provide absolute nutritional benefits. if it isn't going to fuel you, you shouldn't be eating it. buy organic and/or local whenever possible. i don't need to explain why, just wanted to remind you.

-Being Green is better than blue. find ways to make green and be green. you'll feel so good. eating meat isn't being green, even if you eat a frog.

-If you put your True Self out there, you'll be happier with what you get back. if you're not getting immediate benefits, re-evaluate whether you're really being honest with those around you.

-Goodbye parties are like funerals. those who show up to bid you farewell or congratulate you on your new endeavor are all that really mattered and matter. you'll be surprised who shows up (and who doesn't). be grateful who had the courage and heart to show up. And know that you're not saying, "goodbye" to friends or experiences, you're saying, "see you later".

To say I'm not nervous about this new trip would be a lie. I hope that the failures of my past prove to be lessons to carry me through. I go forward confidently but cautiously. I'm going to meet interesting people and learn so much. I don't mind swimming but I'm tired. I'd like to bask in the sun for awhile.

On a quest to create yummy, natural, unprocessed foods & inspire others to do the same...

So with the whole Food Revolution currently buzzing about, from rantings of Jamie Oliver and Michael Pollan, I'm sure many of you are scratching your heads (or squeezing those love handles), wondering, "Well, what the HECK can I eat?" Personally, I started changing the way I perceive and achieve health about 6 months ago and feel absolutely fantastic. Did she lose weight, get better skin, or get more pep to her step, you may ask... well, I'll get into all of that another time, in another post.

I'm writing this to share a recipe I just created in the hopes that I'll inspire you to engage in this "whole" food revolution movement, if you aren't already done so. If you already "get it", then think of this as just another shared recipe, inspiring you to create something like it and share it with me :) In addition to loving this absolutely decadent dessert, you will also feel amazing because it's guilt-free and in-line with all of the Oliver/Pollan "rules" to better eating.

While I do commend myself as a foodie able to come up with tasty creations from simple snacks to gourmet dishes, it wouldn't be fair if I didn't recognize my inspiration for this recipe. As many of you know, I am enamored with Jason Mraz. To me he is inspiring both through his music and how he lives his life. I can elaborate in another note... Specifically, a raw vegan, he blogged about a Chocomole recipe he created (pictured below).


Armed with his recipe, I set out to create my own. Now I'm sharing it with all of you. It's gluten, dairy, soy and refined sugar-free! And the best part, it's NOT PROCESSED crap stored in a plastic cup. Trust me, your tummies will thank you :)

Recipe

Place the following ingredients into a food processor (or similar gadget):

∙ 1 avocado
∙ 1/2 c. unsweetened vanilla rice milk (you may substitue with almond or hemp milk or even coconut water)
∙ 2 TB cocoa powder or carob powder (not the kind for hot beverages, the unsweetened kind)
∙ 1 TB honey or agave nectar (adjust to taste)

(yeah, really that's ALL you need...)

*use organic ingredients whenever possible. here's why. or watch this.

This serves 2 but honestly, you're gonna wanna scarf it all yourself!


In case your only familiarity with the loveliest green fruit, the avocado, is in the form of guacomole, here are some fun facts from the avocado.org website:

Nutritional Benefits
Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. They also act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.

Avocados and Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but a healthy diet and exercise plan may help reduce your risk of developing the life-threatening illness.

The American Heart Association (AHA) Dietary Guidelines recommend a diet that has at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, contains up to 30% of calories from fats (primarily unsaturated) and is low in saturated fat, cholesterol, trans fats and sodium while being rich in potassium. Avocados can help you meet the AHA dietary guidelines because they have both monosaturated and polyunsaturated fat and contain potassium.

***N.B. I couldn't find anything on the nutrional benefits of instant pudding snax that strangely don't require refrigeration yet are "chock full" of milk & calcium...

I'm blogging. I'm a blogger. I'm revealed...

...I feel naked.

Deep exhale. So this is my first blog. Ever. While I feel like I'm entering this realm of cyberspace a bit late, I'm happy and excited about it, nonetheless. Why am I blogging? Why do I want to be a... blogger?! I've asked myself this many times over the past year or so. I've wondered, do I have anything worth saying, will anyone read it, does it matter if anyone reads it, should I have a purpose to my blog, what should it look like, should I promote someone or something (or myself), will I stick with it, will people judge me? With such daunting questions looming over me and having the constant over-conscientiousness due to being the daughter of not only an English teacher but a writer, I just got overwhelmed (or scared) and abandoned any desires to be a Blogger.

However, in the past few months, while revolutionizing the way I perceive and achieve health, I've transformed. Or maybe it's awakened. No, re-awakened. Honestly, I don't know what to call it. Either way, I'm just in a "good place" and realized that I've experience a lot and have something to say. Whether anyone listens/reads, only time will tell. Even if no one is reading, I think the process of journaling my thoughts, ideals and experiences and sharing those of the folks who inspire me will be rewarding in and of itself. So I guess that's why I'm blogging.

Speaking of inspiration, my desire to blog is mostly due to my admiration for Jason Mraz, a Mega Blogger and King of the Wordplay. After following his blog, I was inspired to do the same. Not that I hope to BE Mr. A-Z but he seems like a happy dude and he has stated repeatedly that journaling is a major factor into making him cheery and optimistic. Since those are two qualities I strive to achieve, I figured he's on to something. And in following his blog, I've been led to other blogs by other inspiring people who in turn, further inspired me to hit the keys and start blogging away.

Basically, my life has been a series of some pretty crazy adventures. It was only recently, during a devastating lay-off, which provided me a lot of time (too much at times) to think, that I realized that they were in fact, adventures, not mishaps, wrong turns or closed roads, like I had once perceived them to be. Armed with this new optimism, I'm packing my bags for yet another adventure. Unfortunately... No scratch that. FORtunately, most of my adventures require a major move to a new place, by myself. This time, I am wholly excited and unafraid. In the past, I was always afraid. Afraid? Truthfully, I feared failure. Now that I've faced failure several times, I don't fear it (as much) and realize that it all works out, no matter how far you fall or how bad it seems. For me, if I have my family, friends and music, I will always find my way through. Courageous, I look forward to this new chapter in my life, hopeful that I'll meet super-cool people, learn lots of awesome stuff and become an even better person because of it all.

My blog will certainly keep me authentic. This is something I seek in everyone with whom I surround myself. It's also part of the title of my blog because I know this is how others perceive me and I'm proud of that. While I love Facebook and Twitter, there's just so much you can express when you're limited to a status bar and 140 characters.

Maybe my blog will be a chronicle of these new adventures and a re-telling of those in the past. Maybe it won't. Maybe I'll meet new people. Maybe I'll piss someone off. Maybe I'll inspire someone instead. Whatever my blog turns out to be, I'm ready. I'm committed. And I hope you're reading.

authentically yours,
-m

"Live high, live mighty
Live righteously, taking it easy...

Just take it easy and celebrate the malleable reality
See there's nothing that's ever as it seems
This life is full of dreams." (Jason Mraz)