Make Health the New Object of the Game

Make no mistake, women and girls are finding it difficult, often times impossible to break through the barriers of self-limitation, fear and shame. Females have learned from each previous generation that the suppression of feelings, desires and dreams is necessary to make it in the male-dominated world. The majority of today’s women have learned from their Grandmothers, Mothers, Fathers, advertising and the media that women are in-fact second-class citizens born to be objectified. Women fall prey to several myths and thus seek to cope by developing dangerous patterns of behavior; eating disorders to attain the “thinness body ideal” for example.

Women lead lives of multiple roles (daughter, wife, mother, friend, co-worker, etc.) and when given the new windows of opportunity for advancement in the realm of sports, careers, politics, etc., the overwhelming list of what is possible to achieve seems to outweigh the need for rest, positive relationships and realistic goal setting. Self-worth, self-respect, self-love and self-esteem are lacking and are sending the world’s women into spirals of depression, anxiety and disordered eating patterns. Our realistic perceptions of what is beautiful and what is healthy in regards to body weight and shape have been grossly distorted by the media.

Our culture has placed an unusually high value on external beauty placing unnecessary pressure on females (males are also starting to come under attack). Teaching young people (males and females) about how to cope with stress, how to maintain a healthy body and how to treat not only others, but our own selves with respect. If these steps in the right direction are taken, the world will be a happier, healthier place.

Food & Mood

From the moment we are born into the world as females we battle low self-esteem, stereotypes and the overwhelming world view that as women and girls we just aren’t good enough. Despite the best efforts of our friends and family who might love us unconditionally, negative thoughts and attitudes about body image daily trip us up as if we were tip-toeing over land mines. Playing duck and cover from advertising ads that play up our insecurities and target our lack of confidence then blow it up like hand-grenades is all out warfare for our identity.

Magazines and television programs constantly feed us unrealistic versions of what women and girls should be: skinny, blonde, large breasts, and perfectly happy being objectified and starving. The fact is, women and girls are not perfectly happy, and what they are starving from is a lack of empowerment, guide to proper nutrition and a healthy self-esteem that links to their own core beliefs, not what others think they should believe about themselves.

Too many cases of female depression, anxiety and disordered eating are related to body image and weight. Women and girls are dissatisfied with themselves, their bodies in particular and why? Would they be dissatisfied if normal body shape, color and personality were fairly portrayed in the media and in our own homes?

The truth is that the world is not fair, but we can be to ourselves. The world may take its sweet time in electing female world leaders, or distributing equal pay for equal work, but in the meantime it is the responsibility of all women to encourage, support and foster in one another positive beliefs in our own self-worth regardless of our size, shape, color or class. Demand to not be demeaned, controlled or dominated by exploitative advertising that is completely harmful.

Love is the Answer

From the poetic genius of Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850 - 1919)

Are you Loving Enough?

Are you loving enough? There is some one dear,
Some one you hold as the dearest of all
In the holiest shrine of your heart.

Are you making it known? Is the truth of it clear
To the one you love? If death's quick call
Should suddenly tear you apart,
Leaving no time for a long farewell,
Would you feel you had nothing to tell-
Nothing you wished you had said before
The closing of that dark door?

Are you loving enough? The swift years fly-
Oh, faster and faster they hurry away,
And each one carries its dead.
The good deed left for the by and by,
The word to be uttered another day,
May never be done or said.
Let the love word sound in the listening ear,
Nor wait to speak it above a bier.
Oh the time for telling your love is brief,
But long, long, long is the time for grief.
Are you loving enough?

This includes ourselves!!! Love is not just reserved for honeymooning couples or romantic movies. Love is not only reflected in hugs and kisses.......but in the spirit of your actions......of your service to others.....in the respect and pride you show in the way you play your sport, carry out the duties of your job, help a stranger, show your forgiveness instead of holding a grudge, hustle with the heart of a champion even if you're down 20 - 0..........how often do we give up and leave the loving up to someone else????

Are we giving 100% of ourselves to our jobs??? Other people??? No time to take proper care of our mental, physical and spiritual needs???? When was the last time you said "I love you" to yourself???? When was the last time we said "I love you" to someone else and meant it with deep affection - not just repeating the words as a tired mantra.....something we HAVE to say as a means to an end......."say I love you....or else......no present/gift/love/touch/etc...........or else, I won't reciprocate my love for you either........"

What a scary, dangerous and exhausting way to live our lives; constantly dangling love from ourselves and others like a carrot that can be yanked away at any time as punishment......as if for some reason anyone is undeserving of being loved.

Who in your life has propelled you to love unconditionally???

How many of us live by the golden rule, "Do unto others as you would have done unto you?".......That rule doesn't always work out due to the fact that we do not always live up to treating ourselves with great love, patience or kindness......

Love as a higher power loves you......

If you believe in GOD....or
By whatever name you call your higher power......
That is how we should try to love ourselves and others.....
With all our imperfections,
The Creator loves us and gives us each new day as a way to love more even when we dissapoint, binge, forget to say "Thank You" for our gifts, talents and blessings...each day is still a new day and we are LOVED no less than the day we were created........ we are constantly invited, encouraged, and hard pressed to live more passionately taking care of ourselves and others........

WALK WITH LOVE! RUN WITH LOVE! PLAY WITH LOVE! ARGUE WITH LOVE! FORGIVE WITH LOVE! WORK WITH LOVE! SEE WITH LOVE! HEAR WITH LOVE! SMELL WITH LOVE! HEAR WITH LOVE! (Just checking....see if you're listening....) TASTE WITH LOVE! SUFFER WITH LOVE! APOLOGIZE WITH LOVE! UNDERSTAND WITH LOVE! DO THE DISHES WITH LOVE! LAUNDRY WITH LOVE! BABYSIT WITH LOVE! LUNGES WITH LOVE! JURY DUTY WITH LOVE! PAY BILLS WITH LOVE (AT LEAST YOU ARE ALIVE TO RECEIVE THEM.......)! SHOP WITH LOVE (NOT RETAIL THERAPY....BUT ENJOY LIVING WITH WHAT YOU NEED....NOT NECESSARILY WITH ALL OF YOUR WANTS...... for example: I WANT TO WIN THE LOTTO AND BUY 10 SOFTBALL BATS......BUT I DON'T NEED TO WIN THE LOTTO TO BE HAPPY.....AND I ONLY NEED ONE SOFTBALL BAT.....I CAN ONLY SWING ONE SOFTBALL BAT AT A TIME.....I ONLY NEED ONE BAT TO HIT A HOMERUN......I REALIZE THAT THE POWER DOES NOT LIE IN THE BAT....BUT IN MY ABILITY TO SWING IT)!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love is complex. But love is the answer.

LOVE TODAY!!! *

That means RIGHT NOW!
Not "right now later", "RIGHT NOW RIGHT NOW!"

;)

The Most Important Day is Today

Just a few of us gathering in the living room to celebrate family and the New Year -

I am Blessed to have such a large and supportive net to help me with the saying,

"Leap and the net will appear."

For those of you with family that you can count on one hand, email me and I will share.....

SHINE IN '09!!! (My personal mantra that I hope everyone adopts)

So my blogging voice has been quiet since New Year's Eve 2008.....

2009 greeting us all with full calendars, responsibilities, anxiety, love, loss, hope, fear, rain, snow, but always with the promise of sunshine; a sunshine that we don't always believe will warm our hearts, but instead, burn.....hopefully you're getting you're three hugs per day, feel loved, and take at least one hour per day to celebrate yourself!!

I was tired, were you?

I replaced my New Year's resolution before the confetti was picked up, and was seemingly okay with, "I'll get to it tomorrow..." So I didn't drink more water than coffee.....and I didn't get more sleep.......and I didn't want to trust the new adventures that lay ahead of me.....I was determined to be stuck in 2008 - waiting for those things I left undone to resolve themselves......nervously letting my inner fire be a flicker instead of an inferno; insisting that my soul sleep, instead of wake up with eyes wide open to see....SEE MORE than what I was allowing myself to see.....

BE MORE than what I was allowing myself to be....

It is February and it has well been advertised and marketed as the month of LOVE......hearts everywhere as a symbol.....

The strongest muscle in our body is the heart.

The leading cause of death for women is heart disease.

The heart represents many things; love, joy, family, St. Valentine's Day, and life itself.

Our hearts never attack us, we attack our hearts.

When we shut our hearts we are basically shutting off the flow of life to our hearts.

Let us drop the judgements and rejoice in love when we see it.

During this New Year I have definitely seen it and have been lucky enough to receive it.

I would like to thank the senior class of Pomona Catholic Girls High School, both of 2008 (The Angelics) and of 2009 (The Believers) who helped me to dream big dreams once again and to love even when it is difficult.

I would like to thank my Beautiful And Talented Sista's of the Boys And Girls Club of the San Gorgonio Pass Area......my gorgeous and gifted girls at Nicolet Middle School - YOU ROCK! and the world is blessed to have you shining and radiating your creative and energetic brilliance to make us all better!

To the Beaumont Woman's Club who will be celebrating their GRAND RE-OPENING this Saturday at their newly renovated clubhouse with a PINK TEA PARTY and BAKE SALE - I am in awe of you!! Your love and friendship is comforting, rewarding and timeless!

The thank yous can go on and on......for some reason I feel very much like I've been given an Oscar or some sort of prestigious award for which a thank you speech is necessary.....

But then again, aren't we all????

Aren't we all given a great, shining, coveted award every day????

The gift of life!

The gift of being able to live each day.....to make a difference in the lives of others.....to research and discover who we are and what we are born for.....the fabulous gift of being able to become worthy of a story.....

Our feelings die with us, but our choices live on for all eternity!!!

February gave me hearts. Thank you Valentine.

February gave me snow. Thank you Pomona Catholic High School and Big Bear, Ca.!

February gave me life. Thank you Momma and Papa.......so very much......

Tomorrow I will be 29 years old, and as my Papa said when I called him from Big Bear last week while gazing at the 15 feet of newly fallen magical-mystical-MACmakeuplooking-sparkling snow for the first time in my life,

"Wow - you've seen things! Now tell the girls what you've seen!"

So girls -

I have seen women, real women, living as examples of strength....living, loving, laughing, dreaming and BEING.....

BELIEVING in ourselves......

BELIEVING in our dreams.....

BELIEVING in our power to positively change the world......

I HAVE SEEN......AND I BELIEVE!!!

I will go fill up my water bottle now.......with water......=)

Big Hugs,

Natalie

GET A GOOD START........

"To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!" - Emerson

"God doesn't require that we succeed....his only requirement is that we TRY." - Mother Teresa

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say: I used everything you gave me." - Erma Bombeck

"I am in the world to change the world." - Muriel Rukeyser

"If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities." - Maya Angelou

"Our own success, to be real, must contribute to the success of others." - Eleanor Roosevelt

"Don't anticipate, just participate." Sr. Denise & Sr. Christina, Pomona Catholic Girls High School

THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE QUOTES THAT SAW ME THROUGH 2008.....SHARE 'EM.....FIND YOUR OWN.....MAKE YOUR OWN......R U SIK? LIVE IT LOVE IT AND SPREAD THE WORD IN THE NEW YEAR!! BE SAFE! BE GENUINE! BE UNIQUE! BE YOU!!!! CONGRATULATIONS ON MAKING IT TO ANOTHER YEAR.....LET'S LIFT EACH OTHER UP AND THEN REACH BACK AND LIFT SOME MORE.....EVERYONE TO THE TOP!!!!

NEW YEAR'S GOALS:

READ MORE

RUN MORE

SMILE MORE

SHARE MORE

EAT MORE GOOD FOODS

CARE MORE

BUY GOOD SHOES

ALWAYS MAKE TIME FOR WHAT YOU WANT TO DO (THAT MEANS I NEED TO GET TO A BATTING CAGE AND A BROADWAY PLAY)

FIND A BUDDY THAT CAN HELP YOU (BEST FRIEND, SPOUSE, TRAINER, NEIGHBOR,...)

DRINK MORE H20

AND GO BABY GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO STOPPING YOU NOW!!!!

SEE YOU IN 2009 YOU BEAUTIFUL AND TALENTED SIK CHIX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

CELEBRATE!!!

Merry Christmas!! Happy Hanukkah!! Happy Kwanzaa!! Be it the Winter Solstice or any other holiday that finds your heart this December 2008.....all the more reason to CELEBRATE!!!

CELEBRATE all those special little moments that we tend to take for granted......

the food we eat today......savor, don't scarf.....who made it? Thank them...

the joy and magic in a child's eyes....try and remember what that felt like for you.....do you still have moments of childlike wonder? Share it....

the time we have together as family and friends......no matter how unpleasant some conversations or uncomfortable some relationships.....today, just be present.......one day people will learn how to share....one day people will learn how to be grateful....one day......so today, no criticism of others or self - no judgements of others or self - lift that burden by smiling - no negativity today.....

the quiet, peaceful moments......for some, those are few and far between.....but when you find them, meditate on them.....spend some time reflecting on the year and your goals.......you might be energized by the midnight hours and ready to face the Holidays head on....bring on the new year.......or, you might be just plain tired.....wiped out.....too many hours working, shopping, cooking, cleaning.....too much time and money spent on people who don't seem to appreciate your efforts and as usual not enough time spent on you......treasure even these moments.....every moment is a teachable moment.....

LOVE YOURSELF IN EVERY MOMENT.......

YOU ARE LOVED.....

So, the little girl proudly displaying her Christmas tree in the picture is me......this of course is many years ago, when it was just my sister Vanessa and I......as you can tell I love to CELEBRATE......I will take every opportunity to smile, dress up, sing, dance, hug, give, receive, give some more, you name it....

Our family grew and grew......I have seen large trees, small Charlie Brown trees and sometimes even no tree at all......but Christmas still comes.....

I have seen the whole family together, the family separated, the family opening many gifts and the family all pitching in for that one special gift for the youngest among us......Christmas still comes....

Money to spend and sometimes no money at all.....Christmas still comes...

A house to call a home, or an eviction notice on rented space....Christmas still comes.....

It is important to have a spiritual connection with life......no matter what your religious background, the light of your universe is inside you......you just have to shift your focus to see it clearly....and once you can see it you can believe in it....that light, that spark, is waiting for you to turn it into an inferno of inspiring power......

If you feel like the holidays let you down......or that they don't live up to the dreams or expectations you had of what they ought to be.....that's okay...shift your focus...find the light....the card from a friend...a newborn baby....the time a loved one spent cooking/baking for you.....the homemade ornament made in school....the holiday songs on the radio....the sparkle in a child's eyes opening a present...find the light....where there is light, there is hope....and you have the light....

CELEBRATE YOUR LIGHT!!!

Two suggested books for quality holiday reading (both given to me by special people in my life)...

1. Thinking Body, Dancing Mind (Tao Sports for Extraordinary Performance in Athletics, Business, and Life) - Chungliang Al Huang and Jerry Lynch / a must read for anyone, but college athletes will find it most helpful; I did......my SFSU coach, Kristi Lansford let me borrow it from her library and it made the difference during some key "speed bumps" (i prefer "speed bumps" to "slumps"....)

2. Empowering Women (Every Woman's Guide to Successful Living) - Louise L. Hay / a recent Christmas present from a childhood friend.....he knew exactly what I wanted.....

Thank you for allowing me to spend my quiet, peaceful, early Christmas Morning Moment with you!

Use the holidays as a time of CELEBRATION, LOVE AND SUPPORT!!

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

YOU ARE A GIFT TO THE UNIVERSE!

OOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO (gotta love mistletoe) ;)

MONDAY, MONDAY (la da, la da da da) - Remember that Song?

"Monday, Monday.......so good to me....." The Mommas and the Papas right? Classic song! Well, for most of us Monday is not something to sing about....especially after a holiday weekend. We'd rather hit snooze just one more time or lounge around in our pjs, but work is calling; or school; or work and school; or work, school and kids!!! Our plates are definitely full, but we're going to make our Mondays MARVELOUS from now on!!

MARVELOUS MEMBERSHIP MONDAYS!!!

GET YOUR PEOPLE TO JOIN SIKCHIX AND SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT POSITIVE PROGRAMS FOR HUMANKIND!!

Okay, so that's me currently, today, in this picture. It's after the holiday eating, the lack of sleep (I know, but I just had to stay up and be the first to say "Goodmorning" to you.....I wanted to get us all on the same page for our Monday - Dec. 1st)!

This is me all serious face and what do I see in the mirror attitude.......pajamas on.....feeling kind of soft what with all the pies and cookies (I love my sweets).....but today when we look in the mirror (and take a picture of yourself......keep it respectful and rated G) we will affirm our gifts and talents; our goals and our worth.......say it with me, "I AM SOMEBODY!"

Good Morning Beautiful Self!

We're going to make ourselves BETTER today!

Today I will use my gifts: (list gifts......./ this may be hard; women often do not consider themselves to be gifted or talented; or may see themselves as conceited if they acknowledge those gifts.....but not here SISTA'S, look yourself in the eyes and say "Thank You" for allowing me to ________________, and help the world in this way;".....)

{Gift and talent examples: an athletic gift; listening skills; talented writer/artist; you may give good advice; you're a great momma; you're strong mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually; you can sing, dance or play an instrument; you give wonderful hugs; you tutor; you cheer; you smile; woodworking; babysit; cook well or bake; awesome with numbers.......this list is endless!}

Are you looking in the mirror? It's okay if you don't really like what you see right away, we all go through that, and it's MONDAY AND MONDAY IS MARVELOUS BECAUSE WE GET TO START BRAND NEW, AND YOU YOURSELF ARE A GIFT THAT IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING.....I was frustrated too when I took my picture..., but then realized....hey, I am healthy and I am strong. By what standards am I measuring myself? Healthy or unhealthy ones? Am I concerned about what's good for me, or how others may judge me? Am I being realistic or dreaming of being airbrushed and starved?

Because if I am speaking realistically, then I have to look at myself and admit out loud in the mirror my truths:

I am a healthy, happy, ethnically curvy (that means with my ancestry and family tree, I'm not nor will I ever be skinny, that's not in my genes....BUT, I can make the body I have work for me and be the best it can be) I have my hair, my eyesight, my hearing. I can walk. I can run. I can blog my new friends and we can get through Monday together! So I'm okay....no, I'm more than okay, I'M SIK!!!!!

R U SIK?

HAPPY MONDAY BEAUTIFUL SELF (say it......go on......find a mirror)

Let's get things done today!

I am Beautiful!

I am Talented!

I am Loved!

Now give yourself a hug (don't knock it 'till you try it.....feels great.....wrap your arms around your shoulders and squeeze......ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, fantastic)!!!

I'll be back later today to check on you........got to go get some rest now to meet our MARVELOUS MEMBERSHIP MONDAY head on!!! Take that Monday.....you didn't see me coming did you????

Get at least one friend to check out sikchix.com; send us your thoughts, photos, etc......if we get enough people to participate we can add some prizes for those with the most participation!!

BE YOUR BEST!!!

Quote of the Day: "Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else." - Judy Garland

Have a Marvelous Day!!!

Natalie