06/06/08
The amount of love and support I've received after the passing of my mother has been incredible. Thank you for your kind words of support, hope and love during this difficult time. Here is a great poem sent to me recently by a friend of our foundation. I hope it speaks to you as it did to me...
To Those I Love And Those Who Love Me
- Author Unknown
When I am gone, release me, let me go...
I have so many things to see and do.
You mustn’t tie yourself to me with tears,
Be thankful for our many beautiful years.I gave to you my love. You can only guess
How much you gave to me in happiness.
I thank you for the love you each have shown
But now it’s time I traveled alone.So grieve a while for me, if grieve you must,
Then let your grief be comforted by trust.
It’s only for a time that we must part
So bless the memories within your heart.I won’t be far away, for life goes on
So if you need me, call and I will come.
Though you can’t see or touch me, I will come.
And if you listen with your heart, you’ll hear
All my love around you soft and clear.And then, when you must come this way alone,
I’ll greet you with a smile, and say...Welcome Home
05/29/08
Ok, it's almost June people! And if you (like me) haven't yet really gotten serious about your bathing suit body...it's time to get yourself a coach and a plan. Check out JJ Virgin's advice and see if this makes as much sense for you as it does for me. I'm passing it along to you in case you need a jumpstart or a kick in the butt to get going!
I just got my 10 year old son the Nike shoes with the "disc" that charts your progress. If you haven't seen these, they are a really cool incentive. You just lift the innersole of your Nike's (they have to be the ones specially designed for this), place the little insert, add the small piece to your Nano and it does the rest. It will record your distance and pace so you can compete against all others in the system or just against yourself. They now have a wrist band ($59.00 bucks) that doesn't use an ipod. I love it. If you have a little extra money to spend on your fitness, this is one of my favorite "life support" items!
The Seven Biggest Mistakes to AVOID in Weight Loss
by: JJ Virgin
1. Failing to Plan. Remember that saying, 'fail to plan, plan to fail? ' Well, nowhere does this hold as true as in weight loss. If you don't plan in your exercise session, guess when it will happen? It won't! If you don't plan your meals, guess who will be dashboard dining at the closest fast food restaurant? Make it easy on yourself, plan your daily life to create a lifestyle that supports you getting and staying fit and healthy. It doesn't just happen, you have to make it happen!
2. Not staying accountable. The research is clear, if you want to continue to create good habits and make healthy choices you need to write it down in your daily journal. I am very strict on this, in fact, my clients know that if they don't do this, they are fired.
3. Not knowing your numbers. You can't get directions to Palm Springs if you don't know your starting point. You need to check your weight, body fat percentage and waist measurements DAY ONE and then continue to monitor these numbers on a weekly basis FOREVER to ensure that you are staying on course.
4. Going it alone. Behind every great sports star is a coach. You need one too. Find a friend, hire a coach, get an online buddy, whatever works best for you, but make sure you have someone who you can check in with on a regular basis.
5. Allowing the dreamstealers easy access. Sadly enough, there are people out there who don't want you to succeed. You get started in the Art of Losing It! program by committing, discovering your compelling why you want to do this and why right now you are getting started, setting your inspiring goals, visualizing them and managing your mindset. This process needs to stay at the forefront of your program to keep you progressing forward and sidestepping the negativity that can take you down.
6. Skipping the basics. The beginning action steps on the Art of Losing It! program are to follow the 3 golden rules of balanced eating, the three golden rules of exercise and to be sure you are getting the basic nutrients your metabolism needs to do its job. It is tempting to skim through this and jump into the more advanced parts of the program. This is like painting your house before you have had the lighting and plumbing installed. Get the basics firmly entrenched in your life to create a foundation to build on.
7. Not figuring out what is creating your weight problem. There are many factors that can contribute to excess fat and obesity and that can also stop or dramatically slow down weight loss. If you are doing the basics correctly and you aren't losing 1-3 pounds of fat consistently each week, something is wrong and you will need to get to the root of your weight loss resistance in order to heal your metabolism to be lean for life.
05/28/08
The outpouring of love for me and my family after the death of our "steel magnolia", my mom Jean Gibbons, has stunned and humbled us. Those who are close to us, good friends of Mom's and even those we've never met have had just the right healing words to offer at our time of great grief. I'm so blessed to count among the most special people in my world Cheri Ingram, whose life force crosses generations and universes to land on the intended target. How lucky am I to have have a friend like this? This came in hours after Mom's passing...
When I got the news about the passing of Leeza's mother Jean, I flash-backed to the time when Jean appeared on Leeza's talk show and and courageously announced her diagnosis of Alzheimers disease on national television. In that unforgettable interview, Jean reminded her daughter, Leeza Kim, that she was a story-teller at heart and to please tell this story in a way that might help others. As Jean handed off the ball--Leeza not only ran with it, she pounded out a fierce advocacy ground game, and threw "Hail Mary" end-zone media strikes over and over again, keeping continual points on the activist scoreboard as she worked to raised awareness, as well as make a difference.
Leeza ate up the frequent flyer yardage in every major city , and whistle stop and created her own playbook with the Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation and the incredible and unique implementation of "Leeza's Place"; the amazing, experiential, resource and support centers that now can be found around the country for families, patients, care-givers and loved ones. Through her efforts, dedication and indefatigable energy, Leeza has not only raised money and awareness, she has raised the hearts and hope of millions.
On a recent visit to see Jean and her father Carlos, Leeza's family celebrated their parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary. Her father presented Jean with a pink corsage then asked her for one last dance to "their special song" The Tennessee Waltz. As the music started to play her Mother rose out of her seat and with some incredible default recognition of the past, she responded to the present as she began to slowly shuffle and dance with her husband. With typical poetic style, Leeza summed it up with the observation, "love is love and a heart never forgets". And just like the hearts of your parents Leeza, the world will never forget the love you have poured out to the community of families dealing with issues of memory disorders.
Just as you support the care-givers of the world, your friends who love you so deeply will continue to support you and your heroic mission. In honor of your mother, we all pledge to further her story but also to tell yours as well. Anyone who has ever sat in a circle and started a story knows how powerfully it escalates with each person's telling.And trust me, your friends have big mouths.
Leeza Kim, thanks to you and your family, Jean's story has now taken on a life of it's own. And the Memory Foundation, your exquisitely, envisioned legacy is the vehicle which will make sure the clock will never run out on your efforts.
For you, for Jean and forever, "game on" !
