Socrates on the Secret of Change

This is a great quote and I've seen a few variations on its theme like , "What you resist persists," "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change," "And like attracts like."  Mother Theresa has a philosophy that she will never be AGAINST something like war or poverty but will always be FOR positive concepts like peace and prosperity.  This quote reminds me how easy it is to pay attention to the negative but how anti-productive that activity may be at times. For example, if I am constantly talking or thinking about what I don't like or want about something, there is no room to even see what may be right about the situation. This doesn't leave any space to attract more of the positive.


 An additional misstep may be the worrying that could come with focusing on what is wrong instead of what is right.

Worry is like rocking in a rocking chair. There is plenty of activity but you are not getting anywhere!

Socrates had it right, focus on the positive for a change.  That's some age-old wisdom in my book that still holds true today. Enjoy your day.

Truth in Advertising!

So excited to turn on the TV and see a national Dairy Queen commercial.  The reason for my excitement is that my daughter is in the ad! The entertainment industry is very interesting and I can say I have enjoyed it so far. It is fast paced and the scheduling can be hectic but it is really fun and  constantly changing.

Dairy Queen made a few commercials and she may be in other ones throughout the year, but for now she is in the Blizzard commercial featuring the June Blizzard, S'mores. And as a point of interest, there really is an ice cream blizzard in the cup that doesn't fall out when it is flipped! Truth in advertising!

Simple Summer Salad

Light, filling and tasty!!

When I am looking for an easy, delicious and satisfying dinner on a hot summer evening, I always go back to the basics - A light but filling salad. Whatever lettuce I have on hand (usually a bibb or romaine) and a meat topping (my favorite is shredded rotisserie chicken) form the backbone of the meal.  Borrowing from the Cobb tradition, bacon and egg really are the secret ingredients. From there, I can add all kinds of goodies. Avocado, tomato, pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, cheese and croutons are just a few ideas to add different tastes and textures (not to mention monounsaturated fats, which are the "good kind".) If I want to cut down on the animal protein, I may just make a lettuce, tomato, bacon and hard boiled egg version.  This salad has a lot going on, so I stick to a good extra virgin olive oil and red wine or balsamic vinegar for the dressing. It never fails to get compliments... even from my die-hard meat and potatoes family members.

Ingredients:

Your favorite lettuce, chopped or ripped
6 slices of cooked bacon (I always make more just in case)
2 hard boiled eggs
1 cup of rotisserie or baked chicken
1 avocado
fresh mozzarella cheese cut in pieces
grape tomatoes
croutons
extra virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar

Combine all ingredients and toss lightly
Serves 6-8



                                            

Inspiring!

A young woman working in a Verizon store inspired me today with her strength, courage and attitude. I don't know how we got into a personal conversation but she shared how she was married to an abusive husband who had tried to kill her. She has been out of the relationship for several years but she told me she speaks at a woman's shelter to help others who have been abused.  She went on to say that she loves her job even when people lash out at her for something she has no control over.  I was impressed by her attitude that sometimes people just have bad days. She is a single mother who loves life. I continue to marvel at the experiences people endure and how they respond. Some are truly inspiring!

Improv!

Actor, Jon Fine, playing my husband in the photo shoot today,

After three days of unbelievable rainstorms, and an afternoon clearing yesterday, today was an incredibly beautiful day. The temperature was a little cooler than usual for the month of May and we were delighted to enjoy the sunshine. All that information is just a lead up to my real reason for this post!

 I had booked a print job for today and the wardrobe I had intended to wear would have left me too chilly so ventured to a nearby clothing store for the basics... solid colors, steering clear of black and white. Unfortunately, there was not a khaki pant option so I was looking at jeans (one lavender and one mint.)  I sent the colors to my stylist, Annie. (If you haven't visited her blog take a minute to do so, you will see why I always consult her on wardrobe questions. Annelliott.blogspot.com ).  I did not have time to tell her why I needed top options so I just sent her some photos.

The part of this tale that really amused me was my other daughter, Rebecca, (another fashionista and also in the acting business) was helping me put my choices together for the client. She casually mentioned that Annie had called and asked her to help me pick my clothes for her graduation. We both thought that was odd but about 30 minutes later I realized why. Annie thought I was planning to wear the combination of clothes I had sent her in my text to graduation!

Now back to the weather. (Sort of.) Not only was the day gorgeous, I had a blast on the shoot. It was for an awning company and I was cast as part of a couple enjoying the shade the awning provided.  Improv! I loved it. Great Monday. Hope yours was too.

                                    

                  

School's Out... FOREVER!

Annie's last day of school. I'm sure I have one of her first day somewhere!

My oldest daughter just attended her last day of law school at UNC. Alice Cooper's classic song, school's out forever, rings in my head! I know I've been on the sidelines cheering her on but what a ride her academic career has been. In usual Annie fashion she has given everything and more to her time in Chapel Hill.  We are so deeply proud of her. (We would be anyway just because she is herself.)

This post is a total mother's tribute, so please indulge me! Annie has received several awards and accolades as a student starting from High School through her latest endeavor in law school. At the risk of embarrassing her, I will only name a few! At the University of Florida she was the overall chair of Dance Marathon (the largest student run philanthropy in the Southeast) helping to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for The Children's Miracle Network. She was also awarded UF's outstanding female leadership award and I watched in pure awe as she gave the commencement speech to thousands of graduates.

As she leaves UNC, she was the recipient of several awards, one of which is the Davis award. Another recognition of her gift of giving back to others through leadership. Congratulations does not convey how proud we are of you Annie!

Announcing the Class of 2013 Davis Society

Andrew Brown

Annie Bryan

Meriwether Evans

Yolanda Fair

Yasir Latifi

Nick Miller

Adam Parker

Laura Sloan

Congratulations!

The James E. and Carolyn B. Davis Society is intended to recognize eight third-year students possessing both academic and personal excellence and a willingness to serve for the betterment of the School of Law and its faculty and students.  In making its selections, the Davis Society Selection Committee considers the qualities of leadership ability, integrity, dedication, and character as exemplified by extracurricular activities and academic achievement.

Optimism

I read an interesting article in Prevention magazine (Feb 2013) about a couple who were vacationing in the Himalayan foothills. They inadvertently found themselves in the home of a 90 year old healer/sage who gave them some tea for their respective ailments. As it turns out, Dr. Ho is a world renowned healer who works only for donations. He started out with a degree in Medical Engineering but fell ill and returned to his village and immersed himself in the study of herbs. The couple took the tea as prescribed and  continued on their journey. After a few weeks of consuming the tea they were rid of their health concerns but wrote the experience off as the power of placebo. When they returned to the United States they had the tea analyzed by AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine, a Chinese medicine school in Austin, Texas , and it did contain properties that addressed each of their concerns.

The couple  was delighted that the tea helped them but theorized that "the tea was a tremendous placebo." The technician disagreed and informed them that herbs are medicinal and do work irrespective of your belief in their ability to heal.

In addition to consuming healing herbs, Dr. Ho's health advice to patients is to "be confident in their own cure, OPTIMISTIC in attitude, conduct rational lives and apply both Western and Chinese medicine where appropriate." The article went on to say that OPTIMISM is the secret. Above all else be OPTIMISTIC. The entire article can be found in the February 2013 issue of Prevention Magazine. Finding Dr. Ho by Jeannie Ralston.

To your Health and Optimism!


       

Dr. Ho photo by Robb Kendrick
prevention.com