1 week down. 15 more to go.

15 more weeks until the Ogden Marathon on May 16. I started a 16 week training program this week and I ran a total of 14 miles this week with my long run day being 5 miles.

The thing I love running because I get to eat more!!! Lots of Carbs!!!

How is it that I'm eating 200-300 more calories per day and I still lost 4 pounds the last week?

WEIRD!!!

I LOVE RUNNING!!! I FEEL SO GOOD RIGHT NOW!!!

Change

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." -Gandhi
I love this quote. i came across it painted on a building as I was out running last week on the Ogden River Parkway. For some reason when I woke up today, it was ringing in my head.

I'm thankful for my new president, Barack Obama. It's great to see that this country will be lead by someone so smart and so well spoken. I love how he strives to change today's government so the nation can restore it's faith in their leaders. I'm so excited to see change in this country and in the world! I know it won't happen over night...but it's on it's way!!! Barack Obama is someone I truly admire for his courage in stepping into quite a mess we've created here in the USA. What if we were all this courageous in everything we did? Imagine the possibilities. All fear would disappear.

Instruction Manual for Life

I love this. Compliments of the Dalai Lama...

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three Rs:
Respect for self
Respect for others and
Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

7. When you realise you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Am I that crazy lady talking about the end? Or is it the beginning?

A friend and I got into a discussion last Sunday about the year 2012. It was quite an interesting discussion and it got the wheels turning in my head. Since then, I've done a bit of research online reading into some of the theories of events that might take place. With my religious background, it also made for some interesting research.

What do you think would happen if we lost our egos? How would we operate? It would be completely from our higher selves. Do you think our brains could physically process that? Imagine how the world would be.

Is all of man kind prepared for this spiritual evolution? This awakening? Operating on a higher plane of consciousness would entail remarkable things happening to mankind across the globe. We would all be connected with spirit, our higher selves and each other-all through our minds. We would know what others are thinking, and we would finally have the ability to lose our egos. We could communicate with our minds and manifest all that we would ever need.

To some-the collapse of our old systems and ideas would be the Revelation and the end of the world. To me-I see it as a new beginning. The beginning of the Golden Era. A complete shift in consciousness. To complete the shift, we will have to go through a collapse of our old ideas and ways of living. I think the collapse would be survival of the fittest and it would be a struggle-especially for those who operate solely from their ego.

Are you ready for the shift in consciousness? I don't think it is something that should be feared. I think it's something that we should look forward to! The whole world is going to change and I am truly grateful that I signed up for this mission on earth to experience it.

Think About This

How old could we live if we had no concept of time and had no idea how old we were?

Orange

If I could describe myself in a color this week, I think it would have to be the color Orange. I have a lot of really positive energy and I feel at peace with my life. I'm happy, I feel I constantly have a smile on my face. I love where my life is heading. I feel an awakening has occurred inside me and I'm ready to be done with negative energy. One thing that I've noticed this doing is creating a major contrast in my life. I am noticing a lot of people around me are depressed, unhappy, frustrated and sad. Now, I know I'm only 23, and I haven't experienced a whole lot in life, but if there is one word of advice that I can offer, it would have to be-QUIT LABELING YOURSELF AS SUCH. The more you tell yourself that you "Suffer from depression," the more you will suffer from depression. I challenge you to really look at your life and think about all of the things we say we are or aren't. If everyone put the energy to saying positive things about ourselves with positive affirmations, WE HAVE THE POWER TO CONQUER ANYTHING!!!! Imagine taking the labels we create for ourselves, the fears, the bad memories and pulling them as if they were a weed, you can use your imagination and watch them shrivel up into nothing. Release yourselves from this self made prison and live the life that our Divine Father intended us to live-Happy, Joyous, and Fulfilling. We were not put on this earth to suffer-we were put on this earth to lead lives of enrichment. Live your life in balance-if you work too much, take a day off for you and really notice and give thanks for the things that bring you joy. Breathe. If you relax too much, get your butt up off the couch and get some fresh air!!! It's amazing what Oxygen does to our bodies...it's amazing the clarity we can receive when we get fresh air. If you feel your life is too noisy with the hustle and bustle of being a parent/sibling/grandparent/boss/employee/friend, escape to somewhere quiet and clear your mind. Retreat. Experience the peace within. Experience Divine Love. Change your life!!!

I am reading a great book right now....it's called "Peace Is Every Step" by Thich Nhat Hanh. I highly recommend it. Here is a small excerpt from it...

Peace is every step.
The shining red sun is my heart.
Each flower smiles with me.
How green, how fresh all that grows.
How cool the wind blows.
Peace is every step.
It turns the endless path to joy.

Advanced Reiki Training

It's time for step 3...Advanced Reiki Training. I wish to devote my life to the practice of Reiki. I want everyone I know to be blessed the way I have been blessed by Reiki.