0 I am but a child

Many a times the most precious gifts come in "packages" we weren't expecting. We always want more...no matter how much we have. And there’s nothing wrong with having more, as long as you don’t harm others in your pursuit.

But how about appreciating the silly little gifts life has given us?

Call me a hoarder if you want, I have a big plastic box filled with the silliest things.

All gotten from people with huge loving hearts...young and old.

I got engaged, ladies and gentlemen. And of course I added the ring to the collection. It is the most beautiful ring someone has ever given to me. I mean, really, you should see the stone in it...it's simply breathtaking...

Words are not enough to tell you...I'm one of the most blessed women of the earth!

(p.s the stone blinks with a red light when you bend your finger. Sorry I couldn't catch that on camera). Don't be jealous ladies...don’t be jealous!

Hahaha, FINE! it's just a ring I got from my niece and nephew the other day. And my heart really smiles every time I remember the excitement in their voices when asking me to guess what my gift was.

Nope, it wasn't my birthday, it wasn't any special occasion, i just got home from work...tired as ever and I got a pink plastic ring with a flashing red light... JUST BECAUSE...

And this is not the first time... I have all the silliest gifts from my babies;

·         a handmade get well soon card from Nhomies,

·          a drawing of a Sunday school (and also an I love you written on the whiteboard in my room) by Giliani,

·         Genesis' name handwritten by himself with colorful pencils and also a person he drew on a big sheet and

·         "money" from Nheiyo (don't tell anybody it's nothing but two mud covered stones).

I also have handwritten letters from the little bro, asking me to come sleep in his room...from waaaayy back...complete with a drawing of our family and his 'signature' on the bottom.

I have empty candy wraps...which were supposed to symbolize a beautiful picture of me, I have leaves, a 'curious George' bandage ...you name the silly gift and I probably have it (and love it).

Perhaps you laughed, or maybe this reminds you of silly gifts you might have gotten as well.

One thing is true...if we could only see the world through a child's eyes again...we'd see that living shouldn't necessarily be as complicated as we make it sometimes.

Yes, we grownups have responsibilities a child doesn't even dream of. We don't have time for silly things you might say. Or, that it's all a waste of time and energy.

On the other hand, take life too serious and you might realize right at the end of your days that you haven't enjoyed the drops of happiness life has served you in the silly. So why don't we loosen up a little? Have a little fun, enjoy the silly (sometimes even nonsensical) things in life.

There's so much we can learn from life if we'd see the world through a child's eyes, thou (of course) with the knowledge we have today.

·    Be Creative!  Children are mega creative. They can create a whole world while playing...merely in their little heads. To the childrens'creativity, there is no boundaries, no impossibilities. They believe just anything is possible...an in the end, who says it isn't so.

·    Have Fun! I've played an unknown board game with my nephew of three the other day. Only (and I mean only) using stones. No rules, no board, no nothing...even the dice was a stone. And we had FUN. Sit down and watch children at play sometime...it is a moment of supreme joy. The child within wants to play a little...let it out!

·    Love HUGE! A child's love is the most beautiful and pure kind of love out there. Even when you get mad at them this minute...and the next thing you know, you get one of the cutest handwritten apologies or a simple hug that melts your anger away.

·    Over think?? NAAAHH!!; Children believe in the impossible, they don't attach any boundaries to their dreams, and they are willing to travel wherever their imagination wants to take them.

·    Playtime!! Do you remember how mad you could get when you were in the middle of a fun game and your parents called you?  (AAARGH MOM..Not now). What if I tell you, you can get playful as much as you want now? Yup...LIFE, LAUGH...ENJOY

You know? Age doesn't really define how old we truly are... And I'm not talking about the physical of course. But WE decide the ultimate age of our souls!!!

Our attitude, our approach to life, our thoughts, our heart and spirits...such things determine much more than our age. They determine what we do and don't achieve. They determine whether we dare to take risks or not. They determine the way we approach relationships and even the way we perceive ourselves.

Age is just a number, if somewhere in your heart you're holding on to that silly little child inside.

The child that gets a giggling attack for the most unexplained reasons. The child that can invent the most delicious cakes with mud, that child that sees the world through a glass of immeasurable possibilities. The child that is willing to take on any adventure at all. The child that dreams... and believes. Yes believes that

·         “superheroes” exist in real life (aha, they do. They just don’t wear super suits. My mom for instance is an awesome one. And I know a few more),

·         love can conquer,

·         there is still good in the world (starting in YOUR heart),

·         you can be anything you set their minds to be (yup...ANYTHING) and...

·         anything is possible.

Hold on...Hold on tight to that playful, beautiful, awesome child within.

I'm not asking you to go through your everyday activities leaping like a little child, I’m just asking you to not lose contact with the little child in you.

The plea is to believe immeasurably, to dream big, to pursue without getting tired, to love more, to do without over thinking...to live your life fully

It's one of the most rejuvenating experiences ever; to get in touch with that inner child every now and then. C'mon...there's nothing shameful about that! You have nothing to lose...

You know, Just saying...

0 Day 10; WEIGHT and see

SO, last Saturday was the first weigh in after the start of this 40 days weight loss challenge...

I'm that type of a person who normally feels it (physically) when I've lost weight. You know, I feel altogether lighter!
But last Saturday I simply did not know what to expect. I guess it was all due to the ever present muscle pain and some light bloating thanks to the upcoming shark week.

"6:45am at SDK... BE ON TIME!", said the trainer on Friday night, "and bring a fruit or something to eat thereafter, cause we're having boot camp!"
(SHEEEEZZZ...seriously?!?! THAT early on a Saturday morning???)

YYYYUP!!!

But when you truly want something, you'd go for it no matter what, right? All the way...
So there I was last Saturday, right on time!! And... (Sy does a weird happy dance here)... I've lost a total of 3.7 Kgs already!!!!! WHOOOOOHHOOOOOTTT!!!

AHA! And I also survived boot camp. Even if that meant to sprint with my last strength, kicking the sneakers off and keep on sprinting, squat, jump and staying breathless and shaking thereafter. (Read: boot camp was the harshest hours of training in the past week. SOME SERIOUSLY SEVERE TRAINING; to my humble opinion) But, I survived!

So, here we stand, at the beginning of week # 2...with blisters on my toes and sore muscles that just won’t ease up. Besides that all, today I feel HUNGRY! I'm seriously craving FOODDDD. I guess I have shark week to thank therefore too...
But I'm determined to absorb as much of the positivism as possible from this experience. So chill out, I'm not cheating! I'm going to behave...

Signing out in wait for lunchtime :)


A slightly lighter Sy!

0 The lost massa report

In one of my first blog posts I stated about my weight loss journey. And yes, I’m still working on it.

Sometimes the going is very easy and the motivation is sky high. But at other times not even the most motivational article online won’t do the trick. Nope, not even the colleague who tells you that you’ll gain 11 pounds if you eat THAT.

I’ve learned thou, through trial and error, that it takes a good control of that switch in the mind that makes you eat excessively, unhealthy or just wrong.
I am by nature a stress-eater; meaning that I’m used to suppress stress by eating. (Read: indulging my senses; sometimes to in an uncontrollable manner). And not to mention my harsh PMS knock downs. Stressed states and PMS, for me, normally goes paired with chocolate, chips (and dips), sweets, ice cream and junk food. 
So, in the battle for a new lifestyle, between my overindulgent self and my (now) more self conscious self, I had to find another way to deal.
And I guess you’d expect me to say that I’ve found the formula, right? Well, yes...and no!
After months of travelling the weight loss lane I have one conclusion. There is actually no super formula to the cravings for something totally satisfying when you’re wired with stress or having PMS.
The cravings will come!
And the way to deal is to have control on the mental switch that says “GO AHEAD,...satiate your wanting!!!”  and the other switch that deliberately tells you “No,...not now!”.
In other words, it’s all in the mind!!

I still get cravings. (MAYOR CRAVINGS). And I’ve managed to strengthen my mental switch quite well and can (most of the times) silent the need to gratify. Besides, I have found healthier ways to pace down the need for snacking (to mention an example. Peanuts (especially almonds), raisins or simply a good fruit juice often does it for me.
Everyone should experiment with the healthy choices and find their favorites.
At other times I DO succumb to my cravings for a good, juicy and fat burger for example; or simply a creamy chocolate bar. Of course, if I need to make this my new lifestyle in order to lose and maintain a healthy weight, I won’t be able to do a lifetime without sir!!! So I occasionally do give in... but the key is, not to overdo.

So far, I’ve lost 46 pounds (20,8 kgs) and I’ve lost track of the overall centimeters lost. Losing the extra weight feels absolutely great. You feel more comfortable in your skin, gorgeous and super self-confident.
People will soon start noticing and giving you compliments on the new you. (Even thou you have to watch out not to let those compliments boost you into allowing yourself to eat more than you should).
But the best part of it all is when YOU start noticing all the differences... It’s an achievement YOU made. And that’s such an awesome feeling! You can be sooooo proud of yourself for it...

I still have more losing to do. I’m aiming for another 44 ponds (20kgs), but most people told that much is not necessary. So we’ll see what it’ll be!  
My dietician told me I’ve reached my so called “stubborn fat”. And well ironically my friends sometimes tell me I can be quite stubborn myself. So, let’s see who wins this stubbornness battle...

Will occasionally keep you posted on the warfare updates =)

3 Get a tune up!

By this time of the year, many of us would have forgotten about all thebeautifulgoals, promises and resolutions we had at the beginning of the year.
We go about, living our own life, minding our own business and forgetting or lazy-ing out towards what started as a goal. Just the old self!

Often times, just to start yet another year, when this one ends, solemnly promising and wishing to work on the same resolutions and goals as u were meant to the year before.

Take this as a nudge,… Get your resolutions in tune. There’s still plenty of time to make them happen…START RIGHT NOW!

"This year,

Mend a quarrel.

Seek out a forgotten friend.

Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust.

Write a letter.

Give a soft answer.

Encourage youth.

Manifest your loyalty in word and deed.

Keep a promise.

Forgo a grudge.

Forgive an enemy.

Apologize.

Try to understand.

Examine your demands on others.

Think first of someone else.

Be kind.

Be gentle.

Laugh a little more.

Express your gratitude.

Welcome a stranger.

Gladden the heart of a child.

Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth.

Speak your love and then speak it again."

~Howard W. Hunter

May this new week be filled with joy, challenges and victories

0 W-end booster!

I think this small inspirational text should serve as a beautiful reminder all through our lives; that we can actually take courage and stop avoiding possible obstacles...

HAVE YOURSELF A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!!


"When I was a Boy Scout, we played a game when new Scouts joined the troop. We lined up chairs in a pattern, creating an obstacle course through which the new Scouts, blindfolded, were supposed to maneuver. The Scoutmaster gave them a few moments to study the pattern before our adventure began. But as soon as the victims were blindfolded, the rest of us quietly removed the chairs. I think life is like this game. Perhaps we spend our lives avoiding obstacles we have created for ourselves and in reality exist only in our minds. We're afraid to apply for that job, take violin lessons, learn a foreign language, call an old friend, write our Congressman - whatever it is that we would really like to do but don't because of personal obstacles. Don't avoid any chairs until you run smack into one. And if you do, at least you'll have a place to sit down."
~Pierce Vincent Eckhart

2 Chronicle # 2....The Weight Loss Crusade

I figured the second (actual) post had to be something,….uhm,…catchy. 
But in the end I guess that doesn’t really matter..... as long as I express myself huh?

What’s on my mind? The title says it all...WEIGHT LOSS!! 

Hi, My name is Sy and I’m a stress-eater.... and I’ve gained a LOT of weight during the past 5 years (read, ever since I starting working). 

So I’ve been struggling, year in year out, with the weight trying to get it back to where it was. But up until now, I went through nothing but a bothersome circle of loosing some, gaining more!

At the end of 2010 I spoke to myself yet again,....just like I've done the years before, and reassured that changes needed to be made, PRESTO! But only this time,...I had determined with my mind, mi heart and all my strength that I'd work hard...towards this (not so unknown) goal.
So I would literally work my TOOSHIE off in 2011,….I’m not going to start 2012 with the same goal once more….WEIGHT LOSS!

So far so good,…lost like (gets a converter online) 30,87 pounds to date….but temptation’s increasing and the fight is getting harder. Incorporating more movement of the body and less hand-to-mouth movement isn't exactly a piece of cake.

I have to say thou, that I have two amazing friends (D & P) and a lovely mother who supports and encourages me all the way. Am I grateful for having them in my life...

AND hell no,….the fight's not over yet;.... for everybody struggling with WEIGHT LOSS out there…YES WE CAN!

Struggling with weight problems? tell me how you do...

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