Photography - magenta Iris

I spent two hours on Wednesday taking photos of roses, irises, and more.

Creativity+ Photography - Check under LINKs.

Self-Actualization - BIG GOALS

These are the major goals I'm committed to at this time:

Joy

Integrity

Balance

Flexibility with Strength

Faithfulness

Creativity

Self-Awareness

Listening

Transformation

Health - Don't starve yourself attempting to diet

Your body will just shut down to a lower energy level, and so you won’t lose weight. In fact, DON’T DIET AT ALL!!! What’s needed is a lifestyle change that will be ongoing.
Here are some suggestions:

• eat smaller portions (say 2/3 of what you do now)
• snack on fruit or vegetables
• look for low-fat foods at the grocery store
• if you go out, divide your food in 1/2 and take the other half home with you (an extra lunch for later!).
• Eat LOTS of veggies and fruits, and little of fatty or sweet foods.
• Don’t deny yourself any food, but try taking very small amounts of stuff that tastes wonderful, but isn't so good for you. Like 1/3 piece of pie. Taste it preciously, enjoy every micro-mouthful.
  

I’ve lost 21 pounds in 10 weeks and improved my health by eating healthier. You can do it, too.

See more progress on: lose weight

Estar Guars

Estar Guars
Originally uploaded by espelina.

Thursday, May 19th at midnight, the final episode of the SIX Star Wars movies premieres. I thought this foto was phuny. It's a latino version of Star Wars. May the Force be with us all!

Congratulations to 43things for winning A Webby Award!!!!!!

Click on the link above to see the Award given to The Robot Co-op for creating the best Social Networking site!!

See more progress on: Comment on 43things

Azaleas with unusual coloration

Click the title to go to the Missouri Botanical Garden

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/
Creativity+ Photography to SHARE

Self-Actualization + goal-setting: Sometimes there are goals that nest inside other goals.

I'm sure the concept of "nesting" isn't new to anyone who has Russian nesting "dolls" or had a nesting barrel toy as a kid. A Meta goal is like the biggest doll or barrel. It's the one that supersedes all others. Goals like:

• win the Nobel Peace Prize
• self-actualization
• get to Heaven

And so forth are overarching, HUGE goals. There are also Large or umbrella goals such as:

Participate more in my neighborhood.
This Large or Umbrella goal can have Sub-goals:

1. Join in the neighborhood cleanup campaign
2. Find out about community resources.
3. Find ways to help keep my neighborhood SAFE.
4. Pick up trash whenever I see it.

Each Sub-goal, then should have specific steps assigned to it.

Here's an example of a Generic, unachievable goal: Swallow the ocean

I've also heard other goals such as "Lose Weight", "Stop Procrastinating", which are just as unachievable as "Swallow the Ocean" unless they are made more specific.

Here's a more specific, achievable goal:

Swallow a bucket of seawater by the end of July, 2005 (specific deadline)

1. buy a bucket (baby steps)
2. borrow or buy a spoon. (sub-goal)
3. I'll have to swallow XX spoonfulls a day for the remaining XX weeks to meet the goal. (calculation)
4. Track my progress every Sunday afternoon. (review progress)
   

Art + Photography + Joy

Magnolia Blossoms, Tower Grove Park

Creativity+ photography (that's ME)

Joy + Music + Spirituality: Steps to take to sing the Messiah

Goal: to sing the Messiah this year with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Chorus.

Some steps:

1. print out the forms I received by Email 4/7/05
2. send or take in the forms 4/9/04
3. schedule the audition 4/9/04
4. prepare a vocal work from memory for the audition
5. If I don’t make the cut, try to get feedback about what I need to improve
6. re-evaluate whether or not the time, effort, and cost for vocal lessons is worth the goal of singing with the Symphony orchestra.

Health + Transformation - Hints about Quitting Smoking

If you need help to Quit Smoking, here are some suggestions from 19 different people, who have DONE IT. One person trying to Quit Smoking asked for help, and this is what they got: Talk about getting support!!! I thought the suggestions were so kind and helpful. Click the title to see them.

See more progress on: Quit Smoking

World Vision + Editorial + St. Louis -- remember Recycling?

Do you remember when you were a kid in school, and got so excited about recycling programs? I don't know how it is where you live, but here's how it is in St. Louis:

• Across the Mississippi river in E. St. Louis, there is a landfill that has grown to the size of Cheop's Pyramid.
• The landfill is right across from the pre-Columbian "Cahokia Mounds", an early native Pyramid. They're thinking of re-naming them the "Cahokia cupcakes" because they look so small by comparison.
• The landfill reached this size in only 10-15 years. Hmmm.. . . Math, anyone?
• What are archaeologists going to find about us in a thousand years? That we expired under a mountain of refuse?
• We have a wonderful curbside recycling pickup service weekly. Cost? $25.00 a year (think less than 2 quarters a week.)
• On my street, there are 42 families. And only ONE family recycles. That's 2.3% of my street, which I think is pathetic.
• Only a small part of what we use is allowed for recycling: type 1 and 2 plastic, cans, aluminum, and glass. The trash pickup allows for the recycling of yard waste at no expense. Naturally, people subvert that effort by putting TRASH in with yard waste.

I'm really discouraged. Can anybody cheer me up? Does anybody else recycle?

Self-Actualization + Ecology + Generosity - Freecycling

Thanks to my friend Beth for this tip!!!

Generosity is a lot of fun. All I am was given to me. All I have can best be used to serve others, If I'm not using it. I'm finding it easier and easier to just give things away. There's also a group that's new to me call "Freecycling" It's a really cool idea. St. Louis happens to have one of the strongest local chapters. Here's their website voted one of PC magazines "top 100 sites you cannot live without"
http://freecycle.org/ As soon as I become a member, I'll take this goal off my list!!

See more progress on: be more generous

Joy -- Happy Furry Friday

Happy Furry Friday
Originally uploaded by mimbrava.

For my sister Beth, who loves cats.

Music + self-actualization - I have the tools I need now. . .

To start on making my own musical CD(s).

• cakewalk Homestudio XL - software to edit music tracks
• a Creative Labs SB Audigy 2 ZL - a card for my computer that allows me to record
• a lot of material - though some is ancient
• two microphones - I’d like to upgrade these
• time - but I’m concentrating on photography at the moment
• DVD-CD burner
• label maker and CD thinline cases, for the finishing touches.
  

So I should be able to get started.

Photography + Fun - Titled "My favorite" by thynkyr

My favorite
Originally uploaded by thynkyr.

The juxtaposition of the "binky" or pacifier with the formal attire of a wedding, and the empty glass of orange juice is wonderful. The pristine child's face peeking out of a field of grays is nicely balanced.

Self-actualization - I'm living passionately, but my balance goal is slipping

During the last month, I’ve been passionate about these things:
goal setting, development, and mutual encouragement, at 43things.
photography: taking photos, posting on flickr.com, receiving praise, and finding inspiration at every turn.
BLOGGING. It’s self-expression in a third way. My two BLOGS are keeping me writing creatively, and it’s FUN
43things has helped me focus and concentrate on the passions that are important to me. The ability to sort the goals in order (reordering) is very valuble.

My current problem is this: I’m living a fairly passionate life, but I’m neglecting things that are needed for balance. Things like, exercise, gardening, meditation, housekeeping, cooking, and more.
I’ve got to figure out how to maintain passion and balance at the same time. Where does passion end and obsession begin?.

Transformation + Humor -- The first thing to do is KNOW your ENEMY

Many books tell us that to change something, we first have to know it intimately, and pay attention to it. As a “pseudo-scientific” way of doing this, I decided to track photographically how my messes accumulate. Flat sufaces seem to be part of the problem. For what I’ve documented so far, see my pictures at by clicking on the Title above:

See my progress on: get rid of all my clutter

Art + Photography -- Guitarra - Guitar

Guitarra
Originally uploaded by cindylu.

This lovely photo is from one of my friends on flickr.com - cindylu. She's latino american. I love her SETs of photos about Mexico, and Colors.
Las photographias de Mazatlan, De Colores, y Guanajuato son bellisimas!

See more at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cindylu/

World Vision -- Today was Earth Day in St. Louis

I volunteered to help for 3 hours with an organization that takes donated computers, fixes them, and gives the PC to underprivileged youth. If they can’t be fixed, they recycle them, so they don’t end up in a landfill. I probably won’t we working with them, because they’re about 35-40 minutes from where I live. I had fun. Some people dropped off old lawnmowers, fans, and radios. The term computer was enlarged to be more inclusive! More photos are on my flickr.com page http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestrated1/sets/291434/
We filled four semi-trailers FULL.

See more progress on: Volunteer or click on the Title to see more about EarthDay, St. Louis.