Great start

Good morning!

Today is going to be a great day. I started it by doing one of my favorite things - running. There is absolutely nothing like a good run! Today I did a quick 4-mile run and was able to enjoy the opening of the day, the beautiful sunrise, listening to the birds singing and just hear the sound of my sneakers hitting the pavement. My mind was free and clear, not too much to bombard it, no negative thoughts, just me, myself and I.


Running is something I would have ever thought I would love so much since I hated it when I was growing up and even as I played Division 1 volleyball, but I love it so much. I dont know if it is the fact that I can challenge myself to either set a time or distance goal, the sound and rhythm of sneakers hitting the pavement, or the feeling of euphoria when you are finished. I really do experience that runners high and seek it more and more after every run.


Time to start looking for some 5K races to participate in over the next few weeks!

Now I am ready to start the day. Lots of positive vibes.

Make it a GREAT day!
Yellow Bird

Never give up...

Ok so Yellow Bird is back.

I wanted to give up on the blogging but I decided that I didnt even give it a fair chance, so I am back and with some encouragement from some of you...who dont follow but left notes, I am going to give this blogging another chance.

After all, perseverance is a good thing and practice makes perfect. Again, I dont know what to expect from the blog but hey, some risks are worth it.

June is a time to jump into the summer and I think that I will start with upping my run so I am back in shape to do another 1/2 marathon or 2 this summer, and I also want to pick back up my reading so if you could recommend some good summer reads (no sci-fi, thrillers, mysteries), I would welcome them.

So here's to June, a new month, a new attitude and some risks!
If you want to see where this journey goes, follow me, I would be grateful!
Be blessed.

Yellow Bird

Now or never....

OMG! With as much excitement that I approached this blog, I have experienced as much frustration..perhaps I dont know what I am doing. But it is too late to continue to try to make this work...I need simple and not complex...So off to sleep...Dont know if I will be back...

Labels....

Ok, so I am a vegetarian – not vegan – since I love dairy (particularly ice cream) and brownies, cake, pastries but I don’t eat meat.

Now I have a colleague who claims to be vegetarian and is very picky – or appears to be – sometimes going to the extent of preparing her own meals if we have catered lunch meetings. I totally understand that especially those with food allergies, pro-animal rights or whatever reason chosen to live the vegetarian lifestyle. HOWEVER, what I have an issue with is the fact that she calls herself vegetarian, but eats turkey EVERY Thanksgiving Day!!!!

I understand that it may only be once a year but the fact that you deliberately eat turkey on that day and then for the week to follow, you are not truly a vegetarian, and shouldn’t use that label. However, I am sure there are others who would say that there are some vegetarians who may not eat meat but indulge in the delicacies of fish – pescetarian – but the semi-vegetarian (my label for her) is what she is, if she should even be consider being called a vegetarian at all.

Oh well…like I said, I have an opinion on lots of things…that is just one example….

But if you have a great vegetarian – no meat/fish ingredients please – recipes, please feel free to share…and if you like what you see here, please follow me…I would love to meet you!

Thruthebirdseye

Yellow Bird!

DANCE!

So the bumper sticker encourages us to dance as though no one is watching!

Sounds so natural, well if you love to dance. But if you don’t, you take a twist at it and do it anyway….afterall, no one is watching!

Today I received an email from a former student who I had not been in touch with for about 3 years that I just wanted to share it with you….I hope they don’t mind me sharing, but how will they know! 

Any identifying information has been omitted and replaced with the words in brackets without compromising the content of the original email.

Hello [Yellow Bird] LOL

I surely hope you remember me!

You’ve run across my mind several times in the past months and I’ve decided it was time to reach out. Wishing you well; I’m sure nothing has changed and you’re doing great.

My younger brother D woke up in January of 2010 with lung cancer (he was a nonsmoker), and fought for 6 months until he lost his fight. It’s taken me a while, but I’ve regained the mental and emotional stability to continue on with my life. Dealing with loss, I’ve focused on all the other major ups and downs in my life and how I’ve arrived at this very point right now. I can’t help but think about being [so close to failing out of school] but focusing and graduating with [a degree]; my final semester I was only a handful of points from straight A’s! When I think about how different my life would be had I flunked out and remained out of school, I think of you every time.

I don’t know what it was way back in 2003 [when we first met]that made me stand out, but until the summer of 2008 when I finally graduated, you were more than [an instructor]. I never felt like you were just another adult that pushed me along. Your firm words and direct personality are just what I needed as I went from an outstanding high school student to a lazy undergrad. Without your real talk, your guidance, your help, I would have ended up on my mom’s couch thinking of how much better my life would be had I gotten out of bed for my 8am’s.

I needed to email you and thank you for being a big part of why I got back on track. After graduating with my [Bachelors Degree in $%$# and a minor in #$#$], I’ve done a little modeling, I’ve been at [major sports company] for 3 years doing live in-game statistics and analysis, and I’m now at [a Fortune 500 company] systems working my way up. I work 19 hours a day, 6 days a week and most importantly I’m happy. I know you’ve dealt with thousands of students over the years and by now, 3 years later, I may have become just another student (no disrespect), but to me you were never just another school employee. I’m working two jobs, supporting myself and my family during a trying time, moving up with promise of future success at two Fortune 500 companies, and getting into grad school to pursue a Master’s in School Counseling, and it all started with the multiple kicks in the pants you gave me during my 5 years in [location of school].

As I look back at the loss of my brother, my dear friend CS who died in a car accident last year, and 9 other loved ones in a span of just 9 months, God has turned my head in the direction of my many blessings. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your help in getting me where I am today.

Have a great day!

[Signed Former Student]

After reading this email, it brought a smile to my lips and warmth to my spirit.  Then I remember that though no one may see or understand the work that I do on a daily basis, I need to continue to be ME. Not to think about what I do when others are watching, but to do what I know I should do – all in the best interest of EACH INDIVIDUAL I encounter! To do so because it is fair, because it is right, because every person deserves my best so they can reach their own full potential. So I will dance, I will dance/teach/mentor/encourage/coach/train as though no one is looking and not looking for anything else in return but to develop the BEST in the person I am working with at that moment.

Random Thought

How can you be in a crowded place and feel so alone

With visions, thoughts and cares all your own

How can you know your thoughts are pure

Where no one else sees they’re so obscure

Should you share, but will they care

Should you tell, or be banished to hell

Can you be loved and not know it at all

Until it rocks you to and fro to a crushing fall

To look and gaze upon a beautiful face

And to wonder if it is indeed a safe place

Should you accept and hinge on a bet

Should you refuse and move on to what’s next

How can you know except you let go, release and express….

I'm Back!

Hello everyone, well the few of you following me at this time…I appreciate you.

First, I need to apologize for the tardy posts, but I have been ill for the past few days. I was feeling light headed and had some nasal congestion that kept me a bit under the weather. I am doing much better today but it is amazing the kind of thoughts that go through your mind when you are ill or perhaps have nothing else to do but be alone with your thoughts.

I mentioned in my bio-sketch that I am in my mid thirties, but I didn’t mention that I am also single. Yes, single and not dating, but that is another blog for another time. LOL. So as I lay in my bed, it occurred to me that if I were ever to be deathly ill, (or just need some orange juice or over the counter meds) it could possibly take days before anyone called or even showed up to see if I were still alive. You may ask how is that possible so I guess I should explain. I am currently living in a state where I have absolutely no family. The closest family member (including parents and siblings) is about 3 hours away and all of my best friends are at least that far away as well.  And I really cant say I have people around who would notice that I was absent for a few days barring perhaps the people I see in the gym when I work out and the people I work with on a daily basis. That is pretty sad. I am realizing that I don’t have very many so-called friends that I surround myself with on a regular basis. And I am sure that could be another blog. But hey it is my reality. I guess once the ‘rents (parents) don’t hear from me, then they will realize that something is wrong….body would have been rotting by then, but oh well.

See? Too many thoughts….

Until the next blog….call someone you haven’t in a long time just to say hey or to say you are thinking about them. And guess what? If you don’t want to talk to them, you could just text them! Isn’t technology great?

Take care,

Yellow Bird

BTW: I need to get this blog looking a little more fancy, huh? SMH!