Whitney Houston: Thank you for all you gave us

Which are your favorite Whitney Houston's songs? The playlist below contains some of my favorite ones. Some such as "One Moment in Time," "Step by Step," "The Greatest Love Of All," and " I Didn't Know My Own Strength" encourage and inspire me to keep on keeping on. Others such as "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" just make you want to get up and dance! So many beautiful, powerful, inspiring songs. Rest in peace, Whitney. The gift of you, your voice, your uplifting songs and lyrics will remain with us for years to come. Thank you.

Got marathons and Antarctica and Christine Gary on my mind

On March 7, 2010, my daughter ran the Antarctica Marathon!!! She's running a marathon in each of the 7 continents while fundraising for the educational nonprofit I presently manage, ChildrenComeFirst.com. Those who donate to this cause will receive a tax deductible receipt from CCF and will be part of Christine's 7-continent runs as she'll put donors' names on the shirt she'll wear while running them.

I've always encouraged young people to reach for the stars. It's wonderful to see my own daughter doing just that. As she mentions in her website, she's an average young woman attempting extraordinary goals. If you'd like to sponsor her, all donations received are tax-deductible and will go towards the educational work of CCF. A portion of each donation will be sent to Oceanites by CCF.

I'd LOVE for you to pass the word around!!! If you want to use the image of Christine's running shirt as your facebook profile picture for a few days, or digg this blog post, or email it to your friends, you can find this image and download it from: http://www.childrencomefirst.com/runwithchristine.jpg

You can have what Navy Seals and Olympic athletes have: Mission focus

Mission focus is something both Navy Seals and Olympic athletes have. It's also something each of us can use to achieve our goals. Chris Jansing, of MSNBC, showed a video clip today titled, "Navy Seals: The Science of Mental Toughness," as part of the NBC special series, "Silent Warrios: An exclusive view at the lives and the training of Navy Seals."

The documentary stood out to me because it focused on the psychological aspects of the making of a Navy Seal. It became even more interesting to me when it compared what Navy Seals and Olympic athletes have in comon, i.e., Mission focus.

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In the video Jansing tells us that, "For Seals, mental toughness is the number one indicator of sucess." That's what achieving our goals is all about. Isn't maintaining our focus on the job at hand the way to become a good student, parent, educator, athlete, writer, doctor, engineer, teacher, and even a Navy Seal or an Olympic athlete? Whatever goal we set for ourselves will require mental toughness on our part so we keep going when the going gets tough.

The key ingredient used by Navy Seals to gain this mental toughness is one that is within the reach of all of us. They choose to go through constant training challenges. Time on task. Moment after moment. Day after day. As with the Navy Seals, it's the constant training of our minds, bodies, and souls, that will allow each one of us to reach higher and go further in our own lives.

Research is backing up the idea that mental toughness is key in achieving goals. "The Navy has been doing cutting edge research on mental toughness," Jansingcontinues, "developing a written test that helps weed out candidates who aren't likely to make it thru training."

Cmdr. Eric Potterat, Naval Special Warfare Psychologist adds, "For the first time, to my knowledge, we're able to predict, from the neck up some of the science of mental toughness...Panic, fear, doubt, the minute we teach our candidates to be able to control that, their confidence goes up because they don't have the same fear response that you or I might have"

That's the key, isn't it? How many books have you read that told you the same thing? Whether it be, Hug the Monster, As a Man Thinketh, Unstopable, Dare to Win, An Enemy Called Average, or Unstoppable Women, to name just a few, the advice is the same: Do not let the molehills in your life become mountains. Bring the obstacles you're facing down to size and you'll see that you are, indeed, able to deal with them. You can work through whatever is keeping you from achieving your stated goals.

I enjoyed seeing how the research and experience that the Navy has garnered in this field is being shared with Olympic athletes. Jansingasks, "how does a Seal on a mission, how does an Olympian in a gold medal moment, make years of training come together when it counts most?" We each have our "goal medal moments" where it's up to us to stay the course or throw in the towel. It makes sense that our individual mental toughness can be a key determining factor of our success at such times.

I agree with what a US Olympic psychologist says in the video. He thinks that, "there are things that are similar in terms of how we have to be primed and ready for an elite performance opportunity." Long before the opportunity comes for us to perform at our best, we need to be ready for it.

The video shows us members of the Olympic Water Polo team going through mock drills under the Navy Seals' supervision at the Seals' base in Coronado, CA. Terry Schroeder, USA Water Polo, shares why they came, "So often the difference between winning and loosing is just a fraction. And so we were looking for whatever little piece we could grab."

Wrapping up the segment, Jansingsays that, "On the playing field and the battlefield, using mental toughness to come out on the winning side, both Seal instructors and Olympic coaches told me that what they all have in common is mission focus."

Mission Focus. Now there's a thought worth grabbing hold of, isn't it? What is it you want to become? What do you want to accomplish? How are you focusing on your goal, your mission? Take a hint from the Navy Seals and Olympic athletes and work hard at maintaining your mission focus.

No limitations: Nico and Paddy in Tu Si Que Vales

75-year old Paddy Jones and her 35 year old partner, Nico, a local dance school instructor, performed and went on to win Spain's national talent competition Tu Si Que Vales (You're really worth it). Tu Si Que Vales is the Spanish equivalent of Britain's Got Talent. To the amazement of the judges, the dance routine Paddy and Nico performed was salsa acrobatica. This is not just a salsa routine, which is hard enough in and of itself, but salsa with acrobatics in it!



CNN calls Jones, "Spain's answer to Susan Boyle." The hearts of millions were touched as we watched and listened to Susan Boyle's rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream." Boyle's new album, "hit the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart with 701,000 copies sold in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan." [CNN, 12/11/09]. Boyle's album is currently available at amazon.com.

I am a always on the lookout for inspiring and empowering instances where people break through expectations and outdo themselves. In so doing they inspire me and probably countless others to not let our circumstances stiffle and keep us in our own individual ruts.

What inspires you? What have you read or seen lately that has touched your soul and motivated you to try harder, go further, attempt more? Write back and let us know.

Talent+dedication+hard work=Girl Awesomeness!!!

I couldn't keep from tapping my feet and clapping along as I watched these girls "do their stuff." Exhilirating to watch them perform. Reminded me of my daughter when she competed in the National Cheerleading Competition in Dallas, TX. :-)
They are The Firecrackers! On their website we read they're, "a performance jump rope team made up of talented 4th-8th graders from the Kings Local School District in Ohio. Coached by Lynn Kelley, they perform across the country. Some notable past performances have been at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, a Presidential Inauguration and an appearance on The David Letterman Show."

Kids are awesome and coaches such as Lynn Kelley, that work alongside them to bring kids' awesomeness out are too. Share with me the awesomeness of kids you know. I'd love to hear about it.

Barack Obama: We are what we learn

On September 8, 2009, President Barack Obama gave a speech directly to America's students.

He spoke from Wakefield High School, Arlington, VA, as students tuned in from all across America, from kindergarten to 12th grade. I was moved as I listened to the speech, not by the inspiring stories nor the encouraging words but, rather, by the freedom his words embodied. He called students to set their own goals and go for them.

I cried when he said to the students that, "no one has written your destiny for you, because here in America you write your own destiny, you make your own future." I cried because I remember being in 6th grade in Cuba and looking around the classroom knowing what each of my classmates was going to be when they grew up not because they were writing their own destinies, but because the teacher had just finished telling them what they were going to do with the rest of their lives. They had no choice. It had been decided for them.

Here's the video and the transcript of the President's speech:


President Obama's words echoed what I believe to be true. There's no limit as to what each of us can do when we set our minds on it. Here are some of the highlights of his speech:

• Every single one of you has something that you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have the responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That's the opportunity an education can provide.
• No matter what you want to do with your life, I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it.
• You cannot drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You've got to train for it, and work for it, and learn for it...The future of America depends on you.
• If you quit on school, you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.
• The circumstances of your life, what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home, none of that is an excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude in school.
• There's no excuse for not trying. Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up. No one has written your destiny for you, because here in America you write your own destiny, you make your own future.
• Today I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education and do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending some time each day reading a book...But whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.
• The truth is, being successful is hard...And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try it.
• Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures. These people succeeded because they understood that you can't let your failures define you. You have to let your failures teach you...No one is born being good at all things. You become good at things through hard work.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness. It's a sign of strength.
• And even when you struggle, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you, don't ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country. The story of America...is about people...who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.
• So today I want to ask all of you, what's your contribution gonna be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make?
• I expect all of you to get serious this year...I expect great things from each of you. So don't let us down. Don't let your family down or your country down and most of all, don't let yourself down. Make us all proud.

In America students get to write their own destiny. In Cuba the communist government gets to write it for them. In the USA not only are we what we learn, we each get to choose what we learn in order to be who we want to be. As I listened to President Obama's speech I thanked God for the privilege of living in the good old U.S. of A.

Meeting humanitarian needs in Egypt

Regardless of what part of the world we live in, we each can do our part to make it a little better. That's what a friend dear and near to my heart, who presently lives in Egypt, has done. Elena wrote telling me of the human needs she had discovered since moving there,

"Having been in Egypt for only a short time has definitely had its share of adventure, adjustments and discoveries. One discovery that is evident all around us is the great need of funds for this region to alleviate the poverty, improve the heath care system, provide basic education for the young and so much more."

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) tells us that, "the number of poor people continues to increase as the population grows. Egypt has about 10.7 million poor people... About 80 per cent of girls are taken out of school before the age of ten to do farm work."

To do her part, Elena teamed up with CARE International and BG Energy Challenge to help meet some of these needs. An added bonus is that BP matched whatever donations were given to this particular fund raising effort. After completing the event, Elena wrote,

"To all my sponsors, Thank-you so much for your generous sponsorship in the CARE event. It was such an excellent experience and challenge for me to do the hike. There were 25 teams that participated and your contribution helped in raising over 100,000 dollars. One of the pictures below shows the estimated amount BG will be giving to CARE. Our team received the best "all ladies team" award. It really helped that we were the only all ladies team that participated. LOL. Here are some pictures of the event and our team. Love, Elena."

It's wonderful when we can have fun team-building moments while helping others less fortunate than us. I must confess that I'm not always as involved in meeting humanitarian needs as I feel I should be. But I'm trying to do what I can when I can. How about you? What humanitarian endeavors are you involved in? What organizations do you endorse and support? Write back and tell me about them.

"I Could Not Be Cuban"

I moderate a Cuban-themed group in myspace, the Cuba: Island of my heart group. Today a group member posted a link to Claudia 4 Libertad's August 13th blog titled, "I Could Never be a Cuban," where the blogger describes what being Cuban is all about and why she could not measure up to it. She honors Cubans in her writing by detailing much of what they've gone through over these past almost 50 years since Fidel Castro took over and imposed a repressive and totalitarian rule on the country. I visited the blog and have added a link to it from my page. I love the tag-line she gives her blog, "Proving that not only Cubans care about Cuba".

It is beyond belief that millions of Cubans have endure so much pain, for so long, in and out of the island. That they have survived the nightmare, and in many cases overcome it, is a testament to their indomitable spirit, the strength in the Cuban soul. That Cubans continue to stand up for what's right, even risking their lives to do it, is to be applauded and shouted from the rooftops! Highlights of Cuba's history since 1959 are covered in Claudia's blog entry. There it is. In that blog. Simply stated...and all true.

Her blog ends with the words, "I could not be Cuban because there is no better place in the world to live, in my opinion, than the United States. Cubans, sadly can no longer say that [of Cuba], since although before the revolution, the once beautiful Cuba received over one million immigrants in a thirty-two year period, Cubans will now risk their lives to leave and nobody is fleeing TO Cuba. That tells me that there are much better places to live than Cuba. If I were Cuban, knowing that would break my heart, especially if I had been around before Fidel Castro destroyed the island." I was around before Castro destroyed the island and my heart does break to see what he's done with it.

Claudia4Libertad's blog is a simple yet powerful overview of what being Cuban is about. It made me feel proud of my Cuban heritage...and happy to know that, indeed, "not only Cubans care about Cuba."

Got Marathons On My Mind

Christine Gary: 13:45:20
i ran a half marathon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ...HALF MARATHON!
Christine Gary: 13:53:18
and i was tired from the get go...like i started running and was thinking ooooh boy, this is gonna be a long run, i have no energy... haha... and it was cold

Those were the words I found on my IM window when I came to work this morning. It was my daughter sharing with me the thrill of one more practice run as she trains to run in the 111th Boston Marathon on April 16, 2007, a distance of 26 miles, 385 yards (42.195 Kilometers). She'd run 11 miles with her team members and then ran an additional 2 miles on her own to make it a half marathon.

The news that her training is right on track led me to google "Boston Marathon" and, in so doing, I landed on one of the most inspirational stories I've read in a long time. I discovered all about Team Hoyt. This is a father-son team who's now run 24 consecutive Boston Marathons. Their time? One of their marathons clocked in at 2:40:47. That's running 26.2 miles under three hours... and that with the father pushing his son who cannot walk. Watch this 7 minute video and be inspired! Team Hoyt is scheduled to run the 2007 Boston Marathon. I sent an IM to Christine, "Christine! You'll be running alongside them!" And she replied, "or faaaaaaaaaaaaar behind them."

About the Tufts University Marathon Challenge

Christine is running the 2007 Boston Marathon as a team member of The
President's Marathon Challenge at Tufts University. "Each spring for
the last four years nearly 200 Tufts students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents
and friends have taken on a dual challenge: to run the Boston Marathon and to raise funds to help support health, nutrition and fitness programs at Tufts. The participants complete the challenge under the guidance of experts from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts and Tufts sports medicine staff." [Boston Athletic Association News].

Christine and every one of the 200 marathoners with the Tufts University Marathon Challenge Team is committed to their mission: "to raise funding to support nutrition, medical, and fitness research and education at Tufts." President Bacow has a goal of raising $75,000. Christine is half way on her goal of raising $1,000. You may sponsor Christine or any of the runners in the Tufts Marathon Challenge, including President Bacow. You'll receive a tax deductible receipt from Tufts University once your gift is processed.

I was inspired today by a student, a university president and a father and son team. For each of them running The Boston Marathon is a grueling challenge but as President Bacow says, "the pain is temporary, but the pride is permanent." My heart swells with pride for each of these marathoners and the legacy they leave behind as they each run and raise funds for tremendously worthwhile causes.