Monday, May 10, 2010

One stroke at a time

Roz Savage and Margo Pelligrino are inspiring women.
Both have taken on extraordinary challenges to help bring
attention to the state of the oceans. Both are, I hope, forcing
people to think about what each and every one of us are
doing to play our parts.

Roz Savage quit a career as a business consultant after
realizing that the obituary that would be written about
her wasn't true to who she felt she was. She has now
rowed across the Atlantic Ocean and is presently rowing
across the Pacific Ocean. That's right, rowing across
the Oceans alone. You might want to check out Roz's
talk on www.TED.com.

Margo Pellegrino is the mother of 2 young Children. She decided
that she had to teach her kids what is important by example.
She couldn't just talk about the "right things" to do. Margo
has paddled her outrigger canoe from Miami to Maine and from
Florida to New Orleans to bring attention to the state of the
Oceans. This year Margo is going to paddle from Seattle to
San Diego.

Both these heroic women are making a difference one stroke
at a time. Both setting amazing examples and calling us to
task. How can you change your life? How can you change
your habits or your way of thinking? As Roz said so eloquently
"one stroke at a time", that's how you row across an ocean.
That's how you make the changes in your life you'd like to make.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Surfing makes it better

To take a line from James Brown "I feel good"!
I've been able to surf for the past few mornings.
The waves weren't at all epic, in fact, they were actually
pretty small. To be perfectly honest, I needed my 9'6"
and/or my SUP to even catch waves. On set they were
barely thigh high, but I had a blast and the fun little morning
sessions with my good friends have served to set up my days.

No real surprise that my mood is better and the day goes
by faster when I start it off with a session in the water. I'm
not exactly sure what causes it, what makes the difference.
Perhaps it's those endorphins that make me feel good.
Maybe it's the opportunity to burn off some of those
stress chemicals that makes me feel so content, so happy
and at ease after a surf. Maybe it's being in the ocean and seeing
the beauty all around me. I'm not exactly sure. All I know
is that my life has been kind of stressful for the past few weeks
and I feel better when I surf.

What do you do each day that helps make you feel better,
helps you deal with stress? Surfing sure makes me feel better.


Saturday, May 1, 2010

First hints of summer

It happened today! Every spring it is guaranteed
to happen at some point. Today was a warm, sunny,
summer like day. The kind of day when things just seem
right. Finally, we got a taste of things to come. A taste of summer.

There were people on the beaches in bathing suits sitting
in beach chairs and under beach umbrellas. Despite the
barely knee high surf there were more surfers in the water
than conditions warranted. Today was the day the grooms
went in the ocean wearing poorly fitting 3 mil wet suits without
boots or gloves. Sure they didn't really last too long but they
were surfing. They had fun.

The streets were filled with runners, bike riders and walkers.
First Night in Asbury Park was crowded and people were happy.
A taste of summer. A taste of things to come.

Amazing how a little preview of something good like summer,
can lift the spirits of so many. Knowing that things will get better helps
us all. It's good to know for sure, good to feel it, to actually
experience it.

Know, no matter how cloudy, dark, drab, or down life may seem,
things can get better. Summer does come. It sure is nice
to actually get an early taste to remind us, to keep our spirits
up. Now if we could just get some surf to go along with the
summer weather things might even seem perfect.