The Blue Grotto

I want the focus of my blog to be the sub-title, even if it is a little bit long and abstract. Cheers to challenge.

Take comfort, the power you need to pursue your greatest passions is already inside of you.

So, as you can see, I've changed the format of my blog. The picture is from my trip to the Island of Capri on the Amalfi Coast. Friends and I took a ferry ride to the Blue Grotto, a cave along the coast. One to three people then fit into small very small rowboats (think The Little Mermaid, while Kiss the Girl is playing...or The Notebook). You must lie down in the boat to pass through the small opening into the cave with the boat.

The sunlight passes through the seawater and the small opening, giving the water inside the cave this magnificent blue color in the darkness of the cave. Take comfort, the power you need to pursue your greatest passions is already inside of you.

PS I have a video of us getting into the cave. I'll post it next time I have my computer!

Pre-Game Gradeschool Prayer

The following is an excerpt from the Diocese of Pittsburgh memo on the role of sports in Catholic schools...

"All Catholic School activities must begin with both teams coming together for prayer in the middle of the court or field. The following prayer is to be said by the home coach or player.

Dear Lord,
You have blessed us with many gifts and talents.
We thank you especially for the ability to participate in sports today.
Help us play in a Christ like manner.
Help us to play in a way that fosters good will and teamwork.
Help us play to the best of our abilities.
Win or lose we hope to have fun, make friends and celebrate life.
Amen"

I remember having to say this prayer before basketball games at my small Catholic grade school. It was just something we did, like classrooms saying the pledge of allegiance.

I was strangely reminded of having to say this specific prayer through gradeschool when my youngest brother (who just started at my Catholic high school and went to the same gradeschool) added me on facebook. I had to chuckle when I saw his information...

Age, 14
Sex, Male
Relationship Status, Single
Political Views, Republican
Religious Views, Christian-Catholic

So much of who we are, especially at the age we start high school, is taught to us in our homes, families, and schools. The things we learn, (example saying this prayer before games and my little brothers republican political affiliation at the age of 14), are the building blocks of who we are going to become... the things that we bring to the table when while we are figuring out who we are out in a bigger world. I don't say this prayer before games, but I hold the values it taught me. The values it professes hold true beyond Catholic Doctrine, anyways. And so, I'm glad I said it all of those years.

Inspired Jewelry

"Soul, spirit, search, faith, harmony, hope, balance, inspire, trust, dream, endure, love, peace, love, faith, balance, inspire, search, soul."

Walking to turn in my rent check in Shadyside at the end of summer, I stumbled upon a jewlery sale. I'm not always one to take advantage of a yard sale. Don't get me wrong, I'm strangely interested in people's old things... But I hate the awkwardness of the people selling their stuff watching you appraise their things and deciding whether you are interested or not...

It was a beautiful last summer day and I decided to stop.

The Beatles were playing and I realized that under thetent in the front yard, the tables were filled with jewlery. Only jewlery. This family collects the jewlery for the entire year, and then sells it in their front yard once a year during the Shadyside festival. Everything is sold for $2 the first day, $1 the second and third day. They aren't doing it for profit. They said, they do it for the community. Anyways, the words at the top are the etched into the metal bracelet a bought there, among other things. In a small way, it keeps you centered when you are late for work, forget your umbrella, and your bannana explodes in your purse in the middle of the confusion. Damn bannana.

"Soul, spirit, search, faith, harmony, hope, balance, inspire, trust, dream, endure, love, peace, love, faith, balance, inspire, search, soul."

Smile because...

Everday is the start of something beautiful.

Listen to it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_as3ntBxgs

"There's a joke that calorie restriction may or may not extend your life, but it will most assuredly make your life feel longer."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/magazine/11Calories-t.html

"Passionate Life"

I was looking for a photo, googling images of abstract ideas - my search for peace and grace returned Dove women in their underwear, "power" turned up windmills, "passion" turned of images of Chirst in a crown of thorns and people going at it on the beach, "passionate life" turned up this image- which links to this blog much like my own... http://www.thecalmspace.com/2008/04/thespace-passion/

Prelude to Expectation and Gratitude

Here is some food for thought...

Can you have a genuine selfless ambition that seems to constantly fail?

I'm pulling out The Secret.

Okay, so think of it what you will, but I am pulling out The Secret, the Oprah phenomenon.

The basic rule of the secret is that life returns to you what you put into it. That is in part why American's believe in hard work, not so far fetched. The Secret, however, gets a little bit more mystical- whatever energies you project into the universe will likewise be returned to you.

According to Maya Angelou,

"Love life, engage in it, give it all you've got. Love it with a passion, because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it."

According to The Secret, love is the most powerful energy you can send into the world. "As you radiate love, it will appear as though the entire universe is doing everything for you, moving everything joyful thing to you, and moving every good person to you. The truth is, it is."

Perhaps this is why they say "love finds you where you are." ( as a post script, I'm not talking about romantic love, although that is part of it. Love of life, of self, and of others is most important. A significant other falls into the "others category", being a larger component of it, like your family and close friends would.)

So Happy Together

Both of these people survived cancer. Their son has cancer. Still, they look pretty happy.

(The following is an excerpt from the May 2009 PPG article.)

Bob Fescemyer has been the mayor of Oakmont since 2005, and is running again. He was unopposed on the Democratic side in Tuesday's primary, and will face Republican Patrick Dolan in the general election.

Mr. Fescemyer, 67, is distinctive in many other ways.

One distinction, however, isn't pleasant: the high incidence of cancer in his family and that of his wife, the Christmans.

Judy and Bob Fescemyer are cancer survivors themselves. Their son, Michael, has advanced prostate cancer.

All four of Bob and Judy's parents had cancer, three of them dying from it. And Bob and Judy each have had a sibling with the disease.

But another way Mr. Fescemyer stands out is the combination of courage, activism and acceptance with which he plays the unfair hand he's been dealt.

"We take it day by day," he said of himself and his family. "Over the years, we've found that's the best approach."

Being active in the fight against cancer is one way Mr. Fescemyer said he copes with the huge role the disease has played in his life.

"At times, the feelings of helplessness can get to you," he said. "It's important to feel like you're doing something that might really make a difference."

Check out this entire article at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09141/971486-56.stm#ixzz0TlEZR3LI

Double Hand Transplant, May 2009

I've mentioned that I like papers. Not just reading online, but the physical paper, because I can save articles etc. The following are photos that I saved when I subscribed to the PPG. This is from an article about a double hand transplant. "A miracle in their grasp," the caption reads. This is he and his wife's favorite painting, Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam." The hands in the painting are so remarkable because although the hands are not touching, the there is a sense of power and energy in the space between them. Jeff Kepner, the man in the picture, is most looking forward to holding his daughters hand.

Inspiring article at...
http://post-gazette.com/pg/09125/967691-53.stm

Okay, one more.

Waiting for a friend I hadn't seen since traveling in Italy in 2007, I stumbled into Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. The Church was rebuilt after the Chicago fire in the 1800's and this past February, there was another fire that destroyed parts of the roof. She was taking a long time and people were filtering in for mass, so I figured- I have a marathon tomorrow, why not?

During the homily, the priest began talking about holy life in terms of a marathon. You don't just wake up and decide to run, you dedicate yourself over a period of time. During certain miles, you are going to hurt like hell and be all alone with your mp3 player, but God will be there to carry you through. God is preparing your heart for something much like you have been preparing your body.

So.. he calls all of those planning to run the marathon in the morning up to the sanctuary. He was expecting 20-25. Nearly half of the packed cathedral got up, flooding the sanctuary. He had planned to give Holy Cards out to each of us, but ran out. "Um, this isn't Holy Communion. We Can't break these cards in half," the usher chuckled. Think loaves and fishes! I wanted to respond.

I was amazed to see the number of runners in church. I'm talking attractive runners. The mass I stumbled upon definitely helped prepare me for the marathon.

Last marathon related post, I promise

Okay, so you all will be reading back-posts, as I have had a lot of trouble not having the internet. I got in from Chicago last night. The Chicago Marathon was yesterday morning.

26.2 miles is sort of nuts, I admit.

Why keep doing it? Because all of these people have trained and worked hard to complete the run together, family and friends cheering, often for reasons bigger than themselves.

I nearly cried when I saw an older man with a strapped attached to a younger man's hand. The younger man, about my age- was blind. The older man was helping him to run the marathon.

On another run I saw a petite woman pushing an unusually large stroller. Everyone was cheering as she passed with her yellow stroller. As I passed her I saw that the boy in the stroller (about the size of a fourteen year old) was autistic or had another mental incapacity. He was laughing and clapping uncontrollably seeing the crowd that sidelined the course cheering, for him.

People run for all sorts of charities. You don't choose a charity blindly. You choose one that has touched or helped you in some way. Charities for families of soldiers, children's groups. People running for family members who died of cancer and supporting research to find cures. Here are runners personal stories for why they are doing this. http://www.chicagomarathon.com/CMS400Min/Chicago_Marathon/inspiration/index.aspx?id=5125

There is so much love and determination in one place, how can you not be moved to keep running?

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Emerson

According to Amazing Yoga, a local Pittsburgh yoga studio that has been gaining increasing popularity in the area http://www.amazingyoga.net/amazingyoga/home.html
the purpose of yoga is to make you feel good; to tone, heal, and strengthen your body mind and soul.

The classes encourage you to find and build power from within yourself.

A lot of exercise encourages you to change yourself. Run to burn calories and lose weight, diet with special K and drop a jeans size..

Yoga is different in that it encourages you to be where you are, do poses in the best way for your body, and find power within yourself for the sake of leading a more balanced life.

You still burn an awful lot of calories in the 90 degree room. Below is an article from the Pittsburgh Trib on power yoga's appeal to athletes. The owners are a very nice married couple, the husband having played for the Philadelphia Eagles before an injury.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/outdoors/s_526157.html

Here is an excerpt from a more recent article on why the studio draws in so many new students.

"Julie Podgorski, 33, of Lawenceville says she felt intimidated at first but soon relaxed when she realized that nobody was judging her. She's been attending classes for eight months. She says hot yoga has helped her to lose weight and firm her triceps.
"I've noticed the difference," she says. "You use a lot of arms. You're lifting your own body weight."
Steve Swantner, 55, of Plum has run 14 marathons. He runs less these days but divides his time between weight lifting and hot yoga three times a week.
"I heard so much about it," he says. "I had no idea what it was like, exercise or meditation. You kind of learn to breathe your way through the discomfort. I like how it opens up my body. ... When you're running a marathon you hit those rough parts. You learn to breathe through it, just let the discomfort be there.""

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/lifestyles/health/s_636205.html

Much like life, you let the discomfort be there- you work through it- and you remember to breathe.

The tortoise and the hare...

"Training is 90% physical and 10% mental. Race day is the exact opposite. Your body is trained, rested and ready to go. Your mind is in charge on race day. Keep your mind actively engaged in the race and think your way through the course. Review the course map and break it up into smaller, more digestible segments. It's easier to stay focused and engaged for shorter periods of time than for several hours.Understand marathoning is like life and you're going to go through peaks andvalleys. Bring power words and positive mantra to carry you through the valleys. Words like "strong and steady" are useful in keeping your mind focused and positive."




This is an excerpt from a mass motivational emails that the Chicago Marathon runners recieve.

It is mental. I learned the trick to running 26.2 miles from a middle aged balding man, short with a heavy build.

"You know," I approached him talking to a runner beside him. Mile 18, the worst.

"The trick is," deap heavy breathing.

"You just keep moving." Red face, he let out a heavy chuckle.

"Until mile 19.... My kids are at mile 19... We got three of them... beautiful..... even... if... I want to fall over..... I run like hell..... when I pass them and ..... they think.... I'm superman."



We all have our own motivations. Running Boston, I carried a small post-it with 26 people and things that I was grateful for, each assigned a specifc mile. Our most important source of strength is always the heart.