You might have noticed the counter on the right hand side of my blog, The Art of Elysium. WordPress has this widget called SocialVibe where you can pick a cause to help. I think that’s totally awesome and after reading through all of them, this one appealed to me the most.

Their mission is to bring art in all forms to critically ill children, whether it’s through singing/dancing, acting, art or creative writing. Of course, as an artist and writer those last two really appeal to me.  From their vision: Artists have the unique ability to help children in need find a creative voice and discover a sense of individuality and self-efficacy, even in the midst of overwhelmingly difficult circumstances. In return, those same artists, who have been taken outside of their normal scope of work, are stretched and enriched in ways they never imagined.

There is a ton of information on their website, but I signed up to be a volunteer. You can find more information on their:

• website
• twitter
• facebook group and fanpage

You can help for free by clicking on the link in my sidebar!

Love those babies

Today I opened a new door when I spoke before a group of nursing students about living with an ostomy.  Because of my fondness for those in health care, I immediately felt a sense of safety and comfort.  After I shared my story, I answered questions ranging from diet to intimacy,  to my wardrobe and outlook on life. I felt their compassion and acceptance, and was eager to help them understand  how important their role is for the ostomy patient.

Nurses are the first to touch the lives of people post surgery and when the doors of your hospital room close, the relationship with your nurse can feel like a lifeline. It can be a very emotional time viewing your adjusted body, and in those first few days, a difficult and lonely place. You share intimately with the nurse who cares for your stoma, checks your output  and tends to your incision. When you lay exposed and vulnerable, the caring hands of your nurse and confident touch can have a profound impact.

Yummy              Fresh               Tasty           

It’s our favorite vegtable soup: Green beans, parsnips, rutabago, celery, onions, beef soup bones, potatoes, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, pepper, beef broth or vegtable broth.  

Enjoy the fruit too, oh so very gooooood.  Tamarillo : Food of the Incas.                                      

Ancient prophecies coming to past.

So many are ill. Chest pains, weakness, fatigue, chills, no appetite, fever blister, sore eyes, headache. It seems as though the flu works its way through your whole system slowly.  Keeping ”ALL” in prayer. Believing in prayer and healing.  Need  prayers for yourself, family or a friend.  Carcaty@Aol.com.

… sometimes I need some time on my own. Sometimes I need some time all alone. Everybody needs some time on their own…” – Guns & Roses

November has been a tough month… from the onset, out of an exacting voyage through the abysm of darkness into a series of unexpected events, feelings have just not been quite right… it was a struggle keeping focus in efforts to move forward. Highly unusual moods were brought forth, disruptive really of what is typical for me in the months of October and November. Period in which I am usually in high spirits and a great mood.

My seemingly impossible month came to a nice break on November 14th, assembly day… it was like bottled ice cold water to drink out in the Sahara. However, feelings only settled at a trite rhythm, it was not until last weekend that emotions started to finally unravel and intensify. Of course, this making my judgment somewhat skew and my thought process somewhat unstable, fickle if I may.

The last few days have been more of my usual merry, silly, tough outer shell, thoughtful self. I am looking forward to getting back to business, however carefully meditating on what I’ve experience in the last two months. Looking ahead so much is to be done. I am wary, however… actions and expressions are not to be taking lightly; time and efforts are to be use wisely… I am… in disbelieve I will admit to this… but I know, I’ll need help.

Just to clarify, I despise the help and kindness of others not because I feel I can manage, or that I am all that great that I don’t need them… is… other reasons. I know that unwillingness to seek or accept help and other actions put me in the eyes of others as outright arrogant. That’s ok, but for the record I categorically denied such charge. Whatever the case may be… this is the time to “work what is good toward all, but especially toward” friends… don’t forget the weak ones, be practical…

November Rain… it’s one of my favorite songs… the reason I used it as my opening is too complicated to be interesting… but we can always say it was just because it talks about a sad November and rain ~:-).

click below

With thoughts of Thanksgiving being upon us in the United States, I am taking time out to think about how grateful I am for each opportunity I am given to be a better person.  Opportunities abound, even within SL, to reach out to others and put them first.

Perhaps we can all reach out to someone in SL, putting others before ourselves, and show we are thankful for all we have and all we are by supporting a worthy cause.

I challenge each of you to find a worthy cause through your adventures in SL and make time or a donation today!

an outstretched hand reaches for compassion
tear-filled eyes look for a place to belong
empty stomachs cry loud for filling
a weary body aches to rise up strong

they are sons and daughters, in every state, in any town
a brother or sister needing comfort – don’t you see them standing ’round?

we pass by with hope to offer
we keep our faith tucked safe inside
we turn the other way and just ignore the silent cries

Christ died for your family, He came for neighbors & friends,
But He also died for the worn and weary, for those at the very end.

Remember a time you were wanting, think of a day that you had none.
Now, look at all your plenty and remember what Christ would have done.

If you love the Lord he will bless you. You choose to be  BLESSED OR CURSED. What is it going to take in these last days ? God’s presence on you will change people around you. Be blessed by the word of God not man.

Matthew 7:15
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
Hebrews 13:9
Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace,
2 Corinthians 11:3
But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 Corinthians 11:4
For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
2 Timothy 3:13
But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
Galatians 1:9
As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
2 Peter 2:1
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

Way Smarter Than You Can Imagine

OH, Momma……. Tricky finding this one a toy that won’t get eaten to shreds.  This KONG ball and a Nyla bone really do the trick.. She can shred  a basketball,  softball and many other things if you let her. She rips the pieces and doesn’t eat them. I found this out early on when I was trying to find a chew toy for her.  YIKES,  it seemed hopeless. The company Kong has various different toys. The color of the Kong determines the durability. Black is the strongest. Even though this ball is red it’s solid and has survived with no nicks. Some of the other items don’t work for us at all. As a puppy she has been very well socialized with many people , places, and other pets. She’s my son’s dog and he is the master. While she stays we me I am the pack leader. She is five and has become attached to me. The only one master part is she is a little slow when I call her inside.  When we play it gets tricky but we have it figured out, hah ! The lab is a senior not much into the fetch thing anymore. The pitt and the sheltie play frisbee. I have two frisbee’s one large and one small. The pitt gets hers and the sheltie waits a moment. I throw the frisbee for the sheltie and they both run together and even though the sheltie knows where it is, she waits for the pitt to show her . The pitt holds on to her frisbee during this time. I can’t get it from her until I have worn them out a little. Then we proceed with a treat and she will promptly put it on the ground…… Her master has no problem in the fetch and return dept. she gives it up freely. It’s ok and we go on walks and still have fun. She really makes me feel secure for protection. This one is not aggressive but,  if another dog is she will not tolerate it. I am thankful we have not had that problem. Thank you little one for keeping us safe. MUAH!!!!

With reflections leaning toward what the title of being Miss Refined International would mean to me, I ponder what any of the titles I have earned mean.  Certainly I am proud that I have created an avatar that is acceptable to many and unique to me.  However, does it really mean anything?

To me, as a model in Second Life, yes, it does mean something.  It means the honor of being a spokesperson, possibly, and the opportunity to be able to set an example of a refined person.  This, actually would absolutely be one of the ways I could say “I have arrived” and possibly have an opportunity to make a difference, by the example I set and the help I provide to others.  What I say or do may be like the footprint in the sand, to be washed away by the very next wave and forever forgotten.  However, the person I am and the way I behave, to those around me, is the chance to set an example that could last.

   Ten percent of us sweat one liter a day.  Heat gets trapped. One cause is obesity it’s like a furnace under the skin. Cancers, diabetes, and infection are probable causes too.  Passing this along .  Dr. Oz wants us to tell at least one person.  Menopause is a very common reason for the night sweats.  Hot spiced  food and alcohol make it worse.  Guess what you can purchase a chillow pillow and special sweat PJ’s.  

There is a famous proverb which explains the true color of bad habits vividly,

“Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of.”

On the contrary, a man/woman who understood the role that good habits play in his/her success, would form all the habits that would support them and make their success journey a faster and a pleasant ones.

When you start forming good habits, you’ll be surprised by the fact that you have become different from the other people and other people see you as a role model and would be inspired, imitate those habits from you, for unfortunately there are few ones in comparison to the large population who has prominent good habits or ones who take the effort to cultivate good habits. Good habits and its formation has become a rare thing among the public.

Not only you could be a role model to others, but with each new good habit you are consolidating your own character and your personality, which are the very foundation for your success.

Tell you what, if you start forming good habits, people tend to help you more, be more amicable and want you to be successful. They start to help you and most of the people would move to the sidelines for you to proceed. In your office, in your social situations and at home, you’d be seen in astonishment, in good will as a friend not as a foe.

This is because they would see some sort of purity around you, an aura, and as a result don’t want a good, noble man/woman to fail or to suffer.

Experts say that a good habit could be formed in about 3-4weeks, if done consistently on a daily basis. Since we all share one factor which is common to all, regardless of our race or nationality, which is our MIND, this 21 days formula is uniform across all over the world giving the good news that you can start enlisting the good habits you want and start implementing them just as effectively as someone on the other end of the world.

That’s one of the main reasons why it is so important to be open to people and observe them, so that we could learn the good habits from them and know how a good habit is affecting their life positively. This notion equally applies for the bad habits as well so that one could avoid them at any cost, for they will cost dearly.

Some instances where you can learn from people to cultivate a good habit or to avoid a bad habit are:

–A person you know is a spendthrift, someone who spends money prodigally after which has worn out uses his/her credit card every other minute not minding about the interest rate but interested in buying at a faster rate, in bulk.

– A friend of yours who is frank in his/her dealings, and who doesn’t play favoritisms and is just and fair toward other people. Now that’s a gem of a habit.

– One of your associates is so punctual and has good manners toward other people such as being courteous and polite, not judging others, etc.

– Someone who overeats or gormandizes.

– You know of a man/woman who likes to belittle someone or use sarcasm as a weapon to their pleasure.

Breaking or making a habit may seem to be a tough affair. It’s those initial days of forming a new habit or ridding a bad habit that needs your will power. It’s like going against the gravity but after a certain limit, gravity becomes zero and we don’t have to struggle to keep ourselves floating in the air. It becomes easy and we start to enjoy the ride!

During these days of changing a habit or replacing it, just visualize the end result that you’d achieve once the habit is yours! Just think of the benefits that you’d draw from it. Also, it is wise to think about the ill-effects if the habit is practiced through out your life.

This visualizing will help to fly against the gravity and to reach the outer space and be free of your bondage or to be happier and more powerful than ever before.

PART 1

PART 3

PART 4

PART 5

Wish you all the riches to come with God’s blessings

Peter Anand

Here is an example list of both good habits and bad habits– good habits which you can follow and the bad ones which you can avoid:

GOOD HABITS(to embrace):

– Feeding your mind with good messages from books, audios or any other form of input.

– Eating healthy diet, eating moderately and eating at proper time.

– Exercising daily according to your doctor’s prescription. (Any form of exercise that you like).

– Never-give-up in any situation on a daily basis.

– Telling the truth and being honest at all situations.

– Appreciate and compliment others where it is due.

– Being punctual and respecting others time.

– Opening up your spiritual account and putting savings in to it, day after day.

– Having a reading session with your family.

– Never retaliate or pay back anyone who has done some injustice to you.

– Having a great interest in ones family, and respecting ones spouses and children’s rights and being a good dad or mom by listening to a child’s need.

– Being a sincere student by completing tasks on time, taking real interest in the subject and helping others students with her or his studies.

– Making others feel comfortable and happy.

– Helping others whenever it is possible for you.

BAD HABITS (TO AVOID):

– Being over-indulgent any form of activities.

– Thinking that one has to win every single time to succeed in life.

– Passing judgments on others.

– Thinking that one has reached his/her limits in life and don’t have a chance to grow any further, may be because of age or economy or any other circumstance which one may think has put an end to his/her growth.

– Addicted to smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.

– Drug addiction of any sort.

– Passing the buck—nothing beneficial could ever come when one blame others unreasonably or unnecessarily.

– Playing favorites and not treating others equally.

– Allowing your mind to think negative and lifeless low level thoughts.

– Thinking that others are superior or inferior to you.

– Not listening to others while they talk.

– Using sarcasm on others as a way to belittle them or to have fun.

– Having “borrowing money” as ones vocation.

– And trivial but significant things like nail-biting, hair pulling, nose picking, chocolate and ice creams as a regular habit.

“You put your efforts to form your good habits first, and then they put their effort to form you, your life and your success.”

The good habits make you beautiful and the bad habits make your life an ugly one, and it’s now certain that you are the master who is to have a bunch of good habits in your repertoire!

Good or bad, as a master yourself you choose them!!

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

PART 4

Wish you all the riches to come with God’s blessings

Peter Anand

In reflecting on the contest today I am thinking of what it would mean for the winner.   A lot of gifts and prizes, yes.  A title, indeed, and one to be proud of because it goes so much deeper than just the beauty of the avatar.

However, there has to be more as well.  As a potential spokesperson, and thus member of the MPI team there would be commitment involved.  Commitment to continue living life, even in Second Life, in a refined manner that would make MPI proud.  A commitment to be part of a team that would rely on their spokesperson to be an example and to continue working each day to support MPI and their goals.  Just as writing this blog post each day is a commitment and a challenge, I am sure the title would bring it’s own unique commitments and challenges as well.

Some models expect to win titles and work in shows without doing anything else in return.  They feel they are such beautiful and talented people that others should feel honored just to have them involved at all.  Let alone ask them to do anything above and beyond walking down a cat walk or doing a print ad.

The world is full of give and take.  You get out of something what you put into it.  If all you do is take, then you will feel empty and lost inside.  If you learn to give something of yourself, however, you will also learn that you will feel rewarded and respected.

Have you taken the opportunity to give back to someone or something?   Is there something you could be doing to help others today?

Today I saved two fish and created a magic moment for my life.

Before I go further let me ask you if you have you ever done something that maybe felt a little weird? Something that was a bit cooky, and you knew it, but you did it anyway?

Well, if it enhanced the lives of others (people, fish, etc) or yourself in a positive, good for you. Every day should have its magic moment, or preferably moments.

So what did I do today? I helped some fish. You know, some days it is people and some days it isn’t. Today it was fish. Two to be precise.

The fish had become stranded in a small rock pool, some two or three feet above the low tide. The pool was so shallow they could barely stay upright to breathe. A number of kingfisher-related birds were eyeing them up. These fish were, thankfully, a little bit too big for those birds to lift from the water.

I became aware of the fishes’ plight as I sat with a coffee watching the ocean. Should I just leave nature to sort itself out or should I find a path to the stranded fish and help them out?

It felt weird and a little bit stupid. But I clambered down to the rock pool and used my empty cardboard coffee cup to scoop the fish up – one at a time – and release them into the wide ocean a few feet away. They quickly gathered their bearings and hung around for a while looking back up to me. My magic moment for the day.

Magic moments are those breakaways from the routine or the norm where you spot an opportunity that will improve the world and you do it – even if it makes you feel a little weird.

That feeling of a little weirdness or cookiness comes from stepping outside your comfort zone. If you truly want to grow as a person you have to be willing to step outside your comfort zone.

But here’s the great part, the more you do it the more your sphere of life grows.

It could be helping a senior across the road, or in the grocery store. It might be giving up a seat on the bus or the subway carriage or greeting to a stranger as you pass.

These are all small things, but the more you do them the more you impact others in a positive way and make it a habit to look for new ways to push further outside your comfort zone.

Feel the weirdness, feel the cookiness, but do it anyway and let bring some magic moments into your life and the lives of others – whether they be people, fish or something else.

You do not need to join facebook or linkedin to get networked ot get connected. You do not necessarily need to join networking conferences.
http://referencedesigner.com/blog/help-others-get-help-from-others-get-networked/480/

As I look at Friday’s schedule and see a rehearsal that is scheduled for several hours this afternoon, I realize there is so much more to a fashion show than meets the eye.  Having had practice, utilized styling skills, and picked poses, the models should look as though they flawlessly stepped out of their inventory and floated around looking incredible as if it were natural.

I’ve written about the some of the behind the scenes responsibilities of a model before.  There are a lot of other players and preparation that go  into a successful show.  I have assisted in the production of a show previously, and am currently producing another show that is scheduled for December 4th.

So, let’s take a look at some of the behind the scenes players that help bring us to the much anticipated moment of glory.  There are several key players: the director, the script writer, the set builder, the chat host, the DJ, and the stage manager.  Often, more than one of these parts is played by one person.

The show’s ultimate responsibility for being organized and coming together falls to the director.  They are who lays out the plans, works with the designer, selects the models, assigns the outfits, determines the walk order, and hires the other players.  This role is a huge pair of shoes to be filled and takes someone who is very organized and who can multi-task to pull off successfully.  More often than not, they are also the one who is choreographing the walk of the models as well.

They do all of these tasks while organizing, responding to, and interceding with the designer, the models, and the other cast members.

We’ll discuss more of the director’s role as we go into the other pieces of the show.

So, for this particular model, as well as many others I know, being a director is also part of the life of being a model.  This day in my life, I must wear the role of director and begin to prepare styling cards and get ready for the casting call!

“Modelling is my passion that I live with. I have always felt like a gifted diamond that shines so much better than one you buy. Because beauty within is beauty forever.”

- Quote from Celina Langer’s profile in Second Life

Celina Langer, as stated in my “A Day in the Life” post today, was a model in Second Life.  Though I didn’t know her personally, her passing is no less tragic and saddens me deeply.  I don’t understand how people can be so careless and cruel as to take away the life of another human.

Today’s posts are in honor of the life of Celina Langer, a fellow model, whose family and friends I would like to reach out to, extending my deepest sympathies to.

When I found the quote above in her profile, I was deeply touched by the kind of person she must have been. because beauty within is, indeed, beauty forever.  May your beauty live on in the lives of those that you touched, Celina.