Inch By Inch

Al Pacino's Inch By Inch speech from Any Given Sunday...

I don't know what to say really.Three minutesto the biggest battle of our professional livesall comes down to today.Eitherwe healas a teamor we are going to crumble.Inch by inchplay by playtill we're finished.We are in hell right now, gentlemenbelieve meandwe can stay hereand get the shit kicked out of usorwe can fight our wayback into the light.We can climb out of hell.One inch, at a time.Now I can't do it for you.I'm too old.I look around and I see these young facesand I thinkI meanI made every wrong choice a middle age man could make.I uh....I pissed away all my moneybelieve it or not.I chased offanyone who has ever loved me.And lately,I can't even stand the face I see in the mirror.You know when you get old in lifethings get taken from you.That's, that's part of life.But,you only learn that when you start losing stuff.You find out that life is just a game of inches.So is football.Because in either gamelife or footballthe margin for error is so small.I meanone half step too late or to earlyyou don't quite make it.One half second too slow or too fastand you don't quite catch it.The inches we need are everywhere around us.They are in ever break of the gameevery minute, every second.On this team, we fight for that inchOn this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around usto pieces for that inch.We CLAW with our finger nails for that inch.Cause we knowwhen we add up all those inchesthat's going to make the fucking differencebetween WINNING and LOSINGbetween LIVING and DYING.I'll tell you thisin any fightit is the guy who is willing to diewho is going to win that inch.And I knowif I am going to have any life anymoreit is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inchbecause that is what LIVING is.The six inches in front of your face.Now I can't make you do it.You gotta look at the guy next to you.Look into his eyes.Now I think you are going to see a guy who will go that inch with you.You are going to see a guywho will sacrifice himself for this teambecause he knows when it comes down to it,you are gonna do the same thing for him.That's a team, gentlemenand either we heal now, as a team,or we will die as individuals.That's football guys.That's all it is.Now, whattaya gonna do?

Feel The Burn.

I had a great night last night after work a few friends stopped by to just say hi. Then I went to a workshop that a group I work with held last night. The speaker was great. He talked about classroom management. It was amazing! It was the kind of speaker that makes you want to be a teacher. After the workshop I went to The Cat and Fiddle for live jazz, a tea and to meet some friends. It is a great way to unwind in the middle of the week.

This morning I am wicked sore from working out yesterday, but I love it. I need to get more on the ball with getting ready the night before. I am struggling a lot in the mornings. If it was not for the fact I have been calling a friend in the morning to wake them up, I would not get to work in the morning. I am really starting to see a little light at the end of the tunnel. It is exciting when you can see yourself coming close to achieving goals that you have been working on for so long.

"The difference between great people and everyone else is that great people create their lives actively, while everyone else is created by their lives, passively waiting to see where life takes them next. The difference between the two is the difference between living fully and just existing." Michael E. GerberAuthor of The E-Myth Revisited

Next Step!!!

We I am coming to another new beginning today. I am going to restart my weight training program again. I am also still fighting off what ever illness I have had since I started Optifast. I need to make the most of the time I have and with every opportunity I get. I can see the body I want and I know I can achieve it. I also need to start to focus more on my career, my education and all the projects I have not been working on. I am starting to fall behind and I hate that feeling.

The weight training went ok. I am not really sore and I could not lift as mush as I use to be able to. In some exercises I hit total failure. Also in between every set of lifts I would do twenty steps. We will have to see how I feel tomorrow.

“You may make mistakes, but you are not a failure until you start blaming someone else”

My Life, My Choices, My Actions

I listen to a lot of self help and motivational speakers. The one I listen to the most is called “Winning is an inside job” by John Maxwell. The first thing he talks about is taking responsibility for one’s own life and actions. So that is what I need to do right now. On Saturday night I broke down. Not because of anything anyone else did or didn’t do. Up until this point I had not eaten any food. But on that night I did. I am very disappointed in myself more than I could really explain. I started with a cookie and then I had twenty medium chicken wings. I feel like I have let down everyone who has believed in me. Most of all I am sorry for letting down my Mom and Dad because they are playing for the treatment. I know it was wrong when I did it but, I felt like what I think a hard core drug addict would feel. I hide and ate in the dark and ate them like someone was going to steal them. I am back on track. I got right back on the next day. I just feel I need to be responsible for my action.

“I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.” Thomas Edison

Breaking Through The Bug.

I think I am starting to get over my sickness. I have not really been hungry, but I have had cravings. Like today when I went to check the mail and there was a KFC flyer in my mailbox. I am starting to notice a connection between food and great memories. For example when it comes to KFC it reminds me of my Father, and a lot of great times we have spent together. Sometimes when we would go fishing when I was a child we would have KFC. Also places and activities remind me of food. I was at my Mothers watching TV and there was nothing really on and I was kind of bored. I noticed that right away I thought of eating. I don’t feel that it is the location but the activity. I have cable here at my place but I had my brother take the TV I had out. There are a few reasons for this. The main one being that I didn’t want to be the person who just sits around the house watching TV, even when there is nothing on TV to watch. Since he took the TV out my house is clean a lot of the time, I am more physically active, and I find that I am more productive. Now sometime if I really want to watch TV I walk over to my Brothers place or go to a friend’s. This takes the boredom away because if there is nothing on TV you have someone to talk to. The other reason I don’t watch cable TV here is there is way too many food related commercials and cooking shows.

"If you doubt you can accomplish something, then you can't accomplish it. You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through." Rosalynn Carter - Former American First Lady

Obesity Treatment or Diet?

Everything is going good so far, besides for being sick and experiencing a few difficulties with the obesity treatment. Let me explain with I call this obesity treatment and not a diet. To me a diet is something someone would do to lose certain about of weight by a certain time. I always hear about people that are on a diet who will cheat or “reward” themselves with thing they know will not help their diet. The third and final thing I think of them I hear about a diet is that it is accessible to anyone, well for a price. Now for the obesity treatment I am going through. If I had cancer I would not cheat on my radiation treatment, or I would not cheat on my insulin if I was a diabetic. So it makes no sense to cheat on my obesity treatment. You may say there is a huge difference between those two diseases and obesity. I would say you’re wrong you can die for cancer and you can die from obesity. As for diabetes you probably know this is not a disease for skinny people generally. I would consider diabetes a symptom of obesity. Also the treatment I am receiving in under close supervision of an Obesity Doctor, Dietitian, Social Worker and a Kinesiology. You need to be referred to the clinic by your family doctor.

Last night was my weekly meeting and weigh in. I will not be posting my weight loss on here mainly because I know people from my group read this and we don’t discuss our weight loss. Don’t want it to become a completion and everyone’s weight will come off in different amounts. I know I would feel somewhat discouraged if in a week I don’t lose a lot I have to hear about someone who did. But I not weigh in the 300 for the first time in over five years.

Some people have told me that they have been having problems leaving comments. After you type your comment make sure you select “Other” it you want to sign your name or make one up. If you don’t want any name to show up make sure you select anonymous. If you are still having problem please email me at corey.pearce@gmail.com to let me know. Thank you kindly.

"People think I'm disciplined. It is not discipline. It is devotion. There is a great difference." Luciano Pavarotti 1935-2007 Opera Singer

Here Comes The Weekend

It is Friday, or you can just call it day 4. At work it was a world wind kind of day. We had a civies day and early dismissal for a school football game. Some staff members are going out to a bar after work, but I am not going. I don’t need any extra temptation. As much as I really enjoy the weekend, I am also very worried. I do better in structure so two full days of no structure. Historically speaking the weekend is when I have struggled on past weight loss programs. Even tonight I don’t really have anything planed. Just for the record I have not cheated on my Obesity Treatment. Yes that means I have not eat any food for four days. I am still getting stomach cramps.

”Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.” Booker T. Washington

It's A Great Day!!!!!!

Besides a ruff start to my day, I am going great today. Health wise I am feeling fine, not hungry and I am energetic again. Today I am starting to notice weight loss, and that feels great. I started my night school courses last night, and will start another class tonight. I really don’t have much to say. I do know I am evicted about becoming the man I want to be.

I had a good and busy evening. As I got home I received a call from a great friend who was all stressed because their computer died. Most people know how much it sucks when your computer dies. It is almost the same as you phone being cut off. So I told them I had an extra desk top at my Mom’s house so we went up there and got if for them. I really enjoy spending time with this friend. They are always there when I am feeling down and I can always count on them for support and encouragement when ever I need it. Late night I started my second course at Mohawk. Most of the class I know and have been in classes with before. The instructor and the T.A. in the class I have worked with at St. Mary’s.

The only problem I am having with my Optifast is I am feeling a lot of cramps in my abdominal area.

“Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right.”
Henry Ford

Walking On Egg Shells.

It is day two, and yes I made it through the first day. I am not really in the mood to write right now. But I would like to leave you with a quote I heard in a movie that I really like. It is from “Coach Carter”.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” by Marianne Williamson

And Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They say every journey starts with a single step; mine started this morning with a single shake. I have to be honest it was thick, rich and tasty. But that was two hours ago and I am starving. According to what is going on at work it may not be the best day to start but I am. And yes it is now 9 o’clock and I am starving!!!!!!

So I have now had shake number two. I have noticed that about one hour after I have the shake I feel like I am starving to death. I am going to have to keep very busy. I am going to need to keep my mind off the hunger and food. Today a student I work with kept asking me to try his Jello. This is a good thing that he wants to share with me, but it was hard to explain why I can’t eat it. I am also not going to be doing any working out or and more physical activity than I have to. I am going to have to ride my bike home but that is all for today.

“Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill

On Your Marks, Get Set...

Today is the big day. It started out a little slow, due to the fact I woke up later. I have to admit that I am a little worried about starting the Opifast Program. Talking to some people just seems to make it worse. But I am very positive that the rest of my life changes starting tonight at 5:30pm. That is when I go and weight in and get everything I need to start the program first thing tomorrow morning. I am still planning to keep on riding my bike to and from work until it starts to snow. Also Monday, Wednesday and Friday I will be in the Fitness Centre for lunch. The other days Tuesday and Thursday I will be doing an abdominal program. I am also looking at taking a Yoga class for beginners, which is being held at my local community centre. The more I think about it, the more excited I become about my new chance at life. While I am at the clinic tonight my brother is going into my place to remove all food from my place. Last night my family held Thanksgiving. I know it is early, but I am not going to be able to eat when the real thanksgiving comes around. Everyone from my family to my friends to my co-workers is very supportive. With all the support I am receiving I will not fail. Before I go I just want to spend a special thank you to my Mom and Dad for all there support.

“All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them.”Walt Disney

I AM BACK ! ! !

Well it has been a very long time since I have written in my blog. But I am about to start my journey through obesity treatment. I will be going on the Optifast Program starting a week today. It is a low calorie diet, and an intensive educational program.
There are many steps I have already taken to live a healthier life style. I have taken my car off the road, which has stopped me from using fast food drive troughs, it forces me to walk to the bus, ride my bike or walk to where I need to go. I have stopped drinking alcohol. This is only hard in some social settings. Since returning to work I have been using the fitness centre every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Every morning I take my bike on the city bus to work. I arrive about one hour before I start and I go to the fitness centre and do an abdominal work out. After work I ride my bike the eleven kilometres ride home. I have also given away my TV. I don't want to be the person who sits in front of the TV for hours. Along with not have a TV I don’t have the internet at home. This stops me from just sitting in front on the computer for hours and not getting anything done. I have access to the internet at work, at friends and families, local Colleges and libraries and at a lot of business in the area. It almost makes no sense to pay forty dollars a month or more for something you can use for free.

"Sometimes you have to give up what you have to get what you want." Lindsay Doyle

More

I am not happy just living an ordinary life.

Waking up everyday and going to work.
All the time doing the best job I can do.
No matter what happens day to day, I seem to want more.
Today I connected with many children that I work with.

My heart tells me that I can be more and achieve more.
Over and over again, I keep dreaming of making a real difference.
Really affecting the lives of the people I come in contact with is what I want.
Everyday is one more chance to reach out and achieve more than I can dream.

Taking Shape

It has been a very long time since I have written in my blog. Yes a lot has happened in all aspects of my life.

In my work life I started a new second job. I was hired to work at a foster home for children with Autism. So far I am finding it very rewarding, challenging and very enjoyable. I truly believe in what they are achieving and in there vision, and I am excited to be a part of it. At my full time job I have over come all my new challenges with the new students I have been assigned to work with. I also strongly feel that I have been building some strong relationships with some of my co-workers. The few things I feel I need to improve on is showing up on time and doing more to help the students I am working with.

With some related news I am doing well with my finances. Now with a second job I have been able to pay off some people, lower my loan, and to build my savings. All I really need to do with my money is spend less and I will reach many of my goals. The other work related thing that happened is I was injured at work by a student. On a negative point my knee has been sore for almost a month now. I am going for physio every Monday, Wednesday and Friday after work and have to go and get an MRI.

Over all I am getting very excited about my life and my future. I can see a lot of my goals starting to really take shape.

“If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right.” Henry Ford

Trust

"Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon them and to let them know that you trust them." - Booker T. Washington1856-1915, Educator and Writer

Losing The Music

I have really been struggling for about three weeks now. I have been very bla. Music has had no real emotional attachment for me. It has been a while since I have found myself singing in the morning. Before the three weeks music would motivate me or make me feel different emotions. My procrastination has been really bad, and I have even found myself struggling to get up early in the morning. I have not been as on the ball as I like to be. When it comes to work I have also been struggling. It has been very challenging for me to figure out what to do to help the children I am working with, to reach there goals. Even as I sit here trying to write this I find myself struggling to complete a thought, and even to make my brain engage any thoughts. For a very long time I have been struggling with myself because I know what I need to do but for some reason I almost never do it. It is like knowing I am not to touch something or I will hurt myself. And then just sitting there and watching myself reach out as I yell stop, stop, but I still touch it. I am getting extremely frustrated with being me. Now don’t start emailing me yet. I do understand and believe that I am a good person with amazing potential. This is one of the reasons that I am so frustrated. Sometimes I wonder how much longer I can live with being me. I know what I want and how to do it. I just can not figure out how to get myself to achieve this.

Problems as Opportunities

"When we see problems as opportunities for growth, we tap a source of knowledge within ourselves which carries us through." - Marsha Sinetar, Writer

In my wallet?

So I have decided to use a new strategy to help keep me on track. In my Palm case, which is also my wallet. I have placed a card. For me to get at money or my debit cards, I have to move it. On this card I have written a quote to help me remember what my goals are and to inspire me. Also at the very bottom I have written "Will it help you get to your goal?" This is for me to ask myself before I buy something. It will help me with my health and financial goals. I am going to change the quote at least once a week. To help and keep this card fresh and to stop me from getting use to it. Right now the quote I have on the card is "The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination." This is a famous quote from Tommy Lasorda who is a Hall of Fame baseball player.

Unstoppable

"Believe in yourself and there will come a day when others will have no choice but to believe with you" - Cynthia Kersey

Thank You

Every now and again someone comes in to my life and gives me hope. Someone that gives me a little jump start when I am feeling bla. Someone who make me strive to be a better man. And when this someone does all this for me, I must remember to say Thank You.

Is it True? - Part 1

I checked out my horoscope on the internet, and it gave me more like a description of myself. Some of it I agree with and some I don't. I thought it would be cool to share a little bit of it at a time with you and my thoughts on what it says. So the following is what it says how others preseve me.
High-spirited, enthusiastic, and exuberant, you love adventure, change, exploring new territory, and are not happy confined to the same safe, familiar, secure little world all the time. You have a strong restlessness and yearning for something greater than anything you've yet experienced, and you often live in your dreams and visions for the future. You tend to believe that the grass is greener somewhere else and you like to keep moving, either literally or figuratively. Idealistic and optimistic, you always expect something better ahead. You love to have a goal, something to aim for, but once you achieve it you are on to something else. You are ever on the lookout for new opportunities and you are a gambler, willing to take risks and to break new ground. The possibility of discovering something new is what makes life interesting for you. You have great faith in life and bounce back quickly from disappointment and failure.Freedom-loving and independent, you cannot tolerate being caged for very long, and friends and loved ones must respect your need for freedom of movement. Binding commitments and responsibilities often weigh heavily upon you and you may resist "growing up" and taking on the limitations of adult life.You are friendly and outgoing and have a great sense of fun and playfulness. You are also philosophically minded and often quite outspoken about your convictions and beliefs. Sometimes you get carried away with your enthusiasm of the moment and you tend to exaggerate. You are often a big talker, a big promiser, and you are usually pretty convincing. You do everything in a big way, a generous way. You like to have the best, and you heartily dislike stinginess, littleness, or pettiness. Your vision is always large. You are able to perceive the big picture, general patterns and principles, and are well suited to politics, business, higher education or religion.Other people see you as a good sport and a good friend, but one who is not always consistent and dependable. You may also be seen as a wise person since you do not get bogged down in pettiness and trivialities, and are able to communicate a larger way of looking at situations, one that opens up new potentials. You are a person who believes in miracles, grace, or just plain good luck, someone who never gives up on life, and you inspire and encourage others to keep looking forward.Your emotional instincts, feelings, and intuition play a big part in the decisions you make and how you interact with the world, and generally your feelings are quite accurate and helpful to you. Also, establishing emotional rapport with the people you meet on a day to day level is rather easy for you. You appear somewhat sympathetic and concerned, so that others are drawn to you, especially when they need guidance or help.You appear responsible, conscientious, and solid --qualities which encourage others to take you seriously. You are unlikely to present yourself as more than you are, and this humility is often endearing, or at least appealing, to others. Even as a youth, you seemed mature for your age.You tend to suppress your feelings and may even pretend that you don't have any, therefore appearing rather cold. You feel separated from others and are inclined to isolate yourself. Others see you as a reserved, detached and serious person.You have a strong desire to constantly be in the limelight and consider second place already as failure. Very self-confident, you have the ability to mold your surrounding to your own needs and are likely to furnish your home according to your taste.
Now I can't truly say if this it true or not, so if you know me let me know what you think in the comment area.

Life is...

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.


Mother Teresa
Catholic Nun, Missionary
Nobel Peace Prize Recipient

Today I am

Today I am going to be positive.
I will only talk positive about the people around me.
Today I am going to make a difference.
I will do what ever I can to help the people around me.
Today I am going to purse my dreams.
I will not wait for tomorrow, to take the steps I can today.
Today I am going to take the time to enjoy the little things.
I will take time to myself to relax, and enjoy life.
Today I am going to love.
Today I am going to stand proud.
Today I am going to remember.
Today is going to be an amazing day.

A Man's Dreams

I don’t really have anything to say. Everything in my life is going well, so I am going to share some quotes with you.

“Personally I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.” - Sir Winston Churchill

"A man's dreams are an index to his greatness." - Zadok Rabinwitz

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt

"You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection." - Buddha

Rollercoaster of Life

Life really is like a rollercoaster. Today I started weight training at my work. It truly is a benefit to have a free fitness centre at work. So yes I know tomorrow I will be sore. Also after work I went for a walk with my co-worker again. Then before weighing in I went to visit my God Daughter. We played and there were lots of hugs. I really love spending time with her. I love her, she is an angel. Tonight I went to my weight watchers meeting. It was a good meeting I am meeting new people and I am getting tips every week. There was one thing that really stuck this week. And that was you should no expect different results if you just keep doing the some thing. This is why this week I am going to change anything that I am not happy with the results.

“A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.” - Francis Bacon

Another Day

I am a little disappointed in myself, because of last night. I was planning on going swimming. I was kind of excited about going because I love swimming. But by the time everything was done and I was ready to go it was 9:20pm. The adult swim is between 9:15pm to 10:00pm. Not leaving me anytime. I am really working hard at my time management, but sometimes things just pop up that you can’t control. I have set weekly goals on Sunday that all relate to my big goals. One of them was to do something active everyday, so yesterday I failed at that one.
Today is going ok I am at work. After work I am walking to my Council for Exceptional Children Chapter 289 meeting. It should only take me about thirty to forty minutes to get there. Right after the meeting I have to rush over to Mohawk College. The meeting ends at 5:30pm and I have to be at my class at 6:00pm. After my class I am heading home to get ready for tomorrow, up date my web site, and then off to bed. I am hoping to be in bed by 10:30pm. 5:30am comes really early, and I have been really struggling in the morning to get up and get going.

To Be The Man

Today was a snow day, and I really needed it. It was good to just relax and tie up some loose ends. I watched a few movies and now here I am. I know there are things all around me that are tempting me. I need to find the strength to do what I know I need to do. I am going to become the man I want to be. Alex Karras once said "It takes more courage to reveal insecurities than to hide them, more strength to relate to people than to dominate them, more 'manhood' to abide by thought-out principles rather than blind reflex. Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles and an immature mind." I have said a few times that I want to become the man I know I can be, and the man I want to be. I want to make a difference in this world. I want to be a positive example to my family, my friend, and to my students. I want to live a long, healthy and active live. I want to be a man of integrity. I want to be a loving husband, and father. I want to be what I feel a man should be.

"First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do." - Epictetus

For Freedom I'd Die

I was not going to write a blog tonight because of how I am feeling. But here it is anyways. I have been pretty down since Friday. Now Friday night I had a great time, but besides that I just don’t feel right. This may sound a little weird but I think I am suffering from being human. Buddhist say that all life is suffering. They try to find true happiness. I really try very hard to stay positive and to keep on track. But I get into these ruts. It is hard to explain it is kind of like quick sand. You know the harder you struggle to get free, the faster it sucks you in. I look at where I am in my life and I don’t like where I am. I do like the person I am. I just don’t like where I am in my life. It seems like I am serving a prison sentence for being me. No one’s fault that I am where I am but mine, and freedom seems so far away. When I was a teenager we had a saying "F.F.I.D." which meant For Freedom I’d Die. Now at the time I was really into being in the military, but it had lots of meanings to me. The word freedom to me meant freedom from my money struggles, freedom from my health problem, freedom from my loneliness, just freedom from anything that kept me back or down. There are times when I would do anything to stop suffering from being me. I hate that I know what I have to do but don’t. I hate money. I hate being over weight. I hate being alone. I hate being a prisoner of my actions. I fight so hard to make gains in my life but some times they seem for no reason. I moved back in with my Mom to help pay off my debt faster, and that is not happening. I took my car off the road to also help pay off my debt faster, and it is still not happening. My Mom has not even been charging me room and board, and still I struggle with money. I don’t get it! What am I doing wrong? I don’t have very much more to give up. I hate money. I make enough money to get a nice apartment and live on my own, but for some reason I can’t afford it. I feel so helpless and useless. I don’t know if I will ever find freedom from myself.

Just Thinking

It has been a little while since I have had the time to even sit and think, never mind time to write my thoughts down. But I am at work right now and I have a little bit of time. So while I think I will type and share with you all what I am thinking.
First off I had the big weigh in yesterday. The bottom line is I did not reach my goal. That was very disappointing. It is not all negative though. I have loss weight every week, even if it is not as much as I wanted to. I have been much more active, I feel better, I have more energy. Most of all I am proud of myself, for the effort I am putting in. I am on my way to much better health.
I have noticed a few things since I have been back to work. It is very hard to get back up to pace. You go from doing nothing at all to a crazy schedule. Everyday I leave my house around 6:45am and do not get home until after 9:30pm most nights. I am finding it extremely difficult to stay on top of everything I need to get done. And I have been very, very tired. Last night I had to fight myself to stay awake long enough to update my web site. This brings me to another topic that is really bugging me. I feel I am relying way too much on my family. I was even told so today by one of them. So I am going to have to set aside time to take care of everything I need to do on my own. This is where I have to work on my time management, and take advantage of the time I have. I am not the best at this but I am going to have to get better. For some reason today all my thoughts seem to be connected. So my last thought brings me to my next. I think that someone in a relationship will achieve more and go farther in life then a single person. It is almost common sense. I think about it in the most basic of ways. If you are single you only have so much time, money, support and resources. But when you are in a good relationship with someone you both share the responsibilities. You have more time due to the fact that you both share the responsibilities of doing things like house hold chores, family commitments, and many others. You would have more money. Two incomes is more then one, pretty simple. And you have someone who is there to support you, someone to share your victories and your struggles with.
I can’t wait for the weekend, where I will have time to regroup. I will be able to complete what I did not have time to do this week, and to get a jump on next week. And if time allows a little time to relax. I just have to make sure I don’t change my schedule and I don’t sleep the whole weekend.

“Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.” Leon J. Suenes

Three Days To Go

It is three days before my first monthly weigh in and measurements. I have been very off and on with my exercising and eating. I have had at least two bad eating days a week, and my exercising has been really bad since the start of the holiday break. I know that in three days you can not get a lot done, when it comes to weight loss. All I can really do is focus on doing what I can to follow my meal plan and exercising. I have been thinking about getting a part time job to make some extra cash to get out of debt faster. I am not the best at time management. But I can’t figure out how to add a part time job to my schedule. With my job at the school board, going to Mohawk College, preparing my food and making my own meals, exercising, keeping my web site up to date, doing my homework and preparing for my students, just to name some of the things I have to do. This already doesn’t leave me a lot of time ever to spend with my family and friends. I would really like to spend more time with my God Daughter. For now I am going to have to just do what I can to reach my monthly health goal on Wednesday, and then go from there.

"If you don't like the way the world is, you change it. You just do it one step at a time." -Marian Wright Edelman

Thank You Barb

Today something very special happened to me. I received a package from Barb. She is the mother of my friend who passed away almost two years ago. One thing she gave me is a hat from when he played hockey, with pins on it. I remember going to a lot of his games in Port Dover. I really enjoyed going and watching him play. I looked up to Doug when it came to his athletic ability and social ability. Doug was a big part of my life when I was younger. And one of the regrets that I will have to life with is that we grow apart. I tried to get together with him less than a month before he died. But our lives where to busy and we could not find anytime. In the package I also received a ring he loves to wear. I have decided to wear it to help remind me of what I admired about him. I feel this will help me now as I work towards before bore physically active. I know Doug is now in heaven watching over all him family and friends. Also I received a letter from Barb. If I was to describe Barb I would have to describe her as my Mother. When I read the letter I was getting all choked up. I had to stop and start reading the letter three times. By I very much appreciate what she said, it means a lot to me. If there is one thing I could let people know, that you don’t know if you will be around tomorrow, or if your love ones with be. So treasure everyday and never wait till tomorrow.

Just Me

I have been very off and on with my eating for this week. I am afraid to go weigh in, but I am going this evening. Last night I went to the Cat and Fiddle for there live jazz music. A good friend of mine plays the drums there every Wednesday. When I got there I was kind of feeling a little down, due to the fact I had a bad eating day. But by the end of the evening I was smiling and very happy. I had a great conversation with a young lady. And no it was not just that she was very attractive. I really enjoyed the conversation. It was a very deep conversation at times, but over all I just really enjoyed it. Sometimes I like to have a good conversation. With all the pressures, time commitment, and fast pace of life we don’t always get to have a good conversation. I also feel that a lot of the time when I am talking to someone I get the feeling that they are just waiting for me to stop so they can talk. Communication skills have decreased. I like what Stephen Covey says "Seek first to understand, then to be understood". He also talks about using the Indian Talking Stick Technique. Both have the principal of that if you let the other person express there point until they totally feel that you understand them. They will be more willing to listen to what you have to say. I have tried this and it does work. Now it is not really easy to do because you have to let the other person go first, and most people just want to get there point across and don’t always want to hear what you have to say. Something else I realized last night is I am who I am, and I am ok with that. I have never really had any luck with women. My brother says it is because I am too nice to them, and women like men who treat them poorly. Doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, but I see it all the time. I have to be honest I have tried it and yes it works a lot better then when I was romantic, caring and supportive. Being a jerk works really well, but it is not me. Maybe I am meant to be alone, to have lots of female friends but never that one special one. I have decided that this is ok as long as I stay me. I can’t just be a jerk. I am who I am and again I am very happy with that. Ok so I just had a crazy idea here. I would like it if anyone who reads my blogs to leave a maximum of four words that they feel would descried me. You can do that is the comment section. If you want to leave your name you can, but if you put anonymous there is no way for me to find out who wrote it. I will not erase anything anyone writes in the comment section unless it is advertising something I don’t believe in. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and for taking the time to post comments. I really do enjoy reading them.

From The Basement

I think everyone has the one or two people at Christmas who are hard to buy for. Back in 2001 this person was my Big Grama. So I decided to write her a letter about how much I appreciate and love her. And that is what I did. Now when she passed away it is one of the things I got from her. While I was looking for a frame to put a picture in my new Zen Bedroom, I found the letter. Now please don’t laugh but I like watching some weird shows, one of the shows is called "Clean Sweep" on TLC. They always say that if your memories are really important to you then why do you keep them in boxes in the basement. So I have decided to make a shadow box with a few things that she left me. I have also decided to share with you the letter I gave my Grama for Christmas in 2001.

Dear Gama
This Christmas I wanted to give you something that would let you know how I feel about you. To start off I love you very much. I am extremely proud that you are my Grama. I really like when we have conversations. Every time we talk I learn something and my life feels like it has a little more direction. It may be hard to see but you have help shape the man that I am today. I only wish that I had listened to you earlier in life. I really don’t know what else to say but that I respect you, treasure you, and love you with all my heart. You are my Grama and I am proud to be a Pearce.

Forever your loving Grandson
Corey Pearce
25/12/01