“From June 6-12, 2010, I am commited to bicycling in AIDS/LifeCycle. It’s a 7-day, 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to make a world of difference in the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS. I mean its pretty freaking amazing!
Help me support the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center by giving what you can. We’ll keep riding until AIDS and HIV are a thing of the past. Every little bit helps! I appreciate you!”
-Tricia The Huff
Click here to visit her page, read more, and learn how you can help.
It began early, with the High Priestess of Joyology Tricia Huffman arriving at my door, with her friend the Lovely Miss Chelsea in tow. As I have no car and this is Los Angeles, we had all arranged to venture out into the world together. Our first destination: Westwood, California. Specifically the UCLA campus. We were going there to see a screening of a movie our friends had made about a man named Frank.
The film is called May I Be Frank? and it follows a man named Frank Ferrante as he goes on a 42 day detox while eating a strict raw food diet. Three young raw food enthusiast/mentors, Ryland, Cary, and Conor, offer coaching and emotional support and document Frank during the process. What happens to Frank is amazing as the healthy diet, personal affirmations, and moderate exercise lead to an emotional and physical reawakening. He cures his Hepatitis C, loses 50 pounds, regains his libido, goes off his anti-depressants, and most importantly, regains one of the nicest set of cheekbones this side of the Gowanus Canal.
Was it the four morning shots of wheat grass that inspires Frank to apologize to his baby brother for every time he has wronged him, then buy him a motorcycle? Is it the weekly colonics that motivate Frank to reconnect with his estranged wife and daughter? Are the daily repetition of positive mantras the force that moves Frank to share his process so nakedly (literally) and profoundly?
Watching this overweight, hilarious, charming, complicated, 55 year old Italian man physically and emotionally blossom is a joy. The directors could not have picked a better subject. By then end of the movie Frank looks like Michael Douglas. No kidding. He’s glowing!
I adored the film. It radiates positivity, hope, and, the ability of the people to transform their lives. I hope it inspires many people who are struggling with health issues to consider one of the movies main messages: Food is medicine, and medicine is food.
After the film, Tricia, Chelsea, and I drove down the road to a lovely house in Beverly Hills where Earth Island Institute was having a brunch for the Plastic Pollution Coalition and Ric O’Barry! The man himself! Miss Dianna Cohen from the Plastic Pollution Coalition had generously invited us. We got there just in time to hear Ric’s talk on the state of dolphin fishing in Taiji, which sadly continues to this day.
Ric finished his talk and we met outside for the first time. We’d spoken on the phone several times and had just missed one another at a number of events, so it was grand to finally meet face to face.
We took a picture together. For the first one we are serious…
Then I gave him a tickle and said “Say Dolphin-burger!”
Yay! Seeing Ric O’Barry smile is like watching the sun punch sadness in the balls. It is a wonderful thing to behold and I strongly recommend that everyone try their darndest to make Ric smile. He constantly travels, speaks and meets with people all over the world, always spreading a message that we can do something positive about this situation, and every situation, and he could definitely use all the positive energy we can swing his way.
He mentioned that he’s planning an event in Taiji on September 1st. The thinking is that to coincide with the first day of dolphin fishing season, we pack the beach at Taiji with people. Baloons, smiles, songs, young people, old people. Positive and happy.
“Why not call it Goodstock?” said I.
And so the working title for the event is Goodstock. September 1st, in Taiji Japan. Let’s all be there if we can and join forces! Not against anything, but FOR the ocean and the people of Japan, and the people of the world. For is so the new against. Ric and I are going to collaborate on getting a site up and the word out, and I’ll keep you posted.
After the Earth Island Institute gig, Chelsea drove us all to my house where I found out that the House had passed the Health Care bill.
A darn fine day!
I’m heading to Japan on Wednesday, first to Tokyo, and then up to Kyoto, with a side order of Taiji. Any SuperForesters in Japan wanna hang out? I’ve been making business cards. :)
Straight from the source, SuperForester Tricia Huffman, a.k.a. The Joyologist posted this on her wonderful blog, I AM BEING today:
“In the spring of 2008 I eliminated the word “should” from my vocabulary. It happened immediately after the death of my father. I never had a conversation with myself planning to do this. It just suddenly became important for me to not use that word, ever. I feel that using the word “should” is just setting myself up for failure and guilt. I can still say the same thing and feel better about it. For example, “What should I eat for dinner tonight?” compared with “What do I want to eat for dinner tonight?” Which one is more powerful? Maybe using the “should” warrants a big salad and what I want is pizza. Well, I feel that eliminating the “should” and putting in the “want” puts me in control and gives me the ability to choose a healthy salad or pizza and not feel guilt or to feel like I am doing something because I feel I have to. It is all my choice.
That summer, I explained to friends, family, and acquaintances about my “should” banishment. Besides the fact that I wanted others to experience this newfound freedom I also wanted to explain why I sometime spoke as if I had turrets syndrome. The word would start to come out of my mouth, I would catch it and then find a new more powerful way to say it. It made me become a more mindful speaker. I was no longer able to let things roll off my tongue without thinking about them first. I became so aware of how much “should” was a part of my regular vocabulary as well as other’s.
I felt as if I was reclaiming myself and getting rid of all of my guilt. What do I want? I should do the laundry, turned into I want to do the laundry. I explained to people that in using the word “should” it felt as if my shoulders hunched in and made me feel small. In saying, I “want” or another word my shoulders are back, chest out, and I stand tall. I wanted to put a speech and presentation together and tour high schools around the country about the word “should”. I will empower the nation!
As time went along, I was able to speak without even attempting to spit out this word. Sometimes, it is still hard for me to find a replacement for it, mainly because that means taking a more powerful stance. I can recall I few times on tour the past year when I fought with myself about using it when asking our tour manager questions. He is the head hauncho on tour and was afraid to be to upfront and blunt with my words and suggestions.
The other day during the drive to San Diego, when I just wanted to vomit everything up. I decided that I am going to eliminate all of the filler words that I have been using. Words like “think”, such as “I think that I want to stay in tonight.” From now on I am choosing to say, “I want to stay in tonight” instead (if that is what I want of course). I know what I want and what I don’t want. That word and others are just fillers to soften the blow and they take power away from me and my choices. Also, eliminating these words sets up the people that I am talking with to make more powerful choices too. For example saying, “Do you want to go to Tawney’s yoga class in Santa Monica before Gina’s pot-luck on Sunday?” Instead of saying, “Do you think you might want to go to Tawney’s yoga class in Santa Monica before Gina’s pot-luck on Sunday?” I am saying the same thing. The first example is just to the point, while the second tiptoes. I am choosing to be direct and hopefully this lets the other person be direct in their answer.
All I know is that eliminating these words makes me feel freer, more in control, and more honest.”
Thank you Tricia! What fresh and inspiring words. Lets all unblock our intentions and be empowered. If all it takes is a little mental readjustment, why not? I WANT you all to share this with your family and friends!
In Love and Want
-Jackie
SuperForest is a positivity blog.
SuperForesters are all over planet Earth, all united in exploring how to redefine "environmentalism" and "sustainability" to encompass every aspect of our lives.
Everything you find on this website has been personally created to uplift and inspire you.
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