The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

http://www.gladwell.com/tippingpoint/index.html
Through the wonderful world of meeting and making friends (Richard Gamble of Deep Roots ), this book was given to me a couple weeks ago and my thoughts have not been the same since.

The paradigms that are deeply embedded in our lives are shed moment by moment, truth by truth.

All life on our planet...

Enjoyed  our first ladies night (which will eventually evolve into all life on our planet : )!
It was so awesome to have an assortment of diverse, amazing women together in a cozy setting, having a blast!


In my search I have found millions of ways to:
change myself = change the world,
everyday, everything and every dollar.


Aware of each minute change carrying on from generation to generation, seeing it's rippling river affect!

Choosing to slow down and enjoy my moments... (gazing at the sun, clouds, birds, moon, trees, shadows, black winter trees on the horizon of a glorious sunset, people talking on cell phones and picking their nose, feeling the breeze, listening to a good jam, saying grace, daydreaming in thoughts of my fabulous life, etc., etc.)... while sitting at a stop sign sure changes everything I do and everything that I come in contact with. It's much easier to be friendly and peaceful.

Choosing to eat each bite as if it is a masterpiece of nutrition, taste and most importantly... love.
 (please watch Food Inc. soon we will be enjoying whole, organic, locally grown, in-season foods. ; )

Choosing to act vs. react

Choosing love vs. fear

Choosing to listen and understand more than talking and being understood.

Choosing to see myself in everyone and everything I encounter.

It has been 16 months since I stopped participating in society as we know it : )

I:
have been to walmart/malls/chain stores/ less then 5 times. (after 2am @ walmart)
have had less than five bites of fast food of ANY type.
have no desire to spend $1 more than I have to at ANY gas station and I don't.
carry a water bottle with me EVERYWHERE I go.
have not consumed any pharmaceuticals
do not own a t.v and have not had cable for 16+ years
do not consume high-fructose corn syrup, meat, dairy, corn, fillers, fluoride, artificial anything.
consumed alcohol less than 5 times.
do not alter my appearance/clothing/lifestyle to the anyone else. I am unique and proud.
do not click on m s n( preventing a link to a terrible site) , yahoo, or any other "news" type sites.
have spent less than 5 nights loafing on the computer.
have not watched the news, listened to the radio or talked about a celebrity. (I am still alive).
choose to eat raw, fresh, organic, local EVERY chance I get.

and I STILL SMOKE CIGARETTES!!
( american spirits :)  If your gonna smoke, let it be natural, organic and locally grown.

I am a dreamer and I have a dream. Everyday I see this dream becoming a reality.
I am becoming WE.

Big Love and grace,
xoxo Justina

lol, love.

Have you ever tried to meditate and find you can't shut your mind up? There you are arguing with yourself, irritated cause you can't get yourself to just be quiet for a minute, the grocery list and what you should've said still going around and around up there?
A friend gave me some great advice I thought I'd share.

Listen.

Just listen. No judging, labeling and making sure you get your opinion in, just listen.

(the word has a bad rap for some of us as we hear our gramma in church hisssssing, lisssten).

Listen to the symphony of different sounds going on around you, hear the grand Orchestra, playing just for you, here, now, in this moment.

That is clearing your mind.

xoxo
Justina Rae
p.s. turns out, I have all kinds of things to say now that I've given myself endless blank pages : )

WOW! Life is a trip.

Have you ever paused for a moment and looked at your life objectively? Look as if you are a bird, or God. Completely without judgment, look at all the people in your life as if they are actors in a movie. What's going on? This can be so tricky, I am aware of 3 or 4 times that I have done this in the last.... 16 months. I "thought" I was aware of the things going on, choosing to be okay with what is vs. what is "good" or "bad". A few evenings ago I was lying on my bed letting the work day roll off, relaxing. Suddenly I saw myself laying there. In my mind, I jumped up and screamed...... What in the fuck has been going on around here? and who are you? How did I get here? and where in the universe have I been? WOW! Life is a trip. Things have not been the same since. I have been moving, and moving. :) I am here now, I think. I am bigger and badder than ever! xoxo Big Love.

Home Rules

Always be honest proverbs 12:22
Count your blessings psalms 14:1-3
Bear each other's burdens galatians 6:2
Forgive and forget micah 7:18
Be kind and tender hearted ephesians 4:32
Comfort one another 1thessalonians 4:18
Keep your promises romans 4:21
Be supportive of one another acts 20:35
Be true to each other revelation 15:4
Look after each other deuteronomy 15:11
Treat each other like you treat your friends matthew 7:12
but most important
LOVE ONE ANOTHER
deeply from the heart 1 peter 1:22

racing thoughts

My mind has been racing for days, actually, make that years. The last couple days though, it's been a bit much. I feel like I am under an attack. I feel like there's an airport in my head, a spaceship-port more like, and they are fast.
I have so much being held in, so many ideas.
My thoughts are racing so fast I am having a hard time writing this. In between the last line and this one, I stopped typing for 10 minutes and had 4 million thoughts come and go, each one feeling just as important as the other.
I have some ideas in my head, HUMONGOUS ideas and a bunch of little ones darting in and out. I have a bunch of things I actually have to do in order to get the results I am wanting, and here I sit.
Christmas is really hitting everyone hard this year, we are not excluded from this. I am having a hard time shopping for my kids; I am  not going to buy things that will be tossed aside for next seasons must haves. I am aware of the millions of families suffering and I feel like I should be out there making a difference, offering my talents.
(Writing helps in settling my thoughts. I can feel them all getting in line as I type. I guess they see they have an outlet and that the easiest way to get through is to stand in line and wait their turn.)
back to xmas? I didn't plan a christmas baking night this year, knowing the importance of inviting a few girls over to bake a bunch of xmas candy and cookies.  I am choosing instead to make sugar cookies with Taylor and a few of her friends. 10 year olds rock.
I am entertaining (pretty much full time) the idea of a global villiage. HUGE. I am also storing this idea in my head. This one idea is living in my mind taking up a lot of space, it is trying to remember millions of things at a time causing an enormous amount of forgetting things, and not being able to prioritize, and being a complete ditz. It is hard for me to hold a conversation. I know what I could do to allow the ideas flow easily onto paper, Now I will do it.
THANK YOU JUSTINA.
Sitting and writing brought me from AAAAAAAARGH to knowing what step I need to take first. NOW.
Staples, here I come.
xoxoxxoxxoxox

LOVE

Just as I begin to forget,
a moment is created,
an energy is released,
and I am aware of you,
I remember all over again.

Millions have sung about a love like ours,
Thousands of hours have been spent
searching for the perfect words.
Lifetimes have come and gone,
hoping simply to have a taste.
xoxo
justina kerstein

Love.

Who are "they"?
that make us believe
this is life?

That we have no choice
in how we receive.

Close your eyes,
take a deep breathe.
Feel the pulse,
embrace the magic,
hear  your voice.

The leaves of a tree
are as separate as can be,
each drawing energy from the universal
air, earth, fire and sea.
The same as you and me.

We are separated in body,
joined together in soul,
united as one,
we live our common goal.

The "they's" have no say
over the direction of our growth,
a simple me,
in a world of we.
xoxo
Justina Rae

peace and simplicity

“Simplicity is the essence of happiness.” - Cedric Bledsoe

It's been a over a year since I took the drastic step toward simplicity. I found myself surrounded by reminders of my past and hopes for a different life; old pictures of friends and family that have passed on, and pictures of the way things used to be.  This is unhealthy, it kept my mind "there" more than I even realized....
I went from room to room and cleaned out EVERYTHING.  A girlfriend gave some good advice, "if you wouldn't take it with you on a move to a different country, get rid of it". I boxed up all my pictures of then, and threw them up in the attic.
The difference it has made in all of our lives is AMAZING!
It's easier to clean for one thing, it's also much easier to stay in the NOW!
peace and simplicity,
justina

old diet blog...

My cousin Margaret called today and asked me to email her my diet. To clarify, she said "just what you eat, and what you don't eat"!

First things first.
If you are thinking about changing your lifestyle, the first thing that I recommend is a full body cleanse.  In April of '08 I was introduced to "The Master Cleanser" diet. (This is the diet that David Blaine uses before stunts) This flush cleans your entire body from top to bottom; every organ, vein, artery, pore, colon, intestines, and most importantly, your mind.
Your mind goes through an enormous paradigm change. Only in America do we believe we must not only eat EVERY day, but 3 times a day!! It has a hard time accepting the fact that you are not going to eat.  Considering we are in a habit of eating 3 times a day, take a second to think about how much time you spend thinking about what to eat, shopping, preparing and actually eating each meal, then consider taking all of that time and thinking about something else. This is the mind cleanse!

Your tongue gets a white furry coating on it, this is how the toxins get out. It is recommended to continue the cleanse until your tongue turns back to pink. It took 7 days and I lost my first 12 lbs.

It is crazy come day 5, watching other people eat. WOW. Somehow we have come to a point where we are embarrased to eat? I watch people eating (especially fast food) and there is a rat like approach; nervous, fast and embarrased. I also really started thinking how easy it is for us to access and eat meat, from real alive animals.

Imagine for a minute if you will how much meat an average family eats in a week? How much does your neighborhood consume? In a month?
Let's go back, waaaay back.
Men went on hunting trips away from their families, for days. When and if the hunt was successful a celebration was had by all. The animal was hung, skinned, salted and stored for special occasions. When the time came to eat it, a prayer was said and everyone gave appreciation to the animal that gave it's life. They were also sure to use EVERY part. (ever thought about where all our waste goes?)
Today, we drive through McDonald's and eat a cow without thinking twice.

Let's add another perspective;
EVERYTHING in this world has a balance. Up/down, hot/cold, love/hate, black/white, birth/death etc.,etc.,etc.
What kind of balance are we creating when we are creating life and killing it at the rate we are? Not just breeding, plumping and killing all these animals, but not even taking a moment to be thankful for the life.
Someone told me that it takes 3 days for a chicken to be born and put on a table.
I become a vegetarian on Thanksgiving day.
The only regret that I have? That I spent 30 years of my life eating TERRIBLE food.
There are millions of "animal" alternatives, even for you meat lovers!

Seeds; sesame seeds, hemp seeds, chai seeds........... Packed with protein, vitamins, hormone balance, nutrients, vitamins. Put 'em in and on everything!
Nuts. YUM.
Beans, get creative. There are many different ways to incorporate them.
Soy, tofu, and even chicken that tastes much better than a chicken.

FRUITS. Always have 1 with you. Choose a fruit first. If that is not enough, then choose something else. Banana's (contrary to popular belief) are a great bedtime snack. They contain L-triptothan, the same stuff in turkey to help you sleep. The fructose (sugars) will set your metabolism in motion!
VEGETABLES. I have found 100+ varieties I never knew existed and more ways to use them. Add them to everything. Make a salad EVERY night for dinner. Eat it first.
(pureed squashs can be used to thicken sauces and no one will even know)!

Move away from 3 meals a day. We tend to starve waiting for our scheduled eating and then purge, on time!
Carry healthy snack with you and eat when you are hungry. 6-7 meals a day really is easier, healthy and cheaper.
Rearrange your cupboard, put medium salad plates eye level and put the giant plates way up top. Your stomach is the size of your closed fist, or should be.

Excema? indigestion? gas? allergies? ulcers? Colds? acid reflux? Mucus? fat?.....milk.
Please, really consider eating alternatives. They are soooooo much more delicious, digestable, and good for you!
dairy. Milk from cows is designed to make BIG FAT COWS. period.
GROSS.
There are MANY awesome, scrumptous alternatives. We drink; hemp, rice, oat, almond, and soy milk regularly. They make "better than" sour cream, cream cheese etc. We eat rice, soy and veggie cheeses, icecreams etc.
There is a "mayonaise" alternative by vegenaise that is made from grape seeds. Grape seeds are used to help chloresterol and heart disease. You mayonaise lovers can eat up and help your heart! It's BETTER tasting than Hellman's or Best Foods!

corn. Corn is not digestable by the human body (everyone knows how it comes out) You know that hard fat that will NOT go away? High fructose corn syrup. It must be taken out of our foods, the only way to make that happen is to stop consuming it. Corn is great for things like fuel, plastic like (biodegradable) products etc.

Enriched Flour/rice. To enrich our products, "they" have taken ALL of the vitamins and nutrients out (they give them to cows so they can get bigger faster) and give us the "filler".  Eating foods made with filler creates big problems. Your body has to consume an irrational amount of it in order to get the nutrients it needs so it can send out the signal, "I'm full". Insist on using whole grains. You will eat less and weigh less.

"artificial" flavoring/coloring. What is this? What is it doing to our bodies? our brains? Find out before you put anymore of it in your temple.

Omega's, 3-6-9 (fish oil). In the processing of food, all of the essential oils are taken out. Key word; essential. Omega's are found in many foods, the highest in Alaskan Salmon. They help lubricate your entire body and you can see and feel the difference in everything; skin, memory, joints, back, hair, sight, blood pressure, breathing. Without essential oils, we are like a car with no oil, or dirty, sludgy oil.

Many people complain about the price of whole foods vs. poisonous. First, you don't have to eat as much so you don't have to buy as much. Second, are you calculating in all the doctor bills associated with eating processed foods? Third, there is NO price on the changes living healthy brings.

These changes were brought about one by one, slowly. The kids and I take a daily vitamin and an omega, all of us report "feeling different, a good different". Smiles are brought to my face daily watching my children choose healthy for themselves.

I have officially lost 30 lbs., I think 10lbs came from my head. A healthy body helps create a healthy, calm mind.

Let me know how your doing, let's share some yummy healthy recipes!
Take care of yourself, you're all you've got....
xoxoxo
justina

The secret of the ages by robert collier

The Secret of the Ages
This book was written in 1926 and was in it's 27th edition in 1975. Robert Collier talks about the world we are living in NOW, in the 21st century and how we have begun the evolution of our minds. Here is a part out of the book that really made me go hmmmmm.

~We bemoan the loss of our forests. We worry over our dwindling resources of coal and oil. We decry the waste in our factories. But the greatest waste of all, we pay no attention to-the waste of our own potential mind power. Professor Wm. James, the world-famous Harvard psychologist, estimated that the average man uses only 10% of his mental power. He has unlimited power-yet he uses but a tithe of it. Unlimited wealth all about him-and he doesn't know how to take hold of it. With God-like powers slumbering within him, he is content to continue in his daily grind-eating, sleeping, working-plodding through an existence little more eventful than the animals'. while all of Nature, all of life, calls upon him awaken, to bestir himself.~

10%? 10%! 10%? yes. 10%

WTF? isn't anyone concerned about this? there is 90% of our brain just sitting there, chillen. Seriously. This is a really big deal to me, I am on a mission to find out about this other 90% and I want to know what in the world is going on with our people. We are becoming drones. Wake up, go to work, come home, eat, sit in front of a screen and believe everything that is said as if it's not only true, but the "way it is".  Then, you wake up and do it all over again, everyday.    All the while of course, giving your hard earned money to the dozen men that are making all the decisions.
We have gotten ourselves into big trouble here, there is only one way to "fix" it all and that is by changing our minds. Refuse to be told what to believe, question everything you think you believe. Find out what the other 90% of your mind is up to. Listen to the things you say, what do they really mean? What are you spending your time thinking about? It's scary, it's hard, and it is sooo worth it. Call it forward, open your mind. There, you will find the "you" you've been searching for, "you", will be the "happy" you've always wanted to be, you will be whole.

LOVE, love, Love, LOVE, loVe, lOvE, love, LOVE.
Be patient and kind to yourself.
xoxo justina

How many zeros in a billion?

This is too true to be funny.
The next time you hear a politician use the
word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about
whether you want the 'politicians' spending
YOUR tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend,
but one advertising agency did a good job of
putting that figure into some perspective in
one of its releases.

A.
A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B.
A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C.
A billion hours ago our ancestors were
living in the Stone Age.

D.
A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

E.
A billion dollars ago was only
8 hours and 20 minutes,
at the rate our government
is spending it.

While this thought is still fresh in our brain...
let's take a look at  New Orleans  .
It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division.

Louisiana Senator,
Mary Landrieu (D)
is presently asking Congress for
250 BILLION DOLLARS
to rebuild  New Orleans  . Interesting number...
what does it mean?

A.
Well.... if you are one of the 484,674 residents of  New Orleans
(every man, woman, and child)
you each get $516,528.

B.
Or... if you have one of the 188,251 homes in
New Orleans  , your home gets $1,329,787..

C.
Or... if you are a family of four...
your family gets $2,066,012.

Washington  , D. C

HELLO!
Are all your calculators broken??

Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax (Fed)
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Tax
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
(And to think, we left British Rule to avoid so many taxes)

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago...
and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.

We had absolutely no national debt...
We had the largest middle class in the world...
and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What happened?
Can you spell 'politicians!'

And I still have to
press '1'
for English.

What the heck happened?????