Smile...:-)

“A smile is a facelift that’s in everyone’s price range!” Tom Wilson

Morning Kick Off

HUMANS ARE AWESOME ...Breaking out of your comfort zone

"This has gotta be the Good Good Life".....

Time to share some nice thoughts about one of the song I had the pleasure to listen during yesterday One Republic Concert in NY. After the concert, I could not resist to download the lyrics and find the pearls hidden in this song. I was right, there are many but I leave to you to discover all of them.

On my side, I will share the text and an hyperlink to yesterday concert. Enjoy watching...and definitely
"this has gotta be the good life!" It's up to us. I'm in!

Watch the video of the concert (click here)

"............We're young enough to say

Oh, this has gotta be the good life

This has gotta be the good life

This could really be a good life, good life

I say, "Oh, got this feeling that you can't fight"

Like this city is on fire tonight

This could really be a good life, a good, good life

To my friends in New York, I say hello

My friends in L.A. they don't know

Where I've been for the past few years or so

Paris to China to Colorado

Sometimes there's airplanes I can' t jump out

Sometimes there's bullshit that don't work now

We are God of stories, but please tell me

What there is to complain about?

When you're happy like a fool, let it take you over

When everything is out you gotta take it in

Oh, this has gotta be the good life

This has gotta be the good life

This could really be a good life, good life...."

I believe I can fly....

"A Free Man is someone who is true to himself, who follows his dreams, and turns them into reality. You have to put fear to one side, it will always be there, but you have to follow your path. It's all possible if you put enough energy into it.  A free man is someone who tries to make his dreams come true.

Watch this inspiring video. (click here)

Credits to our friend Dave for sharing it!

I don't stop when I'm tired, I stop when I'm done

Can we compare our workout approach and life attitude? Yess...That's a great news if you are already sportive person. You already know that you can use the workout experience to inspire yourself throughout the day.

If instead you are not a big fun of the treadmill, it's never too late to start moving. You will learn that there is never an easy run, but there is always a great cool down moment.

Browsing on the web, I found those 10 tips to work out...or should I say.. to live a better life?

Enjoy reading

Gianpy

1. Be Consistent

Chase Squires is the first to admit that he's no fitness expert. But he is a guy who used to weigh 205 pounds, more than was healthy for his 5'4" frame. "In my vacation pictures in 2002, I looked like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man at the beach," says the 42-year-old Colorado resident. Squires decided enough was enough, cut out fatty food, and started walking on a treadmill. The pounds came off and soon he was running marathons -- not fast, but in the race. He ran his first 50-mile race in October 2003 and completed his first 100-miler a year later. Since then, he's completed several 100-mile, 50-mile, and 50k races.

His secret? "I'm not fast, but I'm consistent," says Squires, who says consistency is his best tip for maintaining a successful fitness regimen.

"It all started with 20 minutes on a treadmill," he says. "The difference between my success and others who have struggled is that I did it every single day. No exercise program in the world works if you don't do it consistently."

2. Follow an Effective Exercise Routine

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) recently surveyed 1,000 ACE-certified personal trainers about the best techniques to get fit. Their top three suggestions:

• Strength training. Even 20 minutes a day twice a week will help tone the entire body.
• Interval training. "In its most basic form, interval training might involve walking for two minutes, running for two, and alternating this pattern throughout the duration of a workout," says Cedric Bryant, PhD, FACSM, chief science officer for ACE. "It is an extremely time-efficient and productive way to exercise."
• Increased cardio/aerobic exercise. Bryant suggests accumulating 60 minutes or more a day of low- to moderate-intensity physical activity, such as walking, running, or dancing.

3. Set Realistic Goals

"Don't strive for perfection or an improbable goal that can't be met," says Kara Thompson, spokesperson for the International Health Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA). "Focus instead on increasing healthy behaviors."

In other words, don't worry if you can't run a 5K just yet. Make it a habit to walk 15 minutes a day, and add time, distance, and intensity from there.

4. Use the Buddy System

Find a friend or relative whom you like and trust who also wants to establish a healthier lifestyle, suggests Thompson. "Encourage one another. Exercise together. Use this as an opportunity to enjoy one another's company and to strengthen the relationship."

5. Make Your Plan Fit Your Life

Too busy to get to the gym? Tennis star Martina Navratilova, health and fitness ambassador for the AARP, knows a thing or two about being busy and staying fit.

Make your plan fit your life, she advises in an article on the AARP web site. "You don't need fancy exercise gear and gyms to get fit."

If you've got floor space, try simple floor exercises to target areas such as the hips and buttocks, legs and thighs, and chest and arms (like push-ups, squats, and lunges). Aim for 10-12 repetitions of each exercise, adding more reps and intensity as you build strength.

6. Be Happy

Be sure to pick an activity you actually enjoy doing, suggests Los Angeles celebrity trainer Sebastien Lagree.

"If you hate weights, don't go to the gym. You can lose weight and get in shape with any type of training or activity," he says.

And choose something that is convenient. Rock climbing may be a great workout, but if you live in a city, it's not something you'll be doing every day.

7. Watch the Clock

Your body clock, that is. Try to work out at the time you have the most energy, suggests Jason Theodosakis, MD, exercise physiologist at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. If you're a morning person, schedule your fitness activities early in the day; if you perk up as the day goes along, plan your activities in the afternoon or evening.

"Working out while you have the most energy will yield the best results," Theodosakis says.

8. Call In the Pros

Especially if you're first getting started, Theodosakis suggests having a professional assessment to determine what types of exercise you need most.

"For some people, attention to flexibility or to balance and agility, may be more important than resistance training or aerobics," he says. "By getting a professional assessment, you can determine your weakest links and focus on them. This will improve your overall fitness balance."

9. Get Inspired

"Fitness is a state of mind," says fitness professional and life coach Allan Fine of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. One of Fine's tricks to get and stay motivated is to read blogs or web sites that show him how others have been successful. "Who inspires you?" he asks.

10. Be Patient

Finally, remember that even if you follow all these tips, there will be ups and downs, setbacks and victories, advises Navratilova. Just be patient, and don't give up, she says on the AARP web site: "Hang in there, and you'll see solid results."

Source: WebMD

Inspire and be inspired

Being inspired by colleagues. I guess I'm lucky... as it happens every day. Will pass the same message through... confident will inspire you as well.
Thanks Joe for sharing!

Enjoy

Hungry for Change....

Often we get involved in conversation about food, fat, calories, energy level etc etc... whatever is the status we are currently in, there is no doubt that this is a matter that affects our daily life and the way we decide to live our existence. 

The reality (and it's not a secret) is that eating healthy ensure a better quality of life.

There are several books or documentaries that talk about this topic. 

The first step is the awareness, the second is ... to be "Hungry for Change"

Here the trailer of an interesting documentary that I invite you to watch entirely (or if you prefer, read the book).

Enjoy

click here to watch

And the body said: "Now I'm onboard...Now you are good to me... let me shine to you"

I wish the next record breaker well and hope they enjoy doing it....

 Inspire and be inspired...

Searching for inspirational people and stories. And here we go, another great example of human being. An astonishing story, plenty of determination and... a passion for running, regardless from the age.

Thanks Roby for sharing this.

Run for Life! Enjoy

Centenarian Sikh "retires at the top"

If Lance Armstrong destroyed your faith in endurance sports, an illiterate, turban-wearing pensioner could restore it. Not that drugs would ever appeal to devout Sikh athlete Fauja Singh, 101, the world’s oldest marathon runner who has announced his retirement.

"I recognize that the longer distances are becoming challenging and taking part in races adds pressure on me as I like to be seen to be enjoying myself and not struggling," Singh told Metro from India. "I’m not sad and want to retire at the top. I have achieved all I wanted and there are no more records to be broken."

The Indian-born Briton, who ran his first marathon at age 89 and seven more since, now has an eye on his legacy. 

"I want the young to be inspired to take up physical activity and maintain it through their lives. Hopefully they will see the folly of taking drugs. I also want the elderly to embark on getting fitter – if I can run my first marathon so late in life, no one should use the excuse of old age as a barrier."

 

Singh’s epic journey has seen him post records in eight distance categories, including his best time of 5 hours 40 minutes at the 2003 Toronto Marathon. His achievements have earned him a lunch date with Queen Elizabeth II, and a starring role in TV commercials alongside David Beckham. 

Harmander Singh, his coach of 13 years, credits Fauja’s enthusiasm. "He was my best trainee, always keen to do more than I expected. I would suggest a 10-kilometer run and he would ask 'why not 20?'"

Harmander describes his student as a "simple and humble man" – he has always been illiterate – who has stayed close to his faith.

The pair established the ‘Sikhs in the City’ running club in London, now participating in inter-faith marathons across the world. In retirement, faith and sporting charities will become his focus, along with "meeting people at a more leisurely pace."

Fauja’s achievements have become a reference point for sports scientists. 

"He has demonstrated the limit of human capacity," Professor Jose Gonzalez-Alonso, Director of the Centre for Sports Medicine and Human Performance in London, told Metro. "I’m sure it will motivate other elderly runners to beat his times." 

Fauja’s last official race will be a 10-kilometer event in Hong Kong on February 24.

Q+A with Fauja Singh

What has been the proudest moment of your running career?

Every moment has been topping the last but I was particularly pleased to have completed the Toronto Waterfront Marathon at the age of 100 and finally my home London Marathon – I also value crossing the finish line of my first marathon as special.

Who is your sporting hero?

When I was young there were great Punjabi and Sikh wrestlers who were legends and everyone wished they could be like them. Later it was Ajit Singh from Huddersfield and Amrik Singh from Glasgow, friends who ran many marathons all over the world long before me, and persuaded me to try longer distances than the 100 and 200 metres I used to run.

Would you like your record as oldest marathon runner to be broken?

All records are meant to be broken, but it is great while they last. I wish the next record breaker well and hope they enjoy doing it.

  

Do you wish you had taken up running a bit earlier?

I never worry about things that I cannot control, I am grateful to God that I have lasted this long as it can be tiring to be ahead of the field for so long – 13 and a half years is I am told exceptional to be at the top. No British Prime Minister has lasted as long.

Source: Metro

Human interaction...a key principle in "Participatory Management"

Reading a newsletter sent from our friend and expert in business consulting Philip Levy.  

Decisional process, authority, delegating power, empowerment... all under one umbrella: "Participatory Management".

Food for thoughts  and ready for a more extensive discussion during the upcoming YEX seminar on this topic. Stay tuned

Looking forward

“What is Participatory Management?”

“I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.” Albert Einstein

Clearly Einstein was prescient. While he could not foresee entirely the technology explosion, he understood the power of human interaction and effective communication. Nowhere is this more important today than in leading a company. Einstein’s vision reinforces the importance of leaders and managers effectively engaging and communicating with staff in building strong teams, and forming strong bonds between employees and their companies, where employees feel respected, cared for, valued, empowered, and committed to the future of the company. Effective and purposeful communication contributes to this essential bond between the leadership of a company and its stakeholders, especially employees. Ultimately, this bond becomes one of the greatest predictors of success. My model of “Participatory Management” is built upon this very quality of human interaction which Einstein envisioned; where employees are participants in the decision making process, where their thoughts and ideas are valued, and where risk taking in the name of creativity and forward thinking is encouraged and supported. In working with clients, I have noticed that there can be confusion regarding what “Participatory Management” is and is not. Many times I have had an executive say “Phil, why would I want to cede my authority and power when I am ultimately held responsible?”  The answer is you would not, but this model does not encourage that. First and foremost, in order to grow a company, you must nurture leaders who are independent thinkers, who view themselves as “stakeholders” in the success of the company. This can only be achieved when top management allows for consistent input to the decision making process. But input does not mean giving up your power or authority. The final decision is always yours! But the support you will receive, the increase in motivation and morale and the professional development of future leaders will come from stakeholders being, and feeling, heard and their input valued. Isn’t it more powerful when the ideas that are ultimately adopted have come up from the ranks rather than imposed from the top? And, you will more likely hear innovative ideas from individuals who are invested in making your company a great success! The art of management and leadership is to create an environment that nurtures this kind of participation. It conveys respect and empowerment and reflects a leader who is confident enough not to fear the loss of control, but rather one who understands that sharing increases the likelihood of creating greater ownership and commitment to the success of the company. Leading only from the top leaves many lonely disenfranchised people at the bottom and many leaders feeling unappreciated and isolated. Philip Levy To read more click here

IQ and the concept of Infinity...

The positive effect of the flu is that it forces you to stay at home. Perfect time to catch up with some of your favorite books or movies... 

So was yesterday. On the screen "IQ", 1994 production. It is definitely an easy going comedy, but with some interesting and pleasant concepts.

One of those is the explanation of the Infinity theory. Well known amongst mathematicians, it's fascinating also for people who simply likes to think about it.

Below you can read some information... it seems there is no ultimate solution... theory does not match reality... 

Infinity is not a number or a thing, but the idea behind many notions:

• no matter how high you count, you can always count higher

• no matter how long you draw a pair of parallel lines, they never meet

• if you start with a line of any length, you can divide it in half, then divide one of the pieces in half, and no matter how many times you repeat the process, you will always have another piece that you can divide in half again.

Our intuition tells us that these infinite things are theoretically possible, even though our experience, which is finite, tells us that it is impossible to demonstrate them in the physical world. Still, it is easier to imagine them being true than it is to imagine them not to be true. How could there be a "last number" when practically everyone knows how to add 1 to it?Where does this leave us, though, when we accept these truths that involve infinity? Does it makes sense to have a number that is greater than the estimated number of particles in the universe, or to begin dividing a line into lengths shorter than the diameter of any particle known to atomic physicists? What if, in the vast unreachable universe that is larger than our senses can comprehend, parallel lines do eventually meet?

Hmmm, Now it is even more complicated!

Maybe, the answer is in Albert Einstein's words "Never let your brain interfere with your heart"...

Enjoy your Holidays

The Jar of Life...

Here we go, linking some of the old stories and inspirational concepts with the current day by day activities represents always a pleasant discovery. Even more when you realize that those principles are exactly the ones needed to move forward in your plan. Take few minutes of your time to read below story. Probably you already know about it. Probably no. In both cases, it is never late to identify which ones are the big stones in your life…Enjoy your reading

----------STORY-----------------

One day, an old professor of the School of Public Management in France, was invited to lecture on the topic of  “Efficient Time Management” in front of a group of 15 executive managers representing the largest, most successful companies in America.  The lecture was one in a series of 5 lectures conducted in one day, and the old professor was given 1 hr to lecture.

Standing in front of this group of elite managers, who were willing to write down every word that would come out of the famous professor’s mouth, the professor slowly met eyes with each manager, one by one, and finally said, “we are going to conduct an experiment”.

From under the table that stood between the professor and the listeners, the professor pulled out a big glass jar and gently placed it in front of him.  Next, he pulled out from under the table a bag of stones, each the size of a tennis ball, and placed the stones one by one in the jar.  He did so until there was no room to add another stone in the jar.  Lifting his gaze to the managers, the professor asked, “Is the jar full?” The managers replied, “Yes”.

The professor paused for a moment, and replied, “Really?”

Once again, he reached under the table and pulled out a bag full of pebbles.  Carefully, the professor poured the pebbles in and slightly rattled the jar, allowing the pebbles to slip through the larger stones, until they settled at the bottom.  Again, the professor lifted his gaze to his audience and asked, “Is the jar full?”

At this point, the managers began to understand his intentions.  One replied, “apparently not!”

“Correct”, replied the old professor, now pulling out a bag of sand from under the table. Cautiously, the professor poured the sand into the jar.  The sand filled up the spaces between the stones and the pebbles.

Yet again, the professor asked, “Is the jar full?”
Without hesitation, the entire group of students replied in unison, “NO!”

“Correct”, replied the professor.  And as was expected by the students, the professor reached for the pitcher of water that was on the table, and poured water in the jar until it was absolutely full. The professor now lifted his gaze once again and asked, “What great truth can we surmise from this experiment?”

With his thoughts on the lecture topic, one manager quickly replied, “We learn that as full as our schedules may appear, if we only increase our effort, it is always possible to add more meetings and tasks.”

“No”, replied the professor.  The great truth that we can conclude from this experiment is:

If we don’t put all the larger stones in the jar first, we will never be able to fit all of them later.

The auditorium fell silent, as every manager processed the significance of the professor’s words in their entirety.

The old professor continued, “What are the large stones in your life?  Health?  Family?  Friends? Your goals? Doing what you love?  Fighting for a Cause?  Taking time for yourself?”

What we must remember is that it is most important to include the lager stones in our lives, because if we don’t do so, we are likely to miss out on life altogether.  If we give priority to the smaller things in life (pebbles & sand), our lives will be filled up with less important things, leaving little or no time for the things in our lives that are most important to us.  Because of this, never forget to ask yourself,

With a warm wave of his hand, the professor bid farewell to the managers, and slowly walked out of the room.

----------STORY-----------------

OPEN THOUGHTS...

Is your jar of life full of sand & pebbles or is it filled with large stones?

Which are the large stones in your life?

Take care of the large stones first Set your priorities.  The same goes for your life.  If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, you will never have room for things that are truly most important.

Discovering the Organic Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright

Walking in Oak Park, a small town in Illinois. A visit organized by curious friends who shared their curiosity towards an architect and his style. Ending up discovering that this gentleman's masterpiece is a building that I keep crossing by every week in New York. 
Yes, we are talking about Frank Lincoln Wright and the Guggenheim Museum.
Back home...time to learn more about it and share with all of you. Enjoy below information and don't forget, Oak Park is only 25 minutes from Chicago's Airport, no excuses to miss it!

Frank Lloyd Wright (born Frank Lincoln Wright, June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture. This philosophy was best exemplified by his design for Fallingwater (1935), which has been called "the best all-time work of American architecture".^[1] Wright was a leader of the Prairie School movement of architecture and developed the concept of the Usonian home, his unique vision for urban planning in the United States.

His work includes original and innovative examples of many different building types, including offices, churches, schools, skyscrapers, hotels, and museums. Wright also designed many of the interior elements of his buildings, such as the furniture and stained glass. Wright authored 20 books and many articles and was a popular lecturer in the United States and in Europe. His colorful personal life often made headlines, most notably for the 1914 fire and murders at his Taliesin studio. Already well known during his lifetime, Wright was recognized in 1991 by the American Institute of Architects as "the greatest American architect of all time."

One of his late masterpiece, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, occupied Wright for 16 years (1943–1959)^[49] and is probably his most recognized masterpiece. The building rises as a warm beige spiral from its site on Fifth Avenue; its interior is similar to the inside of a seashell. Its unique central geometry was meant to allow visitors to easily experience Guggenheim's collection of nonobjective geometric paintings by taking an elevator to the top level and then viewing artworks by walking down the slowly descending, central spiral ramp, which features a floor embedded with circular shapes and triangular light fixtures to complement the geometric nature of the structure.