See, Believe, & Achieve

  Venice, Italy in front of St. Mark's Basillica It has been a while since my last post, but I wanted to start 2013 by wishing you all a very happy New Year! After some technical bumps in the road and some busy months I am back. There is so much to share that now the hard part is figuring what to write about first. I can say that 2012 was a year filled with wonderful surprises both professionally and personally. It is always amazing to look back on the past 365 days and see just how the moments unfolded to create the path where we find oursevles standing at today. Mental health officials from Italy and visiting group from United States (and new friends) Starting the year with a list of resolutions is one of the favorite parts of my "see, believe, and achieve" goals. Having some sort of action plan helps to keep me focused and align myself with the goals most important. Ironically enough, last year I bought myself a calendar of Venice, Italy and hung it u...

Meals for the Week (Look Ma! I cooked!) :) Getting Ahead of the Game!  I LOVE to multitask! Time is golden to me and when possible, I try to get as much done at once. If my clothes are drying, I know that gives me exactly 55 minutes to run errands or get in a quick workout. If my car needs an oil change, I use that time to get my hair trimmed at a nearby salon, or catch up on some reading. Every second, minute, and hour counts and since I have more time than money, I invest it on accomplishing goals. The more I can accomplish, then the more time I can focus on what matters most.  Being healthy is an essential component and the food we eat plays a critical role to the way we feel and how we function overall. In trying to format a schedule, I have found a useful routine that has saved me time and has made my life so much easier overall.  One of the key habits I've formed is prepping all my meals for the week at once. Not only has this kept me on task with eat...

From Ireland with Love <3 Ch as in g Ra in bo ws  "Under the shelter of each other, people survive" (Gaelic Saying) Blarney Castle and home of the Blarney Stone (I smooched it for good luck!) Phew! May Mental Health Month was eventful (to put it lightly) and kept me so busy I had little time to blog (sorry amigos). Before I knew it June arrived and I was hopping a plane to Ireland! Here are a few photos to see for yourself, as no words I write could fully describe it! One of the highlights from my trip was hearing radio commercials about mental health, encouraging folks to seek help and not be embarrassed or ashamed.  Awesome!  Overall, Europe has a great mental health system and is the birthplace of the study on mental health.  When visiting the beautiful Cliffs of Mohr,  I was excited to see well placed signs with the national crisis hotline number reminding folks to call if they needed to talk to someone. Way to go I...

Stained Glass ( Photo by Shawn O'Connell) Let me share a little secret I've learned about life. You can never break someone, who has figured out how to create stained glass from all the tiny pieces. Never underestimate your own strength. :) With love, Ane :) 

I dedicate today's blog to my little sister and all the sisters of the world (big and small). (Don't worry brothers you'll soon have a blog of your own)  A Sister = A Forever Friend This is just a quick post about someone who is such a major part of my life and essential to my mental health and well being. My sister. I was motivated to post after one of our daily phone calls- because no matter what is going on in life, talking to her for even just 2-minutes makes me happy. She is an amazing human who constantly inspires me to be a better person. She is a superhero mom that does it all. I have no clue how she juggles everything with such grace and still manages to look as if she just stepped out of a magazine. No matter what happens in life, she will always be my sister and my forever friend. I heart her so much I can't even tell you where it begins and ends. For me, family is what roots are to a tree. They keep me grounded, give me life, allow me to blossom, and gro...

"Great is the human who has not lost his childlike heart." — Mencius  Caine's Arcade Today my co-worker sent me a super rad video about a 9-year old boy named Caine from East Los Angeles, who built his own arcade out of cardboard boxes. He runs the arcade out of his dad's used auto part store and even used his own toys as many of the prizes. You HAVE to watch the video to see how amazing this story really is. His innovation is captivating and humbling. In a society plagued with digital gadgets (ahem yes, that includes you reading this on your iPhone/iPad haha), Caine reminded me of how important it is to not lose your ability to be creative. His story gives new meaning to the term "think outside the box!" He literally did just that and more than anything I believe Caine's Arcade sets a good example to us all of what can be accomplished by using our imagination. Growing up I remember making the most elaborate things out of boxes or things found around...

I like many others made a resolution to get fit- both financially and physically. If I could do it once (during my pageant days), of course I could do it again, right? After two days of weight training (5 lb dumbbells) and stair climber I could barely lift my arms to get dressed in the morning, much less get in and out of my car without wincing. As I sat reeking of Icy Hot , reality set in...and it wasn't pretty. I was out of shape! Being physically fit definitely contributes to being mentally fit. A study by Arizona State has proven the positive effects related to mental health, through physical fitness. Findings showed that consistent exercise decreased feelings of anxiety and depression, and increased self-esteem, ability to deal with stressful situations, and contributed to better sleep patters. It is also hypothesized that regular exercise can combat the onset of depression (although further study needed to be done). Today, it is estimated that 1 out of every ...