Making Time: Back to the Ranch

A couple of years ago, I was given a gift of a one-week stay at Rancho La Puerta, a destination spa in Tecate, Mexico. This is a legendary spa dedicated to fitness, health and wellness, and delicious healthy food. Forget Calgan; Rancho la Puerta, take me away.

To most people, this sounds like a heavenly offer—a free week to spend doing nothing but yoga and pilates, taking glorious hikes up mountains with breathtaking views, enjoying delicious specially prepared meals and unwinding with a pure-bliss relaxation massage. To me, it sounded like pure hell: I was dedicated to my growing business and wanted to spend every waking moment towards developing TV shows, writing books, designing products to just keep growing, growing, growing.

To make a long story short, a year had gone by and I was basically reminded by the gift giver that I had still not taken advantage of the trip. Out of guilt, I packed up my things and went, hoping I would not freak out wondering if I was needed on a TV set, in a production meeting or at a photo shoot. Yes, I was stressed out about going somewhere created to relieve stress.

On Day 1, I thought I had entered my personal nightmare: people said hello to me everywhere I went, there was no television in my room, not a drop of alcohol in sight and my Blackberry only worked when I illegally tapped into the ranch’s wifi. What I wanted was to be left alone to watch TV, check my email and have a glass of wine. That’s what we call getting off on a bad start. I called a friend and said, “Help. I’m at Promises Rehab Mexico. Send. Wine.”

But as the week progressed, I noticed something about myself. Out of boredom, I took yoga, mat pilates, stretch and cardio circuit training classes. I never looked at my watch during these classes, which I normally would do back home wondering if I had enough time to get to a meeting. Yes, I am that person who leaves yoga class right before the meditation part of the class. Instead, I could basically enjoy the moment and focus on the activity at hand. I met interesting and friendly people at breakfast, lunch and dinner, and never felt hungry. I relished my 8PM massages, staggered back to my villa in a stupor and had the best sleep of my life.

I didn’t miss my sugar-free Red Bulls, my evening glass (er, glasses…) of wine and most importantly, my Blackberry. What I experienced was something I hadn’t felt before: bliss. And I lost weight (about 7 pounds) that I didn’t even know I needed to lose. I felt great.

The day I checked in for my third visit to Rancho La Puerta, I saw a sign with names of guests who had been there multiple times.  I noticed that film critic Roger Ebert had been a guest more than 30 times. The first time I saw this, my reaction was “crazy people.” Now, being a three-peat guest, I think “it’s crazy I don’t come here more often.”

The lesson I walked away with goes beyond bettering my fitness regime, getting cooking tips or losing those extra pesky pounds. Instead, I realized the investment I make in a one-week retreat towards myself is re-investing in my business: if I’m not living my life at optimum health, I can’t perform well in all aspects of my business. My whole life, I’ve been using a mantra that it’s the quality of the work that matters, not the quantity. Rancho La Puerta has taught me that the same philosophy applies to myself as well.

My Competitive Spirit Meets Yoga

Fran Harris

I just finished yoga and I’m pumped. I know that sounds contradictory, but work with me. Yoga energizes me because it challenges me to let all those silly distractions fall away. I forget about who’s emailed or texted me in the last 30 seconds. I don’t wonder if my tweets are going out as scheduled. I’m just able to be. For those 45, okay, 35 minutes, I’m just being. I’m just me.

I was introduced to Yoga over a decade ago but I didn’t start “practicing” until 5 years ago. And almost instantly my life, relationships and outlook changed. I had an amazing instructor who assured me that just because I couldn’t touch my toes that I was not going to be cast into the Yoga Hall of Shame.

Yoga was such a departure in philosophy for me. You see, I’m a competitive athlete. I’ve played basketball at the highest levels — WNBA Champion, NCAA Champion, USA National Team, Olympic Alternate and professional stints in Italy & Switzerland. We’re conditioned to be these elite machines that never show any vulnerability, lest the “enemy” swoop in and crush us. How funny that I’ve never really bought into that. Maybe if I had I would have been a better basketball player.

And perhaps that’s why Yoga was like a water fountain in the desert for me. Something inside me — ever since I was 5 or 6 year old — has always longed for something deeper. Something way beyond the outer. I believe Yoga nurtures that place inside all of us that craves stillness and acceptance. And for some reason, when I finish practicing Yoga, I actually feel like I could run a marathon.

I don’t, of course, I’ll never do that again (a story, I’ll share later) but for now, suffice it to say that finding my inner Yogi has been the most amazing part of my journey to date. I don’t know exactly why, but I do know that Yoga has facilitated an opening in me that’s made a difference in every area of my life.

And miraculously I’ve discovered that my outer achievement comes effortlessly when I go inward to my true, highest self. It’s incredible what happens when you don’t care who’s right, who gets the credit or who gets recognized. A philosophy not nurtured in competitive sports, believe me.

So, I moved from sports to another competitive arena: TV. And I have to say that nothing is funnier than the television business. The shouting matches between producers. The ego-centric rants of managers and agents. The morbid insecurity of on-air talent.

I used to wish that I’d done things differently in my TV career. That I’d started earlier or moved to New York or fired my first agent sooner. But I have to say that as I assess where I am and who I am today, that I’m glad I did exactly as I did.

Now, I can’t say that about everything in my life. But with regard to my TV career, I’m sure of it. I don’t get bothered by the same things. I don’t see the business the same. And that feels right for me. I now know that TV is my vehicle for service. All I have to do is “be who I am”, with the blessed assurance that as long as I sing MY song and stay in MY lane, the adventure, the excursion will be one helluva ride.

It already has been.

Fran Harris, America’s No Excuses Coach has been inspiring individuals, teams and companies to lead bigger lives since she was 12 years old. A life and business coach who’s appeared on CNBC, CNN, FOX Business & Oprah & friends, she’s also the host of a new lifestyle show on HGTV that premiers in 2010.

What’s Your Dream?

Hey Dreamy Dreamers!

I had a dream to complete a mini triathlon and on August 29th, 2009 I did just that. I resent the mini label as .5 mile swim, 18 mile bike, 3.2 mile run…IN A ROW AS FAST AS YOU CAN felt major to my tush! It was truly an amazing event and left me feeling ridiculously inspired. It got me thinking about the nature of dreams and goals and how they enrich our life experience and keep it interesting. Completing the race taught me many things. The following is a list of the top 5 things I learned from my experience.

1. You can do anything you put your mind to doing. I used to say,” I am not a runner.” Then our son, Alex turned us onto Chi Running by Danny Dryer and my experience was transformed. You are what you say you are. I learned I am a runner.

2. “All game- no gear” was apparently my mantra for this race as the pictures will attest. I learned that there is a good reason why people have gear like a wet suit cause it was freakin’ freezing and proper bike shoes etc. I learned that gear is good.

3. Swimming is swimming, right? Wrong. Swimming in a pool is not even a tiny bit like swimming in a lake with 50 other people around you. I learned that training in the body of water you plan to race in is imperative to not freaking out on race day.

4. Completer or competer?, I was asked. I said I am a completer but why do I care about my time (2.09 25 seconds #175 out of 300) and why did I just tell you my time and completion number?? I learned I am both a completer AND a competer.

5. Racing keeps staying fit interesting. I will continue to do mini triathlons because I loved the entire experience. I learned that pushing myself outside of my comfort zone expanded my mind as well as my muscles!

So I invite you to ask yourself what dreams you have given up on and why? Really challenge yourself to go back and think about what your dreams were and why they changed. In my practice, clients tell me often how they are too_______(insert limiting belief here: old, fat, tired, etc.) to attain their goals. There is no such thing as too late for most dreams. I was a talent agent representing super models until my 30’s when I realized that dream was fulfilled and no longer fulfilling me. I went back to school to create my next career and fulfill my dream of empowering people to have the best life experience possible. Since we all know the universe can only say yes, be mindful of what you create with language. You are exactly what you say. If you are the architect of your life (and you are) what are you building?? It’s never too late to do ANYTHING unless you think it is.

Go out and live your best life. Remember not one minute of this beautiful experience is guaranteed you. Every moment, every second is a gift. Find what is right in your life and have enormous gratitude for it. Find what is wrong and change it. You are the only person responsible for your happiness so expand your idea of what is possible.

If not you…who?

If not now…when?

I am cheering you on like a wild maniac!!!!

Love Love Love,

Terri

P.S. I also learned from my friend Keylla that as a Triathlon-er you are only aloud to talk about the race for the time it took you to actually complete the race. So I believe my two hours, nine minutes and 25 seconds are officially up!

Work It!

Ok, I admit it: I have basically the best job in the entire world. Some people dig ditches; I get to go to an all-vegan office where our daily toil involves interviewing the world’s most interesting people, testing the world’s yummiest recipes, and promoting the daylights out of the vegan lifestyle. Do I have bruises from pinching myself? Yes. Does that mean that I’m totally content and never wonder about what else to do with my life? Far from it.

Like everybody else, I’m constantly concerned that I should have gone to medical school, joined the Peace Corps, founded about a half dozen non-profits, or spent all day every day mucking out stalls at a farm-animal sanctuary. Or, better yet, all of the above, while still doing my current job and also squeezing in working out, eating, sleeping, showering, watching more Battlestar Galactica than is likely advisable, and eating again—yes, eating is important enough to be on this list twice. Putting together a pretty (and pretty kick-ass, if I dare say) magazine is endlessly fun, but is it enough? When your profession is also your passion, should you ever really stop working?

Answer one: of course! I mean, you can’t really make the case that sitting on your duff while getting your BSG fix—or whatever your non-nerdy fix may be—somehow helps make more people go vegan. Trust me, I’ve tried. But, in order to be effective when you are technically on the clock, taking some time off and shutting down your non-positronic brain is a must. Whether it’s indulging your nerdishness, getting a massage, or simply sleeping, downtime does wonders for refreshing both body and mind.

Answer two: of course not! So, remembering to take time for yourself is great and all, but, you know, we have work to do. Since animals’ sentience, a-freakin-dorableness, and wide range of emotional expression doesn’t somehow seem to be able to stop people from eating them, it’s not time to clock out until the world goes vegan. Maybe that sounds like a little too much, and maybe it is. But if we were able to rationalize away the fact that it’s up to us to help animals, chances are we wouldn’t have jobs that centered on that very task. Thankfully, the idea of “work” becomes a little bit more fluid when pretty much every aspect of your life revolves around it. Hosting SF Vegan Drinks, where I get to meet awesome vegans, relax, and possibly even enjoy a tipple-type treat? Work. Checking out vegan restaurants in any city I happen to visit? Yeah, it’s my professional duty to hit up Sticky Fingers when I’m in DC. Hanging out with amazing activists and continually being inspired to keep working? Yep, also work. Working all the time—all the time that I’m not literally unconscious—doesn’t seem quite overwhelming when you consider what “working” actually entails.

So, find what it is that you love doing, and do it. All the time. Does that sound overwhelming? Just remember that to be an animal activist, leaving them off your plate every day counts. So what if your day job is a bank teller? Even if you can’t be a baker/sanctuary owner/guidance counselor/pilot/full-time volunteer, doing a good job for animals can take almost as many forms as you’d like it to. Oh, and about going to med school? Adopting a vegan diet means that you, you personally, save the lives of roughly 100 animals per year. Go ahead, call me Dr. Castoria.

Of course, if you want to make working for animals your full-time gig, go for it! Finding a fulfilling, interesting, job—aka, winning the gainful-employment lottery—is pretty much a two-step process. Step one: figure out what cause you’re passionate about. If you talk your friends’ ears off about how much you love animals, chances are that working in animal advocacy will hardly seem like work at all. Step two: apply your skills, liberally. Maybe you’re really, really good a striking up a conversation with strangers—get ye into outreach. If you’re a natural-born numbers-cruncher, find an organization that can use your super-human powers over spreadsheets, and crunch away. Doing something at which you naturally excel will not only make your work seem easier, it will make those you work with think of you as a super genius. Finding a job that fits your skills and personality might mean starting off at your dream organization as a volunteer, then slowly becoming absolutely indispensable. Even if you have to transition from your day job to your dream job over a period of time, the exhilaration of finally landing a position that marries your skills and passions—and offers you a paycheck and bennys—is well worth the time investment up front. Just make sure to keep ice at the ready for the pinch-induced bruising.

A Polite Introduction

I hope this isn’t rude, but who are you?

That was the question the reporter at Experience Life magazine opened with when interviewing me for The New Vegan – a piece written on the neo-traditional approach to the plant-based lifestyle appearing in their May issue.

I laughed. It was a totally fair question. Every other “expert” being featured was a published author or had a successful line of products. And then there was me. “Who are you?” The question echoed in my brain for days after.

For the record: I am Michael Parrish DuDell – the senior editor at Ecorazzi.com, the co-founder of VEGdaily.com and the founder and executive director of the brand spanking new nonprofit organization Citizens for a Compassionate Planet. Oh yeah, and chances are you’ve never heard of me.

You see, I’m the new guy on the block – the friendly neighbor who through a series of random events has somehow inherited this great big house and is now trying to fix it up just right.

I guess the first thing people notice about me is that I’m freshly 26 (which to me feels light-years old, but to others generally elicits rolled eyes and comments ending in the word “baby”). The second thing you might notice is that I love what I do more than just about anything in the entire world.

I’ve been vegan for 8 years, but spent most of those basically silent about what I chose to eat. It’s strange, really. In every other aspect of my life I’m brazen and strong, but when it came to veganism I was constantly afraid of turning people off or rocking the boat. And then something happened…

The year was 2006. I had just recently graduated from college and was volunteering at Farm Sanctuary’s 20th Anniversary Gala. It was the first animal event I’d ever been to and I was immediately blown away by how many people shared my passion. Each speaker seemed to say exactly what had been on my mind for all those years. You mean there were other people who felt this way?

Finally Alicia Silverstone came on stage to accept an award and said something that would change my life in a big way. Silverstone confessed that some people find her annoying because she speaks about veganism at every chance she gets. Still, she said, it doesn’t matter to her what they think because she’s certain her words have inspired even more people to change their life. And suddenly it hit, “Oh my God – she’s right!” It was nothing profound, but it connected the pieces in my brain and all of sudden things seemed clearer. I decided then and there to be more active in my community and never afraid to speak my mind about an issue I find so important.

Some months later I saw an ad looking for writers for Ecorazzi – a blog that spotlights all the fantastic things celebrities do for green living, humanitarianism and animal rights. I had never written professionally, but knew my way around a keyboard well enough to feel confident submitting a few samples. And the rest is history. After a year of writing for Ecorazzi, the owner, Michael d’Estries and I decided to launch VEGdaily.com.

So that’s me…almost.

During the fall of last year I decided that I wanted – no needed – to do more. The joy I get from writing for thousands upon thousands each week is mind-blowing. But what I love — what I really, really love – more than any amount of hits on a webpage is knowing that what I’m doing on a daily basis is inspiring others to help make the planet a more compassionate place. OH MY GOD! I’ve got it!

All of sudden it hit me. Citizens for a Compassionate Planet. I HAVE TO START IT! And so I did.

On March 16th, 2009 I officially launched Citizens for a Compassionate Planet – a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the health, environmental and ethical benefits of a plant-based diet through the establishment of advocacy and public education programs within local communities.

Through a series of support programs, outreach initiatives and educational presentations, my goal is to inspire the young people of the world to make long-lasting, positive change towards a healthier diet and a cleaner planet.

As I march to battle to the sound of an optimistic drum beat, I am reminded of the famous quote that Maragret Mead once uttered: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”

So no – it isn’t rude.

My name is Michael Parrish DuDell and I’m here to help create something wonderful.