So I know my blogs have been Missing In Action lately, contrary to my regular blogging regime. The disruption in blogging was due in part to 2 computers that had suddenly died, as well as the merging of my blog to my website, while also having my “NEW” website reconstructed.
If you're looking for my recent blogs, they've moved to http://nicoleforrester.com/home-page/blogs
The website is still under construction, but, the show must go on! So, while I’ve still struggled with finding a replacement computer (a VERY long story) and my website is still under construction, the idle-some thoughts in my mind will continue, serving as study breaks…. Hope you enjoy them!
First off, thanks for stopping by to see what meandering thoughts I've been blogging on. While I typically blog 3 times a week, over the last few weeks my blog and website have been undergoing a reconstruction. As such, my blogs are on hold while this is going on. Please check back in a weeks time, when my new blog and website is scheduled to be launched.
As we usher in this new year... a big year at that, one song seems to resound loudly of what this New Year means, "It's a Beautiful Day" by U2. A new year brings with it dreams, an opportunity to start clean, and really a time to start doing the things you always wanted. Remember it's never too late to have the kind of life you've always dreamed of, AND now has never been too soon. I dare you to take 2012 and make it your year. It is a beautiful day.I truly wish for you an amazing 2012. Happy New Year!
Christmas is forever, not for just one day, for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf. The good you do for others is good you do yourself...
~Norman Wesley Brooks, "Let Every Day Be Christmas," 1976
Christmas time is by far my FAVOURITE time of the year. It is the season of giving, being with family, and it is also associated with greater incidences of random acts of kindness.
Of course I am a Christian, so my true love for Christmas originates there. So, while some people like to say “Happy Holidays” or “Seasons Greetings,” I prefer to stay true to what this time of year is all about as I exclaim “Merry Christmas!” I feel there should be no shame in saying Merry Christmas. I mean, we don’t traditionally say Happy Holidays during Thanksgiving, or Canada Day or on Labour Day, so why should I say that for Christmas.
And while I am a Christian, I still will take time to wish those who are Jewish, Happy Hanukah and so on for friends of other faiths throughout the year Where has this need to be politically correct (Happy Holiday) for Christmas come? Isn’t it because of Christmas that a holiday exists in the first place, as well as the birth of Santa? I don’t believe saying Merry Christmas requires the recipient to be a Christian; but, rather to be welcoming of the spirit of giving, for after all isn’t that what Christmas is all about?
And on that note, in the spirit of giving, practicing random acts is never a bad idea. You don’t have to spend a ton of money; you can give your time, hold a door open for a stranger, or spread the contagious gift of a smile. You never know how much you might change the course of someone’s life by these simple acts.
Likewise, we should take time to reflect on the goodness, as well as the amazing people we have in our lives. This is truly a perfect time to let people know how much they mean to us.
So whether you are a Christian or not I say to you Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! I truly wish the best for you and yours,
This is certainly my FAVOURITE Christmas song... And no other version is sweeter than Nat King Cole's. I can't deny that outside the holiday season and even during the summer months I'll still listen to this song. There is certainly a romantic element to it, with Nat's unique voice and style. But, the song also paints the picture of an ideal Christmas scene. Oh,how I enjoy Christmas!!! And as we enter the week of Christmas, and as it is spoken so elequently in this song, I leave you with "Although it's been said many times, many ways - Merry Christmas to you!" I wish you and your family all the love and enjoyment this holiday season can bring!
The Christmas Song -- Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire... (written by vocalist Mel Tormé and Bob Wells)
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire Jack Frost nipping at your nose Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir And folks dressed up like Eskimos.
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe Help to make the season bright Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow Will find it hard to sleep tonight.
They know that Santa's on his way He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh And every mother's child is gonna spy To see if reindeer really know how to fly.
And so I'm offering this simple phrase To kids from one to ninety-two Although it's been said many times, many ways Merry Christmas to you.
Promise yourself to be strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet. To make all your friends feel that there is something in them. To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. To think only the best, to work only for the best and expect only the best. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile. To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
My friend and I like to play a game. Often while working away on our studies at a coffee shop, we’ll stare outside the window at passers-by and wait for their glance to meet our eyes. Just at that moment we’ll surprise them with a big smile. While they might look a little bemused, it never fails; they inevitably catch the smile disease, and smile right back at us. The power of a smile should never be underestimated. It is the language of happiness. It really costs nothing, it extends your life expectancy and elevates your mood, which provides a wide host of positive kickbacks (such as, reduction of blood pressure and stress induced hormones). Most importantly it is seriously contagious. Now that’s something worth catching! It is an expression universally spoken and understood across various cultures. In fact, it may be the first language a baby learns. Not surprisingly, some researchers have found smiling to be positively associated with emotional experience, memory and cognition. In the famous Nun Study, researchers Deborah Danner, David Snowdon, and Wallace Friesen, at the University of Kentucky, looked at the autobiographies written by nuns entering the convent in early adulthood. They found the nuns with positive emotional content autobiographies were strongly associated with longevity 6 decades later. Snowdon has conducted additional studies (now at the University of Minnesota) looking at the brains of nuns when they die. Remarkably, he’s found that while many were functioning normal, a significant amount of them actually had full blown Alzheimer’s disease, despite not showing any symptoms. There is something about a smile that makes us feel better and also those around us. Think about your day to day experiences, and how service with a smile changes your perception of your waitress, doctor, or bank clerk. Likewise, have you ever noticed that smiling also has the ability to make someone appear instantly more attractive? It has also been found to make women look 3 years younger in age. Who needs anti-aging cream or botox when all you have to do is smile? And sure there may be times when you don’t feel like smiling, but those are the times that you should smile most. It may feel unauthentic at first, but leave that smile on your face for a solid minute and I guarantee you’ll start to feel better. You can even spice it up with some laughter, and now we’re talking about a smile that you feel through your soul! So, go ahead start spreading something worth catching. Smile! It looks good on you!
With the advent of Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, youtube, Linkedin, and blogging, we have entered the dawn of a new era. Social media: providing outlets for self promotion, repeated 5 minutes of fame and pure self indulgence. As a social media junkie, I by no means count myself out of this disease.
I am guilty of being fully immersed in the world of social media. From a personal website to youtube to a facebook page, I am there! However, this wasn’t always the case. In fairness, my social media engagement was precipitated by a stripper named Nicole Forrester who claimed to have slept with Josh Duhamel. In an effort to ensure I was not confused with this person I came out of hiding and entered the world of Twitter, Facebook and wherever else I could claim the name Nicole Forrester. I’ve now become a regular tweeter and social media junkie during my study and training breaks.
The problem with social media is it’s pretty narcissistic. The various social media channels seem to beckon for an update of: What’s going on? Where you have been? What you saw? and Who you were with? With a click of the “send” button photos and self-promotion statements are loaded up. But, what is the motivation. Are we genuinely sharing? Or is this our centre stage?
We are each hard wired with the desire to feel relevant. Everyone wants to feel like they matter and are important. Social media provides this outlet, but also promotes being self-absorbed.
As someone who studies sports psychology, I can’t help feeling that social media can be detrimental to athletic performances, if not used properly. I believe the promotion of narcissism encourages a proclivity of striving for favourable evaluation by others. This may be a recipe for distraction if these evaluations unknowingly become a priority.
It’s a double edged sword, especially if you are in the media eye. Supporters/fans feel like they have a personal connection to you as you respond to there @ or Facebook wall posts. And if you are an athlete your performances may be bolstered by this genuine support.
But on the other hand, all of a sudden athletes who may be striving for victory and fail, now have 10,000 twitter followers wanting to know what happened? Sometimes an athlete hasn't even had time to digest what just happened and they are already hurriedly providing a reason or an excuse to their awaiting "followers." London 2012 should be interesting, because Twitter, which was not popular in 2008, has a new presence in the lives of athletes.
I use to enjoy updating what Nicole is doing via Facebook/Twitter. However, with enough time and becoming a social media veteran, I’m learning that narcissism is boring and a little repulsive. As I watched in disgust one friend desperately trying to be the Facebook version of Paris Hilton - famous for no reason, or at least providing the illusion of importance - I turned the mirror on myself and thought "God, I definitely don't want to be that way." So, I did a cleanse, and began to be more deliberate in how I use social media.
I have found I’d rather find out what people think, share my babbling blog thoughts, and hopefully inspire or challenge someone’s way of thinking. And I want to follow people who likewise inspire me, make me laugh or are informative… rather than the Paris Hilton's desperately dying to be famous.
And it is hard, especially when you have fans who genuinely want to feel connected to you. So, I do try to provide some insight into my life, but by and large I’d rather make people think.
Sure I might slip up with squelching my narcissistic social media activity, but by no means will I allow my activities to be as self-indulgent as they once were.
As we head into cold and flu season, there is one thing that is contagious and always worth catching…. A smile…. And if you don’t feel like smiling, that’s when you need to really, really smile. Fake it until you make it… That’s right force yourself to smile for a minute or two and I guarantee you’ll start feeling better. Never underestimate the power of a smile! (Stay tuned, this week I'll show you why a smile is powerful!)
Kyle Miller is a World Champion Lacrosse goalie for Canada and possibly one of the nicest persons you'll ever meet. I met Kyle in 2009 when he signed up to do the CN Tower Stairclimb with me. He had been one of the athletes to raise the most money, rallying support from his family and friends who knew that climbing those stairs signified a lot given what he had overcome. In 2003 he was diagnosed with Osteogenic Sarcoma, the same cancer Terry Fox had, and beat it! This year when I asked Kyle if he would brave the 1,776 steps again, he was one of the first athletes to say yes. However, shortly thereafter he informed me he would not be able to participate due to some health issues. Little did I know the extent of the battle that lay ahead for Kyle.
After 8 years and 34 days the Osteogenic Sarcoma has returned in his lung.I think any of us with such news would be deflated, but not Kyle.He has approached his Round 2 battle with cancer with tenacity and an indomitable spirit.He has undergone numerous chemotherapy treatments and is now turning to advanced measures, since the tumor hasn’t seemed to change in size yet.
I’ve been following along reading his blog, feeling inspired by the courage and optimism Kyle and Vanessa (Kyle’s girlfriend) are demonstrating. Every step of this journey they have openly shared with detail. They are showing what fighting cancer looks like – step by step – from undergoing chemotherapy, to his search for a hat (with the loss of his hair) his prognosis and other treatment considerations, as well as his diagnosis of Stage 4 Osteogenic Spindle Cell Sarcoma. It is REAL and honest! It’s no surprise, that Kyle is also a motivational speaker. After Kyle defeats this Osteogenic Sarcoma I will eagerly await his Bestseller book of inspiration.
For the meantime I’d really encourage you to check our Kyle and Vanessa’s blog.It will change your life… And also please keep Kyle in your prayers.
With exactly 8 months left until the start of the Olympic Games, and 7 months until we name our official Athletics team for Canada, this song speaks to my core. I am reminded by a statement my friend Richard Hortness made the other day… “With ~6.675 billion people in the world, the odds of being an Olympic athlete are 636,000 to 1...but to win an Olympic gold medal, those odds jump to 22,000,000 to 1.” I have 8 months left to try to beat the odds!
Wednesday's Relationship Corner (has posted on the Huffington Post)
If you could have designed the girl of your dreams, she would be it in every way and more. She is perfection and of all people she seems to be interested in YOU! Could this be a dream? Honestly, you would have thought that this girl would be out of your league. So, you decide to man up and do the unthinkable - ask her out on a date! (Sacrilege!!!) To your amazement she says yes and you go out and enjoy yourself. But, the dream ends there. You don’t hear from her. She doesn’t follow-up. She’s elusively “busy” and doesn’t return your texts or phone calls for days, if ever. You my dear male compatriot have been Poofed! (Be Gone!)… also known as loss of interest. So, what happened? What in 24 hours could make this girl go from “seeming to be into you” to treating you like a plague? Here are four cardinal things that can be a repellent to any women.
1. Trying too hard
Just as dogs can smell fear, women have been programmed to sense a man “lacking confidence.” Lacking confidence translates into trying too hard, which can also be confused with the stench of desperation. The appearance of “trying too hard” can be seen when a man tries to impress a woman with what he does, who he knows or by being way too eager or fake. Always, the best thing you can be is YOURSELF. If a girl is willing to spend time with you, she has probably evaluated your pros and cons, which means she’s assessed your superficial flaws and is okay with it. In fact, she might think you are perfect just as you are – flaws and all!
This is another killer. You can be the best guy out there (and in case you didn’t know Good Guys are the latest fashion trend) but if you are socially inept, you are fighting a losing battle. If this is you, my suggestion is to enroll in a Dale Carnegie class ASAP to work on effective communication. Charismatic guys are attractive because of their ability to fit in to any situation. Being socially awkward can read as a man uncomfortable in his own skin and insecure. Definitely not the signal you want to send out. (That’s like being Pepé Le Pew and trying to attract a cat with his skunk odour.) A good way to get around this is to ask her questions about herself, tell stories with enthusiasm, and learn to laugh and smile.
4. Loserville
I’m not sure I can help you with this. You might be in need of a make over or maybe for the right girl (willing to tolerate you) to come along. (And that could be a long wait.) Wondering if this is you, here are some clues. If you are like a rain cloud when you enter a room and people scatter like cockroaches do when the lights are turned on, then this is you. Being rude, inconsiderate and trying to be funny when you really aren’t are also actions that can condemn you to Loserville. Also, for better or worse your reputation can precede you. Even though you’re not in high school anymore, being uncool or not a good person can make you unpopular. A quick google/facebook/twitter/myspace of your name can unleash ghosts from the past, so don’t put anything out there if it doesn’t represents you!
Every morning I roll out of bed and there he greets me at my kitchen table. He’s with me all morning long and sees me off to practice in the afternoon. While training I must confess that he has left my mind, and really the only thing I am thinking of is my athletic task at hand. But, as soon as I’ve finished my cool down and chugged down my post work-out recovery drink and meal, I rush off to meet him – still in my sweats and hair in a ponytail. But, he doesn’t care how I look; he’s just relieved to see me and I him. This is true love!
Our relationship has progressed so much, I can just about recite everything he’s ever said. I have transcribed all that he has said and committed it to memory by virtue of our frequent encounter. Recently our time spent together is only a deeper exploration of his deeper meaning… What is it he is exactly trying to tell me? “He” is my dissertation data, also known to my twitter followers as Mr. Dissertation.
Lately, I’m frequently asked how my dissertation is coming along. And likewise I often stop to ask myself the same question. Indeed, I thought I would be done by now, but in all fairness I’ve had to be realistic. I’m not just a student; I’m also a professional athlete that is preparing for another Olympic Games. My day consists of waking up and working on my dissertation, going to practice and training like a woman possessed, only to return home from training to work on my dissertation some more. Between my academics and athletics I tally up about 90 hours of work per week. I don’t know the concept of a vacation or free-time. I’m beyond intrigued with what I might do or accomplish next year when I’ve retired from track and have dually completed school. I could essentially be employed full-time at two jobs! (And knowing my desire to be busy I might be crazy enough to do that…lol)
What is Qualitative Data?
Concerning my dissertation, I am in the process of qualitative data analysis. I’ve been so entrenched in my data analysis that I’m sure my absence has made my advisor, Dr. Feltz wonder what has happened to me. It is a laborious process. Essentially, qualitative research attempts to explain the reasons for a given human behavior by conducting an in-depth analysis (usually by interviews or field observation). Because of the nature of these studies, the sample size typically is smaller and analysis can run easily 3 times longer than quantitative data.
Ironically, my academic experience and background is rooted in quantitative analysis, with my first area of specialization being exercise physiology and biomechanics. Funny enough, I grew up with calculus and physics as my favourite subjects! Like George Orwell’s book title, the world of qualitative data analysis is a “New World Order” to me, and I find myself intrigued by it and loving it! It is a more tedious process, but provides rich data that numbers can’t always provide. As such, the process of data analysis involves taking an interview and transcribing it verbatim - a process that can take 4 to 6 hours to transcribe per hour of an interview.
Explaining Qualitative Analysis (Simplified)
Once, you have your transcribe and you’ve reviewed it with the audio again, coding comes into place. Simplified, coding is essentially reading, re-reading, comparing, and re-re-reading your data and finding central themes. This process can make your eyes feel like they are going cross-eyed. It’s best to do this in chunks with planned breaks, otherwise you will learn quickly what mental fatigue means and the quality of your analysis will be compromised. Once you’ve sufficiently completed this process you need someone else to validate the reliability of your analysis, which in the world of research is referred to as inter-rater reliability. This process of coding is cyclical, where sometimes the end in sight might feel like a hallway in the movie “The Shinning” – it never ends. But, I’m told many people have survived this process.
Once this process is done, you begin to put it all together. In my case, I reveal in my Chapter 4 of my dissertation the results and what it all means! (Dissertation Chapters: Chapter 1 – Introduction, Chapter 2 – Literature Review, Chapter 3 – Methods, Chapter 4 – Results & Discussion, Chapter 5 – Limitations).
But in the End
I must confess that despite my whining of the data analysis process, I’m actually enjoying it. I’ve had the rare opportunity to interview some of the best athletes in the world, spanning various countries, who have done what many dream to do and few have accomplished – to go from Good to Great. Tracking these athletes down was a task in itself, but the challenge is proving to be well worth it and fruitful. At times as I’ve found myself hanging onto every word they are saying. It’s been an incredible and blessed experience for me, both as a researcher and an athlete. The researcher side of me is extremely curious, while the athlete side of me hopes to emulate what they have done….
I truly believe one of the greatest tragedies of mankind is our own limited thoughts and view of our potential.The great researcher Maslow theorized that only two percent of the world will achieve self-actualization!
If there seems to be a theme in my blogs it is that we are each as great or as small as we think we are, and the very best that life has to offer is there for our taking!
The path to success is never easy, but isn’t it the journey anyways which makes us truly savour our accomplishments? It doesn’t matter where we are when we start it’s about where we are going. And while the journey may be long, it is a race against our own potential and not the achievements of others. Failures are inevitable. But, as Oliver Goldsmith once said “Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall.”
Most importantly, we should never let anyone assign a number or boundary to what is possible of our own potential. For then you’ve definitely given up. Some of the greatest achievements in history (e.g., The Airplane – Wright Brothers, Wilma Rudolph, Hellen Keller, discovery of insulin to treat diabetes – Banton & Best) have come when people were told they could not do it!
Dare to be amazing! This short clip for today’s Sunday’s Lyrics is dedicated to that relentless pursuit for greatness!
Script -
Dismissed from drama school with a note that read, "Wasting your time. She's too shy to put her best foot forward.” – Lucille Ball
Turned down by the Decca recording company who said, "We don't like their sound and guitar music is on the way out." – The Beatles
A failed soldier, farmer, and real estate agent. At 38 years old, he went to work for his father as a handyman. – Ulysses S. Grant
Cut from the high school basketball team. He went home, locked himself in his room, and cried. – Michael Jordan
A teacher told him he was too stupid to learn anything and he should go into a field where he might succeed by virtue of his pleasant personality. – Thomas Edison
Fired from a newspaper because he lacked imagination and had no original ideas. – Walt Disney
His fiancée died, he failed in business twice, he had a nervous breakdown, and he was defeated in eight elections. – Abraham Lincoln
I’m not sure I can stress enough that it is never too late… Never too late to be the person you always wanted to be or to live the kind of life you always dreamed you would live. Life is about learning, which also means we are going to make mistakes along the way. Think about it, we each learn something new every day. And when you know better you do better. But, to wallow in the past of “Oh geeze, it’s too late” or “I should have done this,” is to give up. Don’t ever should on yourself!
Invincible by Hedley, speaks of this – despite facing whatever setbacks life might hand us, the ability to pick ourselves back up and feel invincible. Yes, we are as great or insignificant as we see ourselves. Choose to see yourself as great!
Invincible,
Nicole
Invincible, by Hedley
Took a long hard look at my life
Lost my way while I was fighting the time
A big black cloud, stormy sky
Followed me, oh I was living a lie
So heartless, so selfish, so in darkness
When all your nights are starless
You're running outta hope
But I found the strength inside to see
Found the better part of me
And I'll never let it go
I've come a long, long way
Made a lot of mistakes
But I'm breathin’, breathin’
That's right and I mean it, mean it
This time I'm a little run down
I've been living out loud
I could beat it, beat it
That's right, cause I'm feelin’, feelin’
Invincible
Oh oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh oh oh-oh
Oh-whoa
When you're gone for a day [Gone for a day]
On your own [On your own]
Tear your heart out just to find your way home
I've been so high [Been so high]
I've sunk so low [Sunk so low]
I've come so far, with nothing to show for it
Mistaken, I got so good at taking
But now I'm tired of faking
This story's getting old
So I found the strength inside to see
From the better part of me
And I'll never let it go
I've come a long, long way
Made a lot of mistakes
But I'm breathin’, breathin’
That's right and I mean it, mean it
This time I'm a little run down
I've been living out loud
I could beat it, beat it
That's right, 'cause I'm feelin’, feelin’
Invincible
Oh oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh oh oh-oh
Oh-whoa
Invincible
I'm not the only one
That crashed into the sun
And lived to fight another day
Like a super nova
That old life is over [Is over, is over]
I'm here to stay
Now I'm gonna be
Invincible
Oh oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh oh oh-oh
Oh-whoa
Invincible
[Invincible]
I've come a long, long way
Made a lot of mistakes
But I'm breathin’, breathin’ [I’m breathing]
That's right and I mean it, mean it [Mean it]
This time I'm a little run down [I’m a little run down]
