Life Lesson from The Karate Kid

“First learn stand…then learn fly…nature’s rule..Daniel-san, not mine.” — Mr. Miyagi (The Karate Kid movie)




Do you remember the “wax-on, wax-off” lesson from the movie The Karate Kid?




Let me refresh your memory. Mr. Miyagi agrees to teach Daniel karate, but to Daniel all it seems like he’s doing is chores. There is a scene where Daniel is fed up with Mr. Miyagi ordering him to “wax on” and “wax off,” sanding the floor, and painting the fence and the house when he’s supposed to be learning karate. In reality, Daniel was learning karate all along. You can say this is how life is. We don’t realize that what does not make sense today will make sense in the future. I’m not saying that everything we go through in life will make sense to us — just some things.




Karate Kid Lesson (Daniel gets fed up)




We may have/had several Mr. Miyagi’s (teachers and mentors) in our lives, or we may be getting our lessons from the school of life. Or both. In life there will be things we go through, lessons we learn, that we didn’t ask for or want.

When I was 12 years old my grandfather gave me a typewriter for Christmas. I didn’t know how to type but still I was happy to get it. Two years later my father decided that I should go to summer school to learn how to type. Needless to say, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about it but decided to go into it with a positive attitude. Well, I took the class and at the end received a grade of “D.” Not so good. My father didn’t think so either. Summer wasn’t over and another session of the typing class was being offered. He sent me back to take that typing course over again. I was not a happy camper. At the time, I didn’t think learning to type was such a big deal. This time when I finished the course my grade was a “B.” Two summers after taking that course I was able to use my typing skills to get a summer job working as a clerk-typist at a branch of the American Embassy in downtown Madrid, Spain. I spent two summer’s working in that position. It was a great experience. To this day, typing still continues to benefit me.




Think about your own life. What experiences have you had that didn’t make sense to you at the time, but made sense to you later?




UPDATE (17 May 10): The remake of “The Karate Kid” opens in theaters on June 11, 2010. The movie stars Jaden Smith (Will Smith’s son) and Jackie Chan. If the movie trailer is any indication, it looks like this new version will be just as good as the first. Check out the movie trailer:







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Say YES to Life

What good is sitting alone in your room?
Come hear the music play.
Life is a Cabaret, old chum,
Come to the Cabaret.

Put down the knitting,
The book and the broom.
It’s time for a holiday.
Life is Cabaret, old chum,
Come to the Cabaret.

What good’s admitting
Some prophet of doom
To wipe every smile away.
Life is a Cabaret, old chum,
So come to the Cabaret!

-partial lyrics to “Cabaret”




Are you saying “YES” to life? Or are you stuck in a rut – doing the same thing over and over? Have you lost your “Joie de vivre” (Joy of Living)?

Earlier this year I saw the movie “Yes Man.” This comedy stars Jim Carrey as Carl Allen, a guy whose life is going nowhere—the operative word being no—until he signs up for a self-help program based on one simple covenant: say yes to everything and anything. At the start of the movie we see how Carl has cut himself off from his friends and is living a dull, uneventful life. His daily routine pretty much consists of him going to work and coming home. He avoids his friends, won’t take their phone calls, and sits at home alone night after night. Unleashing the power of YES begins to transform Carl’s life in amazing and unexpected ways, getting him promoted at work and opening the door to a new romance.

Although the movie character went to extremes saying “Yes” to everything, the point of the movie was in how saying “Yes” his life was transformed for the better — and it can do the same for you. Of course this means using some common sense.




Remember the saying – “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”

Think about it: How often do you say “No” to trying something new, going new places, or getting together with friends? Are you turning down party invitations because you won’t know anyone other than the host? Are you refraining from joining a club just because you don’t have a friend to join with you?

Take steps to put some zest back into your life!

Life is too short to be sitting in your room.

“Get busy living, or get busy dying.” –Andy Dufresne, “The Shawshank Redemption”




“Yes Man” is funny and downright silly at times, but worth watching – if just for the inspiration.

You might also like: “How To Get Out of a Rut”

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Life Lessons from the movie Julie & Julia

On Friday my mom, daughter and I went to see the movie Julie & Julia. It was a delightful movie full of humor and life lessons. Once again, actress Meryl Streep successfully transformed herself into character. She actually had you believing she was Julia Child. The film depicts the events in the life of chef Julia Child, contrasting her life with Julie Powell, a woman who aspires to cook all 524 recipes from Child’s cookbook. In August 2002, Powell started a blog documenting her daily experiences cooking each of the 524 recipes in Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She called it “The Julie/Julia Project.” Later she began reworking that blog, The Julie/Julia Project, into a book, Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen (Little, Brown, 2005). The paperback was retitled Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously (Back Bay Books, 2006). The film is the first major motion picture based on a blog. So keep on blogging people – you never know where it might lead.

Now back to my point. I really enjoyed the movie – it was funny, uplifting and inspirational. Ever since seeing the movie it’s been on my mind. While most people who view it will probably just think of it as another entertaining movie, I looked much deeper. I felt the movie had a lot of life lessons in it. Here are the life lessons I identified:

Life Lessons from the movie Julie & Julia:

1 – You’re never too old to let your light shine

2 – Some people are late bloomers

3 – Take what you know and expand on it

4 – Try something new

5 – Keep learning

6 – Be persistent

7 – Do what you enjoy – you never know who you might inspire

8 – If you feel lost, know that you are not alone. At times many of us feel that way.

9 – One seemingly small step can end up changing your life

10 – Keep doing what you enjoy – you never know who is watching, reading, or listening, that can have a positive impact on your life

11 – Everybody loves eating good cooking

12 – Have self-discipline when it comes to something you want to accomplish

13 – You can’t always do it alone. Sometimes you need help from others.

14 – You have something to give; you have something to offer this world

15 – Don’t take your loved ones for granted

16 – Have a sense of humor

17 – You are responsible for finding your own joy

18 – Don’t sit around complaining – take action!

19 – Mistakes will be made. Clean them up the best you can and keep on going.




It is never too late to be who you might have been. ~George Eliot




For information about Julia Child: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Child

Julie Powell’s blog: http://juliepowell.blogspot.com/




Julie & Julia movie trailer

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How to get Free Books, Dvd’s and Cd’s

Although this doesn’t follow with my usual format, I want to tell you about a website I heard about on the news. Yes, something actually good on the news. There is a website named PaperBack Swap where you can trade books (paper, hardback, audio cd, audio cassette), dvd’s and cd’s for free. There is no cost to join. The site has a video which explains how it works. I haven’t tested it, but it looks like it’s pretty easy to do. Check out the site for yourself at www.paperbackswap.com.

Mail a book. Get a book. Any book you request is yours to keep, share or trade. No late fees. No processing charges. No hidden charges. Every time you mail a book to another member, you can request one for yourself from over 3 Million. www.paperbackswap.com

Swap CDs with other club members and get the music mailed directly to you. www.swapacd.com

Swap DVDs with other club members and get movies mailed directly to you. www.swapadvd.com

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He’s Just Not That Into You

Have you seen the movie “He’s Just Not That Into You?” What did you think of it? Do you think it was a fairly accurate portrayal of single women? Hubby and I finally saw the movie last night. This is one of those movies you can’t help but make comments or ask questions throughout. Questions like – “How can you not get the message?” or “Are they really that stupid?” I’d recommend seeing it, but not necessarily on a first date.

A couple years ago I saw the show Oprah did based on the book “He’s Just Not That Into You,” by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo. You can check out an excerpt from the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Hes-Just-That-Into-Understanding/dp/068987474X. Some of the women who came on the show were brave enough to share their personal story. Poor things, they were completely clueless. One woman’s “boyfriend” of one year only seemed to make time for her about one weekend out of the month. The rest of the time he was busy working or traveling on business – yeah right. Another woman had a male friend that she would go jogging with but she was hoping it would turn into something more. She felt he might be too shy to ask her out on a date – yeah right. Another woman was still hoping to get together with this guy she only went out with one time. Since then he occasionally sends her text messages or emails but he never asks her out. The authors had to tell the women the harsh truth – he’s just not that into you! In the case of the last woman it turns out the guy has a girlfriend but wanted to keep in contact just in case things didn’t work out.

Ladies, ladies, ladies – have times changed that much? Back in the day women used to wait for the guy to call them. That was an indicator that he was interested. How much remained to be seen. Was he willing to invest time into getting to know you? Or was he just trying to “score” as quickly as possible? I know it’s a different world but it doesn’t mean men have changed all that much. It seems like women have become the aggressors, the hunters. So ladies, here’s some tips from me – let him call you, don’t sleep with him on the first date – put it off as long as possible so you can be more focused on getting to know him. If he can’t make time for you on the weekend then he’s probably got someone else. If he doesn’t give you his home number he may be married or living with someone. Be sure to look for a wedding ring and ask if he’s married, got a girlfriend, or if he is in a committed relationship. If he’s married or involved with someone move on. Find someone who is available for you. I have a friend who has been married over 20 years and says he meets women all the time during his business travels. He says he’s not cheating, he just likes talking to women. He does not volunteer the fact that he is married, he waits to be asked. If you don’t ask, he doesn’t tell. Nor does he wear his wedding ring anymore because it doesn’t fit. Whatever. That’s between him and his wife. Remember ladies, you are valuable and you don’t want to be with someone who is “just not that into you.” Does anyone else have any dating tips for women? If so, please leave them in the comments section.

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Control — Reality or Illusion?

The only thing in this life that we do have control over is ourselves. We can influence others in their decisions and give them ultimatums, which can leave them feeling like they have no choice. You may end up getting your own way, however, the person can end up resenting you for your strong armed tactics. Some people are very skilled at manipulating others to get their own way. I hate it when I think someone is trying to manipulate me. Don’t you?

What can you control? You can control your actions, your behavior. You control what goes into your mouth. You control what you say. You have to work hard to control your mind, and remain in control of it. Why? Because there are plenty of people in this world trying to control us and our thinking. Don’t believe me? Well, I’ve got two words for you — Commercials, News. Now think about that. What are they trying to do? Commercials are to get you to buy their company’s product. In other words, to separate you from your hard-earned money. Heck, we even go into debt just to buy stuff that we really don’t need. And they’ve done a successful head job on telling women that they are not ok just the way they are. The news broadcasts what they want you to see. Their main thing is telling you all the negative stuff, making you think a particular race is responsible for the majority of the crime, and pushing FEAR. I had to stop watching the news before going to work cause it was affecting me negatively. If you get the chance check out these two movies: “Wag the Dog” and “Bowling for Columbine.” You can view them for free at http://www.ovguide.com. You control you, that’s it. So stay in your own business, that’s a full time job. There’s been many a time I’ve seen people get all involved in someone else’s drama. Some people are just what I call “Drama Queens.” Their lives are just one drama after the next. In the end, it caused pain and drama in the life of the person who was just trying to help. It’s hard enough managing one’s own life. You can be a friend without getting sucked in. You’ll be happier and it will reduce the stress and drama in your life. You can’t be in two places at once — not physically or mentally. Ask yourself, “If I’m all up in your business, who is in mine? Maybe escaping from dealing with yourself and your life is the main point. Maybe you just want to feel in control. Or maybe you’re a closet drama junkie — if so, be safe and watch a soap opera. If you really want to help someone, to make a difference in the the lives of others, or even the in world, there are plenty of constructive ways to do it.

Wag the Dog – Robert DeNiro stars as a Washington spinmaster who needs a war to distract public’s attention from a sex scandal involving the President. Dustin Hoffman received an Academy Award nomination for his role in this biting political satire.

Bowling for Columbine – It is a film about the fearful heart and soul of the United States (words taken from the movie synopsis).

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What is Love?

Today is my 14th wedding anniversary. My husband and I have been together 18 years. Boy how time has flown. As I sit here today typing this blog post I’m still thinking of the answer to the question — What is Love? Well let me tell you, I’ve got some ideas of what it is not. I’m sure you do too. I also know that since being married we have both grown. And speaking for myself, I think I’ve grown for the better. In the name of love we can stretch ourselves more than we ever could have imagined. Unfortunately, it seems that growing is often accompanied by pain. Think of it something like the labor pains of birth. You are giving birth to something new — and you will survive. I was watching Oprah one day when she was interviewing Susan Sarandon. Susan said something like, “a crisis is just a way to get you to another paradigm.” Sometimes we hold on so tightly to the way things were, to beliefs that no longer serve us, to our views of the way things “should” be, to being rigid an unchanging — which only causes pain to ourselves and others. Marriage isn’t all “for better.” We lose our naievete. You will experience times that feel like the “for worse” part of the vows. But hang in there, pray, and work on yourself (I know, we all think we are near perfect just the way we are), as well as your relationship — and things will get better. Love is action. Happy Valentine’s Day! P.S. If you want to see a good movie about marriage I recommend “Fireproof.” You can check it out free on http://www.ovguide.com.

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