Sun, 20 May 2012 23:32:29 -0800WeeblyThu, 17 May 2012 09:31:19 -0800http://rememberwildlife.org/1/post/2012/05/warrior.htmlThis semester is officially over for me. As with many things that are hard for me I fight the battle in my head on a daily basis. The emotional half of me is afraid of failure, has friends remind her to focus on studying, calculates the minimum grade I need to pass, and tries to guess what will be the focus on every exam before I take it.  The warrior in me says to work hard, learn it all, do my best, recognize my inner strength, fight my battle and be proud of my effort. It is so easy to not give 100% so that if failure happens your excuse is ready "oh well I could have tried harder" or "I studied the wrong things".  When school got harder for me I had fallen in to this rut. Tonight the grades come out. The old me would be checking the computer every ten minutes and stressing about potential failure. I chose to climb out of my rut. The warrior in me has finally won this battle and I am proud of myself. I know I studied it all and gave it 100% of my effort. Whatever grade I receive I know I did my best. I am not stressed today because I let my warrior lead the way.

Failure always looms over my head; it is my biggest fear. My victory comes from fighting my battle anyway and not letting the fear win. My husband once said to me that he admired the fact that I dove head first into things I was passionate about. He said he never saw me contemplate whether I could accomplish it first, only that it needed to be done. With this attitude I think I can do anything. The downside is that I'm not always as good as I would like to be. Failure is always a possibilty.

I am a huge lover of inspirational quotes. My desk is surrounded by them. They all have a common theme: Never give up, learn from failure, and keep positive. When that ugly thing we call fear pops up I turn to my quotes. I thought I would share a few of them with you all today. Currently I have thirteen favorite quotes posted around my desk. Here are five:

"WARRIOR: One who is engaged in battle" ~unknown

"Show me a man who never failed and I'll show you a man who never tried" ~Teddy Roosevelt

"I am not discouraged because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward" ~Thomas A. Edison

"With every setback, is the opportunity for an amazing comeback" ~Beth Chapman

"Whatever your goals are, get after them - cause they damn sure ain't gonna get after themselves"
~Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson, Team Bring It!

It is important to remind ourselves that failure does not mean it's done. Failure simply means that the approach taken didn't work, to try other ones until it does work. Pride should come from putting in 100% effort and fighting our battles as an honorable warrior.

If I leave you with one thought today it is this: Failure is temporary, it is our ability to unleash our inner warriors that will find the route to success.

No matter what kind of warrior you are; student warrior, wildlife warrior, parent warrior, workout warrior, etc., unleash your warrior and give 100%. I guarantee you it's worth the battle.

Have a fantasitic day! Let your warrior out!
Rebecca
]]>Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:47:54 -0800http://rememberwildlife.org/1/post/2012/04/still-going.htmlApril is almost over. This month was my birthday and school struggles. It amazed me that by reading my own blog on positivity I was able to step back and help myself. Now I'm more focused then ever and back on track.

People keep reminding me when I struggle with hard classes that "you chose to pick a hard major....why don't you pick something easier and just finish your degree..."
It's coming up so often It made me want to address it. First I realized that maybe I'm complaining about my struggles too much, so I put an abrupt stop to that and reclaimed my positive focus.
Most importantly I want to clarify why I am going to college for Zoology and not an easier degree. If you read my Rebecca page you'll know my inspiration. I am not going to college to simply get a degree. I like good grades but I would rather have learned a lot from a class then get an A and remember nothing. The harder something gets the more I want to push the "I quit" response down and replace it with "I am a warrior and I will conquer this!" I want a degree that will allow me access to the world of wildlife conservation with as much knowledge as I can get. I don't plan on just graduating and getting a job. I plan on making a difference and saving wildlife! Yes it is hard, yes I get frustrated and even want to give up some days but I refuse to let doubt run my life. I have a lot of great supporters, however, even some of them "encourage" me to try something easier. No Way! I may need detours or extra help at times (yep organic chemistry is hard for me) but I am not giving up just getting more determined.
I Can Make A Difference!

Now moving on, I have gotten a lot of requests for my vegetarian recipes so I will periodically post some here. Let me know what you think. Don't be afraid to adjust them or try new things. Spring is here so I'm sharing one of my favorite salad meal recipes. It makes you feel satisfied and stuffed with low calories and lots of heatlthy variety.

Tofu Taco Salad

Ingredients:
1 Large Head Green  Cabbage
Variety of Green Lettuce washed 
 2 cups low fat or non fat plain greek yogurt
1 Red bell Pepper  julienned or chopped
1 yellow or orange bell pepper julienned or chopped
1 15oz can low sodium black beans rinsed and drained. Separate into 4 portions.
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels thawed
1 cup sliced green onions
1 4oz can sliced black olives
Salsa or hot sauce of your choice
1 sweet onion chopped
1 cup shredded low fat cheese or soy cheese 
1 package low sodium taco seasoning
1 package firm or extra firm tofu diced
1 cup water
1-2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
Lime juice
 
Directions:
In large saucepan pour one cup water. Whisk in 1 package taco seasoning. Add diced tofu. Toss and stir occasionally until sauce has thickened and coated tofu. Once tofu is heated all the way through set aside
over low heat to keep warm.  Take head of cabbage and carefully remove 4 large leaves. Wash and pat dry leaves and place one on each plate. Take remaining cabbage and cut into shreds. For Each Plate place two handfuls lettuce onto cabbage leaf. Next place one large handful shredded cabbage. Place ¼ of the black beans on top of the cabbage. Next add peppers, corn, sweet onion, and tomatoes. Sprinkle lime juice onto salad. Next
take ¼ of the warm taco tofu and place on top of the salad. Sprinkle ¼ cup shredded cheese on warm tofu. Add ½ cup plain yogurt in a dollop on top. Sprinkle with green onions and 1 oz black olives. Finish off with salsa or hot
sauce of your choice.
Makes four servings.
Calories 350 per plate (with cheese)
 
Add decadence: Add diced avocado to top of salad
(keep it green by tossing in lime juice)

These ingrediants also make great burritos and nachos. Mix and match as you like. Replace ingrediants you don't like with ones you do! If your making it for many people, think about setting up a "build your own...bar" a fun meal with family and friends, always popular at my house.

Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Remember to Keep things Positive!
Rebecca

]]>Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:53:56 -0800http://rememberwildlife.org/1/post/2012/04/time-flies-lets-not-forget-the-animals.htmlHappy Spring! As I warned you all, I am not a regular blogger as much as I would like to be. Today I am making time to update the website and my blog. A lot has happened in the last three months. School, as usual, has the ability to suck up all of my time. I sat down with my advisor last week and we made out out my graduation plan. It looks like I will be graduating in Spring of 2014. This is assuming I can handle a packed courseload and the university stops changing the schedule. Fingers crossed!

I have had one rescue since we last caught up, a young American Crow with a broken wing. The neighbors spotted the poor little guy eating dead pizza behind the apartments dumpster. It took an hour, patience and three of us (thanks again Margo!) to catch him. Then I set about calling all the bird rescues to get him help. I was horrified at how many places refused to a take "a crow" (said with disgust). Every animal is important. It is absolutely ok to have favorites and support them. That does not make all the other animals less important. The California Wildlife Center in Malibu, Ca http://cawildlife.org/ is my kind of place. When I called there was no hesitation. Bring him in. They closed at 5 and I explained, I was not that close and it was rush hour traffic. No worries they said, they would wait and be happy to take care of my little crow. I loaded him up and proceeded to drive 20 mph down the 405 freeway trying my best to not stress him out and avoid the bumps. The little crow chatted with me on and off during the drive, looking quite relaxed, not a normal bird reaction. I kept apologising to him that it was taking so long and promised him a fabulous vet. We finally got there and he was taken into the hospital. They were greatful for Margo's generous donation and said I could call and check on him in a few days. Sadly when I called to check he had been euthanised. His broken wing was such an old injury it was beyond repair and had caused necrosis (cell death) everywhere. RIP little crow thanks for the chat. I loved our time together.

Now before you go get depressed let me tell you why I'm not. People were shocked that I didn't cry. This poor crow had been injured for a long time. He was in pain and hungry, unable to fly. If it was possible to fix him and release him back into the wild I would have loved it, but it wasn't. He was suffering and the vet stopped the suffering. It is not an easy job being a vet, I couldn't do it, and I am greatful for the time and love these amazing Doctors give.

Looking at the clock I realise that time is flying and there is much to be done. Steve Irwin Day is November 15 and this year I am going to fund-raise like never before. Keep checking the website for new information and fun events.

My challenge to all of you: Donate just $2 and then challenge a friend to match or beat your donation. Money is tight for all of us. Animals are so often thought of last or not at all.

A pet peeve of mine is when people say they can't afford to donate, and some really can't but you can spread the word for free. Don't tell the wildlife you can't afford them then go buy your starbucks, candybar, movie etc., you can see why this frustrates me. It doesn't have to be a lot. Just $2.

A Special THANK YOU to my friend Cindy Salvato. She is one of my twitter friends and fellow animal lover. We have never met and when I tweeted out the fund-raising link this morning she was the first to dive in with a $50 donation! I only asked for two. She is not working but knows how important every species on the planet is. Thank You from me and all the animals. You are a very special person!

Last weekend was Earth Day think about how you can Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, or just go pick up some trash.
Well housework and homework wait for no one. Things need to get done. Have a fabulous week.
Remember to Keep it Positive! We can All Make a difference!

Hugs, Rebecca

]]>Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:36:07 -0800http://rememberwildlife.org/1/post/2012/01/thinking-positive.html    Winter is hard on many of us. It is so easy to sink into depression and negativity. Little things seem to bother people more. Life seems harder. Well I have something to say about this, SNAP OUT OF IT! My dear friend Dusty once told me that I can not always control what happens to me, but I can choose how I react to it. She was right. It is not always the easy route, however, in the long run it is the most beneficial.
    When meltdowns start to build up inside, you, have the ability to shut them down. Now let me be clear, this is not, and I mean not, stuffing it down and ignoring it. This is, dealing with how you feel, acknowledging it, then letting it go. You Can Do It! Wheather you broke a nail, snapped at your wife, slipped in the rain, or whatever it is that got you down in the dumps, there is a cure.
    First, step back by yourself and ask yourself what is it that really bothered you? The situation, the event, a person, or simply not being in control (this is my big one). Once you've identified it ask yourself Is it that big a deal, really? Will it matter tomorrow? Next week? A year or five? Most of the time the answer is no. Ask yourself is this worth an argument? Ruining my day or someone else's? Should I fix it or let it go? (letting go is usually best). Lastly ask yourself if this was made worse by outside triggers and how you can improve your mood.
    I find lack of sunshine and too much junk food makes me see things more negatively or react badly. I take a deep breath and follow the steps. No matter how bad something is, 99% of the time it is not permenant. Most things are not worth an argument. Feeling overwhelmed at times is normal but TEMPORARY. I have a cup of my favorite tea and force myself to smile. I find one thing to think about that I am greatful for (today it's heaters). I choose to let it go and not spread negativity.
   The dictionary defines Contagious as: capable of being transmitted or spread; tending to to spread from person to person. Bad moods, bad attitudes, bad anything is contagious. A honked horn, a snapped response, a dirty look, all spread like wildfire. Even inner negative thoughts can burn out of control. You can stop the trend. The Good news is, Positive Attitudes and smiles spread just as fast! :) It's ok to have a bad day. It's not ok to make someone else's bad too. You might be surprised how a simple act of kindness to someone else can make you feel better. In turn they feel better and are kind to someone else. Yet another example of how one person can make a positive difference. Come on give it a try!
    Need some help? It takes practice. Here are some ideas for simple kindness but I encourage you to think outside the list and expand it. Please share your additional ideas with me.
    Simple Kind Acts:
Spend a few extra minutes with your pets or family. Hold a door open for a stranger. Give someone right of way in the car. Tell someone you know or don't know how great they look (Ex: I love you're sweater it goes beautifully with you hair). Listen to someone who needs a friendly ear, but not give advice unless asked for. Post a positive quote on facebook or twitter. Call someone just to say 'Hi I Love You'. Ok Take it from here! You can do it!
    An important note: Stop Apologizing! If someone says you've hurt their feelings then apologize. If you just feel guilty or like you didn't do something well enough, don't apologize just do better next time. My favorite acting coach William Cowart once told me "Guilt is like paying a debt you don't owe". Wise man. Ask yourself if you really owe that debt you are making yourself suffer for. Remember to be kind to yourself too.
    Simple Kind Acts For Yourself:
Have a cup of tea and take time to just enjoy it alone. Take a bubble bath or long shower. Watch an old movie. Read an inspirational book (I have many suggestions). Catch up with an old friend. Go for a walk. Put on some happy music. Hug your pets. Volunteer. There is so much you can do.
    Now some people just like to argue and some things are worth fighting for. If you choose to fight, do it for a cause worthy of your energy. Fight for people and things and causes that can't fight for themselves. Choose your battles.
     Happiness comes from within. It does not appear with money or success. Now Go! Be Positive. Spread the love and the good contagion. Lets kill off negativity. We Can Do Anything! All we have to do is try :)
    Stay Positive! Rebecca ]]>Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:43:11 -0800http://rememberwildlife.org/1/post/2012/01/post-title-click-and-type-to-edit.html    Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! MLK is a great example of how one person can make a difference but if we come together we can affect change worldwide.
    I have spent most of January getting organized, home, school, health, everything. Focusing on the positive things in life and believing I can do anything with hard work is getting my year off to a great start.
    Doing something as simple as making someone laugh when they are having a bad day, Giving your pet extra attention, Smiling at a stranger, or spreading the word about how to help wildlife, is a way anyone can make a positive difference every day.
    College starts back up for me next week so I am cleaning like mad, ready to start back on a positive note, driven, and determined.
    What are your goals this month?
Stay Positive!  "Only in darkness can you see the stars" ~Martin Luther King Jr.  More soon, Rebecca ]]>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:52:29 -0800http://rememberwildlife.org/1/post/2012/01/welcome-to-remember-wildlife-2012.htmlPlease Note: This is Rebecca's personal blog full of her thoughts and opinions.
    Thanks for checking out my newest website. For those of you who have seen the old one and wondered why it disappeared, here is the story. My domains used to be hosted by GoDaddy upon recommendation by a computer savvy friend of mine. They were nice to work with and efficient. I didn't really like their ads but figured it was not a big issue. Then I heard that the Owner and CEO had killed an elephant and was bragging about it. Knowing how news stories get blown out of proportion I decided to do some research. I read all the stories and even checked out his blog. I was horrified! He not only bragged about this rogue elephant who had terrorized the villagers but posted pictures of himself posing on the dead elephant, you could even watch the video of the killing! (Elephants do not die quickly) He claimed to be heroic for saving the town and feeding the villagers. I did more research and continued to find out that he purposefully went "Game" or trophy hunting for fun every year. His list of kills was long and included endangered species such as Jaguars. I had researched enough. No one who killed for fun was going to be associated with me.
    Unfortunately transferring domains is not as easy as I thought and even though they "claimed" to be helping me they made it difficult. It was beyond me why a person would link their personal hunting with their business. I explained why I was leaving and they preached the "Hero" aspect. They were lucky I was on the phone. Months later on my last call with them they explained to me that I did not need to transfer anymore because he no longer owned or ran GoDaddy he was just a board member...Really? Uggh. After many months I finally have everything successfully transferred to FatCow. 
    FatCow is awesome. When I called I asked about their company about their services and values, I explained why I cared so much. They were great! I talked to the owner and many of the staff. No trophy hunters here! FatCow is also a 100% wind powered hosting site and a completely green company. They have been very helpful and I am glad I did the research and made this choice.
    I want to make one personal note about hunting. I grew up in a family that hunted. I am not and never have been a hunter and I don't like guns (ironic considering my service in the Army and the way I was raised but that is how I feel). My dad hunted and fished to feed his family. I am not against humanely hunting for food. I am against hunting for trophy's, fun, or sport. I was raised that if "you kill it. You eat it" and you use all of it. I do not approve of hunting for furs, bragging rights, or exotic meats. Crocodilians are my biggest pet peeve they are hunted or farmed for a small portion of meat and skin. A maximum of 30% of crocodilians is actually used the rest is thrown out. In contrast 99% of cows are used. I do eat meat, but not every day and am cutting back more and more each year.  Wheather you consider yourself a carnivore, omnivore, or herbivore is a personal choice. My request of society is please eat sustainably and responsibly. Your health and the planet will thank you.
    On a lighter note I am excited for 2012! I will be getting my website up to speed, suggestions are welcomed. I am a "super-senior" at CSULB with many hard but interesting classes ahead of me. I am going to get back into shape and start really running again. Most important of all, I have declared 2012 the year to be positive! I am working on finding the positive in life and my stress has already decreased.
    Please check back often future posts will be uplifting and positive, stories from both my personal & wildlife point of view, maybe even a few recipes, favorite quotes, or stories of my favorite hobbies. You'll just have to check back to see.
Happy New Year! We Can Make A Difference!
        Stay positive, Rebecca ]]>