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Adventures in Living a Healthy, Juicy Life
by Cheryl Ragsdale
Haha! Because I do martial arts, you probably took that literally. No, this isn’t a list of whose arse got kicked this month. That list does exist, but we’ll save that for another time. lol!
“Random Acts of Kick Arse” or RAOKA is a movement led by Sami from lifelaughsandlemmings. Sami’s Australian – that’s why she says “arse” instead of ass, in case you’re wondering.
In her own words, “Each month, there will be a theme with the only criteria being that it’ll involve giving back something positive in some way. At the start of the following month, we’ll share with you what we’ve achieved, what lessons we learnt and what the results were.”
Definition: Kick Arse (Oz) or kick ass (Yank)
- having a strong effect on someone or something; forceful; powerful
- exceptionally good; spectacular, impressive, etc.
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November Theme: Beauty
Find ways to see more beauty in the world.
I chose, for my mission, to find beauty unexpectedly, in unusual places.
First, I’ll provide my definition of what being beautiful means to me.
- being noticed and acknowledged
- being understood
- being accepted, being welcomed
- to care deeply about someone or something
- to treat with reverence and respect
- to experience connection with people or places – that wasn’t possible before
- to be touched, moved and inspired by someone or something
As I discovered beauty in new places,
I realized that I’m drawn to love.
Where love is present,
beauty most certainly is.
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At the start of November, I had no idea that beauty would turn up in the shape of people guest-posting on ThatGirlisFunny. Submitting a guest post was one of the requirements to win a lovely gift basket in my first-ever contest.
Beauty (love) turned up in each of the posts featured below.
Each writer shares thoughts and lessons that can be applied to our own lives and favorite activities. For those of you, who haven’t found something to be passionate about, these stories just might get you out of your chair in search of something fantastic to add in to your life. Enjoy!
Genuine Health generously offered to sponsor a Give-Away this month on ThatGirlisFunny. December 4th is the last day for people to participate in order to win one of three heavily-laden gift baskets (valued at $150 each).
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Top 10 Reasons Fred Loves Being the Oldest Guy “On the Mat”
Ben and Kenny sparring
Fred Cook wrote lovingly about his experiences with training in martial arts. “In October of 2008, I joined Evolve Academy and started training in their Personal Defense System (PDS) which is based on Muay Thai with a bit of “street jiu-jitsu”. At 59, I was the oldest student in the class. In July of 2009, one month shy of 60 years old, I started training solely in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) to ‘see if I could hack it’.”
Fred’s Top 10 Reasons have been read by over 1,800 people! He writes with reverence, respect and love about how he feels when facing younger opponents, banging out double-training sessions and pushing through his personal limits.
What I Learned from Watching Kenny Florian Train with Benson Henderson – 2 MMA Fighters, 10 Lessons
Oh look, it’s me…with a long-winded title. What made this post beautiful to me? The gorgeous action shots I took of Ben and Kenny sparring (practicing) fighting. Both men are easy-on-the-eye. Both men are dedicated to their sport. There’s nothing like watching people do what they really love to do. Both men are masters in mixed martial arts. Time stood still. Take a look for yourself.
Faith, a Two-Legged Dog, Walks Upright Like a Human
Hayley Forster from the
Meet Marcelle! She’s Not Bad, She’s Just Drawn That Way
Marcelle Wortmann
Remember Jessica Rabbit, the cartoon character bomb-shell from “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”? She made this line famous, “I’m not bad. I’m just drawn that way.”
Marcelle is a 47 year old grandmother of four. She turned up on ThatGirlisFunny rocking a bikini! She shares her thoughts and feelings about turning up the volume in her life – and other people’s reactions to it – as she marches proudly towards her 50th milestone birthday.
Marcelle is an elegant and beautiful reminder that life is too short to be shy.
10 Reasons Why Female Bodybuilding is the Greatest Sport
Renee Willis Competitive Body Builder
Meet Renee Willis, female bodybuilder. Renee is intense – about her sport, about life and about sticking to her plan. She starts off by saying, “At first glance, many of you hear body builder and immediately shut down.”
Yes, that’s true for me. Renee wins the prize for showing me beauty in the most unexpected of places. Because I’m viewing her love for her sport through her eyes, I was able to let go of my “disagreement” for a few minutes. I let her in. She showed me something new. As I read through her 10 reasons, I saw her willingness to face daily challenges. This sport isn’t for everyone, but it fits Renee beautifully.
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Getting Involved in RAOKA!
Go to Sami’s RAOKA blog post for November for details.
December’s Theme: Wacky! Stay tuned to find out!
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Have you discovered beauty in an unexpected place? Share your experience with us! What are your thoughts on RAOKA? Please leave your comments in the large box beneath this post or in the smaller comment box on the right-hand side of this post.
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Hey Cheryl, GREAT examples of beauty. Thanks for sharing them and getting involved in RAOKA! You’re one kick arse/ass chick yourself! Had to laugh at the arse/ass explanation by the way.
Hey Sami,
Thank you! I’m having fun with RAOKA! Looking forward to how WACKY shows up this month. I’m glad we’ve established a monthly connection.
Cheryl from thatgirlisfunny´s Last Fabulous Post blog ..Clarity, Wisdom and Courage: 3 Winning Ways to Play Your Game
Cheryl, what a wonderful perspective you have, and a wonderful appreciation for what Beauty really means!
As an “animal person”, I was especially moved by the story of Faith … but all of these great people, sharing their passion, are truly Beautiful from the inside out!
Faith really gave me something to think about…leaving room for God’s grace. Who knows what Faith came to teach? Everyone who sees him has a reaction of some kind. I think angels come in unexpected – and beautiful – shapes and sizes.