Daily prompt. 5 Dinner Guests. Who are 5 people you’d love to have dinner with (living or deceased) and why? What five people would you want to have dinner with if you could? They can be living or deceased, famous politician or your best friend. They could be an expert in your condition or not know the first thing about health or wellness.
My Dinner Party Guest Theme: People who inspire others to do good for themselves, be the example and affect change in those around them.
Jared Leto - besides the MAJOR crush I have on him and being the lead singer of one of my all time favorite bands, Jared is much more than a singer and actor - he is also a true humanitarian. And actually, he played the role of legendary track star and Olympian Steve Prefontaine in the movie "Prefontaine". If you're a runner and you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend it - not only for Jared's portrayal of "Pre", but that of R. Lee Ermy as Bill Bowerman, a 24-year track coach for the University of Oregon who designed and made his own shoes for his athletes. Shoes that would eventually become a little-known brand called Nike. :-)But back to Jared's love of people worldwide.... he is (like me) a vegetarian, but much more strict - a vegan! It's something I'm striving for but I know it will take a little more time for me to get there. He made a short film for Amnesty International in support of human rights and supports the Art of Elysium which encourages musicians, artists and actors to dedicate their time and talent to children battling serious medical illnesses and conditions. In addition to the work he's done work for Habitat for Humanity, he and his band raised just over $100K for Haitain relief efforts after the big earthquake hit in 2010. You can help the continued relief efforts in Haiti by purchasing Jared's Haiti Photo book, of which 100% of net proceeds go directly to those in need.
John Sarno, MD - the man is brilliant. He is the author of The Divided Mind: The Epidemic of Mindbody Disorders and the #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection. I strongly believe that much of our physical pains are tied directly to our brain (specifically the Ego) and that with practice, you can teach your brain to overcome these pains. This is the basic idea behind mindbody disorders. Runners are great examples of this theory. We endure hours of high impact activity on a long run. Yes, pains creep in every now and then, but you can learn to dismiss them and enjoy those remaining miles pain-free. Jeff Galloway wrote an entire book on mental training for runners. I posted a review here. While Dr. Sarno's books can be a little scientific, the fundamental concepts are clear and well-stated. I would encourage anyone with chronic or acute pain issues to read The Divided Mind. You will be amazed at what you can control physically by controlling your Ego.
Dean Karnazes - what can I say about this amazing Ultra Marathoner. Ultra Marathoner isn't even a big enough phrase to describe what an incredible athlete and runner he is. Talk about inspirational. He ran across the United States with a mission to inspire others. He has written a multitude of books on running, including a contributing author of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners: 101 Inspirational Stories of Energy, Endurance and Endorphins. He continues to use his talents and gifts to inspire others to live happy, healthy lives. He is a living legend in the running community, not just for his unbelievable feats in distance running, but for his commitment to the health of this nation and others.
Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD - Since my early college days, I have read many publications written by Nancy Clark and attended a few conferences where she was a featured presenter. She is a renowned expert in nutrition, with a specialty in sports dietetics. Through personal consultations, books, Powerpoint presentations and a plethora of valuable resources, Nancy is quite literally an open book who obviously wants to affect change in as many people as she can reach and help them achieve their health goals.
Lastly, I want my nearly 17-year old nephew who just ran his first marathon (I hope the first of many to come in his life!!) to come to the table....even if he says nothing. Why? Because he is the next generation of adults. I would absolutely LOVE for him to hear about all the different ways he can affect change in himself and his friends; that he does have control of his thoughts and learn how those thoughts affect his physical body and motivation. I want him to hear from experts that it's okay to set big goals for yourself, expect some challenges along the way, and know that you don't have to play into the idea that you are a victim of your body or your environment. And maybe most importantly, that sharing your knowledge and passion inspires hope in others and quite possibly the motivation to take control of their lives, regardless of their situation, and pass it on and on and on.....
Be the example. Be the inspiration. Be, as Ghandi said "...the change you wish to see in the world".
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