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How Addicted to Sugar are You?

July 14, 2016 by Clara E Minor Leave a Comment

My addiction goes back a long way…

At 2 months of age I was fed canned milk diluted with water. The milk was sweetened. That was the ‘formula’ at the time, if babies could not breastfeed, for whatever reason. I was so addicted as a kid, I would take the flower decorations on birthday cakes from others kids’ cake (who didn’t want it), and eat them all! They were made with food coloring and hardened sugar.

At the Santa Clara County Fair I would eat an entire cotton candy (ok, maybe not the whole thing, but most of it), a red candied apple, and a strawberry shortcake (yes, I was stuffed, wanted to hurl, and sometimes did when I got home…lol). I visited the dentist a lot.

And to this day, it is still easy for me to crave ‘sweet,’ so I do the best I can to avoid it. Mostly I can, and do, avoid it. I choose to find alternatives to refined white sugar. There are a lot of alternatives on the market these days.

 Most packed foods contain some form of sugar

If they are sweetened, then you are guaranteed there is some form of sweetener added to almost everything.In fact, sugar has been added to most packaged foods for decades. (See the link below to find the list of different names which are used in ingredient lists.) It is truly one of the hardest addictions to stop. Sugar is more pervasive than any drug or substance out there, as it is available literally everywhere.

You don’t see ads on television selling heroin, cocaine or cigarettes (anymore), or any other illicit drugs for that matter. Even though prescription drugs are a huge epidemic, again, they are not added to most of the packaged foods on grocery shelves.

And, yes, even ‘natural foods stores’ carry packaged goods that can easily contain some form of sugar. Most sweetened goods in these stores do contain sugar in one form or another.

In fact, it is hard to get any type of sweet packaged goods (cookies, pastries, pies, cakes, etc) that do not have any type of refined sugar. I often end up making my own. I’m very conscious of what I eat and avoid sugar most days. (I still eat it sometimes!) Very often fresh fruit will suffice.

And, no, it’s not easy to go from full out sugar addiction to eating just fruit to satisfy. It takes time, consistency, persistence, desire, and the willingness to check out different forms of sweet. And I know I am not alone in this.

We eat sugar because, mostly, we crave it. How can you change what your body craves? Keep in mind (if you didn’t already know), you crave what you eat the most…always. Check out what you buy when you grocery shop…every time. Most people buy the same things, almost the same brands, over and over and over.

If this is you, and you want to change your eating habits, but don’t know where to start or what alternatives you have, you can learn all about foods, and how to safely and most effectively make changes.

Members learn about this in Tabata Bootcamp. It really is the only program where we delve into nutritional guidelines, and educate people about their food choices. This is one of the essentials in our Tabata Bootcamp team meetings. These weekly team meetings are an integral part of each Bootcamp. You can find out much more about Tabata Bootcamp at the next Intro-Teaser Day. Click here to read more and sign up. For the list of sugars, here is the list:

Here is the list of the names of sugar

Contact me if you you want more info on Tabata Bootcamp.

Sincerely,

Clara E Minor
Master Trainer-Instructor
Minorsan Self-Defense & Fitness
831-458-0900

Filed Under: Fitness & Health, Martial Arts/Self-Defense, News Tagged With: #badasscourage, be kind, beliefs, confidence, courage, diabetes, exercise, fat loss, fight for life, fitness class, fitness classes, health, healthy living, heart disease physical exercise, HIIT, HIIT classes, HIIT training, lifestyle, nutrition, self -esteem, self worth, self-confidence, self-love, success, sugar, sugar addiction, Tabata, Tabata Bootcamp, weight loss, worthiness

Sugar’s Hidden Names

July 14, 2016 by Clara E Minor Leave a Comment

Sugar's Hidden NameSugar comes with many names

These are not the only names, btw...

Here is a list of the many names that are used for 'sugars' in packaged foods. Read your labels carefully. It hides in a lot of ways. If you are wanting to get healthier, this is one huge big first step. Just begin reading your labels and educate yourself about the hidden sugars in foods. You don't know what you don't know. Get educated. Take your own lead. Make your own changes. On your own time.

Here is a list of most of the names of sugars:

All natural evaporated cane juice
Barley malt
Beet molasses
Beet sugar
Beet syrup
Brown sugar
Buttered syrup
Cane crystals
Cane juice
Cane juice crystals
Cane juice powder
Cane sugar
Caramel
Confectioner’s sugar
Corn sugar (HFCS)
Corn syrup (HFCS)
Corn syrup solids (HFCS)
Corn sweetener (HFCS)
Crystal dextrose
Crystalline fructose
Crystallized organic cane juice
Dark brown sugar
Dehydrated sugar cane juice
Dextrin
Dextran
Dextrose
D-fructose
Diastatic malt
Diatase
Disaccharide
Dried evaporated cane juice
Evaporated organic cane juice
Fructose (HFCS)
Fructose crystals (HFCS)
Fructose sweetener (HFCS)
Fruit juice concentrate
Glucose
Golden sugar
Granulated fructose
Granulated sugar
Granulated sugar cane juice
Inulin (HFCS)
Invert sugar
Invert syrup
Lactose
Light brown sugar
Malt
Malted corn and barley syrup
Maltitol
Maltitol syrup
Maltodextrin
Malt syrup
Mannitol
Organic sugar
Organic Cane Juice
Organic Cane Juice Crystals
Organic Cane Syrup
Organic Cane Juice Concentrate
Powdered sugar
Pure cane syrup
Raw Sugar
Rice maltodextrin
Rock sugar
Saccharose
Simple syrup
Sorbitol
Sorbitol syrup
Sucrose
Sugar
Sugar beet syrup
Sugar beet crystals
Sugar cane juice
Sugar cane natural
Sweet sorghum syrup
Table sugar
Trisaccharides
Turbinado sugar
Unrefined sugar
White crystal sugar
White sugar
Xylose

If you want to eliminate sugar from your daily foods (or at least lessen how much you eat), be sure you read your labels. If you'd like some options on how to cook/bake with different sweeteners, contact me.

Sincerely,

Clara E Minor
Master Trainer-Instructor
Minorsan Self-Defense & Fitness
831-458-0900

Filed Under: Fitness & Health, News Tagged With: #badasscourage, be kind, bootcamp, courage, doubt, empowerment, exercise, fat loss, fear, fight for life, fighting, fitness classes, habits, high intensity workouts, kickboxing, life success, martial arts classes, negotiating, Santa Cruz California, self -esteem, self worth, self-care, self-confidence, self-love, success, Tabata, Tabata Bootcamp, take action, weight loss

Why I Teach Martial Arts & Fitness

April 5, 2016 by Clara E Minor Leave a Comment

Why i Teach Martial Arts and FitnessTeaching martial arts, self-defense & fitness go beyond "passion"... There is purpose behind what I do

I often get asked what I do (by people whom I'm meeting for the first time). In March, I was at an event and had the opportunity to speak to 85 women. What a treat! A captive audience….a speaker’s dream.

The first words out of my mouth were: “I teach women how to fight.” It is the first time I had ever told anyone what I do, in those specific words. For some reason, it held a lot of power. My audience was immediately captivated by what was to follow. I had all of 3 minutes! lol…

But in those 3 minutes I explained in a nutshell exactly what I do.

“I teach people how to fight, and specifically women. I help women who have a hard time standing up for themselves and don’t feel very good about their bodies, to feel great in their bodies and live their lives in fearlessness, by cultivating their #badasscourage [thru physical movement].”

(And I did not even mention martial arts or fitness.)

I like it a lot

I like these words. They do hold a lot of power. And it is what I do (among so much more). Teaching women (and men) this particular skill goes so far beyond the actual skill, as it becomes a part of our nervous system with new muscle memory, replacing old patterns of movement and old ways of thinking. Even more important, it replaces a new way of feeling. You get emotional transformation through your own physical transformation. It is indeed powerful.

Yes, I teach men and always have. However, lately a lot of women have been drawn to my studio to learn how to fight. Maybe that is why I chose those words at that moment. Maybe it is just time for more women to learn to fight. It has been a ‘given’ for men to have the ‘permission’ to learn to fight. Women…not so much. The time is ripe. The time is now.

And if every woman and girl in the world knew how to fight, wouldn’t the world look different? Food for thought…

Our bodies are brilliant

They hold so much within. Trusting that has often been so hard for so many of us. Our bodies speak to us all the time. Often we ignore our bodies. We let our minds take over. That’s when we run into our own trouble. I keep learning from my body every day. I seem to be on a path to bigger and deeper healing…every day. Listening to my body has become top priority. (And I am still learning from the incident with my broken arm.)

Going thru my own process of ‘getting there,’ I have learned that we hold energy, thoughts, and feelings in every fiber of our bodies. Sometimes it is best to release it (for our better health and happiness). The release of energy happens in lots of different ways. Some are subtle and some are quite a bit more ‘intense.’ From experience, I know that heat can create a release of energy that we didn’t even know we were holding. This can be intense.

I have had these releases thru my martial arts training, sweat lodges, and sitz baths. The common denominator was heat. In the martial arts training, my core was continually contracting as I rolled on the mat. My body was sweating. Tears started rolling. My teacher, Mr. Tino Tuiolosega, was surprised, as I was, for nothing had happened to me, except I was practicing rolls…and sweating a lot. I’ve seen martial arts students break down in tears from something that was seemingly ‘nothing.’ This doesn’t happen to everyone. However, when it does, it is very powerful.

Heat is expansive. Cold is contractive. Most of us know this. When we are cold we hold ourselves tighter. Our muscles contract in an effort to retain heat. In this effort, the cells are tight. Not much can pass through. With heat in the cells, they expand. Expansion allows more room for energy to travel through each cell. In that opening of the cells, therein lies the release. Release of old energy, old memories, old stuff. (Sweat lodges and sitz baths work in a similar way. Maybe more about those later.)

So, back to what I do

Learning how to fight goes so far beyond knowing how to fight. It can truly be a method of healing. In my world, there is no other more powerful confidence builder than being able to control another person who might be attempting to hurt or harm you, especially if that person is bigger than you. There is such a huge myth surrounding people who are ‘bigger than you.’

As I continued to train (with everyone who was bigger than me), I began to demystify this myth for myself. I was getting a new truth…about myself, about other people (and their ‘size’), and how feeling my own power to knock someone out made a true and lasting change in my life. Having trained in 6 other martial arts disciplines, I still did not have that for which I was looking. It wasn’t until Mr. Tino Tuiolosega walked into my life did I learn about this energy within and the power to cultivate courage.

And then there is #badasscourage

"Cultivate Your #badasscourage" was developed out of a need to find, in a nutshell, what I do. Courage is what got me through the doubts and fears. Doubts and fears don’t disappear. They become smaller and less significant, but only after you’ve gone through them. At least that was true for me. That is cultivation. The more I cultivated, the more courage I built. Having to confront my own teacher was the hardest part of any training I ever did with him. I almost lost him as my teacher (twice) because I had the courage to speak up (to the one who was teaching me to cultivate my power…lol). Nobody confronts ‘Mr. Tino.’ I had to. And it was worth the risk. He (unknowingly) taught me to deal with other people's anger. Huge big lesson. And it was great! It took courage to stand in close proximity to Mr. Tino Tuiolosega when the release of this energy happened. Whoa! And every time I got stronger.

Cultivating ‘knockout power’ provided my body, mind and spirit with an energy that I had never, ever felt, ever in my life. And it sure did feel good. Yes, I was learning to put someone’s lights out. Never in my life growing up did I ever think I would one day have the ability to knock someone out. I never thought about it because, like most people, who wants to think about this kind of stuff?

We often ignore the 'what if's.' As I began to learn this power, I was creating confidence that I had never had before in my life. Knowing that I can knock someone out makes all the difference in my world. It doesn’t make me invincible. Yes, someone else can knock my lights out too. I am as vulnerable as the next person when a situation is totally out of my control. However, when I have control to make choices, I won’t feel so frozen. I will choose to fight for what I believe or take flight for when it makes more sense to get the x@#^ out.

And I use it every day

What’s even bigger than this is that I use my training every single day. Self-defense is about making your own choices on your own watch every day. It’s about standing up for what you believe. It’s about speaking your mind, and not having to justify anything to anyone.

I still make mistakes. If I didn’t make mistakes, I wouldn’t be learning much. The difference is that now when I make choices, I know they are my own, I am operating under my own power in all aspects of my life, and I have the confidence to stand behind my choices. I stand up for what I believe to be truth. I ask for help when I need it. I release people who feel toxic to my life. I stand strong in who I am and don’t make excuses or justifications.

I can take the time I need to assess a situation and not make a move out of fear (of rejection, embarrassment, being made wrong, etc—which is entirely different from making a move in a dangerous situation). The energy that runs through my body when I feel #badasscourage cannot ever be explained. Each person has to feel it. (Like how you explain the taste of an orange to someone who has never tasted citrus.)

And besides, feeling that #badasscourage is a great way to live. And this is why I do what I do...why I teach what I teach. Whether in my martial arts classes, self-defense classes, or fitness classes, I bring it all to the table. Talk to me if you are curious how this might work for you too, beyond what you are already doing.

Clara E Minor
Master Instructor-Trainer
MINORSAN Self-Defense & Fitness
Santa Cruz, CA
Contact Page
831-458-0900
Yes, I will teach you to kick-butt in a most appropriate way.

Filed Under: Fitness & Health, Martial Arts/Self-Defense, News Tagged With: courage, fight for life, fitness classes, kickboxing, life success, martial arts, martial arts classes, Santa Cruz California, self -esteem, self worth, self-confidence, self-defense, success, weight loss, worthiness

Tabata 2-yr Anniversary Celebration Week!

December 6, 2015 by Clara E Minor Leave a Comment

Here is all the info on our Tabata 2-yr Anniversary Celebration Week. Someone will WIN a Tabata Bootcamp at 50% off! Someone will WIN a #badasscourage tank. It could be you. You’ll also have the three opportunities in one week to check out these 30-minute workouts for FREE. We’ll answer all your questions, and you can also pre-purchase a Bootcamp for use in 2016, at 2015 prices before they expire on December 31, 2015. Remember these workouts are progressive, so they are doable for almost everyone. Refreshments will be served, as well as providing free Holiday goodie recipes.

tabata_celebration.12.15'For your specific questions, call us at 831-458-0900, or contact us here.

Sincerely,

Clara & The Crew

of Team MINORSAN

 

Filed Under: Fitness & Health, Martial Arts/Self-Defense, News, Uncategorized Tagged With: bootcamp, courage, fight for life, fitness classes, life success, Santa Cruz California, self -esteem, self worth, self-confidence, success, Tabata, Tabata Bootcamp, weight loss

Adventures of a Broken Arm

November 25, 2015 by Clara E Minor Leave a Comment

On the town on a Friday night networking, partying, dancing, eating great food (served by our very own Hedy Nochimson of Plate & Bottle), and generally having a great time at the Little Black Dress event, a fundraiser put on by Monica Karst of the Santa Cruz Socialites. Awesome event with great friends and colleagues.

little-black-dress

Little Black Dress Antics…with Monica Karst (Santa Cruz Socialites), Leta Jusilla and Michelle Bean (both of Optimal Health and Fitness).

I left a bit early (it ended at 10:00, and I left by 9:20 pm), as I had to teach classes in the morning starting at 8:00 am. As is my usual pace (fast, and it’s great for repelling the bad guys), I walked down the driveway, and was just ready to turn left (my intuition told me to get out my small flashlight, however, my head thought it knew better and told me “Nawww, there are lots of street lights. Don’t need the flashlight,” feeling a bit like Smeagle. Not 10 seconds later, my left boot caught the embankment as I was turning, and sent my body sailing across the sidewalk and into the tire of a parked SUV. Both arms were thrown back. I did not have time to break and roll. My right arm hit the tire, and my knees acted somewhat as breaks on the concrete, as I propelled forward. In that moment I felt the right arm protruded wayyyy back, and there was a slight numbing sensation. I knew I had effed up. My brain labored that I would need surgery, and months, maybe years, of therapy. And have pain forever…I just knew it.

Got onto my hands, untouched in this fiasco, and stood up with a bit of knee pain, but still able to walk. I slowly pulled on my arm forward, and of course it was in tremendous pain, not unlike childbirth. It was bent at the elbow by design from the incident. Grabbed my purse (btw, forgot my camera somewhere there on the concrete…so if anybody turned in a Nikon, let me know…lol…yes, it got thrown too), and I walked a few hundred feet. I had to sit down. Got back up, walked a bit more, then realized I was not going to be able to drive (yeah, I was still focused on getting to my car).

Got on my phone and called a couple people who were still at the event. Of course they did not hear their phones, as they were still dancing to great music by DJ Sparkle who played the most fantastic music! (That part of the event was the most fun!) I called a couple more people, and Marica Buenafe came to my rescue. She was at Dominican ER with me until 3:15 am!!! She has more info on the comings and goings in Emergency that night…lol.

myboot

The tear my boot took…

Even though I was in pain (after 2 meds, a single shot to the (other) arm, then a double shot to same arm), I was able to quickly fall asleep, as I was by now, exhausted. My arm had a clean break (Great testimonial for the effects of BodyPump training!).

myknees2

Ready to get wheeled out of ER…with a barf bag…

So here I sit, on the mend, ‘eating crow’ because I did not listen to my own intuition, and I teach this! I teach it in my martial arts classes, my self-defense classes, and I even throw it into fitness workouts! Lesson two: slow down fool…

clara's-martial-arts-arm

This is a few days after…

I’m sure I’ll see lessons 3, and 4, and 5…who know how much will come out of this. So far, I am enjoying the fact that I have an awesome staff! My Crew of 19 are fabulous, capable, reliable, fantastic, totally awesome, and so #badass! They get the job done, thank you verr much! Kudos to Marcia Buenafe and Robin Ludington for their exceptional help, and to Analicia Cube, Cassandra Coraggio, Brent Rohrs, and ALL my subs and help: Sophie Calhoun, Connie Kreemer, Anika Wong (for stepping in to teach BodyPump while on vacation here!), Melissa Finsthwait, Samira Hartje, Dixie Mills, Denice Kowalski, and Bernadette Franzel. And thanks to everyone on my entire Crew: Kira Durant, Amanda Clark, Carolyn Wormhoudt, Jenna Giuliani, Jillian Chesley, Katie Landau, Alma Arquiza, and Lorna Russo. They keep the studio humming!

And btw, that night at Little Black Dress made it totally worth it!

Much Love,

Clara E Minor

Cultivating #badasscourage, and encouraging you to #fight4YOURlife!

 

 

 

Filed Under: Fitness & Health, Martial Arts/Self-Defense, News Tagged With: adult martial arts, courage, fight for life, fighting, fitness classes, kickboxing, life success, martial arts, martial arts classes, Santa Cruz California, self -esteem, self worth, self-confidence, self-defense, success

Update on Upcoming Events

November 24, 2015 by Clara E Minor Leave a Comment

In March, 2016, as part of our self-care series, we are hosting Damsel in Defense, a woman-owned Scotts Valley business, for a Special Event, open to the public. You will get to hear all about the various goodies pictured here (and more). These are non-lethal safety implements available in various colors and sizes (yes, they have pink, black and gray). You don’t need to be a martial artist to use these!
woman w:taser
This will be quite the interactive event. Yes, you’ll get to try out all the goodies. You’ll get an intro to self-defense too! And we’ll serve refreshments throughout. These make great gifts for your friends, and for you. Great colors too. Now you can be safe in style! (OK…just kidding, but you know what I mean). You will feel good carrying these. There is even digital protection and emergency kits. Members will get your Perkville special event points for attending.
______________________
 
On December 16, Wednesday from 6:00 to 7:00 pm, we’re holding a Special Tabata Night. ALL those who just want to do the workout, as well as those who are interested in Tabata Bootcamp, are welcome! Even if you haven’t done Tabata in months, or you did one Teaser Day, or you’ve never done it! This will be a special fun night for everyone. The workout will be from 6:00 to 6:30 pm. Refreshments and schmoozing after! For anyone hooked into Perkville, yes you’ll get special event points!
Get this on your calendar! 
tabata_celebration.12.15'______________________
 
In February, March and April, we have three Self-Care Events planned! Part 1 is scheduled for February 5, from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. See Self-Care Self-Love in February! The March event will be held March 12. Check the News tab on the website for updates as we get closer. Mark these as tentative on your calendar. Once again, Perkville special event points will accumulate for you. We’ll let you know the date of our April event soon.
As always, you can contact us through the website’s Contact page, or call 831-458-0900.
Enjoy this Holiday Season!
Clara E Minor

Filed Under: Fitness & Health, Martial Arts/Self-Defense, News Tagged With: courage, fight for life, fitness classes, kickboxing, life success, martial, martial arts classes, Santa Cruz California, self -esteem, self-confidence, self-defense, success, weight loss

Minorsan Holiday 2015 Specials

November 21, 2015 by Clara E Minor Leave a Comment

One Weekend Only! Black Friday – Shop Small Saturday – Special Sunday – Cyber Monday

 

Here are the Specials: (Packages apply to Martial Arts, Fitness Classes, and Tabata). Anyone who makes a purchase from the following will be entered to WIN our cool new Camo Swirl Tanks (sizes S, M, L, XL) with our brand new hashtag #badasscourage and a box of Organogold Coffee.

martial arts & fitness specials

Check out this Illustrator file of the shirts…it looks short, but is actually longer (about 3-4 inches below waist).

camo tank

 

Call us at 831-458-0900 or get a hold of us through the Contact page.

Filed Under: Fitness & Health, Martial Arts/Self-Defense, News Tagged With: courage, fight for life, fitness classes, kickboxing, life success, martial arts, martial arts classes, Santa Cruz California, self-confidence, self-defense, success, weights

Randy Clifford—Martial Arts Perfection

August 19, 2015 by Clara E Minor Leave a Comment

‘Once in a Blue Moon’ just happened. Because this ‘blue moon’ happens every few years only (as it did a few weeks ago), when things in our lives happen that seem to come out of nowhere, were unexpected, or seem very random, and it seems like it will not happen again for a very long time, we refer to these events, as ‘once in a blue moon.’ These can be very good things or very difficult things.

High energy has been going full throttle. Things are moving fast. Lots of ways to go/be/do/think/react. I knew we would be faced with challenges at this particular time, and we certainly have been here in Santa Cruz.

Yes, these past few weeks have been brim full of challenges. Taking on a challenge, at least for me, is to jump in with both feet. Fully commit to finding the answer, moving in a different direction, adapting to what is in front of me. This is a principle I teach to my martial arts students. The ability to adapt is critical for their safety. I apply it in my own life too. A few weeks ago I was presented with a challenge that I have never taken on, ever (among everything else what was going on).

I was asked two days before an event to ‘officiate/present/lead’ this event. It was not a huge event. It was an emotional event.

I was honored to take this on. The event happened to be a memorial service for one of my long-ago martial arts students. His name is Randy “Randawg” Clifford. He left us at a young 62.

During the time he studied at my martial arts studio, I got to know him and his family. His joy for life, his joking, his laughter, his smile every time he walked in, were infectious. And I had to laugh with the perfectionism, as our birthdays are in September, and one day apart. I know this one very well (perfectionism, also referred to often as ‘anal retentive’).

He was meticulous in his martial arts movement, his appearance, every job he did with his roofing company (Clifford Roofing & Construction), teaching his sons how to properly wash a vehicle, keeping both his white cadillac and white Harley in meticulous condition, and the perfection of his signature BBQ sauce (Uncle Randawg’s BBQ Sauce, available locally in specialty shops).

These qualities certainly set him apart. His wife of 20 years, Veronica Clifford, his family, friends, and the Santa Cruz community will certainly miss Randy “Randawg” Clifford.

The following was presented at his memorial service.

____________________

Randall Leonard Clifford~

We are here today to celebrate the life and spirit of Randy “Randawg” Clifford, loving husband, father, grandfather and friend.

Born in Gardena, CA, Sept 21, 1952, to Patricia and Don Clifford, he passed away July 6, 2015.

He spent his early years in Southern California, working with his Uncle H.T., as a young roofer at age 14. He then attended Riverside High School, and from there was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he spent two years during the Viet Nam war. He continued in the Army Reserves for another four years.

After he was discharged from the Army, he returned to Riverside and opened his own business, Clifford Roofing & Construction. He taught his sons Lance Clifford and Ryan Clifford the trade, as well as Lorenzo Rios. To this day, Lorenzo Rios is still at it, roofing local homes in the Santa Cruz community.

Randy met his wife of 20 years, Veronica Clifford, on a blind date. Both had been reluctant to commit to this blind date, and the fourth attempt by their friends would change the rest of their lives. It was truly love at first site. That night he took her to Castagnola’s on the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. There he got down on one knee, sang Elvis Presley songs to her, some blues too, and, of course, embarrassed her to no end. She loved it. And she knew she had found the true love of her life.

While at their attorney’s office taking care of some legal papers, he got down on one knee, and began to propose. The attorney excused himself, however, Veronica insisted he stay, as he was already witness to this event. Randy continued, on one knee, with his proposal, sang another Elvis Presley song, then stood up, arms uplifted and simply stated, “Ta Da!” and kissed her. She said yes. This was simply Randy’s style.

They were married on Randy’s birthday, September 21, at their beautiful home in Santa Cruz. Together, they brought five children into their marriage; Randy’s two sons, Lance and Ryan, and Veronica’s three children, Katrina, Vanessa, and Patrick. Over time they would have nine grandchildren that brought so much joy to them both.

Randy was an “adventurer.” He loved to scuba dive. He and Veronica were blessed to have visited the Bahamas, Cancun, and Cozumel; to dive in Cortez and explore shipwrecks. They went diving with sharks without the cages! (The ‘crazy adventurer’ in them both.)

He also loved motor cycle riding, and when mounted on their Harley, they looked like celebrities. He took pride in his appearance, and it did not matter if he was working, or going out to a function…he was always classy! His bike was just as classy. He kept it meticulously clean.

They also found joy in the simple things; picnics they shared in a cove near their home, bbq’s in their backyard, and simple family gatherings. They included their grandchildren when ever they could, and the picnics and grilling created incredible time for them all.

Randy was very successful with his roofing company, until he had an accident while on the job, which would change everything. The business began to suffer, as Randy had to go through many surgeries to repair his broken bones. The weeks turned into months. They had to think of something to do to remedy the situation while he healed.

Veronica and Randy were a team. Together they collaborated on a new venture: they created and marketed “Uncle Randawg’s BBQ Sauce.” Randy had a love of cooking, and he was influenced greatly by his grandmother. Early in life he began making his own BBQ sauce. He would make dishes for family and friends and they always urged him to sell it. This did not happen until he and Veronica put their heads together and decided that they would give the BBQ sauce a go. Veronica had the skills and expertise to get the product to market, including researching companies who could bottle and ship it.

They went to many events promoting the product that Randy had created. At the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim CA, they entered the BBQ sauce, and they won the 1st place trophy and 3rd place ribbon, in two different categories. In the process, they met many celebrities, including Tiger Woods’ father, as he purchased their BBQ sauce too.

When they showed at the Carlton-Ritz in Half Moon Bay, they met Jerry Rice, had a photo-op with him, and met many of the 49er cheerleaders. Everyone seemed to love their BBQ sauce.

Randy also loved to hunt and fish. In his teen years, every year he would make trips with his Uncle H.T. and his cousin Greg Perry, to either Utah or Alaska. He always took his beloved dogs, Max and Peetie, and more recently, his dog Sugar.

He loved Uncle H.T. and Aunt Marge, from whom he learned many of the values for his life. Uncle H.T. was a perfectionist in is trade and taught many in the family, including Randy, the right way to roof. The ‘trainees’ would need to stay on the ground (sometimes right in the driveway), pounding nails in boards for many hours before being allowed to get on a roof. They had to pass Uncle H.T.’s standards—then they would be ready to ‘load’ the roofs, carrying bundles of shingles up the ladders to the roof—it is the way it was done in that period of time.

Randy was a very thoughtful man and would do the little things for people that made them know they were special. Walks with Veronica along the pier, meeting up with their friends, sending gifts to Uncle H.T. and cousin Greg (and Greg’s two kids, Shelly and Tootie), and showing up in Utah “just because.” He continued his friendship with his long-time friend, Leon. With Randy it was ‘friends forever.’

Many of us here today have felt the love, generosity and compassion that Randy shared with us. He was loved by many and will be greatly missed. RIP “Randawg.”

___________________

It was truly an honor to take on this challenge for this martial arts student, Randy “Randawg” Clifford. Rest in Eternal Peace Randy.

Clara E Minor is a Martial Arts Master Trainer and and Fitness Instructor in Santa Cruz, CA. She recently celebrated her 30-year anniversary with a martial arts business in Santa Cruz. You can contact her through her website at www.minorsan.com

Filed Under: Martial Arts/Self-Defense, News Tagged With: fight for life, fighting, life success, martial arts, negotiating, Santa Cruz California, self -esteem, self-confidence, self-defense, success, worthiness

Your Self-Worth and Value

February 2, 2015 by Clara E Minor Leave a Comment

One of my online friends (from The Netherlands) was chatting with a group of us the other day. He simply said:

“Success is something you give yourself. It is permitting yourself to be worthy.” – Taufiq de Water

(I told him I loved his quote, and I’d like to use it. He said he would be honored.)

When thinking of success, people often think of monetary/financial wealth for a measure of success. In fact, most people often equate success with financial wealth. True success has so much more to do with all aspects of a person’s life, than money alone. And who is to judge your life? Who makes the decisions about what is right or wrong for you? Do you give this control to others? Many of us do just that. We measure our own ‘success’ with what others think of us. How valid is that? Only as valid as we allow it to be. Seriously. Think about it.

When we give the control to others to measure our own success, we are locked into their reality. Everything we do, we measure against what we think they might think about us. And why are we so worried about what others think?

Ultimately, it is rejection. If they make fun of us, talk negatively about us, shun us, tell us we are stupid for thinking ‘that,’ embarrass us in front of others, tell us we didn’t do it right, and/or unfriend us, we feel rejected.

And we only feel this way because we allowed their reality to be ours.

Success is truly ‘permitting yourself to be worthy’ as my friend’s quote says. It is a deep ‘knowing’ that you are a valid human being. It is knowing that you matter to you, if no one else.

When you are constantly and consistently being treated badly at work, either micro-managed, or your ideas are always ignored, and you are made to feel ‘stupid’ for even thinking ‘that,’ why would you want to continue to work there? When people are truly unhappy at their jobs, no amount of money can make up for it. We all know of people who have quit their jobs due to unhappiness. The money becomes irrelevant. Again, it is just money. A tool for our use.

How many times have we heard of ‘millionaires’ who are unhappy. What is the point of having all the money you could possibly have, when you are still unhappy with your life, your situation, your job, your everything. Is it no wonder the financially wealthy can so easily turn to purchasing drugs and excesses in alcohol? And buy all kinds of ‘stuff?’ Of course, not all wealthy people do this. (And, yes, people who are not financially wealthy also do this.)

The point is that money will not make ‘you’ a success. It is just money. You can do successful things with money, but the money itself is not the success.

A successful human being feels good about the decisions they make. S/he feels good about making choices that not everyone will like. If you are a volunteer, making minimal wages, and you are happy doing what you do, and would have it no other way, you are successful. Some people with lots of money might look down upon you. They might think you are not worthy of their time and energy.

Who cares?! This narrow-minded point of view is a sickness. It is called arrogance. As much as we would love for people to see their own arrogance, we can only hope that one day they will do just that. We know there is no way to control it. We can only put up our own ‘safety barriers’ when we are around these people. And what are those safety barriers?—the knowledge and knowing that we are valuable and worthy, regardless of what they think.

If your personal relationships are not working, yet you have no financial worries in the world, are you successful? Is this success to you? Is all the money you have affecting the relationships? What is your part in the dysfunction of the relationships?

It might feel great driving around in that Tesla. Momentarily impressing friends makes us feel good. But feeling good about you, especially when you are alone…that is your barometer for happiness. Can you be happy alone? Can you be happy around others? Can you be in a good state of mind most all of the time? If adversity comes your way, can you work through it to find that place of comfort? Are you happy and content when things are absolutely quiet. Are you comfortable speaking your mind?

We all know people who constantly ‘vent’ their woes publicly online, telling everyone how they are feeling throughout the day, constantly, day in and day out. (Yes, we can block…lol). Rambling on and on is not going to change anything. These people are seeking validation, and they are sucking the energy out of others (those who choose to constantly respond with ‘oh poor you’ responses). They want attention. They need attention.

When you feel good about your worthiness and value, you don’t need this kind of energy. People’s good energy will just come to you.

You are the one who has to want to find tools to make changes. You and only you can change the thinking process that will allow you to change your life.

You are the one who must ask, must seek, must explore the possibilities all around you. They are there for you. We are often so blinded by what others think, that we close ourselves off to the possibilities.

What will they think? Yes, we are back to that…lol…what will others think.

If you are happy, feel good about you (self-esteem), and value yourself (self-worth), you are successful. That is the bottom line.

Get your power back. Find your success. Find your place of happiness and contentment. See your own worthiness.

~ Clara E Minor

P.S. If you’d like a plan to get you on your way, contact me. Yes, call me or send me an email. We’ll check out your possibilities. And you know moving your body will be one of them! Maybe just getting more movement into your life will work for you. Maybe learning to kick-ass will be your way. There are many paths. Learning to fight is a very powerful and strong one. More so than anything else I know or have experienced. I’ll explore all the possibilities with you, and find the best fit.

Filed Under: Fitness & Health, Martial Arts/Self-Defense Tagged With: martial arts, Santa Cruz California, self -esteem, self worth, self-defense, success, worthiness

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