#BeSureSundays- Don't Ever Give Up

Welcome to 2015! First of all if you are reading this, I am grateful for you! I started Don't Die Afraid this year and it continues to evolve thanks to loyal readers like yourself. Thank you for your unwavering support and we hope you remain an integral part of the Fearless Family for years to come!

Now back to the regularly scheduled post which is about perseverance . Today, we lost Stuart Scott, a legendary ESPN sports anchor. I don't usually follow sports, nor do I watch ESPN (unless Mr. Fearless has it on). However, when he shared the news with me I was sad for him because he really admired Scott and obviously felt sympathy for the Scott family. I just experienced the loss of my grandmother, so those feelings are way too fresh for me. However, as I quickly learned about Scott's legacy through the touching tributes and heartfelt memories shared by his colleagues, I received an understanding for how genuine he was.

Then I learned some history about the Jimmy V Perseverance Award which Scott received just a few months ago.  Jimmy Valvano was a legendary college basketball coach who also battled with cancer. In 1993, he made a powerful acceptance speech for the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award introducing, "The V Foundation" which was co-founded with ESPN in the hope to cure cancer. The motto of the organization is "Don't give up, don't ever give up."

I thought this message would be perfect to share for our #BeSureSundays because both men embodied the mantra of "Don't Die Afraid" by living each moment fearlessly, even during the toughest times of their lives. My condolences to Stuart Scott's loved ones. Let his life and Jimmy Valvano's encourage us to fight through every obstacle.

You can donate to The V Foundation in honor of Stuart Scott.

Are you an admirer of Stuart Scott? If so leave a comment about your favorite memory of him. If you are a sports fan, who are some of your favorite sportscasters?

Great American Smokeout

The third Thursday in November has been deemed, the "Great American Smokeout" by The American Cancer Society. It is nationally recognized as a day to encourage smokers to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. 

So today at George Mason University we celebrated it with a great three hour program targeting both smokers and non-smokers. I was lucky enough to help with planning and executing the event. We had stations with different activities that allowed participants to learn about the stages of quitting and tips on how to help a love one quit. 

When people discuss the harm caused by cigarettes, they usually focus on the connection between smoking and cancer. However, there are a list of other detrimental side effects that smoking cigarettes can lead to.  Did you know smoking could cause blindness? Yup, you read that correctly blindness! This includes cataracts, age related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and dry eye syndrome.

The most fulfilling part of the event was receiving the chance to interact with smokers. One guy quit three days ago and said he doesn't know how long he can go smoke free because he always feels the need to have something in his mouth. He has been a smoker for two years and has tried to quit in the past but wasn't able to last long. Luckily, we were prepared with some resourceful quit kits including silly putty, lollipops, tea, sudoku, and gum. I told him every time he thinks about smoking, go to his quit kit and reminisce on our conversation because my team is rooting for him to refrain from smoking.

If you are a smoker, I challenge you to not smoke for at least 24 hours.

If you aren't a smoker, I challenge you to be supportive of the smokers in your life, unless you used to smoke you have no idea how strong their addiction is. So just show them that you care about their health and are willing to stand by them every step of the way if they are ready to quit.

How would you approach someone to ask them to stop smoking?

Have you ever tried to convince a loved one to quit smoking?