Blog :: SHERISA LIVINGSTON

Blog

10/31/2012 23:01

Dialing down the frustration...

I'm careful not to give into theatrics when times are tough, I don't like it when somebody gives into outside pressure and puts on a show for others. (Quote by - Tony La Russa)

Ok I love this quote but I don't feel like I have been living up to it as of late (if ever). I'm more than a little short tempered, impatient and immature these last few days. I feel like I did when I was in Korea--out of control of myself and trying hard to conform to someone else's idea of the player I am or should be. I know what I can do and what I have done. So what needs to be done now is part repping it out and part focus/concentration/ will driven performance. I may never be the player I was pre-K but I can be better than what I am now--high error, mistake making, apologizing constantly--BLAH. I want to change some of my traits, attitudes, and behaviors. Something I have been working to do for so long. It seems an impossible task because how I am now comes natural (sigh).

“I am personally convinced that one person can be a change catalyst, a "transformer" in any situation, any organization. Such an individual is yeast that can leaven an entire loaf. It requires vision, initiative, patience, respect, persistence, courage, and faith to be a transforming leader.” THIS is who I want to be. Who I am now doesn't meet this standard. I'm not sad by any means with who I am but it's just not enough anymore. :) Well I will continue to strive towards this and maybe get here someday. Because after all isn't that what life is about. Getting to a point where you are better than you were the day before?

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

Steve Jobs

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10/12/2012 17:50

Heading Out...Again :)

It's that time again...Back overseas I go. And honestly it is the first time in a long time that I'm actually

excited to go and play. The best part is a friend is on the team!! Not only that but it's in a beautiful city.

I will be in Linz, Austria for the next little while.

Another great part is that I get to do something I LOVE and that i

travel. Not only are our in Austria but we will also travel to Croatia, Sloveni, Slovakia and Hungary! Sooooo excited!!

Can't wait to see this city and be back in Europe for the first time since 2010!

PACKING:

So for this trip I found out that the airline is only allowing 1 free checked bag and if you want to add a second checked bag not only do you have to pay $70 but you also have to call the airline ahead of time and tell them you have an extra bag. So as much as I wanted to have 2 bags for all the 'just in case' stuff I decided to save myself the hassle and the money and just take one checked bag. With that I have also packed my backpack as my carryon and my lululemon shoulder bag. That is a drastic travel change for me. I wish I could have eliminated the extra carry on altogether but unlike the majority of travelers I still need 2 seperate wardrobes: regular wear and all my court gear. Anything I'm missing I will buy or have shipped to me. But I think I have it all covered..

#1 CARRYON: LULU BAG(FRONT & BACK)

#2 CARRYON: JORDAN BACKPACK

#3 CHECKED BAG:

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08/23/2012 22:35

Life List

1. VISIT ALL SIX FLAGS THEME PARKS:

 2. GO ON A CRUISE:  

3. Ride in a hot air balloon.

4. Go on a helicopter ride.  

5. Go on a canopy tour (traverse between trees on a zip line).

6. Go Hiking in the Rainforest: There are rainforests with extraordinary flora and fauna all over the world. You can go hiking in the rainforests of Panama, Costa Rica, Maui, Honolulu, Borneo, and so on. Go Hiking in the Rainforest: There are rainforests with extraordinary flora and fauna all over the world. You can go hiking in the rainforests of Panama, Costa Rica, Maui, Honolulu, Borneo, and so on.

7.RidetheWorld'sLargestFerrisWheels: List of the world's largest Ferris Wheels.  Included are: "The London Eye", "The Star of Nanchang", "The Singapore Flyer", and others.

8. Ride the Ten Largest Roller Coasters in the World:

9. Experience Weightlessness:

Zero Gravity Flights!

Experience zero gravity in a uniquely personal way. Our newest zero-g adventure takes place across the state from the Kennedy Space Center, at the Aurora Aerospace Training Center in St Petersburg, Florida.

10.Go on safari in the Serengeti, Tanzania, or Masai Mara, Kenya.

11. Ride an elephant.  Natural Wonders to See Before You Die:

12. The Grand Canyon, Arizona

 13. The Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

14. The Northern Lights (the Aurora Borealis), Polar Regions

15. The Amazon Rainforest, South America 16. Uluru (also referred to as Ayers Rock), Australia 17. The Parthenon in Greece

18. The Acropolis in Greece 

19. The Alhambra in Spain

 20. The Statues of Easter Island, Chile

 21. The Nazca Lines, Peru

 22. The Kremlin in Russia

 23. The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

 24. Stonehenge, United Kingdom

 25. The Sydney Opera House, Australia 

26. The Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, London, England

Visit the Seven New Wonders of the World

The Seven New Wonders were revealed on July 7, 2007.

27. Machu Picchu, Peru 

28. The Coliseum in Rome

29. Petra, Jordan 

30. Christ Redeemer, Brazil

31. The Great Wall of China

32. Chichen Itza, Mexico

 33. The Taj Mahal, India 

34. Visit Auschwitz.  Go Island Hoping in the Caribbean

35. Anguilla

36. Antigua

37. Barbados

38. Dominica

39. Grenada

40. St. Croix

41. St. Lucia

42. St. Maarten

43. St. Thomas

44. Trinidad and Tobago

Visit Japan 

45. Watch a sumo-wrestling match in Japan.

46. Attend a Japanese tea ceremony.  

47. Visit the Imperial Palace, Tokyo.  

48. Head down to Tokyo's electronics district Akihabara and wander in and out of the shops.

Places to Visit in the US

49. Historic Williamsburg, Virginia 

50. Climb up the Statue of Liberty 

51. See the Empire State Building.

 52. Go to Universal Studios, Hollywood 

53. Visit the Hershey Chocolate Factory in Pennsylvania.

54. Visit Waikiki Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

55. Visit the Coney Island Boardwalk 

56. Ride a steamboat down the Mississippi River

57. Visit the Lincoln Memorial 

58. Visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

59. Visit the George Washington Memorial

60. Visit the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

61. Visit the White House.

62. Visit the Four Corners. The Four Corners is the only place in the United States where four states (Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado) come together at one place. Stand in four states at the same time.

63. Martha's Vineyard

64. Atlantic City Boardwalk, New Jersey

65. See Mount Rushmore 

66. Visit All 50 States

 67. Brazilian Carnival - The Biggest Party on Earth 

68. Learn to play chess.  

69. Become financially literate.  

70. Create a financial strategy

 71. Create enough passive income so that you don't have to work another day in your life.

Be a spectator at . . .

√ 72. A Cirque du Soleil show.

73. Go to the Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby-known as "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports"--is an annual 1.25-mile race for three year-old Thoroughbred horses, held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

It takes place on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. This event draws an average of 150,000 visitors each year, including celebrities, presidents, and even members of royalty.

74. The Summer Olympics 

75. The US Open 

76. Take up dancing: Salsa, Line dance, Tap dance, Tango, Ballroom dancing, etc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~to be continued~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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08/21/2012 23:53

Conformity

Every society honors its live conformists, and its dead troublemakers. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

Don't think you're on the right road just because it’s a well-beaten path. ~Author Unknown

Most people are more comfortable with old problems than with new solutions. ~Author Unknown

Stubborness does have its helpful features. You always know what you are going to be thinking tomorrow. ~Glen Beaman

Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to continually be part of unanimity. ~Christopher Morley

The only man I know who behaves sensibly is my tailor; he takes my measurements anew each time he sees me. The rest go on with their old measurements and expect me to fit them. ~George Bernard Shaw

The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. ~Friedrich Nietzsche

New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common. ~John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

Doubt is healthy. It tests one's convictions. ~From the movie Haunted

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08/21/2012 23:52

Strength

Have u ever seen a palm tree in the midst of a great storm? That tree may be bent so far over that it’s almost touching the ground, but when the wind finally stops, that palm tree bounces right back up. What’s interesting is that while that palm tree is hunched over under the pressure of the storm, it is actually growing stronger? In Psalm 92:12, God said we’d flourish like a palm tree & this is because He knew there would be difficult times. He knew things would come against us to try to steal our joy & our victory. God said, “U’re going to be like a palm tree because when the storms of life blow, u are going to come right back up stronger than before.” Nothing can hold u back! No weapon formed against u will prosper. As u reflect on the events over the last year, remember, the storms u have encountered have only made u stronger. U are wiser, u are more alive, & u are headed for victory. Your brightest days are right out in front of u! Always remember that with God on ur side, nothing can hold u back!

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08/21/2012 23:52

Truth

The Five Levels of Truth-Telling: First, you tell the truth to yourself about yourself. Then you tell the truth to yourself about another. At the third level, you tell the truth about yourself to another. Then you tell your truth about another to that other. And finally, you tell the truth to everyone about everything. ~ Neale Donald Walsch Conversations with God (Book 2)

No legacy is so rich as Honesty. ~ William Shakespeare

Truth is generally the best vindication against slander. ~ Abraham Lincoln

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all the people all the time. ~ Abraham Lincoln

Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the Truth.
~Benjamin Disraeli

“The Light is more than some abstract, unknowable energy force. Light is Truth. If Light is truth, then darkness must be lies. Each and every lie we tell to ourselves and others casts the shadow of separation upon us. Every time even the most minor deception is revealed and the truth is made known we are re-united with the Light. So, Let there be Light. Those are the words by which you can create your own magnificent world.” - Renee Bledsoe, Addiction Alchemy

Truth is such a rare thing, it is delighted to tell it. ~ Emily Dickinson

The Truth which has made us free will in the end make us glad, also. ~ Felix Adler

I was brought up to believe that the only thing worth doing was to add to the sum of accurate information in the world. ~ Margaret Mead

Always tell the Truth. That way, you don’t have to remember what you said.
~ Mark Twain

When in doubt, tell the Truth. ~ Mark Twain

It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the Truth and expose lies.
~ Noam Chomsky

The Truth is always exciting. Speak it, then. Life is dull without it. ~ Pearl S. Buck

Fiction is the Truth inside the lie. ~ Stephen King

The biggest consequence to telling a lie is, it leads you to telling another one.
~ Gary King

If you do not tell the Truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people.
~Virginia Woolfe

Who lies for you will lie against you. ~ Bosnian Proverb

No man has a good enough memory to make a successful liar. ~ Abraham Lincoln

A half Truth is a whole lie. ~ Yiddish Proverb

Those who think it is permissible to tell white lies soon grow color-blind. ~ Austin O’Mally

With lies you may get ahead in the world – but you can never go back. ~ Russian proverb

A lie has speed, but Truth has endurance ~ Edgar J. Mohn

Truth is the most valuable thing we have, so I try to conserve it. ~ Mark Twain

A lie may take care of the present, but it has no future. ~ unknown author

We tell lies when we are afraid….afraid of what we don’t know, afraid of what others will think, afraid of what will be found out about us. But every time we tell a lie, the thing that we fear grows stronger. ~ Tad Williams

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. ~ Thomas Jefferson

There is no such thing as an inconsequential lie. ~ Gary King

Truth allows you to live with integrity. Everything you do and say shows the world who you really are. Let it be the Truth. ~ Oprah Winfrey

What you get in your life is not a result of what you want, it is a result of Who You Are. ~ Marlon Smith

If you want to ruin the Truth, stretch it. ~ unknown author

The Truth is more important than the facts. ~ Frank Lloyd Wright

The Truth needs no rehearsal. ~ Barbara Kingsolver

Truth and Honesty is the oldest and most powerful of all of the human values.
~ Gary King

Have the courage to say No. Have the courage to face the Truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.
~ W. Clement Stone

Integrity is doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching. ~ unknown author

Every lie has a consequence.....you cannot escape that.
~ Gary King

Integrity is telling myself the Truth. Andy Honesty is telling the Truth to other people.
~ Spencer Johnson

This above all; to thine own self be true. ~ William Shakespeare

The time is always right to do what is right. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not. ~ Oprah Winfrey

If you can not find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you.
~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Ethics is nothing else than reverence for life. ~ Albert Schweitzer

Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a van of value.
~Albert Einstein

Perhaps the most important thing we can undertake toward the reduction of fear is to make easier for people to accept themselves, to like themselves. ~ Bonard W. Overstreet

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. ~ Marianne Williamson

A lie will easily get you out of a scrape, and yet, strangely and beautifully, repute possesses you when you have taken the scrape and left out the lie.
~Charles Edward Montague

Respect for the Truth is an acquired taste. ~ Mark Van Doren

Some people will not tolerate such emotional honesty in communication. They would rather defend their dishonesty on the grounds that it might hurt others. Therefore, having rationalized their phoniness into nobility, they settle for superficial relationships. ~ unknown author

There’s one way to find out if a man is honest ~ ask him. If he says, “Yes,” you know he is a crook. ~ Groucho Marx

Our lives improve only when we take chances ~ and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be Honest with ourselves. ~ Walter Anderson

Where is there dignity unless there is Honesty? ~ Cicero

The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world is to be in reality what we would appear to be. ~ Socrates

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01/29/2010 18:17

Badger article

Sherisa Livingston playing in Greece

Former Badger All-American playing professionally

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Sherisa Livingston playing in Greece

Dec. 11, 2009

MADISON, Wis. - Former Badger All-American Sherisa Livingston is currently playing professionally in Athens, Greece. The 6-2 Livingston, who switched from middle blocker to right-side during the 2006-07 season when she was playing in Italy, is playing with her dream team of Panellinios GS.

Panellinios VC (in Greek: ΠΑΝΕΛΛΗΝΙΟΣ ΓΣ) is an athletic club founded in 1891, making it one of the oldest sports clubs in Europe. Panellinios competes in the A1 Ethniki, often referred to as the Greek Volleyball League, the highest professional league in Greece.

Livingston, who is the only two-time first-team All-American for the Badgers, has played professionally overseas since 2002. She has played in Puerto Rico, the Netherlands, Indonesia, Spain, Italy and Turkey.

Who are some of your teammates?

There are 12 women on the team ranging from ages 17 to 38. The foreign players are three including myself. Åsa Gustavsson, an outside hitter from Sweden who played at the University of North Carolina, and Julia Naumova, a middle blocker from Russia, are the other two.

How is your team doing?

Right now our team is doing pretty well. We are in fourth position by one point and have three matches left until our Christmas break.

When is your season and who do you play against in your league?

The season lasts from the beginning of October until playoffs in April. The A1 league features 12 teams - Olympiakos, Juventus, GP Kearateas, Pan, GA Iraklis, GSK Iraklis Kifisias, AO Markopoyloy, EA Larisa, Saak Anatolia, Ofa Apollonios and Aris.

Where do you live?

I live about a seven-minute walk from our gym in the neighborhood of Kypseli.

What do you do in your free time?

In my free time, I like to partake in a famous European pastime - going out for coffee. Even though I don't drink coffee, when we go (I have hot chocolate) I still have fun. If we have a night off on the weekends, we go out dancing. Sometimes I go out for dinner with Asa. Every now and then we try to go and eat at different places so that we can try new things.

How do you handle the language barrier?

Honestly, there really is no language barrier. Everyone on the team speaks English and so does the coaching staff. That doesn't mean we don't have miscommunication but that's normal anyway! The coach says everything in Greek first and then one of the girls translates for me and Asa. Julia is learning Greek so she can live here with her family.

How long have you been playing on the right side?

I made the decision to change to the right side during the 2006-07 season in Italy. I got so much experience in practice as I was on the second team behind the other opposite. For me, this was great. I got to learn the position very well without being expected to perform right away. It took a lot of work and still takes some patience but I really enjoy the new position especially playing back row!

How is the food, culture and lifestyle?

I haven't had too much traditional Greek food but what I have had was very, very good. As for the culture, like any culture it has its positives and negatives. I really enjoy how laid back everything is here. Sometimes in day-to-day life you get so caught up that you forget to take a breather and being in Greece has definitely made me see that sometimes I should just relax.

How do you like playing in Greece?

I am really enjoying playing in Greece especially for Panellinios. It has always been a goal of mine to play in Greece and I have finally gotten around to doing it. I enjoy playing here the most because there is always something to do. Our club has not only the women's volleyball team but a men's volleyball team and men's basketball and handball team in the first division.

The best part is that all the teams are home and away at the same time so we get to see each other's matches and interact often. Another plus of being in Greece this year is that eight of the 12 women's teams in A1 are in or near Athens, which cuts down considerably on travel and wear and tear on the body. The other four teams are in Thessaloniki (in northeastern Greece), which is an eight-hour bus ride away and Larisa (between Athens and Thessaloniki), which is six hours away.

Any unusual experiences?

So far, there haven't been too many things out of the norm that I can think of here in Greece but the season is young yet!

Anything else to add?

The only thing I would like to say is to the fans of Badger Volleyball. I wish that we had fans as dedicated and die hard as the Badger fans. Our gym is an awesome gym for volleyball and if the fans here were anything like the fans for UW, they would pack the gym every match. Don't get me wrong we get some fans, but there is nothing like the fans in the Field House. NOTHING!

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09/19/2009 17:21

OFF TO GREECE!!!!

GREECE

So I'm finally going to start my 2009/10 season. And I'm soooooooooo excited! So excited! My dream is finally coming true! I will be playing in Greece! Living and working in Greece. And not just anywhere in Greece but in the heart of the country. I will be in Athens, Greece for a minimum of 8 months!! I will be playing for Panellinios GS.:

Panellinios GS Athens (in Greek: ΠΑΝΕΛΛΗΝΙΟΣ ΓΣ) or Panellinios VC is an athletic club located in Athens, Greece and founded in the year 1891, making it one of the oldest sports clubs in Europe. Panellinios competes in the A1 Ethniki (Greek: Α1 Εθνική Κατηγορία), often referred to as the Greek Volleyball League, the highest professional volleyball league in Greece. It is run by the Hellenic Volleyball Federation. It is considered one of the top national leagues in European volleyball, as its clubs have made significant success in European competitions.

Panellinios competes in the Panellinios Indoor Hall which has 800 permanent seats and a retractable stand behind one of the baskets. It was once open-air and was covered in the late 1970's. It is home to the basketball, volleyball and handball teams of Panellinios, one of the oldest sports clubs in Europe, founded in 1891. The club's basketball team has won 6 Greek Championships, although the last of these was back in 1957. The hall is part of Panellinios' sports facilities, which also include an athletics track, swimming pools, tennis courts, 5-a-side football fields and various training halls. The hall is located in Kypseli, a district just 1 km north of the Athens city centre (Omonia Square). It is adjacent to Pedion tou Areos (Field of Mars) park, near the intersection of Alexandras Avenue with Patission Street.

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08/15/2009 22:32

FIVB MEN'S VOLLEYBALL QUALIFIER

Finally a little more volleyball in my life! =) Today I went down to Irvine to see th Men's National team play at the Bren Events Center on the UC Irvine campus. I went early because I thought i'd catch some of the Panama-Dominican Republic match and plus it was 12 bucks to get in and I wanted to get my money's worth. The DR-Panama match wasn't a great match but it was pretty entertaining. I got to see Victor Batista play for his home nation which was cool since he is a great player.

Victor Batista #16 (captain)

While the Dominicans didn't completely dominate Panama it was still a pretty easy victory for them. Although the third set was 25-22.

I was very excited to go to these games to see friends who i haven't seen in years. Plus it was cool to finally see the US men play live as I have only ever seen them play on televised matches and when some play overseas. Which was the case with David Lee and Donald Suxho. I hadn't seen David in 2 years when we were both playing in Turkey. Him in Ankara and me in Marmaris. And before that we were both playing for the male and female teams of the BNI bank in Jakarta Indonesia which was an awesome experience to say the least. And as for Donald I met him while playing in Turkey 2 years ago and he was also playing for a team there but not the same team as David. So all in all it was nice to see them both and will be nice to see them again Monday night when they play the Dominican Republic.

Republic.Republic.

I must say that the difference between the US men and the Guatemalan men was tremendous. The shortest player on the US team was Rich Lambourne, the libero. And even he tops 6 feet coming in at 6' 3". I don't know if Guatemala had one player at 6 feet even but they fought for the points they got. In the end they were just outmatched and outplayed by the US. Not the most exciting match to watch but great to see the team nonetheless. Can't wait for Monday =).

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08/02/2009 18:57

2009 MANHATTAN BEACH 6 MAN!!!

This weekend I went to the Manhattan Beach 6-man for the first time. It was one of the sickest volleyball experiences ever!! The sheer creativity of some of the teams was amazing. To name a few there was a team that paid homage to Tom Selleck's Magnum PI. There was a team of trekkies, a team devoted to christmas, several Laker themed teams, a team of waterpolo inspired guys. I mean they had all of the waterpolo gear on! The had the teeny tiny speedo, the head gear, and the sick WP bodies, the whole nine. It was pandemonium. But it was great!! I saw so many volleyball players and friends who i hadn't seen in YEARS. I saw players who I only know by name or reputation or even facebook. It was so cool! I mean when you see Reid Priddy and want to go up to him and fawn all over him you realize you're just as dorky as those people that get excited when they see celebrities. Anyway it was great to see so many people who i respect as players play live. It was a truly awesome experience. I'm for sure going back next year!!

THE SANTA TEAM...THROWIN' UP BIG DEUCES FOR JOLLY OLD SAINT NICK AND THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR...=D

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