Life! GO and enjoy it fully

 Good morning!

This morning I want to reflect on the inspiring journey of a friendship. I remember at one community potluck this beautiful and bright being bouncing in and introducing herself. Apparently she had already heard of me because of the way in which our family eats and I had only heard of her recently in passing from other neighbours, in particular my dear friend and neighbour and one of her relatives across the street.

She sat with us at the same table and she was just amazing to talk to. Driven to share her journey while the sharing was good. We discussed how to apply her talents and who she could talk to as well as the food we were eating and how one day we would share a meal together.

I want to share gladly that we DID indeed share that meal together and a shared curiosity of how one another truly ticks.

We still have that deep intrigue for one another and a growing friendship as well as a head nod of one more day shared in the lives of one another.

Recently, she shared about an adventure, and yet again I am reminded and inspired.

"Receive while the receiving is good!! And enjoy it fully!!" While we are here, it is our JOB to enjoy the fullness of experience...great or not so great....while we can.

LOL....I would say more onto that, but what more is needed??

Are you mulling over something in your mind that is so simple to do or to enjoy, but there is an underlying "attitude" or language that is arguing not to? Interrupt that chatter (or put it on hold) while you GO AND DO the thing, and then get back to the "conversation" if you feel you need to.

Is there a reason you are using or used to keep you from doing something you know would make the most of a situation and you submitted to that decision instead of just jumping at the opportunity while it was RIGHT THERE!!?? (honestly, I will get over missing buying that quinoa on sale....bigger vision, bigger vision LOL ...man, that moment has been SUCH a great "teacher"... )

Get together with that neighbour that you said you would (2 years ago...thanks Lana) and connect properly! LOL buy the quinoa (and be a little bit late)!! Receive the gifts of joy and life people want to share with us and then GO and enjoy it fully on their grateful behalf!!

BE that OPEN recipient for JOY and LIVING while the living is GOOD peeps!!!

Let's STOP withholding ourselves from joy like a badge of honour....because honestly, it's wasted energy, imagination, time...whatever you want to call it. SHOW UP and receive this life of yours (and ours) my peeps

I LOVE celebrating the good living those around me choose to dive into It builds ME up seeing it!

Now time to make the most of an opportunity for myself this morning

#thankyouGod #aswecallitToday #BEencouraged #LifetotheFull #INjoy #LetUsLivethisLifeFullOut #whilewearehere #Oneanotherlove #ReceivingISimportant #receivingGIVEStotheGiver

Don't let your justifications cut you off from love

 Good morning!

There is a difference between right and justified...how can you know?

The driver and the descriptor.

Here's my testing ground....my two boys. LOL they are OFTEN fighting and bickering..."He did this!" "Did you see that???" "STOP!!" "MOM!!!!! He did (fill in the blank)" ...LOADS of growling, stomping, slighted eyes, sideways glances, slamming things down and around....

...go on and try to tell me this is a "phase", but this "phase" has been 14 years strong . It's a part of the process in their journey...the back and forth, the wrestling with their perceptions and thoughts, and how that translates onto the "canvas" of their brother to brother relationship.

Of course, since I am called into "mediation", I simplify the process by asking one main question.... "Were you being loving?" (or some variation of that question). If their "driver" didn't come from Love first, then what follows is a string of reasoning toward "lifting up" the choice to cause harm (or offend or cut off or call names .....) to the other. Justification. Having to tell the story and explain "WHY" you chose NOT to show up in love (or a less than a loving way)...and if you string enough of these Justifying moments together, you get one big ol' BAD attitude LOL . It reads as arrogant, and apathetic, curt, sharp, indifferent, and so on and so on.....but the biggest thing I have noticed, not just in the relationship of my boys, but also having observed from others....is it always leads to separation....and not connection.

Sometimes I find myself mired in the muck of justifying...but if connection is calling, I check myself, I interrupt the non serving wandering that is not leading me much of anywhere to begin with, and I get back on track and start noticing myself and where I am at.

I find we often feel "hurt" because we experienced a situation that fell short of the "love" meter. It could have been better...it could have been more considerate, it could have been more compassionate, it could have been more accepting and appreciative, it could have been more mindful and attentive...and most of all it could have been more connective...

The priority my boys make clear through all the messy back and forth from day to day is a call to love more. THEY call one another to LOVE MORE . I don't really have to do much, but to remind them of that fact. That they indeed DO love one another and that there is ALWAYS an opportunity to Love more .

"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law."

#thankyouGod #Lovefirst #whatsYOURdriver? #oneanotherlove #chooselove #nogreaterdebt #Romans13eight #whatwouldLovedo?

Quinoa "balance" bowl

 This bowl is so full of flavour and crunch...been making them all week for hubby's lunches with a special "recovery" dressing on it... #balancedbowls #ooooloveit #foodrelationships #quinoa

How do you show up in change?

 Good morning!!

This has been QUITE an interesting set of weeks RIGHT in the middle of the first month of the year LOL!!

How you guys doing?!?

For me, it has been a little bit of a challenge to be honest in showing up in the way I intended to fr 2020. Not that I haven't taken daily increments of forward steps each day...it's moreso how things have shifted in areas which I felt were already taken care of. That I held an expectation around always showing up in the way it has....and now something has changed quite dramatically and how am I actually handling that...the CHANGE! The shift. Are you good with change? What is your usual experience when things start to change in your life? For better or not so great? What does that look like for you?

Do you find yourself starting to get reactive? Fearful? Does your language toward yourself start getting judgmental? Do you start comparing your results to those around you? Are you staying present in your own experience and betterment or are you now distracted with other peoples' "shortcomings" now that you feel you are failing? (The latter is a cultural/society thing for a later discussion...)

I'm asking because I realized I have two ways in which I respond...one, is that I figure I might as add in more change if I am already going to be going through/growing through this bit of grief/challenge....and the second one is, I start digging for solutions. I go back to basics and check in with what I have done before and start implementing those...only if they worked for me in the past...and then I check to see if there is anywhere I can "trim out" the extras that aren't serving me....I like the path to be smooth AND I don't mind an adventure either, but if the smooth or the adventure is not serving me, then it's time to assess, adapt and, adjust.

SO...adapt....and stay the course. Stuff happens...move through it...keep going. Sometimes it needs your attention....sometimes it's there to make you stronger, and sometimes....we just don't know...keep going.

Off to keep on keepin for this day ahead. Have a good one

#thankyouGod #couldbeworse #assessmenttime #divinetiming #lookfortheflow #improvedaily #trustintheprocess #noneedforjudgment #letskeepmoving #lifetothefull #hahamessykitchen

In the end, it comes down to my health

 Good morning!

Commitment and Opting out....I really had to give this a thought this morning...I'm half way into January and our post-holiday reset and why is it NOW that I feel a surge of energy and extra ease to make this a part of my journey for the year.

Most people feel the pull and focus back to what was and what they feel they are missing out on (is this you right now?), and are experiencing cravings, and doubts, and non serving language pull and tug at them.

What's the difference? Well, when I wanted to start this journey originally, back in October, I had my doubts. But out the gate it felt super effortless and awesome. I was amazed! And then things at home started going sideways, to say the least, and I couldn't find my balance. The consistency and the ease dropped off and it became a struggle to get back on track...so I didn't. Not because I didn't want to, but my focus and drive felt like it went down the tank.

So what is the difference now? I dug deep into my mindset from then to now. I wanted to be more resilient to challenges and upsets so that I could stay aligned with my goals. And I knew that I had been consistent in the past, and was on track with it recently, so WHY NOT going forward!!??

What things stood out that I found in my deep dive?

To have compassion for those around me. Not everyone is going to get what I am doing or even believe me in what I say about why I make the choices I do....and that's okay...keep going.

Be present for the process and more detached from the outcome. LOL after many, many years of my body going in all types of directions, I can honestly say, the thing that feels the best is knowing you are consistent with your healthy lifestyle. Loosing all the weight you wanted to is not enough. Placing in a transformation contest is not enough. Fitting into anything you want and looking great in it....is not enough. Being toned and lean is not enough. But knowing that you helped your body to get there by doing the good work....now THAT feels good....over and over again. It's the biggest in goals and in life....to know that the journey was good and resulted in the good being a PART of your life and living day to day.

As for opting out...it happened for me only when I realized that I hadn't fully opted "IN" in the first place. Often, the energy we put into "trying" something or doing something is full of "doubt", fear, and already deciding it will be done at some point in the near future. OR that the means will meet the "end" soon enough and the pain and suffering will cease. It's not sustainable thinking and you miss out on the gems and goodies along the way.

Decide, that what you are going after and through is worth it. That it can serve a good purpose, and that you can harvest good fruit from the journey along the way. Opt in to being a part of YOUR life's journey. Own into the experience of it. You might find that it comes more easily going forward in it than you realized ....

#thankyouGod #upsanddowns #committothejourney #simpleandconsistent #lifetothefull #wecan #INjoy #stepbystep #keepgoing

Cassava Fries and Mushrooms

 What!! This dinner though!

Roasted cassava, and then red onions, mushrooms, and asparagus. #EDfriendly #simplewholefoods

Eating reset 2020

 About last night....I forgot how aligned we are, for the most part, to eating on par with the ED (elimination diet). We use it every January to reset back to basics. 

Cauliflower curry was last night's meal. 

Deprivation is a mindset. We get to fill the gaps of what nourishes us right now by seeing how we have missed out on essential minerals and vitamins,  especially over the holiday season. 

Eating foods that take those minerals and vitamins away at every bite (processed sugars as an example), makes it hard to fight for the balanced and sustainable healthy lifestyle that we know serves us best.

Curious as what to choose for today's dinner...for now, enjoying my morning hot water and lemon 😁😁😊😊😊

#salud #cleanereating #backtobasics #goodtoremember #eliminationdiet #cuzyouknow #weliketreatstoo

Being "bothered" is in the mind

 Good morning!

LOL I am remembering a conversation with a beautiful young girl and thinking about having her know my name.

Currently, she is a big fan of Elsa from Frozen. And I remember when my boys first saw it and kept referring to me as "Elsa" because the "cold never bothered me anyway" LOL. Crazy kids

But it's not because it doesn't "bother" me in some way....but being "bothered" is in the mind. Simply...I adapt! I KNOW that winter is approaching and I take my cues from nature. And I have often thought....if the bunnies can do it....and the birds can do it....and even cats and dogs can roll around in the snow for a bit...why can't I.

What have I "decided" that I can't do? I am constantly reminded by others around me that it is possible to wear shorts out in the winter and not be phased.

This past week we went out with a large group of people to enjoy running and hiking together and the place we went was PACKED! Scrambling for a spot to set up around fire pits and then out and about in the snow. It was as though it was peak season in the summer at the local park.

So what is the difference? Decision. We can either chose to adapt, flex, and enjoy OR we can chose to stay "decided", stuck, and what ever comes with not feeling you have a choice in the moment (or environment) you are in. Because you do! You CAN chose! And we, as humans, can easily adapt .

I turn the heat down at night in our home...and before we would be sweating at 17 degrees in our home in the winter....comfortable around 15 degrees. (Why not?!?! We are in the summer... ) I haven't turned it back up yet and I feel fine. I went out yesterday in a tank top and sweater, which I didn't imagine I would be....and I was fine.

In 2020, let's "test" out the ways in which we can stretch and adapt, and learn more than we have before...and possibly experience more than we imagined....because there are others living in ways we haven't fully fathomed for ourselves...and enjoying it

#thankyouGod #divineunion #adaptable #thiswordisoftenMissed #stretchyourJOYzone #experienceMORE #LifemoreFully #LoveFirst #possibilitiesAwait #DREAMbigger #Elsa #IlikeWinter