This blog has morphed along with my life. It was meant to be fulfilling for others in regards to love, life and food when I realized that it was more for myself to learn from and take something away from every experience. It finally hit me that the path to happiness is not a straight one. I wasted so much time and energy crying to myself with every curve in the road when I should have embraced every bump along the way to truly appreciate and be present in every moment.
The following is a daily journal of my life. Come walk with me as I traverse the path of finding myself. My hope is that you are open to finding what truly makes your heart happy through my shifts in direction.
Ok, Ok .. so I know that I’ve been a bit distant. This past year has been filled with obligations. Things from spending time with family and friends to being present at important functions in the lives of the people who fills my heart and forms my community. Most of the time the obligations are fun and fulfilling and I definitely want to be there. At the same time, I find myself resisting trying to meet these obligations. I started feeling exhausted, longing for nothing so much as a quiet evening at home. Of course, along with this want for myself .. comes the feeling of guilt for not meeting the expectations of others.
There’s a skill to balancing our obligations and it starts with simply becoming aware of our schedule and ourselves. My battle was really being able to listen to what my body and heart knew it was capable of fulfilling. The events in my life that occurred this past year were life changing. From the diagnosis of my illnesses to a change in my work environment; from moving out of my home into the arms of my family to watching my goddaughter grow up. Every piece of the past year changed me forever.
I learned the following: meeting our obligations to others is an important part of being human and not one to take lightly. At the same time, we cannot meet every obligation without neglecting our primary duty to take care of ourselves. We can navigate this quandary by being conscious of what we choose to do and not do and also by finding concrete ways to extend our caring when we are not able to be there in person.
Here are a couple of snapshots of my past year. To those that impacted me in every way possible, thank you for the love, thank you for the hard lessons, thank you for your understanding and thank you for playing such an important role in my life at that time.
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So I was at Trader Joe’s this afternoon & there was this old lady that caught my eye. She had a grocery bag in each hand. As I was about to make a purchase a young woman bumped into her and kept walking. I placed my things down and walked over to them. “Aren’t you going to apologize to this woman?” I asked the young lady. She quickly and rudely answered, “For what?!” “You bumped into her.” I said. Then I asked the older lady if she was ok and if she would like me to help her to her car. She smiled and answered “Yes, that would be very nice.” At the very same time the young girl snickered “whatever” under her breath and continued walking on. I turned to the young and ignorant girl and said, “You know why it’s not “whatever”..?! I have a Mother & a Grandmother that I adore.. & 1 day this (pointing to the older lady) will be you. I hope that you will be then treated exactly as you treated this woman.. RESPECT!“ She was taken aback from the reality that I just threw in her face.. Hopefully, that created a space for understanding and compassion for others..
“Be kind to one another…”
So Here I was about to dive into my DailyOm and long and behold … what a perfect article for me. Here’s what I saw ….
November 9, 2011 Fuel that Nurtures Eating Right to Feel Better
What we eat and drink can have a powerful effect on our ability to focus, mental clarity, mood, and stress levels.
At its simplest, food is fuel. Though our preferences regarding taste and texture can vary widely, we all rely on the foods we eat for energy. Most people are aware that it is vital we consume a diverse assortment of foods if we aspire to maintain a state of physical well-being. However, the intimate connection between diet and our mental well-being is less understood. Just as the nutritional components in food power the body, so too do they power the mind. Some foods can impair cognitive functioning and sap our energy while others heighten our intellectual prowess and make us feel vigorous. What we eat and drink can have a powerful effect on our ability to focus, mental clarity, mood, and stress levels.
Food allergies, which don’t always manifest themselves in forms we recognize, can also play a significant role in the maintenance of mental health. Thus, for most of us, even a simple change in diet can have a profoundly positive impact on our lives. Taking the time to explore whether anxiety, muddled thoughts, or inexplicable tension can be linked to a food allergy or food sensitivity can empower you to treat your symptoms naturally. The benefits of a healthier, more personalized diet are often felt immediately. Sugar, saturated fats, wheat, and dairy products are frequently allergens and can stress the body. For people that are allergic, consuming them can cause imbalances in the physical self that have a negative effect on the body’s ability to nourish the brain. Water, fiber, nuts, unprocessed seeds, raw fruits and vegetables, and vegetable proteins, on the other hand, support physical and mental functioning by providing those nutrients we do need without additional substances we don’t.
A balanced, natural diet can ease mood swings, panic attacks, anxiety, and mild depression. Intellectual clarity and agility is improved when the mind receives proper nourishment. Even those individuals who are blessed with the ability to consume almost any food can benefit from a healthier and simpler diet. Since the mental and physical selves are closely bound to one another, we must feed each the foods upon which they thrive.
For more information visit dailyom.com
This article is printed from DailyOM – Inspirational thoughts for a happy, healthy and fulfilling day.
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So I have to say … because of my commitment to eating clean and truly investing the time to obtain more and more knowledge about what I prepare … this is the BEST Paleo TREAT!! I would love to share my beloved Paleo Fudgecake Recipe: 18oz Organic Vegan Chocolate Chips; 1 cup Coconut Oil; ¾ cup Agave Nectar; 2 tbsp Water; ¼ tsp Himalayan SeaSalt; 6 Eggs
Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler. Remove from heat when the chocolate is just fully melted. Beat in the Agave, water and salt. Beat in the eggs, one by one, until completely incorporated into the mixture. I used my FAMOUS hand blender (DO NOT try to clean off the excess chocolate in the blender and lick it off … I nearly had to give my fingertip a funeral, LOL).
Grease a 9″ springform pan and dust it with cocoa powder. Surround the base of the pan (on the outside) with foil. Pour the batter into the pan. Cook in a water bath reaching halfway up the side of the cake.
Bake at 275 for 52 minutes. Cake should be set, but still look a little shiny and wet in the middle when done. Let this chill at room temperature for about an hour, then refrigerate 5 hours before removing pan siding and serving. Cut with a clean, warm knife (run the knife under hot water and dry between slices).
Now, turn up the Style and add a little Gold Dust and serve with fresh blueberries/strawberries and garnish with a fresh mint leaf.
(I am sharing this not because I have reached my goal nor feel that I have come to my full potential because I have so much work yet ahead of me, but to share with those that feel like they are alone, too tired and just simply CAN’T … No, a year from now, you would have wished that you started TODAY)
~ Hi Everyone, just wanted to update you on the workout progress. This is my beloved trainer Shadow: My Mentor, my Guru, my Motivation, at times my Nemesis but always my Strength. He has led me down a successful path of finding my self worth. You know obtaining a physical goal is bigger than just the losing the weight.
For me, it was the monkey on my back that symbolized everything else within that I was struggling to let go of. Trust me, there were a couple of teary-eyed moments. Like when I did a full work out with a weighted vest (8lbs he says, but what to me seemed like EIGHTY) & finally taking it off and feeling like the world had been lifted off my shoulders. I cried because it was just that. I made it through the workout so now I can make it through any daily obstacle in my life – lighter of course. Or like the other time my reps got better and better with every circuit. Gosh, I found out that day that the resilience I had was unmatched for the fear I used to allow to take over.
The effort that one has to put in, has to be whole-hearted. It has to be RAW and completely primal. This is so that the outcome is in its PUREST form. No holds barred, right?! Lay it all out on the line and what one can achieve is limitless ~
Only those who risk going too far, can possibly find out how far one can go ~ T.S.Eliot
With everything going on in my life and spending the last couple of months super focused and all about my career, I have lost sight of her ~ my Lil “Kat”ness; my inner-child. So after getting back from a great trip and really getting an opportunity to see my potential and how others “take me”, this is my Daily Om:
You could be capricious and fun-loving in your social encounters today. Your sense of fun may be due to your desire to connect with, and listen to, your inner child. Perhaps because you might recognize that there is little in life that is truly serious and critical to your enjoyment of the moment, you may find it easier to pay attention to that part of you which is carefree and uninhibited. Indulging your childlike self in play today could help you become more present with all things and people that are part of your life. As a result, you might notice that your life is saturated with an ever-present sense of wonder, and marvel at the beauty of each and every encounter you have with others.
Our uncomplicated and free-spirited innocence and play brings an awareness of the preciousness of each moment into our lives. When we were children, we acted based on what we felt was right — without fear of what others thought of us — and our days were filled with tangible, physical, and lighthearted experiences that were based on the here and now, rather than on the past or future. Consciously returning this lost child to our current lives allows us to, once again, live in the present — which, in turn, lets us not only experience everything to its fullest, but also brings a sense of purity and fun into all of our interactions. Bringing your inner child out to play today will infuse your relationships with your lighthearted and unpredictable exuberance.
True Love … This past weekend I was blessed to have gotten an opportunity to travel to Seattle. There, I found myself falling for its charm and sweet simplicity. Although I was traveling for work and attending a coffee convention, I had to make it to the public market. So I walked myself through downtown “towards the water” (as the locals kept directing me) and ended up here. It was fantastic: the vibrant colors of all of the flower vendors; the enchanting aromas of smoked this, lavender that, and wood carvings of all sorts; & YES! SUCCESS! I found it! The most amazing sight of RED CHARD (hahaha ~ if you know me, red chard is a staple in my cuisine). So of course, I had to take a picture of it in its most marvelous form. The atmosphere was so organic, so captivating, super amazing. Every direction had something to satisfy every urge of “whatever” in you.
This is what I looked like right before I started this journey …. I have attached a photo to show everyone my breaking point. I am only 4’11 .. & yes, in that photo i was weighing in at 167 pounds.
My baby bro walked into my parent’s place after taking a tour at the newest addition of a “hyped-up money making scheme” (well, that’s what I thought) ~ UFC Gym. I was telling him that it was a glorified adult’s playground and that it wouldn’t be conducive for achieving the physical success that my brother was looking for. He just needed a little discipline and a regular work out regimen and I thought that UFC was too commercialized and too brute for my baby brother.
So here it is .. he asks my mom if he could sign up. She says absolutely not and that’s when it all started! He comes crying to his big sisters & begs us to convince our mother that he NEEDED this. So, being the eldest, I needed to (at the very least) find out why my brother was hooked onto this idea of this gym AND if this would be the best thing for him.
I come up with a list of questions, that I know that the sales councilor would not be able to answer correctly and long and behold I am running out of there with a membership … :( (EPIC FAIL) haha… It turns out that it has been the BEST thing for me. I met people that will have changed my life forever; saw who I was really meant to be … & who I will be for the rest of my life.
I have attached a current photo :) I will keep you posted on how I got here …
LIVING YOUR FULLEST LIFE 