On Feature Friday we aim to tell you of a place, person, or really anything that we find inspiring and something that we would love to do, meet, or travel to. Today however, being that I’ve been so humdrum and open, I am going to write about something that is far and away and close all at once. Your heart. This Feature Friday, I am featuring the things that thumps and bumps in your chest, keeps you alive, and if you allow it to opens your eyes to love, you will find an awakening in life that nothing else can compare to. It is also the best destination to get hope and aspirations from, so what better place to go to than the warmest spot in the world.
When I was small, my heart was made too large for the little being I was. It was as if my perception of anything was not taken in through my eyes, but through my triumphant heart. If I saw a baby crying, sometimes I would cry. If I saw someone in pain, I could almost feel it too. If I saw people in love I could feel the physics of their anatomy that made them be the perfect chemistry of compounds, mixed in a way that made an explosion before their eyes.
I didn’t wear my heart on my sleeve, I wore it on my shirt, my chest was as exposed as a person going through open heart surgery in a way that only can be described as the purest thing that ever existed. I was sweet. Too sweet. I couldn’t help but love.
How you are raised and the environment in which you live makes the essence of who you are that shapes you into what you will become. I was showered in kisses and I smiled before an hour had passed after my mother gave birth to me. I was the most unadulterated being that the earth had almost ever laid eyes on. And in being that, I was also the most susceptible person to feeling that could ever be imagined.
If you have ever renewed, reused and recycled a Gatorade and used it as a water bottle with a straw in it, you know that the ice sinks until you take your first sip and then somehow magically rises. My heart was just as this, sinking and rising with every moment of grace that I was presented with in my life.
So how can we feature the best part of our frame in a way that makes it shine? There’s a whole bunch of ways, so I’ll touch on a few.
As you grow in life your heart does as well. Sometimes it is easy to lose touch with our heart by what we go through to have it shut off. This is what is the last thing in the world you want to have happen. Something bad can happen or a life occurrence happens that changes the structure in which it existed.
When it happens you can feel lost and a lot of times when people go through something, they can let it affect them in a way that keeps them from harnessing the growth that should occur. This is again the last thing in the world that you want to have happen.
When you have a heart that’s too big for your body complications can occur. People can take advantage of your best gift and see it as something that they can use to their disposal. What you have to do is use your heart to your disposal, not let others do that for you.
So by featuring our heart how can we keep it far enough away that we don’t become overexposed to pain and yet close enough that we can give the world? I have learned in life that if you take the lemons and make lemonade and make even the worst things end up being a positive, your heart is destined to soar.
Each person has their limitations on how far their heart will open. I really believe as stated above it is how you were nurtured as a child. Many people who have parents who aren’t as loving to them as they could be, or just don’t use caring in a way that could foster relationships to be sweetened with life, end up having an extremely hard time to open their hearts.
One day they may meet someone who changes their lives, not because they are a part of it, but because they get a glimmer of glimpse at what real love feels like. Real love is something that is unbreakable, it has no limits and no conditions. In being unconditional it sees flaws as something that makes other people beautiful, it sees people for who they really are instead of what music they like, the clothes they wear, what they can afford, and the people that they associate with.
By opening your heart to life, you allow a flow of energy into it that makes each day worth living. In doing this the biggest thing about learning to have your heart grow is the amount of compassion you take upon the world around you. If you see someone in need you give without thinking, if you see someone in pain you help to try to heal and prevent damage, if you do something wrong you take responsibility for it and learn from your mistake.
If you continuously lie to yourself or others around you about things that you do or find yourself making excuses for why you do things, your heart unfortunately is on the wrong turnpike. This is the first way to realize whether you are opening your heart or not. Honesty is what makes a heart pure and able to achieve it you don’t have to only be honest to the people around you, but mostly to yourself.
This is something that can takes years of work and self exploration to do. I know many people when presented with something they did that was a mistake will immediately throw it on someone else, say it never happened, be in denial of the truth, or come up with an excuse so fast your ears can’t believe what they have just stated. Some people do this because they are afraid of ever being wrong. Some people do it because they don’t like the feeling they get when they do something wrong. And some people do it because they are actually lying to themselves, yet unfortunately can’t see the error in their ways, which leads to a spiral of bad things happening.
If you have ever seen someone begin this spiral it starts as a small mistake. It could even be something as small as accidentally throwing something away or making a typo. This person will immediately deny they ever saw the paper, the dog ate it, or the house must have been robbed while they were at work and the only thing taken was the bill that can’t be found.
This is a bad, bad, bad sign. When you do something wrong, the best way to grow is to learn to take responsibility for your mistakes. Then figure out how you can use what happened as something that you can use to your advantage to make yourself a better person.
If you are already stuck in a place where you know you are unable to be true to yourself or the people around you, take a look inside. What is your heart telling you? I can’t lie to save my life, because as soon as I do something wrong or bad, my heart tugs at me and this little person sitting on my shoulder tells me to do the right thing. I also can’t lie because I hate liars and because if I was to try to lie, I’d either giggle into a fit, my face would blush so badly you knew I wasn’t being honest, or I’d give you a look that told you whatever is coming out of my mouth I am just saying and I have no idea why.
When you lose that little person on your shoulder, you lose the ability to think about good and bad, right and wrong, north and south and then well, your compass is so jacked up you can’t tell the difference between the floor and the ceiling or your thumb from your pinky. Sometimes you can even begin to believe the things that you are saying that aren’t true. But your heart in the meantime, is telling you something different.
So to open it up, you have to look at you. What can you do to help others? What can you do to live a healthy productive life? What can you do to better the world? If each of us was continuously working on being better people each day, so much of the bad things that happen in the world would cease to exist.
Today take a look at yourself-take an honest look at yourself. Look at what it is that you could be doing better to make yourself a better person. How could you be giving in a way that makes your heart soar? What makes you tick? What makes you happy? When you are happy your heart is content. When you are sad and angry, your heart sinks deep, deep low and you lose the ability to love correctly.
I have found that these things make me feel like a better person on a daily basis and also feature my heart in a way that I am proud of and not scared to share, scared to lose, or scared to grow.
At the end of each day I write down one thing that I have accomplished and one thing that I could have done differently or better. It takes a long time to be able to look from the outside in, but once you do, you have it in the bag. If I make a mistake I try to look and see how I could have handled a situation differently or what I could have done to prevent it. The more you look at your mistakes and try to fix them, the less they tend to happen. By recognizing your accomplishments you give your heart courage and strength and provide it with what it needs to sustain beating to the right beat.
When I form a relationship, whether it be business or personal, I make it personal. Some people are all business and some people are too personal. I’d like to think that I’m the perfect mix of both. When you take into consideration what people are telling you when they talk to you and listen, it not only makes them feel important, but it helps you to better understand where they are coming from and learn more about them. You never know who you could be sitting next to on the subway, bus, or plane, so open yourself up enough to at least say hi. By putting yourself out there, you give your heart room to grow.
If you are in an intimate relationship, make sure to let the person whom you are with know how special they are to you. Do things that lift their spirits. By doing so it will make them happy. When one person in a relationship is happy, the other one normally is too. Boost their confidence as much as you can. If you cook with them or they cook for you, let them know even if it is Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, how much you appreciate them doing it for you and how great it tastes. When you recognize even the small things that someone does for you, it makes them want to do it more. When you thank them for being a part of your life, they become more grateful toward you. When you say something loving to them, mean it. And keep your word as that is one of the key things in having a healthy relationship, no one wants to be with a flake, so if you say you are going to do something, follow through with it.
Always try to have compassion when you speak with a loved one. The people who are closest to us are the people who we can easiest take things out on. Make sure that you know what you are saying to someone before you say it. Think before you react or act. If that means you have to walk away for a moment if you are upset before discussing something, take the time you need to make whatever comes out of your mouth correct. You can’t take back things once you say or have done them,. Even if you apologize afterward, the memory of what happened probably won’t leave the other person, so make sure to think before you do. This will save a lot of heartache and time that could be spent in a happy place.
In family relationships make sure that you do the same as you would for a baby. Nurture each person. Make each person feel loved. Don’t let anything get in the way of making these relationships healthy as they are the one’s that carry us through life.
Don’t hold on to the things that upset you. If you allow yourself to become consumed with anger over a past relationship or things that have effected you in an adverse way, you end up losing not only your sense of self, but your sense of happiness. When you learn to let go of things, even if it is a small piece at a time, you are making more room in your hearts storage unit for good things. If you have something that is bogging you down or if you went through something bad or just had a bad day, figure out what you need to do to release it and let it go.
By holding on to negative energies or things that hold negative energies, we are only hurting ourselves. I’ve watched people be tormented by holding on to things that happened in the past and they end up spiraling out of control. For whatever has happened has put a dent in their heart that they can’t seem to get out, regardless of what body shop they take it to. How can you make what happened something that you can learn from? That can make you a better person? That will help you to succeed? You have to take it, crush it up, throw it away, and move on. You don’t have to pretend that the bad things in life never happened because everyone goes through hardships in their life at one point or another. You just have to let it go.
When you learn to let go and just be, it’s the weirdest thing, but things sort of magically fall into place, as well as your heart as it moves forward. You can’t control the universe, what you can control is how you perceive it and what you gain and give to it. So give it everything you have.
Make your heart an open book. Be cautious in opening up in a way that protects you until you know that you can be safe. Sometimes we think we know people and they end up being someone completely different than who we expected them to be. So take time in forming bonds with others and in getting to know them. When relationships are based on things that are bad instead of things that are good, they normally don’t end up going well. But when two liked minded people meet and can figure out a way to communicate in a way that serves a purpose for them both, they end up both succeeding.
I hope in reading this today you have thought about the place in which your heart resides. When you love, do you open your heart up so that it shines? Do you think of all of the things you have to be grateful for as often as you can? Your heart is a place that should be visited often and taken care of with the upmost respect and desire of good. Make your heart come from a good place. Let go of the things that are keeping it from staying on track. And surround yourself with people who love you, support you, and who appreciate who you are. Each little speck of you. When you do this, you will find that upon your next visit to someone else’s heart, yours is already open.
Enjoy Your Heart and Set It Free
Enjoy the Special Moments That Make Your Heart Soar
Love
Have a lucky Friday and an awesome week-end!
If you’d like to remember to have wisdom, courage, prosperity, health, creativity, confidence, or romance in your heart, or give it to someone else to lift theirs, visit or WEAR LUCK Feng Shui Shop:
For Reminder Thursday I am carrying on in my manner I have been- in telling you about recovery. I’d like to say two things that I think we should all be reminded of on a daily basis. It has been such a gift I have realized to have the ability to not only speak and move, but to just be. That is the first thing I would like to touch on, which is three reminders for each of us.
The first being that in recovery, regardless of if it over the loss of a person, a surgery, an addiction, whatever it may be, there is something that has to happen to let you know that you will be okay. My doctor told me before my surgery, he did not know why, but for some reason, when you go in to a surgery with thoughts that it will not be successful, that something will not work, you are setting yourself up for failure and you most likely will not recover in the same way you would had you had a positive attitude. If you go in with the knowledge that you will get better, that you will gain strength and you are positive, you do so much better than if you are to go in thinking the opposite.
With that being said, I think that it us true for anything in life that we do, (which I think I will further elaborate on in another blog), you have to be positive. It’s like getting a phone call and someone is irate and they are yelling at you and you have no reason why. If you respond positively, they can’t help but most likely look at themselves and wonder why they are acting irrationally and then stop.
So remind yourself to be positive in all that you do each day. Even if you feel mad, angry, hurt, upset, in pain, be positive. It is so hard to do sometimes because we get so bogged down with what we have on our plate that we unintentionally become negative because we feel out of control, out of our element, out of what we wish could or would be happening. Whether it’s in your work place, a personal relationship, or even a stranger, the effect of being positive has limits of reaching people beyond almost anything else in the world. It draws others to you, it makes you feel good inside, and it brightens the world in which you live.
The next thing I would like to remind myself of today and do each day is that we are so lucky to be alive. To hear birds chirping and children laughing; to get to do the activities we enjoy; to see the seasons change and people grow. Just having the ability to get to type write now as I do is a blessing in of itself. Remember how great and what a gift it is that you can walk, talk move, speak, etc. So if you feel down, remind yourself of how lucky you are to be alive. We take so much for granted on a daily basis that we often forget that we can hear, see, smell, touch, feel, and enjoy. Even if you don’t have all of the money in the world, that is not what buys happiness. In fact many times the people with the most money aren’t the happiest because they can buy so much that they forget to be fortunate for the small things, like rice krispy treats and hugs. This is not true of all people who are well endowed, my point is that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from that makes you. It is you, so the best way to be happy is to make the most out of who you are and what you have right now. In realizing the small things that we have is what brings blissful thinking.
If you want more or something different, visualize having it or attaining your goal. And be positive every step of the way. Sometimes we get knocked down a million times, but if you believe and do what your heart desires, you will get there. Think of half of the musicians that are now known. You may have just heard of them, but many of them played in bars and did random acts all over for years before someone saw their talent. It’s true of many operations.
Success often doesn’t happen over night. You have to work you butt off to get to where you want to be and you can’t stop until you get there. When we try to skip through the steps of actually making a success, we aren’t only hurting what is ours, but hurting what we are developing. You have to spend time, energy, money, and hope and pray that what you have is worth it to someone out there. Even if it takes years to get recognized for what it is that you are doing, do not give up. In staying positive and believing in what you are doing and what it can bring to others, even if you aren’t aware of the impact it has or may have, keep going.
The more you reach out, the more you connect, the more you put yourself out there, the sooner something great will come your way. Sometimes success and jobs come easily through connections you have. But that isn’t the case in every instance. For every person you know that could aid you, there’s a person that you don’t that is out there so keep striving toward your goal with your chin high. Even if you don’t have all of the connections in the world, you can be successful in what you do. You just have to go after it like it is the only thing in the world that matters, (while staying true to yourself and continuing to be healthy), don’t stop at anything to see if happen. Make it happen. Know it will happen.
Just like my recovery. I KNOW I WILL GET BETTER. I KNOW I WILL BE ABLE TO DO WHAT NORMAL PEOPLE DO EVERY DAY SOON ENOUGH. I KNOW WHAT I WANT AND I WILL NOT GIVE UP UNTIL I ACHIEVE IT. That is the attitude you have to have!
Everyone has an outlet, you may not have realized yours, but as a reminder before I begin, I’d like to say that when you realize it, use it. It is the best way to stay positive and in a blissful state of mind. By using an outlet whether it be knitting, horse back riding, canoeing, yoga, sky diving, painting, playing guitar, whatever it is use it to keep you happy. Use it to help you get through the times that you feel lost and you will suddenly feel found again.
As I go through these inspirational moments I’m having now that I’m actually able to sit and think I feel, I just sighed, such a sense of relief I cannot tell you. Looking back when you are sick you don’t realize how bad you feel until you start to feel better again. It’s like when you get the flu and are stuck in bed for days with a fever that skyrockets and your body aches and your head hurts, and then suddenly when you start to feel better you can’t believe you ever felt that bad.
I had lost the ability to move. I had lost the ability to do anything for myself. I had lost me. I had lost my creativity, I had lost my motivation, and I had lost the energy to give me one moment of grace in a day. I couldn’t open my eyes, I could only grit my teeth and squeeze, I couldn’t feel anything except the pain and when you are in that much pain, that’s all that your brain can focus on so it’s hard to get past anything beyond that. I was pain. Pain was me.
I was not negative at this point. I was simply living, It made me realize how are bodies are just carriers of who we are. We often forget how much they provide us with, but if you think about what the human body is capable of it is beyond amazing. Once I realized all of the good and the bad I had done to my body, I realized that our bodies respond to us in a way to take care of us. I was feeling this pain for an unknown reason, but my body obviously didn’t want me to move or to go anywhere. If I hadn’t felt the pain, I wouldn’t have realized how fortunate I am to just breathe. How lucky I am that now the pain isn’t shooting and stabbing and pulling me.
There was no way at this point I could smile even if I wanted to, but what I did know during these periods of what was so excruciating I think I’m Hercules now;), is that I would get through it. I would not let myself go on like this. I would do what it took to get through it and to recover. This is what I have been trying to say the whole time. Even when you can’t open your eyes or even move a finger because it hurts so bad, know you can get through it. Know you can beat. And know you are strong. Your internal strength can surprise you at times if you allow yourself to be as strong as you can. And let me tell you, you can do anything.
What happened next? There used to be this man who has now passed, but lived where I did while I was growing up. There are these little blue birds of happiness that he would hand carve these canes out of and if someone touched his life, he would make them their own cane with the blue bird of happiness on top of it. I’m not quite sure how all of this was attached, but what I do know is that the experience in receiving one, meant you were special. I never received one, but my mother and one of her best friends husbands did. It wasn’t the cane itself that ever touched me so much as the thought he put into making people feel special and the beautiful blue bird.
They were these beautiful glass cerulean birds that when you looked at you couldn’t help but smile upon seeing. Once my mother got a baby gift for a friend. Part of the gift was a silly little polar bear bath toy that I guess squirted water in the eyes of whoever was bathing the child. When I saw it, it made me smile so big, I asked if I could keep it. Wish granted.
I kept this silly little polar bear on my bathroom vanity for my whole high school career, through college, and still have it to this day. I keep talking about pain because I’ve never been more scared than I was this past week. I thought I was about to become paralyzed and unable to walk. I could feel my nerves doing something terrifying and being from a family of doctors and a well read non-physician myself, I knew that either I was in repair, or in despair. I was in despair.
I couldn’t sleep regardless of what they gave me. I woke up with what could be described as something like a child would describe as a night terror, where I could not control the tears that would fall from my eyes as I ground my teeth and prayed the next wave would end.
However, I was still alive. For Reminder Thursday I’d like to remind you of how lucky you are, (just in case I haven’t gotten my point across thus far this week). As humans we have desires, needs and wants. I love to shop, do my friends hair and makeup, paint, read, learn, try new things, eat spicy food, go to the beach, snow ski, be with my family, be with my friends, meet new people, write, look at my silly dog smiling, laugh at stupid things, make jokes, try new wines, cook, try to cook things I never have, see color in places it doesn’t exist, listen to others, help other people, have my heart as an open book, and well…. the list goes on and on.
After the pain has somewhat subsided, I have realized how lucky I am. I love every color that exists. I love every kind of music, though I should love country more being that I’m from the South. I like to hear people’s stories and experience the world through their eyes.
We forget all to often what a gift we have been given just to be. There are people who are in the pain I was in for a week on a daily basis. I am so lucky and fortunate to have the support of my family and friends I cannot tell you. One of my best friends, wouldn’t let me sleep until she knew I was a.) alive and b.) still able to walk. She insisted on coming by to see me with her beautiful daughter who giggles at half the things I say, even when I can’t move, as well as gets tormented with kisses from the big Bentley beast face dog.
Today, remember, someone who has done something special for you. Think of someone for whom you should have given thanks and maybe the time passed and you forgot. Forge a relationship you never knew could exist.
As my back went on hiatus my mother in law was diagnosed with breast cancer. My husband came home to tell me he had something he needed to tell me…. and for me not to freak out. (I’m never prepared as for all I know I could’ve won the lottery, or they might be removing my favorite tree in the backyard). When these kinds of things happen, I naturally am not preparing for the worst but praying that Bentley, Fat Jackson, G, my mom, bros, and sis are still in tact.
She had a lumpectomy Monday. Who was I to say how I couldn’t move and was scared of paralysis when I felt more horrid for her than I did that I couldn’t move with my normal “get up and go” self. (I love to be busy, not the just I feel like I need to be busy so I’m busy, but actually accomplishing things on an hour-to-hour basis). I couldn’t call her for two days. The first because I couldn’t talk because I was still grinding my teeth, it was the same on the second day. The first chance I got to call her I did though. I probably called her too much because a.) I wanted her to know she was loved b.) because I wanted her to know that we were thinking of her continuously, (I’m sometimes a worrier too, so I figured it was better that I knew pretty regularly she was okay), and c.) I wanted her to feel the love not just know it.
Who came to sit with me while my husband had to go to work on Friday after the worst episode I had- had? She did. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t really talk too much, but it was like we were two peas in a pod not talking about our pain, just being. And that’s what I call strength.
So remember today, and remember always, you are so fortunate to be alive. You are so fortunate to have the people in your life that you do, as they were each individually put there for a reason. I haven’t been able to be without a sitter for three weeks now. It got so bad the doctor made a house call, which is basically unheard of unless you are watching Boardwalk Empire or time travel back to the 20s, 30s, or 40s. It was that bad. I had already had a back shot, at that point. Then he had to come give me a different one, one in each knee and another in my back. And more medicine. If you think that’s not crazy enough, they sent me in for my 5TH EPIDURAL Monday. Holy good lord heavens above.
But what was so good? That I am the luckiest person in the world to have the people I do in it. I’m lucky my mom was here to care for me. That she cleaned the house daily, that she cooked food for us, that she watched me while my husband worked, that she took time out of her life to care for me, just as my husband did, that I was taken care of. I’m lucky my sister, brother and law and cute nephew came in on her birthday since she was still here and that they all ordered in as I couldn’t ride in a car, much less go sit at any establishment. I’m lucky that Bentley lay outside my room each day the first week after the surgery worried more about his mom than anything else in the world. I’m lucky my husband didn’t call 911 eight different times during the episodes as I almost refuse hospitals. I’m lucky he was there probably scared enough to lose his bowels and did all he could to move me, ice my knees and feet, carry me through the house when I couldn’t walk, and just be there. It was a miracle he was here.
I’m lucky I got to see my darling nephew and sister while I was ill and that my mother stayed longer so I wouldn’t be by myself. I’m lucky my father in law has been so understanding. I’m lucky my mother in law came to sit with me. I’m lucky I’ve had all of their support. I’m lucky my friends set up a meal train for me so I wouldn’t be a busy body and overdo what they were trying to fix. I’m lucky to have the support of my boss in what has been happening to me and to continually gain insight from her. I’m lucky that I have friends who love and support me.
And I’m lucky that I went through the episode I did after I thought I was on the up and up to again realize how fortunate I am to have the life I have. To hear the streetcars and see the sunshine. And to always remember to find the bliss that exists in every situation. Even when you think it’s not there, that’s what the silver lining is for. We are so lucky to get to communicate, love, care, think, learn, breathe, taste, experience, and just be. And when you learn to just be, you become more blissful than any thing, person, or place could ever make you feel.
Have a lucky Thursday!
Blue Bird of Happiness
Bentley the Golden Doodle Waiting for Mom to Awaken
He’s soooo sweet!!!!! My babe!
If you’d like to be reminded of what you can achieve, what you want to do with your career, reminded of the health you have and aim to achieve, how to gain wisdom and stay positive in all of your endeavors, think creatively, to gain fame or recognition for what you are doing, have confidence in your aspirations and goals, to let someone in your family know how much they are appreciated, to prosper in all you do, go after your dreams, or be reminded of the love that you have in your life or want to let someone else know what they add to yours visit our WEAR LUCK Feng Shui Shop:
As I stated on Monday Inspiration’s Blog yesterday, I’ve been thinking about what makes me tick. Especially since the hands on my clock had seemed to have become stuck in a place that I couldn’t move from. It was as if two o’clock came, the coo-coo bird came out and chirped and then just kept chirping that pain at me until well, it became a pain not only in my ears, but well you get the jist.
I couldn’t be successful suddenly. My boss had come by last week, the steroid pack the doctor had given me was in full effect and I was riding on a cloud of happiness with the finish line ribbon so close I didn’t even have to sweat to taste the win in my future. Then BAM!!!! The whole clock fell apart and the wires went everywhere and I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t clicking or the timing had gone so wrong. It seemed as if everything was on track, regardless that my ETA had been set off so many times.
This was beginning to get to the point where it could be super frustrating. I was fine one minute then I couldn’t even text or look at my phone, a television, or a face because I was grinding my teeth so hard to get through that moment of pain. It was as if I had planned a road trip cross country, packed for snow and sun and then got to my first destination and instead of needing my snowboard and skis for the mountain it turned out I was at the ocean and needed scuba gear to get through the seaweed and diverse species of fish I was encountering. Everything was upside down and was coming inside out. I was bummed, (even though I had my chin up), because as I had stated…, I thought I’d be back up and at em quicker than Speedy Gonzalez and here I was seemingly fine and then a loopty loop hit and I was flipped back over into a scarier position I had been in in the first place.
It had seemed so perfectly inlined, as if when a Perpetual Rolex watch is left and when you pick it back up it finds the correct time again, it just didn’t make any sense. Why was my body not finding the time back the way a watch would? That is part of the mystery of the human body, but in my mind all I could think is, “what the heck is happening?”. Had my clock gone coocoo or was it just my nerves had? It ended up being the later, so I began to visualize success right away. I have no control over what my nerves to, but I can care for myself enough that I make sure to do all that I can that they get and stay on track to the best of my ability. The rest is out of my hands.
So, today for Tuesday tips on Wednesday Wisdom Day- I decided to give some wise ways to get through the toughest, thickest, rockiest, hardest, worst timezones and weather climates you could encounter, and voila! Be successful. This is going to be a win win situación, you just have to put on the right time traveler cap and you’ll be exported to a place of pure bliss.
During all of this time, which I will further note on, on Thursday, I realized that well you have to remind yourself that bliss exists right in front of your face if you allow it to. So now, put your space helmet on, and get ready to be transported to some tips that will make your life out of this world. You’re only here once, (some people may think more than that), but while you’re here in the now, you can be successful if you use your time and brain wisely.
First, figure out what it is that makes you tick. Some people climb Mount Kilimanjaro; some people make sick snow boarding trails like Travis Rice out of the side of mountains; and some people see mountains as herniations that make a big pain in their butt, so they don’t ever conquer their happiness.
The key to happiness I have found is not only to enjoy the fact that you have a chair to sit in, water to drink, a place to worship, or a novelty for being a culinary chef; but to find what it is in that- whatever it is for you that makes you feel good.
I found myself with a best friend of mine lounged in my back yard with two chaise chairs and a sprinkler on our feet, (as I can’t be submerged in water), reading aloud to her gossip magazines in british and other accents until we were tickled into almost falling into the mud puddle we had accidentally caused by the lack of change of position in chair to move with the sun. We were having too much fun, just purely enjoying this stupid silly moment together, and I couldn’t move. They had wrapped 4 pillows in trash bags so they wouldn’t get wet and had found a way for me to sit outside and get out of my home which I have been bound to for three weeks. Even though I could hardly move and she was having to help me each step of the way, we found a way to work with the situation I was given and make lemonade out of lemons. They carried me down to the chair and moved me when I needed to be moved, just so I could enjoy thirty minutes of sunshine.
Whatever you want to make happen you can. If I see myself as being injured, unable to recover, stuck with people having to aid me as if a war victim, I will end up with not only a super awful attitude, but a sense of inability to do things that makes me sad. That’s why I’m one hard cookie to take care for.
After three weeks of people doting on me, I was found scooting from my living room to another room in my house, using my arm muscles, as I couldn’t walk at this point and getting yelled at. (….Oh, but it felt so good to use my muscles again). I could have sat there and fell in the mud out of pity, sad, cried that I couldn’t move, and that I had to have help -when I should be thinking of how grateful I am to have the awesome support system I do.
If you allow yourself to be a piggy in a mud bath, you’ve purely produced a messy situation for yourself. (And for that fact one that has no great skin effects or anything, You’d just be in a dirty state of mind with my whole outlook mucked to the high heavens above). People would end up looking at you like swine instead of a cute pot belly little oinkling wanting to help you to grow and get better.
Alternatively, on the positive side you could make a room that you place your muck boots in, so that they don’t dirty your whole home when it rains and save the trouble of having to go back through and mop up the mess you made yourself and could have controlled. Having to retrace your steps to get each bad footprint cleaned away so things look normal again. I chose to leave the dirty boots at the door. (I hope this analogy is making sense)
If I find a way to see that the mud could possibly cleanse my hair and skin-see it as a blessing that the lawn is getting watered in the bliss before the torture of the hottest part of summer, I can find that I am so lucky just to be sitting here being my silly self. I also have realized the importance of my arms, my feet, my legs, and how lucky I have been in the past to get to exercise. Something that some people take for granted. That’s the littlest thing people don’t even realize they get to do, that I have not gotten to do in over 6 months and in turn have lost 15 lbs, due to muscle loss.
Do you see how if I began to look at all of the small things that I got to do, I could realize how lucky I was. These things I will tell you I can’t or could not do may help you get some perspective and also help you to have an extremely grateful day today. Then I will move forward with tips.
1.) Walk: I couldn’t walk the the length of a city block without excruciating pain. If you can, realize how lucky you are. You may not realize how lucky you are to get to do this but two have two feet or any way that allows you to move from point a to point b using your body or a bike, you are one of the luckiest people alive.
2.) Exercise: I couldn’t use the elliptical, do yoga, run, walk, play tennis, play golf, play with my dog, water ski, ride a bike, swim, play softball, any exercise you can think of I couldn’t do. If you have the ability to get to do anything, even if it’s surf or snowboard, whatever it is that you can do, be grateful for it today and take pride in the fact that you can do these things and that they not only bring you joy, but a greater sense of health and well-being. They also keep your muscles strong and produce endorphins. You are lucky to get to enjoy the pretty day outside playing frisbee or walking your precious dog or anything, realize the joy it brings you and how fortunate you are to have the strength to do it.
3.) Walk, bend, twist, or pick up anything: Unable to make a bed, do laundry, pick up a pen if it fell, (I learned to use my toes for such things;)), carry a purse, a bag, go hiking I couldn’t unload a dishwasher. Even if you hate your chores of doing them, feel lucky that you can bend down to put the dust in the dustpan and pick up something so light without pain shooting through your body. If you hate cleaning, put on your favorite music and dance and sing to get you through your chores and realize how lucky you are to be alive and have a place that you can keep clean.
4.) Dance: This is going to be my laat one, as at this point, I’m sure you’re getting the picture that I couldn’t sit for over 15 minutes, stand for over three without pain, or even wiggle. I love to dance and used to make it a daily activity I did by myself, (if I could get my friends to join while I was cooking or something of the sort I certainly would), but the happiness music gives me, made it where I wasn’t even able to shimmy a little. Be thankful if you can. Be thankful for the smallest things.
I told you all of the things I couldn’t do because I wanted you to know that just by getting to do a small vinyasa you are blessed. So don’t take for granted the smallest things that you can do, as each little thing, whether you realize it or not is a gift. It you begin to see the parts of your life that are gifts, you will never feel lacking or without, you will not feel need, you will begin to feel satiated in a way that no material object could give you.
Tip 1: Never take yourself too seriously: Whenever you can find a moment to laugh do it. I used to think I”d be an actress and while getting ready in the morning would read the back of the shampoo and conditioner bottles in as many different accents as I could. I recently found myself doing so, which has led me to read aloud whatever book or periodical I am reading to whomever may be sitting in front of me in these voices. It could be a stranger, it could be my honey, or it could be my dog, but for some reason it makes me laugh. Normally it will make the other person laugh too.
Tip 2: Always, ALWAYS, ALWAYS see who you are and where you want to be: When you envision who you want to become or who you would like to be, it magically happens. Each spare moment you see yourself in your debute on Broadway, gets you that step closer to tapping your feet next to Gregory Hines. When you see it, it will come, (“The Field of Dreams”, obviously had something more than Kevin Costner going for it;)).
Tip 3: When you can’t see yourself in the way you want, force yourself to: I used to have a problem seeing myself in the way that I actually looked or was. My mom would tell me over and over to just go to look in the mirror and tell myself I loved me. I thought she had taken the cheese out of cheese cake factory and smothered it with some easy squeeze cheese and added mozzarella on top. I was wrong. When you can’t love yourself, love yourself anyway. Look in the mirror and tell yourself how wonderful you are. Don’t become vain, become someone who authentically cares about the well-being of themselves and the other people that surround them. Even strangers. Help others, and by doing so you will help yourself.
Tip 4: See success and never let failure be an option: This is a tricky one, as some people end up so self consumed with succeeding they forget about the fireflies and s’mores and things, (the little sweet things), but if you allow yourself to see success as an option, you are almost 100% guaranteed not to fail. When you set yourself up for failure you fail. It’s like going in for a test that you haven’t studied for, have no idea what the teacher has said all semester and then think that maybe you can pass. Unless you have a genius trait, it won’t happen. So set realistic goals of meeting what it is that is important to you and make it happen. You can do anything you put your mind to.
Tip 5: Have Courage: You may not want to jump off a 100 foot cliff into a river, but sometimes you have to take risks, (calculated ones), to get ahead. When you put yourself on the line even when you fail, you actually succeed because you’re putting your mind, body and soul through something that it hasn’t experienced before. When this happens, you succeed by allowing yourself the chance to not know what will happen and in doing so become stronger because you gain an experience through the trial you take in doing so.
Tip 6: Let people help you: Sometimes people get a complex that they think that the only way to get something done is to do it themselves. I would be in no recovery had I allowed this sort of thinking to even cross my mind. I have needed help the entire time. If I don’t know where I am going, I pull over and ask someone at a gas station if they can help. This doesn’t mean that you use people around you to get ahead, when you are doing something right, it will fall into place just as it should and you won’t need to use people to get you there, your positive thinking and determination will get you there. Success is not as sweet when you don’t work for it, so let people help you, but be the leader and guide of your success, don’t use the other people around you to get there. Just use them for help if you are lost or would like to move further. And never expect something out of other’s that you would not expect someone to ask of you.
Asking for help does not equal weakness, it equals strength, as it shows you are brave enough not only to let other people in, but to show you a direction you may not have known existed. And make sure to help others. Don’t give away all your money to people on the side of the road, but random acts of kindness bring a circular effect back your way. It ends up making goodness and good karma come back to you in ways that are unexplainable. If you see someone that needs help, whether it be an elderly person or a young child that can’t read or is lost, help them. Your heart will soar.
Tip 7: Let Go: Some people hold on to things for far too long. It’s called the pack rat complex in my vocabulary and I have a hard time with this one above any and all that I have stated. Just like I said in a recent post, a tree has no control of where it is planted, what blooms it will have or how long it will live. (As Deepak Chopra stated in the post we did on him Friday:)). You have as much control over your life as you allow yourself to have. So control what you can such as eating healthy, exercising, and being the best person you can be; at the same time, let go of what you can’t do anything about. If something is haunting you over and over, or someone persistently making you mad, it means that you are holding on to something that it is time to give to someone else. If you have to throw out half a closet of clothes you don’t wear to feel better, do it; if you have to accept that someone doesn’t treat you the way you want, let go of trying to change what is the inevitable; you don’t have control, you can’t control everything, so don’t try to. Just be. The more you can just be, and find a spot where you feel the sun shining in your soul, the closer you are to having a beach of wealth and happiness that produces a more colorful life than you could have ever existed occurring.
Tip 8: Always Believe: Sometimes, well, it feels inevitable that we should give up. Why not? There’s not hope, nothing could go better, you’re stuck, there’s no where to go, you can’t get past where you are, and frankly, when you think that way you won’t. So shut that bad thing in your head up and see and believe in you. Sometimes it may seem impossible. But one of my favorite movie clips is from Kill Bill. Uma Thurman has been hospitalized and not walked in god knows how long. She looks at her feet over and over and says, “Wiggle your big toe. Wiggle your big toe”. You know what that bad mama jama does? She wiggles her big toe(s). You can do anything.
Through my recovery I have had more set backs than an NFL football game gone wrong. I could have sat here and let mud puddle up around me, or I could have seen it as a blessing I had the mud that I was in and making me stronger. I have no control over what my back is going to do each day. I don’t know if I will wake up with pain or not, in the middle of the night, or suddenly in the middle of the day when it could arrive. All I have the control to do is to think positive. And to keep seeing where and who I want to be in my recovery. Even if I’m not where I had hoped I would be or even thought I would, I am alive and that in and of itself is the best gift that I could have ever asked for. You have the same gift, so look at each moment, even the bad one’s as something that is giving you something new, something no one else is experiencing, as unique, and as something you can get through. You can do anything.
The key to all of this is that at some points we feel so stuck we don’t know why what is happening to us is, or how we can get our self out of it. You wake up and don’t know if you can make it through the day. You can. Even if it starts with something as small as wiggling your big toe. Sometimes things will come in the way that make it harder to see the end of the tunnel with, but you can do it. You can do anything. All you have to do is believe. And when you believe, life magically believes back in you. Just see where and who you want to be and you will be. I believe in you. So you believe in you too.
Have a lucky Wednesday. I hope the wisdom I have found in my pain will help you get through a trying time you may encounter in your life and see that anything is possible. That by letting go, you are letting life in. And by believing even when you don’t know how, you are that closer to becoming the most successful person on the face of the earth.
Mount Kilimanjaro and Elephants in Amboseli National Park in Kenya
Travis Rice wanted to create an experience for snowboarders that no other person had before. He didn’t take no for an answer. This is just a snippet into how he created the sick snow boarding trail he did for the Red Bull Supernatural 2012. He got a team of men to go in and cut the trees to make jumps that could not be found elsewhere. He used his creativity as well as help to get this accomplished and pulled together a great team of guys to take the trail. Never telling them in advance what to expect. The clip below is Travis getting interviewed by Jenna Wolfe. I added this today so that you could remember anything is possible. You can make anything out of a piece of paper or the side of a tree. You have to persevere even when you don’t have people who believe in you or to tell you- you can do it. Because somewhere deep down you can do anything. So go after it. If you’re having a bad day think of one good thing that can make you smile. Think of how lucky you are just to be here, and well, be. (PS-I would let this load and buffer first before playing, which may take a minute or two and then watch:)). Sorry for the inconvenience. Visit our WEAR LUCK Prosperity Shop for a reminder to prosper and be positive in all you do: http://wearluck.com/prosperity-shop/
I want to apologize to our devoted readers for the delay in posts. I had back surgery 3 weeks ago to the day and have been in an up and down hill battle since the surgery took place. After the surgery I was in recovery. Then, I went into what they referred to as, “roller coaster effect”, while my mother came in town to watch over me. It felt like what they had gone to do a surgery for in the first place was back.
My posts will be different this week for a few reasons. I must have written three different times at different times of the day and night to tell you first what I was going through. (It was obviously really bad and something I desperately needed to share my feelings about with you). So, for today’s blog, I am combining the three to make one what would seem more like a “Monday Inspiration Blog”. Mostly because I guess the descriptions I go into with the pain will remind me of how lucky I am to be alive each time I see them and secondly because I think that I had some come to grips with it moments that may be able to help you in the future as well. I loved what I wrote for Tuesday so much in this mania of an outpour of words that I have to share with you what I began to write for Tuesday tomorrow, and I think you get the point from here.
So alas, here comes the outpour of my emotions and feelings of pain and inspiration through what has seemed like a traumatic time. Just when you think it’s getting good, it gets even better, so read on, as what I haven’t written yet means the story still continues.
***Please be advised that some of this may not be suitable for people who have never had a medical procedure done before or for those who may have a slightly weak stomach.
I could not feel. I could not move. The pain was radiating from my knees to my feet in a way that could only be described as a wave of anger that my nerves were turning into an abyss that seemed unable of being found from. It was wavering going up and down. Shooting, stabbing, penetrating my soul to the deepest level that could ever be humanly able to exist. I WAS NOT DYING. I was surviving the worst pain that has been yet to be known to my body. I cringed as my body erected upward and I squeezed the sheets and bed next to me waiting for the first wave to pass and the next one to arrive. Unable and incapable to deal with what was occurring, my brain shut off from all other things surrounding me.
If you have had a toothache before, or ever had to have a root canal, you may think it is the worst feeling in the world. If you have had debilitating back pain, it is similar in the way that your brain shuts off and all that you can think of is no thought of all, only the pain that you wait and pray to subside as quickly as possible so that your normal thoughts of colors and greenery, peace and happiness can return.
One day, I woke up. I can’t tell you when it was because I have insomnia on a rather abnormal basis. What I do know is that they cut my back open after giving me three epidurals. If you know anything about backs or back surgery for that matter, they start out with a series of stretches to try to fix the problem. Many times that is all a person has to do and then they are cured. My doctor and I both hoped that this would be the case, however it was not. Sometimes physicians will prescribe physical therapy; then they may do epidurals, at which point they only give a person three within a year. I had four in less than 8 months.
The majority of the time these stretches, yoga, core exercises, etc., will fix the problem for people with back issues. If it doesn’t work, they give you an epidural. The best way to describe this is it is what they give a woman who is in labor so that she can not feel the pain as excruciatingly as she would had she not been given this shot.
Had it been a big juicy bacon bleu burger or even a veggie one, I’d be psyched. However pain on a daily basis left me with the inability to not only not enjoy life, but taken away my ability to enjoy it in the way that a normal person would. After three epidurals, which is a procedure where they go in through the spine and inject steroids in hopes that it will relieve the pain, I was given a fourth. This is rare. Some people just get to do stretches and yoga and they never even have to have the epidurals. After the fourth failed and I went to work one day to find that I had shooting pains from the top of my thigh to the bottom of my leg on the opposite one that had been causing more pain than one could endure, I had what is referred to as drop foot. Meaning, I had lost feeling.
“The term epidural is often short for epidural analgesia, a form of regional analgesia involving injection of drugs through a catheter placed into the epidural space. The injection can cause both a loss of sensation (anaesthesia) and a loss of pain (analgesia), by blocking the transmission of signals through nerves in or near the spinal cord. “(Source 1). “In the spine, the epidural space (also known as “extradural space” or “peridural space”) is the outermost part of the spinal canal.” (Source 2).
As seen outside of a delivery room, (which happens to be where the “other” people), get these injections of steroids into their spinal canal, the majority of the people there were 50 to 60 years my elder, as I am young. Another reason my doctor says every time I see him, “you’re too young to be having have this happen to you”.
Well if the proof wasn’t in the pudding itself, sitting the in freezing cold waiting room on several occasions with people my grandparents age going on about their hips and why coloring their hair really makes a difference in their appearance to look younger, I got the point. This heck of a thing shouldn’t be happening to me, or someone my age.
Normally one epidural will work, then “poof!” YOU’RE BACK TO NORMAL AND CARTWHEELS AND HOOLA HOOPS!!! After three, they opted for a fourth just to make sure they couldn’t somehow get around having surgery. It didn’t work.
My grandfather is 96 if I haven’t already made this point clear to you. My grandmother was a free spirit who would wake me up in the middle of the night to watch lightning light the river from one end to the next as in a shape of artistry that words and thunder only add emphasis on.
The next morning, instead of being schooled I would hear old poetry and songs that made me realize what she was looking for in her grocery store bought novels. None of which would ever provide the colors or light she would see as the rain danced and paraded across the river or the rumble and merriment the thunder would make as the light danced through the sky.
Two weeks ago today, almost three now, they opened my poor skinny back in hopes of resolving the pain that was shooting through me like the lightning in the sky. I awake with what feels like night terrors to a two year old now with pains shooting through my legs that are indescribable except put into words such as these.
A.) Strength: if you ever grew taller than you were supposed to, God made you feel like the tin man did when he had no oil to oil his joints. It becomes so painful that it feels as if my leg and knee are going to become dislocated and that my heart cannot feel anything except the tears running down my face. I feel like I am telling you this now, because if you are in fear of pain or are stricken with something you think you can’t get through the pain I have been feeling is worse than what I expect child birth to feel like, you can. You can get through anything. And I believe in you. If I couldn’t think past my pain, move out of it, or be relieved enough to even walk or roll over, wiggle a toe to make sure it worked, or open my mouth to even say a peep, you can get through anything that happens in your life. I am the living proof. You can do it. You just have to dig deep, deep, deep within yourself to find where it exists.
B.) Courage: It takes a village to find its way through things, or sometimes it takes you opening a candle and allowing it to be lit by the people around you and using the strength and courage you have to walk through darkness by yourself. Or use their shared energy and light to give you strength so that you can move. I have not made it through this by myself, but with the support of loved ones has made this not only acceptable to get through but attainable of seeing an end to the pain. If you feel like you don’t have courage, you do! Sometimes you just have to dig deep, deep, deep within yourself to find the person who will help you be fearless, that will be there for you. You can do anything and have the power within yourself to accomplish anything and everything that you want. You are that person as long as you allow yourself to be. You can do anything!
I don’t know what is happening to my body right now, what I do know is that there is no way that I will let it last forever. I have to have courage to get out of bed every day and not know if I will be able to walk or not, whether it will be a good day or not. Whether I’ll have pain on the left or right, down both legs, and swimming down to my feet and back up again. I also don’t know if I will make it through the night without terrible dreams and terrors of fear that my limbs may not work. THAT IS NOT AN OPTION. No one can tell me this, I have to have the courage to find out what my body is going to do and whether or not it will wake me up with a night spasm that takes over my entire body and convulses my muscles to the point that I feel like I’ve run six 10 Ks and my muscles no longer know how to work any longer.
C.) Health: The number one thing we all aim towards. Who knows why what is happening to me now is happening. You may question why what is or has happened to you did or does, but I am writing this now to let you know you can get through anything. Take good care of yourself. Nurture your body and love the life you have. Love yourself; what makes you different and capable of being a loving human. Be appreciative for your hands and feet, your ability to move, love the life you have and never forget to be appreciative for even the smallest things in life.
Though at this point you may be wondering how this could possibly be anything inspirational, it is. I will tell you why. And why this week I am going to focus on what has been the most traumatic pain I’ve felt in an effort to bring you hope to any pain you may have felt, been feeling, or are trying to conquer. Pain is something that comes in so many levels and universes that it affects each of us differently.
Some people can snort sriracha and think that it’s not a big deal. Some people can walk through fire, or on burning coals. I am not one who tries or who has ever tried to bring pain upon myself, but have been put through many circumstances in which my ability to deal with what is presented before me makes me realize that it is not strength that gets us through pain, it is the will to live and the desire to be a better person each day. Not only the will to live but also the necessity to hear bird’s chirp and silly golden doodles howl when the weekly tornado sirens go off. I want to have these tiny things in my life to make me realize, yet again how not only fortunate I am to be alive, but to have the experiences I have to make me stronger, better, capable of feeling for others and open to learning what life has to offer.
I was recently diagnosed with a herniated, bulging, fragmented back disc. Some people who aren’t privy to human anatomy will say it’s all the same thing. But it’s not. What it means is that if you think of a disc in your back like a hamburger patty, mine is too big for the bun, a piece of it has fallen off and it is so big that it basically is sideways coming off of it. Not only was this the case, I thought I would be able to work the next day, drive within a week, be able to submerge in water after two, and be ready for a new workout series in 6 weeks. NONE of this happened. (I’m only on week 3, but the recovery is not what I thought it would be, as I expected, or easy). You also feel pain that is different after you’ve had surgery which makes the surgery a success, but the aftermath of pain a whole other entity in itself.
Some people are put on this earth to run marathons, write books, speak to others, teach, or learn. I was put here to a.) Feel for others and b.) Share my heart with the world. It took me my twenty something years of living to figure this out. So why the heck was I being traumatized with the inability to not only not feel but not move or speak or think?!
I had a surgery and was on the up and up. The steroid pack they gave me for what they refer to as a “roller coaster effect” afterwards made me thinks I was on cloud nine. Until last Thursday when I awoke and thought that the tin man had taken over my legs, feet, and soul. I wasn’t devastated, I couldn’t think past the pain.
After giving me many medications and an emergency doctors visit I go in today to get a saline flush through my spine. If this ends up not working, they will reopen my baby back and look for what remnant could be left of a fragment of a piece of disc.
After what I have written, which I hope has not offended or put off anyone in any sort of way, I decided to write to tell you all this for a few reasons: 1.) My aspirations at work last week weren’t high, they were noteworthy. 2.) What I aim to accomplish each day is not only to reach someone through my writing, but also to connect on a personal level.
After my boss attended a bloggers conference in NYC they said the best way to connect with readers was to show them who you were and not be afraid of it. Well, this is me. And I’m telling you this now because sometimes I think that we get put in these positions that we have no way of knowing how we will possibly get out of them. How will we afford our time, money, and effort, when we’ve put so much into something already?
The answer is quite simple. You must always have courage. You must always believe. You must always see and envision who and where you want to be. If you feel like the pain is too much, grab a stuffed animal or pillow and squeeze the energy that leaves you feeling fearful, terrified, and full of pain and squeeze until you can’t squeeze anymore.
One day you may wake up and feel like a million bucks and the next day you could end up with a flu that has you sneezing haystacks of dust and pollen and dog fur for all you know out of your nose, but you’re alive. And what we forget sometimes when we’re in this pain is that it isn’t the struggle that we’re going through that makes us strong, it isn’t what position we’ve been put in that no one else around us we think has not, it is that we are actually experiencing something that we can and will handle. We are never given anything too big for us, even if it doesn’t seem to fit our body.
What we are given are the chances to succumb and surpass obstacles that seem larger than life or our bodies that we can and will get through. What I realized when I was in so much pain is that I couldn’t write. It was taking me away from something that gives me something back. I had no choice and never have, nor never will to give up on what I love.
So if you feel lost, or if your pain feels like it is overtaking your body to the point that you can’t think, let yourself cry. Squeeze it out, and inhale the beauty of the world shining the sun on you. Even if it is raining, imagine the warmth you feel from the sun and the happiness you feel at the sound of a child’s laugh or an offhanded joke your best friend in Miami tells you. Be grateful for your fish, for your bed, the fact that you have shoes. If you don’t have shoes, save up money so that you get some and then have another reason to feel proud of yourself.
The below may be to much for young readers so please be advised before you read further the explicitness of it:
I awake it terrors, my body convulses as if a demon has taken over me. Waves moves from my knees to my feet making me feel like my knee is dislocating itself and my ankle has become strained and broken and then the tide gets back up again to only reproduce the same feeling again and again, I cry until I feel like the tears are too much, my husband fears watching me go through another terror as when it happens my whole body is over taken in pain and I grip the side of the bed, clinch my teeth and pray over and over to get through it. There are no other words to describe it than the worst feeling that could possibly be felt in the world. My dog licks my hand as if to say it will be okay, but when it is happening, I want to call 911 immediately and hope that I will get through it. I can’t think, I can’t talk, I can’t even imagine beyond what is happening.
If you ever feel desperate, remember, you have never felt the pain I have or do now. Nor have I felt the pains in the same way that you have in your life. You may have been through your own pain, but for each person how they experience something is different. And sometimes just when we think that we’ve been through all we can handle something else arrives at the table for us to digest and we’re so full, we can’t imagine how we can fit it in our already overloaded plate of food.
You have to take care of yourself and nurture each small piece of yourself. You can and will get through anything. Know even if in the weakest hours, you don’t know how you will make it through-and you’ve been through all that you can imagine, it will end. Because at some point, it has to, you are stronger than any pain is, and you can and will conquer it. You must see yourself at the apex of health. You can beat it. And you will.
Each obstacle is something that at times can seem unconquerable. However with the wiser I get in my young age, I realize how lucky I am to smell the grass, how I love to hear the crickets chirp, how precious it is to see my big dog pretend like my fat cat is a pup too and jump back and forth from him like the cat will play chase. To see my nephew reach down and eat a strawberry off of a vine because he can’t figure out why it won’t let itself loose into his mouth so he can have red sweetness dripping down his face and dirt in between his toes, how I love icing more than cake and how lucky each day I am here.
No matter what pain you may feel, you can get through it. No matter what obstacle may seem to get in your way, you can get past it, and when you feel alone or discouraged, remember that I was clenching my teeth and looked like something from The Exorcist and I survived. I will get better. And you will too. My doctor is a great doctor, each of our bodies deals with these things differently. You have to prepare yourself as best as you can for what life will give you, as even something that seems as easy as a microdiscectomy can end up being harder than you ever imagined it to be.
You have to open your heart, body, mind and soul to healing. You have to open your heart to love. And you have to love yourself. You have to be grateful for the teeny weeniest smallest things, and then you will realize you are alive. We each have a purpose. And even if you haven’t found yours or feel lost, you are on a journey for a reason. It will lead you in a beautiful direction, as long as you allow it to.
If you’d like to be reminded to have courage, think creatively to deal with your fears, or gain wisdom in your life, visit our WEAR LUCK Feng Shui Shop:
My mother was visiting me recently as an aid in recovery from a surgery I had, had. Now that I’m saying this, I don’t even think that I got to take pictures, which I normally am fanatical about doing, and have issued my self a misdemeanor charge for slacking on. (I did get some great video of my 18 month old nephew luckily:)).
We were talking before her flight left, (as she had extended her stay to help even more, (I couldn’t be a luckier kid:)), and began discussing when dealing with our emotions how can we stop ourselves before we reach what I guess could be called, “the tipping point of anger or exhaustion of the mind”. It’s when you accidentally have something come out of your mouth you want to karate chop yourself for after stating or maybe you raise your voice, or look back later and think, “wow, I could have handled that in a much better way”.
She just got done doing a study with a group on Deepak Chopra’s “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success”. It was so funny as I had just written my post on Friday about visiting the Chopra Center and here she was just finishing a class that entailed teaching us how to deal with gaining success in a healthy way. I’ve spoken of meditation before, but we began to talk about deep belly breathing, where if you feel anxious or just want to start a meditation you fill your belly, (which also improves lung functioning), and slowly focus your energy there.
I found an example for you all that I thought would help in doing this:
“Have you seen the pictures of laughing Buddha ? These pictures are the specialty of Japanese traditions. In contrast to the image of Buddha as a serene enlightened prince, this images depicted his as a jovial, corpulent person who has a significantly large belly. Though the picture seems funny, in reality it contains a very subtle message. The message that the belly has an important role to play in meditation.
The belly is considered as the location of the hara centre. Just behind and below your navel (belly button) lies the hara, which is a point of consciousness that is considered as the center of your subtle body. By focussing our attention on the hara centre, we can easily attain a meditative state of mind. As you meditate upon hara, your thinking process starts slowing down on its own. You achieve a state of choiceless awareness.
The ‘belly watching’ form of Vipassana meditation involves focussing our attention on the breathing process felt around the belly. Whenever we breath, our belly moves up and down. This movement of belly is a continuous process. Just like breathing, this movement (of belly) also goes on continuously. And we can use this movement to attain a meditative state. Let’s see how:
Sit quietly at a comfortable, peaceful place. Close your eyes and take few deep breath. Now focus your attention on the area around the belly. See how it goes up and down along with the breath. Just be watchful of the belly movement as it comes upward & downward during the breathing. Focus your whole attention on this belly movement.
Keep watching this belly movement. Within a span of few minutes, you will realize that your thoughts have gradually started disappearing from your mind. You will feel a state of increased awareness. Be a witness to the changes in your body during this meditation. After 15-20 minutes, stop this belly meditation stop watching the belly movement and come out of this meditation.
Practise the above meditation daily. As you practice daily, soon you’ll start recognizing the presence of a hara centre – a sort of ball of consciousness around the belly. That will help you increase the awareness of your inner self which is the main thing in meditation.” (http://www.meditationiseasy.com/mCorner/techniques/three_methods_of_vipassana.htm)
There are three methods of doing this, which can be found at the site below. If you are beginning to wonder where I am going in this post, she said something that inspired me and made me realize how easy it is for us to become comfortable in our space, whatever space it may be. She said in the book Deepak says something along the lines that if you are to look out the window at a tree and see it. See it as just a tree. It never thought about how tall or small it may be, it never thought of what kind of limbs it may have or lose, or put effort into being, it just was.
What I started to think about not only in how we can learn to react better to others, but in how we can learn to help ourselves be better people is the next thing that she learned. She said that whenever you want to change what your reaction may be, take three deep breaths, as soon as you feel like you are hitting the tipping point, stop and inhale slowly three times, it will keep you from responding or reacting in a way that you wish that you could have controlled in a better way or done differently. This tiny amount of time helps you to focus on a.) what you are reacting to, b.) how you could react differently or in a way that is constructive, and c.) think of how the person or situation you are dealing with may be feeling as well.
I don’t believe that I am unable to communicate or a very angry person, in fact, my heart was made too big for my body and so I continuously am looking for ways to better myself, and felt like this was something that made me think and I wanted to share. Another great example of this is when someone has done something that is wrong or is putting you in an uncomfortable situation. I am an open book and love to learn constantly and deliberately open my mind to thinking of how to be better on a daily basis.
My boss and I were recently talking, before deep breathing could occur or something went through my mind, I reacted in a very scared way, as whomever I was on the phone with at the time was misunderstanding what I was saying and my mind went into, “uh-oh”, mode before I could think of what to do. My boss very gingerly received the phone call and began talking like a hummingbird would to a sweet flower. HOW WAS SHE DOING THIS? I thought I had blown it and here she is just fluttering away with words that I wished I had found.
I later went in to talk to her and said, “um, how did you do that?!”. She said that a long time ago she realized that whenever you were put in a position you felt like you didn’t have any control over, and may not have control over, you have to let go of control. Just like the tree didn’t decide what blooms it would have or where it would be placed, it just was. So we had to realize that what was there was just what was. I sat and thought, how can I make myself be better from learning from this person, it’s easy when your mentor gives you insight on a daily basis.
So today, for Inspiration Monday I challenge you to think of a way that you can better your communication with someone around you. Once I began to let go, things magically seemed to fall into place. Where I normally wanted to feel upset, I would question why people were doing things in a very polite way and then realize that not everyone has the ability to think outside of themselves and sometimes, taking a break from things that may hinder your growth is the best way to grow.
Recognizing ways in which you can be successful in your thinking to help yourself improve is something that you should crave. So act like being a better person or communicating is as good as a hot fudge sundae. Something that you could do without, but once you taste it will progressively get better with each bite, to where at the end of the bowl, you wish you had one more scoopful and thus, continue to love the sweetness it brings to you. Open your heart to thinking outside of yourself.
Think of what you can do to not only better your communication but the relationships you harness and grow over time. Think of what they can bring to you and how you can make yourself a better person. It honestly will end up being something that you wish you knew you had the ability to do from the get go and make you a better person day by day. By allowing ourselves to grow and to look within ourselves we not only help our inner person but all of the people’s lives that we touch. So find ways to make each day as good as the cherry on top, you’ll find a happiness you never knew existed.
Deepak Chopra is a magical person with a unique look on life. After reading his bio I giggled when I found out that he had thought he would be an actor as a child. (As I am very happy he took the path that he did and now can help people worldwide). After looking into his ways of thinking and teaching you not only become halfway mesmerized and want to learn more, but you realize what a bright light he must have shining within his chest.
Deepak is an internist. My grandfather and someone who I look to as my father was an internist. My grandfather attended Harvard for medical schoool and Deepak now teaches continuing education there. Knowing the effort it takes in knowing the human body and figuring it out and how Deepak has transformed medicine into something that includes how you view the way your mind and body interact. “As a global leader and pioneer in the field of mind-body medicine, Deepak Chopra is transforming the way the world views physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social wellness.” (Chopracenter.com)
After studying under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi for many years he began his own journey into the field of medicine. One that has changed the way that the world views it and how the body can heal. Thus came the infamous Chopra Center. “For more than a decade, the Chopra Center for Wellbeing has served as a beautiful, nurturing place where people can come to heal their physical pain, find emotional freedom, empower themselves, and connect to their inner spiritual life.” (chopracenter.com)
It was created by Deepak and David Simon M.D. located on the grounds of La Costa Resort and Spa in Southern California. Just by going by you see the beautiful grounds and immediately want to stay. Much of the teaching that Deepak does is based on ayurveda systems of healing. When going to The Chopra Center, people welcome yoga, meditation, and different ayurvedic techniques into their daily routine.
His knowledge of the mind, body and soul is not only something to be shined on, but people learn from his teachings, 64 books, speeches, and thought every day. He has changed the way we view the world. And in doing so has helped us become better people. We’d like to offer three thumbs up his way and say how much we admire his work and teachings.
Some great quotes from Deepak:
“Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future”
― Deepak Chopra
“Whatever relationships you have attracted in your life at this moment, are precisely the ones you need in your life at this moment. There is a hidden meaning behind all events, and this hidden meaning is serving your own evolution.”
― Deepak Chopra
“You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible.”
― Deepak Chopra
“Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future”
― Deepak Chopra
“Whatever relationships you have attracted in your life at this moment, are precisely the ones you need in your life at this moment. There is a hidden meaning behind all events, and this hidden meaning is serving your own evolution.”
― Deepak Chopra
“You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible.”
― Deepak Chopra
“According to Vedanta, there are only two symptoms of enlightenment, just two indications that a transformation is taking place within you toward a higher consciousness. The first symptom is that you stop worrying. Things don’t bother you anymore. You become light-hearted and full of joy. The second symptom is that you encounter more and more meaningful coincidences in your life, more and more synchronicities. And this accelerates to the point where you actually experience the miraculous. (quoted by Carol Lynn Pearson in Consider the Butterfly)”
― Deepak Chopra, Synchrodestiny
“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.”
― Deepak Chopra
“Even when you think you have your life all mapped out, things happen that shape your destiny in ways you might never have imagined. ”
― Deepak Chopra
“Walk with those seeking truth… RUN FROM THOSE WHO THINK THEY’VE FOUND IT. ”
― Deepak Chopra
“Holding on to anything is like holding on to your breath. You will suffocate. The only way to get anything in the physical universe is by letting go of it. Let go & it will be yours forever.”
― Deepak Chopra
“According to this law [the law of Dharma], you have a unique talent and a unique way of expressing it. There is something that you can do better than anyone else in the whole world–and for every unique talent and unique expression of that talent, there are also unique needs. When these needs are matched with the creative expression of your talent, that is the spark that creates affluence. Expressing your talents to fulfill needs creates unlimited wealth and abundance.”
― Deepak Chopra
“You will be transformed by what you read.”
― Deepak Chopra
“Love doesn’t need reason. It speaks from the irrational wisdom of the heart.”
― Deepak Chopra
“If you’re really spiritual, then you should be totally independent of the good and the bad opinions of the world…you should have faith in yourself.”
― Deepak Chopra
“There are many aspects to success; material wealth is only one component. …But success also includes good health, energy and enthusiasm for life, fulfilling relationships, creative freedom, emotional and psychological stability, a sense of well-being, and peace of mind.”
― Deepak Chopra
“When you make a choice, you change the future.”
― Deepak Chopra
“I was very afraid at the beginning, until Master told me that pain isn’t the truth; it’s what you have to get through in order to find the truth.”
― Deepak Chopra, The Return of Merlin
“To acquire true self power you have to feel beneath no one, be immune to criticism and be fearless.”
― Deepak Chopra
“Silence is the great teacher and to learn its lessons you must pay attention to it. There is no substitute for the creative inspiration, knowledge, and stability that come from knowing how to contact your core of inner silence.”
― Deepak Chopra
“The third component of the Law of Dharma is service to humanity–to serve your fellow human beings and to ask yourself the questions,”How can I help? How can I help all those that I come into contact with?” When you combine the ability to express your unique talent with service to humanity, then you make full use of the Law of Dharma.”
― Deepak Chopra
WEAR LUCK recentlt got to visit The Chopra Center, (!!!!!!!!), find some pics from our trip below:):
WEAR LUCK @ Chopra Center
WEAR LUCK at The Chopra Center !!!
WEAR LUCK @ The Chopra Center 2
The Great Tadasana Team at Chopra Center!
If you’d like to be reminded to think outside of the box visit our WEAR LUCK Wisdom Shop:
My mom’s cousin May came by my house last night and was laughing at a card I had made my mom for her birthday. I had ended up collaging and modge podging an envelopes and paper until the wee hours of the morning the night before. I sat pasting astronauts and cutting flowers out of construction paper, while pulling Diane von Furstenberg prints I cut to use to make my masterpiece. Not realizing the time had gone by, I realized that the creative kid had come out to play. I was having so much fun with myself, that the time got quickly hidden until I looked up to realize that it was 2:30 in the morning!
My husband had fallen asleep on the couch and when I woke him with pastel, glue, and paint all over my legs and face, he said, “kid you’re up way to late, you better get to bed.” The experience of the glue and millions of Vogues and other magazine scattered across the floor with clippings accidentally glued to my shirt and forehead, took me back to the sixth grade when my best friend and I would cut flowers, lips, heels, different prints and designs and somehow come up with something that was a masterful piece of art. When I showed May the card she said, “well, it’s good to see you still have the three year old in you alive!”. She really wasn’t being facicious either. She just loved that I realized that within myself there is this kid who just loves to play and I let it.
I live each day with the aspiration of being happy and fulfilled and finding ways to do so for others too. I wrote the above story to tell you that it is important to not take things to seriously in life. To let go- to allow the child in you to play and have fun. It is important to know that within each person there is a smaller version of them somewhere, tucked away in some picture that loved barbies or tonka trucks, legos, playing dress up with jewels dripping off of your neck and heels ten sizes too big, and peel off nail polish. Regardless of what someone’s childhood was like whether magical or not the best, it is important to always love the kid inside of you. They still need attention and if you shut them off, you are shutting off the easiest way to creativity and happiness.
I heard a statistic recently that said that children smile over 50 times a day, grownups smile 4-5 times a day. I challenge you today to let your inner child out to play. Go to a park, swing on a swing; watch the cartoon network, (it rocks); get a drawing pad and some crayons and doodle away; smile at everyone you see, (you’ll realize the majority will do the same in return). We often forget what a difference a child can make in your life. They’re so cute and they have the cutest tushes. Their little smiles make you remember to smile, their curiosity make you remember to explore, and the impact they have on your life will change the way you are forever. Even if it is through a sibling or friends child.
So go out today as if an open spirit with a thirst for knowledge as if it is your first time seeing the world. Take in the air as if you could soar and smile through the day. You’ll see when you show an eager heart for life, it gives you an overflowing amount of happiness.
Have a lucky Thursday!
If you’d like to be reminded to keep the kid at heart in you alive, visit our WEAR LUCK Creativity Shop!
People always ask me how I am so wise for my age? When is it that people think you are wise for your age? Since before I was 10 people would say that. I think it is due to the fact that I have a unique way of interpreting others and communicating with them. Or sometimes things come out of my mouth that I don’t even know are there. I’m guessing at the 40-50 year old mark they quit asking? Or when is it okay to be wise? Or are you wise for your age? After I started thinking about this, this morning, it made me very happy. Mostly because it means I’m still young;)(!!!!!!!). And because I think now that I think of it, I like it that people say that. So maybe I will always be wise for my age.
I keep the news on the television in several different rooms, sometimes on different stations, so that while I’m getting ready in the morning I can hear as much different news as possible. This morning there was a child prodigy on the news who was a master at piano. He was six years old and his name is Ethan Walmark. To see these little fingers going back and forth was mesmerizing. His ability to move up and down the keys was masterful and full of spirit. I rewound the show at least three times to watch and then realized that I should have been recording it the entire time.
The post is for this child who was found on YouTube , (who can make anyone from Justin Bieber to this young boy a superstar), who is beyond great at the piano. The deeper thinking that went into this was what was the age of wisdom? I guess that through each experience we have, we grow and in growing we become better, more rounded, wiser people. Hopefully we continue to learn and make ourselves better through our mistakes. Hopefully we look at ourselves and the world around us with open eyes and arms enough so that we can see our flaws and try to make them better. We can better ourselves and look for ways of self improvement throughout the span of our life. We can embrace each occurence instead of seeing them as something bad or not right, as something that helps us to grow. We can take the lemons and make lemonade.
If one is to become more wise with age, then how are some children under the age of ten given these unique gifts to communicate or have a super talent. Wisdom does not have an age, I think it comes with having an open soul. You will see Ann Curry ask the boy in this video how he learned to play, during the recording his mother said something that touched my heart and my soul. She said she could not explain it but his ability to play came from his soul.
There was no way to explain how a six year old boy can hear a song and then three days later have it figured out on the piano other than the fact that he has something unique within his being. And the best part about this is the fact that we all do. Each of us was created unique and different from one another in a way that is hard to imagine or decipher. We all have something within us that is different and perfect just for us. Some of us spend years searching for an answer or a purpose, but sometimes if you sit and are quiet, or just put a piano in front of yourself, the answer will come.
After waiting for my YouTube Video to upload I captured to share with you all, I realized THE VOLUME WASN’T WORKING!!! Teardrop, teardrop. So, below I have posted the video that made Ethan famous for his great ability to play piano. It may look as if he is looking at sheet music, but he’s not. What he is playing is what he learned from hearing the song and how he found it on the computer. I also tried embedding the video from the Today Show, that I originally videoed but with the type of blog we have, am unable to embed it. So please, please copy the link below and paste it into a new window and watch the link below. (Even if you watch the YouTube I have inserted . What’s weird is that when the camera isn’t on him and his hands it seems like it is impossible that a boy could be playing what he is.
Not only is it good to think and do “green”, but as you probably know, eating green is one of the best things you can do for your body! Though we aren’t nutritionist, we love to be reminded of they good that different foods can do for our body. You know how when your mother is around you are suddenly reminded that you should be eating broccoli more even though, “you are a really healthy eater?”. I’ve been reminded today that well, greens are good to me. Yes, by my mother. Today we’ll look into some green things that make your skin great, your digestive system stay on track, and make you feel great! They’re even great for babes, so who wouldn’t want their tikes getting the best nutrition they possibly could?
“”Greens are the No. 1 food you can eat regularly to help improve your health,” says Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, a culinary educator in Northern California and the author of The Veggie Queen. That’s because leafy vegetables are brimming with fiber along with vitamins, minerals, and plant-based substances that may help protect you from heart disease, diabetes, and perhaps even cancer. Even so, Americans are not eating as many vegetables each day as dietary experts recommend.” (Site 4)
Let’s start with some greenies that are good for babes and suggestions for cooking and serving :
Lentils
Crammed with protein and fiber, lentils pack a powerful nutritional punch. They’re also one of the cheapest healthy foods you can buy.
Serving idea: Combine cooked lentils with mixed vegetables, rice, and seasonings of your choice. “Try basil and oregano,” suggests dietitian Karin Hosenfeld of North Dallas Nutrition. “Or toss in a bay leaf, which works really well with lentils.” (Remove the bay leaf before serving.) (Site 1)
Dark green leafy vegetables
Leafy greens boast high amounts of iron and folate. While spinach is perhaps the best known of this group, there are many other varieties, including kale, chard, and collard greens.
Serving idea: Steam and puree a batch of greens, then mix with iron-fortified cereal to give your baby a double dose of iron. Experiment with the proportions to see what your baby likes; Hosenfeld suggests starting with two parts veggie to one part cereal. (Site 1)
Broccoli
Brimming with folate, fiber, and calcium, broccoli is also known for its cancer-fighting properties, says dietitian Kate Geagan, author of Go Green, Get Lean. And thanks to its sulfur compounds, it has a unique flavor that can help expand your baby’s tastes.
Serving idea: Steam pieces until soft, then chill. “Steaming takes the bite out of broccoli,” says Hosenfeld. “And chilled broccoli is sometimes better accepted by babies. It can also be soothing during teething.” (Site 1) Broccoli
Broccoli is a member of the cabbage family. It sounds rather odd that broccoli is a member of the cabbage family as it certainly looks nothing like what we think of as cabbage. Broccoli is related closely to cauliflower with the main difference being in coloration. A cool weather crop, broccoli does not grow well in hot summer weather and/or climates.
Broccoli is very high in Vitamin C and is a great source of soluble fiber. Soluble fiber is the fiber that helps loosen up the bowels as it changes its form as it passes through the digestive tract. (Site 2)
Avocados
“Avocados are a rich source of unsaturated fats,” says nutritionist Leanne Cooper, author ofWhat Do I Feed My Baby: A Step-by-Step Guide to Solids. “In fact, the fat composition is somewhat similar to that of breast milk.” Concerned about your baby eating fatty food? Don’t be. “Unsaturated fat is the good kind of fat, and babies need it for brain development,” says pediatrician Ari Brown, co-author of Baby 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice for Your Baby’s First Year.
Serving idea: Try combining mashed avocado with other foods, such as cream cheese, apples, or canned fish, suggests Cooper. And when it’s playgroup time, ditch the crackersand take an avocado along instead. “Avocados can travel in your bag at room temperature and you can offer them in slivers or spread on toast fingers while you sip coffee with your friends,” she says.
Who ever knew a babe would love all of these fabulous greens? Now for some that we adults are good:
The Goodness of Green Beans for Baby Food:
The many nutrients in green beans can help you prevent a number of different conditions, including Alzheimer’s, atherosclerosis, diabetic heart disease, colon cancer, asthma, arthritis, acne, ear infections, and maybe even colds and flu’s. These are but a few good reasons to add green beans to your homemade baby food shopping list the next time you head to the grocery store.
GREEN BEANS (one cup – cooked)
VITAMINS:
Vitamin A – 752 IU
Vitamin C – 12 mg
Niacin – .51 mg
Folate – 41 mcg
Pantothenic Acid – .06 mg
Vitamin K – 17 mg
Also contains small amounts of selenium, manganese, copper and zinc.
(Site 3)
Peas
The nutritional value of peas is amazing when you think of the small size of a cup of peas.
One cup of peas contains more protein that a tablespoon of peanut butter and also provides calcium, Vitamin A and C and Iron too.
These wonderful vegetables are a great first “green” food for baby as they are nutritious, and mostly pleasant to eat. When making homemade peas for baby, you may find it tough getting the “skins” to puree smoothly. If this is the case and your baby is not used to textures yet. (Site 2)
Now here are some great greens for the mother or non mother:
Kale: This nutrition powerhouse “offers everything you want in a leafy green,” says Nussinow, who gave it her first-place ranking. It’s an excellent source of vitamins A C, and K, has a good amount of calcium for a vegetable, and also supplies folate and potassium. Kale’s ruffle-edged leaves may range in color from cream to purple to black depending on the variety.Before cooking with kale, collards, turnips, and chard, Nussinow recommends swishing the greens in a water-filled sink, draining the sink, then repeating this rinse until the leaves are dirt-free. Her favorite cooking method for these four greens is to rub the leaves in olive oil or tahini (sesame paste) and cook them for five minutes with garlic, olive oil, and broth.
Collards: Used in Southern-style cooking, collard greens are similar in nutrition to kale. But they have a heartier and chewier texture and a stronger cabbage-like taste. “Collards are an under-appreciated vegetable and most people don’t know about them,” suggests Nussinow. She says they’re also popular with the raw food movement because the wide leaves are used as a wrapper instead of tortillas or bread. Down South, collards are typically slow cooked with either a ham hock or smoked turkey leg. A half cup has 25 calories.
Turnip greens: “If you buy turnips with the tops on, you get two vegetables in one,” Nussinow tells WebMD. Turnip leaves are another Southern favorite traditionally made with pork. More tender than other greens and needing less cooking, this sharp-flavored leaf is low in calories yet loaded with vitamins A,C, and K as well as calcium.
Swiss chard: With red stems, stalks, and veins on its leaves, Swiss chard has a beet-like taste and soft texture that’s perfect for sauteeing. Both Swiss chard and spinach contain oxalates, which are slightly reduced by cooking and can bind to calcium, a concern for people prone to kidney stones. Chard contains 15 calories in one-half cup and is a good source of vitamins A and C. Nussinow likes to make a sweet-and-sour chard by adding raisins and vinegar to the cooked greens.
Spinach: Popeye’s favorite vegetable has 20 calories per serving, plus it’s packed with vitamins A and C, as well as folate. And because heat reduces the green’s oxalate content, freeing up its dietary calcium, “cooked spinach gives you more nutrition than raw,” says Nussinow. Spinach leaves can be cooked quickly in the water that remains on them after rinsing, or they can be eaten raw in salads. Bags of frozen chopped spinach are more convenient to use than block kinds, and this mild-flavored vegetable can be added to soups, pasta dishes, and casseroles.
Mustard greens: Another Southern green with a similar nutrition profile to turnip leaves and collards, mustard greens have scalloped edges and come in red and green varieties. They have a peppery taste and give off a mustardy smell during cooking. Their spiciness can be toned down by adding an acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice, toward the end of cooking, suggests Nussinow. Cooked mustard greens have 10 calories in one-half cup.
Broccoli: With 25 calories a serving, broccoli is rich in vitamin C and is also a good source of vitamin A, potassium, and folate. Americans eat about 6 pounds of it a year. Its stalks and florets add both crunch and color to stir-fries. While some kids may call this veggie “trees,” they often like it best raw or steamed with a yogurt-based dip. Nussinow mixes fresh broccoli into her pasta during the last three minutes of cooking so both are ready at the same time.
Red and Green Leaf and Romaine Lettuce: A familiar sight in salad bowls, these lettuces are high in vitamin A and offer some folate. Leaf lettuces have a softer texture than romaine, a crunchy variety used in Caesar salads. Fans of Iceberg lettuce may go for romaine, a crispy green that’s better for you. Nussinow points out “the darker the lettuce leaf, the more nutrition it has,” making red leaf slightly healthier than green. If you don’t drown lettuce in a creamy dressing, one cup contains 10 calories.
Cabbage: Although paler in color than other leafy greens, this cruciferous vegetable is a great source of cancer-fighting compounds and vitamin C. Nussinow considers thisversatile green “the workhorse of the kitchen.” Available in red and green varieties, cabbage can be cooked, added raw to salads or stir fries, shredded into a slaw, or made into sauerkraut. It’s also a staple of St. Patrick’s Day boiled suppers and can give off a strong smell when cooking. One-half cup cooked has 15 calories.
Iceberg Lettuce: This bland-tasting head lettuce is mostly water. But it’s the country’s most popular leafy green and each of us eats about 17 pounds of iceberg a year. While tops in consumption, it’s last on our list for its health benefits. “It’s not devoid of all nutrition, but it’s pretty close,” Nussinow tells WebMD. Although we’re eating less iceberg than we did two decades ago, it’s still a common ingredient on hamburgers and in taco salads. “It can be a starter green,” says Nussinow, to draw people into a broader array of salad greens. (Site 4)
Did my mother teach me right? Yes! But with the help from WebMD and all of the great sites, I learned a thing or two more than I knew about the greens and what they could do for me. I feel motivated today to go each some spinach and get buff like Popeye. I also feel more confident in my knowledge of greens and the great nutritional value they can add to my stellar day!
Have a lucky Tuesday!
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Regardless of where you live, there has to be something unique about where you live and what you can do to celebrate the city. Even if you live in the smallest town that ever existed, there are ways for you to enjoy things about it that you’ve never thought of and we’re here to inspire you to do so!
Figure out about what is unique about where you live: Do you live in the north, south, east or west? What’s the weather like? Are there outdoor activities you can participate in? What about things that you would have never tried? Some people live in huge cities where it seems like it would be impossible to try everything, but the more you try things, even things you may think that you would not enjoy, the more you grow, so get out there and get going!
The inspiration for this post came from a deal I saw on Daily Candy one day for a happy hour on a boat in NY on the Hudson. Having previously lived there, (and knowing there is more there to do than one could imagine), I had never heard of it and thought how fun it would be. So, our challenge and inspiration for this week are to find what you don’t know about where you live and what you can do to make the most of it and enjoy what it has to offer to it’s fullest.
Each city or town has events that it does to celebrate the different times of year. One of my favorite seasonal events to attend where we live is Movies in the Park. One of the best movies I attended, (believe it or not), was “Kung Fu Panda”. My honey and I rolled up a blanket took a cheese plate and wine, laughed our butts off and got to watch siblings karate chop each other all night while watching fireflies dance in the air.
In the winter there are winter festivals, wine festivals, christmas parades, and probably more activities than you even could think of. Such as if you live somewhere where you can ski, have you ever tried ice fishing? Or if you live somewhere where it is warm in winter do you ever have a fake winter wonderland? Look in your local newspapers and see what kind of activities are going on. Or travel to the next town over to see what it holds. You may not have visited some of the cities closest around to the ones where you live, and the more you explore, the more you’ll not only learn about those cities, but the one in which you reside.
Some people think that it is the environment or city they are in that gives them inspiration, and for many people this is true. But I challenge you to see beyond where you live to have inspiration in your daily life. Find a creative way to enjoy where you live in a way you’ve never thought of. Enjoy the natural things about where you live such as farmers markets, flowers, and water. And find ways to be active in your community. Inspiration can come from anything, so today, we challenge you to find it right where you are with what you are doing. To look beyond what you normally see and try something new. Who knows, maybe you’ll even make a unique experience for someone else too.
Have a lucky Monday!
If you’d like to be reminded to think of creative ways to enjoy your community and the city in which you live, visit our WEAR LUCK Feng Shui Creativity Shop!
(I did get some great video of my 18 month old nephew luckily:)).
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