Disclaimer: This note is a guest post from Yvonne Alonso, my first grade classmate. She is an inspiring person. On her blog, she shares healthy recipes and continuously shares her fitness journey.
This recipe is just one of the many goodies she shares on her blog: myworkout.dk.
ENTER YVONNE:
It’s that wonderful time of the year when you see pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns everywhere you turn. So I thought to myself, a delicious pumpkin soup would be perfect!
In this recipe I used a pumpkin that is, in fact, a squash. The Japanese squash called Red Kuri Squash otherwise known as Hokkaido, is technically a squash. It has a rich, nutty flavor, making it perfect for a hearty soup. It’s also a rich source of fiber, calcium, potassium and it’s low in calories.
I also added tahini which gave it such a great consistency and flavor. I will definitely be adding this fantastic ingredient to my other soups and dishes in the future. And last but not least, ginger root. It not only adds a delicious, tangy flavor and aroma, it is also a fantastic anti-inflammatory and anti-flatulence (yes, I said it!) root that also aids in digestion and is great this time of year for warding of colds and coughs.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did!
Ingredients (makes 4 servings)
1 Hokkaido (peeled/chopped in squares)
1/2 an onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small chunk ginger, minced
3 tbs coconut or olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 tbs. tahini
2 cups water or vegetable/chicken stock
2 cups coconut milk
juice from 1/2 a lime
cayenne pepper, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
coriander or parsley (optional)
Method
In a pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add onion, garlic, ginger and hokkaido squares. Stir and fry till hokkaido begins to soften.
Add the water or stock and bay leaves to pot. Cover with lid and allow to simmer on low heat till it begins to boil.
Once it’s boiled, check to see if the hokkaido is tender and soft in the center of the squares. If it is, remove the bay leaves and add the tahini and coconut milk.
Now it’s time to blender and purée the soup. If you have a blending wand, you can mix the soup right in the pot. If you don’t have one, use a ladle to carefully put the soup in a blender or food processor. Be careful, it is hot! Once it’s blended, return to the pot.
Season your puréed soup with the lime juice, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
Yvonne Alonso is a certified personal fitness trainer and bikini fitness athlete originally from California and now resides in Denmark. For more healthy recipes and fitness tips, check out her blog at www.myworkout.dk.
When I get up and get ready to go to work, I do a lot of usual and a bit of what might be considered unusual things. Like most people, as part of my morning ritual, I press snooze (repeatedly), take a shower, eat breakfast, dress nicely, and (most importantly) sip a cup of coffee.
As I drink that warm caffeinated elixir, I like to savor the flavor as it slowly (and surely) wakes me up mentally. This is the time when I like to reflect on different parts of my life. It's in no particular order. Whatever comes to my mind is what gets pondered. Sometimes I think about my experiences growing up. In the mix are my childhood, the friends I've made, my accomplishments, things I've been blessed to have, and my career so far.
As of right now, I can say I've done well in my career. I have a fulfilling role as an educator. I teach high school English. I'm a role model. I've had hundreds of students over the years. Some are off in college, some aren't. All have left my classroom better than they were when they first walked in. It's a huge responsibility, especially knowing the impact of having (and not having) an education impacts people's entire lives. This is a career I feel blessed to be in.
When I first graduated college, I never thought that I'd have this as my career. I didn't really know what I was going to get myself into. That phase of my life was definitely a struggle. If I could somehow tell my 21 year old self the most important career advice I know now, here is what I'd say:
Uncertainty is Perfectly Okay
No one can predict the future, no one. There is no way to know absolutely everything about what is going to happen in your career or life. There will be times where you feel lost. That's perfectly normal. Being "lost" will give you the space to explore what you like, don't like, and unlock your passions. You'll want guidance and direction. It's okay to reach out for it. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness. It's a sign that you want to grow and want to learn from others' experiences. Even other people don't have all the answers, and that's perfectly fine.
Mistakes Don't Define You; They're Learning Experiences Like death and taxes, mistakes are inevitable. Everyone makes them. What really matters is how you react to them. Do you see them as a sign to give up? Or do you see it as a sign that something isn't working, so something needs to be adjusted. Anytime you try something new, you're bound to make some sort of mistake. That's okay. What you will learn through experience is minimizing the amount of mistakes you make and dealing with their consequences (hopefully it's not bad at all). Sometimes making a mistake is painful. You might've hurt someone you care about. You let yourself down. It's not easy. Getting over it is a process that helps you mature and grow. Owning your mistakes is powerful, so is owning your success.
You Make Your Day; Not the Other Way Around It might take you some time to realize it, but you are in charge of your life. I know it may be hard to fully see it, especially because you've had to follow rules and directions from others your whole life. This is one of the most empowering thoughts you've ever been told: you are ultimately in charge of your own life. Your thoughts control your actions. Your actions affect how life reacts to you. Your family, friends, career, and lifestyle are all directly influenced by your thoughts and actions. You get to choose your attitude. You can choose to be positive or a pessimist. You can choose to be happy or act with grumpiness. You may not be able to choose what happens in your life, but you can choose how you react to it. Act and react with optimism, grace, and manners. People like being around people who uplift them and are a positive impact on their lives. Free Time Can Be More Valuable Than Money There are two main reasons why many people choose a career: passion and money. People usually want to be in a career where they can utilize their passion. People also want to make money. It pays the bills. Money isn't everything, but it affects your lifestyle. At the beginning of people's careers, people usually don't care about free time, but later on, most of them do. When people say time is money, they mean it. Your time at work is valuable, and that's why you get paid to be there. Your time outside of work is valuable too. It's YOUR time. It's your time to rest, relax, and do whatever you need to do. Free time also gives you the opportunity to do fun things that add happiness into your life.
There is No Work/Life Balance; It's All Life Achieving and maintaining a work/life balance is a struggle for many adults. People want to be able to have both a work life and a home life. The truth is, your life can't be separated that way. There will be times where you are at home and other times at work (sometimes you're at both at the same time). They both affect each other. Sometimes they overlap into one another's territory. Trying to split your life into two or attempting to split your identity between two areas is an idea that is doomed to fail. Your life encompasses both home and work. It's about being flexible and balancing responsibilities from both areas.
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In hindsight, all this seems to be common sense, but they're all things that I knew, but didn't fully understand until I got older. I know that I can't change my past, but really, I wouldn't change my experiences for anything else. Everything in my career path (experiences, lessons, and mistakes) led me to who I am now and where I am currently in my career. My wish is that my experiences help others out there who are at the beginning stages of their career.
Are you an entrepreneur? Kabbage provides small business loans and pride themselves on helping entrepreneurs be productive.
I'm trying to be the best dad I can be. I know that you're only six months old and haven't lived that long, but there are a few things I want to apologize for.
Your mother and I always wanted to have two kids. It seemed to be the perfect size for us. Two is affordable on our income. Two is physically manageable for us (so we thought). We were more than excited when we found out we were having you.
Since your older brother is only a couple years older than you, I was financially happy knowing that we had saved a lot of your brother's baby stuff. When we found out that you were a boy, I got super excited, not because I wanted to have a boy (I would've been just as happy if you were a girl), but because we could save money by reusing many of your brother's clothes. (In retrospect, if you were a girl, we would've reused your brother's old clothes anyway. A good amount of those clothes are gender neutral.)
So I must apologize for you getting a lot of hand-me-downs. You may not care now, but you probably will as you get older. We're saving as much money as we can right now so we have more to give you later. Just because you get mostly second-hand clothes or (gently) used toys, it doesn't mean I love you any less.
And really, to me, that's not what I wan to apologize mostly for. Since you're our second child, your "firsts" may seem less special because we've done those things with your older brother before.
Taking you places is special, but I can honestly say it's different than how it was with your older brother. With him, your mother and I were first time parents; the experience was new to us too. By taking your brother places, we got to see the world anew through his eyes. It was exciting.
But now when we do those same things with you, it's different. I'm sorry if it seems less special or exciting. I try to make it just as special because I know that it can't be exactly the same, it's going to be different. Before, your mother and I had one child to care for. Now with two young boys, the experience is unavoidably different.
I want you to know, your mother and I are pouring our hearts into making you feel special. And on top of my apology, I want to make you some promises. I promise to give you as less hand-me-downs as possible, especially during the teenage years. I promise to try not to compare your progress to that of your brother's. I have to remind myself that every kid is different. Also, I promise to try my absolute hardest to make all your experiences special, even if we've been through it with your brother already. Think of it this way: your mother and I have been dreaming of our family with two kids for the longest time, and now we have what we've wished for. Now that you're here, we're excited for the upcoming holidays, family vacations, and other experiences to come and spend them with you. What we experience now is our first time experiencing it with both our boys. It'll be different, and to me, that's special. Love, Dad
Not too long ago, I spent a summer working in business to business marketing. I basically worked for a consulting company that did direct marketing for an international telecommunications company. I went door to door talking to various businesses to obtain new clients or keep current ones satisfied. During that time, I learned a lot in the business world.
In order to do my job, I needed to learn logistics quickly, have mental toughness, and pay attention to details. Every day I had to be flexible. Since I met new people daily, every day was an unpredictable adventure. Luckily, the person who mentored me, Carl, was really good at all this.
One of the things he taught me during my training was the "8 Great Work Habits." They're habits that helped him achieve his massive success (he's currently the president of a successful organization) and that he has instilled in those who work under him. Take a look:
1. HAVE A GREAT ATTITUDE
Attitude affects everything. Your attitude affected your actions and how the world reacts to you. It helps you connect with people. People gravitate towards people who have a positive attitude. They want to be around people who emit a positive aura.
Having a great attitude keeps you optimistic during the day and gives you a better chance at overcoming challenges. Whatever lies ahead during the day, having a great attitude helps a lot more than not having one.
2. MAINTAIN A GREAT ATTITUDE It's not enough to just start with a great attitude, keeping it is just as important. It's just like if you're in a race; it's important to be in first place, but more important to maintain that position until the end of the race. I'm not saying that you should always be positive or happy 24/7. There are times when you receive bad news or may be wronged. When that happens, having a great attitude means reacting appropriately.
3. BE ON TIME My parents always made sure they were punctual people. Whenever we went somewhere new, we left extra early just in case there was traffic or we got lost. We were almost always early, but always on time. It's a habit that I can't help but have now (thanks Mom and Dad). Being on time shows that you have time management and can use your time wisely. It also shows that you value not just your time, but other people's time too. If others can see that you value their time, they're more likely to value yours.
4. BE PREPARED It's the Boy Scout motto. Being prepared for any task optimizes your chances of not just getting it done, but more effectively and more efficiently. I had a professor in college (hi Dr. Reese!) who often said during class that "battles are won even before the battle." He argued that the better prepared army would be the winner. It was a metaphor to provoke us to prepare ourselves before our exams. In kitchens, chefs setup their stations and arrange their ingredients before they start cutting and cooking. That way, when an order is placed, all they have to do is cook. Their preparation saves them time and effort. The same is true in sports, business, and everything else in life.
5. MAXIMIZE YOUR TIME This habit is sometimes referred to as "work a full day" or "work a full 8 hours." While that may not apply to everyone's situation, the concept behind it does: maximize your time. Everyone has 24 hours in a day, no more or no less. What we do in that time makes all the difference. Maximizing your time takes place in many forms. It could be effectively planning your day beforehand. It could be spending more time taking action and less time procrastinating. It looks like more procrastinating and less scrambling. It's about working smarter and harder (but not to the point of physical exhaustion).
6. WORK YOUR TERRITORY CORRECTLY Growing up, I was always taught to be aware of my surroundings. My surrounding environment could be an advantage or disadvantage based on what I was able to recognize and what I was able to do with it. In consulting and in sales, I was assigned a certain area. Within that, I had to connect with every business and discuss their telecommunications services. I was taught "keep it tight to the right," meaning that I would contact a business, and the next one I'd contact was the one to the right of it, and so on. That was how I maximized the potential of my surroundings. It ensured that every business in that area was included and no one was excluded. Now working in education, the same concept applies. It's all about using my surroundings to my advantage. I use the resources and technology available to me to effectively prepare my lessons, execute them, grade, contact parents, and finish others tasks throughout the day. If I'm shopping for stuff at home, I use my knowledge of sales, coupons, and other discounts to find the best deal. Often I use my smartphone to look up prices among different retailers. I know what retail stores are in my area. I can figure out if something is cheaper online. I use all of my available resources to help me provide for my family.
7. UNDERSTAND YOUR OPPORTUNITY
Opportunity is often misunderstood. It's everywhere, but the same opportunity isn't always available everywhere. It's like dating relationships; sometimes timing makes all the difference. An opportunity that is here now may not be there tomorrow (or even tonight). There are three skills that I believe everyone should have: recognizing opportunity, seizing opportunity, and creating opportunity. Being able to see opportunity that is available, especially to you, opens doors. Actually taking action and seizing an opportunity puts you ahead of people who also see an opportunity, but either don't take action, or do, but don't execute as well as you do. And most importantly, being able to create opportunity gives you a door of possibility wherever you are. Whatever economic climate or geographic location, being able to find a job (especially in competitive markets) or start your own business is yourself giving yourself opportunity.
8. TAKE CONTROL
Up until recently, this was the habit that I struggled with the most. Every day I had to practice taking control of a situation and make it work for me. If I was in a conversation with someone who was sucking up most of my time, my inclination was to politely let her/him talk. Now I'm better at politely ending the conversation and offering to continue it at another time. Taking control isn't about being aggressive, it's about proactively leading your situation.
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Even though I had this job years ago, these habits still stick in me. Granted, these habits weren't all-new to me, but the practice of consciously applying them to my daily work routine benefited me. I grew more as a professional. These habits aren't just great to have at work, but they also are great at helping me have a successful and fulfilled life.
Laughter. It's something free and intangible. It's passed around among friends. It's something inherently beautiful. There's something innocent about laughter. When people see other people laugh, it's usually a good sign.
In laughter, there are smiles, giggles, and chuckles. Laughter expresses happiness. It shows people that things are alright, even if it's just for the moment.
Laughter helps make the pain go away for a little bit. Some say it's the best kind of medicine. Here's why:
According to HelpGuide.org, "laughter triggers the release of endorphins..." which helps our bodies feel good physically and emotionally.
Laughter also boosts the immune system. WebMD states that "the ability to use humor may raise the level of infection-fighting antibodies in the body and boost the levels of immune cells, as well."
A study from the University of Maryland Medical Center indicated that laughter may prevent heart disease. In their study, they found that "people with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease."
According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter can increase your personal satisfaction by making it easier to cope in difficult situations and helps you connect with others.
Melandie Winderlich, from Discovery, states that laughter can also decrease stress, provides a burst of exercise, positively impacts blood sugar levels, and energizes organs.
There is always a time and place for grief and mourning, but without a doubt, there is always room for a little more laughter in the world.
References
"Laughter Is the Best Medicine." : The Health Benefits of Humor. HelpGuide.org. Web. 17 Aug. 2014. <http://www.helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm>. "Stress Management." Stress Relief from Laughter? It's No Joke. Mayo Clinic, 23 July 2013. Web. 17 Aug. 2014. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456>. Griffin, R. Morgan. "Laughter: Good For Your Health - WebMD." WebMD. WebMD. Web. 17 Aug. 2014. <http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/give-your-body-boost-with-laughter>. Murray, Michelle. "Laughter Is the Best Medicine for Your Heart." University of Maryland Medical Center. 14 July 2009. Web. 17 Aug. 2014. <http://umm.edu/news-and-events/news-releases/2009/laughter-is-the-best-medicine-for-your-heart>. Winderlich, Melanie. "10 Reasons Why Laughing Is Good for You : Discovery Channel."Discovery Channel. Web. 17 Aug. 2014. <http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/10-reasons-why-laughing-good-for-you.htm>.
The other morning, my 4 month old son woke up in his crib in a pretty good mood. He didn't wake up screaming, crying, or needing to be changed, so I was thankful for that. Even more, I was thankful that he was in a pretty good mood.
He was smiling at me. He was laughing with his little baby chuckles. He was waving his arms and legs in excitement as if he was dancing. He was having fun. It was awesome.
Part of me wanted to take a picture and post it on Facebook and Instagram. I wanted to share the moment with my friends and family. But in doing that, I would've distracted myself and disrupted this beautiful moment. To take the picture, I'd have to go to the other room to get my phone, which could've ruined the moment. I could see my little happy kid watch me walk away and wonder, "Where the hell did Daddy go?" and freak out. Then I'd have to actually take the picture by sticking my phone right in front of his face (which he hates). Imagine being a happy kid, with a big smile on his face, spending time with his dad and then a big electronic thingy hovers right above your face and you can't see anything else. Would you still be smiling? I probably wouldn't either.
Even if I got him to smile, the pictures probably wouldn't have been pretty. It's dark in the room, so the pictures would look tinted. Since he was moving so much, most of the pictures would have been somewhat blurry. I might've wasted a few minutes trying to take the perfect shot. Good thing I didn't.
So I just decided to sit there, smile, and enjoy it. I knew I wouldn't have a digital souvenir to look at later, but eh, it's alright. I was fully present. Both physically and mentally, I was giving my infant son my full attention.
It showed him that this moment was important, and so was he.
It's an annual process: around my birthday, I submit myself to some major self-reflection. I often think about my life, where it's been, and where it's headed. I reflect about the people in my life. I think about the people I love and my relationships with them. I think about all the people in my past that I've been fortunate to know. They've all had some sort of influence in the person who I am today. In thinking of the past, I do think about the mistakes I've made. I know making mistakes is part of being human, but I can't help but think about them. Often I think of them as learning experiences. Sometimes I dwell on them. I try not to, but sometimes I can't help it. Either way, they've made me who I am. They're a part of me and each mistake has made me a little more wiser. I must say that I've been very fortunate in my life. I'm happy. I can honestly say I'm fulfilled with my life so far. I've been surrounded by good people and have fantastic memories of great experiences I've had. Thinking back, I don't know if I would change anything if I could. Everything that happened needed to happen to bring me to where I am now. Traditionally, people give gifts to people on their birthday. As a thank you to everyone in my life, I'd like to share some pieces of wisdom that I've gained through the years:
LIFE REWARDS ACTION. Every achievement I've ever accomplished required action. I had to put in time and effort to reach my goals. Action gets things done. Effort has made all the difference in whether I succeed or not. Determination keeps us progressing towards the goal. If we have enough determination, then we will persist through any obstacles to reach our goals.
COURAGE IS MISUNDERSTOOD. Often people think of courage as the absence of fear. Time has shown me again and again that it isn't the absence of fear. Real courage is pushing through fear to accomplish a goal. FEAR IS A CANCER. It doesn't prevent death; it prevents life. Fear prevents people from growing out of their comfort zone. A life in fear is a life of tragedy.
FAILURE IS MISUNDERSTOOD. When I try and it doesn't go my way, it isn't truly a failure; it's a lesson in disguise. Real failure is when I give up and never try again.
BE MINDFUL OF THOUGHTS. My thoughts influence my actions and my actions affect my life. How I think of myself affects how I act everywhere, not just at work, but everywhere. When I believe I'm smart, I act more confidently. If I see myself as a leader, I unconsciously act that way.
BALANCE IS A KEY TO A GOOD LIFE. To have too much or too little of something is bad, having the right amount is good. Take food for example: eating too little or too much isn't good for our bodies.
TIME IS RIDICULOUSLY PRECIOUS. The experience of time is so subjective. Sometimes it goes by so ridiculously fast (usually during something fun) and other times it drags slowly (I'm sure we can all relate). The way that I perceived time as a child is different than now as an adult. When I was little, time seemed to go by slowly, and now, days/months go by within a blink of an eye. Now I try to cherish every moment because I know how fast time is.
ALWAYS KEEP LEARNING. If I don't keep my brain active, it feels like it's starting to rot. It's often said that people who keep learning stay young. There is so much in this big and fascinating world and I want to learn more about everything in it. With the tool of the internet, access to information is at my fingertips. I feel like I need to take advantage of it.
REALITY IS SUBJECTIVE. IT'S ALL ABOUT PERCEPTION. Life is how I believe it to be. People choose to perceive it in their own way. I choose to see it in an optimistic light.
WHAT WORKS FOR SOMEONE DOESN'T NECESSARILY WORK FOR EVERYONE. Everyone in this world is unique in their own way. People do what works for them, but what life strategies others find helpful may not work for you or me. I've learned that it's perfectly fine to try what works for others myself. If it works, great. If it doesn't, I'll try something else.
YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING "RIGHT" BUT NOTHING IN LIFE IS GUARANTEED. There are "social formulas" that we are taught growing up. If you're a nice person, then people will want to date you. If you go to college, then you will get a job that will make a lot of money. While that may be true for some people, it's not true for everyone. I've learned that life is so unpredictable. With anything we do, we can predict the possibility of the outcome, but there are no guarantees. MATERIAL "THINGS" ARE NICE, BUT THERE ARE MUCH BETTER "THINGS" OUT THERE. As I get older, I want less physical possessions. Maybe I'm weird, but I want more time with family and friends. I want to feel happiness and fulfillment daily. I want to have the satisfaction of economic stability and not worry about money. Looking back, I have a lot of memories that I hold dearly more than most material possessions I have. There are certain trinkets that remind me of memorable experiences, but the memories they represent are priceless.
MONEY IS IMPORTANT, BUT IT ISN'T EVERYTHING. In order to have a roof over my head, food in my belly, and clothes to wear, I need money. It's something I need to live in society and to maintain a certain quality of life for my family and myself. Since I live in a capitalistic society, I've grown up being told that having more money is a good thing. While that may be true to a certain extent, now that I'm a young adult with a family of my own, my priorities are different. The health and happiness of myself and those around me are my main priorities now.
RELAXING ISN'T A WASTE OF TIME.
Life can be overwhelming. At times it can be tiring and exhausting. Taking time for yourself to relax gives you an opportunity to recuperate physically, refocus mentally, and restrategize for what's ahead. Taking some time for yourself is an investment in your well-being. BEAUTY IS EVERYWHERE. We are lucky to live in a universe full of wonder no matter where you look. Whether it's looking at nature, space, or human beings, there is something beautiful there.
EVERY ACHIEVEMENT DESERVES TO BE CELEBRATED. Life is full of mistakes and achievements. Success is having more achievements than mistakes. Success is overcoming fear and failure to reach a goal. Every step you take (big or small) towards the goal is valid and should be recognized.
NOTHING IS AN ACCIDENT. The adage "everything happens for a reason" is true, but most people say it to mean that there is always a good reason why things happen. I've learned that everything does happen for a reason, but not always a good one. Things happen for unfortunate reasons too. How we think and act affects how the world reacts to us. OPPORTUNITIES ARE EVERYWHERE. Opportunities are all around us all the time, sometimes it's just harder to see. Every time I've "failed," it's been a blessing in disguise to point me towards an opportunity towards something much better. Even if I feel like I'm stuck at a dead end, I have the opportunity to create my own opportunity.
BEING PRODUCTIVE IS IMPORTANT; BEING BUSY ISN'T. Nowadays, people glorify being busy almost to an extreme degree. People seem to wear "being busy" as a badge of honor as if it validates their self-worth. I've learned the long way that being busy truly isn't a habit for success, being productive is. People can be both busy and unproductive. Sometimes people can consciously or subconsciously slow down their own productivity in order to keep themselves busy. Being productive is way more important in achieving success than being busy.
HAPPINESS IS A PRECIOUS TREASURE. In my experience I've been lucky enough to meet people from all walks of life. There are plenty of people who are happy and many who are unhappy. One thing I've noticed is that people can be in either category and their background is almost irrelevant. I know wealthy people who are happy and some who are unhappy. Same thing vice versa. I know many economically struggling people who are unhappy and met many who are happy no matter what their financial circumstance is. Happiness is something that should be treasured and not taken for granted. It's something that not everyone is fortunate to have.
KEEP THINGS AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE. Simple is good. It's inherently both efficient and effective.Why make things complicated if you don't have to?
TRUE GROWTH LIES OUTSIDE OF THE COMFORT ZONE. There is a reason why the comfort zone is called that way; it's what we're comfortable with. If we do what we always do, then our results will stay the same. If we do something different, say something challenging, then what life rewards us with can be surprising.
FORGIVENESS IS POWERFUL. The adage "Life becomes easier when you accept the apologies you never received" is one that has been on my mind lately for the past few months. The more I think about it, the more I understand the truth and significance of it. To forgive is to let go. It's releasing the negative weight that someone wrongly placed on you. Forgiving is actively choosing to move on. Holding onto anger and resentment isn't going to make anything better.
NEVER TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED. Life changes dramatically, usually without warning. We go through various life stages things change during and in-between those stages. Different people come in and out of your life at different changes and some stay consistent. Happiness can be there one day and gone the next. People change, ourselves included, and so does almost everything else in life. I've been learning to enjoy the present moments as much as possible before they turn into precious memories. BE AS HAPPY AS POSSIBLE. Life is too short to spend any moment of it in needless unhappiness. Sometimes it's perfectly okay to be unhappy; at those times it's needed. At certain points in our lives, we need to grieve, feel anger, or frustration. It's what keeps us human. It's also what helps us grow. Other than that, our time is precious and if we can be happy, we should be happy. GRATITUDE KEEPS US GROUNDED. It's always easy for me to want what I don't have. It can get frustrating thinking that I deserve something and not having it. It's easy to be envious to the fortunes of others. During times like these, I try to be thankful for what I have (and the negative situations I'm not in). Reflecting on what is positive in my life is truly humbling. It helps me recognize what is working and that there are good things happening in my life.
LIFE IS A BEAUTIFULLY MESSY PROCESS; IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PERFECT FOR IT TO BE BEAUTIFUL. Sometimes I like to think of my life as a roller coaster ride. There's highs, lows, twists, turns, fear, rushes of adrenaline, (occasional puking or screaming), and fun. It's also a work in progress; things usually get better along with time. Whatever mistakes I made are life lessons that I needed to learn. My life is beautiful because of all the experiences I've gone through and the people that I've shared my life with. Every choice I've made (and not made) or feeling I've felt has made my life unique. If every factor in my life was a brushstroke, I'd be an artistic work in progress.
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I don't know everything there is to know about life and it's deeper meaning. There are many more lessons that I probably need to learn. Learning about life is inherently a life-long process that I don't think I'll ever truly master in my lifetime. That's both the challenge and the adventure.
If you're reading this and procrastinating from doing something important, stop it! You know who you are. If you think note is for you, then it probably is.
This note is written with the most caring and understanding intention; I'm a huge procrastinator myself. I understand what it's like to put things off until the last minute, feel the adrenaline rush of an impending deadline, and the high of getting it done right on time. It's like being a daredevil with deadlines.
I also know the feeling of putting things off until "tomorrow." By saying that, it helps us be mindful of what is directly in front of our eyes. On the other hand, it creates the possibility that we could forget what we needed to do "tomorrow." Sometimes what we planned to do tomorrow turns into "next week," "next month," "next year," or the ever dreadful "one of these days."
But fear not my friend, we're in this together. I want you to reach your goals and build the life you dream of. Here are some tips to help us combat procrastination:
#1: Break down the task to lessen the sense of being overwhelmed (especially when it seems impossible).
#2: Create a detailed timeline with specific deadlines. (Writing it down works best.)
#3: Visualize the future you want. (Imagine what it would be like after you succeeded.)
#4: Eliminate the temptation to do something else. (ex: Facebook, TV, Instagram, food).
#5: Build accountability. (Get a buddy or tell others about your goals.)
