"Your Life is Now" Weekly Wisdom

I had the complete joy this past month to attend a concert of one of my favorite artists, John Mellencamp. Strong nostalgia from my junior high and high school days of his music. Dancing and singing along in my midwestern small town, his songs were my jam. In preparation, I had to listen to all my favorites prior to the concert and damn, he has so many hits! What a great artist and I got to see him live. During the concert, he talked a little about and played a song that brought on a whole new meaning to me and really got me thinking after the show. 

Your life is now. 

My life is now. 

I know I am getting very cognizant of what is happening in every moment of my life as I am in this 5th decade. Everything seems a little more clear, a little more sensitive, a little more urgent. No matter what we are doing, the now is where it is at. I use to be a dreamer and think about the future all the time, but I am choosing to live there anymore. There is a lot WE, there is a lot I could do right now - for ourselves and for others.  We need to get excited about the present a little more because it truly is all we have. 

"Your life is now, your life is now, your life is now
In this undiscovered moment
Lift your head up above the crowd
We could shake this world
If you would only show us how
Your life is now"

Songwriters: John Mellencamp / George Michael Green

#EmbraceTheHellYeah | #Inputs

AE

 

"Stick to the Plan" Weekly Wisdom

 

True confession:  I am notorious for having grand plans, mapping them out to execute and then..... not following through. It is a horrible pattern in my life. And the plans are good!  Well thought out, reasonably easy to complete and then my momentum fades. "The best laid plans of mice and men" seems to be the story of my life. 

But today, this shall be no more!  I have started making plans and I have all intentions to stick to them. I am starting small though because I do not want to overshoot my shot. I am starting with home projects like cleaning my patio cushions and refinishing my patio table. The week before this happens, I am making the plan, reserving the time in my calendar and sticking to the plan. 

My hope is to create the momentum that lasts instead of fades. I have spent way to many years in a state of horrible execution and I feel defeated. When in the midst of life life-ing, there are a plethora of plans that do not happen - could be because of a personal or professional curveball being thrown into your life. We cannot stop or change those BUT we can still make short term plans to keep us on course. 

I am starting with the short term plans and none of my plans have a rigid, fancy step by step guide. I am actually tackling that patio sitch today and knowing by doing so, I am going to continue to chip away at my very important long term plans as well. 

The plans are made and I am sticking to them. 

#Inputs | #EmbracetheHellYeah

~AE

"The Beginning" Weekly Wisdom

 

Do you see the champagne glass half empty or half full?

Winding down 2023, can you believe it?  Another year, another 365 days to review what happened, didn't happen, might happen in the last few minutes (you never know!). Maybe you are ready, maybe not. 

I always see the end of the year to be exciting because it's not an ending, it's a beginning. Whenever something ends, it leaves room for the growth of something new and to me, there is nothing better than those possibilities. I wish when the clock strikes midnight we could see the magic of what is to come but we can only create the beginning ourselves. 

Choose the champagne glass to be half full this year. Choose to create the beginning of all the greatness just waiting for you. Be grateful for the end and embrace all the possibilities the 365 days ahead hold for you.  I will be waiting and ready to pop the top to celebrate!

#quality | #embracethehellyeah

AE

"Best Version of You" Weekly Wisdom

Do you show up in everything you do?

How many times do we do things we really DO NOT WANT TO DO?  Maybe we over commit, maybe we are obligated because of work or family, maybe we just don't understand our limits. Regardless of why, we will always be in a situation where we may be doing something we really do not want to do. 

In that case, we still need to show up and do it. We also need to do it as the best version of ourselves. This is not easy. I am that person who reacts badly when I have to do something I do not want to do. Negative self talks overtakes my brain and my disposition which can only result in the worst version of myself. It feels horrible and the whole experience is horrible. 

When I change the tone, show up with my positive pants on, smile and find the tiniest bit of joy in the situation - the whole experience is better.  It is easier to scrub the bathroom tile, rake up 20 bags of leaves or whatever task/event/commitment you are dreading (obviously you know mine now). It is mentally and physically happier to show up as the best version of you - for yourself or for others, it doesn't matter. 

Show up, be great. 

#quality | #embracethehellyeah

~AE

 

"Where You End" Weekly Wisdom

 

What were you doing 10 years ago?

Maybe 20 years ago, 5 years ago, 1 year ago?  I bet there are very few things that are the same and there are many difference in your life. 

We get so caught up on where we are right now and what we need to change - too hyper-focused. The change happens gradually in most circumstances. It happens with heartache, learning, education, personal growth, economic status, social status, who you meet, who you let go...

Be in the now with your evolution, don't force it but do things that organically place you where you want to be. Put a note in your calendar for a year from now to remind yourself to look back at all the changes that happened from this moment on - guarantee those changes are putting to closer where you want to be. 

#quality | #embracethehellyeah

~AE

"Take the Trip" Weekly Wisdom

What was the trip that changed your life?

THIS QUOTE!  Everything about it is so true now that I have experienced the joy of Paris. I think we could say this about any or all of the trips we have been on our in our lives. 

The trip is just part of the journey, what you take away from the experience is what follows into the future.

I feel fortunate to have take a few trips in my time and it is interesting how randomly thoughts of a previous trip come to mind when something happens in my life. The memory and the feelings place me right back to the time of my adventure. This, this is the good stuff that comes from travel. 

It doesn't have to be far, it doesn't have to be expensive or fancy - it just has to be yours. Your adventure. 

Just take the damn trip already. 

#quality | #embracethehellyeah

~AE

 

"Anything is Possible" Weekly Wisdom

"What if..."

I am a master at the "what if" game. I always run every crazy scenario through my brain for even the tiniest decision or question I am trying to answer. And then one day, I decided this cat and mouse game was not serving me well and I cannot live my life asking "what if."

We all need to live our lives consumed by possible endings. It only holds us back from living fully and authentically in the day to day, week to week, month to month, year to year. And then 5 years pass, then 10, then 20 and then we ask where the time has gone. Most of our possibilities stem from the negative and that is no where to live. 

Anything is possible and possible can be exciting if your possible is positive. 

#quality | #embracethehellyeah

~AE

 

"Inspire Yourself" Weekly Wisdom

 

 

Where do you look for inspiration?

I don't know if it is just me, but for many years I have been on the quest to find people and things that inspire. Signing up for weekly emails, books, watching documentaries, finding a mentor, attending workshops - all to find the one life-changing thing that will turn the course of my life forever. 

There is a reason why I had not found it. I was looking in all the wrong places. 

Instead of searching high and low for inspiration - search within yourself. It's all there!  All the inspiration you need is right inside of you. Instead of looking to someone else and soaking in their inspiration, create it from yourself. Create inspiration in your daily life, from tiny moments to bigger moments during your day. Maybe inspiration will come from task you perform or a trip you take. 

The keyword is: YOU. 

#quality | #embracethehellyeah

~AE

"Lean Into the Fantasy" Weekly Wisdom

Where are all my "make believers" at?

I loved to play make believe as a small child. I think back to my Little Tikes kitchen and all the goals and dreams of being a famous chef. Make believe playing house and school and all the endless Barbie pool parties in the bathroom sink. I would even make believe as a teenager about going to one of my favorite bands in concert and the bass player picks me out in the crowd and I go on stage. He kisses me and we live happily ever after.  Awww good times. 

It makes me sad that I don't make believe anymore, but I guess it has transitioned into what my dreams and goals are. Do I have them?  How am I making them a reality and living them out? 

My man friend always asks me what my dreams are and it is seriously one of the hardest questions to answer. I always keep this as an over-arching question in my daily life and keep a notes folder in my phone to add to it. Then, when the timing it right, I start crossing off my list. 

While I am living out my dreams, I am now creating a little twist on my old versions of make believe and turning it into "leaning into the fantasy."  If it is a dream, there is a reason and I need to make the experience as close to what I picture it to be in my head. I need to make it come alive like I did when I was a kid. 

What's your dream?  What fantasy will you be leaning into?

#quality | #embracethehellyeah

~AE

 

"Help the Change" Weekly Wisdom

How do we help others change?

Being a dietitian is hard work. How many of you have had this experience:  client contacts you, is ready to make changes with their health, all on board and wants your first appointment. Client comes in, shares their goals and hands the baton off to you. You converse back and forth, ask all the right questions, get a pretty good picture of how to work with this client and then provide the plan. The client is ready to go, seems motivated and verbalizes they understand everything, make their follow-up appointment and off they go to implement it. 

Until they don't show up for their follow-up and you don't hear from them for 6 months or ever again. 

For us as practitioners, it is trial and error with each client. We know we can't have a one-size-fits-all approach but we also know we are dealing with....HUMANS. One minute we are in it to win it, the next minute we are over it. We know the secret sauce to help people as dietitians. We know it takes effort every day for many days to see positive changes. We know people do not usually like to give change the time it needs. 

So how can we help others change?

I believe, we need to quit telling people what they think they want to hear to reach their health goals. I think we need to stop making them subtract things from their lives and instead change the environment in which they live. Habits can be great and habits can be damaging and most of us live in a habit created environment. 

If there is one takeaway from this post today, when you are meeting with a client about their health goals - ask them what they do from the minute they wake up to the minute they fall asleep. What motions do they go through and that's where the real secret sauce is. 

#quality | #embracethehellyeah

~AE

 

"Be the Garnish" Weekly Wisdom

Do you like to add a little color to this world?

I remember when I was a little Anne, dining out with your family was a big deal. It was a privilege to have a meal in a restaurant with my family and we had to be on our best behavior. I also remember, for many of those meals, my plate arrived with a sprig of "green stuff" on it and I was not having it. I am sure my "ew" face was very displeasing to my family and completely not appropriate. My sister and I were never big fans of parsley. 

Until I understood why there was parsley on my plate, which has only been within the last year. There are many reasons why parsley ends up on the plate and these three subtle reasons are my favorites. 

1. Parsley was intended to be a meal finisher as a breath freshener or a digestive aid. 

2. It was a sign from the chef to the waitstaff that the plate was ready to be served. 

3. To add color to plates of food. 

How do these all tie together and how can we be the parsley?  

Our whole world always needs a little more color and I can add it to the day I lead or to those I encounter during the day. It can be smile, a hello and nice gesture like opening a door - adding the parsley for color.  

Going the extra mile with what you are working on to make sure it is complete and something you are proud of - adding the parsley as a finisher for being proud of your masterpiece and ready for the world to use or enjoy. 

These are merely a couple examples,  how will you be parsley when people need it?

#quality | #embracethehellyeah

~AE

 

"Use Your Voice" Weekly Wisdom

How do you use your voice?

We all have a voice and it can be very powerful, both positively and negatively. I am working on a little project with myself to catch myself when I use it both ways. It is a great barometer for how well I am using my voice in my daily interactions with all humans. It also helps me catch my negativity in my life and helps me analyze why I am being that way. 

I have a feeling not many of us are really looking at how we use our voice. If we use it for good, it really can bring value to our own life and the lives of others. There is plenty of negative talk, we need to use our voice for education and validation - just as much as we use our ears for listening.  These both go hand in hand. Listening, thinking before we speak or write, then in return providing value in our comments - this is what helps our world be a better place. 

Use your voice for good and use your voice in a positive way. I know I will be listening if that's the path you choose. 

#quality | #embracethehellyeah

~AE

 

The "Give a Shit Factor" Weekly Wisdom

Raise your hand if you have ever said "I don't give a shit."

You can't see my right now but both of my hands are raised high to the sky. Friends, I have said this phrase more and more. But it has not always been the case. I DID give a shit, to the extreme. It was out of control how much I cared about what everyone else thought of me or what I was doing. I compared and contrasted myself to others so often, it would impair my ability to perform day to day tasks. I embodied what many of you know as imposter syndrome. It really held me back from, well life. And now, the term imposter syndrome makes me cringe because it also made me feel jealousy, resentment, hostility, inadequacy and bitterness. Gross. 

I am no less ambitious, nor has my goals decreased - I have just shifted to not only embracing the hell yeah but to be aware of my "give a shit" factor. I care deeply about a lot of things but comparing myself to others, wanting things that don't truly make me happy or being someone that I am not - are not things I give a shit about anymore. 

 I will always be happy for others. I am going to cheer them on, and I am going to share in their joy for what matters to them. For me, I am going to do this life how I want to. I am going to do things how I want to. I am going to love how I want to. I am going to just "be" how I want to.

And if you don't like it, I really don't give a shit. 

#quality | #embracethehellyeah

~AE

 

"Pain is Part of Your Purpose" Weekly Wisdom

 

When was the last time you were physically in pain?

About a month ago, I was having some severe hip pain. I could perform daily tasks but when it was time to sleep, there was no sleeping position that was comfortable. For about a month, I was sleeping in a pretzel position for in 10 minute increments, totaling about 2 hours of sleep at night. After exhausting my Google research and attempting my own rehabilitation, I was not getting better and this was no way to live. I called my physical therapist and after 2 sessions, things were starting to look up. 

During this exciting and fun time in my life, the physical pain was apparent. I knew what it was and I had someone to help me fix it.  Not all pain is apparent. Not all pain can be fixed this quickly. We do a great job recognizing and rehabbing physical pain. We do not do well with dealing with our emotional pain. Many of us diminish it, push it off or bury it. We don't realize how going through emotional pain is part of the being we are becoming and we need to work through it - so we don't slow down the becoming. 

We work hard at so many other tasks and things in our lives - we need to work just as hard at dealing with our personal pain. I am guilty. I have not dealt with some underlying emotional things and it is really coming to the surface lately. I am going to make the effort, to do the work because I know it's holding me back from fulfilling my purpose. 

We need to be as ok with treating and dealing with emotional pain as we are with physical pain - and that starts within ourselves. 

#quality | #embracthehellyeah

~AE

"Be the Cherry on Top" Weekly Wisdom

Who doesn't love a sundae with a cherry on top?

An ice cream sundae with a cherry on top just makes me smile the minute I see it coming toward me. Something so simple that brings joy to everyone. 

It's always the little things in life that provides the biggest rewards. They can be fleeting but if we make them occur more often, then the joy bank account keeps building. 

I think we can all be something so simple and wonderful as a cherry on top of a sundae. Think about it for a minute, how could you easily be this for yourself and others throughout the day?  

#quality | #embracthehellyeah

~AE

 

"Listen Up" Weekly Wisdom

 

How are your listening skills?

We all need to stop talking so much. There I said it. 

There is nothing more ridiculous than people talking over each other. Someone talking and the other person not listening is just totally unproductive. Even it if is about something simple like what should we watch on TV tonight. 

When someone is sharing with you something personal, it is important! Are you listening?  Here is an example I overheard this week at a restaurant I was at. A young lady was sharing with a friend about how she struggles to make dinner for her family each night. She doesn't like doing it, she doesn't want to do it and she knows most of the time it is not healthy. I about fell out of my chair that the friend says, oh its easy this is what I do. Why don't you just do something like that? And then she continues to share all the meals she made this past two weeks as the young lady continued to look more and more defeated. 

We don't know everything. We are not doing it better than everyone else. We might have more experience or different tactics to doing a task but we are still not superior. Sometimes people just need to be heard and we just need to sit there and listen. Once someone is done talking and IF they ask us for advice or an opinion, then we can chime in because they want us to. 

It has truly become the "me show" in our society with a look at me and listen to me mindset. It is never wrong to share with the world your knowledge or expertise if it is helpful to others. We need to do more of that but we need to do less of sharing what you did today, what you wore today or even what you ate today. Most people are just trying to do the same and get through the day. They do not need to feel inferior to someone who is appearing to be doing it better. 

We all need to work on our listening skills. 

#quality | #embracethehellyeah

~AE

"Give The Compliment" Weekly Wisdom

 

When was the last time you gave someone a compliment?

This is the 1 way to support someone who means something to you. 

It doesn't have to be exclusive to family or friends. What about hairdresser, company that cuts your grass, the checker at the grocery store, the classmate from high school who was nice to you on a day that was horrible. It is never too late to bring a smile to someones day and give them something very special. 

We shop for special occasions, like birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers - finding a special gift for that special someone in our lives. But why do we only wait for special events - those expected events? Let's get cozy with the unexpected for once. 

That's why compliments are fantastic - they can be given anytime and are even better when it is unexpected. You can send a text, an email, write it on a mirror in lipstick, send a note in the mail - whatever is really easy for you to share the love. 

I challenge you to do this once a month, give the compliment. Give it to someone who really needs it. Maybe it is a friend or family member, but I ask that you look outside your circle. I also recommend you schedule it - without any idea of who it will go to because the timing of your life will lend to the person it will be given to. 

It's the gift that keeps on giving. 

#quality | #embracethehellyeah

AE

"Dress For Success" Weekly Wisdom

 

Do you even lift bro?

I have been listening to a lot of podcasts and reading books on keeping the brain and body in tip top shape as we age. Of course all of this education leads back to the basics many of us are very familiar with:  eating nourishing foods, decreasing stress, sleeping more, practicing self care and moving more. The emphasis keeps falling onto moving more. Exercise - the dreaded "E" word. 

The more muscle we have, the better off we live. We are physically and mentally stronger, we are less susceptible to injury and we can pull this lever to counteract "not-so-nourishing" lifestyle habits like eating more sugar and drinking alcohol. The principal of "you cannot outrun your fork" still reigns true but instead of running/cardio,  we need to think more about strengthening with resistance. Resistance training will stimulate more muscle fibers and keeps the structure of our bodies more intact as we age. Do you want to be able to get out of a chair, do you want to be able to go up and down stairs safely, do you want to be active on vacations, do you want to prevent fractures?  

You gotta lift, bro. 

You can use your bodyweight to get started or use resistance bands, or use 1 pound canned of green beans. Start somewhere, start now and don't look back. The more muscle you have the decreased mortality you have AT ANY AGE. I think that is reason enough to do it and the payoff is better than any article of clothing I could buy. 

#quality | #embracethehellyeah

~AE

"Trust Your Gut" Weekly Wisdom

 

Do you trust your gut instincts/feelings?

Gut instinct is a real thing. If you have a bizarre feeling about a person, situation or can't explain your feelings about something - this is your brain sending you a message that usually comes on quickly and then quickly goes to our gut, causing some type of nausea or twinges in our stomach. That gut-brain connection is real and you "gut feeling" comes to life. 

I am very aware of my gut feelings speaking to me. The negative one make me hot, jittery, nauseous and goosebumps start a the top of my head and go down to my toes. I can count all the times this has happened in my life and not one of those times was my gut feeling wrong. I also have positive gut feelings that give me butterfly feelings, make me smile more and thoughts keep returning to that person or idea. 

Negative or positive - I listen, like really listen. 

If you are thinking hard about something lately, whether a big or small decision - sit down to some quiet time with your brain. Think and feel and determine how your body is reacting to the thought at hand. Sometimes you don't need a pro and con list, sometimes all you need is to trust your gut. 

#quality | #embracethehellyeah

~AE

"Optimize Your Day" Weekly Wisdom

What does your to-do list look like today?

I see you my dietitian friend. I can visualize your to-do list right now because I can see my own. We are just a little ambitious on most days because we are "that kind of personality" - the one that does everything and anything we can in a day. Then we repeat it all over again the next day. If we didn't cross something off the list, it gets added to the next days list and we start all over again. There is satisfaction in crossing items off the list, but not when the list continues to stay long and gets added to each day. It just doesn't work and is clearly the definition of insanity. 

I learned this the hard way and finally I have realized, I just cannot optimize all the things at one time. 

I can have goals and expectations for how my day goes, but setting myself up for failure by making a to-do list that is unachievable for one person to complete in a day is over. I now "optimize" my day by the following:

My Daily To-Do:

1. 

2. 

3. 

3 things. That is all I put on my list. This helps me to optimize my day, productivity and personal time (so I stop worrying about the other items I did not complete at the end of the day). I CAN and WILL complete 3 things each day and it has been life changing. 

How do you optimize your day?

#quality | #embracethehellyeah

~AE