"Don't Be Sad" Weekly Wisdom

 

What is one thing that makes less sad?

I am not sure if it's the shift if the weather during this time of year but I have felt the shift in my mood. Maybe a little more moments of being blue or a little sad have crept into life lately and I try my hardest everyday to kick it to the curb. I cannot pinpoint what it is but I know I need to make a conscience effort to try and understand what it is. 

To understand, I must reflect on what is happening around me and within me.  Reflection is hard because I cannot find time to do it. The "power in the pause" is the real deal - there is no excuse to finding the time to tap into emotions and how we feel. Insert habit stacking. This past weekend, I realized what little things help shift my mood and help me pause. I really enjoy getting a coffee at a local coffee shop for myself. Don't get me wrong, I love grabbing it WITH friends - but there is something about the solo coffee trip and then coming home and being in the quiet by just sitting at my dining table. Just that small act changes my whole mood and mindset. I was 40 something years old when I learned this about myself. 

It can be anything in your life you do for yourself to help you find the time to reflect. Reflect on your life, your needs, your happiness, your sadness - whatever you need to focus on. And believe me, there is plenty of things you need to focus on involving you and ONLY YOU. 

#realization | #EmbraceTheHellYeah

AE

"Hit of Happiness" Weekly Wisdom

 

What is YOUR hit of happiness?

I was having brunch with friends a couple weeks ago and on the menu was "million dollar bacon."  This was not the first time I have seen this on a menu. Last year in Florida, we went to a restaurant with "million dollar bacon" and we ordered it because HELLO, you must try million dollar bacon. It was good and it was even better on vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. I did not order it at brunch because I felt like once you have had it, you really do not need to have it again. It made me think how wild it is that we live in a world with million dollar bacon as a menu option. 

Which led me down an even deeper spiral of my dietitian brain of the many other options we are exposed to similar to million dollar bacon. It's a thrill when we see it, try it, eat it and relive it the next time we see it on a menu. Maybe its the triple dip, hot chocolate sundae with 3 kinds of chocolate chips and a side of extra chocolate sauce. Maybe it's the tomahawk ribeye. Maybe it's the morning Bloody Mary with the beer back, maybe its the extra spicy romance novel that you can't put down. Maybe it's the 6 season Netflix show that you lose sleep over because you can't stop watching it. Maybe it's the 5th trip to Target this week and the bag of "stuff" you just needed to have. Maybe it is a yoga session or a long walk. Maybe it's journaling or praying. Maybe it's therapy or coffee with a friend. Maybe it's just a bandaid holding your life together?

I believe we live in a world where we are all looking for a little less chaos with a little more calm and joy in our lives. We run ourselves into the ground working long hours, doing activities, trying to have relationships and social lives, trying to manage our homes with cooking and cleaning, trying to get adequate sleep, trying to nurture our inner peace and balance. We have a hard time saying no and find other ways to find the joy we are missing. If you are burning the candle at both ends and finding yourself searching for those daily hits to help you cope, I challenge you to ask yourself if it's productive or just a bandaid?  

We all have our own "hits of happiness." 

Do more of the ones that bring you closer to the life you want. 

#realization | #EmbraceTheHellYeah

AE

"Do Your Best" Weekly Wisdom

 

What do you "do?"

You know the drill. When you meet someone new, the small talk begins and right after you share your name and a little small talk about the day or weather - the infamous question arises:  What do you do?

Our default is always our job. We are so much more than our job and we should never limit our answer to just what we do for work. Why not share more about what you do? Share with others your other passions, hobbies, activities/sports, parenting humans or pets, or in my case - I do my best. 

Defining yourself never needs to be limited. All the things you do make you the stunning person you are. Careers are important and in my younger years, I thought it was the only thing that made me, me. Now, it is the last thing that makes me, me. 

I challenge you in a next new meeting, before you talk about your job, talk about what lights you up. That's what you "do."

#realization | #EmbraceTheHellYeah

~AE