Years ago, I started making smoothies and juices to improve my health and energy. As long as I kept making them, I noticed my health and energy level improving. It was also to supplement my health while eating a vegetarian diet in case I was requiring so much more vitamins than I was getting. So, I became a fan of blending or juicing, and all the while I ate seasonally and mostly locally. I loved the foods I was eating and I began getting creative to make different recipes and smoothie blends.
I found a lot of juicing and making smoothies information on You Tube. So blasting together juices, at first took a long time to obtain a juicer, until I was gifted a Jack Lalanne's power juicer. It was fantastic to start off with. It required a lot of cleaning though, but I was happy to have a juicer and then I bought a new blender to also add in smoothies to my regime. So, I started on my blender smoothies full-time and it eventually replaced juicing, due to mostly time limitations of cleaning time, budget and kitchen space. Honestly, a large juicer on the counter when you only have 2 small counters seemed to be a large machine that can hamper the small space I have. If I want a special juice, I can always still make it but for the most part smoothies are quick and easy.
Another thing, is I was always dealing with pulp from the fruits and vegetables when I was juicing. It became a whole pulp project trying to make it into foods, so as not to waste it. So, I made my own pulp crackers, muffins, shaker salad spices and more. When ever I could implement some of the pulp, into recipes, that is what I did. And I had to use it up quick so it didn't spoil because unless I froze it. Before I knew, I had pulp overload!
Like I mentioned, I ended up freezing some and would store small baggies of pulp in the freezer to use in recipes and still, I would make muffins. I was starting to really like the recipe I made work, so I had some delicious apple pulp and bran fibre muffins with raisins and nuts in them. They were so healthy too, but there were just too many for me to eat since no one else at work or at home cared for the healthy food, (they preferred cupcakes with coffee in the morning, not muffins with a smoothie or a juice- ha ha), I couldn't rely on anyone to help me eat them and there was usually more than a dozen to plow through.
So, that is where smoothies became more the normal around here, as I found a break from finding ways to use pulp, or having to clean all the parts of the juicing machine. I don't have to find any ways to cook or bake to use the fruit and veggie pulp, and I don't want to be in the kitchen any more than I already am these days.
Not all smoothies are created equal. Some mixtures of smoothies taste very strong, green and healthy, or even like "hay," I have heard. So it's important to balance your flavors. Smoothies that taste like a tropical drink or chocolate milk can be made. Choco Mada Smoothie's look good, and I also blend a couple pitted dates in my smoothies. Use bananas, apples, mango, pineapple and more sweet fruits to liven up a green smoothie.
My absolute favourite fruits or vegetables to add to smoothies are pears. I like it in green or in fruit smoothies. I also like to add fennel which is a fresh licorice taste to the smoothie and is great with green apples. Beets give a red and vibrant colour, which I love using the sweeter small beets and blend up a sweet and refreshing combos. Personally, I wash and peel my fruits that are not organic, otherwise I will just scrub and wash an organic piece of fruit. I do not peel it when adding it into smoothie either unless it's something with a hard-skin. You can chop you fruit and veggies to make it easier on your blender.
I love to make different combinations that are not to complicated, such as blueberry and spinach, or banana and pineapple, or green apple and kale or other greens even using lettuce at times in place of the kale. I give my growing toddler grape and banana smoothies with hemp seeds in it. I find this is a great way to make sure she is getting more fruit in her diet, and as for grapes being a choking hazard with little ones they are not when they are made into a smoothie. I also use some bagged frozen fruit which blended with an orange works out great. Practically anything can become a smoothie and it makes a great supplement drink to the day, while using your produce so there is not waste!
A past favourite smoothie of mine was pineapple, apple, fennel and a carrot, topped with Lotus Flower pollen. This combo is amazing, and I also like the ginger in that smoothie or with an apple and carrot combo altogether. But, if you got this far along reading all my recommendations, then here is MY ultimate smoothie that I cannot get enough these days. It is super alkalising and detoxing for your body and gives me so much energy. It is half a green apple, a large handful from a bushel of cilantro. Then I blend it with either my Brain ON Nutrient Dense Aqua Botanical powder supplement (I call my gunpowder) or a couple teaspoons of pine pollen which is also green.
This is my green elixir, and while it can be modified according to what greens you have on hand, for instance a leaf of kale or the leaves of organic cauliflower or even lettuces, I gotta say cilantro is what makes it taste so fresh. Brian ON is what gives me energy and helps me to think better, and pine pollen is rich amount of amino acids, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins it contains.
So it depends what I am feeling like, or if I am trying to use things before the expiration date. As of lately, I have been saving some avocado pits to add into my smoothies. I peel them, chop them up and then they go into the blender, but to conserve the blade of your blender you can "grate" the peeled seed. It turns out the avocado pit is just as nutritious as the flesh of the fruit itself, if not more and can be used for your health when added into a smoothie drink.
Smoothies can change your life if you are suffering from different ailments such as fatigue, chronic conditions, to strengthen your immune system and overall keep you youthful. If you are new to making smoothies and eating fruits and veggies, I recommend looking into smoothies, especially green smoothies as they are super for your health! Here's a start: Green Smoothie 101
If you read my Current Affairs blog post, which outlined a bit of what I am doing lately you would have read that I am more into using natural products for green cleaning. So it started as part of cleaning up my eating a bit more, and in line came "cleaning up" the way I clean my home. It's better for your family too, especially babies as they tend to absorb much more chemicals and toxins than adults. I thought I would share a little about some of the things I am doing.
Not only have I been using items from my pantry in cleaning agents I make, but also I have implemented them into my own beauty routine. I currently use raw local honey to wash my face and also as a facial mask. I have been using baking soda as a facial mask and gentle exfoliant for all over my body. I mix together grape seed oil, baking soda and then a few dashes of tea tree oil. Then blend well in a little jar (I use an old clean baby food jar with a lid) and keep it in the shower. It is a good antibacterial body wash, and also can be used for your face if you are having a break out. I prefer to put a little bit of tea tree oil (skin oil) directly onto any breakouts as well.
Then I mixed a new DIY facial together which is amazing! Now, I would prefer all organic, but I am not sure it's necessary as this mix worked wonders. So, using olive oil for natural skin tightening, I mixed extra-virgin olive oil with lemon juice (no particular amounts, but less lemon than oil) and spread it over my face and neck. I didn't have fresh or organic lemons on hand but I did have lemon juice from a bottle which did sting a bit. I know, it's probably NOT even lemons but rather a slurry but let's hope not so I did use only a little. I think it would obviously be better to use real lemons and extract the juice. So anyways, it's that easy and put it into a clean spare old container (I used an old vitamin bottle with top) and leave it on your face for 15-20 minutes or less, if you have very sensitive skin. There is a lot of tingling action going on. Then rinse with lukewarm water and voila! Literally you don't have dry skin and my pores looked a lot better for a couple of days.
Brushing your teeth and cleaning your pearly whites needs some toothpaste. I have skipped using fluoridated toothpaste around here. I have a tube in case of company ever needs some, and I wouldn't want them to think I was a totally natural right? Or they may think I am striving to be a lemon sniffer! They may think of me as a conspiracy theorist if I didn't have fluoride chemical in a tub around here. But on the down low, I mixed together coconut oil, baking soda and instead of expensive mint essential oils, I used peppermint extract from the grocery store to give it a fresh taste. I required it for a couple recipes I was working on anyways, so it made sense to use it for making a minty fresh DIY natural toothpaste. Now, I was running low on coconut oil and tired of buying smaller amounts for what still adds up to be a lot of money, so I tagged along with a friend to Costco! Yes, we stocked up on a 2.3 L of virgin coconut oil and I price compare everywhere here in Calgary, and it was the best price next to ordering from online. So I needed to stock up and in the meantime I was using a salt and baking soda mix together which is a formidable whitening toothpaste. It seems to work a lot better than whitening toothpastes with fluoride in them! One thing that is happening though, is I have quite a few more canker sores than usual, as well as a bit more sensitive teeth. I am not sure it's from the toothpaste though or eating more medjool dates that I so love. Ya, and bye-bye fluoride.
Something else I use baking soda for, is putting it into my favorite shampoo and it turns it into a clarifying shampoo. I mean I add it into the palm of my hand and my shampoo to it, that way I still can use either or both when I need. I also use tea tree oil on my scalp to eliminate dandruff, but I have only tried it once when I had time. I also use some coconut oil on my scalp when it's dry to avoid a dry unhealthy scalp, plus you can spread a bit on the ends of your tresses and a light amount to fight fly a-ways.
Back to home cleaning though, vinegar and water is my mainstay to keeping things looking shiny and clean around here. With a toddler getting around and smearing food on the computer keyboard or on tables, chairs and walls, I feel I need a utility belt loaded with paper towel and spray bottles of vinegar and water. I made my own DIY antibacterial surface cleaner in an older plastic container with lid (one I don't use anymore since it's not BPA free) and add regular salt, lemon juice and vinegar. Mix equal parts of salt and vinegar and a good dash of lemon juice, and you can use a natural cleaning cloth made for all purpose cleaning. If you need something on the go, add a half roll of paper towel although it's not as green of a cloth than microfibre or reusable cloths.. I Make sure there is enough lemon juice and vinegar, in fact more than the amount of salt or you will have wipes that leave a salt residue around. Trust me I know from experience and ended up using my first batch on my outside deck chairs only, due to this issue. But that aside, if you don't like the smell of vinegar, then lemon juice is your best bet, but keep in mind vinegar's smell does disappear in no time. Lemon juice and vinegar, both are good for softening hard water deposits and dissolves dirt that is built up.
Vinegar goes a long way everywhere in the home, especially when cleaning your dishwasher. It should be done once a month to avoid mold and mildew buildup. Put a cup of vinegar into an empty dishwasher and turn it on for a cycle. It should smell a lot fresher as well and helps your dishes to come out cleaner.
To wash tubs and also for fresher laundry, I am using a lot of baking soda. I cannot say all the things I use it for, because I am always grabbing more for something such as in the oven sinks, bathtubs, counters, and even deodorizing fabrics and carpets. It can be used to clean grout by mixing 3 cups of baking soda to 1 cup of water and mix into a paste. Use an old toothbrush you kept around and scrub the paste into the grout and then clean off with a wet cloth. I also use it to help keep my stainless steel Cuisinart pots and pans, clean and maintained. After all, even though I got it on sale I still want to keep them looking great. One can also use coarse salt for scouring them clean.
I put tea tree oil in my floor pail with hot water, and sweep my floors and wash the floors with that. It left a clean smell and no harmful chemical residue and with a little one crawling and dragging her toys on the floor, I felt safer to think it was naturally clean. I use my vinegar and water mix to do quick cleaning on the counter tops and tables, and also if there is something sticky on the floor and need it wiped up. And of course vinegar and water is great for cleaning your mirrors and glass, but I had not previously known to add cornstarch specifically for streak free glass cleaning. Combine 1/4 cup of full strength vinegar, then 1 tbsp of cornstarch with one quart of warm water. Pour into a spray bottle and then if you don't have coffee filters to use, you can use crumbled up newspaper. I have tried making my own natural furniture polish too. Mix 1 cup of lemon juice with 1 tbsp of water and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Apply very lightly to your wood furniture and use a soft cloth to buff. This is a nice way to complete and protect cleaning your expensive wood furniture.
Some essential oils that are disinfectants and anti fungals are clove, lavender, cinnamon, eucalyptus, thyme and tea tree oil. I absolutely LOVE eucalyptus essential oil around my home as it cleans well, smells absolutely fresh and lovely, so it is very aroma-therapeutic, as well as it helps to keep the air non-toxic and clean. It also cures headaches, so there are just many uses for this stuff! I mix 5 ml of eucalyptus essential oil with a carrier oil and put it in a recycled roller ball perfume bottle, and I had kept that used bottle for a purpose such as that. Tea tree oil, is also essential around the home. If you want to make a natural fungicide, mix 2 teaspoons of essential oils with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle, and keep mold and mildew away. Similarly, using some hydrogen peroxide also works well. It prevents and inhibits mildew. If spray it on the affected area, such as mildewed grout in your shower, and leave it on for 10 minutes, scrub and wipe down apparently the results will sparkle. You can use it on your feet as a foot fungicide, but let's just hope you don't get any fungus on your feet!
I am just starting to try to learn how to make all kinds of natural cleaning concoctions around my home, but it doesn't end there! Pick up some more ideas for natural cleaning on Wellness Mama .
Have a great week!
Regardless of your stance on who is to blame or how the Cincinnati Zoo should have handled this situation, the fact it's not the first time a child had fell into a zoo's gorilla enclosure is surprising and maybe there could be something corrected in the design, as it's evidently flawed. I mean yes, children could obey their parents better these days too. I just feel sad for Harambe the gorilla, for it seems his life was cut short at 17 years old and that's all I have to say on it.
Deciding to write another blog post was easy to think about......since I had said I would be blogging more seriously. But then when it came to writing it and wording it just right, well that was another story. Since I had not put anything out on my blog with a lot of research behind it for some time, I had found some challenges. Then some challenges might be for some people, that this post is a little bit of a read and the topic became quite lengthy. But hey, this post is for those looking for help with your goals and following your passion so I hope you stick with it! Disclaimer: just so you are aware, this is not a "step by step guide" on how to complete your goals or make changes in your life, unless YOU change your life. This is an article of sorts on some things to think about, to motivate, and hopefully help. Let's get going.
So, I was drawing a blank at times, there were many things I wanted to write down but the wording seemed long-drawn or all wrong at times and some may call it writer's block, but I just call it out of practice. That aside, I had motivation issues myself when it came to knowing some of the effort this post might take. In between other tasks, I had opportunities to work on some research towards this post, and sometimes I did and sometimes I didn't. You know, a nap can also take priority if we are tired. I just wanted to get some fresh ideas and I watched videos on the topic, read up on it and kept on studying and reading to gain more knowledge on the subject in general.
Today, you guessed it, I want to discuss goals and passions and how to put our energy to it. How do we stay focused and not give up when things are not so easy? "Anything worth working for never comes easy", so it is said. Yes, we work hard and it should all come together, right?? Not exactly. I think consistency and dedication along with hard work and faith can see us through. I will try to cover those points and a few more. Does following your passion have to be work? If you love what you are doing, does that mean issues will not arise and you will always love it when things are more difficult? No. If you enjoy where you are going with something or in life, it may not seem like work anymore, but even if you don't enjoy it a certain amount of work towards something also gets you going in that direction. Then you may not necessarily find the steps it took to accomplish as unpleasant....... but that's not always the feeling while we are building momentum or just starting at a new task. Just like start-up businesses take some time to get established, it should not be a constant struggle the entire life of the business. In fact, once you review how things went you may even feel they were all necessary lessons or steps, and see future matters with more wisdom and they may not be as difficult or toiling.
Then, will you always have 100% motivation to do the next thing? That being said, it does take some amount of physical and mental exertion to do things correctly, to learn and to do research, to put skills to use, to surround yourself with motivational mentors and people, and to visualize and take control of one's emotions when you feel like giving up. Just as you don't always feel 100% everyday, you must not let that stop you and take the helm of your life. One could meditate or pray to think about accepting where you are and what choices you have to improve. It is just something you have to do and then work through it. Again, controlling one's emotions by the minute can be very challenging but necessary. This has to do with accomplishing your goals and passion in life, so that you have a less difficult time to overcome it.
Personally, in the past I had quit jobs, when I allowed myself to be affected by others poisoning my work environment and my experiences. My part in it was not controlling my own feelings towards certain situations. If I let it "get to me" then that is my fault. Perhaps some people would advise to unleash themselves if you are miserable there anyways, but I believe they mean to prepare to exit a job properly as opposed to making a huge sacrifice to your finances. So, unleash your strategies and set into motion, including starting with saving and paying off any debts. It is beneficial if you find yourself soon out of employment, so you have enough for living expenses and not those same funds going to high interest credit cards.
Besides that, stocking up on essential food and other items when they are a good price is excellent and saves you not only money but also time. Time (as you won't need to shop at the store everyday), and you can use more time to accomplish your goals, or taking some time to find out what you want to focus on. That is my personal experience, so do things in your best interest before you just quit. If it gets too much and you are going to do something aggressive you might regret, then start your exit plan, and perhaps seek some counselling or talk to a support person who understands in the meantime. I understand how things can get overwhelming and how aggravating office politics are, but just think it could give you an edge to hang in there just a bit longer until you need, and in the meantime try to ignore somethings or people and do things that help you cope. Eat well and sleep well, so you can have your scruples about you. You could also try a few things first, such as set up a meeting or discuss boundaries you need to be met, and if your attempts to be reasonable and diplomatic don't work, then you can use your discretion. It is easier said than done to control our emotions and feelings, not just reserved for workplace situations. All aspects of life along with varieties of people that can be difficult, then you will need to use more finesse.
A lot of New Age beliefs say to get "into the vortex" or get happy. Sometimes, we may try to do that but feel unsatisfied. If we are always wrapped up in external things or situations in this world to make us happy, instead of being fulfilled in our hearts to be content, then we will always be searching outside ourselves. I don't think that means that we cannot want to live a good life with all we need though. Sometimes, our situations in life, health or perhaps hormones are getting us all down and depressed, feeling tired and lethargic. We may have mixed feelings some days and other days we may have a lot of clarity, but it is varying so much it's hard to stay on track and focus. In order to accomplish health goals you have to be your own health advocate. Then you can start to obtain the correct information and food and work towards better health. I will post more about this another time, but if you are looking for answers on how to have more energy and vigor, start consistently working on it.
So is it really ALL up to us to keep ourselves happy and fulfilled to stay moving forward?
Well, I believe we can surround ourselves with a good support system and practice positive spiritual practices it sets us on the right course. We should implement these things into our life to be more productive and driven in positive ways. That could be people who are accomplishing their goals and wanting to become their greatest versions of themselves in life and thus happier individuals as well, or people who could be a solid mentor to you. If we surround ourselves with these types of people as opposed to negative people who only knock us down, then it will set us up for more successful scenarios. Routine, discipline and a foundation are important in general.
Another thing that can take away time from moving forward is worrying. Worry is proven poor for your health, especially if done over a prolonged time. You cannot avoid it altogether, so it's recommended to dedicate a set amount of time in your day to worry. So, for example, choose 20 minutes when you can be to yourself and worry your head off. Then leave it alone. This way you don't spend good productivity time, worrying all day. Also, while some people may not believe in God or a higher power, prayer is also important and is to some people part of their routines and discipline. A devote (insert religious belief here), practices their faith daily. Depending on your beliefs, you might want to take up praying for guidance instead of taking all the burdens all on yourself and worrying yourself crazy. So for example, a simple prayer of gratitude goes a long way. Then you can set off on improving and not worry to solve much more. All in time, and step by step and day by day.
So if you can try to stop worrying, and do something instead, you can turn your worries into positive improvements of action. You can pamper yourself when you are feeling stress or worry, or do some relaxing yoga or simple neck stretches at the start of your day in order to better deal with stressors. Have a chamomile tea and honey and listen to some peaceful music or go to the park and walk, or see the outdoors. It does take the edge off, and you are dedicating some time for something good for yourself each day. It is part of a routine and discipline to treat yourself well in this life. Even a bubble bath with Epsom salts helps to rid your body of toxins and feel better afterwards. So, all in all, various tools or methods can help you out in order to balance energy in your body.
People have different styles of accomplishing their passions in life. Of course, there are various personality types and here is a list of them 16 Personality Types ,and I do know that there are some tactics or tools used by some successful people more than others. Less excuses is always best. I am not sure how one personality would be better than others, considering each person's strong points, but there is a constructive way to think and a destructive way to think. I had done a personality test before and found out a lot about myself. I was an INFJ type but I also lean towards other personality types. So you may want to learn more about your personality style and find out your strong or weak points or just more about how you "tick". Then use your abilities to your advantage towards obtaining your goals and passions, and be proud of yourself. Your strong points could be to your advantage, and sometimes your weaknesses can be helpful too, it can all be to your advantage at some point in life. For example, I tend to over think and then things get to the crunch and I must get them done. It could be perceived as last minute, but also it could be perceived as more informed or more organized. Sometimes, I may seem that I have over planned, but I am always prepared. I can always plan more, so everyday I step it up a level. I work on inproving my health and step up the information I obtain, to a whole new level as well. So where some people are figuring things out as they go along, some people want to research and take new ideas into their focus and then know what they are getting into. Embrace who you are and what you know.
There are some peeps who will want to give up on things before even starting. Sometimes it's hard to get going and we don't have the oomph. I get that. There is a major lack of nutrition in our food, as the soils are depleted these days (look more into that if you want) or look UP at our sky and the air is not clean anymore with spraying from planes, and thus your brain is getting heavy metals built up in it. Don't believe me? Get some blood work done and then find out for yourself by googling geoengineering. The brain is not firing the best and thus you feel lazy and make up reasons as why not to do things. I think it could be a bit of both. Brain fog can really make us feel tired as well, and there are many reasons for that. One must look into their own health and also surroundings, perhaps for mold in your environment, and see what you can do to improve for now. It can be a progression and then constant improvement will ultimately lead to the situation you want to be in.
Again, my personality type will recommend to plan, plan some more, have a back up plan, adjust your plan(s), analyze your plan, do a trial run to your plan, edit and adjust your plan again, review and then execute it. Pheuf. Maybe it's not that much, but you get that planning is part of progress. Some only need one step to planning. The main point is, you will learn things along the way when you do this, which is the opposite of not doing and not learning anything. So how much longer does it take to grow as an individual if you don't ever try to pursue your goals or start, thus don't make any progress? Given, at times there is a lot on the line everyday, in a world of losses or gains- a mistake can really cost but you can look at planning as a way of starting as well. It can happen to some people that when they "wing it" their odds are that everything turned out, but you have a better chance of actualization and more of an accurate outcome. That isn't to say, procrastination is good. Nothing will ever be perfect or the "perfect time", so use your discretion and set forth. If there needs to be fire under your step, and it's a life or death emergency then your fight or flight response will kick into gear.
Now that I am past some tedious stuff (to me)- I will write this post less "life coachy" in style. I do want to share a bit about how I get my passion brewing though. In a world that is less than passionate, unless there is monetary gain involved. I think this gives us all a mixed wrong message right from childhood. If you need money in order to feel passion about anything, then surely the direction in which your focus will be on will be about money and not about what you love. It still happens to me. I think that can drive the fun out of your endeavours. I like to do things I love, "as if" I am already making a living at it. It doesn't mean I am yet, but we keep our jobs in the meantime if necessary to pay the bills. Believe in what you are doing and help to uplift others following their passions.
You might want to note that you are working towards your goals and dreams, even when you are working a job. That is if you have a plan to make it work to your advantage. It can be a way to help you alleviate stress of money, but you can still allocate proper amounts of time to your passion. So, if your boss is always trying to make you work later and put in more overtime, perhaps it's time to make your own passions a #1 priority so you can enroll or learn what you want or join a choir or a club and so on. You can work your regular hours or some overtime but it's really important to schedule, enroll or set a specific time aside towards your passions. This is so that you know to stick to it and you can brief your work or your friends or family, or whom ever, that you will be busy with your commitments. This way they know what to expect. It may never materialize otherwise, even if that means spending quality time with family. Decide and commit to it. We all can improve at this everyday.
If you try to accomplish something that others have not thought of or heard of, then some might pounce at the chance to comment negatively. They may say how many ways will not work although they have no idea or what it entails to accomplish it. They may say it's altogether impossible. Sometimes, it is about nothing new but the naysayers will say something anyways, just to talk. Remember that. Not many people listen and they will talk over you, talk to hear themselves, talk to bullshit, talk and talk some more. So, it sounds mean in a way, but my question is, are you going to take their opinion to heart? Remember it's not necessarily as if they have had a personal experience and can forsee your future failings. Everyone's outcome is always going to be different, as you have a multitude of varying skills and qualities, not to mention opportunities as the stars align differently for us all. So there are types of people who enjoy robbing others of excitement and would rather bring other down and only offer an idle mentality to conversations, rather than be a positive beacon for others.
It is the same when some people have a lot of questions or comments, just to ask and with no interest of what the project is. Has that ever happened to you? Has anyone ever made it known they were not really paying attention to your answer, after they asked you what you do in life? It actually can divert a person's energy to answer everyone's questions. For example, you probably wouldn't see an engineer explaining everything he learned all the way up until University, to every Tom, Dick and Harry on the street especially if they were uneducated in all types of ways about the matter. No, it wouldn't be worth his while. To "catch them up" on the subject is futile and you might lose zest for it and all you will be doing is explaining and justifying. If you were going into a bank for a business loan that is different, then you have to explain your endeavour. It would be appropriate and you would put together a proper business plan and address all the pertinent information being asked, as there is something in return for your time and effort. It has to do with your endeavours and it is not meaningless time spent . In any case you would take necessary steps to prepare for that "question period". A lot of people will question how you have accomplished things in your life. The thing is there is no way to put words to it, nor do you have to and you do not owe people a summary. Actions are how you did what you did, in the long run, it took your actions to move forward. The point is you got results, so being authentic and doing your thing your way without answering to anyone is the best way in my opinion.
Back to passion. You can watch motivational videos or read books to get motivation from a mentor who is experienced and helps you to succeed. But more than motivation, where does the passion for something come from? Having a passion for something, is ongoing and you never want to stop doing it. You might take breaks and that is why getting motivated is much like showering, one must do it regularly to get the benefits and practice it in different ways. We can rely on some motivation to accomplish our goals and keep passion for them, for long periods of time. When it is self-driven and we are always seeking answers and getting curious as to the ins and outs of life, then you could say you are "hungry. That may help you to have a lot of motivation to work on things, and it could be altogether desperate. So it really does boil down to what is in your heart to do and how badly you want it. Whatever that is. Then you will do it with no excuses.
Again, sometimes there are health issues or other things in the way that stop you from feeling feeling tip-top. Lack of exercise, battling depression or an illness, that robs you of energy, lack of motivation due to mental laziness or perhaps you are around someone that is constantly negative and fighting you thus affecting energy and confidence. Factors that can bring you down are not a joke. Any of these reasons and many more, can be a contributing factor into whether you let them interfere with getting things done in your life. You might want to change the circumstances and people who are around you and thus influencing your life. It is best to make a change than to continue in a rut or a broken environment. So what do you try to do? What ever it takes. Have courage, and have faith. Action is the catalyst to all change and all chance really. It is the very thing that changes circumstances, whether the action is small or large. Don't downplay what you have accomplished and how far you have come along. Look to adjust when things are uncomfortable, and keep planning. Once you understand that it is time, you can start to get excited about where you want to go just by planning and learning about the resources around you. There is not a need to get overwhelmed, just know you are moving forward toward your goal. If you are overwhelmed just remember it is a part of the experience of overcoming and quite necessary. If you don't learn to deal with such feelings, you will not be able to cope on larger platforms or levels as you succeed. We all have to start somewhere.
When it comes to deadlines you might find that just by starting something and slowly getting into it, you start to get on a roll. I recommend starting early on any project, as there may be "unseens" that can happen and the more time you can be prepared to handle them as they arise the better. This can help to not get overwhelmed. Somethings cannot be intended and some things can, and it's essential to keep a nice pace so you don't burn yourself out. It's also good to stay ahead, for some people that seems to always be on the verge of running late. I, for one, try to stay on time by starting early which ends up being just on time. If you get what I am saying, there is always Murphy's Law to contend with or things that take more time like getting out the door to where you must be. Just try your best to save time when you can, prepare things ahead of time and multi-task when necessary; in past IAJLGOM's posts advice on saving time came up often. If that isn't helping, then perhaps you can look into your time management or tools and apps that can help you with that. Delegating tasks that you can or paying someone to take over in certain areas could help as well.
Just like exercise goals, health goals are real but although nutrition is important, it can also be unreal to some. It becomes real when you start to lose your health, Don't just try out diet fads, trends or exercises that fall in line with results that are trendy. Get real nutrition into your body and stick with nourishing yourself, giving yourself a fighting chance to obtain good health and healing any underlying conditions you might have. So don't base your exercise and health goals on end results that you actually don't want yourself, but feel you now must accomplish because you see it in advertisements or your friends are doing it. Back in the 90's, it all of a sudden became the rage to be waif thin and this was due to a lot of supermodels were that skinny, and posed and were promoted in magazines and on television. Ask yourself why do you have to be skinny or a certain way? Does it mean you will be healthy or does it mean you will be unhealthy and jeopardizing yourself? I would avoid diets that promote that, and rather choose to be healthy and fit. Here is a past IAJLGOM's post on some ways and ideas to boost your energy level so you can stay on track: Energy Boosters .
Sometimes, it might not look like anything is getting done but then it all comes together in the end. Progress is progress. Give it your best and then don't worry about it, knowing it is in the works. For example, if someone wants a scarf for winter, they might try knitting a scarf for the first time in which they may make a lot of errors and get the yarn tangled up many times. Where if they want to complete the scarf in time for winter, then they will fix their mistakes and forge ahead. They may find they don't have time to complete knitting, maybe they will decide knitting isn't for them and go and purchase a scarf at a store, or they might mention to someone the need of a scarf. Perhaps that person decides they have one too many and gives them a scarf. Either way, it's trying different avenues that bring you to your end goal. In this case a scarf. Repetition and trying different things can tend to work out to your advantage.
If your passion is love for example, as some people are always looking for love even "in the wrong places", well you can see them doing what they love to do all day, everyday- without lack of energy. Whether it is a short term or long term relationship they find themselves in, nothing else will mean much to them except the hunt and chasing for love. Perhaps they meet someone new all the time and fall in love easily, then they tend to start looking for love again even if it is elsewhere. It is the feeling of love they are addicted to, but you should note the focus they have on what they want. It can be all consuming to some people and I don't mean to say their focus is balanced, but for what they are working towards is really a passion of theirs and they do keep finding something that feels like love to themselves. I assume one day or other they will find true everlasting love- with themselves even if for a moment.
There are many ways to defeat yourself and quite a few ways to succeed at your goals and passions in life. We all have different methods. Maybe you want to start asking yourself the right questions in order to fuel a desire to do better, such as how do successful people succeed or accomplish goals? What do they do in certain situations? How might I succeed with the information I can obtain by looking? When you don't know where to start, asking at least may get you idea, jot it down and then you can try and see how it goes. There are libraries and librarians or search engines (Google), or other web searches on computers willing to help and assist you and there are of course answers all around us in the Universe. It is all about passion and moving towards your goal. Alan Watts also speaks in the video on: Following Your Passion. Enjoy!
This past week has been very difficult for Albertans, with a huge wildfire that started up in the Fort McMurray area which led to the evacuation of all the citizens of the city. More than 80,000 people's lives were endangered from the fires burning out of control.
Fort McMurray has been sealed off now for days and unless it was media who was allowed back into the city to report on the fire-ravaged city, everyone was evacuated. It has been very devastating and frightening for everyone, including some who do not have a home to go back to. 85 percent of the buildings in the community have been saved, but many neighborhoods were altogether destroyed. The firefighters did amazing & heroic jobs in controlling the massive inferno, working around the clock!
We got rain all late afternoon on Mother's Day here in Calgary, and I was praying they did up North. Now, I had heard the wildfires were burning towards Northern British Columbia and about 30 km from the Saskatchewan border, but it is unclear to me whether this was the same fire or if the BC fires were indeed deliberately set. It seems with record heat and dry conditions, it's tinder dry out there and there is a province-wide fire ban in effect Now that the fire is under control in Fort Mac, there still are some safety concerns as well as there is no electricity, gas or water. There will be weeks ahead before public utilities are up and running, as well as more time for those who lost their homes. Prayers, hope and donations go out to everyone affected!
I have been busy sneezing away from allergies and working on some great new posts. I am really getting to be proud of my body of work here and on my other blogs. They are all works in progress but some of my life's mission as well. I do think this is something to dedicate to and now I am taking it more seriously. I do have many other hobbies and passions fighting for attention- or at least it is an internal fight within myself as where to locate my time. I just feel right now blogging, writing and being a new Mom (since last year), is the way I want to divide my energy. Of course, there are everyday things to do too, like taking care of ones health and pursuing knowledge and learning, and I wouldn't mind moving to the country.
All the while, sometimes I cringe at past efforts of writing once I review them. Sometimes, it's posts I have written and other times poetry or stories. I just clean up some of the punctuation or sentences, and although there are some keepers, some things get shredded. Editing seems like a waste of time on some posts, which were of great deals from deal sites. I have deleted those but I will update you with some new deal sites that I have bought from recently.
It is something to be able to work on these projects and truly get excited, and not over money or monetary gain. It is simply something to get up and look forward to and do. I believe in creating your own vision. Goals in life DO keep us moving in a onward direction. I have dedicated a vision to it and have an organizational board with the outlines on it. I have bought books to write my ideas down, when away from the computer. I have tons of inspiration but now I really will be kicking it into high gear.
Advice is, anything you choose to do, put time and focus into it and eventually, it WILL come together. In the mean time anything you have to do make ends meet and plan is very handy. One way you can plan is write out a list or use a planning app or book, or what I did and set up an organizational board. I felt more professional and it held the entire vision of things I want to do. I put it up on the wall where I can see it in the morning. It is just the little things we do that can make us more motivated. Stay tuned for a more lengthy blog post about "Passion and Motivation" in the future.
That aside, more current things happening with me are documenting Geo-engineering/ weather modification spraying photos - of grave importance and please see my blog : weawake.blogspot . It is definitely getting worse out there and now there is talk of chemtrail related illnesses. I just keep doing my due diligence and take the pictures and document them. So there should be no harm done to be a witness and track our environment. Sometimes, I notice no haze or geoengineering spray in a day where the skies are nice and blue with fluffy clouds and a nice breeze. Those are the types of days we long for.
I am still working on a lot of exercise and yoga, cleaning up my eating and doing more natural cleaning around my home. I am trying to make solutions with tea tree oil and vinegar and water, lemon and baking soda or even equal parts of salt and vinegar. It's great to spring clean your home with natural solutions, as it saves your health and money from your pocketbook. I will definitely be posting more on this later as well and some of the tricks I have learned.
I also love visiting the Farmer's Market. Still to this day, it is my favorite spot to be. You can check out food haul posts, recipes and more on my other blog: illaqueenscorner.blogspot.ca and some things are from the grocery store, so I can buy as much good produce as I can. And we love to pack a lot of vegetables in every meal, along with pulses or legumes. I feel I am growing better at being able to eat a vegan diet. I don't believe I could do it on juice alone or JUST salads. I after all was not completely vegetarian when pregnant. I had done it for nearly 2 years prior to pregnancy, and yet I fell back into eating fish and a little more as by doctor's orders (more about that on another post), for sure.
And last but not least, I continue to study Horticulture and will be taking the next course at my leisure when I am ready. I did postpone it a couple times now when registration came up fast. I currently am trying to keep up on reviewing some notes and readings. Don't give up on hobbies that you love even if they are not paying the bills currently. So that's it for now until I finish the other posts I am working on.
Have a great week!
