Writing to Wisdom: Unedited Thoughts, part 1

Nothing exists, yet anything can. Anything we could ever want is within our realm of creation, but just because something is created does not mean it is law. We created religion, power, money, and perhaps the most insane — time. What an illusion time is. Oh, the ways we allow it to scare us. “There’s not enough time to do this…” But what else will we do? 

And how about restrictions we put on time, in the form of deadlines? The end of a day? The end of a week, month, year, or decade? We collectively create false timelines for people to follow, and lead them to heartache and devastation when they miss the cutoff society set for them. More devastating are the restrictions we put on people. We say “Sorry, Dr. Bogatti. You cannot attend the funeral of a patient you only met once but loved dearly. It’s unprofessional.” “Sorry, young Alyse. You cannot get a driver’s license, pick your husband, or go to college. You are a woman.” “Sorry, Mr. Douglas. We don’t allow men to marry other men in this state, regardless of how much you two love each other.” “Sorry, Yojira family. I understand your home country is being blown to smithereens, but we don’t accept people for refuge here.” Who are we to decide any of these things? Who gave us the power? 

We also put frightening restrictions on ourselves. Consider this moment – are you doing what you want to be doing? Are you with who you wish to be with? Are you making the amount of money you want, living where you’d like, learning the material you’d like to know? The answer is likely no to most of these rhetorical questions. And why? Why can’t you be painting on a beach, watching the sunset and enjoying the sound of the ocean waves crashing upon the shore? Why can’t you leave an abusive relationship you’re in, escape it’s turmoil and find love within yourself? Why can’t you run a multi-million business with no prior experience? Why can’t you wake up every morning in a cabin, overlooking a never-ending lake, resting comfortable between two mountains? Is it because of your 9-5 job? Is it  because you don’t have the courage to jump and let your wings build themselves on the way down? Are you worried about what the people you love will think — or worse, what strangers will think? I am, too, friend.

I am, too. 

Let Food be Thy Medicine

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” 

Hippocrates

Food has always intrigued me. For the past 2-3 years, I have taken nutrition courses, watched documentaries, did personal research, and learned from multiple dietitians what exactly is in the food we consume and how it affects the human body. We tend to choose the foods we consume based on taste and pleasure alone, rather than what food is actually for–fuel and healing. The more I researched and learned, the more I realized that our health is a direct reflection of our diet.

For the last 2.5 weeks I have cut meat out of my diet, and for the past 3-4 days I have gone completely plant-based (no meat, dairy, eggs) or what some refer to as “vegan.” I was completely unaware of just how detrimental animal products were to my health–even in moderation–until I watched “What the Health” and “Forks Over Knives” on Netflix. Did you know processed meats like deli slices, pepperoni, and canned meats are a group 1 carcinogen (same as cigarettes) and red meats are a group 2? Did you know that dairy does not contribute to strong bones like we have been told since elementary school, and that countries who consume the most dairy actually have the highest rates of osteoporosis? Cancers, heart disease, strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, and so many other health problems occur as a direct result of meat consumption. I encourage you to watch the documentaries I mentioned, and to do your own research. Your life depends on it–literally.

I know transitioning to a plant-based diet can seem daunting, but it’s actually inexpensive and incredibly simple. Try out this day’s worth of vegan recipes that I have made and loved. Enjoy! 🙂

Breakfast: Oatmeal and fruit salad

What you’ll need:

-2 packets of any flavor oats

-An assortment of any fruits you like (I used 3 bananas, 1 package of strawberries, 2 apples, and 3 kiwi)

-1 can of coconut cream and 1 lime for juice

What to do:

-Prepare the oatmeal according to the packet’s instructions

-Cut up all of the fruit in small pieces, cut the lime in half

-Mix the fruit up in a large bowl, and squeeze each half of lime over the fruit

-Add ½ a cup of coconut cream to the fruit and lime juice, stir

-Add more coconut cream if desired after tasting

All done! The fruit salad recipe is enough for multiple days.

Lunch: Bean and salsa sandwiches with rice

What you’ll need:

-Whole wheat bread (make sure the bread does not contain egg)

-1 can of pinto beans

-⅓ cup of salsa

-1 tbsp of paprika

-Handful of spinach leaves

-1 tomato

-Desired amount of brown rice

What to do:

-Cook rice according to instructions on box or bag

-Empty the juice from the beans, then put the beans in a bowl

-Mash up the beans, but not fully

-Add in the salsa and paprika

-Mix the mixture together and heat it up

-Toast the 2 pieces of whole wheat vegan bread

-Put the bean and salsa mixture on the toast

-Add spinach and sliced tomato

All done! This recipe is SO yummy!

Dinner: Stuffed Bellpeppers

What you’ll need:

-1 bellpepper, any color

-Brown rice

-1 onion

-1 tomato

-Coconut or olive oil

-Garlic salt

What to do:

-Cook brown rice according to box or bag instructions

-Cut top/stem off of bellpepper, then cut top up into small pieces

-Cut desired amount of onion and tomato into small pieces

-Fry onion and top of bellpepper with 1 tbsp of coconut or olive oil

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

-Add tomato, rice, and a few dashes of garlic salt into frying pan with the onion and bellpepper, mix while heating

-Remove pan from heat when all ingredients are thoroughly heated

-Put mixture from pan into bellpepper

-Put stuffed bellpepper in a baking dish with a small amount of water in the bottom of the dish

-Drizzle a small amount of coconut or olive oil over stuffed bellpepper

-Cover dish and bellpepper with foil, bake 30 minutes

-Remove foil from bellpepper, and bake another 10-15 minutes

-Serve with any plant-based sides

I truly hope that you take the time to watch the documentaries I mentioned, and also hope you enjoy these super easy vegan recipes. Happy learning and cooking! 🙂

 

P.S: If you want to see how the animals we consume are raised and treated up until death, search for “Earthlings” on YouTube.

Rewriting Self-limiting Beliefs

“Our limitations and success will be based, most often, on your own expectations for ourselves. What the mind dwells upon, the body acts upon.”

-Denis Waitley

Sometimes, I sit and let my mind be overcome with thoughts of insufficiency. I think “I do not have enough of this, I do not possess enough of that.” Have you been there, as well? “I do not make enough money, I do not live in the place I wish I lived, I do not have the relationship I yearn to have, I do not have a large enough home, I do not get to eat the foods I crave, I do not have the talent or intelligence needed for the task at hand, I do not go to a private college like I desired for so long, I do not have a brand new car.” These beliefs can hit a little closer to one’s permanent home at times: “I do not have straight or white enough teeth, I do not have large enough breasts, I do not have a small enough waist, I do not have abs or bulging muscles, I do not have eyes that captivate everyone who looks into them, I do not have a sharp jawline.” Do any of these sound familiar?

I am guilty of looking into the mirror and not being satisfied. I am guilty of wishing my relationships with others were different. I am guilty of telling myself I am not smart enough, pretty enough, talented enough or wealthy enough.

Recognizing aspects of your life you would like to change and improve is crucial for self-development and growth, but often these self-judgments come from a mindset of lack and scarcity. Anytime we come from a place of “I do not” we are manifesting inadequacy. We are speaking from a place of not having or being enough.

Do we not live in an abundant universe? Do we not manifest what we focus on? I believe the answer to both of these questions is “yes, we do.” It is time we are grateful for our God-given qualities, and time we restructure our self-perceptions. It is time to rewrite our self-limiting beliefs, and time to acknowledge the beauty of acceptance and the endless potential of change and growth.

I challenge you to take a moment to either think or write down the things you “do not” have. If it is something you wish to actively change or wish to manifest, rewrite or rethink those statements with “yet” placed at the end. “I do not make enough money, yet.” “I do not live where I wish I lived, yet.” “I do not have a small waist, yet.” Under each statement, list 1-3 habits you can implement daily to get closer to your goal. “I will apply for one higher-paying job every single day. I will take 15 minutes each evening looking for homes or apartments I can afford in the area I wish to live. I will go for a 30 minute walk every morning.”

If the statements you made are things you must simply accept at the time being, rewrite or rethink these statements from a place of gratitude and abundance. “I am so grateful for the food I have in my fridge. It is plenty to fuel my body. I am incredibly thankful for my body, just as it is. It has the ability to carry me throughout each day, and is my home. It serves me beautifully. I am so thankful for the house I live in. It provides shelter and a place to come back to day after day. I am blessed to make the amount of money I do. I realize I am more wealthy than most of the people in the world, I am making enough to survive. I am so intelligent. I have so many talents and abilities I have acquired over the years, and I know how to apply and implement them into my daily life.” Repeat these affirmations daily, especially when you find yourself having self-limiting thoughts. Your thoughts become your beliefs, and your beliefs dictate your actions and your reality. Start with altering your thoughts.

We live in an abundant universe, with more than 7 billion other people. Opportunities are everywhere, and our internal potential knows no limits. Our ability to change is not only possible, but doable. If we have the ability to read this, we are part of the 6 billion people who are literate. We have access to technology that holds every bit of information we need to do whatever we desire. We are blessed beyond explanation–think, believe, and act like it. God, the Universe, or whatever you believe in will take care of the rest.

Sundays

 I woke up slowly, as the sun poured into my room and cast shadows on my walls. The birds chirped and sang as I gathered my thoughts and plans for the day. After finally sitting up in bed, I stretched and headed to the bathroom to shower and remove yesterday from my skin. The water was comforting and warm, and I wished to stay there forever, soaking it in. I turned off the water, towel-dried my body and hair, then proceeded to put on the comfiest clothes I could find– fuzzy pants and one of my boyfriend’s over-sized, long-sleeved shirts. I sat back down on my unmade bed, faced my window, and let the sun pour over my clean body. I put my phone across the room, opened a book, and read it softly to myself. I opened my laptop and began writing– the way I best know to express my gratitude. This afternoon, I will begin my tasks; my responsibilities cannot wait until tomorrow. But for now, this morning and this moment are enough.

When Plans Don’t Go as Planned

“You’re mourning the loss of what you thought your life was going to be. Let it go. Things don’t always work out how you planned; that’s not necessarily bad. Things have a way of working out anyway.”

-Frasier Crane

I don’t know about you, but things hardly go the way I plan them out in my head. Sometimes the plans end up playing out way better, but often not. Here are a few of my favorite “that wasn’t supposed to happen like that,” moments:

1. Malibu malfunction- though advertised as a car that ran like new, my first vehicle ended up having a gas tank gauge that didn’t work, a broken left control arm, missing transmission bolts, and a dent on the passenger side from a guy crashing into it while playing Pokemon Go.
2. California dreamin’ to freezin’- a super fun, adventure-filled trip to California to the warm beaches turned into a (still fun, but freezing) trip up North where fresh snow covered the ground.
3. Living the dream- my sophomore year living plans fell through just weeks before the start of school. My 12 minute commute to campus turned into a boring (and more expensive) hour long commute.

There’s no point in trying to sugarcoat the situations–they were all battles in themselves and were well under the standards I subconsciously created in my mind. The most recent one, number three, is the one that has most heavily affected the map I previously had drawn out in my head. Every detail involving living in an apartment near school had to change when my living situation did– from my campus involvement to my class schedule and job.

Due to the magnitude of this change, I went through a pretty difficult time arguing with God about the injustice of the situation and asking him how he expected me to adjust to something this drastic. The morning after I came to terms with and accepted the change, I came across a sermon on YouTube called “When Plans Don’t Go as Planned”. One of the verses mentioned in the sermon was Proverbs 16:9, which states: “A man’s heart plans his ways, but the LORD directs his steps.”

Wow. That hit me pretty hard. I took a moment and tried to recall the last time I stopped and asked God to direct my steps then submitted to his plan. I’m sad to admit that it had been a LONG time. So often I would go to God in prayer and inform him of a new plan I had for my life and ask him to bless it and give me the tools I needed to make it work, while I should have been asking Him to direct my steps and give me the strength and faith to face and overcome any obstacles that his plan would entail.

Isaiah 55:9 says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.” God sees the whole painting while we stand so close to the canvas that only a few strokes of his paintbrush are visible–-just as God sees our whole life while we only see the present situation.

His wisdom and loyalty is so much more than we could ever dream. His will has and always will have your best interest in heart. Even in the times He leads us onto a rugged uphill path and we’re begging him to take us down the one with the pretty view and easy walk, He knows what He is doing. He knows the plan He has for your life and will bless your journey if you accept His help and submit to His guidance. God’s plans for our life are always bigger and better than our own. You’ve just got to trust Him. He’s got you!

God saw this obstacle coming well before I did. He knew I would have to move this mountain that I expected to be a valley, and after accepting His plan, He gave me the strength to start pushing. Let Him help you move your mountain.

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