Among some of the most influential or impactful books that I have read over the past year or so, I would definitely have to include Laura Vanderkam's 168 Hours which completely changed my perspective on how I manage my time and focus more energy and effort on things that matter or add value and meaning to my life (I've wrote about her a few times here and here). Recently, she wrote a book called Off the Clock, which includes a chapter about investing in your happiness based upon her time use research which showed that people who have high time perception scores (that is, feeling like time is memorable) were…
Consistency > Perfectionism :: Whole30 Avocado Compound Butter
Originally I had planned to write about the topic of perfectionism today in light of some of the recent internal dialogue I have been having on the subject after recently reading Brene Brown's, I Thought It Was Just Me (But It's Not). I have been someone who has struggled with some relatively serious maladaptive levels of perfectionism for probably my whole life. In her typical penetrating style, Brown's insight on the topic was a bit deeper and more nuanced than the usual on the perils of perfectionism and it's been something which I have kept coming back to over the past few weeks. But as I sat down several times to try…
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The Wisdom Of Joseph Pilates – An OG of Positive Psychology
I had the opportunity to spend all of last weekend in London in an anatomy course specifically designed for Pilates instructors. Since I love Pilates and I love learning - it's safe to say that it was time well spent! The incredibly intricate and masterful design of the human body is beyond spectacular, so although my brain was completely overloaded after the two full day sessions, I would have been happy spending at least another two weeks immersed in it all! There's so much to learn about the structure, composition, mechanisms and the list goes on, that I left feeling in awe and compelled to find some more space in…
Keeping Perspective and Paleo Strawberry Cashew Truffles
As someone who absolutely loves to travel (for fun, NOT work), I have had the opportunity to go on several trips accompanied by others. My most frequent travel partner is naturally my husband, but I have also traveled with friends and family in recent history, some relationships more closely knit than others of course. And I've seen that it can be interesting to learn what certain people value or consider a vacation. For some people, doing as little as possible aside from sitting poolside in the sun is ideal. For others, it's not a holiday unless that means drink in hand at all times. There are beach goers, there are adventurers, and…
Learning How to Stay in Touch With Ourselves and a Whole30 Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Much has been written demonstrating the value of investing in experiences as opposed to things when it comes to boosting our satisfaction with life. And I know from personal experience I rarely regret spending money on meaningful or unique experiences which is especially true when they include the company of friends or family, a fact I was reminded of when my parents came to visit over the summer. Although we had many very memorable experiences together, one that I was considering lately was our night out in the West End to see Wicked. The production was fantastic. And it was fun to see it together because none of us were at…
10 Minute Barre Arms Workout
Before barre, I honestly never thought too much about arms. Mine or anyone else's. Although I did the typical (but unhealthy) "Mean Girls" dissection of my body and its flaws, my arms were towards the end of the list of concerns, but not necessarily a point of pride either. I just didn't pay much attention. But when I started barre, I did notice that many of my classmates had incredibly sculpted and toned limbs and I remember after only about a month of consistent classes receiving many compliments on my recent acquisition of said arms. The transformation in my body in such a short amount of time AND the fact…
Foundational Habits Part Three: How What We Eat Affects Everything Else
An idea which has always been a bit lost on me is the expression or admonition to "work smarter, not harder." Now I know intellectually what is meant, however, I cannot wrap my head around why there is necessarily a dichotomy. I have long thought that if only I could work both SMARTER and HARDER, then it would only serve to be all more advantageous no matter the endeavor. And in many ways this seems to have been the case (and in others it was my sanity and that of those around me to pay!). Certainly being strategic about one's efforts, in addition to being diligent, can really have a…
Foundational Habits Part Two: Exercise
As renowned sports-medicine physician Dr. Jordan D. Metzl wrote for Time in its special edition The Science of Exercise, "exercise is a miracle drug… take it often, and you'll live a longer, healthier life. Your medical costs will be lower, you'll sleep better at night, and your workdays will be more productive. Your mood will improve and your risk of developing almost any chronic disease will drop. It works for just about everyone who takes it, young or old, and if done correctly, it has few or no negative side effects. Every dose is 100% effective - even small ones. It's the most powerful, readily available drug in the world. …
Foundational Habits Part One: Sleep and a Whole30 Butternut Squash and Sage Frittata
Although summer is my favorite, I do love September. The changing colors outside are gorgeous and (usually) the weather takes its time transitioning to full on freezing. I also love fresh starts and fall resolutions and getting back to routine, perhaps especially this time around when I've been out of it for so many weeks. I feel a bit behind in general as I attempt to catch up on everything personally and professionally in addition to preparing for a major move back to the States in just three months (that in and of itself is both exhilarating and anxiety-provoking simultaneously!). And while there's so much to do and I have…
What I Read Last Month :: August
Usually when I'm traveling I find that I often have more opportunity and time to read. As soon as I board a flight or the train typically I am ready with a book (and yellow highlighter!) in hand and read all throughout the trip unless it's a really long one or I have some work which needs to be done en route. However, since this past month and a half has meant so much travel and being on-the-go, much of my reading time has been limited to onlywhile in flight or in the odd "in between times." So unfortunately I didn’t have as much time as I would have liked…
