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Knowing When It’s Worth It and a Whole30 Chicken Salad with Avocado Poppy Seed Dressing
Over the past few months, I have been trying to stop saying I am busy. I have probably always been somewhat aware of the extent to which "being busy" is often glorified in mainstream culture today, but have become increasingly convicted about this fact over time and also more cognizant of its ill effects. Besides, I acknowledge that "being busy" is relative and there are plenty of people the world over who actually are much more busy than I. All that to say, there are definitely seasons when my calendar is more richly scheduled than others and currently I am in the midst of one of those times. Thankfully, this time around…
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What I Read Last Month :: July
Why in the world am I not reading more fiction??!?!! I was always an avid reading growing up and of course fiction was my first love, but I guess I've just deprioritized it in my adult life for whatever reason. BIG mistake. Over the past year, I was focused on my happiness project and during it I found it particularly helpful to read books either related to happiness and positive psychology or whatever theme/aspect of life my activities were focused for a particular month. Now that I've wrapped that up, I'll be diving into what I am calling my "Personality Project" next (more details to come obvi), but last month in…
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The Flex in the City September Studio Whole30 and a Salmon Summer Salad
September is the new January. And as shocking as it may be, we are almost there already. As the summer draws to a close, the vast majority of us resume our usual schedule and routine, often focusing our efforts on new or revised goals and resolutions. I've shared before how just how powerful the shift in season can be due to the phenomenon of "fresh starts." Research shows that when we experience a change in season (metaphorically or literally) we experience a psychological clean slate which provides a unique and important opportunity to make considerable changes to our health and habits with less concerted effort. And I personally feel that…
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All for Barre and Barre for All!
This past weekend, I attended the first ever Whole30 Coaches Summit in Park City, Utah. It was a lot of travel and time to get there and back, but it was definitely worth it. The resort and surrounding area was absolutely gorgeous, there was no shortage of ridiculously amazing Whole30 food plus yoga, HIIT, and hiking sessions, and it afforded me the opportunity to learn from a pretty impressive list of speakers and experts in leadership, business and brand development, nutrition and wellness. But most importantly, it provided me with the chance to meet and connect with other Whole30 coaches and I think the majority of us are
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For the Right Reasons and a Whole30 Shrimp Pomodoro Pasta
There's doing the right thing. And then there's doing the right thing for the right reasons. Lately, it seems that I am being reminded of this important fact everywhere I go. As I mentioned earlier this week, one of the benefits of reading fiction is that it allows us to see things from different perspectives - from that of the characters, their setting and situations, and also from a big picture. That, in combination with a powerful message last week at Grace Church, has prompted me to more closely
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The Benefits of Reading Fiction and Dark Chocolate Paleo Granola
I am definitely what one would call a creature of habit and love my routine oh-so-much. Recently my guided journal provided me with a writing prompt to describe the ideal/perfect morning. And to be honest, as I considered the idea, it didn't look all that much different than business as usual. I'd still get up early (usually between 5-530 AM) surrounded by my little fam and I'd prefer to eat one of my "normal" breakfast foods in my kitchen with a cup of coffee in hand and messy bun atop my head, before I head out to teach and take barre. Initially when I think about these types of questions,…
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How To Do Your Own Happiness Project and Whole30 Coconut Pistachio Crusted Chicken
As I am sure we have all experienced firsthand, being inspired to do something or thinking that a certain thing is worth doing can still be quite a distance from knowing exactly how to do it or getting started. Although I am full of good intentions, one constant struggle for me is taking the first step to get things moving. I am often paralyzed by the desire for perfection or afraid of making a mistake I’ll later regret, but I am continuing to learn that that it is often better to do it now and to get things going, rather than to get them perfect. And now that I described…
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Learn to Flourish: Why Do a Happiness Project and a Whole30 Broccoli “Cheese” Frittata
"However much we resist acknowledging it, we humans are not static. We're either on a positive trajectory or a negative one. Either we're growing in goodness, becoming more creative and resilient, or we're solidifying our bad habits, becoming more stagnant and rigid. [Our] life trajectory is leading [us] to languish or flourish…. People who flourish function at extraordinarily high levels - both psychologically and socially. They're not simply people who feel good. Flourishing goes beyond happiness, or satisfaction with life. True, people who flourish are happy. But that's not the half of it. Beyond feeling good,
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How Barre Cultivates a Growth Mindset
If you've ever heard me talk about all the MANY things I love about barre, you know that for me it's more than just the physical benefits. I love the way that barre has transformed my body, giving me tone, definition and strength like nothing else has and the buzz of the #barrehigh, but it's so much more than that. As I shared previously, barre has taught me many important life lessons and provides me with ongoing opportunities to develop mental strength and grit. And just recently, I was reminded of exactly how this happens. Last month I read Norman Doidge's The Brain That Changes Itself which included research and…
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Conducting a Personal Mid Year Review With a Side of Whole30 Southwest Stuffed Avocados
Although I know firsthand that it requires a lot of extra effort on the part of the manager or supervisor, and that the feedback may not always be all that wonderful, I think I've always been someone who really enjoys regular performance reviews. For as long as I can remember, I've looked forward to report cards, parent-teacher conferences and both corporate/companywide and personal reviews on the job. It's nice to get a reality check or alternative perspective on what's going well and what can be improved upon. Far too often, I find for myself at least, that I can really beat myself up or minimize my successes and progress and…
