Monday Mantra: Spilling Thoughts

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation".

Every Monday I will post a new thought, idea, or focus for the week. When you need a breather from life, when you need a little inspiration, or when you're about to jump over the conference table and strangle your co-worker, remember the mantra.

Monday Mantra: Spill your thoughts on paper and set them free from your mind

Society6

Part 1
I've been thinking about the past. About people I once knew in some way, shape, or form, but no longer do. About how people show themselves to you in the smallest of moments. Moments so minuscule that we usually overlook them, only then seeing the person they carefully, meticulously created. The person they want us to see.

I once worked with a man who was vain. He also had moments within him of kindness and hilariousness and good too, however, this - the vanity - above all else, was the quality that stood out. What I never noticed was something else, something far more important that should have been noticed. Over the course of our working relationship he said many, many things, but the one thing I've never forgotten was this:

One day he came to the office and was telling everyone how he had seen a man in a fancy, expensive car almost get hit by a truck. He laughed as he told this story. He smiled. He thought it would have been great if this man had gotten hit by the truck. How appropriate it would have been if his fancy, expensive car had gotten destroyed just because it was fancy and expensive.

That was it. There was no reason. There was just an anger, a jealousy, a carefully hidden part of himself rising to the surface. Like the way you can tell everything about a person by how they treat a waiter - this moment told me it all.

Our work relationship ended poorly and sometimes I think about repairing it because I'm a fixer. A re-builder. A person who likes to correct wrongs. But this moment, this one tiny moment, reminds me why I won't. Why I shouldn't. Why this bridge once burned should remain forever in ash.

Part 2
I've been thinking about myself. How my introverted nature has been rearing up lately and how that's made me more awkward than normal. How it is so much easier for me to write, to type, to do anything other that speak sometimes. How that must make me appear to people who don't know me or hardly know me, when they can read all this and see how my brain really works, yet when we meet in person I am different. Not on purpose, but because, as an introvert, sometimes being around people is far harder that you can imagine. Which makes me wonder if they think I'm wearing a mask, too. If I am concealing my true self from them.

Part 3
I've been thinking about tangled situations with tangled people and tangled memories. Of times when there was so much chaos in such a small space. Of confusion and anger and love and friendship. And of all things opposite of those. Of how easy it is to get lost in someone else's nightmare. Of how trying to do good things and be a good person can backfire when there is so much bad everywhere else.

I've been thinking of mistakes. Of trying to avoid uncomfortable situations, which only made things worse. Of people who were once weak and damaged and, because of that, caused damage to me. Of how I have bounced back and forth between hating them, understanding them, forgiving them, and being happy for them. Over and over again.

Part 4
I've been thinking about knowledge. How it comes and goes if left unused, untapped. I've been thinking about resources. About Food Deserts. Waste. Stupidity. About how absolutely every opposing argument in the world could be solved with a little more respect, patience, understanding. How the root cause of every problem begins, ends, succeeds, and fails with education.

Part 5
I've been thinking of what this means to me, what this does to me. These thoughts, these feelings. The desire to repair, to rebuild, to re-do. How I hate mistakes and yet don't believe in regrets. I've been thinking about how good it feels to write all this out, tie it all down, bound it in black and white punctuations. To be in the moment, this moment, and let it wash over me and out through my fingers.

I've been thinking about all of this and more.

The Reflection of Shadows: I Remember

The Reflection of Shadows

A collection of moments

Society6

I Remember

I remember the day that I broke-

Like my grandfather’s clock that will no longer go,

Like the day that he died and death took his soul,

When I should’ve been strong but I let it unfold-

I remember the day, the day that I broke.

I remember the day that I burst-

When emotions took over like unquenchable thirst,

When my tears rolled down on my blue silken shirt,

When the oil was flushed and the driving was good-

I remember the day, the day that I burst.

I remember that day that I died-

When I looked in a Holy man’s eyes and I lied,

When the rose petals cut me and tore up my life,

When the beads came tumbling down from my side-

I remember the day, the day that I died.

I wait for the day when I’m brave-

When I sew up the hem of my life that has frayed,

When my baggage gets lost as my plane flies away,

When oceans will separate me from my pain-

I wait for the day, the day when I'm brave.

A Big Kid Meal: Franks and Rice

I'm sure you're familiar with Beanie Weenies; a combo of BBQ beans and hot dogs mixed together to create the ultimate kids anytime meal. Well, folks, I have a new one for you to try that's for Big Kids, like you and me. OK, and the kiddos too.

Franks and Rice

Simple, delicious, gluten free, and easy. What more could you want?

Start with finding yourself some jasmine rice. I used Lundberg Jasmine rice for mine and it was perfection.

Before we launch into the next part, let's talk about hot dogs for a second. These dogs, aside from the four-legged friends we all know and love, are widely regarded as an American staple in life, something shared at BBQ's and baseball games with our nearest and dearest. However, hot dogs have a pretty bad rap for some pretty good reasons. For example, they're one of many processed foods that contain nitrates, a chemical linked to cancer in some studies, which are also shown to cause headaches and migraines in certain people. Hot dogs as a whole aren't the healthiest of foods, but you can enjoy these every now and then by using brands that process their meats better, such as Applegate, the one and only hot dog I use. They're grass fed, gluten free, and the healthiest option when it comes to this particular food.

Okay, my PSA is over. On to the recipe!

To make this, you can use two cups of rice and an entire package of hot dogs or cut that in half. Totally up to you depending on how much food you want to make.

1. Follow the instructions for the rice of your choice and begin cooking it. If you use the brand I do, above, it says to add butter, but instead I add olive oil and it truly make a mouth watering difference.

This particular brand of rice will require 10 mins to "fluff." Most rice requires this amount of time, so right before this step I begin cooking the hot dogs.

2. Grab a pan and put some water in it. Let the water begin to steam off before adding the hot dogs. Place the hot dogs in and let them get plump and juicy.

3. Once the rice is fluffed, sprinkle some sea salt, rosemary, and herb salt on it. Mix these together well.

Note: The herb salt piece of this may be tricky, as no two herb salts are created equal. The herb salt I used is actually from my recent vacation to Salzburg, Austria and it's pretty darn amazing, but I haven't been able to find a way to order it online so you could have the option of using it too. You can find similar salts online, but if you don't want to go that route you can just add in some additional herbs, like basil and thyme, to give it a similar flavor. I did this too and it was still awesome.

4. Chop the hot dogs up and add them to the rice. Stir everything together and enjoy this yummy Big and Little Kid meal!

The Reflection of Shadows: Procrastination Nation

The Reflection of Shadows

A collection of moments

Society6

Procrastination Nation

Right now,

Right now,

Stop – Don’t do it.

I don’t want to rush in to it.

Later’s better,

Nothing to it,

No sense rushing -

Rushing through it.

Hold up,

Hold up,

What’s the hurry?

Urgency stirs up a flurry.

Maybe next week,

Maybe never,

Pause- rewind now,

There’s no pressure.

Back up,

Back up,

Take a breather.

Sudden movements – deal breaker.

Let’s try later,

Try tomorrow,

Next week looks good-

Let's not bother.

Monday Mantra: Losing/Finding

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation".

Every Monday I will post a new thought, idea, or focus for the week. When you need a breather from life, when you need a little inspiration, or when you're about to jump over the conference table and strangle your co-worker, remember the mantra.

Monday Mantra: When we lose one thing, we find something else

Society6

Last week I lost a necklace, one I'd had since I was 16 and that's always hung from the rear view mirror of my car. It was a Lucky 7 necklace, with seven silver rings each representing something different: long life, good friends, health, love, wealth, peace, and happiness. The owner of a Lucky 7 necklace is supposed to turn each ring in one full circle every day to "activate" the luck, so to speak. While I never followed those rules, I did enjoy playing with it every once in a while. Turning the rings around and around, fiddling with it while I waited at a stop light. I'd had it so long that it seemed like an essential piece of my car. Like the steering wheel or the brakes. Like my car would be somehow wrong or broken without it.

I considered getting a new one, but the idea of that seemed silly to me. I started to wonder if maybe losing the necklace that I'd had more than half of my life meant I would soon find something new for the next half. I wondered if maybe change, like Fall, was in the air for me. Besides, how does one replace something with meaning? It's not a 1:1 equation. Life is not exact like that.

I began to consider all the things I've lost in life: people, objects, memories, youth. How losing things changes a person. How people still continue on, survive, and even thrive without them. How we find a way to replace, rearrange, re-do.

How we find.

This, I've decided, is essential. The finding.

This holds true, however, to the losing as well.

I look back on my twenties, a time now lost, and see all the paths I didn't take. How one might have been slightly easier. How another might have changed everything. It's easy because I was once there and now I'm not. This is something you earn by growing older. It is a game of losing and finding: losing time, but finding wisdom. Of course, there are things I wish I would never lose. People I love. Memories that make me, me. Life doesn't work that way, though.

Happiness does not come without sadness. Courage does not come without fear. New beginnings do not come without endings.

We may trick or scare ourselves into thinking things should always stay the same, however, what we should be doing is finding a better, more graceful way to let go. To lose. To accept defeat when it is handed to us and to rise with the knowledge that by looking and searching we will eventually find - people, hope, love. Maybe even new necklaces.

Many times in life we will lose, yes, but we will always find what is next meant for us.

The Reflection of Shadows: It's Never Too Late

The Reflection of Shadows

A collection of moments

Society6

It's Never Too Late

It’s never too late to make your own path,

To tread through the trees, through the tall blowing grass.

It’s never too late to forge your own way,

To brand a new iron to put on display.

It’s never too late to find your own words,

To write your own stories of how the world turns.

It’s never to late to try for your dreams,

For trying in itself is succeeding indeed.

It’s never too late to sweep up the dust,

To polish the things that have all turned to rust.

It’s never too late to realize your means,

For nothing is wasted in the great scheme of things.

It’s never too late to tell someone you care,

After moments of silence have settled in there.

It’s never to late to pave your own way,

To find a new path at the end of each day.

In The World of Wellness: They See Me (Foam) Rollin', They Hatin'

Wellness is a term widely used that has multiple meanings around health and positive life style changes leading to well-being. Here we will use the term "wellness" in those ways and also as a means of defining a life free from disease as well as a way to explore alternative medicines, what they offer, and what this could mean for you. Being more informed = better decisions for your own well-being.

In the World of Wellness: Foam rolling saves lives, basically.

04W Crossfit

Roughly six months ago I hurt my back. I thought I could tough it out and that I'd get better in no time at all, but I seriously underestimated how badly I had messed myself up. It wasn't until the pain started consuming me - reaching to my neck, then my knee, then my ankle - that I realized something serious was wrong. I eventually sought out physical therapy, which has changed my life in many magical ways. The most magical way - foam rolling.

Let's start at the beginning.

How did I hurt myself? From sitting. Stupid, ridiculous, sitting. I sit at a desk while I work, I sit at a desk while I go to school, I sit at a desk while I do homework for school, I sit at a desk while I type this. SO MUCH SITTING. It's frustrates the heck out of me, but until I figure out how to build myself a sit-stand desk (because those mo-fo's cost an arm and a leg for anything somewhat appealing to the eye) I have to sit. 

Not too long ago I had actually written about the side-effects of sitting and suggested some tools I use to help with it, so it's not like I didn't know it was a problem. I, naively, thought I was moving around enough during the day - getting up and stretching, walking around the house for a few minutes every hour, working out and walking the dogs every day - to counteract the sitting. I wasn't. 

Now, I get up every half hour, foam roll every single night, and flex my glutes as much as I possibly can while sitting (it sounds weird, but it's doctor recommended). I'm still working on getting back to normal, but things are tremendously better. Much of this is due to foam rolling.

Why foam roll? And what exactly is it?

The easiest way to explain it is this: Foam rolling is a form of massage that relieves tight spots in the body, thus releasing tension that builds up and ends up causing far more damage than we realize. It also helps increase circulation and - bonus! - reduce cellulite.

Do your ankles pop? You need to foam roll. Back pain? Better start foam rolling. Neck pain? Yep, you should probably foam roll. 

Every. Single. Day.

I know that sounds like a lot. I mean, you already have so many things to do, what with brushing your teeth and eating and working and life, but this is one of those habits that, once formed, will change you for the better. Dare I say, rock your world even!

One key thing to note: It's going to hurt. Probably a lot at first because your body will be far tighter than you ever imagined. You may even scream my name out followed by profanities for talking you into trying it at all. However, once you've been rollin' for a while, it gets better. Hurt so good kind of better.

Another important thing is the roller itself. Any foam roller will work, but the ones with more definition to them, with the rounded or square sections all over them, are WAY better.

There are a lot of different ways to foam roll, but thanks to my wonderful and hilarious physical therapy team, these are the one's I've learned that help with allllllllll the sitting. 

1. Glutes - so good for your bum! You might want to chant that to yourself while you roll.

Photo Credit: NASM

2. IT Band. Look how happy this lady is. She clearly hasn't actually rolled yet, she's just leaning on it. The smile is a lie, you guys. You smile after you're done, not during.

Photo Credit: Rumble Roller

3. Quads. These KILL me, but they also save me after I've done them. Any time my back hurts, I do this and, poof! Pain-be-gone. 

Photo Credit: Active 

I realize that I've made foam rolling sound wonderful, yet terrifying, so don't let that scare you. I'm keeping it real, homies and homettes. It does hurt. Eventually, it will get so much better, though. More importantly, the benefits are significant to your well being, to the health of your spine, to your overall aging process. The less tight and achy you are, the better everything will be in the long run.

Now, go find yourself an awesome foam roller and sing yourself some Chamillionaire. It helps, trust me.