Power over others is weakness disguised as strength.

I have been 30 years old for 10 months now!   

A friend told me that my personality type can not focus on more than one passion at a time.  That my energy won't (can't) be spared. I find that interesting and conveniently true. 

Thanks to a few anxious days spent "all over the place" emotionally, I have taken an interest in finding my quiet mind.  We all have one and it's up to us to find & develop it.  Continuous thought removes us from the here and now. Enlightenment is obtainable by all, not out of reach. - Regurgitation of information.

I'll develop my own opinion and enjoy the ride. 

The following is an exerpt from "The Power of Now. A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment" by Eckhart Tolle. This is exactly what I am working through in my life at the moment. 
  
All fear is the Ego's fear of death. Even such a seemingly trivial and normal thing such as the compulsive need to be right in an argument and make the other person wrong, defending the mental position with which you have identified, is due to the fear of death. When you identify with a mental position then if you are wrong, your mind-based sense of self is seriously threatened with annihilation. So you, as the ego, cannot afford to be wrong. To be wrong is to die. Wars have been fought over this and countless relationships have broken down. Once you have dis-identified from your mind, whether you are right or wrong makes no difference to your sense of self at all. So the forcefully compulsive and deeply unconscious need to be right, which is a form of violence, will no longer be there. You can state clearly and firmly how you feel or what you think but there will be no aggressiveness or defensiveness about it. Your sense of self is then derived from a deeper and truer place within yourself, not from the mind. Watch out for any kind of defensiveness within yourself.  What are you defending? An illusion of identity, an image in your mind a fictitious entity. By making this pattern conscious, by witnessing it, you dis-identify from it. In the light of your consciousness, the unconscious pattern will then quickly dissolve. This is the end of all arguments and power games, which are so corrosive to relationships. Power over others is weakness disguised as strength. True power is within and it is available to you now. 

Day 3 of 30! Updated

Today I wanted to try and change my daily routine drastically by adding a fiber supplement, eating mostly raw foods and cutting out sugar/simple carbs/fruit. 
My morning started by digging out the fiber therapy pills from the cabinet, cutting them open and mixing the guts with water and lemon.  I haven't taken these things in over two years because gel caps made with gelatin are not vegetarian. Gelatin = Skeleton = Gross! That means I also haven't had marshmallows, jello shots etc for over two years.  They make vegan versions that aren't too shabby however. 

Why eat raw?  Cooked food is dead...stripped of all vital nutrients.  I could go on and on about this but I'll let you do your own research if interested. 

I'm a sugar addict...just like most Americans.  Refined sugars are everywhere...easily absorbed into the blood stream causing extreme spikes in blood sugar, energy and mood levels.  I'm trying to take control of my cravings.  Regulating my blood sugar naturally is one way to stay even keeled throughout the day and not binge on treats just because I think I'm starving.  


Wish me luck!!

See you tomorrow, keep Absorbing Life!

UPDATES!
I'm not sure if you are aware that I work in a Vegan Diner & Bakery and how hard quitting sugar is in that environment....all I could think about today was BROWNIES!!! I did well.  Only had some agave roasted pecans and once slice of bread. For lunch, protein was on my mind.  Quinoa and black beans to satiate my hunger.  Protein helps sustain your body, give it energy and prolong the time between meals.  As a Vegan, it's sometimes hard to eat a varieties of proteins but quinoa is my favorite. 

I had to leave work right away after being released for the evening...to avoid grabbing a brownie to-go.  I can taste that fudgy chocolate goodness, right now, as I type this...MmmmmmChocolate....of course when I stepped out of the car in my driveway, here comes the ice cream man; pedaling down the street! 

I stayed strong!

Day 2 of 30!

Breakfast:  Smoothie with fresh apple & cucumber juice, blended with banana, green food powder and flax meal. Rolled rye made like oatmeal with cinnamon, agave and a touch of soy milk.  Cup of coffee with coconut milk creamer. 
The first time I tried green food powder or any other supplemental powder I was disgusted.  Chalky & grainy are the two words that come to mind. Finally, I splurged on a 30 serving tub at Central Market and convinced myself to not waste the money, to JUST DRINK IT! Now it tastes delicious. Here's a link to Amazing Grass Green Superfood with all the great health benefits of adding whole food nutrition to your smoothies or juice.

I became vegetarian over two years ago after struggling with weight and digestive problems my whole life.  Even though I had been very fit and thin, it was always an obsession with staying that way.  One day I stepped on the scale, was royally offended by the numbers and decided that this fast food addiction needed to stop.  Meat was never a huge part of my diet and became easy to give up.  I still struggle with weight fluctuation but my digestive health has never been better. Paying attention to balanced meals and adding things such as Flax Meal to my smoothies and baked goods (mixed with apple sauce, flax meal takes the place of eggs in most recipes) makes a big difference.
 
Recently, Keith was prescribed high blood pressure medication.  We are not advocates of medication but until the numbers are reduced, he has no choice.  There are a lot of natural alternatives for reducing high blood pressure, one of which being cinnamon.  I love cinnamon already so adding it to things such as smoothies, morning cereals or juice is easy. 

I thought this post might be a bit more meaningful if my meals were broken down and explanations given as to WHY I am eating these things.  Hope it helped!

The lil' girl army and I are about to tackle cleaning the floors...which will probably be a sufficient workout for me today...steam cleaning and drying by hand, twice.
 
See you tomorrow...Keep Absorbing Life!

Day 1 of 30!

Today I awoke, late.  Had some coffee..stepped on the scale...173.4 lbs.  That is enough incentive to begin my workout!  I'm linking the two yoga videos I did today in 15min and they made me sweat!  Try them out...I'm a moderate level yoga student...closer to beginner than expert, don't feel intimidated. 

The 5min Morning Yoga Routine. 
The 10min Full Body Yoga Routine. 

Well I'm off to the "in-laws" for a BBQ....bringing my own grilling goodies of course :)


See you tomorrow...Keep Absorbing Life!

30 Till 30!

Alright, I'm going to keep this short and simple...

There are 30 days until I turn 30.  I'm not looking at this milestone as the beginning of the end but as an opportunity to make every year better.  Being a former college athlete, Air Force Wx person and 5'10" size 6 wear'er, I refuse to enter my 30's as anything but Healthy, Beautiful & Amazing!




One post a day for 30 days...I'll keep you updated with my eating habits, fitness routines (including the numbers) & general emotional well-being.  


I hope if you don't enjoy it, you at least learn from it. 

Thank you...See you tomorrow...Absorbing life!


P.S.  I'm going out tonight with a dear friend...not to worry...I switched to vodka soda's over a week ago <3

I am a Champion...Really, I am.

After taking a free abridged version of the Myers-Brigg Personality test, I'm obsessed with reading everything there is to know about me, my favorite subject! 

My results - ENFP - Champion Idealist; The Torch of Inspiration.

Champions are introspective, cooperative, informative, and expressive. Champions have a strong desire to make their thoughts known to the world. When Champions speak or write, they are often hoping to use their convictions to motivate others to participate in advocacy or they hope to reveal a hidden truth about the human experience. Champions are greatly concerned with ethics and justice and have a strong desire to speak about current issues and events. They are the most inspiring and animated of the role variants.

Champions are very individualistic and they feel a need to experience significant social events. Champions consider intense emotional experiences to be vital to life and view the world as a drama. They are constantly seeking to learn about everything that has to do with advancement of good and the retreat of evil in the world.

Champions are keen observers of the people around them. They have exceptional intuitive abilities and are capable of intensely concentrating on a particular individual. Champions are often able to read hidden emotions and to place significance on the actions of others. Champions are constantly scanning their social environment and intriguing characters are not likely to escape their attention. Their attention is usually active rather than passive. Champions are sensitive and alert to what is possible.

Champions are warm, energetic, spontaneous, positive, exuberant and dramatic. Other individuals usually find these personality qualities to be attractive and often want to be in the company of Champions. Champions usually have good people skills and get along well with their colleagues.

Champions are slow to excitement but quick to become enthusiastic; especially in regards to social or humanitarian causes. Many champions project their intuitive and perceptive abilities out into the world and are constantly wondering about future possibilities that can improve themselves, others, or situations. This can get champions into trouble if they do not express this to others correctly; or if others or groups take suggestions from champions as criticism or as the champion telling them what to do, instead of viewing it as the offering of an idea. This can confuse champions who have not yet realized that some people do not like change, or that some people can perceive this offering of advice in regards to change as the identification of a defect. This is because champions who are not at odds with themselves typically like to improve upon themselves and their situations as new information becomes available.

I'm not making this up people...got it from Wiki...The knower of all things!  

On a serious note, after reading this maybe you will understand a bit more about me and my frame of reference. It's genuine and enthusiastic for a reason. 


Talk soon! Meanwhile, continue Absorbing Life.

Fragrance vs. Essential Oils

In general, fragrance oils tend to be more affordable than essential oils. There are famous and much beloved scents that can only be found in a fragrance oil. Some fragrances simply cannot be mimicked through essential oils.

Fragrance oils fall into the FDA's jurisdiction and their "trade secret" law. This means that the manufacturer of the fragrance oil does not have to disclose the ingredients used in making their fragrances. Basically you may never know what in the world is really in a fragrance oil, but they do have guidelines in place to ensure the general safety of the product.

Fragrance oils are synthetic (man-made), produced by chemists in Laboratories. The majority of candle fragrances are created using fragrance oils. There is no plant or bark that naturally smells like cotton candy.

Essential oils are derived from plant matter, such as the leaves, stems flower buds and bark. These oils are also used in proven aromatherapy methods to calm the mind, body and soul.