40 Pieces of Advice Challenge - Day 13

What if I told you that, every day, I open my wallet, find a $20 bill, rip it into shreds and set it on fire?

I'm pretty sure that you would see it as a very strange practice. Maybe you would think that I was wasting something that could be of use to me or to someone else.  

And I would agree with you.  

Well, the good news is, I don't actually do that. But, most of us do burn something every single day that is worth far more than twenty dollars. And it is something we can never get more of. 

Time. 

What do you do with your time? Do you think about the past and how you should have done things differently? Do you worry about things you have no control over? Perhaps you think of everything that can go wrong in the future and end up paralyzing yourself in the present?

Do you continually find fault with the words and actions of others? Do you spend your time rehashing conversations in your mind, or have imaginary arguments with people who have done you wrong?

You're not alone. It seems to be the human condition to be wrapped up in our thoughts, constantly living in our past of our future. Many spiritual practices over thousands of years have been focused on helping us live in the present and give up our need to control things beyond our sphere of influence.  Our wisest teachers, throughout our history and our present time, have shown us, in words and by example, that life is best lived by focusing on the positive, moment by moment.

Does focusing on the positive mean that we walk with our heads in the clouds, never seeing the real needs and problems in our world? Of course not. It means finding the best course of action to take in order to serve those needs or heal those problems. It means being so mentally, emotionally and spiritually present in every moment, that we are able to see how to participate fully in this thing we call life. 

Ok, it's very easy to say, but how do you actually stay present in every moment? That is the twenty (million) dollar question. And I'm not so foolish to think that I hold the answers. What I do know is that the times I feel most alive, as though I'm seeing and hearing and feeling and smelling and tasting with amazing clarity, are the times that I am involved in following my passions. When I don't feel the passing of time because I'm exploring nature with my children, or having a heart to heart talk with a dear friend, or when I dress as a clown and make strangers smile - there are so many things. 

In these moments, it doesn't even occur to me to think about the past or contemplate the future. I just AM, and that is the most joyous state to be in. But, what if I am not in one of those moments and my mind starts down that path of worry and regret? Here are 5 things that help bring me focus:

1. Clear up any unfinished business I have with someone. Maybe it's a conversation that needs to happen, or a plan of action to be put in place, or maybe even just writing a letter that will never be sent - but getting out of my head and into the real world will automatically center me in the present moment.

2. Take action right now that will help bring about a desired outcome in the future. Am I feeling resentful because my busy day did not allow me any time to rest and refresh myself? I will take a few minutes to write down the feelings of frustration and make a plan to give myself at least a few minutes of recreation the very next day.

3. I believe in the power of laughter, so I will find something that makes me laugh. A few minutes of comedy really put things in perspective.

4. Commune with nature! I am so very fortunate to live in a place where all I have to do is step outside and I am greeted with the glory of nature. Just a few minutes of walking among trees or feeling the cool breeze play through my hair and I am refreshed and energized.

5. This one may sound like a tired old rehash, but it really works. I count my blessings. That is not to say that I compare myself to the "less fortunate", I don't. I just consciously call to mind all the good and wonderful things in my life.

So, how about you? What techniques do you use to use to keep you living in the present moment? What can you do to use the irreplaceable treasure of time to uplift your life and the lives of others?

What a Wonderful World

If only all commercials were this uplifting! 

Take a couple of minutes out of your day and watch this ad for BBC - you'll be glad you did. And feel free to spread the joy by sharing this post with all of your friends!

Be Kind

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

The recent death of Robin Williams has sent a wave of shock and sorrow through our society. While most of us never met him, we are feeling a real sense of loss at the departing of this man who brought joy to so many.

It's not just that it happened so suddenly. After all, had he been in a fatal car crash or something similar, we would have still mourned his passing. But, there would not have been the confusion and regret that many of us are left with. How could we not know that someone so visible, so well-loved by generations of people, and so gifted with the ability of making others laugh, could be living a life of such profound inner darkness?

And how many of us spend our days around people whom we never truly know, and who never really know us?

When we are greeted with a "How are you?", do we blurt out a cheerful "Fine!" because it's easier than actually sharing what's going on with us? When we take offense to someone's words or actions, do we give them any leeway, thinking that maybe there's a bigger picture that we're not seeing?

I don't know what difficulties Robin Williams was dealing with. I can't make everything better, even for the people closest and dearest to me.  And, I don't have any easy answers to the many problems we all face in our lives. 

All I can say is, when you have to choose, choose kindness. 

With love,

Tamera

When Life Gives You Lemons, Freeze Them!

Grain-Free Banana Bread

This banana bread is so rich and satisfying, you won't even miss the wheat flour! I use almond flour, which you can find just about anywhere these days. If you'd like to make your own, it's very easy. Using a Vitamix or food processor, process about a cup of slivered almonds 20-30 seconds, being careful not to overdo it, as you don't want to end up with almond butter. 

Grain-Free Banana Bread

40 Pieces of Advice Challenge - Day 12

Hello my dear readers! I didn't intend to take so much time away from my blog, but life just ordered itself in such a way that a few days of time devoted just to my family and myself turned into many days of total detachment from all things digital. It was a wonderful time to unplug and recharge ourselves with the energy of each other's company. I highly recommend periodic "getaways" to everyone, even if it's just  for a couple of hours every night.

But I've missed you all and am so excited to be back!

And now, on to Day 12 of the 40 Pieces of Advice Challenge!

This one is really timely for me. As a mom and business owner, I find myself running around all day, seemingly from one urgent task to another. I know that I'm not alone in this - being busy has become our national pastime.

It's really easy to keep giving to others, without stopping to fill our own inner well, until, one day, we find ourselves so tired, that we don't know if there's anything left to give. Can you relate? I know I've felt totally drained from time to time. And then, I remembered how, on airplanes, we're instructed to put on our own oxygen mask before attending to anyone else. There's a very real and important reason for this. If you don't have air to breathe, you may pass out before you can help anyone else.

Now, in daily life, the situation may not be as drastic as running out of oxygen in the space of a couple of minutes, but, the need to take care of yourself is just as real, just as necessary, as it is on that airplane.

So, you might be saying, that's just great, Tamera, but what does all this have to do with getting three people to smile every day?

Everything.

What's the surest way to get someone to smile? You smile at them, of course! So, the first person you need to get smiling is - yourself! Every morning, look in the mirror and smile a great big silly grin. There's no situation in the world that can't be made better with a smile. And by seeing yourself smiling, you just might think it's so goofy, that you'll even laugh. And that's a good thing.

Be light hearted. Smile at yourself. Tell yourself that this is the best moment of your life so far. And it will only be out done by the next moment. And on and on.

Once you've got yourself good and giddy, go out and infect everyone you meet with your heartfelt smile. And tell them to pass it on.

Top 5 Benefits of Smiling

1. Reduce stress
2. Release endorphins, helping to ease pain and uplift mood
3. Lower blood pressure
4. Focus the mind
5. Spread joy

So, try it tomorrow morning. Wake up, look in the mirror and smile your biggest, happiest smile, share it with the world and reap the rewards all day.

If you need inspiration, here are some wise words from one of my favorite philosophers:

"What day is it?", asked Winnie the Pooh.
"It's today," squeaked Piglet.
"My favorite day," said Pooh.

Fun Fruit Flower!

My kids love it when I take pictures for the recipes that I post on Healthy Isn't Boring. They help me arrange the food just so and vote yes or no on the resulting pictures. 

Yesterday, I set out some fruit for a mid-afternoon snack, and we decided to cut and arrange them into different shapes. Annie came up with the flower you see above. We loved it so much, I asked her if she would like to be a "guest blogger" on my blog and she was very excited about the idea. The boys, not wanting to be outdone by their sister, wanted to make a flower for the blog, too. Well, they started building their flower, then wanted to see how tall they could make it. I made an executive decision when I saw their creation nearing the tipping point, and that's when we took a picture of it. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you:

The Fun Fruit Flower Tower

We had such a wonderful time making fruit art and then eating our designs. Although my children love fruit and veggies, I know that there are many out there who don't. One way to get your children to choose healthful treats over processed non-foods full of sugar and salt, is to let them have fun making their own meals and snacks.

You don't need to get any fancy equipment. Just spend some time with your kids, cutting out shapes and putting together creative combinations. Eventually, they will start to associate feelings of love, comfort and closeness with nutritious food. 

Nicholas, Annie and Jayden loved putting together this post for you! Please share your ideas for fruit and veggie edible art in the comments section!

From our family to yours,

Tamera, Nicholas, Annie and Jayden