gratitude

November is gratitude month, though, I believe every month, every day we should write down/discuss what we are grateful for in this life. Whenever I'm being negative or having a bad moment, my boyfriend's favorite question to ask me is "what are you grateful for?" Here is a list for every day of November of the things that I'm grateful for. Make your own list and share!

1. My boyfriend, Joshua. He is by far one of the most positive, uplifting people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He has the ability to bring out the best in people and always brings a smiles to everyone's face. Five minutes in a room with him and everyone is laughing. I'm a better person for knowing him.

2. My family. Through thick and thin, no matter what (even when we disagree), they are always there for me and I for them. I have taken many risks in life and with great risks come great "failures." My family has been with me through every step of the way.

3. My friends. Are more like my family. They have been with me through some crazy times and we have amazing memories together.

4. My cat, Calliope. She is a calico and has a personality and a half. She knows when I'm upset and will snuggle up to me. She's also a fan of laying in the funniest positions which is always good for a laugh.

5. Chocolate. Do I really have to elaborate?

6. The ocean. Growing up less than a mile of the beach is a blessing. One of my favorite places to meditate is on the beach. Sometimes there is nothing more relaxing and centering than the sound of the waves and the smell of the salt air.

7. The mountains/rock climbing. Finding rock climbing nine years ago changed my life. I feel my calmest when up in the mountains, surrounded by giant trees and friends. Second to meditating on the beach, I am my most present when climbing.

8. The sky. Daytime sky, nighttime sky. It's all magical.

Whenever feeling down or negative, think about what you're grateful for and even write them down and put them in a jar! That way you always have them on hand when feeling a bit blue.

Much love,
S

respect

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you all are enjoying autumn and taking advantage of the amazing weather we have been having. Take time for yourself and go for a walk, run, hike, sit by the ocean, discover the beautiful trails near and far. Whatever it is that brings you joy, do it. This brings me to my reason for writing today and it's about self-respect. Like most of you, my life is a never ending to do list. While I love every minute of it and (mostly) have fun, there's come a point where I crash. If you are like me it is important to figure out the reasons why this happens. This is why living mindfully is key. I have a tendency to think that I can do it all, do it well and on my own. Work 40-50 hour weeks, sure! Start school again, heck yes! Pick up another job, ok! Help start a business, love to! Go climbing, always! Add in family, friends, cooking, cleaning, and all of the other fun little things I add to the list...no wonder I crash. When you jam pack your schedule like I do some things tend to fall by the waste side like sleep and healthy eating. Getting plenty of rest, water and proper foods is what fuels the body and mind so that we can all tackle our busy lives and be healthy and happy while doing it! This is where self-respect comes in. You need to take time for yourself. Here are some things you can do:

1. Learn to say no. 

2. Ask for help. 

3. Prioritize. Get yourself a planner and use it! Carry it with you everywhere. It's your personal assistant. 

4. Meditate. Even if it's only for one minute. Learn to quiet your mind. This will help you focus and become more in tune with yourself. 

5. Plan your meals. This is a huge area where most people (including myself!) are lacking. I have a hard time with it myself. Make time to plan meals for the week or make time (morning or night) to make healthy snacks and food for the day. I'll make another post with quick and easy recipes! Really need help find a Certified Health Coach! I have just begun school at the Institute  for Integrative Nutrition and have two wonderful colleagues who would love to help you. Joshua Louro and Adam Davenport of Life's Epiphany are two of the most positive and energetic people I know. Check them out at www.lifes-epiphany.com

Much love,
S

the power of positivity

Humans don't like to take responsibility for anything. It's always someone else's fault, problem, issues... We only have control over our own emotions. How we feel about situations or people. It's up to us. You choose whether to let positivity or negativity enter. I choose positivity. As of late, I have been putting forth even more effort to really pay attention to all of my thoughts and emotions. Anything negative had to go. It's not about eradicating negative emotions all together. It is part of the package of being a human being. But we CAN learn to recognize those emotions as soon as they arise and find healthy ways to get rid of them. When you put more positivity out into the world, the more that will return to you. The universe does not conspire against us and try to ruin our days. It's all about your own perceptions.

Smile even when it hurts, laugh, love, strike up a conversation with a stranger, play like you're a kid again, marvel at nature, hug often, slow down and take time to breath, stop reading this and get off the computer and go connect with another person. (but seriously, thanks for reading this!)

As always, much love

-S

to those i've loved and lost

I've loved many. At different points in my life and for different reasons. The love I've had for all of these people who for one reason or another are no longer a part of my life has not completely gone away. It's tucked away in neat files in my memory bank. When I think of these people and of the times we have shared, know that I look back with love in my heart and happiness in my soul. Be it past friends, long gone lovers, or family that have left this world, you are looked at with fondness. Your participation in my life has made me who I am today. Today I am a joyful, loving, caring, compassionate, confident, driven, dream following 27 year old. And I thank you. May you always know love and peace.

a letter to all

Hello everyone,

I hope that you are having a wonderful day. With all of the craziness, negativity and sadness that keeps happening in the world and shoved in our faces via the news I felt it imperative to write you all a letter.
And yes it is a love letter. I love each and everyone one of you so much. Love knows no limits or bounds. If you open yourself up to it, it is limitless. I even feel love for strangers that I have five minute conversations with. You may think me crazy but hear me out. I love them for opening up to me, a complete stranger, and sharing a story. For taking the time to engage and get to know me. For giving me a smile when I may have a sour look on my face. For the small connection that we shared.

Whenever you feel sad or alone know that someone out there loves you, and that person is me. Ever need someone to talk to, call me. If you don't already have my number it is on my Facebook page or message me. This isn't a flippant statement. I mean every word.

To all of my family and friends: No matter how far or near I am always thinking of each and every one of you. I am thinking and hoping that your days are filled with joy, love, laughter and sweetness. I am hoping that your troubles are quickly eased. I am hoping that you are happy.

Peace and much love,

S

short and sweet

Life is so good. I'm absolutely in love with my job. I have been having wonderful conversations with so many people lately. Topics, such as, sustainability, healthy living, open mindedness, connectedness, have been filling my days. I couldn't be happier.

Namaste. peace and love xoxo.

S

today and times of late

Wow, today. What an absolutely beautiful day. Every first and third Wednesday of every month I work a farm stand in downtown New Bedford, my native land. It's great to be able to do something so awesome for my city. We hadn't been doing so well though and if I didn't make enough today we weren't going to have it anymore. I have come to think of this market as my baby so it broke my heart to hear that. With the support of so many people though I did it! I made enough to keep the market going a little while longer. Also, today I had such beautiful conversations with so many wonderful people. One of the things I love about my job is that when I go to market, I get to spread the word of sustainability and discuss healthy eating and living with people. It's exactly how I want to be living my life.

After work, I went to a local beach to enjoy the beautiful day. No one was on the beach so I got to sit and meditate for awhile. There is no better place to meditate than the beach. The salt air, cool breeze on your skin and the sound of waves is so soothing. After I had been meditating for awhile, I heard a family start to walk my way. As they got closer, I heard a little girl's voice and she said to her family, "look at that girl over there. Is she relaxing?" To which they replied, yes. She answered, "It looks like she's sleeping." This made me laugh and I opened my eyes and thanked her for that. One of the adults said to me, "That's what you get with a four year old." And we shared a laugh. I love random, beautiful moments with strangers.

I've been having a similar conversation with different people lately about not judging others. This usually comes about because all of us 20-something year olds have college degrees and can't find jobs. To a lot of people it seems like we're doing nothing. A lot of us get comments like "how come you don't use your degree....why don't you go back to school..." Well a lot of people I know can't find jobs, even with Masters degrees. And you know something else...a lot of us love what we do even if it's not something that "utilizes" our degrees. A friend of mine stopped by the stand today. She was having lunch with a friend next door and I came up in conversation. She explained to him that she knows me from her current job. She told him how I moved to Poland for grad school and then to New Hampshire and that I now work for a farm. His comment back to that was whoa...you never really know people's stories do you? Who would have thought that girl at the farm stand did all that? This is something I always think of when first encountering new people; don't make too quick judgments on them. Obviously, if you have a gut reaction that someone may not be such a good person then you should listen. Other than that, give people a chance. If people are being jerks maybe they're just having a really bad day. You never know the paths that others have walked. What they have seen, the beauties and the horrors of life.

I leave you with a recurring thought I meditated on today: Love is all encompassing.

Namaste xoxo

insanity

A lot has happened in the past few days. A lot of negative. The most notable being the bombings at the Boston Marathon. Needing to clear my head about things, I went to the beach to listen to the waves and rejoice in nature. I fell asleep listening to the soothing sounds of the waves slapping against the shore. I awoke and began the twenty minute drive home. On the way, "One Love" by Bob Marley and the Wailers came on the radio. I started to sing along and immediately choked up. That's when the tears began. I cried for humanity, the people hurt and killed, and for myself.

It was a senseless act with who knows what meaning. So many innocence were hurt and a few tragically died. So many questions swirled in my brain. The negativity of people, the hatred, the anger, the fear, the need to hurt. Why? Why? Why?

Events that have unfolded had me questioning my need and want to help. Always trying to be there to help others even at great negative cost to myself. I made the mental decision to not allow the hurtful actions of a few affect how I am genuinely as a person. As shown in the heroic acts of so many at the Boston Marathon and as shown in the acts of my family and friends who are always there for me, I cannot and will not allow these atrocities change who I inherently am. It saddens me to be this way but sometimes we have to build an impenetrable wall and not let certain people and things affect our inner sanctity.

Be careful of those you let in. Even when people and things try to destroy the positivity and glowing light inside of you, do not allow it. There is still so much good in the world. So many people who love and care deeply.

We outweigh the evil out there. We must band together with a clear, united front. Stay true to yourselves, my friends. Keep on keeping on. Stay positive. You will still attract all that is good and holy to you.

Sending out as much peace and love that I can muster to you all. Namaste. XOXO

limbo

Throughout our lives, there are ups and down, twists and turns, mountains and valleys...ok enough analogies...you get it. Change is inevitable and I actually like it. As a child, change scared me a lot. Even the littlest of things. We had one of those square, old-fashioned phones that was red. When we got rid of it...I cried. In high school, I learned that a phobia of change was called Metathesiophobia. Yikes! I didn't want that. Also, I was smart enough to know that I'd be in big trouble if I let this fear take over my life. So instead I started to embrace change and actually enjoy it. Which is good considering my life has changed a lot in the past few years.

Currently, I'm on the precipice of yet more change. And right now I feel a little lost and like I'm in limbo. There's a lot of new going on and a lot of waiting for new to happen. Applying for a new job, new grad school program and soon a new apartment. As scary as it can be I am really excited. I have a really good feeling that great things are ahead. I just have to be patient.

serendipitous

Becoming mindful makes you much more aware of your life and all that is around you. The sights, sounds, people; the feelings of it all. Also, it becomes much easier to detect when seemingly small choices are the catalyst to big changes. It's an amazing experience and exciting. It makes you realize how powerful every choice we make is and teaches us to not go blindly through our lives as though some of these choices do not matter. I do not mean that every time you have to make a choice that it should become a long drawn out process. I only mean to call attention to the beauty and intricacies that are our lives and our worlds. 

-S

age and happiness

As all of my friends know, I talk about age. A lot. I'm hoping to end that with this post. Write it all down and leave it here so I can stop talking about it. I do believe it may be getting quite annoying.

I'm not afraid of getting older. On the contrary, I find it quite exciting. Learning, traveling, loving, losing, growing...it's all beautiful. I'll be 27 soon. Even seeing that number written down it's hard to believe. It may be because growing up you have this image of what someone in their twenties would be like. I'm not where I thought I would be. And that's quite okay with me. I have my own path to follow and it definitely isn't the norm. Sometimes I have existential moments and question the choices I've made. It only takes a moment of reflection to bring me right back to where I am. I have a lot of goals and ambitions in life but am also content on where I am in the present time. I'm starting to believe that's my own secret to happiness. We look for a formula to life's happiness. The funny thing is there is no one formula. You have to find out what works for you.

Find your own happiness. xoxo

-S

connecting

Meditation. What a powerful tool. Practicing the ability to calm ones mind is one of the greatest things we can do for our holistic well-being. This past Wednesday I went to the first class of a series on Advice for Anxious. It was a talk with two guided meditations.

Sitting still for ten minutes, feeling your breath, relaxing, and cutting the continuum of our thoughts is so refreshing. If we can better connect with our true selves, we are far better able to connect with others.

Which brings me to off shoot on connecting with people. After everything I've been through, some of that being a lot of dishonesty and lies, I have become a much more open person. I've never fancied myself a liar and always strive to be open and honest with everyone but my past experiences have made me become so much more open and honest. I don't hold back with my emotions or feelings. If I find that I am I look for the cause and try to correct. People and our relationships with them are the best investments we can make. It's people who help you through tough times and smile with you through the good. It's people who are there to offer a listen or an embrace. People are what really matter in this world. Spread love, joy, friendship, and cultivate your relationships.

The people in our lives is the one garden you should never neglect and constantly tend.

-S

unexpectations

Until now, this very day, this very moment, I have not realized how perfectly I entitled my blog four years ago. Since graduating college in 2010 my life has been a constant series of what's next...

First, there was that time right when I graduated where I got accepted into the University of San Francisco, accepted said offer and then turned it down. After that I worked locally for a year and then moved to Poland for graduate school. That jaunt lasted about two milliseconds and it was back in Massachusetts for me. Then shortly after that onward to New Hampshire. This brings us to present time. I am once again back in Massachusetts with no current plans to make any big moves.

So much has happened in the last three years of my life that it seems like at least ten years time has come and gone. At once I feel like I'm the same person I was three years ago but know that not to be true. How could it be?! I've learned and lived and lost. Even with all of the negatives, turn-downs, let downs and heartaches I would not change a thing. There are no mistakes or coincidences in life.

We have a choice to make in this life. We can take everything that has happened to us and let it bring us down or we can take it all in, the good, the bad, the indifferent and let it empower and lift us up!

-S