Mental Health and Wellness Archives - Page 15 of 28

27 Habit Tips for Your Wellness New Year

Happy New Year’s resolution practices are a concept of yesteryear, better replaced by a wellness new year.🌱

…And better formed habits (in my healthy list below).

But resolutions are still embraced by some as it’s commonly referred to around the world.

And for others of us, we’re open arms to big changes we want to make and a healthy world revolution to head into a better future world… oh, and to make up for the losses from the past few years.

And in light of the global events affecting us all over the past few years, our world needs more uplifting. We don’t need more challenges. We need a revelation. Amen?

And maybe for you (like me) starting goals in the coldest, winter months in the U.S. is not the easiest plan to stick to and would be preferred in warmer and summer months when we have higher serotonin levels and more natural Vitamin D sunshine.

…And, that’s a time when we’re more active, happier, and apt to make changes.

So, on that healthy intention, you want to set yourself up for success and feeling good for better mental health this wellness new year (…and that’s better than last year).

When you can show up as your Best Self, then you have a chance to make a better and bigger impact. Being healthy and happy matters. And even more so as parts of our lives have become initially harder to eventually make it easier (…I believe).

And I also believe that’s where our world is headed. We see this fueled faster by new technology 🚀 advancements and awareness-growing of the need to save our planet.

And that means some of the old ways we did daily life… and the resolutions we once hung our baseball caps on… will change.

But one area that won’t change and can stay traditionally evergreen 🌲 is a wellness new year plan that will help keep you going year-round and that you can count on consistently. If you show up, it’s available.

…And these natural pinecones (above) showed up in my view, which to me is one of nature’s beauties. It also serves a purpose where the cone protects the precious seeds inside.

This natural miracle hasn’t changed through generations.

And like traditional pinecones, if you want to embrace traditional resolutions, then go for it…

Isn’t the post-2020 famous saying?… You do you.

Either way, here I share some of my better health and wellness new year habit tips (…27 to be exact) that give you a better wellness new year list to practice, so you can better navigate this new emerging world of changes.

1. Drink more water naturally. When you jump up and down or run circles cardio-exercise, you naturally are thirsty

2. Improve your mind-body health

3. Gratitude keeps pride in-check

4. Eat a diverse variety of healthy foods

5. Work on daily body balance and yoga that helps in years to come

6. Improve your heart health with cardio and healthy cholesterol levels

7. Write daily (or find your daily creative practice)

8. Color your world with inspiring home and clothing choice colors

9. Learn something about yourself, deeper than you normally would

10. Start mornings eating a plant-based meal (...cool beans?)

11. Add more spices (and make your own punchy, hit-you-in-the-nose with anti-inflammatory gut clove spice blends like in holiday gingerbread or exotic Ras el Hanout spices with fennel, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper, and cloves.)

12. Do-it-anyway yoga (and any which way you can!)

13. Get enough amino acids (starting in the morning with your protein sources)

14. Put out a bowl of no-prep easy, healthy snacks (e.g. carrots, nuts, and apples)

15. Pause on feeling-frustrated and change the air you breathe by stepping away

16. Change your anxious tunes in the morning with calm breaths

17. Change your worry thoughts in the evening that stir up

18. Change your rainy-day moods with the environment around you

19. Change your negative thoughts at the gate so they build up and become your day

20. Scan the headlines and read one healthy growth article a day

21. Choose the recycling option even if takes just a ‘lil more effort as you’ll feel better you did for our planet…. and you can appreciate all the bean cans you consumed 😊

22. Remove some of the older digital overwhelm habits you no longer need

23. Spend a rainy day weekend organizing your belongings (and feel lighter afterward). Rock out to some good tunes while time melts away 🎶

24. Find your share-to-the-world message that’s part of what you do. This builds your self-worth and confidence as you get better at your talents

25. Prepare more plant-based meals. It’s easier to get veggies and lentils in if they’re cooked or ready-to-go, and in your kitchen. You could have a leftover dish for breakfast so your drinking coffee has a happy landing

26. Spend time in nature. You get out of your busy life and into the busy bees doing theirs 🐝

27. Embrace the neti pot. This is what our new world can be all about… clearing out the old stuck mess, and bringing in fresh ideas that work for us. We need the new. And happy new year! 🎉

If you want to see what your body is trying to say to about the balance it needs, take the Body Balance Quiz (…and if you already did it last season, do it again this season as our bodies are always changing. 🧘🏻‍♀️)

Self Love Quotes for 30 Days

Self love quotes and thoughts are one way we can count on to feel-good daily.

You are loved.

…Btw, how are you inside these days?

Because life is more than our situations and what appears on the outside.

Bringing in joy is what can keep us going.

And self love quotes can get you through and growing.

These days, I’m counting down the days with Advent chocolates and tear and share healthy-inspired Greek yogurt brunch recipes enhances life… (brunch is my favorite meal 😊 that comes from a decade of planning parties).

…And the holidays aren’t over yet, but a New Year can be exciting, relaxing, or a stressful time…

I hope and choose for the former every time… and I bet you do too.

One thing that we all wonder about is what a new year will bring.

And besides putting out a spread of healthy baked sweets, I’m working on cranking out a New Year’s List ✍️ of healthy mind-body tips that’s growing daily… and should be ready next time (on this blog) after I bake my 4th batch of healthy gingerbread cookies.🫚

…And before January 6th (that’s Epiphany Day with a capital “E”) that’s meant to be a hope-filled day, that somehow got erased by an unrestful Capitol political news headline.

I grew up in the DC metro area so it’s close to home.

I had to work hard to find peace amongst chaos.

That what I now value most. There’s no price you can put on calm and peace. It adds years to your life.

And we’re built with these calm, loving ways inside us.

And we can find in our daily quiet time.

Yoga is one of my ways.

And in your way, you can look for more hope and encouraging messages to help your cause today.

On that mission, below is a list of self love quotes and empowering reminders for good vibes that you can check out and think about today. 📝

Healthy challenge yourself… 💪

And these also make good journal prompt ideas, so you can better breathe in your best self today and breathe out what isn’t helping you grow into tomorrow.

Repeating self-love quotes are your ticket to reframe daily happiness and the way out of mental blocks that are holding you back in this life and season.

You don’t have to wait for situations to change… it’s YOU and your perspective that can be changed in an instant positive reframe.

And when you do, you reap mind freedom.

It’s the difference between abundant mind vs. victim mind and sad thoughts.

That’s my transformative story in a nutshell.

Because I didn’t grow up always feeling loved.

So point #1: ALWAYS remember you are loved. 🥰

And here are 30 self love quotes you can repeat to yourself in a mirror for your best day and year…

1. I am loved.

Because I am here, I am loved. I don’t have to do anything or be a specific somebody to be loved. I can just be.

“Love thy neighbor as you love yourself.”

Am I loving myself?

2. I have peace.

I am filled with a sense of freedom from worrying about _____.

“Peace be with you.”

Do I feel peace?

3. I am beautiful inside and out.

As I age, I become more beautiful as a person. I may have even traded in my old caterpillar self for my new butterfly life fluttering around in life’s abundance.

“Outer beauty attracts, but inner beauty captivates.” -Kate Angell

4. I have infinite wisdom.

I operate from more wisdom today than I did a decade ago. I’m not the same exact person.

I’m better and the world is gaining from me showing up with better self-wisdom.

5. I am strong.

I have areas of great strength. I’m going to pay attention to where in me I’m naturally strong.

Maybe I’m a good listener or I have strong arms or knees.

And I am strong in healthy convictions for what I stand for. And when I’m weak I’m strong because I lean into areas I need to make me stronger.

6. I am unique.

“By being yourself, you put something in the world that was not there before.” -Edwin Elliot

“You are fearfully and wonderfully made.”

No one is you except you.

7. I am creative.

I was born with creativity. I may not be able to get creative every day, but creative new ideas are born daily in me. Some good ones I can use or sit with for a moment and let go of others to share the wealth and let others take action on the same idea formed in them.

8. I am grateful.

I look at ways to be daily thankful, find the blessings in the daily miracles, and appreciate what I have by seeing what life used to be like or could be like from others who are less fortunate in those areas I’m grateful for.

“The grass is greener on the other side.”

I’m on the other side.

9. I am contributing.

I have offered to the world the most valuable things to me. And I have so much more to give, and that will give me more.

I’m going to make note of ways I’ve grown into a better person and today are more helpful and have become useful to the world.

10. I am calm.

I don’t let my situations raise stress in me.

I know I’m better off and make better decisions by staying calm every day.

11. I have control.

I don’t let my emotions or thoughts control me. I manage my self-control so that I’m not the source of problems, and that leads to better relationships, finances, and health.

And I’m patient.

“Haste makes waste.”

…Aren’t you glad you waited?

12. I know where I’m headed.

I know which direction I’m heading in and have a few ideas in my guiding gut as to what my next steps are.

I’m constantly working on improving and that always leads me to the right and better path. And I know what directions I won’t take again, and that helps lead to a better life.

13. I am healthy in both my mind and body.

I respect and take care of my inter-connected mind and body even better than I take care of my material things.

I have peace about myself. I don’t let thoughts that hurt my actions take over.

I think regularly about how I maintain a healthy body so I can live longer with more energy.

“Laughter is the best medicine,” and “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

14. I am organized.

I’m organized and that helps me feel at peace because the weight is lifted off my shoulders. And I have more time to work on my priorities and things I enjoy.

15. I am helpful.

I use my skills, gifts, and abilities to help the world.

Just this week I helped ____________.

16. I’m giving.

I help, collaborate, give, and share with the world.

“Do unto others as you would like done unto you.” (The Golden Rule)

17. My life has meaning and purpose.

I matter. And I’m here for a reason besides what I do to put food on the table.

My being matters.

18. I have intelligence.

I am smart and naturally wired for intelligence in specific areas that I know today and some I’m looking forward to discovering.

19. I have hidden talents and abilities that will emerge when I’m ready.

I can encourage or support, teach, know, and lead. And as I use these abilities, I will get and grow more.

20. I’m destined for success with my beliefs.

Where I started small, I can end up big. Through time I’m gaining experience and wisdom that will be productive.

The last often finish first.

21. I have joy.

Today I will have joy. And tomorrow I will have joy. I will use my senses to find joy…

[Every day I will find evidence that I’m lucky to be alive.]

This can be from seeing nature or beauty out of my mind, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

…From tasting something delicious or comforting that I savor.

…From smelling something pleasantly fragrant that calms me.

…From touching something that is soft.

22. I belong.

I know where I belong in the world and have groups that I belong to.

They share beliefs and thoughts for similar causes. We share and do life together.

And I’m at ease with them as they are with me. There are always loving people around who support me. And I’m meeting new people all the time.

“When one door closes, another opens.”

23. I know who I am.

And I’m valuable to the world whether or not the people that raised me or my family of origin gave that to me or not. They did the best they could…

And my worth is not based on their lack and what they didn’t know. It is what I better believe and the more amazing person I choose to become, despite my differences that make (and made) me stronger.

24. I am forgiven.

For all my past wrongdoings, I am forgiven. And in my overflow, I can forgive others who really hurt me, so that I can move on peacefully.

25. I am healed from past wounds.

I have forgiven those who hurt me. And I released those burdens so that I can be healed. And I have purged those emotions from me.

I use old scars to be the best person I can be to myself and the world.

This is the one of the greatest keys to start self love. If on the other side of your pain, you can repeat this daily in your self love quotes… you will unlock your freedom.

26. I have healthy interests that keep me curious.

Staying in wonder keeps me growing and young at heart. The kid in me never dies even though I’m glad I grew up.

27. I have grown.

I’ve not reached my destiny, but thankfully I’m not where I once was. And I’m making progress every day trying, taking two steps forward and fewer steps backward.

It’s okay to be the tortoise. I’m in my own race.

I know when I’ve won.

28. I have self-confidence.

I am able and capable…

And unstoppable.

29. I feel good about my future outlook.

I have a lot in store for the future. And my positive outlook will help me get past and through tougher times.

Going through is the fastest route with the deepest impact on the other side.

30. I know my good values.

I know what is important to me and I will not waiver in my integrity to myself that the world benefits from.

My good intentions will bring about the best outcomes that lead to the doors that are meant for me.

And I will not worry that I made a wrong turn because I acted truthful, good, and kind. I will be rewarded because of my good intentions.

And these are 30 self love quotes and reminders you can say to yourself anywhere and anytime to restore your morning thoughts, negative thoughts, and inspire your every day. 🧡

Pursuit of Happiness In You

Pursuit of happiness is inside you.

Are you in the pursuit of happiness? Chickpea pie (like the one baked in love above) makes me hap-pea. And happiness is for a moment that’s different than meaningful joy.

This is a life area I think many people these days are redefining as their expectations for happiness fell short at least in the past few years.

And they don’t know what to do to change that as an undercurrent running in their minds as external situations are getting tougher.

If that’s you, be encouraged you’re in good company. We’ve all had to change situations that we didn’t choose.

And I’m gonna share some nuggets on how to help change the tide (and how I changed my ways).

First of all, I can totally relate to a chain of disappointments. And that’s how I got to see them as God’s appointments.

I was dealt some lemons… and I don’t know anyone who hasn’t who has lived this life for at least a quarter of a century.

Losses, unhappy situations, and failures are hard to swallow (and doesn’t help the pursuit of happiness). But going through is the fastest way to get to the other side. We often slow our progress by having pity parties. I know I did until I finally caught on.

By being aware you focus on the positives so you can thrive and not dwell on the same stuck feelings and thoughts that come back like a boomerang.

Your mind-body remembers, and so every February when nothing was going on… I was reminded of what wasn’t going on that I could’ve buried earlier if I knew what to do.

But waiting seasons are needed, and that’s how I gradually learned how to flip the switch in not getting what I wanted. And trade that in for contentment and deeper joy, which produces feeling good.

And that’s what those who seem to have it all on the outside, don’t have…

I started out my young adult life wanting the same desires and dreams that most people have: a corporate job they are successful and feel good about (or at least aren’t feeling miserable in), a family of their own, good relationships, nice stuff, a college degree or two, and financial freedom.

These were the same sort of accomplishments many in the Washington DC metro area I grew up in, had.

But being in a high-pressure cooker environment that feeds into high-achieving egos didn’t help. That encouraged more of a self-absorbed life that turns into unfulfilling boredom and unhappiness.

After a while, I snapped out thinking, “there’s got to be more to life than just this.”

And while I had scattered bits and pieces of that old life description that carried me through my earlier years, that’s not the life I have now.

But what I do have today is a different proud lens to look out from, that’s everyday contentment. It’s not the same happiness lens that I used to aspire to that became a never-ending, up-and-down roller coaster ride.

…I hated that lifestyle based on external situations because the down was always a hard fall and a huge contrast from the going up feelings that felt good for the moment.

The problem with that is that you’re always chasing the next thing and high that seems better. It’s a bottomless pit because the feeling can never be satiated.

In this life, we always grow weary or tired of anything after a while. A good thing never stays good the same way for us. Everything is temporary, as are feelings.

But if you’re feeling deeper joy (that comes from the spirit) inside you every day, that’s sustaining for the soul (mind, body, free-will, and emotions). We can’t change the way we’re wired as humans.

And you’re not your mind-body that drives your thoughts and feelings, even though you make the decisions.

So what helps to feel good every day is to be productive, just like you need good sleep every day so you have energy.

And joy energy is needed to get more out of this life so you can show up creative, and have enough to give out to others.

Here are a couple of good idea reminders:

1. Tune into the better daily channels for inner peace.

So if you’re like most in the pursuit of happiness, pay attention to the channels brought in, both external in what to listen to and watch, and internal thoughts aligned with the spirit (the whispers that bring out the joy).

Since I’m not in pursuit of the happiness that I started my life with, I listen to my inner desires.

Sometimes I’m a tired Vata because I don’t stick to an exact sleep routine (…good to get to bed early and get your proper ZZZ’s I tell my Night Owl self). But that’s all fixable with a cuppa joe and the next night’s sleep.

…What’s not fixable is waking up and focusing on the wrong desires (or strategy of life if you want to be more concrete).

And so when I get going, I have purpose and joy inside me that I get to make progress and impact in the day, and have meaningful work. I do life my way with freedom and space… and without pressures that sink in that create stress. I set a schedule that works for me, and when I get paid I can do more of the things I love. 🧡

That’s not how it was when I settled in as an employee. Or when I was starting out on my own.

If this or your dream life is more what you want and it’s not what you have today, start by figuring out how you can build that life by taking one baby step at a time. And then you’ll get more clarity from that step and in the next step.

See how you can get a few extra hours of time and freedom to do what you want.

…And then you won’t have regrets about your work life when you look back at the years that went by.

That was a big driver for me.

And looking back, none of the past work situations are relevant to the actual work I do today, even though they propelled me forward to keep growing and use some of the experiences gained for my next moves.

And not even the budding small business blog I had back in 2009 that took me back into a new corporate working life. And guess what?… yours truly here is still blogging today on more meaningful topics. ✍️

Your life doesn’t have to stay in the same lines it started in. No one says a straight-line work path to retirement is the best life except for culture and critics. If you take a life-changing sabbatical at 35 you get to take all that gained information you gathered and use it for the rest of your life.

And eventually, every situation and everyone’s situation changes.

And that’s more evidence that situations good or bad, happy or sad, are fleeting. What’s lasting is YOU who has come out with more knowledge and experiences. And maybe good memories too.

In the process of tough circumstances, trials, and setbacks, you become more resilient, patient, content, and learn what this life is more about so you can lean into what is good for your life that produces happiness.

And that brings me to a deeper #2…

2. Find out what God wants from you

…And as my life unraveled I realized I was chasing the wrong dreams, and some led to problems and that helped me find my new life dreams.

And then even some healthy dreams that I was successful at and growing didn’t pan out because the timing wasn’t right (which means God wanted me somewhere else).

So, I’m actually writing a new book about finding this newer life (that everyone can)… and how to more easily co-create and get to fulfill bigger plans and heart dreams that were promised in your design before you were born.

…And in my old life, I always had healthy achieving desires. But they weren’t the exact ones that were designed for me by the Creator who created it all. His plan takes faith, belief, and patience. There’s a process.

That’s what I’ve come to know. And that’s the opposite of the “if it’s meant to be, it’s up to me” mindset and lifestyle I grew up in.

He has a unique plan and bigger dreams for each of us that needs a different higher internal lens to discern. And being in the pursuit of happiness and following what culture defines as success doesn’t help. But having daily wisdom, joy, and peace does.

The book is one of my new year’s goals. We need a revolution of good change (that’s the new resolution) to be able to thrive in our exciting, new world emerging in today’s happiness.

And in your new year pursuits and heart’s desires, maybe you decide to rewrite your pursuit of happiness goals and align them to the written stars for you and who you’re becoming. 🌟

OH, OH, OH… and Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas! 🎄

Healthy Christmas chocolate peppermint heart cookie inspiration made from warm ginger spices and coconut oil (used for better heart-healthy cholesterol than butter).

Reminder of my past hotel catering life. Hotels always get decked out with Christmas trees and holiday poinsettia plants.

Baked Chick Peas or Garbanzo Beans (or Chic beans) Pie

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

Chickpeas, drained
Olive oil
Salt

Instructions

Bake to liking.

Healthy Gingerbread Cookie + Balancing Kapha Mind

I planted a healthy gingerbread cookie tree on this Silpat baking sheet. Recipe below ⤵️

Healthy gingerbread cookie trees are rare, and even this time of year when everyone is talking about lighting the Christmas trees.🌲

Easy Chai Oat Gingerbread Cookie

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour (with oats)
1 ¹⁄₂ tsp baking powder
³⁄₄ tsp teaspoon baking soda
¹⁄₄ tsp teaspoon salt
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 ³⁄₄ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground cloves (or 1/2 tsp of allspice if that's what you have on hand)
6 tbsp unsalted butter (or substitute with 1 TBSP coconut oil)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar (reduce to 1/3 cup for less sugar and still have a delicious and nice cookie!)
1 large egg
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup oats

Instructions

In a large bowl, add dry and wet ingredients.
Melt coconut oil add to bowl.
Roll out cookie dough to about 1/8" to 1/4" cookies.
Bake on 350°F for about 10-12 minutes.

I share the traditional old-fashioned recipe (below) that I’ve been using FOR-ever and that I spiced up even more this year! XOXO

Every year is a ‘lil different, and as a creator, I like to challenge myself to make new creations and not stick with the same cookie cutter ones over and over again… haha. As a healthy recipe developer, that means evolving into even healthier bakes.

And this helps me so that I keep outta Kapha imbalances in the kitchen. Btw, the level of Kapha dosha is relative to each of our bodies, but eating healthy, balanced meals always helps to prevent trouble down the road…

Which is part of the natural order that this life is… it’s not a matter of if… it’s a matter of when. And you can stay on the healthy side starting with body-mind awareness.

One of the symptom intersections is your feelings that constantly shift. They help guide you, and other times steer you down a rabbit hole.

And if you want to stay feeling peaceful, joyful, and happy (and be productive) all the time (…like when I’m relaxed baking healthy gingerbread cookies), then keeping the Kapha mind balanced is important.

Some examples of what will make the difference are your steadfastness to boundaries. And your commitment to yourself and to others involved. And finally, plowing through and making it easy on yourself in everyday situations that come up.

And that all starts in the mind.

So… when negative thoughts enter, dismiss them by replacing them.

The problem for many people is they don’t even know when they’re getting pulled down by negative information and thoughts…well, because that’s their mind.

And we don’t naturally challenge our own thoughts. That’s not something we’re born knowing how to do.

What most of do learn is how to challenge other people’s thoughts and opinions. Sound familiar?

Especially this time of year when it’s easy for stress to settle in trying to get end-of-year goals accomplished and fit into holiday-hoopla 🎉 that can be overwhelming for the mind-body. And not always bring out the best in us.

Our mind-body is connected in such a way that if you have a Kapha mind where you’re stuck in negative strongholds, feeling lazy, or find yourself accumulating clutter, that can easily turn into a couch potato Kapha body imbalance.

One easier way to know if a Kapha imbalance is causing our negative moods is if we’re feeling depressed or withdrawing from certain activities we’re usually drawn to or have been in the past.

And as we know, the ego tries to fool us, so to outwit we have to be doubly smart, pausing before reacting and making wise choices that influence our day.

Those stubborn Kapha mind mood tendencies can linger. But if you know what to do, you can get out of excessive Kapha faster and into feeling good. And erase hovering dark clouds that can easily become your weekend. Or gradually settle in for a season if you’re not careful.

But we can change this pretty easily one choice at a time…

We can turn off the external negative messages and listen to more uplifting ones. And that includes shutting off the news after getting the accumulated hour-or-so daily scoop.

This subtle shift helps for subtle situations…

For example, you could be having a bad morning where everything seems to go wrong and deciding in your mind that it’s going to be a bad day since the start was rough.

But by allowing uplifting thoughts to enter in to influence the rest of your day or lean into gratitude for what you DO have, that will help brighten your perspective that becomes self-fulfilling.

I know that can sound pollyanna-ish, and is not always easy if you’re in a miserable situation like a job you hate, or a living situation or relationship that isn’t working out.

BUT, you can better program your mind to work for you. If we can walk and chew gum and think thoughts at the same time, then we can do this! We are capable.💪

One way we can help ourselves is having a consistent activity where we’re learning and improving. That takes the focus off of our thoughts. You may already do this.

In the activity that calls you, you don’t want to miss a moment in what you’re doing. This improves your skills and helps your head game. You then look forward to the activity in your day that helps your entire day.

And something else you can easily do…

Change your environment. Maybe you start doing your activity in a warm, sunny spot. That can be outside. These days, there are no limits to where you can work or catch a break as we’re a virtually remote society that can access anything anywhere.

As a Vata, I like to mix up where I work. I use a desk, a closet, outdoors… it just depends on my mood. And that’s how I get things done productively: I change my scenery options.

And maybe that’s you… or you like the same zone you always are in as that’s your designated spot. And if that’s you, then maybe having a photo or a reminder of something to look forward to in the future like some R&R or an adventurous trip, will also help.

And if holiday overwhelm is taking over these days, let the reason for the season keep you grounded. Let Scripture verses provide comfort and wisdom, and help guide you.

And stay cozy warm uplifted and listen to cheery Christmas music 🎼and jingles… and better yet find your creative outlet. Get into your groove.

For me, this last weekend was partially about creating healthy gingerbread cookie dough.

And a Chai Oat healthy gingerbread cookie was on tall order to provide more holiday baking inspiration that’s both healthy and happy.

I wasn’t the only one as the Cookie Wars marathon was all over the media networks. And gingerbread was one of the themes like every year… it’s nice to be able to count on some things!

healthy gingerbread cookie

And I’ve been using the same base recipe that’s more happy than healthy.

This original recipe has been with me since 2004 when I printed it out. It was adapted from a Joy of Cooking recipe.

And I’ve been tweaking it up every year.

And backing up, decades ago, it was common to use shortening for cookies and Southern sweets, so finding a butter recipe with 3 grams of fat per cookie was a big deal because that’s what people cared about (the fat in calories). These days, we know there are healthier fats we can use to bake with…

So, I’ve evolved this once-a-year December recipe using coconut oil to give a nice consistency and dough to work with.

Ahh… an early winter healthy gingerbread cookie tree!

I added my notes in ( ) and below to my enhancements to this collaborative recipe. 😊

Easy Chai Gingerbread Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour (add oats)

1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons baking powder

³⁄₄ teaspoon baking soda

¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 ³⁄₄ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 cup oats (optional)

¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground cloves (or 1/2 tsp of allspice if that’s what you have on hand)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (substitute with 1 TBSP coconut oil)

³⁄₄ cup dark brown sugar (reduce to 1/3 cup for less sugar and still have a delicious and nice cookie!)

1 large egg

¹⁄₂ cup molasses

You can mix this all in one bowl. I like to bake on 325°F because cookies bake quickly. This’ll be about 15 minutes but it’s good to watch the oven.

S’mores Waffle + Getting The Life You Want

S’mores waffle are a metaphor for getting the life you want of getting s’more! 😊

waffles are a metaphor for getting the life you want in abundance — S’mores waffle recipe below 🧇

Looking at each waffle cell can help remind you that you’re not limited to syrup or honey in just one cell. There can be a sweet overflowing abundance.

This week I made a sweet snack: waffle s’mores. S’more please! 😋

What I love about waffle machines are that you can make individual, or to-order waffles in my home kitchen restaurant (haha).

My way is imperfect (aka easy but delicious!) and fast.

And you have waffle bites in less than 5 minutes and enjoy in less time that keeps the happy going… especially on a weekend jammed with other activities.

Waffles are great without having to fire up the oven or a sautee pan when you’re not in the mood or it’s warm outside (like these 80-degree November days).

I have a simple Cuisinart waffle maker that I like and is budget-friendly.

And you can use any waffle iron that suits you.

It’s an investment compared to buying frozen waffles at the store that gets expensive.

And the other equipment that helps is an oil spray bottle.

Then you don’t need to add oil in your waffle batter recipe. You use less and that can be healthy good and economical. And spraying, makes waffl-ing fast (...ok, what is the term for cooking waffles?). 🧇

In a pinch, you can use an emptied regular 16.9 oz water bottle.

Then screw a clean spray nozzle spray to the bottle, like the kind you use to water mist a plant that’s easy to find at a convenience store, if one’s not in your home.

And then add pour in your choice of mild oil. You can choose from canola and coconut, to light neutral EVOOs.

Then lightly spray the waffle maker, top and bottom. And with light oils you can make fun savory waffles and s’mores waffle flavors.

Just sayin’! 💡

And whatever kind you choose,the waffles come out easy… sometimes in seconds.

You know it’s done because you get a lightly browned waffle.

Ahhh… and there it is, fast and easy. Forget about pancakes.🥞 Those are so-last year. Now, I just made the pancake people unhappy.

Just kidding, but I probably will stick to waffles myself.

…And you?

Sharing about waffles, I’m reminded of some franchise hotel breakfasts where they have self-waffle machines.

So that’s where you may have practiced before too. Those are the sweet morning kind served indoors. I made the s’mores kind good also for outdoors. 🪵

So, to make the melted s’more waffle sandwich, just tear or cut with a knife your waffles into 4 or quarter sections, and use 2 sections for the top and bottom “buns.”

Add your sandwich ingredients like chocolate and marshmallow in the middle (check that the middle layer ingredients don’t go over the sides of the waffles).

Then put your sandwich back in the waffle maker until your sandwich ingredients are melted (like a panini maker).

All this can take less than 5 minutes to make when you become a pro waffle maker.

On the lighter topics, this is my new home kitchen tool obsession. 😊

And speaking of home, most of us spend our days checking on people, things, pets, plants, a chore’s progress, or what we’re making.

But often we forget to check on the most important thing… Ourselves. It’s easy to distract ourselves with what we can see in front of our eyes (that’s not always a mirror).

Our eyes are the gateway to our soul and influence our mind.

Changing to Abundance Mentality (For Getting the Life You Want)

And when I gradually switched from a victim mindset to an abundant one, that’s when I could start manifesting and co-creating new and better things. That’s creativity in the highest.

Wow, that’s a big leap forward but that’s where I’m going this week.

Because I believe there’s nothing more important than getting ourselves and our mind-body aligned with what we want in life.

Our decisions come from the lens we look out from. And in how we nurture our lives. We can make fear-based decisions that don’t help us.

I know this because I lived for the first 35 years of my life with a victim lens that I wasn’t even aware of. You can learn this in relationships where you react. And those reactions give you highlighted feedback.

And you can learn from other clues. Like when I created a vision board when they were popular (maybe they still are?), none of the pictures I cut out and pasted on the board panned out because I was looking from the wrong lens. Those ideas came from the same limiting victim mind that I used to look out from in my everyday life.

And after a massive corporate layoff I was part of, I had a chance to make bolder self-improvement changes as I restarted my life in most areas.

That’s when I connected the dots, expanded my horizons, and put to use my knowledge of the mind-body connection.

And I worked to slow down stress. That’s not totally doable or ideal working in the city. But, it was a big step forward from my past.

Plus, living in a city environment, there are more options, like many yoga studios and classes to choose from. And the environment you’re in can help to center your intentions as it did for me.

And in the slow seasons of life when I was waiting for areas to pan out, I evolved into a better version of myself.

As I leaned into character trait desires I wanted in mind, body, and spirit, they gradually became my life in alignment.

And the veil of the victim mentality disappeared somewhere in those seasons. And when it did, I could see that in the past I held myself back. You know, those parts of you that make up you, but that your work never sees.

And changing those parts change you. For a better life, an adult walks or runs, and a butterfly flies. Neither creatures crawl around with the earlier life limitations.

With the ability to look up and out, you gain abundance with a higher viewpoint, which helps you to better look in.

Changing Perspectives (For Getting the Life You Want)

And that starts by changing thoughts. Last time I shared on negative energy and that’s how life can be unless we proactively make the switch throughout the day so we can get to our abundant thinking.

Sometimes it’s easier to change the home thermostat temperature from cool to heat, than our minds.

We don’t do the switch if we’re not conscious because we have to fight against ego thoughts.

We can live tormented in our negative thoughts without catching on to how much time wasting it’s causing us.

Friend, I lived liked that for many years. So making up for lost time 😂, I choose to never live like that again. And you can too!

You can tell your ego to take a hike! And walk away from others’ egos, and not feeding their egos when they’re acting up.

If you’re aware of the concept of ego and how it’s the root of most people problems, then you’re ahead of the pack. And most high ego folks aren’t reading this because you know, they know it all. 😉

But most don’t consider themselves high in ego compared to so-and-so [insert a name] and those they see in the world acting out. The ego is much more subtle. It’s part of the air.

And just by comparing, that’s ego in action.

Recognizing Ego in Others (For Getting the Life You Want)

When I moved away from the Washington DC area, only then did I realize how polluted the air was, full of egos. It’s a great city with a lot to offer, but living there carries unique burdens.

It isn’t that other parts of America aren’t impacted by politics, but there it is in the air and not just on television or yard signs. People living there are very careful when speaking about politics (a big no-no), and a faux pas to mention in formal public setting conversations. And even informal ones.

Those ways trickled down to the suburbs where I spent most of my time. And early on in my work days, I would encounter other people’s egos all the time in management. I didn’t know what happened to that calm person from a few hours ago.

Today if I encounter those situations, I remove myself. Life’s too short. And that takes you steps away from getting the life you want.

Being under an ego spell, the other person doesn’t realize they’re engulfed by their ego at that moment (but they could if they chose to be more aware). They could choose the better thought channels.

But when it’s too late, they can appear like the Incredible Hulk compared to the normal person they usually are. Where did David go?

They act and say things that are off-base or aren’t how they usually react. You feel a huge disconnect as they try to rile you up with their words.

When you come back to that person later, the person remembers what or at least part of what you said and hopefully what they said. So that’s why it’s good to plant seeds when they’re unconscious. But just enough so you can get out alive, lol.

And often looking back, they’re sorry for what they said that no longer makes sense to them anymore why they struck a chord that way.

Were they just having a bad day? Did their medication not kick in? Or, does the person have split personalities?

Everyone, just blame it on what they ate (that’s not anti-inflammatory 😊), so you all can move on …and keep your ego at peace.

And as we’re only weeks away from the Holidays, I want to bring in the theme of peace as much as possible. That helps us stay calm and is just what the doctor ordered. 🍎

S'more Waffle

Ingredients

flour
neutral oil
water
mini marshmallows
chocolate, chopped or mini morsels

Instructions

Make two same-size waffles in your waffle iron (about 3 minutes on medium heat).
On a plate, sandwich marshmallows and chocolate in between the two waffles while they are still hot. Use a plate to press down. Alternatively you can add the chocolates on top for a crunch.