Lesson Learned!

What doesn't kill you makes you wiser.

This past weekend I celebrated becoming another year wiser.  Now that 33 is history, I thought I should share 3.3 lessons of wisdom I've gained.

1.) Don't let external factors overshadow your internal joy.

I am probably Shawn Achor's number one fan.  If you've never heard of him, allow me to introduce!!
He's author of The Happiness Advantage.

He's also written some other books and speaks publicly about positive psychology.

He is currently holding the spot in my heart for Best TED Talk of all time! If you have a few minutes, you can click below to see what he's about:

Shawn Achor's Ted Talk

I'm kind of a psychology geek, so maybe this doesn't resonate as well with someone who isn't, but my big takeaway from this, is that we create the filter in which we see the world (his words).  It's easy to look in the mirror and pick out a flaw or drive to work and see traffic and grey skies, but it's just as easy and so much more fulfilling to look in the mirror and embrace your favorite feature.  Drive to work and listen to your favorite song or an uplifting audiobook (am I the only one who loves audiobooks?)  But ultimately, as we walk through life, we can be struggling with a challenge that seems so unbearable, but we have the privilege of finding joy every day whether it's amongst chaos or amid complete order.  It's our choice.  Find joy in each day.  

2.) Do IT now! 

Whatever your IT may be, if you wait until tomorrow, you'll wish you'd started yesterday.  When I put off doing something because it's seems like it will take too long or the finish line is no where in sight, I have a few quotes in my back pocket that I go to for motivation.

The first one:  How do you eat an Elephant?

While I've never incorporated elephant in a meal plan I've written for someone, you get the point.  It's a metaphor.

Another favorite is this Earl Nightingale quote:

And anyway, things worth accomplishing are worth persevering through.  I have many other favorites, but you get the point.  Get started, an then don't quit, because you are closer than you think!

3.)  A classic message often reiterated by my mother: Garbage in=Garbage out.  That's really all encompassing Mind, Body & Spirit.

I am more attuned to this lesson than I have ever been.  When I put clean, whole foods in my body, I feel and perform better.  When I surround myself with positive & thoughtful people, I become a better person.  When I read, watch and experience life in a way that is enriching to myself and others, that cycle continues and spreads.  This "Garbage In=Garbage Out" philosophy can be phrased so many ways.  Karma.  Reaping what you so.  What goes around comes around, etc.  It's all connected.

To keep this message fresh in my mind, I keep a simple and effective quote close to my heart.  I picked this one up from an unlikely source, The Sweet Potato Queens.

The lead Queen is full of hilarious advice, but most the powerful words she's uttered are the simplest.

  BE PARTICULAR!

And that falls under every category.

What you put in your mouth.  The words that come out of it.  Who you choose to spend your time with.  What you choose to do with your time.  What you read, write, watch, post, etc.  It's the equivalent of being thoughtful, mindful, respectful, [insert relatable word here].

Lastly, Item #.3

This is Lesson Learned .3 because I think I'm only about 1/3 of the way there on this one.  Balancing Priorities.  I'm not even going to dig into this one right now because it's going to lead into a whole other post (one I'm so excited about, so stay tuned!).  But I will say that this year I really recognized the importance of giving the most important parts of my life the biggest part of my attention.  I still struggle with this.  It's so complicated because often times, those less important factors support the most important factors.  Our lives, like our bodies work together as a system!  Can't wait to improve on this balancing act!

Random Conclusion:

If you made it to the end of this post and you are still reading, you deserve a treat.  So let me finish with a recipe that will change your life!  I shared something similar to this before, but it had some kinks.  I have finally perfected(ish) my cauliflower pizza crust!! I'm really not a specific measurer when I cook, but this should be reasonably accurate.  Note:  I made 3 crusts so that I'd be set for the week.

I took about:

4 cups grated cauliflower

3/4 cup lite mozzarella

3 whole eggs (you can use whites if that's your preference, 5 should be enough)

5 cloves of garlic (I love garlic)

Italian herbs to taste (oregano, basil, 21 seasoning blend from TJ's)

Salt & Pepper

Stir it up and press it into a pan sprayed with extra virgin olive oil.  I used 3 totally random pans.  One was a even skillet and that actually turned out awesome.  If you have 3 8" pans, that would probably work best.

Bake it in the oven at 450° for about 18 min.  Once you take it out, let it cool and top it with your favorite pizza toppings.  Pop it back in the oven for 6-8 minutes or until desired doneness.  Honestly, It's so good, you could eat it with nothing on it and it's fabulous!

My sister said she wouldn't Pin my recipes unless I put the macronutrient breakdown on it, so here you go, Steph :-P 

Serving size: 1/2 of one 8 inch crust (you may consider this a huge portion, but let's be real, no one is eating 1/8 of a crust)

Calories:170

Fat: 5 grams

Protein: 14 grams

Carbs: 14 grams

Fiber: 6 grams

Those calculations are approximate, but should be pretty accurate.  Keep in mind, that's a generous portion :)

One last note:  I learned way more than 3.3 things last year, but I promise I'm trying to keep this brief enough for you to enjoy :)  

Now share with me a powerful lesson that's recently resonated with you!