Let Your Life Bloom

In honor of chocolate

It would probably be a good Wellness Coach move on my part to talk with you about the health benefits of chocolate. But, haven't you read about those yet? If not, let me refer you to these:

• Why dark chocolate is healthy for your heart and has the right kind of fat.
• Chocolate: Fights tooth decay, insect bites, and increases lifespan of males. 
• Milk chocolate, bad. Dark chocolate, good.

This post is in honor of chocolate. Sound the trumpets. It tastes good. I love it. It makes me happy. With chocolate, I know we are all ONE. Ha ha. Throwing a little new age in the mix for good measure. Read on, for a post full of resources of the fair trade, organic, and raw kind...

Try these glasses on. They are good for your health.

We are going to go on a little journey to create some health and well-being for you right now. As you know, I'm a big advocate of being healthy. I see health in everything. In its absence, I see the potential for it. Now, it's your turn...

Here's what I want you to do. Take any area of your life, especially one that you wish was different, and apply these questions to it:

What's working well?
What am I giving out of this?
How is what I'm doing supporting myself right now?

So often I hear people speak about their present state as less than desirable. They are at the ready to rattle off a list of what they could have done better and how they aren't getting what they want. Stop the nonsense. Even if what you notice is true, it's only one part of the picture. There is sooooo much going well at any given moment, that you'd be quite astonished once you start paying attention to it.

It doesn't take an esoteric theory to establish what you know to be true. When you think about your life, especially in an area where you crave change, the focus is most likely on what's not working (or in technical terms, what sucks). When you focus on the short end of the stick, you get the short end of the stick. In fact, even thinking a negative thought can suppress your immune system for up to 6 hours. Then, how effective are you at actually making the changes you so desire?

Welcome to Ask Coach Vanessa!

* Welcome to the NEW Ask Coach Vanessa column. Here to help you think in the box, outside the box, around the box, and without a box. You will get clarity, resources, a plan of action, and plain old feel better. Got a question or a scenario that you'd like some FREE coaching on? Click 'Email Me" on the bottom right. *

Hi Coach Vanessa,
I love dreaming big about the future. I would even say that it's one of my biggest strengths. I can easily imagine people I want to meet, experiences I want to have, traveling, and more. So much so, that sometimes it already feels like I've lived my whole life before it has actually happened.

The problem is right now. I'm not living this dream life. My to do list seems to be growing no matter how many times I check something off of it. I end up feeling like the future I want so badly is further away than I once thought. I've tried organizational calendars, gratitude journals, visualization, and lots of other "self-help" tools but I keep finding myself back in the same rut - here, not there.

Help!
D.I.

***

Dear D.I.,
Ah, the grass is greener on the other side. Though it appears that the to do list has got you down, I assure you it has more to do with your perspective of "right now" rather than the items themselves. It's fun to visualize the future, especially when you are so good at it. You are ahead of the game if you know how to do that.

That being said, let's get to the real issue. You have an assumption that you can't have freedom (peace of mind, creativity, excitement, etc.) right now like you do in the future because your circumstances look different, because your to do list is growing, because the tools didn't work. I'd bet that on some level, nothing works now and everything works later.

The catch is, later/there/the future doesn't exist. It's always now. In 5 minutes or 5 years into the future, it'll be now to you then. It's time to get a little cozy and start loving up the right now. This way, it gets easier to live into/take action towards this future you want. More of your energy will be in cooperation with rather than resistance to your daily reality.

So, how do you shift from stuck to smooth sailing?

Breaking (your) rules

Yesterday, I was sitting at the edge of a pool. Feet in the water, contemplating a swim. I was then hit with the overwhelming desire to see what it would be like to just jump in, clothes and all.

I argued with myself for a few minutes. "Oh, I shouldn't," "I'm leaving soon," "But then my clothes would be wet."

How often do you find yourself talking yourself out of the very things that would bring you delight in the moment?

I'm thinking about the little decisions. The trying out something new just for the experience. There are rules that you made up or picked up along the way that are coloring your experience all the time, whether you realize it or not. You might be telling yourself you'll try it later, sometime down the road, when you have more time or money or freedom or ?

What rules of yours need a little breaking? What are you waiting for? Jump in.

Clean water

I'm a big fan of water. In fact, I'm always carrying a bottle with me and get thirsty just thinking about the desert. Never was much for drinking soda or juice as a kid, I preferred my sugar from candy instead. There are many, many reasons why water is good for your health. I'll save those for a later post. What I want to share with you today is about having access to clean water.

Earlier this week, I came across a video about how we can help support people having access to clean water. So easy, moving, and inspiring, how one person's idea can transform so many lives.

Watch this, and please pass it on.

The September Campaign Trailer from charity: water on Vimeo.

Going Grainless part 2

*Continued from Going Grainless. Listen to the story here*

I shared with someone the other day that I don't eat any grains. She looked at me and said "What do you mean?"

I was stumped, what do you mean what do I mean? How could I explain this to her without repeating what I already said?! I did my best to fill in the details "Bread, crackers, rice, pasta and such. No more for me."

"But, what DO you eat then?"

"Lots of veggies, protein, fruit"

"No crackers."

"Nope."

"Or bread?!"

"Not that either."

"Bummer."

Well, every so often it strikes me as that. But you know what, I feel great. And there are substitutes. Really tasty ones. Deprived of good food, I am not.

Ready to try out some new delicious non-grain treats? Here's a few breakfast treats:

Want cereal? Have Grainless Apple Cereal by Lydia's Lovin' Foods. It tastes like granola, has 13 grams of protein, ingredients that you recognize, is sweet, and quite filling. She also makes many grainless snacks like crackers, on the go bars, trail mix, and some delightful desserts.

Avoid soy and dairy products like I do?  No problem. Have some Almond Milk. It's the consistency of low-fat milk and goes perfectly in smoothies and the cereal above.

Pancakes sound better? Let me make you up a batch with Bob's Red Mill flours. Some of the grain free options include Garbanzo Bean (good for a savory pancake), Almond, and Coconut.

Want yogurt and fruit instead? Have some delish coconut milk based yogurt. Many flavors to please your palate. Or learn how to make your own here.

Got any suggestions for grain, soy, or dairy free foods? Please do share, would love to hear about them.

Inner peace is...

Last week I had an opportunity to receive free coaching. I love being able to chat with other coaches, experience their style, and, of course, learn how to to transform obstacles into opportunities. I was told to come to the session with an issue I wanted resolution on. No problem. As in, that was my problem. I've been experiencing no issues, and I found it somewhat disturbing.

My world felt eerily calm, with not much to get upset over. Sure, there was still business to take care of, to do lists, and issues that could be bigger issues if I decided to blow them out of proportion. The stillness was strange, unnerving, and, well, freaky. Having yet to fully admit my addiction to drama, I unknowingly turned my inner peace into a drama.

Enter BuffDuff.

That's the coach. It's his name on Twitter, and like his manga avatar, it's who I know him to be along with wisdom rich tweets like: