Today is technically the last day of the Quattro 90 day challenge and for me I’m continuing on…why?
I have learned so much by being a part of this challenge. I started out feeling nervous, excited, curious, vulnerable and a bit wary how this was going to unfold.
As it turned out my nerves turned into self-confidence, my excitement turned into delight (okay, occasionally I was really tired but I blogged anyway!), my curiosity turned into authenticity, and my vulnerability blossomed into becoming a writer I never knew I could be. What I put out there was who I am. My intention? …to give to others inspiration, laughter, awareness, creativity, reflection, accountability and a sense of belonging. “Keeping it real”.
I’m not the same person I was a year ago, nor am I the same person I was 90 days ago when I started this challenge. I have grown, and continue to do so because I was challenged, held accountable and driven. This was not just by my mentors, but more importantly by me. I believe how you do one thing, is how you do everything.
I want to thank Cheri, Kecia, Cole and the executive staff at Quattro for putting this challenge on. Cory Jim for his creative juices in thinking this whole thing up..(You rock!) and everyone who committed themselves to the challenge. I read some amazing posts and I invite all of you to check out the others who went on this journey as well…click here.
Thank you all for your support, words of encouragement and smiles. I promise to keep the posts coming!
In gratitude,
L.
It’s amazing to me how much talent is out there these days, especially around the technical aspects of computer software and bringing fun and play into everyday life.
My 22 year old daughter met a new friend two weekends ago up in Berkley. Fredrick is a creative genius from Sweden. At 26 years old he runs his own company and has a blast doing it. Because I’ve been in the graphic design world for 14 years, I have come to appreciate amazing work, and wanted to share Fredrick’s talents with you so you too can have some fun and play.
I love supporting fellow entrepreneurs, especially relatively new and aspiring ones! This is just one of the games and websites this young man has created with his team. I hope you enjoy Fredrick’s entrepreneur spirit and passion which is evident in his work…I know I do! The game is really fun!!
Tis the season for great food! Sometimes we are required to take something special to contribute to the menu at a holiday event. I have it, look no farther! This is a VERY special recipe you will gain many accolades over…and maybe a few pounds . …and it’s vegetarian!
It’s my gift to you…sit back and enjoy the praise.
Layered Pesto Loaf
1 lb provolone sliced not too thin
1 16 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup pistachios or pine nuts
1 Tbl. butter
1 bunch basil
1 cup parmesan cheese grated
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
garlic cloves
olive oil
Process the cream cheese, butter, nuts and 1 garlic clove and olive oil to bind…not too wet!
Process and blot sun-dried tomatoes
Line meatloaf pan with cheese cloth- layer first with provolone followed by
cream cheese, pesto then sun-dried tomatoes
* Make sure to seperate pesto layer with provolone so it doesn’t bleed through. Serve with a variety of crackers or some really great warm bread.
The saying…”It must have been meant to be” resonates for many. When some of our goals and dreams happen so easily, this phrase seems to roll off the tongue quickly, yes? On the other hand when dreams and goals require effort and tremendous work, we many times interpret it to mean our dreams were not meant to be. I would suggest this is not necessarily true. Instead try to see the gift in the outcome, it’s just as important and we are truly blessed by both cases.
When things are difficult, we learn and grow in specific ways. There is a satisfaction that comes when we succeed at something that has been a challenge. Our self confidence expands, our ability to endure and keep the faith grows strong with the testing. We learn that we are capable of confronting and overcoming the obstacles in our path, and this empowers us to dream still bigger dreams, knowing that we will not be daunted by the challenges inherent in birthing them.
The universe has a funny way of letting us know if an idea is meant to be. The idea keeps coming back to us again and again and the solution is always within ourselves. In your gut and heart you know the answer.
Whatever your story is you can move forward, no matter what, knowing that… This is meant to be.
Me: So Tom, the word on the street is that Turkeys are stupid.
Turkey: Nice, real nice. Treat all your dinner guests this way?
Me: I’m not trying to be rude, I’m just interested. OK?
Turkey: So if you really want to know, I’ll give you straight scoop. Ask away.
Me: So is it true that Turkeys can drown by looking up into the sky and having their beaks fill up with rain?
Turkey: Totally false. However one of us jumped into a bucket and a bunch more thought it was fun. Kind of like pig pile except with Turkeys. Everyone but the top turkey drowned. Tragic.
Me: Interesting. So how about Turkeys no longer having the ability to reproduce without artificial insemination?
Turkey: Define “artificial.” We like to think of it as making you humans mess around with our privates. Funny!
Me: Eeww!
Turkey: C’mon… any other things you want to know?
Me: I heard that if one Turkey dies, a whole flock will die in sympathy.
Turkey: Negative, no, nada. Turkeys mostly die at Thanksgiving. Capice?
Me: Sorry, O.K. one more. Does the Tryptophan in Turkeys make people sleepy after they eat it?
Turkey: You’re talking about “The Turkey’s Revenge?” I wish. Sadly, this is yet one more goofy way that you humans make us out to be monsters.
Me: So, I’m starting to feel a little hungry. Any ideas?
I am authentic, what you experience is me… I’m at home in my own skin. I am creative and constantly generating things and ideas that bring value, peace, ease and beauty.
I am a mentor. By my ability to listen and hear, I connect people to what they are needing and help them awaken to their truth, their passion.
My intuition guides me and my optimism is unwavering, I know there is a gift in everything we experience.
I am courageous because I am the power and presence of God… I am grateful.
Lunch had a new twist for me today. I actually enjoyed creating it blindfolded…yes, you read it correctly… blindfolded.
You may be asking your computer screen, “why would Lauren do that?” I am taking a class with one of my instructors from Quattro University, Sensei Ron Tomas, and this was our homework assignment for one of our meals today. Still curious?
I’d like to share with you my experience…
My kitchen is small and I know it well, so the space was very easy for me to maneuver. I decided on a salad, I wasn’t very hungry. The makings for the most part are in the bottom drawer, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, feta cheese (a few drawers up), hardboiled egg, toasted pine nuts and croutons. Okay I’ve done this a million times before, it can’t be too hard, right?
The first thing I noticed after getting it all out of the frig was that I was completely present. I was aware of everything, noises, smell, temperature and the way things felt in my hands. I reached out for the lettuce, cold and crisp and tore it into the bowl. Next came the tomatoes…these I had to cut…”Danger Will Robinson!”… okay I’ve just dated myself. Actually it was really cool to pick the knife out of the knife caddy and feel it’s weight in my hand. I never really noticed that before!
I had just sharpened my knives 2 days ago so I knew they’d be very sharp, I just had to be accurate. I moved much slower than I normally would and proceeded to hear, feel and guide my way to success. After everything else was processed…again much slower that I would normally be on auto pilot I noticed something else. I was actually seeing myself do these things, I was visualizing the whole experience…way cool!
Time to eat. The part that didn’t turn out well was the amount of dressing that was poured vs. the amount I visualized pouring…I realized I had lost focus, my mind went elsewhere. My first bite was none the less amazing. The flavors were so WOW in my mouth, much more intense than I remember. I chewed slowly and was aware that I don’t take the time when I eat to really savor the meal, especially lunch when it’s in front of my computer…which is most of the time.
I was experiencing heightened sensory awareness, I was in the moment and focused. I realized it doesn’t require me to actually go through life blindfolded, but that I can choose to change up just one aspect of my routine. Do it slowly when I usually do it fast, do it left handed when I usually do it with my right, do the steps in reverse…you get the idea. Be aware.
For those of you that know me I’m a huge Trader Joe fan. I do about 96% of my shopping there. TJ’s, as I fondly call them, introduced me to my first reusable shopping bag about two years ago. I saw them at the checkout… you know the place where every store has all the stuff they want you to buy as you wait in line. These were red with a cool Hawaiian theme, priced at a whopping .99 cents. I figured why not.
Truth be known, I was looking for an alternative as I HATE plastic grocery bags. Sierra Club’s Sierra magazine estimates that Americans throw away almost 100 billion plastic bags each year and only 1% to 3% are recycled. Environmentalists warn paper is not much better than plastic because trees have to be cut down and energy expended to make them.
Most all stores will now give you a credit of some kind for bringing your own bags in. TJ’s has a weekly drawing for $25 in groceries, Texas based Whole Foods give you 5-10 cents back on each bag used and even Target and Ikea are in on it.
Fashionistas are doing their part by making reusable shopping bags trendy. Designers are creating chic (if sometimes pricey) options such as the $960 grocery tote from Hermes or the $495 organic cotton bag from Stella McCartney. One of the hottest bags last summer was one of the more inexpensive options, the $15 “I’m not a plastic bag” cotton tote from British designer Anya Hindmarch. This tote is so sought after that thousands of shoppers competed in a lottery to bag it. On eBay, the prized bag often goes for over $100.
Like I said, it was 2 years ago and I still have the same 3 bags that now sell for $1.99…which in my book is a bargain. A new thermal one has been added to the mix to keep the frozen stuff cold for the trip home. Admittedly it took me awhile to remember to bring them in when I shopped. Many times I found myself running out to my car at checkout to retrieve them…and grateful I did. With 51 stairs leading to my house, I load them to the brim so I don’t have to make more than one trip! These bags are strong and still in great shape.
I wouldn’t call using recycled bags a trend anymore, It’s more like a growing way of life. If you haven’t purchased reusable bags yet, treat yourself, you won’t regret it and you’ll be doing your part to help reduce waste.
Whenever I reach into my purse, the one thing that jumps into my hand is my keyring…it is huge! I have too many keys. Where did they all come from, do I still need them? I decided to stop and figure it out.
My strategy was to remove them all from the ring and to lay them out side by side. Big ones, fat ones, little itty bitty ones…lots and lots of keys. Some are colored, some are wierdly shaped. I even had a couple keys that were duplicates! The original and the spare for emergencies were in the same place. Duh!
I wondered if I should be more concious about what I allowed on my keyring, I wondered if the quality of life is better or worse with more or or less keys. More keys generally means you have more possessions or responsibilities…a mark of success? Perhaps not. If I could have homes all around the world, would I want to carry the keys with me, or would I put them in a keybox and just carry the key for the house I was in? Decisions, decisions.
Some keys have wonderful memories attached to them… a friend’s cabin, a cherished car. Another, suggest a more painful memory, the door to my old home and defunct relationship, Do the keys with good memories belong on my keyring as well-worn reminders? Should I keep a big box of retired keys labelled so that I can paw through them from time to time, feeling the energy of my past? Too much clutter.
Let’s start from scratch…an empty key ring. What possibilities! One by one, I added back the keys that were required, the front door, the car, the mailbox. Just three keys, it seems so simple, so enticing. But what about the back door key, what about the key to my girlfriend’s house. I decide to make a second key ring for all of the keys infrequently used. Brilliant. Unless of course I forget to bring them with me when I need them. I’ll take that chance. The mystique of a small key ring is just so compelling.
Give it a try, pull out that key ring of yours and get ready for some surgery. Pick your keys, pick your life. How do you feel now?
BTW- You might be asking why the Greek in my blog title? …Just a shameless ploy to get you to read my blog !
. …and it’s vegetarian!
