tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37606166879151644972024-03-13T01:01:35.603-04:00Uncommon WealthLifestyle design blog dedicated to an uncommonly wealthy life. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-82591275509289052732015-10-15T16:00:00.001-04:002015-10-15T16:26:43.837-04:005 Ways to Make Clean Eating a HabitIt's mid-October and I haven't been on the blog in over a month! What's with that?! Well it's been a busy month of birthday, visiting family and thanksgiving. Now that these holidays are complete I'm ready to get back into the clean eating and living. I've taken a bit of a break on the clean eating lately because I had convinced myself that I missed certain things. The problem is that I felt so much better while clean eating therefore it's time to hitch myself back onto that clean eating wagon. <div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6FrVU2n2oscIeUQ1yziR0k6FMlZioZRLzGVjSoJxUvAveoI30myxWCs-aHW9lKk81ZFlkXnHXjaGv1P209qe4REf3LOqb0c5BGCFfcariFOJ8ijkN96LJqymC9TBf01YIHZ-iTtDZQ1w/s640/blogger-image-2099753186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6FrVU2n2oscIeUQ1yziR0k6FMlZioZRLzGVjSoJxUvAveoI30myxWCs-aHW9lKk81ZFlkXnHXjaGv1P209qe4REf3LOqb0c5BGCFfcariFOJ8ijkN96LJqymC9TBf01YIHZ-iTtDZQ1w/s640/blogger-image-2099753186.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Now the difference this time around is that I'm taking a more realistic approach to the whole clean eating thing. I've realized that the way I did it back in July is hard to maintain over the long term. Since then I've been working on a way to sustainably eat clean over the long term and make it a lasting habit. I've figured out a few things that I've listed below that include being <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">more realistic and compassionate with myself and enjoying my one life. Here's 5 things I've figured out so far about making clean eating into a lasting habit:</span></div><div><br></div><div><b>1. I can't cut out the foods I enjoy forever:</b></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I really enjoy things like wine, cheese, cake and other delicious creations and com'n, who doesn't? So when I try to picture myself cutting these foods out of my life for the rest of my life I get really sad. I also know that trying to cut out the so-called "dirty" foods out of my diet forever will eventually drive me crazy (more on that in the next section). So instead I've decided to save these yummy, and supposedly bad for me, foods for special occasions like birthdays, weddings, parties, etc. But do realize this is a slippery slope of making non-special occasions into special ones for the sake of eating the special foods. To help yourself avoid this trap remember t</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">hey're way more special and worthy of their deliciousness status when saved for special occasions.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>2. I end up wanting the 'forbidden foods' way more than before:</b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So along similar lines as above; when I try to cut foods out it just leads me down the binge path because that's all I can think about. You know what I mean right...when you cut something out and tell yourself you can't have it or it's bad for you all of a sudden you can't stop thinking about that thing. It's a psychological concept called the white bear problem (aka: ironic process theory) in which you can't help but think of something you're trying not to think of and it drives us mad. So instead I try to trick myslef and get around this problem by telling myself I can have these foods just not right now and it does help. For me I find </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">it's easier to cut these things out from my day-to-day diet knowing that they're not forbid foods but instead things that I choose to save for special times. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>3. When I change my language it helps to change my life:</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Another way to trick myself into making better life and eating decisions without driving myself crazy is to change the way I talk to myself and others about food. As a society we like to push all sorts of food "rules" onto each other that are usually pretty arbitrary and often times dangerous. These "rules" get passed around like gospel from person to person without critical analysis and once they're out there it's so hard to change people's minds. Why is that I wonder...that's a question for another time. Anyways it's important to say things to myself like "I choose to not eat these foods out of love for myself and my health" instead of something like "I can't eat those foods because they go straight to my thighs!" See the difference? The words we use have a huge impact on our attitude and behaviours as well as those around us. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>4. I love food and it's an important part of my life:</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">It's time for me to get over the hate part of my love-hate relationship with food. I'm over fighting with my food and I'm ready to embrace the life-giving stuff that it is. Food: I'm just head-over-heels kind of thing in love with you and I'm ready to take this relationship to the next level...can we go steady? Food: I'm ready for the long term commitment, I want you there through the thick and thin, the good and bad and everything in between until death do us part. I'll stop hating you and fighting with you and you'll continue to fuel me and my life and make me feel good and happy. What do you say food...do you forgive me? I think Food and I will be very happy together. :)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>5. Being adaptable is the cornerstone of clean living:</b></span></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">I've realized that having a strict "can eat" and "can't eat" list always going in my head leads to neurosis and ruins the magic of life and living in the moment. There will still be times where I need to remind myself to go for the better option when presented with several options but I also have to be adaptable and let myself off the hook occasionally. When I was being so hard on myself about not eating clean and/or not living the clean life I was causing myself undue stress and for what? I was causing myself heartache all so I could fit into someone else's idea of health and/or beauty. Forget that: this is my life and you know me I'm all about figuring out what works for you when it comes to designing the life you want and that also applies to your health and diet. </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">In conclusion, I'm going to give myself permission to be a human being and make mistakes and I'm going to stop being so hard on myself. I plan on continuing to enjoy myself and my life the way I want everyday and I won't let anyone else dictate what's right for me and my life. Something else that I remind myself of every time I forget: I'm beautiful and awesome no matter what size I wear or what the scale says. </font></div><div><br></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyju_DtnPmS_iE7Vi792Qo2cYqik15BuO19jvSG0fWp4itpNvH4iP-Sdf6Pwg6unKmN2xpn72GTwWfwFNa26zphRJYwHa3AQY6ijw72Oavixby-eDGXohSlJjBaeSXclIvdvQHAaNqnK-S/s640/blogger-image-872857855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyju_DtnPmS_iE7Vi792Qo2cYqik15BuO19jvSG0fWp4itpNvH4iP-Sdf6Pwg6unKmN2xpn72GTwWfwFNa26zphRJYwHa3AQY6ijw72Oavixby-eDGXohSlJjBaeSXclIvdvQHAaNqnK-S/s640/blogger-image-872857855.jpg"></a></div><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">So from here on in I have a lot of plans for more posts having to do with living your best life. These will include: figuring out your own defintion of health, happiness and success; ignoring society's arbitrary healthy, fitness and beauty standards; how to live an uncommonly wealthy life as a shift worker; and so much more. Stay tuned for big things coming from me in the future! For now here's to your uncommonly wealthy and delicious life! :)</font></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-57989030055840407822015-08-23T19:48:00.001-04:002015-08-25T14:59:22.407-04:00August Health Challenge - UpdateSo I've been MIA on here for the last month or two and I miss it and this blog misses me. I posted a lot in June and I was successful in completing a health challenge in both June and July and then August rolled around. I guess I just needed a bit of a break because I haven't really been doing the August health challenge and I haven't been posting either. It's summer and I've been working hard and a lot lately so I guess I just wanted and needed a break.<div><br></div><div>I'm currently on the train back home after spending an extended weekend with family in my hometown. That was the break I needed and now I'm ready to get back into my life, which includes being responsible about my health and writing on this blog. So I've decided that the August meditation challenge is a write off and something I'll try again a different month and instead now I'm going to get back into the clean eating. Starting today I'm going to get back into eating clean and working out on the regular and I'll soon decide what my September health challenge will be. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgds7eyBAOfHFHxHFkGriu14bdzJBXVWdDJsCuzz9r4Nrb2NdCaV3mLNA8YPzpOpFTv-f_IJIkX8UkLaPpKkd-8GQKEeoXMX0aHbJXBdjjWa_Vv7Y_qSg85GhQx0HKmENpixqySbMy1GfIJ/s640/blogger-image--1050424601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgds7eyBAOfHFHxHFkGriu14bdzJBXVWdDJsCuzz9r4Nrb2NdCaV3mLNA8YPzpOpFTv-f_IJIkX8UkLaPpKkd-8GQKEeoXMX0aHbJXBdjjWa_Vv7Y_qSg85GhQx0HKmENpixqySbMy1GfIJ/s640/blogger-image--1050424601.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>My clean eating plan going forward will include not eating gluten, dairy, alcohol, sugar and processed foods with a slight exception. I'm going to give myself cheat days. Yes, you heard that right, in order to still live a happy and healthy life I'm going to allow myself one day a week, at most (less if possible), where I eat anything I'd like. This isn't an excuse to go crazy but it is a way for me to fit a social life into a healthy life. This means that I'll eat healthy and clean for most of the time and then I won't feel guilty having the occasional indulgence at family events, weddings, parties and going out with friends. I think this will also help keep me sane. </div><div><br></div><div>This seems like the most realistic way to live and to lead a healthy life that will actually last a lifetime. I'm also going to try my best not to go too crazy on my cheat days. I'll still stay away from added sugars and various chemical additives but I'll allow myself to indulge in homemade goodies, wine, cheese, chocolate and the like. I'll play it by ear on what I can and cannot stand on these cheat days. For this week I've created a meal plan for eating healthy and clean and I have a party on the weekend so I'll save my non-clean indulgences for that day and then I'll go right back to eating clean the next day. I'll do a checkin next Monday to let you know how it goes. </div><div><br></div><div>Another important part of staying healthy for me and continuing my weight loss journey is meal planning, portion control, food journaling and working out. I think one of these things may be related to my September health challenge, stay tuned for that. So for now I'll continue to plan healthy and clean meals for my week as well as experimenting with clean versions of some of my favourite foods and meals. I'll also continue to pack pre-portioned snacks for work and make healthy meals for my work peeps. I'm going to start getting serious about recording my food and my workouts. And finally I'm going to continue to do 3 days a week of weight lifting workouts and 2-3 days per week of cardio workouts that'll include running, stairmaster and swimming. I'm also going to look into joining a sports group in order to stay active and meet cool new peeps.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JnJPr3VubEkkQhoYLz1vRWSdce0WjcnFq-5xrfEObFZck_vIUQvUrQ_2qK5J7_nrsgrBbodATyl9p-aTqZQbPcwYo_kZ6iI16792_oRaAGfoqMzO6zipcXva-UwtjhbIIJDSp4fnjhXk/s640/blogger-image-1970550281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JnJPr3VubEkkQhoYLz1vRWSdce0WjcnFq-5xrfEObFZck_vIUQvUrQ_2qK5J7_nrsgrBbodATyl9p-aTqZQbPcwYo_kZ6iI16792_oRaAGfoqMzO6zipcXva-UwtjhbIIJDSp4fnjhXk/s640/blogger-image-1970550281.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>These are my health and fitness goals going into the fall and the last part of the year. My writing and blogging goals will include writing and posting on this blog a minimum of once per week. I've also been doing a lot in the planning realm that I've previously mentioned and I want to start creating videos for that side of my life. Another important goal for me moving forward is to start writing on the regular; this may include a daily or weekly writing goal or maybe I'll enter the NaNoWrMo again this year. I was unsuccessful last year but hey maybe 2015 is my year?! </div><div><br></div><div>Keep your eyes on my social media and here on the blog and there will be periodic updates from now until the end of the year. In the meantime, as always here's to your uncommonly wealthy life! :)</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-63046041732473582222015-07-31T18:33:00.001-04:002015-08-07T13:59:44.332-04:00July Clean Eating Health Challenge - Complete!<div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">July is over and yippee I've made it! I survived eating a striped down 'clean' diet in which I cut out gluten, dairy, alcohol, sugar and processed foods. I successfully stuck to a clean eating diet for 30 days and I'm here today to share with you what I've learned and how I'm feeling now that the month is complete. I've had some realizations this month, I've come up with some plans for my future and I'm starting a new 30-day health challenge for August that I'm going to share with you here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a more thorough breakdown of how my clean eating month went over on the <a href="http://theshiftworkersguide.com/" target="_blank">Shift Worker's Guide</a> from midway through the month and a final wrap-up. Otherwise, here is my quick breakdown of what I learned this month and what I have planned moving forward.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What it was like to spend a month eating clean:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Honestly, this has been a month of ups and downs and trails and tribulations but it was overall a great experience that I'm very glad I embarked on. I wasn't always perfect and being a shift worker didn't make the challenege to eat clean and healthy any easier but I succeeded in completing it and I'm happy for that fact. Here are some quick points that stood out to me about this month's challenge:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. I succeeded in proving to myself that I can maintain a healthy diet and life even while being a shift worker and that it doesn't have to be a chore.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2.<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> It probably took me all month to truly withdrawl from years of eating refined white sugar and processed foods. It wasn't always a pleasant experience but it was well worth it considering all the benefits that I'm now exepriencing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. These benefits include: I now have more energy than I've had in a long time, my sleep habits and patterns have changed for the better, I no longer have cravings for junk food and it's easier to say no and avoid the bad-for-me foods.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Once the 30-day challenge was over I decided to give myself the weekend to indulge in a few things that I'd been missing over the month, such as bread, cheese, wine, chocolate, etc. and in doing so I'm now reminded why I embarked on this journey in the first place: I feel so much better eating clean.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. I've decided that from now on I'm going to eat clean as my normal way of life. I'll continue to avoid refined white sugar, processed foods and alcohol while experimenting with reintroducing some gluten and dairy back into my life in moderation. I'll keep you posted! </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What does the future look like for me:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As number 5 stated above I'm going to make clean eating my new standard in the way I eat and live. I'm going to continue to blog and write about my experience with living a healthy life and share my recipes for turning classic comfort foods into healthy and clean versions. In that vein one of my goals for the future is to create a book that will serve as a starting point and guide post for others who are intertested in starting on the clean eating way of life. I want to create this book as something that will help others withdrawl from the junk they've been eating and make the switch to healthy with the help of guidelines, recipes, and tips.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had a friend join me for a portion of this month in order to clean up his diet and he turned to me for advice and guidance throughout the process. He has so far experienced similar positive results from totally changing his life around when it comes to his health and that's something I and he want to share with <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">you. In the near future you will see an interview with this friend of mine on his experience going from someone who knew nothing about clean eating to being a health rockstar.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another plan I have for the future is to expand the Uncommon Wealth empire into another area of interest of mine. This is a fun thing that I've been thinking about for a while and I think it's about time I dove right in and got started. I've always been someone who has really enjoyed arts and crafts, organization and writing and I think I've found a way of life and a supportive online community that intersects all those interests. What I'm talking about is planners and the planning community. This may make no sense to you right now but this is something that I've very passionate and excited about. Do not expect to start seeing planner posts pop up on this blog but I will be creating a YouTube channel and accompanied social media accounts that'll be associated with the Uncommon Wealth title.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know I was a bit MIA on the blog here during July but I've recommitted myself to this blog and I have some really exciting things in the works for the future so stay tuned!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New 30-day Health Challenge for August: Meditation</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">August has arrived and with it a new 30-day health challenge. For August I've decided to take a break from the diet and exercise focsued challenges to one that is more mental health related. As stated above I'm defintiely going to continue to maintain a healthy diet and a regular exercise routine, however I'm now going to add on an element that will help me balance another important area of my health: my brain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I believe taking care of my mental health is so important especially being someone who is a shift worker in emergency services. I hear and witness too often how stressful shift work-type jobs in the emergency services are and can wreck havoc on a person's mental and emotional states and I'd like to find a healthy way to counteract this process.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've dabbled with meditation in the past and I've felt like it has helped and when I've maintained a regular practice but I've been so far unable to make it a permanent part of my life. I truly believe that meditation and mindfulness is a beneficial practice and should be part of everyone's healthy daily routine. So for that reason this month I'm going to set myself a goal of meditating a minimun of 5-10 minutes a day in the hopes of setting up a regular meditation practice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are a lot of great <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">resources out there to help you learn how to meditate: for example </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">just search meditation on Google and you'll be surprised what you can find. I really enjoy using guided meditations to help me and</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> I currently have the Calm.com and the Omvana apps on my iPhone, which allow me to download and use a variety of meditations, sounds and music for free or a small price to aid me in my meditations. If you are new to meditation check out Headspace, which is a website and a free app that explains in plain language and with fun cartoons how to meditate and make it a regular practice with the help of a free 21-day intro program.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm going to experiment with adding mediation to my morning and eveing routine and see which works best for me. I'll keep you posted on my progress but for now just get started: sit quietly, close your eyes and focus on your breath while letting all other distractions drift away for just a couple minutes...and viola you've just meditated! Repeat tomorrow, and the day after and then the day after that until wow now you're a meditator: welcome to the club! Feels great doesn't it? Let me know how you've done with meditation and any resources, tips or tricks you've found helpful in the comments below. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy meditating and as always here's to your uncommonly wealthy life! :)</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-34908240129021717862015-07-11T19:02:00.002-04:002015-07-12T08:47:23.110-04:00July Clean Eating 30-Day Health Challenge - Update<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPXoS9yr9s1okD1s_HL3_Ia24ciqXPkR8NW0etJuFR_V9JBCHBGOMfhQuFX_CRhy4w54BhRjZgks7iOcSvG4_eibZod7j1VgLhzHBdQE6AZi862nES-MZwy4zqXikOFP8vILe54b4pAvT/s640/blogger-image--565240812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPXoS9yr9s1okD1s_HL3_Ia24ciqXPkR8NW0etJuFR_V9JBCHBGOMfhQuFX_CRhy4w54BhRjZgks7iOcSvG4_eibZod7j1VgLhzHBdQE6AZi862nES-MZwy4zqXikOFP8vILe54b4pAvT/s640/blogger-image--565240812.jpg"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As my tradition was for my <a href="http://uncommonwealth0.blogspot.ca/2015/06/30-day-green-smoothie-challenge-complete.html" target="_blank">last 30-day challenge</a> I would usually do a one week check-in at this point however I have some rather exciting news. Instead of the usual weekly check-in you're going to get a small check-in now as well as a mid-month check-in and a final monthly wrap up that I'll be guest posting onto another blog: Yippee!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll be guest posting on the <a href="http://theshiftworkersguide.com/" target="_blank">'Shift Worker's Guide to Getting By'</a>; due to the fact that I'm a shift worker and attempting to live a healthy life while doing so I'm going to be featured on this fantastic website. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">It's tough being a shift worker in general and even tougher to try to be a healthy shift worker. I'm looking forward to sharing my trails and tribulations of clean eating while working shifts on the Shift Worker's Guide. Look for that post midway through next week and to hold you over until then here's a quick rundown of how it's going so far.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So obviously I survived my first week of my July clean eating challenge and surprisingly it hasn't been as bad as I predicted. I did go through a bit of a detox (I'll spare you the gory details) and a caffeine withdrawal during the first 3-4 days in which I had a permanent headache but then as I emerged into day 5 I was feeling awesome and enthusiastic. I really think I can pull this off...what do you think?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I believe it seemed easier this time than previously times I've tried to eat clean because I already had a really good foundation going into this one from successfully completing the June green smoothie challenge. However, there were a couple of important points that were reinforced for me while doing this new challenge. The first being that planning and preparation are key, secondly the struggle is real when it comes to cravings and lastly that I can still eat the foods I love albeit in clean ways. Keep reading for some great online resources that I love and were super useful this week as well as a clean chocolate pudding recipe that helped me deal when a chocolate craving hit me hard on day 6.</span></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Useful Online Resources:</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://foodbabe.com/" target="_blank">Food Babe</a>: a blog I've been reading for a while now and I think has a lot of great information and recipes for the label ignorant and nutrition uninformed. Food babe's way is a bit extreme; I've tried it before and I found it expensive, unrealistic and unsustainable, that is if you follow it to the letter. I think she has some great points and suggestions but you have to tailor it to your lifestyle and find what works for you. That's what I did!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ewg.org/" target="_blank">Environment Working Group (EWG)</a>: When it comes to knowing which fruit and veg are worth buying organic check out the <a href="http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/" target="_blank">dirty dozen list</a> and which ones you can get away with not buying organic check out the <a href="http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/" target="_blank">clean fifteen list</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://dawnastone.com/" target="_blank">Dawna Stone</a>: her blog is all about the <a href="http://dawnastone.com/the-healthy-you-diet/" target="_blank">'Healthy You Diet'</a> and I'm currently following the free <a href="http://dawnastone.com/category/blog/healthy-you-challenge/" target="_blank">'14-Day Healthy You Challenge'</a> on Facebook for access to great recipes and inspiration that's helping me through my clean eating journey.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another tidbit of advice for you: read labels, and read the back of packages and do your research because all companies (including the supposedly healthy/clean ones) are trying to pull the wool over your eyes and sell you the cheapest junk they can get away with. I've been interested in nutrition and the food industry for a long time and I've done for my own research for years and I've noticed many trends and changes as the general public has become more informed about what they're putting into their mouths. That is a subject for a separate post because there is a lot of information and I have some strong opinions concerning this area. In the meantime I'll say it again: read your labels and don't get tricked by the fancy language and packaging.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's it for now, stay tuned for my guest post and for now I'll leave you with the recipe for my clean chocolate pudding and as always here's to your uncommonly wealthy life! :)</span></div>
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<b><u style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clean Chocolate Pudding with Avocado:</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Adapted from <a href="http://minimalistbaker.com/" target="_blank">Minimalist Baker</a>: <a href="http://minimalistbaker.com/chocolate-peanut-butter-avocado-pudding/" target="_blank">Chocolate Peanut Butter Avocado Pudding</a></i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or blender (I used a Magic Bullet: love it!) Add extra cocoa or sweetness depending on your preference. Makes about 2 servings and for an extra treat top with a dollop of coconut whip cream: yum! Eat, enjoy and feel your cravings subside. Success! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">**As a side note, I know I'm not doing sugar, however when I say sugar I mean the refined white sugar, but I'm also avoiding other refined and processed sweetener options like maple syrup, agave syrup and even some stevia. For the purpose of my clean diet I'm sticking to honey and certain pure stevia if needed. More research is needed on coconut sap/nectar.**</i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-44179137898877781152015-07-02T08:37:00.001-04:002015-07-02T22:50:21.042-04:0030-Day Health Challenge - JulyIIt's officially July and that means it's time for a new 30-day health challenge. As I previously mentioned I'm going to continue with my green smoothie habit from June and build on it with this new health challenge. <div><br></div><div>Now due to the fact that July has 31 days and the first of the month is a holiday in my country: Canada Day, I've decided to start this challenge today on the second day of July. So what is this new challenge I speak of; well it's a nutrition and diet related one again and this time it's going to be actually quiet challenging. </div><div><br></div><div>For the month of July I'm going to stick to a clean eating program. What does this clean eating program look like you may ask. Well here is it all lined up for you and for me in black and white below. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcM6LZnqt0_zZMjAYGflGBTpy2K0ZXOD_XWjZxVSrd5Xe-U70oMLVJa9jBTZbrj3HvVJphir-HZeFRieZhvakEJZ3kBKVoFDxMWJumXBjA30AvjLJb2XrEapGiZH-L2ag6JU-AErBFPGl/s640/blogger-image--1598560454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcM6LZnqt0_zZMjAYGflGBTpy2K0ZXOD_XWjZxVSrd5Xe-U70oMLVJa9jBTZbrj3HvVJphir-HZeFRieZhvakEJZ3kBKVoFDxMWJumXBjA30AvjLJb2XrEapGiZH-L2ag6JU-AErBFPGl/s640/blogger-image--1598560454.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><b><u>July 30-Day Clean Eating Challenge:</u></b> </div><div>- Alcohol Free</div><div>- Sugar Free</div><div>- Gluten Free</div><div>- Dairy Free</div><div>- Processed-Food Free</div><div><br></div><div><b><u>So yeah that's a lot of 'frees', so what can I eat:</u></b></div><div><br></div><div>- Meat: lean & minimal red meat*</div><div>- All fruits & vegetables*</div><div>- Grains: quinoa, brown & wild rice, buckwheat, other non-gluten grains. </div><div>- Beans & lentils</div><div>- Nuts & Seeds</div><div><br></div><div><i>*hormone & antobotic free, etc meat and organic and local fruits and veggies as much as possible</i> </div><div><br></div><div>This means I'm going to start making most of meals for myself as well as many of the convenience health foods that I know and love. This includes making homemade almond milk, hummus, salad dressings and sauces to name a few. I look forward to expanding my kitchen repertoire. </div><div><br></div><div>So yeah this is going to be a tough one and I'm totally prepared to go through a withdrawal/detox in the first few days at least. I've tried various diets like gluten-free, dairy-free or sugar free on their own before with varied success. This is the first time I will take on such a drastic diet change with all these changes all at once. </div><div><br></div><div>I know I'm going to be ok though because I'm much better prepared this time especially after completing the June challenge. Another tough choice is that I'm going to start drinking tea again more so than coffee and I won't be able to have my daily piece of dark chocolate. I love coffee and chocolate so I think those will be the hardest parts for me. </div><div><br></div><div>I can already feel the headaches and moodiness starting to hit as I start my first day of eating clean with a green smoothie with black tea for breakfast and a legume & sprout salad with green tea for lunch. However I can also start to feel the benefits of this healthy way of eating. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjRKIfA7D4VlPgtjK0eVD6Zatb5BNmpgN6tNFD2xHHzrbP51bdA4OPEGCvJJPZ6VWj2QG03gjIL4MQeSgV1vgRYkVxjUFSVi9q2B1fVWBWznAK1promOrFRMzMxmHPFg9mgk6MsfQp6p6/s640/blogger-image--1138820929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjRKIfA7D4VlPgtjK0eVD6Zatb5BNmpgN6tNFD2xHHzrbP51bdA4OPEGCvJJPZ6VWj2QG03gjIL4MQeSgV1vgRYkVxjUFSVi9q2B1fVWBWznAK1promOrFRMzMxmHPFg9mgk6MsfQp6p6/s640/blogger-image--1138820929.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>I just have to remind myself that this is my health that I'm working towards, which is super important to me and I'm in this for the long haul. The short term pain will soon pass and I'm putting into place the framework for my overall health and wellbeing. </div><div><br></div><div>In doing this challenge I'll also be continuing with my same exercise routine of lifting weights 3 times per week. I'm also going to ramp up my exercise with running and swimming 3-4 times per week on top of the weights. </div><div><br></div><div>The reason I'm doing such drastic changes for July is because I'm working towards a physical exam that will really test my mental and physical fitness. More on that later...</div><div><br></div><div>What are some tricks that have helped you get through some truly gruelling life changes? It may be hard now but I know it'll only get easier and I'll be overall better off for doing it. Check back in a week to see if I'm still feeling the same enthusiasm towards this challenge. Until then here's to your uncommonly wealthy life! :)</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-5421178327965305952015-06-30T15:08:00.001-04:002015-06-30T15:13:54.139-04:0030-Day Green Smoothie Challenge Complete!<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Yippee! I did it: I've finished my first 30-day health challenge! The thing that strikes me now is how quickly it went by. I remember thinking 30 days ago that this was going to be a hard and long challenge, but now looking back; I realize it really wasn't all that bad.</span></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecqP_zvJ5El0FEm93ab88hanxKkt6wd-9v6AUGP4EkH4FK35y0MxPg8Fkfq7eSBGIoCpUf56nTCct_yXtghtoLZZY3KzRbpJfI1LV-m3Sex0TlvKFpQ_7lNzvzCPY8eWwdSebnczSyoBr/s640/blogger-image-1933768437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecqP_zvJ5El0FEm93ab88hanxKkt6wd-9v6AUGP4EkH4FK35y0MxPg8Fkfq7eSBGIoCpUf56nTCct_yXtghtoLZZY3KzRbpJfI1LV-m3Sex0TlvKFpQ_7lNzvzCPY8eWwdSebnczSyoBr/s640/blogger-image-1933768437.jpg"></a></div></div></div><div><br></div><div><b>What have I learned about myself and my health after doing this challenge?</b></div><div><br></div><div>I'm reminded that I'm capable of anything and that reminds me of a little piece of wisdom I was once given: "I truly believe you can accomplish anything when you make your mind up and set your sights on it." As said to me by a very wise teacher once upon a time. </div><div><br></div><div>It's very true sentiment and l think I've forgotten this fundamental truth of my personality lately so it's very nice to be reminded. I know everyone has innate skills and abilities as well as limitations, however I believe the above statement can be true of all of us. </div><div><br></div><div>What's that one thing that you can't stop thinking about in your quiet moments but that you've put on the back burner because 'life' has gotten in the way? Maybe it's time to revisit it and dust off those old dreams and ideas...I think so!</div><div><br></div><div>I've also realized that my quest for overall health and wellbeing is a lifelong commitment that will come about from the small and consistent planning and execution. I won't be perfect every single day but that's ok cause I'm not perfect, I'm human after all. </div><div><br></div><div>This green smoothie and juice trend is something I think I'll be continuing with in my everyday life. I didn't set out on this journey in order to 'detox' or just do it for 30 days and then go back to unhealthy habits. No, the point of this health challenge was to test if the green smoothie thing was a feasible and useful health trend that I could add to my healthy living repertoire. </div><div><br></div><div>The first 2 weeks were the hardest but once I was over that 2-3 week hump it was smooth sailing and I now feel like this has become an engrained and automatic part of my routine. I barely have to plan too much in advance anymore and I feel like I've worked out all the kinks in making them a regular park of my schedule. So yeah, I think this will definitely be something that I'll contine with, especially now that I've figured out some favourite recipes that I can continue to tweak and play with. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1o4v_6NSI3ddf31K8QxPzlythF4YxN5hwcu0bL4j67YwEcT4vJ-UChA415vY91dT7RTCb-br-6WoPSZjtt8bVQ4osR4qsMuQpfIAgECIOo9R9oR_JjrSbnM5WTOtbBacVVPi4HM7X3uer/s640/blogger-image--1739458835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1o4v_6NSI3ddf31K8QxPzlythF4YxN5hwcu0bL4j67YwEcT4vJ-UChA415vY91dT7RTCb-br-6WoPSZjtt8bVQ4osR4qsMuQpfIAgECIOo9R9oR_JjrSbnM5WTOtbBacVVPi4HM7X3uer/s640/blogger-image--1739458835.jpg"></a></div></div></div><div><br></div><div>I think the best thing that I can get out of completing this challenge is that I'm capable of so much more than I ever thought possible and it did really help to have the accountability of this blog and a social media community.</div><div><br></div><div>What's up next for my July 30-day challenge you may ask? Stay tuned and I'll be announcing that tomorrow: it's gonna be a big one! This is just the beginning of what will be many 30-day health challenges that'll help me create many lifelong healthy habits that I've struggled with for a longtime. I believe I've finally found a formula that works for me and I hope it can help you as well. </div><div><br></div><div>Until next time as always here's to your uncommonly wealthy life! :)</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-83765008281691295682015-06-25T15:27:00.000-04:002015-06-26T05:17:51.237-04:00Throwback Thursday #tbt - AmsterdamAs the title suggests I'm starting a new series about my uncommon adventures in which I do a throwback on Thursdays, as is the tradition on social media, to my October 2014 European adventure. My first stop in Europe was technically London, but I spent so little time there at the beginning of the trip and I circle back around and cap it off in London that I'll talk about it later. Therefore, for my first installment of #TBT on the blog I'll be talking about Amsterdam.<br>
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What is a trip to Holland without the customary windmill pic? I started off my Amsterdam visit with a tour of the countryside. I visited a stereotypical Dutch village, rode around on a bike, visited a dyke, met a cow, watched some cheese and clog making and then indulged in a Gouda cheese tasting. What a wonderful start to the trip! :)</div>
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Next up was the wondering around the city during the day and checking out all the city's highlights. This included taking a tram ride through the city, pictures with the 'I Amsterdam' sign and walking past many important landmarks. I spent most of the day checking out the Rijksmuseum, which was awesome and totally worth it. I walked past other tourist trap-type places, but I didn't waste time standing in the long lines, including Anne Frank's House and the Van Gogh museum. What I really enjoyed was wondering around the city and checking out the Flower Market.</div>
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Amsterdam was very cute and normal seeming during the daytime however the city transforms at night into something totally different. The evening was spent wondering around the city once again and checking out the red light district and spending time in a cafe pursuing the past-time that makes Amsterdam so famous.</div>
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What struck me so about Amsterdam is how wholly it transforms once night falls. My suspicion is that the majority of people who live and work in the city are not the ones that I witnessed roaming the streets of Amsterdam after dark. I have no problem with the legalities involved in making Amsterdam famous in several respects but what did disturb me is the circus-like atmosphere of the whole thing. I found it so strange that someone's chosen profession has become such a tourist attraction and a spectacle the world over, simply because it's different. </div>
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Overall I felt like Amsterdam is one of those cities that does need to be experienced at least once in one's life however now that I've been there and done that and gotten the t-shirt I'm feeling over it. If I am to return to Holland it would be to see more of the countryside and to explore other Dutch cities, such as Rotterdam.</div>
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The start of my European Trip 2014 was definitely an uncommon adventure into the heart of Amsterdam. Have you ever been to Amsterdam, what were your thoughts on the city? Stay tuned for more stories of adventure and intrigue next Thursday. Until then here's to your uncommonly wealthy life! :)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-45552933660351668302015-06-24T18:01:00.000-04:002015-07-12T09:22:43.821-04:00My Top 10 Tips for Saving Money & Getting Out of DebtI wrote a <a href="http://uncommonwealth0.blogspot.ca/2015/06/what-i-thinking-about-today-past.html" target="_blank">previous post </a>about the kind of life that I'd like to design for myself starting now in my early 30's. At the end of that post I made some declarations of things that I need to start doing and continue to do in order to achieve this, my uncommonly wealthy life. Today I'm here to talk about the financial side of this dream. Today I'm talking about the wealth in uncommon wealth. <br>
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I know that usually when I talk about uncommon wealth on this blog it's not really in reference to money and finances, but I'm not naive to the notion that money is a requirement of modern life. However, I do not believe that one's wealth is solely based on the amount of money in one's bank account. I think that true uncommon wealth comes from a self-approved and designed life full of rich experiences, relationships and joy.<br>
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Now I do realize it takes money to achieve many of these things and in the past I've made the mistake of trying to live a full life beyond my means and this has left me with considerable debt. I don't think debt is something that is a necessary evil of everyday life, I think that with forethought, planning and discipline, anyone can live the life they want within their means. And that is what I plan on doing going forward.<br>
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Today I plan on sharing my strategies for how I'm going to get to a better financial place. What this better place looks like to me is my debt totally paid off, savings in the form of an emergency fund and a growing retirement savings plan and saving money for the things I want to do instead of going into debt to do it.<br>
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<div><br></div><u><b>10 Tips for Saving Money & Getting Out of Debt:</b></u><br>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>Use Alternate forms of Transportation:</b> If you can get way with it use transit. I'm fortunate to live in a city in which public transit is readily available and accessible. I pay a monthly fee for my transit pass, which is tax-deductible, and I don't have to worry about car payments, insurance, gas and maintenance. I've also signed up for a car-sharing service: Car2Go for those times when you just need a car. There's others: Zipcar, AutoShare and there's always a taxi or a company like Uber. There's many options for getting around that don't involve car ownership, and they're much more environmentally-friendly too.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>Make use of the library: </b>Get a library card, it's free! With your card you can take out books, movies, music and download eBooks for free; as well as use the computer, internet and printing services if needed (sometimes for a small fee). </li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>Make your own meals, coffee and snacks: </b>I saved a lot of money when I switched from eating out and doing take out on the regular to buying groceries and making my own meals instead. It's budget friendly and healthy to make your own meals, snacks and drinks and bring them along to work, travel and even entertainment. The freezer is also your best friend because almost everything can be frozen and saved for later consumption, instead of wasted.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>Make cleaning supplies using cheap household items: </b>Baking soda, white vinegar and lemons is all you really need to clean your entire house for cheap and bonus you're also being environmentally friendly.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>Have at-home spa days:</b> I love a good pampering just as much as the next person but it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg to get it. I've become a bit of a master lately at doing my own masks, facials and nails so I don't have to pay through the nose for someone else to do it. Best of all, it can all be done while binge-watching your latest TV obsession ('Orange is the New Black' season 3, anyone?)</li><li style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>Find the free and cheap events and entertainment options where you live</b>: There's usually all sorts of wonderful free or cheap but totally fun events going on if you just do a little digging. Movies in park, drive-in movies, movie cheap nights, concerts in the park, outdoor theatre, fringe festivals, street and art festivals, cheap nights at the museum/art gallery, 'prix fixe' events at restaurants, wine/food tastings/sampling, etc. So much to be found and so much to do: time to be a tourist in your own city! Also checkout cost saving apps/websites: Scene Points for Cineplex, Groupon, Living Social, etc. </li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>Use of coupons, money-back apps and points programs:</b> Using these are all great ways to save money on the everyday essentials if used correctly. You shouldn't just buy something just for the sake of buying it because you have a coupon or money-back offer, trust me I've gotten sucked into that trap before and it's a waste of money. Some points and loyalty programs are a waste of time, effort and money also if they reap little in the way of benefits or if you have to save up the points forever before you see any kind of benefit so choose wisely. Ones I like: <a href="https://pcplus.ca/" target="_blank">PC Plus program</a>, <a href="https://www.checkout51.com/" target="_blank">Checkout 51</a> and <a href="https://www.flipp.com/" target="_blank">Flipp</a>.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>Purge, sell and then only buy what I need and when I need it:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> I know that every girl has been susceptible to this at one point in their lives when it comes to buying beauty products, clothing, jewelry, bags and shoes. I've done it too: bought something because I thought it was cute, or thought I needed multiple colours, or I'd use it one day. Nope, you all know that you end up using and wearing the same favourite things over and over again so why do we do it to ourselves: keep buying crap that we don't actually need? Well no longer: I'm going to purge my stuff and then sell what I can, donate or throw out the rest and start from there. I'm going to wear and use things up and only buy more when & if they need to be replaced.</span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>Cancel subscriptions & memberships that I don't use: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">I cancelled my cable and I do not have a home phone. I put money into a good internet plan, cellphone plan and watch only Netflix. I don't use the Next Issue subscription I have so it needs to be cancelled and I need to cancel subscription boxes I'm currently paying into that send me stuff automatically every month; stuff I don't need. </span></li><li style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>Tell other people about my goals and get help and advice:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> By being honest with people about your financial predicament leads to some unexpected gains. I think sometimes as a society we are embarrassed to talk about money woes but when you start opening up about it you realize that everyone can relate and there's a lot of great advice and support that can be gained. Bonus: many of your friends and family will be in your corner about coming up with inexpensive ways to spend time together.</span></li></ol><div>My next steps will include doing the necessary research to go from financially ignorant to financially savvy, setting up automatic withdrawals from my bank account into a high-interest savings account on pay days, consolidating my high-interest consumer debt and creating a realistic budget and sticking to it. Stay tuned for updates on my journey to financial freedom. </div><div><br></div><div>
What are some other ways that have helped you save money? Anything I'm missing, let me know because I'm always looking for ways to improve and add to this list. As always here's to your uncommonly wealthy life! :)<br>
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<i>Some other resources to check out that have helped me:</i><br>
<a href="http://www.squawkfox.com/" target="_blank">Squawk Fox - Sexy Consumer Advice</a><br>
<a href="https://www.dailyworth.com/" target="_blank">Daily Worth - Financial Advice for Women</a><br>
<a href="http://www.gailvazoxlade.com/" target="_blank">'Money Rules' by Gail Vaz-Oxlade</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-45917142084815021602015-06-23T21:05:00.000-04:002015-06-25T14:21:19.202-04:00Green Smoothie Challenge - Week 3 CompleteWow I can't believe I've already made it through 3 full weeks of this health challenge. I'm in the home stretch and things feel like they'll run smoothly from here on out, yippee!<br />
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It's that time of week again where it's time to share with you what I've learned so far at this point in the challenge, so here it is.</div>
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<b>The third week has been by far the easiest one:</b><br />
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The first week was easy; and of course it was easy, I always find that the beginning of a new habit is the easiest because I have all this excitement and enthusiasm. Then as it gets hard and life and I get in the way, usually around the week 2 point, it then gets hard. I think the true test of whether I can really make the change and stick with it is if I can get through that second week hump. Once I complete that second week and I prove to myself that I am able to overcome any of the issues that came up then the third week feels like such a breeze. And that is exactly what has happened!</div>
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<b>I feel like I've finally ironed out all the kinks in this health challenge:</b></div>
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Any issues I've had with planning, shopping and recipes I believe I've finally figured out at this point. I didn't have anymore gross smoothies this week and I think I've cracked the code on the best combinations for delicious green smoothies. When it comes to planning and shopping I've realized that it's easiest to buy frozen fruit and greens in bulk but only what I plan on using for the week. I had enough wasted and spoiled fresh fruit and veg that I didn't want that happened anymore so I decided to buy frozen fruit mixes and freeze bananas once they were ripe.<br />
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<b>I realized I don't have to make all my green smoothies myself:</b></div>
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Another realization that was very helpful for me this week was that I don't always have to make the smoothies myself. When times are busy and it's impossible to make myself then there are a lot of great options for delicious and nutritious green smoothies. This is a great way to do it when traveling, for an example. I still haven't haven't figured out how to prepare the smoothies ahead of time without having them separate and get gross. It would be preferable for the early mornings to have them all ready-made; maybe something I'll have to try out during week 4?<br />
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<b>I feel so much better each day that I have a green smoothie (or juice):</b></div>
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I know I've talked about this before but it must be reiterated how much better I feel while doing the green smoothie thing vs. not. I can now definitely understand what all the fuss is about when it comes to the green smoothie/juice craze. I'm thinking this may have to become a normal part of my healthy routine even as the 30-day challenge comes to an end. I guess we'll see how I feel at the end of week 4.<br />
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<u>For now here is another delicious Green Smoothie recipe that has quickly become my favourite:</u><br />
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1 cup baby spinach or kale<br />
1 tsp each of flaxseeds and ground chia seeds<br />
1 tbsp of veggie-based protein powder (I use a brown rice one)<br />
1/2 cup orange juice (not from concentrate) cut with 1/2 cup water<br />
1/2 banana (frozen or fresh)<br />
1/2 cup frozen tropical fruit mix (I prefer a pineapple, mango, peach & strawberry mix)<br />
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Blend the greens with the seeds, powders and liquids until well smooth. Add banana and fruit, blend again until desired consistency is achieved. Now it's time to...you guessed it: drink and be healthy!<br />
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Enjoy and here's to your uncommonly wealthy life always! :)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-52094467451990904372015-06-19T14:22:00.001-04:002015-06-25T14:23:35.582-04:00What I'm Thinking about Today - The Past<div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After reading an article in the <a href="http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/05/29/opinion/david-brooks-the-small-happy-life.html?_r=2&referrer" target="_blank">New York Times the other day about the small happy life</a> and spending some time reminiscing with a <a href="https://retrodiver.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">friend</a>, I find myself thinking about the difference between my mindset in my 20s versus now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Now: </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I come close to the completion of my first year as a 30 year old I find my mindset has shifted a great deal as compared to that of my 20-something self. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Then: </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">When I think back to some of the</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> foolish childhood capers and misadventures I participated in it makes me chuckle and shake my head.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I smile to myself thinking about it now but I was once a bit of a rebel. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I used to skirt authority just for the hell of it and many times this just ended up hurting me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another memory that has caused me to smile to myself was the thought of the 'fun zone'. When I was younger I was witness to one after another of my friends and family members succumb to adulthood and inevitably leave the 'fun zone'. I swore to myself, and anyone else that would listen, that that would never be me, I would never leave the fun zone.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also remember wanting to be rich and famous when I was young. I pictured myself partying with movie stars on yachts and flying around the world on private jets.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I spent the month of my 30th birthday galavanting across Europe with young people and I can say for a fact that travel did change me. This was the first trip of its type that I'd ever done and it lead to many eye-opening discoveries about myself and the world.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nowish:</span></b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It makes me laugh to think that I was still thinking many of these things less than a year ago as I transitioned from a 20-something into a 30-something. It's striking how quickly my attitude has now changed.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll always cherish the memories of my childhood misadventures but I'm also glad those days are behind me. I still want to have fun adventures and great stories to tell but it'll be of a different kind. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I still have that rebellious spirit in me, I'll never lose it, but the why and how of my rebellion has changed. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I still have the need to do things differently albeit in more healthy and constructive ways. I still need to find my own path to things and I'll still pursue something just to prove the naysayers wrong but not at the expense of my health and sanity. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I'm definitely out of the s</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">o-called 'fun zone' now, the one characterized by irresponsible decisions, sleepless nights and crazy boozing. Instead </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I find myself appreciating the small, quiet and happy life more and more everyday.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Now I feel myself grateful for my privacy and I </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">find luxury in the everyday experience of having space and time for myself. I also appreciate the few quality friends and family that I do still have and I enjoy the occasional shindig with them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I returned from traveling in Europe I returned home with a new <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">appreciation for home and the simple life. I </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">came back from this trip with a renewed sense of life purpose and I was inspired by the things I did and saw. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Right Now: </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When it's your birthday, people often ask: "do you feel any different now that your ___ age?" Usually the answer is a no but I can say for certain that this year I definitely feel different.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After all this reminiscing and thinking back to my Europe trip, I've realized what I really want and value in life. Now I've come to some decisions about how to achieve my ideal simple and happy life. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Decision Time:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've decided that Im going to make this new city my home. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ive decided that I want the type of life that affords me the ability to travel the world on a regular basis. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've decided that I want a life that allows me to focus my health. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've decided I want a life that allows me the time and freedom to enjoy my loved-ones. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Action Time: </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So now how am I going to go about achieving these life goals?!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Appreciate what I already have: a great job that pays well, has great benefits and amazing time off. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Appreciation of my loved-ones and putting time & energy into nurturing those that are already in my life as well as pursuing making new connections.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Simplify and minimize my life as much as possible. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Get my finances under control and live within my means. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Continue to make my health a priority everyday. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Continue to share myself and my gifts with the world in whatever ways possible. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiJ-C3GEB06BYqcZG5RCT361TrVYUpxEsj-UcCeckr8CQKENg14RnsjtsUKHLMVwmIlArtGV-ZLEaIG1cLS03LLnOn28oX0XtFfIr9XVGHZGhk6ef6VPE-0bV687szqZfcPFcNqnzmLG-/s640/blogger-image-247404135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiJ-C3GEB06BYqcZG5RCT361TrVYUpxEsj-UcCeckr8CQKENg14RnsjtsUKHLMVwmIlArtGV-ZLEaIG1cLS03LLnOn28oX0XtFfIr9XVGHZGhk6ef6VPE-0bV687szqZfcPFcNqnzmLG-/s640/blogger-image-247404135.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ideal simple and happy life that I crave is a work in progress but I feel energized in the journey of living and working in a way that affords my uncommonly wealthy lifestyle. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Updates and more posts to come about all of this, so stay tuned! <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What are you goals for your uncommonly wealthy life and what are you doing to get there? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As always here's to your uncommonly wealthy life now and into the future! :)</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-27935390619977506742015-06-17T17:27:00.004-04:002015-06-17T17:51:27.282-04:00Green Smoothie Challenge - Week 2 Complete<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVBwinEqGfCfJNnN23NigXVw8JQz8IO6n2vAeamX0ZBQyy4RwPt0MmjSFfb_E_bHFT7xukZOHlZ_LpiKXA3sUpQSnXTquhLU_Ias55lq6zWvkKWsPky1u_3Ts8W8hLjEK6S_3JYlPaRiV/s1600/Y51aFguqRcGTgsYRYBXV_20140104_085932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVBwinEqGfCfJNnN23NigXVw8JQz8IO6n2vAeamX0ZBQyy4RwPt0MmjSFfb_E_bHFT7xukZOHlZ_LpiKXA3sUpQSnXTquhLU_Ias55lq6zWvkKWsPky1u_3Ts8W8hLjEK6S_3JYlPaRiV/s320/Y51aFguqRcGTgsYRYBXV_20140104_085932.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Week 2 is complete of my June 30-day Green Smoothie Challenge and I have some more wonderful insights to impart that I've realized along this health journey. Remember at the end of week 1 when I said it was easier than I'd expected well the opposite is true at the end of week 2. Here's what I'm talking about:<br />
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<b>Self-sabotage reared it's ugly head:</b></div>
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A couple days into week 2 I had an internal temper tantrum in the form of 'I'm sick of smoothies, I'm sick of health food, whine, whine, complain & whine, etc.' and so I took a day off from the smoothies and I ate a bunch of delicious, but not the best for me, food. The result: I felt like junk and I couldn't wait to get a green smoothie back into me asap and the next day that's exactly what I did.</div>
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<b>I slipped up but I didn't let that derail the entire challenge:</b></div>
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I slept off the junk food coma and I woke up the next morning and got right back on the green smoothie train and I felt so much better for it. I forgave myself for the small dalliance into the land of forbidden food and I got back into eating healthy and taking care of myself. I also learned some important lessons from my slip-up.</div>
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<b>Drinking green smoothies makes me feel great:</b></div>
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Having now completed over 2 weeks of drinking one green smoothie a day I can now understand why self-professed health addicts love them so. I definitely feel like drinking them is a great way to support my body's natural detox process every day. They're great for making me feel like I've reset back onto the healthy path after my junk food misadventure.</div>
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<b>I <u>AM</u> capable of making significant habit changes:</b></div>
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I've tried in the past with varying levels of success to break bad habits and/or establish good habits and when I've not succeeded it's always an excuse for my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az30z1_VMaA" target="_blank">Gremlin</a> to beat up on me. Well screw you Gremlin, because I can do this and I'm proving it to myself and that stubborn Gremlin every day that I'm capable of making all sorts of positive and lifelong changes. It also reminds me that this is a personal journey with myself and the only person I'm hurting by not doing it is myself.</div>
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I'm excited to see what comes next on this first 30-day health challenge. Yes, you read that right, this is the first of many challenges that I plan on undertaking every month. Stay tuned for what I have planned for my next 30-day health challenge in July.</div>
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For now, here's another delicious <b><u>Green Smoothie Recipe</u></b> that I discovered this week:</div>
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1 cup baby spinach</div>
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1 cup coconut water</div>
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1 tsp each of flax seeds, ground chia seeds & veggie-based protein powder</div>
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1/2 cup frozen peaches</div>
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1/2 cup fresh raspberries</div>
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1/2 cup organic Greek yogurt</div>
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Blend spinach, coconut water and the additives together until smooth. Add the fruit and yogurt and blend again until desired consistency is reached. Drink and enjoy! :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxki5Xx4lrRDK0x_rUg82ZK1_wZoieDcb4i9DfSC1HDRMJBwmsaPGWXXTsSax0_ZPluJo0yRaTf2IYTvfqs7WG4vakmukqD2sExVYiPOt0fpgO3S3RZuQIKTEXZOgv_xrdMJV-HWVUZTL/s1600/IMG_7615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxki5Xx4lrRDK0x_rUg82ZK1_wZoieDcb4i9DfSC1HDRMJBwmsaPGWXXTsSax0_ZPluJo0yRaTf2IYTvfqs7WG4vakmukqD2sExVYiPOt0fpgO3S3RZuQIKTEXZOgv_xrdMJV-HWVUZTL/s320/IMG_7615.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Any suggestions for green smoothie recipes that you know and love, please share! As always here's to your uncommonly wealthy life! :) </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-8348023240629458682015-06-08T08:54:00.001-04:002015-06-08T11:49:52.180-04:00Green Smoothie Challenge - Week 1 Complete<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I've <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">completed the first week (7 days) of my June Green Smoothie Challenge. Now I'd like to impart some pieces of wisdom that I've learned from this first week of green smoothieness. </span></div></div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3KVqitbc9uVUcsdfCwPSzJ2rlwHO_doFhyajDmrG1_eJBbek-12DXnCgl4DjArDWB99Kl4BwGBBlHhtdffdhGUmPXRAC1RJOoqLAmVwboHxQmxOGPYAFd1W4ASKnt2VUruriMKWeY37cs/s640/blogger-image-256611442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3KVqitbc9uVUcsdfCwPSzJ2rlwHO_doFhyajDmrG1_eJBbek-12DXnCgl4DjArDWB99Kl4BwGBBlHhtdffdhGUmPXRAC1RJOoqLAmVwboHxQmxOGPYAFd1W4ASKnt2VUruriMKWeY37cs/s640/blogger-image-256611442.jpg"></font></a></div><div><br></div><div><b>I'm actually able to stick to something:</b></div><div><br></div><div>I've tried to do health, fitness or general life development goals in the past that I haven't completed or barely cared about, but this time it was different. I'm not sure what has made this time so different but it definitely feels different and that's awesome because it means I'm finally following through on a personal health challenge. </div><div><br></div><div><b>It has been much easier than expected:</b></div><div><br></div><div>I had this notion going into this challenge that it would be so hard and that it would take so much work and disrupt my life in countless ways. The reality of the matter is actually so different than that; it has folded into my life naturally and lead to little disruption. Once again my expectations about a situation were incorrect and this time in a beneficial way. </div><div><br></div><div><b>It's all about planning and sharing:</b></div><div><br></div><div>I realized early on in the challenge that I needed to plan ahead, not only when it comes to my grocery store trips but also my work and life schedule. For an example I went out of town this weekend to visit my sister and attend a wine and cheese festival and I made sure to give my sister the head ups about my challenge. In doing so it lead to a pleasant surprise: she was fully supportive and well stocked with kale, frozen fruit and almond milk. Awesome!</div><div><br></div><div><b>I haven't been perfect and that's ok:</b></div><div><br></div><div>I definitely had a day where I tried a new smoothie recipe and it didn't turn quite right. I tried really hard to choke it down but I probably only ate a quarter of the smoothie. I could've taken a negative look at this or made it an excuse to give up, but instead I composted the smoothie and scratched that recipe off my list and set out to find better recipes. </div><div><br></div><div><b>Forgiveness of self is so important:</b></div><div><br></div><div>When making any significant life changes, no matter how big or small, forgiveness is a very important part of the process. Self-forgiveness is one of the most important parts of self-love and acceptance. I haven't set out on this health journey in order to berate myself, no I'm doing so as an act of self-love. </div><div><br></div><div><font color="#000000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Nt14DOQZkB3YAkjuiAGkCOcwy6du2VE5XDzgf9t_t7HAx0PRcwTFx3AN68YR8K8R2CO9iZfpDqN72GE5bY8GJEh6Sct9ZGYl0_AzsQO1iS2jFJGmGKU7XbdsGXAUEItDb9vlrGKd0yjk/s640/blogger-image-357671787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Nt14DOQZkB3YAkjuiAGkCOcwy6du2VE5XDzgf9t_t7HAx0PRcwTFx3AN68YR8K8R2CO9iZfpDqN72GE5bY8GJEh6Sct9ZGYl0_AzsQO1iS2jFJGmGKU7XbdsGXAUEItDb9vlrGKd0yjk/s640/blogger-image-357671787.jpg"></a></font></div><div><br></div><div>This is a journey of self-discovery just as much as self-improvement and I'm having so much fun getting to know myself and my preferences better. Even though I've made some great and some not so great smoothies, I'm learning and doing and that's what life's all about, after all. </div><div><br></div><div>I did discover one really great recipe that will now be added to my green smoothie repertoire and that I wish to share with you:</div><div><br></div><div>Berry Spinach Deliciousness:</div><div><br></div><div>Serves: 1</div><div>Time: 10-15 mins</div><div><br></div><div>1 cup baby spinach</div><div>1 cup almond milk </div><div>1 tbsp flaxseed </div><div>1 tsp chia seed (ground)</div><div>1 tbsp brown rice protein powder </div><div>1 & 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries </div><div>1/2 banana</div><div><br></div><div>Process the spinach, milk & additives. Once smooth add berries and banana and blend until palatable. Enjoy!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFVs5n-0fXr0fpMuw4MPsa0ElR25pD3jHnhPdQ7NIBqQMQ0fghrpyKuUmsMvbm9URF8QUSQOeMJA4P3Lk005K4pI3NNe5WiqhQYhCPbMpYyq7awaq1TNs4AZ2mwYCRZaMtpeMLcYrf6xt/s640/blogger-image--987819821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFVs5n-0fXr0fpMuw4MPsa0ElR25pD3jHnhPdQ7NIBqQMQ0fghrpyKuUmsMvbm9URF8QUSQOeMJA4P3Lk005K4pI3NNe5WiqhQYhCPbMpYyq7awaq1TNs4AZ2mwYCRZaMtpeMLcYrf6xt/s640/blogger-image--987819821.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Have you ever done or are you doing a health challenge? If so let me know how it went and what you learned about yourself along the way.</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks for reading and as always here's to your uncommonly wealthy life! :)</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-30579569832567244762015-06-05T13:03:00.001-04:002015-06-09T13:35:03.764-04:00The Natural Beauty Life - Pure Anada ReviewInspired by a friend who sent me a message the other night to ask what natural facial cleanser & toner I use; I've decided to share my secrets with the world!<div><br></div><div>Pure Anada: <a href="http://www.pureanada.ca/about/products/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">http://www.pureanada.ca/</a></div><div><br></div><div>A Canadian company out of Manitoba that I first discovered last year while on a trip to visit my sister who was living in Winnipeg at the time. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">After picking up my first product of theirs; a moisturizer, I was hooked. I did some research and found where I could buy more of their products and I tried some samples. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDmJ4dnJtjKZT1Lb29bxsNus3Iw6Ptng3PUSkrXtfYVU4i7xteFQ-eSRTEjaAjAivj94rhwjlhLo3wvKKbZpanoVzRk665dq0HuykroosrcLXPZZhcfeFm4w2JtMar-a2Or6-M9BnduqH/s640/blogger-image-608896536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDmJ4dnJtjKZT1Lb29bxsNus3Iw6Ptng3PUSkrXtfYVU4i7xteFQ-eSRTEjaAjAivj94rhwjlhLo3wvKKbZpanoVzRk665dq0HuykroosrcLXPZZhcfeFm4w2JtMar-a2Or6-M9BnduqH/s640/blogger-image-608896536.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I buy my Pure Anada products via the Pure Boutique: </span><a href="http://www.thepureboutique.com/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">http://www.thepureboutique.com/</a> <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">that sells all sorts of natural, organic, vegan and cruelty-free beauty products. It's a great site because it has a lot of different products that I like using and they ship so fast; I usually receive my products within a few days of ordering. It's also a great site because you can get cheap samples of almost all the products they carry so you can try before you buy. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">That's what I did with many of the Pure Anada products that I now love. </span></div><div><u style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></u></div><div><u><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">M</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">y favorite Pure Anada products</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">:</span></u></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>Fruit Enzyme Exfoliating Cleanser:</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I love this cleanser because it's a gentle exfoliant that works to clean up my skin without being too harsh. It doesn't lather like a typical cleanser containing SLS does, but it still works great. It's made with basic natural ingredients and biodegradable beads.</span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>Purity Treatment Toner:</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">This toner is part of a line formulated specifically for acne-prone skin types and it's been great in helping me deal with my most recent breakout. It contains witch hazel, chamomile and willow bark and it smells like a margarita! Along with the toner I also use the Calm Hydrator from the Purity line and these two in combination are great for when I have breakouts.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkQtUxDP73-DV0zcwDWVOTnIn2YxF6OP2f2jvQB4RUoAj4IGs4090fV71q23j4J8ocisSRQ15nkMivIt9lTflaWn2CnOi6Xq4WsyqBI4CDmfpZ-0mlAtgikE-xLPyygLNGzoqBIQROznO/s640/blogger-image-537009762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkQtUxDP73-DV0zcwDWVOTnIn2YxF6OP2f2jvQB4RUoAj4IGs4090fV71q23j4J8ocisSRQ15nkMivIt9lTflaWn2CnOi6Xq4WsyqBI4CDmfpZ-0mlAtgikE-xLPyygLNGzoqBIQROznO/s640/blogger-image-537009762.jpg"></a></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><b>Scentless Hydra Lotion:</b> </font></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">This product has a special place in my heart because it was my first Pure Anada purchase and I still use this as my daily moisturizer. It's light enough to go on under makeup and sunscreen and its scentless which is great.</span></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>Revive Serum:</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">This is an anti-aging moisturizer that I primarily use at night. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>Awake Eye Gel:</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">This product is great for those bags under the eyes and I use it in the morning and at night.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">This is just the skincare products that I use from Pure Anada and they have many more all natural and cruelty-free products that are great, especially makeup: more on that later. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">What are some of your favourite all-natural, organic, vegan and/or cruelty-free beauty products?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">Thanks for reading and as always here's to your uncommonly wealthy life! :)</font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><i>****Disclaimer: I am NOT receiving any kind of compensation from Pure Anada for writing this post. I will always inform you if such an arrangement is made.****</i></font></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-54692397723108159432015-06-04T17:35:00.001-04:002015-06-04T17:36:34.623-04:00What I'm Thinking About Today - HealthI started a <a href="http://uncommonwealth0.blogspot.ca/2015/06/green-smoothie-health-challenge.html" target="_blank">healthy eating challenge that I talked about earlier this week on the blog</a>. In doing so my primary goal is to lose weight and feel healthy. The problem is that I sometimes make myself feel bad about the fact that I'm not seeing faster weight loss.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9qcSLCbbgZk3-M3J6eqx6KjSlfCZJ72P2KIA1Qug8cSTlY1pAUQbf8ox9X_61bgbekmwoGzCrmClLkYea0tC2gUFyHA8TQAvl-ta1Unq0mMIfQ65dPlWv0nlTVN9-ghhvbXSVT1dNYMh/s1600/Vgu1RUfKT3WN1ZYxSWaR_14672519443_13d8873062_k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9qcSLCbbgZk3-M3J6eqx6KjSlfCZJ72P2KIA1Qug8cSTlY1pAUQbf8ox9X_61bgbekmwoGzCrmClLkYea0tC2gUFyHA8TQAvl-ta1Unq0mMIfQ65dPlWv0nlTVN9-ghhvbXSVT1dNYMh/s320/Vgu1RUfKT3WN1ZYxSWaR_14672519443_13d8873062_k.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is not cool and I have to remind myself that I've embarked on a lifelong journey of eating healthy and taking care of myself and it's not just about the vanity of losing weight. I try not to get seduced by the media and social messages of skinny is better. I just want to be my best self everyday and if that includes some fat on my body, so be it.<br />
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So here are some reminders that help me, and will hopefully help you as well, when I'm feeling discouraged in my health journey:<br />
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<b>Fat doesn't automatically equal bad:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I'm on a journey to be healthier and it's an unfair assumption to think that anyone who has fat on their body is somehow out of shape or lazy. I know a lot of fit, athletic and in great shape people who have fat on their bodies. There is nothing wrong with fat; it's a natural part of all bodies.<br />
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<b>It's about more than the image in the mirror:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I'm building a strong and healthy body and that's a good thing no matter what it looks like. I'm eating food that will lead to better digestion, skin and a boosted immune system and these are all great things. My body is beautiful and wonderful just the way it is, even with fat, just like all bodies. Who I am is not my body.<br />
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<b>Take stock of how far I've come so far:</b><br />
<br />
There are measurable changes like the fact that I've lost 10 lbs and a full dress size as well as the non-quantifiable changes like how great I feel now compared to when I started. I've gotten stronger, I'm in better shape and my digestion has normalized; all things that help in many different areas of my life. Another huge benefit is that I'm happier than ever before and it feels good to have a goal to work towards.<br />
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<b>Self-love and acceptance is much more powerful than criticism:</b><br />
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I've never had success in making life changes by being highly critical of myself and berating myself with negative self-talk. On the contrary, when I finally accepted my life and body just as it was and decided to love myself for the imperfect person that I am, is when I finally changed. I started making healthy life changes as an act of self-love because I now know that I deserve it, no matter what my current circumstances.<br />
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<b>Reminder to be thankful:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
As human beings we have a natural tendency to focus on the negative and this can lead to some negative views on ourselves and our lives. I must remind myself that I already have so much to be thankful for. I'm thankful that I have the ability and access to a gym and food on the regular basis. These may seem like basics but they are huge privileges that a large proportion of the world does not have. I'm thankful everyday that I'm alive, healthy and free. What else could one ask for?<br />
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I'm enjoying the journey of eating well, working out, loving my life, doing what I love and spreading my message. I can't wait to see what life has in store for me in the future but life is real only happening right now and that is the part that I'm enjoying right now in this very moment. Life is grand. What is one small thing you can be thankful for right now?<br />
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Remember you are uncommonly beautiful no matter what the scale or media or society says. Spread the love and share your unique and truly wonderful self with the world.<br />
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As always here's to your uncommonly wealthy life! <3 :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-85835553657832984512015-06-02T13:01:00.001-04:002015-06-02T14:52:41.100-04:00Green Smoothie Health Challenge<div>Monday June 1, 2015 marks the first day of my 30 day Green Smoothie Challenge. </div><div><br></div><div>Inspired by the Simple Green Smoothies gals: http://simplegreensmoothies.com and their 30 day green smoothie challenge that they hold a couple times a year I've decided to do my own. They have a challenge coming up in July but I didn't want to wait that long so I'm going to start my own for June. </div><div><br></div><div>Here's the challenge: 1 green smoothie a day for 30 days. This smoothie will be a meal replacement for any meal of the day, I personally love to have them for breakfast, or as a snack. I'll be scouring the web for recipes of green smoothies that don't taste like grass and I'll share them with you as you follow along on this journey. </div><div><br></div><div>Starting with my day 1 smoothie which is based on the Beginner's Luck smoothie from the simple green smoothies website. I halved their recipe for an individual serving and I added some extra nutrition and protein. </div><div><br></div><div>I used my magic bullet and this how I made it: 1 cup greens; I used mixed kale plus 1 cup almond milk, which was pulsed until smooth. Then I added 1/2 cup frozen mango, 1/2 cup frozen pineapple and half a banana with 1 tsp each of flax seeds, ground chia seeds and brown rice based protein powder. I pulsed it all together and then we have deliciousness. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8JyfHdG-HiezXVECs1w0a3M86iGVBMNG8m46wwSG2F6E64_EfcT5eBGxvrpEpH96XUPBAzU9EV_XJXWL7iKNFynbbFVBf05EgMiKzDrETKDTSYc08bnq6Sar0_IhxvsMJhkyPoYbZSQA/s640/blogger-image--1795410150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8JyfHdG-HiezXVECs1w0a3M86iGVBMNG8m46wwSG2F6E64_EfcT5eBGxvrpEpH96XUPBAzU9EV_XJXWL7iKNFynbbFVBf05EgMiKzDrETKDTSYc08bnq6Sar0_IhxvsMJhkyPoYbZSQA/s640/blogger-image--1795410150.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>This challenge is not just about the smoothies, it's a general challenge to myself to start eating clean. My diet will still be mainly fruit and veggie based with lean protein, seeds, nuts, lentils and pulses rich. I'm swearing off sugar except for a piece of quality dark chocolate once a day. I'm also going to minimize my dairy, caffeine and alcohol consumption. </div><div><br></div><div>During this challenge I'll also continue my workout regime of weight lifting 3 days a week and cardio 3 days a week. I'm also going to concentrate on increasing my activity level in general by doing lots of active things with my free time. </div><div><br></div><div>Follow along in my challenge here on the blog and on social media: Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.</div><div><br></div><div>Let me know about your own health & fitness goals, struggles and any challenges who've undertaken. As always here's to your uncommonly wealthy life! :)</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNn-Utz9eKS6pQhA6TIupgwJXW6v8WdXto5HEWh2xQi1OZaGnEEOevycEaOswrMlwZ-9ZUux6PNxnAFhgcztQJfogOyK4l6x4IGeVLcDFcjJQgAeIfhvMpAQoaI8sDZRa1ZaLK2mWmgP2K/s640/blogger-image-109256542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNn-Utz9eKS6pQhA6TIupgwJXW6v8WdXto5HEWh2xQi1OZaGnEEOevycEaOswrMlwZ-9ZUux6PNxnAFhgcztQJfogOyK4l6x4IGeVLcDFcjJQgAeIfhvMpAQoaI8sDZRa1ZaLK2mWmgP2K/s640/blogger-image-109256542.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-7480708494378466102015-05-29T05:39:00.001-04:002015-05-29T10:05:22.255-04:00Event - Health Hut Official Opening PartyOn Thursday May 28, I ventured out to the official launch party of the Health Hut in Harbord Village at 171 Harbord St. <a href="http://healthhutboutique.com/">http://healthhutboutique.com/</a><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMDgN-zi19pbdFo9kFSAVby4XPUHtD5Yv1TDyaDfUQbmK8U-ngmLGrtKBafoIkYYFzSX8wje7VsGC8gOdiJvK1XfBDCNBk9xSHdDMkTYupWYmLb4D3I9U43ghQ6Dp-W5Ak1uAKYfbUAJS/s640/blogger-image-32863712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMDgN-zi19pbdFo9kFSAVby4XPUHtD5Yv1TDyaDfUQbmK8U-ngmLGrtKBafoIkYYFzSX8wje7VsGC8gOdiJvK1XfBDCNBk9xSHdDMkTYupWYmLb4D3I9U43ghQ6Dp-W5Ak1uAKYfbUAJS/s640/blogger-image-32863712.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This is a modest little shop in the main floor of one of those cute converted Victorian houses. The interior of the shop is brightly light with small sections of various natural beauty brands; including standards like Tata Harper and many Toronto-based brands like Sudsatorium. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The event itself was held mostly outside the shop in an alcove beside the building. It was setup with a table of products and testers, a DJ, snacks table and an open bar. I had myself some Beau's beer; an Ontario brand that prides itself on being organic, Eco-friendly and delicious. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZATqQz-6khbDUqEtqpiSqadkjJvPpxPLEon-noNSc3RQrD9q2bUnzHKN346m6wqpokbQmWjm8mmEsZbzfJBj2CVvwm7MD9Cdv2Jy1qC9nhY6cZRz8YRfVlK6cpBGmPRQj9h96HdPIYKi/s640/blogger-image-1473932096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisZATqQz-6khbDUqEtqpiSqadkjJvPpxPLEon-noNSc3RQrD9q2bUnzHKN346m6wqpokbQmWjm8mmEsZbzfJBj2CVvwm7MD9Cdv2Jy1qC9nhY6cZRz8YRfVlK6cpBGmPRQj9h96HdPIYKi/s640/blogger-image-1473932096.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It was a pleasure to speak with the owner herself; Tara Miller, a holistic nutritionist, and get recommendations on products. I was eyeing a tinted facial SPF and she pointed out another less-expensive facial SPF product that she also carried. That was so awesome and very much appreciated. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So what did I pick up, you may ask?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqvMldouTZ8OMSJtmab8he_N8fKVfi3r6F2z2CfVZryZl71oZlfaq7ShSutKneobE5t0RmXVEeLFHlE47hrqWi4KqNHHu6tto9kBuSC2VU_HB7b5R0zwm8_SYWT7DdqGxJ-3oG8_HdHn8/s640/blogger-image-1258072864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqvMldouTZ8OMSJtmab8he_N8fKVfi3r6F2z2CfVZryZl71oZlfaq7ShSutKneobE5t0RmXVEeLFHlE47hrqWi4KqNHHu6tto9kBuSC2VU_HB7b5R0zwm8_SYWT7DdqGxJ-3oG8_HdHn8/s640/blogger-image-1258072864.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I picked up a Ilia lipstick in 'Wild Child' for my sistafriend, which I'm sure will be reviewed over at Sense of Aesthetic. I also picked up Graydon Products 'Sun Cream'; samples available from their website for $2 each: <a href="http://clinicalluxurybynature.com/products/sun-cream-nourish-your-face" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">http://clinicalluxurybynature.com/products/sun-cream-nourish-your-face</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I've been looking for a lightweight and natural facial SPF that I can wear on a regular basis and underneath makeup. As per Tara's recommendation and the little bit I tried on my hand, this product seems promising.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And lastly I got a sample of Aromaflage which is marketed as a 'botanical fragrance and insect repellent'. Sounds interesting. Again you can pick up a sample from their website for $3.50 each: <a href="http://www.aromaflage.com/products/aromaflage-sample" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">http://www.aromaflage.com/products/aromaflage-sample</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I'll do an in depth review of these products once I've tried them and made a decision on their efficiency. Stay tuned for that!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Overall I think the event was a success and I enjoyed it very much. My favourite part was watching the owner's mother run around making sure everyone was taken care of. Oh moms. :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Thanks for reading and please comment, like and share. As always, here's to your uncommonly wealthy life. </div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-40706283874240553552015-05-27T11:38:00.000-04:002015-05-27T11:38:51.725-04:007 Ways to Heal when Times are Tough<div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">In follow up to <a href="http://uncommonwealth0.blogspot.ca/2015/04/emotional-seasons.html" target="_blank">my last post</a> in which I talked about emotional seasons and my most recent angry season; I'd now like to talk about what has helped me move on from the anger and into a fresh and beautiful new season of renewal and happiness.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">In that last post I figured out what was causing me so much anger and I talked a bit about what I was doing to move through it but now I'd like to present you with some specific strategies that worked for me and I believe can help anyone going through tough times. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhCRaiKwSj7PosfzRogYHh6pE8xKIODxESI9KbLXa0ETLJmqjfF2iDyC9DXO0vQVVkPpuY2-a-PbbEIYcMm8f9uMdvVsXCnHvKVvwVCsXeike4VKm4Tm5z-KI5xsYFa4h6l0zLRyKqK3J/s640/blogger-image--144580458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhCRaiKwSj7PosfzRogYHh6pE8xKIODxESI9KbLXa0ETLJmqjfF2iDyC9DXO0vQVVkPpuY2-a-PbbEIYcMm8f9uMdvVsXCnHvKVvwVCsXeike4VKm4Tm5z-KI5xsYFa4h6l0zLRyKqK3J/s640/blogger-image--144580458.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Concentrate on the things I love:</b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What do I love to do and what makes me happy and how can I make time for these things? </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For me these things include: baking, cooking, gardening, reading, writing, weight-lifting, running, rollarblading, swimming, yoga, time with loved ones, time in nature and with animals, dancing, music and spending time for myself and allowing myself time to be creative.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Now ask yourself: what are the things that make me happy, the things that make time fly when I'm doing them?</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Think about it, write it down, carve out time for them and get busy doing them and being happy. </span></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Talk it out with a close friend, family member and/or professional:</b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Who in my life is the person or people that I feel comfortable talking with?</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I find it's best to talk to someone that will be a good listener because sometime you just need to vent it out without comments or advice. Find someone who you trust and who you feel can be an unbiased third party observer. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I find talking with someone who is intimately connected is not always the best route because their emotions will be running high as well.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you don't feel like talking about it then write it down. Journaling can be a very useful and therapeutic way to heal as well. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Warning with this however: talk or write it out once and then leave it, because rehashing it over and over again doesn't change anything and it doesn't make you feel any better, trust me. If you find yourself obsessively thinking about it then it's time to consider talking to a professional. </span></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Channel my emotions into something positive:</b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What lessons have I learned, what difference can I make in other peoples lives that'll prevent myself and others from feeling this way in the future?</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This means finding a positive from the negative by putting myself to work in a meaningful way that'll hopefully make a difference in other peoples lives. Not only does this help someone else but it also makes me feel better and distracts me from my thoughts. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Writing this blog is a great way for me to do just that. What is one positive action you can take today to make yourself and others feel better?</span></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Work it out through healthy outlets:</b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Do I have a regular healthy practice that I can throw myself and my emotions into? </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I have a regular exercise routine that I find is the best way for me to work through some of the anger and negative emotions that sometimes come up as a consequence of being human and living on this planet. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I lift weights, run, swim, do yoga and meditate. What are your healthy outlets for anger and frustration?</span></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Focus on yourself and take a break:</b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In what ways can I give myself a break and show myself self-care and love?</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sometimes it's just a matter of giving myself time and space off and away from regular life in order to heal and work through my emotions. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I take time for myself by saying no to others and many of the outside demands on my time. I also make </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">time for self-care rituals such as taking a bath, getting a massage, getting a facial, getting my nails done or going on vacation. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What is one small act of self-care you can do today?</span></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Remember that life is a gift and every day is precious:</b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">How can I live my life to the fullest every day in order to celebrate this gift of life I've been given?</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I think this one is pretty self-explanatory and a very personal question. The answer will change throughout life but as long as it's asked and answered regularly is the important part. </span></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Time to accept your fate and give yourself time to heal:</b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">How long will it take me to heal?</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The answer to that one is unknowable. Therefore I must accept that it'll take time to heal and the length of time it takes will be different every time. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I accept that my emotions are valid and that what has happened has happened. I also </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">accept that I can't force myself to feel better, sometimes it just takes time and that's ok.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you are going through a hard time in your life or you are supporting someone else going through something then I hope this helps. I know that writing this has already helped me so thank you for reading and sharing. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Leave a comment: what are some ways that work for you in helping you heal from hard times? </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I'm looking forward to the sunrise on a beautiful new uncommonly wealthy day!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-62323864357079015872015-05-26T22:43:00.001-04:002015-05-27T11:43:50.714-04:00The Natural Beauty LifeHere on the blog, I talk a lot about my inner world and how I keep it healthy. I'm going to start talking more about my outer world and how I also keep it healthy and uncommonly wealthy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZJ1oAiLZAdD4hPNkGdcCSHU_uEDebj0uEsaFbo0AG9E8W-DhMAkaO4WYVy0LGdFqYx-tFM6SFhYqFc46IMayWcYDsWBeHz-pIR-PaqCDT_UrHcwvVV8VtyRGTN23UiUwXqZCALyOW1M4/s640/blogger-image-264348933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ZJ1oAiLZAdD4hPNkGdcCSHU_uEDebj0uEsaFbo0AG9E8W-DhMAkaO4WYVy0LGdFqYx-tFM6SFhYqFc46IMayWcYDsWBeHz-pIR-PaqCDT_UrHcwvVV8VtyRGTN23UiUwXqZCALyOW1M4/s640/blogger-image-264348933.jpg" /></a></div>
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Aside from my personal musings that I occasionally share on this blog I want to also share some specific ways I live in an uncommonly wealthy way. </div>
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I break down what my uncommonly wealthy life looks like on the <a href="http://uncommonwealth0.blogspot.ca/p/about.html">'New? Start Here!' page</a> and the 'About' page. But for today I'm going to start off by talking about better beauty. </div>
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In my younger years I simply dabbled in the realm of natural, healthy and Eco-friendly beauty. Due in large part to the fact that at the time there wasn't much on the market other than Burt's Bees, Kiss My Face and Live Clean. For this reason I found it hard to really get into it and never fully committed to the cause. </div>
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In the last year or so that has all changed. With the help of bloggers like <a href="http://senseofaesthetic.blogspot.ca/">Sense of Aesthetic</a> and <a href="http://www.beautyliestruth.com/">Beauty Lies Truth</a>, who actually have the patience to do the research needed as well as the availability of great resources like the <a href="http://www.ewg.org/">Environmental Working Group (EWG)</a>; things are looking up. </div>
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Consumers are more informed that ever, thanks in large part to the Internet, and we're pissed. We're starting to realize that there's harmful junk in our beauty products that has no place being there and we're not gonna take it. </div>
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There are so many healthy and natural options on the market today, and usually available all over the world, that there's no reason for shit to end up in our beauty products. There are even recipes all over the internet for making your own products. </div>
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This is an exciting time and I'm really happy to be in it. In the spirit of this blog and living a healthy life I'm going to start a regular posting where I highlight some of the great products and brands that I use. I'll highlight brands and products that I truly believe in and that have got it together in the natural beauty area of things. </div>
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This will include all-natural, organic, cruelty-free and when possible fair trade beauty products. Things like makeup, lotions, shampoos, conditioners, soap, nail polish, lip balm, sunscreen and so on. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbO2RzAcRBmwPLosBFnsCFevpki1G-O0PF8IDkcutB0srml2sXacvT2_EEhqzxC6SAFZCM9E0s5rpk7ECwv63cgGyFETwxqBhRJzpTGdNSB_VfpO-0sTq6uD02YLJ7kWaPMEaEaJ7f1gO/s640/blogger-image-746110224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbO2RzAcRBmwPLosBFnsCFevpki1G-O0PF8IDkcutB0srml2sXacvT2_EEhqzxC6SAFZCM9E0s5rpk7ECwv63cgGyFETwxqBhRJzpTGdNSB_VfpO-0sTq6uD02YLJ7kWaPMEaEaJ7f1gO/s640/blogger-image-746110224.jpg" /></a></div>
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This is going to be a really new and fun feature and will only be the beginning of posts having to do with how I aim to live life in an uncommonly wealthy and healthy way. </div>
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Stay tuned and let me know what you'd like to see featured. Cheers! :)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-80112614561416358312015-05-23T15:13:00.001-04:002015-05-27T11:40:38.029-04:00Hello Life! Here I Come!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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I woke up the other day with a very strange feeling as I remembered the succession of strange dreams I had had that night. As the details of the dreams fade I still recount the common theme among all of them. </div>
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I remember that each dream involved a situation in which I was called upon to step up, be brave and save the day. And each time I hesitated, I hesitated and in that second of hesitation and non-action, someone else stepped up to the plate and saved the day. The thing that gets me the most is that I was left with this feeling of regret because I wanted to be brave, I wanted to be courageous and I wanted to save the day. </div>
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I've always been the type of person to step up and help when people are in need and usually without hesitation. And I think that's way these dreams bothered me so much. But then it hit me: I've been living my whole life lately in this state of fear, in a state of hesitation. </div>
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In the past I've always done the things that needed to be done in order to help others, in order to get myself out of bad situations and in order to create a life I love. But lately I have been hesitating, I've been living in my comfort zone because of my fear and resistance and you know what: it's making me miserable. </div>
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I'm the type of person who helps without hesitation, I'm the type of person who acts in spite of my fear and I am a brave and courageous person. So now it's time to start acting this way. I've been putting off too much and avoiding possibly scary but possibly amazing situations for too long. It's time for a change. </div>
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So with the help of a Mark & Angel Hack Life article: <a href="http://www.marcandangel.com/2015/05/20/7-reasons-its-time-to-move-on-and-embrace-change/">'7 Reasons it's Time to Move On and Embrace Change';</a> I happened to read that same morning, I've made a commitment to myself to stop with the hesitation and to start living my life.</div>
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I've been in this new city for about a year and a half now and I haven't done a quarter of the things I wanted to do and simply because I've been scared. No more resistance, I'm going to do it all and it's going to be amazing. </div>
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Time for my uncommonly wealthy life to take shape! Stay tuned! 😊 </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis65Z4ZJUTYLNFCMAyd0GHkoIiMXv2G7wgDXjbxP5sTovN3KfY1TrVOixEgkpm-eilLewPVqWYtUo6JqVe5xjsV6pKfN6TKHICGLA1ovBkV7_l5D7Fd6Dc7nBkMt0Pbxh8OiGbK9m_lapI/s640/blogger-image--495045283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis65Z4ZJUTYLNFCMAyd0GHkoIiMXv2G7wgDXjbxP5sTovN3KfY1TrVOixEgkpm-eilLewPVqWYtUo6JqVe5xjsV6pKfN6TKHICGLA1ovBkV7_l5D7Fd6Dc7nBkMt0Pbxh8OiGbK9m_lapI/s640/blogger-image--495045283.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-27938112180043838042015-04-11T13:35:00.001-04:002015-05-15T12:33:26.303-04:00Emotional Seasons<div>Lately I've been thinking a lot about my emotions and feelings and specifically emotional seasons. I believe that just as the Earth goes through natural cycles that are marked by periods of hibernation, renewal, growth and change; we too as humans experience similar seasonal changes related to our emotions. </div><div><br></div><div>I know that I, for one, have experienced periods of joy, sorrow, frustration, positivity, anger, happiness and more. These changes may or may not be linked to external factors such as the weather but more than likely it relates to internal struggles or epiphanies. </div><div><br></div><div>Let me give you an example from my own life in terms of the emotional season that I'm currently wading through. </div><div><br></div><div>Recently I've been experiencing what can only be described as an angry season. I've felt like I've had a very short fuse in regards to issues that really amount to very trivial things in the grand scheme of things. I <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">recognize that I'm being irrational and needlessly irritated but even with this realization I still find myself quick to anger. What exactly is going on with me and what can I do about it?</span></div><div><br></div><div>These are the questions that have been rattling around in my brain throughout this current emotional season. I'm already starting in a good place in the fact that I'm self-aware enough to recognize what's going on. Ok, great, I know what's happening but why and what can I do about it?</div><div><br></div><div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">As a side note I want to make it clear that I believe it's important to feel your feelings when they happen without trying to suppress them and without being too self-indulgent. It's a fine line I know and one that I'm still working to define but I think it changes all the time. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Now I'm at point where the same issues that are making me angry are coming up time and time again and I've reached the point of self-indulgence. It's time to either accept or act. As that old saying goes: something along the lines of give me strength to accept the things I cannot change and change the things I cannot accept...? Or maybe that's my version.</span></div></div><div><br></div><div>Action time: I start with some personal explorations of the deep recesses of my brain, then I think back to what has been happening in my life lately and then I dig deeper to reveal the real reasons for my anger and frustration and then I tackle them.</div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">So after much contemplation about my life circumstances and my feelings surrounding them I've realized that it all boils down to expectations. More precisely unmeet expectations. I've always enjoyed dreaming and planning for the future and as much fun as this can sometimes be, it also has a dark side; the anger, frustration and resentment that can arise from reality being incongruent with my imaginings.</font></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWTbqcSfHT0cKkfI8nLqs228S9vDl40hpHyPYz6qHBb-VqvTG7yqcCaRGI1vDIwpoFEXZJsk7N0ZHkmPJDR3leemkbQkDV-v9sg2pZerSlouzg30MhcbngAwEHCLVowLsXbTm_-GOTGwdP/s640/blogger-image--2102761937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWTbqcSfHT0cKkfI8nLqs228S9vDl40hpHyPYz6qHBb-VqvTG7yqcCaRGI1vDIwpoFEXZJsk7N0ZHkmPJDR3leemkbQkDV-v9sg2pZerSlouzg30MhcbngAwEHCLVowLsXbTm_-GOTGwdP/s640/blogger-image--2102761937.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I moved away from my hometown about a year and a half ago and in doing so I left behind many friends and most of my family. As much as moving away and being forced to take care of myself has been a good thing for me and finally forced me to be an adult, It has also been very hard. When I moved to the 'big city' I had a lot of expectations about what my life would look like and I realize now how childish those expectations were. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">I've always enjoyed imagining that my adult life would look like a friends or sex in the city episode but that's all it is; fun and fanciful imaginings. However, I think that deep down a part of me did expect my life to look all fun and shiny like the TV shows of my youth, and it does not. It may seem silly but I think it's important to hold onto the childish and youthful side of ourselves as adults and sometimes children are mini philosophers and sometimes they're quite silly. </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">I guess this is one of those times where I have to remind my inner child that TV and movies aren't real and that reality is not the same but that doesn't mean it's worse. The thing about TV shows and especially movies is that they gloss over the everyday and sometimes boring things that make up life and in doing so make it seem like life should constantly dramatic. Honestly though, life can be so much better than these portrayals if we take the time to stop, look and appreciate. </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">So how do I plan on getting over my angry season? I'm already starting to feel better having explored it and now written and shared about it. I'm going to lose the expectations and enjoy my current life. I'm going to make the best of my current situation and be pleasantly surprised by whatever life brings me. Honestly at this point in my life I'm enjoying the downtime, quiet and dramalessness that a boring adult life brings. </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">As I feel the storm of my angry season lifting I'm looking towards the beautiful blue sky for the inevitable rainbow while enjoying and creating my uncommonly wealthy life. Cheers! 😊🌈</font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhbVfRxanGeoyGEZswcczVVdqhvbp1bTNd3yEYX2UoKEGqznWcggEtZsbIM-LEzwGnF126Fltc1ZFQzSxvRPSyd4W68anNosrM3PPTDBoCnadfulvmuSnOcebL-tdLQy01meuME_ngEOd/s640/blogger-image-403257573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhbVfRxanGeoyGEZswcczVVdqhvbp1bTNd3yEYX2UoKEGqznWcggEtZsbIM-LEzwGnF126Fltc1ZFQzSxvRPSyd4W68anNosrM3PPTDBoCnadfulvmuSnOcebL-tdLQy01meuME_ngEOd/s640/blogger-image-403257573.jpg"></a></div></font></div><div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-48341989491599450742015-03-31T16:52:00.001-04:002015-04-29T22:37:54.530-04:00My Personal TruthsBy looking at many of my posts from the past it seems I've made a lot of swiping declarations about getting certain things done and wanting to be this or do that. Most of the things I'd still out to accomplish I didn't follow through on and recently I realized why. I've realized that a lot of the things I set out to do didn't actually come from me, they came from external pressures such as friends, family and society in general. I was also putting the pressure on myself to achieve these things in order to get external validation which I believed would make me feel better about myself. Obviously this is not true and I've realized some universal truths that I'd now like to share with you.<div><br></div><div><b>The first truth being that external validation never leads to real longterm self-satisfaction and happiness.</b> </div><div>I feel like I've heard this so many times but it didn't really register until I experienced freedom from many of the external sources which had been adding pressure to my life for so long. In gaining this freedom I've come to realize that the only way to be happy is to live a self-approved life. The love, validation and approval that I seek needs to come from myself, otherwise I'll always be chasing the unattainable, like a metaphorical cat chasing the laser pointer.</div><div><br></div><div><b>The second truth is that self-approval doesn't happen overnight and it isn't something you do once and you're 'fixed', it's something that takes constant upkeep and re-evaulation.</b> </div><div>This may sound exhuasting but it doesn't have to be, it simply involves doing what you love, making time for yourself and your own needs and following your heart. This is obviously going to be different for every person and it's not something I can tell you. For me it's taken moving away from my childhood home and family as well as many of my longtime friends. At the time this seemed like it would be a really hard move and it was in many ways but it's turned out to be the best deicison of my adult life. In breaking away from many of the toxic situations and people that previously surrounded me I've been able to figure out that I'm a really capable human being who deserves love and I work on given it to myself everyday.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknOPQ0AKqTXyIkU0DqBMJhDbylkyVcPJPtqYrT5EKxIg-D7sDJ3S78HLjVzZdNIODs9M9nMLDDtwUf3TxmuyUQvAf9Wl2VbwgDkwTxcwKaMXiQeN4-YTM8ohZlC3X7wA6vjFkXdD6-_o6/s640/blogger-image-1070405944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhknOPQ0AKqTXyIkU0DqBMJhDbylkyVcPJPtqYrT5EKxIg-D7sDJ3S78HLjVzZdNIODs9M9nMLDDtwUf3TxmuyUQvAf9Wl2VbwgDkwTxcwKaMXiQeN4-YTM8ohZlC3X7wA6vjFkXdD6-_o6/s640/blogger-image-1070405944.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div><b>The third truth being that doing x, y or z will never lead to love and validation</b>. </div><div>Doing x, y, and/or z should be things that I love to do and that bring me personal satisfaction and self-approval. I've realized that I don't have to be or do anything in order to be deserving of love. I'm perfect right now in all my messy and beautiful imperfectness and I deserve love no matter what. For example I've struggled for a long time with being overweight and I thought for a long time that all my problems would vanish and I would finally be happy if I could just lose the weight. I'm finally realizing that the fat doesn't matter, no matter what anyone says about it, I'm beautiful and deserving of love no matter the number on the scale. </div><div><br></div><div><b>The fourth truth being that I'll never be healthy by bullying myself. </b></div><div>Living a healthy lifestyle by eating good foods, working out and taking care of myself is important to me because it makes me happy. Prior to this realization I was making myself unhappy by berating and bullying myself into being healthy, which seems kind of counterintuitive now. I was unhappy and I was fighting myself every step of the way because I was being mean to myself. When other people have treated me in a similar mean way in the past I haven't reacted favorably and I haven't felt much like cooperating. So in a similar vein I was treating myself badly and I was reacting badly leading to an unhappiness spiral that didn't lead to a healthy me. So now in order to make positive and healthy changes in my life I do so with positive reinforcement, compassion and love. "Kill them with kindness" as I've heard said before. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZYTvGGf_pT66tua6n6NLTFMh3EOYm3AiUA7E1zldNS_y9bnvZyPNQymI_wF6Z3eV0_Ao9r5lP3SrzvUHRKEiT03soLLSEpPZ6RPVOPeZDmVEt-DIlIniZp9gmaJGy0BjsSSACGkef08E/s640/blogger-image-264261155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZYTvGGf_pT66tua6n6NLTFMh3EOYm3AiUA7E1zldNS_y9bnvZyPNQymI_wF6Z3eV0_Ao9r5lP3SrzvUHRKEiT03soLLSEpPZ6RPVOPeZDmVEt-DIlIniZp9gmaJGy0BjsSSACGkef08E/s640/blogger-image-264261155.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><b>The fifth and final (for now) truth is that I've learned to take control of my life by realizing what is under my control and what isn't.</b> </div><div>I've realized that I have control over my feelings and actions and really that's it. I can take control in other ways throughout my life but these things can change at any time and most of the time the things that happen to us in our lives are out of our control. But what is under my control is how I react to life and what my attitude will be moving forward. I can choose to believe that life in unfair and blame the world for my problems or I can choose to believe that everything that happens in life is for me and move forward with this freeing notion. It truly is a beautiful and freeing feeling to know that I have control over what I choose to do and how I choose to react every single second of every day. </div><div><br></div><div>Life isn't perfect but it's all we've got, this is it, this is life and we have free will and the freedom to choose how we want it to go, what are you going to choose?</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWaVDy6g3EyXfgS9BhU5fhKEHltV0T-wJiC_MMo5T_yFhHgcPB4qv858kIoSg2AvUOxMvSCi9M02oPrzGYBypat2wlKzZODE4A2eJCHAP2ALMARqftZjvYszTckfsd52T0IXsIWROneCx6/s640/blogger-image--1463838270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWaVDy6g3EyXfgS9BhU5fhKEHltV0T-wJiC_MMo5T_yFhHgcPB4qv858kIoSg2AvUOxMvSCi9M02oPrzGYBypat2wlKzZODE4A2eJCHAP2ALMARqftZjvYszTckfsd52T0IXsIWROneCx6/s640/blogger-image--1463838270.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Until next time, here's to your uncommonly wealthy life! :)</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-43310803946325249512015-01-08T19:42:00.003-05:002015-01-08T19:42:42.376-05:00Welcome to the Future - 2015!Welcome to 2015: the future, at least according to a childhood movie 'Back to the Future', which was made in 1985 (when I was 1 year old) and they traveled into the future and landed in 2015. The future doesn't look exactly as predicted in that movie, but I'm sure there were a couple things they got right...maybe? Anyways, week one of 2015 is over and I still don't have a hover board, but I have managed to accomplish a couple things and come to some life-altering conclusions. Last week, as 2014 was wrapping up I made some resolutions for the new year and now I'm going to talk about how those are going so far and also some tweaks I've made to the resolutions and my mentality surrounding resolutions in general.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72LAtdIoRyluzokkEMG5u79Jqisd712S-r90f6g0neiQaBjlXBKdMNkYLDtX-DPxnbSuvqC8kKbwGdQmotmgBOX4li8YJZ8L1VbsYWLb9gqyvhrYTiM-biMSAq_YNQACz6JsbJwJxATey/s1600/IMG_6695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72LAtdIoRyluzokkEMG5u79Jqisd712S-r90f6g0neiQaBjlXBKdMNkYLDtX-DPxnbSuvqC8kKbwGdQmotmgBOX4li8YJZ8L1VbsYWLb9gqyvhrYTiM-biMSAq_YNQACz6JsbJwJxATey/s1600/IMG_6695.JPG" height="320" width="234" /></a>My resolutions for 2015 were vague and included all the standards in relation to money, health and general well-being. So after a week of trying to live the way I want for the year I've realized a few things when it comes to resolutions and making any life changes in general.<br />
<ol>
<li><b>It doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing game. </b>Don't expect yourself to get it perfect the first time out of the gate. It's not going to be easy every single day and you won't be perfect all the time but not being perfect is not a reason to give up. We're all human and no one is expecting perfection, except yourself. Sometimes we set ourselves up for failure by setting such a high and unreachable bar for what constitutes success. If you messed up today, forgive yourself, make a promise to be better today or tomorrow and then move on. Just don't make it a habit; we still want to be doing the new habit more than we are doing the old one.</li>
<li><b>Do it for yourself and no one else. </b>This is an important one that I'm only now just realizing. In the past I would make resolutions about weight loss, healthy eating and working out because of the expectations put on me by friends, family and society. And you know what: I never stuck to those ones, because it wasn't truly for me and it didn't truly come from my heart. Now I've accomplished a lot more by doing it for myself.</li>
<li><b>Be kind to yourself. </b>You can't berate and shame yourself into the change; trust me I've tried it that way and it doesn't work. Being positive about what you want to accomplish and by using positive and motivating self-talk and self-love is the only way to change yourself. Are you doing these things as a punishment to yourself? No, you're doing it to become a better version of yourself so that you can live a better version of your life. Enjoy the journey.</li>
<li><b>Make it fun. </b>Do the things you love and enjoy, don't force yourself to take up a new habit or hobby that isn't beneficial for your overall health, and that includes your mental health. If it's stressing you out too much then maybe it's not for you or maybe it's not the right time. Give yourself a break, this isn't a failure just a tweak. Also, give yourself rewards and treats for sticking to your habits on a regular basis.</li>
<li><b>It's not always going to be easy and that's okay.</b> Making major changes to one's life is hard. We are creatures of habit and comfort and we don't like to change what we know and we don't like to be uncomfortable. Pushing yourself outside your comfort zone is a good thing and that means that you may have to break a sweat to lose weight and you may have to go through withdrawal when you give sugar. The thing to remember is that the discomfort will pass and you will not die and you will be better for it in the end. Keep pushing and stay strong: you can do it!</li>
<li><b>Break it up. </b>I've made a lot of resolutions for 2015, which means I have all year to accomplish them, it doesn't all have to happen in January. So I'm going to break them up into monthly resolutions to help myself not get overwhelmed, which leads to frustration and then giving up. Here's my tentative monthly schedule for the first third of the year:</li>
<ul>
<li>January: setup a morning routine that includes making my bed, meditation, yoga and adding flossing to my brushing routine.</li>
<li>February: budget and saving month, in which I do not spend any money on extras outside of my usual bills, transportation and groceries.</li>
<li>March: yoga month, in which I go to a yoga class every day (I bought a Groupon to encourage this one).</li>
<li>April: writing month, in which I finish a first draft of the novel I started in November.</li>
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<li>During all the months I will continue to go to the gym 5-6 days per week, read 2 books per month, save money and eat healthy.</li>
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Another important point is to appreciate all that I have accomplished so far, how far I've come in the past year and the things that I've accomplished outside of the standard resolutions. I look back at where I was just a little over a year ago and I'm so grateful for how far I've come and that gives me motivation to keep going. I know I can achieve anything I set my mind to and I know you can to. Keep enjoying your uncommonly wealthy life! :)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-81591220842909755752014-12-28T20:58:00.001-05:002014-12-28T20:58:07.825-05:00Year in Review - 2014As per the tradition at this time of year, it's time to look back at the year that's ending and make predictions and resolutions for the year to come. As 2014 comes to an end, I find myself looking back at the resolutions I made last year and feeling pretty proud of myself for all that I've accomplished. I'm also feeling so grateful for all the wonderful things that have happened this year and I'm going to make some new years resolutions for 2015.<br />
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<a href="http://uncommonwealth0.blogspot.ca/2013/12/new-year.html" target="_blank">I made a bunch of resolutions for 2014 at around this same time last year that I posted to this here blog.</a> Now I will go into a breakdown of those resolutions and what I've accomplished in comparison. In the financial department I made the resolution to payoff a quarter of my debt and instead I took out a consolidation loan and paid off my credit cards, was able to cancel one and then take a trip with the rest of the loan. At this point I feel like I'm sitting in the same, if not worse spot with my debt then I was last year but at the same time I'm in a better overall financial position and I'm confident that I will come out of this year in a much better position. I also wanted to put $2000 in savings this year and I did accomplish this, however I then also spent it on my European trip, which was so worth it.<br />
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Speaking of trips; I wrote last year that I was going to take a trip out to western Canada and I didn't quite make it all the way west but I did visit my sister in Winnipeg and then I also took a trip to Europe. In October for my 30th birthday I finally took a trip that I've been wanting to go on since I can remember: Europe. Even though this trip may have set me back in the area of my debt, savings and overall budget, it was so worth it. After all, what's the point of having money and savings if not to use it on the fun things I want to experience?<br />
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Then in the realm of health and fitness I pledged to workout at least 3 times per week, eat out less and make and eat more healthy food. At the beginning of the year I really didn't do that great with the healthy living, eating and exercise but I made some really great strides in the second part of the year. I began working with a personal trainer in August which was great motivation for exercising that minimum of 3 times per week. This new found motivation also lead to better eating as well, which was great. I did take a 3 week break in October for my trip, in which I wasn't going to the gym regularly and I was eating and drinking whatever I wanted and again it was so worth it. I got myself quickly back into working out and eating right once I was back to real life. As I currently pass through the holiday season I find myself having trouble sticking to my healthy lifestyle but it felt good to do some clothes shopping this week and buy a few outfits that were a size smaller than what I would previously buy. That's great motivation for me to keep up the healthy changes and make a commitment to get more serious about my healthy goals going into the new year. Another goal I was hoping to achieve this year was to lose 50 lbs and even though I didn't lose that much weight I've made some great strides towards improving my overall health and getting into better shape and I've realized that the number on the scale isn't the be-all and end-all of my healthy living journey.<br />
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I also made some pretty general resolutions about doing well in my job, exploring the city, making new friends and expanding my horizons, which I believe were all accomplished. The ones I didn't accomplish were to start a cake decorating business, write a blog post every 2 weeks and write a screenplay. I did continue the blog but not with a specific schedule, I made a couple cakes and I started writing a novel this year. Looking back at the year as a whole I'm very proud at what I've accomplished and now I want to continue with all this positive momentum into the new year.<br />
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So for 2015 I commit to continuing with the positive and healthy lifestyle I've created for myself and setup some more healthy habits and do some more fun things this year. This includes:<br />
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- Working out 3 times per week including weight lifting and cardio like running and swimming.<br />
- Signup to run a 5k race.<br />
- Eating healthy and organic by cutting out processed foods, minimizing sugar and alcohol and making homemade meals and snacks.<br />
- Continue to cleanup my health through buying and using healthy hygiene, cleaning and makeup products<br />
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I also want to start scheduling my life and making some of my healthy habits automatic and natural and part of my morning routine including daily meditation, yoga and flossing. In regards to my writing I'm going to commit to writing a blog post once a week, finish writing my novel and I'm going to read at least 20 books this year. Obviously paying down my debt, travelling and continuing to do my best in my job will also be on my list for things to accomplish in 2015.<br />
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Another really important resolution to me in 2014 was to work on being more assertive. Even though it wasn't always an easy ride, I did become more assertive in owning my own life and happiness this year which I will definitely continue into 2015. In that vain I would also like to work on decreasing my procrastination when it comes to the everyday and sometimes mundane life tasks that I often drag my feet on completing.<br />
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I'm really looking forward to all that 2015 will bring and even though I have a lot of things I want to accomplish I'm also going to be easier on myself. I know that self-love is a very important part of making important and lasting healthy lifestyle changes so even if I miss or fall down or fail once and a while I won't be too hard on myself, I will allow for rest and recuperation and I will take care of myself and my needs first. Do you make new years resolutions? And if you do what are some of yours for 2015? Here's to your uncommonly wealthy New Years and 2015! :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-62488252792395096702014-11-18T08:10:00.000-05:002014-12-17T12:20:40.969-05:00I'm Back!<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZXfC0GqoVc7Iwo7ut4PqYn3zzcHr8BwDemV4G_POKBMd_MU7ogdKRCUJKihaZdclRJY-E2KqUpHJaQ4vqLoqsYCxp4n1EH6NhEMo4tuxN3t9yVJowZB6rsEKeEfc-04y85BKP-g1e_wy/s640/blogger-image-320181378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZXfC0GqoVc7Iwo7ut4PqYn3zzcHr8BwDemV4G_POKBMd_MU7ogdKRCUJKihaZdclRJY-E2KqUpHJaQ4vqLoqsYCxp4n1EH6NhEMo4tuxN3t9yVJowZB6rsEKeEfc-04y85BKP-g1e_wy/s320/blogger-image-320181378.jpg" width="320" /></a>The wayward traveler has returned to her long neglected blog. I have a host of updates pertaining to what I've been up to while I was away and what to expect from me in the future. I plan to re-dedicate myself to writing and especially to this blog as the year winds down and heading into the new year: 2015!</div>
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Here is what you can expect from me in upcoming posts:</div>
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- Health & Fitness Updates: where I'm at and what I've learned along the way;</div>
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- Career Updates: working on a career change and the path I'm taking to accomplish this;</div>
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- Healthy Beauty Updates: my quest to become more healthy in the hygiene products I use. This will include reviews on products I've tried and help from my sister S.A. Wilson over at <a href="http://senseofaesthetic.blogspot.ca/?m=1" target="_blank">Sense of Aesthetic</a> blog; [PS there's a video and a new vlog series in the works!]</div>
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- Writing Updates: I'm currently participating in National Novel Writing Month #NaNoWriMo and my plans for the novel when it's completed;</div>
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- Travel Updates: I spent most of October gallivanting all over Europe; (Includes a video and lots of pics!)</div>
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- Friends and Family Updates: some loses and gains in this department this year and what I've learned from these experiences and how I'm feeling going into 2015. </div>
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That's it for now. Stay tuned for all the wonderfulness that is my life currently. And as always here's to your uncommonly wealthy life! Cheers! :)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3760616687915164497.post-45090119879667461662014-08-21T14:32:00.001-04:002014-08-21T15:17:25.211-04:00Enough with the Excuses!<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE9KHXmmulLyKMpqgwErTonzcuOiyFGBUmckuNkJpb0O-Ap0v31R2_YdPgw5nlz5L3TaqNv9NNLtUhDSGTorLVcxtS5v3bodEFYL-FeGOYtY_31Ff8233z0lSEbRsG4X0uYn3LHgNU5zUf/s640/blogger-image-924675727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE9KHXmmulLyKMpqgwErTonzcuOiyFGBUmckuNkJpb0O-Ap0v31R2_YdPgw5nlz5L3TaqNv9NNLtUhDSGTorLVcxtS5v3bodEFYL-FeGOYtY_31Ff8233z0lSEbRsG4X0uYn3LHgNU5zUf/s640/blogger-image-924675727.jpg"></a></div><br></div>The other day I had a visit from my sister and she gave me some really great advice that frankly I needed to hear. Her simple advice was to just start writing: she told me that I can publish what I write instantly chapter by chapter using the website wattpad.com as she has been doing. She also told me that I have a lot of great ideas and that I should just write them because they deserve to be shared with the world. It seems like simple advice but it was exactly the kind of kick in the butt I needed. <div><br></div><div>I interpreted this advice as: 'enough with the excuses, just do the work already!' Which is nothing new, this is the advice I've read and heard before many times, but I guess I just finally got it. I got it in a new way, in a way that I've never experienced before. I've had the experience many times in my life of understanding many different concepts intellectually before truly understanding it on the other important levels: emotionally, spiritually and physically. This is an example of a piece of advice that's gone in one ear and out the other so many times and I finally get it, I really do!</div><div><br></div><div>To me it means so many different things and it can be applied to so many different areas of my life that it feels like a game-changer, like this is a really important turning point in my adult life. I've made excuses about my life circumstances, I've made excuses about why I won't lose weight, I've made excuses about my finances and I've made excuses for myself. And these excuses are all lies, lies that I tell myself to feel better about the reasons why I'm not achieving the things I want to achieve, why I'm not where I want to be in my life and why I'm overweight and unhappy. In their truest forms they're all just different names for the same thing: resistance. </div><div><br></div><div>Resistance rears it's ugly head every time we attempt or even think about trying to improve ourselves in anyway or any time we venture into the realm of creativity. I've experienced resistance in creative areas such as writing and acting, in financial and freedom areas and in the area of health and fitness. I started this blog as a 'lifestyle design' blog because I wanted to design my life a certain way and I've made a lot of strides in this regard but I've also made a few stumbles. And that's ok, I'm not here to beat myself up about it, I'm here to acknowledge how far I've come, what I've learned and what I need to do to keep moving forward. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1sH2fkPwCYhsfmwsdYX5YIKkzr0kOE_1cU8Tht_FgA3rwWdhyphenhyphenystPVt7qIKSfo2dY7exIixvudMj5tVuHStJXfbE36ZrzTbFpC6NZuy8VGEW0K25mjAZx8HqDYJwdIh9Z_z7ggzA3tXe2/s640/blogger-image-861499429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1sH2fkPwCYhsfmwsdYX5YIKkzr0kOE_1cU8Tht_FgA3rwWdhyphenhyphenystPVt7qIKSfo2dY7exIixvudMj5tVuHStJXfbE36ZrzTbFpC6NZuy8VGEW0K25mjAZx8HqDYJwdIh9Z_z7ggzA3tXe2/s640/blogger-image-861499429.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>I was looking back at some of my previous posts and it's amazing how many of my resolutions and other commitments I've made in this blog that I've actually completed. Here's a breakdown:</div><div>New Year's Resolutions:</div><div>- I've paid off all my credit cards by using a consolidation loan which I now pay back in smaller monthly increments with a fraction of the interest,</div><div>- I have money in my savings account and it's more than what I originally predicted,</div><div>- I took a trip out west to Winnipeg to visit my sister in the spring and I'm going on a dream Europe vacation this fall,</div><div>- I've started working with a personal trainer and I have a gym membership,</div><div>- I've gone through ups & downs when it comes to the eating heathy but I'm re-committing to making more of my own meals because I love to cook,</div><div>- I haven't lost the weight I wanted but I've set myself a new goal of getting heathy, strong and in shape. I want to look and feel better even if the scale doesn't change a whole lot,</div><div>- I've excelled in my job, I feel like I get better everyday and I'm still learning, I stay out of the politics and I try my best always. I'm loving my job and that's a choice I made, </div><div>- I've actually started to make new friends in toronto, which is awesome! I've reconnected with some old friends, I've maintained most of my old Ottawa friendships and I'm learning a lot about my new city. Unfortunately I did say goodbye to a longterm friendship this year but in the end I think it was for the best, it had become a toxic friendship that was no longer benefitting either of us. I haven't closed that door forever though, maybe sometime in the future when we're both more mature and have forgiven each other we can be friends again but even if not, it was great while it lasted. :)</div><div>- I've done a bit of cake decorating this year but I think it'll remain a hobby for now as I concentrate on other life endeavors,</div><div>- I've haven't been blogging as much as I wanted to but that will be changing. I have a lot of fun ideas for future blogs in the next few months as we closeout 2014 (including a rundown of my Europe trip),</div><div>- I haven't written a screenplay but I've started writing again. I'm going to take my sisters advice and just start writing on wattpad and I'm also committing myself to the November novel writing month challenge this year,</div><div>- And lastly the acting career I was hoping to start once I was in Toronto: I haven't done it and frankly I'm not sure if I will. I have some soul-searching to do in that respect but for right now I'm happy focusing on my writing. :)</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgjiUzsup2YolUi-Gd8od_RsevgGONimVzoTWdl5TnrE4-1wHc8-_dlfg65kMBtk5z4kBbfsCK97ZyviwFQSRjMEK9HxvhfGA1WhLrYVNH_aCCUoQ4WfhOt3_UqTXE-aBFELIYf7UYK0d/s640/blogger-image-355648620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgjiUzsup2YolUi-Gd8od_RsevgGONimVzoTWdl5TnrE4-1wHc8-_dlfg65kMBtk5z4kBbfsCK97ZyviwFQSRjMEK9HxvhfGA1WhLrYVNH_aCCUoQ4WfhOt3_UqTXE-aBFELIYf7UYK0d/s640/blogger-image-355648620.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>In terms of a couple more things I mentioned:</div><div>- I've started my 3 stars blog and I've posted my first post!</div><div>- I'm still on the fence about my favourite things and a baking blog/vlog. I think at this point concentrating on the 2 blogs and a novel (or 2) is my priority. I can always come back to them in the future. </div><div><br></div><div>All in all I think I've come a LONG way this year and I've made some great progress. I still have a long way to go but that's ok, as long as I'm working, as long as I have creative and important (to me at least) things to do then I'm happy. I just have to keep moving forward and realize that everyday will be a new struggle against the resistance demon. I won't win every day but it's the small battles that add up to the big victories. I just have to keep moving forward and winning the little battles. Enough with the excuses because when I look back on my life in 5, 10, 20 or more years I don't my days to add up to a big pile of excuses, I want them to add up to an amazing and uncommonly wealthy life full of wonderful experiences and adventures. So now you just have to go out there and do it! :D</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjljsEE9Oq8b31xHf2kPaSkX4hAP1EuoPZXWI_t7b4R5N3VpVFr3XH8tKmrOApnEjlOxdOu04kIsD65vSf2XFfEs-VpXjsHk57CcC4rrzDBMulKiAUc4nMk64dsrXRkQWO6sdyrYCGlQXIu/s640/blogger-image-1016742425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjljsEE9Oq8b31xHf2kPaSkX4hAP1EuoPZXWI_t7b4R5N3VpVFr3XH8tKmrOApnEjlOxdOu04kIsD65vSf2XFfEs-VpXjsHk57CcC4rrzDBMulKiAUc4nMk64dsrXRkQWO6sdyrYCGlQXIu/s640/blogger-image-1016742425.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16907776252401811327noreply@blogger.com0