I'm going to invite you into my home for this podcast and share with you the positive messages that inspire me daily in my main living space.  I have an open concept kitchen/living room and I decided to walk around and write down all of the quotes and positive messages that fill my home and therefore inspire me daily.  And I surround myself with these beautiful quotes because they remind me to stay strong and they remind me to be patient and to live in every moment and to love with all of my heart.

If you're a quote addict like I am, then I'll go slow...

"Live in the moment and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering". - Fanny Crosby

I love this quote. Okay I know I say that about every quote but this one came into my life years ago when I had my maternity photography business. I printed it out on little cards to attach to each bundle of photos that I sent out wrapped with a beautiful red ribbon.

I love attention to detail and being mindful of the presentation and the message that I send has always been important to me.  And this quote was my way of sharing one of the most precious gifts. To live in the moment is without a doubt one of the best gifts. For ourselves and for our families. And really it's the solution to living our lives to the fullest. www.1010zen.com/podcasts

I have a question for you.  Do you love what you do?  Does your career bring you joy? Are you passionate about it? Does it make you jump out of bed in the morning?  Does it make your heart sing?  Because it can. And it should!!!

I feel lucky. I'm a girl who has always followed my heart and somehow I've always had the courage to do so. I thank my dad for that. I remember before leaving for Korea back in 2001 he said I could spread my wings and fly anywhere I wanted and make a home wherever I chose. To know that I had his support and encouragement meant the world to me.

Okay. So I'm coming to the end of the whole 30. If you've been following along on my journey you'll know that I decided to commit to this healthy eating plan so I could get back on track with healthy eating. And so with just a day to go I'll tell you that it's been easy. Super easy.

Did I to give in and have pizza on Deryk's pizza night, nope! The first three weeks were easy to say no, once I make a commitment I can keep it...but this last one, he said "you can do the whole 27 you know" meaning I could quit early. And if I was looking for an excuse I would've grabbed it.

I have a story for you that goes back about 3 years. It's when my oldest daughter, now 4, was just over a year old, and I was going away to a conference.  So I chose to go grocery shopping and fill the fridge with lots of healthy food.  Fruits, veggies, eggs, almond milk, Daiya cheese ... all the girls in my home are dairy free -  instead of making a Chili and a Lasagne and a Shepherd's Pie.  I was only going for 3 days but the care taker in me wanted to organize and plan everything, and I chose not to for one reason only.  Because I totally trust my partner Deryk to do an amazing job without me around and I wanted to show this by not having a detailed list on how to take care of our daughter. And when I came home from that conference he thanked me... 

I have to tell you that I am so grateful for a lot of things but one of those things at the top of the list is coffee. I love it. So much that sometimes I sing about it. For real.  And it makes me so happy to see other people drinking coffee. I love knowing how comforted some people are by coffee.  And even back in my server days my love for coffee has sparked some really cool conversations.  Like when I met two screen writers but didn't actually know until after a wicked conversation about a mutual love for coffee.

So my love for coffee goes deep.  And I want to share with you something that I enjoy in my coffee that adds to the health benefits. 

This past week while I was paying for my groceries, I was chatting with the cashier. I asked how her day was and her response was "I'm so glad I'm almost done! It's been a long and busy day." A pretty standard answer, unfortunately....not the words of someone who is passionate about what they do, but no judgement, I don't know her or her story. But I do know is that she's a human being. And kindness is so easy to give. So easy...

I've made some not so healthy food choices lately, but I'm also learning to accept myself through these choices. I have recognized that when I make one unhealthy choice it quickly leads to another.

I did a previous podcast where I declared I wouldn't eat wheat. I recognized wheat as my trigger food and so for an entire month I didn't eat it. And I felt great and my digestion was great and I didn't feel bloated and I felt confident because all of my clothes were fitting like they should and because I knew that I had complete control over what I put in my body.

And then I decided to treat myself to some pizza, and that led to other treats...

I've always thought that if you follow your heart and you do the things you love and you believe in, the money will always be there.  Until it's not. And you find yourself struggling to pay rent. With no more room on your credit cards. Which I'll be honest, totally happened to my family. And in sharing this vulnerability I've realized that my family isn't alone.  I hope by sharing my story I can help you or someone you know get back on top. 

Today I want to start by giving you permission to relax. Right now. Take a deep breath in, hold it for a count of 4 in your head and breathe it out through an open mouth. Ready?

Try it again and this time as you let it go, imagine too that any stress or worry that might be inside you is also released. This helps you to calm the mind chatter and relax your body. And this is a form of meditation. One of many short meditations that you can easily do to bring yourself back to being in the moment. To being mindful. Keep listening for more tips... http://www.1010zen.com