Things I Learned The Month I Found A New Home

Having a bed and a closet to put your clothes in is luxury I previously took for granted.

Things have a funny way of working out. I definitely make the decisions, but the universe still nudges me around.

Gaining weight is not the end of the world when trying to maintain a weight loss. But when you’ve been maintaining for so long, trying to lose again sucks.

There is a very real possibility that this healthy living blog will exclusively turn into a waffle blog.

I spent years being sleep deprived when an eye mask was all I needed. I now sleep close to 9 hours a night in utter darkness.

 
Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter whisked with sugar-free syrup makes for a most excellent dipping sauce.

There is such a thing as too much bacon.

I shouldn’t feel pressure to blog every single day, nor should I. In order to blog about my life, I have to live it :)

I am a nerd of epic proportions, proved by squealing with delight at Harry Potter props with 13-year-olds.

This country girl may have a bit of a city girl in her.

It’s possible to wake up one day and be living the life you always wanted.

Marshmallow fluff makes the world go round.

Kensington Market eludes me.

Getting paid to meet wonderful people and put them through workouts is amazing.

I have a lot more drive and energy than I ever gave myself credit for. 

It’s really important to actively stay in touch with people. Old friends, new friends, relatives. Don’t always count on others to make the connection.

Pitas make the best easy pizza crust. No, really.

I’m finally in a place where I can go out to bars with people, stay sober, and still have tons of fun. It’s taken a long time to get here.

No matter where I am or what I’m doing, I can always find a sense of comfort.

Going to bed last night, I looked up and spotted the moon through my skylight. I spent a long time looking at it, just as I did as a little girl while sitting on my bedroom window seat. I think it would be so easy for me to feel an overwhelming sense of drowning in this big new city. But my heart is so full, my eyes so wide, and my mind so peaceful. Following my gut was the best thing I ever did.

Question of the Day: What did you learn in July?

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10 Ways To Live The Life You’ve Always Wanted

 

10. Know it’s never too late.

So what if you’ve been at it for 20 years? So what if you’ve got a family and think you’re stuck? My 87-year-old grandmother started yoga just a few years ago, and my mother went back to school to get her third degree with three small children. Life is long my friends, you have a lot of time to go after those things you want.

Can we talk about how long and dark my hair was when I graduated university?? Whoa.

 

9. Know that a day spent miserable is a day wasted.

We are given 365 days a year, times 70+ years. But it can all be taken away in an instant. Don’t waste your hours wishing you could be spending them differently. Take advantage of the gifts you have. Get up and do something that makes you happy. Find joy in every day.

 

8. Get dirty. Make mistakes.

Then make more mistakes. Learn from them. Teach others what you’ve learned from them. Wear them with pride, and keep chugging along.

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." -Sir Winston Churchill

 

7. Know that you are worth it.

No one deserves to be unhappy. No one. Most reasons behind feelings of worthlessness are petty. You deserve better.

 

6. Eat cookies.

Sometimes, eat them for breakfast.

 
Don’t be scared to go against the grain, most rules are silly. Who said you shouldn’t eat dessert first? ;)

 

5. Trust the process.

Things will work out if you let them. It may not be your original plan, sometimes things fall through. But keep at it and you will end up where you should be.

 

4. Want it.

Really want it. Go after it with a passion. Think about it, plan it, write it down, let people know about it. Scream it from the mountaintops and take charge.

 

3. Learn to be your own best friend.

When you like being around yourself, so will others. You’ll attract good people and create meaningful relationships. Be at peace with who you are. Stop trying to change yourself and be content with who you really are, because that person is awesome too.

 

2. Indulge.

Treat yourself. If you’re working as hard as I suspect you are, remember to take a time-out and recharge. Do something selfish or decadent. You can have your protein cakes and your marshmallow fluff.

 

1. Ad astra per alas porci.

My motto. “To the stars on the wings of a pig.”

In other words: anything is possible. No really. Anything. What are you waiting for? Go for it!

Things I Learned The Month I Moved Away

I still get excited about little things, like when my Dairy-free (ish) Protein Pancakes make the Foodbuzz homepage.

Meditating at 5am is only fun when you’re not wishing you were asleep instead.

Protein before bed is the secret to waking up with no belly pouf (for me!). No matter how weird the combination may seem.

Cottage cheese, almond butter, sugar-free syrup, cinnamon. 

Soy protein powder, cocoa powder, stevia, vanilla extract, coconut, almond milk.

I am head over heels for yoga. Even though I curse myself for going during the sun salutations, I always leave with a dopey grin on my face.

Earthquakes happen in Ottawa!!

There is no sense in getting mad at myself for getting up at an ungodly hour to eat breakfast, then go back to bed. If it helps me sleep, so let it be.

I still have a lot to learn about this world.

I still have a lot to learn about myself.  

Bloggers are some of the best people I know.

    

I reallyreally like baking.

And I might even be good at it.

Not to mention, it makes for excellent therapy when I need to take a time-out from life.

I am a hopeless optimistic. I cling on to the idea that things will always work out in the end.

I’m kinda outdoorsy!!

I still don’t have a handle on how to deal with my anxiety disorder. I’m oblivious as to whether it’s something I can cure by finding the source of it, or if it’s something I’ll just need to manage for the rest of my life…

The Queen of England is just an 84-year-old woman who shouldn’t have to walk and shake people’s hands anymore. She should be doing old-people yoga with my Nana.

I left something in the mountains. I think I may have to go back and find it.

Even after living with someone for 10 years, sometimes you need to learn how to live with them all over again.

I’m thankful my family loves me enough to have me around :)

I MISS THIS NOSE.

I am way more scared than I admit about moving to Toronto. Thankfully, I’m also a hopeless optimistic. Tonight, I zip up my suitcases for the last time, and tomorrow I will unpack them for good :)

 

Question of the Day: What did you learn in June?

**An unfortunate paragraph break in my last post may have led to a few incorrect e-mails. If you haven’t heard back from me yet on the July 11th Toronto blogger meet up send me another e-mail at:

thegreatbalancingact@gmail.com

Take that wordpress.