How did you sleep last night / how did your meeting go / i’m going to trader joe’s, do you need anything / i got these for you because i know you like them / take my sweatshirt / take my hand / want me to crack your back / want me to hold that for you / want me to hold you / what do you want to eat for dinner / i brought you snacks / i’ll take those weights off the bar / i’ll spot you / i’ve got you / just rest / do you want to get sandwiches after this / is this pace ok / look at this pic i took of lil baby / he misses you / i miss you / should we stay in / should we go out
Befriending Myself.
I practice speaking
to myself
like I would
an old friend:
I should’ve known better / you did the best you could in that moment
look at my scars / they are proof of everything you’ve healed from
am I doing enough / look how much you’ve accomplished already
I was so stupid / you learned so much from that time
it’s too late / you still have time
will I ever be enough / I love you
How often I forget
the power of words-
the power
of befriending myself.
Life Lately.
The back half of this year has been full of ‘good change’… a new hair color for the fall, enjoying new cuddles, seeing some good muscle growth and strength post-op, yummy meals, and hitting the trails (pain-free). What felt like a loss of a year to two major surgeries was actually creating the space and capacity for me to appreciate the new blessings that were about to enter my life.
Where You Bean This Summer?
Summer is almost officially over, and some kids have already started school. It’s always interesting as a coach to hear how people spend their summers and which activities they gravitate toward. Adventuring to foreign countries, staying local and enjoying stay-cations, building in deliberate rest, and (perhaps!) meeting an unexpected special someone to spend the longer days and sunsets with.
But no matter what you’ve done this summer or #whereyoubean, there’s still time to fuel your activities in a tasty and nutritious way with @whereyoubeansnacks! My favorite flavor recently has been the TRUFFLE SALT!
The single-serving packs are easy to take to work, place in your gym bag, backpack, and car for convenient on-the-go snacks. With 12g of plant-based protein and 5g of fiber per serving, @whereyoubeansnacks keep you feeling energized to enjoy all the activities that bring you joy. So maximize the remaining days of summer and fuel better to feel better!
Slowly Coming Back to Life.
One realization I’ve made this year is how interconnected my creativity is to my physicality. My daily morning raw dog walks are where ideas formulate, when lines of poems drop in, when insights come, and connections are made. Hiking in nature is where I’m most open to metaphors in life, remembering stories and creating bigger connections to life lessons.
Five months of this year have been dedicated to two huge surgeries. I’ve had to relearn how to walk twice. Two rounds of being on a walker, then a crutch, then a cane. Daily mobility and weekly physical therapy. Working through niggles and pain and adjusting my activity to meet my recovery needs.
Needless to say, it’s been rough.
And my creativity has taken a huge hit.
Monthly meetings with my fellow creatives left me feeling like I was stuck in a rut. I’d listen to them share about their fun 100 Days of Making, workshops they had led, and when my turn came to share, I felt sheepish because, to be honest? Inspiration was gone. Motivation to create had vanished.
I wanted to shift things. So I had to start with something really, really simple. Make a newspaper blackout poem every day. A simple creative act that took <10 minutes, looking at the newspaper to make a simple poem.
The first newspaper blackout poem I made. Sometimes the exact message you need to hear is the one that emerges…
Sometimes you just have to start small. But I know and trust that this momentum will build. I can already feel myself (and my creativity) slowly coming back to life.
Create a Life You Love.
Designing Your Future.
Choose a random Saturday six months from now.
Mark it on your calendar as “Everything Worked Out Celebration Picnic”.
Watch your mind start acting like it’s already on the way.
Noticing the Good.
July sunsets in Colorado hit just right.
The amount of good things in your life depends on your ability to notice them.
It’s not about having more. It’s about taking the time to appreciate the things right in front of you.
Experiencing one minute of awe a day can significantly lower stress, boost your immune system, and remind us that we’re connected to the whole.
What’s one good thing you can notice today?
Thistles as the Center.
I first saw him a few weeks ago. Just like me, he had one crutch underneath his left arm and was cautiously making his way around the gym floor. A week later, during the same time that I transitioned to a cane, I spotted him with his cane resting on one of the machines. Then a few days ago, we were both doing bodyweight TRX squats, mirroring each other exactly. I laughed and called across the gym, "We're on the same recovery trajectory! Total hip replacement?"
Knee surgery, it turned out. His fifth operation in a few years. "I was in the hospital for a week — IV drips, the whole shebang. It was so bad, I thought I was gonna lose my leg." He shook his head. "Right now, I'm just grateful I have my leg."
That stopped me cold. Yes, my own recovery has been hard and drawn out — but how lucky are we to have bodies that are healthy and fully intact? We talked for a while, and now when we see each other, we fist bump- united in our shared experience and gratitude for the opportunity to move and strengthen the bodies we’ve been gifted.
Life will always have its ‘thistles’- challenges, illnesses, setbacks. But how beautiful it can be to use them as a centerpiece for connection and shared experience, and to help each other feel a little less alone in the world.
Life as Art. Food as Art.
Created with black rice, cucumber, pickled radish, ginger, seaweed, and WhereYouBean edamame beans.
The wonderful thing about creating art from food is that no two bowls are arranged the same way.
No two paths in life look alike either. We spend so much time and energy trying to fit a mold- the right credentials, the right job, the right way to show up. But the most nourishing thing you can offer the world isn’t a perfect template. It’s the distinct and specific combination of everything you care about, create, and keep returning to because it lights you up and makes you feel alive. That combination is yours alone- built from years of experience, pivoting, and following your curiosity.
No matter who you are or #whereyoubean, you have a unique skillset that no one else has. Harness it. Arrange it with intention. Offer it to the world in a beautiful way.
That’s the whole art.
**Made with Where You Bean roasted edamame. Get yours HERE.
