#WordlessWednesday Organic, Homegrown Goodness
#Trust30 Intuition
Intuition by Susan Piver
The secret of fortune is joy in our hands. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
If you could picture your intuition as a person, what would he or she look like? If you sat down together for dinner, what is the first thing he or she would tell you?
See that avatar/ guardian to your left? She’s the personification of my intuition. Yes, my intuition is a sailor-suited soldier who carries a big scythe. If you could take a walk in my shoes, you’d realize a woman like me needs a powerful intuition like that. Over dinner, she’d remember me that I’m a pillar for my family, and I have some cracks to seal in my foundation. I’ve got to recover and adjust, and I’ve got to rebuild. I’m on the right path to get there, but I need to keep focused and present. My present will affect my future, and I must be mindful of how my present affects my future.
#MindfulMonday Discipline
Focusing on how your present affects your future is only one aspect of living a more enjoyable life. We need discipline. It takes discipline to choose the apple over the cookie, a brisk walk over the laptop, or even going to bed over staying up late to do anything but sleep. Some days we don’t discipline ourselves as well as we should, and other days our to-do list looks like a to-done list at the end of the day. I’ve been personally working on disciplining myself better. A lot of times we associate the word “discipline” with punishment — this isn’t the only meaning of the word. I discipline myself daily by writing three pages in my journal each night. In order to be a writer, I must write. I must practice my craft. When I discipline myself, I feel like a better writer. Practicing helps me feel like I’m developing and improving my skills. The discipline I have now will cultivate a brighter future as a writer. The discipline I have now will encourage me to continue combing my work — and the work of others — for editorial errors. The discipline I have now will benefit my future students.
Focus on how your present affects your future, then discipline yourself.
#Trust30 Surprise
Surprise by Ashley Ambirge
I will not hide my tastes or aversions. I will so trust that what is deep is holy, if we follow the truth, it will bring us out safe at last. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Think of a time when you didn’t think you were capable of doing something, but then surprised yourself. How will you surprise yourself this week?
I hate to brag, but let me remind you that I’m one awesome momma who gave birth to her youngest son at home on the living room floor after having had two c-sections to have his older brother and older sister. I wasn’t 100% sure I could do it, but I kept telling myself I could. This week, I’m going to surprise myself by balancing work, family, business, and fun. I’ve got my schedule, so I know how to structure my days this week. I’m going to make this work because I know I’m awesome like that. I’m a tough little cookie.
#Trust30 Speak Less
Speak Less by Laura Kimball
What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know I. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
I once received a fortune cookie that read: “Speak less of your plans, you’ll get more done.” What’s one project that you’ve been sitting on and thinking about but haven’t made progress on? What’s stopping you? What would happen if you actually went for it and did it?
On Sunday I discussed that I’m facing challenges with regards to becoming an English consultant. I began working on this project over a year ago, having first purchased ElectrateEditorials.com on July 20, 2010. I’ve been overanalyzing and brainstorming my business for far too long. I had been blocked by the need to search for a job outside the home, a move, more job hunting, and attempting to balance living with elderly parents and young children. In Gainesville, I would have simply hopped onto the bus and ridden up to campus to spend time working on my projects. Here, we need a vehicle to get to and from practically anything. A very big obstacle? I don’t have a driver’s license. There, I said it. I’m a 27-year-old wife and mother of 3 with a Bachelor of Arts in English, and I don’t have my driver’s license. It’s very complicated, but I just don’t have much driving experience. For most of my adulthood, we lived in a city with a public transportation system. Brian only just got his license last October. My message to all of you: NEVER let your child move out without first obtaining his or her driver’s license. It’s a lot harder to get driving experience as an adult.
Anyhow, I’ve identified that I need to speak up, set aside more time to work on this endeavor, and earn some money to cover my overhead. If I actually get this business running and succeed, I’ll achieve a goal — I’ll live my dream to become an English consultant and work for myself, from my home. I’ll spend my days doing what I love — writing, editing copy and documents, and tutoring students from various backgrounds. It brings me great joy to see a student improve his or her writing and receiving glowing remarks from teachers and professors. I love putting ink to paper, typing letters to screen. It pleases me to see errors corrected. My enjoyment of my work would take the “work” aspect out of it.
“Choose a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life.” Confucious
#FoodieFriday Sweet and Sour Chicken
Last year when I was trying to find ways to recreate our favorite take-out foods at home, I tried my hand at sweet and sour chicken — Brian’s favorite Chinese take-out meal. However, I didn’t want a breaded version, and I wanted to increase the amount of vegetables. I decided to go more for a mall food court sort of sweet and sour chicken cooked in the sauce, rather than served separately to be dipped into the sauce. I found a great recipe, but I recently found that adding some pineapple juice brings out such a wonderful flavor. The result is a delicious meal that almost negates the need to call for take-out ever again.
For the sauce:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsps cornstarch
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1/2 cup pineapple juice (reserved from can if using canned pineapple)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup soy sauce (low sodium)
Whisk together the dry ingredients until combined. Pour in apple cider vinegar and soy sauce and whisk, allowing the vinegar to help dissolve the sugar. Add ketchup and pineapple juice. Whisk until combined. Set aside.
For the dish:
2-3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
chopped pineapple
2 cups of vegetables (have fun with this!)
sweet and sour sauce
Heat some oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for about 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure even cooking on all sides. Drain the fat, and return the chicken to the pan with (thawed) vegetables and pineapple. Heat through for about 5 minutes. Stir in the sweet and sour sauce. Cook for 5 more minutes, or until the sauce reaches the desired thickness. Serve over rice. (I prefer brown rice.)
#ThankfulThursday Change
I’m embracing change, feeling gratitude for the opportunity it’s bringing me. I’m no longer part of the unemployed masses. I’m bringing in money to pay our bills, reduce our debt, and change our circumstances. The past year and two months has given me time to reflect on my life’s path and consider my future. I know now that I want to become an English consultant, providing tutoring, writing, and editing services to my clients. I’ve also determined that there’s a need for sliding scale tutoring services. Everyone deserves educational success because I’ve come to realize that a Bachelor’s degree is the new High School Diploma. In my parents’ days, graduating from high school alone led to fairly lucrative careers. Nowadays, those same careers require a Bachelor’s degree. I believe this is because many more people have the ability to attend college, thanks to financial aid. However, student loans lead to economic hardship upon graduation, and it’s important that our children receive excellent education so that they can success in the classroom and in their careers. Better grades will lead to more scholarships and more opportunities. I also believe that the ability to read and write supersedes all other knowledge because we can’t learn history, science, or math without reading. We can’t use our knowledge without the ability to write. Reading and writing are also important in the workforce — from low level jobs to executive positions.
For the rest of 2011, I’ll be embracing change, working towards a better future, and spending more time manifesting what’s next.
