a simple life

spring arrived in full fashion yesterday, bringing with her warm temperatures, chirping birds, buzzing bees, and blooming flowers. the change from winter to spring always seems to bring out the best in people. we smile more, feel the wind in our hair through rolled down windows, appreciate the ability to walk outside barefoot with no jacket–we notice and become grateful for the simple things–even if only for  a short period of time.

i recently started the process of moving into a new house and the timing couldn’t be better. i am spring cleaning as i move–purging the old and unused to start over fresh, clean and organized. i’m decluttering more than just my closets, however. i’m cleaning out my stressed and tired mind.

“less is more,” my mother told me in the wee hours this morning. in the past year, i’ve learned the truth in that statement the very hard way. that i can’t do it all. i’m no magician and i can’t juggle it all and be happy or successful. i’ve compromised my health and well being by attempting to be superwoman. i lost sight of the beliefs and values that make me who i am.

so, as i clean and reorganize this spring, i won’t miss the magnificent beauty that lies in simplicity– in work, food, life, and love. in order to get more satisfaction out of life, i will start by doing less–much, much less.

as the weepies sing so eloquently in their song “simple life” below, “i want to live a simple life.”

{photos from my much needed relaxing weekend}

fearless vulnerability

we all love to connect and share, evident by the popularity of social media sites. we edit, crop, lighten, or darken our pictures so that we look our absolute best. tint, sharpen, contrast–i’m guilty. a lot of the time, i’m attempting to be artsy, but i’d be lying if i said i didn’t edit a picture or two (or 200) because i thought i looked washed out or not “up-to-par.” we don’t however, love to share our insecurities…

i stumbled upon this ted talk tonight that deeply impacted me (at a perfect time, too). brene brown has studied vulnerability for ten years. i highly recommend you watch this video.

she talks about how, as a society, we numb ourselves to vulnerability. by fearfully attempting to escape rejection and insecurity, we are preventing ourselves to fully experience joy, adventure, and creativity. we are all vulnerable creatures and unless we embrace our insecurities, what makes us different–what makes us beautiful–we will continue to be anxious, stressed, medicated, addicted, etc.

most importantly, if we don’t embrace being vulnerable, if we numb ourselves because we are fearful and insecure, we are not living wholeheartedly. we become miserable, looking for an answer or something more, striving for an unattainable perfection that will never come.

by recognizing our imperfections, loving them, being grateful for them, sharing that gratitude, and believing that we are worthy, we will open our hearts, unafraid of rejection, to possibility and pleasure. we will be able to look at ourselves in the mirror, in a photograph, and know that we are enough–good enough, capable enough, strong enough–and will love and appreciate ourselves in the way we wish others to.

i’ve long known that my happiness is determined by believing that i am worthy and deserving of it…but i haven’t treated myself as worthy. and i haven’t been very nice to me.

starting today, i am loving what makes me vulnerable. by doing so, i think i’ll be more compassionate and able to love others deeper, without restraint or fear. the way we love others is a reflection of how we love ourselves.

let’s build a beautiful, shameless social network of compassionate, vulnerable, splendid souls. let’s be authentic. let’s be real. who’s with me?

food for thought

copy and paste links below into your browser (sorry, it’s 2:50 a.m. and I’m tired) for some interesting, thought-provoking talks about the food we put into our bodies. educate yourself. be aware.

http://www.ted.com/talks/graham_hill_weekday_vegetarian.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/ellen_gustafson_obesity_hunger_1_global_food_issue.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/dean_ornish_says_your_genes_are_not_your_fate.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jamie_oliver.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/dean_ornish_on_the_world_s_killer_diet.html

and probably the cutest:

http://www.ted.com/talks/birke_baehr_what_s_wrong_with_our_food_system.html

now tell me, does this make you stop and think?