Self-Happiness

The biggest thing I have learned about being genuine in all of this? One hundred other things stem from choosing to be true to yourself (or not choosing). Your self-esteem rests on you getting to know and love yourself. The self at your core.

 

I have noticed, this month more than ever, since putting a magnifying glass over authenticity that once you know yourself, you can genuinely be happy for others. You can lift other women up and be GENUINE about it. You don’t have other motives, you don’t feel like you are less because they are more in a certain area. You let her shine when it is her moment. THAT is a sign of self-happiness. When you no longer feel threatened by any other human on this earth because you cherish all that makes you unique and whole and wonderful.

 

I didn’t use to be like that. I used to be bitter. Really, really bitter towards other women. I thought they were all catty and horrible and mean especially the pretty ones. Now that I have grown up and grown into a woman that I know and love, I see that a lot differently. There are some beautiful, kind and very fiercely loving women on this planet. How dare I give them a cold shoulder or a snarky comment because I don’t think they are just as worthy of friendship and love as I am? I am so glad I have rid myself of that jealousy and bitterness. I am lighter because of it, I get to become friends with some amazing ladies that I wouldn’t have been able to get to know before.

Self-love and self-happiness both hinge on being being truly genuine. The sooner you embrace that the sooner your life will be more fulfilling!

XOX

Vote!

Vote here for January's quality:

What Should January's Quality Be?

Spiritual

Humble

Empathetic

Poll Maker

Emotional Feelin'

Being genuine is being true to your emotions.
YIKES!

Here is a heavy topic. Acknowledging your emotions. Do you follow a pattern to numb your feelings so you don’t have to acknowledge them? Overeating? Playing games or social media? Working out for hours on end? Drinking a little (or a lot) too much? Try to recognize if you are using behavior to numb your mind so you don’t have to feel your emotions. Are you? Try stopping...taking some deep breaths and just ask yourself “how am I feeling?” whatever bubbles to the surface is probably what you are trying to avoid.

Identify your feelings. I forget what book or blurb I read that said to imagine your emotional self as a blue sky. The sky is always blue. No matter what the weather is like. Clouds may pass over the sky, rain clouds, nimbus clouds, funnel, it might even rain or storm. But those will eventually pass over and the sky will be blue again. Think of your emotions in this way, say them out loud and watch them float over your blue sky. (This comparison have given me a lot of comfort, I am an anxious person by nature so it calms me down to focus constants, such as my blue sky!)

Stop judging yourself for your emotions. You aren’t too emotional and you are not being unreasonable. You are a human being that has feelings that need acknowledged. Your emotions connect directly to WHO are you ARE. Being true to you is being true to your emotions.

I sometimes find myself trying to shove an emotion away because I would rather not deal with it right now or I know the other person doesn’t want to deal with it. But that isn’t healthy and that’s not solving any problems. I take a few minutes to acknowledge what I feel and why I am feeling it, literally sometimes I have to speak out loud “hurt” “happy” or “sad” or “disappointed”. Find what works for you - sometimes it’s great to do some yoga stretches to acknowledge and let go of your emotions, it could even be a hot bath (personal favorite method). At times it is truly difficult to be true to your emotions and it makes us feel exhausted; make sure you are taking time for you and realizing this is a critical step to being genuine.

Fake it Until You Make it?

"Fake it until you make it."

I get it, put on a strong face and just get through it. This works for certain areas such as knowledge. Like, I have no idea what I am doing at this new job or task, but I will fake it until I make it. That works. But, that saying doesn’t always work, and it definitely isn’t always healthy, especially when it comes to relationships.

People can SENSE when you are faking an emotional aspect to a relationship, there are scientific reasons as to why. But I am not a scientist by any meaning of the definition. However, you know what I am talking about. People can just TELL you aren’t being genuine, they might not be able to tell right off, but it will catch up to you and be off-putting (the opposite of what you wanted, right?)

You don’t need to entertain these people, there is plenty of entertainment elsewhere. And that is, essentially, what you are doing when you put on your mask to please others. There is no other ‘you’ out there, there is nothing more impressive than someone unashamed or unafraid to be themselves.

One thing that a friend recently pointed out to me was that I have a lot of confidence and she wishes she could be like me. And I do, but I haven’t always. My confidence came from getting to know myself, loving her, nourishing her and being TRUE to her.

When you become true to yourself you will find that most, if not all, of your insecurities will fall away and you will be less scared to show your true self to the world. That will in turn lead to much deeper and more meaningful relationships (romantic and otherwise) and in the long run, that’s what counts.

XOX,

The Instagram Effect

I remember a time before social media. I even remember a time before smartphone was a word. Social media is wonderful for lots of reasons, my favorite being the interconnectedness that it allows you with people you never would have met otherwise. But, unfortunately, social media has much to do with authenticity and the lack thereof. How you present yourself versus how you really are.

 

Your "real self" is what you are - your qualities, characteristics, and personality. Your "ideal self" is what you feel you should be; mostly due to societal and environmental influences. Especially when those influences are in your face 24/7. I would LOVE to have a super artsy and beautiful Instagram of these great coffee shops, bookstores and outdoor spaces. But guess what, those highly edited shots are just what people are CHOOSING to show. (which is fine) They may be a photographer, so their food and face and everything might always have the best lighting and the best filters BUT that doesn’t mean that’s what their life really looks like offline. Realize that before you start comparing your feed (and yourself).

 

Being genuine means you take care to align your “real self” and your “ideal self”. There is absolutely nothing wrong with striving for goals to become a better person but PLEASE realize that you are who you are and your little journey to be better might not work. Some of my words that I have chosen to tackle over the next year…they might not all stick, they will have varying degrees of success. One of my words is patient, in the grain of my being, I am not a patient person. I’m just not. I accept that. And while I want to work on it, I know I will never be able to sit by and wait for things for very long. KNOW THAT IT’S OKAY TO BE EXACTLY WHO YOU ARE. It’s okay for our little self-growth experiments to fail. Realize social media can be smoke and mirrors and filters and good lighting. Know that the person behind the lens has as many flaws as you do, maybe they just aren’t as comfortable as you at showing them.

Don’t create an inflated unrealistic version of yourself, just know who you are and flaunt the shit out of her.

Your online self and offline self should be the same self.

 

MUCH love,

Society Probs

http://thoughtcatalog.com/brianna-wiest/2015/11/8-reasons-its-so-hard-to-be-genuine-in-a-society-thats-uncomfortable-with-radical-honesty/

 

THIS. Thisthisthisthis.

 

8 Reasons It’s So Hard To Be Genuine In A Society That’s Uncomfortable With Radical Honesty

(also I don't know why this can't count to 8 instead of 4 but let's just go with it)

1. If society had a mantra, it would be: “Be yourself… No, not like that!”
   This one speaks for itself, doesn’t it? And isn’t it so true? Thankfully (at a very slow pace) this is finally being challenged with movements like Eff Your Beauty Standards.
    
2. People only like authenticity when it’s comforting, not when it makes them question their own choices and ideals.
   Don’t be afraid to be yourself just because it is going to challenge someone else. It’s hard when we lose support of loved ones because we spoke our opinion and the easy thing to do would be to abandon our own opinions to make them feel comfortable with us again. Do not do that. Seriously.
    
3. “Following your own path” is terrifying – because it’s unknown.
   Growing up is SO SCARY. I went to university and got good grades and I really enjoyed my time there. BUT, looking back, I guess I only went because it was what was expected of me. And now, I have a career that doesn’t require my degree or a degree at all, and I wonder, if someone would have told me that I didn’t HAVE to go, if I would have wound up with the same career without the debt. So, just because it’s not what everyone else is doing, as long as you are smart about it and it’s something you believe in, just do it. Be prepared for scary. Scary is better than numb. Scary is real.
    
4.  We think that being genuine is being radically happy, because you’re just “doing what you want.”
   Yeah, not so much. Maybe you have realized you can’t be yourself at work and you have chosen to pursue a new career that will make you happier, but you are foregoing financial stability for a while. That wouldn’t make me happy. But it’s just important and it’s still you choosing authenticity.

1. Most people can’t see anything as valid unless they agree with it.
   So, you can be genuine always, or, you can choose to keep your mouth shut around the people you know are going to make a scene because they can’t hear anyone’s opinion besides their own. Sometimes, usually, they just aren’t worth our own true selves or our energy.
    
2. We’re a world of overthinkers, and when we’re not overthinking our own lives, we’re making judgments about other people’s.
   If it bothers you that people might judge you in this lifetime, you need to work on self-esteem. As long as YOU are happy with you, don’t ever let anyone else bother you. They might hurt your feelings and they might embarrass you, but when you look in that mirror, you be proud and know you put your best foot forward. Don’t let bored people hinder your awesomeness.
    
3. It seems impossible to be honest about not wanting to hang out, or be friend with someone, or tell them that you think they should reconsider a choice, without mortally offending them.
   I’ve always been a little too honest, really. My friends will come to me for my opinion because they know I won’t filter. I just think life is too short and if you want my opinion, I will give it. This has offended friends in the past and I don’t think they understand that I don’t HAVE to agree with you or support you. Maybe you think I should, but if I don’t agree with something, I’m not going to say I do just to make you feel better. And that doesn’t mean I love you any less, really, it’s the opposite. HOWEVER, I really have to stop saying we will get together, when I don’t mean it. I’M GETTING BETTER, OK?
    
4. We think that we can only be friends with people who we agree with on everything.
   Relationships are a two way street, just because you are okay with having differing viewpoints doesn’t mean they will be. When you change your life, be ready to change friends. Sometimes, we are really lucky and they take it in stride and love our new selves. But, sometimes, you will no longer have commonalities and that strains the relationship to a point where it’s best to go separate ways. Example, I was previously someone who would go out for drinks and dinner whenever asked, stay out super late and get too drunk. When I decided to be healthy that meant no more bars because I have an alcohol problem, and that meant fewer dinners because I feel more comfortable making my own meals. When the annual bar crawls came around this past time, I had to decline, but I made sure to offer to stay awake in case anyone needed a safe ride home or a place to crash. The dynamics will change as you change, don’t let that scare you away from choosing to improve yourself. And don’t let that scare you from saying hey guys, this is who I really am, I wasn’t sure if you would like the real me, but I am tired of wearing a mask. Vulnerability = authenticity.

 

Are You Being Authentic?

http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/7-ways-people-know-you-aren-t-being-authentic.html

 

In my research for authenticity, I stumbled upon this. 7 Ways People Know You Aren’t Being Authentic.

1. You hold grudges
   I like that they (sort of) equate letting go of a grudge as forgiving oneself. I like that. And it's important not to bog yourself down with emotional baggage; grudges say more about you than they do of the person who you are holding it towards.
2. You always go with the crowd
   I personally don’t feel this applies to trends, if you like to be trendy, be trendy. (I like to be trendy, you can call me ‘basic’ if you want, I’ll stick with trendy) But I think it has more to do with agreeing with a political or religious agenda that is popular at the time but you find doesn’t line up with your values. It’s okay to go against the grain when it involves standing up for who you are (even if no one else is agreeing at that point in time)
3. You don’t keep your agreements
   I struggle with this SO MUCH. I am SUCH  a homebody who also fiercely loves trying new things. WELL aren’t those just a contradiction? I often find myself right in the middle of said contradiction. I will have to get better about this before month’s end. I have to start really considering saying ‘yes’ to the dinner or party before giving the answer so that I won’t have to take it back later or make a ridiculous excuse (super guilty)
4. You don’t take care of yourself
   Up until fairly recently, this was me. It felt SO good to get healthy again because I think it is such a mental thing before it becomes physical. I was ready to be the best me and stand beside her and cheer her on. Before getting healthy I would have done or said anything just to blend into the crowd and draw little to no attention (not good for authenticity)
5. You act like a perfectionist
   I don’t necessarily agree with this point. I would like to think you could be a perfectionist and be real at the same time, just so long as you don’t think you are actually perfect. There is no perfect. But you can still want to get as close as possible with your work. And I think perfect is a relative term, anyway.
6. You say yes all the time
   Definitely get comfortable with ‘no’. Sometimes I struggle with this (see above, not keeping agreements) because I want to please everyone. I am starting to see that people value honesty and realness over a placating answer. Working on this one!
7. You don’t practice what you preach
   Consistency! Such an important aspect to ‘keeping it real’ – if your actions and behaviors don’t line up day in and day out, odds are your masks are clashing. When you finally take off the masks, you will always walk the walk and talk the talk because you won’t be busy chasing your tail trying to switch your opinions based on your setting. Demonstrate integrity. Be true to your word.

#girlboss

Progress Report!

Since speaking “aloud” about being genuine and pinpointing areas that needed work, I have opened up to some trusted friends and it felt like a weight was lifted, a weight that never should have been there in the first place.

_______________________________________________________________

 

Remember, authenticity is not something you should strive to emulate. Being authentic is just being YOU. Drop the acts, drop the masks, just be yourself. And beyond that, authenticity is being true to yourself. Do what feels right.

The one place I find it incredibly difficult to be genuine, so difficult it feels like climbing up Everest, is the workplace. Office politics rule and being a genuine person drools. The more fake you can be, the more likely you are to get a raise. Every day I come into the office looking to shake that up, just a little. I think it is 100% possible to be a REAL person and a business woman AT THE SAME TIME. Mind blowing? It seems to be.

Your boss or peers may pressure you to put on a mask, and keep it on, while at work. Either to gain their respect, monetary gain or even to be eligible for promotion. While it would be EASY to put on a mask and cover up who you really are, that would only make you miserable while at work. Hiding yourself for 8 hours a day? C’mon. If they cannot respect you and value YOU, for exactly who you are and the moral compass you provide, then it’s time to turn your sights elsewhere. I know it’s easier said than done, but it’s true.

I do find that my own workplace is overrun with insincerity and office politics. I keep my head down but I make sure I quip and laugh and joke just as I would anywhere else. A part of who I am is a fiercely loyal and driven person. I like to work hard, I like to challenge myself, it’s just woven into who I am. It feels true to me, and it feels right. But it also feels right to cut up and not be so stuffy and professional all the time, to mention an incident that I didn’t feel was right, to make a joke. If they can’t take what they see as your ‘bad’ with your good, they don’t deserve you at all.

 

 

 

“No matter where you are in life, you'll save a lot of time by not worrying too much about what other people think about you. The earlier in your life that you can learn that, the easier the rest of it will be.”

 

 “It just means that your talents lie elsewhere, so take the opportunity to seek out what you are good at, and find a place where you can flourish. Once you do, you’re going to kill it.”

 

If you haven’t read Girlboss, go do that. RIGHT NOW.

OITNB

When I start learning new things, I tend to connect it with every facet of my life. It’s how I remember things and why I’m good at remembering facts (maybe, I have no idea, but let’s pretend) So, in keeping with my usual self, I have been mulling over ‘authenticity’ and simultaneously binge-watching Orange is the New Black.

How do these things even remotely connect in my brain? Piper has no choice but to come to terms with who she is while in prison. Not who she wants to be someday, who she used to be, or what anyone else wants her to be. Her mother and family friends keep harping that they know this is not who she is, they know she is better than this. And she eventually insists to them, no THIS is exactly who I am. She doesn’t make it easy or comfortable for them, she is firm in the decisions she made. Yes, we evolve, I especially hope to evolve over these next 12 months into a much better person. However, you cannot be genuine without admitting to yourself, and to others, that who you are and the choices you have made, past or present, were YOU. You cannot take the easy way out, you cannot abandon your decisions and act like someone else made them for you.

Yes, I am VASTLY different from who I used to be, even just a year ago. But I had to sit with myself and understand that I shouldn’t be ashamed of decisions that I made, that it is all a part of who I am. And I had to love myself through that. 

Something I really am learning about “genuine” is that it’s not exactly the superficial meaning that we originally think. It’s not just being honest, or blunt. It’s HOW you are honest, with yourself and with others, and HOW you are blunt.

 

The journey continues, 

 

Real vs Fake

When someone asks you, “who are you?” what do you say? Do you answer with an occupation? A skill? A hobby? All of those things make up who you are, and they are okay answers, right? But they are not WHO you ARE. You are a lot of things, I honestly don’t know a good answer. If someone asked me, who are you. I think I would answer with my name. I’m Kaitlyn. No, but, who are you? I’m Kaitlyn, I am more complicated than you probably have the time or care to hear about. But maybe living genuinely is giving a genuine answer. I am me. It actually makes me think of Guardians of the Galaxy, of Groot. I am Groot. Think of all the skills and wisdom you possess and how you use those things to forge WHO are you ARE. It’s not that you are a mom, a Californian, a chef. It’s that you are a disciplined, loving, chef from California who has kids and is passionate about what you do and is honest but sometimes judgmental and emotional. The good and the bad. It’s all great, because it’s you. And you recognize yourself when you look into the mirror. 

 

Your fictional self… this is who the world has made you into. The world asks A LOT of women, it really gets my blood pumping and not in a good way, to be honest. We essentially bear the burden of the world on our shoulders, and we do it with grace and ease (except when you look behind the curtain) This is your fictional self, the face you put on for the world. You feel like you cannot show your true emotions, but I am here to tell you, you can. You are allowed to feel overwhelmed, stressed, emotional, happy, sad, hell you can even feel selfish sometimes. You can. Friends and family want you to fill specific roles, and we are more than happy to jump on those roles because we are women, and we feel like we can do everything (which we can) but NOT when it isn’t in line with your AUTHENTIC self. Okay? 

 

I find that I actually live with my authentic self, however, I want to fully embrace this. I sometimes am my fictional self when I am on social media or on any platform that involves acquaintances. I grew up in Christian school, and while I do NOT want to bring religion into this today, it did shape how I behave. What I mean is this, I could not be my authentic self at school for 13 years. I had to be my fictional self, day in and day out. It took a lot of painful searching to find my authentic self and hold onto her after high school. I have to step away from a place of fear around people that don’t truly know me, if they don’t like, respect, or value my opinion and viewpoint, I have to let that go and be true to myself. I can no longer edit myself to a point where my true feelings aren’t being presented. At the end of the day, this is not going to make any connections. If anything, it will force myself and others to feel disconnected from one another, not because of what I did or did not say, but because I am coming from a place of insincerity.

 

Let’s all focus on who we ARE, not who we are asked to be,

 

Circle of Sincerity

(Thank you to everyone who offered their own journey and opinion on my last post, you helped push me out of my comfort zone and come to really important conclusions, besos!)

Surrounding yourself with other genuine people... That is highly important to your own authentic journey. But what if you look around to your left, and then to your right...and don’t see very much sincerity?* That is the boat I am floating around in. Or is it? As I have grown older (oy) I have managed to weed out the fake friends and dwindled to a number that I can count on one hand. But only because they are busy, I don't feel truly connected to them and with them. It's hard when people change, and I did the changing. I started saying no, thanks when asked to go for drinks, for dinner and when it comes to anything to do with those things. And as I type this, I reflect on the times they DID ask me to go to a yoga class, or offered to go to Zumba with me. And, as I type this, I realize that unless I explicitly ASK them to do other activities with me, how will they know I want to do them?

I have never been extroverted without alcohol, I cannot just MEET people. I hate first dates, I hate new jobs, I do not like new settings. But, again, how do I meet genuine friends? And why should I let such a healthy and important decision hinder me in any way? 

Have I disregarded friends as fake when perhaps I should have looked closer? Have I blinded myself to efforts made? I will have to make myself vulnerable, put my feelers out there, because that is the ONLY time that meaningful connections and relationships will be forged.

If you still have fake or insincere friends in your circle, remove them. You shouldn't have to hide your true self or have mistrust that they aren't showing you theirs.

 

Thanks for being here,

*I only say this about friends I see "in real life" - I wish I was closer to my AMAZINGLY genuine and hard working, fun loving fit girlfriends.

Walking the Genuine Walk

This is where it gets a bit uncomfortable, that being sincere.

Something that makes me feel ‘fake’ and insincere (and a bit hypocritical, if I'm being honest) is the fact that I have these awesome followers and am on this journey, but NO ONE that knows me on my personal IG has a clue about it. And that includes most of my friends (although not all) Should that make me feel fake? It scares me to have people I actually know follow me on my fitness and health account. Why? I don’t know, being judged? Feeling silly? Some old 'enemies' that I no longer have the energy for have attempted to follow my fitness account, and my face immediately burned and I quickly blocked them. But that’s fake, isn’t it? I only show them (them being personal friends and mostly acquaintances or coworkers) staged snippets of my life. Something I only feel is 'artsy' enough. Should I offer them the chance to follow my fitness account? This is something I will have to think about, and if I do choose to post something to my personal account, how do I word it, how do I go about it? Lots of questions and not many answers today. But it weighs on my mind, trying to find authenticity and live a genuine life, that means all aspects. That means not hiding behind a mask. SCARY. I will consult you guys for opinions, I know you will have the answer, even if it won’t be easy. Easy is not the point; easy is not my word for December, genuine is.

 

 

Sincerely,

(see what I did there?)

Habits of Genuine People

I do love to research. If I could afford it, which I cannot, I would never leave university. I love to learn and grow. This task I have challenged myself to, it requires research. I need to understand other’s perspectives of the words I have chosen.

I easily found this article on Psychology Today (source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201503/the-7-habits-truly-genuine-people)

 

7 Habits of Truly Genuine People

Now, I consider(ed) myself to be a very real person. Down to earth, not fake. And then I read these 7 habits…

1. Genuine people speak their mind. I do speak my mind, but it is also the manner in which you do it. Sometimes, my tongue is too sharp. I must work on being able to defend my viewpoint without getting snarky.
2. Genuine people respond to internal expectations, not external ones. Here, I give myself a mental checkmark. I do expect A LOT from myself, and it doesn’t sway me in any direction what anyone else expects from me. I hold myself to the highest standard because I know what I am capable (and not capable) of.
3. Genuine people are not threatened by failure. – hmm, something else I need to work on. While I wouldn’t say I am afraid to do things in fear of failure, I do sometimes feel a crippling dread when I begin (or want to begin) something new.
4. Genuine people can admit their faults. Now, this one I became better at only after I sought therapy for my anger. I held onto my faults and shoved them down and hid them until it was too late for someone to be caught by my harsh words. I give myself a mental checkmark for this one because I can now voice my faults without thinking any less of me. I know my strengths, as well.
5. Genuine people forge their own paths. Mental checkmark, while I do get inspiration and ideas from others, and I don’t think I would be nearly as creative or productive without other beautiful souls to feed off of, I do forge my own way because I know what will work for me.
6. Genuine people are not judgmental of others. Embracing individuality. I admit it, I struggle with this. I always have. I am a very “my way or the highway” type of personality. I must work on this. Being so active in the Fit Girls Guide community has actually made me embrace individuality a lot more. SO many beauty souls that you don’t get to experience if you shut them out. I want to quiet that voice in my head that tries to reject someone based on looks.
7. Finally, genuine people have solid self-esteem. I give myself a checkmark for this one, I think the first step in not judging others, and accepting them, is so be sure of yourself. Know who you are, love who you are. This was the greatest and hardest journey of my life, learning to love myself. It was VERY painful, but on the other side, it is beautiful and full of happiness and joy.

 

 

I am genuine, but it looks like I have some work to do, yea? Speaking my mind from a place of love, learning to accept individuality at face value, not being threatened by failure when embarking on a new adventure (or letting the fear of failure or disappointment stop be from even taking step 1)

 

Thanks for being here with me,

Hide

Wow, so being genuine means being your true self, always. Let that sink in. Wow. That is tough sometimes. We wear these masks, we have a mask for our workplace, we have a mask for our families, for our friends, our lovers. Authenticity means all those masks match. Now, I am not saying you will behave differently in different settings, I love a good time, but I know better than to start dancing on my chair at work (something I would do at home) but you catch my drift, right?

So how do I become my most genuine self, regardless of setting? That's my December challenge, embracing WHO I really am, and not living in fear that who I am might offend someone. No one loves turning their head to look at the past, but the more I think of authenticity, the more my past stares me in the face. I already have come to conclusions about myself and my past, and I will definitely share those with you as I unravel that string more and more.

I also wanted to throw out a definition of 'HIDE' from a quick Google search,

1.       put or keep out of sight; conceal from the view or notice of others
2. a camouflaged shelter

Do you hide who you are? I used to, maybe I still do in certain settings. I love the second definition, a camouflaged shelter. We hide because we want to blend in, we want to feel safe. How perfect. But, when you hide yourself, you are saying to yourself "I am not good enough". Did you realize that? And you ARE good enough, I am good enough. I am ready to live a truly authentic life.

XOX

12 month character challenge: a journey

Definitely started this blog for cooking and health posts, but, I am officially transforming it into something I need more.

Disclaimer: I am not a writer, I don’t always have eloquent grammar and word pairings, but, here we are.

I have decided, in addition to my fitness goals, to add what I am referring to as my ‘health’ goals. I want to dig a little deeper rather than just being fit and healthy, I want to be a good person and that does take work.

So, I have written a list of 12 words I truly want to embody. I was going to wait and start in 2016, but why wait? I am going to choose a word per month that I want to personify and really focus on that word until I feel like I exemplify that word as often as it is needed.

December’s word is going to be GENUINE.

I started with the definition. What does it literally mean to be genuine?               Source: Meriam Webster online

                truly what something is said to be; authentic.

                (of a person, emotion, or action) sincere.

If you want to follow my journey of a year’s worth of character challenge and building, please do so. I will need to be held accountable. I will need a friendly hand to hold. Some words I have chosen will take me down really tough paths, some will be easier than others. But at the end of a year, I want to be a much better person, a person who understands exactly who they want to be, and strives to be her.

 

Thanks guys,

Date Me

Current obsession: dates

Apparently in middle eastern cultures, a date a day keeps the doctor away - most Muslims eat dates when they come off their fasts, as dates make you feel full so you don't binge eat. Loving the sweetness in my fridge oats or just eating them plain! I want to experiment with adding nuts and cheese into the center of them as well for when I'm feeling extra fancy. 

Stay tuned

Keen K8

Gardening

Totally on board with growing as much of your own produce as you can! And I've recently found out about CSAs or community shared agriculture, where you buy a stake in a local farm and they give you a box of fresh produce each week (so awesome) 

I started small this year with jalapeño and sweet pepper plants, just to get a feel for gardening - my jalapeños are doing amazing! Thinking of adding tomatoes and onions next year 

Now, to find a "clean" stuffed pepper recipe.... 

Xox

Keen K8

Snacking

I love snacks. 

No scale victory: previously I would have put 2-3 almonds in my mouth at a time. Now I mindfully eat one morsel at a time, not only am I practicing mindfulness (so important for all aspects) but I am also letting myself feel fuller longer by taking longer to consume my snacks! 

Huzzah to grazing 

Xox 

Keen k8

The Golden Mean

A bit of a ramble but nevertheless... 

Aristotle called it the golden mean... Buddhists refer to it as the Middle Way... Finding balance between extremes can be precarious but it is so important to a happy life. Balance is one of my main goals in my fitness journey - to be able to enjoy times that call for meals out or drinks - but to be disciplined for the remainder. By nature I become obsessed with things, perfecting them until I have met my goals. It's hard for me to take it slow, enjoy the process, but this is what will be necessary for a sustainable lifelong healthy journey of clean eating and fitness. 

The concept also brings to mind one of my favorite reads, Eat Pray Love - live a balanced life and it will be full, happy and full of love. 

Xox 

Keen K8

Mac&Cheese

Stupid Easy Mac & Cheese from Fit Girls Guide

Literally it's stupid easy and stupid delicious. When (IF!) I ever have kids they will grow up thinking all mac&cheese includes cauliflower. Hopefully by then GMOs and processed foods will be a thing of the past (ha) 

Xox 

Keen K8

Chia Pudding

I'm late to the chia seed party, I know. But I'm glad I tried it! Loving the texture. The recipe I used was a bit bland but that makes for a great blank canvas. 

I'm thinking some chocolate or PB chia pudding is in my future. 

1/2 c lite coconut canned milk

2 Tbp chia seeds

1 tsp honey 

1 splash vanilla 

Oops

Note to self: Shake the coconut milk can before using....

Chia (ch-ch-ch-chia!) pudding in the works

Imitation meat

I'm on my second round of the 28 day jumpstart presented by Fit Girls Guide and I was taking a closer look at the beginning of the cookbook where it talks about alternative proteins (I've been a vegetarian turned pescatarian for 8+ years now) and they were saying that the imitation meat made out of soy is basically a vegetarians version of junk food (yikes!) this has been my go-to for protein for years. . It also says that a lot of girls have found that soy makes them feel bloated and blah (also sounding very familiar to me) 

Making it a point to cut out these imitation meats and opt for eggs or seafood from now on. I cooked tofu for the first time today (I know, what kind of vegetarian AM I?!) it was a lot less intimidating and a lot more delicious than I had anticipated for all of those years. 

(Marinated in juice of 1 lime, 1Tsp olive oil and sprinkled with taco seasoning for 30ish minutes)

Xox

Keen K8

Staycation

I'm a traveler. Ask me what my hobbies are and travel will be the first thing out of my mouth every time. Life and money don't always allow for me to travel when I get the itch, this weekend I had the itch, but also had the weight of monetary responsibility on my mind... I decided on a staycation. 

First of all, I think staycation is a state of mind more than anything else. Literally program your mind in to playing make believe with yourself - being an adult means forgetting this ability, but we all did it in childhood and it isn't a far reach to acquire the land of make believe once more. 

I started my morning with a "hotel breakfast" - something you would have if you were seated in a banquet hall or the in-house restaurant. Simple foods plated nicely can completely change the experience. 

Have things ready at home to do that you would normally treat yourself to on a vacation. For me, that means soaking up a bit of sunshine with a good book in my hand and visiting the spa. 

Target and sephora both have excellent and affordable facial masks. Jamberry is perfect for a salon quality at home manicure... And my kindle offers an endless library to me. 

For lunch, I created a light sandwich style Kale ceasar aka I ate at the chic cafe around the corner (play make believe with yourself, remember?) I did my nails and had some lemon, lime and cucumber water (aka had my nails done and sipped extravagant spa water) and slathered on SPF for a day of reading in the sun. 

For dinner, I made a Greek style pita pizza (PS all my clean eating recipes come from FitGirlsGuide.com) and presented it differently than I normally would, spread blankets (snowmen blankets, in June) on my front lawn and was again in the mindset of vacation. 

For dessert I had the banana nice cream (previous post) and had changed the sheets on my bed so that I could watch a movie on fresh linen. Light some candles, you're on staycation, after all. 

A vacation is only a daydream away, make your life as fun and exotic as your mind will allow. Life is WAY more fun, trust me. 

Xox 

Keen K8 

Nice cream

Did you know if you put frozen bananas into a blender it literally becomes the consistency of icecream? Why did nature hide this secret from me for so long? Freeze one or more bananas in the peel until completely frozen through, when ready, peel them and cut into manageable coins. Place into the blender with (or without) almond or peanut butter and blend until the consistency you prefer (3-4 minutes for me) 

Top with nuts and chocolate for a truly sinful experience. (1tsp pecans and 1 square 76% dark chocolate pictured) 

Intro

Keen: adjective

1. 1. 

   having or showing eagerness or enthusiasm.

   "keen believers in the monetary system"

   synonyms:

   eager, anxious, intent, impatient, determined, ambitious, champing at the bit; More
2. 2. 

   sharp or penetrating, in particular.