Marvelous in My Monday #6

Happy Monday! Sweet and lovely miss Katie came up with this idea to make Monday’s more marvelous. Every Monday, bloggers share something marvelous and begin the week on a positive note.

Read more Marvelous in My Monday stories HERE

A Marvelous Recipe Share -- Little Miss Cornucopia's Cinnamon Raisin Cookies

These soft and chewy cookies with a light cinnamon flavor are super easy to make. They go great with a warm cup of tea on a cold, brisk day.

Use goji berries, dried cherries, or chocolate chips instead

1 1/2 cups cashews, ground
1/2 cup apples, peeled, cored, grated
1/3 cup agave
2 TBSP coconut flour
1 TBSP cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup raisins, chopped

Process all ingredients in a food processor. Transfer mixture to a bowl and chill for an hour in the refrigerator.

To shape the cookies, roll dough between the palms of your hands into balls then flatten by pressing into a disc shape.

Place in dehydrator for 10 hours, turning midway through dehydrating.

I've never baked these in an oven but I suggest giving it a try if you'd like. Adjust temperature accordingly :]

Marvelous Truth

As the forest changes colors, leaves drop, temperatures decline and birds migrate overhead we are reminded that change is constant, constantly. Transitions in our personal lives can be challenging, as we often fear the unknown and become overwhelmed by choices.

Whether it is a change in career, health, home, family or relationships, change presents an opportunity to evaluate our life’s direction, engage in personal reflection and cultivate personal growth. 

Personally, the last 3 years have been filled with many different changes, challenges, and exciting new opportunities. Separating from my son's father; becoming involved with a married man (who failed to mention that he was married); working full-time for the first time in 5 years; moving from place to place; wiping out on my roller blades; wearing a knee-brace and crutches for 6 weeks; becoming addicted to pain medication; eating the worst foods imaginable; dealing with health issues; and falling into a deep, dark depressive state of mind. The emotions and hardships that I created for myself have sent me on a tremendous ride that at times seemed to last a lifetime.

My transitional process into the life that I am now living has taught me about my inner strengths, my weaknesses and the importance of self-care. The demands of today’s society can make life busy, stressful and overwhelming at times and we often forget to prioritize our personal health, needs and desires. Taking the time to develop a better sense of self reminds us how important we truly are and how we must nurture ourselves to reach our full potential. A healthy body, mind and soul makes us feel vibrant and vital. Taking care of ourselves even allows us the skills necessary to take better care of others.

For myself, finding the time daily to help my body unwind and trigger the relaxation response helps prevent chronic stress from negatively impacting my health now and in the future. Five to ten minutes per day may be all I need to re-energize and de-stress. Taking a power nap, meditating, having a bath, getting a massage, giving myself a pedicure, taking a walk, journal writing, or even indulging.

Taking care of ourselves also helps transitions to flow more naturally. Fear, uncertainty, doubt and anxiety may be companions on the path to change but self-care and self-awareness help us avoid letting these negative emotions dictate our lives and motivate our decisions.

Embracing change and celebrating all of life’s transitions while allowing ourselves the time and space to reflect and reconnect provides an invaluable journey in self-growth.

It’s weird to be in the middle of a transition, even though I’ve been working toward it for years. It’s like a road vs the map, the body vs the intellect, the experience vs the theory. It’s like being on a roller coaster where the only way to have fun is to relinquish control. Not easy for someone who likes to take control..but being terrified all the time is worse.

I do everything I know to support the process: eat well, take supplements, cleanse my body through exercise, yoga and meditation, talk honestly to the people around me, receive bodywork, write, sleep enough, miss too many emails and learn to trust. Remember to stop and breathe into whatever is; even briefly. It makes a huge difference.

Where am I headed? I suspect I will finally be able to feel relaxed in myself, more real and able to relate without so much anxiety. I’ll simply be able to do what I’m doing with less strain, reach out to my son and to those I love with more love, enjoy healthy friendships and contribute my patch of peace to the species while being able to accept our collective pain as part of our process instead of wanting to fix the world so that I can feel safe. I suspect I won’t need and create so much drama in my life.

I take a deep breath. It’s enough for now.

Thank you for listening; you who read this have become part of my path...by witnessing my process you support it.