Getting Back to the Basics

In the last year or two I have tried to get into more of a clean eating habit.  While I got amazingly off track, I did stick with a habit or too.  I have all but eliminated high fructose corn syrup from our diet with a few exceptions.  Those exceptions are as treats though and not daily foods.  I have turned more to locally grown or produced food sources like the farmer’s market and my own backyard.  I have also taken to trying to eat seasonally – what would have been available at specific times of the year when I was child.

The eating seasonally is the hardest to do because I do not really remember what was naturally available at what time of the year anymore.  So I went off track – way, way, way off track.  Processed food is much easier to cook and serve after all.  Pop it in the microwave and *poof* you have supper!   But with warm weather hear again, I am starting to bring back the good-for-you, good tasting foods.

One thing that has helped is a free online course from Standford regarding children and nutrition that I am taking.  It has made me get back to the basics of eating.  This has benefited my family because it has gotten me into the kitchen again.  We now start the day with a healthy, home-made breakfast that is just as fast as stopping by the corner store to buy something processed with 26 ingredients!

It is so easy to get overwhelmed with our food choices and trying to figure out a menu and what to serve that we forget about the important part.  That part is the family togetherness.  Food used to be a social thing, now it has become a hit or miss thing for my family.  The course I am taking is helping me to bring it back to a family thing again.  Instead of concentrating on diverse menus and intricate planning, I am just picking up simple foods and cooking again.  Wholesome, nutritious and most of all, good tasting foods using simple ingredients.

What are you doing to stay on track – or get back on track if need be?  What are your tips for staying focused without getting overwhelmed?

Each Day

Today I am getting ready to go on an interview.   As I was checking my email I found a song I have not listened to in quite a while.  After I played it I realized that it set the tone of the day.  I feel much more energized and positive – ready to take on the world!!!   It is a beautiful sunny day here and there is nothing I cannot accomplish with a little hard work.  I want to share the song with you in hopes that you can take away a little more hope or positive feelings for your life and your dreams.

A Little Background First

    For 12 years I was a real estate agent and for most of those years I belonged to an awesome group of people from around the nation and Canada headed by our fearless leader and chief Floyd Wickman.  He has working for him a great group of people to help agents get motivated, stay focused and be successful – and not just in real estate, but also in life.  As Floyd is fond of saying:  People don’t care what you know until they know how much you care.  (Sorry Floyd I’m sure that I didn’t get that quite word for word correct!)  But the point is – that Floyd and his trainers cared.  They touched my life in ways that are still helping me be successful today even though I am no longer with them and in a totally different field of work.

The Song

     So one year, Mike Pallin, who works with Floyd and is an accomplished musician, surprised us with this song called “Each Day.”  It was taken from a pledge that we say about how we were going to succeed.   The song was immediately uplifting and made us all even more energized.  We carried the song with us back to our homes and our businesses.  That was many years ago.  I have had this song on my computer since then, but haven’t played it in the last couple of years or so.  When I played it today I cannot fully describe how it made me feel other than to tell you that I stood a little taller, felt a little lighter and wanted to run out and help others accomplish their dreams.  So I take this with me on my interview today and maybe it will come across that I am the person that can help their clients do just that.  Of course, I’m not going over to just let them interview me.  I’m going to interview them to and see if I even want to work there.  And if I want to work there, then I’ll take it!  Floyd taught me that too!

Even if you are not in sales, I think you can be a master at what you do.  I think this song transcends industries.  Today, and in the days ahead, I will take the steps that lead me closer to my goals.  Anything that happens, happens in my best interest.

Thanks Mike for the song.  And thanks Floyd and Mary Johnson (my trainer), along with Mike and the rest of the gang, for giving me the foundation from which to build my future.

Peace and have a blessed day.