8 Ways to Have a Better Day
A yoga teacher once shared a quote with me and it changed my life:
“For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin — real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way. Something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.” [Alfred D. Souza]
Up until that point, I had looked at my life in terms of milestones... Once I finish college, I’ll really be an adult. Once I get promoted, my real career will begin. Once I pay off my loans, then I can start doing the things I love.
Then I realized that it’s all real life and it’s all worthy of being loved.
Having long term goals is an important way to keep life in perspective and to make sure you’re on track to achieving your dreams. But having small daily goals is just as important to keep you motivated and moving forward. By achieving small goals on a daily basis, you instill in yourself sense of accomplishment that makes it easier to take on the big stuff.
Here a some easy ways to love your life every day:
- Have a morning ritual. Whether it’s a cup of warm water with lemon or a little yoga stretch while still in bed, find something to calmly wake your mind and body from slumber before the day’s excitement begins.
- Be kind. It can be easy to anger when dealing with others we can’t understand. It’s important to remember that we all have bad days and you can’t understand what someone else is going through. So better to err on the side of kindness. It will keep you calm and feeling positive.
- Go outside. Fresh air and vitamin D will ignite your brain. There is no less expensive gym in the world than the one right outside your door. Don’t make excuses for this. Everyone can find 20 minutes in their day for a jog or brisk walk.
- Make a to-do list. Take a few minutes at the beginning of your work day to make a list of 5 things that you want to achieve that day. Be realistic. Breakdown large projects into parts that can be crossed off the list to help you see your progress towards a greater goal.
- Keep a “Worry” journal. Keep track of all the things that are stressing you out, no matter how small. Look back on it from time to time and reflect on what is still stressing you out, and what isn’t. It will surprise you to see what worrisome things have passed without much effort.
- Keep a tidy home. Get rid of things you don’t love or need. You shouldn’t own anything that you don’t know about. Every item should have a designated place. The process of simplifying your belongings into things you only love or need will organize your mind as well as your home. The same goes for your work place.
- Be thankful. Be thankful for health, loved ones, and all of the opportunities you’ve had... Reach out to a friend or family member that you haven’t heard from in a while and let them know you’re thinking about them.
- Nourish your mind & body. It’s up to us to keep the temple that is our body alive and well. Think about your computer. If you don’t keep it running properly, it will crash. And you can’t buy yourself a new body… Be cognisant of what you put in your body and how it makes you feel, physically and mentally. Make a commitment to improving your spirit via the foods you consume!
Finding Peace
What in your life are you avoiding right now? Notice the energy that this feeling creates in your body. See if you can drop the urge to change whatever this thing is and just accept it for what it is (even if just for a moment) and send it love. Notice the energetic shift that this creates. Let us find peace in our lives by fully accepting what is in front of us instead of resisting and avoiding what is. When we are looking at our lives through the lens of fear, we create feelings of suffering and want things to be different, but through the lens of love, we remove the veil of illusion and everything feels lighter and just as it should be. This way of viewing things takes a little more conscious effort as we are collectively programmed for fear but this is not normal even though we've grown to believe that it is. Love is real, fear is not. In what ways can you be more loving and accepting of your life?
Gearing Up for RENEWAL in 2015 with Homemade SHRUBS & SCRUBS!!!
To Make: Combine all ingredients except apple cider vinegar in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once a simmer is reached, lower heat and continue to simmer for an additional 10 mins. Remove from heat and let cool. Pour mixture into a quart-sized glass jar and add 1 C of cider vinegar. Shake and let sit at room temperature for 2 days. To use, simply strain the mixture and enjoy!
Our ballsiest moment
Okay, so our first attempt at our online “challenges” was fairly successful! Ky was traveling in Spain and my phone dropped in my dog’s water bowl a few days into it and I didn’t have my phone for about a week. So we did what we could and more than anything it was a fun activity to be involved in and we will continue to do it and give it our best. There were many “ballsy” moments throughout our ballsy challenge but there was one day in particular that felt the most empowering. We caught wind of the fact that a woman we hadn’t met was making false accusations about us. Instead of letting rumors fly and harboring any negative feelings towards this person, Ky and I got in the car immediately and drove to her place of work, to introduce ourselves and confront the issue head on as this has always been the best way to approach these situations. I have spent a lot of my life avoiding confrontation so this felt like a really ballsy and scary thing to do. Without going into more detail about that particular situation, on the drive home Ky and I both came to the realization that the “ballsiest” thing that we have done is start our own business and put ourselves out there. You make yourself more visible to the world and with this comes more criticism. It can feel like a really scary thing at first to be “seen” in this way. I know for me, especially at the beginning, I felt so vulnerable sharing something so close to my heart for fear that people wouldn’t like it. Ky and I have both become stronger, more empowered, confident individuals through this process of putting ourselves out there by growing our own business. It has been the most challenging, rewarding, empowering and ballsiest experience so far. We look forward to a lifetime of growing and puttiing ourselves out there. Bring it on.
Smell the roses much? Why not now?
Can anyone else believe that it is Mid July? It’s so cliché but isn’t it crazy how quickly time flies? A summer on Martha’s Vineyard feels like the blink of an eye. It feels like time moves much faster when we let stress get the best of us and when we get so caught up in our day-to-day work that we forget to make time to stop and appreciate the moment. The past few summers I’ve spent here I have “forgotten” to do just that. Really, I just wasn’t making the choice to slow down amidst the chaos. Summers would have me bogged down and overwhelmed. These days I still have a long to do list but if I go about my to do list with a more relaxed, “vacation” mentality, time seems to slow down and I have more fun in the process. Our perception creates our reality. Ky and I receive comments all the time now such as “you guys must be running around like crazy.” Yes, there is a lot of “running” around or as I like to call it “bopping” around because bopping around is more fun than running around. Running around seems chaotic and stressful. We’re making a stand this year to fully enjoy ourselves and soak up the beauty that Martha’s Vineyard summers provide. It feels good to make time to stop and smell the roses and just breathe throughout the day. Here’s to a fun summer, we’ve got so much left to go!
Are you willing to experiment?
By Bennett
You know what I think is really cool? When you throw all of your beliefs about food out the window and start over. It’s a pretty refreshing feeling. To lift all of the sometimes limiting beliefs I have about what I like, what I don’t like, what makes me feel good and what makes me feel bad, and start over. I know for me, my body is affected differently from season to season by what I consume. This time of year I can tolerate gluten much easier and I am not as affected by alcohol either. It’s always refreshing when things change like that because I begin to question my food again and go back into the experimental zone. It’s a reassuring reminder to me that everything is connected and that we are all connected to the seasonal, ever-changing cycle of nature. This past week I have been paying close attention to my sometimes restricted and conditioned thoughts. I notice how it makes my body feel tense and try to let the thought go and relax in my body again. I’ve been carrying this same practice into my thoughts around food. I’m letting myself experiment more and changing thought patterns about what I tend to think is “good” or “bad” for me. Because in my opinion, nothing is really “bad” unless you really think that it is. If you are eating with guilt, you will ingest that emotion. I find that the more relaxed I am around food and the choices I make, the easier it is for me to digest and metabolize my meal or snack. It can be a little unsettling at first but do you find yourself in this same experimental place from time to time? Share your thoughts below!
Incredible offerings at our retail locations!
Okay so most of you have come to know us from our delicious chocolate bars. But since opening our second retail location this year, we’ve really expanded what we have to offer you all. Like, really expanded. We recently hired a baker named Julianna and we absolutely love her and all that she has created! She is an incredibly inspired and passionate baker who spent weeks researching delicious new recipes to provide for you all. Everyday we walk in the store she has created not just one but many new wonderful creations! Things like snickerdoodles, banana bread muffins, chocolate coconut scones, coffee cake, strawberry orange bread, chocolate dandy biscotti, chocolate avocado pie and cranberry walnut biscotti…just to name a few. We are so blessed to have Julianna, Elise, Blair, Evan and Elizabeth all helping us with production this year. Stop by Vineyard Haven to see one of their bright shining faces or stop by our Edgartown store and meet Sarah or Jenny who hold down the fort over there. We now have extended hours, 7:00am-7pm in Vineyard Haven and 7:30-10pm in Edgartown. Have a wonderful 4th of July everyone and we hope see you all soon!
