May You...

#mayyou #welcomemay #monthofmay #endlessposibilities #permissionto #nopermisson

Hey there Simplifiers, Welcome to May!

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Do you know what the month of May represents? If you don't, no worries, Originally, I didn't either, LOLOL! However, after attending church on Sunday, and leaving ENCOURAGED based on some personal declarations and decrees---I felt like I needed to just sit with God more and dissect MAY a bit more. So, that's what I did!

When I did a simple Google search of what the month of May was known for, two definitions appeared: 1) Expressing possibilities; 2) Expressing permission. At first glance, it could easily be assumed that expressing permission seems negative because it seems like you are asking for permission to "do something." However, I thought about it this way, " GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION" to do positive things that will attribute to your overall health and wellness. This ENTIRE month, we ALL have the opportunity to permit ourselves to dream of all the exciting and wonderful possibilities that FEED into our health and wellness. While this could mean a plethora of things, here are a few permissions and possibilities of my own:

Permissions:

1. I don't need anyone's permission to DO what is BEST for ME

2. I am permitting myself to NOT carry guilt if I'm having an OFF day (meaning, sometimes you have moments just avalanche out of control) and CHILL if I can't get my MOJO together.

3. I am permitting myself to NOT respond to NEGATIVE TRIGGERS in the form of HUMANS! Whew, Chile!

Don't explain anything, if I don't feel like it. #CAUSEIFELTLIKEIT

1. I am permitting myself to let go of the possibilities that all endings won't work out how I want them---it's Ok! Know your season, LEARN the reason and GROW beyond the pain, hurt, and seemingly let down.

Possibilities:

1. Oh, they are ENDLESS! Be risky and adventurous and GO FOR IT!

2. Take shorter, impromptu trips!

This is a short list BUT, I hope you get the point. Let's give ourselves permission to outthink the possibilities and make them realities. Leave some of your permissions and possibilities below! I'd love to hear them.

~Later Simplifiers,

BEND BACK AND....

#bendback #bendbackwards #breathe #release #praiseHim #blesstheLord #letgo

Hey Simplifiers,

At this moment, what are you doing? I guess this is kind of a rhetorical question, considering you are reading this blog post. LOL. But, before you decided to take a break and come to my website, what were you doing? How was your day going? How were you feeling? How was your mood? HOW...HOW...HOW??

To be honest, my day has been busy, with moments of both jittery excitement and anxiety. Oh, and bursts of frustrations. But, it hasn't been HORRIBLE! So, I have to be thankful for that. #perspecive I took a break to write this post because I am frustrated with something. LOL, and instead of moping because I can't figure it out, I am choosing to add more blog posts because why NOT get this energy out while my creative juices are flowing (point number one, DO what you can when the INSPIRATION is fire hot). PLUS, it doesn't hurt that I get to telework with my 8:30a-5:00p corporate job. This is one good thing that came from Covid_19.... telework!

As I am writing this post it is semi-quiet where I am. My window is up, I can hear a plane flying above me. I can hear someone blowing leaves with a leaf blower in the distant background, and I can hear the wind. That's right, from the top view of how my room is situated, I can hear the calming yet, whispers of the wind. It sounds like it is semi-loud and then tapers off softly into the air somewhere--kind of like being on the beach. In a weird kind of way, I can also see what the wind looks like based on how it is blowing. If you have ever painted and had just enough paint to make a nice, soft, even paint stroke where the paint started dark and then tapered into a softer color than the original; that is how I can see how the wind is blowing based on the sound.

I am glad it is quiet and that I can hear the wind because the ebb and flow of the wind blowing is allowing me to calm my breathing and take moments to sigh when I need to. Did I mention that I am kind of frustrated with something at the moment? LOLOL. So, I am working on refocusing my thoughts by being mindful of my feelings and appropriately responding to them or NOT! HA! I acknowledge how I FEEL but, I also don't want to allow my FICKLE feelings to stop my thinking (I do that from time to time). So, I am choosing to sigh forward and then let my neck roll back to sigh backward. It is the backward sigh that I am most open and vulnerable because my heart is exposed to release these prayers called sighs.

With each beating THUMP of my heartbeat, I listen to the wind blow and choose to thank God for something. This helps sober me up and refocus so I am not complaining about what I am frustrated about. Just whispering, "Lord, I thank you," somehow brings enough peace for me to surrender my thoughts. And eventually, I will thank God for "SOMETHING" once my heart has decluttered. I believe the heart knows what to release and say even when we can't utter the words to say to God. You know it's happening when you feel your body relaxing. I think that's God saying, "I'm here and I HEAR YOU!"

So Simplifier, today say less. Today, listen to the wind more. Today, simply bend backward with a thankful heart, sigh, and KNOW that God hears you. Praise Him!

Scripture references

• John 14:1-3

• Romans 8:26

• John 3:8

• Psalm 150:6

Black Oodles and Noodles?

Hey Simplifiers!

Here's a quick and SIMPLE way to ADD MORE protein and limit your carbs within your eating regimen; try adding bean pasta. Don't gasp too loud, I can hear you! LOLOL

I used my leftover Broccoli from brunch and added more veggies (radicchio, onions, and green beans), and made a black bean sesame noodle stir fry! Oh, and for EXTRA greens, I added microgreens on top (that's extra...nor necessary). Super easy and takes less than 30 minutes to make. Here is a picture of the end result. Viola!

Eat messy. Eat Green. Get messy and experiment with your veggies.

Let me know how your bean-noodle dish turned out.

~Later Simplifiers