The Morning Latte

So let me tell you a story about this morning.

I left the house later than usual. Why?

• I hit the snooze several times


• I did a mini 15 minute wake-up workout


• I took the time to actually do my hair


• I steamed my shirt to reduce the wrinkles


• I cleaned out my handsome betta's bowl


• I emptied the dishwasher... no wait - I didn't do that yet.

Because I left a bit later, traffic was more congested than usual - even with all of the sneaky shortcuts I have to get through town in a traffic jam.

This situation would have put old me (circa 4 months ago) into a fit of panic.

"I'm late! I'm going to be so behind! I have a mountain of work at my desk! It's going to be such a stressful day!"

Today, however - I handled it the same way that I've been handling it the past 5 weeks - by stopping in to Peet's coffee shop for an almond milk latte.

Doesn't this just make me more late? Yes it does. But to me the "late" doesn't apply anymore like it used to.

The latte is a symbol of freedom, a sign of a relaxed attitude, a person who can stroll in to the office with her hands cradled around a warm latte and say "Hello! Good morning! Happy Hump Day!".

That mountain of work I used to stress about is still there, but the way I have learned to approach it is so much more productive and present.

This latte isn't just a latte - it's just one of the many signs of a new and improved version of me.

TED Tuesday: Mindful of the Moment

Ready for a good TED Talk?

First, do me a favor and think very hard of the last time you did simply n o t h i n g. No phone, no laptop, no worrying, no planning, no chores - nothing. 

Can you think of a time? It's pretty hard for me as well and even thinking about thinking nothing seems like it would be difficult.

My brain and probably yours too is always turned on. Unfortunately we have done ourselves a huge disservice by not allowing rest for our minds every once in a while. We have somehow convinced ourselves that no brain 'down-time' is okay and just a part of the world that we live in. That instead of mental health we should focus our attention on physical health, appearance and social lives. Mental health is just as critical as food, water, air, love and self worth.

The present moment is so valuable and yet so underrated. Sadly, what we miss out on when we are not mindful of the moment is life itself. We ignore the here and now and are distracted by the clouds and veils of stress, responsibility, emotions and simple anxiety. 

In the quiet moments that I've experienced over the past month I've learned how critical it is to let your mind sit in the back seat and to allow your senses to take over. Seeing, feeling, hearing, tasting, smelling - you can be so present when you abandon worries and fears - do yourself a favor and allow the human experience take over, if only for just 10 minutes a day. 

[ted id=1640]

Redefining Priorities

Hello and Happy Monday, friends and family!

Also hello to all of Brooke's friends that are checking in because she put me on blast today!

Thank you for understanding my temporary pause from blogging as I've experienced some big changes in my world over the past month. Like any change, it takes time to understand yourself and who you are, but most importantly the changes I've experienced have been a catalyst to help me realize the important things that truly matter. Things like love, friendships, trust, mental health, balance.

I am happy, healthy and enjoying some well-deserved time to focus on myself. The me that was writing before was burning the candle at both ends, working too hard and placing too much pressure on workouts, blogging and being everyone's everything.

The new me that's writing today comes in to work 2 hours later (and I'm still the 3rd person in the building), stops and gets a coffee before coming in to work, only has a running goal of 50 miles a month (half!), is doing strength training, is drinking ALL THE WATER, and only has that little twitchy eye once in a blue moon. This girl also took an entire week of work off in October. This girl feels balanced.

Speaking of balance, this weekend was a perfect example of what is important to me. Coffee dates, girl chats and much overdue real-talk with some of my closest ladies who probably have felt neglected the past year as my life has gotten career-crazy.

Sit back, smell the fresh roast and thank you for sticking around and supporting me.

Love,

Jessi