Humble and Kind

I won't sit here and go on and on about how this song moves me to tears every time I hear it.  I don't have to tell you how beautifully the video is done.  

The proof is right here, in his words, melody, and vision.

I hope you love it as much as I do...

When those dreams you're dreamin' come to you

When the work you put in is realized

Let yourself feel the pride but

Always stay humble and kind

These are my words to live by today....

Happy Thursday Peeps :)

10

10 Days.

240 Hours.

14,400 Minutes.

864,000 Seconds.

As in I've made it through 10 days of Whole 30.  A part of me wishes it was Whole 10, but then again, I really feel like I'm just getting started.  Never did I imagine that I would make it this far.  After all, this is literally the longest I've gone without any of the following:  sugar, processed carbs, dairy, alcohol.  I've haven't given up any single thing for this long, let alone ALL OF THEM.

It's crazy when you think about it.

No cookies fresh from the oven.

No glass of wine while cooking dinner.

No side of crackers with my bagel sandwich.

No pizza.

Sigh..... this is getting depressing.

But, in all honesty, I'm not worried about getting to day 30 anymore.  I'm more worried about what happens on day 31.  I know we reintroduce groups back in, but I haven't gotten there yet.

In honor of this momentous day, I thought I'd give you this:

The Top Ten Things I Learned from Whole 30: Part 1

1. I can go so much longer in between meals than I could before.  And hunger doesn't feel like I'm going to pass out if I don't eat something.
2. I like things like sweet potatoes, mangos - and taking a page out of my mom's cookbook - adding onions to EVERYTHING.  She'd be proud.  Blake and Toby, on the other hand, are mortified that the house smells like onions.
3. I definitely have more energy now.  Couldn't say that the first week, so that is a good thing.
4. Coffee creamer is a non-negotiable for me.  If I can only have fruits, veggies, and meat, then I am allowing this one small mental treat.  Yes, I said mental treat.
5. I am waking up easier now.  Or maybe I should say that when I wake up, I actually want to get out of bed now.
6. I no longer think about food 24/7.  
7. Night time is definitely my Danger Zone.  I went to bed at 9 pm pretty much the whole first week to stop myself from thinking about the things I used to eat.
8. Tea really does help curb some cravings.
9. I feel a weird happiness at odd times during the day.  
10. I've learned it isn't so much about will power, but just setting your mind to something.  I have wanted nothing more than to feel better for the past few years, and I finally feel like this is the last puzzle piece to fit in.  

Change doesn't happen overnight, but second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day. It happens one choice at a time.  It happens when you can't tolerate the way things are anymore and brave enough to make that choice.

I'm so happy I did.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Tribe

Taylor Swift has her squad.

Oprah has Gayle.

Mark Wahlberg has his entourage.

And I have my tribe.

In this day and age, when life is moving quickly, and you don't know what day it is half the time, it's nice to know that a girlfriend is just a text away.  I know, I know, we're all obsessed with our phones, and everyone just wants to unplug!

But not me.  No way.  I get nervous when my phone gets to 20% battery left.

If it weren't for my phone, I wouldn't have been able to get through this week.  Like, for real.

A simple text message, or a year long group text, can literally change the course of my day.  You see, on the other end of that text is someone I treasure.  Someone I can bond with over Whole30 Hell.  Someone who gets my writing struggles.  Someone who is also waiting for the end of a Championship game that has gone into overtime and a shoot out.  Someone who makes me giggle, and someone who knows when I'm crying.

I don't think it's antisocial - unless you're at a restaurant with a friend across from you - because you're communicating and sharing your life with your tribe.

And everyone needs a tribe.  I love my husband just as much as the next person, but it's my girlfriends who have gotten me through life.

The nitty gritty stuff.
The stuff that men just wouldn't understand.
The diets nutrition resets.
Stuff like waxing, mothering, and Criminal Minds.
Scandal textathons.
Books!  Men just don't get books.
Fear of failing at motherhood.
Fear of failing at writing.
Fear of just failing.

I don't know any woman who is able to handle motherhood, work (or not), schedules, meals, family, games, and travel without a TRIBE around her.  If you're lucky enough to see that tribe every day, well yay for you.  I am not that fortunate, but I am blessed to have a list of friends I can text at any moment to share my life with.


So be thankful, today.  Thankful for the women who just get who you are and still like you :)  Life goes fast and I know we are only here for a short time.  Don't hold grudges or pass judgements... you sometimes don't know what someone else is going through.   Instead, take the high road and be kind to everyone.  Not everyone will be a part of your tribe and that's okay.  Haters are going to hate, and you'll always be able to find someone who can criticize everything you do.  It's okay.  You don't need their opinion, but you can still be nice.

It's taken me a while to get to this point.  Like I said earlier, I wouldn't have gotten through the week without my peeps, so perhaps I'm feeling a bit mushy right now.

Take a moment and text a friend.  Make them giggle... tomorrow is Monday and they need it.

Happy Sunday Peeps!

Food

My friend Linda has always told me that weight loss and getting to a "normal" size is 90% about what you eat.  

I never liked it when she would tell me this.  I would simply look for an exercise plan that could allow me extra calories or cheat days.  I mean, I would hear what she was saying, but politely decline that it would work for me.

After all, I've tried every diet on the planet.  Giving up food groups is too hard.  Tracking food is too annoying.  Counting calories makes me want to stick a fork in my eye.

So when I came across the book It Starts with Food, I was a little skeptical.   Okay, a LOT skeptical.  You don't give up one food group, but several.  S E V E R A L.  

And by several, I'm talking about 90% of what I eat.  I'm guessing Linda is giggling about now.

But here's the deal:  When I started reading the book, I wasn't intimidated by what I couldn't eat, and what I'd have to give up for 30 Days.  I was inspired by the benefits I would gain from doing getting rid of the foods that are wreaking havoc on my system.  Within the first few chapters, I was hooked.  More than anything, I want to wake up in the morning and not think about how many hours till I can crawl back in.  I would actually like to feel my age (or younger!) and not 85.

Will this be easy.   Ummm, no, but I'm actually excited about the challenge.  I'm ready for it.  And I bought more vegetables today than I did pretty much all of last year alone!  I've never really been one for taking the easy road either... just look at what I do for a living.

So, tomorrow starts the day.  The day when Linda's 90% makes the difference in my life.  Needless to say, I'm taking the week off from working out, mostly because I think I'll want to kill someone by Wednesday.  

Good news?  The Golden Globes is on TONIGHT (oh how I've missed Ricky Gervais), and I can even enjoy a glass of wine while I watch!  Can't say that tomorrow :)

Need a laugh?  I highly encourage you to watch this then.  I giggled most of the way through it... Will probably watch every day this week.

That's it from me tonight!  Wish me luck, and those are my words to live by...

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year (disregard that we're one week in)

One of my intentions of the year is to write more, to my peeps, and have more to say about life.  I went through a phase of wanting to change several things about this blog, including the name, but when it all comes down to it, I really just want to give you words to live by.  I want to make you laugh, cry, and feel like someone else gets what you're going through.  Changing everything was all about procrastinating, which I have damn near perfected.

I have learned to procrastinate like it's my JOB.

Mo Parisian, Senior Executive Procrastinator.

Does this ring a bell with anyone else or am I the only one???

My goal for this blog is to find and connect to more readers this year.  I know that means streeeeeeetching my writing consistency and creativity.  Most of the time, I sit and struggle with what to write, thinking that I've already said what I came here to say.  I will literally get through an entire post and delete it, thinking WHO IS GOING TO CARE ABOUT THAT?

Well that time is done.  Of course I'll still go over some of the same topics, but change is in the air.

I even made a fancy little manifesto to drive the point home.

Here are some simple things we can do every single day to make sure we're living our best lives.  Obviously some of these are easier than others, and everyone's list will look different.  This baby is just mine.  

After my month of gratitude back in November, I really learned that I'm not all sunshine and butterflies inside.  Shocking, right?  Stop laughing.  

But seriously, I will be the first to admit that I should be dressed a in full Darth Vader outfit some days.  Other days it's sunshine and butterflies.  The practice of gratitude (and it is a practice) will simply improve your chances of sunshine on any given day.  

More sunshine - even in Michigan - and less Vader.  Check.

More time management - it's number 1 for a reason - will prevent me from uttering things like 'I don't have time.'  I have the time.  I just choose to use it watching Scandal, or whatever else is on any given night.

Senior.  Executive.  Procrastinator.

This year is about the beginning of change.  I started on this journey last May, but this is the year I will intentionally change to get what I want.  

And these are my words to live by....