Dream it. Believe it. Live it.

From my blog Bueller's Kitchen, but wanted it to share it here as well:

"Dreams are the seedlings of realities. The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits in the egg, and in the highest vision of the soul, a waking angel stirs."
- James Allen



That is my new motto for 2009. This is a big year for me as I continue to grow and explore what I want my life to be. I've made even bigger decisions than last year. I think last year I was the little seedling under the soil searching for the sun and this year I've broken through the surface and can feel it's rays! I've made a pact with myself that I will live this year for me, the way I want to live it. I have decided to work for myself. No more corporate 9-9 behind the desk watching the world go by and the sun set through my office window, no more only "talking" with family and friends on IM and emails between meetings, no more vowing everyday to get my 10 minutes of sunlight but never finding the time until it's set, no more backaches from sitting in a chair for 10 hours a day, no more scarfing dinner down late at night just before bed only to wake up and do it all again, etc. It will be hard and challenging to live on much much less but feeling the sun on my face everyday when I go for my morning walk, the breeze blowing through my hair and filling my lungs, squishing the sand between my toes, tasting saltwater on my face as waves crash at my feet, spending time with my Mom baking, strolling on the beach with my Dad, eating out and traveling with my brother, taking photographs and selling my work, THIS is what I want more of. As well as finding Mr. Right, cause he sure wasn't in my office (ideas always welcome).

I have not left my business completely, I will just be freelance and playing the game on my terms. I still love what I do, I just don't agree with how we are all going about it and what it has become. I refuse to be another mouse on a wheel running round and round waiting for my piece of cheese. I'd rather make my own vegan cheese, thank you very much. When I was little I was fortunate enough to have been raised by my amazing parents who are creative, talented, supportive, and who follow the beat of their own drum. I was always curious about my friends parents who went into an office every day. I would sometimes go with them on "bring your kid to work days" all excited to see what this place called "the office" that I always heard of was really like. My friend and I would have fun playing "executive" filling out forms and answering pretend "very important phone calls" to which I would reply, "I'm sorry, she (me) is in a very important meeting...no I couldn't possibly...it's very very important".

It wasn't until I became an executive myself that I realized the problem with what we think is important. What I thought was important in my life. We have become a nation of workaholics. Working and succeeding has become more important than family and personal fulfillment. I'm 34, almost 35, and I don't want to wake up one day at 40, in the same office, looking out the same window, wondering what happened to my life and where my Mr. Right is, my family, my dreams.

The big awakening came when I read the book "The Blue Zone: Lessons for living longer from the people who've lived the longest" by Dan Buettner which is a study on centenarians. The biggest common factors I saw from this is diet (full of whole foods rich in minerals - most were vegan), lots of daily exercise, and quality time with family and friends. How many of these things did I have on a daily basis? One. My diet. I'm really proud of what I accomplished last year with becoming a conscious eater and taking responsibility for my health. That was a big transition and a necessary first step. Now it's time for Part Two and I hope you will support me and enjoy following me on this journey. This year it's time to take the responsibility for my health to the next level by taking care of my own happiness and spiritual well being. To have a healthy temple of a body I need the four pillars of health to be strong: good food, family, friends, faith, and laughter.

That's not to mean I won't be posting about new recipes, mercury poisoning recovery, adrenal fatigue, health articles, etc. That will be the majority of posts but I will also be exploring what it means to be happy. Truly happy. I want joy in my life. I want joy in my kids life when I have them. I hope you will experience some joy in your life. It's time to Dream it, Believe it, Live it!

Here's a poem that I think sums it up:

Happiness by Carl Sandburg

I ASKED the professors who teach the meaning of life to tell me what is happiness. And I went to famous executives who boss the work of
thousands of men.
They all shook their heads and gave me a smile as though
I was trying to fool with them
And then one Sunday afternoon I wandered out along
the Desplaines river
And I saw a crowd of Hungarians under the trees with
their women and children
and a keg of beer and an
accordion.

LIVE A LIFE YOU LOVE AND YOU WILL LIVE A LONG LIFE! - Bueller