It has been a while. I must say that I have truly missed writing blog posts!! I know it has only been 5 of them, but that’s not the point…lol. There is so much more I have been wanting to share!

So…why did I stop?

1) It took me longer than expected to adapt to being in a new city.

I was shocked to see how challenging it would be to live in Baltimore. I realized really quickly how different it was from the south, the only place I knew before coming here. I was not happy with being in this new city and often traveled to other places during the weekends.

2) I honestly did not have a lot of time to commit to my blog.

I was busy trying to get to know the city and its people (when I was in town), and felt that it could have been better if I had more time to dedicate to it.

3) A close friend of mine shared some feedback with me about one of my blog posts and although, she did not mean for her feedback to discourage me from writing. (After all she loved my blog and all of my other post.)

I took this feedback very personal. I began to question everything and doubt started to creep in. I began to think, “Was anything I wrote good enough?”

It has been over two years since I have written anything. (Well I did draft a couple of posts, but I feared criticism and it not measuring up so never hit publish.)

What have I learned?

1) Moving to a new city and not knowing anyone in not easy. I’ve done it twice before, but this third time was definitely the hardest. After talking to others about my challenge with this, I quickly realized that I was not alone in this struggle. A couple friends challenged me to not focus so much on the future that I missed enjoying the present! Enjoy your life just where you are. Be grateful and thankful for even the smallest of things.

2) I love volunteering! For over a year and a half, I was volunteering in an area that I was not super passionate about and found that this was one of the reasons I felt unfulfilled in my new city. I have learned that I need to follow my passion. Do more of what you love and less of what you don’t! We all have unique gifts and talents, and if we do something we were not created to do, we rob ourselves and others of our true gifts being manifested.

3) Don’t get offended so easily. After talking with my friend about her feedback and how it made me feel, she was shocked that it had a negative impact on me. She was coming from a place of love, but I interpreted it as an attack. When someone critiques your work (especially someone who cares about you), don’t be so quick to shrink back and doubt yourself or your craft. Talk with them to get a better idea of where they are coming from. You may decide to take their feedback if you find that it enhances your work, or you may leave it if does not quite fit with what you were going for.

4) Focus on the good! I received a lot of good feedback on my blog, but all it took was one person’s critique of one post for me to stop. More recently, I have stepped back to think about all of the people who inspire me and it hit me! What if all these people gave up when they received criticism? Oh, how my life would be so different without their contributions. I am so grateful that they did not give up! Think of all of the lives YOU can change, if you decide to focus on the positive.

5) No matter what you do, how nice of a person you are, how much money you have, how successful you are, there will still be people who do not like you. When I heard this, it gave me so much peace. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted. If I was perfect (which I am very far from) there would still be a percentage of people who did not like me. So why not be my whole self? The person God created me to be. You should be your whole self too! YOU are unique and have so much to contribute to the world! 

So, I am officially back and will be posting at least once per month and hope to increase the frequency as time goes on. I am deciding to take it one step at a time. I love writing and sharing these posts and am so excited to be back at it!!

As I close this post and transition into our challenge, I want to take a moment to remind you of a few things.

1. Embrace where you are now! Enjoy the journey!
2. Your time is precious, so do what you love and are passionate about!
3. When you receive critical feedback, try to gain an understanding of where the person is coming from.
4. Focus on the positive. Don’t let anything hold you back!
5. Be yourself, it makes all the difference. You are enough and have all it takes!

CHALLENGE

Take some time to reflect of one or more of the statements below.

Is criticism or the fear of criticism holding you back from doing what you love? Who are some people who have inspired you? What would your life be like if they gave up? Is there something you are not passionate about that is taking up your free time? Can you eliminate this and replace it with something you do enjoy? Are you not enjoying the moment or the journey, because you are focusing too much on future? Take some time to write down at least one thing you are grateful. Try to take time to enjoy where you are now.

Thanks so much for reading this post! Please feel free to share your comments, questions and/or suggestions below

While most people do not opt for greens when they are hungry, here are 3 reasons why you should 🙂

1. Greens are good for you!

They are filled with loads of vitamins and nutrients, which are good in combating different diseases and illnesses.

2.    Greens are often inexpensive.

I usually get 1 lb of organic salad from Safeway for $5 and it usually lasts me a week. If you don’t have a Safeway, Kroger and Aldi also has similar deals. You can also find really good deals on frozen veggies.

3. Greens can keep you fuller longer and can also help curb cravings.

When you give you body what it needs (vitamins and nutrients), your cravings should go away. When I eat veggies, I tend to not reach for high carb/overly processed snacks.

It is recommend that adults eat at least 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit.   Try to eat mostly low carbohydrate veggies, as these tend to have more nutrients than high carb veggies.

Follow these links to get more information on vegetables and fruits categories.

While it is best to get the organic version of fruits and vegetables  that are high in pesticides, if organic is too expensive, get the non-organic (conventionally grown) version. It is better to eat conventionally grown veggies than to eat no veggies at all!

Fresh and frozen veggies are better than veggies from cans, which are often loaded with salt, preservatives and chemicals.

It is also great to purchase locally grown produce from farmer’s markets in your area.

The key eating more green veggies is to start with the ones you like best!

My favorite ways to get my greens in:

1. Green smoothies – with avocado or greek yogurt, so I stay fuller longer
2. Salads – with avocados, nuts, cheese and homemade dressing (using olive oil instead of canola)
3. Cabbage – sautéed with butter and creole seasoning (or salt and pepper)
4. Stemmed Broccoli/Cauliflower – with butter and creole seasoning (or salt and pepper), or you can add cheese if you’d prefer
5. Roasted brussel sprouts  and asparagus

CHALLENGE

Eat at least one green veggie this week. If you can eat one daily that would be even better! I’m not asking you to give up what you are currently eating, however, you can if you would like. Just try adding a green veggie to what you already eat and see if you feel different. Here are some salad-free ways to get them in.

ALTERNATIVE CHALLENGE

If you already eat greens, try eating them daily. If you already eat them daily, try getting 3 or more servings in each day.

FUN FACT

It has been shown that good fats (like butter, coconut oil or avocado) can help your body to absorb more of the nutrients found in vegetables.

I have to start off by saying that I absolutely love volunteering, even more than I like working. While volunteering does not pay the bills, it can definitely lead to a job that does. And how do I know this?!? Because it happened to me 🙂

3 Reasons Why YOU Should Volunteer

(1) You have an opportunity to help others

• This is my absolute favorite thing about volunteering!
• You’ll be amazed at how this can completely change your mood.

(2) You can gain experience in or exposure to an area that you are interested in

• I was interested in the medical field, so volunteered at two clinics.
• One of the two clinics offered me a job. (Mind you I was applying everywhere, but got no call backs. If I had not been volunteering, I would not have gotten this job, since it was not even posted.)
• I learned that the medical field was not for me (which saved me loads of time and tons of money), and was exposed to another area that I never thought of pursuing.

#WINNING

(3) If you are bored out of your mind or have a lot of time on your hands, volunteering is a great way to fill empty space in your schedule

• For me, I needed to get out of the house and do something. I got so tired of filling out applications.
• Volunteering was a great outlet! It helped me to think less about my problems, and more about others 🙂 And really put things in perspective.

The Perks & Hurdles

• Most times, you can sign up for time slots that are convenient for you.
• You may decide to volunteer for a one-time event or commit to volunteer weekly.
• Meet new people (This is great, if you are new to an area)
• Learn new things (This is always good in my book)
• Most times you get free stuff for volunteering your time (SWEET!!)

CHALLENGE

 I would challenge you to start by volunteering for a one-time event, and see if you like it. Especially if you (1) have too much free time, (2) are looking for a job, (3) thinking of going back to school, (4) would like to help others,  or (5) are looking to meet new people.

Volunteer Match is great website. You can also Google “volunteer opportunities” in your city. If you like working with kids or pets you can tailor your Google search to fit that particular interest.

ALTERNATIVE CHALLENGE

If you already volunteer, maybe you can try volunteering in another area you are interested in, or you can add another shift to your current volunteer schedule.

FUN FACT

Lots of festivals, conferences and other events that charge a fee are often looking for volunteers. Most times, you work a shift and are allowed to stay and enjoy the fun after your shift is over.

Check out this opportunity to volunteer at a popular music festival, Panorama (and attend for FREE) . (While it is not the most savvy option, it can be a  cool option if you are (1) On a budget, (2) Doing it with friends, or (3) Looking to meet new people.)