Nourish, Grow, Sustain
Difficult time periods are rarely just an exercise in testing your resolve, it is usually an opportunity for life lessons and growth. We can’t always control the circumstances and the cards that are dealt for us, but we are in charge how we react to the environment and what we make out of it.
I can’t tell you what’s the best way to deal with some difficult issues you may be facing right now, you have to find your own answers and your own path. Stick with what feels right to you no matter how improbable or even silly it may look to others. You’re weaving your own tapestry following the pattern directed by your heart. You’re your own guide, deep inside your soul you have all the needed answers.
When I was home for 8 months undergoing cancer treatment, I was often too weak to go outside or do much more than curl up on a couch. Yet I remember it as one of the most productive periods in my life, I was able to accomplish a lot, right there not leaving my home. Not all work needs to be this grand production of a Hollywood scale undertaking, the most difficult work is usually done within yourself, whatever it is that’s needed to make a necessary shift in your life, both on a physical and emotional levels. And sometimes, like I said in my previous post, you need to go back to the basics, get in touch with your “inner child” or become a child for the time period again.
When I was sick, I surrounded myself with crayons, glitter, glue, family pictures and construction paper. Heck, I was already surrounded with medicines, blankets and “get well cards”, I might as well just play a little. I spent my time making a giant collage of how I wanted my treatment to go and what a general outcome I’d wish to have. And today, 5 years later, I can say that was exactly how everything went! Wishful thinking? It surely felt like it 5 years ago. Dreams come true? Absolutely! I still have beautiful shadow boxes that I made during those long 8 months. Going through family pictures, strolling through some memories, you can say that I wanted to preserve certain moments in case the outcome would not turn out in my favor, and the treatment would not work. I’m sure somewhere deep inside it was on my mind, however, from the very beginning, I felt that this experience was not to die from but to overcome, learn and grow from. Ambitious and arrogant? Probably. But your soul always knows much more than a human mind can even grasp.
So when you’re faced with some difficult choices in life, yet again, get back to the basics, take care of your whole being, nourish your body with good nutrition, let your soul grow and learn the lessons you were supposed to learn during this experience, sustain your character and don’t let anything compromise who you are.
You are a divine spark, and you will continue to shine on even during a personal eclipse period!
What’s Cooking This Week
Nourishing your body is of the utmost importance on a daily basis but it becomes simply crucial when you need extra strength to fight the disease or other life adversary. Look for simple but nutrient-dense ingredients and just be creative. Play with your vitamins a bit. 🙂 This recipe is beautiful in its simplicity but offers a perfects pairing of potent nutrition and adventurous spirit.
Pink Series: Recipe # 4
Smoked Salmon and Pomegranate Salad
1 cup of baby spinach
2 slices of smoked salmon
1-2 pearl red onions
1/4 cup of pomegranate arils
1 tspoon each olive oil and lemon vinegar
salt, pepper to taste
The recipe is pretty straightforward. Cut the onions and salmon, mix into spinach and top with pomegranate, season as desired and drizzle with oil and vinegar. Serve it as a side salad or a small lunch plate. I like it alongside a toasted bread with hummus. A wonderful dish full of vitamins and antioxidants.
Enjoy!