Life in OM

Life in OM: I'll Be Happy When...

 

 

I'll be happy when I'm rich.

I'll be happy when I've lost 20 pounds.

I'll be happy when I find someone and get married.

I'll be happy when I've had kids.

I'll be happy when said kids go to college.

I'll be happy when I get a better job.

I'll be happy when I go on vacation.

I'll be happy when I get a new car.

I'll be happy when I've finished school.

I'll be happy when I move away from here.

 

See a pattern here?

Basing your happiness on some external source that might happen is a waste of your energy and only leads to disappointment.

Why disappointment? As soon as you achieve whatever you thought it was that would make you happy, you realize you're still unhappy. So you move on to the next thing that will guarantee happiness and that doesn't work either.

It doesn't matter where you go or what you achieve,  if you don't know to look for happiness within,  you are always going to be relentlessly searching for it.

It's a vicious cycle that many of us end up in for most of our lives

Happiness comes from within. Do you see the glass half full or half empty?

Each of us has many things to be grateful for. Even if your situation is bleak there is always something to be thankful for.

We are all complete beings as we are and we all have the means to be happy- it's just a choice.

During this week of giving thanks,  have gratitude for all that you have,  rather than chasing after things that you think will make your life better.

Hopefully, it will put a smile on your face and true happiness in your heart.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

 

 

Life in Om: Take 5

 

I know it may seem impossible at times but we all have 5 minutes to spare for ourselves during the day.  Some of us might even have 10, but I won't push it.

So you find these 5 minutes, morning is preferable but if you can't do it then just find your spare 5 whenever you can.

Make sure it's quiet. This again may seem like an unattainable feat but seriously, if you have to go lock yourself in the bathroom- do it.

For this entire five minutes you are going to do absolutely nothing. You’re not going to talk, you’re not going to move and most importantly you’re not going to think.

All you're going to do is breathe and listen to your breathe.

Locate some kind of timer or alarm that you can set to go off in 5 minutes; you don't want to be distracted by constantly checking your watch.

Find a comfortable seat in your quiet place and bring yourself to total stillness. This is harder than you think so don't get frustrated but if you want your mind to calm, you have to start with the body.

Now take some deep full breaths. Count to 3 or 4 on the way in and count to 3 or 4 on the way out. When you feel your body begin to relax, return to your normal breath.

If you start thinking about work, the groceries or the 10 other things you could be doing during this time, start up that deep breath with the count again.

If you’re going to think about anything think about letting go.

Once your timer or alarm has beeped you can get up and start your day.

Congratulations, you just meditated.

Now you are probably asking why in the hell would I want to do this? 

Taking five minutes out of your day to focus on yourself can make all the difference between keeping a balanced, level head and being a stressed out disaster.

I try to do 5-10 minutes on weekdays and 20-30 minutes on the weekends and believe me my home and the world in general are a much safer place because of it!!

Sitting still or meditation is also extremely beneficial both physically and mentally.

You don't have to don robes and go sit in a cave for three hours either. It's an accessible practice that helps us grow and begin to understand ourselves better.

Happiness is about finding balance. By taking 5 minutes a day to be still we begin to counter the effects of our very hectic, active, and stressful lifestyles.

So take 5, then 10 or maybe even 20 if you have the time. Stick with it for at least 4 weeks and pay attention to how you feel. I promise you won't regret it.

 

Life in OM: Who Cares?!

Ok, I realize it may sound flippant, insensitive, and detached but a lot of us would fare much better in this life if every now and again we gave it a big WHO CARES!!

Obviously I'm not speaking of the important things like your health, your loved ones or the environment.

I'm talking about the person who didn't park within the lines, the person who forgot to invite you to a meeting, and the one who left the coffee pot empty.

Honestly,  if you let yourself be affected by all these little things, you will be one big, miserable mess.

What's the sense in getting outraged by your colleague down the hall who didn't come by and say hello, or the not so nice email from a co-worker who was having a crappy morning or maybe even with yourself for eating a dessert at lunch.

Seriously, you have better things to do then to allow yourself to get stressed about these things.

I've even developed a small test for this kind of thing,  I call it "The 100 years test".

In 100 years I'll be dead and will it really matter that someone forgot to make a new pot of coffee - probably not so much!!

It's a great litmus test to see what you should actually be concerned about and what you can just give a big WHO CARES!!!! to.

Life is too short to let the little things make you miserable. Remember you create your own happiness and you decide what's important!!

Life in OM Recipe: Tuscan Skillet

This is a quick dish and although the photo is not that appetizing I promise it tastes great. 

It's packed with nutrients and is low in calories.

I use soy crumbles or Quorn grounds but for those of you not vegetarian you can substitute turkey grounds or lean ground beef.

2 -15 oz cans of Great Northern Beans drained and rinsed

8oz - Soy or Quorn crumbles

1 cup of your favorite tomato sauce

1 pack frozen chopped spinach,  defrost and drain

1 small onion chopped

5 cloves garlic chopped (if your not a fan use less)

spray olive oil

1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (add upon serving)

Chop up your onion and garlic and put it in a large saucepan lightly sprayed with olive oil.  Cook till translucent.

Add spinach and saute a good deal of the water out. Add crumbles / grounds and cook 3-4 minutes. 

Add tomato sauce and beans. Cook another 3-4 minutes and you're done!!

Serve up with a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese.

It makes about four 1.5 cup servings, for those of you on Weight Watchers it's 4 points a serving.

Freeze it and have it for lunch, enjoy!!