I absolutely love celebrating the new year, because, similar to birthdays, I just feel that they are a brand new start, a baptism of sorts. I truly try to refresh my life on my birthday each year, as well as the new year. My plan for 2014 is to take some time for self-exploration. In the counseling field, we talk often about our personal health plan or our self plan - there are many terms for it - basically a plan to preserve our sanity and overall health. Obviously, if a counselor is not taking care of his or her own social, emotional, physical, spiritual, or basic needs, how can they truly help others? Often times, this is when we see "burn out" with our counselors. However, personal health plans are not only a good plan for counselors; I believe that each and every individual should have a plan of what they need to do to stay happy and healthy.
When I am feeling particularly stressed, some of my "self health" plans include:
- writing in my journal
- cooking
- running
- yoga
- going to Church, meditating, reading the Bible
- talking and visiting with friends and family
- spending time in nature
- spending alone time to reflect
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| 2014 Mason Jar! |
I am excited to see how many positive ideas, stories, moments and memories I have at the end of the year.
So, even though it has taken a couple of weeks after the holidays and the actual new year, I finally feel like I am starting to get back to myself. I have been working out, not daily or even consistently, but I have been exercising for ME, when I want to. Naturally, I have been job searching, spending time helping Filbert and Friday (my feline friends) get accustomed to their current home, I started a puzzle and I have been READING! I have already read three books in the past week and a half, and I love it. Oh yes, and... I cooked something new this past week!
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| I really enjoyed this marinade! |
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| Tex Mex Quinoa |
So, what did I put with my quinoa to make it "Tex Mex"? I added onion, frozen corn, and black beans for starters. Naturally, I added some cumin and the recipe called for cayenne pepper, which I would have put in, but I was cooking for family and the family members were not too fond of spice. However, when I make this for myself or some other "heat" lovers, I will absolutely put in some cayenne pepper to give it an additional kick. Also, I did not mix the black beans into the entire quinoa mixture, because I was not sure if the family were black bean fans. I absolutely love black beans - such a great source of iron and fiber - yay nutrients!
After I made this Tex Mex Quinoa, I asked myself what I could add to kick it up a notch; it was good on it's own, but if I wanted to add some more creaminess, I could have added chopped jalapenos, sour cream, or shredded cheese, similar to what I would add to my stuffed peppers or tacos. This quinoa recipe was created with the thought that it would be the main dish; however, I cannot just eat one thing for dinner, so I made this the side and added some chicken for the extra protein. However, it was delicious and I could absolutely eat it on its own.
Although I am still getting back on my feet and I hope to be working more full-time soon, I am enjoying this time to sit, relax and explore. I recommend that everyone does this often, despite how busy life can become. I am so thankful and blessed in every area of my life - I hope to be able to take the time to recognize this more often and share it with others.
Stay tuned and I hope to share more thoughts, recipes and stories in my next post!
