Blog Archives
Human Suffering
I’ve never liked the phrase, “It could be worse.” Or, “You could have it worse.” Or, look on the bright side, “other people have it worse than you,” or, “At least you don’t have…” The idea of acknowledging the potential suffering of another human being who *appears to be* in a worse state of affairs than one’s self, and using it to make one’s self feel better or suffer less seems rather distasteful to me. Because I ask, what is that person supposed to do, the one whom is supposedly more disadvantaged than one’s self? To whose hardships does he or she look to lessen his or her own suffering?
Through suffering, we learn compassion. We learn about our own inner strength. We learn to find joy in the simplest of ways. We learn to live in the present moment. We learn not to cope, but to THRIVE with whatever our current situation has to offer. We SEE.
Human Suffering… Eckhart Tolle speaks of suffering in this way: One’s own interpretation of the situation affects how one experiences it. It is not the situation itself that causes one’s suffering.
This level of consciousness brings light to the power of our thoughts and how we experience each moment. In essence, we have the power to make ourselves feel “better”. All I’m wondering is if it’s possible for us to do this without disrespecting the experiences of our fellow human beings by not using the misfortune of others to brighten our own day? After all, even labeling someone else’s situation as “misfortune” has no real truth to it for that is our own personal judgment of their situation.
The beauty is that we do not have to suffer, nor does the person who seemingly has it worse than ourselves. Once we realize this simple truth, that’s all we need to ease our future suffering and we can direct our thoughts in this manner. It’s not about other people because there are no “others”.
Peace,
Back to Beauty
YOU are beautiful. Can a phrase this unoriginal have real depth or meaning anymore? Something so simple, but so overused that we don’t stop to think about the different connotations: To gain a fresh perspective requires that we first question our belief about what the word “beauty” really means. Real beauty cannot be molded by the innuendo of pop culture. Real beauty has no trends to which one may feel pressured to conform. Real beauty is not focused on our physical body but on our entire being…. Real beauty is immeasurable, incomparable.
In a different light: “You are beautiful” is not a compliment. Whether you are told this multiple times per day or almost never, that does not alter the inherent beauty that you ARE. “You are beautiful” is a universal truth…
Which is not to say that we should stop telling people they’re beautiful, even if we’re referring to a beautiful picture of them. It just means that for ourselves, we can’t forget that we are beautiful not because someone told us so. Our self-worth should have nothing to do with this. It is the simple truth that: our worth exists as WE EXIST.
YOU are all things. YOU are.
Peace,
How to be healthy?
Drink your Kale.
Do you know about kale? In my opinion, it is the best multivitamin we can consume.
Let me tell you why:
Seven months ago I underwent an experiment to get more raw foods in my diet.
The desired raw food: KALE.
The method of consumption: Blended up in a smoothie.
Why? Because I might be a little bit crazy.
(Oh… and because, you know, I care about the health of my body.)
So there you have it. I watched a YouTube video for a kale smoothie recipe that consisted of kale, bananas, water, and ice. It wasn’t terrible, though I presume I should’ve blended it more because, until I got the hang of the required blending time, I was having to drink *and* chew my smoothie simultaneously (not recommended). I kept up on this smoothie regimen for a couple weeks, gradually adjusting the recipe to my liking, adding in frozen fruit instead of ice cubes (Check out my own recipe/directions below!). I made the kale smoothies in the morning, and for a while I was having a glassful with either oatmeal or eggs, or some other breakfast food along those lines. Then, I decided I wanted to go “all the way” and have ONLY a kale smoothie for breakfast so that one of my meals during the day would be entirely raw. Once I did that, there was no turning back.
It has been seven months. And every morning, I’ve started my day the same way. With a delicious kale smoothie. Coming from me, that says a lot because I’m not even a fan of straight vegetable juices… as much as I would love the quick infusion of vitamins and live enzymes, I can’t yet seem to stomach the strength of vegetable juice. But kale smoothies? I honestly enjoy them.
NOW… HERE’S THE REASON THAT I FEEL SO COMPELLED TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU:
I have not been sick once in the seven months since I’ve been drinking kale smoothies daily!!
Seriously. This is HUGELY significant because I have always been the person to get every little seasonal cold that passes my way. Had I not been drinking my kale, I am guessing that I would’ve had 3 or 4 minor colds by now. Truly amazing!
This is why I am convinced that kale is the best multivitamin we can consume, and why integrating kale smoothies in your diet will help you figure out everything you need to know about how to be healthy, and to prevent sickness. You will feel it.
By the way, I did a google search for “kale” just now, to try and find some info to share with you, and I stumbled across this site:
…and I bought an organic t-shirt that reads, “EAT MORE KALE.” How ridiculously perfect is that? I’m so excited!
My new mission in life:
To inspire as many people as I can to eat kale every day. Ha. I’ve already convinced my mom to drink a kale smoothie every day (and that was quite a feat considering my family’s initial aversion to what they called “blended grass”).
Kale Smoothies are a step in the right direction for how to be healthy. Take control of what sustains your body and keeps you alive and well! KALE is the way!
End of Story. (Jessie steps down from her soapbox…)
Beginning of YOU feeling vibrant and healthy:
KALE SMOOTHIE INSTRUCTIONS
Makes one Blender-full
Ingredients:
4 or 5 leaves of Kale - or as much as you can handle. The more, the better!
One medium banana – optional. Makes it sweeter. Sometimes I do without.
Frozen Fruit – Any kind. I switch it up every day or so… Mango might be my fave.
Water – If this is too bland or too “green” for you, by all means use fruit juice! Any kind. Experiment to see what you like!
By the way – the Blueberries I used for this smoothie are from a great local-to-Seattle company called Remlinger Farms. While this product is not labeled organic, I was able to call their farm and speak with them directly about their farming methods. I found out that they do grow sustainably, using methods that keep the ecosystem in balance – they just chose not to go through the hassle and expense of applying for organic certification from the powers that be. I don’t blame them, and it makes me feel good to support local farmers. (On the other hand… the banana is organic, but most definitely NOT local to Seattle!)
Step 1: Peel Banana, Place in Blender in large chunks
Step 2: Place Frozen Fruit in Blender (I never measure the amount – it might be about 1 1/2 cups.)
Step 3: Use your hands to pull the leafy part of the kale off the stems, tear into pieces, and place in blender
Step 4: Add Water or Juice (Again, I never measure. take a look at the pics below to see water level relative to the rest of the ingredients in the blender)
Step 5: Blend thoroughly until consistency is smooth, then Pour! (May take a couple minutes, depending on the strength of your blender. You may also need to add more liquid.)
(Mmm…. Brown Smoothie.)
Step 6: ENJOY! (If you’re having ONLY a kale smoothie for your meal, then drink the entire blenderful! Or, have a glass and share your good health with your friends and family.)
Try it and let me know what you think!
Peace,
