Good morning my favorite peanut butter lovers!
(And good morning to you peanut butter haters as well. I like you too… but think you’re a little crazy.
)
I hope your day is off to a great start. Mine began as all Wednesdays seem to around here… at zee gym!
Ryan and I headed to the gym to knock out 20 minutes of cardio on the elliptical before I headed into my usual BodyPump class. Today’s class was okay… I felt like the lunge track was easier than usual. I hate it when the BodyPump people incorporate squats into the lunge track. There is a squat track for that! Stick with the lunges. I hate ‘em, but they work… and if I’m there, I want to get the most out of my workout. Kick my boo-tay!
After the ‘Pump, I took Sadie on a 20-minute walk. The weather is surprisingly brisk in Central Florida this morning! I wore a hoodie and a fleece. What’s the deal!? I think the cooler temperatures are fleeting though because this weekend it’s supposed to be in the ‘80s.
Breakfast
Surprise, surprise! More overnight oats!
Have you noticed that I tend to fall deeply in love with certain meals and eat them over and over again until a new love-ah comes into town? First it was bagelwiches (actually, I kind of want one of those right now…) and now it’s overnight oats!
In today’s bowl:
- 1/2 c. old fashioned oatmeal
- 3/4 c. pumpkin
- 3/4 c. almond milk
- 2 tbsp. chia seeds
- 1 Stevia packet
- Pumpkin pie spice
Loved this combo!
I think Sadie did, too.
I don’t know why, but her expression in the above picture makes me laugh!
Life’s Handbook
And now, before heading into work this morning, I want to share an email I received yesterday with you that I thought was really neat.
Handbook to Life
Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
Personality:
11. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don’t have negative thoughts over things you cannot control. Instead, invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don’t overdo. Keep your limits.
14. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. Be grateful for what you have been given.
18. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
21. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away (like algebra class) but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
22. Smile and laugh more.
23. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Society:
24. Call your family often.
25. Each day give something good to others.
26. Forgive.
27. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
28. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Life:
31. Do the right thing!
32. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
33. God heals everything.
34. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
35. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
36. The best is yet to come.
37. When you awake alive in the morning, thank God for it.
38. Your inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
Question of the Morning
- Which one of the “lessons” above struck a cord with you?
My favorites were numbers 10, 11, 14, 20, 29 and 35. Well, let’s be honest. I kind of loved all of them.
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Ah #12! It was what I needed. Yesterday I reminded me of some people that are just plain nutty & toxic so #12 rings loud and true, good motivation for me to get out of my funk!
One of the areas that stood out the most to me was “Don’t compare yourself to others.” As a grad student (and woman) this can be the most difficult of all because I find myself always comparing my work to others or parts of my body, etc. It really is a daily struggle, but something I am conscious of and working towards fixing.
ps love your blog! 🙂
I especially loved number 18: Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present. This is definitely something I am working on and I truly believe it is the key to living in and enjoying the present and finding your own happiness.
Thanks for sharing this!
I loved them all, esp 24 and 30, because I live far from my hometown and keeping in touch is so important!
Oh, and I’m a BP instructor but I actually like squats during track 7, haha. Most releases have squats written in during lunges and since we are forbidden to change choreography, there’s no way around it for those who don’t like the extra squats. Release 77 has a great lunge track – I don’t know if your gym has launched it yet, but it’s my fave since 74, even though there are a few squats at the end 🙂
Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6. I like that one. Ever since starting my community service yoga teaching at the rehab center, I’ve really enjoyed chatting with the older people there. They always have such nice stories and are, for the most part, really happy people!
great post!! for me its “the best is yet to come” im going through a break up with my bf, and I know I deserve better and im doing the right thing but its the hardest thing in the world right now…so I just keep thinking this to myself 🙂
i’m going through the same thing! keep your head up!
Thanks Dani 🙂 You too <3
I love this list 🙂 I am so going to live this up (and might use it to post on my blog- but of course link back to ya!!) LOVE it. I love the sleep one–b/c I LOVE sleep 🙂
LOVE that handbook to life! couldn’t pick just one, so many resonated with me!
36. The best is yet to come. <– This gets me up and excited every single morning. The thought that I haven't even experienced life's best is so incredible to me!
Hei, I am new reader of your blog and absolutely love it 🙂
Just wondering, do you just soak your oats or cook these a bit also? I am doing family oats with overnight soaking in water and then cooking it and adding milk.
just soak ’em over night!
thanks, sad we dont have almond milk here
hi efka – you can make your own. let me know if you’d like the “method”
of course I would like to know 🙂
share the secrets
ohh and I love all these lessnons
Hi! I’m a newer-ish reader, and just wanted to leave a comment to let you know that all of your breakfast ideas have totally changed my morning meals for the better! (and have made them WAY more creative!) I’ll definitely keep reading! 🙂
PS- In regards to Ruelala… I’m on your level!
I love this list! #28 and #34 were great. I always have to remind myself of 34. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. When I get stressed, everything seems so wrong, but it usually resolves itself in a few days.
I love this post. Sometimes it helps to go back to essentials and to see things in perspective!
Mine were 12, 14, 19, and 35 🙂
I posted this on my blog as well (with a link to you of course!) it’s such a great and meaningful handbook for sure <3
Julie,
I loved the one about spending time with people over 70 and children under 6. Each is amazing in their own way. Working with both populations has really opened my eyes and I come home everyday wanting to adopt a new “grammy”
#11! That’s a great one to live by.
Loved this post!
There are PBF haters?!?! Seriously? That’s ridiculous!
30. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
I am not a workaholic…. but I let life in general get in the way of this sometimes.
I need to print this out and post it somewhere so I’ll read it everyday. I love each and every one of them! Also, I HATE squats in the lunge track!!
I love this list! Number 30 seems really apt. I sometimes forget how important friends are, but I know that they will always be there for me and it is important to keep in touch!
35 really resonates with me right now, as the end of my semester approaches.
All of them mean a lot to me though, I believe everyone one of ’em!
Thanks Julie!
35. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
Mondayitis, need I say more. I suffer from this more often then I’d like to admit. Although my hubby says I suffer from everydayitis. So not true…I think.
I want to be a morning a exercise person or just a morning person period. How do you do it?! I find when I can get my butt up early (which is rare) I am so productive.
I recently went through a really rough time and for that reason the entire last section really hit home. I love “The best is yet to come.” And I liked the sentiment to smile while you walk. I find myself doing this on sunny days when I’m just happy to be me, be alive, and to be experiencing life.
I liked:
“what other people think about you is none of your business”
and
“try to make at least three people smile every day”
Thanks for posting these, they’re all so great!! and helpful 😉
I’ve heard #35 before..and I think it’s so true. My mom always says, “Do you want to put on a little make-up? It might make you feel better,” whenever my sisters or I are feeling down. I think that how we dress really does affect the way we feel and carry ourselves!
I had over a 100 unread items on my google reader, but this post really caught my attention. I simply love this list.
I realised that my favourites are pretty similar to yours :10,12,20,29,36.
I came across a similar list recently, but I think this is a lot more comprehensive:
http://www.eyeforbeauty.com/Personal/Philosophy/instructions.html
35. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
I have learn that showing up represent 90% of my success. Really. I have a hard time moving my butt in a new place but once I got there, I see all the opportunities I could have missed by not showing up.
I still have to work more on dressing up. In my attemp to get out of the house as faster as I can so I won’t change my mind, I end up looking a little bit too casual.
LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog! I happened upon it about 2 weeks ago and I believe I’m a bit addicted :-X I just tried the peanut butter chocolate overnight oats a few days ago and although I had to heat them up (it’s still cold here in MD) I super loved them and they actually kept me full all morning! Reading your blog has been just the push I needed to get me back into my health kick. Thank you!!
yes! i love reading these over because each one could be important on any different day
Thanks so much for this! Great way to start the day.
What a thought provoking post. You are really gifted at sharing uplifting thoughts. I agree with Christina- this was a great way to start the day! Thanks for sharing!
PS- Sadie’s face is priceless in those pictures! Isn’t it funny how many things they like? Mine eats green beans and carrots… and basically anything else from my plate! They’re such a source of joy
The handbook is awesome. Makes you ponder over the real purpose of existence…
Love, LOVE this post! It has created some more New Year’s inspiration!(:
I just read this post! LOVE it. Definitely something to read over and over again to give you a boost. Thanks Julie for this great find:)