I stay my haste, I make delays, For what avails this eager pace?

"I stay my haste, I make delays,
For what evails this eager pace?
I stand amid the eternal ways,
And what is mine shall know my face."- John Burroughs

We are born into a mechanical world of man-made systems of both a physical and mental nature. And at countless junctures of our lives we feebly attempt to mold ourselves into these mechanisms. Some are favorable to our being; but most, I would venture to say, are of poor quality and have undesired effects on our lives. One of the most well known traps we fall into that leads to our degradation, is the concept of a face paced, high production, industrialized life. Everything must be accelerated, bigger, more efficient. This idea coupled with greed and a warped form of capitalism can lead to grossly deficient lives. This misconception finds its way into our food system, through the industrialization of our livestock and the debasement of our earth. This ideology finds its way into our living rooms through our televisions, through the distraction of our minds. The list is endless and I would encourage you to examine what is stealing your energy, your joy and rid yourself of it. Discard it as you would a rotting banana peel.

Have you ever wondered what your truly rushing for, where you are rushing too and what is the ramification of all this rushing? At some point it is of high importance for us to investigate our lives, every aspect of our existence and ask ourselves a question. Are we living life at the pace and with the passion and purpose that we were created to? Or have we bought into a way of living that leads to sickness? Through the depravity of our bodies and minds and the earth we live in, through a twisted conceptualization of production? What good is production if it produces dis' ease?

"I stay my haste, I make delays." Have you given yourself that freedom, have you given yourself the permission to make delays? "For what evails this eager pace?" What will we truly gain from all of this heedless rushing? Are we listening to our bodies, to our families, to our spirit? "I stand amid the eternal ways, And what is mine shall know my face." Are you holding onto to ancient truths, proven ways of living that create health and happiness? Are you giving your love and your energy to what is truly yours, and who honestly deserves it?

Take a moment....Take a deep cleansing breath. Esteem yourself and the importance of your life, give yourself the permission to live at a pace that suits your soul. In the act of ridding our lives of unnecessary things, we will find what is left is us. Our true self, our true being and our true purpose. If you are searching for this kind of life it will only avail itself through the habit of mental perseverance and spiritual diligence. It is a constant daily journey, yet the prize is happiness and fulfillment. There is no need to rush...We will all meet the end of our lives someday, the question is will we be able to look back over our experience here with harmony? With the gratification that we refused a society's idea of what our lives should be?

Come see us at The Wellness Kitchen. Make delays on our veranda with a cup of Healing Tea. Awaken your senses with the smell of sweet roses and the sound of water flowing in our gardens. Find your truth and hold onto it. And as always this is Sarah encouraging you to eat peacefully...

"Enjoy what you can......."

"Enjoy what you can, and endure what you must." Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

I hold near to my heart the saying "Take the good, with the bad." If we are to lead lives worth living, this truism is a lesson we must learn while navigating our personal journey. This one gem will shade all the colors of our existence here. If we are able to live in this reality, our lives will grant us more opportunities for happiness than we could have previously envisioned. I've said it repetitively through my messages here for it is an unvarnished truth that I hold dear to my soul, life is a great deal about perspective. And perspective is completely in our care, it is something we have absolute and utter control over. Even though most of us do not realize the power it holds over our lives.

This quote at first glance I would venture to say is a common truth, something we ascertain simply by living. We are all acutely aware that life will present certain discomforts and struggles, perhaps daily. But have we stopped to ponder if these struggles are worth their weight in gold? "Endure what you must"...why must we endure? We endure because it is in our best interest. It is in the prospect and probability of the growth of our character that we endure. In retrospect I can say there are many things that have happened to me throughout my life, the meaning and purpose of which I cannot comprehend. But in truth in the absence of these struggles, would I be the person I am today? Would I be as grateful and careful about preserving my health if at one point I didn't possess it? Would I live in the reality of the gift of life if I hadn't almost lost it? Would I comprehend fully (as if anyone ever could) the gift of love if I hadn't been through trying relationships? I have resolved to be grateful for these experiences, because they have given me the opportunity to choose a healthy and advantageous outlook. Perspective when molded and crafted carefully by the resolve of our minds, can lead to an immensely fulfilling life.

Samuel Johnson stated, "What a strange narrowness of mind now is that, to think the things we have not known are better than the things we have known." Who's to say our beautiful struggle isn't within itself of great worth? Who's to say what we have been through hasn't made our lives far better than they would have been without these difficulties? This is the truth we must accept in our minds and in this accepting all things become more beautiful. Let us be grateful for what we have known, so that we can move towards what we will know with the sagaciousness to enjoy life in all its splendor.

Wherever you are today at this moment count your blessings, live in the gift of gratefulness. Come see us at The Wellness Kitchen, let us be a part of your journey a part of your personal path to wellness. On all our paths we must see the gifts that have been hidden in struggle and in joy. And as always this is Sarah encouraging you to eat peacefully....

"When you come to the end of your rope......

"When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."
-Franklin D. Roosevelt

What a lucid image. Haven't we all at one point or another felt this way? That we had nothing left, that our inner reserves had been completely depleted? That an ant could push us over. What a blessing it is that we are all in this together, that we share in the similar struggles and experiences, that none of us are truly alone. It is at these moments, these edifices of our lives that we have the opportunity to experience the greatest internal growth. If we choose to stand firm in the opportunity of these moments and the resource for growth they grant us, we may benefit greatly. By navigating these struggles properly we will gain a richness in character and spirit that lead to an abundant life.

Throughout my personal history it seems I have either grown better or grown bitter from each life experience. The remarkable truth about this is it is completely and utterly my choice! Why do we forget this, why do we live in confusion about this law? We unbeknownst make crucial life altering choices daily by the way we react to our circumstance. Either we shrink or grow under the weight that life has placed on our shoulders. Our mental "muscles" either increase in stamina and strength as we ascertain new ways to overcome, or we allow the new and unexpected afflictions to atrophy our resolve.

Take a moment and visualize the greatest struggle you are currently facing. The giant you must overcome, identify it. Now envision lifting it from your shoulders and throwing it off. Put all your strength into it, dig your feet deep into the soil and thrust it off. In the act of "throwing off" the hardship that fear has placed in our hearts, we are able to then face our challenges clear headed. How do we do this? How do we throw off the weights? We live in hope and abandon fear. We let go of the question "why" and we embrace the question "how." How can I gain from this experience, how may I grow stronger for it? How will I live in hope, and have a grip on the reality of what it must take to prevail? These are the questions worthy of your invaluable time and energy. What afflicts you does not hold a candle to who you are, the stuff you are made of.

If you feel there is no strength left in you, it's alright. If you find it to difficult to hope, it is ok. Come see us at The Wellness Kitchen we have real answers, applicable tools that can assist you and guide you towards wellness. Find beauty and hope around you and let it permeate to your soul. Meditate, pray, be silent. And as always this is Sarah encouraging you to hope often and eat peacefully....

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet......"

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition aspired, and success achieved." Helen Keller

Most of us would glance at this quote and concur that is a true statement. I would venture to say most of us would consider this quote to be common sense. Now whether or not we have the wherewithal to grasp this concept while in the throws of our most challenging trials, is a matter of a completely different sort. While undergoing these growing pains of life, it is at times of great difficulty to have the insight to see the future benefits our current situation may grant us. But there is always truth in pain; a hidden lesson, an advantageous character trait we have the opportunity to develop, if we so choose. In every situation we possess the option to benefit from it in the form of personal growth.

A Mexican Proverb that I cherish states, "It is not enough for a person to know how to ride; they must know how to fall." While in the "thick-of-it" it's an expected response for us to feel victimized or perhaps hopeless. But I am convinced the only way we truly fail is if we stay in that mental state. The particular thoughts associated with the previous stated emotion very often lead to resentment, bitterness and the stunting of personal growth. This path leads to the altercation of our true being in leiu of how we have allowed our challenge to mold us. I say allowed because whether we feel like it or not we always have a choice. We may have no control of what happens to us but we do have a choice of how we will let it effect us. There is another path. One that is less traveled yet yields great rewards. This is the path to wellness, self-restoration and healing. The path that leads to the building up of our character, the path that leads to peace and freedom. The first path may appear to be in the spirit of self-preservation, when in truth it is only in the act of letting go that we preserve ourselves. By releasing our pain we also inadvertently release ourselves from the bondage that was never ours in the first place.

My blog as of late has reflected much about this need to "release our pain." It has been a vital truth to my own personal storm... What good can you take from your current situation? What life lesson can you acquire that will strengthen you and build your character? How can you walk away from this situation better for having experienced it? The element that will carry us sucessfully through our struggles, is found in the act of renewing our souls. We must be certain that in this growth we are moving towards happiness, peace and prosperity. This takes a conscious effort and is well worth it to our well-being.

Come visit us at The Wellness Kitchen and let us aid you on your path to wellness. Let go often of all that burdens you and seize the opportunity for growth through the right mental attitude toward your current condition. And as always this is sarah encouraging you to eat peacefully....

"It isn't the mountains ahead that wear you out......"

"It isn't the mountains ahead that wear you out, it's the grain of sand in your shoe." Unknown

In the pursuit of happiness we all face certain challenges that threaten the very existence of our joy. It is important to realize it is not the mountain that will oppose us nearly as much as the grain of sand in our shoe. What is your grain of sand? Is it a feeling of unworthiness? Is it fear that you will never make it over your mountain? Is it sadness or despair of the acutest kind? Our perspective of our struggles has a great deal more to do with our ability to handle the situation, than the actual severity of the task at hand.

These past recent months have brought many new challenges my way, some unexpected some foreseen. In retrospect, I have ascertained that my emotional stress had little if anything to do with the actual "mountain" I was facing. My ability to overcome was in direct correlation to my mental perspective of the circumstance at hand. Samuel Grafton stated, " A penny will hide the biggest star in the Universe if you hold it close enough to your eye." What "penny" are you allowing to blind you from the grand possibilities of your existence here? No matter what the piece of "sand" is, it is not greater than the power you hold within you to overcome.

Now I want to be clear, it isn't that your emotions are invalid. There is no freedom in the denial of how we feel. Im not suggesting that you don't have a right to be scared about the mountain or the pebble. What I am advocating is that it is in our best interest to frequently practice acts that will lead to the release of disadvantageous thoughts and emotions. So in turn we will be prepared to face our challenges with the stamina and resources we need. How do we do this? Recently, with my heart in my hand I spent some time writing. I did not labor over words, I simply and freely wrote. When I was finished I read the words that had found there way from my soul to the page and was blown away by what had been revealed. I found myself, I found my sorrow, I found my truth. If you really want to have a finger on the pulse of your soul I would suggest journaling. With that release came a new sense of bravery and inner resolve.

To my esteemed readers who's mountain is cancer, my message to you is have compassion for yourself....Whatever you feel without self-judgement write it down. This is vital to your personal journey of growth. Give yourself the opportunity to take off your shoes and shake out the sand, so that you can step with confidence toward your future. Sometimes you'll need to take off your shoes a couple times a day, whatever you need to do to move forward do it. And if you want to be a part of a group of folks that are facing that same mountain, and who take frequent stops to take off their shoes, come see us at The Wellness Kitchen. We have journaling support groups here at your service and people you can talk to. We can provide the food you need to face the mountain and the support you need to reach your goals. And as always this is Sarah encouraging you to face your mountains with preparedness and eat peacefully...

"Every breath is an opportunity to recieve and let go....."

"Every breath is an opportunity to receive and let go. I receive love and I let go of pain." Brenda MacIntyre

We all share in the expereince of being born into a beautifully imperfect world, to less than perfect family's, to deficient circumstances. And somewhere along the way we all encounter situations and experience intricate relationships that make us feel less than worthy. Our sensitive beings tend to carry pain from our past, deep insecurities born out of our affiliations with others and the environment we live in. But at some point through all the thinking and analyzing we must make a conscious choice. A personal judgement that is favorable for us. A decision to let go...

It is understandable when someone has wronged us to contemplate the all encompassing infamous question... why??? And though it is natural and to a certain extent good to self analyze, this path if not only visited will lead to disillusionment. At some point we must take what we have learned, bravely pick ourselves up and move on. Whether it be in a very physical sense or a mental way or a spiritual capacity there is an urgency in our despair to move forward. This guide is meant to aid us, it is our spirit crying out to us to release what is not meant for us to keep. For some of us that translates into letting go of a harmful relationship, many of us will find peace in the action of letting go of a toxic memory. For some it's letting go of self-destructive patterns we have attained from the mechanism we have created to survive. Pernicious emotions if left unchecked and unrequited leads to emotional unrest which begets a very real basis for "dis" ease in the fiber of our bodies.

Ann Landers stated, "Hanging onto resentment is letting someone you despise live rent free in your head." This quote I have to admit made me giggle, but in truth we all entertain these kind of thoughts, far too frequently. It is only in our realization of our own unique spirit and the importance our gifts have to the world, that enables us to release those people or things that have scarred us. Sometimes joy is found more in letting go out of the respect for ones being than the mining of our past may produce. For in all honesty we all know this one simple truth, life is too short to live in pain and disarray. And that is exactly what state this kind of thinking puts us in. You deserve to be happy....You deserve love....You deserve to live life abundantly. The question is do you believe it?

In the quest for this kind of peace I have started to verbally speak truth into my life. Try looking in the mirror and saying "I love you," "I forgive you," "You are worthy," and pay attention to the shift that will happen in your emotional and mental state. It is of vital importance to be active in our personal daily communication. What can you let go of today that will release you from pain? What can you receive today in the form of love and joy? Ask yourself this question and act upon it. You are of invaluable worth....

Come see us at The Wellness Kitchen and let go of the uncertainty that moving on can bring. Move onto a healthier life, to an advantageoous thought life and real answers you deserve on your quest to health and wellness. And as always this is Sarah encouraging you to let go often and eat peacefully....

"The Arctic expresses the sum of all wisdom: Silence."

"The Arctic expresses the sum of all wisdom: Silence."....Walter Bauer

Most of us are afraid of the great expanse of silence. I would venture to say this has something to do with our fear of being alone with ourselves...what may rise up in our psyche and our hearts if we were to just stop and be still? What may we have to face from the crevices of our minds and souls that we have neglected? Confuscious stated, "Silence is the true friend that never betrays." Our society has become so entrenched in the unhealthy habit of being in a constant state of over stimulation. Whether the never ending chaos of SOUND comes in the form of an ipod, a tv, the constant chatter of yourself or other humans, the mental busy-ness we have created can be mind numbing. There is something about noise that comforts us, that gives us a false sense of assurance. When in truth silence is a pathway to self-awareness and peace and true soul guidance.

William Penn states, "True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body..." How can we truly know ourselves or be at peace if we don't pause and listen to our souls? In all honesty we are always listening; it isn't the absence of sound that grants us this opportunity. What is of greatest importance is what we are choosing to listen to. If we are searching for relief or inner harmony, accepting the gift of silence and practicing meditation are the pathways to this kind of replenishment. Most of the great spiritual leaders, Gandhi, Jesus, Buddha, Emerson they all meditated....why? Because they understood that in the act of quieting our spirit we reach a clearer view of life, purpose, and attain sound answers. And aren't we all searching for answers?

Most of us find great joy and comfort when we immerse ourselves in nature. I have found one key component of the cessation that nature provides is the silence that envelops my mind while I'm in it. Whenever I feel lost I quiet myself. In the observation of our culture you will find most attempting to fill silence with words; this is a sign of unrest. It is unnecessary to choke the free air with expendable chatter, let us be choosy with our self-expression and edify our spirits through the analyzing of our communication. If you are overwhelmed or in a state of desperation, still your heart, mind and soul. Learn the tools of meditation and apply them in the form of daily habits, it is worthy of your time. This practice is just as vital as eating healthy food, breathing clean air and regulating your thoughts. Certain productive chemicals are released during meditation that are otherwise hard to attain. Do not fear yourself, do not be afraid to still your mind, this is a deception to keep you in a constant state of being unaware. Unaware of what is really going on in your soul. It is only in the recognition of our soul climate that we can make lasting changes.

Come see us at The Wellness Kitchen, sit in our garden and be still...lounge on our veranda and rest...quiet the constant chatter and listen to the peace of silence. And as always this is Sarah encouraging you to be still and eat peacefully...