Eat Pray Love

In honor of one of my favorite books, Eat Pray Love and the recent film, I realized how appropriate my life at the moment fits in each of these words..

Eat- Lately I have had so much time to actually cook and try new recipes. Okay, so I'm not the best chef or baker, but I'm the best attempter :) and as the saying goes, practice makes perfect. In the past couple of years, I've really developed a love for cooking...I partially owe that passion to Giada De Larentis on Food Network. On top of that, I've been following a blog on Self.com called "Eat Like Me" by Registered Nutritionist Cristin Dillon. She shares everything she eats every day, even with pictures and recipes. It's actually helped me change my horrible habit of calorie counting. I enjoy that how she eats is how I've been eating in the last 3-4 years and she's a nutritionist!

So the other day she shared an amazing salad recipe that sounded/looked so good that I immediately went to the market, bought all the ingredients and made it myself. It's called panzanella salad ...try it out! ( http://www.self.com/fooddiet/blogs/eatlikeme/2010/08/cook-like-me---panzanella-sala.html )Her blog helped me overcome my feelings of deprivation and actually appreciate the quality of ingredients instead of worrying about the quantity of calories.

Pray- God has always been present in my life. Ever since I was a little girl I can remember praying every night before going to bed and it's still a tradition today. In the past couple of months, prayer is no longer a habitual thing but a conversation with God I look forward to every day. I've also seen the power of prayer work more in my life recently than ever. When I least expect it, God blesses me in disguise.

On a side note: when learning about new religions, I find the one commonality is prayer. Though we all ch0ose to communicate prayer differently, it's beautiful that amongst the many religions of the world we all are connected through words, thoughts, release, repentance, requests and thanks.

Love- A word too many of us question and contemplate the meaning of. For me, love is all about actions; about doing rather than feeling; and truly putting others before yourself. Lately, I've come to appreciate and understand this word more because of all the countless visits, phone calls and gatherings with family, old friends and new friends.  They have showered me with love by simply caring and spending time with me, and in moments of life, sometimes that's enough. 

Despite much alone time in my studio, I've come to love more than ever. Whether it be spending a day with my sisters, playing football with my brother, try out new restaurants with my dad, simply treating my mom to lunch and coffee and enjoying days with friends, it's  about cherishing those times and living in that moment with them. Listening, laughing, talking, and sometimes acting completely silly, I've grown a stronger love for my family and friends. 

 

Right now I am truly in love with my life. I finally feel centered and ready for anything that comes next. Once we seek the world with an open mind and open heart, we will see and feel love. 

So eat without guilt, pray without hesitation, and love without fear. Letting go is maybe one of the best remedies for any situation. 

Much love

xoxo