Caring for two tiny coriander (cilantro) plants on my windowsill is more satisfying than neglecting a larger garden plot located two blocks away.

Smoothies & Salads & Love

Smoothies and salads today. I had to wait 48 hours for my avocadoes to ripen so that I could make kale & avocado salad with red peppers and tomatoes for breakfast. Last week's lesson: avoid Kin's Market for avocadoes (unless you like tasteless avocadoes).

Lunch: Raspberry-cacao-banana-orange-cayenne-lemon smoothie.

Later: Mixed greens salad.

Later: Raspberry-cacao-banana-orange-blueberry-cayenne smoothie.

Unrelated fun thought of the day:

Think of work as "vocation."
It should be something that calls to you
as something you want to do,
and it should be something that gives voice to
who you are and what you want to say to the world.
It is, above all else, something that lets you love.
-- Kent Nerburn, Letters to My Son

Visionary Business

As my 27th birthday approaches, I feel like taking stock of my life's accomplishments and values and direction and evaluating whether or not it's too early to engage in mid-life crisis behaviour.  I don't feel like buying a ferrari just yet.

I've decided, to heck with the past. I'm appreciative of what I've learned (sometimes twice) and excited about the desires I've hatched thanks to my past experiences -- so yay for that.  So here I am now, inspired and eager to create more fun stuff.  The feeling of what I want is strong and I'm more clear about what excites me the most in life:  meaningful connections with select people, playing outside in nature, having fun and receiving praise -- I mean, being an uplifting example of one who lives and sometimes swims upstream but knows how to relax to get back on track; doing what I do, and doing it well.

I'm reading a couple of books on business by millionaire-with-ease, Marc Allen.  Here's an interview clip of him promoting his new book (I've read it; the best part of the book is what he imparts in his interview.  I hope he doesn't read this... although he does often remind that he strives to impart the whole of his wisdom in every interaction, soooo... success.): 

And here are some of the notes I've taken as I'm reading Visionary Business:

The company should spend money on things that will make the money grow (i.e. invest in growth of the individuals, to better express the company's mission statement)
Start-ups take twice as long and cost twice as much as you expect
A well-written business plan is far more than a tool for raising money: It is your map, your visualization of the future. The business plan is the guiding course for the ship. Where do we want to be in 1, 2, 5 years.
Every successful venture begins with a vision for it
The Business Plan:
1st: we describe our present circumstances
2nd: we describe where we want to be in 1, 2, 5 years, and present a map for getting there
Next make the company mission statement [to uplift, entertain, teach and learn]. The statement helps the company retain its focus and can be crucial in determining the company's direction and even its level of success.  [I think my mission statement is too vague but he says that's okay....]
Partnerships work only in unique situations. One person has to be completely responsible for the success or failure of the business. [haha I wonder how that works in a relationship...]

From Visionary Business (applicable to any undertaking, involvement, relationship, life situation...):

You have a unique purpose for living, and you have been given unique talents and abilities to accomplish that purpose... True success always involves personal fulfillment of some kind, and you are fulfilled only by working and living in harmony with your purpose in life.

Be sure all of the owners of the company, and ideally, employees as well, write their "ideal scenes" down on paper, and compare notes:

What do you want to be doing five years from now, assuming that your business has grown according to plan -- in fact assume that everything has gone fantastically well, and you have had success beyond your wildest dreams. What would your life look like? What would you be doing? Where would you live? What would a typical day look like? This simple exercise is a powerful visionary tool.

Yesterday I spent my day as my ancestors would: making food, making shelter and making love.  Kidding; I didn't do anything yesterday.  

My vita-mix  gave me lots of smoothies (3), my fridge housed my salads (3) and I found some cashews on my desk.  I practiced self-love in the form of making myself go for a walk to the beach a few times throughout the day and at midnight.  I didn't wear my mp3 player during my midnight walk... just me and my thoughts.  Romantic and enjoyable.

Today, same deal.  Already I've enjoyed two smoothies (strawberries, banana, cacao, green leaves, cayenne) and some cashews.  The day is young. 

Happy Day of Re-Birth, Mom!

Happy Birthday to my Mother! I made a chocolate-strawberry smoothie for you to enjoy vicariously.

I hope this smoothie (lower left corner) makes you as happy as you were when Liesl repackaged your ukulele and gave it to you last Christmas.  (Or as happy as Liesl was.)

So. Thanks for being my Mom. Even though you were young and had no idea what the heck you were doing, you're a good bluffer and we all turned out a-ok. ;) I love you!  I'm glad I chose you and that you in your infinite wisdom decided to keep me. I'd choose you again, and this time I'd hug you all the time and I wouldn't let you do my grade 3 wolf science project.

So.. when are you coming to visit? Why stay in Ontario? It doesn't count as running away if you're heading towards what you want.... which is obviously over here. Because I have your smoothie.

And while I'm typing, I'll cover today's menu:

Breakfast: kale and avocado salad with tomatoes, minus the lemon juice

Lunch: spinach-banana-strawberry-cayenne-water smoothie

Some organic cashews and brazil nuts.

Supper: spring mix salad with avocado, olive oil

Birthday smoothie.