My Journey with Food
I recall one memorable cooking experience when my son was five years old. I made a pot of delicious spaghetti: ground beef, garlic, onion, peppers, and a splash of salt and pepper in a delicate tomato sauce. As I placed the bowl down, my son smiled in preparation to devour the spaghetti. I asked D-block if he enjoyed dinner - "Mom, it's the best!". As a mom, that's all you want; a little acknowledgment that you are doing a good job.
The next day, I had plenty of leftovers. I warmed up the goodness from the night before and put a big scoop on my son's plate. D-block sat down at the table for dinner. As I walked from the kitchen to the dining room table, D-block caught a glimpse of what was for dinner. He stared at the spaghetti for about 4 seconds before screaming, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
My precious son hated the spaghetti - literally was in tears at the thought of eating it again. He hadn’t told me the truth the night before out of fear of upsetting me. But I would rather know than traumatize D-block with the same unpleasant meal again.
Seven years later I must say that my spaghetti is much better, and there are no more traumatized screams during dinner.
Good Quote
The only way that we can live is if we grow. The only way we can grow is if we change. The only way we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we are exposed is if we throw ourselves into the open.
C. Joybell
Life
These things seem so small—going for a walk, getting out in the sunshine, expressing gratitude, lending a helping hand—and yet these small acts change our biochemistry and thinking processes. It gives us a break and enables us to look at things in a different way.” -Brémault-Phillips
In the article below, Brémault-Phillips shares similar actions you can take to build more mental resilience. These bite-size changes are digestible and easy to implement.
Corporate Ecology
Below is a list of books on leadership that are scheduled to be released this month! Which one would you like to read?
On Family
"We all occasionally do things we should be letting our kids do for themselves: we get them dressed even though they are perfectly capable of getting dressed by themselves to avoid being late for school; we don’t ask them to clean up after themselves because we know they’ll do a poor job; we don’t ask them to participate in household chores because we don’t want to get them angry. In short, we do many things for them to keep them happy, anxiety-free and boredom-free!"
This article spoke to me. If you are in the same boat, read below; it contains great tips on how we can break free from this cycle.
Disconnect
Below is a soothing video to help you relax. Enjoy!