MOTIVATION MONDAY: IS IT ALL IN YOUR HEAD?

Hello,

Did you know that last Friday was Ageism Awareness Day?  I posted a picture of myself on my instagram page and said I was 63, but in my mind I'm 45 and holding.  It got me thinking....why are people of the same age sometimes so different?  Did you ever meet someone that you thought was so much older than you only to find out you're the same age?  Or the opposite, someone you find out is your age that you thought was much younger than you?  Let's say neither has any health issues, so what's the difference?  

Well, it can be a lot of factors, self care, diet, exercise, how you manage trauma and stress, (I'm an expert on that 🙄).  I think the most important thing is your state of mind.  How old you think you are, and how old you really feel.  There's now scientific evidence that backs up the fact that people who don't see themselves as old don't act old.  It's not about our chronological age, it's about our thoughts, so what's going on in your head?  How do you talk to yourself?  Do you say things like "I'm too old for that" or "it's too late for me to try something new".  Do you focus on aliments that you think are coming with age that you don't even have yet!?  

Ageless living doesn't mean you can make time stand still, it means that when you live life to the fullest, you realize that age really is just a number.  When it's all in your head, make sure you know what's going on in there!  In the words of Mark Twain ~ Age is an issue of mind over matter.  If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.

Do you have my Top 10 Tips & Tricks for Ageless Living?  If not, what the heck!  Get it here, it's free.

MOTIVATION MONDAY: I AM...

It was December 31, 2021, the last day of the year.  I realized I had one page left in my art journal.  That just doesn't happen.  Usually, I have either too many pages left, or I've run out of pages by November.  But to have exactly one page left in the book, on the last day of the year, was a first for me, and a happy accident.  So, what would I do with this blank page?  As a writer, I can tell you, the blank page can be very traumatizing.  I stared at it.  I didn't want to use any of the new cut outs and quotes I'd been collecting in December, those were for 2022.  Hmmm.  And then my pen took over and wrote these two little powerful words.  I am...

Then, words just poured through my gel pen (yes, it sparkles, duh).  Maybe I've seen one too many instagram reels with the song I Am Woman by Emmy Meli, or maybe I just needed to feel good.  As women in general, and especially as women in this 'middle lane', we focus so much on others.  We also spend too much time focused on what we are not, or what we haven't done yet, selling ourselves short and not acknowledging how amazing we are.  I hadn't intended on sharing this very personal last page of my 2021 art journal, but I wanted to encourage you to make your own list, and I hope my list gives you some ideas.  Keep it by your bed, in your purse, or on your phone.  Make it an ongoing list, use it when you need a boost, and continue to add to it because you will be very surprised, as I was, at all the wonderful things you are! 

I am...

A mom, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a writer, a producer, a talent manager, a property manager, a friend, a creator, a caregiver, a nourisher, a team player, a contributor, a collaborator, an inspiration, a dreamer, a doer.  I am... strong, capable, fearless, loyal, conscientious, dependable, funny, quirky, talented, cute, a homeowner, a land owner, a yogini, spiritual, soulful, joyful, optimistic, tenacious, divinely guided, magical, a gardener, a food lover, a cook, a dancer, a hiker, a walker, an artist, a traveler, a Capricorn, a unicorn, to be cont....

A page from my 2022 art journal.

MOTIVATION MONDAY:

HAPPY JUNE!  It's officially summer because I'm wearing an off the shoulder top and white shoes. Also, someone turned the weather up to broil. June is such a happy month and also a time to slow down a bit, find balance and get back up when life knocks you down.

This is my metaphor for my Friday night drama.  We had been out for a few hours so we came home to a little puddle courtesy of the Stella Monster. Handsome was down on his hands and knees cleaning it up, like any good puppy daddy, when I came around the corner and tripped over his feet. His size 13 gargantuan feet. What happened next is still playing back in my mind in slow mo. I was literally flying forward but my feet were running behind me, I couldn't stop, there was nothing to grab onto, I flew 5 ft down the hall until I landed, flat on my face, on our hard ceramic tile floor. I did put my hands down but still, splat, right on my boobs, face and knees.  We joked later that they broke my fall, boobs not hands. The point is I got up.

We're always running to or from something and we get knocked down sometimes but the most important thing, the thing we have to do for ourselves is not stay down. We have to get back up.

As for my (physical) fall, I'm grateful that I managed not to sprain or break anything. I have a black eye and a sore body.  Truthfully, I am a bit of a klutz. But I always get back up :)

P.S. If you want to know what's up with that spooky (yet hilarious) guy in my Instagram feed check him out at BOO The Movie

MOTIVATION MONDAY:

Happy December! Well this first weekend was pretty busy and I still managed to get holiday decorations up while trying not to feel that holiday pressure. But Monday definitely has rolled in too fast! And also, I forgot about outside and I still have pumpkins by the front door :o

December is the month when I feel like there is so much to get done before the end of the year, but I also want to enjoy the holiday festivities, relax and get excited about 2018! Sounds like a tall order right? But not impossible if you remember to make time for two very important things. Good holiday movies and a great cup of hot chocolate. So here's my list of favorite holiday movies and you can find a healthy yummy hot chocolate recipe on our family blog Off The Grid In The City. And of course a little Motivation Monday.

Holiday Films ~ My Favorite Romantic Comedies

• Serendipity
• The Holiday (the Kate Winslette, Cameron Diaz one)
• Love Actually
• Bridget Jones

Comedies

• Elf
• The Grinch (Jim Carrey version)
• Miracle on 34th Street (the original)

TV Favorites

• A Charlie Brown Christmas
• Rugrats Chanukah (hilarious)

HAPPY MONDAY...

MOTIVATION MONDAY: APRIL

Happy Motivation Monday and happy first Monday of April!  It's Spring! The flowers are a good reminder of resilience. No matter how cold the ground, or how harsh the circumstances, the flowers grow again. And so do we :)

Took these pictures on a recent visit to the California Poppy fields in Lake Elsinore. Mother Nature in all her glory.

Don't you just love how the one flower is trying to stand out among the rest. Don't be afraid to stand out in the crowd!

 

MOTIVATION MONDAY:

Hellooooo, and happy Monday! Welcome to what I predict will be a fabulous new week!

I spent several hours last night loading up my new lap top, not exactly what I had planned to be doing, but life took an unexpected turn Friday morning when I pulled out of the driveway and ran over my lap top. Yup, ran it right over.  I had propped my bag against the car, ran back in for something, and then jumped into the driver seat and didn't notice my bag. On the upside I killed only the screen, the hard drive survived! And I was able to back it up (back up people, back up!)

MOTIVATION MONDAY:

Happy Motivation Monday! Not gonna lie, could use a few more Sundays attached to this weekend. Been having such a great time with my sister and one of my nephews that are visiting.  And although they're here because my Moms not doing well, it's still a blast to have them around and lots of extra help too. Juggling a little more then usual lately and looking forward to an amazing week so here's a few quotes to help get this party started.  Happy Monday, make it a great one!

MOTIVATION MONDAY:

Helloooo!  It's so hard to get going after a long weekend isn't it? I found several different quotes I was going to put up today but then I saw this one and it felt like all I needed, hope it's what you need too. Green means go, have a great week following your dreams!

via pinterest

MOTIVATION MONDAY:

Happy Monday Lovelies!  Sad to see the weekend end but looking forward to an exciting week. I'll be attending the Women In Film Crystal and Lucy Awards this week and then off to a little get-a-way!

This image caught my eye on Pinterest last week because there are times when all else fails and in those times it's most important to remember...

Have a Great Week!

MOTIVATION MONDAY:

Happy Motivation Monday!  Hope you all had a fabulous weekend. Here's to a new day and a new week, make it count!!!

via theberry.com

MOTIVATION MONDAY:

Happy Motivation Monday everyone! Hope you had a lovely holiday(s). Last night, after a great weekend celebrating Passover, Easter and relaxing, we watched The Ten Comendments, yup all 4 hours of it. As corny as it is I just love that movie. So I was motivated to post this quote from Eckhart Tolle. It really is all in the knowing. Have a great week!

MOTIVATION MONDAY:

Helloooo Monday!  Here's a little inspiration to get you going, even if you wanted to pull the covers over your head this morning. Getting up in the dark stinks! But having more daylight at the end of the day is just fabulous.

via pinterest

MOTIVATION MONDAY:

Happy Motivation Monday! This weeks motivation is all about will power. Who's Will Power? Yup, that's my answer every time someone mentions will power, it's a line from an old Marilyn Monroe movie and it pretty much sums up the amount of will power I have which is...um...none.

Oh I'm the first on board when someone posts a group, you know the ones, loose 10 pounds in ten days, 30 day detox, ten days to tank top arms, etc., etc., etc.  I'm good for about 3 days. So I have decided to challenge myself this week.  This may seem like an odd challenge but if you read my post Let's Do Lunch you'll know I'm obsessed with lunches.  I work in Beverly Hills, it's a lunch mecca! I love food, I love the respit in the middle of my crazy days and whether I'm with friends, by myself, with my husband or with my most notorious fancy girls lunch date, my daughter, I just LOVE lunching.

SOOOOO, this week I have decided to brown bag it, or in my case, leopard lunch box it. I have a few reasons for this. First, no matter how healthy you eat out (and I do) there are always hidden calories, fat, salt, etc. when you eat at a restaurant. Second, I want to walk more at lunch time and there are great places to walk in my work hood. Third, I want to challenge myself to make some interesting healthy lunches that I will share with you. And fourth, I want to see if I can actually do it because just thinking about it has me craving Tender Greens backyard steak on kale salad, medium well with a green ice tea and a gluten free chocolate cookie, (which is the best thing on earth.)  OMG, see!  I'm having withdrawal just thinking about a week without Tender Greens!

OK, OK, I'm under control and I shall head into the kitchen now (Sunday night) and make California Fiesta Quinoa Salad for tomorrows lunch. The criteria for my challenge is that the food has to be healthy, low cal and home made, and I have to eat it somewhere fabulous that I have walked to.

I have chosen this week because my most notorious lunch partner is away on location and because it was 85 degrees this weekend and it got me thinking of tank top arms. (Which I do not have.)

I'll be sharing photos and recipes next week on the blog and daily on instgram, hash tag #leopardlunchboxchallenge. Wish me luck!

P.S. ~ My husband just read in the newspaper that Tuesday is National Pack a Lunch Day! How Serendipitous!!!

MOTIVATION MONDAY:

Welcome to March! Getting off to an epic start this morning seeing my daughter off to go on her next location shoot. (I'm under the cone of silence but it's for an NBC show!)  

This week I have decided to....  

and of course.... 

 and definitely....

MOTIVATION MONDAY:

Happy Motivation Monday!  This post was motivated by my daughter, an actress who works incredibly hard at her career. This week one of her films, TREEHOUSE, premiered in Hollywood. I usually don't write about her career on the blog but I'm still beaming with pride and proud Mom smiles from her amazing performance. Having my sister visiting from NY, my husband and my Mom and friends come to see the film added up to a wonderful night. More family time today and watching the Oscars together made it a fabulous weekend all around. I found some of the Oscar speeches very motivating and of course Lady Gaga singing The Sound of Music, what a treat!

Q & A with cast and crew.

So when you're following your dreams remember...

And...

Have a fabulous week!

MOTIVATION MONDAY:

Happy Motivation Monday! Sharing my mantra, the three things that make everything possible!

MOTIVATION MONDAY:

Happy Motivation Monday and happy first half of the first month of the new year!  OK a little over half.  So did you make a list of all the wonderful things you plan to do in 2015?  I hope so. I see motivation like food for the mind, you have to keep putting it in to get something out.  So this week remember...

 and...

 therefore...