Sometimes when life leaves you no choice but to slow down a bit, you are dished some perspective. Shocker…more perspective. My goodness. Manifesting is real. My words for the year are LISTEN & PERSPECTIVE and I cannot tell you how many countless lessons I’ve had in those two areas already this year.

This might seem like a silly question, but do you have an electric toothbrush? Do you ever stop brushing before the two minutes is up? I’m absolutely guilty of this, I’ve done it a few times. Really – TWO MINUTES! I’ve since stopped this madness, as I have been asking myself why do I feel so rushed all the time. I mean, we will cut the brushing short (and we are only talking 2 minutes) but will lay in bed and scroll on our phone for 20 minutes (or more)! I’m sure I’m not alone here. By the way, I finally dove into the electric toothbrush thing, it’s not fancy, but it’s great – I highly recommend it…and using it for the full 2 minutes.

When you are driving, are you the one weaving in and out of cars and yelling at people that stop at yellow lights? I’m not judging if you are, I’m just saying slow down…in ALL areas! Are you running late, well, that is probably your fault. You are just going to have to come to terms with the fact that you are late. I got cut off this morning and instead of getting angry and diving into road rage, I cranked my music a little louder and said to myself ‘apparently they need to get somewhere faster than I do’. I once heard someone say that when they get cut-off or someone is driving erratically around them, they just think that they are rushing someone to the hospital and are in a hurry for good reason. Maybe they are and maybe they aren’t…and maybe they need to read this post.

This is your reminder to slow down. Physically, it truly makes you more mindful. You can actually stop and smell the flowers. You notice more of what is going on around you. You tend to be more present. Mentally, can actually be a little more difficult. I always say that I have hamsters running on a wheel in my head 24/7, as it can definitely feel that way. I’m really working on slowing down my mind too. Meditation has really been helping to slow and calm my mind. I use a free app called Insight Timer – highly recommend.

Wow, that quote. I encourage you to read it again. What a beautiful reminder to SLOW it ALL down! This might be an unpopular opinion but…Wake up earlier and take some time for YOU. Listen to the silence and take it in. A rushed morning makes for a rushed and chaotic day. Slowing down allows you to be more present. When we are running around like chickens with our heads cut off, we can miss some really important and beautiful moments in life. We don’t know when our time on this earth is done – let’s make the days count! Slow down, surround yourself with good people and be present where you are. Life can throw you some loops, but one thing you can control is YOU. Slow it down guys, get up a little earlier and start your day off right – not rushed and with a good positive vibe…whatever that looks like for you!

Have an amazing rest of the month/week…can you believe it is almost March!? Don’t forget to buy yourself some flowers (stop to smell them) and celebrate yourself!

Life continues to throw lessons and perspective at me that I’m not a fan of, although I’m trying REALLY hard to practice what I preach and be grateful for the lessons and dive into why God is testing me the way he is lately. Today is my blog day and I’ve fought with myself since yesterday on what I wanted to write about and my thoughts are completely consumed. I’ve promised to be real and raw so here goes. Full transparency, it’s been a real crappy handful of days. When you are going along with your day and you feel that your life is headed in one direction and then suddenly you have the rug pulled out from under you, you have every right to be sad. I’m trying every trick I have (and that I’m currently capable of) to pull myself out of the sadness. What I really want to do is drive to the ocean, go on a long hike and sit on the waters edge for a handful of days…but, then there is reality ( I need my damn knee fixed). Ironically in my last blog, I talked about creating a Happy List. Although, I’ve now had to alter my list…it did help to get me out of a bit of a rut yesterday of drowning in my tears. I chose to wipe my tears and cook, write and read – those things bring me joy. It helped…temporarily, but it helped.

Funny (for lack of a better word) how quickly your life can change. One minute I’m happily attempting skiing again and then bam, ACL torn. One minute I feel like I’ve met the love of my life and the next, we are no longer together. When you lose someone you truly care about and they are still alive, it feels like grieving. I’ve never been broken up with…and this is a perspective (damn me and my word of the year) that I didn’t want to experience in my lifetime. I want a list of what I did wrong, what didn’t I do, what did I do…I’m sure you want to know why too (only because people are nosey). The truth of the matter is, it just doesn’t matter. If someone wants to be with you, they will fight for you and WANT to be with you. The ‘why’ aspect is completely irrelevant. After days of questioning my worth and value, I keep reminding myself that I AM enough. It’s OK that I love hard, it’s OK that I crack wide open with nothing to hide, it’s OK that after being in a prior traumatic relationship that I put myself out there again only to be crushed, it’s OK that I’m just not OK right now. As my daughter reminded me of my saying…It’s OK to not be OK, you just can’t stay there.

I have edited this post SO many times, as this is so fresh and I’m feeling very vulnerable. The details are personal and I’m not mad at this person and respect his choices – hurts like hell, but I respect it. I’m grateful for the time we had and have been reflecting on all of the amazing memories and lessons I learned while we were together – I will be forever grateful for the time we had, he’s an amazing man. Feelings aren’t a light switch and I pray they start to fade and I continue to heal. I will dive deep into busying myself while I mend my broken heart.

Those of you that have been broken up with – I now see you…I mean, I wish I didn’t, but I do. My daughter said ‘Welcome to the Club’…uh, I didn’t sign up for this club and I want a refund. This is a whole different kind of hurt. One I know I will recover from, it just might take me a bit.

Perfect time for me to start a new book. I just finished ‘The Secret to Love, Health & Money’…such a fantastic book that I will continue to refer to, but I can’t help but giggle at the title and my situation. I started ‘Let Them’ this morning by Mel Robbins. Good timing for me to just Let Them and Let Me. Please don’t be sad for me, I’m sad enough for all of us right now and this quote below hit home really hard. I’m a BIG Good Morning and Goodnight person, as this says, it’s more than just the words. This is going to take some getting used to. Here’s a reminder to those IN relationships…your words matter, your actions matter. Make that person feel like the most special person on the planet and they should make you feel the same. Don’t take your person for granted.

I continue to learn the hard way that life truly is a paradox. You need the rough roads to make the beautiful roads that much more magical. May this new week bring new blessings and continual healing to all of you. Healing is definitely a constant journey and I’m not letting up on the gas pedal on this journey of mine. I’m worth it and I’m enough – and so are you! Permission to buy yourself flowers or buy some for someone else. My son surprised me with flowers on Valentine’s Day (I sobbed like a baby) and my daughter’s sweet boyfriend also got me flowers. Thoughtful boys who knew I needed something to smile about. Let’s focus on those things that bring us joy and remind ourselves that no matter what – we are perfect just the way we are, don’t you dare change for anyone!

But first, quick story time…I posted my last blog on Wednesday, the 22nd. I try to post a few times a week, but this week had different plans for me. I had an awesome handful of days and then Sunday Funday came around. I have been wanting to try skiing (after a very long hiatus) for a year now. My boyfriend is a good sport and got me all decked out in gear for our day. This was a big fear of mine to face, yet I was excited to give skiing a try again. I’ve had up’s and down’s with back pain and I was feeling good, so it seemed like all the stars were aligned to hit the slopes. We had two short runs and I was feeling a little hesitant, but ready. Then, it was like everything happened so fast yet in slow motion. I wasn’t going very fast at all, my ski just went a slightly different way than my knee. Wah Wah Wahhhhhh…I will spare you the details of the rest of the day, but I needed a ride back down the mountain, there were quite a few tears and a whole lot of pain. Major gratitude for my boyfriend being extremely patient and for taking such good care of me.

I’ve been asking myself all week…what is this trying to teach me, what is the lesson in this crappy situation. This happened on Sunday and it is now Saturday. I’ve had a few rough days and my daughter (who is one year post ACL / Meniscus surgery) said to me ‘it’s OK to be angry and upset at the situation’. She completely validated me. I also felt proud of myself for conquering a fear. It certainly didn’t turn out the way I thought, but I gave it a shot. I’ve heard a huge emphasis on patience and strengthening my body. The patience is inevitable, I don’t have a choice…I have one speed right now (and it isn’t very fast). This is a huge awakening that the older we get, the more strength training we need to do. Message received, this has now climbed my priority chart, for sure. People, strangers even, have been overly kind. One woman asked to shop with me at the store and hold my items, etc. I literally had 4 things to get, but what a generous offer. I’m open to accepting help. Lastly, I’ve been reminded how powerful journaling and reading something positive every morning and night is. For the last handful of nights I’ve been wallowing in my sorrow – no reading or journaling. I journaled last night and again this morning and definitely woke up with a better attitude…still in pain, but a better mindset.

Now that you’ve probably heard more of a story than you wanted to…this brings me to my point. I’ve been keeping two journals for about 3 months now. Don’t get all crazy, I’m not asking you to write a novel, but I would like you to hear me out on this. One journal I keep has daily prompts. I reply to the short prompt and write what I’m grateful for. This will literally take you a handful of minutes – NO rules, permission to write freely about whatever the heck you want. Although, I absolutely recommend writing down what you are grateful for on a daily basis – morning, midday, night…whatever works best for you. Just do it!

My other journal is my manifestation journal. I literally write 2-4 sentences of whatever comes to my mind. I start my entry the exact same every morning…’In divine timing…’. I don’t want to put a time stamp on things, when it is meant to happen it, but it WILL happen. These are my hopes, dreams, aspirations…I literally envision myself living this life. Often times I write in present tense. I’ve had one of my manifestations come to fruition. I truly believe that what I’m writing will be my reality…believing in yourself and your dreams matter!

Journaling can be so powerful and the most beautiful part about it, is you can do it however it fits you best. You can write your life story, write about something funny that happens every day, something kind that you did for someone or that someone did for you, something you are struggling with…whatever you want. This is YOUR journal! Just try it. It’s a nice way to wind down from your day and/or start your day. My routine is about 15-20 minutes in the morning when I first wake up. I write in both journals, read a minimum of 5 minutes from something positive and about a 5 minute guided meditation. How we start and finish our days are SO very important.

You’re in luck. You can get your very own Heal Cook Love journal (pen included) from ME! $15.95 plus shipping – what a deal! Please keep your messages, comments, etc. coming – I love it all! You matter! Please don’t stop dreaming and pursuing the life you desire…fulfilling and peaceful, it’s possible! Permission to buy yourself flowers. My sweet boyfriend bought me flowers last weekend to celebrate my 15-year work anniversary – so thoughtful. I’m working on my menu for the week – that’s coming up next. Oh, and still not sure what’s wrong with my knee, but for now, I’m sitting in the lessons and trying to keep a positive attitude. Much love!

Ooooo…I have so much to say. This has been a wild, busy, enlightening and beautiful handful of weeks. In that regard, I’m writing down what habits I’m doing, who I’m talking to, my morning routine, what I read, etc. to see if that has something to do with my happy. This is going to be a very powerful year, I can just feel it!

I’ve landed on two words for this year. Some people do resolutions, goals, etc. I have some BIG goals this year too, but I love to have a reminder of a word or phrase that speaks to me and reminds me of who and what I want to be. I made a board this year with multiple quotes and sayings and I read a few EVERY morning. Plus I have 2 big goals that I will accomplish this year. The image below is just the top half of my board…my goals are personal and I can’t wait to watch them unravel and share with you along the way. Instead of trying to set these big lofty daily goals, I am 3 weeks in on my morning routine (small daily habits) and I LOVE IT! Wake up at 5 AM (this happens about 90% of the time and I don’t beat myself up about it), make my bed, meditate (I love the Insight Timer app for guided meditation), Journal (I will elaborate on this in another post), 10 push-up’s, 50 sit-up’s and 5 minutes of mindful reading (5 minutes before bed too). This is 100% attainable and doesn’t take long at all…AND such a positive way to start the day!

My words this year are LISTEN and PERSPECTIVE (I couldn’t settle on just one). I’ve been leaning toward listen for a week or so, but as I keep getting hit, what feels like daily, with SO much perspective, it was a no brainer. Perspective and listen go hand in hand for me. I want to be a better listener. I want to HEAR and understand what people are saying. I want to slow down and listen to God, the Universe, my body and my own thoughts. I want to dive into perspectives, as when I look at things through a different lens, through someone else’s perspective…WOW…eyes wide open and in such a beautiful way.

I wrote about my rough deep dive into sadness during the holidays. I had quite a few of you reach out to me and share your situations – I SO appreciate your messages and perspectives. I was hit with perspective left and right, which is what helped pull my head back into a better space. I had a VERY big ah-ha moment with my situation and someone else’s very close to me. It’s funny, when you talk about your situation out loud, you gain a different perspective then when you just sit with your thoughts. Does that make sense? I’ve had so many recent epiphanies (Epiphanies from Tiffany) simply from vocalizing my thoughts and feelings, rather then keeping them to myself. Words are powerful.

I’ve said this for so long and will continue to do so…you cannot force ANYONE to see things YOUR way. We will all see and feel things when WE are ready. It’s my brick to the head theory – you can hear something 20 times from all different people, but you don’t truly HEAR it until you are ready, the right person says it or the way it is said to you. So, be open, my friends…be open to magic, miracles and the beauties of life, I promise they are there. There are rainbows on the other side of the sh!t storms, if you are open to see them and learn the lessons.

Lastly, please don’t forget about gratitude. I will ALWAYS write about the power of gratitude. I read in my book this week about giving gratitude to your former spouse that you have children with that has wronged you. It said to look at your children and have gratitude for that person, for without them, you wouldn’t have your beautiful and amazing children. Wowzer – common sense, but the way it was written hit me upside the head. There is SO much healing in the simple practice of GRATITUDE.

Did you claim a word, phrase or a goal for the year? I’d love to hear from you. Go ahead and leave it in the comments or shoot me a message. I’d love to cheer you on!

Leaving you with a song – I just love Andy Grammer, his music speaks to me. Give JOY a listen (if you click on the word ‘JOY’, it will take you to the song)…and go find that joy in your life, it’s there, I promise! Don’t forget about those flowers – you deserve them. Much love!