Self-Confidence Matters

Time for me to get legit!

Something I discovered about myself during the unfolding into Zia was how my lack of confidence was effecting most every area of my life.  That discovery has made me aware of the blocks I have set up to insure that I could never really succeed.  Self-sabotage has been an integral part of any plan I conceived for most of my life. That was never intentional, but it was always the eventual outcome.

The good news, things have been changing.  Becoming Zia and the transformation I experienced was the catalyst to get things moving.  Discovering and beginning to heal my autoimmune disease, living healthy and balancing my brain chemistry created a synergy that has set something big into motion.  Lately I have begun to realize, with the help of some friends, that I have to take responsibility for my gifts and use them.  Playing small, or down playing my skills has been part of the self-sabotage game I've always played.  That is over.  

"All confidence is acquired and developed." ~David Joseph Schwartz

A few weeks ago I dropped off my entry into the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Contest.  The women in the office was the president of the association.  We talked for a long while and she gave me lots of helpful advice.  It was great.  Afterwards, in the parking lot, I sat there thinking about the experience.  She treated me like I was a real writer, like I was legit.  It was one of those moments - an old paradigm broke down and a new one opened up.  I realized that I had to start taking myself seriously.

At that moment I got it.  I am a writer, I am legit.  Just like all the other people entering the contest, I am a writer.  That is a fact.  And since figuring that out, all sorts of changes are taking place.  What I have now, that had always eluded me, is an honest and true belief in myself.  Not what other people think, whether they like me or approve of me.  It's about me approving of myself and believing in my skills.  The rest of it doesn't really matter.   I guess that's why I can write about something so personal on my blog.  Sharing, being vulnerable, and exposing myself is something that is healing for me, and gives me strength.

Feeling LEGIT comes from an unfamiliar place inside me, but it's one I am happy to accept and nurture.  It's never too late to step up for yourself and embrace self-confidence.   

Thank goodness!

Celebrate the Day of Happiness!

LET'S RECLAIM HAPPINESS!

Advertisers tell us that happiness comes from buying and consuming their products.  Celebrities and the media pretend it comes with beauty and fame.  And politicians claim that nothing matters more than growing the economy.  - www.dayofhappiness.net

We know the truth.  Happiness is an inside job.  It comes from the intangible.  Think about what makes you happy.  What is it?  For me it is connection; with people, places and being present.  There is nothing that brings me more happiness then laughing with my granddaughters or quietly watching the sun set over the mountains. It is the moments. Times that create a feeling of peace and love within me.  

What a great time to celebrate happiness.  Spring is here and it feels like a fresh new day!  Today is the International Day of Happiness.  It is meant to bring attention to what really matters.  What truly makes us happy.  It's not about things, or frame or money.  It's about something much bigger. And, it's different for each of us.

Recently I downloaded an app onto my iPhone called Happier.  It's a lot like Facebook, but you can only post things that make you happy.  Since I began posting to Happier it has helped me become more aware of happiness.  It is a focus.  It is a lens to use to look at life.  We all have the power to choose happiness.  We just have to look at it in a new way.  I encourage you to download the app (it's FREE) and start sharing the happiness in your life and celebrating the happiness in others lives too! It's available for iPhones and Android too.  Make a stand for happiness!  Spread it around!

Tell me what makes you happy!  Write it in the comments below.  Write a list of words, a quote, or what ever makes you smile!  Let's spread happiness today!

Big love to each of you!  Zia

Goal Setting for Creative Types

At the end of last year I attended a goal setting workshop. It was very interesting and I was happy to explore my vision for 2014 as Zia. The instructor, Ryan, was great, but her methods were more left brained than mine and I was having a hard time following her process, but I really wanted to! I struggled for a few meetings. One weekend I was watching a Hallmark holiday movie and saw something that inspired me to look at the entire process differently. (Inspiration comes in the most interesting places!) 

I realized that for goal setting to work for me I had to do something that engaged the artist in me. So I made a plan. Taking all the info that I complied during the class, I mind mapped my goals for 2014. Once I knew where I was headed I gathered my supplies. I bought a Canson Mixed-Media sketchbook and a few Pentel Aquash Water Brush Pens. I dug out my Caran d'Ache Neocolor II watercolor crayons, a big eraser, a pencil and a fine point Sharpie.

"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible." -Tony Robbins

"Lightness of Being 2014 Goals" I wrote on the first page of the sketch book. (Lightness of Being is my theme for the year.)  In the center of the page I drew a big abstract design and on the facing page I wrote the list of my top 10 goals.  I then divided the abstract design into ten random shapes and wrote my goals in each section. It looked like a coloring book.

During the class Ryan asked us to break down our yearly goals by the month and then by the week.  This seemed overwhelming to me, but once I designed this coloring book idea I began to see how I could do it.  I started a new two-page spread.  On the first side I wrote January and on the other I drew another abstract image.  I listed the things I wanted to accomplish in January by number and then divided the drawing up into that many sections and numbered them.  When I accomplished a goal I could color it in.  Then I took it a step further and made Weekly Goals. I did it the same way.  I looked at the goals for the month and broke them down into tasks for the week. I wrote a list of things to do for the week and drew a design on the opposite page.  Is this sounding a bit crazy or a lot of work?  Maybe at first, but now that I have been doing it for three months, I am loving it!

Here's a look at my March process so far:

Taking the big picture and breaking it down into doable bits is rewarding and satisfying.  Plus, I am moving closer and closer to accomplishing my goals.  All the while, I get to play with color and have fun while I'm at it.   I keep it on my desk so that I am conscious of my goals everyday.  In the morning I review it, and at the end of the day I color in what I have completed and review what I need to do before the weeks end. Each week is a new adventure.

For me, this method suits my style and motivates me to keep moving forward.  The key is finding something that works to transform thoughts into actions and actions into reality.

Thanks for letting me share my process with you.

Zia

Farmers Market Experiment - LEEKS

The Challenge

For the month of March I set a goal to make one new recipe and try one new vegetable each week.  Today I went to the Farmers Market with that goal in mind.  At every booth there were beautiful bright green leeks.  I realized that I have never cooked with leeks before, so I decided to give them a try.  

I searched the web and found a AIP friendly recipe - Creamy Chicken and Leek Casserole.  It called for several of things I had just purchased, and others I had on hand.  So I set to work. 

I modified the recipe a little, I took out the mushrooms.  Not a big fan. But everything else was the same.  It all went together very easily and I popped it in the oven.  Thirty-five minutes later it was ready.  It turned out pretty good.  It does have a nice rich, creamy flavor from the coconut milk and oil.  The leeks were delicious!  I do feel it could use some type of other seasoning, just not sure what it would be.  Maybe something with a little kick like cayenne. Overall it was a good experiment and I will save this recipe to make again!

Creamy Chicken and Leek Casserole

Ingredients:

1 1/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 large)

2 leeks, white and pale-green parts only, coarsely chopped and rinsed well

4 celery stalks, chopped

4 large carrots, chopped

1 can full-fat coconut milk -15 ounces (Thai Organic)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Coconut oil (Nutiva Organic)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken on both sides until golden brown and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate to rest, leaving the drippings in the pan.

3. Add another tablespoon of coconut oil to the skillet and return to the stove. Add all your chopped vegetables and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables are golden brown and tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Add coconut milk and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow coconut milk to come to a light boil and thicken up a bit, cooking for about 5 minutes.

5. While the vegetables simmer in the coconut milk, slice your chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces (about 2″). Arrange the chicken pieces in the bottom of a casserole or baking dish, then pour your vegetables-coconut mixture on top.

6. Bake about 25-30 minutes until the casserole is bubbling.

Money: A Paradigm Shift

Yesterday I had my beliefs challenged.  I was listening to a podcast, a interview with Jamie Tardy who wrote a book called The Eventual Millionaire.  She talked about the commonalities that a lot of the millionaires she interviewed shared. As I was listening I was imagining these millionaires in my mind. Middle aged guys in suits. Driven, workaholics, who put work and making money before family, and based friendships on building their businesses.  When I was thinking this I had an insight.  Why didn't I ever envision a woman when I heard the world millionaire?  The minute I heard the word millionaire the same image always popped into my head.  This was a lightbulb moment.

Why didn’t I envision a woman? Why do I see millionaires as men that I would consider self centered and ruthless?  It’s a belief system.  Somewhere along the course of my life I was programed, a belief about people with money was installed in my brain. It dawned on me that I need to change my beliefs and open up to the possibilities of what being “rich” meant to me and who that included.

“Women with money and women in power are two uncomfortable ideas in our society” – Candace Bushnell

Most of my life I have had a love/hate relationship with money.  I have never felt fully empowered around money, and have recently decided to change that.  While listening to the podcast I was happy to be aware of the thought process I was having, and my openness to seeing it differently - that is part of the shift I have been having of late. It’s been happening over the past few weeks.  It feels like my brain is working differently, and my self limiting beliefs are being exposed.  Money is certainly one.

The first thing I decided to do was to start by changing the image of what a millionaire looks like to me.  So I Googled “self-made female millionaires”.  What popped up was “self-made female billionaires”.  Even Google was thinking bigger than me!  I clicked on the article and was amazed to read about some pretty powerful self-made women.  Next I searched for “female internet millionaires”. This article was even more enlightening.  There were many average women who started blogs and internet businesses that are now making seven figures and more.  It was inspiring to see woman, just like me, who were millionaires.  I had a real paradigm shift.

Do I want to be a millionaire?  It’s not on my list of goals for 2014, but who knows about the future?  What I do want is to change my beliefs about money and begin to see the possibility that I could have more of it my life. A good place to start is to re-define my idea of what a millionaire looks like. After reading the two articles, and seeing pictures of female millionaires and billionaires I have changed my reality. The evidence is there.  It is real.  Today when I hear the word millionaire, I have a whole new vision!

Becoming Zia is an interesting journey.  Everyday, more is being revealed!

How to Crack Open a Coconut

Cracking open coconuts has always been a pain in the you know what. Since following the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) I've been eating a lot of coconut.  Last week I bought an organic one and decided to try a new technique I found on YouTube.

I enlisted Jeff's help and we both went to work giving it a try. We watched the video a couple of times, gathered our supplies, set the oven to 400 degrees and went for it. It worked!  Just like the video.  I have never heard of this technique before, but it was the easiest opening of a coconut that I have ever experienced.  The coconut came out in big chunks and I put them in a FoodSaver bag and sealed it up with my handheld FoodSaver vacuum sealer and popped it in the freezer.  Now I can take out a piece when ever I want it. One coconut will fill the quart size bag.  Quite a lot!

Here is the video we used.  Give it a try!

Gluten Free Yumminess - Gingersnap Cookies

It’s been 43 days that I’ve being following the Autoimmune Protocol developed by The Paleo Mom. And, that means being gluten free. Lately I have been looking for something sweet to snack on occasionally.  Lucky for me, my friend Jo baked these yummy Gingersnap Cookies and bought them to a potluck this week.  They were delicious, so I asked her for the recipe. Now I’m going to share it with you. I baked some today.

They are pretty simple to make.  Everything goes into the food processor and once blended you roll them into to balls, flatten them, and bake.  So good!

Gluten Free Gingersnap Cookies

2 cups pitted dates
1 1/2 c arrowroot starch/flour 
1/4 c organic blackstrap molasses
1/2 tbs organic maple syrup
2 tbs coconut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Soak dates for 5 minutes in hot water, then drain.

Place drained dates, and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor.  I used my Ninja and it worked great. Process using the pulse function until all the ingredients are mixed.  You may still see small pieces of dates and ginger.

Using a tablespoon, take some dough and roll it into a ball, about the size of a large walnut and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass.  I wet the bottom of the glass and the cookies did not stick.  Gives them a nice round look.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until they darken in color and are slightly brown on the bottom.  Transfer to a cooling rack and let set for at least 10 minutes. (If you can wait!) 

Store in airtight container.

Note: Be sure to measure the dates, before soaking.  Always use fresh ginger, I added a little more than the recipe and they turned out great. Do not over mix the dough.  There should be little flecks of date in the mixture.  If you over mix they will come out rubbery.  Using the parchment paper or silicone baking sheet really help, because these can easily burn.  Check them after 20 minutes.  The come out soft and then get crunchy, yet stay soft in the center.

Enjoy!

You can find most of these ingredients at Amazon