I Used to Be Cool But Now I am Happy with Just Being Me - A Guide on How to Get Your Mojo Back!6/29/2021 By Jackie White  Do you remember the days when you just were cool? You had the look, the cool fashion and you were well-versed in pop culture of the day. You spent a lot of time on your makeup and hair, but you had the time. You looked good and damnit you were relevant. Then one day you wake up, three kids later, a paunchy tummy and grey hairs sprouting up and you think what the hell happened? You are wearing yoga pants, big baggy sweatshirts and your face hasn’t seen much more than chapstick and moisturizer for years. Yikes! You have lost your mojo. Truth be told, somewhere along the way you have crossed over into midlife. It sure would have been nice if there was a flashing neon sign that says “Proceed With Caution”, but no, you just start slipping into it, without even knowing what hit you. So, listen, the world isn’t ending! There is good news, getting older doesn’t have to be painful or awkward! How to Get Your Mojo Back!Here are 5 things to consider as you tippy-toe into your middle life.
If you are cresting the break of mid-life, it’s all good! Embrace these days, leave the past in the past and learn to love just being you. Shine On!
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By Erika Fehrenbach Prell  Hey there, DreamChaser...so glad you are here! Living your best life is a continued journey of mind, body, and soul wellness. Today, we are going to chat about real food, as in whole and unprocessed food, but with a unique SoulShine twist.
There are so many healthy reasons to make an effort to swap out processed foods for whole foods. To simplify your life, here are my 5 Real Food Best Reasons:
That, DreamChaser, is why you should care about eating real food. Now, let’s talk about what I mean by real food. I already hinted at it, unprocessed and whole foods. We have all heard that before, right? At least, I know I have. But, school is always in, even for the pro. Recently, a good friend of mine described real food in a unique way...it was one of those “ah-ha” moments for me. Before you put the food in your shopping basket or cart, ask yourself this simple question to determine if it is real food or not. Was this once alive? Real food was once alive, either as a plant or as an animal. The more removed, or processed, from being alive or that original state, the less it is food. This is a simple way to cut to the chase when making choices at the grocery store! Here are a few other tips to get you away from processed junk and back to real food:
-Fresh vegetables instead of canned (try sauteing in extra virgin olive oil to preserve those nutrients) -Fresh, lower sodium deli meat instead of pre-packaged (even better, roast chicken or baked ham instead. Have some for the evening meal and save some for sandwiches) -Bakery bread instead of packaged bread (remember, go for the whole wheat!) -Fruit instead of fruit juice -Fresh, whole grain, or quinoa pasta instead of boxed pasta -Brown or multigrain rice instead of white rice (or, try a super grain like quinoa) -Oatmeal with fresh fruit instead of sugar cereal (steel cut oatmeal is an even better choice) Living your best life means caring for your whole self - mind, body & soul. This is true wellness! Your food is the fuel behind all of this. Making intentional choices towards better food choices is the best decision you can make and choosing real food is the foundation to build on. It is easy to get overwhelmed or confused on where to start when it comes to nutrition and getting healthier, which results in doing what is easy or familiar. Switching to whole, real food is worth the effort. Start with these simple suggestions and ask yourself the simple question, “was this once alive?”, and you will be well on your way! Shine On! By Jackie White  Life is short, eat the cake! Great advice, right? How about life is short, get out there and spice life up by taking on some adventures? Eating cake is one thing, but getting adventurous is a whole other ball of wax, right? For those of you (including me!), who feel adventure is maybe too big, too exhausting, or too risky and you’d rather sit on the sidelines of adventure, well, this blog is for you!
Why Adventure? Adventure is important in life because it makes you feel life again. It pulls you out of the ho-hum of everyday life and adds a splash of spice. Sometimes you have to just do something different to remember what joy feels like. How To Do Adventure For the adventure-deprived, you may need to start with just dipping a toe into adventures to help you break out of your everyday activities. Adventures are plentiful, but for any adventure you need to commit to it and get it on the calendar. When you prioritize adventuring in your life you are deciding to live life with more gusto and when you do that you build courage and strength in how you feel about yourself. Imagine conquering a fear of heights by trying ziplining! That is a huge accomplishment! One other very cool bonus of taking part in adventure is that you become a more interesting person by trying new things! The Adventure Bucket List for All Kinds of Adventurers Not-So-Risky Adventures: Hike a nearby park Rent a kayak Try a new cuisine Roadtrip somewhere you’ve never been Run your first 5K, 10K, ½ marathon Mid-Range Adventures Go ziplining Rapel down a bluff Learn to scuba dive Ride in a hot air balloon Go whitewater rafting Big-Time Adventures Backpack the Grand Canyon Climb a mountain Skydive Go on safari Bungee jump You see adventures don’t have to be crazy things like taming a lion, they can be things you have always wanted to do or try. They can be stretch activities to conquer a fear or to achieve something you have always wanted to do, but thought you couldn’t. This summer put a few adventures on your list of “to-do’s” and begin to taste the spice of life! Shine On! By Erika Fehrenbach Prell  You have probably heard of the idea of a bucket list. Perhaps you are wondering what the big deal is...why should I bother with making one? The more traditional bucket list is one to do with life, basically your big life “to-do list”, which usually includes those big goals and dreams. This is a fun and comprehensive way to keep track of all that you want to accomplish. Writing them down is great with the next step being setting a plan to do these things on your heart. A bucket list is an awesome best life tool to maximize the fun and adventurous experiences of your life. In a similar fashion, the summer bucket list is a popular idea. Like Olaf in Frozen (sorry, we are in a HUGE Frozen kick in our house these days), we all dream of summer. Pools and lemonade, bike rides and ice cream shops, building a sandcastle with our toes in the sand...ahhh, so many things to do! If you are a Midwesterner like myself, summer is a fleeting season; it is here and gone before you know it. Which is exactly why a summer bucket list is such a great idea! Let’s be real, if you don’t have a plan, all those summertime adventures you look forward to in the frozen landscape of February will not happen. It’s time to trade in the tennis shoes for flip flops and get your summer set for fun, adventures, and, most important, lasting memories! Here’s how I go about my summer bucket list planning and executing: 1. Brainstorm All the Things - This is the fun part. My kids and I do this together, adding new things as well as bringing back things we always want to do. If you need a place to start, check out this image!  2. Prioritize - Some things are more important than others or only happen on certain days. If those are must-dos, make sure to put them at the top of your list. Adding the dates is also helpful.
3. Grab the Calendar - My ride or die for life...my paper calendar and phone app. Take a few minutes to get organized, add in dates of work commitments, sports, camps, family reunions, graduations parties, weddings. Once these are in, you will know what days you can start planning your Summer Bucket List adventures on! 4. Schedule It In - Scheduled time is protected time. Once you find a time slot for your Summer Bucket List adventures, schedule it in and treat it like a work commitment, one that you won’t break unless you absolutely have to. Trust me on this...the only way to actually do these things you want is to schedule it in. 5. Fun Times Ahead - Have the best summer ever making memories you will cherish for a lifetime (or until next summer!). Okay. I hear you already. This sounds lovely but how will I have time to do all these things on our list....I don’t want to disappoint. Oh, the mom guilt… I get it; here’s your solution to maximizing the bucket list...Summer Bucket List Bundle Adventures. And, so you don’t have to think of them yourself, here are 5 to try (adjust as necessary for your crew!):
Doesn’t this already sound like the best summer of your life?!? From one mom to another, adding in the Summer Bucket List has been the best idea to up the fun, adventures, and memory-making, all it takes is a sprinkle of intention and a dash of mindfulness. Get out there and have fun! As always, Shine On! P.S. As an aside, I’m not sure why the other seasons don’t have a bucket list associated with their fun activities. I would recommend making a Fall, Winter, and Spring Bucket List as well. This might be some extra fun and joy to a season that you normally don’t look forward to! By Jackie White  Dreams are born in a place in our hearts where creativity and inspiration reside. They are put there to make sure you have a road map to happiness and life satisfaction. Wait, what? There is a road map to happiness? Yes, it’s called your dreams. So, yea, dreams are that important. Today I want you to think about dreams in a completely different context to explore the possibilities that lie within your dreams. By examining a few questions about your dreams, you see why they are so important for you to follow.  Let’s play a game of “What If”:
What if you followed your dreams and you suddenly felt like the person you are really supposed to be? What if the truth is that if you follow your dream you will finally feel comfortable in your skin and you would feel truly fulfilled? What if the point of following your dream is to fill you up with contentment and happiness? What if you stopped putting your dreams through tests to see if your dream was logical? What if dreams aren’t meant to follow logic? What if dreams are meant to be big and sometimes badass and because of that logic doesn’t always apply? What if you go with your gut and follow your dreams? What if you stopped comparing your dream to the dreams of others? Having dreams is not a contest! No one’s dreams are better than others. What if your dream was your roadmap to happiness? Uh, hello are you getting ready for the road trip of your life? What if you are worthy of your dreams? Your dream is so perfectly tailored to fit only you. There is no need to consider if you are or are not worthy because your dream has been made especially for you! What if your dreams are there to satisfy your purpose or passion in life? What if your dream popped into your subconscious mind as a gift from the Universe? And hey, there are no return receipts with a gift like that, so maybe you should just go for it! What if the Universe has super-awesome plans for you and those are woven in the fabric of your dreams? Now, what if all “what ifs” are true? If that is so, then I think you know what you need to do. You need to take the leap and get on the road to follow your dreams! Shine On! |
AuthorsJackie White has been writing about life and its ups and downs for many years. With a degree in Industrial Psychology and a life-long student of personal development she is intrigued by how each individual chooses to live their life. Jackie feels strongly that truly living your best life is imperative to attaining peace and fulfillment. SoulShine was borne of her desire to inspire and teach others to live their best life. This is her mission and her dream. Archives
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