Happy Monday! I hope that everyone is starting off the week with a productive enthusiasm and gusto! The weekend seemed to have been a nice combination of relaxation and of socializing. I hope that you were able to branch out of your comfort zone and be pleasantly surprised with a wonderful time! I was so excited this week when I got to spend extra time in the sun running! When I spend time in the sun, I feel empowered. It’s so unbelievably relaxing and, yet, energizing to simply let it touch your skin.

Speaking of feeling empowered, I feel empowered simply by living the raw food lifestyle that I live. So many this week have asked me for help in succeeding on a raw food lifestyle, and I am beyond HAPPY to hear it and to help! It changes lives because it is a change of lifestyle, not just a diet. Even if you’re not raw and if you make an effort to eat healthier, you have just changed your life! You dedicate yourself to a new way of thinking that transforms your every decision. I am so excited that so many in the co-op are really trying to get healthier this Spring. People are making goals to eat more raw foods, and they are feeling motivated to really change their lives. We are all trying to change our lives daily, whether it’s a big change or a small change. If you aren’t trying to change, you are still changing with your surroundings and adapting to the times. Times are good always.

I know that when I was first going raw, I was immersed in SO much information about raw foods. At times, it became difficult to feel like I was getting it right because there was so much conflicting information coming from so many sources. However, over time, and after finding 80/10/10, I found myself feeling empowered. I was empowered because I had authority over my own life and my own food choices. I spent months studying my body and getting to know it; I became my own guru. Of course one feels stronger and more confident when he make such changes in his life, but not just physically—this energy emits throughout ones entire persona.

Before I was raw and before I had the co-op, I lived in fear of abundance and in fear of acceptance of good in my life. Because we are frightened of change, we become afraid to succeed although this success can bring us joy and abundance. One can see this manifested in any life easily. An easy example for me to identify is when I see people who are striving to be raw/healthy, and they don’t want to buy enough food for themselves to get them through the week. They try to eat less, but then during the week, they end up going hungry and grabbing something else that is unhealthy. Being “rawfully organic” and “rawfully happy” is all about surrounding yourself with complete abundance so that you can succeed in all of your endeavors! You must surround yourself with abundance to do this. Especially when you eat more produce, you must eat a bit more to get in sufficient calories, so it’s a blessing to be able to indulge in such beautiful foods! If one can allow himself to enjoy the goodness of the food, they can allow themselves to enjoy so much more goodness in life. It is not just about the food, but it is about creating safety nets for yourself so that you can feel secure in your choices no matter what. Believe that you deserve authority in your own life. Give yourself the freedom to succeed and find how quickly that you grow!

Give yourself the freedom that you need to succeed. To be anxious of the unknown is to lack faith that any good can happen. Don’t limit yourself and trust that the rest will follow. So many desire to change their lives, but they are not willing to let go of their old habits and give new ones a shot. No one likes chasing his or her tail. Change can be scary, but once you take the leap, you wonder why you hadn’t done it before! Possibilities await us all if we look beyond our own periscope and open our eyes to the ocean surrounding us. Take a deep breath and open your eyes to the changes that you want to manifest in your life today. Make choices for yourself that allow you to feel empowered on every level. Be the sun that empowers others!

I hope that you have the BEST week and that you soak up the sun! I can’t wait to see you Thursday! *Hugs*

I hope that everyone has stayed warm this weekend! For many, we are “Springing back from break” as this past week was a week off from school for many students and families. We had a spritz of winter blow into the city, but it won’t be here much longer. This past week was one of those weeks where I simply felt grateful for absolutely every single element in my life—whether it was people, food, or experiences. Some people say that I am surrounded by luck, but I truly believe that it is all in our perceptions and all in the way that we perceive our environment. There are plenty of circumstances that happen to me on a daily basis, but it is the way that I choose to look at them that brings me more joy than sorrow. I hope to share this with all of you! I realized that because of my raw lifestyle and because of the food that I eat, I feel freedom, I feel empowered, and I feel unbelievably thankful for every bite.

Call me “nuts,” but I truly feel as if our co-op is becoming a family! Week after week, I get to see everyone, and I have developed such amazing relationships with each of you. Then, I get to see all of you develop relationships with each other! I cannot help but become overwhelmed in the joy of this process. No matter what it may be, we are all connected. The fact that we are able to share food and to eat to our hearts’ desires is a blessing. I have memories from when I lived in Nashville and lived on pears, romaine, and bananas. I now look at my box, and I cannot believe how blessed I feel every minute of every day to have such abundance and to have such crazy varieties of food!

Friday night I was home eating the most amazing salad ever. I was literally tasting the rainbow, and I was “mmmmmming” with every single bite. I recall my mother asking me to stop at least twice!! As I was sitting there, I started to laugh as I received about five messages on my phone from other co-operators doing exactly the same thing! Hahah! We were all sitting down and eating huge, colorful salads. It was so interesting to see how we all took the same ingredients but made a different feast from the selection. It was almost as if each of our salads had their own personality that represented its owner. I believe it! I sat there, and I remember telling my mother that I was in heaven with the amount of flavor explosions happening on my mouth! Never in my life did I think that I would be able to eat such amazing foods or that I would be able to afford such an abundance! Many of these items you simply cannot get in the store, especially in one stop! Amen!

As I sat and slowly munch on my greens covered in a sweet purple, orange dressing, I thought about how much freedom the co-op has created for me in terms of shopping for value. When we come to co-op, we whip out the set amount due for our box, and we go to pick up our box knowing that the value is IN the box. I watch people on Thursdays and Saturdays swapping vegetables, and I cannot help but chuckle sometimes at how individuals try to place a price on single items when trying to exchange them. Can you put a price on it? Rather, should anyone ever be worrying about single amounts? What a stress! When I used to go to the grocery store, I used to look at each price, worry, think, contemplate, and worry. The co-op has freed me from that! I used to not be able to afford each individual item, but I can now afford the box! I no longer focus on the small things in life, but I am able to look at the bigger box and think, “Holy basil, it’s all for me!” Not one item holds any specific value, but they all hold value together. This is part of what makes our box so special.  Perhaps we should call them freedom boxes!

Our boxes make me feel empowered. When I walk in the sun, I feel empowered. I feel joy, and I feel strength. I know that I would not feel this way if it were not for this healthy way of living that is a huge dominating factor in my life. No way. I’ve lived it before, and it felt nothing like this. My mind, my body, and my spirit has changed. We continue to grow with the atmospheres in which we place ourselves. We also continue to grow with our own self-mantras, and we attract more of what we choose to attract into our lives. Everyday I tell myself that we are always on an uphill climb. We are always surrounded by love. We are always in abundance!

Thank you for letting me simply share all of my thoughts of gratitude with you this week. I hope that you are feeling the freedom in your box, I hope that you are feeling empowered, and I hope that you are enjoying each bite out of your box. I hope that you decide to manifest your dreams because you CAN, and I pray that you share these gifts with others. Celebrate in the color of your life (and your salad!), and I hope to see you this week!

Hugs!

If you are in Houston, then I know that you are LOVING this weather. It is sunny and so easy to sit outside and soak up the sun until you feel so relaxed that you feel woozy. This week is spring break for kids and students alike, and many are trying to enjoy their time going to the rodeo or spending time with friends and family. I had the best birthday this past Thursday, and  I want to thank everyone for making my birthday so unbelievably special. I was surrounded with beautiful flowers and plants, and the boxes were overflowing with the most rare yet abundant edible flowers and herbs galore. Many have asked me about these greens, and there is a list to the left column of the email. Thank you thank you thank you everyone for your presence and love.

Spending quality time with people is something that I enjoy more than anything. We all live in a world where being incredibly busy is normal, and this prevents us from truly absorbing time in relationships with others and with ourselves. It is not until you sit down for a few minutes to rest that you realize that you have most likely been too busy and that you need some more “me time.” Sometimes, we are able to achieve the balance more easily at times than at other times, but life is all about managing your time and dealing with change.

I was with a friend on Friday, and she asked me, “How would you speak if every word that you ever said came true?” In other words, what would you do if all of your thoughts became things? Would you still speak in the same manner, or would you still think the way that you do? If I say the word hamburger, I would most definitely not want one to appear before me! What if I said something like, “My life is crazy,” “I’m too busy,” or “I’m poor.” Even if they are not true or if you are joking, you have just manifested those things in your mind and to the world.

We all hold in our minds and in our words to change the way that our universes operate. Even if you don’t believe your words at first, if you say them over and over again, you are liable to live them as truth after a certain period of time. Your thoughts can change. These thoughts affect our actions, and they attract to us what we request. Many athletes go through mind training in order to help them achieve new heights. Life coaches like Jim Will, Gregg Braden, Alix Rodwell, Anthony Robbins, Eckhart Toll, and hundreds more, emphasize that your mindset going into any race is one of the most important factors. If you tell yourself that you will lose. You will lose. If you question your winning, you may not win. If you tell yourself that you will do your best. You will try your hardest. If you know deep down that you’ve got it, you hold it before you. I believe that what most of our world needs is a shift in wording, thus causing a shift in mindset. It doesn’t hurt one to think positively.  If anything, it improves life on so many levels. Why manifest the negative when you can manifest the AMAZING and the UNTHINKABLE?!

We all have hopes or set goals for ourselves, whether they are small or infinite. No matter what they may be, we hold them in our minds as things that we want to accomplish or things that we want to have. Whether it may be to spend more time with family, to feel appreciated, to become more athletic, to make more money, or to gain health. My personal mantra is  “abundance comes easily to me.” For those who know me, this is absolutely true! The most beautiful people, beautiful food, and beautiful circumstances continuously surround me.

I believe that life is continuously on an uphill climb. No matter what may happen, it is all for a reason. It is all for the greater good; we simply must learn to see it that way. Every experience is a growth opportunity. There are infinite situations in which we can work on ourselves during the day. If something bothers you, start there. Take one moment everyday where you can contemplate how you will want to change your mindset towards a situation to make it better for yourself, and speak it aloud. Your thoughts become words, your words said aloud become things. Thoughts become things, and we are all interconnected to help change the energy of our communities and our world. Our dreams truly are possible with determination and proper communication. Let’s make it happen!

I hope to see everyone this week! I hope that you are enjoying the sun!

Hugs**

This weekend has been simply gorgeous! I love Spring! Saturday was one of the most perfect days, and this week we are in for more gorgeous weather. I am blessed to say that Thursday will be in the 70’s and sunny! Another surprise for this coming week is that it will be my birthday on Thursday!

Normally, I am very quiet about my birthday; however, this year, my birthday falls on co-op! Rather than keeping this to myself, I will much rather want to share this day with all of you! Co-op days are already my favorite days of the week, so this Thursday will be extra special to me.

I’ve decided that since this week is important for me to share with others, I want to make it “super-cool” for everyone. Just because it is my birthday, does not mean that it cannot be everyone’s birthday! Therefore, everyone gets a surprise birthday box! Ya baby!!!

What kind of a day is it if you cannot share your gifts with everyone?! The boxes are going to be filled with all of my favorite fruits and veggies that I will want to eat on my birthday. I am going to customize all of the boxes with my favorite fruits and veggies! I am trying to special order a few more items as well to have them for Thursday. You may get a few new items in your box that you haven’t seen before, but hopefully you will be excited to try new things and to share them with your families and friends. To me, this idea sounded really exciting, and I cannot think of a better gift to share with everyone than a huge birthday box filled with fruits and veggies! We must all celebrate our lives every single day of the week! Life is for celebrating, and our beautiful raw and living foods help to keep us filled with color!

To be able to share our gifts with others is a simple act of kindness. Kindness is SO important, and so many forget to be kind on a daily basis. It is so easy to be kind, and it makes you feel SO good. I have to thank my friends in the co-op for inspiring me to do simple acts of kindness from my heart throughout the week. These simple acts make the biggest difference in regards to feeling grateful about every tiny moment and gesture in life. Although my week is looking busy with work, I want to show simple acts of kindness to everyone! How difficult is it to ask someone how are they doing that day, to bring them flowers, or to offer them help? It’s not! It’s so easy to simply lend someone an ear or to offer them assistance. Even complete strangers appreciate such a gesture, and these acts of kindness can change anyone’s perspective on life in an instance.

When I was growing up, I never looked forward to my birthday week, but now I see this week as a celebration that I simply want to be able to share with others. What means the most to me is being able to share presence with the ones that I love. Gifts are not material, but they are intangible. The relationships that we create and the exchanges that we have with individuals make life worthwhile. No one wants to live in a bubble, but we often find ourselves getting so wrapped up in our own lives that we forget that the act of giving invigorates us with freedom! Being selfish brings us no gratification—there is no bond! Celebrate each day as if it were your own birthday, and share the gift of life with everyone and everything that surrounds you. Your heart will be deeply touched, and you will deeply touch others.

Thank you everyone for sharing the gift of life with me. I am truly blessed to know you, and I am truly blessed to be able to share my birthday with you!

Hugs*

I hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend and hope that you were able to snuggle up with a loved one to keep warm! We’ve only hot one more month of winter-like weather before Spring, and February always passes quickly since it is another month of love! This month, I am going to use the newsletters to focus on all sorts of love. There is love of oneself, love for others, love of the earth, and love of foods! There is so much to celebrate!

We are a little low on sunshine this week, and without sunshine, it becomes a bit harder to exercise, to relax, and to take a deep breath. This may not seem like an important thing, but the breaths that you take keep your body energized, functioning focused, and calm. Breath holds life! Is it safe to assume that the more that we breathe, the more we live? We literally have the power to energize our bodies in more ways than one! There is so much symbolism behind breathing, for it is one of the processes that we mindlessly do each day.

Many people do not realize how little they truly breathe throughout the day. Many only breathe very shallowly, and it can cause sleepiness, lack of energy, and even depression. If you can, try to pay more attention to your breathing patterns, and see how good it feels to breathe more in your day. J

Therefore, this week, I’ve decided to focus on my breathing to bring more life to life and to keep me energized. Just because it is raining does not mean that we have to fall short of energy or keeping our vibrancies alive. Something else on which to love this week as you may be setting goals for yourself are the ABC’s of life. I found these etched on an old stone box this past weekend as I was cleaning out my room. The stone box was given to me as a gift, and I find it truly amazing that certain messages always pop up when we need them the most. These ABC’s are truly beautiful goals from which to live, and I wanted to share them with everyone because they bring me joy. There is one goal for each letter in the alphabet:

Accept differences

Be kind

Count your blessings

Dream

Express thanks

Forgive

Give Freely

Harm no one

Imagine more

Jettison Anger

Keep confidences

Love truly

Master something

Nurture hope

Open your mind

Pack lightly

Quell Rumors

Reciprocate

Seek Wisdom

Touch hearts

Undertstand

Value truth

Win graciously

Xeriscape

Yearn for Peace

Zealously support a worthy cause

With each of these goals, I pray that you find peace, joy, and abundance. I also hope that you will be able to breathe in life as you have never breathed it before. Make each breath a deep inhalation of gratitude. Everything in life is to be celebrated, and we are all so very blessed to be here to live and to share love. I hope that you are able to live this message and to spread it indefinitely!

I dedicate this week’s newsletter and boxes to our beloved Anna Tipps who passed away Sunday evening. We are so glad that she is no longer in pain, and we keep her in our prayers. Anna, I love you.

Hugs!

I have tried to make it a central focus in my life lately that I want to always follow my heart—that is, listen to the inner voice within my soul that allows inspiration to flow through me. Sometimes we are scared to make decisions in fear that they are not the right choices. Do you ever feel that even if you follow your heart, you may make the wrong decision? It’s simply not possible when you put your consciousness into making specific choices. Allow yourself to be inspired. If you truly are listening to the voice that feeds you, you will make the choice that feels best for yourself. You will be content with your choice no matter what.

We all have this subconscious being within us, and it drives us. Everyday we make choices based upon what we think is right, suitable, and possible. Sometimes, we make choices that we are not so excited about. Sometimes, we make choices to do things that we may not want to do, and sometimes, we make choices to please others instead of ourselves. When you do not follow your heart, you know it. When you do, you feel it in the best of ways.

This past weekend I really wanted to find a balance between working and between resting. Since it was the weekend, there were events to attend and people to see. However, the person that I truly felt like spending time with was myself. I had to find a balance between nurturing the relationships that I care most about and my own. I learned that I can promise to be there for everyone, but that means that I will have less time to spend with myself. Ironically, we all often forget about our relationships with ourselves; it is the most valuable relationship that we have on this earth. The needs of others can easily be placed before our own, but this will not keep us thriving.  These instances can apply to any area of life, and they make us realize that every choice that we make affects our being and our surroundings. The key in finding freedom is learning to accept and love our choices no matter what they may be.

We must learn to make choices without feeling guilt or wavering. When we stand by our decisions, others will respect them without questioning. Courage is all that is needed to stand by what is best for all. In the book “The 7 Habits,” the author talks about win-win situations and finding a balance that works for everyone. I love win-wins! I truly believe that there is always an option that allows us to have apples and eat them too. Where there is a will, there is a way. You may find that some individuals are masters are finding excuses not to do things, and this is because perhaps they are not ready to move forward. Perhaps we are not ready to let go, or perhaps we cannot see all of the options available to us because we are scared to try new things. Either way, when we feel guilt about a choice, we waiver, and others will notice. When others feel this indecision, they will try to give input to help you make your decision. Sometimes, this makes it even more difficult to make a choice. Stand by your heart. Feel it. See that it will benefit all if you are sound with it. Be pleased with your decision!

We are all connected. We are connected with the earth, with other individuals, and with other animals. We all share this planet together, and we learn to find harmony in our relationships with one another. If we have the wisdom to understand the messages that come to us through our surroundings, our relationship with the world can be a powerful teacher. When we make choices for our greater good, it will be for the greater good for all. Sometimes placing yourself first can be for the greater good for all. All will benefit. The positive energy that you put forth from making an inspired decision will more profoundly affect the world than had you made a decision about which you were resentful. As Gregg Braden says, “ We must become in our lives the things that we choose to experience as our world.” The focus of our awareness becomes the reality of our world. Our choices affect our feelings, and our feelings affect our energy. Our energy affects our surroundings, and our surroundings affect all who are present. When you make choices from your heart, you are making the world a better place!

Follow your heart, and enjoy your time no matter how you decide to spend it. Love every minute, and cherish every relationship. Feel the sunshine, and I look forward to seeing you this week! Hugs!