10 Quotes That just May change your life

I've always been very drawn to words. Words, to me, are like magic. A good quote can take your breathe away and leave you feeling a deeper connection to yourself, others and in general, life. A good quote can give you the motivation you need to make necessary changes AND a good quote can leave you feeling like anything is possible. 

Quotes can also be incredibly powerful when things feel heavy and hard. I often find comfort  in reading the words of someone who has walked in similar shoes before me. When I read their words I think, "you know, if this person could get through it and look back with such a positive perspective, so to can I." 

Some of the loneliness and most burdensome moments in my life have felt easier to navigate just by reading powerful words. 

Words help you grow, change, and evolve. They can give you the strength and courage to spread your wings and fly off to new adventures. 

 For every situation there is a quote to lift up and inspire. 

Certain words can take your breathe away and leave tears streaming down your face. 

And the more you pay attention, the more likely that certain quotes will make their way to you just when you need them most. 

Here are 10 quotes that have changed my perspective on situations, thus, changing my life. And, it's my hope that you fall in love with them the way I did. Collect them in a book, write them on post-its and stick them on your walls or bathroom mirror. Or, memorize them and let them leave a stamp on your heart forever. 

For your heart will forever be changed by the magic of words. 

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1. "People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime."

Growing up I had several of my closest friends move away and over the years, we've lost touch. As another one left, I often found myself feeling sad and unable to understand why people kept leaving. I felt left behind and as if I was doing something to make them leave.

Then one day my mom shared the quote above with me. Immediately everything changed because I realized that every single person who comes into my life brings with them some kind of lesson I need to learn. Call it karma, call them kindred spirits, call them what you will, we were meant to be in each others lives for however long it may be and that began to provide me with the comfort I need.

It's actually kind of exciting now because each new person that comes my way is another opportunity to learn about myself and life. To this day when someone I care about leaves I still feel sad and if I'm honest, slightly left behind. However, I know that there was a reason our time was brief and I find meaning where I can. I find whatever lesson it was that I needed to learn and I try to grow for our time together. 

Life Changer: Find meaning or the lesson in every encounter, however short it may be. No meeting is by mere coincidence. 

2. "Your mad. Bonkers. Off your head. But I'll tell you a secret...all the best people are" - Alice in wonderland

I love people that march to the beat of their own drum. You know the ones, the people that don't give a f&$k what others think. The ones who embrace all of their idiosyncrasies, the ones that spread their wings and fly no matter how hard that may be. YOU people, I want to know you. I think you are brave and courageous. You inspire and motivate us to stand out in a sea of people trying to be the same. I applaud your ability to be comfortable in your own skin. Keep shining your magical light because the world needs more people shining their own lights. 

Life Changer: March to the beat of your own drum and inspire others to do the same. Eventually you'll learn to not give a f&$k what other's think. 

3. "Today you are you! That is truer then true. There is no one alive who is you-er then you!" - Dr. Seuss

Oh Dr. Suess, you are a man of so many incredible words. This quote is just one of many Dr. Suess quotes I love because it points out the fact that each one of us is unique and perfect just because we are alive. How cool is that? 

There really is no one like you out there. As I said above, march to the beat of your own drum because those idiosyncrasies, those little things make you so flippin' wonderful. 

Life Changer: Don't let the world tell you who you should be. BE YOU. Tap into your heart and identify who that is and live it. Trust me, YOU are so awesome.

4. "Life is really simple but we insist on making it complicated." - Confucius

I always like to joke that as a Virgo I overcomplicate everything because I analyze things until they can no longer be analyzed...and then I analyze them some more. However, I think in general we all over complicating things. But the thing is, life is really simple.

I don't know about you but my overarching goal is for more simplicity and less overcomplicating. Sounds dreamy, huh? 

Just remember, even when life feels like you are swimming in quicksand, slow down and remember, there is always a way out. No need for complicating the situation further by panicking. The best way out of quicksand is to slow down but to keep moving forward until you are eventually out. 

Life Changer: What if we just let things be simple? What if we let go of the urge to overcomplicate everything and find peace in life simply unfolding? What if...

5. "Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Did you know that? Did you know that life really does want you to succeed and once you decide on something the powers that be WILL do whatever necessary to make it happen. However, because we tend to overcomplicate things and get in our own way, too often things feel harder then necessary. We let our heads lead when our hearts should and we can talk ourselves out of almost everything. 

Just know that you are never alone, you are always supported. Keep an open mind and an open heart and believe that you deserve what you truly long for. 

Life Changer: You aren't doing this alone. Once you decide, so it is. 

6. "Not all who wander are lost." J.J.R Tolkien

I use to believe that there was something wrong with me because my heart and soul were longing to wander the world. I wasn't sure if I'd ever want to settle down.  I've always wanted to see and experience everything I could. I would dream of far off lands and the people I'd meet along the way and this thrilled me to no end. However, over time, somewhere I picked up the belief that those who wandered were lost souls destined to never find peace, so I slowly let go of this dream and latched on to one that felt more socially acceptable and safe. 

But here is the thing, your soul will never find peace if you don't listen to the calls from within. You will always be searching, you will always feel restless and unsettled. 

There is nothing wrong with you because you long to see the world and experience everything you can and it definitely doesn't mean you are lost. 

Life Changer: What if you listened to the heeds from within? What would happen if you let yourself wander and experience everything you want in this life. If there is a will, there definitely is a way. 

7. "I saw that." - Karma

If this doesn't make you giggle just a little bit then I don't know what will. Even if you don't believe in karma, most people believe we should treat others with kindness and respect. This quite adds a little humor to the idea that, what goes around...always comes around. 

I also like the other saying, "Karma's a bitch."

And if I know anything, the way you treat others is how you will be treated in return. 

Life Changer: Treat people the way you would want to be treated. Show people love, kindness and compassion. 

8.  "What people in the world think of you is really none of your business". - Martha Graham

If you are anything like me you probably hate the idea of someone disliking you. I think as human beings we have a natural desire for everyone to, at the very least, like us. And most would agree on some basic level that we long to have others approve of whatever it is we are doing. We are a society that is in constant need of validation through likes, thumbs up, winks and pokes but in the end, none of it matters. What truly matters is that YOU are living your life in a way that is true to what your heart wants. As long as you are not harming others, what others think IS none of your business.

Don't live your life based on what everyone else thinks. You'll end up living a life designed by other when you should be designing your own life. 

Life Changer: Don't get caught up in the need for validation from others. In the end, everybody has different ideas of what you should be doing with your life. If you get caught up in those ideas and lose sight of your own, you aren't truly living YOUR life, you are living a life everyone else thinks you should be living. This only breeds unhappiness. LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE. 

9. "If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you've always gotten." - Tony Robbins

Sometimes I read this quote over and over and all I can think of is "duh!" I know, so poetic. However, it's the truth. Why do we think we can do the same thing day in and day out and expect different results? Why is it so easy to fall back into the old and expect life to magically change? This is what I meant when I wrote this post.  If you don't like something only you can change it.  Even one small movement in a different direction can drastically change your life.  

Life Changer: Make one small, tiny, wee bitty change today and see what happens. It's magic. 

10. "All good things are wild and free." - Henry David Thoreau

There is a reason I got part of this quote tattooed on my arm. Two of the most important values I want to live by: Stay wild, stay free. 

When you strip away everything, at your very basic core, you are wild and free. We all have free will. We all can go right, or we can go left. We all have a choice to live, or to stay stuck. 

We live in a country where we are free. We are able to do what we want, when we want (for the most part) and live 'the dream." We can leave unhappy marriages, we can build incredible businesses, travel the world, and live in between that space of truth and ambiguity with no consequence. We have so many choices, so much opportunity. 

And for that, nothing is more wild and free. 

Life Changer: Remember this, you were born wild and free and nothing can change that. Lean into that freedom. Lean into the wild. 

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And because I just can't stop at ten, here are a few more of my favorites:

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." -Howard Thurman

"We do not remember days. We remember moments" - Cesare Pavese

"Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over people and circumstances, or whether you are going to taste it, enjoy it and find out the truth about who you are." - Anne lamott

"I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where ewe are but does not leave us where it found us." - Anne Lamott

"You cannot be lonely if you like the person you're alone with." - Wayne Dyer

I just like to tell the rules to f&#k off sometimes + a recipe

When I thought about what I wanted to share on this blog, one of the things I promised myself was that I would always write about and post things that make me happy. As important as it is in the blogging world to "niche" yourself, I find that as a person with a million passions and hobbies, that is near impossible. 

I struggled for a long time trying to only write about one thing. To become a master of this one particular message. However, something felt off. What happened when I did this was I felt too limited, to confined by rules that the call to write just, stopped. One of the very things I love most in life started to feel like a chore. 

Over the last several months as I was suck in a crummy state of massive writers block because of the limitations I had created, I felt like a part of me had gone missing. Writing and sharing has been such an integral part of me coming into a deeper understanding of myself and of the world, that when I tried to stay confined to the box I had put myself in, I was met with a whole lot of nothing. 

I decided to say fuck the rules, I'm doing this my way.

Moving forward I gave myself only one rule, share what you feel called to share. 

Sometimes I write about a lesson I've learned throughout my journey like my previous post. Other times it may be a project I've finished, a recipe I created or a local favorite I've discovered. But most importantly, I vow to always post what feels genuine and true. I vow to never should on myself when it comes to writing and sharing. 

And as much as I write because my soul NEEDS to, I have to be honest, I write because it is my hope that something I share inspires others to dig deep and push past their own self-imposed limitations and live life to the fullest. Call me selfish, call me a dreamer, call me what you will, but I really want you to live an awesome and fulfilled life because the world needs more people living from that place.  

I want to see more smiles on faces of strangers and I want to hear more giggles from grown women and men frolicking in the ocean. I want to see others engaging in REAL conversation instead of people glued to their phones. I want to see that sparkle in your eye because you are living from the most genuine and authentic place possible, your heart. 

So I'm going to ask you this; what would truly fulfill you? What does you heart want that you aren't allowing into you life? 

Now start doing more of that. No more excuses. 

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One of the things that deeply fulfills me is food. As someone who struggled with my relationship with food and my body for years, finding freedom in the kitchen and a newfound playful relationship with what I cook and eat has been one of the most healing and fulfilling things I've ever done. Releasing all labels and listening to what my body needs has allowed me to love myself in a way I never thought possible. When you are so consumed with what you put in your body and how your vessel looks, you have very little time to enjoy your life. Now I listen to what my body needs. I follow my cravings, energy level, moods and eat according to that. 

Yes, there are things I can't eat because of allergies like potatoes and gluten and there are those things I choose not to eat often like dairy and refined sugar it makes me feel tired and lethargic. However, it's out of love and respect for my vessel and no longer vanity that I don't eat these things. 

Every time I play in the kitchen I feel like the best version of myself. I blare music, lately it's been the Duke Ellington Pandora station, sip on wine (if its dinner time of course...okay, sometimes in the middle of the day too) and barely notice the hours slip by because I'm lost in my creation. And that is really what it's all about. Loving the things you do day in and day out that you get lost in time and space. 

 I know I needn't remind you of this but....LIFE. IS. SHORT.

Life is so very short my darling. 

So what are you waiting for? Tomorrow will come and go and your todo list will still be there. Your responsibilities will stare back at you like a rabid pup ready to strike no matter how  hard you try to run from them. However, they will be easier to embrace if you start balancing your life out with more fun, more play, more of the stuff you really love to do. 

So my friend, if you aren't already, start living today. Say f&#k off to the rules and just do what makes your heart fulfilled and happy. And stop staying things like, "oh yeah, it's easy for you to say that, you don't have x, y or z." We all have our own stuff. Believe me, there are days where I feel like hiding away in my introverted cave scared to take any sort of leap. But I know I have to. I have to keep moving forward because there is a whole world of adventure and freedom to be discovered. Because I know that with each new day and each decision I make, it will lead me closer to or further away from a reality I could be living. 

No matter how perfect someone's life looks from the outside, we all have our stuff and we all get to choose how we live with it. Do we find grace and humor in even the struggle or, do we limit ourselves because it all feels too hard?

We all have the choice to create more space in our lives for the good stuff and worry less about the stuff we have created rules around. Sure, we can't avoid things like paying our bills, going to the doctor, and working, etc but as that age old quote goes:

"Life is too short to miss out on beautiful things like double cheeseburgers." - Channing Tatum

Or something like that...

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PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY TRUFFLEs

Ingredients for truffles:
2 cups strawberries
2 cup raw coconut butter
1/2 cup unsweetened peanut butter

Ingredients for chocolate:
1 cup bittersweet chocolate
1-2 tablespoons coconut oil

How to assemble:

1. In a food processor, combine strawberries and coconut butter. Mix until smooth and creamy. Because of the water content of strawberries, if you don't add in enough coconut butter the mixture will be too grainy. You want it super smooth and creamy. 

2. Once strawberries and coconut butter are combined, mix in peanut butter by pulsing several times. I like it when there are bits of peanut butter chunks when it hardens. If you don't, just keep mixing longer until it's well combined. 

3. Pour mixture into a freezer safe bowl and set in the freezer to harden for about 10-15 minutes. 

4. Using a melon scoop, dropping each ball on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and set in refrigerator to stay hard while you make the chocolate dipping sauce. 

Chocolate Sauce

1. In a double broiler melt your chocolate and coconut oil. Turn heat to low or off once completely melted. 

2. Take only a few of the truffles out of the fridge at a time and one-by-one, dip them in the chocolate sauce and place back on parchment paper in fridge to harden up. 

3. Once all truffles are dipped, ENJOY!

When things don't go right, go left.

When I was younger I learned quickly that the tree-lined trails of the mountains surrounding my home were very therapeutic for me. Often when I needed to work through whatever was going on in my head I would take to the forest and find so much clarity in the few hours I spent lost amongst the healing powers of nature. There were moments of deep laughter, all alone in the woods where I was so full of love and gratitude I thought I would burst open. And then there have been moments when sadness and heartache stained my checks with their salty tears and the only thing I could do was barrel up those trails to find release and freedom from the pain.

The trails are like going home to me. The trails allow me to access a part of myself that I can't always find in the busyness of everyday life. The trails open me up and allow me to see life from varying perspectives. The trails get me out of my black and white reality.

Life-changing decisions happens when I get lost amongst the trees, colors become more vivid and my heart more open. 

So recently when things in my life started to feel confusing and heavy and I couldn't see past my own narrow vision, I turned to the familiar comforts of vanilla scented pines and tall grassy meadows to find clarity and understand myself and the world around me a little better. 

As I stomped and sang (literally) through the Southern California brush, my attempt to ward off any unhinged rattlesnake waiting to lunge at my ankles or hungry mountain lion who was ready to feast on my face, I thought about and analyzed life. 

I've been in San Diego almost eight months and so much of what I intended to do here hasn't quite come into fruition. Like this blog for starters. Someone who was once full of so many words, I feel like the moment I l arrived here I realized I left all my creativity and words back in the Emerald City. 

I left Seattle with a plan, I thought I knew what I was coming here to do, I had a mission. 

Life is interesting like that. One minute you are on a path and you think you have it all figured out and the next thing you know that path just doesn't feel right anymore and you are stuck at a fork in the road. Do you stay right because it feels safe, known and familiar. Or, do you go left and forge a new path? 

So much of who I thought I was, what I believed in my heart was my purpose has changed. Admittedly, I tend to be a pretty black and white thinker.  I often find myself in situations where its hard to see anything other then my own perceived reality. I remember a conversation my ex-husband and I once had about how so much of my pending happiness rested on whether or not I would eventually learn to see life in color. "Nothing is as black and white as you make it Amanda," he would often say as I would stare back at him with tears in my eyes due to the frustrations brought on my by own complicated yet black and white mind. 

And then one day I came across this quote and I laughed out loud when I read it:

"IF THINGS DON'T GO RIGHT, GO LEFT"

I laughed out loud because of its simplicity but also because it reminded me of how necessary it is to constantly remind myself that the world is a very colorful place. Nothing is truly black and white. If something doesn't work or feel right anymore, try something else. 

Like the absence of my words, I finally confessed that there was also a huge void in my heart and as much as I was trying to do more, be more, create more, everything in me was craving simplicity. I wanted nothing more then to go to a job, clock in, clock out and enjoy the simple things in my life. In retrospect, all those plans I had were really just the catalyst to get me here so that I could strip it all away and really begin my journey. 

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 "If you don't like something, change it. You are allowed to alter your plan, change your mind and start over. "

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As a result of altering course and going left instead of right, I learned one of the biggest lessons.  From this one decision to slow down and listen to what I really needed my heart slowly began to heal and a new peace and happiness started to cultivate in different areas of my life. A new confidence took over and I was finally able to show the world a side of me that I kept hidden out of fear. 

When I decided to let go of everything that didn't really fit or belong, I was able to see myself, my hopes, my dreams, my desires and my life in a whole new light. So often we think that the more we do, the more we accomplish and create and provide, the happier we will be. But I think that is absurd. The more we do, the busier we are, the more we think we need, only brings us further away from our truth. It's in the simple moments of life that things really make sense. It's in those moments we can really see. 

 As a dreamy romantic and often enthusiastic believer that everything happens for a reason, I also learned that I tend to drop this one liner as a remiss way of forgoing responsibility for whatever situation I'm dissatisfied with in my life. It's easy to passively tell ourselves, and others, that whatever is happening is part of something bigger, but what if it's actually just the result of making one wrong turn? I wonder, when it comes to life, how much is fate, destiny and universal law and how much is based off of personal choice and free will? 

 As much as I believe a lot of what happens in life is part of a bigger plan, I also believe we  all have the opportunity to change any part of our life that we are unhappy with. No matter how big that may seem, one tiny movement left can create a ripple affect that will change your life forever.

IT IS THAT SIMPLE. 

I think a few generations back the idea of "that's just the way it is" took hold and began breeding a cultural belief that life is really hard and we are supposed to 'do life' a certain way.  People grew to believe that feeling stuck and stagnant was/is the norm. That empty, unsatisfied feeling was "just the way it was." And to that, I call bullshit. 

As I stomped through the trail on Mount Laguna I thought about all of the above. I thought about the wild ride the past year has been and how in one moments decision seventeen months ago I decided to go left instead of stay right and that very moment changed the coarse of my life forever. And with each new day brings with it the opportunity to make small choices that can alter your life in magnificent ways but it takes slowing down, hearing the call and making that decision. 

Every single day we get to wake up and decide to go right....or to go left. Right is safe, right is comfort and familiarity. Right is that place we've known for as long as we can remember. Right can feel good but not completely satisfying. We can live in the state of right for a very long time, maybe even forever. 

But then there are those that will never be happy going right. 

Left is unknown. Left can seem overwhelming and scary but left is possibility. Going left is made from tapping into your heart and asking what you need to feel whole and complete. Going left is forgiving your past decisions and letting them go in order to make room for new and exciting ones. Left is your truth. 

If you can do one thing everyday I invite you to wake up and ask yourself this; do I stay right, or go left?

Cherry Chia Pudding Trifle

I know one thing to be true; cherries and chocolate were made for each other and on my death bed I hope that the last thing I have tasted is this combination. And if you disagree well, I don't know what to tell you other then I don't think we can be friends anymore. 

I kid. Sort of. 

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Lately I've been craving creativity in the kitchen and not really with meals but rather with my all time favorite thing; raw, vegan desserts. Although I am no longer vegan my heart still lies with treats of these nature. The reason is that you have to really creative and think outside the box to created healthier versions of old time classics. My culinary heart has always been with baking and desserts (I almost went to culinary and pastry school many moons ago) and recently I've been playing around with blizzard-like creations and smoothies that make your tastebuds go BOOM! And then I was craving cherries and chocolate and custardy goodness and I made this. 

I like my treats to error on the healthy side not only for my own personal health but I love to show people that healthy doesn't mean deprivation whatsoever. You can still have your cake and eat it too (haha!)...It's just without sugar and other crud. 

So, I do my best to create things that taste delicious and make you wonder how they actually are 'healthier'. I never use refined sugar, gluten or dairy because I don't eat any of that stuff and I don't think you have to either. 

And here is the recipe because everyone should have a little cherry and chocolate in their lives. 

CHERRY CHIA PUDDING TRIFLE

Chocolate Layer
1/2 cup almond meal
1 tbsp cacao powder
1 tbsp coconut oil
2-4 drops vanilla stevia (liquid)

Cherry Chia Pudding
1 can whole fat coconut milk (I blend the whole can in a blender because it seperates)
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup chopped cherries
2 tbsp chocolate sauce
2-4 drops vanilla stevia (liquid)

Chocolate Sauce
2 tablespoons cacao powder
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 drop vanilla stevia (liquid)

Coconut Whip Filling
1/2 cup coconut cream (top layer from a can of coconut milk after refrigerating overnight)
2 tbsp. coconut butter
2-4 tbsp liquid stevia (I used vanilla)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Combine coconut oil and cacao in a sauce pan and allow to melt together. Add in stevia and remove from heat. Allow to thicken up slightly as it cools.

2. Place coconut milk in blender and add stevia and combine. Add in cherries and combine. I like little chunks of cherries so I make sure I don't blend for too long. Pour into a tupperware bowl and add in chia seeds. Mix well. Then stir in about 2 tbsp. of your chocolate sauce. Because this is made with coconut oil, as it sits overnight in the refrigerator it will harden so you will have chunks of chocolate in your chia pudding. Place mixture in fridge to thicken up for at least 4 hours to overnight. Also place another can of coconut milk in fridge overnight. I always have a can or two in the fridge "just in case."

3. Combine the top layer of coconut cream from the refrigerated coconut milk into a blender and add coconut butter, stevia and vanilla. Combine well. This is your coconut whip layer. 

NOW you get to assemble your trifle!

1. . Combine almond meal, cocao powder, coconut oil and stevia in a small bowl and press mixture into the bottom of whatever vessel you are using for your trifle. This is the first layer. 

2.  Add a layer of your overnight cherry chia pudding then a layer of your coconut whip cream. From here I put it in the freezer for about 10 minutes to allow it to set up and harden a bit before I tried to add another layer. 

3. Remove from freezer and add another layer of cherry chia pudding and last, add another layer of coconut whip. Top with chopped fresh cherries and a little chocolate sauce that you've reheated. 

4. Enjoy!

There Is Never Only One Way

Never in all my years has life felt more mysteries, complicated and exciting then during this past year. If I may be honest, and really, isn't that the whole point of putting yourself out there? To be utterly and fully transparent and honest? So, if I may, be honest that is, I still haven’t quite found the words to paint an accurate picture of everything that 2014 brought with it. However, if I could compare it to anything it would be that of a really big, crazy and fast roller coaster. Up and down,  up and down, up and down. 

Over the last twelve months there were a lot of tears. I had to get really comfortable with how many tears my body can actually produce because at times, I wondered if they would ever stop. There were moments that resembled my two year old niece's tantrums, body flung across my bed, screaming into my pillow so that no one would hear me, kicking and crying until my face was puffy and my cheeks stained with the remnants of betrayal and heartbreak. There were moments where I felt out of control, where grief and anger took over all my senses and I was unable to fight it. Not my finer moments, that's for certain. 

The interesting thing is, I've never felt more peaceful in my life either. If you are open and able to see it, what I find so unbelievable, so intoxicating about life is how many wonderful moments are weaved in throughout those tough moments of sadness and despair. One minute I had no idea how I was going to pull it off. I wondered how I was going pick myself up, dust off and start over. And then the next, I had done it. I had in fact, dusted off and began creating a life that is all mine. 

For me it wasn't just moving to a new home across town and hoping I wouldn't run into my ex-husband at the local market. It was packing up everything I owned and saying a heartbreaking good-bye to a life and lifestyle I was crazy in love with. My dogs, my farm animals, my garden and home, the vineyard, my friends and yes my husband. And now this was all supposed to be apart of my past.  I felt like I lost everything. I did, in many ways, lose everything. The funny thing is, as difficult as saying good-bye was, life has opened up some pretty interesting doors in its place. I'm overwhelmed by the countless amazing souls and opportunities the Universe has brought my way in just twelve short months.  

 As I sit here almost one year later and twelve hundred miles away from my old life I can’t help but reflect and quietly laugh at all the various twists and turns I’ve experienced this past year. As I quietly ponder all the mysteries of life, I’m reminded and humbled by how unpredictable this short time we get to live is. It goes by quickly, giving us even more reason to seize the day and live life on and with purpose. 

I'm reminded of this quote by Paulo Coelho:

" When someone leaves, its because someone else is about to arrive." - Paulo Coelho

There is so much truth to that and I also like to think that when one thing leaves it's because it's creating space for other opportunities to arrive. And to that I say A-MEN. Nothing could be more true. Knowing this doesn't mean it has been any less difficult to move on but the hope that just around the corner is something really great, well that's what has kept me going over the last year. 

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I know it’s been quiet around here for a while, and I’m sorry for leaving you hanging. I never could have expected my year to be what it was and the rush of emotions and changes that came with it had me spinning in circles like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. If only I could click my heels three times. But then again, would I really want life to go back to the way it was?

As I mentioned, so many new doors have opened in the last twelve months which caused a bit of overwhelm and excitement and a forced break from this space. I needed to step back and let myself breathe and fully experience everything that was happening in my life and to be honest, I really didn't have any words to share. However, I knew I wanted to hold on to this space and let it unfold in a way that truly felt inspiring to me. As you may notice from the aesthetic changes, this home of mine, of ours really, is evolving. I’ve been sitting with how I want to grow into this new life of mine and what that meant for this space. 

Life in all its great mystery, often unfolds in ways that don’t always make sense until months and sometimes years down the road, but I know that everything I have experiences thus far has lead me to this very place and this very moment for a reason. My life in Oregon and my life before that and all the experiences in between have brought me here, to this wonderful place in Southern California and I feel so much clearer about what this space is supposed to be. 

Like many people, I tend to compartmentalize myself, stuffing various interest and hobbies into different cubbies and over the last few months I’ve realized that it is necessary and time to put it all out there in one place. How can I be the inspiration I truly want to be if I am not allowing myself to be vulnerable to do so? How can I show up in a way that feels like I am living on purpose and WITH purpose if I’m not allowing the world to see ALL of me?

And that brings me to this space, this platform, The Savoury Soul.

In Oregon I had a blog that focused on my life transitioning from the city to living on a fifty acre vineyard and farm in the heart of wine country. It was a huge outlet for my creative side and honestly, it was that blog that allowed me to get to know various parts of myself I didn't know existed.  

Almost a year ago that all changed when I left my marriage and life down there and I didn’t know how to incorporate that old blog into my new life. How did I continue to write a blog that focused on this new life of mine when every single part of that life had changed? When I started this blog I did so with the intention of having it solely be for my coaching practice where I shared about health and wellness. However, things in that area have changed as well and as I start my collaborative adventures with my business partner Pegah and we transition PKNY Health into our joint venture, I realized that there was an opportunity to turn this space a mix of the old and the new. 

If you have ever looked into blogging or blog yourself you have heard of the importance of really defining and understanding your niche. Basically, who the heck are you writing for and what is your consistent message? This very thing is what has left me frozen in my tracks for many reasons. How do I write about just one thing when there are so many sides of me, so many interest, so much passion for everything and I feel called to share it all?

So, as not to force or rush things like I may have had the tendency to do in the past, I really tried to just sit with it all, honor what my heart wants and needs and trust that the answers would show up when the time is right. If I know anything to be true it's that If you are coming from a place of truth, love and have the patience, the answers will unfold. 

What came to me was this. "Stop putting so much emphasis on the niche part Amanda and share what is in your heart." So that is what I've decided to do, stop putting so much emphasis on the niche part and, as long as I listen and write from my heart, this space will be exactly what it needs and is supposed to be. Plus, sometimes rules are just meant to be broken, right?

As time has proven over and over again, there really is never only one way to do something. What is MOST important, what is vital for happiness and to feel like you are living on and WITH purpose is that we continue to tap into that magical place of truth and live from there. 

I know this much; I am a creative, a writer, an artist and a storyteller. I love food, health holistic, essential oils and adventure. I am a surviver and thriver.  I love getting my hands dirty in a house project and in the garden and I’m going to share it all here and my hope is that in someway it will inspire you to believe that you can do anything as long as you continue to live your truth.  

It feels really bloody amazing to be back writing again, to pour my heart and soul out in a place where I feel safe and encouraged. I know my stories and what I share here will reach the people they are meant to reach and that is why I share so openly to begin with. 

I'll be honest, I have no idea where this will go but trust that everything I put out there I will do so with 100% love, heart and passion. 

It's good to be back.