My personal care and cosmetics used to be an area where I willfully ignored. Just like the section of the beach hiding the shipwreck looks smooth, so does the cosmetics aisle in the drug store. Turns out, behind all those shiny labels and beautiful products, there's plenty of danger lurking just below the surface.
Seeing family together like this reminds me why the work I do is so important. It reminds me that helping other families live healthier, more fulfilling lives is important work. It's allowing more people to have moments like this- more moments with their healthy children and healthy parents. With so many variables out there these days- so many unknowns in our food and personal care products- doing the best we can to do our part to live a more sustainable and less toxic life is important.
Then I realized traditions are routines. This trip is just as important as potty training. Her spending time with her grandparents in the same way her dad was raised- experiencing the same places, tastes and sounds is important. We might lose a little potty progress, but we're gaining a foundation on which we can build a strong sense of family. Of tradition.
So here's the thing- life happens at the speed of light. Time marches on and every day you spend thinking "what if" or "I'll do it tomorrow" is time you don't get back.
I'm guilty of it too- we all want instant gratification. When things don't work in the first week, we often dismiss them. It's why millions of dollars of exercise equipment sits unused in basements across America. I want to plant broccoli on Monday and eat it on Friday. When it's not ready until August, it's hard.
I'm always on the lookout for people with compelling stories, and I've recently discovered a blog called Her Unusual Journey - she writes openly and honestly about her struggles with serious autoimmune disease- be sure to check out her blog, and more importantly, check out her Beautycounter Social - we've teamed up to share the message of safer beauty with her blog followers- keep reading to find out why.
Just like a run up a long hill, you will get to the top and it will get easier. Thing is, if you never start up that hill, you'll never get to the top.
One of my goals this year is to read a book every month. I used to be a voracious reader, but life intervened and it seems like ages ago that I had time to really hunker down and read. To hold myself to this goal, I'm participating in the book club that's part of the College of Confidence and for the month of July we read "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by Angela Duckworth.
I only recently began to think of myself as a runner again. I'm trying to get out at least three times a week. On Mondays I can run by myself. There's something magical about pushing yourself, getting past the point of quitting and literally going the extra mile. Feeling your body accept the task and re-energize. Thing is, you don't have to run hundreds of miles a week to be a runner. You just have to run.
Better Beauty Vermont 