“Wholeheartedness is like a North Star. You can never get there, but you know when you are headed the right way.” - Brene Brown
Brene Brown is a researcher and social worker best known for her work on shame, vulnerability, and living a wholehearted life. She is a compelling storyteller which allows her to communicate deep concepts in an accessible and enjoyable way.
In her book Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead she explores 10 guideposts to living wholeheartedly.
Brown says, “wholehearted living is about engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness. It means cultivating the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think - no matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough! It’s going to bed at night thinking; yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn’t change the fact that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging. Wholehearted living is not a one-time choice; it is a process. In fact, I believe it’s the journey of a lifetime.”
Cultivating the Positive
Brown created the 10 Guideposts for Wholehearted Living based on her research of people she describes as living a wholehearted life. Each guidepost has something positive to cultivate as well as something that must be released. As the term guidepost implies, the goal is to be heading in the right direction, not achieving some level of perfection.
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With football season in full swing, these bacon nachos make a great addition to any game day party!
You can prepare the nachos for your guests, or create a nacho bar where guests can assemble their own. (Just be sure to get a good quality bacon that is nitrate free.)
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. bacon (good quality nitrate-free)
- ½ lb. chicken, shredded
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 handful fresh cilantro
- ¼ c black olives, sliced
- ½ c guacamole
- ½ c salsa
Directions:
- Prep the chicken in advanced. (I prefer to make a chicken dish the day before and use the leftovers for the Bacon Nachos.)
- Cut the bacon in half. Weave six slices together (Use three pieces across and three down.) Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until crispy.
- Wash and chop tomato, onion, cilantro and olives.
- Make (or open) your favorite guacamole and salsa.
- Let the bacon cool enough to handle easily.
- Top the bacon with the other ingredients and enjoy!
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While I was an active child, I have never been a super athletic person. Working out and staying fit does not come easy to me. Because of this, it is especially important for me to find the right type of workout at the right kind of gym.
In the past I have tried places that did not give enough guidance, made me feel intimidated, or even shamed me for not keeping up. This was discouraging and at times dangerous. (Like the time I was told to just try a 60 lb deadlift, when they knew I had never lifted before!)
But I have also had a handful of incredible experiences. Though these experiences were very different in style, they had a few things in common. Both gyms provided adequate guidance, encouraged me to work at my own pace, and celebrate my achievements. The instructors created a nurturing, positive environment where it was safe to take risks and grow.
Two of the best gyms that I have found are H4 Fitness in Wheaton/Geneva and Mindful Movements in Glen Ellyn!
H4 Training
Nexus by definition is a means of connection between members of a group or things in a series; link; bond. To us the name Nexus truly defines what our small group training is all about and that is a bond and connection. -Hank, owner and trainer
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Hello, my name is Carolyn. Many of you have seen me in the office at the front desk. Let me take a moment to introduce myself and tell you a bit of my story.
I have been working for Dr. Jamie since the beginning of the year assisting her in the office, with the blog, and at cooking demos. I love working at DuPage Family Wellness. It is a job where I can use my strengths for things that I am passionate about, while learning and growing in the process.
My Passion
Before working at DuPage Family Wellness my focus was largely homeschooling my three children and running them to their activities (dance team, band, etc.) This was a great experience for a number of years, and we have found the local schools to be wonderful as well.
In addition to family, I enjoy (in no particular order) the fall, art, time with friends, coffee, a good therapist, reading, my dogs, plants that actually grow in my garden, aerial yoga, Thai food, hot tea, and natural living.
My Health Journey
My interest in natural living did not come easily. When I was a mom with young kids my health started to fail pretty dramatically. I had debilitating wandering pain in my body, chronic folliculitis, and recurrent ulcers of the cornea. My labs showed inflammation in my body, but a diagnosis eluded us.
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“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”― Henry Ford
I love growing in my knowledge and never want to stop learning! With a fairly demanding schedule it has been important for me to be creative in the way I do this. Listening to audio-books is a great way to immerse myself in new ideas while driving and has allowed me to explore many topics.
This week I’ll share with you some of the books I have been listening to lately. Perhaps it will inspire you to read one of these books, or explore a topic you’ve been meaning to look into.
The books range in authors from doctors to navy seals. The topics cover leadership, healing, and vulnerability. But each of these authors is passionate about their story, making for a compelling read!
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
“The Way of the Essentialist isn't about getting more done in less time. It's about getting only the right things done. It is not a time management strategy, or a productivity technique. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution towards the things that really matter.
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