Dear Zest Seekers,
So here I am composing the first blog musing for you with the intention of becoming a regular read for you on your journey through this life. Given the name of my business ‘ABUNDANT ZEST FOR LIFE’ it’s supposed to be uplifting, encouraging and inspiring. At least, that’s what most of the self-help products offered these days are geared towards and you’ll get your share of ‘warm and fuzzy’ because I am ‘warm and fuzzy’ most of the times. On the other hand I do like to call things as I see them and since this blog is called ‘Michelle’s Musings on Life’ I get to write about anything and everything as long as it’s true to who I am! As Zest Seekers you are, of course, free to choose and may unsubscribe from my musings at any time. But, before I go any further, let me tell you about who I am, where I come from and what I believe in:
I’m a German woman who moved to California in September of 2000. I’m passionate about life, people and our planet. I love traveling the world and experiencing life in all of it’s beautiful facets and colors. While I like going places often, I also take a lot of pride in caring for my home and garden. My garden is a little piece of paradise and a reflection of my inner world. As long as I make enough time to tend to my garden, my outer world is in balance, too. Since I was a teenager I’ve been intrigued with and motivated to promote my own and other people’s wellbeing. Sort of like some of us seem to be born with the conviction that they’re going to heaven one day, it’s always been my firm belief that if we all just practice enough self-inquiry and continuously seek to make the best out of a situation (call it abundant optimism) all would be well and the world would be a happy, healthy and safe place. Some of you may consider this as naïve, but I am convinced, from the core of my being, that this world is indeed a loving, kind and good world and it’s us humans who regularly screw the pooch by letting our ego and our insecurities take over and wreck havoc. With that comes way too much unnecessary suffering and pain. My monthly musings about how to cultivate our Abundant Zest for Life are intended to create a counter balance to some of the suffering and confusion that’s raging among us. Tune into my musings often (I’ll send you a monthly reminder unless you decide to unsubscribe) and let this be your soft spot to land. A place to get helpful information and insights about a life with more zest. Like I tell my yoga students: “As your teacher I’m only here to make suggestions on how to move in and with your body. Ultimately your body’s wisdom is your own best teacher, so listen carefully and practice accordingly.”This month’s insight on adding more zest to your life is all about taking better care of yourself. My recent visits with the Holistic Mom’s Network chapter in our area (www.holisticmoms.org) seriously stirred the pot as to what I put on and in my body by way of beauty products and food. Given the new organic revolution currently taking place in the U.S., I won’t bore you with redundant information on healthy eating. But I do want to point out a few things in regards to cosmetic products (direct contact) as well as common household products (indirect contact). Becoming an educated consumer can be daunting in these times of information technology overwhelm so please bear with me! What I’m suggesting here is not meant to be a one and only way of choosing healthy products, nor am I endorsing any particular brand or claim that by following below advice you’ll completely eliminate all toxins from your personal space. My wish for you is to live a healthier life that’s less contaminated with unnecessary toxic by-products and for you to become/stay educated consumers who put their dollars where your values are. The following link will help you to educate yourself about the toxicity of your current cosmetic products - http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ and for some green house cleaning, check out this link - http://www.thegreenguide.com/ or http://www.stopwaste.org/home/index.asp?page=585
Additionally, here’s an overview of related links that you may find helpful:
- National Institute of Environmental Health Services: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/index.cfm- My Ecological Footprint Quiz. How big is your ecological footprint? This quiz will help you grow your eco-literacy leadership skills. Take this quiz and learn more about the choices you make day by day in your lifestyle :
http://www.rprogress.org/ecological_footprint/about_ecological_footprint.htm- Environmental Working Group, EWG: http://www.ewg.org/
SO MY DEAR ZEST SEEKERS, WHAT’S YOUR ACTION STEP TODAY TOWARDS MORE ZEST AND LESS TOXINS IN YOUR BODY AND LIFE?
My actions towards less toxins are: Organic foods and body stuffs, when available. I use ‘green’ cleaning products for body and home- and try to use homemade remedies when possible. A true feat for me would be to cut out sugar in my diet. But I’m not ready to make that commitment yet. : ( As for less toxic thinking, I’m trying: ‘We’re all equal in the eyes of the Universe.’ Some other great resources are: The Center for the New American Dream at www.newdream.org (they have a good little book called Less Stuff, More Life) and I love the book, Better Basics for the Home by Annie Berthold-Bond.
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