Archive for category Inspirational Thoughts
This Valentine’s Day Love the Most Important Person in the World – You!
Posted by Jackie Trottmann in Inspirational Thoughts on February 10th, 2010
I wish I knew who said this quote, but I absolutely love it!
“Comparison is the thief of joy”.
How often do we compare ourselves to others? All of the time!
Society puts a tremendous amount of attention on youth and beauty.
We have to be aware of how we talk to ourselves and how we treat ourselves. Some of the critical things we say internally we would never say to anyone else.
Women tend to be caretakers. The only problem is that we usually take care of everyone else but us. We’re not only last on our list, but our needs might not even make it to the list!
So, this Valentine’s Day, make sure you love the most important person in the world, YOU! If you catch yourself comparing yourself in an unhealthy way to others, stop.
Let me leave you with another quote I love from Carrie Wilkerson, “There is only one you. Everyone else is taken.”
25 Christmas Ideas from Recipes, Decorations and Activities to Help Inspire You and Not Feel Overwhelmed this Christmas Season
Posted by Jackie Trottmann in Inspirational Thoughts, Recipes and How to Tips on December 7th, 2009
I have to confess that every December I would let myself get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season. Instead of being joyful, I was burning the Christmas candle at both ends. No more! This year I have drawn a line in the sand with my peppermint stick and am going to celebrate Christmas each and every day. I hope that these ideas will inspire some of your own and that you will join me in savoring this most special of all holidays.
1. Don’t let the added demands of the holiday season steal your joy
2. Ask someone you admire for a recipe
3. Volunteer to help others
4. Purchase a real Christmas tree, chop down your own tree (this is an event in itself) or purchase a real tree to plant later.
5. Do something you have thought about and talked about but have never done. (Attend a concert, look at Christmas windows, go see a Christmas lighted display, etc.)
6. Go to church. There are a wide variety of times and services during this time of the year
How to Not Gain Weight During the Holidays – 7 Tips
Posted by Jackie Trottmann in Inspirational Thoughts, The Freedom to Eat on December 3rd, 2009
I created this website because many of my friends came to me asking me for recipes and advice on cooking. For me, cooking helps me express myself creatively and it comes naturally to me. I didn’t realize how intimidated people were with cooking. So, I wanted to help people overcome their fear.
I also LOVE to eat! My love for food, however, wasn’t always a healthy one. While physically, I would never qualify for The Biggest Loser television program, in my mind, my image of myself was right up there with the size of some of contestants. Now that I have had the courage to express these feelings, the people who know me are shocked to learn about the thoughts and struggle that I had. Their looks express their thoughts, “Were you out of your mind?” Well, yes. When we are obsessed with food and how we look, we are out of our minds!
Recipes Aren’t Just About Casseroles, Cookies or Cakes – Recipes are Legacies
Posted by Jackie Trottmann in Inspirational Thoughts, Recipes and How to Tips on December 1st, 2009
We are in the process of losing an entire generation. Every time we get together with my husband’s family, usually over a meal, there is mention of, “Mother’s chocolate chip cookies,” or “Mother’s onion rings.” Their mother died over twenty-five years ago.
As we were eating our Thanksgiving dinner I asked who had their mother’s recipes. I received a lot of blank stares as the conversation came to a screeching halt. My sister-in-law said she had the cookie recipe. No one else knew what happened to the others.
That made me think about how recipes are legacies. Recipes can keep the memory of someone around long after they are gone.
Susan Boyle from Britains Got Talent – A True Beauty
Posted by Jackie Trottmann in A Friendly Rant, Inspirational Thoughts on April 18th, 2009
You’d have to be totally unplugged from electronic media to have not heard this story over the last week. Susan Boyle is a 47 year old, single, unemployed woman who has always had a dream of singing in front of a large audience. She got that opportunity by singing on Britains Got Talent television show. There are three judges, Piers Morgan, Amanda Holden and American Idol’s Simon Cowell. When Susan stepped onto the stage, the audience and judges made an immediate “judgment” based on her appearance. Everyone rolled their eyes and snickered. The audience was also laughing and making comments complete with whistles and cat calls. Unaffected, Susan proceeded to answer questions in her own quirky way and said that she wanted to be like Elaine Page, heralded as the First Lady of British Musical Theatre. This statement created more eye rolling and smirks from the judges.
What Price can you put on Joy?
Posted by Jackie Trottmann in Inspirational Thoughts on April 13th, 2009
Up until eight years ago, I rarely if ever truly felt joy. Sure, many times I was happy, but I don’t believe that happy and joy are synonymous. If the famous chef, Emeril Lagasse were asked about the difference, he might say that joy was, “Happy kicked up a notch.”
Happy means feeling contented or great pleasure.
Joy means emotion evoked by well-being, success, good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires – the expression or exhibition of emotion.
Not experiencing joy has a lot to do with how we are raised and what we personally believe. Growing up I was taught to suppress emotions, so it makes sense that I rarely felt joy. I didn’t feel much of anything!
What changed eight years ago to make me feel joy? I began to let go of the beliefs I was taught. Rather than stuff down feelings, I told myself that it was okay to feel. In fact, it was liberating to feel! It didn’t matter if the feelings represented a lot of sadness at first. Once I allowed those feelings to come in, I found that facing them head on also allowed me to let go of them. As a result, I discovered there was joy at the end of the process.
A scary word in the definition of happy is contented. Many people fear change because they will be forced out of their comfort zones. Happiness and contentment sound great but not at the expense of growing and moving into a state of joy. To me, joy is a priceless emotion that I want to feel as often as I can. Have you felt joy lately?
April Fools’ Day – Who’s Fooling Whom?
Posted by Jackie Trottmann in Inspirational Thoughts on March 31st, 2009
“Hello, may I speak to Mr. Bear?” Click. “Hello, Mr. Lyon please” – click. “Hello, is Mr. Wolf in today?” Click – The preceding was one day in the life of the St. Louis Zoo’s receptionist. In 1940 the St. Louis Zoo changed its number on April 1st because of the phone calls!
When I was little, my mother would always say something as a prank on April Fools’ Day, like, “It’s snowing outside.” Ironically, we just had snow a few days shy of April one, so that was almost nature’s prank!
There’s an expression that I’ve heard and I’m not really sure where it came from but it’s, “God looks after fools, drunks and little children.” That certainly seems to be the case sometimes.
Since it’s April Fools’ week, I was reflecting on the word fool and its meaning. Webster’s Dictionary describes a fool as a person lacking in judgment or prudence, or lacking in common powers of understanding. The word fooling is synonymous with the word deceive, which implies imposing a fake idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment or helplessness.
How many times do we impose a fake idea or belief in ourselves? The idea might look like – I’m too old, I’m too young, I’ve failed before, I’ll fail again. Sometimes our negative beliefs are so strong that we can’t see an alternative. How about bewilderment? Perhaps you’ve neglected a healthy lifestyle of eating good food in proper portions, exercising on a regular basis, getting enough rest and managing stress in your life. Now you’re starting to have health issues as a result, but you’re bewildered.
Let this April Fools’ Day mark a new day to not fool yourself anymore about participating in destructive habits. Change the definition of fool to having a fondness for or being a fool for loving ourselves, being conscious of our actions, conscious of our self-talk and our beliefs. No fooling!
Need to Relax? Learn to Meditate – Can’t Find the Time? Here’s an Idea
Posted by Jackie Trottmann in Inspirational Thoughts, Meditation on March 3rd, 2009
I’ve found the perfect solution to combat all of the gloom and doom out there. Turn off the news and meditate! If there was ever a time to learn to meditate, it’s now. Our senses are assaulted in our new technological age.
Here’s a perfect example. I just took a trip to Dallas. Sitting in the airport, I was amazed at the amount of pure noise going on around me. One of the twenty-four hour news channels was blaring (so much for turning off the news), the windows were vibrating from the sound of the jet engines, people all around me were talking on cell phones and the loud speaker was announcing various boarding instructions. All this was happening as I was trying to concentrate writing an article on my laptop. Can you say sensory overload? Fortunately for me, I have been practicing meditation now for quite some time.
Happy New Year! – It’s Never Too Late!
Posted by Jackie Trottmann in Inspirational Thoughts on January 2nd, 2009
I have to say that I don’t remember a year that so many people were so happy that it was over like 2008! Here we are looking at a brand new year before us. Ever since I hit the half century mark, I have to admit that I am living my life with a little more sense of urgency. There are so many dreams that I want to fulfill.
If I start to get a little impatient all I have to do is think of my mother – she turns 89 this month.
Don’t lose your joy this holiday season.
Posted by Jackie Trottmann in Inspirational Thoughts on December 2nd, 2008
“Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” It seems that the only time for stillness is sleeping, and many of us are not doing much of that lately! As I’m writing this entry, I am looking out of my office window at the first snow to fall confirming the start of the holiday season.
