Month: April 2012

An Attitude of Gratitude

~ Kim Olgren ~ 3 Comments
"Dancing with the Goddess" Original Artwork by Kim Olgren

When you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears. – Anthony Robbins

As defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary gratitude is the state of being grateful: THANKFULNESS. Well that cleared things right up didn’t it? Like many seekers, I believe the effects of gratitude are so much more than what this simple definition provides. Gratitude sets in motion wondrous and varied reciprocal actions for the person who sent out that little bit of gratitude to begin with. It’s truly amazing what a little gratitude can do.

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say ‘thank you? – William A. Ward

We don’t even have to wait until something happens to grateful for it. We can be thankful in advance for whatever it is we are envisioning for the future, in fact gratitude helps manifest the things we are working on bringing to life. Gratitude lightens the heart, helps to keep us grounded, and focuses our attention on the positive rather than allowing us to dwell on the negative. Life has its ups and downs, the trick is to find the things to be grateful for in the downs as well as the ups. If nothing else, we can be grateful for the lesson a down time has shown us.

Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. – Oprah Winfrey

Gratitude is an essential requirement of healthy spirituality and a healthy mental state. Gratitude is an integral part of the life of every person who has had, is having, or will have a positive effect on humanity. Gratitude is one of the cornerstones of greatness. It doesn’t have to be the kind of change-the-face-of-humanity greatness of Mother Theresa. If you’ve managed to teach your children true, heartfelt gratitude or managed to touch someone’s heart with gratitude, you already possess greatness. You have an attitude of gratitude!

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” – Melody Beattie

Daily, mindful practice of gratitude changes our perspective on life and everything around us. If you keep a journal try incorporating five things you are grateful for every day. Another way to practice gratitude is to think of five things you’re thankful for before you go to sleep each night. Taking time to meditate on the concept of gratitude and the things you are thankful for is another way to bring more of it into your life. Make a point to say thank you…and mean it. Show genuine appreciation where it is due and show gratitude for the lessons you’ve learned.  It’s quite easy to find a myriad of ways to practice gratitude all through the day and it only makes each day, each life, better for you and those around you. How do you practice your attitude of gratitude?

For each new morning with its light, for rest and shelter of the night, for health and food, for love and friends, for everything Thy goodness sends. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Can’t You Just Sit Still For Five Minutes!

~ Kim Olgren ~ Leave a comment

Did anyone else’s mother ever utter these words, or was it just me? What a concept. Life seems to expect us to be busy, busy, busy all the time, but what about purposefully being still? What? You mean meditation? Who has time for that? Perhaps this is part of what’s wrong with the world today. Many of us are buzzing around at light speed noisy and constantly focusing our attention on things outside of ourselves, our jobs, other people, grocery shopping, how badly the dog needs a bath, the kids are due for vaccinations; you name it, never taking the time to check in with what is going on inside. I know. I used to be one of those people. If more people spent just a little time being introspective, the perspective of the whole world could change. No, I haven’t been into the punch. It’s true.

Being still (meditation) is hard. Being still is not about activity; it’s about noticing, listening, breathing. It’s not about control; it’s about letting it all go. It’s not about thinking; it’s about being. It’s definitely not boring, but you do have to get out of your own way. You literally only have to sit still for five minutes every day to make a profound impact on your life and the lives of those around you. I’m pretty sure most people can make time for five minutes, but five minutes is an awfully tiny amount of time to keep track of, or is it? Heck, back when I was a lot younger and worked at Pizza Hut you could get a personal pan pizza in five minutes. That was when I first learned that five minutes was a lot longer than I thought it was. I could get a lot accomplished in five minutes. I could wipe down the salad bar, check on a couple of tables, and drop off some dishes in the kitchen, all well within five minutes.

So how come it’s so danged hard to sit still for five minutes. Well, what happens when I try to sit still is all these thoughts come rushing at me from all directions. Shoot, I still have a load of laundry in the dryer to fold, did I send off that email to mom, my boss, a coworker, writing ideas, my nose is itchy, where did I leave my water bottle, what am I going to make for dinner, what do I want for lunch…all flying at me at once. Trying to send them away only makes it worse. So I don’t send them away. These thoughts are only rushing at me because I’ve become quiet enough to listen. Each time a thought goes by I acknowledge it and say “okay” and go back to my meditation.

Meditation requires 6 easy things:

  • A quiet and safe place to minimize distraction
  • A willing attitude and spirit
  • Breathing
  • Acknowledgement
  • Letting go
  • A little chunk of time

When I was first learning to meditate and was only doing it for five minutes (and believe me, five minutes is plenty to start off with, work up to where you’d like to be in five minute increments). The first four minutes or so went something like this: Okay, breathe. Intention: feel the love… Momdaughtersonlaundryhusbandshoppingguiltyaggrivateddiabetesyuckyfeelingwarmfeelingohthat’sbetter breathe…what a mess! This is why meditation requires daily practice if you want to get results. I got better at letting go of the thoughts that weren’t my intention focusing on my intended target and my breath in a relaxed way. I was training my mind that it was time to meditate and telling ego that it was time to step aside and that I was in charge, not it. Soon I was meditating for much longer periods and/or more than once per day.

Some of the benefits of meditation for this average human include:

  • Better focus on tasks because my mind is better organized
  • It got easier to identify what I wanted out of a given situation because I’d focused on it through meditation and could identify every detail in an articulate manner
  • It got easier to use my intuition because I am more connected to my higher self and/or higher power (this is not about religion)
  • Clearly defining goals and issues got easier because I’d given them the time and consideration that they deserved instead of pushing them onto the back burner
  • Communicating my intentions, feelings, actions, etc. got easier because I could approach decisions from a place of power and confidence rather than fear, such as a fear of saying the wrong thing or what would happen if I made the wrong decision
  • Helps me stay calm and focused under pressure or in emotional situations

There are lots of different meditation techniques and yes, there’s an app for that. Most people find it easiest just to start with concentrating on their breath, in and out, in and out and going on from there. Go on, try it. As a mother, I’m asking you, “Can you just sit still for five minutes?”

What are your experiences with meditation? Have you tried it? If not what do you think about it?

Baby Italian Greens with Salmon

~ Kim Olgren ~ Leave a comment

Sometimes I throw something together in the kitchen and it ends up looking so good I just have to take a picture and post it on Facebook. Last night I was craving a big, fresh, salad so I put together this plateful of baby Italian greens simply dressed with raspberry vinaigrette, feta cheese, strawberries, and a salmon fillet. The response to my photo was extremely favorable. I think it’s a testament to how important presentation is in cooking.

I was just making myself a simple salad for dinner, but I still took the time to honor where my food came from by giving it a good presentation. I believe it’s part of putting the love in the meal and I believe that the love is an essential ingredient in any dish even if your cooking for one or two. Good meals don’t have to be complicated or take a long time to cook. Sometimes all it takes is a few simple, fresh ingredients to make a really good thing that nourishes not only the body, but the soul.

Recipe for baby Italian greens with Salmon

1 Fresh-as-you-can-get Salmon Fillet (about 3oz, I spring for the boneless/skinless since hubby doesn’t eat fish)                                                                                              1 small pinch of sea salt                                                                                                  1/4 tsp lemon pepper                                                                                                       1/2 tbsp butter                                                                                                                  10 strawberries                                                                                                                  1 plate-full pre-packaged baby Italian greens                                                                     2 tbsp your favorite bottled raspberry vinaigarette (I use Ken’s Steakhouse brand)         ¼ cup feta cheese

While heating a small nonstick skillet over medium low heat, prep salmon fillet, sprinkling each side with salt and lemon pepper. When skillet is heated, melt butter in pan and add salmon fillet. Cook about 5 minutes on each side, depending on thickness, until fish is done enough to flake, but still tender (I have a serious aversion to overcooked salmon).

While the salmon is cooking rinse strawberries and arrange greens on a dinner plate. Don’t be shy, pile them up and use the whole surface area. Place whole strawberries in a ring around the edge of the salad. Sprinkle salad with feta cheese and salad dressing. Add salmon to the center of the salad and voila! Light, bright, delicious and nutritious. Nom, nom, nom, nom (sorry, sometimes I get a little carried away).

Do you have a favorite healthy, go-to, quickie recipe? How do you put the love in your cooking?

Finding Truth

~ Kim Olgren ~ 2 Comments
The-Holstee-Manifesto
The-Holstee-Manifesto

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about authenticity. Having been unemployed for quite some time now, I’ve been given the opportunity for some serious self-exploration and introspection. Part of what I found is that I had moved away from my authentic self. Much like Joe Banks in the movie Joe vs. the Volcano, when I thought about myself I found I was boring. Now before I move on I should probably give some definition and background here. In this case we are talking about philosophical personal authenticity. Nah, that sounds too high falutin’ to me. How about I just didn’t feel like I was being true to myself anymore and that I wasn’t living anywhere near my potential. Although I suppose coming out of earning a bachelor degree in my 40s, attending full time classes online while still working full time could cause anyone’s head to spin off its axis. But it was more than that…I didn’t feel like “me” anymore.

The me I knew was happy, fun, and loved doing silly stuff like dressing up in full Renaissance attire and attending the local renaissance fair or feverishly finding new ways to irreverently celebrate the holiday season such as planting a seven foot tall Grinch in my front yard facing my friend’s house who never decorates for the holidays. I wasn’t doing anything of the sort anymore. I was going to work, going home, doing homework and sleeping. Once in a while the real me would peek out during a vacation or a visit with my grandkids, but for the most part I was all business, nose to the grindstone, too busy for life. For four years I even dropped my favorite thing, reading books. For four years I read nothing but text books. For four years I more or less disconnected with friends or family. It was just textbooks books and my laptop. I graduated with honors for that, but at what cost?

I find it hard to say without sounding cliché, but losing my job was probably one of the best things that ever happened to me. Losing my job caused me to closely examine what I really wanted in life. Losing my job made made me ask myself the tough questions. It was the first time I had ever lost a job and I had a lot of feelings about that too. So in between the usual job search responsibilities I began looking at what I really wanted, what would make me psyched about life again, and get me some joy.

Notice there is no talk about money here. Money really wasn’t on my mind because I’ve always known that money doesn’t buy happiness. Happiness comes from within and truth is personally subjective. The problem was that I thought I had been working toward something that I would be happy doing, but I was wrong. I had failed. Okay, no biggie, not like that hadn’t happened before, this one just didn’t happen on my terms.

Once I figured out where I wanted to go next, why, and how it fit into my plans for a happy and healthy life, I was good to go. Now I’m looking forward to the next open door, curious about what is on the other side and rarin’ for a change, to get back to me. Does this mean that I get to leave the rat race? No, I’m still seeking a decent “day job” because I have responsibilities and commitments (namely student loans and bills to pay), and I accept that. What I will not accept is getting so lost in the forest that I abandon my own truth to wild predators. The way to finding my own authenticity and truth for me was to be still and really listen. It was all there, I had just drowned out the voice.

Have you ever lost your way on your personal path? How did you get back to you?

Why On Writing by Stephen King is My Favorite Book on Writing

~ Kim Olgren ~ Leave a comment

So Stephen King set out to write a book he didn’t even really want to write just for us floundering newbie clownfish swimming around in the shark infested waters of the writing world. I’m so glad that he did because it has become my favorite book on writing. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of great books on writing from the perspective of the craft, not to mention technical precision. Another one of the best on craft that comes to mind is Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way. Of course what serious writer doesn’t have Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style somewhere nearby? If you don’t, and you are a writer, you should, but I digress.

King’s book is special to me because I felt like he really let us into his personal world of writing. He showed his flaws, his unrelenting, raw passion for the art/work, how it got him into trouble, and how it works for him. He talked openly about where he had trouble writing. I never knew that The Stand almost didn’t happen. What? Really? King even goes so far as to include a snippet of his own rough, first draft of another story followed by revisions.

King tries not to get into the mechanics of writing too much although he did include a brief overview. He seems to want to focus on anything but, which is well and good because there are plenty of books and other outlets out there for that purpose. He focuses more on his own process of writing and makes it clear that if you think writing is your thing, you better be doing for the right reasons. You better be doing it because you love it, have to do it, and are passionate about it rather than for fame and fortune, and he’s right. There are plenty of writers out there working a full-time “day job” while they spend any spare time they have hunched over a computer or notepad beating out the stories that are rattling around in their brains just dying to get out. Most serious writers will have the same advice for new writers like me “Don’t quit your day job.” It’s not a dig at a writer’s skills. It’s just a testimony to how hard it is to make a living at it and the big unknown about what will stick and what won’t.

Along with the craft of writing, King has some things to say about the business of writing as well. He talks about how to find the right agent, submitting stories, and dealing with rejections to name a few. He gives us his opinion of what a good pitch letter looks like and shows an example. Once again, real examples make King’s book on writing stand out, open and honest.

Toward the end of the book, King gives the harrowing account of his terrible car accident in 1999 that nearly forced him to retire. I, for one, am glad he chose to soldier on. King is a true writer in every sense and at a time when anyone can self-publish a book (whether it’s actually good or not) King is one of those that still has tremendous pride and passion that shows in the quality of his finished, albeit, creepy products. I’m not saying it’s the definitive end all, be all on writing, but it is definitely worth the read.

Mom’s Basic Crustless Quiche

~ Kim Olgren ~ 1 Comment

It’s recipe day!

My mom is a phenomenal cook! She makes the best of everything, cookies, pies, cakes, candies, soups, breads, main dishes, you name it. If I were forced to, I would have to say her style is traditional. She uses real butter, no nasty fake margarine stuff, real sugar, no low fat, no fat, fat free stuff will be found in her cookbook (Oh yeah, she has a self-published cookbook…and it’s goooood). That means that as a diabetic I have to take much of mom’s food in small quantities (assuming I can muster the willpower to do so). Today I wanted to share one of her more diabetes friendly recipes, but you don’t have to be a diabetic to appreciate how yummy it is. This quiche is easy to make and perfect for a spring brunch!

Basic Crustless Quiche                                                                                            From My Kitchen to Yours, Tana Archuletta

½ cup butter                                                                                                                       10 eggs                                                                                                                             ½ cup flour                                                                                                                     1tsp. baking powder                                                                                                         ¼ tsp. Salt                                                                                                                          1 lb small-curd cottage cheese                                                                                          1 lb Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)                                                                              2 green onions (tops only)                                                                                                 1 4oz can of diced green chilies                                                                                        or                                                                                                                                       3-4 fresh roasted green chilies

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking glass baking dish. Melt butter and cool. Whip eggs until light and fluffy; add the flour, baking powder, salt, cottage cheese, green chilies, melted butter, and half of the Monterey Jack cheese. Place the mixture into the baking dish; top with the remaining cheese and decorate the top with the green onion tops set in a wheel pattern (or chop up and sprinkle like I do). Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake for about 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Cool and cut into cubes for appetizer tray. I usually serve this with salsa and sour cream.

Note: This also makes a great breakfast meal served warm. You may add other ingredients such as bacon, fried onion, etc. It also reheats well in the microwave for the next few days.

What’s your favorite springtime recipe? Did you get it from a family member or friend?

This is what happened before I was even able to get a picture of mom's crustless quiche!