I have gone back and forth with yoga over the years. Before I tried it, I thought that it couldn’t be that difficult. I was way wrong as it is a serious work out. As yoga has come in and out of my life over the years, there were times when I was completely dedicated to it and times I completely dropped it from my life. Last year it was time to bring it back into my life but there was one problem. I needed to find a class that would work with my schedule and I was having a hard time finding one.

I typically work out at home because it seems to work for my life but with yoga I always enjoyed going to a yoga studio. When I work out at home I have to switch things up so that I don’t get bored. I have different DVD’s I use and different workouts so that I keep it fresh and challenging. Over the years, I have tried some yoga DVD’s and even tried some with the on demand feature through our cable company. But, I never really found one that stuck for me. They were always just average and there were only so many times I could do the same one before I got bored.

The recent problem I had with yoga was not that I didn’t want to do it but it was finding a studio and a class that worked for me. Yoga classes tend to be an hour and a half or so and when you include travel time you are looking at 2-3 hours. That just didn’t work for me. I needed to get to yoga, take the class and be home within an hour to two. So I found a class that was an hour and 15 minutes and that was working for a while. The class I found that fit my schedule was great but it was only one day a week and I was ready to add more yoga each week. But I could not fit another class in at the studio I found close to home. Their schedule and my schedule just didn’t match up. I was getting frustrated!

I was ready for yoga to be a part of my life again and I couldn’t find a class that worked for my life. Ideally, I would love a 45 minute to an hour class but forget trying to find that at a yoga studio. I just could not find that anywhere. I was almost ready to give up when I found the perfect solution, thanks to a pin someone posted on pinterest. Somehow looking at one picture on pinterest lead me to another and that lead me to my solution to my yoga problem!

I found a way to do yoga at home, with a class and I have lots of different classes to choose from. In fact, the class length can be your typical hour and a half class or you can find one that is 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or even 60 minutes. The solution to my yoga problem is a website called Yogis Anonymous! You can stream live classes or watch a video of a previous class. There are all levels and the best part is you can choose the amount of time that works for you. I love it!! I feel like I am part of the class even though I am in my family room.

They have several different plans that you can purchase and they are very reasonable in price. You can get a months’ worth for about the price of one class at a yoga studio. It is an inexpensive way to do yoga at home and feel like you are part of a class. In fact, they were just listed as one of the top four online workout sites for 2012 by Self.com. You can read that article here. So if you want to do yoga but would like to do it at home or you just want to try it out then you should check out Yogis Anonymous! I am so excited to have found it because it was time to bring yoga back into my life on a consistent basis. Thank you Yogis Anonymous!!

Last week a friend of mine invited me to see a show that students from the theater department at The Ohio State University were performing. She actually thought it was students from the dance department and that we were going to a dance performance but when we got there we realized it was actually two plays. I enjoy dance and theater performances so it worked out great for me, in fact seeing a play fits perfect in my “word of the year” theme of fun!  

The first play was an adapted version from the full length play, Real Women Have Curves by Josephina Lopez and the second play was Matchmaker by Patricia Suarez. I thought both were really good but there was a scene in Real Women Have Curves that I just loved! The show is about Mexican-American women who make dresses for thin women in a family owned shop. The play had a lot of humorous moments yet dealt with serious issues women face. It showcased courage and strength against struggle and fear.

The big moment that brought up some emotion for me and got me thinking was the moment when the five actresses, in their character, took their clothes off and went down to their bra and underwear. They embraced their body no matter the shape or size. Remember the show is about more average size women sewing clothes for really thin women. The women were probably sizes ranging from size 10 – 20. They danced and embraced their bodies all while in their bra and panties, and it was beautiful. They all looked beautiful! It didn’t matter what size they were, it didn’t matter where their trouble areas were because when they embraced it you didn’t even see it. It was an awesome moment!

It made me realize just how hard we judge our bodies. We see the models in magazines and we compare our bodies to theirs. We see celebrities on TV and in the movies and again we compare our bodies to theirs. Because we are constantly comparing our bodies to celebrities and models we find it difficult to look in the mirror and be happy with what we see. Instead of being happy, we look in the mirror and often see all the things we wish we could change and the so called “problem areas” that we see. It is rare we will notice the beauty of our body. But if we begin to embrace and focus on the beauty of our bodies a shift will  start to happen inside. I can remember when I was in college not liking my body and when I look back at pictures I love how my body looked. I didn’t appreciate it then. There are many times now that I don’t appreciate my body shape. I am working on that though. Trying to embrace my body and even embracing the parts that I wish I could change. 

When I saw the women in their bra and panties on stage dancing and really loving their bodies, it struck a chord. It was a great reminder that we can all do a better job at loving our body . . . whatever shape and size it is today. To start appreciating your body, look at yourself in a full length mirror in your undergarments. This can be for men and women. Both men and women can have body concerns. While we often hear about women, men have been known to look in the mirror and not like what they see too. I have even recently read that the actress Demi Moore has never liked her body and has issues with her body for years.  I could not believe that because while her body may be, in my opinion, too thin right now she has had a gorgeous body over the years, again my opinion. 

One way you can start to appreciate your body shape and size the way it is today is to actually get in your undergarments . . . for men and women. While you are still in your undergarments look at yourself in the mirror. You will want to use a full length mirror and find the things about your body you do like. To really embrace your body, try dancing in your underwear. Add some fun music and get your groove on and will be amazed at how you feel. It is a freeing feeling and one that will feel uncomfortable at first. But, just think you are in the privacy of your own home and not on a stage with a few hundred people watching you. I figure if the women in the show Real Women Have Curves can get on stage and do it then I can certainly do it in the privacy of my own home. Have fun and embrace your body no matter the size and shape!

I have this recipe scribbled on a scrap piece of paper with water marks. It is one I got from a friend and I believe she got it from a Giada de Laurentis cookbook. I changed it a bit from what I had scribbled down on the paper. It is super easy and warms the body on a cold winter’s day or any day really.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of kale, tear or chop into bite size pieces
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced or chopped
• 8 cups of organic chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 small chunk of parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat a pot with olive oil and the garlic. Saute a few minutes. Add the chopped kale and mix around until the kale wilts. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for about 15 minutes. When you are ready to serve you can add shredded parmesan as well. Super easy and really good.

Extra tip – be sure to chop or tear the kale into bit size pieces because if you don’t it becomes difficult to eat as the kale is too large. Enjoy!

Have you ever read a book that you couldn’t stop reading but when asked why you couldn’t stop reading it you weren’t really sure? Has a book ever pushed your mind in such a way that you almost can’t explain it? I recently had this happen with not only 1 but 3 books! The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins, are three books that I devoured and they pushed my thinking to a place I have difficulty explaining!

I have a good friend that will recommend books to me to read and occasionally she will hand me a book she has read and she will say to me, “you have to read this.” I take her recommendations to heart because she has never steered me wrong. They are always very interesting books and ones that I would probably not pick up and decide to read had she not recommended it to me.

I had heard about The Hunger Games book a while ago and thought that it was not a book I wanted to read. I remember my oldest daughter coming home a few years ago and telling me about The Hunger Games book and that many kids in her class were reading it but she didn’t want to read it because it sounded sad to her. The Hunger Games is a young adult book but I know many adults that couldn’t put it down.

I had The Hunger Games book in my possession for several months before I really started it. Well, I sort of started it and immediately wondered why my friend thought I would like it. So I stopped reading it and took it back to her, letting her know I didn’t really think this was a book for me. She assured me that it was. She said I really need to read it as I will gain something from it. So, I trusted her guidance and took the book with me on our Christmas vacation trip. We had a long flight for this trip so I thought having a book to read would be helpful.

Well, I didn’t start the book on the plane but instead took a quiet afternoon while everyone else was doing other things and finally began reading The Hunger Games. I had decided to allow myself to really take the book in and expand my mind and allow myself to think outside of what I know and have personally experienced. Once I got into the book, I could not put it down! I finished within 24 hours and I wanted more. I wanted to know more, I wanted to see what happened to the characters, I just wanted more!

I quickly realized there were two more books that continued the story, and I thought I could just go online and get an idea of what happened in the other two books. I did look online and I got some information about how the story continued but I still wanted more. I had questions I wanted answered and the only way to get the answers was to read the next two books.

Once back home from our vacation, I got book two, Catching Fire.  I thought, maybe my answers will be answered and then I can skip the third book. Well, I started and finished that book within nine hours. I was hooked. I quickly ordered book three, Mockingjay. As soon as I got the book in the mail, I set aside an afternoon and read it all in one sitting.

The Hunger Games trilogy makes you think in ways in which you have probably never thought. It is about war, love, survival, peace, struggle, strength and much more. These books are not the kind of book I would typically recommend but I can’t stop thinking about them so I decided I have to share it with you because they do get you thinking and thinking in ways that you may have never thought before.

I had to set aside what I know and what I have experienced in my life and give myself permission to just go with the story. One thing that stopped me from reading it the first time I started it was that I was imagining my two daughters in situations that the characters were in. So I decided I needed to stop doing that and just get into the story and not put what I know and have experienced into it. I had to let my imagination be with the book. That worked for the most part, but you can’t read these books and not think about your own life to some degree. It brings up so many things that I had never thought about before. These books make you think and make you think beyond your everyday thinking. I felt so connected to the main characters. It was different than any other book I have read before.

The movie for The Hunger Games is coming out soon, and while I can’t wait to see the movie I treasure the books. I seriously do. They are sitting on my bookshelf next to some of my favorite inspirational books I have ever read. Well, actually the last two are because the first one, The Hunger Games, was my girlfriends. I am tempted to actually buy it so that I have all three. I am sure that I will do that because it is a keeper.

Everyone I know that has read these books has the same feeling of not being able to put it down. It is intense, it will bring emotions to you and it will expand your thinking. In fact, there are new things I want to learn about because of these books. Things I never had an interest in learning before. I am grateful for my friend for encouraging me to read The Hunger Games, I am grateful that even when I thought it wasn’t a book for me, she insisted that it was a book for me and that I would benefit from reading and she was so right! These books have shifted something in me that I can’t really explain fully and I am glad I read all three.

So if you want to think expand your thinking and read a story that will touch you on many different levels and emotions I encourage you to read The Hunger Games books. Be prepared though that once you really get into it you will likely have a hard time putting it down.

This soup is delicious!! I know the list of ingredients looks long but there are many spices which are quick and easy to add. Don’t let the long list intimidate you because this recipe really is not difficult. It is a good one!

Greek Navy Bean Soup – recipe courtesy of Dairy Hollow House: Soup and Bread Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of dried navy beans, washed
• 1 1/2 – 2 quarts of vegetable stock or chicken stock
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 fresh or 2 drained whole canned tomatoes, finely chopped salt and pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 garlic cloves peeled
• Juice of 1 lemon
• additional chopped parsley for garnish
• Paprika for garnish

Directions

Soak beans over night with enough stock to cover beans in the refrigerator if using stock Add remaining stock and cover beans to 1 1/2 inches and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and add 1 onion, the bay leaf, herbs and cayenne. Gently simmer, covered 1 hour. Add the carrots, potatoes, celery and tomato. Let simmer, covered until the beans and vegetables are meltingly tender, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Saute remaining onion over medium heat until soft. Scrape the onion into a food processor and add the parsley, garlic and lemon juice and puree until smooth. Stir the puree into the soup. Cook about 5 minutes longer and serve. Enjoy!

When you think of the word love what comes to mind? Do you think about the people and things you care most about? Does it bring emotions of joy and kindness? When you think of the word love does it make you smile from the inside because love makes you feel happy? Most of us think of positive emotions when we think of the word love. When we allow ourselves to love someone or something it can bring emotions of passion and joy that are only felt when love is part of it. The energy love brings is powerful. So why when we add the word self to the front of the word love and create the word self-love do we start to hesitate and question if it is okay to have self-love. Thinking of the word self-love can even create a negative feeling inside?

Let me ask you a question . . . do you love yourself? If you said yes, how do you show love to yourself? What do you do to express self-love? If you said no, then I ask why not? You choose whether to love yourself or not. It is up to you because self-love is to you, from you. You give it to yourself.

Like the word love, self-love is a powerful word. However, when you look it up in dictionaries you can’t even find a consistent definition. I know because I have looked it up. Some dictionaries have a very positive spin to it and some include a very negative definition. For example, one dictionary only had the negative definition indicating that self-love was conceited and vain; whereas another dictionary described it something to the effect of having unconditional love for yourself in regard to your own happiness. It’s no wonder we all have different opinions about the word self-love. How can a word love, a word that creates such positive feeling and emotions become immediately questionable by adding the word self to the front of it?

 Is it because we often perceive someone that is egotistical or conceited as having too much self-love? Do we confuse self-centered with self-love? Think of someone that you know that only talks about themselves with little regard to others or someone that is always talking about how great they are.  Do you think they are showing you how much self-love they have for themselves? I think not, it is often the exact opposite of what is happening on the inside for that person. Often they are trying to fill themselves up with others approval and love because they have very little self-love.

Self-love is something I believe to be crucial to increasing our own happiness. I love the idea that self-love is love of “self” in regard to our own happiness. When we have self-love we allow self-worth. I believe that self-love is respecting yourself, taking responsibility for your actions, it is acceptance, and it is unconditional. Self-love is forgiving when we make a mistake. Self-love is recognizing we made a mistake and it is taking action to learn from our mistakes. Self-love is kind and positive. Self-love doesn’t always come easy. It often takes work on the inside to help create more acceptance and love for yourself but if you do the work you will probably be living a happier life and who doesn’t want to be happy?

I am not suggesting for you to be conceited, vain or let your ego run wild, but I am suggesting taking a look at yourself and deciding you are worth loving. I am suggesting, deciding that you deserve to think kind thoughts of yourself, for you to think and know you are good enough. When you accept yourself and love yourself you actually have more love to give others and you are able to receive more love from others. Allow the energy of love to envelope you and decide that you will take one step towards loving yourself more today than you did yesterday.

How you might ask? Maybe you decide to accept and love your body and as a result you begin to feed it healthier and more nourishing foods so it can be its optimum best. Maybe you decide to forgive yourself for a past mistake you made and instead of beating yourself up inside you really take note of the lesson you learned so that you don’t do it again. Maybe you decide to do something you enjoy doing because you have always put yourself last and deprived yourself for way too long. Do you put those you love last on your list? Probably not, so practice more self-love and move yourself up on your “to do” list.

There is only one of you and you are the only person that can decide to allow yourself to love you a little more. If you decide to practice more self-love, watch how your happiness increases and love, joy, kindness and compassion will come your way even more. Love is a powerful thing and so is self-love . . . give some love to you and let yourself shine!

I was recently inspired by a powerful film called, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. It is about a man from Australia named Joe Cross who went on a juice fast for 90 days, traveling across the United States. He improved his health dramatically. He also motivated many people along his journey and has since motivated thousands to try juicing. In the movie, people applied the practice of juicing to their lives and got healthier.  This resulted in them being able to stop taking medications that they thought they would have to take the rest of their life.

Joe Cross and his documentary film has started a juicing movement across the country and many that try juicing are feeling the health benefits of it. I have had a juicer for a few years and decided to get it back out after watching this movie. While I had never been committed to juicing on a regular basis, after watching this film, I am now inspired to make more of an effort and commit to doing it more often. While many debate the benefits of juicing versus blending, I tend to find them both really beneficial to your health and they taste great too! While I have been a regular smoothie maker for years, I am slowly, but surely getting my juicing groove going.

Juicing takes the nutrients and water from fruits and vegetables and creates a very smooth drink that can be quickly absorbed into your body because the fiber is not included. Your body easily absorbs the juice and digest it very quickly. Blending is great too as it keeps the fiber from the fruits and vegetables and often fills you up faster. 

Until I watched the film,  my opinion of juicing was that it was a little more work than I felt like doing. If I could get a fresh juice at a restaurant I was all for it, but I had set aside the thought that I would become a juicer. In fact, my juicer was stored away and I had even contemplated selling it on e-bay several times. But as I watched the film and watched Joe Cross juice his way across our country, I realized that it might be easier than I remembered. Joe juiced on the side of the road, at farmers markets and truck stops and he made it look simple. So I pulled out my juicer and started juicing again and it was much easier than I remembered. In fact, I realized that it wasn’t hard at all and I really enjoyed it.

I found plenty of juice recipes online, but to be honest the easiest thing for me to do was to pull the fruits and veggies that I had in the fridge and just start juicing. I have juiced combinations of carrots, oranges, spinach, celery, apples and kale. So far, so good, as they have all been delicious. I normally sprinkle some ground ginger in there as well because I don’t usually have fresh ginger on hand. Having fresh ginger is a plus, so if you can use fresh ginger then you should go for it.

As I continue to incorporate more juicing in my life, I am sure I will explore more fruits and vegetables in my juicing adventure. However, I wanted to share a great green juice recipe with you that I found to be delicious just in case you want to give juicing a try.

Green Juice (pictured above)

• 3-5 stalks of Celery
• 2 good size apples
• 2 -3 handfuls of spinach
• 1 – 2 handfuls of kale leaves
• Ground ginger – sprinkle a little in and mix. If you have fresh ginger then add that to the juicer as that would be the best.

Add ice if you want and drink up!

This is the  first recipe I tried from the fun website called Pinterest! This recipe is super easy and you won’t believe what is in it! Great for a little Valentine celebration.

Recipe from Whole Living, July/August 2011 – courtesy of Pinterest!

Ingredients

• 3 avocados
• 6 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• sea salt

Directions:

Puree avocados, cocoa powder, honey and vanilla in a food processor until smooth. You can chill before serviing if you would like and you can sprinkle pudding with salt before serving. Enjoy!

My journal from Oprah!

Last week I was so excited because I got a gift in the mail from Oprah! Well, thousands of people got this gift but I was still super excited that I had something to open from Oprah!

I had forgotten that when I signed up for Oprah’s Lifeclass series back in the fall that I was also to receive a journal to use while watching Lifeclass. Unfortunately, there were some delays with the manufacturing of the journals so they did not get sent when Lifeclass was airing. I remember Oprah being disappointed about the journals because the viewers that signed up would not have them while Lifeclass was airing. She talked about it on the show but I thought little of it because I had other journals I could use. In fact, I actually forgot all about the journal until I saw the package in the mail that was clearly marked from the OWN network, Oprah’s network.

I could feel my excitement start to surge as I was opening the package! I quickly opened it to find a beautiful journal with Oprah’s Lifeclass written on the front! I love it! Every time I look at it I feel happy. It makes me feel special . . . having a journal that Oprah picked out, even if thousands and thousands of others got it in the mail too! 

I learned so much from Oprah’s Lifeclass series and shared many of the episodes with my husband and two daughters. I knew immediately that I was going to use the new journal to reflect on all that I learned from Oprah’s first season of Lifeclass. I even had some episodes still recorded on my DVR and decided to re-watch some of them. As I watched some for a second time, I realized how much I have already grown personally since the first time I watched them. They even brought up different emotions and thoughts this time around.

Oprah shared 25 lessons during Lifeclass. I found all of them to be empowering but there were 10 that really stood out for me that I want to share with you in hopes that you are inspired in some way in your own life.

Here is the list of my top 10 favorite lessons from Oprah’s first season of Lifeclass.

1. You Become What You Believe – This statement alone says it all. Oprah stated is so perfectly, “What you believe is what you become.” There is example after example of individuals that believed in themselves and overcame great odds. We all have the power to believe we just have to decide to and do it. Imagine what you want in your life and believe you can achieve it. Believe in you and watch the magic in your life unfold. What is your dream for you?

2. Do Your Eyes Light Up When Your Child Walks in the Room? Wow this lesson was just plain powerful! Don’t we all feel special when we walk in the room and someone’s eyes light up when they see us? It is in those moments, when you see someone’s face light up when you walk in the room, that you know they are happy to see you. What a gift that is for the children in our life when they walk into the room and our eyes light up!

3. When People Show You Who They Are, Believe Them – I shared this lesson with my husband and children and it made such a huge impact on them. My oldest daughter is in middle school and if you have a daughter in middle school you know that there can be plenty of girl drama with friends. I had a wonderful mom moment when I overheard my middle school daughter share with her friends this lesson – when people show you who they are believe them. It works for whatever age you are. Maya Angelou is who shared this lesson with Oprah and she explained that we need to stop expecting people to be something other than who they are. It was empowering to think about people that I may have kept in my life over the years purely on potential of what I expect they could be. Relationships become very clear and so much easier when you just use this lesson and when someone shows you who they are believe them whether it is positive or negative. What a good one!

4. Follow Your Gut & Your Life Speaks to You in a Whisper – I actually combined two lessons in one because I felt they went together and they are both so important. Think of a time when your inner voice was trying to tell you something or you had a gut feeling and you ignored it? How did things turn out? Often when we ignore that inner voice the situation does not turn out the best. Now, on the flip side, think of a time you listened to your inner voice and how it prevented you from being in a difficult situation or making a poor decision? The whisper is trying to help guide us. In fact, listening to your intuition, gut instinct or the whisper that tries to get your attention can actually be lifesaving. When you sense danger don’t try to rationalize it just move away from it. Remember that your feeling, your gut instinct is enough and you don’t need to feel like other peoples feeling are more important than yours. Trust your inner guidance and follow your gut.   

5. When You Know Better You Do Better – This is simply put and well said. Is there a time in your past that you handled a situation in a way that you would never dream of handling in the same way today? If so, that is probably because you know better from having experienced it the first time. As we experience life we learn and grow and often when a similar situation arises we can choose to handle it differently because when you know better you do better. I love that!

6. Love Doesn’t Hurt – Dictionary.com’s definition of love is – “a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.” When you typically hear the word love, it brings feelings of warmth, affection, joy and a liking for someone or something. When someone says they love you it shouldn’t hurt, love is not abusive. Love does not hurt and love does not make you feel bad about yourself. So if there are relationships that you are in that are abusive or make you feel bad about yourself then it might be time to re-evaluate and decide if this is a relationship worth keeping. Love should make you feel good!  

7. Joy Rising – Happiness and joy are contagious. When you feel happy you can spread the joy to others. Think about what brings you joy and begin adding more of that into your life. It will nourish you on a very deep level. Life has so many responsibilities that sometimes we forget about the things that bring us joy. Take a moment and get your joy list going so that you can feel more joy rising in your own life. It can be as simple as listening to a song that makes you happy to smiling at a stranger. It’s time to let your joy rise!

8. Who You Were Meant To Be – Everybody Has a Calling – Sometimes it takes years to recognize our calling in life but we all have one. We all have a gift in ourselves that we can share with others that gives us a sense of purpose. Your calling may not be your career, and you may not be sure what it is, but if you take some time to think about what you were meant to do in your life it might give you some insight. Think about the things you enjoy doing and when you do them you lose track of time as this might give you an idea as to what your calling might be. Think about the gift that you have that you can share with others.

9. Newton’s Third Law – It is easier for me to think of the law of attraction with this lesson. Newton’s law is that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. What we put out we get back. So if we are putting out anger and negativity we will get more anger and negativity coming back to us. Whereas if we are putting out love and appreciation that is what will come back to us. What kind of energy are you putting out into the world? What are your intentions? Make sure your intentions are aligned with your actions and remember what you put out will come back to you . . . it’s Newton’s Law . . . it’s science and it’s the law of attraction. 

10. Slow Down – This is such a great message for everyone. Our lives can get so busy we aren’t even present in them. We are on the go, go, go and miss the moments that are so precious. We forget to appreciate life when we are so busy.  Oprah shared examples of tragic situations when someone was so busy that they forgot to do something that caused their loved one to die. We need to slow down in life so we are living life wide awake and not running around like zombies getting our “to do” list done. Take time for you, for the people in your life and slow down. Be fully present and watch your joy rise and your life feel fuller.

 I hope you enjoyed reading my top 10 lessons from Oprah’s Lifeclass series. My intention was to share my favorites in hopes it inspired you in one way or another.

As you start this year, I have a question for you to consider. What are you curious about? If you could learn something new this year, what would it be? Think about what you would want to learn just because you want to and not because you have to or think you should. Having responsibilities with family and careers often puts learning about something new to the back burner. However, for just a moment think about if you could learn something new this year, what would you want to learn about? Personal growth and learning doesn’t have to stop just because we aren’t in school on a day to day basis.  While it may not be common practice that we go out and seek to learn new things, do you think you could take a step out of your routine and let your curiosity wander?

Often a situation presents itself and we are pushed to learn something new, like fixing a leaky faucet. So thinking about personal growth might not feel comfortable to you. Some of you may even be thinking you don’t have time to learn something new or that you couldn’t take time away from your family to go off and learn new things. While we all have responsibilities and taking a few months off and traveling to France to learn French might not work, we could  purchase a computer program that teaches French.

When we were in school it was natural to think about learning something new. In fact, it was our norm on a day to day basis.  But often as we grow older, learning something new often happens out of a circumstance that requires us to have to learn. When was the last time you went out to learn something new that you wanted to learn just because you wanted to? Let’s just go there for a minute or two.

Think about what you are curious about. If you could learn something new what would you want to learn? Would you want to learn:

• To speak another language
• Ballroom dancing
• How to compost
• More about gardening
• How to sew
• How to rock climb
• A new computer program
• More about food
• How to ski
• A painting technique
• How to play a new sport
• How to cook

Learning is endless. But, so often we don’t seek it out. Once you have thought about what you are curious about, the next step is figuring out how to go about learning it.

Here are a few suggestiong to determine the best way to learn what it is you are curious about: 

• Go to the library or book store and get a book about it.
• Google it and see what you can find online.
• Take a class at a local community center.
• Find an expert who already knows about what you want to learn and ask for their help in teaching you. They can become your mentor.
• Enroll in school. Yes you could go back to school, no matter your age.

When we get older it often feels silly to sign up for a class to gain new skills. We may even think that we can’t possibly sign up for a class because we are too old. We are never too old to learn something new. If you are a parent or grandparent, think what you will be teaching your children or grandchildren if you step out of your comfort zone and learn. What a wonderful lesson to kids that you are never to old to learn new things and follow your curiosity. Kids follow their curiosity so easily and often times ask a million questions about something they want to know more about. We don’t have to let it stop when we become adults. Take a few minutes and let your curiosity wander and then let this year be a year where you explore it. Learning can bring a new spark to your step and joy in your life. Remember no matter what age you are we are never too old to learn something new.