Small Potatoes Redefined

Oct 4th, 2011

While stirring and contemplating the soup I’m making (recipe below), I thought “I need more potatoes.”  I reached down into a sack without looking and grabbed one – a small one.  Perfect, I thought, a small potato.  That must be where the expression came from “oh that’s just small potatoes.”    One dictionary definition defines small potatoes as “someone or something of little significance or value, especially a small amount of money.”

But the small potato was perfect for my soup – sometimes it’s just that little bit extra, the small potato, the pinch of salt (or sugar), that rounds out the dish (life) perfectly.

In a bigger-is-better culture, the small potato might not seem worth much.  But in my soup, it’s perfect!

“Recipe” for the Soup I’m Making as I write – inspired by the beef-rice mixture wrapped in cabbage and cooked in tomatoes.  There’s a name for it–anybody know the name?

• Sauté diced onion, garlic, and ground beef in small amount of oil (ground beef is optional—I prefer grass fed)
• Box or can of beef or vegetable broth (I prefer organic)
• Large can of diced tomatoes (yes, organic) (28 ounces)
• Small can of Rotel (10 ounces–some like it hot!)
• 1/2 cabbage roughly chopped
• 3/4 cup of brown rice (I use a mixture of various brown rices and wild rice)
• Once it begins to bubble, turn the heat down and simmer for 50 minutes or so stirring occasionally
• As it cooks it will thicken slightly and look oh, so good!

Last step – Eat it!  Just in time for the cooler weather!

OOPS – just remembered I wanted to use up some mushrooms so I sautéed them (to help them catch up to the rest of the soup) and stirred them in.  It’s a tantalizing brothy stew and smells terrific! 

While I’m waiting for the mushrooms to integrate, I’m eating a small dish of peaches I froze during peach harvest this year.  A sweet, juicy appetizer that’s for sure.

Got a comment to share?  Post it at the comment link below.

Wonderful things come to us when we’re grateful

Aug 15th, 2011

When I’m really grateful as I am tonight, I mentally go over all the things I’m grateful for.   Tonight on this cool summer evening, I’m grateful for Toby.  He’s fun to walk.

If you want to be more grateful, here are a handful of examples to prime the gratitude pump. 

Things you can be grateful for …

• the other driver saw you and didn’t smash into you!
• you were invited to the party and they had such excellent food and conversation
• you have a loving pet sleeping in your lap
• the 100+ degree heat wave is in the past…and you’re now feeling a cool breeze as you walk the dog
• the bat circling over your head didn’t swoop down and get tangled in your hair (I didn’t say gratitude always had to be based in logic)
• you didn’t wake up with a bat crawling on your chest (happened to a colleague of mine last week)
• you got a refund when you didn’t expect (or ask) for it
• you love fruits and veggies (many don’t)
• your aging parents are still around
• your kids are kind
• you have a ceiling fan
• your cool bedroom
• a good night’s sleep
• your new shoes
• you are able to think things through
• you’re practical (artistic, adventurous, smart, thoughtful, creative, musical….)
• you know how to experience peace and joy
• you were chosen
• personal and religious freedom
• movies and good books (and popcorn)
• your friends and family
• the rain, snow, sun, clouds, wind and stillness

You can see that opportunities for gratitude are infinite. 

Unleash the Magic Around Time

Jun 6th, 2011

Last Wednesday we launched the 8-week program Unleash the Magic (live in Lawrence) and the first topic was Time.  So this week I was thinking about time and how I use it. I woke up Saturday morning feeling overwhelmed by the many things I had to do and the lack of interest and energy I had for starting on my mental list. Ugh was my total body feeling. My arms even hung limp at my sides like that of a teenager who has been asked to clean the kitty litter.

Turning to my journal for inspiration, I got excited and started sweeping my deck, then clipping the spent roses from my knockout bush (100 or so), cleaning the gutters, putting in two window air conditioners, brushing my shedding dog, clipping his toe nails, taking us on a walk, cleaning under the kitchen sink (oh man it was needing it), mopping the kitchen floor, and that’s just for starters.  I went like that for two days like a house afire.

As I cleaned and moved through my list, I thought about why my energy and enthusiasm was working so well for me….after it had felt so heavy and unappealing when I woke up Saturday morning.

Now this is what I want to share……In the midst of my struggle, I went to my journal for clarity and inspiration—for help. When I took the first step to take action, I was rewarded by a feeling of relief that I actually could trust myself to take care of business, to do what I said I was going to do, to manage the affairs of my life. I felt better and better about myself as the weekend progressed.

What I also noticed is that I said only positive things to myself about myself and about my tasks. I looked just at what I was working on instead of wringing my hands  over all that I had to do. It was magical really and not something I always do – that’s why I paid so much attention to what was working and why.  I wanted to repeat my success and share it with you. Positive self talk, taking action (baby steps when that’s all you can do), and writing in your journal – that’s a combo that will help to unleash the magic that’s already in you….and in me. 

What do you do for inspiration when you’re feeling overwhelmed and stuck?  Share at the comment link below.

If you live in Lawrence, KS and this program sounds of interest to you, it’s not too late to join the series.  This coming Wednesday we start session 2 with discussion, journaling, EFT, and energy healing around MONEY.  Don’t you love to talk about money!  Here a link for more information.

Use Active Journaling Techniques to Unleash the Magic in Your Life!

May 4th, 2011

LIVE IN LAWRENCE, KANSAS!

UNLEASH THE MAGIC IN YOUR LIFE

June 1 – July 20, 2011
8 Consecutive Wednesdays

7:00 – 8:30 pm
Unity Church of Lawrence (sanctuary)
900 Madeline, Lawrence

A Transformational Workshop

Are you ready to discard old stories about who you are, what you do, and what you believe in?  Find out how you can replace old, worn out ideas, beliefs, and habits through magical, mini transformations. 

Unleash the Magic is an interactive workshop led by Cheryl Miller, Wellness Strategist, Life Coach & Mayor of CherylMillerVille (a thriving, online community of 6,000 subscribers).

Using Cheryl’s unique “LIFE in your LAP” Active Journaling Process, you will be guided through a series of self-reflective, inner exercises to help you Unleash the Magic in these 8 areas of your life:

1. Money

2. Time

3. Spirit

4. Food

5. Fitness

6. Space (car, home, office)

7. Personal Growth

8. Self-Care

Learn how to design your own magical life and experience opportunities for removing blocks through music, dreams, belief exploration, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), energy healing, guided meditation and visualization, Haiku, and more!

PLUS! Special guests will lend their magical gifts to our journey every week

· Carla Mumma, EFT practitioner

· Vi Hamilton, Energy Healer

To learn more about this unique program and to register, visit: www.CherylMillerVille.com/magic

We hope you’ll join us!

-Cheryl

Let’s Talk About Activism

Apr 18th, 2011

Have you noticed that more people are taking a stand on things that are important to them?  It’s a global phenomenon. 

Most of us support some kind of cause and the organizations that champion our cause whether it’s the Humane Society, Save the Earth, Cancer Society, Mother’s Against Drunk Driving, GRACE Factory Farm Project, NAACP, Not For Sale and the list goes on and on.

Join me this Tuesday, April 19 at 7pm Central Time to talk about activism. 

**What spurs you on to support a cause–big or small? 
**Where does your passion come from? 
**What if anything gets in the way of supporting your cause while maintaining good mental and physical health, compassion for all slides of the issue, and while seeing the future as a positive place? 

HOW TO SIGN UP FOR THE FREE TELE-SERIES

This series occurs twice a month – the first and third Tuesdays at 7pm CT.

Visit this link for more information and to sign up (if you haven’t already):
http://www.cherylmillerville.com/letstalkabout/

You will receive an email confirmation with the phone number to call. I will also give you a link to an inspirational video with David Batstone.

Note:  If you’re not sure you’ve signed up yet, go ahead and sign up again. You’ll get only one subscription if you use the same email, so don’t worry. 

Please join me and feel free to forward this email to your friends and colleagues.  Everyone is welcome.

Let’s Talk About Fun (notes from the first tele-conversation)

Feb 15th, 2011

Just finished the first tele-conversation in the Let’s Talk About Healthy, Happy Living series (1st and 3rd Tuesdays each month).  Our topic was having fun.  Here are some great quotes about fun and highlights of our conversation. 

" He who does not get fun and enjoyment out of every day…needs to reorganize his life"
-George Matthew Adams

"If I were a toy, I would say ‘Press my Play button’."
Julie De Koven

"The human race has only one effective weapon –and that is laughter."
Mark Twain

"People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing."
Dale Carnegie

"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."
Abraham Lincoln

"Happiness is not having what you want. It’s wanting what you have."
Unknown

"It is a happy talent to know how to play."
Ralph Waldo Emerson quoted in Joy by Beverly Elaine Eanes

Notes from the Conversation….

Things people shared that were fun for them:

• hitting the bike trails on a sunny day
• hiking (with great weather, scenery, friends)
• road trips with favorite music, no time table – freedom!
• cleaning, organizing, clearing the decks (fun checking things off a list, satisfying results)
• playing with cats or other pets
• listening to shape note singing group
• hoola dancing for nursing home, party, other event
• reading a good book
• enjoying a spa bath or massage
• winter camping
• going on retreat

What can keep us from having more fun – perceived obstacles

• Money can be an obstacle if we can’t shift our mindset about what we want and about money worries.  One participant talked about  how she’s tuning in to the essence of what she really wants for a 3-day vacation that she can afford.  Her creative juices have been activated and she’s having fun doing the research for local activities accessible via public transportation (inspiring story/reframe)
• Inflexibility – if we have our heart set on one way to have fun and it doesn’t work out that way, it can be hard to switch gears (but switching gears is possible)
• Unhappiness and unmet needs – can learn to meet our own needs with a meditation technique to provide comfort to yourself by Pete Sanders Access Your Brain’s Joy Center
• Drama and family upset – one participant shared that they just went with the drama and chaos and turned the opera music up really loud.  That shifted the family energy/dynamic and they all enjoyed the Valentine’s Dinner (another inspiring story/reframe)
• Clutter – makes us feel guilty, overwhelmed, so less likely to be free spirited and think about having fun (split a 3-day holiday into one day of cleaning/organizing and two days of fun!)  The cleaning and organizing clears the deck for guilt-free fun.
• Feeling out of Control – use mindfulness and meditation to tap into personal freedom and peaceful relaxation (includes mindful breathing).  One participant said that meditation is an awesome all-purpose tool and I agree.

How we can build more fun into our lives

• Hang out with fun people
• Have a fun buddy to do things with
• Make a list of fun things to do – create a fun menu to remind us of fun things when we’re feeling blah or blue
• Post inspiring quotes and affirmations to remind us to have fun
• Schedule fun activities into our calendars
• Visit the Chamber of Commerce or Visitors Center and pick up brochures on 100 things to do for free/fun in your town
• Create a “fun” file
• Practice mindfulness (to become aware of pleasure)
• Do some biblio-therapy (hang out in a library or bookstore and read while sipping a hot cup of tea or coffee.  Read something you wouldn’t ordinarily read.  “Borrow the book” for a coffee break so you don’t have to buy it or check it out.
• Unpack the good China and use it.  Set a nice table with candles.  Wear lipstick, a cool pin, put on a fragrance.  Make life an occasion.

A few takeaways from the call:  not as lacking in fun as we thought but need reminders to build fun in.  Also, we can be more in control of our lives than we sometimes think – even if we have a challenging life.

If you missed this conversation and would like to sign up for the series (it’s FREE!), visit this link:  http://www.cherylmillerville.com/letstalkabout/

Let’s Talk About Having Fun!

Feb 14th, 2011

I don’t know about you, but I tend to be a bit serious about life—I could use more fun in my life.   But what?  How? We’re kicking off our Let’s Talk About Healthy, Happy living series talking about fun.   

Here’s who needs to come to the call, Tue. Feb 15:

• You, if you’re good at having fun (we need to hear your secrets)

• You, if you seldom have fun (we want to inspire and expand your world)

• You, if you are in the middle like me (we want to tip you onto the fun end of the spectrum)

Come to the first call in the series this Tuesday, February 15 and share your take on fun (Do you know how to have fun? Are you fun-deficient? Do you have suggestions for having more fun?)

More info about the series and signup:
http://www.cherylmillerville.com/letstalkabout/

When you sign up, you’ll receive an email with the call-in details.  If you’re not sure whether you have signed up for this series yet, go ahead and sign up.  You’ll get just one notice (unless you use a different email). 

FREE Series: Let’s Talk About Healthy, Happy Living

Feb 9th, 2011

You’re invited to join me for a free conversation series (twice a month) about health and wellness topics ranging from getting good sleep, to healthy snacking, to personal development, to eating organic, to decluttering, to healthy aging and more.  All you need is a phone. 

Here’s how to join in the conversation:

First and Third Tuesdays every month
5-6pm PST | 6-7pm MST | 7-8pm CST | 8-9 EST

More info:  http://www.cherylmillerville.com/letstalkabout/

We’ll have folks from all over joining in on the discussion—from all walks of life and full of varying perspectives. Imagine the energy and wisdom! 

Everyone is invited to join in or just listen.  All you need is a telephone to participate.

If you’re longing for lively, engaging conversation about health and well-being, visit this link to find out more: 
http://www.cherylmillerville.com/letstalkabout/

You can participate in any or all calls, and you can opt out of the series at any time.

Don’t miss it!

Please invite your friends,  family, and colleagues to participate:
http://www.cherylmillerville.com/letstalkabout/

Forget New Year Resolutions: Evolve Instead

Jan 5th, 2011

Resolutions don’t work for 99% of the population. Have they worked for you? I found something that works -Crafting a New Year’s Theme Instead!

Join me for this FREE teleclass:

New Year’s Evolution: Choosing a Theme for 2011 that
Excites and Ignites You!

This is more than just a teleclass. You’ll learn how to think bigger about who you are and how you can design your life around your most cherished dream for 2011. If you don’t have a dream yet, you can borrow one of mine – I’ll give tons of examples. Your dream will become your theme. And your theme will replace your New Year’s Resolution, because it’s so much more powerful.

Why have a New Year’s Theme? Theme parks have a theme, special parties have themes, cruises use themes. Why? Because themes are exciting and they inspire us to join in the fun. They bring out our playful, creative sides. A theme is like a clarion call – it attracts our vision and our energy. You can create a theme that will forecast what you want in your life in 2011.

I’m going to take you through the process that I personally use every year to develop a theme that guides me throughout the year, not just until I forget about it! You’ll also learn my strategies for keeping it top of mind.

We’ll explore four kinds of themes:

1. Less or More Themes–what do you want more (or less) of in 2011
2. Health Themes
3. What Excites & Ignites You
4. Family Themes

By the end of the call, you will have a theme for 2011 or be well on your way to having one. And you’ll understand how your theme can pull you forward toward your dream throughout the year.

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TELECLASS DETAILS:

Date:  Thursday, January 13
Time: 5-6pm PT | 6-7pm MT | 7-8pm CT | 8-9pm ET:

There is no charge for this teleclass. It’s my New Year’s gift to you. You’ll just be responsible for any long distance charges that apply.

All you need is a phone and a couple of sheets of paper. You can participate from home, the office, or wherever you are. If you’ve never taken a teleclass and want to know more about how they work, get a brief summary here.

I am looking forward to helping you choose your theme for 2011.

To your healthy, happy life and Heaven in 11!

Great Quotes to Inspire!

Dec 22nd, 2010

Who doesn’t like a great quote? Visit this site to hit the jackpot of inspiring quotes from insightful people about how to succeed in the workplace and as a human being.

Here’s a sample: “Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there.” Josh Billings