The Plante Life’s Food for Thought

Hey there, powerful Plante Lifers!

So we’re starting something new over here at The Plante Life! Every 3rd week of the month, we’ll feature The Plante Life’s Food for Thought—where I’ll be sharing with you tips, lifestyle hacks, and musings to help you be the badass beauty you truly are.

This month’s Food for Thought comes from a wonderful book I’ve been devouring called The Urban Monk by Pedram Shojai, the creator of well.org. I actually went to his book launch party last year, but I’m just now digging into it. Combining modern Western medicine and ancient Eastern wisdom, The Urban Monk offers so many juicy lifestyle hacks to help us optimize our lives and live more vibrantly in this modern world where the conditions are less than ideal.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: LEARN TO LOVE THE WORD “NO”!

Let’s face it, we are all busy. Work is hectic, we drink more coffee than we should, we sit in traffic, we don’t get enough sleep, we don’t eat right, we hardly exercise—and we wonder why we have no energy! We often feel like we are spinning out of control. So, here’s one trick to help you stay calm and find your center.

I’m sure you’re familiar with this scenario…

Your friends text you and ask you to go out for happy hour after work. Your first reaction is to say, “Yes, absolutely, I’ve had a crazy long day, and I could really use an extra large glass of vino!” It’s been a long week. You’re stressed out, and you’ll want to have a snack by then anyway. Done and done, right?

Hold your horses there, missy! By saying “yes” to said happy hour, you’ve effectively just said “no” to a whole lot of other things that are probably way more important. You’ve said ‘no’ to spending time with your partner, reading to your kids, to the workout you already had planned, to the meditation practice you’ve been loving lately, to the reading you want to do to help your career, to the sleep which you never quite get enough of.

That doesn’t sound so happy does it? With one impulsive decision, you have effectively set off a cascade of events that disrupts your calendar and your psyche.

So, what do you do?

Before you respond, take a moment to really consider it. Take a few deep belly breaths and look at your timeline—see what waves this will send across your world.

Pedram asks, “Can you afford another plant in your garden, or is it going to pull the water away from things that are more important to you?“

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ever go to happy hour! It’s just a reminder that every action causes a reaction. Ultimately, it’s about being mindful in your choices. Now, that’s some real food for thought.

LOVE + deep belly breaths,

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