Reflection and gratitude.
As 2016 comes to a close (really? already?), I remain humbled by all the experiences my humble bakery has provided. It's a repeating pattern, I can get used to.
In the past year I've met people from all over the world that want to eat healthier and live a more balanced life— a mission the bakery shares. It's in that back and forth where I find purpose and excitement, challenge and inspiration. I'm addicted to finding my balance. And because my life is not repetitious, it keeps me on my toes. Which is the point. Be in the moment. Seize the day by being present.
This past weekend I attended a 48-hour yoga teacher training designed for people that don't usually take yoga. Especially people addicted to lifting weights and running on treadmills or doing interval training, spinning etc. It's a class I've taught for years, but finally it's getting the attention of gym fiends, now open to the idea that muscles need to "gain" a good stretch too. I thought doing yoga for 12 hours a day for two days would kill me, but instead it fired up my focus. Avoid auto-pilot. Avoid staying within old limits. In addition, being in a room filled with other instructors reminded me why being in the moment is such a rewarding goal.
Seeing everyone enjoying the Protein Bakery snacks I brought, was an extra bonus. It's the best way I know to give back. I will not be curing cancer and so be it; I can bake a healthier snack. A healthy treat is my wheelhouse and watching it catch fire with foodies or fitness fiends or any snack seeker is my own "treat." This little handmade wholesome idea gives me purpose and makes people happy. Boom!—that too is balance.
I can create something that matters to people. I'm a lucky man.
A lucky man who knows that the top of this mountain called 2016 is simply the bottom of the next mountain, 2017. (That climb is my kind of cardio.) I'm committing myself to make the bakery stronger and more efficient and to spread the health as much as I can. Keep my eye on finding a balance between what works and what can work better.
I wish for all of you to jump into the holidays and find your reasons to celebrate. Reflect on your own past year, relish the good stuff and know that the “bad stuff" is simply there as a valuable lesson. It's a process that provides balance. I see the highs and lows adding up to exactly that—your version of balance.
Continue traveling forward, and of course, I insist— please enjoy a cookie along the way.
