Hello everyone,
As I write this post, I think to myself that just as this pandemic has put the world on pause, it seems the same has happened to my blog. But I’m writing today to tell you I’m still here, and I hope you are too. I hope everyone is staying healthy and finding happiness in small ways during this difficult time.
I haven’t blogged until now because I truly couldn’t find the motivation or inspiration (which seems to be a common theme for many right now). I thought to myself, what is there to blog about when the world has essentially come to a halt and very few exciting things are happening in my life. Just like everyone else, there have (and still are) good days and bad days as we accept that living in isolation and practicing social distancing is the new norm. Upon my good days, however, I realized that there are exciting things happening big and small, they are just overshadowed by other news stories or are simply waiting to be discovered.
The air we breathe is becoming cleaner revealing picturesque views that have been masked for decades, dolphins and orcas are venturing into new waters and animal shelters are found empty from so many pet adoptions! Needless to say, the planet is happier and so are its non-human inhabitants so why can’t we find this time to become happier too?
When this pandemic first started, many of us probably felt and might still feel discouraged, frustrated, and even punished, that this isn’t fair to us. But if you really take the time to think about it, maybe it is fair, when is the last time the earth and its animals got a break from human interruptions? I’m only 22, but in my lifetime, I haven’t seen it until now. For so long, it hasn’t been fair to them, the animals and the planet. So if we have to take months, maybe even a year to reflect on our behaviours, our social practices, our pace of life (hint: that we need to just slow down) and re-evaluate our relationships with others, planet earth and animals (hint: that it’s a we, not us vs. them), then I would say we are lucky. We are lucky because when else would we ever get the chance to take every day as it comes, find meaningful ways to fill our days and cherish our human interactions, our time with friends, family and even our pets and let’s not forget the time we now have for ourselves.
I know it’s hard to find the courage to be motivated at this time, trust me, I do. But maybe the solution lies in redefining what constitutes productivity and success. A productive day does not have to be running 10 errands, seeing 3 friends and doing a 2-hour workout. A productive day can be going for a walk around the block and calling your friend for 10 minutes. A productive day can be getting out of bed and treating yourself to a morning coffee. You get to define what productivity means for you and the more you celebrate small wins, the more motivated you will become (writing this today is a win for me!). When I redefined my productivity, I grew happier because I found fulfilment from smaller (but not any less significant) accomplishments in my day. Remember what we are experiencing now, is not what we are used to, it is a global shift in human activity and subsequently, we must also shift our behaviours. We cannot expect things to be ‘normal’ because we are not living in a ‘normal’ situation.
And just as a good friend often tells me when I feel down about something, “this too shall pass,” as the current state of the world has proven to be true, nothing is here to stay and everything is subject to change, so just as this pandemic came upon us, it will also leave us. But let it leave us with a newfound sense purpose, a new appreciation for our planet, friends and family and the animals with whom we share it with.
Stay hopeful,
xx Leah
Ps: of course I had to leave you on a sweet note (but the guilt-free kind!) so please enjoy this delicious keto cookie recipe and maybe, making this recipe can be a daily win for you too!
Ingredients
- 1/2 C Grass-Fed Butter (salted or unsalted) or Coconut Butter (or a mix of both)
- 1/2-3/4 C Monk Fruit or Erythritol (or a mix of both)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Egg
- 1 1/2 C Almond Flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2-3/4 C Sugar-Free/Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 355˚F.
- Microwave the butter for 30 seconds.
- Place the butter and monk fruit/erythritol in a mixing bowl and beat until combined. Add the vanilla and egg, and beat on low for another 15 seconds.
- Add the almond flour, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt. Beat until well combined.
- Press the dough together and knead in the chocolate chips with your hands.
- Divide and shape the dough into 12 balls (or use a small ice cream scoop) and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper (this works better than a greased cookie sheet!) *you can press them down a little if you’d like!
- Bake for 10 minutes or a little longer if you want them crispier.
- Allow cookies to cool before devouring (they harden a little as they cool)
Recipe adapted from https://www.fatforweightloss.com.au/keto-chocolate-chip-cookies/