How Are You Recovering From Halloween?

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Tessa Todd Morgan

How are you recovering from Halloween? What do you think of when you think of Halloween? What are your favorite things to do?

With Halloween being one of my favorite holidays since I love getting dressed up and having fun, I’ve never really thought about some of the things that Halloween represents.

I mean, where did trick or treat come from anyway? Like, do people ever actually do a trick for a child vs. giving them candy? What does that even mean?

It’s kind of ironic for me that it is one of my favorite holidays since I like to think of myself more of wanting to spread joy and fulfillment vs. darkness and gloominess with all the scariness that takes place.

So, if you’re left with a big ole bunch of candy, now what do you do?

What can you do to take care of your body and/or your children so we don’t all get sick from eating too much sugar?

One thing I’m incorporating lately is buying fruit to have on hand for when I have a chocolate craving. Just last week alone to prepare, I bought apples to eat with peanut butter, plums, peaches, oranges and bananas. Guess I thought I was going to have a lot of sugar cravings!

Just one idea to possibly incorporate when you’re pushing your edge with any leftovers. Perhaps stick with the Halloween theme over the next week and pick up an orange when you want to go for the candy. Your body may love you for it!

You could also consider adding in some extra movement this week. Maybe pick up an extra yoga class, run or work out for the week. Or if you haven’t been getting any workouts at all in lately, just commit to one. Going on a walk outdoors is one of the best things you can do for your mind, body and soul! Plus, if you’re in Texas like I am, it’s feeling great outside, so get out there and enjoy it!

HAPPY BELATED HALLOWEEN!!!!

P.S. I meant to send this on Friday and that didn’t happen, so I had to redo this to make sense post Halloween. My apologies for being late!

P.S.S. I might have just finished eating a bite size Snickers and M&M pack.

P.S.S.S. Therefore, it’s all about moderation so you don’t make yourself sick or send your body into sugar shock. Or, go out there and find friends and other people to pass the candy along to and maybe you can put a smile on someone else’s face and do something healthier for yourself 😉

Do You Know When Enough Is Enough?

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Tessa Todd Morgan

Do you know when enough is enough? I’ve been asking myself this question all week long.

I won’t bore you by going into how busy I am right now. But, just so you know I’ve been juggling working on a project the past few months through the end of this month that has led me to almost need help having someone run to the store to buy toilet paper for me if that gives you any idea. And the other day it occurred to me that sometimes enough is enough.

I’m not saying that caused me to stop working on the project by any means, but it just made me realize that sometimes it is mandatory to stop and take a break.

I had a meeting scheduled at a coffee shop and got notice that the woman I was meeting wasn’t going to be able to make it. I decided to go sit in my car and make a phone call. Before I made the call, I had a chance to just sit and be by myself for a few minutes in complete silence and feel the sun beating down on my arms through the sunroof in my car. I felt like I was on vacation.

Did I mention that earlier that morning I had interviewed the mayor of Dallas, a pastor and one of the heads of the Dallas Police Department? What?!?! My head was spinning a little bit to say the least…

Amazing that being able to sit alone in silence for a few minutes can seem like being on vacation. But, it really can. And I was so grateful for those few minutes that I had just to sit. Taking time to breathe and be silent is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves for our mind, body and soul.

I also had a chance last week to escape the hustle and bustle of the project for a bit and go have some fun with a few people that I’m working with (see photo above) and was so grateful for that opportunity as well.

When you’ve reached a point where you are maxed out after going 100% for so many days at a time, you must stop at some point and breathe, do something fun, do something that you love to do or that you enjoy doing.

Thank you Hal and Alisa for treating me to a break to go have some random fun! I am so lucky to be working with such talented artists right now and am grateful for the experiences that we are having together. You two inspire me more than you could ever possibly imagine. (To see more about their awesome work, you can visit http://www.halsamples.com and http://www.alisalevy.com)

I hope you find a way to stop and breathe along the way of your journey and hopefully have some fun too. Here’s to an awesome weekend…

Cheers!

Sometimes You Just Need To Stay In It…

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Tessa Todd Morgan

This week I was reminded that sometimes, under certain circumstances, you just need to stay in it.

For the past eight months, I’ve been teaching yoga each week on a voluntary basis to a wonderful group of children that I adore and want the best for and this week I found myself wanting to quit and give up.

It’s not that the children are bad, so don’t misunderstand me when I say that sometimes it can be a bit chaotic when you try to teach yoga to 30 kids in a gym that would possibly rather be playing basketball instead. The kids are just being kids and trying to have a good time.

I started to doubt that it was doing anything for them and tried to convince myself that they would rather be playing basketball anyway.

I was considering talking to someone at the organization that afternoon to tell them that I wasn’t going to be able to come anymore. I had even convinced myself that since I had picked up another class that evening at a different location that I shouldn’t try and do both (although, I knew I had plenty of time to get to both classes in one evening).

Then, someone came up and told me exactly what I needed to hear… They said how amazing they thought it was that I was giving these kids an opportunity that they would never have otherwise to get to do something that they may never be exposed to if I wasn’t coming to teach them. They told me how even though I may not see it that their faces light up when they see me come into the gym and that he could tell a difference of what yoga is doing for them.

Therefore, this week I’ve been looking at the fact that sometimes it’s great to just stay in it. The same goes for yoga. There are so many times where I want to come out of a pose because I think it’s hard or I try and convince myself I’m not strong enough to keep holding it, but if I find the strength to tell myself to stay in it then I can and the rewards can be so incredible in what it does for my mind, body and soul.

I’m not saying that all circumstances are worth staying in (there are so many that people actually need to choose to leave!), but there are so many that are. I’ve been noticing when things get tough in my life how often I want to just run away vs. staying in it. Running away may be the easier thing right in the moment, but may cost us the most in the long run.

If I can reach one child in that class and have it make a difference in their life, then it’s worth staying in it. What areas in your life do you possibly find challenging that you may be wanting to run away from and would you be willing to consider staying in them to see the reward that could come in the long run?

Would you be willing to be honest with yourself and see if it’s really something that is worth running away from or if it is something that the benefit could be so much greater if you just stayed in it?

What are the possibilities of what could happen if you stayed? What is the cost if you stay vs. the cost of if you were to leave?