Embracing Resilience: Sustaining a Growth Mindset Amidst Life’s Twists and Turns
Growing up, I was the kid who’d pick Cliffs Notes over novels any day. Reading? Nope, not for me! I’d rather be chatting with my friends, shopping, or competing in something. It felt like a chore – all those words and so little happening. Fast-forward through life's journey, and somehow reading has nudged its way into my world and heart. It wasn’t an overnight flip, but a gradual realization that there's so much wisdom and so many life hacks tucked away in those pages.
Nowadays, my reading list is shaped by colleagues and people I look up to. Every recommendation is a new adventure, a peek into how I can level up in life and business, or simply make me think a bit differently. Books, newsletters, and blogs have quietly become my secret weapon in this never-ending quest to keep up a growth mindset, and evolve. And if you told younger me about it, she’d probably roll her eyes. But here we are, turning pages and turning corners, one article at a time.
September's thrown me some curveballs, but hey, I'm rolling with it, finding strength in words and backing them up with some solid action and resilience.
If you like to read, and also like my hat, you can find it here on ETSY
Currently reading: Dare to Lead by Brene Brown
Side Hustles and Silver Linings: Leveraging Opportunities After a Career Pause
September has been a sneaky month, bringing unexpected twists and turns into my life and career path. Just when I was deeply diving into a job I loved and making some exciting progress, the universe said, “Pause and pivot!” Yep, I was hit by a reduction in force, something I hadn’t experienced from this side of the table. My trusty laptop, is always riding shotgun on every adventure or misadventure- I was actually unable to walk very well on this day and the ice bucket was acting as part of my RICE routine. Nonetheless, my little MacBook has been a gateway to my mission to always learn and improve.
Something that I have always found valuable is to upskill in your free time. Being a serial entrepreneur and problem solver, the need for learning never stops with me. Believe it or not, I have a couple of side projects bubbling away and one even found its way into a recent speaking gig at Lincolnview High School’s leadership class. Sharing my journey, the bumps, the reroutes, and the importance of confidence, with those eager young minds was not just an opportunity to impart lessons but also a subtle reminder to myself - that every cloud has its silver lining, and sometimes, it’s our side hustles that bring us unexpected joys and new pathways amidst the unexpected pauses life throws at us.
Culinary Creations: Making Time For New Tastes
Photo courtesy of Half Baked Harvest: Thai Chicken Zucchini Meatball Curry
While I leave the baking to my husband and middle son, I like to think of myself as a pretty decent cook when I can find the time (which I do now) to actually concentrate. Having only three of us at home these days, it’s much easier to try and test different recipes, and my guys there at home have been very impressed. All of the Half Baked Harvest recipes that I have tried have been winners; this one included.
My husband, the casual culinary wizard, who can effortlessly feed a small army, while I play it safe, with my go-to pasta and meat sauce week in, week out. It was super discouraging feeling like the kitchen rookie next to his natural chef vibes. These past few years I decided needed to once again push my growth mindset and embrace my successes and failures in the kitchen. I have been serving up some pretty tasty dishes that are also healthy. It’s been a challenge to get my family to buy-in to the healthier alternatives to the typical meat and potatoes dishes, but it’s working!
This little meal was one for the books! It was pretty labor-intensive, a bit tricky, and demanded some spot-on timing for the recipe. I was beaming with pride when I was told it was ‘restaurant quality’...until the universe humbled me by letting me burn the easiest part: the white rice. Seriously, who burns rice?! Me, apparently. My local Walmart doesn’t carry shallots? Also, pause for a quick confession - I had to Google what a shallot even was. GTS, my friends. Pro tip from my cyber search: a yellow onion can totally pinch-hit when shallots play hard to get.
Rekindling Old Bonds: The Potency of Lifelong Friendships
It’s been a minute since I last blogged, and I am glad you’re still with me. See ya September- onto October!
Last weekend was so great for the soul, getting to dive back into memories with some fantastic friends from way back when we were navigating the wild ride of life in Columbus (oh, how I adore that city!) over two decades ago. It was a literal three-day bender of belly laughs and heartwarming moments with some of the best people who shared countless memories with me, my husband, and my oldest son.
Dr. Brad was proudly dishing the tale of Jake's first birthday bash, where his gift game was on point with a batting tee. And let's not forget that card - which, by the way, sported a snazzy centerfold! Perfect for a one year old surrounded by his grandparents and great-grandparents!
This get-together wasn’t just a reunion; it was a beautiful reminder that despite the paths we take, the bonds built during those formative, intense years somehow manage to hold a special kind of magic. Reconnecting, reviving old inside jokes, and looking back at all the changes and constants since we last gathered – it’s emotionally revitalizing in a way that's pretty indescribable. And hey, it’s like our friendships also aged like fine wine, just getting better and more valuable with time. Here’s to the friends who've weathered the twists and turns with us, celebrated the highs, and who help remind us of who we were, who we’ve become, and all the laughs and growth in between.
As a super music enthusiast with a wide range of tastes, I want to end each post with a song of the day.
My song choice this week comes from a band that my whole family loves and this is one of my favorites!
