Hello Monday and Holiday week! Today I have a little Chicken Soup for the soul thang going on here (don’t worry, there’s actually a recipe) that has been lingering in my mind since Thursday. I’ll just jump right in.mmm, k?
Be in Your Life—> That sounds easy, right?
Well, I thought it was and I thought I was “living in my life.” That was until I was knocked on my a** for a good 36 hours due a virus/flu.
My initial thoughts? “Hold up God, I got stuff to do. Especially before the Holidays begin!” Ya, that wasn’t happening. Turns out trying go MACH SPEED ahead of life can sometimes break you. Being sick was God’s way of telling me I needed rest, and I needed it now. No if’s, and’s, or but’s about it.
So there I was sick.. laying in bed, sleeping for 18 hours, having the kiwi Cotter (and I may have called my mom) come nurse me back to health.
I was totally knee deep in MY LIFE, sick, scraggly, and shower less, watching the day went on without me. Why is it when you sick it feels like time stays still?
But that’s what I needed, stillness.
So here I am today, wrapping my brain on why I (we) always try to keep be one step (or 10) ahead of life. Heck, it’s now normal to see Christmas decorations up after Halloween these days.
You wanna know my thoughts, my reasoning’s, my.. dare I say it, opinions?
Being IN YOUR PRESENT LIFE gets tiring. It means dealing with PRESENT trials. Sometimes focusing on the future is a way to HOPE for a better outcome. But the good news is that these trials always make you stronger. Trials=Character building. We’ve got a lot of character going on here! LOL!
BUT…………
Being in YOUR LIFE can also be Freeing. It can mean we are free to worry about the future and FOCUS on the GOOD happening right NOW. And trust me, there is ALWAYS GOOD. –> ALWAYS ALWAYS!
5 ways to “BE IN YOUR LIFE”
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Capture it. I’m that dork on instagram that like to capture the perfect moment, lighting, smile, food, etc. But it makes me realize how FULL and how AMAZING life is.. MOMENT by MOMENT.
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Let things get messy. We’re human. Sometimes our lives get messy, sometimes our homes become unorganized, and sometimes that gray and uncontrolled part of life is what ultimately makes life beautiful. Imperfectly perfect. Right?
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Rest and NOURISH—> the mind and the body. Take a rest day or if you might actually get sick. I learned the hard way. If you can take a Sabbath from OVERWORKING your life, you might actually get to BE IN YOUR LIFE. A little Nourishing from WITHIN.
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- To be liked.
- To be accepted.
- To be known
- And last but not least, SAY your blessings. No really, SAY them to yourself. They might be different each day. Make a mental note of them and revisit daily. (Corny Cotter here)
- Give thanks in all circumstances.” (1 Thess. 5:18, ESV)
You know what I did realize after being “in my life?” One thing is for sure. I have a blessed life. I have family to who is there for me a the drop of a hat. I really am thankful for a lazy day where I could snuggle (why do I hate that word?) with my husband and just embrace a sick day. Work is work, but it can’t be done whole-heartedly unless I am truly IN MY LIFE, rested and refreshed. And sometimes , yes sometimes, the nurturer needs nurturing.
Now is that some serious Chicken Soup for the Soul or what? Actually I did end up making Chicken Soup and had to share it. Soul to Soul. 
[print_this]
- 4 -5 cups broth ( I added a little bone broth from the roasted chicken bones. Good for the immunity)
- Pulled chicken from a roasted chicken (about 2 cups depending on the size of your chicken)
- 1 ¼ cup diced butternut squash
- 1 cup jasmine rice (for grain free option use chopped cabbage)
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1-2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon spice blend ( i used a parsley, celery seed, marjoram, cayenne pepper, and basil mix)
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced green pepper
- Optional- Jalapenos to top along with 2 tablespoon of jalapeno juice (for spice)
[/print_this]
Cheers to a Marvelous Monday!
What will you do today to BE IN YOUR LIFE?
Maybe start with making a good soup.
LC
(aka Corny Cotter)
P.S.
Normal food/fitness/sherpa/holiday posts will resume later this week. But for now, enjoy the Mushy Monday.
Made this last night and really enjoyed it!! And the 5 ways to be are always a great reminder, too 🙂
yay! glad it worked. and i loved your additions!
Great post! Yes, I agree with all of them, especially #5!!!! Say them outloud! Still working on #2….why is this one so hard for me? I know I definitely enjoy all of your quotes/ scriptures/ devotionals on instagram!
If I lived in TX, I would bring you GF soup if you’re sick. And GF treats, b/c lets face it, at some point there is ALWAYS room for something sweet 🙂
oh you are the best amelia! GF soup and your company would make my day!
I LOVE THIS!!! God’s got a funny sense of humor doesn’t HE LOL??! I know this feeling. I have been so stressed w/ school & my internship it at times takes over and I forgot to be grateful and thankful and realize how blessed I am. But I got to realize over the holidays how blessed I truly am and that sometimes I need to just be… STILL… yes? Life isn’t perfect but it is exactly the way HE wants it to be… in his TIME… not ours. Love you friend and great post! 🙂
It’s so easy to get caught up in the flow of life, always gunning for that next big goal. So true that we sometimes need to take our eyes off the horizon and set our sights closer. I mean, what difference does it make if you get to that point far off in the future, if you miss all of the present that surrounds you now? What memories will you have to show for it all? Definitely giving me some things to think about.
Good tips. Being in your life is sometimes really hard to do, but so worth it in the long run. Whenever I start to stress over my many to do lists (when they become just an item on a list which needs to be crossed off versus something I actually enjoy doing) I know it’s time to take a step back and do nothing but relax. It reinvigorates me, which ultimately allows me to accomplish all those things on the to do list and happily, I might add.
I’m glad you’re feeling better.
you said that right… worth every effort though. yes!
beautiful post my love 😀 i took a rest day yesterday and it did me well 😀 i am able to see that i am getting mentally healthier too
so glad you did friend. xxoo
love this post! I always love your perspective! hope you’re feeling super spiffy now! 🙂
Well, that was just a wonderful post. Things that needed to be said and needed to heard, er, read for sure. You know how to bless through your own (sometimes painful) lessons learned. Such a gift! Thank you, beautiful friend! Heal up and don’t let go of the rest. It’s needed whether you’re sick or not. (Yep, I’m telling myself this too!). Love you and happy Thanksgiving!
it took me longer than it should have to say “yes” and as I look back now with the perspective of time, I realize that God had been asking me to change for a long time and that more and more I had been whispering (not shouting) “yes”…gaining faith by baby steps.
I think that one yes just naturally leads to another…:D
baby steps are key! yes. <3
love everything about this post- especially the “5 ways to be in your life”. It truly should be just as easy to relax as it is to get caught up in our busy lives. Thanks for the reminder to take a moment to relax & breathe <3
You are so beautiful friend. I can’t even begin to tell you. What I would do for a coffee date with you…over Healthy Bites 😉 hehe
I’m dreaming of that day too friend. xxoo
LOVE this post friend, every single word. I love your list, it’s perfect. Especially as I sit here getting past this silly ‘notsick’ cold. 😉 XO
i wrote this for us of course! <3
So glad that you are feeling better, and that you have an awesome support system around you to help when things get hard.
This is such a great reminder that we don’t always have to be 10 steps ahead of ourselves and everything going on- sometimes just taking it one thing at a time is smarter, less stressful, and really allows us to “be” in our own lives.
yes. the less is more theory!
Aw man, I’m sorry to read that you were sick this weekend too. I am an awful sick person and waited until it got as bad as possible before I agreed to go to the hospital for what seemed like a silly tummy ache. Ugh. It’s so hard to admit when we need to stop, isn’t it? 🙂
Great message Lindsay. Your posts about self care have really been resonating with me. This morning I skipped spin class because my shoulder is still sore from being relocated (to where it belongs) and my daughter had me up three times last night. Feeling guilty no more. Love me some Corny Cotter! Feel better soon.
I’m so glad Tara. Hope you got some rest friend!
Love the mushy monday from the corny cotter- hope your feeling much better and thanks for that thoughtful post as always 😉
PS Can’t believe you said the jalapenos were OPTIONAL. Any soup requires jalapenos AND hot sauce. (Bonus if its Tabasco AND sriracha!)
Haha yes, optional is never really optional. I should change that to required
Love this mushy post. I have been knocked on my butt quite a few times recently and needed to remember to slow down and just stop trying to be 10 steps ahead. My soul needed this chicken soup! Glad you’re feeling better friend!
Your posts are always so inspiring and exactly what I need to read! As you know, I was recently kicked down with sickness, too, and had to slow down and take a day to do nothing but sleep. While it drove me crazy, it was exactly what my body needed and, now, I am on the mend. Sometimes, we just need to step back, take time to enjoy life, and take care of ourselves. 🙂
you and me both friend! lesson learned!
Beautiful photo of you and your niece! Both so pretty. Fabulous post! Great reminder to calm down during the holidays!
She should be friends with your girls!! Hehe
I love your posts. You always know just what to write 🙂
I’m glad you are feeling better, too.
Thx friend. Xxoo love sharing my corny cotter heart with you
Hooray for someone to take care of you when you are sick!!
My husband is great at that, too (he has far more sherpa qualities than I do!).
Glad you are feeling better again – sounds like the rest was good for your minds as well as your body.
Loved this post! We all need down time! I hope you feel better! Great reference on the She Reads Truth plan. I’m loving it! 🙂
Sometimes being corny is necessary 🙂 Glad you are feeling better and love that inspiration. It’s hard for me to take a step back and enjoy the moment as I’m usually going at a 100 miles a minute. But, I do feel like I’m getting a little under the weather, so taking care of one’s self is truly important.
i think it’s hard for every body… well women. haha but we try. yes?
Rest up friend!!
Ugh, stomach bugs are the worst! So glad you’re feeling better in time for Thanksgiving! Love the inclusion of butternut squash in your chicken soup, very timely!
Oh me too!! Need to save room for turkey
Amen and amen! It’s so easy to get wrapped up in working your tail off to improve yourself, improve your life, improve the world, that you forget to enjo yourself, enjoy your life, enjoy the world. Thanks for the reminder! 🙂
And I’m SO with you on SAYING your blessings. Crazy how much a difference it makes.
Agreed! Verbalizing so works!!
Oh this is a good cheesy Cotter post, but I can totally relate and thanks as always for bringing these important reminders to all of us, especially during this time of year. Stay warm friend! XOXO
Homemade soup is the best remedy!!!
And the best tasting. Ha ha
Haha.. I’m not a big fan of the word “snuggle” either.. how about Ca-noodle? lol.. 😉
Haha love it
I love mushy mondays 😉 And I love the idea of putting squash in that soup!
And I love you
<3
I always feel that way when I’m sick too..You watch the clock and just want to feel better. You don’t realize how great the feeling of “healthy” is until you aren’t. That soup looks delicious!
Amen to that!!
I don’t know how you do it but you always have just the write words or share just the right little notes with me when I need it. The kids are home from school this week which means basically ZERO time to get things I need to get done finished and I was letting it stress me. I need to just be. Thanks for that reminder. Love you!
Love you friend!! Email me if you need any prayers
I absolutely love this and needed this reminder today! I especially need to remember #2 – to let things get messy. I have a perfectionistic personality and like things tidy, clean, and organized. If they aren’t, I go a little crazy… But, I’m working on it. Life is more than a perfect looking house! Happy Monday, friend. As always, thank you so much for an encouraging post!
#2 is hard but we can learn with the process, yes.? Xxoo
I love Corny Cotter. Stop trying so hard is just what I needed to hear today. And a cup ‘o yer soup.
Glad I could be your little Yoda today
Such a great reminder! I need some chicken soup right about now… and although your GF soup recipe looks amazing, I need to the recipe above that one, especially #5 … I can’t tell you how much your support these last few weeks have meant to me… so grateful for YOU! xoxo
I am always here for you!!! Xxoo love you friend
Love those 5 tips 🙂 And adore the pics of you & the new niece and Miss Sadie and James. Great post friend!
LOVE LOVE LOVE and so happy you feeling better! HUGS!
LOVE Lindsay!!!! It is not about God for me but that is OK – it is about whatever out there conspires to make me know that I need to take steps back to move forward….
I do resemble #2 too much though – not good with housework. 😉
Definitely at that 4 – once you master that – the rest can fall in place IMHO… 🙂 AND YES TO 5!!!!
HUGS!
Ha ha yes to number four indeed. Maybe that’s the key one
Trials do make us stronger. Since being diagnosed with MS, my go to verse has been James 1:2-3. God wants us to see the joy in everyday moments including when we are going through trials. So hard to do, but with God it is possible! Hope you are feeling better.
That really is the best verse to live by Beth! You are so strong and it’s because of him. Amazing
Love this Lindsay! It’s too easy to get caught up in that everyday activity that we forget to take the time and just BE. We only have one life to live so it’s important to count our blessings and savor every moment.
Love the chicken soup recipe and I hope you’re on the mend! 🙂
Yes One Life indeed friend. Trying hard to count the blessings each day and really see the life in them, well said
Sometimes we need to be knocked on our butts to slow down. I love this post so much. Especially the part about stop trying so hard. I’m a pleaser so I try so hard all the time and often forget why.
Yep, been there. Working on it as well.
So glad you’re feeling better, and even took away some lessons to share with us!
I love that potential is usually just people’s expectations. True enough.
I’m good at #1, but 2,3,4 & 5 could all use work!
Don’t worry, I’m working on all of them every day. I work in progress but at least were aiming for something.
Love this post! I think especially around this time of year we too often forget to slow down and live in the moment! I am trying to do that each and every day! Love this post! Hope you feel better soon!
Me too friend. It’s always a work in progress
LOVE everything about this!! and i totally need that soup in my life right about now!!
Yes you need it to cure your sickness, are you feeling better yet?
Guilty, guilty, guilty. I definitely struggle with staying in the present moment, mostly because no matter it is what I’m doing, I can’t help but think of all the other things I have to do… so my mind is in a hundred places other than where I actually am at any given time. I hope it’s not going to take a flu to knock some sense into me!
Ha ha hope it doesn’t either friend. Maybe we need a little reminder each time or mind goes faster than 60 mph.
Ooh I LOVE this!! I’ll be the first to admit that I often try to live my life 10 steps in to the future, but these 5 tips are awesome. (And like you, I still call my mum when I’m sick. I don’t know exactly what I think she’s going to be able to do to help the situation, but there’s just something about it that always makes me feel better!)
I think it’s just the feeling of being a little nurtured. Thank goodness are moms are there or can at least listen to us
Loving the butternut squash in there! BTW, I have come to embrace”messy” in life more and more each year — not messy as in DRAMA (hate that) but messy as in REAL and AUTHENTIC. Nothing / no one is perfect, it was hard to let that dream go but so freeing when I did. Have a great week!
Real and authentic message actually pretty darn beautiful. And my right?
Yes! You are so right!!! We are so obsessed now with whats next that we forget to enjoy the moment. It is something we must continually remind ourselves to do, which is so sad to even think about in itself. I think a lot of it is about being a positive optimistic people to believe that wonderful things will continue to happen in your life (as they will for you) as good things happen to good people. That allows us to remain in the moment and trust that things will be good for us in the future.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Gosh, well said friend. You spoke my very thought. Remain positive
Love!! Yes.. life is messy, but it is a beautiful and blessed mess. I’m trying to remember to SLOW DOWN this holiday season. All the traveling gets me in a bind.
ps… i would have totally made you soup while you were sick. xoxo
Oh I know you would have friend. Gosh I wish we lived closer
Still working on REST – I need to get adjusted to a 2nd job for sure!
2nd job???
stop trying so hard, that’s my biggest one to work on!! I always expect more from myself and sometimes that takes away from the moment
That’s a tough one for me to friend
I love everything about this- the resistance to live in the presence (and escape whatever trials may be going on) can lead to so many problems… I’ve been uncovering a lot of them around food with my clients, it’s never just about the food. So fascinating to me. And your soup? I want some!
Oh well, ain’t that the truth! Glad you can be there for your client
YES YES YES TO NUMBER FIVE YES!!!
Aw … let things get messy. That’s a hard one for me!
Maybe having a second child will help that. Ha ha
I could not love this more!! I am one who always tries to do a million things at once and think about what I need to do LATER, but living in the moment is something I still need to work on. When I do live in the moment, I realize that I’m less anxious and I see more beauty in the little things. 🙂 And the soup looks awesome!
No if only we could remain in that moment, yes? At least we try
Awe, mushy Monday, I love it!
haha thanks friend. xxoo
Amen girl!!! So wise and so true. Carpe Diem, that’s it. SO happy you fell better again!
and so happy YOU feel better! CARPE DIEM –> AMEN