3.5
February 8, 2018

A “Cake Recipe” for a New Outlook on Life.

Every now and then I like to scan the internet for healthy and delicious veggie recipes.

During recipe hunting, I come across so many creative, beautiful food blogs. It’s made me want to start my own food blog. But since I’m not at all creative in a culinary way, I’ve decided to combine the worlds of creative recipes and playful self-discovery.

I hereby present the deliciously tasty: new outlook cake!

If you are feeling frazzled, burnt out, or off balance, then drop everything, and let’s start metaphorically baking!

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons of Change.

The first and foremost ingredient in this cake is change. This is the only thing we can count on to always be there. It’s just one of those ingredients we can’t do anything about, so we will learn to love it by making it the foundation of our magnificent cake.

7 cups of self-love.

If you aren’t already friends with your inner narrator, now is the time to call a truce. Start listening to the tape that is playing in your mind every moment of every day. Start carefully paying attention to what is being said and calling out any harshness and aggressive behaviour.

Ask yourself, “Are these the kinds of things I would say to someone I care about? Is this the sort of advice I would give?” If it isn’t, change the dialogue so it becomes gentle and supportive. This is the time to become you’re own nurturer and cheerleader.

6 cups of determination.

Sometimes life throws a curveball straight into our face leaving us lying on the ground completely mystified as to what the hell just happened. Depending on the curveball, it can throw us off balance or off into a whole new universe. This is why we will need a heavy dose of unwavering determination to regain balance and propel us through difficult times.

5 cups of curiosity.

No matter what experience we find ourselves in, if we look at it through the lens of curiosity, we don’t become a victim to our emotional states but rather a passenger in a comfy vessel. Suspense and uncertainty can actually be quite thrilling; imagine how unsettling it would be if someone told you how your life would play out? The unknown is what makes life interesting—embrace that.

4 cups of trust.

In moments of stress and worry, we need to remember to take a deep breath and trust that things will work out. As the Dalai Lama once said, “Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.” Trust that things have a way of working out. Most times you can’t even fathom how, because we can’t see how the future will play out.

3 1/2 cups of your favourite kind of people.

Supportive, understanding people make life 2.87 trillion times better. Connection, intimacy, and feeling/reciprocating love are critical parts of the human experience. If the people we surround ourselves with are not offering any of that, then they need to go, or at least receive less exposure. Find people who share similar interests and values—find your “tribe” so to speak. Be around the kind of people who magnify the good in you, who make you laugh, and take life a little less seriously.

2 cups of atmosphere.

What is your ideal environment where you can truly relax? Is it in the mountains? By the beach? In the jungle? At home with your dog watching Netflix? Go wherever it is that makes you feel good.

17 gallons of patience.

The more of this ingredient the better; it gets absorbed easily into all other parts of the cake so just throw it in like there’s no tomorrow. It only adds more sweet deliciousness!

A sprinkle of gratitude.

All you need is a sprinkle, because it doesn’t take much for gratitude to work its magic. It’s a powerful ingredient. Take a moment to be grateful for where you are and how far you’ve come. When life gets hard say, “Thank you for the challenge; thank you for the opportunity to grow, to learn, and to evolve. Thank you for the gift of life—as crazy, terrifying, and beautiful as this whole thing is. I am meant to be here. I am enough. I am doing my best.”

Once you mix all these ingredients up, leave it to the side to marinate. Everything needs to be well-absorbed for the full effect to take place. When you start prodding it to see if it’s ready, you need to put more patience in it.

So, how do you know when it’s ready? Well, jokes on you, because I actually have no clue. I’m still trying to work it out. I’m still struggling to get the patience, trust, and self-love ingredients just right.

At the end of the day, it’s a process, or trial by error, a “recipe” that we all do alone, together. It’s one that we must tinker with to figure out what works best for us. It’s like any recipe; you can use it as a springboard for your own creatively delicious cake.

Just remember that it’s a cake you’re making, not the cure for cancer. So don’t be afraid to throw in some colourful sprinkles and a splash of fun when you find yourself taking it all a little too seriously.

~

~

~

Author: Kimberly Hetherington
Image: Author’s Own, “I Love Lucy” still
Editor: Travis May
Copy Editor: Catherine Monkman

 

Read 9 Comments and Reply
X

Read 9 comments and reply

Top Contributors Latest

Kimberly Hetherington