A love letter. Maybe a poem. Whatever you want it to be, here it is.
I will stay true to who I am. I will not sign up for a handstand challenge because I truly don’t give a shit if you can do a handstand or not, and so therefore I shouldn’t give a shit if I can, too.
I will stay true to who I am. I will teach those who want more health and wellness in their life, not those who are simply looking for a firmer butt. No one cares if you have a firmer butt, other than that mirror-obsessed dude who you don’t need to be wasting your time with, anyway.
I will stay true to who I am. I will run my marketing company as I planned, and not take on any clients who only care about the bottom line. Person-centered care is the only care. If you don’t know the names of who lives in your communities, I don’t need to know you.
I will stay true to who I am. I will not apologize for being a vegan. I think it’s bullshit that people eat animals. I do. I think it’s also bullshit that we lock cows and chickens up in horrid conditions but because we’re not eating their skin, it’s OK to continue abusing them for their milk and eggs. I will not call my diet plant-based because it’s not. It’s vegan.
I will stay true to who I am. I will write these words when I have 50 people reading them and I will write them when I have 5. I will hit publish on the notes that make me question who I am and I will hit publish when I’m not sure how my words will land. I will continue to hit publish.
I will stay true to who I am. I will spend my days in the places I love and not in the places where Instagram entices me to be. I would rather be at Java Joe’s in Albuquerque than the Eiffel Tower or Machu Picchu any damn day, and so that is where I will go. I would rather be around the locals who are working than the people who are searching.
I will stay true to who I am. I will continue to quit while I’m ahead and get out of situations that are not the right fit: even if they are good situations. Wrong fits are never worth working towards.
I will stay true to who I am. I will speak up when my voice shakes, because it always shakes. It’s OK that it shakes. It means I’m human, and I have a heart larger than my mind, I think, or so I tell myself.
I will stay true to who I am. I will watch the sunrise every day I possibly can and give thanks to this little life and know that the sun is way bigger than any of us and our little needs and wants and dreams don’t matter and even though they don’t, I’ll continue to dream and watch and hold space.
I will stay true to who I am. And I hope you do, too. I hope one of these words resonates and you start the blog or the training or the journey you always wanted. Or you say hi to the stranger walking by you. Or you give a hug to the person who might need it more any anything else. I hope you stay true to who you are and not who your parents or society or your boss wants you to be.
A love note, to you, and to me.
Love, Jen.
I made this soup last week and we ate it all in 2 days and my husband will not stop asking for it. It’s the coriander seed that makes it so dang good. I hope you enjoy.
Stay True and Knock Your Socks Off with this Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 red onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 32 oz. vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. coriander seed
- 1 15 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15 oz. can navy beans, rinsed and drained
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, heat the onion and garlic over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, pepper and vegetable broth, and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat to medium, add the spices, and cook for 30 minutes.
- Add the beans and cook a final 10 minutes. Remove from heat and enjoy!