You guys, Fort Worth now has an independent bookstore.
This is important because you can go into a bookstore and say: these are the things I like, what should I be reading?
And they will lead you to about 3 or 4 books, and one of those will blow your mind.
That happened to me in the fall when I went to check out Shelley Lowe’s new Monkey & Dog Books. It was a children’s bookstore for years, and then she expanded into a new space and now sells adult books, and cute fun stationery, and cookbooks, and so much more.
So that day, Shelley led me to a few books, and then she said: so many people are talking about this new book Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis.
I laughed, and picked up the book, because here’s why:
- That very morning, I was thinking about all the advice the senior women in my life have told me year after year – this is after me interviewing hundreds of seniors in over a 6 year period by the way – not just 2 or 3. What these women say, over and over, when I ask what advice they’d give to the younger generation is: stop worrying, use sunscreen, and wash your face.
- I don’t wash my face (outside of being in the shower). I’ve never washed my face at the end of the day. I don’t wear makeup and I never felt the need to clean my skin from all the shit it encountered through the day. I get that this reasoning makes no sense. I have never once followed their advice, and I’m 38: that’s a lot of years of not washing my face.
So I’m standing next to Shelley, and thinking, OK, I have to buy this book.
And I’m also thinking: I love how the universe opens up to us when we’re paying attention.
I have since told all my girlfriends to get this book, and now I am telling you: buy the book. It’s not about washing your face.
So I’ve been into personal growth since way before I started this little online space in 2015. I didn’t know it was called personal growth, though. In 2012, a dive into Deepak Chopra led me into Pema Chodron which led me into Thich Nhat Hanh which led me into Brene Brown and Live Your Legend and Scott Dinsmore and Chris Guillebeau and Jim Rohn and ultimately led me to quit my job, pursue my side hustles, teach yoga, write this blog, create a business, and the list goes on, and on. If you’ve read this blog since it began, you have heard these names and many more.
The funny thing about the “personal growth” arena is I had never heard of Rachel Hollis. I apparently live under a rock. This lifestyle that I have fully committed myself to: goal planning and learning and pushing myself to be my best and doing the uncomfortable and learning every business skill imaginable and following my dreams and writing to encourage you to do the same – I had never even heard of this woman who is doing this same exact thing on a much, much, much larger scale.
And, thanks to Shelley, I now have.
That’s how good things are spread. That’s how our world becomes a better place. We share.
That’s why I started this blog and that’s why I have pushed forward on my dreams and that’s why I connect with people as much as possible, and it’s also why I teach yoga. We grow by sharing. We grow by connecting. Our world becomes a better place by giving ourselves to make it better.
So. Buy the book, or listen to her Rise podcast. I am beyond hooked, and I am so happy to see someone really DOING it and sharing and bettering herself and our world.
Go to your local bookstore and see what your book specialist recommends for you. It might just blow open your world.
With love, Jen.
Also! This soup is soooo hard to take pics of. I PROMISE you it is better than any dairy broccoli soup you will try. Please give it a try???
COMING NEXT WEEK: Hatch Green Chile Veggie Burgers. YES!
Wash Your Face, Support the Bookstore, Eat the Vegan Broccoli "Cheese" Soup
Ingredients
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 medium shallot, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium russet potato, chopped
- 3 heads broccoli, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 6 c. vegetable broth
- 1 c. cashews
- 1/3 c. nutritional yeast
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat the onion, shallot, and garlic for about 5 minutes. You can add olive oil if you want to coat the pan first, I never do.
- Add the potato, carrots and broccoli along with the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a high-powered blender, combine the cashews with 1 c. water and the nutritional yeast. Blend fully and set aside.
- Using an immersion blender (or the blender you just used for the cashews), blend the soup to your desired consistency (I like it fully blended, you decide).
- Then pour in the cashew cream, heat through, and serve.