Critiquing What We Appreciate Without a Crisis

November 14, 2019 by Alannah Paren in Lifestyle

The question “What would you do if you only had 24 hours to live?” often elicits a response that does not reflect the person’s usual day-to-day life. This begs the bigger question of why the person isn’t naturally leading a life more reflective of their deepest values and desires. It has taken mass shootings to get people to advocate for change and enact laws to protect citizens. It has taken natural disasters for people to realize that we need to be more conscious of our environmental impact and implement policies that ensure that communities have access to resources. And, sometimes, once it is too late, we find that we have so many things we wish we could tell someone. Why does it take the verge of breaking points, tragedies, and crises to spark within us the values and considerations that we should be guiding our lives with consistently?

Watson’s Bay, Sydney, Australia // July 2019

Part of the issue, I believe, has to do with the lack of empathy in our society, a topic I have touched on throughout this blog. With the inability to deliberate on other people’s experiences, our society has lost the foresight of recognizing how individual actions affect the feelings and circumstances of others. Without empathy, we cannot fully appreciate life and the deep network of humanity that allows it to run in the way that many of us take for granted. For example, the next time you go to a coffee shop and treat yourself to your favorite drink, reflect on the links that have made that experience possible for you: the person behind the counter helping to serve you, the coffee farmers who worked to cultivate the very beans you will now be sipping on, and the laborers in between who shipped the products from their country of origin to where you are now enjoying them. Many of us go through our lives so quickly, isolated in our personal hectic schedules, yet there is so much indirect dependency we have on each other. So, why wait until an extreme situation to pause and see that we need to reevaluate our appreciations? Every day provides itself with an opportunity for us to inspire change and lead lives that align with our ideal versions of life.

I am in full support of the marketing and social campaigns that preach giving thanks and being especially grateful as the Thanksgiving holiday nears, but I encourage us all to really ponder on the way we are appreciating people and things in our life - this includes how we express these emotions of gratitude! Are we engaging in empathy and making decisions that have a positive impact on people in other nations or for future generations? While certain stresses and realities can get in the way at times, it is important to take time to think about ways that we are showing the people in our lives that we care and taking full advantage of the beautiful present moments we have. In some instances, we can spare dire moments through wielding tools of gratitude, kindness, compassion, and empathy in our daily routines (even if it is in a small capacity!).

As we get closer to the end of 2019 and a symbolic period of resetting, let us tap into our cores and ensure that we are on a path that allows us to live a life that speaks to our inner truth and acknowledges the togetherness that our world depends on. I hope that everyone soaks up the upcoming holiday season in whatever way provides a sense of happiness and peace. As always, thank you to everyone who supports this blog and to those who encourage me to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Smile to strangers, spread kindness, and love boundlessly – here’s to an empathy revolution! xoxo

The Sands of Time

July 05, 2018 by Alannah Paren in Inspiration

Happy July! Lately I have been reflecting a lot on how so much has changed in a year! If someone had asked me a year ago where I saw my life headed, I would have said something completely different than what I would respond today. Despite the fact that the emotions and experiences that this past year held were not always the most pleasant (and at times I questioned if I would even survive to see another day!), I couldn’t be more grateful for where I am now. I think it is important that we all realize that with time comes change, and though it can be change in either a positive or negative direction, all change serves a purpose.

I know I have written about embracing all that life has to offer in any given moment, which is somewhat repetitive of allowing for change in either direction, so I’d like to focus this post on setting intentions for the future, knowing that as time goes on, we have the opportunity to transform into our most ideal lives. Change can be scary, unexpected, and stressful, but I honestly believe that there is always some, even if it is small, positive takeaway from any situation. So, no matter where you are currently in your life, where do you hope to see yourself in three months? A year? If you think back a year ago, could you have predicted all that was to happen from that moment up until now? Life is a whirlwind of sensational occurrences, it is doubtful that one’s life will remain forever stagnant in the way it currently is. As individuals, we have the power to analyze where we are, and then make decisions to fine-tune our paths in a stronger direction towards our dream.

Growing up, my parents always reminded me that no matter how hard it seemed to push myself to do something, whether it was to go on a run to stay healthy or even sit down and try to write a blog post, that someday I would look back and wish I had started today. Essentially, we can’t gain time back, but we can make the most of what we have. Every day is a new beginning. If the life you wish to be living someday includes daily yoga, then find an outlet to take your first class this week. Why wait for “someday” when today is waiting for you to take the reins and live life to the fullest? I think that it is just so important to recognize that although we might not have complete control over what happens in our lives, we do have some power in the choices we make to place us on different paths, and it is never to late to take some new exits and find ourselves on new routes.

With this fairly fresh start of a new month, I think it is a healthy exercise to reflect on how your life has changed in various ways. What was a change you weren’t expecting, and are you happy with how you handled it? How have you evolved into your current position in a positive way? Taking the lessons from the past, then apply these thoughts to the future, coming up with some first steps to progress towards a happier and healthier you. Live in the now, in a way that your future self will thank you!

P.S. These sunset photos are from the same night, taken within the span of 10 minutes! I thought it was symbolic of how fast things can change and seem completely different than one might expect! :)

The Importance of Being an Explorer

March 02, 2018 by Alannah Paren in Inspiration

Growing up, my mom always imparted on me the wisdom of my great-grandmother: “Be a trier.” These three words have influenced my life heavily, as I guide my life with the perspective that some things I need to experience before I have the authority to gauge my stance. Whether it’s a new food, a new idea, or a new activity (especially one that pushes me out of my comfort zone), I keep in the back of my mind that I must give it a shot if I want to expand my knowledge, knowing that the worst that can happen is that I learn that whatever I tried isn’t something I want to partake in again in the future. This morning as I began brainstorming how to formulate my thoughts into an intelligible blog post, I made myself some tea (and I like the kind that has a little quote to ponder as you sip) and the quote of today’s tea bag was: “Experience will give you the power and confidence to be you.” And that’s when all my thoughts came together.

I absolutely love traveling, but for me the term “explorer” goes beyond the physical act of going on some exotic journey, to also include just the act of “exploring” other options, different perspectives, a bite of that interesting looking dish at the neighborhood potluck… you get the idea! From an early age I’d like to say that I have had an inherent curiosity and thirst for knowledge pushing me to seek out a plethora of new experiences, but I know that some people are more homebodies. Which brings me to my overall message that I hope to instill: even if you wouldn’t describe yourself as one who wishes to go outside of your normal routine, the act of exploring in any sense of the word is so enriching and benefitting. With this freshness that comes with the start of March, I encourage everyone to make this month one of healthy challenge, setting at least one new goal to attempt that pushes the boundaries of the “normalness’ of the everyday.

When we spread our wings and immerse ourselves in something new, we add one more notch to the repertoire of things that make us who we are, since after all, we are all unique creations that have been shaped and molded by our individual life experiences. The more books we’ve read, people we’ve met, places we’ve gone, foods that we’ve tried, etc., the greater awareness we have for the world around us, and thus the more accurately we can place ourselves in the greater context of this diverse world. In my own life, certain experiences have illuminated feelings that were deep inside me all along, but that I could only place a finger on once I was exposed to the converse feeling through an exploration or heard someone else put words to my ambiguous emotions.

I think that when we as human beings take an active approach towards life, meaning that we maintain an open-minded perspective and allow ourselves to continually absorb new knowledge, we work to cultivate a society that is more culturally aware and empathetic. By encouraging our own selves to take advantage of all the wonderful possibilities in life, we are opening ourselves up to being pleasantly surprised and learning something about our own beings, or we can at least take pride in entering and surviving something that wasn’t necessarily our “cup of tea,” but that we now have an educated background in and thus can have justified attitudes towards. In working on making our inverse one of more unity, we need to all have a small taste of what other people’s “normal” is, so we should all view ourselves as “world detectives,” doing our best to collect all that we can so that we can make supported claims, have a better understanding of who we are, and add to the evidence that there is something that connects us all as human beings.

So go out and try a new cuisine, read a new genre of books, watch a documentary on an unfamiliar topic… or maybe even book a flight to that place you’ve always wanted to go to! We never cease to be students of life, so let’s all make the most of our priceless education!

Taking Back Control Over Anxiety

September 08, 2017 by Alannah Paren in Inspiration

This next post has been one I’ve considered writing for a long time, but it has taken me up until this point to feel like I have the complete courage and strength to formulate my feelings and experiences into words. I want to preface what I am about to discuss though, with the fact that although the majority of this will focus on food-based anxieties, I hope to express a message that can help with conflicting, internal anxieties in general. I can’t ignore the fact that I still worry and stress about many things in my life, but I can safely say that I know what it is like to experience the suffocating effects of feeling victim to your own mind even when you know it is “wrong” to feel so extremely about something.

Currently in my sophomore year of college, I feel like I have come a long way in my journey of self-love in the past year. For the past few years I have made fitness and health a large part of my lifestyle, which naturally comes with its ups and downs, but it wasn’t until my freshman year of college that I realized my focus on healthy living was becoming an obsession that would soon start to consume my life. I started off my college career coming off of a summer where I felt like I had achieved my best self to date, and I felt my momentum carrying through this new adjustment period as I would opt for healthy meal options and block out time for working out. As the semester progressed though, eating became a torment for me. No matter what I ate, even down to a cucumber slice, I would continually mull over the nutritional content (how much fat, carbs, and protein that I estimated to be in each component of my meal). I felt myself slipping away from being in the present moment, and instead giving all of my energy into factoring whether or not I would gain weight. This became every second, every minute, and every day of my life. It felt good to go to bed with my stomach growling because in my head that meant I was in a caloric deficit and would wake up skinnier. It felt good when at the end of the day I still had 200 calories I hadn’t utilized, even though my tracker was set to a goal of a meager 1,200 caloric intake for the day. If the scale was even a mere .2 pounds heavier than the day before, I would be spiraled into the idea that “I wasn’t doing enough” and that “I was getting off track.” I would even allow that small gain to metamorphose itself into actual “weight” when I would look in the mirror, convincing myself that I did look heavier than the day before.

Egg White Veggie Scramble + Julian's Paleo Almond Flour Bread + Apricots

I began to isolate myself from the college dining halls where I knew I would be judged for barely eating or only having a salad (plus it was depressing for me to watch people eat “whatever they wanted” and not feel the pain I felt), and I realized I was pushing away those who were close to me. It wasn’t that I wanted to, and looking back I wish I could have seen what I know now and acted differently, but I literally felt compelled to feel guilty for any morsel that entered my mouth. All the reassurance people gave me did help, and any time I was able to open up to someone about the truth of how I was feeling, it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders since I was no longer sitting in calculative, hidden turmoil. This dilemma haunted me through my entire first year of college and even through my trip of a lifetime in Europe. It wasn’t until I came back from the trip and found out that I had actually lost weight and achieved my all time lowest weigh-in while traveling, that it hit me that I could manage to eat “unhealthy” things and not gain. I began to try to not hold back from enjoying life and approach eating with the tactic of having small bites of things I viewed as guilt-loaded so that I felt like I had tried them, but hadn’t completely lost control. Through a process of encouraging and coaxing myself, along with making tough decisions of when to restrain from my compulsion to weigh in or track my calories for the day, I feel like I finally am at a point where I have outweighed the control and am now on a better path to recovery. Every day is not necessarily perfect, and some days I feel myself starting to get overly analytical about what I’m eating, but I try to maintain power and not succumb to the fear that wants to seep in.

Nonfat Greek Yogurt Bowl topped with blueberries + strawberries + pecans + chia seeds + honey

What I hope to impart through sharing my experiences, is that it is okay to have anxieties. No one is wrong for feeling the way they do, and it can be frustrating to feel like you are alone in feeling a certain way, to feel misunderstood, or to feel like you are acting in a way you don’t actually want to be acting in. Whether it is an anxiety with food or a different type of anxiety such as feeling compulsive about everything being in an exact order, deep down inside we all have the power to take back control. I realize that many times this is easier said than done, but just know it isn’t completely impossible. I felt trapped in my own body and I knew I wanted to let myself eat and that there actually weren’t consequences if I did eat, but for some reason I couldn’t stand up to myself. It is definitely a process that varies for anyone battling with these similar feelings. One method that helped me was to slowly begin to recognize the feelings I had and then flip my perspective so that I no longer had fear about eating, but rather recognized that I was making conscious decisions that I was proud of. Rewarding myself for even the smallest of victories (like eating an M&M and not freaking out), helped to slowly untangle my compulsiveness to track and evaluate everything. Essentially, it becomes a balancing act of being aware of uncontrollable feelings and also easing up on them a notch, until it gets to the point where the power shifts to more ease over controlling feelings.

Plate of turkey + microgreens + jicama + avocado w/ Everything Bagel seasoning + Thai Curry Hummus + mini sweet peppers

The most important message from this, is that even when you think you are alone in feeling a certain way, just know that we are all human and someone else knows how you feel in a different capacity. It might not be the exact same situation, but relative to their life, you both might be experiencing the same types of feelings. Another point I’d like to make, is that it is okay to open up to people and receive help. I know I often feel guilty when I unload my feelings onto others and so I sometimes naturally close myself off, but I have often found that it leaves others around you feeling as if they have done something wrong. Believe in the power of yourself to make a change within, and don’t feel shame in acknowledging your feelings and letting others in to help. We are all beautiful and worthy in our own individualistic ways, and as we work towards complete love and contentment with ourselves, we will see even more beauty in the world around us.

The Art of Releasing Contempt + Opening the Heart

August 20, 2017 by Alannah Paren in Lifestyle

In the midst of the modern world, we find ourselves working towards goals in educations, career fields, athletic scenarios, and other similar situations that can often cultivate a sense of competition. I think that this element of rivalry between our peers and those around us poses as a large hurdle we must overcome if we wish to reach a state closer to contentment and happiness. We are all beautiful, talented, and stellar human beings in our own way, so we need to learn to ease up on comparing ourselves to our counterparts and learn how to genuinely want them to succeed in life as well.

Juneau, Alaska // June 2016 — Juneau, Alaska // June 2016

Personally, I have dealt with the feelings of insecurities and inferiority in my own life, and I know it is easy to at first approach the person who is causing such feelings with an air of scorn. However, I learned a powerful lesson after reading The Art of Happiness, by Howard C. Cutler, which reflects on quotes and ideas from the Dalai Lama. In a particular portion of the book, Cutler writes of his experience on an airplane where he immediately took to disliking his seatmate without any real reason. At first Cutler allows himself to simply just go on feeling some sort of contempt for this complete stranger, but then he realizes he needs to look inward and release himself from these spiteful feelings. He forces himself to look at his seatmate and find the similarities between the two of them, eventually breaking everything down to the conclusion that they were both human beings on this planet and that everyone has their luck and challenges in life. After coming to this awareness, Cutler detached himself from negative energies and was left feeling more at peace.

Now as I move through life, if I ever feel an inkling of a grudge towards another person seep in, I remind myself to take a step back and really break down what I actually know about the person and why I feel like I have the grounds to feel the way I do. Almost every single time I end up feeling extremely liberated as I once again become cognizant of the fact that neither one of us has to be “better than the other.” We all have our own individual journeys, there is plenty of love in this universe for us all to equally receive, and another person’s beauty and light does not take away from our own.

I think that in our contemporary society it has become so normative and casual to say things like “I hate…” in reference to someone or something. In all actuality though, do we really hate what we say we do? Essentially, does not one fiber in our beings feel less than hate for this person or object? For example, even if someone said that they hated pizza, they are taking a strong side. That is saying that the person could not even find appreciation for the smaller elements like the basil, cheese, crust, toppings, or sauce that went into creating the pizza as a whole. I feel that in moving towards a more positive universe, we need to start looking at the sincerity of the things we are saying, especially when it comes to hate statements. People can definitely have opinions and dislike things or disagree, but it is important to also recognize that you can feel that way while still, after breaking something down, acknowledging feelings of admiration or empathy.

European Enlightenment

July 18, 2017 by Alannah Paren in Travel, Lifestyle

Last month I was fortunate enough to get to travel to Switzerland and Italy. The trip was definitely needed and it not only added another stamp to my passport (much to my joy), but it also left me with a better impression of myself, the world, and how I as an individual can benefit from other cultures abroad.

I admit that in the past I used to concern myself too much with how I looked, how I dressed, and how people perceived my appearance. I would buy clothes with a picture-perfect vision of me wearing specific outfits for specific destinations or activities. However, spending 18 days in Europe with multiple hotels and various transportations that would become a hassle with a large suitcase, I was forced to pack with function rather than fashion as my focus. Leading up to the trip I was pretty nervous, was I really going to be able to live out of a small luggage with limited supplies?

After zipping up what would be my life for the next nearly 3 weeks and flying 6,000 miles across the world, I landed in my first stop, Switzerland. As soon as I stepped foot off the plane, a rush of relaxation, happiness, and peace overwhelmed me. The crisp Swiss air and rolling green countryside with the misty Alps in the background instilled a sense of surrealism from the start. As my trip progressed and I moved on to my next destination, Italy, I continued to loosen up and it finally hit me that the art of minimalism truly is beautiful. I was not only surviving, but thriving. Not once did I stress out about what I was going to wear, how I looked, or any imperfections on my skin. I was just living and embracing my journey and the world around me. Letting go and becoming minimalistic is not easy, but once you find yourself in the midst of simplicity, you realize it is much easier and relieves so much anxiety. Now that I am back in the States, I hope that I can continue to maintain my newfound perspective on life and keep myself in check when it comes to materialism. Sometimes there is beauty in few options.

Another European concept that really stuck with me is something that the Italian’s call “Slow Food,” a movement started by Carlo Petrini. The idea is to eat locally, traditionally, and seasonally, along with have a relationship with food in the sense that you know the story of where it was grown or who played a role in the production. I have always believed that it is important to eat fresh and as close to home as possible, so I was impressed that the entire country of Italy has taken to the idea and come together to really enforce such ideas. Something else that resonated with me, is that Italians have long dinners where they enjoy the company of those around them, detaching themselves from technology, and coming together over multiple courses of food. During my stay, I had the opportunity to go to a family’s home in Rome, where they cooked us a homemade meal and we talked until late hours of the night. It was one of the highlights of my trip, and with minimalism, I hope to also incorporate into my life more locally sourced, homemade meals that are shared with family and friends.

Overall, my trip to Europe really opened my eyes to the benefits of living in the present, giving yourself up to the tides of life, and fully embracing whatever is currently at hand. I learned how Italians get so many paid holidays; they even get weeks off in the summer, which are meant to be spent with family and traveling. The value they place on their health and happiness through the food that they eat, time dedicated to family and mental rejuvenation, along with other lifestyle aspects, really inspired me to make changes in my own life despite living under different conditions. My intentions are to gratefully enjoy my time with those I love as much as possible, place my mental health high on my list of priorities, fuel my body with sustainable products, and wean myself away from materialistic distractions. I think its time we all take a few Italian lessons and “vivi la vita.”

Be Conscious of What You Eat

July 28, 2015 by Alannah Paren in Lifestyle

About a month ago, I broke my vegetarianism of over ten years. Now for some that decision may be easy, but I had gone more than half my life without meat and still to this day have yet to have a burger or steak. I was the person that would freak out if you offered me anything that had touched meat or been served with the same utensil as a carnivore’s delight. However, I finally decided that my goals for myself simply could not be achieved unless I introduced animal protein into my diet. Being the only vegetarian in my family and amongst my friends, I was well supported in my decision.

Now just because I have bridged the gap between being a vegetarian and being an omnivore, does not mean I do not support vegetarian diets. I still whole-heartedly believe that vegetarians reap health benefits that I am now voiding myself from. Yet, my overall belief that covers all bases is the idea that whatever we put into our bodies must be healthy and happy itself so that we as consumers can be healthy and happy.

I try to eat as organically as possible (although not all foods need be organically grown). I eat pasture-raised, grass fed eggs; and I only eat organic, grass-fed, and humanely raised poultry. I also like to eat as close to nature as possible, meaning that the less processed something is, the better I feel it is for you. Buying raw ingredients in bulk and replicating my own dishes from scratch is something I find quite fulfilling.

I think that every living thing takes on properties based on how it is treated or raised. Fueling our bodies with positive and happy ingredients yields a happier and healthier individual. And it is okay to every now and then indulge in something that is a little high in fat or has a dab of artificial substances, but the cleaner your diet is on a daily basis, the more your body will thank you. It is all about being conscious of everything you put into your body. Know the ingredients and nutritional content, cut back on the ingredients you cannot pronounce, and acknowledge what you eat, even if it is unhealthy. The more conscious you become, the more your body will savor the food you feed it.

Don’t forget to thank the food you put in your body!