All these affirmations, advise you to take a step back – look at your current situation and find something to be grateful about. A positive thing that happened to you recently, no matter how small it might look, it’s an extra good thing in your life.
Look back and think again what happened in the last few days: can you recall something good? And can you focus on how that made you feel? That feeling is a little spark of goodness.
Every day, I take time to acknowledge all the good that blesses my life
It is important to not only give love, but also to receive it – when you accept the love you receive, it means that you know that you are valuable and worthy of love, which will make you appreciate how precious of a human being you are, with your uniqueness in experiences, thoughts, and skills.
When you are grateful for the love you give as well as that you receive, you will be closer to a happy life.
I am eternally grateful for the love I am capable of giving, and for the love I am yet to receive
This might seem banal, but one way to help your mind during these times is to focus on other things: your hobbies, your work, yourself. And since it’s Monday, I think that this affirmation could be helpful into getting yourself ready for the week ahead too.
Happy Sunday, my beauties! You might have seen that last week I shared some December Affirmations, just some words or phrases to give you a bit of respite from not only the Holidays madness, but also to give our minds some rest from what is happening (and it has been going on for more than 2 months in Gaza). I hope that seeing these words is helping you cope, even just a little bit better.
3/4 cup chopped chocolate bar or chocolate chips divided
1/2 cup plant-based mini marshmallows* (about 3-4 per cookie)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F and grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the ground flax with the water in a small bowl and mix well; let sit for 5 minutes, to thicken.
Add the butter, brown sugar, and cane sugar to a large bowl and use a hand mixer (or bowl of a stand mixer) to cream them together until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the thickened flax seed and vanilla to the butter mixture. Mix again until combined.
Add the flour to the mixing bowl and sift the cocoa powder on top to prevent clumps. Add in cornstarch, baking soda, and salt to the bowl and mix well with a spatula. Add 1/2 cup of the chopped chocolate to the bowl and fold into the dough.
Divide the dough into 12 equal balls, roughly 3 tablespoons each. Place each cookie dough ball 2” apart on the baking sheet, then top with the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate, pressing it into the top of the ball slightly so it sticks. Do not flatten the cookies on the baking sheet as they will spread when they cook.
Bake for 7 minutes, until the cookies have spread and are puffy. Remove the cookies from the oven and quickly press in 3-4 mini marshmallows per cookie; it’s ok if they flatten slightly as you decorate. Return the cookies to the oven and bake for an additional 2 minutes, to set the marshmallows.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let sit on the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes, to allow them to set. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely (or enjoy warm!)
Let the chocolate fully cool and solidify before storing. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to one month.
Breathing and being grateful go hand-in-hand: breathing is not only essential for our survival: when this action is performed mindfully, thinking about what we are doing, it will also allow us to take a step back, assess the situation, and give us calm.
With every breath I take, I am bringing more and more gratitude into my life.
There is a breathing technique that I have been doing lately and that has given me a lot of comfort, making me feel grateful for the present:. Take a deep breath in, to the count of three, hold it for the count of three, and then release at the count of three. Do it another couple of times. You can increase the count number, some people get up to ten! I hope this will be helpful!
Whether for reasons of work, friends, or family, we’re probably going to interact with a lot of people: stores are more crowded so even going to shop for groceries will inevitably be a busy chore; there are those friends who will want to see us before the end of the year to catch up and family dinners.
While this is great for the social butterflies, all this activity might be straining for others and there is potential for triggering social anxiety: if you think someone is suffering from this, please give them space; if they’re trying to set boundaries, respect them.
I always treat others the way I expect to be treated
In a time where financial struggles are perceived more strongly, we have to keep in mind that we have things to be grateful for: from your heath, to your family, your friends, your pets. Be grateful
I am eternally grateful for all of the blessings I have in my life
Last Saturday, I went out in the city with a friend and while we were going to the place we were supposed to go, we saw a person asking for money: he was leaning on a cane and trembling, and there was a dog near him all dressed in Christmas attire (a Santa’s hat and a red jacket). It broke my heart: I couldn’t thin about anything else for the whole day and was difficult to enjoy the day out thinking about all the people that are suffering and their pets. Their pain that is more visible now that everybody is just thinking about getting nice presents, and how they can give nice stuff to their loved ones.
Everything is so insignificant when you think about all those who can’t afford a roof on top of their heads, let alone getting nice stuff for their loved ones.
It is frustrating seeing these things, the inability to give them a safe place to stay – the rotten system that has them asking for money in the street and using (exploit?) their pets in the hope of getting more money.
So, while I am thankful that I don’t have to worry about how to pay my rent at least for a few months, I also think “What I can do to help?”. Find the nearest and most local charity and give something to them: if you can, donate money, otherwise you can give food, clothes, and other basic necessities.
It might not seem much to you, but it will help alleviate someone’s day.
Make a cup of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate, then sit down and start making a list of all that you need to do: from last gifts to food arrangements and people to see.
Make a list, meditate – this will help you get some clarity on the situation and get a better idea of what you can and cannot do. Don’t stress about what you can’t control, but learn what you can do.
Anxiety and stress are always ready to creep up, especially for the December Holiday season, so for today (and also for the next few weeks) let’s say
Anxiety has no place here
You have done your best and that’s enough – take a step back and breathe. It will help you regain control on your situation and assess what you can and what you can’t do. You got this!
The Vegan Cat Librarian 