The Battle Of The Waffles

“What you radiate outward in your thoughts, feelings, mental pictures and words, you attract into your life.”

- Catherine Ponder

My 10-year-old daughter is a foodie. I think she got it from my mom.  This kid has been so on the ball since she was born, including getting herself fully dressed with accessories at 18 months old, reminding me of things I needed to bring – a water bottle to soccer for example – at 2 1/2 years old, and wanting to make her own food at 3 1/2 years old.

She has made her own lunch for school for as long as I can remember, including making crepes from scratch with fruit filling in the morning and wrapping them in foil so they are still warm.

She loves making pancakes and waffles from scratch. I got her an awesome waffle iron at a yard sale for three bucks. She uses it every weekend.

I like to use stuff up that we already have. I definitely got this from my mom. It makes me so happy.

We've had this chocolate protein powder for a while and I wanted it out of here. So I decided to make protein muffins. I made gluten-free corn muffins – Wegmans box brand because I ain't no foodie – with the chocolate protein powder. The kids loved 'em and had no idea they had protein powder in them – score! But I only used about a quarter of the protein powder.  Gaaaaahhhh!

So I decided to make chocolate protein waffles. I dumped the whole lot of that powder into the pancake mix and added a lot of extra milk and eggs and of course chocolate chips. I topped it with tons of syrup, whipped cream and more chocolate chips in the hopes that my three boys would not notice all the protein powder in those waffles.

I glared at Sage from across the kitchen as she made funny faces looking at the waffle extravaganza.  My glare was instead of saying, "Hey! Don't say anything! They have no idea!"

By the way I also love my boys to eat a lot of protein -- ever since we stopped being raw vegan three years ago I have amped up their protein to help them catch up.  And it's worked!

The boys gobbled those waffles up without a second thought.

Later Sage was making her homemade buttermilk waffles and I said, "The boys loved the waffles! They didn't even know!"

She made a face and said "Well… Actually… Phoenix asked me to make waffles -- and to make sure they were not chocolate."

"Well he ate every bit on his plate so I think he did like them!" I snarled.

Man was I pissed. I was reactive. I was non-yogic.

But then because of my daily yoga practice and my intention, I was aware.  I was aware of my reactivity and my bad energy. I knew that it was not going to go well from here so I simply removed myself from the situation.

I breathed in and breathed out and re-centered myself. And then, just a few minutes later, I was able to go back to my sweet daughter, apologize, and begin again.

She was unfazed. She laughed -- and then we laughed together at the absurdity of it all.

By the way, her batch of waffles came out real bad. I threw her off momentarily with my bad energy and she forgot to put the butter in. So they were all rubbery.

And the boys therefore actually DID like mine better (as gross as they were).

We laughed later about this and about how both of our batches of waffles stunk and how powerful the law of attraction is.

There's always a lesson. Even in the battle of the waffles.

Have the best day ever!

Namaste!

Taylor plus 5

May All Your Dreams Come True

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”Henry David Thoreau

There is a sign in my sons' room that says "Dream big little one." It makes me teary in a good way.

Allowing your dreams to come true requires your belief, not someone else's.

And I'm rootin' for ya!

Have the best day ever!

Namaste!

Taylor plus 5

You Can't Have A Little Grace

“I do not understand the mystery of grace -- only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us.”

― Anne Lamott

I love that Seinfeld where Elaine is interviewing to be Mr. Pitt's assistant and the woman interviewing her says that Jackie O had a lot of grace. Elaine replies, "I like to think I have a little grace."

The woman snarks back, "You can't have 'a little' grace."

To which Elaine responds, "Okay, then, I have no grace. I have zero Grace. Okay?"

Makes me laugh every time.

What is Grace to you? How can you live it in your life? What does it feel like in your body?

Have the best day ever!

Namaste!

Taylor plus 5

The First To Apologize

“Life wants you to live in total alignment with true love, passion and integrity.”― Bryant McGil

The first to apologize is the bravest.

The first to forgive is the strongest and most wise.

The first to forget is the happiest.

And then comes alignment, a gift from the Universe for all of the above.  And when you aligned, you all set to create ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU WANT.

A

F

F

A

C

Apologize

Forgive

Forget

Align

Create anything and everything that you want

Have the best day ever!

Namaste!

Taylor plus 5

What If?

“There are exactly as many special occasions in life as we choose to celebrate.”

 ~Robert Brault

Replace "What if?" with "Hell yeah!"

Attitude is important.  So is expectation. So is momentum.

Just the two words "Hell yeah!" encompass all three of these things.

Start creating your BEST LIFE EVER now by uttering these two words.

Now repeat.

Have the best day ever!

Namaste!

Taylor plus 5

Magic

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”

― W.B. Yeats

The Universe continues to inspire and amaze me.

Many many years ago I bought a few throw rugs at Pier 1.  I’ve taken them with me on two moves and they’ve been through the ringer, but I held onto ‘em.  Philippe ain’t a big fan of throw rugs and hides ‘em when he can ha ha.

We just built a shower in our Prana Power Yoga™ Newton studio and at our Prana Monthly meeting today we talked about popping a bath mat in the new shower room.  “I will find something at the white castle and bring it in when I teach the 11 am,” I said. After the meeting I grabbed the Pier 1 throw rugs and popped ‘em in my backpack.

When I laid one if the throw rugs down next to the brand new shower my mouth dropped open — it was the exact perfect size -- as if it had been made for the room, and the colors matched the wall paint perfectly.  Perfectly!  A few students asked me how I EVER found a rug to match that perfectly.

Ya, I believe in magic.  And I live it, everyday.

Have the best day ever!

Namaste!

Taylor plus 5

Proud

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection”

 – Buddha

In this photo Montana is so PROUD to be walking.  PROUD to be about to kick that soccer ball.  He knows he's got it goin' on.

He's not worried about how he looks, who's watching (except that he's LOVE LOVE LOVING if people are watching and applauding his amazing feats because he KNOWS he's fantastic), what people are saying about how he's walking and what he is wearing, etc. etc. etc.

Let go of the "what if's" and the "what did he/she say and what might they say's," and get out there and do yo' thang and be PROUD.  You have value and you're doing really well.  Find that feeling of pride in yourself and feel the essence of it.  Then watch what the Universe reflects back to you.

Have the best day ever!

Namaste!

Taylor plus 5

Your Day Will Be Happier If

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”

~Tenzin Gyatso

Your day will be happier if you give people a bit of your heart instead of a piece of your mind.

Have the best day ever!

Namaste!

Taylor plus 5

Taylor, Most People Don't Know What Healthy Living Is

“To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”- Buddha

One of my students in my 4:30 AM classes at Prana Power Yoga works in healthcare. She is a nurse. She was telling me this morning that she would love love love to be able to practice yoga or go running or do cardio in the middle of her day, but "they" don't like that.

What?

I couldn't believe it. I asked her if "they" know that it will make her happier, more focused, more efficient and more productive.

"No, they really don't like it." She explained. "I remember years ago when my employer did not like me to go running during my lunch hour. They really didn't like it. So I would sneak into the bathroom and sneak on my running clothes and sneak out as if I was going out to eat lunch -- and I would really go for a run."

"Are you kidding me?" I asked.

"I'm serious -- and it's kind of still this way." She explained.

"I just don't understand this," I continued, "It is healthy -- and you work in healthcare!"

"Taylor, most people don't know what healthy living is. They think that drinking a glass of orange juice and breakfast is healthy living." She laughed.

If someone who works as a leader in healthcare or in corporate America in general is reading this, please open your mind and allow your employees to get out there and move their bodies during their workday. It's the best thing for everyone. It really works. It's not going to mess with them doing what they need to do; in fact, they will finish their work more quickly and easily. They will also be healthier and happier in general.  Everyone wins!

Thanks for listening with an open mind and have the best day ever!

Have the best day ever!

Namaste!

Taylor plus 5

The Sounds of Silence

“I've begun to realize that you can listen to silence and learn from it. It has a quality and a dimension all its own.”― Chaim Potok

Isn't amazing how silence can mean so many different things and FEEL so different depending on the situation and energy?

Imagine and feel the essence of:

~ Silence because you're saying a prayer of gratitude

~ Silence because you're in an argument with your friend/husband/wife/partner/family member

~ Silence because it's an awkward moment in a conversation

~ Silence because you don't know the answer to a question in school/at work

~ Silence because you're watching a child sleep peacefully

~ Silence because someone has just said something that hurt your feelings

~ Silence because someone has just said something that blew your mind in a good and inspiring way

~ Silence because you are afraid.

~ Silence because you are excited.

~ Silence because you're bored.

~ Silence because you are incredibly inspired.

~ Silence because you are unsure.

~ Silence because you are open to any and all possibilities

Ya, as always, it's all about the energy.

Have the best day ever!

Namaste!

Taylor plus 5

Be Authentic

“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It's about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”― Brené Brown

I teach about the law of attraction all day every day and also about "just" being your authentic self.

I put "just" in quotation marks because it is astonishingly difficult for people when they have been taught their whole lives to act like someone else.

But I am open to the challenge and I never tire. Bring it on!

Last night when I was teaching Prana Power Yoga teacher training to our wonderful teacher training students, I of course talked about authenticity and just being yourself. I explained to them that students just want them to be real.

At the end of the training, a student approached me and said that she had just taken a big course at Harvard about this – she said that "Authenticity is a big hot topic now. It's hip."

She said she had also just heard a big piece on it on NPR.

Remember that song in the 80s by Huey Lewis called, "It's hip to be square?"

Well, apparently, now it's hip to be authentic.

Have the best day ever!

Namaste!

Taylor plus 5

Master Lego Builder Ian with Taylor and Philppe Wells

Stick To What You Love -- And You Will Be Great At It

“What I know is, is that if you do work that you love, and the work fulfills you, the rest will come.”

~ Oprah Winfrey

My husband decided that he was going to take over the house cleaning – that we did not need our cleaners to come once a week for a deep clean. Please note: we have five children and four of them are small.

Just sayin.

So… he bought all of the gadgets – who knew there were gadgets to be bought for house cleaning? – and was super excited.

For about a minute.

The house cleaners are back once a week and all is well.

Stick to what you love  and:

A. You will be great at it.

And

B. You will love it, and that's what matters.

Have the best day ever!

Namaste!

Taylor plus 5

Those Who Believe Get A Lot More Than Those Who Don't

“Miracles happen to those who believe in them.”

- Bernard Berenson

I grew up in the Midwest – Lake Bluff, Illinois – and my grandparents lived in LaGrange, so we got to see them every week. I was especially close with them. My Poppy and I loved to play crazy eights for hours.

As the story goes, when I was five my Poppy took me to the Lake Bluff fire department to see Santa. Santa flew in on a helicopter (!) and gave candy to all the kids.

We stood in line, I sat on Santa's lap, told him what I wanted and got my candy.

Walking home from the fire station, my Poppy asked me, "How was it hon?"

I replied, "He's just a big fake."

My Poppy said, "Really?"

"Yeah," I replied, "But I've noticed, the kids who believe get a lot more than those who don't."

I would agree with that premise to this day.

Have the best day ever!

Namaste!

Taylor plus 5

Strangers

“Encourage, lift and strengthen one another. For the positive energy spread to one will be felt by us all.”― Deborah Day

You know why strangers sometimes support you more than people you have known for a long time?

Because people that know you from way back when have a tough time accepting that you come from the same place . . . but they're still in the same place.

Have the best day ever!

Namaste!

Taylor plus 5

Hardships

“Happiness is the soundtrack of my life.”~Terri Guillemets

CS Lewis said, "Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny."

I like his words and the idea behind them, with a few small tweaks.

1.  I don't believe anyone is "ordinary." I believe from the bottom of my heart that you are extraordinary.  So is he and she -- and so am I.  We are all shiny sparkling lights with unlimited potential and possibility.

2.  I believe we all have extraordinary destinies awaiting us.  And we don't have to go through hardship to get there.

Often we think we do (have to go through hardship to make our dreams come true) because that's what our culture and the mainstream has taught us. But don't buy into it people.  You can be, do and have anything that you want and you don't have to go through hell to get there.

BTW, I did live through hell as a kiddo -- and now am living my BEST LIFE EVER.  But you don't you have to.  You don't have to pay yo' dues, and I hope you don't.  I hope you take the straight line to JOY and LOVE and PEACE and SUCCESS.

I'm rootin' for ya!

Have the best day ever!

Namaste!

Taylor plus 5

Mariam Gates, author of Good Night Yoga talks to Taylor and Philippe Wells

Now

“To change one's life: Start immediately. Do it flamboyantly. No exceptions.”

~William James

Do it NOW. It doesn't have to be perfect. In fact, it won't be because nothing is perfect.

But just try. Just take a first pass. Then work from there.

The time is NOW.

Have the best day ever!

Namaste!

Taylor plus 5

With A Little Help From My Friends

“A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be.”

- Douglas Pagels

What kind of a friend are you?  Are you a giver?  A taker? Selfless?  Selfish?  Kind?  A vampire?  Protective?  A back stabber?  Supportive?  A gossiper?  Loyal?  Heartless?

Those are some pretty black and white adjectives but you get the idea.  Assess how you size up as a friend.  Would you want a friend like you?

If yes, rock on.  If no, begin again now.  It's never too late for a new beginning.

Have the best day ever!

Namaste!

Taylor plus 5

Inspiration Now interview with Wendy Abrams, Cool Globes