From the blog

• January 15, 2019 New Year New Habits?
  

  Someone asked me recently about my new year resolutions and they were surprised to hear that I don’t have any. I wasn’t surprised by the question. After all, this is the time of year we most see courses, books, and offerings on how to set intentions, healthy lifestyles, and positive changes. It is a new year, and with it comes the opportunity to start afresh. We are also in the midst of winter, which means nature itself is in the process of renewal, dying off and preparing to re-surge again in the coming months.

  I do set goals and seek to improve myself in various ways, but I do that throughout the year. Somehow new year resolutions do not work for me. Perhaps what is missing with resolutions is making them realistic and achievable.

  When I got my hands on the book High Performance Habits- How Extraordinary People Become That Way by Brendon Burchard (2017), I wasn’t sure what to expect. I have seen a few promotions on the book as well as courses Burchard offers, and I was afraid it was going to offer a different way of working on resolutions.

  It didn’t, and I was pleasantly surprised. The book describes six habits to perform at a higher level, and these habits are more about attitudes and approaches to life.

• December 31, 2018 2019 Intentions & Review of 2018
  

  On this last day of 2018, I am reflecting on what I have lived through this year and wanted to share some of the most significant moments for me and Petal Life.

  I also want to look forward to 2019 and set intentions for the starting year.

  Most Read Articles of 2018

  This year I wrote on a range of topics, including forgiveness, connection, reducing stress at work, chakras, placebos, crystals, and many others. I interviewed my friend Agnetha to share about Swedish Lagom as a key to a balanced lifestyleand my friend Amy to share her approach to do-it-yourself cleaning products. I told you about herbs such as spearmint, turmeric, and black-seed, and about pine essential oils for arthritis as well as aromatherapy for anxiety and constipation relief.

  As per your engagement, the most popular articles in 2018 were:

• December 24, 2018 Our Connection is Evident in the Origin of Foods
  

  We take for granted that we can find most crops almost anywhere in the world. Walk into a grocery store and it is likely we’ll find bananas, kiwis, black pepper, corn, and various other spices and produce, regardless of where they originate from, be it Ecuador, New Zealand, Chile, India, Mexico, or somewhere locally.

  But that is not as it was.  In fact, corn, vanilla, and avocados are native crops to Mexico and Central America, and cacao, tomatoes, and potatoes are native to the Andean region of South America (Island Press, 2009).

  Globalization of food production enables us to grow crops outside of their native environments, and while this is convenient, it also has created a greater connection amongst us that we now may take for granted.

  The extent of our interconnectedness is awe inspiring. Let me show this by telling you about the origin of black pepper, potatoes, and limes.

• December 17, 2018 Decluttering: The Alternative to Minimalism
  

  I am amazed at people who own very little. I’ve heard stories of people who live with the bare essential, with a wardrobe of 2 dresses, 3 skirts, 3 sweaters, a few t-shirts, 2 jeans, and 2 trousers (Luhrs, 2016).

  While I cannot live with a minimalist wardrobe, stories like these make me realize I own too much. My closets are filled with items, some that I use, others that I barely use, and still others that rarely see the light of day. At a time of year when people generally acquire, I have decided to discard.

  Whether we realize it or not, the things we own have an effect on. They clutter our space, they create dense energy, and they encourage us to remain attached to things that no longer serves us. It is quite likely that the more we own, the more baggage we carry- literally.

  I know I cannot be a true minimalist, but I used that as inspiration to declutter.