Our Chocolate Adventure

We really enjoyed making our own Chocolate today. 

It would be easy to go to the shops and spend money on cheap Easter eggs n bunnies but really...how cheap are they?

When you take into consideration the ingredients and resources NOT on the label, the product starts to leave a bad taste in your mouth and a huge imposing and expensive footprint on the earth and your health!

We chose to be the change. To place our vote at the Organic produce shop and so with a few quality ingredients we did exactly that.

Yum!

The bananas were ours. We dehydrated them :) I thought some chocolate coated bananas would make for a yummy treat too.

So here's how we made the chocolate...

1/2 cup Coconut Oil

5 Tbsp Cacao powder

1/4 tsp Cinnamon 

2 Tbspn Coconut Nectar

Dash of Vanilla powder

Mix it, Mould it, Chill it, Enjoy it!

It's quite a rich mix. Xaviar could only eat one piece of choc coated banana and really, that's enough of a treat isn't it? When I think back to the amount of Bunnies and Eggs we would have consumed over the years it's disturbing...

Yay for awareness that allows us to indulge in the finer things and enjoy doing it!

ROARRR!!!

Ahhhh... the internal battle of punch an idiot in the face or send calm love?

Do you ever have moments where you really feel deep inside of you that the punch in the face would just achieve so much more???

Ok so I’m completely aware the punch in the face will NEVER happen, not in real life and not even virtually so back to the sage advice of my wise and gracious mentor…

“What would love do?” …(Thanks SP)

WAIT!!! *insert scratch of vinyl record sound here* STOP right there!!! LIONS LOVE each other…

How does a mother lion pull her cub into line??? WITH A SMACK ACROSS THE HEAD…pushing it’s face into the dirt…hahahaha maybe I can slip a quick whack in there after all LOL

It's a good thing I am really not a wild animal or there would be trouble today,  I think it’s that primal instinct of protecting my tribe kicking in…yeah let’s go with that!!

Alright enough ranting :) LOL

It really is important to know that when people behave in a hateful way towards you or those you care about, it is saying so much more about them.  It could be a scream for help.  It could be that the only way they know how to feel significance in this world is to tear others down.  It could even be their strategy for love!

There are many reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with you for a person to behave badly (unless of course you totally sucked and caused it by doing wrong - then it’s called a consequence and you'd better suck it up or fix quick smart).

No matter what is going on on the inside of you, what evil thoughts you might be having (see rant above lol) be sure to hold yourself to your own standards of behaviour.   Live YOUR values.   BE the example so the haters and the lovers all know what you stand for, what you will invite into your world and what you will not.  

Teach them how to treat you by treating you as you would be treated.

And at the end of the day forgive yourself for having a GRRRR moment and being the badass lioness protecting the tribe and ROCK ON with the little extra RRRRR in your ROAR that all that passion and fire gave you!

So What would love do?

Protect, nurture, forgive, hold the line, set the standards, live the values, be the example, embrace the learnings, teach the lessons to the cubs…DEEP BREATH…yep - you've got this <3

Listen up!

You know when you're being listened to, you know when you're not.  I'm guessing you know what you prefer.  

It's not just because we are in the "Age of Distractibility" that's the new "thing" for 2014... I think it started a long time before that and for those who grew up as the children who should be "seen and not heard" well…I'm not sure the listening skills weren't taught very well at all.

Being listened to has a profound effect on the person talking. They feel safe & secure and that their presence counts. Being listened to creates an environment that builds trust.  That's what we want isn't it? An environment of trust…

What kind of listener are you?  Ask a lot of people and they'll probably tell you they are really good listeners, great listeners even!  Do people REALLY know what it takes to be a GREAT listener though?

It's more than just hearing a person, nodding in agreement then adding an opinion as a reply. There's a great quote that springs to mind right here…

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; 

they listen with the intent to reply.” Stephen R. Covey

Listening has got to be about the person who's speaking, not about the person who's listening.  We must get ourselves out of the way so we can hear exactly what is being said without making it mean anything, without making assumptions about it, without the need to reply "to it".

So how can we be great listeners then? 

We can:

• Focus completely on the person speaking - make eye contact, assume rapport.

• Listen with empathy - accept that the person is doing the best they can with what they've got.  Accept that this is their interpretation of life.  Be curious to understand.

• Listen without interrupting - oh boy this is a big one! How often do you find yourself interrupting because you think that what's popped into your head is relevant and important?  Just shhhh! Your turn will come when they've been heard, understood and are ready for you. 

• Keep your but's in the chair (or your pants) whatever's relevant - no more YEAH BUT… no more BUT… This is an acknowledgement, trust and conversation KILLER! The BUT negates all of what you just heard. Begin with YES (the acknowledgement) and follow it with AND (now you're adding value).

• If you don't understand something ASK for clarification. 

It's ok just to listen silently if the person you are listening to just needs to talk. They will be grateful that you held the space and didn't try to "fix it".  Remember to ask permission first to challenge someone on their thinking before jumping in.

Not everyone is ready for change so they won't hear it anyway.

Those that are - will be willing and happy - to LISTEN.