Greetings and Happy Magical Monday!

I’m writing to you while sipping homemade broth and tending to myself and my home. It’s been a wonderfully slow weekend as I can tell that my adrenals need some restoration.

This edition of Magical Mondays is heavily focused on the heart, mind and belly.

As promised last week, a step-by-step guide to Mama Chelo’s guacamole is at the bottom of this post. It is delicious! If you make it, let me know. And if you want to know about the woman behind the recipe, she is my grandmother and is featured in this HuffPost article about my novel. I wrote and recorded a poem about her and I also share 5 Life Lessons from Mama Chelo on this blog.

Here is our inspiration for the week:

1. Renaming Fear: Tara Sophia Mohr, author of Playing Big, offers two Hebrew definitions of fear: Pachad & Yirah.  The former is the generally the not helpful one, unless you are actually threatened and the latter is very helpful as you expand into greatness. Check out the definitions and a short video explanation.
2. Protecting Your Heart: While I write about love and healing a lot, I also have learned, the hard way, that boundaries are my best friends when it comes to my heart. As I laid in bed this morning pulling cards, reading Nancy Drew and Hafiz poems, a friend and I were texting back and forth about recovering. I was reminded of this post by Danielle LaPorte, “Open Gentle Heart, Big F*cking Fence. The Advice I Give on Love that Took the Longest to Learn.” It’s a keeper and also very helpful when raising humans to be feeling beings.
3. Bouncing Back: This morning I also listened (and sobbed) to Dr. Maya Angelou’s inaugural poem and then decided to binge a bit. This recitation of her poem, “And Still I Rise” is so heartening.
4. Beyond Heroes and Holidays: This book published by Teaching for Change, is an exceptional resource to explore today, as the U.S. celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
5. Mind Love for 7 Minutes: I sent this Birdsong Earth Meditation to someone this week and thought you might like it to start off your week.
6. Inner Mental Strength based on Science: This Rick Hanson interview by Marie Forleo is a great way to get grounded and explore options for reprogramming your brain if you find yourself struggling. You’ll also find links to listen on your favorite podcasts.
7. Unlocking Us: Brené Brown’s new podcast is coming. Enough said. And if you have never heard of her work, scroll down to “aisle two” of my post, I Love You More Than a Boy Cheese Sandwich where you’ll find both her Ted Talks and some other resources.
8. Mama Chelo’s Guacamole Recipe: Enjoy! Ingredients: Avocados + Hardboiled Eggs (1 to 1 ratio), scallions, lemon and salt.

Scoop out avocados but do not mash them.

Slice the hardboiled eggs into small pieces.

Slice the green part of the scallions as shown above to taste. For two avos and two eggs, I estimate 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup of loosely sliced scallions. (If you are out of the green parts, use the white section at the base of the scallions, but use less so they don’t overpower the taste. In the photo above, I am using the middle of the scallion because that’s what I had left.)

Squeeze fresh lemon juice to taste. For two avos and two eggs, half a lemon works.

Use a fork and a knife to cut the avos like you are cutting food on your dinner plate. Avoid mashing them at all costs. The goal is chunky guacamole so you can experience all the tastes.

Mama Chelo liked corn chips with her guacamole. Lightly salt the guacamole. Then taste it with the chip you are using to make sure it’s balanced. You can always add more salt.

We plop the seeds in to keep it fresh looking but in truth, squeezing lemon juice on top will keep it from turning brown. Keep it sealed if you don’t devour it on the spot.

Enjoy!

Here’s how you can help this week:

1. Make yourself some guacamole and eat it right away.
2. Meditate for 1 minute when you wake up and 1 minute before you go to sleep.
3. Dance to your favorite song.
4. Do one act of selfless service this week in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
5. Share this post with someone who needs it.
6. If you’re not a subscriber, please enter your email and join the family.

Look for the magic in everyday life. There are clues everywhere!