“your hunger will lead you home”

– Danielle LaPorte

so, what exactly is soul food? for me, these are the things that make me, me. these are the ‘things’ that when i am on my highest of highs or my lowest of lows, i consistently find myself turning to. my constant pick me ups or celebratory self reflections. these ‘things’, both big and small, they are my soul food. if you are like me, you forget about the things that can so simply create balance in your life. below i have included a small list of the food that feeds my soul…

a sunrise or sunset jog. just me. my earbuds. my thoughts. the prairie sky. breathing in, breathing out…letting go.

decluttering/ organizing. i know right? i have psychoanalyzed myself. repeatedly. i am completely aware this fulfils my need to have control. to find a place. in times when my thoughts are chaotic, i know that my possessions do not have to be. brings me so much inner peace to know that in my home everything has a place.

music. live music is my absolute favourite form of this. i get a rush, i feel completely re-energized. i think this is related to feeding off of the passion of seeing an artist, on stage, doing what they love. i love that. i crave that in my own life. of course, live music isn’t always an option so comes those times when you purchase a new album or stumble upon a new song. pushing play for the first time and listening from start to finish. bliss. i love it. even more so when immediately you feel like you have found the newest soundtrack to your life. simple, i know. but again, so rewarding. my go to ear candy? brandi carlile. give her a spin. buy all of her albums. and then, pay it forward.

reading. i love getting lost in a good book, a great book. i am lucky that i have found the most perfect book club in my family members, a group of us who enjoy the same genres, they are my go-to’s for new reads. i encourage you to do the same. sure, the ‘recommended for you’ section on amazon or indigo has its perks, but it is not the same as a person. find your book people, get their lists. what are my ‘must-reads’: The Fault in our Stars, Hannah’s Gift, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Still Alice, Little Bee, To Kill a Mockingbird, Tuesdays with Morrie. those are a great place to start. i am filled with favourites and recommendations; if you want more, just ask!

personal growth. how you ask? research. read. write. repeat. reading a book that likely can be found in the ‘self help’ section, searching for blogs that feed into my soul food, watching a TedTalk, journalling. basically, anything that ignites a fire…

my tribe. yes, I just dedicated an entire post to these people and they are definitely my soul food. a Skype date, a phone call, a cup of coffee or a glass of wine; they feed my soul and fill me up.

i encourage you to make a list and keep it handy. when you feel like you need to ground yourself, reset your equilibrium or find gratitude in a great moment, pull out this list and do something on it. go on… feed your soul.

lise

xo.