Step into Investment

I have a big fat Oxford English Dictionary sitting in the corner of my living room. It was a holiday gift from my husband many years ago and I treasure it. I love its heft and beauty, the elegance of the tiny words on the page, the depth into which it reveals not only definition and meaning, but also origin.

And the thick half globed magnifying glass that’s perpetually perched atop the open pages, so that those miniscule words can actually be recognized as more than graphically aligned columns, transforms the large book in the corner of my house to a work of art. It also symbolizes belief ~ the belief that my husband had in me as a writer.

I just spent some moments in that corner peering through the seeing glass at the long entry for the word investment. Its a word I’ve been contemplating a lot lately, in relation to myself and my clients. I’m not talking about the word in regards to money or material acquisitions. I am certainly no financial advisor! What I am talking about is investing in ourselves.

I’m one of those people that’s constantly investing in myself in small but notable ways. I have a team that I fondly refer to as my “support staff”. They don’t work for me, they help me work on me. My acupuncturist. My business coach. My counselor. And then there’s all the functional nutrition courses and mentors that I invest in, constantly fueling a hunger I have to learn, expand and grow my knowledge of the workings of the body so that I can do my synthesizing and deliver applicable health information to you.

But recently I made a more grandiose investment in myself. It was a challenge. It will require an investment of my time, my money, but most importantly myself. It means examining, putting aside and transforming any beliefs about myself that may be holding me back and binding me to an idea of myself that may no longer hold relevance. It means standing up for myself. My hope is that on some level it might mean freedom.

I’m realizing as I move into this place of self advancement, honoring my worthiness of investment, that I automatically feel more valuable, deserving, ready for more challenges and, admittedly, fearful. (There is always that lingering apprehension that I might not actually be worthy of such an investment or that the rooted assumptions of myself are actually true.)

Yet the leap will, by nature, encourage me to take a bold step forward away from fear and into belief. My investment symbolizes my belief in myself. And you, your health, your self-advancement are obviously as worthy as mine.

We care for our homes to increase their value. We mow the lawn, paint the exterior, patch the leaky roof and fuss in the garden. We do the same for our cars ~ filling them with gas, checking the oil, rotating the tires and even on occasion giving them a good ‘cleansing’ with a car wash, vacuum or detailing. But what does it mean to do this for ourselves?

What does it mean to stop looking for the quick fix that never truly solves the problem or addresses it at its root cause, but invest time or money in those that can support, stretch and guide us to our desired goals and beyond. An investment increases value and worth, not to mention self-value and self-worth.

Interestingly, one of the definitions in the Oxford English Dictionary for investment is the act of giving time or effort to a particular task in order to make it successful. I’ve decided to replace the part of the definition that reads ‘particular task’ with ‘myself’. I want to be more successful in my health, longevity, performance, parenting skills, relationships, and all my endeavors! I hope you’ll join me in taking a step forward in investment.
My big investment in myself this month did indeed inspire me to make further investments in myself. I’ll be intensifying my workout commitment with the Tick Tock Detox: Turn back the hands of time.

Warmly,

What else is on my plate this month?

Liquid Gold Elixir Dressing

The dressing that turned my “I don’t like coleslaw” son into a cabbage gobbling gremlin.

Diary-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free “Fronch” Toast

adapted from Post Punk Kitchen chefinista Ida Chandra

My adaptation. . .
Ingredients

3/4 cup Native Forest full-fat coconut milk

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder

1/4 cup chickpea flour

Gluten-Free bread
Preparation

Blend all ingredients (except bread!) in a Magic Bullet or blender until well combined. Pour batter into a wide dish and soak slices of bread in the mixture until well saturated. Heat ghee or coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Add soaked bread slices and cook up your “fronch” toast!

Raw Frosted Lemon Poppyseed Bars

So darn yummy. They didn’t last long.

By: Andrea Nakayama, FxNA Founder & Functional Medicine Nutritionist

Functional Nutrition Alliance provides the comprehensive online Functional Nutrition training in the Science & Art of the Functional Nutrition practice. Learn to address the roots of your clients’ suffering with client education, diet & lifestyle modifications.