One fantastic cookie!
I love what I do for a living. It may not be much of a living in terms of dollars, but the fullness of my life is very rich due to the the people I meet and circumstances I often find myself in. As many of you know I am a dance-fitness instructor of both Zumba® and U-Jam®. Between the two formats, my schedule contains eight classes each week…and let me remind you that I’m no spring chicken! My current chosen field allows me to incorporate my dance background and the on and off again personal training I’ve done with coaches since I was 15 years old. Honestly, I love the movement, the challenge of choreography, the music, the people who come to my classes and the slightly crazy schedule I keep each week to incorporate all of it and more (“more” meaning my other interests and responsibilities BESIDES fitness).
But I have to tell you, I’m exhausted most of the time.
Much of my weekly calendar is spent making sure my classes stay fun, fresh and entertaining to the people that pay above and beyond their gym memberships to take them. Much thought and energy goes into being the best I can possibly be so people leave my classes feeling joyful and physically worked out. Listening to music, creating routines and counting out beats in my head is a non-stop focus of mine. Oh and naps….naps are a daily essential to ensuring I can perform at my best.
So let me tell you something…..when the weekend rolls around, I typically do not even want to hear the words Zumba or U-Jam. While I LOVE AND ADORE what I do, it’s not a lifestyle, it’s a job and a passion that requires boundaries. I’m always working on taking the time to slow down, get back to the basic and simple pleasures of life and just BE. Not an easy task for a “do-er” like me.
Which brings me to my main point. It’s important to keep my options and interests open, flowing and simple! Pinterest is another one of my passions. I get so much pleasure out of sitting with my Ipad and pinning things of interest – meals, desserts, knitting/crochet projects, card-making or just really silly pictures for a good laugh. Last week I found a cookie recipe that literally consumed my thoughts for days. I finally sent my husband to the store to pick up the butter and chocolate chips I needed to bake. And on this wonderful soccer-free, Zumba-free, U-Jam-free Saturday morning, I found my zen in baking one of the most delicious chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made. I found my joy in a cookie.
And now, I invite you to print or bookmark this recipe and, if it calls you to do so, make the batch of cookies and share the joy with the people you love. My one piece of advice is this….double the recipe because one small batch isn’t enough.
Cheers to the simple pleasures! Enjoy!
XOXO
Grateful Kim's Blog 