Dating and Renting: The Parallels

"Hi Nicole!  I got your message.  I'm sorry but we've decided to look elsewhere."  The gasp that came out of my mouth showed me how invested I am in this rental process.  The wave of rejection that washed over me in that first instant was undeniable.  As silly as it seems, this process of renting my condo feels a lot like dating.

Excitement, connection and hope filled me this weekend as I showed Sara and John* my condo.  They loved the his-and-hers closets and extra storage unit for their snowboarding gear.  She loved the chandelier and wood floors.  She confessed to walking by the building the other day to daydream and get to know the neighborhood.  These comments felt like sweet nothings being whispered into my ear from a lover, promising devotion and security.  I felt like this couple would take good care of my place.  Plus two jobs can pay the rent easier than one!  It felt like the perfect match. 

"Did the dentist call?" my mom asks tentatively.  "No, mom."  After 4 showings on Saturday and multiple email threads with various prospects, I expected to be running credit checks on Monday.  Instead I sat contemplating a price reduction and checking my phone every 15 minutes.  Is the price too high?  Should I rename it a studio with sleeping alcove instead of a one bedroom?  Did I sound too eager?  Was it something I said?  Uggghhh...these feelings of doubt and frustration are enough to drive a girl crazy. 

Then I decided to reframe my perception.  This rental process is new for me and a huge growth opportunity.  Just last week I became landlord-certified and passed a site inspection with endless paperwork, copies and signatures.  We cleaned, decluttered and strategized.  It's going to take some time for my perfect renter to find me.  She is already on her way.  I just have to stay optimistic and cultivate patience.  Of course there are tasks I can do in the meantime to prepare (make copies of the keys, get rid of old paint cans, donate more unneeded things, etc).  This first round taught me (again) the importance on non-attachment to the outcome.

A miracle also happened last week.  I bit the bullet and paid $115 to join the Rental Housing Association.  This gave me access to all the rental paperwork I need to stay legal and protected.  It was an investment that I knew would benefit me and my renter.  As I shuffled through all of my condo papers, I found a check.  It was from 2009.  For $117.  I take this as a sign from the Universe.  Invest in the right things and the money will appear.  What you need will always find you.  I deposited the check, and it went through.  Thank you, Universe!

Just like in dating, the Universe has my best interest in mind.  I can sit back and relax knowing and trusting that divine timing is at work.  Breathe, meditate, take one step forward.  I'm going to keep showing my place, giving love away, and it will find its way back somehow.  It always works out.  I'm eager to see what miracle will happen today.  Universe, show me what you've got!

*Names have been changed for privacy purposes.

One action today

Inspiration.  Excitement.  Possibility.  Aren't these the feelings that we all want?  Lately I've experienced a shift in my perception around a big life change.  I have decided to ditch the doubt, fear and insecurity and infuse my experience with creativity and learning.  This is my decision to make, and I choose happiness.

This month I am becoming a landlord.  I am renting my beautiful condo, my baby.  I see this opportunity as a financial reset that will help me achieve my goals, bring freedom into my loving relationship and secure my dreams of travel.  On August 1st, I started to stress because that was the internal deadline I'd set for posting my ad on Craigslist.  I had to recalibrate through meditation and realize that I can extend my personal deadlines to best suit my needs.  Once I took the pressure off myself, things began to flow.  I met with a friend that showed me leasing agreements, addendums, insurance information and an amazing shutterfly site for displaying additional pictures.  This one hour of discussing and note-taking blasted me with new confidence and excitement.  Just as the fear of the unknown brings anxiety, the fresh infusion of information brought me positive inspiration.

I have decided to take one step each day.  Whether it's clearing clutter and donating clothes, building my picture site, talking to my Home Owners Association or writing my Craiglist ad, making one small move daily brings me closer to my goal.  I plan to take this attitude with me whenever tackling a new project.  Giving myself some credit and congratulating myself for accomplishing something new (regardless how small) motivates me to keep going.  I also use my emotional gauge as a signal of when to stop.  When I'm having fun and taking inspired action, I keep going.  When I feel hot, irritated or tired, I take a break (possibly until the next day).  Respecting my limits and bringing self-love to any project allows me to flow effortlessly.

To see how far I've come so far, check out my shutterfly site.  http://charmingcapitolhillrental.shutterfly.com/

Join me and take one inspired action today!

Basil tastes like summer

It's basil season, and I can't get enough.  This fragrant and delicious herb makes any meal feel alive and fresh.  This week I made a Spinach and Basil Pesto using produce from my Tiny's Organic CSA bag.  The recipe is so easy and goes with everything.  One meal I put the pesto over quinoa pasta.  Then I put it over mayacoba beans and broiled asparagus.  I'm excited to try it on pizza and other grilled veggies.  The major hit of nutrients (calcium, fiber, folic acid, magnesium, lutein, vitamins A & C) explains the happy glow after eating.  For a fun, fresh dose of summer, just add ingredients and blend.

Spinach and Basil Pesto
2 cups spinach leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup basil leaves
4 cloves garlic, peeled/quartered
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Blend ingredients in a food processor until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.  Makes enough pesto for 1-2 people.

For another fun dose of basil, try Chaco Canyon's chilled Avocado and Basil soup.  It comes with toast, rice or quinoa.  Perfect for a summer day.

Photo credit: Shoot to Cook

Ayurveda and Miracles

Why do you believe in miracles?

 

Gabrielle Bernstein posed this question to her readers.  She's picking a few people to be in a commercial for her next book, May Cause Miracles.  It's a beautiful question that helped me reflect and verbalize a piece of my path to healing.  Enjoy!

""Healing begins in the mind." Check out this amazing Spirit Junkie Nicole... You too can send me a video like this and be part of my May Cause Miracles book commercial! Thank you Nicole!"

-Gabrielle Bernstein

"Another guru to add to my ever increasing list of amazing women. Love you blogs, keep 'em coming :-) xx"  -Dawn Barrington

Listen to this little nugget!

Have you ever felt overwhelmed?  Do you wish you could mute the traffic, construction workers or negative people in you life?  In this week's vlog, I share some strategies for tapping into the healing power of sound.  By using mantras and positive thinking, we can clear the chaos in our mind.  We correct and align our vibrations thus attracting other positive, loving people and experiences into our life. 

My favorite mantra is the Gayatri mantra.  This powerful healing mantra helped me cure my own thyroid disease, eliminating my need for medication.  Using this mantra, we call upon the divine radiance of the sun to heal the body.  If you would like additional resources about primordial sound therapy or healing mantras, I recommend Deepak Chopra's book, Perfect Health.

Interdependence Day

This week I'm dedicating my blog post to my boyfriend, Kevin.  We're celebrating our one-year anniversary, and I couldn't be more thrilled, thankful and happy about it.  My heart and these feelings of connectedness and inspiration show me that I'm in the right place.  I truly believe that relationships are assignments, opportunities to love, grow and learn.  They bring all of our issues right up to the surface so we can look at them honestly.  Kevin is often my mirror, showing me parts of myself that I didn't see before.  I love him so much for engaging me in a loving, accepting and open way.

This week our country also celebrates Independence Day, the 4th of July.  There is definitely a way to merge love, unity and independence.  If I had to graph a healthy relationship with together time, social time and independent time, it might look like this:

Integrating independent time into my relationship has proven to be very important.  Time to sleep, meditate, cook the foods I like, journal and see friends keeps me sane and balanced.  I know that his alone time allows Kevin to do Crossfit, video games, watch sports and read.  I don't need to be there for all those things.  We each get to fuel ourselves independently so we can be present when we are together.  It is a rich blend that allows us to give and receive love.

In Ayurveda, nourishment of the mind is equally as important as nourishment of the body.  It is ideal to be surrounded by positive people and be at the Buddhi level of the mind, which helps us focus inward towards the truth rather than outward in search of momentary pleasures and happiness.  Instead of needing Kevin to present me happiness on a platter, I know that I will find my happiness inside and then be able to share it with him.  Instead of focusing on what I'm getting or not getting within the context of my relationship, I focus on ways to love, give, support and accept.  Never before have I felt this happy, this calm and this sure of myself in a relationship. 

As Donna Henes writes, "All borders and boundaries and separations are pure illusion. Each time we touch someone we leave some of our skin atoms behind and pick up a parcel of new ones in an intimate epidermal exchange. Thus we merge, quite literally becoming part of each other. I am you and you are me and we are we. We are all in this together, inextricably bound, riding on our beautiful blue planet through space and time. We are one team, one community, one world, one living, breathing entity. And the sooner we realize it, the happier, safer and saner we will be."

By celebrating my anniversary, honoring our country and engaging in loving friendships, I feel so connected to the people around me.  May we celebrate Independence day as Interdependence day, honoring the loving bonds that unite and nourish us all.

Big taste in a Tiny's bag

"Hey Stace!  It's Nic.  I just got my produce bag from Tiny's Organic and am loving all the good stuff.  I want to cook this chard, but it's connected to the beets.  I'm a little confused over here, so will you give me a call so I can run some ideas by you?  Thanks!"

I left this message for my gardening guru friend after picking up my first 12 pound bag of local, organic produce from Tiny's Organic.  Chard connected to the beets?  Why don't they just call it "beet greens?"  These questions run through my head as I scan the amazing recipes and information on the Tiny's newletter.  The fresh chard tastes even better once I've learned that it contains phytonutrients that have disease prevention properties.  Chard leaves are also an excellent source of antioxidants and vitamin C, which helps maintain normal connective tissue, prevent iron deficiency and also helps the body develop resistant to infectious agents by boosting immunity.  It ALSO contains vitamin K which has an important role in strengthening bone health and formation.  Regular inclusion of chard in the diet is found to prevent osteoporosis and anemia and is believed to help protect the body from cardiovascular diseases and colon and prostate cancers.  Forget vitamin supplements.  Hit me with the chard, beets and leeks.

I combined the Tiny's chard recipe with some advice from Stacy.  I wanted to eat the stems because their bursting red color signaled my vitamin radar.  It would be a waste to toss those nutrient-rich stems in the compost.  So I first sauteed the stems with chopped onion in olive oil to soften them up first.  After about 3 minutes I added the chard leaves and 2 cloves of chopped garlic.  I sauteed for about 4 more minutes.  The result was a quick, delicious and healthy dish.

The health benefits of eating local and organic food can not be ignored.  Food that is fresh and recently picked contains more nutrients and enzymes that have been proven to prevent disease.  Many Americans, myself included, have never lived on a farm or grown their own food. Supermarkets allow us to enjoy all food at all times of the year, so many of us are disconnected from the natural harvesting seasons. Ordering a local, organic produce bag educates you on what actually grows in your area and when.  Summer in Seattle is bursting with Farmers Markets and friendly ways to incorporate all this yumminess into your diet.  Tiny's Organic also now offers a mini-sized bag, delivery and weekly payment options.  So get out there, keep it fresh, keep it organic and enjoy the summer abundance!