"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us." -Marianne Williamson
This last summer was a complete summer of personal growth for me. But it never ends! We are never complete, and that is amazing because we have opportunities to learn and grow through our whole lives.
This week I learned an important lesson about fear. Not fear of heights or spiders, not the dangerous kind of fear or the life threatening kind, the deeper, internal kind of fear. The kind that causes us to lash out, become defensive, possessive, guarded. Luckily I learned the lesson by experiencing a different level of love.
It started with an argument with my significant other. You know them, we've all had them. One of those recurring arguments about something you think about often, something that worries you about the future. Then in the middle of the argument he stopped me, remembering something he had recently read.
Everything I was worrying about wasn't backed up by optimism and hope, I was speaking out of fear.
Fear that I will miss chances, that I will wait until it's too late, that I will miss out on something. And it was coming from both sides. At that moment we just wanted to laugh! It hit us like a ton of bricks, as the saying goes.
I've realized that is how most people make decisions, go through life. With fear. Fear of failure, fear of a broken heart, the list goes on and on.
Now, I don't have all the answers. But since this revelation, I have started to become extra sensitive to where my thoughts are coming from. Hope, or Fear? And if the latter, I try to turn it around immediately, to open myself to possibilities, to hope.
In yoga I take one pose at a time, never worrying about what the next one will be, carefully concentrating and moving with my breath. I can do that in life too, taking one life event at time, and yes, planning and hoping and looking forward to what lies ahead. And it's contagious! And thankfully, I'm lucky enough to be with someone who can help me stay hopeful, and vice versa. :)
Speaking of looking forward to things, here is the recipe! If you've skipped my ramblings just to get to the pictures, well, here they are :) Enjoy!
(here's my disclaimer, I found this recipe on another blog, and I made a few changes but not many. http://browniesfordinner.com/2010/05/11/easy-pad-thai/ In my defense, she found it somewhere too! Hopefully if she ever comes across this, we can be friends haha)
Easy Peasy Pad Thai
Ingredients:
8 oz of rice noodles
Cilantro (a couple of handfuls)
Crushed peanuts (about 1/2 a cup, or more if you want)
2 TBS lime juice, plus some lime wedges for garnish
2 TBS brown sugar
3 TBS Soy Sauce (I prefer lower sodium)
Sriracha (as much as your heart desires! I used a couple of teaspoons)
Green Onions, or scallions as they are called
2 eggs
Garlic
Extra Virgin Olive oil
First things first, make the sauce. Combine soy sauce, lime juice, and brown sugar in a bowl and stir. Add sriracha if you're feeling spicy! Set aside.
Now chop up the scallions, the bottom whiter parts chopped and the top green parts left in strings. Also your garlic, cilantro (not pictured, though I can't imagine why?) and the peanuts.
Soak the noodles the way the package directs you, in hot water. In the meantime, saute up some garlic and the white chopped onion parts in some EVOO.
Mmmmmm already smells amazing. Add eggs, scramble! When all fluffy, refrain from eating and set aside onto a plate.
Drain your noodles well and add them to the pan. Add sauce and the green tops of the onions.
Stir and then add in the scrambled eggs, break up slowly. Add crushed peanuts and garnish with cilantro.
See? EASY PEASY!
And super delicious. Sometimes I get that Pad Thai craving and this hit the spot.
