What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0181

9001.  Be careful when you open your oven (door).  You can get scalded by the steam coming out;

9002.  Health-promoting molecules are produced in abundance by stressed plants; we get resveratrol from grapes, aspirin from willow bark, metformin from lilacs, epigallocatechin gallate from green tea, quercetin from fruits and allicin from garlic;

9003.  Look for plants and foods made from plants that have been raised under less-than-ideal conditions, organic, small farm-raised or from our own backyard;

9004.  When plants are stressed, they often add extra color to their stems or leaves.  For example, when a plant or a fruit is exposed to too much light, you may have noticed it produces extra red, blue or purple pigments.  These are anthocyanins and they are produced not only by radiation damage, but drought, adverse temperatures, nutrient restriction, pathogens and wounding;

9005.  Pinot noir (wine) grapes have the highest resveratrol content because they are so stress-sensitive;

9006.  A (typical) meal should consist of: A)  1-2 palm-sized portions of protein; B)  1-2 fist-sized portions of vegetables; C)  1-2 thumb-sized portions of healthy fats; and D)  1-2 cupped-handful portions of carbohydrates can be added as needed (i.e., not every meal) depending on activity levels, goals and body type;

9007.  Boundaries are not a form of rejection;

9008.  We shouldn’t hide/downplay our success;

9009.  Taking responsibility isn’t the same as self-blame;

9010.  Our happiness isn’t dependent on others;

9011.  Self-abandonment isn’t how we show love;

9012.  We shouldn’t apologize for the things that aren’t our fault;

9013.  Internal validation is more important than external validation;

9014.  Our mistakes don’t define us;

9015.  People don’t have to acknowledge our emotions for them to be valid;

9016.  Our worth doesn’t come from our output;

9017.  It’s okay to change our minds;

9018.  Being vulnerable isn’t a weakness;

9019.  We don’t need to be happy all of the time;

9020.  (I can say) I’ve made duck a l’orange (with duck fat-mashed potatoes & arugula almond salad);

9021.  Hello Fresh (meal kits) is/are pretty good . . . and easy to make;

9022.  Getting a blowjob while cooking/making dinner . . . check;

9023.  (I can say) I’ve made teriyaki pork chops (with sesame scallion rice & ginger-scented carrots);

9024.  Using a/n (wood) angled turner as a paddle . . . check . . . using a wooden spoon as a sex toy . . . (double) check;

9025.  The $3.00 buffalo chicken tacos during Happy Hour at (Joe) Theismann’s (Restaurant) are pretty tasty;

9026.  Bad chapters can still create great stories.  Wrong paths can still lead to right places.  Failed dreams can still create successful people.  Sometimes it takes losing yourself to find yourself;

9027.  In the long history of humankind, those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed;

9028.  When you get close to getting what you want, the resistance grows strongest;

9029.  The last yard is the hardest.  It’s okay to ask for help.  It’s okay if you’re not ready.  It’s okay if you want to give up, but it’s not okay to give up;

9030.  Hard is not a reason to stop.  Let the resistance be your guide.  Feel it.  Accept it.  Then move through it.  It’s not easy, but it’s worth it;

9031.  If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one;

9032.  What’s done is done.  Accept that you can’t change events of the past (although you can learn from them) and stop wondering “what if;”

9033.  Accept who you are and use all of what you know to propel yourself forward rather than focusing exclusively on goal attainment;

9034.  The solution for (the) “F(ear )O(f )M(issing )O(ut)” is being truly present, noticing everything and everyone around you – the big picture, the little pictures and all the tiny details that contribute to the moments that make up the here and now;

9035.  (The truth is that) other people’s disappointment (or pleasure) has very little to do with you;

9036.  The remedy for (the) “F(ear )O(f )D(isappointing )O(thers)” is setting boundaries;

9037.  People will often push boundaries, but there’s always one person who can set and honor your boundaries: You;

9038.  If you are unsure about trusting yourself, it will be almost impossible to remedy “FOMO” or “FODO” because staying present is hard and creating/enforcing your own boundaries will be very challenging;

9039.  If you are running on auto-pilot and constantly reacting to life’s demands, you may have lost track of who you are and what’s important to you.  The only way to trust yourself is to listen to your heart;

9040.  Try to turn every disaster into an opportunity;

9041.  People don’t respond to what you say or do; people respond to how you make them feel.  And one of the best ways to make someone feel connected with you is to make them feel understood and listened to;

9042.  We assume that because an emotion feels bad, it is bad;

9043.  Once you’ve labelled a whole class of emotions as “bad” or “negative,” you’re training your brain to view those emotions as threats and dangers to be eliminated or avoided at all costs;

9044.  The belief that emotions are dangerous and to be avoided is usually what causes serious emotional suffering in the first place;

9045.  Criticizing yourself for feeling sad is a great way to make yourself depressed;

9046.  Worrying about getting anxious is a great way to bring on a panic attack or chronic anxiety;

9047.  Judging yourself for feeling angry is a great way to feel perpetually ashamed and guilty;

9048.  When you treat your emotions like enemies, that’s what they’ll start to feel like;

9049.  Whatever your baseline preference for activity and movement, being constantly busy (e.g., always preoccupied with one thing or another and never really being present in the moment) is often a sign of a conflicted relationship with your emotions;

9050.  We use busyness as a distraction from painful feelings;