Are you ready to take the first step towards becoming the best version of yourself?

Have you ever wondered what you might achieve if there were no limits? What if you could unlock something within you that would propel you towards your dreams and desires, whatever they might be?

Your ‘potential’ is something that, maybe, you haven’t thought about in a while. When we’re young people, in school, college, and university, we’re encouraged to categorise our skills, and look towards the horizon and the things that we might want to achieve. In our adult lives, that same ambitious drive might have fallen by the wayside a bit.

However, truth be told, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Few of us would claim to have the same self-knowledge back then as we do today, and with that experience under our belts, perhaps right now is the perfect time to return to that challenge of unlocking our potential.

“‘Unlocking your potential’ is a phrase that is commonly used, but what does it actually mean? More importantly, what does it mean to you?” asks life coach Adam Craft. “My perception of unlocking your potential is this: we are all capable of achievement, there’s no doubt about that. The question is what is your potential?”

This will look drastically different for each of us. As Adam points out, for some it might be career oriented – rising to the top, leadership roles, financial goals, or influence on the world around us. For others, it might be linked to health, nurturing our physical health, as well as our mental health. It could be tied up with family, creating a life where we put quality time with the ones we love before everything else.

Getting to the point where we feel we’re reaching our potential might involve identifying the roadblocks that we need to clear. It could be our own self-limiting beliefs, and self-esteem issues, both things that can be worked on with the help of wellbeing professionals. Or you might find that there are practical solutions, and that your specific roadblocks could be things like time restraints, missing skills, or other changes to your lifestyle. That isn’t to say that any of those things are easy to sidestep – this is the very start of a long process, but the first step is to make some time for self-reflection.

“Think about it this way: imagine yourself in the senior years of your life. You’re looking back on your life, reflecting on what you have done, achieved, or made,” Adam says. “Is there something that comes up that you ‘wished’ you pursued more? I will often ask my clients this question when they first start working with me. It’s a great way of highlighting your ‘potentials’ or ‘musts’. From here, my client then knows what their potential is, and we work towards unlocking that. Visualisation is one of the most powerful ways to unlock your potential.”

Life goes by so fast, especially when we’re rushed off our feet, jumping from one task to the next without a moment spare to think about the bigger questions that we might come up against. So this is your sign to make time to

The Great Book Review of 2022: Sharing the books I read in 2022 and whether I’d recommend adding them to your collection.

Hi hi! How’s the day going so far? I hope you’re having a wonderful morning! I’m looking forward to a movie with the crew and catching a hot yoga class later today. I’d love to hear what you have going on!

In today’s post, I’m sharing almost all of the books I read last year. (I had a a few audiobooks and a handful of DNF books I didn’t type up because they weren’t memorable or enjoyable.) Reading is one of my very favorite hobbies and I’m so glad I set a goal a couple of years ago to read more often. It’s definitely something I plan on doing in 2023, too!

Here’s a list of almost all of the books I read last year:

The Great Book Review of 2022

The Book of Lost Names

Ok friends, this is it. My #1 book of 2022. It was poignant, intriguing, devoting, heartwarming, and hopeful all at the same time. It’s beautifully-written and an absolute page turner. I finished it in two days! 10/10 recommend, especially if you enjoy historical fiction.

All Things New

I was unsure about adding this to the recap because obviously we don’t all have the same beliefs, and I never want anyone to feel isolated or left out. One of my favorite things about having ya’ll as virtual BFFs is the fact that we have a ton in common, and probably some differences, too. It makes life more enjoyable and exciting to be surrounded by various perspectives and viewpoints.

In the end, I wanted to add it because it’s been a part of my life lately, and I’m sure many of you would enjoy hearing about this rec.

I’ve been going through this Bible study on 2 Corinthians for the past month and a half and have already learned so much from it. As someone who always felt intimidated by reading the Bible, this has been a great introduction to it, especially since I’m able to study and discuss with such a lovely and brilliantly intelligent group of ladies. We meet weekly and chat about what we’ve learned, and the conversations have been so meaningful for me.

If you’ve been wanting to read the Bible, I highly recommend doing a study like this as a way to gain more knowledge and understanding. I feel like I’m actually learning instead of simply reading passages, and this way, I’m more easily able to apply these principles to my life. We’ll finish this study early next month and cap it off with a celebratory lunch before starting our next study.

I’m Glad My Mom Died

What a turn in topics, eh?

TBH, the title of this book kept me from wanting to read it, despite the overwhelming pos

In need of an emotional release? It's time to explore the full spectrum of your feelings – and learn how to accept them all

It’s funny, really: emotions are the very essence of being human, and yet we don’t devote much time to truly contemplating them.

Most of us take feelings at face value, or shy away from those with seemingly ‘negative’ connotations, without really thinking about what they might be trying to tell us.

What is behind our frustration that we’re too afraid to voice? Why is it that our eyes mist up when a joyful moment takes us by surprise?

Emotions are complex, and multi-layered, and sometimes expressing them can come with a lot of stigma.

But when we withdraw from facing how we truly feel, we risk not recognising the signs that our needs are not being met.

This special edition is dedicated to understanding the full spectrum of our emotional experience, from the powerful ways joy can help counter burnout, to the enlightment we can get from connecting with other generations.

Many of us will have first-hand experience of wanting to hide away from so-called ‘negative’ emotions, but we want to emphasise the fact that there is no such thing!

From our columnist Michelle Elman’s personal experience with survivor’s guilt, to coping with triggering situations, and redefining our perceptions of rage, there should be no shame in whatever it is you are feeling.

Plus, this emotions special, our issue 70, print edition includes:

• Enlightening features including a spotlight on seasonal friendships, myths about success (and how to really succeed), the truth about aphrodisiacs, and liberation from the need to be liked.

• Life-changing hacks on how to handle jealousy, morning rituals to improve your sleep, and anxiety-busting weekend activities.

• Expert advice on topics such as lovebombing, accepting your relationship with your body post-baby, and how to deal with resentment.

Every emotion has value, and the ability to teach us something. Recognising the full range of our moods allows us to appreciate the light and shade of life, and truly value all aspects of the human experience.

Without moments of sadness, we couldn’t grasp the infinite value of love and contentment.

So, wherever you are on the emotional scale, know it won’t last forever, and there should be no shame or secrecy. Allow yourself to feel it all.

As Yogi Berra so artfully put it: “Whatever you do, you should do
it with feeling.”

Happy reading!

Rebecca Thair
Editor

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Loaded with flavor and just a hint of heat, these Italian stuffed bell peppers are filled with ground beef and rice, seasoned with plenty of Italian spices, and topped with cheese.

Served with a salad or warm rosemary garlic bread, this is a hearty meal that comes together without any fuss.

Just brown the meat, fill the peppers, and let them roast away while you kick back on the couch with a book. Sprinkle the warm peppers with cheese just before serving and you’ll have an easy dinner on the table with minimal effort.

Spicy Italian Peppers

These Spicy Italian Peppers are one of my husband’s favorite meals. I’ve been making them for at least 8-10 years now and I double this recipe almost every time I make them.

They’re loaded with flavor and just a hint of heat, but if spicy dishes aren’t your thing, skip the crushed red pepper and you’ll have Italian-style stuffed peppers that will make everyone happy.

The meat mixture freezes perfectly on its own and the stuffed peppers freeze well too. I often freeze the cooked peppers individually for quick and easy lunches.

Italian Style Stuffed Peppers

To make the recipe even easier, you can also use cooked rice leftover from a previous meal. Make rice as a side dish for your lunch and use the leftovers in stuffed peppers for dinner!

My kids and I typically eat one pepper each and my husband will eat a couple of them. They’re filling, delicious, and enthusiastically enjoyed by everyone.

Stuffed Bell Peppers are easy to customize based on your family’s tastes. You can play with different pre-made spaghetti sauces, adjust the spices and try different kinds of cheese on top of the cooked peppers.

Feel free to use this recipe as a jumping off point for making the Stuffed Peppers of your dreams. I love the ground beef in the original version but sausage and ground turkey work well too.

These Italian style stuffed peppers have the advantage of being convenient, easy, customizable and kid-friendly to boot. As far as weeknight meals go, can we ask for anything more?

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TBH I’m always a little hesitant to write this type of post after I dubbed 2020 the “year of travel” but here we go….

Hi friends! Happy Monday and HAPPY NEW YEAR! *throws confetti into the air* I’m back and feeling refreshed after some time with the fam. We got together with friends, watched movies, enjoyed some girl time (pedicures, boba teas, shopping, baking), and are back in the swing of things this week. I hope you had a wonderful blurry week between Christmas and New Years, and hope you had a safe and happy New Years’ celebration.

(New Years Eve at the Desert Museum)

For today’s post, I thought it would be a good time to look back on the year, assess how I did with my goals, and set some goals for 2023.

I tend to have mixed feelings about resolutions. I’m the type of person who often thinks, “If you want to change something, change it now, instead of waiting for the pressure of a looming date or holiday,” but at the same time, there’s something exciting and motivating about a bright, shiny, new year.

I make changes and set goals throughout the year, but this is the time that I usually set big business and financial goals, health and personal goals, and brainstorm a theme for the year: a mantra I can keep in mind when things feel challenging or tough. My mantra for this year is “gratitude.” Having a daily gratitude practice has made a big impact in my mood and mindset.

Here’s a lil recap of what went down in 2022.

Looking back on 2022 and my goals for 2023

I’m SO thankful that we were able to travel more this year! We went to some of our favorite places, like Mt. Lemmon, Great Wolf Lodge (a few times), San Diego, Disneyland, Read more