There’s one word that we as humans both embrace and run away from like the plague.
Change.
Along with this, we have thoughts of how we want our lives to be. Of course, this is different for each person and will depend on the things most important to us. What is the same, however, is the fact that if things aren’t the way you want, you’ll seek to change it to make it better.
Sometimes you’ll want to change many things. Sometimes you may only want to change a few. And in some cases, just changing one thing can change many other things. The saying goes, “The more things change the more they stay the same.” But is that really the case?
Regardless of how you look at it, the bottom line is that life is dynamic and full of change because with change things would cease to exist. When it comes to the past you wouldn’t want to go back in time and change things even if you could. Changing just one thing from the past would create a ripple effect in every other area of your life and while, if you were able to change that one thing, there’s a very high probability that there would be undesirable results which would occur in other areas of your life.
Now when it comes to changing that one thing in your life as it relates to the present, that’s a different story. The present is now. You can write the actual details of your destiny and how you want your life to be. The bottom line is that right now, today, you are in complete control of how you want your life to be. Your path should always guide you to moving onward and upward.
Changing that one thing in your life may result in shedding some old unhealthy habits which can range from people, places, and even things about yourself. We all have so much to offer in life. Life is about growing to the level where you embrace and appreciate the positives and negatives equally. Often we are unaware of the many time we sabotage ourselves in a subconscious way because we are unwilling to embrace higher levels of both sides of life.
Since you are with yourself 24 hours a day 7 days a week, you may as well make the most of it. Become the type of person you would want to be around all the time. Self-improvement doesn’t have to be big mind-blowing changes; it can actually be simple steps to improve upon what you already have to get you where you want to be. Not all great changes are preceded by chaos. Life will only change when you become more committed to your dreams than you are to your comfort zone, and changing your priorities is all you need to change your perspective. You may not ever be able to change who you are, what you’ve done, or where you’ve come from, but you can always change the direction of where you want to be.
Just as a muscle must break down before it grows stronger, so too does the human spirit.
Vegan Banana Nut Bread Granola
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups rolled or old fashioned oats
- 3 very ripe bananas
- ½ cup vegan butter, melted (for nonvegan option use real butter)
- 1 cup chopped nuts, walnuts or pecans (or both)
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp seeds, chia, flax or hemp
INSTRUCTIONS
- If using real butter, in a small pot, melt the butter over medium heat, then bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat to low and whisk constantly until the butter passes the foamy phase and becomes a deep amber color. Turn off the heat and set it aside. If you are using the vegan option, you can skip this step.
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas then whisk in the maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and butter. Next, fold in the oats, nuts, seeds, and salt.
- Pour the granola mixture onto the prepared baking tray. Bake for 40-45 minutes stirring occasionally, about every 15 minutes. Turn off the oven, leaving the granola inside as the oven cools, this will help dry out the granola and any last bits of moisture from the banana. Let cool completely before serving. Store in an air-tight container for up to a week.
Note: How do I get nice big clumps and clusters in my granola? Before putting the granola into the oven press it into an even layer on the baking tray. While it's cooking stir it only once, halfway through then press down on it again with the back of a wooden spoon. Once cool, break into large clusters! I left this batch in the oven overnight to ensure it dried completely.
