Do you ever feel like you're not expressing yourself?

Do you ever feel like you are not using your voice?

Do you ever feel like no one is listening to you?

When I feel hopeless and need to express myself, I often end up in the kitchen.

I bake.

And today, that's exactly what I ended up doing because I hit a roadblock with one of the subscription companies I am using.

I agreed to use their f-r-ee trial "upgraded" offering for 30 days.

I was not too fond of it and didn't think it was worth the premium price they asked.

So, I asked to cancel the f-r-ee trial.

It's not something I could do myself, like with all other services I use.

I had to wait to hear back from support.

It took two days.

When I received the email response, it stated my f-r-ee upgrade had been deactivated effective immediately.

And I was also stunned to read that my regular subscription was no longer active.

I had to sign up again.

But the worst part was I had to sign up again at the new higher subscription rate.

The plan I was on before the f-r-ee trial upgrade is no longer available.

Does this seem right to you?

In moments like these, where something seems so blatantly wrong, so slap-in-the-face-dishonest, I start to disconnect.

I begin to feel alone like something is wrong with me.

I wonder if I am the only one who sees the lack of integrity.

Because if someone else had already noticed, it would have already been addressed.

Nothing indicated this could happen when I agreed to try the "upgrade."

Am I the only one who sees this as blatantly wrong?

When something seems so opposed to my values, I feel a void.

My body constricts, and I feel I have lost my ability to express myself.

It's protective programming that tells me not to stand out, not to stir trouble, to go with the flow.

Have you ever experienced something like this?

That's when I decided to make vegan chocolate chunk cookies.

I realized some time ago that baking for me achieves three things:

1) Self-expression and creativity. I don't follow recipes. Perhaps that's the rebel in me, but it's a way I can be creative and innovative and make every recipe a little bit healthier.

2) I feel an increased sense of joy at creating something everyone loves to enjoy.

3) I let go of the idea that others have to be honest and operate from a high standard of integrity.

I mean, I wish they would. But no one "has to."

And from this place of expanded self-expression, creativity and joy, I am better able to course correct.

Maybe others ARE ok with this way of doing business, but it doesn't mean I have to be ok with it. And it's ok for them to do it if that's what they want. I do not have to participate.

I know that chances are, if there is a red flag here, it's not the first.

The way we do one thing is the way we do everything.

It helps me navigate a solution that better suits my needs and aligns with my beliefs and values.

The splash of creativity, self-expression and joy I get from baking helps me check in and notice something I already knew wasn't working but that I kept doing anyway.

It helps me gain insights that I may not have if I continued to blindly push myself forward in something that felt wrong.

When I bake, I practice expanding possibilities and making a good thing even better/healthier.

What do you do for self-expression?

How do you course correct when something seems off?

How do you infuse your voice into what you're doing?

It matters because YOU matter.

Your feelings are meant to be guides. It's not about making a fuss about how someone else chooses to run their business.

It's about learning to lean in and trust that you are being guided to something.

If you need help leaning in, trusting your intuition or knowing when to course correct, let's talk!

Schedule a meaningful conversation with me here: https://www.awakken.com/lets-talk

Much love,

Marie-Josee

Live. Love. Laugh. It matters because YOU matter.

If you feel off, take a deep breath and try out my vegan chocolate chunk cookie recipe:

INGREDIENTS

WET INGREDIENTS:

3 Tbsp ground flax mixed with 9 Tbsp water

1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, at room temperature

1/2 cup sunflower seeds, finely ground

1/2 cup almonds, finely ground

1/2 cup coconut flakes

2/3 cup unpacked brown sugar

2/3 cup natural cane sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

DRY INGREDIENTS:

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sea salt

6 Tbsp cocoa powder

3 cups gluten-free rolled oats, finely ground

100 grams finely chopped dark chocolate (1 chocolate bar)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flax and water and set aside for a few minutes so it can thicken up. Whisk the flax egg again once thickened.

Add the rest of the wet ingredients into the bowl with the flax egg. With a hand-held electric mixer, mix the ingredients until creamy and smooth.

Now, mix in the dry ingredients. The dough might seem dry, but it should be moist enough to form balls without cracking or being too sticky.

Chop the chocolate to a desired size. Mix the chocolate into the batter.

Shape balls of dough (about the size of a golf ball or 2 heaping tablespoons) and place on the baking sheet 2-3 inches apart. Gently press down slightly with a fork to form a ½-inch thick disc.

Bake for about 13 minutes.

Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 7 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack for another 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!