Tag Archives: healthy-living

Growth and Development

What we stop is as important as what we start. 

Leave a comment

We all have outdated practices, old mindsets, and habits that no longer serve us. We tend to default to the familiar, even when that familiar is broken.

One broken practice I often observe is the cycle of complaining about everything and everyone.

Executive coach Marshall Goldsmith found that almost a third of American workers spend 20 hours or more monthly complaining about their bosses or upper management; that doesn’t even include time spent complaining about their peers and other topics.

Based on my anecdotal evidence as a human, but most importantly as a trained educator and HR professional, these same people talk about how they have no time and are busy. 

Imagine the productivity gain of reducing all those complaining hours. 

Imagine the mental and emotional wellness you could restore to your world with negativity reduction.

Complaining only momentarily feels good because it triggers dopamine. Complaining negates the ownership of your behaviors and actions that have helped frame the current situation. Complaining strengthens the blind spots we have about our contribution to the issues surrounding us. 

Stop complaining. Start owning. Take personal responsibility for what you can control. We either passively allow or actively create our environment. 

Your words and actions have power. 

Reflection:

  • What personal and professional behaviors and patterns need to be tweaked to move forward?
  • Whether it’s a person, process, or policy, where do you need to focus energy for successful transformation? What can you control and contribute to for productive, lasting change?
  • What if we stop complaining and blaming circumstances and instead identify how we contribute to outcomes we are frustrated with? 
  • How can we align our actions with desired changes and drive results while managing challenges?
  • Who can help you identify your blind spots and things you have the power to change? Assistance makes us all better. Strategies and alliances can be formed and strengthened. Time can be invested in change-making conversations instead of time wasted.  

A good assessment of where you currently need to focus energy for successful transformation is to pay attention to what you are negatively attuned to.  Pinpoint some needed areas of actionable change and prioritize strengthening your self-awareness.

Your time and productivity ROI from personal and professional development is enormous. 

What if we dont immediately need new processes or systems, but instead first think about what we need to stop and what we need to start?

My personal intersection of mind, body, spirit:

Body side note: I have triggered an old running injury again and I’ve had to stop running temporarily the last couple of weeks, since completing the CLE Hermes 10. I used to try to push through these things, but now I know stopping, assessing, cross training, and doing both rehab and prehab will get me where I want to be quicker!

Mind side note: I am trying to stop searching for perfection because it can lead to paralysis. Excellence and perfection are not the same.

Spirit side note: I am focusing on finishing all things well. God goes before, beside, and behind. God knows the beginning and the end. I need to just lean into His will and His way. My responsibility is just to press toward God’s high calling on my life. His power begins and ends His work in and through me.

Encouragement, Growth and Development, Identity, Inspirational, Uncategorized

HealthFull Living: Create a Life you Love

1 Comment

Welcome Back to the Blog!

I’m excited to say that HealthFullLiving is at home here now. 

While I have left all of the old, outdated, and somewhat embarrassing souls and sweatband posts up, especially since I still run, walk, adventure, live, laugh, and love, I want to lean in to a more strategic focus.

I have spent the last few years writing, speaking, and sharing through many other mediums, but the time has come to collaborate at this location again. Life moves at the speed of relationships, and I want to connect!

As a coach, faith-led strategist, consultant, concierge, communicator, and curator of stories and information, I envision this space to be a mutually beneficial partnership that helps you and I create and live lives we love—on purpose & with purpose. For me, this involves being a purveyor of Mind, Body, and Spirit.

I have always enjoyed writing and sharing, so my abundant LIFE needs to include that. You can check out my LinkedIN and my Facebook, but HealthFULLliving, as a blog, will combine a growth mindset and lifelong learning posture to coach and coax you into whatever authentic, vulnerable, and transformational path you may desire personally and professionally.

Mission

To inspire and equip individuals to live abundantly by aligning mind, body, and spirit. Through faith, professional wisdom, and purposeful living, Healthfull Living empowers people to grow, lead, and thrive in every area of life—personally, professionally, and spiritually.

Vision

A world where people live fully—grounded in purpose, strengthened by faith, and energized by well-being. Healthfull Living envisions a community of individuals who are strong like a cord of three strands—thriving in their health, leadership, and calling—while making meaningful impact in their homes, workplaces, and communities.

Core Values

Faith-Centered Living
We believe in God’s promises and the power of living on mission. Our faith is the foundation that guides everything we do.

Wholeness
True well-being is found at the intersection of mind, body, and spirit. We cultivate all three to create sustainable, joyful, and abundant living.

Empowerment
Everyone has the power to transform their life. We provide tools, insight, and encouragement to help others step into their potential and walk boldly in purpose.

Authenticity
We lead and share with transparency, integrity, and heart. We honor the full spectrum of life—because people are multidimensional.

Growth
We believe personal growth fuels professional growth. Through learning, coaching, and development, we help people evolve into the best version of themselves.

Community
We were not meant to do life alone. We build bridges, foster belonging, and create safe spaces for others to be seen, heard, and supported.

At Healthfull Living, we believe you weren’t made to just survive—you were made to thrive. To live a life rooted in faith, filled with purpose, and aligned in mind, body, and spirit. Our symbol, the rope of three cords, reminds us that true strength comes from wholeness—and that you are strongest when you live from the inside out.

This is a space where personal growth meets professional purpose. Where we talk about leadership and wellness, faith and focus, family and calling—because life doesn’t fit in a single box, and neither do you.

Whether you’re navigating a career shift, seeking deeper purpose, or simply ready to live more fully, Healthfull Living is here to cheer you on, equip you, and walk alongside you.

Your life exists on purpose and for purpose. Let’s build it—boldly, joyfully, and intentionally.

Together, let’s CREATE and LIVE a life we love.

Who is we?

You may notice that sometimes I use “we” instead of “me”. HealthFULLliving as a brand is an LLC that was started by my husband, Joanthan Buckland, and me, Jessica Buckland. While I will be the primary driver on this blog, you may also see insight from him. He is also available to help you strategize around concepts to strengthen your mind, body, and spirit.

What’s next?

Check out the blog’s About #HealthfullLiving and About Jessica Buckland sections.

Drop a comment here to say hi. Subscribe to blog updates. Share Healthfull Living with your network.

Fitness, Nutrition, Personal, Running, Uncategorized

The Chobani Principle

Leave a comment
Surround yourself with dreamers, doers, and believers. But, most of all, surround yourself with those who see greatness within you, even when you don’t see it yourself.- Sheila Gerald
20130425-140435.jpg
Nutritional benefits aside, Chobani tastes amazing!! It always pairs best with my other love, coffee (especially Starbucks)

 

 

I am Jessica and I have become a Chobani addict. I absolutely love their Greek Yogurt. In fact, to make it affordable, I buy it by the truckloads at Costco. I have been known to make special trips to Costco just to ensure that my supply never runs low. The highlight of my January was that both Target and Giant Eagle had Chobani on sale at different moments, opening up the opportunity for me to explore and indulge in the flavors not offered in the Costco superbox.

Upon opening up my Chobani this morning, (which by the way is a perfect pre-run food item) , and promptly licking off any excess yogurt that stuck to the lid (I am that person), I had a flash of inspiration. What if I approached everything in my life like I approach Chobani yogurt? It may seem like my daily Chobani obsession was easy to come by, but in fact, my relationship with it started very tumultuously.

I have always been a lover of yogurt and a calorie counter. Even when I was at my highest weight and was totally out of shape, I was still aware of every calorie that I consumed. I was never mindless about my destructive choices. That being said, I was locked into eating “Light and Fit” yogurt because it was 80 calories and fat free. I kept hearing about Greek yogurt and all of its benefits, and yet I just kept eating the yogurt that had little to no protein and that had artificial sweetners just because it was 80 calories versus the 140 in most Chobani individual fruit cups.

How many things in life do we get stuck on, even good choices, when something great is out there waiting for us but we refuse to even try? “Light and Fit” was a good choice, but Chobani has turned out to be a great choice. Chobani leaves you feeling full, the flavor is much richer, and it has more of all of the good stuff that your body needs. (I was NOT compensated at all for this post. In fact, nobody at Chobani even knows I exist.)

The Chobani principle, which I invented in case you didn’t know, has turned out to be a small step to a lot of big change. I had honestly never eaten Quinoa, Hummus, or a whole other host of body nourishing and delicious items before because I was stuck on eating “diet” foods and ate what was familiar.  It is an educational experience to learn that not  all health foods are diet foods. In fact, chia seeds have an enormous amount of calories and almonds are chock full of fat. There are a lot of good things in life, like calorie counting and watching what you put in your body, but there are even greater things like focusing on your health and achieving specific wellness goals. There are containers of Chobani in every area of your life just waiting for you to peel the lid off and give it a shot.

Can you believe that I used to cook and serve Minute White Rice for my family and myself? I am horrified every time I think of it. My 899 pound bag of organic brown rice that I buy at Costco tastes so much better, fuels our bodies, and the only change it required for me was to actually buy a rice cooker and realize that minute rice might have been a good choice for one season, but greater choices were out there.

FYI: Rice cooked in a rice cooker is infinitely more delicious that what is cooked on the stove or microwaved in some lab generated instant package.

I guess the point I’m getting at is that the Chobani Principle applies to everything. What paradigm shift do you need to make (for example obsessing about calories at the expense of true health and nutrition) that will take you to the next level? What products do you have brand loyalty to that might not be the best option for you and your long-term mind, body, spirit goals?

Paradigm shifts that I’ve encountered since turning 30:

  • I used to hate running and could never run even a mile—I’m now a marathoner.
  • I used to obsess about my weight all the while watching it creep up or yo-yo everywhere—–I now stay within a 3-5 pound range with minimal “extra” effort (I still count every calorie and run like a crazy person so I guess some of you think that’s way more than minimal “extra” effort, but it’s really not. It’s habit now.)
  • I used to think texting was horrible and didn’t even have it on my cell phone plan. I mean, why can’t you just call me?——I finally added it to my plan and now hate being called. Hooray for convenience!
  • I used to obsessively clean up every single item my kids played with and dragged out without concern of the stories they would tell their therapist about Type A mom one day—–I now wait until they are on the bus to restore the order I need or wait until Sunday night/Monday morning before I take everything they own and hide it somewhere. They actually are now allowed to play in the family room and have books and toys in there and their therapist can be regaled with stories of how cool and fun mom is instead of how she was obsessively cleaning 24/7. It’s almost like they live in their own home and have rights associated with that just like I do… Fancy that!!

As you can see, there are many ways to apply the Chobani principle. How will you step out of your comfort zone today to see long-term goals realized?

20140129-144550.jpg

Shameless bragging in 3, 2, 1……….Both boys had parent/teacher conferences yesterday and both boys are rocking out in academics and behavior at school. Maybe I gave them just enough of my Type A to succeed, but not enough to cause psychological distress 🙂

Anecdotal, Fitness, Inspirational, Nutrition, Personal, Running, Spiritual, Uncategorized

Step by Step

Leave a comment

Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit. (3 John 1:2 NLT)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAA picture I stumbled across yesterday of myself with my cousin Paul 2 weeks before I started my mind, body, spirit transformational journey.
 

iPhone Fall 2012 to Fall 2013 Jess 607

Versus a picture of me this past summer (2013) with my beautiful aunt (You caught me looking at family photos yesterday!)

Today I had a reminder of how powerful habit is in our life. Besides celebrating Day 807 of my runstreak (which means for that length of time I’ve run everyday with no breaks), I had an interesting conversation with my husband. I don’t like to talk about our fasting a lot on the blog because I feel like that is a personal decision that we make to honor God in our lives, however, I feel that in the interest of exposing how I achieve my mind, body, spirit balance and how I am going about my “one word” for 2014, alignment, I thought I could let you in a little bit.

We begin each year with a 21 day Daniel Fast. I have spoken about it before in previous blogs, but you can also google it if you are unfamiliar with what it entails. We also fast at least one day a week, and in addition, kick off each month by fasting 3 days at the start of said month. The purpose of our fast is multi faceted, but one of the benefits of it is increased health and vitality.  It is not a magical spiritual, mental, or physical bullet, but step by step you grow in every area of your life and start to see God’s blessing increase with each new season of fasting and prayer.

Physically, there is no doubt that when you eliminate grains and animal products, your body isn’t using as much energy in the food/digestion area which releases it to execute more exciting uses of energy. I will be dabbling more into different food choices and detox strategies later this year that I will write about and keep you informed on, but for now, I just want to encourage you on the power of habit. The Daniel Fast is much more spiritual for us than it is physical, but you can’t separate the two. Some of my food detox journeys and research undertakings have little spiritual focus. They are just me pursuing the best physical and mental me I can be, but without a doubt, every time I’m my best physically and mentally, I’m also my best spiritually. It is a circle.

We ended our 21 days at the end of last week, and yet when faced with what to eat for lunch today, my mind only gave me the options that were “Daniel” approved. It was like I had forgotten that my typical egg sandwich was even an option or that pretzels weren’t “forbidden” foods. Am I cured from my cravings? I doubt it. When my mileage amps up the closer to the marathon we get, you better believe I’ll be elbow deep in all natural ice cream and other treats, but for now my new and reset habit system will allow me to further my health goals with little to no effort on my part.

Because I’ve been making good choices, good choices have become automatic. One decision for a cheeseburger won’t derail my life, because my habits are set. One busy day will not keep me from a life of bible reading and devotions because my  habits are set. There will be occasional steps out of the healthy habit train and that is fine with me. I’m in this for life. I’m not an ethical vegan or vegetarian and I have no known food allergies, therefore I have no real deep and meaningful reason to “deprive” myself.

The cool thing about habits is that once the correct ones are cemented, you don’t feel deprived, ever. Habit makes the automatic wise choice for you 96% of the time and that makes it possible to be “bad” the other times. See, there is no black and white. Gray is where the party is at, but your brain and body won’t let you “party” too much because it will desire to return to its setpoint or habit structure.

God created us for far more than we give ourselves credit for. We are generally so busy fighting our human nature with its impulses and temptations that we forget to lean into the momentum that God has stored up for us. God created our brains and bodies to embrace habit and instead of utilizing this amazing computer program he downloaded into us, we are constantly trying to uninstall the very thing that could take us to the next level.  We stop celebrating how far we’ve come and start seeing how far we have to go.

We label segments of our life into categories:

  • Black and white. Good and bad. Wrong and right. Cold and hot. Pessimism and optimism.

Could it be that many things we weigh ourselves down with mentally, physically, and spiritually were never meant to be categorized? Could it be that we have never embraced gray areas?

We stunt ourselves by not embracing the gray areas. There really is no good or bad. Something is better than nothing. Take it step by step. The reason this lifestyle change has stuck is because I approached it with the lens of legacy and the long journey.

Never stop celebrating how far you’ve come. Always build an altar of memories poised for praise (photos in this blog are to jog my memory and celebrate the journey). Sure there is still a long way to go. Sure there are still mental, emotional, spiritual and physical demons to slay, but what if instead of worrying about the unseen, we just baby step our way to the legacy we want to leave.

One day at a time your habits will change to match your dreams and decisions that once stressed you out will become automatic no brain choices. How would it feel to  use your willpower for greater things than survival mode? What if instead of fighting food cravings and a lack of desire to exercise you could use your energy and will power to fight for social justice? Seem like a leap? It isn’t. You can do it. I did it.

My brain and my body were created for more than considering what to eat and what to wear. God put greatness in me and I’m going to live a long healthy life pursuing his promises, living out my purpose, and declaring hope.

When negative thoughts bombard your mind, say, “I am strong. I am well able. I have what it takes. I can do this.”-Joel Osteen

Fitness, Inspirational, Running, Spiritual, Uncategorized

Endurance: A 4 letter word.

Leave a comment

Through endurance ……. we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another… that together you may with one voice glorify ……Jesus Christ.  (Romans 15:4-7 ESV)

Endurance is a dirty word. Endurance conjures up images that we don’t want to see and emotions that we would rather not feel. We get images, or perhaps flashbacks of personal experiences and traumatic events. Pictures of the sweat soaked, dehydrated athlete, the parents of a newborn child who enjoys frequent 2 AM parties, the years of loneliness and betrayal at the hands of an abuser, or the sleepless nights finishing up a PhD dissertation fill our mind when that cursed word is uttered.  Everyone wants a gold medal, but few want it bad enough to sell out for it.

This week we paused to remember and honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I have had the privilege and simultaneous horror to visit many stops in Alabama that played an epic role in the civil rights struggle of this nation. The truth is, anything worth fighting for is going to leave with it a long trail of tears. Whether the tears are  temper tantrums (because we don’t want to push ourselves, make difficult choices, and get our hands dirty) or legitimate gut wrenching productions doesn’t matter. Ultimately the key to enduring anything is to exercise your “No” muscle (self-denial) and to experience frequent paradigm shifts (perception and thoughts). Dr. King’s dream fueled his passion and was greater to him than momentary discomfort.His bend was to focus on the greater long-term cause than the immediate injustices.

Most people who achieve greatness have done so not in spite of adversity, but because of it. Take the marathon for example. Perhaps if you were in great shape, ate totally clean, had all the stars aligned for you, and were 21 years old you could wake up one day and decide to run a marathon and finish it. You, in fact, would not be able to move the next day, but it would be possible to finish under such circumstances, especially if you didn’t care how long it took you. For the rest of us though, it is the daily discipline of fighting through struggle that prepares us mentally and physically to get the starting line and then subsequently to finish strong.

This is why I love running. It is the ultimate metaphor for life. As a student of the Holy Bible I find so many spiritual and philosophical parallels to life on this earth and physical fitness. Building physical endurance makes mental, emotional, and spiritual endurance easier.

20140122-133734.jpg

If I can run 9 miles in -4 degrees outside (which I did yesterday), then certainly I can let someones snide comments roll off my back. Running helps teach you when and how to react. Your stride matters.

I love how the Bible links endurance and encouragement. The fact of the matter is that if you learn to stretch yourself and push beyond, the encouragement that fills you will be overwhelming and it doesn’t require anybody else. I encourage myself. If you congratulate and encourage me, great and awesome and I love you and I need it. However, if you don’t, it doesn’t ultimately matter because I have proven to myself that I can do anything if I learn to endure.

Perhaps it seems simplistic to link running with the civil rights movement or to great spiritual accomplishments, but the physiology and the psychology are the same.  Endurance brings success which brings encouragement which builds more endurance and that generous helping of encouragement and endurance fuel hope. It’s hard to feel hopeless or stay down for the count when you know that greatness lies within you and the only way to be assured of greatness is to have proven to yourself that you CAN and you WILL. I’ve changed my mind. Endurance is not a dirty word, but it is in fact a 4 letter word: HOPE.

20140119-110800.jpg