Bali, cookie thief, and a lesson I needed

Now, before you imagine me zip-lining through the jungle like Indiana Jones in yoga pants, I should mention that my surgeon gave me the big “nope” on ATVs and white-water rafting. Apparently, being not quite 8 weeks post-disc replacement surgery means I need to avoid anything that sounds like a bad insurance claim 😂 So instead, I will be soaking up the greenery, culture, and climate, which honestly is exactly what my body and soul need right now.

And hey, if you have ever been to Bali, hit reply and tell me what your absolute favorite thing was. I want to know what not to miss (bonus points if it is something my surgeon would actually approve of).

A Poem That Made Me Smile This Week:

I stumbled back across a poem I had read years ago, and it hit me all over again. It is called “The Cookie Thief” by Valerie Cox and it is such a good reminder that sometimes the story we think we are living is not the truth at all.

Here it is:

A woman was waiting at an airport one night,
With several long hours before her flight
She hunted for a book in the airport shops.
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop

She was engrossed in her book but happened to see,
That the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be.
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between,
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.

So she munched the cookies and watched the clock,
As the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,
Thinking, “If I wasn’t so nice, I would blacken his eye.”

With each cookie she took, he took one too,
When only one was left, she wondered what he would do
With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh,
He took the last cookie and broke it in half

He offered her half, as he ate the other,
She snatched it from him and thought.. oooh, brother
This guy has some nerve and he’s also rude,
Why he didn’t even show any gratitude!

She had never known when she had been so galled,
And sighed with relief when her flight was called
She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate,
Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.

She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat,
Then she sought her book, which was almost complete
As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise,
There was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes

If mine are here, she moaned in despair,
The others were his, and he tried to share.
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief

How many times in our lives have we absolutely known that something was a certain way, only to discover later that what we believed to be true was not?

This little story gave me perspective and a laugh, so I hope it gives you one too. 💖

What You Might Have Missed This Week…

The Hormone Masterclass with Dr. Anna Cabeca
Oh my goodness. Our live class together on navigating menopause was INCREDIBLE. If you caught it, you know. If you missed it… well, we only shouted about it 5 gazillion times across email and social, lol. The good news: the replay is still up for a very short time. You can grab it here.

🎥 On Youtube

This week I dropped not one but two videos diving into supplements. Where they are helpful, where they are not, and what I personally do. If you have ever wondered if you are over-spending on pills that are not doing squat, you will want to watch these here.

OH!!! And if you do not have it yet… DO NOT forget to download my free supplement guide. I update it every 90 days so you can always see my current recommendations. Grab it here.

🎙️ On the Podcast

I sat down with Ashleigh to talk all about neuroscience and pain. This one is personal. Her work was a game-changer for me during my surgery recovery, and I share exactly how. Tune in on Apple, on Spotify, or watch by clicking below 👇

📱 On Instagram

Even if you missed the class with Anna, you cannot miss the hilarious videos we made promoting it. Honestly, they are reason enough to go watch. Check them out here!

❤️ What I Am Loving Right Now

My carry-on to Bali is stocked with Kion Aminos. Here is the deal: I have no clue what my food situation will be there, AND I do know that 25 hours of flying is going to likely have my body CRANKY haha! So recovery and hitting my  protein needs is going to be critical 🚨 These aminos are my insurance policy, and they taste really good too. I will be sipping them on the plane and beyond.

Check them out here if you have not yet (and psssst…you can use code NATALIEJILL to save!)

So that is my week: surgery-safe Bali plans, cookie wisdom, masterclass magic, and amino packets tucked next to my passport.

Talk soon! Next time from Bali 😍

Natalie Jill