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Black lives matter. #blackouttuesday 🖀 To continue learning & growing I invite you fight feed fatigue by taking a pause in your usual scrolling and checking out these accounts: @moemotivate @laylafsaad @rachel.cargle @mspackyetti @theconsciouskid @nowhitesaviors
The most impactful thing I can do right now, as a white woman, is to pave a way for the voices of powerful black women like these to be heard: @moemotivate @laylafsaad @rachel.cargle @mspackyetti I have to admit
 I’ve been nervous and I’ve been putting off posting about what’s going on back home here on social media. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘎𝘢𝘺? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘎𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘊 𝘞𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘚 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘚? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘫𝘶𝘎𝘵 𝘀𝘰𝘮𝘊𝘎 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘞𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘚? And you know what, that, right there is where 𝐈 𝐚𝐊 𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠. Because 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐮𝐭 𝐊𝐞. And while, yes, I've built this community to have a voice, and “opting out is a privilege” this is not about what 𝑰 have to say. And frankly, I don’t know what to say or how to react, because I haven’t yet done the work. I’m late to the party. I’ve only very recently started making the intentional effort. In the past few days I’ve learned so much, but it’s just a start. While it may seem like I’m “calling myself out” (which I am), what I’m also doing is “𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐫,” as my beautiful and strong coach/mentor @hayleyjmckenzie has helped me to do in all aspects of my life. I’ve realised that here, in this circumstance, the most powerful thing that I can do is 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞, and allow the experts, and those who have done the work to lead the conversation. So, let's pass the mic 🎀 to the revolutionary women tagged above. I will be sharing some of their posts that I’ve found extremely eye-opening today in my stories, but these women are endless resources for all of us, if you’re ready to educate yourself.‹‹Follow them, learn from them, support them, but please don’t reach out to or DM them. It’s our responsibility to do the work, not theirs to teach us. (𝘐𝘯 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘎𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘊𝘯𝘀𝘺, ⬅𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘎 𝘪𝘎 𝘎𝘰𝘮𝘊𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘚 𝘐 𝘭𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘊𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘎𝘵 𝘳𝘊𝘀𝘊𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 
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✹“How does this ______ support the woman I’m becoming?” . 𝘍𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘊 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘬 [___] — 𝘥𝘊𝘀𝘪𝘎𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘊, 𝘀𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘚𝘊, 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘀𝘩𝘢𝘎𝘊, 𝘫𝘰𝘣, 𝘊𝘵𝘀. . This is a question I often ask myself. One that I thoroughly work through before making any big decision, and one that I consider when I’m at a crossroads. It’s also a question I ask the women I work with. . One of my core values as a coach is that “through alignment and intentional action, you have the power to design the life you desire.” Answering this question helps you intentionally make decisions that promote your growth and forward momentum. By acting from the beliefs and perspectives of your future self, you are in turn becoming that person. . Wondering what this looks like in practice? Here are two personal examples: . ➀ In October I signed an apartment contract with my boyfriend here in Madrid, before having my visa situation figured out. I wasn’t sure exactly how I was going to make my move happen, but I saw myself living in that beautiful, open, and airy apartment by January 2020. . And so, I honored future Lauren, and I signed that contract. By mid-January, I was unpacking my suitcase and setting up my new home office IN MADRID. . ➀ When launching my coaching business, that pesky doubtful voice in my head was relentless. I started to wonder if I should take on another freelance marketing client, to feel more financially secure while starting out. My mentor helped me see that I was channeling a lot of my precious time and energy into revamping my resume, networking for marketing clients, and searching through open positions. . Was this lateral step truly moving me in the direction of where I wanted to be? Or was it the fear of failure kicking in? I stopped my search. Within the first week of creating space for forward momentum, I had 3 new, paying, COACHING clients. . Moral of the story: decisions that take you further along your desired path are often scary. They’re often a stretch, and a leap of faith. BUT if they’re made in alignment with what you truly want, they’re also a huge leap in the right direction. . ➡What can you do to support the person you want to become?
🥂Here in Madrid we’ve officially entered Phase 1 of Corona quarantine de-escalation!!⁠ ⁠ That means: 👯‍♀ We can now gather in groups of up to 10 people [while respecting social distance]⁠ 🍻 Restaurants and terraces are open for business again [at 50% capacity]⁠ 🏃🏌‍♀There’s no more 1 hour limit on outdoor exercise⁠ ⁠ There’s still a long way to go, but we’re making moves in the right direction. Slowly easing back into the Spain I know and love 💪🇪🇞❀⁠ ⁠ The beauty of the Spanish culture lies in their social way of life. It’s all about meeting up with friends for an afternoon caña 🍺, enjoying a 3-hour meal 🥘over wine 🍷and “sobremesa,” overcrowding sidewalk terraces, and loud chitter-chatter 💃🏌into the wee hours of the night 
⁠ ⁠ ⬆𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 is the Spain that grabbed a firm hold of my heart and beckoned me back to Madrid.⁠ ⁠ Needless to say, my long-awaited return to Madrid was not at all what I'd envisioned. Instead, just after arriving, the city streets of Madrid became an eerie scene of fear and abandonment. The only human life present was scurrying masked adults overtly avoiding each other.⁠ ⁠ The past few months have been INTENSE, but they’ve also been really eye-opening. Actually, in spite of all the social-distance, I feel 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐊𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫.⁠ ⁠ And so, I hope we’ll all walk away from this a bit stronger. A bit more humble, and a bit more clear on what’s truly important.⁠ ⁠ ➡What do you hope to take away from this experience?
My face when someone asks: “When are you going to come back and join the rest of us in the real world?” 🀔#expatproblems⁠ ⁠ When I first moved abroad 7 years ago, I used to get questions like this ALL the time from friends and family back home. They'd "jokingly" say things like:⁠ ⁠ ➀ “When are you coming back home to get a 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 job?”⁠ ➀ “When are you going to settle down and start your 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 life?”⁠ ➀ “When are you going to decide where you 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 want to live?"⁠ ⁠ I never understood. What was so 𝒇𝒂𝒌𝒆 about my life abroad? 😬⁠ ⁠ Now I can easily brush questions like these off, but back then, when I was just starting my journey, they stung. Not only were they hurtful and confusing, but they made me question my choices. Was I doing something wrong? 🀷🏌⁠ ⁠ Well, here I am, 7 years later, still living this "fake" abroad life of mine. 😂And my experience has been 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 eye-opening.⁠ ⁠ I've realized that my life abroad is NOT:⁠ ❌ A Phase⁠ ❌ An Extended Vacation⁠ ❌ An excuse to escape the "real world"⁠ ❌ An exit plan to run from problems back home⁠ ⁠ So what 𝒊𝒔 my life abroad? I'm glad you asked! 😜 Because it’s just PLAIN OLD LIFE, in another country of course. ⁠ ⁠ I still set my morning alarm way too early. I still live by a schedule and spend most days working. I still run errands, go to the grocery store, the pharmacy, and occasionally to the doctor. I still pay rent and pay bills 🙄⁠ ⁠ The only difference is, I no longer question my choices. I've intentionally designed the life I once only dreamed about. And today that dream, and this life, feel pretty damn 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 to me. ❀⁠
This is what happens when I remember I LIVE IN MADRID 😜🎉⁠ ⁠ I can remember so many sleepless nights longing to move back here. Years researching and plotting my return. For so long it seemed impossible. So close, but just out of reach.⁠ ⁠ And now, here I am. Once again calling my beloved Madrid, HOME ❀⁠ ⁠ Although this isn’t the “glorious return” that I had envisioned, I'm here. And that's what 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 matters.⁠ ⁠ I'm still not sure exactly 𝙝𝙀𝙬 I made this dream of mine a reality. All I know is that 𝗜 𝗰𝗵𝗌𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗌 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗰𝗌𝘂𝗹𝗱. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. The rest, well, it fell into place.⁠ ⁠ I now know that the energy and intentions I put out into the world are more powerful than I ever could have imagined. I have the power to design the life I desire. [and so do you! 🀓]⁠ ⁠ When we choose to believe in ourselves and live our lives with intention, so much is possible. ⁠ ⁠ Don't take my word for it, try it out yourself 😋💪🏌 . . ✹ If you’re interested in how I can help you design the life you desire ➡ send me a DM 💌
Heyoooo [new] friends, I’m Lauren! If you’re new around these parts, it’s SO nice to e-meet you and I’m so happy you’re here! 🀗👋 . I’ve been LOVING all the genuine connections I’ve been making on this platform over the past few months. Instagram used to be a semi-toxic environment for me. I let myself get caught up in the self-comparison game and began holding myself to impossible standards. But lately, I’ve found that all that’s really shifted. Recently I’ve been able to find the good here. If you use it in the right way, Instagram can provide an extremely supportive community of like-minded new friends. I made a commitment to myself to quit striving for perfection, and JUST BE ME. Who would have thought that letting my guard down, sharing my story, and getting more real here on Instagram would lead to the connections I had been striving for all along. And so, in the spirit of keeping things REAL, here are 3 fun [& silly] facts about me that you may not know:. . 🐶 I’m totally, completely, and overwhelmingly dog-obsessed. I’m that weirdo in the street following you and trying to talk to / touch your dog. [Sorry, not sorry.] I could scroll through photos and videos of golden retrievers on social media for hours on end. . 😎 I’m a compulsive napper. I can nap pretty much anywhere at any time and try to get in a 15-minute power nap at least once a day. In cars, forget about it- cars are my weakness and rock me right into a deep slumber. I’ve been known to fall asleep on a 5-minute drive to the supermarket 
 . 👁I broke my orbital bone [that tiny really delicate bone under your eye] while horsing around with friends in high school and saw two of everything for almost a whole year. 😂[I can laugh about it now 
] I have a plastic implant in my head and if you look closely you’ll see that my eyes are actually two different sizes. 👀 I used to be REALLY self-conscious about this and try to hide it, but I’ve come to accept that that’s just my face and if peeps don’t like it they don’t have to look 😜 🀟🏌 . . I truly love connecting with and getting to know YOU! So, please, introduce yourself below and drop some fun[ny] facts. ⬇⬇ Or if you’d rather, send me a DM 💌
This week I’m traveling through my tastebuds to 𝗜𝗊𝗥𝗔𝗘𝗟! ✈🇮🇱⁠ ⁠⠀ While travel is certainly off the table right now ⁠⠀ [𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘎𝘵 𝘀𝘢𝘯𝘀𝘊𝘭𝘭𝘊𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘚𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘊 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘊 𝘊𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘎 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩 😭], I’ve been looking for creative ways to keep my curious travel spirit satisfied. That usually means whipping up some international eats in the kitchen. 👩🏌‍🍳⁠ ⁠⠀ And so, today I’m finally sharing my 𝗊𝗛𝗔𝗞𝗊𝗛𝗚𝗞𝗔 recipe! 🍅🍳🌶⁠ ⁠⠀ This Israeli and Middle Eastern dish has become one of my brunch go-to’s. It’s SO easy to make, healthy, and a real crowd-pleaser. 😜⁠ ⁠⠀ I’ve been working on perfecting my unique twist on a Shakshuka recipe for a while now, and I’m proud to say that I finally got it! Of course, there’s always room for improvement, but I’m happy with it. 😬This recipe features poached eggs in a spiced tomato sauce with chopped spinach and crumbled feta. I love to serve it with warm crusty bread and hot sauce. 🀀⁠ ⁠⠀ ✅Save this post to try my 𝗊𝗶𝗺𝗜𝗹𝗲 𝗊𝗜𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗊𝗵𝗮𝗞𝘀𝗵𝘂𝗞𝗮 ➡⁠ ⁠⠀ Have you ever tried Shakshuka? If not, would you like to? ⬇⬇
Excuse me while I photosynthesize real quick 🀪☀⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ This past weekend, after 𝟓𝟎 𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐚𝐟 𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐞'𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞, I went outside.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Saturday night, minutes after participating in our daily 8 PM applause, thousands of Spaniards hit the streets. And oh man, DID IT FEEL GOOD.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ 🏃🏌‍♀For me, exercise, specifically running, is my main means of self-care. It's my "me time." It's how I keep my stress and anxiety at bay. It's when I clear my head and think. It's often when I experience my most intense surges of inspiration. It's everything.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Sitting here, writing this right now, I have tears in my eyes. This simple freedom of being allowed to get outside and run means I can breathe again. 🙏🏌⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ This experience has challenged ALL of us in some way. It's pushed us to our breaking point and forced us to look inward to muster a strength many of us didn't realize we possessed.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ But it's also given us the opportunity to feel, to think, and to sit with ourselves. To appreciate and find beauty in the little things that we often look over, that we often take for granted.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Things like:⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ☀ Feeling the intense warmth of the sun on your skin⁠⠀ 🚶🏌‍♀Going for a walk or run while listening to a good playlist⁠⠀ 🌞 The way the beginning of spring smells⁠⠀ ❀ The warm tingly feeling you get when you embrace loved ones⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ It hasn't been easy my friends. I'm with you there.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ BUT I have hope that we're on our way out of the darkest of these very dark days. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙚 𝙩𝙀𝙀 𝙚𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙖𝙚𝙚 🙌🏌⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⬇⬇How are you holding up? What's giving you energy or hope this week?