Step Up to the Plate of L.I.F.E. (Living in Full Excellence)

Spiritual Fitness and Spiritual Nutrition 

Nutrition plays an integral role in our survival and overall well-being. What we consume, or neglect to consume, shapes our being in ways beyond measure. The power of balanced spiritual nutrition is a delicate dance, for too little or too much of certain nutrients which are substances that provide nourishment essential for growth; can lead to a host of afflictions that affect your emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical selves, resulting in Spiritual Malnutrition. You are what you eat. This pertains not only to physical food but also to what you feed your spirit and mind. When you are malnourished, it means you lack the proper energy and nutrients to help you grow and heal when going through life challenges and stresses. When life starts life-ing and you’re spiritually unfit it can cause an imbalance in the four core areas of your life: resulting in chaos and confusion, lack of peace and joy, unfulfillment, unproductivity, and fear all which can lead to depression and anxiety.

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In 2010, while going through a season of homelessness, God and spiritual fitness is what kept me in my 'right mind' and pushing forward as I used what I deemed rock bottom as a launching pad that felt like a trampoline many years after this experience. I received a download from God to spiritualize food in a way that compared it to a four-course meal. While in Ubuntu, a shelter I resided in for single mothers, one of our chores was to plan and cook dinner for the other mothers and children. This was a time, where we all came together as one. My passion for cooking and food, coupled with the belief that, much like music, food serves as a universal language, motivated me to develop Step Up to the Plate of LIFE™ and Life's Four-Course Meal™.

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I initially conceived this concept as a method to address the imbalance the four fundamental aspects and foundations of my life, that were consistently causing challenges during my twenties and thirties. I likened these areas to a four-course meal, drawing a parallel to the typical dining experience at a restaurant where an appetizer precedes the main course, followed by a salad, and concluding with dessert. Just as a well-rounded meal leaves you feeling satiated and content, your life can be viewed through the lens of a four-course meal™, with the degree of attention given to each aspect determining your overall sense of fulfillment. Delve further to gain a deeper understanding of this analogy.

Your appetizer course on the menu of L.I.F.E. corresponds to your Health and Wellness. This course focuses on YOU. While this focus may appear self-centered to some, it serves as an invitation to reconnect with your inner child essence. At birth, our primal instincts prioritize our individual needs and desires without concern for external perceptions You get back to that attitude in this course. Overindulgence in this course may foster selfishness, whereas insufficient attention may lead to feelings of insecurity low self-esteem and inauthenticity. What you feed this area of your life will enhance your relationship and overall health around yourself. This includes mental, physical, and emotional health, self-love and self-care, self-development, self-awareness, self-confidence, and more. In a restaurant, the appetizer is the first course to get the party started and whet your appetite while giving you the desire to want more food. The quality of the appetizer often hints at the overall dining experience. A lackluster appetizer may indicate the level of nourishment and quality to expect from subsequent courses. This also applies to yourself, once you get a 'taste' of who you really are, especially in the eyes of God, you are going to want more out of life. You also communicate to the world how to consume you by how you treat and what you feed yourself in this area.