life lessons – The April Diaries

The Benefits of Gratitude Journaling And History of Gratitude

Published on March 23, 2023 by The April DiariesLeave a comment

Something that Hugh Jackman swears by every morning, before he even gets out of bed, is gratitude journaling. I can attest that this method of rewiring my brain to be grateful and blissful each day is not only a fun practice but can easily help you get out of a funk.

I’ve been recently trying to change my routine in which I am helping people in my nutrition counseling programs and volunteering my time at We Share Hope to overcome food insecurity. While these seem like positive changes upfront, the change of a routine actually causes cognitive dissonance within the brain. This is, unfortunately, the way for everybody. It’s the same concept when you are trying to change up your diet. Your body just freaks the freak out! (Not to mention give you excess flatulence — yikes!)

The tool(s) that have been helping me are not only keeping myself busy and knowing I’m making positive changes, but also gratitude journaling. Even by listing 3-10 things you are grateful for, you are already putting yourself in that euphoric state, which can set the tone for your entire day. How you spend your mornings affect how your day is going to be.

Now, where exactly did gratitude journaling come about? Well, first of all, gratitude journaling first came about thanks to author Sarah Ban Breathnach. According to a study reported by Mindful.org, gratitude journaling can lead to better sleep and lower blood pressure. With that said, just gratitude journal for health’s sake. And being the neuroscience nerd that I am, gratitude actually boosts serotonin and activates the hypothalamus to produce dopamine. Dopamine is what is known as the “pleasure chemical.” The hormone gratitude releases is oxytocin, also known as the “love drug.”

The word, itself, “gratitude” comes from the Latin word, “gratus” which means “pleasing,” “welcome,” and “agreeable.” The term “gratus” also relates to terms such as “grace” or “gratuity.” Gratitude has been practiced by Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu traditions. (Does anyone else find it strange how Catholicism is not mentioned? There must be some reason. 🤔) Gratitude was first used in the 16th century. The Bible actually mentions gratitude a whopping 157 times. Fun fact: the term “fear not” is used in the Bible 365 times, which as we all know is the same amount of days within a year. Think about this the next time you pray: fear not all year ’round.

With that all said, I invite you to pray and reflect with me: “One friend sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). Let’s be grateful for all that we have, even if it’s how our hair feels after a much-needed shower.

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EMPOWER NOT TOWER: The Tortoise Doesn’t Care About the Hare… Be Like The Tortoise

Published on March 20, 2023 by The April DiariesLeave a comment

When I get tangled in a hurdle of anxiety, after tripping and ultimately tumbling around on the track, (metaphorically speaking — I’m a former three-season runner, remember?); moreover, it’s lonely being an entrepreneur. My dear boyfriend Mark reminded me that “success doesn’t come easily,” to which he is absolutely right. Since the new year began, I became a certified nutritionist and I am building my business from the ground up, not just getting discovered by a coaching program. I also became a radio talk show host to a show that has now become a network. Did I mention I’m basically the next “Selena & Chef” and Julia Child? Yeah, I can’t believe it, either but here I am. It took 26 years and only 3 years out of college (post-pandemic) but I’m finally at peace with where I choose to be in my career. I always knew, somehow, someway, I’d be in the entertainment industry and patch my relationship with food.

We all know the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. The Tortoise wins the race in the end. The Hare is just straight-up arrogant and clouded by its own stupidity. No, this story is not why I became a three-season runner. I bring up this story to remind all of you out there who may feel like you are ostensibly behind in life. You’re not. Some people “get there” quicker than others. But you needn’t compare yourself to them, especially the hares of the world. I’ve known plenty of hares. These “hares” are equivalent to Hailey Bieber and Kylie Jenner. If you haven’t read that post, click here. In the end, they will be always be fans and wannabes.

In retrospect, it took me since 7th grade to be able to be rewarded ” 2015 Catholic Conference All-Star” in my senior year of high school. I’m grateful to be where I am, and I need not rush through life, otherwise I just miss everything and the beauty of it all. And sometimes, the beauty comes from suffering. What do/did we learn? What can we take from those experiences? I’m a very firm believer that everything happens for a reason. In the moment you are kind of like, “WTF!?” However, we must abandon the desire for perfection and see through the eyes of forgiveness and of love. After all, Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe once said, “love alone creates.” And with that said, I would like to share a prayer with all of you that has certainly helped me:

“St. Maximilian, amidst the hate and lonely misery of Auschwitz, you brought love into the lives of fellow captives, and sowed the seeds of hope amidst despair. You bore witness to the world, by word and deed, that only ‘Love alone creates.’

Help me to become more like yourself. With you and Mary and the Church, may I proclaim that only ‘Love alone creates.’ To the hungry and oppressed, the naked and homeless, the scorned and hated, the lonely and despairing, may I proclaim the power of Christ’s love, which endures forever and ever. Amen.”

I write this as I watch Julie & Julia, based on two true stories at once. Amy Adams’ character says in the beginning, “you’re not a writer unless you’re published” and that made me sad. For those of you who haven’t seen the movie, 1) it’s great 2) Amy Adams’ character is struggling as she sits in a cubicle catering to the emotional needs of those affected by the 9/11 attacks. She then gets the idea to start a blog about cooking almost everything in Julia Child’s cookbook. Slow and steady, as she approaches the age of 30, her blog is a huge success.

P.S. if you are looking for low-carb or diabetic-friendly recipes, check out my cookbook here.

IN THE MEDIA: https://www.valleybreeze.com/news/after-near-death-experience-federico-launches-cookbook-talk-shows/article_e5b27d94-aba6-11ed-8519-b7e454c72e2c.html

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Why I’ve Never Been So Wrapped Up In Celebrity Drama Until Selena Gomez Vs. Hailey Bieber & Kylie Jenner

Published on March 2, 2023 by The April Diaries1 Comment

I was never one to be so wrapped up in celebrity drama, despite reading plethoras of fan magazines. Now, I just love inspiring stories about celebrities and the work they do. The one celebrity I’ve always admired was Selena Gomez, aside from my fifth-grade obsession with Miley Cyrus. I still remember the day I received an autographed picture of Selena Gomez in the mail, in response to a piece of fan mail I sent her. I also remember bringing it to school the next day because I wanted to show my friends. They consequently wanted to write to her, too!

Disclaimer: this is not a celebrity gossip story. This is why I am on the technical #TeamGomez versus Hailey Bieber and Kylie Jenner.

I remember when I was in middle school, majority of my female classmates looked down on me because I was somewhat shy and I didn’t wear Abercrombie & Fitch, amongst other things I will never comprehend because it was so childish. What’s even more childish is that Kylie Jenner took to TikTok to shade Selena Gomez for making a silly mistake with her makeup. Jenner and Hailey Bieber went on to make a video saying “I’m not saying she deserved it, but God works…” Gomez responded in return, “I’m too old for this.” And if you ask me, she had the appropriate response.

To be honest, this reminded me so much of my middle school and some of my high school experience. These were the ugliest times to be on social media. Everywhere I looked on social media, boys were mocking me and so were people who were older than I. It wasn’t just on social media. I remember specifically on my first day of high school, I sat down in English class. And let’s just say, my entire course schedule changed and I needed to be put in private school ASAP. I’m not even going to talk about volleyball. Needless to say, I was in hell and I was lucky enough to get out. One of my best friends told me, “you were strong enough to get out.” And honestly I agree because it takes a crap ton of strength to leave a situation that it does to stay in a situation where you are clearly suffering and your mental sanity is being compromised.

What I admire even more, is that Selena Gomez still pursued social media, despite saying she wanted to quit. The poor woman goes through enough as it is, with lupus and the consequent criticism of her weight gain due to her autoimmune disease. The fact that she had to go live on TikTok just to address her weight gain is something no one should have to do. It made me really sad, and I know I’m not the only one.

In short, I’m not saying they deserved it but as Selena’s BFF Taylor Swift sang, “Karma is a god.” I’m not the only person to say this, but Selena is a multi-talented icon, while Bieber and Jenner only have to offer the way they look and their famous families.

And can I just say, I love the fact that anti-bullying is resurfacing, or at least being taken seriously. 🧡

Karma really is a god.

xoxo,

April 💕

BLOG-MAS TUESDAY: Forget The Haters Because People Believe In You

Published on December 13, 2022December 12, 2022 by The April DiariesLeave a comment

“Well no matter what major you choose it’s work.”

I heard this straight-up from an “advisor” in my first year of college. She indubitably despised me. And she said this with an absent-minded smile that underlined just how awful she was and how she didn’t understand my petulant anxiety disorder.

I don’t know where she got the impression that I don’t want to “do the work,” but I can tell you she was WRONG. 🙅🏼‍♀️

Tonight I also heard “people” judge the living 💩 out of Jennifer Coolidge and it made me angry 😤. Why? Person 1 was judging her acting in “White Lotus” AND HER WEIGHT! And person 2 called her a “thirty-year success story.”

Jennifer Coolidge was born in Boston, Massachusetts and went to Emerson College. While she was in college, she wanted to be a dramatic actress like Meryl Streep but instead became a comedic actress.

In 1999, Coolidge got her “big break” at Stifler’s Mom in American Pie. She then went on to play Paulette Bonafonte Parcelle in both Legally Blonde movies. In 2004, she played a supporting role as Fiona Montgomery alongside Hilary Duff in A Cinderella Story. Despite negative critical claims, the movie became a box office hit.

And she recently won a Primetime Emmy Award for her role in White Lotus where she quite literally stole the show by dancing to the music despite her being out of time to accept her award, which is iconic on so many levels and just so her.

Personally, if anyone deserves an Emmy or even an Oscar, it’s her. She actually told Vanity Fair one time that she really wants to be on Broadway, but she never thought she could do it. And this was where I said to myself, “why the heck not?”

And I’m reminded of the time where I actually was sitting in a restaurant in Paris with my classmates in high school and one of my friends said to me, “you know, I used to see you in fashion but now I see you in Science and Business.” Oddly enough, I recently got accepted and I’m actually committing to my studies at an MBA program here in the states at the #1 public ivy in the US.

There was a point in my life where I thought I couldn’t do anything because of what people thought of me. And I’m reminded of a Kate Winslet quote when she accepted her [what is called the] “British Oscar,” She said “a drama teacher told me that I’d do well if I’d settle for the fat girl parts.” And then she’s like “look at me now!” And then she went on to say, “I didn’t listen.” And that’s essentially what I did, and what Jennifer Coolidge did too.

Just so you know, ignorance is not bliss. In fact it makes me and people like Coolidge only work harder.

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BLOG-MAS TUESDAY: We Should Have Listened To Sheryl Crow Years Ago…

Published on December 5, 2022 by The April Diaries1 Comment

Picture this: it is 2005, and Sheryl Crow just came on the radio. It’s her famous “Soak Up The Sun.” We all liked it because we were a) probably conditioned to like it by society or b) we actually found it catchy. I actually fell under group b.

A stanza that we weren’t cognizant of, as second graders was the following:

I don’t have digital
I don’t have diddly squat
It’s not having what you want
It’s wanting what you’ve got.

You’re probably thinking, what do the last two lines mean? So I’m challenging you to think again: when was the last time you were truly grateful for something that you had, that you have always wanted?

For example, I dreamt of a closet full of stunning clothes, living in the city, and the man I have. I have all of the above now, as a 26-year-old. Golly, am I grateful, thankful, and blessed. 💖

I am already abundant 100%, and it doesn’t matter how much I have in my bank account (which, to Sheryl Crow’s lyrics is “diddly squat”). What I don’t want is to constantly be chasing the bone every day by focusing on “want, want, want.” No one ever got by in life that way.

It’s the same thing with success. If you feel successful, you are going to be successful.

That isn’t to say that you should take everything you have for granted. I make sure that I tell my boyfriend that he’s appreciated and that I’m grateful for him. Once upon a time, I craved a man like him. Now, I have him and I’m so lucky and, once again, grateful, thankful, blessed — no need for hashtags.

If you’re writing in your manifestation journal, “manically manifesting,” you’re literally chasing the bone like a dog would. No, I am NOT calling you a bitch, relax. 😂

For example, I manifested living in the city. Though I may not geographically be exactly where I wish to be right now, right now I am grateful that I live near so many stores, restaurants, and especially that grocery store with a Starbucks in it. I remember how much I wanted to be an author. Now, I have three poetry books and one of them is being turned into a movie. I remember in the beginning of the year how much I wanted clients, now I have 4 and I get to launch my first Delicious Life Experience Group Coaching program in January 2023! I remember how much I wanted to speak to people about what I do; I get to speak to aspiring authors in 2023 and I’m speaking on wellness with a new friend this month — twice.

Abundance does not come from a plethora of Starbucks coffee. According to Billie Eilish: “I got everything I wanted,” and life is only going to get better.

So, I challenge you to write down, in your little “catalogue” of yours, what are you grateful for? It’s almost 2023, so you’ll be surprised at how much you’ve accomplished and happened for the greater good.

xoxo,

April 💕

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What my 26 year old self would say to me in 2016

Published on November 4, 2022 by The April Diaries1 Comment

I recently saw an article about Selena Gomez and her new documentary My Mind and Me. Though I have yet to see the documentary and really connect with the actress and producer, I’ve always had some sort of connection with her since Wizards of Waverly Place premiered in 2007. As the Disney Channel started to not align with me anymore I still heard and read about Selena Gomez in fan magazines and on E!. She became mostly known as “Justin Bieber’s girlfriend” to me, which, looking back on it, is a terrible thing to associate her with (no offense to Justin Bieber). It’s mainly terrible because no woman, any female-identifying individual should be primarily known as “so-and-so’s girlfriend/wife.”

Another example is Giselle Bundchen, Tom Brady’s now-ex-wife. When I broke out into the modeling industry at 14 years old, (fun fact, I was a model and starved myself in the process), my mom told me about Giselle’s “discovery story.” She was discovered in her hometown in Brazil when she was selling ice cream. She was mainly known to the media, nonetheless the public eye, as “Victoria’s Secret Model who married Tom Brady.”

Now, what do these high-profile celebrities have to do with me in 2016? In 2016, I got out of a terrible relationship that was insidiously controlling. I remember when the guy and I were dating, someone had asked me at a college party, “are you so-and-so’s girlfriend?” But that’s just an addendum to the story. In the last few months into that relationship, I felt more or less like a beard that just had to be maintained, until I was thankfully and metaphorically “shaved off.” I would give that 20-year-old a huge hug and tell her the following:

“Listen, you really do have your entire life in front of you. Use it to every part of your advantage. You’re only at the beginning of the golden decade. And believe me when I say that MS was not the ‘love of your life.’ In fact, you’ll meet him when you’re 25. As far as who you are, you’re a writer. Own it. You’re blog is internationally known, and according to high-profile recruiters, you exude confidence. You are more confident than you ever have been, or least tricked yourself into thinking. One day, you will be done with being the reporter, and be on the other side of an interview. And who knows? One of your books might just be turned into a movie!”

I’d be lying if I said that this post did not make me muster up a ton of courage and even make me shed two tears. However, it’s like The Wizard of Oz. Each one member of that quad, the lion, the scarecrow, the tin man, and Dorothy all had their powers all along. In fact, Dorothy was given those ruby slippers just to make her feel confident.

20-year-old April, and for any 20-year-old reading this, this one is for you. Enjoy this song, an oldie but a goodie.

Happy six years of this blog. 🥳

xoxox,

April 💕

Mastering Productivity

Published on October 19, 2022 by The April DiariesLeave a comment

Productivity is like visiting another country, or at least mastering a new language. You must read up, know the “hacks” for easy traveling, and the “hacks” to having a beneficial experience, even if you’re in another country for just a few days. I remember when I visited Southern France; I got pointed and laughed at by a clique of French natives because I was trying to explain to the food vendor that I wanted a pizza and not a panini. It did not help that I did not know a word of French. Talk about an “Emily in Paris” moment!

Though I am not fluent in French (yet), I strive to learn at least 6-7 languages like my new accountability advisor, best-selling author Alejandra Marques. Also, I want to focus more on my writing because, well, I’m a writer! As far as nutrition school went, it was more of an “oops” than a “what if I didn’t try?” I tried to keep my Spanish double major when I transferred to RWU, but it just did not work out because I went a semester without speaking the language. That was more of a “what if?” However, I have my entire life to learn languages. Languages are beautiful and they are stunning, more importantly, they are fun.

Adaptability and intelligence are amazing concepts of the brain. You need them both to master a language and to master productivity. I could write a whole list down of all the things I would just die to do, besides worry about my diabetes. I’m not going to spend three months being sick, physically and mentally. I’m not going to worry about what my A1C could possibly be on a daily basis. Diabetes is NOT a hobby. Diabetes does NOT define me. Let’s be real, I’ll sure as hell have more energy than being bogged down by limiting beliefs because I’m considered “ill.”

Kings, queens, and those in-between, today is the day I no longer make diabetes a full-time job.

What would you do if you had mastered productivity? Don’t forget to reward yourself each week if not every day.

Don’t spend the rest of 2022 in a state of “what if?”

xoxo,

April 💕

10 Dorothy Day Quotes For Business Owners and Entrepreneurs

Published on October 18, 2022 by The April Diaries2 Comments

I know I’ve been MIA on the blog recently and I am sorrrryyyy. But I have been working and doing some rearrangements and rebranding to my business, “Brownies For Breakfast.” I’ve come to the realization that I love a good cup of coffee and, of course, writing. I used to think of writing as something that made me sad. But in fact, storytelling is my favorite thing to do, especially on social media. Why not combine the two!? It’s a sad fact of life when you’ve painted over a perfectly carved statue in the raw. Feel free to quote me on that.

I came across an Instagram post that had the caption of a Dorothy Day quote. I remember when I tried to start a “Dorothy Day Collective” on my former alma mater’s campus. Years later, after I transferred, I talked to someone and she said “perhaps people didn’t understand what it was you were doing.” Oddly enough, Dorothy Day had the same experience when she founded the Catholic Worker Movement.

With my business and writing on the brain recently, nonetheless Dorothy Day, I compiled a list of Dorothy Day quotes that hopefully will inspire my fellow entrepreneurs to keep going.

“The greatest challenge of the day is: how to bring about a revolution of the heart, a revolution which has to start with each one of us?”
“We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community.”
“Don’t worry about being effective. Just concentrate on being faithful to the truth.”
“Our problems stem from our acceptance of this filthy, rotten system.”
“There is plenty to do, for each one of us, working on our own hearts, changing our own attitudes, in our own neighborhoods.”
“I do not know how to love God except by loving the poor. I do not know how to serve God except by serving the poor…. Here, within this great city of nine million people, we must, in this neighborhood, on this street, in this parish, regain a sense of community which is the basis for peace in the world.”
“Turn off your radio. Put away your daily paper. Read one review of events a week and spend some time reading good books. They tell too of days of striving and of strife. They are of other centuries and also of our own. They make us realize that all times are perilous, that men live in a dangerous world, in peril constantly of losing or maiming soul and body. We get some sense of perspective reading such books. Renewed courage and faith and even joy to live.”
“The biggest mistake sometimes is to play things very safe in this life and end up being moral failures.”
“You can spend your time agonizing or organizing.”
“You will know your vocation by the joy that it brings you. You will know. You will know when it’s right.”

Unpacking the box and taking out the itchy, fuzzy blanket of childhood

Published on October 2, 2022October 2, 2022 by The April DiariesLeave a comment

Today is the day I started to write regularly in a journal that has zero to do with manifestation. I came across a YouTube video about how one girl successfully did Virginia Woolf’s journaling routine for a month. Something I found, as professional writer, is that writing pen-to-paper is not only more aesthetically pleasing to the eye but to the brain. With that, I asked my mother to give me three words: 1) itchy 2) fuzzy and 3) blanket. She says to me, “that’s easy!” Yet, she doesn’t know what I’m going to do with these words.

I take off my blue light blockers because I’m not in front of a screen for what I challenged myself to do for an hour — maybe more. Although at the time, I was itching to to get my laptop to type, as Bartleby the Scrivener said, “I prefer not to.” Apparently, a “thing” about my head feeling “fuzzy” is that I am a lot of the times, in front of a screen. Funny how social media became a blanket of comfort to millennials and generations after.

I began to think about this Sex and the City episode where Samantha does PR for Jenny Briar’s bat mitzvah party. What I found appalling was that she– maybe it was the fact her fictional father was a famous restauranteur, or she was just assertive– buys Samantha, Carrie, and Miranda champagne. Champagne. She (Jenny Briar) looked and dressed just as I did in 7th grade. I was 13 in 7th grade, and my dad had a catering business in Massachusetts back when brochures were the way of getting people’s attention. That is, until he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, just a couple of weeks shy before Christmas.

The whole premise of that episode was to just be grateful you have/had a childhood. My childhood consisted of clothes from Limited Too, shopping sprees at the mall (not online), and video games on a GameBoy, then the Nintendo DS, and finally I remember the day my brother came home with a Wii. That was a good day because that same day, I had my friends over for what we used to call “playdates.”

Those devices haven’t been used since I would just randomly pick up a Wii remote out of boredom of not studying, or watching Pretty Little Liars, or a track meet, all in high school; or at least my sophomore year.

Towards the end of the episode, Samantha had to be the adult and intervene Jenny and her friends’ “adult talk” about the guys from NSYNC. They quite literally said “I’m going to ‘screw’ that NYSNC guy!” Except, they did not say the word “screw.”

As I uncover the blanket of what was underneath my childhood, I realize something important: you do not have to worry so much about growing up when you are 12 or 13. However when you’re 14, I highly recommend you mature before someone has the chutzpah to slap you.

I realize something else: when I was working at Dollar Tree at the beginning of the pandemic, and my manager asked me what I liked to do for fun, it dawned on me, “damn, after 4-5 years of college, I forgot what I actually like to do!”

Although my eyes are not “fuzzy” anymore after the first day of this challenge, I cleared the dust bunnies that were on top of box: my childhood. The best thing is, I needn’t rehearse this in my head for a YouTube video.

xoxo,

April 💕

The Truth About ‘Overnight Success’ | How To Be

Published on August 19, 2022 by The April DiariesLeave a comment

I opened up an email from renowned fitness trainer Jill Coleman today, and it was my personal dose of tough love. The quote I’m about to share with you should be, too.

“A life spent looking for shortcuts is a long road to nowhere.” –Naval

Picture this: you’re young and at the park, and you’re on the monkey bars. You jump down halfway through because your hands hurt. Then you just walk to to the other side of the obstacle.

I don’t blame your hands for hurting, but this is the thing about all areas of life, including your health and well-being (and even manifestation!): you have to build the calluses on your hands and on the trauma you’ve experienced. You can ruminate on what you could’ve done differently all you want, but you can’t change who you were yesterday.

View the whole Instagram post here.

There is another quote I’d like to share that Natalie Portman quoted in this video (a speech she gave to Harvard graduates); “To be or not to be is not the question; the vital question is how to be,” said by Abraham Joshua Heschel. This will certainly question your thoughts and what you’ve learned about Shakespeare’s Hamlet, which is why I LOVE to question things that mildly brought me to tears (and not in a good way) (LOL). I love questioning the world around me in general, which is why I will forever be a lifelong learner.

I don’t just learn from books and podcasts, I learn from my past mistakes and I learn from the people around me — digitally or via in-person connections. That’s the beauty of the digital world, specifically social media and the ever-growing metaverse.

Let us think about how to be, shall we?

We’re taught from a young age about how to live our lives, mainly from our parents and the environment we grow up in. Let’s take Liz Murray for example. I’m continuously fascinated by her story. She is the brave young woman in the famous not-so-overnight-success-story “Homeless To Harvard.”

As a young girl, Murray lives with her sister Lisa, their drug-addicted, schizophrenic mother Jean, who has AIDS and their father Peter, also a drug addict but also has AIDS, lacks social skills, and is not conscientious. She is removed from the home and put into the care system as her father cannot take care of her.

At 15 she moves in with her mother, sister and grandfather who sexually abused her mother and her aunt. After a fight with her grandfather who resultantly hit Liz, she runs away with a girl from school named Chris who is also being abused at home.

After Jean dies of AIDS, Liz gets a ‘slap in the face’ by her mother’s death and begins her work to finish high school, which she amazingly completed in just two years. She becomes a star student and earns a scholarship to Harvard University through an essay contest sponsored by The New York Times.

In a nutshell, we can succumb to our environments as real-life victims of naturalism, or we can live our best lives. But we must put in the work to do so. It’s about building the calluses around who we used to be and the trauma we experienced and making things better for ourselves.

This, my friends, is strength and courage. I said this before and I’ll say it again, Elle Woods was right when she said, “passion is the key ingredient to the practice […] of life.”

This is also why people call me the #QuoteQueen. 👑

xoxo,

April 💕