Originally intended to simply focus on book reviews, over time, KaliDesautelsReads has morphed into its own entity.
I write about issues that are near to my heart, be they political, feminist, motherhood, mental health, or, as the title holds, books.
A thirty-something Canadian woman in my mid-thirties, I have been “super married” to my high school sweetheart since 2006, and together we have two crazy, clever, kind, hilarious, wonderful kids.
My first book – How Not To Blog: Finding Myself, One Post at a Time is available on Amazon (in eBook formats for you clever tech readers, and paperback for those of us who love that new book smell!)
I have tried a podcast – it’s still on Apple and Google Podcasts – but writing is where my heart is.
My life changed dramatically when my husband was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer in 2018, and I am now a writer for a leading Canadian Cancer Non-Profit.
I am lucky enough to have a family that loves me and pushes me to be my best, even if it is outside of my cushiony comfort zone. I have a village of friends that nourish me, mentally, and spiritually.
Welcome to my thoughts. Sit down. Stay a while. Enjoy a cup of coffee!
On this episode of “What On Earth Are They Talking About?” My children seek to tell each other they each more nuts than the other. Turns out, my son has a bizarre way of insulting his sister, and my daughter apparently needs a better musical education…
As humans, we tend to be on the competitive side. We pick a target and decide to beat it at all costs. We tear others who are succeeding down; we compare ourselves and make noises about how our choices are better, our skills are stronger, our drive better… but in this way, we all lose. When we push someone down to feel bigger, all we do is prove that we were not capable in the first place. …
I would like to suggest… no, scratch that, I would like to say that we NEED to champion each other. When our coworker gets promoted we CHEER; when our brother has a new baby we APPLAUD; when our best friend makes it through a hard season, we are PROUD. Can we make this the way of the world? Please?? Reposting @fancymiamour_styles: – via @Crowdfire
It has taken me all day to figure out what to write for this post. Jenna Kutcher’s interview with Jen Gotch spoke to my heart and I knew I needed to post about it, but I didn’t know what exactly to say, so that I could fully express myself. ⠀
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Here goes – if you know me, or have followed along with my story for a while then you know that mental health is something about which I am very vocal. I share my personal struggles and I advocate for the awareness and destigmatization of mental illnesses; I can relate to and I can also discuss what mental wellness looks like for me, and for others. Today’s Goal Digger Podcast resonated so hard with me because I could hear myself speaking through Jen Gotch’s words. A lifetime of undiagnosed anxiety? Check. A baseline mood that is kept steady by medication and self care? Check. The underlying concern that when things are on the up that there will inevitably be a down? Check. Looking back and recognizing seasons of mental illness even as a young child? Check. The desire to use my own story to bring people to a safe space where they can feel comfortable sharing their pain and triumphs? Check, check, check.⠀
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One of the most significant things that I have taken away from today’s podcast is the fact that mental illness and success do not need to be mutually exclusive. Denying my health to achieve my goals is not a requirement, nor is it a sustainable strategy for long term and satisfaction. I can hustle and rock my work and my dreams, but I can also lay down and say that today is just not a good day. Heck, sometimes it can even happen in the same day!! The point is that speaking your truth, getting your rest and knowing what is best for YOU is how you can and will succeed at whatever your purpose is in life, and Jen Gotch is a perfect model of this. Thank you, Jenna and Jen for this beautiful, affirming interview. I really, really needed this today. ⠀
Are you clear and focussed on what you need? What you want? Where you want to go? Where you want to be? Are you intentional? These are things I am learning on a daily basis.
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Also – did you know Brendon Burchard is giving away copies of his bestselling book High Performance Habits for FREE?? Seriously! No strings! Follow the tag and go check out his feed!!! #quotes #quote #quoteoftheday #quotestags #quotestagram #quotestoliveby #life #mylife #work #keepgoing #rockit #rockin #words #wordsofwisdom #love #family #blogger #blog #books #bookstagram #reading #ready #follow #liker #likeme #lfl #sfs #f4f #kalidesautelsreads #followforfollow
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Do you know the difference between wasting time and time well wasted? Time well wasted is when you decide that you will sit in your comfy chair and scroll through insta for 20 mins, or read a book, or sit outside with your coffee and your thoughts. You are not being productive, but you are engaging in self care and this is never a waste of time. Wasting time is what is included in this list – these are things that you do not particularly enjoy, that have no value and that do not further your life or happiness in any respect. …
Do you waste your time on any of these? I know that I am guilty of trying to solve people’s problems, doing things to make others happy that do not make me happy at all, trying to “win” conversations, just because I want to be the “most right”, complaining about things that if I spent time fixing would no longer be an issue. …
Morning! Whole wheat toast with vegan cream “cheese”, and cinnamon apple butter? Ummmm… yes, please??? I loooooove Apple cinnamon everything. Seriously. You could give me a bowl of mush and if it smelled like apple cinnamon, I would probably eat it. The cream cheese is so nice and tangy, providing a yummy layer of creamy deliciousness that is made all the more amazing because it is dairy free!⠀
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Double tap if this looks like a tasty option for breakfast or a morning snack!! 😋⠀
On this episode of “What On Earth Are They Talking About?” My children seek to tell each other they each more nuts than the other. Turns out, my son has a bizarre way of insulting his sister, and my daughter apparently needs a better musical education…
Kali J Desautels 