Friday 29 August 2014

We are all travellers on planet Earth

Like inimitable snowflakes, we are all a unique specimens with distinctive emotions, features, hopes and struggles. This planet has one type of person on it, the human person. We spend so much time in this mental comparison, actively and subconsciously separating ourselves out from the pack, noting our many differences and individual tendencies and often placing judgement on these qualifiers.This judgement interrupts our perception of the world around us and makes us feel different and alone. Each time we open up and listen to other points of view or practice empathy and loving kindness to others regardless of sexual orientation, religious influences, career choices,parenting skills, or even wardrobe decisions we practice living as one. One love as the wonderful Bob Marley shared with us via song. Thank you for listening to my inspirations and following me on my journey. You are practicing acceptance and it is a beautiful thing. No real challenge today. Just celebration of the efforts you are already making.

Thursday 28 August 2014

Map check

We have this voice inside us telling us to be more, do more, achieve more, have more. This voice is ego and it doesn't connect with your true self love emotions. More doesn't equal happiness. Gratitude and appreciation equal happiness if you take the time to reflect on what matters. How far down the road will you travel before you realise it is in the wrong direction? Stop, look at your compass. Are you on the right track? It is ok to admit the path is not taking you to a peaceful destination. Reflect on your map and see where your passions would rather you go. Life is short, getting lost isn't the end goal but we get determined and confuse our priorities. Ask the trees where you should go if you are unsure. The spirit will guide you out of the darkness and into a clearing where you can gauge your surroundings with a little more clarity. Have you been lost recently? How did you find the right path?

Wednesday 27 August 2014

Sweat it out

On some hot days I secretly indulge in the heat by stepping into my steamy car and letting the waves of warmth wash over me, sweating instantly and letting the moisture mix with the sweltering air. I realise not many people do this, they immediately try to beat the heat with air conditioning or at least windows rolled down to let in a fresh breeze. Maybe I am unique? But...My winters are eight months of the year and while I enjoy the snow as much as the next outdoorsy Canadian, the heat just has this special quality to it. I feel happy to be alive and mostly, I FEEL. I recall travelling to Australia for the first time and how the sweat would begin pumping out WHILE I was in the shower, dousing myself with cool water to balance the intensity of the Australian summer air. To see if this works wonders for you make plans to try a hot yoga class, partake in a native sweat lodge ceremony or visit the local pool's sauna. Winter, summer, whenever. Heat can remind us how lucky we are to walk around in fairly "normal" temperatures and it can help us go deep into our emotions and see what might be sitting dormant, needing to get warmed up and comforted. Do you have hot practices that you enjoy?

Tuesday 26 August 2014

Life as a musical

This post is in honour of my friend Keith and his bride to be. We are taught at a young age that all the fairy tales we read and watch are never, ever going to happen to us. This is about as silly as (insert strange organized religious practice here). Through meditation and prayer and hope and experience I have learned that thinking about THE BEST and hoping for THE BEST only has amazingly great outcomes. True, we rarely get what we wish for but that's because our wishes aren't always aligned with what the universe is prepared to give us. Send out seeds of positive energy and low and behold, a beautiful flower grows in its place. Plant stinkweed seeds of despair and complaints….and yeah you get the picture. Life can be a dream. Life can be a musical filled with song and dance and celebration. Will it ever come true? Maybe not. But at least you can swim in the waters of a good dream for awhile. What's wrong with that? Keep dreaming my lovelies.

Monday 25 August 2014

Photo graph

This inspiration will be fairly hands on. Find photographs of yourself from ten years ago to today. Take the time to really look at each photograph of that moment in time and notice your smile or lack thereof, your hair, your clothes. Then take some time to go inside and remember how that time in your life FELT. Were you scared, excited, sad, elated? We tend to leave the past and move on but sometimes a view at the journey that got you to today can be a powerfuel fuel for creating strong tomorrows. 2004 - Italy 2005 - Met Alain 2006 - In love 2007 - Australia 2008 - The wedding 2009 - Fernie 2010 - Folk music festival 2011 - Pigeon Lake 2013 - Plan Canada Fundraiser 2014 - Costa Rica Thank you for letting me share this ten year storybook with you. I have gained a lot of insight, acceptance, self-love and pride from viewing these images. Maybe you can experience something similar with your own photo graph.

Friday 22 August 2014

Find your bestie in your reflection

Each morning when we grab the toothbrush and try to refreshen our sleepy mouth we catch a glimpse of something miraculous, something bigger than ourselves. Look. What do you see? There is a figure of you, yes, but it is the only you that has ever existed and ever will. What you can't see is the energy expanded beyond your physical body, it's actually your soul body staring back at you. You are the essence of your yesterdays, nows and tomorrows. Treasure your reflection and create a short mantra to empower your day. Make eye contact with this person, this mirror image and say the words slowly. Notice your reflected mouth move with the words flowing over your lips. What mantra you may ask? Well this is very personal. What do you need to reach a state of peace and gratitude? Perhaps you struggle with obesity - tell that reflected self "you are beautiful". You may have lost your job and need to say "you are important. You are skilled in many ways". A loved one may have passed and you are grieving so say "I miss you and will love you forever". Make it yours and embrace it. Keep eye contact at all times and give yourself the gift of this verbal bear hug from your bestie. I leave you with a quote...Be yourself, everyone else is taken (Oscar Wilde)

Saturday 16 August 2014

Don't go soul-o

There is pressure from our environment to be a better version of ourselves. To be healthier, stronger, happier. We sometimes even feel a push from the universe to discover and live out our purpose on this Earth. But is this meant to be a solo journey? If we sit in our basement and read self-help books all day will we find peace? This I am not so sure of. In the wild, wolves will go in search of a deer so they can be nourished by its flesh. Does one wolf approach the deer to take it down? Most likely the one, lone wolf would not be successful and he would starve after many failed attempts to catch his prey. But in a pack, the wolves come together to hunt and capture their meal. Like the wolves, we are a communal species and finding a better life by being alone is a little like trying to find your own image in the clouds. You may be waiting awhile. But reach out and ask for a hand or two and the journey may not seem as daunting. You can ask someone you admire to be your mentor. Maybe you meet once every couple months and talk about ways to improve your career. You can join a group in your community, religious or not, just real people who want to talk about real issues. You can introduce yourself to one of the other parents at the playground and swap stories while your wee ones stay busy. If you think that getting one person's help may not make a difference, answer me this: Can one person create a newborn? Or does it take a sperm and an egg to unite and create life? Human souls were meant to intertwine, not to stand alone. When have you reached out recently? Did it help or hinder?