Proactive pondering

We are always told to live in the moment and experience what is happening for us in the now. But is there value in future planning to make sure we are set on the right path? Our future is created from our now's and if we don't point our sail in the ideal location we may get distracted and end up in a less than ideal scenario. Monday mornings at work are my proactive time. I plan out what I want to accomplish in the week and figure out how I might achieve this goal or if I need to adjust my expectations. I write down my goals in my task book and I highlight my top tasks to target my efforts to on my whiteboard. The whiteboard is also a public commitment. I aim to work on these goals and if I am distracted from that my co-workers might notice I am not on task. It is a bit intense but I know my weaknesses and laying down a set but flexible plan for my week gives me confidence, feedback, satisfaction, direction and a bit of peace knowing I am in the right place. How do you future plan?

The truth hurts

Tricky, but well needed post. Read with caution. Being real with friends an family is a present. Their intentions are always well meaning but our ego bruises when helpful but painfully real words scrape the surface. But each time our heart feels hurt know that the intent was kindness. The driver of those words came from love. Accept real and be real with friends and family. Relationships cannot grow in a safe vacuum of candy-coated non truths that are used for protection as opposed to expansion of a connection with another. Some friendships do well in silence and if that is your practice, keep it and learn how to use its benefits to enrich relationships with others. Accept your loved ones as is but know that anger or concern can fester if it not given air to breathe. Use caution and tread lightly but with care and well meaning emotions your message might be communicated in an effective way. Do you have something you need to get off your chest but are not sure how to approach it?

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.

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?

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?

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.

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.