For all my fellow health-nuts out there.

Sometimes having the time to watch the Today Show in the morning has its benefits. This morning they did a bit that talked about holiday gift-giving ideas for that “Hard to Buy” person this holiday season and one of the websites they mentioned made me want to get one for myself.

So during a time when most of us pig out on gravy, pies, and cookies, think about gifting this to a friend or family member—maybe even yourself.

 

After all, don’t we all want to munch on baked kale and flaxseed?  Yep, I thought so. 🙂

 

Happy Holidays!

Click on the exotic chips bag to access the website. (I would highly recommend these.)

Never underestimate the Power of LOVE.

Today I had the chance to see true love at its best.  Despite all the chaos in the world, love still wins.

 

Sometimes actions do speak louder than words.

 

Today. Tomorrow. Yesterday. Show someone how much you love them.

To new beginnings…

Today was filled with so many happy moments. Milestones and simple moments of joy. All of these occurred on a Monday, despite the despicable reputation the first day of the new week usually has. In fact, I have an entirely new appreciation for Mondays because I don’t have a job that makes me dread the day after Sunday.

I’m no stranger to the grumbling and groaning of Monday morning. The alarm clock never really gently wakes me; it’s more of a jolt. But, now every morning seems like a weekend. (And no, it’s not great. The thrill of sleeping in goes down drastically after you realize your purpose in life has been tweaked. A lot.)  My point? Mondays don’t hold the same stock they once did. They’re just like any other day of the week; so why not let them in on some Friday or Saturday fun?

Thank you, Monday, November 14, 2011.

You brought me one step closer to my sanity.

You made me an Aunt.

You gave me another year with my Mother.

And, most of all, you made this overcast day a day for the books.

 

A day to remember fondly. 11/14/11

Learn to Live in the Present Moment

It’s been a little over three months now since I’ve made my new home in Southern Ontario, and although many of the items I brought have been tucked neatly away in their respective spots, I still come across things that remind me of days gone by. One of the biggest obstacles I still have trouble grappling with, even today, is living in the moment.

I don’t think I can really pin point when I let anxiety control my thoughts and my actions, but I’m sure there are a couple of events in my past that contribute to that ailment. Anxiety isn’t really an ailment, I guess it’s more of a reaction, an effect to a cause. So, I suppose, the moment I stop treating it like an ailment that needs treating and more like a reaction that has the ability to be curbed and coped with, the moment I will finally be able to take a breath and let it go. (I know, easier said than done.)

I’m looking forward to that day. Sooner, rather than later, I hope.

But until then, I’ve found a piece of paper that I’ve managed to keep, despite the many  piles and piles of paper I decided would be better off in the garbage than packed in my little two-door Honda Civic.

What’s so wonderful about this sheet of paper you may ask? Well, besides the obvious power of words, it also allows many people to sit and reflect on a moment. Any moment. The here and now. I’m convinced that that alone makes it the most powerful paper in the world.

 

I hope that these words will  help bring a little perspective into your everyday life. And when I start to forget, I remind myself all over again…

 

Words to LIVE by: (Thank you, Richard Carlson)

1. “To a large degree, the measure of our peace of mind is determined by how much we are able to live in the present moment.”

2.”Many people live as if life were a dress rehearsal for some later date. It isn’t. ”

3. “Fear is the concern over events that might happen in the future.” (Emphasis on, MIGHT).

4.To combat fear, the best strategy is to learn to bring your attention back to the present.”

5. And lastly, (I promised the American author reference)–“I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.”–Mark Twain.

 

Don’t dwell on the woulda’, coulda’, shoulda’ mantra. Live today and the future will be a much brighter place.

 

Skeletons in the Closet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the recent hype about the divorce of Kim Kardashian and the alleged Justin Bieber, “Baby Daddy” rumor mill, it seems like everyone has to give their two cents both positive and negative.

I’m not by any means putting down anyone for sharing their opinion. If I was, I would be contradicting myself by writing this blog.  However, why do people feel the need to trash celebrities? I suppose not everyone chooses to live life with a filter, and if they do choose to filter, they filter where they have the most chance of having to defend themselves.

They don’t filter on Facebook or other social media because they know that they really won’t have to defend their remarks to a living human being. Now, I’m not saying that I am perfect by any means. I’m sure I’ve made a snide remark on my Facebook account at one point; I’m not perfect, nor is anyone else in this world.

My point is simply this—before you jump on the accusatory train and start adding people to your shit list,  like celebrities for example, save yourself the breath and the time it takes you to type it onto your Facebook status, and take a step back and ask yourself— is my life  perfect?

Because, if you did, you would find out rather quickly that if you were under the scrutiny of the tabloids you might not look so appealing either.

I can’t listen to this song enough…

“What if I say I’m not like the others?”

 

Rock out. Enjoy.

 

Your future is…?

Today was another gloomy day in Southern Ontario. But, I will add that while everyone else in the NYS area seemed to be getting the white stuff some call, “snow”, or the reason why many of us end up migrating to Florida—Canada got NONE.

So, despite the chilly temperatures, it was nice to pretend that Canada was a little warmer than the rest of Western NY.

After a wonderful morning of Nia, with my pal, Krissy, we spent the rest of the afternoon with coffee and books–two of my favorite things in the entire world. (Pastries were thrown in there as well–bonus). 🙂

We spent a lot of time in the New Age section of the bookstore. (Always a section to get you thinkin’).  The shelves were filled with horoscopes, tarot cards, and inspirational stories. Some books were good for a good chuckle, but others seemed to be spot on.

I’ve never really been a huge follower of horoscopes, but I’ve always been intrigued by psychics. After all, who wouldn’t want to know a little bit about their future? At the moment, I would do just about anything for a light at the end of my current tunnel that is, unemployment.

In light of this,  Krissy and I went home and dabbled with some Angel Cards readings. They’re similar to Tarot Cards, but seemed much less intimidating to me at least.

After my ” Past, Present, Future,” reading, it was clear that I had found the right profession in teaching. So, instead of holding on to my negative energy and hopelessness of not being able to find the job I want, I decided to focus on the light at the end of my tunnel. And in the meantime, if the present is filled with good conversations with friends, coffee, and books, there’s no need to hurry.

 

Full Circle Moment…

The older I get, the more I start to recognize how much my life today is comprised of moments and reactions that were influenced by people and experiences in my past. I don’t know if this is all new occurrences or if my brain is just now able to compute and connect more.

For instance, this past weekend, I went to a concert of one of my favorite bands, Circa Survive. And despite the fact that  this particular band is attached to memories of my past and a past love, I still can’t help but scream at the top of my lungs every time they play one of their signature chords. But, even though I have seen these guys many times before, I didn’t get sad or nostalgic for the way things were; instead, I relished in the music and took pleasure in sharing some of my favorite music with my husband. (Total Bonus.)

Living in the moment is something I have struggled with for a long time. I’m a planner. I prefer structure to last minute changes. I suppose no one really likes change, but as we all know, it’s one of those things in life that is inescapable and inevitable. A life without change would be safe, and I suppose a safe life really isn’t living at all.

So, in the spirit of living, I’ve thought more about how music, scents, and books of the past don’t have to be negative memories. They’ve become another reason why I’m me at this very moment, good or bad. I could stay angry and bitter for the bad bits of history in my life, but then that angry girl in my past would still be angry in my present and in my future.  Not cool.

Feels gooood to come full circle.

And for those of you that enjoy a good read and a bit of enlightenment, here is a book for you. One of my personal favorites.

Way of the Peaceful Warrior

Here is the movie trailer. Just a note, the movie is NOT as good as the book. Read the book before the movie.

This is a story of a little girl…

This is a story of a little girl girl and her big dreams.

One bright, sunny, September morning the little girl woke up before the sun. She chose her favorite outfit. She combed her hair. She put on her big-girl makeup, and she drove herself to her first day of work. She dotted all her i’s and she crossed all her t’s. The time flew by and  before she knew it, she had reached the end of her very first day.

Seasons and holidays came and went. The little girl soon found that with her new job came independence. The little girl was able to buy another new outfit for work and presents for her family and friends. But despite all of these joys, the little girl still felt like her life was incomplete.

 

My life is perfect, the little girl thought. I followed the course. I didn’t stray. Why isn’t this enough?

 

Sometimes the course isn’t always smooth. Sometimes the course is made to be broken. And, sometimes, the biggest dreams can only be realized by letting go of the course and walking away.

 

 

In case you ever doubted the power of American media…

This video may not have the same impact on you as it did for me, but for those of you that grew up during the 90s, I think it is pretty safe to say that with the exception of maybe a few, all of these commercials and shows will ring a bell.  It’s amazing to me how much television can influence what we buy, what we like, and more importantly, who we are.

Enjoy a walk down memory lane…