Be Shocked at my Swimsuit

Day by day.  

I never realized how my daily decisions could create so many changes and breakthrough moments in my life.  

One year ago… 

…I was never going back to teaching… But I found my dream job. 

…I was never going to ‘survive’ my mom’s death… But I did and my life has never been richer.  

…I was determined not to ‘give up’ on relationships… But I let them go and am finding freedom to live.  

… I was thirty pounds heavier, working out hard and wasn’t losing weight… But I am partnering with the company of my dream and have never been healthier. 

Dude! Daily choices do create huge changes.  

The proof is in the swimsuit.  

Shocked.  

Exhilarated.  

Excited.  

Savouring this moment.  

Look at ALL that extra fabric.  

Be enough, one mouthful, one relationship, one swimsuit at a time. 

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Be on the Water

Two years ago, almost to the day.  I started on a journey where I needed to learn to ride in the waves.

No choice.

Just had to do it.

The waves were metaphors, but overpowering.

My breathe was taken out of me many times, but I choose to not allow it to not overcome me.

The diagnosis of my best friend and mom having cancer.

The death of my beloved mom on Christmas 2013.

My grief was like living in a boat.

Some days the journey would be surreal, warm and comforting.

But without a moment’s notice the waves would start to pummel me, push me under and make me gasp for air.

I didn’t know what to do.

I couldn’t “do” anything.

I need to just “be” in the waves.

Feeling what I was feeling.

Allowing the grief, sorrow, pain to come.

Allowing myself to learn and let go.

Two years later, I am starting to learn to ride on the water with my four boys surrounding me.

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The waves are infrequent. The water is calmer. I can truly say that I have learned to ride in the waves and am now enjoying a time of being on the water, in the water of life.

Yes, the waves still do come.

Yes, I honour those waves for what they have taught me and how they have helped me become who I am.

And I am full of overflowing gratitude.

For all that I can do.

For who I am.

I am grateful for my boys.

I am grateful for the people that God has surrounded me with.

I am full of gratitude for my mom, her life and her death.

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Be Open to Feel and to the Endless Possibilities

I have had my feelings hurt many times recently.

I wasn’t sure why.

I ponder these words.

Tonight, I had an aha moment when I realized I get hurt because I am open.

I allow people to tell me about myself.

I permit them to tell me things because it is easier for them.

I have heard that if I lose more weight I will look old.

I have listened as people questioned what I eat.

I have allowed conversation about how I organize my calendar. (Yes, I have colours for each wee boy so that I can keep everyone’s schedule straight.)

I choose to continue to be open.

I choose to deeply feel.

I am no longer taking the easy road or trying to make people feel “comfortable” at the expense of my feelings.

I continue to allow and encourage people to talk about themselves.

I am learning strategies to stop people from talking about and judging me.

I realize that people are hurting deep inside and makes it hard for them to talk about themselves.

I realize that being an open person makes people uncomfortable.

I realize that my life of freedom living with endless possibilities is disconcerting for some.

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And yes, I am going to die my hair a strip of purple to show remind me of my ‘shield of faith’.  (with my stylist)

Being open.

No longer hurting.

Feeling.

All things are possible!

Glory.

Be a Creator not a Consumer

Created by the Creator.

To dream.

Ponder.

Live abundantly.

Love deeply.

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Our world tell us that we were create to consume.

Buy more.

Have more.

Do more.

And more.

And more.

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Make a choice to create.

Write.

Paint.

Garden.

Move.

Speak.

We are truly meant to be creators.

My heart overflows as I write each day.

Peace pours over me as I watch my children build paper cities.

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I love exploring what it means to be a creator created by our Creator of life!

Be Pondering Newton’s Third Law

In Mr. Voigt’s Chemistry 11 course, I sat in the middle of the science lab room on the right hand side.

I was a mid-pack kind of kid that was really trying to hide.  Numbers and science weren’t my forte.  I couldn’t feel anything from numbers and the subject of science, well, that was a whole bunch of really long, confusing words.  BUT the quotes on the right side of Mr. Voigt’s wall were a hook for me.  In his class, I started writing down quotes.  In my sixteen year old mind, I read over and drank up these quotes every day.    These quotes were more nourishing to me than any book or writing assignment that Ms. Birdsall did in English class.  (Yes, these were actually my teacher’s names.  Quite fitting aren’t they?)  These quotes help me survive and even thrive in Chemistry 11.

My favourite quote was: “Minds are like parachutes, they only function when open.”

Today, I thought of Mr. Voigt and I must confess that for the first time in my life I was pondering something science-y.

Newton’s Third Law

Every action will cause an equal and opposite reaction.  (Did I get that right?)

A good example for me right now would be when I think about swimming in our pool.  I amazingly have strength to push the water backwards and miraculously the water pushes me forward.  Viola, Newton’s Third Law.

The crazy thing is not only have I been pondering this in the physical realm around us, but I have taken it a step further and am pondering it in the mental realm we create in our minds.

Do our thoughts create equal and opposition reactions?

Could thoughts be considered actions?

The reason that I have been thinking this is that over the last three months I have infused my mind with a potpourri of positive podcasts, the discourse of thoughtful, serving people and videos that are encouraging and motivating.

Could these actions pouring into and nourishing my mind be creating a new mental picture for my life?

Newton’s Third Law for changing your mind.

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Your dreams.

Your life.

Stay tuned.

This is only the beginning of this scientific experiment!

Be Clickety Clacking with Vision

Clickety clack.

The pieces are all falling into place.

Snap.

Press.

Thunk.

The dreams of my mind are coming true in more ways than one right now.

Every day, I live in awe of how life events are unfolding, how my thoughts and reality are becoming woven together.

In the spring, I was thinking about a club that our family could join to create community for our boys, reinforce skills that we learn in our family that would be reinforced within this community as well as a place to have fun.  Only one week later, a friend invited us to a Paddle Centre where our family could pay a membership fee to go on Stand-Up Paddle boards, kayaks or surfskis and have our own beachfront property to use without the taxes.  A week after the open house, we were members and our family is experiencing a rich time of being a part of a caring and athletic community.

Click.

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At end of June, our family create a list of what we wanted to do together this summer.  It is only mid-July and we have done almost half of the things on our wishlist.  Everyone is tremendously happy and we are enjoying being together and everything we are doing: Skateboard park, waterslides, reading together, swim parties, birthday party…

Clack.

Last fall, I had hoped for a water feature with running water in our backyard.  This summer, every day, I enjoy our wonderful fish pond.

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Click clack.

One morning a while ago, I got up and had a thought that I would love it if my husband would dance with me.  Later that afternoon, my husband was fixing something in the bathroom, I went to take a look and wouldn’t you know it, but he grabbed me and started dancing.

Clickety clack.

Just like that.

Positive visions, thoughts, intentions, creating moments in life that inspire and encourage me.

Lastly, my eight year old, snapped a photo of me at the one place I spend early mornings and late evenings for the foreseeable future, teaching families online who school at home, connecting with people, reading and writing.   I am taking hold of my time and my vision.  The five rituals that I am creating in my life every day are: Connecting with Sexy Neck (my husband), cuddling my boys, reading, writing and exercising.

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Clickety Clack.

Just like that!!

I leave you with two quotes from one of my favourite motivation speakers, now deceased, Jim Rohn says:

  • “Failure is a few errors in judgment repeated every day.”
  • “Success is a few simple disciplines practiced every day.”

What dreams could you create with a few simple disciplines practiced every day?

With discipline and vision, dreams do come true every day. I am proof!

Be a Motivational Philosopher

Forty-one years old.

I have figured out what I want to “be” in this life!

I want to use my ever-thinking, hardcore mind to write.

Using every word I utter to encourage and inspire.

Pouring light into every person I pass and meet.

Being vulnerable and open myself first to bring that out in others.

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I want to motivate others to find freedom through whatever means works for them.

My company has solutions for everyone.

Untying knots that hold people back.

Shaking things up.

Agent of change.

Helping people dream and achieve their goals.

Achieving my goal of spending more time with that hardworking man behind me!

Using my gift of being a motivational philosopher.

Being.

Me.

Be Outdoor Piano Players

Life is about finding moments that fill you and make you smile.

Yesterday was one of those moments.

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A waterfront, outdoor piano.

My three boys and our wonderful friend and piano teacher.

Smiles and claps from passerby’s.

A man joining us to play some Chopin.

Steven Tyler, from Aerosmith, playing on the same piano later in the afternoon.

I am very proud of my outdoor piano players.

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What moments will make you smile today?