Celebrate Love

In the opening scene of the movie Love Actually, the narrator, Hugh Grant, suggests that whenever he gets gloomy about the state of the world, he thinks about the arrival gates at Heathrow Airport.  He then goes on to say that although general opinion suggests we live in a world filled with hatred & greed, that in fact, love is all around, we simply need to look for it.

The scene gets me every single time.  Maybe I am just a big sap, some might even suggest I am a Pollyanna, but I think the real reason is just that I tend to agree.  Love truly is all around us.

Don’t believe me?  I encourage you to open your eyes & have a look.

Take a little extra time to remind the people around you just how very much they are loved.  Let them know they matter.  That they are valued & such a very important part of your world.

It seems only fitting during the holiday season to call attention to this important message. For isn’t love the best gift we could ever give & receive?

Whatever you celebrate over the holidays, I wish you love!

Hugs,

L❤️

Here’s An Idea

Yesterday was Federal Election Day here in Canada.  It was probably one of our most talked about Federal elections to date, in part because Canadian citizens were very undecided on which candidate to vote for.  Sadly voter turnout numbers did not reflect the amount of chatter leading up to Election Day.

For the record, I voted.  It is a right I do not take lightly, regardless of how lame I may feel our choices are.  It is still a choice I get to make.  Yay for democracy!🎉

But I must say, I am glad it’s over.  I was getting very tired of reading all of the hate mongering/mud slinging/non factual posts on social media and the like. Seriously people, check your facts before you toss your bullshit around for all to read.

Admittedly I am not a political kind of gal.  While I certainly try to educate myself on the parties’ platforms, I refrain from inflicting my rants on social media. It’s just a personal choice.

So the results are in.  Love it or hate it, we are stuck with a minority government.

There were many this morning who were not surprised at the outcome of our election and there were those who were pissed.  Royally pissed.  Still ranting on social media.

For the love of Pete,  can we all just grow up & work together, regardless of which political party we align ourselves with?  I personally don’t think there is one elected official who signs up for that job without the best interest of this country at heart.

The challenge, once in office,  seems to be getting government colleagues to get out of the way of their own egos & work collectively towards common goals to ensure our country in its entirety is the best it can be.

So here’s an idea.  How about we make an extra effort to encourage our government officials to work together for the common good of the citizens of Canada and play nice out on the playground?  After all, isn’t peace keeping part of what we stand for as a nation?🇨🇦

With that said, while I welcome all comments & thoughts, I will not entertain bullshit here so if you feel the need to spew a bunch of crap, keep it to your social media profile please.  I have most likely already blocked you from my feed anyway.  Just sayin’!

Hugs,

L❤️

So Here’s the Thing

I know that there has been a lack of words written here over the past number of months.  So many of you have reached out to ask if I am still writing which truly touches my heart to know that you even care.

Let’s face it, life just gets challenging & really hard sometimes.  We’ve all experienced it.

Unexpected bumps and dips in the road that occur for a multitude of reasons, causing us to spend our energies elsewhere.   We do the best we can to swerve around the bumps & dig ourselves out of the dips, all the while trying to keep our sanity intact!  Some days if feels like a constant uphill battle.

That’s me standing in the boat, clearly not paying attention to the golden rule: You should never stand up in a boat!

But we continue to climb, to fall & to get up again to dust ourselves off and muster on.  We remind ourselves that there are far worse challenges people are facing every single day than our own.

I am still here, in spite of my absence and I remain confident that calmer days are in store, days that hopefully look a little more like this!

This is more the vibe I am going for! Maybe I should trade in my car for a kayak! 😂

Hey, one can dream!

Until then, I thank you for your love & your support. I hope to once again have time to pick up my writing.  I certainly feel like I still have lots left to share.  I hope you’ll stay with me!

Hugs,

L💕

 

Hanging By A Thread

One of the unexpected surprises when I started blogging, was the friendships that are formed all over the world. I am so grateful to have met my friend Joanne who lives relatively near by and who is always up for a new challenge!

We recently connected & when I suggested she join me in giving aerial yoga a try, she was all in! Although I have now been a few times, it was Joanne’s first time. I so admire that her sense of adventure never stops her from trying new things!

So great to spend time together Joanne! Who knows what fun we shall get into next!

My Life Lived Full

I have been lucky over the past several years to meet and develop a ‘real world’ friendship with a number of great fellow bloggers. One of those is Lynn from Life After 50.

We actually live relatively close to one another and this week Lynn invited me to join her to try something new – to me, not her.

I know – you’re shocked. Me. Something new.

In a large old industrial building in Bowmanville – behind this wonderful heavy metal door – I met with Lynn to give aerial yoga a try.

If you aren’t familiar with it, aerial yoga involves using a large silk hammock to support, stretch, and invert the body through a series of yoga moves.

Meet Lynn!

It sounds intimidating but I’m game to try most things at least once.

I’m not exactly the most graceful and coordinated person in the world and I had…

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Keepin’ it Real

Warning: I may have dropped the F Bomb in this post…more than once!

In a recent conversation with a friend who was experiencing some challenges, they expressed that their life sometimes felt like a total fuck up.

I assured them they had not won the prize on that one!

However it did get me to thinking.

We live in a world, where on a daily basis, we are bombarded with images of people seemingly living richer, fuller and more adventurous lives.

People working in more exciting jobs & wearing more fashionable clothing.

People who travel the globe with what appears to be an endless supply of income.

People who are married to the perfect partner & have miraculously created the perfect family who all live in a perfect home.

People living a life we can only dream of.

But are they really?

I believe a more accurate statement might be, we are inundated with images depicting people living perfect lives.

For aren’t we/they just all showing the best sides of our life?

If any one of us stepped in to someone else’s life, I suspect it wouldn’t be long before we recognised that they too, live in an imperfect world.

One where they might not feel valued. One where they experience disappointment.  One where they struggle with anxiety & fear.  One where they may feel the weight of loneliness & sadness.

And yet, so many of us are reluctant to share these sides of ourselves.  We hold our not so perfect or vulnerable parts in a safe place, in many cases locked deep inside, for fear that in sharing them, we may be exposed for all to see, that somehow we just don’t quite measure up.

With depression & suicide rates on the rise, it would stand to reason that we could all benefit from a little less perfect in our lives.

After a lengthy conversation with my friend, commiserating on all things not so perfect, aka fucked up, they thanked me for keeping it real.

It doesn’t take a whole lot to assure someone they are not alone, to let them know that most of us in fact, on any given day, can hold the fucked up trophy. 🏆

Sharing our not so perfect sides of ourselves can be equally as important as sharing our successes.

I encourage you to keep it real!

Hugs,

L💕

 

 

Making Changes

When the calendar flips to a brand new year, many of us often find this a good time to reflect on what we might like to change moving forward.

Those changes vary for each of us, for only within our own hearts do we know what we need to alter or work on in order to feel more fulfilled.

I have never been a fan of New Years resolutions but here is what I am a fan of.

I do think it is important to pause & give thought to everything we feel good about in our life and alternatively, to determine what we might need to change in order to help us grow to our full potential.  To live our best life.

Some of those changes are hard.  Some require an awful lot of work. Some may even seem insurmountable.  But I assure you, they are possible.  We only need to take the first step needed to start us in the direction we want to go.

So as you look forward to 2019, I encourage you to make the necessary changes to lead you towards the best life you envision.

If you falter or fail,  keep putting one foot in front of the other, grab hold of a hand if you need to, but don’t ever stop trying.

With some perseverance and perhaps a little learning along the way, the reward can only be that much sweeter when we achieve the change we hoped to accomplish.

Whatever dreams you envision for 2019, I wish you a year that is filled with joy & adventure & most of all, love.

Happy New Year!

Hugs,

L💛

 

 

Slowing it Down

We talked about not getting a tree this year but instead ended up with a 14 footer😂.

As we approach the last few days prior to the holiday season, many of us find ourselves running around in a bit of a tizzy & feeling a little worn out!

I encourage you to find some time to attempt to slow it down just a wee bit & take in the little bits of magic this season presents to us.

It is a time to gather with family & loved ones.

It is a time to extend a little more kindness. 

It is a time to practice a little more patience.

It is a time to spread a little joy.

May the holiday season find you surrounded in the warmth of all you hold dear and may the prospect of a brand new year inspire you with a renewed sense of possibility.

I hope to be writing a little more in 2019.  Thank you for continuing to read, to share your thoughts & to offer your words of encouragement & support.

Hugs,

L❤️

 

 

 

Finding our Moral Compass

A Moral Compass, by definition, is used in reference to a person’s ability to judge what is right and wrong and act accordingly.

A moral compass is something that develops over time.  Although I am certain DNA has something to do with it, I suspect it has more to do with the people in our life who, from a very young age, lead by example, teaching us morals & values, moulding us into decent human beings with a good sense of right & wrong.

At some point in our lives, we become solely responsible for our own moral compass.  Now & again we may need a gentle nudge or swift kick in the butt to readjust our mindset, but for the most part, if we have been raised with the proper tools in our moral compass toolbox, we have the wherewithal to know what we should & should not do.

This is what I find both interesting & challenging.

Even if people are equipped with the same amount of tools in that toolbox, one’s moral compass seems to widely vary from person to person.  In other words, my expectation of what I deem to be right & wrong may be very different from what another person may deem to be right & wrong.

It has been suggested to me on more than one occasion, that I spend a great deal of time and energy taking care of those I love in various capacities. I take no offense as I am only too happy to do so.  It is the core of who I am as a human being.

I acknowledge I have high expectations of myself when it comes to caring for others, chipping in when I may or may not be needed. I have been accused of worse things.

My question is how do other people, who are equally equipped with the same tools, not feel the same sense of expectation for themselves?  It’s a conundrum for me.

Do you have high expectations when it comes to your own moral compass?

Hugs,

L❤️

Celebrate the Human Spirit

For the past few days, many of us have been holding our breath as we have been watching the coverage of the rescue attempt of 12 boys & their coach from a cave in Thailand.

After 18 days, thankfully & miraculously, all 13 have now been safely brought to the surface through the efforts of thousands of volunteers.

As this international team of volunteers assembled, gathering their expertise to work towards a common effort, it struck me that if this is not an example of how we can work together as human beings collectively towards a positive outcome, I don’t know what is.

We can & should learn from this experience.

Regardless of where we come from, what religion we practice, what colour our skin is or what culture we happen to immerse ourselves in, if we all work together as human beings, what we can accomplish is nothing short of miraculous.

I encourage you to give some thought to this & transfer those thoughts in a positive way as you go about your day.

Celebrate the human spirit!

Hugs,

L❤

When Life Throws Us a Curve Ball

Despite our best intentions to find balance in our lives,  sometimes life throws us a curve ball we didn’t see coming.

A wild pitch that can throw us off kilter, causing us to dig deep within our ourselves to find the courage to face that challenge, rather than giving in to the urge to duck & run.

With the support of family & friends, we attempt to gather the necessary equipment to help us cope.  To find the strength to continue, to work towards resetting our balance so that we can once again stand upright & get back into the game.

None of us are immune to having curve balls thrown our way, I have received my share of them this past year.  Thankfully, I am blessed with a wonderful support team who keeps tossing equipment into my bag.

I urge you to make yourself part of someone’s support team.  Offer them whatever equipment they might need to reset their balance.  In doing so, it may mean the difference between them falling face first into the dirt or having the ability to dust themselves off & try again.

Hugs,

L💛