Passion Power

I belong to many things. I'm a belonger. I think because I love socializing so much. I enjoy meeting new people and learning new things. I only belong to things I love though. If the word "obligation" creeps in too often, then the dread starts and that becomes very Unfun for me. My personal philosophy about life is that we are all meant to experience as much joy as humanly possible and help others do the same. If I'm dragging my butt somewhere I don't want to go every week out of guilt, that would do me in quickly. so I never do that to myself. I have observed recently something else that can take the fun out of belonging to an organization. Whether it's work, a club or another association there seems to be a challenge for many people to just simply get along together. People get in to these silly little conflicts that create hard feelings. Then they want to share them with you. This almost forces you to choose sides. Gossip may seem

"Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray." ~Rumi What do you Love to do? Do you have any clue what your calling might be ? Your calling are things that you are drawn to. Things you are interested in no matter how impractical or impossible it seems to "make a living at it". In the same way as you choose your work, your calling chooses you, and for many people it is difficult to remember a time when they did not want to do something related to their calling, even if they never have. I use to hate this question: “ What would you do if money was no object? “ I would think money is an object and I need some, so what does this question have to do with anything? But I can honestly and wholeheartedly tell you that this question can lead you to the money. When you answer this question you begin to discover your passion. When you are engaged in something you love, you can do it longer, for hours

Do you have people in your life that suck the life out of you? I had a conversation on the phone the other day. Up until that point my day was productive. I was rocking and rolling..up early, worked all morning and just finished a Pilates workout, sun was shining. Felt great. Had a list of things I wanted to accomplish and was looking forward to my evening. All good. And then Wham....!!! Like someone took a baseball bat to my head....I was stuck on the phone with someone who was in a bad mood. The thought crossed my mind that I should be a friend and just listen to her vent. I certainly have those days too. Before the call was over her voice seemed brighter and we were actually laughing a bit. I hung up. I wasn't focused on all those good feelings I had before the call. My mood had changed. I was thinking about Junk. Crap I was ignoring before I received the call. Why doesn't my husband ever want to do anything. Why is my son so disrespectful. Why are my kids b

If there is one life lesson that I have learned it is this one. A version of this quote is from the old painter, Vincent van Gogh. You know.....the one who cut off his ear and went insane. His work is brilliant and these wise words resonated with me. Last summer I painted nearly every room in my house. Big deal you might say, I've done every room in my house too. But for years I had convinced myself that I couldn't paint. I had a bad experience painting a hallway once and had convinced myself for years that I couldn't paint. The burgundy paint was everywhere. On my clothes, on my nose, on the floor, on the ceiling, in the room next to it. Man if I can't paint this little space, there is no hope for me. Well I got tired of that story and listening to that little voice inside of my head while looking at these rooms in my house that desperately needed a freshen up. so I decided to start with my daughters bedroom. " I CAN do this. I'll start here

Deciding who you are going to be isn't as easy as it sounds however I suggest we simplify it. Here's what you do. forget about what others in your life want for you. forget about your past mistakes and should of, would of, could of's. Move on. start today to begin to create your life, the way you want your life to be, one day at a time. “Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe These don't have to be grandiose ideas however they can be. It could be simply to experience more peace in your life. Maybe you want to lose 30 pounds or find an amazing person that you click with AKA...Soulmate. Maybe you want to get a new job or go back to school or change a behaviour pattern or overcome an addiction. Never be afraid of anything that appears bigger then you or your ability to handle it. Everything begins with a single step. Take the next step, the next step, the next step. There is no

I'm going to tell you what I know about Addiction. But first a story. Last night I went out to a restaurant after a meeting with some friends. Again, there was enough junk food on the table to sink a ship. I gobbled up my mushroom caps, took a potato skin from Stephen and tried one of Shelley's cheese sticks. I was full and they were good. (Half price too) At the time it never dawn on me that I shouldn't be eating this late at night, the mushrooms I ordered were deep fried in grease that could clog my arteries and kill me one day, or how crappy I was going to feel this morning when I woke up. Nope! Never crossed my mind. It's only today that I'm self loathing about it. "Why am I eating so much?" "I'm going to be a beach ball if I don't stop." "I must set up some new rules for myself about food and I'm definately doing Pilates today" What I know about addiction is that it progresses. It steps up a notch and

I think we all have a story. A drama or some dysfunction from our past that we'd like to move away from. For me, I've had dysfunction everywhere in my past. My childhood, a workplace, friendships, a marriage. I wanted to move on and work through it all so that I could come out on the other side of it rather than live in it and stay stuck in patterns and behaviours that weren't supporting me to become my highest expression. So I did and I continue to do so. Here are 3 ideas that I have used passionately to create a happy and joyful life and move away from my stories of my dysfunctional past. 1. Conscious Living 2. Deliberate Intention 3. Silent Retreat 1. Conscious Living: This basically means that you know what's important to you. You have a list of values . This list may change frequently at different stages or they may never change. What's important is that they are your values. Not your family's or your neighbours or your bosses. You

Finding what you love to do is a clue to your path. Are you on the right one? Has anyone ever heard this advice before? Do what you love, and the money will follow? My interpretation is that it means when you are engaged in something you find fulfilling, meaningful or interesting, you will spend many hours doing it without feeling tired. You can immerse yourself in what you love for hours and hours and work longer, stay engaged and persist until you succeed. The money has to follow. When you accept that doing what you love IS the way to the money, you can begin to make lists and start coming up with ideas on how you can do what you love and make money. Be ready and willing to be humbled. Be prepared to make mistakes and lose track along the way. This is part of the process of moving out of your comfort zone. Think of it as an opportunity to learn rather than another failed resolution. One of my favourite quotes of all time is by Howard Thurman, a Theologian and Author back