Ken Robinson on TED, Talking about Education & Children

Firstly, I send my apologies to all you regular readers who have noticed and commented on how I have not been writing. I've been spending more and more time blogging on my wellness blog (Boomers Wellness). 
No excuses though! I do have a goal to keep this blog up-to-date because I really feel that I've made a connection with some of you and I'd like to keep writing and connecting with you!

I watched this TED Talk last night, by Ken Robinson, and I laughed out loud a couple of times. Straight to the point though- it's pretty obvious, even without this talk, that education isn't built for the future (or the present moment). I often wonder "why is it again that I'm sending my child to public school?" I've pretty well decided that it's for the social development.

You are Whole Already

Sometimes I don't write because I put other things in front of feeling good... Things I think are "what I should be doing"for whatever reason.

The truth is that feeling good, and sharing these tools is exactly what I need to be doing. You are exactly where you need to be, wherever you are, period. That's all. And so am I.

Rest assured that all is well.
You are loved. You are perfectly complete. All that you are is all that you ever need to be, and you are whole and complete.

Seriously, you may ask. Seriously?
Yes, you have much to experience, but you are whole already. There is no part if you that is incomplete.

You are loved.

Do you Judge Your Writing?

Photo Courtesy of Sarah Staaf Photography

I always feel better when I'm writing; while I'm writing life feels easier. Does this mean that writing is my "gift"? I'm not going to say that grammar is my gift. Ha! Although I do indeed enjoy grammatical correctness. I feel pleased when I see a perfectly formed sentence, but I am not knowledgeable enough about grammar to know if I am forming sentences perfectly or not. I graduated high school with awards (I was awarded for my perfectionism perhaps), and I have 3 years of post-secondary education...What gives? Should I not have the English language mastered by now? 

Okay, I realize after that paragraph that I do not feel quite as good about writing when I am analyzing my grammar as I do when I'm not analyzing. So, maybe I will simply write and hope that I am forgiven for any and every mistake. I think it's quite possible that other people are far less critical of my grammar than I am of my own. In conclusion, writing may or may not be my gift, but if you are reading this because you're a writer and you struggle with writing for the same reason I do, then I hope you keep writing no matter how likely you are to judge your own work because your writing is probably really awesome!

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Is This a Growth Opportunity?

It's sometimes really easy to see the bright side of a situation, but other times I really need to reach out to a friend, or to my mother-dearest, to see the silver lining of a seemingly crappy scenario. When you're faced with an awful circumstance, do you tend to see that no matter how terrible it may appear, it's presenting itself as an opportunity for your own personal growth?

I think it probably annoys my friends when I speak my truth: I can empathize with their hardship, but once I've empathized the most I can, I explain to my friend how their situation is actually benefiting them. Maybe my timing is all wrong because a lot of the time I get that look of "you've got to be kidding me?" 

But, it's true, right! When adversity strikes, the opportunities abound- that's when our options expand and we begin to see our freedom of choice. If one morning there is no cheese for our cheese omelet, then we have to choose to go plain or spice it up with something that might turn out to be our new favorite omelet ingredient!

If you run out of cheese, next time, see the opportunity for growth in all your new choices :)

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Experiencing Self-appreciation

I thanked mySelf for the essence of who I really am because who I am is who is experiencing this world. Who I am is the person I will need to spend the rest of my life with, even if there are other people I need to care for and share space and time with. I need to be at peace with the essence of who I am and somehow this self-photography helped me to do that.

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Can't Afford Health?

It's often that I encounter someone making reference to their ill-health. Today an acquaintance told me that he hadn't been having good digestion for a long time. I suggested that he try one of the health products I distribute, since it's designed specifically for improved digestion.

The first question he asked was "how much does it cost?"

I understand that price is a factor for a lot of people- I'm not going to argue that point. Price is a part of how people make purchasing decisions. That's fair. When I said the price was $45 plus shipping, he rapidly raised his eyebrows and said he couldn't afford that.

What exactly can't he afford? I was able to provide him better digestion through all-natural means. Do you know how often he goes out for lunch and dinner in the same day? At minimum he eats out for lunch and dinner 6 days/week. That's 48 times each month. If he's spending $20/day (that's probably a conservative figure) then he's spending over $480 in meals-out each month.

He's not digesting his food properly, like many people, and he's chosen to mildly suffer through it every day because he thinks he can't afford to be healthy.


I don't eat a completely natural diet. I have not completely stopped eating burgers and fries, although I try my best to make healthy choices because my whole life feels better when my body feels healthy; digestion included.

What I do: I supplement my diet every single day with things that help my body do its best work. The Organic-Based Nutrition supplements I use are well worth your while to investigate.

If you know people looking for better digestive health, I can help them find solutions. Please take a moment and share this article with the people in your life. Everyone can benefit from better digestive health and these products are the best quality I've found.

For the full Organic-Based Nutrition line, click here.

For better health in all areas of your life, visit www.NadineStaaf.com

         

Calming Effect of Magnets

I'm continuously mesmerized by the calming effect of the magnets I've been wearing lately. For the past 2 months I've worn this Magnetic Necklace around my neck and even though I still don't completely understand how the magnets work, I am calmed by them and I'm noticing that I'm breathing better: I'm taking more deep breaths whereas I wasn't before.

I've also had zero headaches, when before I was having headaches every second day. I'm not certain why magnets seem to work so well for tension relief, but I'm tickled and pleased by the effects. Check out my blog post on How I Stop Migraines.

Inactivity and Illness

Hello,

I came to a realization today that when our minds are focused on the next action steps which will bring us closer to accomplishing our goals, our bodies are going to be uncomfortable if we are not taking those actions.

I was laying down with my son, enjoying a moment with him before a rest, and then I thought about the next thing I could do to build my business. As I lay there contemplating the vision, my body wanted to take flight and DO something about it. But I stopped my body: I continued to lay down so that I could enjoy a longer moment with my son. That's when I noticed it- the sensation of discomfort in the core of my abdomen.

My body was ready to get up and take action because my mind had visualized what my body was going to do next. Because I stopped my body from doing the action that I had prepared for, my body became irritable.

This makes me wonder: can malady of the body stem from a disconnect between the dreams of the mind and the willingness to allow the body to take action? That makes sense to me. What do you think?

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How I Stop Migraine Headaches

For the past 2 solid years I have experienced bad head and neck pain. I attributed the pain to the stresses of being a mother, to attending post-secondary, and to relationship-related triggers. The headaches became more and more frequent, turning into migraines that would put me to bed during the daytime. I suppose you could say they were 'debilitating' in the sense that I truly could not function when the migraines were at their worst.

I would take ibuprofen almost daily, and I hated it. I absolutely detested taking medication because I knew that there must be something more natural that I just hadn't tried yet; but I felt that I had tried everything. I know the toll that medication can take on the body, over the long term. So what now?

My dear friend who has been working with health technologies for the past 15 years gave me a couple of her products, and I used them. I was skeptical, but what she gave me was working. I don't know if she realizes how much she helped me, but I haven't had a headache since that day when I used her products instead of grabbing another ibuprofen (2 months ago now).

Due to my (unbelievable-to-me) success, I set myself up as a distributor of the products.

I can't make medical claims, so that's not what I'm doing.  This is just what I find works very well for me:

I wear a Powerband necklace all day.
I drink PiMag water all day.
I add JadeGreenzymes to my water 3x/day.

If I feel any sort of tension creeping up my back, I use the CM Complex cream

Years ago I had heard of the effects magnets had the body, but I never really believed they could do anything for me. I'm a believer now.

Again, I am not allowed to make medical claims. I am not a doctor. I am a mother, and I believe in natural health.

Buy these products for yourself at www.NadineStaaf.com

Cancer Research- What's Important?

Is it possible to write a blog post about an important issue without offending someone? I realize it's not my job to please everyone, but if I can avoid offending people, it's probably a good thing.

My truth wants to make it's way onto this blog post, but my brain is saying "No no no, people will cry out! There will be rebellion! There will be backlash! You will be hated!" It's pretty harsh- the things the brain says. That's the Altered Ego, correct?

It's not really fair for me to push away the part of me that wants to speak out. And everyone has a choice as to whether or not they want to read my blog. I guess this is a forewarning of what is to come next.

Here's what initiated my sense of frustration, and then my sense of purpose: The Terry Fox Run pledge paper from my Kindergarten son's elementary school.

I know...What's wrong with a Terry Fox Run pledge paper? Nothing. Nothing is wrong with it. Although, in the same breath, something is wrong with our system if our community schools are raising money for cancer research and not putting it toward our own community's health optimization.

My burning question is: as we are spending more and more time and money on researching cancer, why are we, as a society, becoming more and more cancerous? It seems, too much so, that cancer research is a good way to make money from people who care about other people and don't know what to do with their money or who like to walk long distances wearing all one color. I'm not making fun- many people I know have died of cancer, and many people I know are making choices that will send them in the direction of cancer very soon.

I have a burning desire to create healthful conditions for our children to grow up in. If children LIVE healthy lives, then as adults they will be healthy- it just makes sense. I don't donate to cancer research. I don't do this because it doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense to give dollars and time to a dying cause instead of giving it to the health of our children.

I'm curious to know if you see the importance of children's health, and if you agree with me that the money we put into cancer research could be better put into health optimization instead of disease research. Post a comment below and let's start a discussion. I won't fight with you, but a heated debate can be fun, yes?

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New Thoughts for You!

We are what we predominantly think about. Print out and then cut out these affirmations, strategically place them throughout your home, and as you read them throughout the day, the words will begin to impression themselves upon your subconscious.

You will, over time and through repetition, begin to find yourself thinking these thoughts naturally. It takes courage to know that you’re in control of your life. These thoughts will help build the foundation for a thought pattern that will benefit your life in an almost magical way.

I know that my predominant thought will become my circumstance.

I am the one who chooses my thoughts.

My attitude shapes my reality: I choose my attitude.

I find peace easily and quickly.

I am grateful for all I have and for all I am.

I am always moving forward.

I am successful in all areas of my life.

I am a phenomenal human being who attracts other bright, shining, enthusiastic people.

My life gets better and better every day.

I attract really good life circumstances.

I am vital, energetic, and strong.

I choose health.
I choose wealth.
I choose happiness.

I reach the goals I set with purpose.

I am a strong and competent human being.

I make the world a better place by being in it.

I choose confidence, peace, and clarity.

I easily generate wealth and have so much to share with the world and with people.

I choose to create harmony in my home and in my body.

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You Can Fail Successfully

It’s okay to fail- and I never thought I’d hear myself say that. It’s okay to fail.

I have read time and time again that in order to be successful, one must not fear failure. You’ve probably heard too that it takes failure to reveal success. It makes sense. I mean, along with all things comes their polar opposite. You can’t have day without night, cold without hot, and successes without failures.

Two years ago, I took a math class that changed my life. I worked long hours trying to understand; I spent countless days with headache pains. For what, I wonder? The Math Lab tutor explained to me that once I understood the concepts, my mind would change, and life would change as I knew it. Shortly after I had my final exam, I ended up being prescribed three different medications relating to stress, all of which helped at the time but that I have successfully weaned myself from.

I aim to do really well in school- it means something to me to do well at school. A scholarship is within my reach, most semesters, but tonight I wrote my Accounting exam and I failed it with definite purpose. I made a choice to put my life in my own hands and to allow myself to experience purposeful failure. It was a significant milestone for me because I have never before believed that it’s okay to fail in order to truly succeed. I've never let myself fail.

You may be asking how I am getting to the conclusion that I am better off now because of my decision to fail. There are a number of variables at play, and this is a blog. If I wrote all the variables out, you would be reading for days. Touch base with me though, if you are struggling with your own fear of failure, and perhaps I will be able to help you.

Please don't get me wrong; I didn't "just give up." I chose to fail, knowing that I was growing because of it; knowing that I made the choice consciously and that I broke through the fear of failure because of it.

On the road that leads from my school, there is a sign that reads "I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed." -Michael Jordan.  Failure is a natural step in getting to where you want to be. Failure makes you more capable of succeeding, and now I know that for sure.

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Getting Back to Feeling Good

How do you get back to feeling good? Do you just let it happen? Do you wallow in the bad-feeling place until eventually you find yourself out of it, or do you purposefully get out of feeling bad and get back into feeling good?

I'm struggling in my Accounting class right now. It's the first class in nearly two years that I've really struggled. The last class I was really challenged with was Finite Math. The teacher had explained that doing Finite Math was not necessary anymore because now we have computers, and we would be covering everything that mathematicians had discovered over about 100 years.

I probably should have dropped the course, but 'dropping a course' is not a term that is part of my vocabulary. So, I struggled. I felt defeated for about 4 months and came out with a just-passing mark: not my proudest moment, but I suppose it was a success because I pushed through it...That's how that works, right? Still figuring that part out...

Now, I am in Accounting. I know I can do it, but yesterday I did not feel I could do it. I felt bad. I cried in front of my teacher and in front of one of my peers. I know that it's a 1st-world problem and because of that I feel like it's a real shame that I'm allowing myself to cry. What about the people who are starving in the world? Is my accounting credential helping with that?

After class, I got home, and I needed to cheer up for my own sake and for the sake of my family, so I figured out a way to get over my self-defeating mindset by going on facebook and writing loving messages on the walls of my family members. They all deserve it, and I love to do it. Opening up some space for people to feel loved is what inflates my happiness level. Do you do things that bring cheer back into your moment?

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We Are The Ones Who Choose

Dear Readers,

I woke up this morning, bright and early, to listen to a call that I chime into every Monday morning. It's a book study of sorts, surrounding the book "University of Success" by Og Mandino. 

The call inspired me to think a lot about what a good friend of mine wisely told me the other day. She said, "just take one step forward, and then choose. Then take one step forward, and then choose." Keep repeating this process, and you'll be where you want to be.

It sounds simple, and I think it really can be simple. Although, for people who are just starting to understand that they are the ones in control of their destiny, this process can sound far-fetched and even scary!

What I understand about getting from where we are, and moving to where we want to be, is that it's all about making small choices in every moment that move us in the direction of where we want to be.

Here's an itty bitty example. I'm hungry (it's true, I am). I weigh 145 lbs. I want to weigh 135 lbs. I know where I am, and it's not in the same place I want to be. I know where I want to be, but it's not the same place as I am right now. Now here's the whole point of this blog post:

NOW I GET TO MAKE MY CHOICE! Am I going to choose a snack that will move me closer to where I want to be (135 lbs), or am I going to choose a snack that will keep me where I am (145 lbs)? Worst case scenario, I choose a snack that moves me even further behind (like a gigantic milk chocolate bar- not to tempt you), but I am not even keeping that open as an option because I would eat it, feel good for a moment, and then feel farther from where I want to be.

Will I choose bread and butter, or avacado and rice crackers? It's MY choice. This is what it's all about. We live in a free world for a reason. Let's use CHOICE to our advantage and move ourselves into places where we actually want to be, rather than living simply through habit.

I don't know who is reading my blog, but I know that you're starting to get to know me by reading what I have to say. If you think you and I would work well together, you  may want to write a comment or send an email as I am about to start looking for like-minded people to do business with :)

Thanks & have a great time CHOOSING to have a great day!

Nadine


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Where Are All the Children?

Where do you think we are leading our children? We have 'made' these small creatures, and now they are here in the world...But really, where are children welcome? Of course they are welcome at community rec centers, at play groups, and at specific public areas like beaches and malls.

As a society, we don't bring our children to business meetings, to adult social gatherings, and to be witnesses to important conversations. Children are expected to not understand or to not be capable of learning certain things, based on their young ages. They're expected to misbehave and embarrass their parents, the whole room, and our society.

Although, I don't know that these are accurate judgments for adults to make. I think that adults have created a belief that children are 'unable,' and that belief doesn't usually hold true, nor is this belief about children actually benefiting the planet, our population, or future generations.

Sure, a young child doesn't need to watch the news. Do any of us need advertising of this variety? Although it is true, I believe, that an awareness of poverty in other countries will help children to have understanding and a broader perspective. A conversation is what a child needs; a conversation about what the world looks like now and about what the world could look like with time, a new direction, and at least one person who has vision. Currently children are left to learn from their peers, in school yards, and from their teachers who spend more of their time talking than listening.

I remember being young and having insights of the world being a better place. I had visions but a lack of community structure to implement those visions. A child has dreams and adults lack awareness of a better way. A child has hope and adults have lost hope.


Children need to be reintroduced into our society in a way that they feel welcomed and that their insights are valuable. They need to be the ones who feel confident in bringing their ideas to the table, to be heard, and to change the future. I don't think this is what we, as a society, are providing for children. Do you? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the Comments section below.

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At one time in my life, I was a 2-year old

My Breakfast with a Drug Rep

This morning I brought my son and I out for a date to White Spot, a chain restaurant here in Victoria, B.C., Canada (good food) which sits across the street from the Royal Jubilee Hospital. I didn't expect that we'd be eating our breakfast beside two men, one teaching the other all about how to successfully sell the drug "Mealtime Insulin" to doctors. 


I got my paper and pen out a few times during their conversation because I knew I would be writing this post. Given the type of conversation the two men were having, I expected they would be speaking in a more confidential manner but that was not the case. I heard the one man say "stupid doctors" on more than one occasion, referring to which type of doctor makes the worst business prospect.

So, I'd like to get something straight. I'm not interested in overhearing general conversations and then blogging about them. I think it's rude, normally. Although, in this instance, the men were speaking SO loudly that my anticipated peaceful breakfast with my son was continually interrupted...Therefor, I am making an exception for myself this time to express what I feel needs to be expressed.

I'm not anti-drug. Drugs can save lives, but it's equally true that prescription drugs can ruin lives as well. Normal and well-meaning people (even people I know) have prescription drug addictions and the side-effects take a toll on otherwise healing bodies. Again, I am not anti-drug, but I know there are better ways to heal bodies.

Back to My Breakfast with a Drug Rep...

I was mostly astounded that the man who was training the other man was speaking as loudly as he was, spilling his selling secrets with every rambling. He wanted to be sure that his trainee knew which doctors to target with the drug and which doctors were "a waste of time." He also said very clearly that doctors who don't understand Mealtime Insulin are not worth having a conversation with. It's the doctors who are progressive who are "gold," is what he said. Apparently even one 'deal' with a doctor is good money. Who would have known?!

What I don't like is the way the system is set up. According to one company's website, Mealtime Insulin is covered by Medicare. If it's covered by medicare, and medicare is paid for by citizens, then you and me are paying for this drug rep to go for breakfast at White Spot and for him to pick and choose which doctors he decides to sell to, and which people get to benefit or suffer?

If this Mealtime insulin is better than other insulin, then why does there even need to be a drug rep selling to doctors? Why aren't the doctors just "in the know" already, through a really good communication platform...Like, ummm...email?

I'm not looking to start a petition. I'm just thinking that if drug companies, doctors, and Medicare truly wished for the health of mankind then they would probably work together in an effective manner that didn't waste mankind's money by making decisions that only help their own bottom line.

Curious to know what you think!

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Everything Can be Defined as "Art"

I am taking a summer class called "Philosophy of Art" and my first paper is an argument in spite of my instructor who made it clear to the class that it's a cop-out to say that "everything is art." It frustrated me so much that he said that not everything can be art when it's a philosophy class and it is obvious to me that everything CAN BE art. So here is my paper...Enjoy :)

Everything Can Be Defined as Art Written by Nadine Staaf

My ontological commitment:  Everything can be defined as ‘art’ because not everyone can agree on one definition of the term ‘art.’ In addition, everyone perceives art differently, the majority may be incorrect in their agreement, and the art world is not helpful by their creating definitions of what art is and what it is not.

Non-agreement

As a class, we can agree that art does not have a single definition. As a society, our definition of art changes over time. “The definition of art is controversial in contemporary philosophy…” (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/art-definition/).  Neither artists, nor art appreciators, nor the entirety of the art world can come to a single definition of what art is or is not. If not everyone can come to full agreement of what art truly means, would it not be possible for a person to be correct in saying that art has the potential of encompassing all things?

Perception

There is nothing in its physical form that cannot be seen as art or appreciated as art by at least one person on Earth. That statement in itself makes it possible for every physical thing to be an artwork, depending upon the person witnessing the thing, and depending upon the person’s perceptions upon witnessing the thing.

One can argue that an idea is not a “thing” because it is not physical, so an idea cannot be defined as art. But, what is an idea? An idea is not necessarily a physical thing, but an idea has the potential to be art because the thinker of the nonphysical thing can perceive the idea to be artistic, and every idea has a thinker of that idea. An idea, no matter what its characteristics, can be as much art as a physical “thing” because an idea can have properties much like many famous physical artworks: beautiful to the eye of the beholder, vivid, intentional, thought-provoking, to name a few.

The Majority

It is closed-minded to say that not everything can be art when every person on Earth has different thoughts than the next person, and who is to say that, even though the majority of people think a similar idea, their perception is completely truthful? For example, the majority of people may perceive a pile of human feces on the ground as a non-example of art, and the minority may see that same defecation as art. This does not mean that the majority is more accurate in their understanding of art simply because they are the majority. The same is true of the minority. No one person or group of people is 100% accurate in their judgement of what art is, and even if all human beings decided to interpret something as art, all human beings have the potential of being incorrect in their judgements. For example, it is possible that all humans at one time agreed that the sky was blue. As so long as no one realized that the sky is not made up of only blue but rather it is made up of a variety of colours, (http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/sky_blue.html), everyone was incorrect in their agreed upon judgement of the sky’s colour.

The Art World is Not Helpful

It is likely that the art world has the potential, as does every other person, to be completely inaccurate in their judgement of what art is and what art is not. As emphasised with the blue sky example above, the majority can be as incorrect as the minority in their judgements. The art world becomes nevertheless unhelpful when its judgements limit what is considered art and what is considered non-art.

The definition of art continues to be broadened over time, as illustrated in paragraph 2, but a broadened definition is not as encompassing as a definition that states that all things and ideas can be considered to be art. It is obvious that an all-encompassing definition is the goal of the art world. A worthy goal would be to create a definition where art is not limited to a specific set of terms. The definition of art in the future, if there is to be a single definition, will be ‘anything.’

In conclusion, it is clear that not everyone can agree (yet) on one definition of the term ‘art,’ perception allows each individual on our planet to see something different when experiencing the same thing or idea, a majority or minority agreement does not make a judgement accurate, and the art world simply establishes a limit on what can be termed ‘art’ even if that limit is without all-encompassing truth or helpfulness to understanding what art is or what art is not.

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Balancing My Orbit

Hello,

I made the title of my blog "Worthwhile Enough to Share" for a couple of reasons, one being that it's a way for people to know that when they arrive at my blog they're only going to be reading stuff that's important to someone, not trashy babble. Another being that it's a way for me to 'check myself.' If I'm tempted to write solely for the purpose of publishing a blog post, I won't do it. I have to have a reason to post, and I think that if I have a reason for writing then I will somehow be adding value to the world.

On the ferry from Salt Spring Island, BC to Victoria, this weekend :)

Today, my reason for writing is that I'm trying to level out all the things that are going on in my orbit so that I can be more calm and efficient. My husband, son, and I are moving at the end of the month which I LOVE. I like getting rid of things. I never used to like ridding. My mother used to call me a "pack-rat" because I had such a hard time parting with things that had memories attached to them (maybe because I lacked the skill of remembering?). But now, I prefer having less stuff.

In addition to moving, I'm attending school this summer. It's a good way to get ahead a bit, by taking classes all year 'round. With moving though, and parenting, school feels more like a burden than an opportunity. Perhaps I need to shift my perception on that one- I think so.

I am spending a lot of time researching a business opportunity as well; that's the thing that's exciting me the most right now. I totally enjoy building a business.

Back to my reason for writing this post. I'm feeling good, although when all the pieces come together, my brain gets a bit jumbled. By writing, I can understand why my eyeballs are rolling around in my head a bit.

It's funny how things tend to manifest all at the same time. I see it like this: I am a baker and forming each of my cookies, laying each down on the cookie sheet, picking them all back off the sheet because I realize I didn't put down the parchment paper, then laying them all back down again and preheating the oven just at the right time so that when I put the cookies in, they won't get burned.

Ideally, life happens smoothly and the cookies don't burn. I like what 'ideally' looks like :)

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Spreading the Good

I'm looking at my credenza and I'm thinking about it; it's a very nice piece of furniture. My family and I are moving into a new home at the end of the month, and the credenza will take up just a bit too much space in the new place for me to want to keep it. Plus, I love to give. On a weekly basis, it seems, I am going through our house in search of things to put into a bag to bring to the local donation stores (for example, the WIN store in Victoria, BC, Canada).

I like to give because it makes me feel good to know that my space will be bigger because things are not overcrowding it. It's kind of a freedom thing, I suppose. And, like other people who give, it gives me a sense of peace knowing that other peoples' needs and wishes are being fulfilled when they receive my items. All in all, I'm giving things to people for my own satisfaction. In a way, I am selfish (if you look at it like that).

Back to the credenza. I have offered the beautiful 50's style credenza to a neighbor friend of mine because I know he will appreciate it more than I do, and I really do want the piece to go to a good home. It's got me thinking about the idea of 'spreading the good.'

I have some very generous people in my life, good friends who want to share their good with me. I feel fortunate for this, and it's making me think about how the energy of the world may be shifting ever-so-slightly in a positive direction when sharing occurs.

Here's an example: a friend of mine called me over to her house about a month ago and she laid out a gigantic amount of very nice clothing items. She said "pick whatever and as much as you want!" So, I gleefully chose the clothes I thought would look nice on me, and like a small child with a new toy I scampered home with my bag full of new-to-me clothing.

It was a delightful experience.

The same thing happened with a different friend this week. She called me to her house and she was about to donate some of her clothes, but she thought I might like some of them. So, I chose items I thought would fit, and I brought some with me that I thought a few of my friends would like.

When I got home, I tried on all of the clothes and I realized that some didn't fit quite the way I had hoped, so I put some of those clothes into a bag for donation. I thought of people in my life who might fit the clothing better than I had fit them, and some of the clothes went into different give-away piles.

I felt so good to be given such a variety of clothing. I gave some away, allowing other people to feel good for their new clothing. The Good was officially spread. 


I think we can consciously spread good, or do it without being aware of it. I think a lot of people aren't aware that they're not spreading good at all; they're spreading bad. They're spreading things through their communication, body language, and actions, that are not doing anything good for the people around them.

With gratitude, I say that I am surrounded mostly by good-spreaders. I think good-spreading has a lot to do with letting go of fear, and knowing that you will never really "go without" if you have a good heart and keep spreading the good. Warning: you may end up with TOO MUCH stuff if you keep spreading the good...So, just make sure you have places to give your things so you don't have to be a hoarder.

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The TED Talk that Changed My Future

An influential person in my life, a close friend and mentor, recommended that I watch a TED Talk. I like TED Talks anyhow, so it was easy for me to go online and search for it. The gentleman speaking is a man named Simon Sinek, and he wrote a book in 2009 called "Start With Why." I'm not going to give my synopsis of the Talk because I think it would take away from the impact the video can have on it's own.

Here's the video. Enjoy :)



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The Crazy in You

Hello Team Blog Readers!

I'm relishing this last evening before I start school again for the summer semester. I cannot complain about school. It's an opportunity, really, that I even get to be there. I think anyone who's in a position to go to school should be grateful, which I definitely am...Grateful. Although, I LOVE the time when I can do whatever inspires me in the moment, and being a student can be limiting to creativity at the best of times.

I think I'm going to do school differently for the next couple of years. I think what I will do is only do school in a really applied way. For example, I'll do all my assignments, but I will do them in a way that I can use the assignment as a blog post as well, or make it into a teaching tool, or something like that. Otherwise, assignments kind of feel like a waste of time and energy. They get thrown in the virtual trash at the end of the term if nothing else is done with them.

Also, I've decided today that I am going to revolutionize the public school system. Epiphany- I think so!
As Jack Kerouac always said (or said at least once because there's a quote about it),

"the people who are crazy enough

to think they can change the world

are the ones who do."

I think that's a really good quote. When I was a kid, I got a lot of raised eyebrows from people who thought I was just a big nut bar for having larger than life ideas. There were even two girls in particular who used to make fun of me for being crazy.

Now I see though, that it takes "crazy" ideas to reinvent what isn't working. If no one is going to do anything differently, then nothing different happens, right? Therefor, kudos to the CRAZY in YOU:)

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What Am I Consuming?

This week, in Parksville, British Columbia, Canada

I was in the shower last night, and I had an epiphany. I looked around at the things in my bathtub, and I have the regular stuff; shampoo, conditioner, bar soap, and face cleanser. I don't think I'm a minimalist, but I have a desire to be minimalistic. That was not my epiphany.

I envisioned a life for myself and my family where we didn't buy the things we are expected to buy in society. I am not saying that I plan to stop washing my body or combing my hair. But, I'm tired of consuming products that are doing me more harm than good. 

I don't like that the pharmacy should be a place of health and yet it's filled with Obesity Snacks and cancerous chemicals. I don't like that fluoride in drinking water is harming our pituitary glands. It's not reasonable for humans to wash their faces with chemicals AND pay for it with the money they're spending long hours to earn, and then spending the remaining of their time on earth either sick or dying.

I don't want to be a part of the system that feeds unhealthiness. Although, it's hard: I live in a city, and I don't want to hippie-it-up, plus I have some habits that are not healthy- eg. I use chemical compounds to 'wash' my body.

I don't want to be someone who only shops in health food stores and condemns ice cream because it comes from cows who are injected with hormones and treated inhumanely. But it's also the truth that ice cream should be made of cream and not synthetic materials, and animals should be treated respectfully.

I can make my own shampoo: The recipe I found is Here. And I think I might just start doing that. Here's a bit on Castile Soap from the David Suzuki Foundation: Castile Soap 


I want to be healthier, and I also want to stop buying products from far away, where I don't know what's being put in them, and then they're being shipped in huge trucks that I don't like driving behind on the road. What are we supporting with our purchasing habits? Are we helping ourselves by supporting Procter & Gamble?

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My Terrible Experience Turned Around

Yesterday morning, I brought my son out for an ice cream cone. He is a 5-year old, so obviously he loves ice cream: my plan was to have such an enjoyable time. Sometimes things don't happen as planned. And sometimes it ends up working in your favor.

The Experience

We were walking to the back of the store, after placing our order, and there was a disheveled-looking man sitting at a table that we needed to walk past him in order to get to our favorite place at the back of the restaurant. Wow, that was a long sentence.

I tend to smile at people- small smiles for people I walk past; big smiles for people I feel comfortable with, and teeth-baring smiles for people I really like a lot. I smiled a small smile at this man, and he looked like he needed at least one smile that day.

He looked me in the eye, and he said under his breath "you are a stupid woman."
I looked him back in his eyes, and said "pardon?"
He repeated himself, word for word.
I looked at his eyes again and remained calm (although inside I was disgusted).
I said, "I won't ask why," and I walked to my son who was now sitting at our spot.

We sat there for about 10 minutes because I didn't want to walk past the man again, and I wanted to not let him get to me. It was safest for me to make the choice I did, I think. When he left, I explained to my son what had just happened. My son was not impressed with the man being "not friendly."

For 12 hours, it bothered me that I had gone through that experience. Why should I have to feel this way? Am I really a stupid woman? I actually questioned myself.

No- of course I am not stupid. I am anything but stupid. That man doesn't know me. He was probably on drugs or just too hungry to think well. I don't know, but it's not for me to spend my energy on.

I had three important people in my life tell me that he is a waste of my energy to focus on, and now I agree. I decided to place my energy into understanding how this situation is actually helping me to be a more successful person. It's taken me until today (24 hours after the situation happening) to begin to see how I am benefiting from what happened between myself and that man.

Most of my life I have put a lot of my energy into what other people think of me, and I have wanted to make peoples' lives better through my personality and what I emotionally have to give to them. I would smile at people to make them feel happy about their day.

I'm not saying I will stop smiling at people all together. What I'm saying is that I realize now that it is not my job to make everyone in the world feel good about their lives. It's not my job, and I don't need to waste my energy worrying about how every person is feeling about what they're dealing with.

What an insightful experience. I am thankful now that it happened, even though it really sucked (I hate using the work 'sucked'...And I hate using the word 'hate,' but it really did suck and I hated it at the time). Now I love that I have more insight.

On to better things! And wishing you the best, although I don't need to worry about you. I just need to love you and hope that you're headed somewhere that's making you happy.


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Sleep Guilt

I am often ready to sleep at a reasonable hour, but I hold myself awake because I think that if I let myself go to sleep early (when I'm tired), then I will not be accomplishing all that I can be...And that I will be 'lazy.'

I've always loved sleep. Sleeping is one of my favorite things to do. It's peaceful, quiet, and perfect in every way. I always feel better in the morning when I've had a really good sleep, and the duration matters too.

I think I might be at a turning point. I keep coming back to this same thing: to sleep, or not to sleep? If I sleep, I will feel so good waking up in the morning. If I stay awake, I will feel like I've really had a full day, but I will go to bed exhausted and I will wake up cranky. What gives?

It's clear to me what I need to do. I suppose I just needed to write it out and see it in front of my eyes.

Sleep well!

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Affirmations for a Successful Afternoon

It feels easy for me, right now, to write a series of affirmations for a successful afternoon because I had quite a productive morning. I didn't feel rushed by my own sense of frantic-ness (this time), and I got a lot done. 


Somehow, getting things done is what allows for a feeling of success; accomplishing tasks in the pursuit of a goal allows for the feelings of moving forward in one's life.


My goal this morning was to get the house clean so that a friend can come for a visit and I can be comfortable having them over because I know the house is in visit-worthy condition. It sounds like a simple goal for a simple mind, but the fact is that I had a goal and I was working toward it.


When we have a goal and then do nothing to move toward it...You get the point, I think.


Is there one thing you can do today that will move you toward your ideal life? I don't mean that today you should quit the job you hate. What I mean is that there's probably something in your mind that you want to do in life, and you're doing absolutely nothing about it except feeling discouraged, defeated, or incapable due to the BIGness of the goal. We all have something. What is yours?


The idea is that each small step you take to move yourself toward your goal will be enough to get you to your goal.

“Everyone is trying to accomplish something big,

not realizing that life is made up of little things” 

– Frank A. Clark

Today's Success Affirmations affirm this theme of small actions moving you toward your goal. This post is dedicated to YOU of course!


It doesn't matter if I accomplished anything yet today, I know I can do something today that will move me in the direction of my ideal life.
I am feeling pretty good about life. 
I'm getting clear on what I want and where I want to be.
There are things I want to change, but I also know that what I'm going through right now will help me in the future.
I'm Damn Good-Looking.
I choose little actions to take every day that make my life more enjoyable and healthy.
My actions are productive and are leading me in the direction I choose.
When I have a setback, I remember that I can choose my next action to take me to where I want to be.
I am the only person who gets to choose my feelings about today.
I see the beauty in the small things in my life.
Today I will do one thing that will make my goal happen sooner than it would have had I chose to do nothing.
Tomorrow I will remember to do another small thing, and it will be enjoyable to pursue my dreams.
I can remember to take steps toward my goals because my goals are important.
MY GOALS ARE IMPORTANT


I can do this.
You can do this.
It's not easy or hard- it's just new, and we can do it.


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Morning Success Affirmations

Good Morning,

I think it's a good time to feel positive about life, so here it goes, and it's dedicated to Your WellBeing:

Sometimes my day doesn't start out well, but I always know I can change it.
I realize quite quickly that I'm the person who has the power to change my own reality.
It's getting easier for me to feel good about changing my perspective.
I feel better and better about life.

My day is becoming just the way I want it to be.
I am starting to enjoy the process of waking up and starting my day.
I never used to, but I like to smile first thing in the morning.
I feel grateful to have another day to live my life.

I am inspired to live a good day today.


May your day be everything you want it to be!


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You'll Have the Best Sleep Ever

Do you think you're going to sleep well tonight?

No...Then you probably won't....

Yes...Then you probably will....

It's relevant, what you are anticipating regarding the quality of sleep you're about to embark on.

I understand that a large number of people don't agree with the concept that the things they anticipate happening are more than likely the results they will end up getting. It applies to sleep as well. 

99% of the time, I sleep extremely well. I'm not bragging. All I'm saying is that I know I'm going to have a good sleep, and I don't think that it's because I'm more capable than anyone else of sleeping well, or that it's completely a genetic thing.

I think it's largely to do with the fact that I go to bed in full anticipation that tonight's gonna be a good good night, Yes, that was a Black Eyed Peas song reference (because it's a great song!!)

I don't suffer Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), but I do know that if I eat too much sugar throughout the day, my legs will not want to go to sleep, and they will jerk around in bed. I think RLS might actually be related to sugar consumption, and/or a person's inability to properly process sugars, despite what I've read about the neurological disorder.

There are loads of reasons why people don't sleep well, and I'm not about to presume that I am aware of even the smallest percentage of those reasons. I'm not really concerned with the very valid reasons we all have for why we don't have what we want. What I'm interested in are the solutions.

Tonight's gonna be a damn good night for you, and if it's not then that doesn't mean it won't be damn good tomorrow night. If you're thinking over and over again until it happens, "man, I'm gonna have a good sleep tonight," then you're going to eventually get the results you're looking for.

I'm not saying that thinking is the only thing that will change things. But thinking is just the beginning step to changing things. I will imagine now that you are sleeping well.

What Do You Know?

I have read that when blogging, one should blog about what one knows. What does anyone really know though? We know, based on experience. Although, every person's experience is different (even when they are witnessing the same event).


So, we all know what we know, but what we know is not necessarily the truth because we won't all agree on the same thing to be true, even the same situation.

Yes, of course I am questioning what I know. I am just now trying to understand the term "share your truth."

Somehow I thought self-discovery was supposed to be done when I became an 'adult.' How did I ever imagine that I would have known, by now, all that I need to know about the way life works and about myself?

I'll blame it (in the most loving way) on my dear mother, Vivianne LaFrance, who seems to understand existence like no other person I know. She is a jewel in my life because she Share's Her Truth, and she is confident in what she knows to be her truth. Through her truth, she helps people.

I want to get to the point where my truth is so strong that I can purposefully share it with the people around me; for what I believe to be solid, yet fluid, and be comfortable with it's solid fluidity.

Other Versions of You

This morning I was driving along the highway (doing the 80k speed limit, of course), and I had to do a double-take and look to my right a second time, and then a third. I saw a lady hammering some sort of a 'For Sale' sign into the grass on the side of the road. No big deal, except that the lady looked identical to a friend of mine.

Now, anyone who knows me will know that I come up with theories about many things, all of the time. I find my theories to be insightful, although most of the time people laugh at them. I suppose my ideas can be rather humorous to people because people don't seem to come up with their own far-fetched theories. I don't know why...Maybe they just aren't sharing their theories and they in fact constantly have unique, yet superfluous, ideas.

Anyway...The thought I thought instantaneously was this: "what if this lady is another version of my friend." I don't mean that she is a twin, or a long-lost sister, or a literal 'double.' What I mean is this: what if we leave versions of ourselves behind as we progress to different places in our personal spiritual evolution, and we never meet these other versions of ourselves because we're no longer on the same wavelength as those versions who we left behind.

I don't think that we are the same people as we were 10 years ago. Maybe I'm thinking this way because my 10-year school reunion is happening this year. We've all gone through experiences, and we're going to be coming together with different bodies and different thought patterns than we had when we left school.
I don't know if this paragraph can be argued.

If you are like most of my friends, you would argue that my theory of leaving versions of ourselves behind has no validity. You would question it, which is fair, and then you would conclude that you'd never entertain the thought again.

I love my friends, and I am not putting them down. I appreciate that not everyone has brilliant ideas ;) lol. Okay, it's okay for me to make fun of myself too :)

If we grow mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, wouldn't it only make sense that the old versions of ourselves would end up some place in the universe just like the selves we are right now are right here?

Haha. I just talked to my husband about this theory, and he said what I was talking about was called Multiverse. It's actually a thing!!

Me, on my birthday: Downtown, Victoria, BC, Canada :)

We Can Make More Time

I’m seeing now that lack of time is really only a self-limiting belief.

I’m starting to see more and more in my life that I do indeed have the choice as to how much time I have in a single day. I used to get overwhelmed with the number of tasks I needed to do; and still I catch myself coming to those feelings. But, I noticed my beliefs changing when I started realizing that my day could be filled with all sorts of things, without the thoughts of “ahhhh! I have too many things to do, and not enough time, and how am I ever going to have time for myself.”

(This is a recent revelation by the way), so I know I still have a way to go.

Do you suffer symptoms of being stressed for time? Maybe I can help guide you through what I think I went through to get to my feelings of calmness. I say “what I think I went through” because it would be highly inaccurate for me to assume that I can remember exactly what the process was for me to get to exactly where I am right now. But, let me try and maybe you’ll find a few gems that can help you.

It might help you to know a bit about my personality and that I try really hard to make thing e ‘just so.’ I can be patient with other people’s wanting things a certain way: I can be flexible. The thing that I try to do is be ‘just so’ for myself. I want to do the best I can in school, in my relationship, in parenting, in work, in every interaction I have with people, in what I make my son for lunch, in how I walk, in …Well, pretty much every moment that I’m with myself, I want to be my best person. Maybe I’m neurotic. I don’t know.

I don’t so much like the term ‘perfectionist’- it sounds like a bad thing, as though trying to do good in one’s life is a problem. I don’t feel like I am being a problem for myself. If anything, I am proud of myself when I have accomplished what I know I am capable of accomplishing.

I suppose there is a problem that arises when I feel that I haven’t been able to live up to my own standards. Is that the way with everyone, I wonder? I don’t think my standards are actually high enough for what a human being is capable of, so I keep raising the bar. Sometimes it’s beneficial.

Ahhh! I am typing outside in a field right now, and a spider just landed in my hair.

Phew- got it out!!

Wow, I really feel like I am ramping up to something here…

I think what is helping me to not feel stressed about time is actually using the time I do have (because we all do have some free time if we let ourselves have it) to do the things that inspire me to keep living life. What does living life mean to you?

To me, living life does not mean doing all the things you HAVE TO DO in order to maintain the hectic schedule of living in the world we live in today: commuting, making lunches, doing laundry, punching into your job (unless you absolutely love being at work), grocery shopping, etc.

What I’ve been figuring out is that “the dishes can wait” if it means I get more time to enjoy my life. My husband has been telling me this for nearly a decade, but it’s taken me until today to fully understand what he meant. Thankfully I have a husband who does not have unmanageable expectations of me.

But even if you don’t have that kind of partner (or no partner), once you start spending more time doing the things that make you happy, you will find that people don’t demand more from you; instead people want to help you do more of the things you love. They also become inspired by your love for life and they start to enjoy their lives more as well. It’s important to recognize what your needs are, and then to articulate them to yourself and to the people who love you.

Humans Being Here and Not Talking About It

I find it interesting the way we are as humans, specifically how none of us really knows why we're here, how we came to be here, where we're going, and all that's in between.

I do not mean to offend those of you who know absolutely that you are a human being on Earth with an absolute purpose, and a desire to make it happen, and a knowing deep in your soul of where you are going after being here on Earth. Heck, if that's the case then I don't think it would even be possible for me to offend you. Congratulations to you...I think?

I am most definitely not certain of humanhood. Nor do I think the people who 'know' are always certain about things either. Everyone must waver in their understanding of life from time to time. It only makes sense.

I'm curious enough to take a survey of every person I know, and ask them "why do you think we're here?" Although, many responses would be the same (due to belief systems shaped by culture, religion, and education). Some people might have had an out-of-body experience, or near-death. That would be interesting. Although, I don't necessarily think the 'near-death people' have a better understanding of life than anyone else; it's just a different understanding. I guess my survey would be rather pointless, come to think of it.

I find it humorous that more people don't talk about being here, as humans, or why we are here. I suppose it's because none of us knows, but that sort of seems like an excuse- a way out of the conversation...Avoidance of contemplation of anything further than what we've already contemplated.

Does it hurt to think about, or to talk about? Maybe it's too potentially offensive for people to talk about in today's world. We don't want to start any wars over religion- already been done. We are far too cool for that now.

So what now? We just ignore the weirdness that we're these strange physical bodies (or we're in them) with emotions and thoughts. We just brush the whole thing under the rug, and keep our thoughts to ourselves on the matter of humans and existence.

Maybe thinking about it doesn't help any. Maybe talking about it makes things worse. All I know for sure is that often I wonder why things are the way they are...And I probably will keep doing it.

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Being a Citizen

The world seems so strange right now, with every person's priorities being different from the next person's. Somehow things kind of keep functioning; I just don't understand how, and if it's actually true to say that we are functioning.

Today I threw a plastic take-away cup in the garbage because I was on "too much of a time crunch to be able to rinse it out and throw it into a recycle bin." That was my excuse anyhow. The truth, I see now, is that I could have taken the time to put it into the recycling bin, but at that moment, my priorities were skewed. I was focused on getting the things done in my life that were apparently of more importance in that moment than maintaining the future health of our planet.

Some people may scoff and say, "it's only one plastic cup. Don't worry about it." Unfortunately, I read the book called What if Everybody Did That?... If you decide to read this book to a child, you will understand my dilemma.

What if Everybody Did That?- By:  Ellen Javernicke

Had I planned it out better, I could have easily felt like I had enough time to eat my breakfast AND recycle my cup, but I didn't plan well due to various other excuses I can provide myself with.

I don't think it's possible to be a perfect citizen, and sometimes trying our best to be perfect at anything is too stressful to manage. Although, societal laws call for perfection and if perfection is not attained then there are real consequences.

To which level of perfection must one perform in order to live as a proper citizen in the world? Must one just barely abide by the rules of society in order to get through life? Would that be considered being a proper citizen?

There is an elderly lady near where we live. She goes out to the recycling bin in the parking lot, and she literally takes the non-flattened boxes out of the bin and she flattens them and then returns them to the bin. She is someone who sees most of the younger generation as 'careless.'

I can sorta see her point, I suppose ;) Although, often I think that the younger generation cares too much but that they have a hard time focusing on any one of those things due to what we talked about in the first paragraph of this post.