Journey & Adventure

I say this to myself every…single…morning.  There are days when it works beautifully and then there are days, like yesterday and today when things are not working out as planned.  *sigh* The days start off on the positive side but then work happens, people happen, reality happens and shit happens.   I’ve always been fairly proud of my ability to shed the toxic people from my life, but today, I may be one of them.  I’m down right cranky.  Shame on me.    So, with that said, I’m self-imposing solitude by shutting my office door, not answering the phone, keeping off social media and generally not making eye contact with anyone.  I’m choosing to be happy and I’m damn well gonna like it.

I hope 2013 brings you more health and happiness than you can possibly handle. I don’t typically bother making New Year’s Resolutions and this year won’t be any different. I don’t believe in setting myself up for failure, but I will try to eat healthier, exercise more, swear less, save more, spend less, be more content and have more fun than in previous years. So much for being more content though - I’m only into the second day of 2013 and am already feeling out of sorts. What’s the problem? Who knows for sure? I can’t quite put my finger on the source of my discontent. I have this feeling I’ve forgotten something important or something bad is about to happen. I’m attributing some of it to being back at work. Although I was here last week and again on Monday, it was different – it was quiet, no e-mails, no phone calls, no worries. Today’s vibe is much different. Something’s off…or maybe it’s just my system adjusting to Day 2 of eating healthy and exercise. I guess on...

I borrowed a substantial portion of this post from Ecuador George .  He's another individual in the process of selling it all and relocating to Ecuador (he's quite witty too), so I recommend you pay him a visit.  I found his post very moving.  Not only does it sum up life quite nicely, it's exactly the reason why J and I are moving forward with life...in another country.  Here is a synopsis... Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who spent several years caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives. Ware writes of the phenomenal clarity of vision that people gain at the end of their lives, and how we might learn from their wisdom. “When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently,” she says, “common themes surfaced again and again.” REGRETS OF THE DYING by Bonnie Ware For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were...

Part 2 from yesterday's post... Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own. Ask yourself this: “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”   Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you. You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough. But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past. You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation. So smile! Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.   Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart. You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate. Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.” It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to...

This is my 500th post.  Whoo hoo for me [or sorry for you]...   T his article was recently featured in our company newsletter and I felt it was worth sharing.     Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth. And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.   Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on. No, it won’t be easy. There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them. We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems. That’s not how we’re made. In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hur...

There comes a time when we all need to take a step back and adjust our perspective on life and what’s really and truly important. It’s easy to become consumed with the daily chores, jobs and family commitments, but what we all have to realize is that we are ultimately in control of your own destiny.  Stop for just one moment and ask yourself – what if?   What if I didn’t take my children to soccer practice, dance lessons, karate lessons, skating lessons?  Who are we truly doing it for anyhow?  What if we stayed home and watched a movie instead?  Will they love me less? What if I didn’t exercise today?  Will the world come to an end? What if I left the dirty dishes in the sink until tomorrow or didn’t sweep the dust bunnies from under the kitchen table?   What’s the worst that will happen?   What if I opted for ice cream for supper instead of a salad?  What would my mother think?  Who cares? What if I don’t upda...

Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face. Victor Hugo

This is a re-post from last summer.  Since I haven't had time to be creative, I'm recycling.  Rest Assured, it still applies... I’ve been thinking about going to the beach this weekend. Ahhh the beach – warm sun, warm water, fresh air and sand…lots and lots of sand. If it weren’t for the sand, the beach could almost replace Walt Disney World as the happiest place on earth; however the sand that encompasses the shoreline of the lakes, oceans and rivers and makes up the thing known as the “Beach” is unbearable to me. I strongly dislike sand. I particularly dislike the feeling of dried-on sand between my toes. You know what I mean – after you’ve been swimming and need to walk across the sand to your beach towel (Water + Sand = Crusty Toes). Ughhh… When I was much lighter younger, I was successfully able to charm my then boyfriend (now husband) into sweeping me off of my feet and carrying to my awaiting throne beach towel without so much as a grain of s...

Enjoy the happiness of today because soon Monday will be upon us and I’ll be back to my cranky self. I’m happy it’s finally Friday.  This has been a painfully slow week, so it’s nice to know that in a mere 7.5 hours, the weekend will be upon me. I’m happy that my husband writes his exam tonight.  Finally, he will be able to stop complaining about the course and I can stop nagging him to turn off the television and study for it.  I’m also happy he’s not planning on taking another one until September. I’m happy that we have free muffins and yogurt at work today.  Free food always makes me happy. I’m happy that we are going to Toronto tomorrow.  We are taking our son to his college open house and then we are taking me shopping. I’m happy that I’m helping my friend instruct a scuba course on Sunday.  When scuba lessons start up again, it means Spring is finally here.   The downside – I h...

I told you it would happen and there’s no guarantee on how long it will last, but today I’m happy… I’m happy that today is February 1 st and that I’ve closed the door on January for another year. I’m happy my boss is on holidays this week. Although this usually means more work for me, I’ll manage. I’m happy that the “HR Nightmare” is gone for good. Yippee - skippy – hooray!! I still have her other team members to contend with, but without the Queen Bee, the hive is more useless useless, but I’ll manage. I’m happy that my grandparents called me last night. My grandpa is 80 and grandma is 79, but they both (at the same time) just had to fill me in on what was going on with American Idol. They are so cute. I’m happy that I’ve ordered the necessary materials to make this little item. I can hardly wait to receive the goods, so I can get started on my new career (ha). I’m happy to report that the weight loss quest is less than satisfactory; however I’m toni...