Everywhere wash from Rocky Mountain Soap Company

Thank you Rocky Mountain Soap Company for this soap! It smells good and works great everywhere

#toxinfreedays #shoplocal #EWGskindeep

Making it awkward and calling out discrimination

 Hahahaha, a situation just came to mind from YEARS ago during an interview. I was at my final interview with this major company....they loved me...we had a great interview and the question period was over. They were going over coming in to sign the paper work, and while they were talking to me, they got comfortable LOL...and started in with some coarse joking between one another and decided to include me in it...

....It was racist, demeaning, and highly uncomfortable (one of them was a person of colour...). And in my head, I was done. They FAILED the interview. So I opened my mouth and the response that came out shut the whole deal down.....I said.... "Yeah, that's not funny." (with a smile of course )....never heard from them again, but I am glad I spoke up in that moment.

#knowyourGoodSoil #bewhereyoucanGrow #makeitawkward #oneanotherlove

More than just having tea with your friend, Comfort. Explore more of who you are

 Good morning!

Sigh...I really, REALLY like having my morning "ME" time ALONE LOL ....AND some days that doesn't happen that way.

From experience though, I know if I choose to be present with my family's needs, I get some great gifts and gems from it...

Connection and encouragement for my hubby as he was in pain from a fall he had yesterday, and I turned my morning time into a shared devo with my oldest.

We sang this song/hymn/chant....honestly, you cannot come to this and try and sing this "prayer" without a humble heart space....otherwise it will crack and creak ALL over the place! And yes we did, we went through it a few times with all our creaks and cracks and then we got it ....and it's resonance filled us up.

And then the full message came...you see, I invited my son to sing it with me, and he said he wasn't 'feelin' it.' To which I said, "that is our friend Comfort sitting in his chair in the tea room, and you are the WHOLE HOUSE! Explore those other rooms " He wasn't familiar with it...he doubted himself....and well, he was kinda fresh outta bed too....meh LOL.

We moved from 'not feelin' it' to observing 'feeling' and then move into being in resonance....in other words, we checked out some of the other rooms of the house and had a fuller tour.

Being curious, especially of what you can experience and uncover of and about yourself is much more "worth it" than just showing up for "tea time" each day with "Comfort" in the "tea room." Yes, it's familiar, yes it's cozy (I think Comfort has the fire going now too ), but we have the rest of our day (s) and the rest of the house to check out! We can't just live for that one appointed time and not realize that there is still more we could be doing and focusing on in our lives.

When you "feel into" the whole "house" of who you are or possibly can be, then you visit more of the rooms that are there (and furnished) on a day to day basis. Your experience is fuller, your day is more enlivened, and you tend to be more welcoming because of it.

And think, your "neighbour" has a similar house, filled with many rooms, and many of which may not have been explored to their delight. What's behind that door that you haven't opened up to yet? WOW!! We are SO full of WONDER

#thankyouGod #divinegifts #singingprayers #divineresonance #lifetothefull #wholehouse #manyrooms #WeAre #greaterstill

I have a DEEP passion for this thing called "humanity"

 Good morning!

I "know" better than to read emails first thing in the morning LOL...

...and I wanted to share something as I reflect on my weekend (went great, thank you ) and going into the preparations for the week ahead.

I have a DEEP passion for this thing called "humanity". It IS one of my core questions and validators for experiences and choices in my life. THIS is what I came to realize in my deep dive studies and "personal growth" this weekend. Not that I didn't know that, but the key word is passion.

Often passion is defined as a "pain" or suffering we experience. A "strong and barely controllable emotion." Many reflect on the passion and compassion of Christ as a reference to how deep and how strong passion can be.

And for me, it wasn't always this way. I didn't like people. It doesn't mean I didn't love people, but for the most part, I didn't like people. I LOVED and respected animals way more. Less complicated, more friendly, weren't hurling insults at me, didn't tease me or isolate themselves from me....So in reality, it was more that I didn't like how I was treated by SOME people in my life. I was not an advocate for humans at all. Spoke of them as though I was an alien. Reduced their value with the language of science, form, and matter. It got to the point where their souls were barely on my mind at all...I really only cared for those who cared for me and the rest, well....yeah....

I often used to write off my experience here in "this life" (in Canada), and fully embraced our family visits with cousins and my grandparents (on my mom's side) as where I was truly living. It was as though the "rest" of my life was like a reoccurring bad dream that I couldn't stop going back to.

SO when I say that I have a deep love and passion for humanity, I sit at awe with myself. I marvel at the person I have become LOL and I truly appreciate that the challenges I went through as a younger person help to amplify my wonder and gratitude now.

And with that "passion", I now experience a "pain" when I see that there are some people so blind to "its" presence...and by "it", I mean humanity. I know, I know....reflections...are they in actuality "blind" to their own existence? Possibly. Are they not recognizing their worth and value in this world? Again, it's possible. Was I, those years ago? Maybe...But just like the short, and beautiful moment of a sunrise on the day, we have but a limited time to "allow" ourselves the opportunity to see, AND enjoy the gift that humanity is.

So this week, I get the "gift" of fully enjoying humanity, at all levels, even those levels at which others may try to avoid or run from. Because my desire now for #oneanotherlove runs deeper than I ever imagined it would, I am truly grateful.

#thankyouGod #Divinegifts #WOWMAN #INjoy #UnitedINHumanity #WEare #beautifulsunrises #LoveyourNeighbour

Consider more of your "fulfillment zone"

 Good morning!

This morning is being "made to feel" uncomfortable...

Because honestly, when you thing about being uncomfortable, how does it make you feel?

Find the words that sit with you ...or even better yet, the images of what it looks like for you...

I bring this up because, today, I am standing on the "side" of how "comfort" feels when it is being challenged.

How DARE we not accept "comfort" and welcome "It" as is.... It just wants to be itself and not be disturbed.

Unfortunately though, when it comes to being human, we are not designed in the same way as "comfort" is. We are living, evolving, dynamic, and growing beings.

We can, however, for moment, enjoy the company of "comfort", but then we get up and move...disturbing the nature of our "comfort" relationship as we grow to something bigger, or try to keep things "status quo" by a whole bunch of unnecessary busy-ness. We don't stay still and constant as much as we think we do. It takes a LOT of effort for us to "remain" the same.

It's not a good match. What we think resonates for us as comfort is actually not stagnant or static at all. What gives us that "fulfilled" feeling, and internal warm fuzzy expands much bigger than the seat that "comfort" sits in.

Yesterday was World Kindness Day. Kindness, which requires our "One another" involvement, is one of those things that resonates for us as humans in our "fulfillment zone." When we share it, when we see it, and when we receive it, we experience a chemical reaction within our being that fills us up At a scientific level, we benefit from kindness received, witness, and given. And that is only an aspect of what fills us up in the "fulfillment zone".

I'm challenging my fellow humans today, to go forward...and consider, on a daily basis, more of the "fulfillment zone" rather than your "comfort" zone. It "feels" much better, and when you experience it more and more, "comfort" doesn't feel so comfortable anymore. It signals that there IS more that you (and others) could be experiencing, and that feels and fulfills much better on a whole.

It benefits us AND all that is around us as well. We become MORE considerate, MORE compassionate, more loving, and more kind. Because once you feel that fullness, it has to overflow to those around you. You feel compelled to share. And "uncomfortable" will be a tingly sensation to nudge you to share more instead of feeling that your "comfort" is being IMPOSED upon or taken from you.

So let us look at the big picture after such a day recognizing kindness, and see how we can share in more of it.

"Comfort" can stay in its cozy chair in a room off in the corner of the house while we reach out and connect, grow, and experience our life's journey together. We ARE the bigger picture of what is happening.

You are always welcome to go and visit "Comfort" for a cup of tea from time to time, and your life is in the whole of what "comfort" gets to be a part of...so go and experience more of what is out there waiting to be lived.

#thankyouGod #breakinghibernation #Lovefirst #Divinegifts #Fulfillmentzone #lifetothefull #OneAnotherLove #WorldKindnessDay #divineunion

Harvest the good and love first

 Good morning!

Yesterday I got yelled at. In public. In front of my son and the man behind me in line. By a cashier at Costco.

And ALL of what I pointed out doesn't matter to me. LOL . She even spoke to me in a demeaning way as though I couldn't hear her and that I must be stupid. "Can't you see the lights??? Over there!!"

LOL, it's funny, that the thing that stood out for me the most was the response and the experience of others AND remembering a similar situation that happened in Scarborough with my friend Lisa Barker almost 20 years ago. That sales associate used his hands as though I must be deaf and spoke slow and loud to me at the same time....for what reason??? I stepped back and asked him what he was doing, but he had already written me off at that point.

In both situations, I wondered.....who ELSE have they done "this" to? and 'Who taught them to do this to others?'....and I was reminded...to remember my value.

In moments like these, I get a little smile inside, remembering, knowing and enjoying my personal value. I don't need others to read through my resume or watch the movie of my life or to read my autobiography to "get" who it is I am. Because honestly, we have but moments with one another folks. And in these gems of moments, we could be stringing together a wonderful life to experience or we can have our pearls tossed into the mud and trampled on. We GET to remember...that we do the stringing or we do the tossing....it's only us who experiences US on the most whole and KNOWN level.

That cashier did NOT know the decision process I went through with my son of calculating and choosing the line we stood in (Big carts and big single item purchases...)...that we ran into one of our doctors in one line to realize that line was way too long, but informed him this many people are there because it would be closed 'tomorrow'.....that my son's hands were getting tired from holding the box (it was NOT a good day to decide to fill a cart LOL) and the Aussie fellow behind us offered the front of his cart for us to rest our box on.....that we were discussing the self checkouts with that man before she got there and that I wasn't in the mood to push through 100 or so people (with their carts) to get there...

Also, I didn't know what she was experiencing that day....did she like her job? Does she like large crowds of people? Did she get her break on time? Did she have family challenges or other circumstances weighing heavy on her mind? I DON'T know! I simply said 'thank you for letting us know'....I don't even know if she heard me say 'thank you'.

What I DO know is that her speaking to me that way sparked something in the people around us...they spoke up in my defense. They shook their heads....they questioned why she felt she needed to speak to me that way. And the heart of humanity showed up to help realign us all in that moment...and it was beautiful and connective and brought out the Holiday Cheer It is the "season of light", and with that, many MORE of us will choose to connect and support rather than to compete, fight, and break down another. More and more, we are choosing holiday gatherings and spending time with people MORE than having to find that perfect gift. We are choosing to value one another FREELY and feeling that we, at this time of year, have the permission to do so.

So thank you to all those who rested in the patience of having to line up at Costco yesterday....thanks to those who supported another who was a stranger in the face of unnecessary languaging...and thanks to the happy and speedy cashiers at the end of the line that smiled, were efficient, and brightened our day...AND to the cashier, who had stopped to inform those in line of the new self serve tills. It made for a great opportunity to connect and encourage

#thankyouGod #DivineGifts #biggerpicture #ofGREATvalue #underestimate #choosetoSeeValueinOthers #oneanotherlove #tistheSeason #calledtoremember

Gateways. What do your action lead into?

 Good morning!

Well that was an interesting dream! I went from getting ready to embark on a drive along the coastal highway of Barbados to finding a half frozen pear in the snow at Jasper Park Lodge during Christmas in November.

As I picked up the pear (cut in wedges), I knew it was discarded and I showed it to someone else. They took it and were about to toss in the garbage when I asked, "Aren't you going to compost that?" And the reply was "Composting is a gateway to ...." And the dream was interrupted and the questions and dialogue in my mind commenced LOL.

A gateway to what?? LOL ...conscientious and sustainable living? And, of course it got me thinking about other "gateway actions" we could all "try out" that would QUICKLY transport us through the "proverbial gate" into an experience that would just run with us!

After considering many actions, I landed on one that really is difficult to stop and reaps many rewards, even if half attempted.

"Counting wins." It's a gateway action, and you may want to give it a try. But let me first explain a little as to why it's worth giving it a go.

It's not a fluffy and cheeky way of getting you to do a gratitude list. It IS a great way to prove to your "inner critic or skeptic" that there ARE things in your life that work out to YOUR benefit....that DO change in a good way in your life....and it adds "points" on the scoreboard for the "other" team.

Because, if you are anything like me and the many others I have spoken to, keeping score is already being done in your life for a lot of things that didn't go your way. Have you caught yourself saying the phrase "what next??" BOOM! Score keeping. Or how about..."They say it happens in 3s' " ....Again, keeping score for things that "go wrong".

But what if, you started counting the score for the stuff that goes well...or even less than the "usual" calamity in your days? "Well, I didn't eat the WHOLE cake this time." or ..."I spent over 30 minutes walking today and didn't plan for it."...."or "the kids didn't bicker AS much as they usually do".....or even "someone shared a compliment with me and wanted nothing in return..."

Honestly, you can get drawn in to racking up the score without even knowing you are being full-on competitive with your "critic/skeptic" team. And you TOTALLY are!!! And then you find yourself doing it daily! And consistently throughout the day LOL!! You start adding stuff to "DO" so you can count it!! HAHAHA!!

I can't tell you how many times that I "suggested" trying out this "gateway" action, and having that person come to me on a "bad" day for me and ADDING in a "win" for me LOL. It is simply beautiful!

And I am not kidding! Recently there was a bit of a challenging time that occurred and I had people chiming in in my life with compliments and support and definitely "wins"...and I had been trying to get in deeper with them for ages. The "busy-ness" of life even got set aside to share "wins" into my life from others

So my challenge to you ALL....go on, TRY IT!! Give it a day! Can you try even a week? Even just a 5 sec moment to look for just ONE!! That's it! And please PLEASE share with me if you do!

#thankyouGod #travellingdreams #sharingtheGoods #Justtryit #Gatewayactivities #chooseyourGatetopassthrough #findthewins #CountyourWins #EYL #oneanotherlove