Having enough

I think that there is something synaptic about shopping. It can evoke strong reactions in us … for some a ‘thrill’ for others a … well I am honestly not sure what it feels like for others because I like shopping… but I am told that some people do not like shopping… not at all. Either way it seems to be associated with pretty strong emotions.

For those of us that like shopping… that enjoy experiencing the momentary guilty pleasure of ‘new’ … I would like to introduce another equally (perhaps even more) fulfilling concept. Using what you have and realizing ‘you have enough’

There is something equally (maybe more) satisfying about finishing something. Whether it is a big project, a book, the food in your fridge or even a bottle of shampoo.

At one point I think I had a shampoo addiction ...crazy… Anyways I couldn’t resist the smell of a good shampoo … if I was getting a haircut or at a friend’s house the product would be sold… just browsing the shampoo aisle of a store was a real pick me up for me.  After a while… what I found was…instead of starting my day with one of my favorite things - a shower with a nice smelling shampoo- I was overwhelmed by the amount of half used bottles of shampoo I had accumulated… And I realized that while I enjoy buying a new bottle of fresh smelling shampoo … there is also something wonderful about using the last drop to it to wash my hair… Here are a few other examples

• Finish the book you are reading or decide that you won’t and give it away. These are much more energizing solutions to going to bed with a pile of books on your beside table.
• Empty your fridge and buy only what you need. Design meals ‘on the fly’ by looking at the contents of your refrigerator and making do (it feels good!). And I guarantee that you will find meals in there for a few more days even when it starts to look empty. Also think about what you ‘realistically’ do when you meal plan not what you would ideally like to do… Ideally I would like to cook a healthy meal full of protein, whole grains and a variety of multicolored vegetables each night… My reality is quite different... if you find you are too tired most nights to cook, plan on ordering in or going to a restaurant and save on your grocery bill.

Random Thought #8

Shopping for something new can be a treat but making do with what you have can also be very fun. There’s something very satisfying about finishing what you start… whether that is a huge endeavor or a book or squeezing the last bit of shampoo out of a bottle.

If A+B=C than A equals...

Sometimes I walk my dog thru a cemetery. It’s quiet, there’s very little traffic and its right near my house. One day as I looking at the tombstones, I thought no matter how challenging things may get… as long as I am still on this side of the pavement … there is still always opportunity.

These reality checks are everywhere. When we visit friends in the hospital and see people struggling with their health, when we drive by an accident on the highway…

Someone once told me our “reality” was determined solely by our ‘perception’ of an event and our ‘interpretation’ of that perception in terms of a feeling (e.g. positive / negative,…happy / sad….).

I recently saw the movie Inception and in it the characters used a totem (a small personal object) to distinguish between their reality and dreams…so…I thought …What a good idea! And wouldn’t it be interesting to use a totem everyday? It could be very comforting to have something we could carry with us everyday to regularly check in with ourselves... a physical reminder to look inward…check our perceptions and interpretations of a situation…and ‘be’ with and feel our feelings in any given moment.

Random Thought #8

Consider the idea of a totem to question your interpretation of reality and if it is all determined by our minds… work towards being the luckiest, most positive person you know.

Cinderella I am not …

You know what they say about all work and no play…. even though I like cleaning and organizing … my list of “To Do’s” seemed like one of those revolving lines of credit… no matter how much effort I expended there was always more "to do" and unfortunately … I have not seen evidence, nor am I convinced that those TV families with a helpful husbands eager to do their share and obedient children who listen and pick up after themselves exist…

So… rather than nagging and fighting with everyone… and feeling justifiably terrible (e.g. they should be helping)... my newest strategy is to hire people to my capacity. Instead of scrutinizing the activities of others…I scrutinized my budget to see what I could afford and than I shopped around for the best prices (well worth the effort) and paid people to do the "delegatable" tasks I wasn’t enjoying or that were for whatever reason stressing me out.

Random thought # 6

Buy yourself some peace of mind. This way when the prince calls to ask you if you want to go to the ball … you can say… Sure!

Exercise does not come naturally to me...

I have thought about exercise a lot and talked to people who really enjoy exercising to try to get the bug… but …I can honestly say that my mental health does not suffer when I lie horizontally on my couch watching TV … my waistline however… is another story…

So I try…

Today as I was trying to jog around the block, I loaded my ipod with music that I listened to in my early 20’s and I found it made it quite a bit less painful…it was distracting and reminiscent of a time when my life was organized around ‘fun’ … instead of just organized.

As I rounded each corner I listened to songs that you’d hear while riding the polar express backwards going really, really fast… And I must admit I felt lighter and stronger and at times even forgot I was having trouble breathing…

Random Thought #5

Organize your ipod. Fill it with songs that remind you of your best self… or your ‘fun’est self (I realize that’s not a word) so that you can be that person again for a little while, remember what that felt like and bring a part of that person back into the hustle and bustle of today.

Ripple Effect

As I was throwing stones in a pond with my son this morning, we watched the ripples each stone made.

I thought... these stones are like our decisions. Each decision we make has far reaching consequences much like the ripple effect I was observing. Those closest to us feel the greatest impact and it gradually spreads out to others around us, to society, to the world. Whether its buying Canadian goods, organizing a closet, smiling at strangers, volunteering, recycling... I could go on with negative stuff like stealing or yelling but why bother...the point is the consequences of our decisions impact ourselves and others in either positive or negative ways.

When they say 'we can only change ourselves' (e.g. not others) or 'be the change we wish to see in the world'... this could be what they mean because just like the first couple rings around that stone... those closest to us experience most of the positivity or negativity and as I watched the ripples spread through the pond...I thought... the consequences of our actions are far reaching.

Random Thought #4

Before making big decisions... throw a stone in the water and mull it over... let's make thoughtful decisions and let the positive ripples flow!

It's the simple things in life...

Start each day with something you love!

Loved ones aside...

Each morning I look forward to a freshly brewed cup of strong coffee.

People who know me will know that this statement is undeniably true!