Life Lessons

If we took time to stop and think, and apply all of these rules to our personal lives, life would be so much simpler....something to think about...always remember Rule #25...

45 LIFE LESSONS, WRITTEN BY A 90 YEAR OLD

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short not to enjoy it.
4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.
5. Don’t buy stuff you don’t need.
6. You don’t have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for things that matter.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye… But don’t worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful.  Clutter weighs you down in many ways.
18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It’s never too late to be happy.  But it’s all up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words, ‘In five years, will this matter?’
27. Always choose Life.
28. Forgive but don’t forget.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give Time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d
grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you think you need.
42. The best is yet to come…
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

Hurry Up Already!

Why is it that everyone is always in a hurry for things to happen? I have always been in a rush for the good things to happen but when it finally happened, I had totally missed the journey of getting there.

In the last few years, I have learned to be a little more patient, but admittedly, I still struggle with having patience. I have always wanted things to happen instantaneously....losing weight was always a big one...I wanted to lose 20 pounds in the first week of dieting but I didn't want to put forth the work. I soon found out that if I wanted it to happen, I had to slowly change the way I eat, add exercise and be patient. Eventually the weight did come off but it happened slowly and steadily. A good philosophy to have in many avenues of life.

Many people try to rush love...love cannot be rushed. You can't just make it happen. It has to build up slowly over time and there has to be chemistry, a mental connection that leaves you wanting more of that person. It makes you happy with a constant smile on your face. And even though you have just met them, you wonder how you have survived your whole life without them. You get totally infatuated with the person and want to spend every waking moment with them. You put your life, and everyone in it, on the back burner just to make yourself available for this person. You would do anything to make them attracted to you. You have been waiting your whole life for this person and you want to make up for lost time. You are in hurry to have the perfect life...you forget that while you are waiting for this glorious bliss, real life is happening all around you. Take your time and let it happen the way it was meant to. When the time is right, it will happen. In the mean time, take a breath, anticipate your next encounter, and enjoy the journey...

 

#100HAPPYDAYS

     Can you be happy for

               

100 days

                                       

   in a row?

Sounds easy right? Everyone has some reason to smile every day. But when we put ourselves to the test, we forget that it is the little things that make us smile, that remind us why we get out of bed every morning and why we keep moving on.I have been challenged by my friend, and fellow blogger (Your Average Joe) Mike Sealy, to participate in the challenge and to find and document my own 100 happy days.

Generally I am a pretty happy person but we all have days that we would sooner stay curled up on the couch with a good book and let the day breeze by without us being a part of it. The challenge for me will be to remember the things that make me happy and not to focus on the negative. I will forewarn you, you will see a lot of pictures of my dog Maui, and when possible, my kids. These are my happiest thoughts. So bare with me as you view my daily photo for the next 100 days, they will most likely be boring to you but for me..they spell happiness :) At the end of this 100 day challenge of self induced happiness, I will edit this post to report how my life has changed by focusing on the good things in life. I would strongly encourage anyone who is feeling down or depressed to challenge themselves to this, it will surely brighten even the darkest of days. In the meantime DON'T FORGET TO BE HAPPY!

Success...

 
                     “Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.”
                           ― John Lennon


So, today I celebrated my 52nd birthday. I have always thought that by the time I turned 50, I would have everything I needed to be able to retire...that I would be financially stable and have the possessions I think I need ( a new car, a modest home and a nice little nest egg). Truth is, I don't have any of these. It sort of makes me feel like I have not been successful in my life, that I have not been focused enough to be where I want to be or should be, and that somehow I have just floated through life.As this may seem true, I do believe that everything happens for a reason, and that I was where I was supposed to be and doing what I was supposed to be doing whether it made sense or not. Why are some people so successful while other people like myself, just float through life?

I'm sure that I am not the only one that thinks like this. So I want to remind all of those people, including me, that success comes in many forms. While some people are successful financially. others like me, are successful in a different way. Although I don't have that fancy house or drive a new car or have a nest egg for the future, I have awesome kids. I can honestly say, they were, and continue to be, my biggest success. I believe I have been a success as a mother because it is evident in my children and how they've turned out. I have been a success as a friend because of all the truly wonderful friends I have, and you have to be a great friend in order to have great friends. And I have been a success as a person, as a woman, simply because I would do anything for anybody, and I don't take people for granted. I live by the Golden Rule and practice it every day.

So next time you feel that you have no successes to celebrate, remember all the things you have accomplished in your life, the important things. Financial freedom can go as quickly as it came, but a successful way of life is irreplaceable. It is that way of life that lives on in your children, it is that success that is celebrated...inspire others to be as successful as you :)

A New Journey

I guess there comes a time when you have to say goodbye to your kids. Not literally, they just grow up over night and all of a sudden they are moving in their own direction. There's nothing you can do about it, it just happens. Right now, I am dealing with Rob and his move to Halifax, Nova Scotia...he is moving with Erica so she can go to school at NSCAD. She is so lucky to have Rob in her life and she has said over and over how lucky she is, she loves him, and I know he is in good hands :)

I know I am not the only person that is going to miss him when he leaves next week. Kelsie is going to miss her brother...her best friend. Even though they haven't always got along (what brothers and sisters do?) they know they are always there for each other no matter what. Her heart will have a huge hole in it when he leaves. There's just something about having a hug that no phone call can emulate. It's great to be able to talk to someone, but having them here in person is the best. I for one, will miss his bear hugs and sense of humour.

                                                                   ~ best friends~

I don't really know how to express in words just how I feel about his move but I imagine that there are a lot of people that can put themselves in my shoes and know how I feel. I know that I am not the only person that has had a child or sibling or parent move away, across the country or sometimes across the world, but right now I feel like I am the only one. I know I am just being selfish but I will get better at it, I promise :) After all, Darren's parents came to Canada and left him in England when he was about 17, that must have been very hard for him, and my girlfriend had both of her sons do numerous tours in Afghanistan and Iraq not even knowing if they would return. With the grace of God, they returned and are now at home. Rob too will return at some point, but even if he and Erica decide to make Halifax their new home, I will always be here for him if he decides to come back. In the meantime, I really do hope for them all the luck and fun in their new journey.

                                                         ~a bond no one can break~





So Rob and Erica, on behalf of all the family, especially me, BB and Darren, we really do wish you the best on your new adventure. It's going to be an awesome experience for the both of you! It's beautiful in Halifax and change is always good for the soul. You guys will really be missed!!

                                                          ~ geez  I will miss this lol ~
                                   

                                                       ~ BB and Bob...best buds~

It's time to make new memories of the next chapter in your life. Good Luck Rob & Erica! Love you!

I Am My Mother's Daughter...

Well, it was inevitable. It's true what they say, you wind up just like your mother. Luckily for me, that's an awesome thing! As Mother's Day came and went, it got me thinking about what being a mother is all about.

When people say to me, "You're just like your mother" I take that as a real compliment. My mom hasn't always had an easy life (well, never actually). There are 5 kids in our family, 7 if you count the ones that they lost before my oldest brother was born. Personally, I can't imagine losing either one of my children. I would be absolutely devastated. Somehow, my parents dealt with their losses and trucked on to having all of us. My dad always held down at least 2 jobs to support his growning family as my mom stayed home to raise us. For many years there was always two kids in diapers at the same time. There was always a meal on the table at supper time when my dad came in from work. The house was always neatly kept, although not always perfect. It had the so-called "lived in" look. We didn't care, we had food in our bellies and a roof over our head. We didn't always have a phone, but we had each other to talk to. We didn't always have the most high-tech toys but we had a lake at our front door. We made our own fun, and we loved each others' company. Many a day when we lived on the lake, all of us kids would haul the life guard's stand way out into the water and jump off of it. Only to watch the life guards haul it back in the next day. This routine never, ever got old. As a kid, I remember going camping..a lot! One summer, we camped for the whole summer (at least it felt like it!) It was so awesome! I have memories of going swimming at the beach and we would take our blow up floating thingies. My mom always hated them because she had a huge fear of us floating down the river and being gone forever. As a mom, I know how she  must have felt. If you ask Kelsie and Rob, I am sure they will tell you that I have always been paranoid about things like that all the time as they were growing up. Who knows, maybe that's why we are all still here?! So, I guess I am turning out just like my mother.

One of my mother's best things that she likes is to have all her family mulling around her. We recently had a get together for her, for her 80th birthday. It was great to see her so happy. And it was all because of us. It wasn't because of all the food, endless as usual as it is at all our gatherings lol and it wasn't the gifts that she received, although she did like her necklace we got her! It was simply the fact that all her children and grand-children were there with her to celebrate her birthday. Hell, she would have been just as happy if it was Groundhog Day! She just loves, loves, loves her family around. I am the same way. Just give me my family around me, and of course my D and Maui, and I am one happy woman. I forget about all my money troubles and my stresses and frustrations at work, and I am right in my glory. Nothing else really matters except the important people in my life. That's what gets you through everything and keeps your glass half full :) And as much as I am my mother's daughter, so is Kelsie. She is definitely her mother's daughter too. Family is, and always will be #1. Nothing wrong with that...

So for all of you that are told that "You are just like your mother!", just smile a big grin and say "Thanks!"

I hope I am doing my mom proud by raising a daughter just like me :O) I had an awesome teacher...

Don't Try To Change Me....I Like Me!

If you think you can try to change me at this point in my life, GOOD LUCK! I have been set in my ways for quite some time and I don't plan on changing who I am or what I am all about now :)

A long time ago I was involved with someone (who shall remain nameless to avoid hurting anyone's feelings), and slowly throughout the relationship, he proceeded to mould me into the person he wanted me to be. I guess it was a control thing, I don't know. And it worked for awhile I must admit. Slowly I saw parts of me slipping away. I stopped hanging out with friends, my way of thinking evolved into his way of thinking and my impulsiveness just kind of disappeared. The woman I was, was not the same as the woman I was becoming. At first I didn't really notice it because I was caught up in the relationship and my underlying need to make people happy, I always want to please people. I forgot to put me first...eventually friends stopped calling me and I stopped going out after work with people because I was expected to be home. Not wanting to rock the boat and upset him, I just did what he expected. I lost who I was, the person that he loved when we first met. The person he pursued to no end. Maybe he liked the challenge of the chase and not the prize at the end. I just don't know. I felt guilty if I went out, and if I did, I was always the first to leave so I could get home in decent time. I had come to realize that I liked the person who I was (a lot of people struggle with accepting themselves as "good enough" for other people). I liked me! I liked the person I had become and everyone else liked me too. Not to be vain, but it was true. I had no enemies. Strange but true lol. My parents raised me right. I always put others first (not always wise I might add!), always did things for people and expected nothing in return, and was just generally nice to everyone, among other things. So why would anyone want to change me? I really don't get it.

Sometimes, I think that people try to change others because they need changes in themselves. For example,
when I am encouraged to stay at home rather than go out, it is because that person is not comfortable outside their own environment. They aren't good or comfortable with social situations so instead of going out and socializing, and bringing themselves up to your level, they would sooner bring you down to theirs. It is easier for them to change you rather than stepping outside their own comfort zone. I can understand that as at one time I used to be that person...very shy. You would never know it now, but I used to love going to dance clubs but had a great fear of somebody asking me to dance (I'm not a good dancer, just ask Kelsie, she will tell you the truth and quite possibly give you a demonstration!) It was really something if I accepted a dance invitation. But going to the club was my way of stepping out of my comfort zone. I was a lot more comfortable staying home and having friends come over...no social awkwardness to look for. Perfect! But as fate would have it, I couldn't change my friends so I was the one that needed to change. So that's why today I am a very social person, love to just hang out with people wherever, and everybody loves me (just ask D!) I like the person who I have evolved into, and I don't want that to change. I just want to make this one last point. To all those people that get married and think they will be able to change their significant other after they tie the knot, THINK AGAIN! You fell in love with the person that they were, not the person you want them to be. So if you feel you need to change them, then maybe you should have kept looking for that ideal person. Keep in mind nobody's perfect, not even you!

So, if you love me, love everything about me...my impulsiveness, my quirky idiosincrecies, my stubborness, and my undying love for my friends and family who I will do anything for at the spur of the moment, no questions asked. Please don't ever ask me to change who I am, I like me the way I am and I hope that is good enough for you too :) Besides, aren't our differences what makes us who we are as individuals?