You have the power to change your life at any point in time. You are the one who is setting the course that your life is taking.
I hear so many people complain about situations they find themselves in. I myself am guilty of doing this at time. Sometimes I let my mindset become so extreme that I actually say out loud to myself "I hate my life!" which is so very far from the truth. It is terrible for me to say something like that because I am very fortunate to have the life that I have. I just let frustrations mount and that is the end result of my build up. As soon as it is out of my mouth I stop myself and think how very wrong my statement is and that I'm just frustrated with the situation.
Everyone needs to realize that we are all in a position to determine how we want to live our lives. If you are not happy with your job you do have the power to not go. I'm sure you may be saying "of course I need to go to work". My answer to you is no, you don't need to go to work if you hate your job, but you will need to adjust your life, to make changes so you can survive without having to go to work. Or you have the power to expand your knowledge and skill base so you can get a new job. What I am saying is that we all have the power to make decisions that will change our life!
Choose the life you want to live and take the steps you need to take to start living that life. If you are in a situation that is making you unhappy do something about it! Sitting back and being passive about your situation will not do anything to help improve it.
Like Nike says ~ just do it! Take your inner power and make a change for the better. You owe it to yourself!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
What Happened to Manners?
I work in Downtown Toronto and it's just bustling with people all of the time! There is this amazing underground pathway system ~ it's literally a whole world underground and there are many many people above ground that are totally unaware that it even exists! In fact, if you are on the street level there is nothing to indicate that the underground 'world' is even there http://www.toronto.ca/path/pdf/path_brochure.pdf Anyways, I digress...
In the morning I will take The Path from the Train Station to my office, in the afternoon I will do the reverse. There are doors that you need to go through, some open and some not. When I was growing up I was taught that if you are opening a door, or walking through a door that you need to hold open, it is polite to hold it open for long enough so that the person behind you can hold out their arm to keep the door open as they walk through and so on. I was also taught that you are to thank the person in front of you for holding the door open for you. I have to say that I am disappointed every time someone does not thank me for holding the door open for them. I am almost able to excuse that though. What I can not excuse are the people who will scoot through the door, as it is closing, without doing anything to stop it from closing on you, the person behind them! I find that so unbelievably rude! It takes so much more force to open a door that is closing than it does to simply hold the door in the open position.
Another thing that really irks me is when people are walking along and they stop dead in their tracks, almost causing a pile-up, or they make a sudden turn and cut you off without saying anything, 'excuse me' would work! People don't seem to realize that walking in a crowded area is like driving a car ~ you can't make any sudden turns without first checking to see if there is anyone around you that you are going to trip up, cut off, etc. and if you do commit any of those offenses please, please, please have the common courtesy to say excuse me! or I'm sorry! Ugh...
It's incredible how hard we work to teach children manners, then it seems as though people reach a certain age those manners go right out the door! Why is that? Is it no longer necessary to be polite and courteous once you reach a certain age or status? If that's what people think that's ridiculous!
Always always remember your manners. People will remember you for how you behave towards others more than they will remember what you did for a living, what kind of car you drove, how you dressed, etc. Choose carefully how you want to be remembered in this life.
In the morning I will take The Path from the Train Station to my office, in the afternoon I will do the reverse. There are doors that you need to go through, some open and some not. When I was growing up I was taught that if you are opening a door, or walking through a door that you need to hold open, it is polite to hold it open for long enough so that the person behind you can hold out their arm to keep the door open as they walk through and so on. I was also taught that you are to thank the person in front of you for holding the door open for you. I have to say that I am disappointed every time someone does not thank me for holding the door open for them. I am almost able to excuse that though. What I can not excuse are the people who will scoot through the door, as it is closing, without doing anything to stop it from closing on you, the person behind them! I find that so unbelievably rude! It takes so much more force to open a door that is closing than it does to simply hold the door in the open position.
Another thing that really irks me is when people are walking along and they stop dead in their tracks, almost causing a pile-up, or they make a sudden turn and cut you off without saying anything, 'excuse me' would work! People don't seem to realize that walking in a crowded area is like driving a car ~ you can't make any sudden turns without first checking to see if there is anyone around you that you are going to trip up, cut off, etc. and if you do commit any of those offenses please, please, please have the common courtesy to say excuse me! or I'm sorry! Ugh...
It's incredible how hard we work to teach children manners, then it seems as though people reach a certain age those manners go right out the door! Why is that? Is it no longer necessary to be polite and courteous once you reach a certain age or status? If that's what people think that's ridiculous!
Always always remember your manners. People will remember you for how you behave towards others more than they will remember what you did for a living, what kind of car you drove, how you dressed, etc. Choose carefully how you want to be remembered in this life.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Running Ourselves Into The Ground
Do you ever get the feeling that we are running ourselves into the ground? Okay, forget about everyone else, do you ever get the feeling that you are running yourself into the ground?
My boyfriend and I were at our first Christmas Party of the season on Friday night and every single person we spoke with had the same complaint ~ that they do not have enough time to do the things they want to do. We foolishly thought that we were the only ones working incredibly long days. As it turns out most of our friends are working long days as well and only one person there had the complaint that they have too much time! lol I can't imagine ever complaining about having too much free time! What a luxury that would be!
I am not sure what changed the rules along the way or how we came to be in this place! The work day has gotten longer as has the work week. There is the same amount of housework to do, as there has always been, when you get home at the end of the day and we do like to have some semblance of a social life ~ but how to fit it all in? You need to eat properly and get enough exercise to stay healthy but I haven't yet figured out where the time for that comes in and your family and friends will give you grief if you do not find the time to fit them in ~ and yes I do mean exactly that because in order to find time to spend with others we are typically sacrificing doing something for ourselves...
We are getting ready to move into a new house in the spring of '09 ~ our first house actually and we are both over the top excited! We bought a new house so we have been able to watch it go up step by step, it is very exciting! Our new house is a 20 min drive north from where we currently live which will add an additional 40 min round-trip to our current commute to work. I am flexible in that I am going to look for, and land, a job closer to home! My bf really does enjoy his job, and he works for a great company, so he is going to try the 'extended' commute. Hopefully with mine being reduced I'll be able to pick up some additional chores around the house to help him out... Let's just hope that we are able to find a balance so we don't run ourselves into the ground!
My boyfriend and I were at our first Christmas Party of the season on Friday night and every single person we spoke with had the same complaint ~ that they do not have enough time to do the things they want to do. We foolishly thought that we were the only ones working incredibly long days. As it turns out most of our friends are working long days as well and only one person there had the complaint that they have too much time! lol I can't imagine ever complaining about having too much free time! What a luxury that would be!
I am not sure what changed the rules along the way or how we came to be in this place! The work day has gotten longer as has the work week. There is the same amount of housework to do, as there has always been, when you get home at the end of the day and we do like to have some semblance of a social life ~ but how to fit it all in? You need to eat properly and get enough exercise to stay healthy but I haven't yet figured out where the time for that comes in and your family and friends will give you grief if you do not find the time to fit them in ~ and yes I do mean exactly that because in order to find time to spend with others we are typically sacrificing doing something for ourselves...
We are getting ready to move into a new house in the spring of '09 ~ our first house actually and we are both over the top excited! We bought a new house so we have been able to watch it go up step by step, it is very exciting! Our new house is a 20 min drive north from where we currently live which will add an additional 40 min round-trip to our current commute to work. I am flexible in that I am going to look for, and land, a job closer to home! My bf really does enjoy his job, and he works for a great company, so he is going to try the 'extended' commute. Hopefully with mine being reduced I'll be able to pick up some additional chores around the house to help him out... Let's just hope that we are able to find a balance so we don't run ourselves into the ground!
Friday, December 5, 2008
I Don't Care
When I say that I don't care I'm often not intending to be negative, in fact for me saying that 'I don't care' is very liberating because I am comfortable with myself and who I am! I no longer feel the need to do things to impress others, to gain their 'buy in' or hope that they'll like me ~ I have come to realize that the only person whose opinion matters is mine and that's a great feeling!
I have a Christmas Party to go to tonight, our first one of the season. I am tired, it's Friday and it's been a long week, as most weeks typically are! My cousin seems to enjoy entertaining on Friday nights because most times that we are invited over it's a Friday night! Perhaps that's because she doesn't need to leave her house until close to 8 a.m. on the weekdays and she's typically home around 4:30 or 5:00 p.m. Believe me I am not ragging on her about her schedule, in fact I am envious ~ the length of her entire day, including commute time, is the total amount of time that I'm at the office for ~ 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday! I am pooped! On a Friday night I want nothing more than to go home, put on some comfy clothes and curl up on the couch with the bf. She is my cousin however and we do need to go to the party tonight ~ I even baked Creamy Lemon Squares to take ~ yum! Our plan is to arrive around 8 p.m. and leave around 10 p.m. Yes it does sound like a short visit but I'm pooped and frankly I don't care if others judge me for only going for a short period of time!
It is nice to have this feeling of confidence inside of me! This feeling that it is my life and I can make all of the decisions for myself and should be the only one to make the decisions about my life! I think it takes a while to get to this point but boy-oh-boy do I love being here!
Thank you for the confidence 30's!
I have a Christmas Party to go to tonight, our first one of the season. I am tired, it's Friday and it's been a long week, as most weeks typically are! My cousin seems to enjoy entertaining on Friday nights because most times that we are invited over it's a Friday night! Perhaps that's because she doesn't need to leave her house until close to 8 a.m. on the weekdays and she's typically home around 4:30 or 5:00 p.m. Believe me I am not ragging on her about her schedule, in fact I am envious ~ the length of her entire day, including commute time, is the total amount of time that I'm at the office for ~ 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday! I am pooped! On a Friday night I want nothing more than to go home, put on some comfy clothes and curl up on the couch with the bf. She is my cousin however and we do need to go to the party tonight ~ I even baked Creamy Lemon Squares to take ~ yum! Our plan is to arrive around 8 p.m. and leave around 10 p.m. Yes it does sound like a short visit but I'm pooped and frankly I don't care if others judge me for only going for a short period of time!
It is nice to have this feeling of confidence inside of me! This feeling that it is my life and I can make all of the decisions for myself and should be the only one to make the decisions about my life! I think it takes a while to get to this point but boy-oh-boy do I love being here!
Thank you for the confidence 30's!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Back to Basics
The City of Toronto has just given the 'ok' for retailers to charge 5 cents for throwaway plastic bags. The City of Toronto is also no longer allowing plastic water bottles on City property ~ it sounds as though the City of Toronto is going back to basics and I think that's a great idea!
People are into more organic than processed. Growing your own food, buying locally and using coupons is once again 'in' as opposed to the bigger, better, faster products that we've been consuming for the past few decades.
I have to admit that I am excited about the simpler times ahead and about getting back to basics. I am very pro recycling and doing as much as I can to reduce the 'carbon footprint' that I leave behind. I love paper bags and bringing my own bags for that matter ~ bring it on!
When I was in the elevator heading down for lunch today (I work on a floor where there are way too many stairs to take!) there was another lady in the same elevator and we were both reading the headlines on the monitor. The story about the 5 cent charge for plastic bags came on the screen and I saw her shake her head in disagreement. I couldn't believe it! I was actually surprised! It is really that big of a deal to take your own bags to the store? Or to pay the 5 cents if you really need a bag? Is she so selfish that she is only thinking of the inconvenience to herself that this 5 cent charge may cause rather than thinking of the benefits to the environment and to future generations? I can tell you that I have no desire to see my children playing in mounds of dirt!
For that matter, I have voiced many times to my friends that I am tempted to buy a plot of land in the country where I can grow my own food and raise my family! I'll be more satisfied to know that the air they are breathing is cleaner, I'll know exactly what is in the food that they are eating and I'd even be quite happy to home school them so I can teach them all of the skills that I feel they need to know to be successful, happy and confident in this world!
Back to basics is just fine with me ~ this is a great start but please keep the changes progressing!
People are into more organic than processed. Growing your own food, buying locally and using coupons is once again 'in' as opposed to the bigger, better, faster products that we've been consuming for the past few decades.
I have to admit that I am excited about the simpler times ahead and about getting back to basics. I am very pro recycling and doing as much as I can to reduce the 'carbon footprint' that I leave behind. I love paper bags and bringing my own bags for that matter ~ bring it on!
When I was in the elevator heading down for lunch today (I work on a floor where there are way too many stairs to take!) there was another lady in the same elevator and we were both reading the headlines on the monitor. The story about the 5 cent charge for plastic bags came on the screen and I saw her shake her head in disagreement. I couldn't believe it! I was actually surprised! It is really that big of a deal to take your own bags to the store? Or to pay the 5 cents if you really need a bag? Is she so selfish that she is only thinking of the inconvenience to herself that this 5 cent charge may cause rather than thinking of the benefits to the environment and to future generations? I can tell you that I have no desire to see my children playing in mounds of dirt!
For that matter, I have voiced many times to my friends that I am tempted to buy a plot of land in the country where I can grow my own food and raise my family! I'll be more satisfied to know that the air they are breathing is cleaner, I'll know exactly what is in the food that they are eating and I'd even be quite happy to home school them so I can teach them all of the skills that I feel they need to know to be successful, happy and confident in this world!
Back to basics is just fine with me ~ this is a great start but please keep the changes progressing!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
What Does Purpose Mean to You?
I have been doing a lot of thinking about purpose lately in the sense of how things fit into my life, not the bigger question 'what is the purpose of life?' That is a question that I am not yet ready to wrap my head around, nor do I really want to. I am here on this earth and as far as I know I only have 1 life to live so I don't want to spend too much time thinking about it rather than living it!
When I think of purpose I think of what has purpose and meaning for me...and what can I do to change things in my life to give them more purpose...
A lot of my thinking lately has been about what it is that I want to do with my life, with my career. I am not going to be naive and think that career does not matter because I am not privileged in a sense that I do not need to work to have income to sustain myself in this world. However, at the same time my home and family is more important to me than my career. I often think of how I want my Grandchildren to remember me. Do I want them to remember me for the type of job that I had or do I want them to remember me for the life experiences that I lived and the stories that I shared with them from those experiences? I'm sticking with the latter. I have however let myself get into a work position where I'm not satisfied with what I do on a daily basis. Considering that the min amount of time we spend at a full time job is 40 hours per week I feel that it's important to be happy and satisfied with what it is that you do to earn an income! That is where I start thinking about purpose...How can I give my career a greater sense of purpose for me?
I don't remember ever thinking about this when I was in school. If I think back it's almost as though someone handed you a list of your options and you simply picked one based on what you thought you knew about the job. I must admit that I didn't really take the time to think things through and I have allowed myself to become frustrated with where I have ended up but that no ones fault but my own. I have since woken up and I am taking the time to really think about what it is that I want to do with my career ~ my 40+ hours per week that I spend earning a living for myself. I have asked myself:
-what is important to me?
-what do I enjoy doing ~ not in terms of a specific job but tasks
-what am I interested in trying?
I wrote down a list of absolutely anything and everything that I could think of from being a Chef to operating my own Florist Shop, in the end I have come back to something related to my schooling, a course of study which I enjoyed very much, one that I only stopped pursuing because at the time I was 'tired of going to school'! lol, what I wouldn't give to go back to those days where I went to school that was fully paid for by my Parents and learned all that I wanted to learn! Amazing how what is important to you and of interest to you changes over the years!
Nevertheless, I am on a journey of creating a new path for myself because this is my life and I need to make it meaningful for me! It really doesn't matter what others want me to do or not do ~ this life is one for me to lead the way I want!
Follow your heart and your dreams and never wake up with any regrets! This is your one life to live ~ your opportunity to shine! Best the absolute best you can be and don't settle for less!
When I think of purpose I think of what has purpose and meaning for me...and what can I do to change things in my life to give them more purpose...
A lot of my thinking lately has been about what it is that I want to do with my life, with my career. I am not going to be naive and think that career does not matter because I am not privileged in a sense that I do not need to work to have income to sustain myself in this world. However, at the same time my home and family is more important to me than my career. I often think of how I want my Grandchildren to remember me. Do I want them to remember me for the type of job that I had or do I want them to remember me for the life experiences that I lived and the stories that I shared with them from those experiences? I'm sticking with the latter. I have however let myself get into a work position where I'm not satisfied with what I do on a daily basis. Considering that the min amount of time we spend at a full time job is 40 hours per week I feel that it's important to be happy and satisfied with what it is that you do to earn an income! That is where I start thinking about purpose...How can I give my career a greater sense of purpose for me?
I don't remember ever thinking about this when I was in school. If I think back it's almost as though someone handed you a list of your options and you simply picked one based on what you thought you knew about the job. I must admit that I didn't really take the time to think things through and I have allowed myself to become frustrated with where I have ended up but that no ones fault but my own. I have since woken up and I am taking the time to really think about what it is that I want to do with my career ~ my 40+ hours per week that I spend earning a living for myself. I have asked myself:
-what is important to me?
-what do I enjoy doing ~ not in terms of a specific job but tasks
-what am I interested in trying?
I wrote down a list of absolutely anything and everything that I could think of from being a Chef to operating my own Florist Shop, in the end I have come back to something related to my schooling, a course of study which I enjoyed very much, one that I only stopped pursuing because at the time I was 'tired of going to school'! lol, what I wouldn't give to go back to those days where I went to school that was fully paid for by my Parents and learned all that I wanted to learn! Amazing how what is important to you and of interest to you changes over the years!
Nevertheless, I am on a journey of creating a new path for myself because this is my life and I need to make it meaningful for me! It really doesn't matter what others want me to do or not do ~ this life is one for me to lead the way I want!
Follow your heart and your dreams and never wake up with any regrets! This is your one life to live ~ your opportunity to shine! Best the absolute best you can be and don't settle for less!
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