Back To Basics

Dog walks have always given me a great opportunity to be in nature while I pray and meditate.  I love to walk with Sundae and be in silence.  The only setback to this is that Sundae loves to pull me along, chase leaves and squirrels and almost pulls my arm off as she jumps after other dogs.  It doesn't matter if we've been to the dog park or not she has lots of energy, walks very fast and some days I just can't keep up.

It has been making me increasingly frustrated and embarassed.  Especially when she decides she needs to play and jump with every dog that we come across.

I feel like I'm wearing the 'bad dog owner' t-shirt when we walk!

So in my frustration (it took me a while) I decided it was time to call in an expert.  So I called my 'dog whisperer' friend and she gave me a crash course in getting Sundae to walk 'respectfully'.

Funny enough, before we could begin the walking instruction we had to go back to basics.  We had to start at sit and stay.  We had to go back to the beginning.  Something we hadn't done with Sundae.  She could sit, but she didn't stay.  We never taught her to do those things and so we couldn't expect her to listen to us when walking.

Funny thing.  This same thing applies to our own personal journeys.

Lately I've been searching (more desperately than usual) for a deeper connection to Spirit.  I've been searching for deeper knowledge and understanding of myself.  I feel like I'm at a time in my life when I am seeking and striving to become 'better' more than I ever have before.

I am literally a dog on a leash, I've read and listened and learned and now I am ready to go go go!  The problem is that I haven't really learned the basics.  I haven't learned to sit and stay (aka be still)! 

"Be still and know that I am God" is a scripture that I love but never seem to take the time to digest.

If what I am looking for is a deeper connection with God.  Then all I have to do is be still.  Nothing else matters but this stillness.

Once we know how to sit and stay everything else becomes effortless.  It's much easier to move forward without straining and stressing out after you've taken the time to gain clarity through stillness.  It's easier to speak clearly. It's easier to listen more closely.  Being able to sit and stay gives us the gift of deeper connection that we are searching for.





 

My Love Affair

This Saturday I get to continue my love affair with public speaking!

The Some Ahhh In Your Life event takes place this Saturday @ Hilton, Windsor beginning at 9am.

There will speakers touching base on practically every area of life.  From health to personal growth to how to become more abundant financially!

Personally, I will be speaking about how you become what you believe.  So many of us don't realize that we are slaves to the beliefs we were fed as children.  Some of those beliefs serve us greatly, others keep us limited and stuck.

I'll be speaking from experience.  What I've learned about beliefs and how our lives follow the path of those beliefs is mind blowing and what I will share with the audience on Saturday will no doubt change lives.

I have some great tricks up my sleeve for this event and I can't wait to shed a little light and open some doors in the lives of those who attend this Saturday.

Hope to see you there!

That's What I'm Talking About

Tonight on the way to hockey with Evan we were talking about the usual stuff. 

Me:  "So, how's school going?  Tried any pot yet?  How 'bout drinking?  Sex?"
Evan:  "Nope.  None of that.  I'm not big on partying, it's so stupid.  Kids get drunk and do things they'll regret and then it's all over facebook and it's just dumb.  Schools good.  Oh, but did you hear about so and so?"

This began a conversation that blew me away!

I have always said that you really don't know how good of a job you've done as a parent until your children are set free and they begin to make decisions for themselves and they begin to experience life without you holding their hand.  And even then, they are who they are and their lives are meant to be what they are meant to be.

My son proceeded to tell me about how a boy in his gym class was being bullied.  His gym bag had been put in the urinals and the boys in the class were really making his life miserable.

Evan took this boy aside and shared how he knew how he felt.  That he'd been bullied all through public school into grade nine.  He shared that he knew it sucked but that he wasn't alone.  There is someone else that understands him.

The story goes, that all of the boys from the class were marched to the office to each share their side of the story.  My son got pulled into what he called 'the big boss' office' and sat for an entire period talking to the principal about what he knew and how he had supported this boy.  The principal already knew what Evan had done because the other boy had told him.  He supported Evan in his efforts to stand by this boy and shared how proud he was of him for what he did.  The other boys got suspensions.

If I wasn't driving I would've stood up and started dancing while shouting "That's my boy!  That's my boy!"

As my boys grow, I see them making decisions that blow me away!  They are compassionate not only about others but about themselves as well.  They aren't afraid to say what they need to say and they aren't afraid to stand up and do the right thing.

It's freaking amazing to see their lives unfold. 

I'd say I'm proud, but it's a very different feeling than pride.  I feel incredibly blessed to have been given the opportunity to be a part of their lives.  To be able to look at them and say "I am their mother."

My struggles as a parent are like everyone else's, but somehow I've learned to take those struggles and turn them into success.  Somehow, my children are growing into responsible, compassionate adults!  Somehow....  Whew!