Life is precious – don’t take it for granted!

It was 9/11 about a week ago and I am reminded how fragile and precious life is.  All those who lost their lives that day, headed out that morning to work, boarded a plane, went out for a walk or started their daily routine not knowing that it was their last. Their lives and the lives of their loved ones altered forever in just a fraction of a moment. Just like that.

I remember when the son of a very good friend of ours died in a boating accident. He was 13! I recall hearing the news stunned in disbelief. He was my son’s hockey team mate. He was out on their family boat on a long weekend in the summer when tragedy struck. I still remember the faces of the family members at the funeral and my son, along with five other team mates walking beside the casket. It hit home. Life is precious. Not a single moment should ever be taken for granted.

That experience taught me a lot.

·        Don’t save things for special occasions

·        If you have something nice to say to someone, say it. Don’t hold back

·        Pursue your dreams – write them down, set goals and keep chipping away at them

·        Every morning is a gift – treat it as such

·        Your family is the most important thing in this world. Never ever take them for granted

·        Appreciate the simple treasures in life

·        Don’t put off things you can accomplish today

·        Cultivate a grateful mindset

·        Never sweat the small stuff – “Let it go” ~ Frozen

·        Appreciate all the beauty around you

·        Live in the moment. Appreciate it. Treasure it. Soak it in

·        LIVE

·        Life is short – buy the shoes, take the trip, eat the cake

·        Know that you CAN make a difference, even in the smallest of ways you can

·        There is no such thing as a perfect time

I could keep going on. We get so caught up with life and the littlest of things at times that we forget to treasure the moment, enjoy the present and really and truly be grateful for the gift we have called life. So, live it. Treasure it. Take it in. Be ever so grateful for the gift of it.    

Savor the little things

It’s summer time. I want to make the most of it. So, when hubby says, “ice cream?” at 11pm, I say “absolutely”. We get to the ice cream store and the lineup is all the way up to the main road. It’s like everyone thought of ice cream at 11pm at night. There are families, young kids, older couples, the place is buzzing. Everyone just out trying to soak up every bit of summer. A small enjoyment like a cone of ice cream was what everyone wanted. Too often we get caught up with the “big” things that we completely miss the little joys in life. These little joys most times become the big things in life. So, savor the moment and soak up every ounce of joy and happiness from all those little moments. Here are some of mine starting with of course;

·       Ice Cream at 11pm on a hot summer night

·       Snap chat conversations with your kids – they are funny and entertaining

·       Coffee early morning on the deck and seeing the busyness of the birds

·       Game nights with the family – it gets heated!

·       The commute in the morning and passing through the Credit River – it’s an even bigger treat seeing the Oarsmen rowing on the water

·       Those Pjs and Pancake days

·       A glass of wine with the hubby in the backyard and the loud drone of Cicadas

·       An impromptu visit from a friend

·       Sunday night dinner with all the family present – a rare treat now when your kids become young adults

·       Long drives - anywhere

·       A dip in the lake on a hot summer day

·       Table topic conversations with the family – you learn so much

·       Antique shopping – I try my best not to get carried away

·       Hot tub time, especially in the Winter

·       Any vacation – big or small. Some of the best ones we’ve had were weekend gateways at Niagara-on-the-Lake

·       Ball games in the summer

·       BBQs and get-togethers with family and friends

·       Happy hours and patios

·       Easy conversations with the kids

The littlest things take up the biggest part of our lives. So, treasure them. Never ever take them for granted. Take them all in…. slowly, appreciating the little treasures in life.  

Practice pause

Sunday morning is my yoga day. I try not to miss it, even if we have lots going on. It’s the one time in the week I practice my pause. A pause from thinking, doing, rushing, cramming everything I can do and more, and just pause. It’s a reflection of the week and a great start to the week ahead. It’s just me and my mat.  Taking everything in and letting everything go. Inhaling. Exhaling. Practicing pause.

Why don’t we just incorporate that every day? The practice of pause.

We live in a society where doing just one thing at a time is just not good enough. It’s a multi-tasking, multi-everything kind of society. We seem to be biting off more than we can chew and call it an accomplishment. Have we done it well? What did we sacrifice whizzing through it? What toes did we step on? How was our health? How did it affect our family and friends? Was it worth it in the end? Not sure if we have the answers. We may not even have time to reflect.

I know when I take to my mat every Sunday morning, I slow down. I reflect. I appreciate the moment of just being there. Taking a breath. Appreciating it. Taking a breath. Being grateful for all I have. Practicing a pause. Enjoying it. Being present in the moment. Why don’t we do it more often? Throughout the day, throughout the year, throughout our lives. Practice pause. Reflect.

1.       When it’s overwhelming – pause

2.       Not sure where to go or what to do next – pause

3.       Inundated with news of the day – pause

4.       Finished a task and before diving into the next – pause

5.       Career changes – pause

6.       In the morning before you start your day – pause

7.       In the hustle and bustle of the day – pause

8.       Anytime you feel you need it – pause

9.       Before we speak – pause

10.   At the end of the day – pause

11.   Tackling a wicked problem – pause

12.   On your vacation – pause

13.   Before saying yes – pause

14.   Before saying no – pause

15.   With your loved ones – pause. A big pause.

I’ve named only 15 but there’s so many more occasions and reasons we can pause, take things in, reflect and carve out a little break. Here’s to practicing it more…. pause. Namaste.

Yep, I have a horn of plenty!

Cornucopia; commonly seen around Thanksgiving time, is a symbol of abundance, plenty, fruit, nourishment and colour. It was around the Canadian tables, mid-October, and will show off its’ autumn hues again on the American tables, end of November. Coming from an Asian country I knew nothing of its’ symbolism and existence until I settled in Canada. It is a great reminder of things to be thankful for, the one day of the year. If only it permanently stays the full 365 days of the year and 366 days every leap year!! Would it then help us remember the abundance in our lives? The things we take for granted daily? The little things we should be thankful for that others may not have the privilege to experience or have?

Alli Polin reminded me of this with her blog on “Ditch the Stress; Choose Gratitude” If you haven’t read it yet I highly recommend you do. I did, which inspired this post on being thankful and here is my list of things I am VERY thankful for;

1. My Husband, Son and Daughter…yes that’s three but they are all #1 on my list and the reason for ALL I do and am.
2. My Dad, Mom, Sister and Brother (I hate the word brother in law) in Texas, who know, that even though I don’t say it often, I love them with all my heart.
3. Wonderful, crazy, fun and awesome friends. They keep me young and happy.
4. My God. My faith!
5. I am thankful for the roof over my head. I see people on my daily commute who live under a bridge in Toronto. They are people just like you and me, but some circumstance in life got them there. Don’t judge!!
6. My country. Yes, even in winter I love it!
7. My job, which I don’t consider a job. It’s my opportunity to serve.
8. Good health.
9. My church community.
10. Social media and the amazing people I connect through it. They inspire me daily on my commute to work and back home. Also, without it, I wouldn’t be writing this post.
11. My online communities; #LeadWithGiants, #LeadFromWithin and #HRockstars. They keep me learning and motivated.
12. The honourable men and women that serve to protect us and our freedoms.
13. Shoes and handbags…. thank you sister for making me appreciate them!
14. Hockey games, specially my son’s! It keeps my vocal cords strong.
15. My daughter’s Cheerleading. It keeps us traveling often.
16. The Canadian Mental Health Association, Peel and the Board members I serve with. They have given me an opportunity to do something good.
17. Music…. all kinds of music.
18. Good food.
19. A seat on the GO train. It’s a precious thing in the morning.
20. The great times I have with my family.
21. Board games which happens to also contribute to #18.
22. Good movies. Gladiator is #1 on my list of faves.
23. Joe, the paper man near the subway, who always smiles and says good morning to everyone bustling by. I wish more people would smile back at the very least!
24. My life, just the way it is!
25. Swimming. It has taught me a TON. I now miss those grueling days dearly.
26. Family vacations.
27. Lilly at Tim Horton’s. She always serves me my coffee with a GIANT smile.
28. Tim Horton’s coffee. It’s certainly not the best but gives me comfort.
29. I am thankful for YOU, for reading this.
30. My family as a whole. They’ve shaped me and continue to do so everyday!

Thanks again for reading! I hope it has inspired you and was worth your time. Do jot down your list of things you are thankful for. I did! Thanks, Alli Polin for that inspiration!