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!

Chance connections aren’t really by chance, they are meant to be!

“Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous” – Albert Einstein

Last Thursday I was walking down Yonge Street in Toronto heading for an 11am meeting when I ran into a throng, quite a large throng I may add, of business men and women all suited up with clip boards in hand walking to who knows where. I was wandering what the big occasion was…. was it a tour group, real estate agents checking out the new condos being built, a convention going on I didn’t know about? I happened to walk along-side a lady that was part of the throng and started up a conversation.  We exchanged the usual pleasantries, talked about how great that it wasn’t raining and continued walking along the street. I found out the “throng” had just come out of a company meeting and that she was working on several projects. I asked her how the project was going and what her role in the project was. “Funny” I said to her “I am in fact a project manager.  I know just how it feels working on a challenging project”. Projects, project teams, deliverables, milestones…. kind of language are near and dear to me. She asked me where I work, to which I responded, “I am in transition and looking for my next opportunity”. She then excitedly suggested I run up two blocks to the head of the throng, to meet with the recruiting manager. Not an easy feat in heals and a tight skirt in the heart of busy Yonge Street sandwiched with people beside and ahead of you. Thanks, but no thanks!! I gave her my business card, asked her to pass it along to the recruiting manager and asked her to keep in touch. The latter being the most important. I love meeting people, building relationships and maintaining those relationships. Some of those relationships have become some of my closest friends, trusted advisers and one of those relationships, ended up my husband! So, I don’t take chance meetings lightly in the least bit.

The next day I had an email waiting for me from my newly found friend letting me know that she’s passed my information over to her recruiter. I then got a call later that day, from the recruiting manager himself discussing the future opportunities, company culture, and turns out, he happened to know three of my former bosses that I loved working with! It’s a small world after all!

I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe that things certainly happen for a reason. I believe that chance meetings grow into infectious connections. In a time where we are inundated with noise, information, throngs of people and just our day to day busy lives, it’s so important to connect, be it short and so called “coincidental”. These connections will eventual grow, become infectious, help tie our talents and ideas and ultimately bring us closer to helping each other out. Next time you are walking next to someone, make sure you walk with them, take a moment to say hello and be open to the wondrous possibilities!

You learnt Networking in Kindergarten…. You just need to bring it out!

I have been silent for a while and was wondering what to blog about. I started on a post only to switch gears to talk about…. networking. Since of late I have been attending a lot of self awareness and entrepreneurial workshops. One of the workshops was on self branding and networking. As I sat eager to absorb all what was in store, I looked around the room, observing everyone’s reaction to the speaker. About half the room was wide eyed and bushy tailed, the other half nervously shifted, looking around the floor and at everyone but the speaker. The information was an easy digest for those wide eyed bushy tailed folks, but quite extreme for the other half. I heard one say “I am not in sales, it’s just not for me”. Hmm, don’t we sell something at some point in our illustrious lives? Didn’t we all have to sell chocolates or raffle tickets for our school club or sports team? Didn’t we have to sell our parents on the latest video game, toy, gear or social event we ABSOLUTELY needed? For those of us parents, haven’t we sold our kids on programs, books and lessons that were CRITICAL to their development and growth? “It’ll be lots of fun” I’d say making sure my tone and excitement matched the desired outcome. I digress….. back to NETWORKING.

First what is networking? It’s building and maintaining relationships. It’s making new friends and keeping the “old” ones. Networking is vital to starting and maintaining a business, to gaining satisfactory employment and contributing to your community and society. It started in kindergarten and that we do it everyday without us even realizing it. My hope is that we recognize it, do it with intent, be authentic and don’t focus on getting but also giving in return. The bolded words need the most focus. Focus on the giving and it will be a pleasure to network, any time and anywhere. Be authentic and it will feel smooth as butter. So, here’s what we ALL learned in kindergarten that will help us network and be better relationship builders! 

• Ask your friends if they want to play. Then ask your friends to bring their friends to play next time. Soon you will be playing with your newly found friends and all you had to do was just be introduced. Haven’t we done that playing in the sandbox? You invite your good friend Jenny, then she invites her friend Sammy and soon you and Sammy are hanging out. The same goes with relationships today. Connect with your friendly circle, who will then introduce you to their friendly circle and before you know it you have a bigger friendly circle to play with.

• Share your toys! Sharing is caring and it’s never fun to play alone. You have talents, stories, ideas, skills, experiences and passion, which are your grown-up toys. Share them and share them willingly with people. You never know when you will be called upon to share them. Your passion and willingness are key! Share them grudgingly and my guess is that you will be enjoying your toys all by yourself. Share them willingly and passionately and you will be sharing a whole lot!

• Ask questions! We stopped asking loads of questions somewhere between kindergarten and high school, not sure why. Go back to kindergarten and be child-like in your questioning. Ask them what they do, what they like about it and what they don’t. Ask them what “toys” they have and share with them the “toys” you have. Didn’t we all do that? “I have a school house with a bell on it at home we can play with, what do you have?”

• Be nice! Be yourself and Smile! Yes that’s 3 bullets wrapped into one. 

As I end this know that I am smiling. I am myself and dare I say most times I am NICE! Happy networking all! 

A 4 year old teacher? You bet!

Taking the GO train home, the other day, we were all treated to the antics of an excited 4 year old. He dazzled and entertained and left everyone on the train hanging on for more. When it was his turn to get off were all bidding goodbye like good old friends. The train ride afterwards was somber and quiet, with everyone back on their mobile devices and newspapers.

Four year olds aren't just cute and talkative. They do have valuable lessons we can take away. Next time you meet a 4 year old pick out what you learn.

1. Be enthusiastic! It is that simple. Approach each day like it's a gift to be treasured and enjoyed thoroughly. Revel in the "newness" around you. Absorb your surroundings and be excited that you are privileged to be a part of it. Unfortunately, some others may not have this opportunity, but you do. Value it and be excited about it. It's not JUST a train ride. It's a mesmerizing ride with lots of sights to see and lots of people to meet. Make it count!

2. Make friends along the way. It's no fun going anywhere all by yourself. Even if you are a loner, at times you will need to make friends to get to where you want to go. Be friendly, be kind and don't forget to SMILE.

3. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Since when does everyone know everything? Be humble and don't forget to ask for help or ask how things work if you don't know. People are usually very happy to help, and it makes them feel wanted. Give them that benefit. Ask for help when you need to.

4. Wow your audience. Our little 4 year old friend on the train kept us engaged, kept us wanting for more of his simple little antics. We need to do the same. Leave an impression with those you meet. Make a difference. Leave your audience hanging for more.

When you meet a 4 year old next time, don't forget to listen and observe intently for another lesson we can learn. When you do, send me a message so I can add it to the list!

Let there be light....

On July 8th, 2013, due to heavy rain and flash floods we did not have power for 4.5 hours in Mississauga. No TV, radio, lights or cordless phones! We stood outside the house mingling with neighbours who said there were heavy rains and floods in Toronto which is about 15-20 minutes away from us. It was barely a drizzle where we were. We hurried around the house before it got dark looking for candles and flashlights. After about an hour with no power we were conserving our cell phones just in case. It seemed like a repeat of the brownout in 2003. We didn't have power for about 8+ hours as I remember. Our family of 4 sat around the living room playing a game of phase 10. We stopped after it got too dark and we couldn't tell the difference between the green and blue cards. Everything was so dark and quiet! There was no conversation, just silence as we watched the candles flicker back and forth. Every now and then someone got up and tried switching on a light to a room just out of habit. How we take the little luxuries in life for granted! No electricity and/or no water is the norm amongst most of the world. Rolling blackouts is how some countries conserve electricity. I am so thankful I live in a country where I flick on the switch and there is light. "For how long?" some people say.... I do hope for a very long time. We snuck in a few surfs on the internet and heard of a GO train being stuck in water and people needing to be rescued. About 2 hours in darkness and silence we had power! A flurry of activity ensued with everyone setting their digital clock radios and getting back on the internet for more updates.

It was only the day after that we would really comprehend the extent of water, damage and drama that occurred the day before. There were pictures upon pictures of people wading in the water, using their canoes, cars immersed in water, the GO train rescue and even a snake on the train...yuck! I had to travel on the GO 2 days later and yes I was looking around and did not let my legs rest on the ground for too long.

• We so take our little luxuries for granted. Thank goodness for hot water, internet, phones and light. We didn't learn our lesson last brownout, but we are getting us some old fashioned phones.... the kind you plug in.
• I do enjoy occupying one room in the house with my family, sitting in silence with nothing but a few candles flickering for light. It's simple and just bliss.
• It's always good to be prepared. I am not sure how prepared we would have been had we had no power for longer. I refuse to be one of those doomsday "preppers" but it's something to think about.

I do hope we have no rolling power outages or big blackouts and brownouts. I am a wimp and do need my power and yes, hot water too. I am not sure how long we will last without it. Our blackout did remind me to be very thankful of our little luxuries! It also made me think of how we will be ready if we have an outage for longer...I hope I won't ever have to find out!!

"When I was young...."

Conversation at the nail salon is always endless. Usually someone becomes a Dr. Phil with a full on audience listening to a panel of venting patrons getting pedicures. The topics flip back and forth between news, politics, Hollywood gossip, travel and kids. It was one of these afternoons that I heard one of my dreaded statements "Oh the kids these days..." The next dreaded statement followed closely behind with "oh when I was young...." When was that?? 50 years ago, or in other words 5 DECADES ago? 50 years ago, the cell phone was not invented, Neil Armstrong had not landed on the moon and John Lennon was still alive! Yes, it's been that long. I for one am quite happy that the kids are not doing the same things we did when we were young. It means we've evolved, changed, moved with the times. "The only thing that is constant is change ~ Heraclitus"

Kids "these" days can do homework, watch TV, snack and text all at the same time with accuracy may I add. They are champions at multi-tasking. They figure out the latest tech tool or social media app the minute it hits the masses. They navigate through a ton of distractions, peer pressure (like we have never experienced and would not want to), the latest trends of dos and don't and rapidly changing social scenarios at school and come out alive. They are navigators, story-tellers, tech gurus, sponges and social media hounds. Thank goodness they are not like us when we were young. They wouldn't last a day in today's school and social jungles if they were!

• Change is good. It's inevitable and constant. Don't get too comfortable, just get ready to move.
• Try not to judge. I say try as it's human nature to do just that. Just try not judge and be open to change and the possibilities of life in 2013. It will not be the same as 19... (I'll let you fill in those blanks).
• Kids "these" days have no room for error. One bad text message or comment can impact their entire life negatively for a very long time. Unfortunately, some of them never recover from it!
• Kids "these" days are just as wonderful as we were. They are just different, just as we were to our parents. It's called the circle of life, aka evolution.

So next time you want to say "oh the kids these days" or "when we were young" stop and think of how long ago that was and the numerous amounts of possibilities, inventions, events that have occurred since then and embrace the way of life today as a result of that history!

Pick those Dandelions!

Once early Spring finally showed its’ face, it brought along with it the uninvited Dandelions! Of course, when they showed up, they were little, pretty and all dressed up in yellow. It did look quite the inviting sight…. bright and yellow, scattered all over the green lawn. It gave the garden colour and what looked like at that time some character. It was a joke around our friends as to how colourful and scenic our lawn looked. Cutting the grass or weeding them out, was not an option. They grew quite quickly in numbers. Five became seven, and then became fifteen and twenty until they were far too many to count. They took over the lawn like aliens. The only green visible, were the Dandelion leaves! The colourful exuberance didn’t last long. The pretty yellow bed of flowers turned into dirty, white, bulbous, fluffy, “wish” like things that kids love to blow. And once they were blown, kept spreading like forest fire in Australia!

“Help pick those weeds” I commanded my kids! The whole family on hands and knees, digging and pulling off the earth along with its earth worms. @$#*!! Why did we not start picking the Dandelions when they first showed up? Why did we let it take over? What looked like a calm and unassuming lawn looked like a dead battlefield. We (I say we as a team but there may have been a few that stood out more than others) picked, prodded, sodded new grass, fertilized and pruned the lawn. The process was repeated like shampoo. Finally, after much toiling we got back our green lawn. Now, at the first sight of a pretty, yellow, Dandelion we swoop down to nip it in the bud. The conspicuous weed has no chance of planting roots or laying down foundation. If you have weeds, may I suggest you do the same!

·       Do take care of your lawn. Seed it, water it, and fertilize it. Take REAL good care of it. This is your asset and you want to keep it that way.

·        Do you have weeds in your lawn? Nip them in the bud before it’s too late. They may seem quite innocent at first but before you know it they turn into horrendous looking things. Quite the opposite of what they looked like when they first showed up.

·      You may need an army to address the weeds. Don’t be shy just ask for help. Ask and you shall receive.

P.S This really isn’t about my lawn or the dandelions that became ugly weeds that took over my lawn. Although it is a true story! Are you taking good care of your lawn? I do hope you are. And if you do have weeds that show up, as cute and innocent little characteristics and habits I do hope you address them quickly before they take over!