25 Random Things You Didn't Know About Me

I've been tagged at least twice now for this little meme that is going around...so I guess it's time I addressed it. Originally my friend Ellie Walsh of LivingtheLawofAttraction.com tagged me, so I'll give her credit here. :)

...Of course these things are never random, are they? If we choose to make a list, we are still making decisions about what we want people to see or know...and of course people don't really care that much, so what's the big fear about saying things? Perhaps we are afraid we'll dig deep and say something we may regret or can't take back...because if we don't dig deep then it's kind of pointless making a list, isn't it?...

To help make up for you having to read a post about 25 things about someone - :) - here is a really cool video from youtube:



Without further ado, here are 25 things you didn't (likely) know about me:

1. I am the happiest and most excited about my future I've ever been in my life
2. I feel old and young at the same time - and I'm not too keen on either feeling, as I'm neither
3. I have recently decided to not eat meat anymore, and I feel fabulous...lots of yummy vegetables and fruit and sprouts...mmmmm
4. Exercising is one of my favourite things -- when I am walking or running or doing yoga or lifting weights I feel amazing and happy and powerful
5. I have huge ambitions -- many readers here will know, but I want a LOT of things and money -- for my own experience as opposed to for impressing someone
6. I also have big dreams when it comes to giving back - building with Habitat for Humanity, hurricane and flood relief, respectable places and programs for homeless people, etc..
7. I gave up my volunteer work with my local Hospice after 12 years or so...I felt selfish but needed to focus on myself for a while and it was definitely the right move
8. I am leaning more and more towards adventure and eco-travel - fun!
9. I want to climb to Macchu Piccu in Peru, and hike/climb in Tibet
10. When I say I want to do something I'll actually do it
11. I am sitting on an exercise ball rather than a chair while typing, and have been for weeks - wow, what a difference (abs, etc.)!
12. I have several books on the go, and although I love writing, I find I become blocked sometimes when I 'have' to write...this is my latest challenge.
13. I have discovered that I love designing and playing with websites more than writing, but writing will bring me passive income (always my goal) so I'm at odds...
14. My first real boyfriend - we were 14 - broke my heart, and I felt my first insecurity when he told me about the other girls he liked
15. I'd like to prevent my beautiful daughter from feeling insecurity and comparing herself to other girls
16. My daughter is the most amazing person I've ever met and I feel priveleged to be her Mother
17. I am ALWAYS open to learning and changing my perspective
18. My Mom says I blame myself too much but I feel I look for my own resonsibility in what happens around me
19. I enjoy my own company and keep to myself a lot, possibly appearing anti-social but really just not needing small talk from acquaintances - I'm very happy!
20. I actually love people and learning about them when I do engage, but I'm often busy learning about myself and my motivations, thought patterns and beliefs
21. I remember high school fondly - I had a great time!
22. For a long time I wished I was 17 again, but I now would not change places for anything (OK well maybe lots of money - LOTS)
23. I baby my parents and need to relenquish this behaviour
24. I don't like the status quo, being mediocre or being like everyone else
25. I belive - think - hope that we as humans are in a new era of awareness and growth and expansion and that we can change EVERYTHING with the right intentions

There you have it! Thanks to those who got me involved. Have a fabulous day!

25 Random Things You Didn't Know About Me

Happiness: Solution or Symptom?...

Thinking of happiness as a symptom of something may sound funny, but this is what many people believe.

Just like saying 'If I get in a car accident I will feel sad and may be in pain," many people attribute happiness to outside circumstances:

• If I get into top shape I'll feel far happier and better about myself.
• When I finally make the kind of money I want or deserve, then I'll be happy.
• I'll be so much happier once I've left this relationship, or once so-and-so begins treating me better.

What is this but treating happiness as a symptom?

"If only we'd stop trying to be happy we could have a pretty good time." ~ Edith Wharton

As a society, I fear we in the Western world have allowed happiness to become something elusive: we have been indoctrined into the belief that happiness is something outside of us - a difficult-to-achieve ideal, something that must be chased, captured or reached for unendingly.

Much of this phenomenon can be traced to advertising, and sadly, the personal development community. Even the American constitution refers to happiness as something to be pursued!

The Happiness Challenge

Sometimes we believe that we can either have abiding happiness OR all the material things we long for.

For instance, many people secretly fear that if they 'settle' into their current lives and just BE happy the way they are, then the message they are sending out to 'the Universe' is that they are content; they no longer wish to have anything more. This couldn't be further from the truth!

The opposite is really true, and once you can see this clearly perhaps you'll let your natural joy bubble to the surface.

Here is an example to illustrate the point:

Say we have a woman who is wallowing in loneliness, and longing for a man to 'complete' her life. She wishes someone would adore her, and feels that her dream man's love will make everything OK, and she will finally be happy.

In reality, anyone she attracts while in this state will be someone who is feeding off of her unhappiness and the relationship will not be a healthy nor a happy one.

Now, let's say a man appears who absolutely adores this woman from head to toe and thinks she is the cat's meow. Unfortunately, for whatever reason this is NOT the man she was hoping for, and thus none of this affection gets into her heart.

Now to the point: his adoration will not get into her heart unless and until she opens up and loves him back. You see, it's HER love and inner happiness she will feel if and when she does that...not his. There is nothing outside of her that allows her to feel this way. In fact, the man in question could be perceived as annoying and even kind of creepy if she doesn't feel the same way about him.

That feeling of adoration and love we think we get from others is really us letting our love out to shine. It's our own adoration and love we feel, and of course this can happen with anyone - your neighbor, an acquaintance or a beloved child who 'belongs' to someone else.

Every wonderful - or not-so-wonderful - feeling we have comes from within us, NEVER from outside. If instead our hypothetical woman decided to be happy no matter what came her way, she would shine like a beacon and many people would instinctively be attracted to her...she could then choose from that point of happiness and attraction and the results would be far more enjoyable and positive.

When it comes to improving finances or any other life situation we are dissatisfied with, being unhappy about it serves no purpose other than to perpetuate more of the same. While being aware of what we don't want helps us to define what we do, unhappiness is just misery, plain and simple.

"Happiness is a form of courage." ~ Holbrook Jackson

That's a wonderful quote, isn't it? Happiness really IS a form of courage these days, if only because it takes a soul willing to eschew the traditional pursuit of it in order to experience it. One needs to slow down, look inside and realize that all the elements for happiness have always been there, regardless of outside circumstances. You are alive, you are capable of love (even if there's no one around right now to shower it on, you've got your wonderful self!), you have a whole world of experiences and opportunities open to you, and every new moment brings new input and allows you a new choice. What's not to be happy about? What more fabulous adventure could you have signed up for, if you could have imagined such a thing (and I believe you did)?

Never want all your desires to manifest at one...for then what would you do?...

Some books you may enjoy:

Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnac: This book is a fabulous tool and follows Sarah's journey within as she explored the real meaning of abundance...it's not what she thought and it may not be what you think either! There is nothing ascetic nor sacrificial in Sarah's approach; rather she encourages us through example to define our own meaning of decadence and richness. Perfect for January as this book contains a whole new year of daily entries, but a great read any time!

7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey: This lovely and insightful book has become a success classic partly because it transcends most personal development-type material by entering into deeply personal territory, and by looking at the very big picture of why we do what what we do and what meaning our lives ultimately have. An excellent read and a very important step in creating the future YOU choose.

Happy for No Reason by Marci Shimoff: A look at being truly happy from the inside, this book contains interviews with people who have already made this decision, and will leave you with new joy and the natural happiness you are meant to experience on a daily basis.

Happiness: Solution or Symptom?...