Sunday, February 17, 2013

NeRdY hObBbIEs ThAt HAvE sOmeThInG iNteRestIng 2 sAY - From YoUrs tRuLY, A NeRd AT hEarT :)

Its official I HAVE BECOME OBSESSED, obsessed with the idea, thought and activity of reading. And I realize how nerdy, I could potentially sound. But truth be told that at my inner core lies a true nerd. That's right, behind all the stylish clothes, stiletto heals, glasses, crazy hair and make-up lies a nerd. A nerd that thrives off of learning and reading about new things. And while I am also obsessed with mediums like Ted Talks and YouTube, I just can't shake the thrill I get from cracking open a fresh new book and turning the pages as I forge forward through the book and get closer to the end. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU OPENED UP A BOOK FOR FUN? YOU KNOW A LEISURELY READ? AND WHAT WAS IT?

I think back to the days of being a kid, when my dad would drag me to the public library every other Sunday, so I could pick out books to read in my "spare" time. You know outside of the time I had beyond school work, my dad's extra homework he always seemed to have for me, kumon and house chores - WHERE WAS THE TIME I WAS ALLOTTED FOR BEING A KID, I ALWAYS USED TO ASK? I think that's why I still love to dance my heart out at any given second and play in the snow and sandbox, I'm clearly making up for lost time, lol. 

Anyhow, like most things in my life at the time, those trips to the library were structured. I was allowed to pick 1 history book, 1 geography book, 1 science book and 1 "fun book". I used to scroll the sections of the library for hours, and really only because I was staring at the kids who got to read and pick all the "fun books". Regardless, I would always admit defeat in my multiple attempts to pick only fun books and return home from the library with a stack of books that seemed to be much taller than me. WHY, WHY, WHY? WAS I FORCED TO READ ALL THESE BOOKS?!??!?! In those days, i would just stare at the ceiling on those Sunday's when I returned home from the library and think to myself, this is it, this is who I am destined to be "The Fat Smart/Nerdy Kid", C'est Le Vie, at least I will make billions (which I am still waiting for, lol). 

But regardless of all the reading that was forced upon me, I still found hours during the day to hide inside the library at school sneaking reads of all the "fun books". No one was going to stop me from learning all about the babysitters club, the choose your own adventure stories, Nancy drew and Goosebumps. NO ONE, NOT EVEN THAT STACK OF GOD FORSAKEN BORING BOOKS!!!

Now as I have gotten older, I have made time on vacations and some spare moments to pick up a "fun book" and read. However I will admit that over the past 10 years most of those "fun reads" have been replaced with a stack of mile high text books, accounting and tax acts, GMAT books and life. My love for reading as much as i have vied for making more time for it just always seemed to get replaced with the next thing on my to do list that was getting me closer to being a successful running shoe era kid. 

However, as of late, I have taken an approach to living that boxes work into a 8/9-6/7 zone and life in every hour outside of it. It has taken a lot out of me to not care, to not check email and to just let it be, but the new life I live is simply amazing. AND now with all the spare time I have allotted myself, I have had the chance to read as many books as I want :) And I have to admit that the more I read - regardless of the book - the more I realize that the mere act of reading is teaching me so much about life. It's teaching me to dream with my eyes wide open and to enjoy the journey to the destiny that I know will eventually be. In so many ways along with my meditation practice, it's caused me to slow down, breath and just let things roll of my shoulders. CRAZY RIGHT? AND ALL THIS FROM READING :) Told you that life teaches you things ALL THE TIME. SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GO GRAB THAT BOOK THAT YOU HAVE BEEN STARING AT FOR DAYS, WEEKS AND MONTHS AND JUST START READING IT :)

And with that I end with my latest book suggestion - The fault in our Stars (a new york times bestseller) and ASK YOU ALL OUT THERE TO MAKE SURE - YOU DEVOTE AT LEAST 15 MINUTES AT THE END OF YOUR DAY TO READING SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING FUN AND SOMETHING THAT WILL PUT YOUR MIND AT REST AND EASE :) Let yourself dream with your eyes wide open and enjoy the journey - because IT WILL ALL WORK OUT, I KNOW :)

- Happy long weekend and week ahead, tootles :)

PS. Have a book suggestion? I'm looking to add to my list! If so leave a comment with the name and author of the book :)

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Happpppy LOVVVVEEEEE WEEEEEKKK!!!!!!!!!!

Is it February already?!?!?! The holiday season seems to be but a distant memory, the cold weather seems to get worse and then suddenly there it is, that dreaded week, day and time of year dawns upon us. You know the week when chocolates, flowers, candies, jewellery and everything in between sell for a premium, the week that guys seem to dread the most and the week that girls seem to swoon over and count down on their calendars. YESSSSS THAT'S RIGHT FOLKS - ITS LOVE WEEK!!! VALENTINES DAY, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT :) and no matter what you say or do, we all must live through it. 

Now being the female that I am, of course I live and breath for this holiday much in the same way that I do Christmas. But it's not what you think. I am not the big expensive gift expector, nor do I ever shell out millions of dollars to wish those closest to me a happy Valentines Day. So I don't buy into this whole retail craziness that seems to spread like wild fire around this week. I simply love this holiday, only because in lives as crazy as ours we get to take one day out a year to make sure that we tell those closest to us how much we love, appreciate and respect them. And so while gorgeous jewellery, bouquets of flowers and chocolates that will only allow my butts to enlarge are nice, why not get into the true Valentines spirit and just buy a card, write a letter or a note, send a text message, pick up the phone or show up and surprise someone and just spread the message the old school way :) 

As a kid I think back to my most favourite Valentine's memory - my parents surprising my sister and i with a massive heart shaped cookie from Mrs. Field's that had Happy Valentines Day scripted on it - and think, whatever happened to all those simple things. You know, like the cute little Valentine's cards we exchanged in school that were full of all the cutest characters and cartoons of our times, the single stem roses we used to exchange in high school and the chocolates that used to circulate the halls of every school no matter what age or grade you were. Those were the best Valentines Days EVER! Wouldn't you agree? 

That's why I have set out on my own Valentines Day mission :) Curious? Well in one of my first posts on my blog, I wrote about this amazing Non-For-Profit called MoreLoveLetters that had started out in NyC. Their mission - to spread love through letter writing - has inspired me to take it back to the old school and spread some Valentines Day Love in my most favourite way possible- VALENTINES DAY CARDS!!!! So I took a trip to a local shoppers drug mart and my most favourite paper store and stocked up on supplies to begin my VALENTINES DAY CARD GIVING MISSION! So how does this mission work you ask. Well I have hand written on about 20 of the cutest Valentine's Day Cards (picture below) and addressed them to "lucky random strangers who get to find them." My job this week is to leave these cards in random places in the city. You know like on the streetcar, at the gym, in my office building, in the underground, in my favourite coffee shop, and the list goes on. I have left my blog handle on all the cards, hoping that the lucky finders of these cards will leave a comment or two. But really I have no expectations of ever hearing back from these random strangers, I just want to want to spread some love and make sure that everyone gets to smile this Love Week :) 

It's plain old crazy if you ask me, this mission of mine. But at the same time rather exciting and fun. I only wish I could stalk the millions of places I leave these cards to watch people's reactions when they open them :) All I can hope for is a smile, a giggle and good old fashion heart warm that will make their day, week and Valentines Day. 

And with that i leave you all. May you all take some time out this week, to really think of those you love, have loved and will love and let them all know how much they mean to you. Over the past bit I have really come to know about how short lived some of our times are together, and you just don't want to let the moments pass you by, thinking you will be able to tell them someday. This week - don't wait :) Make it your Valentines Day and Love Week Mission to open up your hearts and embrace your inner Valentines day child :) 

Happy Love Week :)






Monday, February 4, 2013

The FORK in the ROAD with the path that sounds absolutely CRAZY, but that you know WILL BE INSANELY AMAZING :)

So there the day was. Friday February 1st,  I woke up feeling like I knew the day had a weird symbolism to it and as much as I wanted to hide from what it was, I knew i had to look myself in the mirror in the morning and say "Happy 3 year anniversary lady, you have survived". Survived the crazyiness of the concrete walls that you retort to everyday, the monotone answers and facial less expressions that people seem to exude when they respond and the political battles of trying to reach for the top of that corporate ladder. Man do I feel exhausted just thinking about it all. I felt like I could have laid on my clean condo floors at 7am and just slept for about 3 years so that I could recover from the battle wounds ensued since my career at this place began. 

When I signed on that dotted line for this gig, I had no idea what doors it would open. And while the wounds seem like they will be permanent, I am beyond grateful for everything I have learnt, done and met. Being part of the running shoe era, meant that I was suppose to be part of the rat race I currently work in, because only then could I truly realize, THAT I AM DONE, DONE LIKE DINNER. And no, I did not walk into work on Friday and quit my job. I just walked to work that morning with a bounce in my step knowing that the stress, the anxiety, the pressure that I put on myself to fit in this neat little box was all gone. And it's not that I don't care anymore, it's just that I finally have the confidence, heart and strength to admit, THIS IS NOT WHAT I WANT TO BE, WANT TO DO AND WANT TO LIVE. Is what you do, what you truly want to do? And does it make you happy? 

The structure of the concrete jungle is intoxicating. It pays the bills, it buys me stuff, it lets me spoil the ones I love and see the world. And for that I am grateful, but is all this structure and stability really worth it? I know it makes my family happy knowing that I am structured and stable, but that isn't me and that isn't our running shoe generation. We are the kids that dream big dreams, the kids that want to make the money by changing the world or coming up with the next biggest and brightest idea.

For so long, I have tried to figure out what steps make sense and I kept fitting myself into this consulting, MBA, typical business like bubble, and for what? To be a fashionably dressed female cookie cut out that walks amongst a million others to that concrete jungle everyday. WHO AM I KIDDING? That isn't me. The me i know, has big dreams, she is a jack of all traits, she likes to do it all. So what if i want to be a successful business woman, who owns a yoga studio where she teaches, writes in a blog about everything she wishes, saves the world, does make-up for weddings and events on the side, teaches determined and strong chartered accounting candidates and plans events such as birthdays, showers and themed parties and still gets to have an amazingly love filled social and family life, that includes being a best friend, a wife and a mother. Why can't I do it all? And if not all at once, at least in my lifetime? Why should I have to settle into a box? Is it to make me more marketable as a life partner, to make my family happy or to just be seen as successful in this world? I don't know. I don't know the answer and I don't think I ever will. 

And that's okay, because there is one thing I do know. And that is that In your lifetime you will have at least 3 careers, and I am pretty sure the first phase of my first career is coming to an end. And what the second will bring, scares the absolute crap out of me. But that feeling that I get when I think about where it could head because of this next big thing makes me want to  immediately spring out of my bed and run to school like I did when I was in first grade :)

And with that I leave you all with THE MOST AMAZING 3 MINUTE TED TALK YOU WILL EVER SEE!! He's just a kid, kid president that is (who happens to dance just like me, lol), but he has the best way of making you re-evaluate your life and listen to what he has to say. http://www.ted.com/talks/kid_president_i_think_we_all_need_a_pep_talk.html

Here is to following your dreams and surrounding yourself with the ones that support you no matter how crazy, ridiculous and insane you may sound at times. 

Happy week ahead :)