conquering any difficulty always gives one a secret joy, for it means pushing back a boundary-line and adding to one's liberty.
~ henri frederic amiel
my friend, the starfish, gave me a great book at christmas, "welcome the rain". i have found myself turning to it repeatedly when i needed a burst of support and motivation.
today i found myself facing a challenge to a new resolution. amazing how the dark redirects thoughts. i found myself starting to fall into old thinking.
i made myself think back to the list of accomplishments I had made earlier in the day. i recalled the feelings of pride i had in the changes i have made -- the improved feelings of wellbeing and signs of improved health. i visualized what would happen if i gave in -- the immediate feelings of gratification, the following feelings of guilt and then considered if i did not give in -- if i was resolute. the feeling of pride. the feeling of strength and the continued health improvements. it seemed like the better choice.
i opened my little book. i read the passage by henri and knew i had made the right choice. i was already feeling the secret joy he speaks of....i did have an increased sense of liberty -- a freedom from my past patterns.
smilin storm
Monday, September 7, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
happy new year
it's labour day weekend!
the time of year that feels more like the beginning of a new year than january 1 ever will. a time to review the past and prepare for the future. summer is winding down and we are getting ready for fall.
this year has been a good one for me.
the sumer was not super hot, but i'm not a fan of the high heat and humidity. it was much more temperate and comfortable -- both for me and the bug.
we had some health challenges in the family -- the bug, the first born, my bro and my mom. all came through wonderfully and are healthy and active again. it's awesome!
my relationship with my bro seems to be evolving into something new. it is a welcome and wonderful change.
we made some home improvements in the parental units house. these were much needed and in the end not at all stressful. it is difficult for my pops to deal with change and so this is huge! he was happy with the changes.
i faced a number of personal challenges. they were stressful and difficult to deal with. i did. i faced them head on. i asked for help when i needed it. i applied all of the stress management tools i could -- prayer, affirmations, exercise and meditation. in the end, everything worked out.
i learned i am strong. i am resourceful. i am persistent and resilient. i do not give up. i am tenacious.
i delved into vegetarianism. i am much happier, have more energy and overall just feel better.
as we start a new year, i am filled with optimism and happiness. i am excited about what is to come for me in my life. i hope you all are doing well and have had a good year as well.
all the best,
storm
the time of year that feels more like the beginning of a new year than january 1 ever will. a time to review the past and prepare for the future. summer is winding down and we are getting ready for fall.
this year has been a good one for me.
the sumer was not super hot, but i'm not a fan of the high heat and humidity. it was much more temperate and comfortable -- both for me and the bug.
we had some health challenges in the family -- the bug, the first born, my bro and my mom. all came through wonderfully and are healthy and active again. it's awesome!
my relationship with my bro seems to be evolving into something new. it is a welcome and wonderful change.
we made some home improvements in the parental units house. these were much needed and in the end not at all stressful. it is difficult for my pops to deal with change and so this is huge! he was happy with the changes.
i faced a number of personal challenges. they were stressful and difficult to deal with. i did. i faced them head on. i asked for help when i needed it. i applied all of the stress management tools i could -- prayer, affirmations, exercise and meditation. in the end, everything worked out.
i learned i am strong. i am resourceful. i am persistent and resilient. i do not give up. i am tenacious.
i delved into vegetarianism. i am much happier, have more energy and overall just feel better.
as we start a new year, i am filled with optimism and happiness. i am excited about what is to come for me in my life. i hope you all are doing well and have had a good year as well.
all the best,
storm
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
counting
...my blessings.
lately i have been facing some challenges.
you most likely know what i mean. a period in your life when you have a challenge, think you have found your way through only to walk into another. at some points it feels like you are trapped and starts to wear on you.
a few months ago, i came up with a plan (the master plan) faced everything head on and opened up to those close to me to reach out for help...i needed it. i was in need of perspective, advice and help. i got it all. it was wonderful. typically i would not have done that. i would have held it in and tried to resolve everything. even when i had a business partnership, i was described as the 'rock' or the stabilizing one. when you take on that role, it reinforces the concept that you cannot be weak. you are the rock....when the rock crumbles, everything collapses. i am learning to be me....not a rock.
about a month and a half ago, life threw one of those curve balls. i did the best to rebound and modified my plans....now plan b. finally, after moving along slowly, it appeared as though i had regained control and equilibrium. i felt like i would be able to get back on track. just as that was happening, another curve ball!
this one felt like it hit the back of my knees....i was gutted. for whatever reason, i did not see it coming and it hit hard.
i wanted to cry. i wanted to scream. i took a few deep breathes and tried to tell all the voices in my head to quiet.
i sent a quick note to those friends who have been so very supportive. i needed them to know and i needed their support. i never doubted that they were not in my corner. next i sought my mom and dad. i needed them to know as they are my family and while there was little they could do, they would say a prayer for me, love me and make all feel somehow better. my brother is out of the country or i would have reached out to him and my sister-in-law.
i then washed my face, brushed my teeth and took some vitamins and my omega 3's to help deal with stress. i tried to relax and put all out of my mind for the night. i had a steady stream of positive thoughts running in the background....i am strong, i am smart, everything always works out, i am capable and resourceful, i have alternatives.....the list went on and on.
when i turned out the lights, i said my prayers....i remember hearing that a common trait amongst centenarians was that they had a strong faith. the belief is that with this faith, when times get tough, they put their worries into the hands of their 'god'. this allows them to not carry them on their own and alleviates some of the stress they would otherwise have to carry on their own. i decided to follow their example, i asked god to take care of my worries while i slept and to guide my decisions while i slept.
nothing has changed today. my challenges remain. my outlook is refreshed.
as i write this i think of a line i read recently on a facebook page:
today i am focused on what i can do. my parental units are amazing. they are supportive and loving and more than any daughter could ask for. my friends are outstanding. i have received great support and encouragement across the board. i have my health. i have a roof over my head. i have a faith in a god who is good and loving. i am smart. i am capable and i am good under pressure. i am creative and strong.
as a good friend once said:
be strong, and good luck with your challenges,
storm
lately i have been facing some challenges.
you most likely know what i mean. a period in your life when you have a challenge, think you have found your way through only to walk into another. at some points it feels like you are trapped and starts to wear on you.
a few months ago, i came up with a plan (the master plan) faced everything head on and opened up to those close to me to reach out for help...i needed it. i was in need of perspective, advice and help. i got it all. it was wonderful. typically i would not have done that. i would have held it in and tried to resolve everything. even when i had a business partnership, i was described as the 'rock' or the stabilizing one. when you take on that role, it reinforces the concept that you cannot be weak. you are the rock....when the rock crumbles, everything collapses. i am learning to be me....not a rock.
about a month and a half ago, life threw one of those curve balls. i did the best to rebound and modified my plans....now plan b. finally, after moving along slowly, it appeared as though i had regained control and equilibrium. i felt like i would be able to get back on track. just as that was happening, another curve ball!
this one felt like it hit the back of my knees....i was gutted. for whatever reason, i did not see it coming and it hit hard.
i wanted to cry. i wanted to scream. i took a few deep breathes and tried to tell all the voices in my head to quiet.
i sent a quick note to those friends who have been so very supportive. i needed them to know and i needed their support. i never doubted that they were not in my corner. next i sought my mom and dad. i needed them to know as they are my family and while there was little they could do, they would say a prayer for me, love me and make all feel somehow better. my brother is out of the country or i would have reached out to him and my sister-in-law.
i then washed my face, brushed my teeth and took some vitamins and my omega 3's to help deal with stress. i tried to relax and put all out of my mind for the night. i had a steady stream of positive thoughts running in the background....i am strong, i am smart, everything always works out, i am capable and resourceful, i have alternatives.....the list went on and on.
when i turned out the lights, i said my prayers....i remember hearing that a common trait amongst centenarians was that they had a strong faith. the belief is that with this faith, when times get tough, they put their worries into the hands of their 'god'. this allows them to not carry them on their own and alleviates some of the stress they would otherwise have to carry on their own. i decided to follow their example, i asked god to take care of my worries while i slept and to guide my decisions while i slept.
nothing has changed today. my challenges remain. my outlook is refreshed.
as i write this i think of a line i read recently on a facebook page:
you can't change the wind..............but you can definitely adjust your sails!that is what i did.
today i am focused on what i can do. my parental units are amazing. they are supportive and loving and more than any daughter could ask for. my friends are outstanding. i have received great support and encouragement across the board. i have my health. i have a roof over my head. i have a faith in a god who is good and loving. i am smart. i am capable and i am good under pressure. i am creative and strong.
as a good friend once said:
everything always works out in the end. if you think it won't, just hang on, you are not yet at the end.it will work out. it will.
be strong, and good luck with your challenges,
storm
Sunday, August 9, 2009
remembering a hero
today was hot and humid. we had heavy storms in the afternoon and evening. i went out with my mom and the bug in the afternoon to run a couple of errands -- just a relaxing sunday.
we returned through the back roads, enjoying the country side. it was then i noticed the van. it was almost invisible in many ways. not new, not fancy...just an old van.
it was a tan colour, old model. it had the big, vertical windows on the side and the elevated roof which seemed to indicated the presence of a sleeping bunk. there were double doors on the back and curtains in the windows......as i said, at first glance it was just an old van. then i noticed the wording on the sides.....french on the driver's side and english on the passenger side (yes i did change lanes to see what i could). i was fascinated and riveted. it said 'terry fox marathon of hope' and made reference to supporting cancer research.
terry fox. wow! the name still chokes me up. it makes me proud and it reminds me that we all have a choice in how we face our challenges. we define who we are. we chose who we are.
i felt like i was seeing something special. to some maybe just an old van - to me it brought crashing back the first time i had learned about something dreadful called cancer; one of the greatest, bravest people i had ever seen; the pride in being canadian and being connected; the feeling of hope, of watching greatness, the belief that we could conquer anything and the crushing sense of loss and pain when terry died.
i found a quote from prime minister trudeau after terry's death:
for those who do not know his story, terry was a young canadian born in manitoba and raised in british columbia. he was always and athlete, a determined basketball player throughout school and eventually a long distance runner. he went on to become a phys ed teacher i believe. at 18, he had his leg amputated above the knee as a result of cancer. he went into the surgery determined to take charge of his life and not allow the loss of his leg to make him disabled. he was going to do what he could to further cancer research, improve treatments and hopefully help others in the future.
having set his goal, terry acted on that goal. he issued the following letter to the cancer society of canada in 1979:
his legacy lives on. the terry fox run is every september. before he died, terry knew the run would happen -- he set the date. he tasked canadians to take over where he had been forced to leave off. it is for that reason that he selected september -- he was forced to quit the run on september 1, 1980.
terry has a simple goal..he wanted to raise one dollar for every canadian. he lived to see that goal reached in february of 1981. at the time that was a little over 24 million. according numbers i saw as of 2008 his marathon of hope started the a trickle which is now well over 400 million dollars!
he said he beleived in miracles because he had to. he made us believe in miracles. he made me believe in miracles.
it is amazing to me to think that it is almost 30 years since he died.......almost 28 years since he had to give up the run. still what he gave to so many, people he had and would never meet, hasn't been equalled that i can recall at this point.
terry fox, thank you for all you did. thank you for showing us what can be accomplished and demonstrating so profoundly what true greatness is.
we returned through the back roads, enjoying the country side. it was then i noticed the van. it was almost invisible in many ways. not new, not fancy...just an old van.
it was a tan colour, old model. it had the big, vertical windows on the side and the elevated roof which seemed to indicated the presence of a sleeping bunk. there were double doors on the back and curtains in the windows......as i said, at first glance it was just an old van. then i noticed the wording on the sides.....french on the driver's side and english on the passenger side (yes i did change lanes to see what i could). i was fascinated and riveted. it said 'terry fox marathon of hope' and made reference to supporting cancer research.
terry fox. wow! the name still chokes me up. it makes me proud and it reminds me that we all have a choice in how we face our challenges. we define who we are. we chose who we are.
i felt like i was seeing something special. to some maybe just an old van - to me it brought crashing back the first time i had learned about something dreadful called cancer; one of the greatest, bravest people i had ever seen; the pride in being canadian and being connected; the feeling of hope, of watching greatness, the belief that we could conquer anything and the crushing sense of loss and pain when terry died.
i found a quote from prime minister trudeau after terry's death:
i wanted to stop the men driving the van, offer to buy them a coffee and find out who they were, how they knew terry and why they were driving his support van in 2009 in ontario....
It occurs very rarely in the life of a nation that the courageous spirit of one person unites all people in the celebration of his life and in the mourning of his death....We do not think of him as one who was defeated by misfortune but as one who inspired us with the example of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity.
for those who do not know his story, terry was a young canadian born in manitoba and raised in british columbia. he was always and athlete, a determined basketball player throughout school and eventually a long distance runner. he went on to become a phys ed teacher i believe. at 18, he had his leg amputated above the knee as a result of cancer. he went into the surgery determined to take charge of his life and not allow the loss of his leg to make him disabled. he was going to do what he could to further cancer research, improve treatments and hopefully help others in the future.
having set his goal, terry acted on that goal. he issued the following letter to the cancer society of canada in 1979:
My name is Terry Fox. I am 21 years old, and I am an amputee. I lost my right leg two-and-a-half years ago due to cancer. The night before my amputation, my former basketball coach brought me a magazine with an article on an amputee who ran in the New York Marathon. It was then when I decided to meet this new challenge head on and not only overcome my disability, but conquer it in such a way that I could never look back and say it disabled me. But I soon realized that would only be half of my quest, for as I went through the sixteen months of the physically and emotionally draining ordeal of chemotheraphy, I was rudely awakened by the feelings that surrounded and coursed through the cancer clinic. There were the faces with the brave smiles, and the ones who had given up smiling. There were the feelings of hopeful denial, and the feelings of despair. My quest would not be a selfish one. I could not leave knowing these faces and feelings would still exist, even though I would be set free from mine. Somewhere the hurting must stop...and I was determined to take myself to the limit for this cause.what he did do was run 5,373 km or 3,339 miles in 143 days. he roughly ran a marathon a day -- a marathon is 26.2 miles and he averaged 23.3 miles per day. he did it on one leg! he had a goal. he was determined and refused to limit himself. he did all of that at the age of 22! i remember watching his progress on the news.......the build up as he was about to pass through town......he was larger than life........he truly inspired awe!
I feel now is the time to make good my promise. I have been training for eight months, running on an artificial leg. Starting with half a mile, I have now worked up to thirteen-and-a-half a day, adding half a mile weekly. By April next year [1980], I will be ready to achieve something that for me was once only a distant dream reserved for the world of miracles; to run across Canada to raise money for the fight against cancer. The running I can do, even if I have to crawl every last mile. But there are some barriers I cannot overcome alone. We need your help. The people in cancer clinics all over the world need people who believe in miracles. I am not a dreamer and I'm not saying that this will initiate any kind of definitive answer or cure to cancer, but I believe in miracles. I have to
his legacy lives on. the terry fox run is every september. before he died, terry knew the run would happen -- he set the date. he tasked canadians to take over where he had been forced to leave off. it is for that reason that he selected september -- he was forced to quit the run on september 1, 1980.
terry has a simple goal..he wanted to raise one dollar for every canadian. he lived to see that goal reached in february of 1981. at the time that was a little over 24 million. according numbers i saw as of 2008 his marathon of hope started the a trickle which is now well over 400 million dollars!
he said he beleived in miracles because he had to. he made us believe in miracles. he made me believe in miracles.
it is amazing to me to think that it is almost 30 years since he died.......almost 28 years since he had to give up the run. still what he gave to so many, people he had and would never meet, hasn't been equalled that i can recall at this point.
terry fox, thank you for all you did. thank you for showing us what can be accomplished and demonstrating so profoundly what true greatness is.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
love to be loved
i am so fortunate and oh so thankful.
earlier this week i received the following thought:
it hit home. the idea of how often people are off to get things...things to make their life better, to appear successful or to just raise their self esteem. like the teenager who has to have the $200 jeans with the specific label or the young man who has to have the right car. if they stop comparing themselves to the images presented of the few -- the celebrities and the wealthy sports figures -- they will finally see how great their lives really are.
it brought home the lesson the world saw with the passing michael jackson again...we have seen the lesson many times. money and material success does not ensure personal happiness.
in any event, again i digress. the lesson is one, while we know, it helps to have reinforced.
today i got a call from the starfish to meet her for coffee. the starfish and i met when i was 11 or 12 years old. we lost touch for many years but reconnected a handful of years ago. she is warm, caring and a wonderful friend. she has a lovely husband and 2 great girls.
the starfish married her first husband when she was quite young and after several years, divorced and returned to canada as a young single mother. her first husband was not the most supportive of her and as a result she still has instances of low self esteem.
one area where she is not too confident is navigation when driving. she doesn't head out of town often. she used to come 40 km to see me. wow! that is huge. tonight she drove almost as far, on a far less familiar and direct route to a mall. all for me. she went to a mall we had visited months ago. when we were there, we had seen a purse that exactly matched my wallet -- i love me wallet! at the time, while i admired the purse, i didn't buy it. i told her that it wasn't something i needed. if after i left, i remembered it and still wanted it, maybe then i would buy it. i forgot about it.
she didn't. she drove there - by herself!! after a full day at work, no less! she remembered the store, found where the purses were, remembered the specific purse, found the one left and bought it for me. she wrapped it luscious tissue paper and placed it in a fancy purple and silver gift bag........she treated me to a cup of decaf coffee, a piece of strawberry shortcake and presented me with the present.........for no reason..........she said she wanted to make sure i knew how much she enjoyed the time she spent with me; that she loves the new experiences i introduce her to and that i am supportive of her. we have so much fun together and laugh as we might as kids on summer break. we knew each other then, and we know each other now. we are comfortable with each other. she is a wonderful friend -- a caring a supportive friend.
i told her that as much as i love the purse, i think what was even a bigger gift was the gift of her effort -- she drove so far for me....she did it all alone......that is huge and a wonderful gift!
i am loved.
i am appreciated and i am worth that effort to a great friend and a wonderful person.
for that i am very thankful.
storm
earlier this week i received the following thought:
Instead of comparing our lot with that of those who are more fortunate than we are, we should compare it with the lot of the great majority of our fellow men. It then appears that we are among the privileged.
~ Helen Keller
Is the grass truly greener on the other side?
Do you ever feel that you're always getting the short end of the stick? Or do you constantly compare your life to others' lives? We are bombarded with daily images of the posh lifestyles of celebrities. Their expensive wardrobes and status can entice even the happiest person to drool over such luxury. But by thinking about the world as a whole, you'll find that your own life is wealthy beyond compare. Make a short list of some of your overlooked privileges. Owning a car (or two!), having access to television, computers, drinkable water, a respectable wage at your job, and all of the freedoms you enjoy that are a foreign idea to many people around the world. Be grateful for your life and over time maybe you will see that your plot in life is someone else's "greener grass."
it hit home. the idea of how often people are off to get things...things to make their life better, to appear successful or to just raise their self esteem. like the teenager who has to have the $200 jeans with the specific label or the young man who has to have the right car. if they stop comparing themselves to the images presented of the few -- the celebrities and the wealthy sports figures -- they will finally see how great their lives really are.
it brought home the lesson the world saw with the passing michael jackson again...we have seen the lesson many times. money and material success does not ensure personal happiness.
in any event, again i digress. the lesson is one, while we know, it helps to have reinforced.
today i got a call from the starfish to meet her for coffee. the starfish and i met when i was 11 or 12 years old. we lost touch for many years but reconnected a handful of years ago. she is warm, caring and a wonderful friend. she has a lovely husband and 2 great girls.
the starfish married her first husband when she was quite young and after several years, divorced and returned to canada as a young single mother. her first husband was not the most supportive of her and as a result she still has instances of low self esteem.
one area where she is not too confident is navigation when driving. she doesn't head out of town often. she used to come 40 km to see me. wow! that is huge. tonight she drove almost as far, on a far less familiar and direct route to a mall. all for me. she went to a mall we had visited months ago. when we were there, we had seen a purse that exactly matched my wallet -- i love me wallet! at the time, while i admired the purse, i didn't buy it. i told her that it wasn't something i needed. if after i left, i remembered it and still wanted it, maybe then i would buy it. i forgot about it.
she didn't. she drove there - by herself!! after a full day at work, no less! she remembered the store, found where the purses were, remembered the specific purse, found the one left and bought it for me. she wrapped it luscious tissue paper and placed it in a fancy purple and silver gift bag........she treated me to a cup of decaf coffee, a piece of strawberry shortcake and presented me with the present.........for no reason..........she said she wanted to make sure i knew how much she enjoyed the time she spent with me; that she loves the new experiences i introduce her to and that i am supportive of her. we have so much fun together and laugh as we might as kids on summer break. we knew each other then, and we know each other now. we are comfortable with each other. she is a wonderful friend -- a caring a supportive friend.
i told her that as much as i love the purse, i think what was even a bigger gift was the gift of her effort -- she drove so far for me....she did it all alone......that is huge and a wonderful gift!
i am loved.
i am appreciated and i am worth that effort to a great friend and a wonderful person.
for that i am very thankful.
storm
finally
i got my new glasses!
it is such a tough decision......for me because i have a stygmatism and no optical coverage, it is a big investment. I am investing in my face for a period of several years.
i began looking about a year ago. my last pair of glasses was in 2007 from india. i bought an inexpensive pair as filler. my diesel's were my only other pair.
when my regular pair got a scratch on the lens, i started wearing my contacts more and more. the scratched lens drove me nuts......my eyes kept trying to adjust.
i have to tell you finding a pair you love is wonderful. i picked up two pairs.
one, a great plastic framed georgio armani pair is what i call a charcoal tortoise shell. a bit
softer than black but with the same feel. i described them last night as my naughty librarian pair...lol. they are my first ever pair of transition lenses! they are a grey transition lens. how delightful! i wore them to the dog park today. the were great. love em!!
my second pair will make their debut next week at the dinner for my friend, the world's best mom. they are a spectacular prada frame with a wee bit of bling! i have never had bling-y frames before. can't wait! a great silver frame on the front and black enamel with pink bling on the sides and a little bit at the temples. sigh............sohphisticated glamour.....
i had to share my happiness. i am thrilled to be able to wear my glasses instead of contacts all of the time. i see the world crisp and bright. i have options. i laugh at my new plastic frames as i say that be wearing them, my iq increases 50 points! my bling-y frames make me feel glamourous and elegant! both of them are wonderful and were well worth the wait.
smilin' storm
it is such a tough decision......for me because i have a stygmatism and no optical coverage, it is a big investment. I am investing in my face for a period of several years.
i began looking about a year ago. my last pair of glasses was in 2007 from india. i bought an inexpensive pair as filler. my diesel's were my only other pair.
when my regular pair got a scratch on the lens, i started wearing my contacts more and more. the scratched lens drove me nuts......my eyes kept trying to adjust.
i have to tell you finding a pair you love is wonderful. i picked up two pairs.
one, a great plastic framed georgio armani pair is what i call a charcoal tortoise shell. a bit
softer than black but with the same feel. i described them last night as my naughty librarian pair...lol. they are my first ever pair of transition lenses! they are a grey transition lens. how delightful! i wore them to the dog park today. the were great. love em!!my second pair will make their debut next week at the dinner for my friend, the world's best mom. they are a spectacular prada frame with a wee bit of bling! i have never had bling-y frames before. can't wait! a great silver frame on the front and black enamel with pink bling on the sides and a little bit at the temples. sigh............sohphisticated glamour.....
i had to share my happiness. i am thrilled to be able to wear my glasses instead of contacts all of the time. i see the world crisp and bright. i have options. i laugh at my new plastic frames as i say that be wearing them, my iq increases 50 points! my bling-y frames make me feel glamourous and elegant! both of them are wonderful and were well worth the wait.
smilin' storm
Monday, July 20, 2009
we are not all the same
it is amazing how different we are.
if i had to describe me in one word, i think a good one would be curious. i am open. to new experiences, to understanding, to learning.
not all are the same in the same way. some are less tolerant to change and new things.
a while ago, my sil, the nephews and i went to reptilia . reptilia is awesome! my sil does not like animals and as such is very hesitant. it is interesting to see how this is translating to the kids. even though the animals are in units, safely behind thick glass. still the first born was hesitant at first. don't get me wrong, i would never suggest, the kids get a python as a pet, but i do think all animals have a value and a benefit. they are brilliant, each in their own way. there is a dramatic difference in how the first born approaches the animals versus his cousin. his cousin is in there, touching the creatures in the education sessions and the first born holds back. i think this is a result of his mother not wanting to touch them. by the third animal he did reach out and touch -- it was a baby crocodile. he did miss out on the turtle and the iguana.
it would never occur to me to not take the opportunity to learn and touch an animal with which i would not otherwise get a chance to interact -- i am not foolish though. i wouldn't be approaching a wild or deadly animal without precautions, but it would be hard to miss out the chance.
tonight i met friends for a sushi dinner. one friend had passed on the invite. she is one to try 'exotic' foods. she has her comfort zone for foods and will rarely eat outside of it. this is not something that i have ever been able to grasp. new foods....new cultures....new flavours......new techniques.....i am in for it all. i will try anything once.
they are two simple stories. but they made me realize that i am open. to these and many new experiences. i have travelled. i have done different jobs, pushed myself for new experiences and reached past the expected corporate ladder climb.
i am not a thrill seeker, but i am not fearful. sounds daft, but every day i learn new things about me -- peel back another layer. i'm interesting to me.
be well,
storm
if i had to describe me in one word, i think a good one would be curious. i am open. to new experiences, to understanding, to learning.
not all are the same in the same way. some are less tolerant to change and new things.
a while ago, my sil, the nephews and i went to reptilia . reptilia is awesome! my sil does not like animals and as such is very hesitant. it is interesting to see how this is translating to the kids. even though the animals are in units, safely behind thick glass. still the first born was hesitant at first. don't get me wrong, i would never suggest, the kids get a python as a pet, but i do think all animals have a value and a benefit. they are brilliant, each in their own way. there is a dramatic difference in how the first born approaches the animals versus his cousin. his cousin is in there, touching the creatures in the education sessions and the first born holds back. i think this is a result of his mother not wanting to touch them. by the third animal he did reach out and touch -- it was a baby crocodile. he did miss out on the turtle and the iguana.
it would never occur to me to not take the opportunity to learn and touch an animal with which i would not otherwise get a chance to interact -- i am not foolish though. i wouldn't be approaching a wild or deadly animal without precautions, but it would be hard to miss out the chance.
tonight i met friends for a sushi dinner. one friend had passed on the invite. she is one to try 'exotic' foods. she has her comfort zone for foods and will rarely eat outside of it. this is not something that i have ever been able to grasp. new foods....new cultures....new flavours......new techniques.....i am in for it all. i will try anything once.
they are two simple stories. but they made me realize that i am open. to these and many new experiences. i have travelled. i have done different jobs, pushed myself for new experiences and reached past the expected corporate ladder climb.
i am not a thrill seeker, but i am not fearful. sounds daft, but every day i learn new things about me -- peel back another layer. i'm interesting to me.
be well,
storm
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