Mental Health – Life by the Sea

The Cure For Everything Is Salt Water

November 2, 2016 No Comments

Water Water Everywhere I find it ironic that as a fire sign (Aries) I am so drawn to the element of water. The only explanation I have for this is the fact that by the time I was born I was nearly three weeks past my original due date. I should have been a Pisces. Water speaks to me in ways that I don’t fully understand. It calms me, it soothes me and is always a place of solace for me. I am happiest when I’m looking at water, listening to water or immersed in water. I could easily spend an entire day staring at the ocean or a lake or a river. Hours pass and I am lost in a reverie of my thoughts. I make all of my decisions in consultation with water. When I’m not near it I listen to soundtracks of waves or forest streams or […]

Memories, Mental Health, Reflections

Kindness costs nothing. So why don’t we extend it more often?

October 23, 2015 7 Comments

Extending kindness has to be part of your to do list I’ve been making a point of extending kindness to those I encounter this week. This came about because we always seem to be in a hurry wherever we’re all going and very rarely do we make a point to STOP and acknowledge other people we meet along the path. Traffic has been horrendous this week in Halifax due to a big project that will be ongoing for the next year or so to replace one of our lifelines across the harbour – the MacDonald bridge. Everyone has been late for work, tempers are being tried and we all feel very sick of being in our cars on a commute that should take a fraction of the time it has actually been taking. How many times have you sat on a side street trying to turn onto a busy street […]

Marriage, Mental Health, Parenthood, Photography, Reflections

The Happiness Quotient – Finding Balance Amidst The Chaos

January 26, 2013 14 Comments

Identifying your true passion in life Passion is defined as “a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept”. There are things we encounter in our lives that we are inexplicably drawn to. We seek them because they provide us with an overwhelming sense of fulfillment and joy. We tend to think of a passion as something we do in our “spare time”. Something we wish we could do on a constant basis and get paid to do it. Sadly, we spend many hours of each day doing something we’ve become complacent about and that pays bills but does not bring us that innate sense of pleasure. Eventually, something acts as the catalyst for you to pursue your passion further. After weighing the pros and cons of it all you decide to jump in, feet-first and take the plunge. You take a leap of faith, […]

Holidays, Mental Health, Social Media

April’s Cruel Day – Why Your Fake Pregnancy Announcement Hurts

March 30, 2012 9 Comments

Fools rush in April 1st. The day that pranksters rejoice at the opportunity to be a tad mischievous and are absolved of all punishment under the guise of April Fool’s Day. The goal is to fool an unwitting victim into believing something or trick them into taking some sort of action you’ve encouraged them to. My Dad loved playing tricks on us Growing up in my household, we would be awoken by my father with the news that there had been a big snow storm overnight and that school was cancelled. Much rejoicing followed until we rushed to the window to see how much snow we’d be able to go out and play in with a day off from school – only to see bare ground. Somehow in the year between we always seemed to forget his go-to prank. Whatever the hoax might be, it is meant to be received […]

Confessions, Health, Mental Health

Navigating the Storm of Anxiety

February 10, 2012 8 Comments

The driving a car in a snow storm analogy You’re in a car. You’re driving down a deserted country road in the middle of a severe blizzard. You’re finding it hard to distinguish what you’re seeing because the snow is creating that “I’m flying through outer space” effect. You try to stare straight ahead without focusing on each flake but it is difficult. The windshield wipers give you brief seconds when everything appears clear but then your line of sight is clouded by the snow again. You keep looking out at the unknown in front of you, hoping you make it to your destination. Doubts keep sneaking into your thoughts. Suddenly you lose control of the car as you hit a patch of ice. The car swerves as you try to correct your path. Meanwhile your brain is rifling through the different worst case scenarios and what each one would […]