ease...

As I was saying in my last post...




... except she said it better. :)

Much love,
mxo

life = fun (or at least it should)...

My brother-in-law is one of the coolest people I know... by far. Here's why.

Something Jamie wrote in an email last week really, REALLY stuck with me. We were chatting about the concept of following your passion. He said this:
  

"People always ask me how long I will do coco loco and I always say until I don't enjoy it anymore. 
Life is too short to waste time."

Brilliant, and far more prophetic than I think he realized. Here's the thing, it's amazing to follow your passion, assuming you know what it is, but I think it can be much simpler than that.

It's okay to just have fun. In fact, when you stop having fun, you should really consider shaking things up. 

Many of us seem to have forgotten that it's okay to be joyous, that life is supposed to be enjoyed.

Now, the caveats:

Caveat one: define fun

• Fun doesn't have to mean quitting your job and partying away all of your money and sanity. That's not very sustainable.  

Case in point: I don't love my job - as far as jobs go, it's pretty great, but it's not my "passion". Some days it's not even all that fun BUT it affords me a life that's fun. Because of my job, I can travel to see my bro-in-law several times a year. It means I can go to yoga and out for dinner dates with great friends. Etc. My job is actually one of the reasons I can enjoy life as much as I do.


Caveat two: timelines matter

• Every day is not going to be fun. We're human, we wake up on the wrong side of the bed (even in paradise). We have bad days and heck, even bad weeks and bad months. You can't judge the fun quotient of your life on too short of a time period BUT you also can't put it off forever (i.e. "when I retire..."). Watch this awesome TED Talk. You'll know in your gut what timeline is most appropriate.

There's still part of me that thinks this is a selfish approach... but a wiser part knows that that fear is hogwash. Truth is, if more of us spent more time having fun and enjoying life, this planet (or at least the morning subway commute!) would be a far happier place.

Jamie's morning commute...

I end this really, really, really long post (sorry!) with this:  you don't always have to be going somewhere or pursuing some goal. It's okay (and great!) to just be and have fun doing it!

mxo

P.S. Thanks bro!  :)

unstuck list...

Good morning!

I woke up this morning with a bit of a hangover from last night's teary-ness. Rather than wallow, I decided to shift my energy! I decided to practice this joy business. :)

So, I got busy:

• I made the most delicious lemon and ginger elixir, and followed it up with a "Peep in My Step" juice (recipe below).
• I did my exercises and stretches.
• And enjoyed a few minutes of silence.
• I had a super healthy breakfast, and took every possible staircase I could to work.
• And now this, liquid joy:

Americano from Mercatto, made by Alice. Joy.

It's almost three hours later and I feel new. Brand new. It's that simple. :)


OH, and yes, this:

Last night I stumbled upon Robin Sharma's 62 Tips to Get Unstuck in 2013 and absolutely loved it.

Here are the top 25 that really resonated with me:

1. Start your day with 20 minutes of exercise.
2. Stop watching TV. (Bonus points: sell your tv and invest the cash in learning and self-education).
3. Remember that your diet affects your moods so eat like an athlete.
4. Spend an hour a day without stimulation (no phone+no FaceBook+no noise).
5. Write in a journal every morning. And record gratitude every night.
6. Do work that scares you (if you’re not uncomfortable often, you’re not growing very much).
7. Smile more (and tell your face).
8. Do a collage filled with images of your ideal life. Look at it once a day for focus and inspiration.
9. Plan your week on a schedule (clarity is the DNA of mastery).
10. Stop gossiping (average people love gossip; exceptional people adore ideas).
11. Do a nature walk at least once a week. It’s renew you (you can’t inspire others if you’re depleted yourself).
12. Do something that makes you feel uncomfortable at least once every 7 days.
13. Remember that to double your income, triple your investment in learning, coaching and self-education.
14. Achieve 5 little goals each day (“The Daily 5 Concept” I shared in “The Leader Who Had No Title” that has transformed the lives of so many). In 12 months this habit will produce 1850 little goals–which will amount to a massive transformation.
15. Write handwritten thank you notes to your customers, teammates and family members.
16. Use the first 90 minutes of your work day only on value-creating activities (versus checking email or surfing the Net).
17. Breathe.
18. Keep your promises.
19. Brain tattoo the fact that all work is a chance to change the world.
20. Spend more time in art galleries. Art inspires, stimulates creativity and pushes boundaries.
21. Read a book a week, invest in a course every month and attend a workshop every quarter.
22. Remember that you empower what you complain about.
23. Become the fittest person you know.
24. Become the kindest person you know.
25. Know your “Big 5″–the 5 goals you absolutely must achieve by December 31 to make this year your best yet.

Hope you can find something that inspires you this morning.

So much love,
mxo

P.S. My "Peep in My Step" juice involved apples, kale, celery, swiss chard, and lots of ginger. Yum!

sunday, soup and heart...

Today has been the most lovely of lovely Sundays.

I woke up early, refreshed.
I called my grandma in Poland. I love grandmas.
I drank coffee and read magazines, and lazily got ready for my day.
Hubby and I went errand-running, which I really, really enjoy.
We got everything done super duper quickly.
And then stunk in a round of golf practice at the Golf Dome. 
I kept to my 2013 commitment to drive one way wherever we go (more on this one day soon).
Then I made soup, and the most glorious lunch for tomorrow, and read some more.
After I finish this, I'm heading upstairs to do some yoga (am hooked on www.yogaglo.com)
Then a light dinner, maybe a movie, a bath and an early night.
Joy, joy, and more joy.


Today I made a version of my mom's Sweet Potato Carrot Soup. Yum, yum.

Ingredients:

• Two big sweet potatoes, peeled and diced.
• Four large carrots, diced (peeled if not organic).
• About 1 litre of stock or water (enough to cover the veggies).
• Big pinch of salt.
• 1 inch piece of ginger, crushed.
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed.
• 1-2 tbsp curry powder.
• 2-4 tbsp tahini.
• 1/2 can of coconut milk (optional, I just happened to have an open can in the fridge).
• Garnish: oranges and/ or cilantro. 

Method:
Now, this soup really couldn't be easier. All you need to do is:

• Dice up the veggies and throw them in a big pot.
• Cover them in water/ stock and add a pinch of salt.  
• Bring everything to a boil then cover and simmer until the veggies are tender. 
• When tender, toss in the garlic, curry, tahini and coconut milk, and any additional salt. 
• Blend, blend, blend. 
• DONE!  

And really, you can completely ignore my measurements - just add things in until it tastes perfect to you.
Happy, healthy, soupy love.



Finally, I leave you with my favourite quote from the weekend:

"Here is my secret. It's quite simple: One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes."  

Says the tamed fox to the little prince in The Little Prince. 

The Little Prince and a delicious almond mylk latte. Joy!

Hope you're having a joyous Sunday!

Much love,
mxo

love...

I'm a big fan of love.

Like a really big fan.

Recently, my hubby asked how I can use the word "love" so loosely. "I don't!" I immediately rebutted, "I mean it when I say it". But he had a point - my love for him is vastly different from the love I feel for my amigas, or for the guy who made me the most amazing Americano today, or Janey B who kicked my butt all the way to New Polynesia during my morning workout. And it's definitely different from the love I feel for my cat.

Then, during today's daily joy of devouring the newest Chaletaine with my favourite highlighter in hand, I stumbled upon the perfect explanation - we simply don't have enough words for love. One?! Really?!! Whose idea was that?!

On this one, I have to side with the ancient Greeks - they had at least three words!

• philia for friendship and affectionate love
• eros for erotic love
• agape for true, deep love of a spouse or a child

Slightly different, but all the same. They're love. Love, love, love!

love!

I leave you with a quote from the article by Sam Bee in the same issue,

"Wouldn't it be great if we never had to feel this way again: "I wish I had just told this person how I felt about them" or "I wish my last words to that person had been loving and kind"?... So when is the right time to tell someone you love and cherish them, or even just like them, and wish you could be friends, or you think they are fabulous? It's right now. Do it!"

So much love!
mxo

P.S. After the chocolate settles in my belly, I will try their ab exercises. :)

the joy list...

Good morning! I have the incredible pleasure of having the whole week off. Joy! I'm currently sitting in my pjs, drinking a delicious coffee, listening to my beautiful friend Emilie-Claire Barlow's new album, and contemplating this joy project of mine.

Next on the joyous agenda is the joy list!

If I want to add more joy to my life, I have to get pretty clear about what brings me joy. The instructions are simple:

1. take a piece of paper and your favourite pen (or some sort of techie device)
2. spend 10 minutes just free-flowing joyous ideas onto the page (or techie device)
3. no judging, no stopping, just writing

There! You have yourself a joy list.



Now go through your list and codify it according to 5 minute, 15 minute, 30 minute, 1 hour, half day or full day activities. Whenever you have 5, 15, 30 minutes, etc, simply refer to your list. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. 

Finally, here is my first daily joy:

Charlie cuddles.

Much love!
mxo