Matthew Fox

No, not the actor Matthew Fox, but the former Catholic priest Matthew Fox. He of the "original blessing" fame. The fame that got him kicked out of the Catholic Church. I remember hearing about him when I was in university and thinking... what a radical bad guy. He's not Catholic. He's a heretic, etc. Now, well... now, I'm reading one of his books called Creativity. It came from a used bookstore and it just sounded good. So far I've only read a couple of chapters in it, but the idea is that our creativity is what makes us human. And that our creativity can also be turned to nefarious purposes. Think of all the "creative" ways people/nations have devised to kill each other.

Nowadays, I don't think of Matthew Fox as a heretic but as a visionary. Sort of like deChardin... someone who is way ahead of his time, but who has a deep truth to community. But isn't that always the case. Nelson Mandela was before his time in South Africa. Gandhi was before his time in India. Martin Luther King was before his time in America. Interesting how the ruling authorities take these prophets out of time... usually killed, often imprisoned, rarely heeded.

I suppose the Catholic Church is no different. There are many people who speak words out of time, out of sync with the Catholic Church of today. Time will tell whether they end up being hailed as prophets in a few years or decades. More likely than not!

Getting Organized

Well, my little to-do list is still working well, although it does seem to end up that now a page is good for a week. I don't redo the list each and every day on a new page. So that seems to work OK too. What I'm finding a bit more challenging is organizing my schedule. I have a day-timer. I have a fold-out work schedule (on paper). I have my Outlook Calendar. Too many Calendars! I do like the day timer as it is easy to pack around and carry. Mind you, I know that nowadays most people have their calendars on their Blackberry or iPhone. I've still managed to avoid getting one of those, although I might not last much longer.

After a bit of dithering, I've started to use Google Calendar to keep track of my schedule, at least the big things. I can do things in different colours, which is important, as I'm a visual learner! I can see a week at a glance or a month or a year, which is nice as well. I can have different calendars on the same calendar - so my personal calendar, my work calendar, my list of birthdays, a friend's work calendar. I can show them all or hide some. Best of all, it can apparently be synced with Outlook Calendar, and is accessible on a Blackberrry or iPhone. So... let's give this a whirl and see how organized it keeps me!

Out of the Swing...

Ah well... so it goes! I had the best of intentions today to get on my bike and ride to my second favourite Starbucks and then head for a medical appointment, which was nearby. But... things didn't work out the way that I had planned. I ended up driving to my appointment and skipping Starbucks entirely. Then heading home and doing some work and then supervising the workmen who came to revamp our attic venting (bathroom fan ducting and laundry ducting). So, all in all, a day that reminds me that I can plan things, but sometimes I need to let things plan me. Or go with the flow. I did make it to Starbucks in the late afternoon, so everything did work out... But still, if my schedule becomes too rigid, it's never a good thing... not for me, not for my schedule, and not for the people around me.

So, it's a good lesson. Go with the flow. Don't get too attached to the schedule. And just do whatever it is that needs doing, in the moment. Sometimes it's a lesson that I need to learn over and over again, which means I haven't learned it quite well enough! A good reminder for me to just be in the moment.

Back in the Swing of Spring

Well, on the weekend, I finally got my bike out and took it to the local gas station to pump up its tires. And on Sunday I actually rode to Starbucks! No ice along the trail, although the reservoir is still mostly frozen. Although the Canada Geese are hopeful, as they are sitting on the ice in spots, waiting for it to thaw! I am sweaty. My butt is sore. My legs are jello. But it feels very good to be out and about and getting some exercise again! I'm hoping that it won't take too long to get my legs and lungs into shape again. I do need to adjust my routine a little bit though. I'm taking my backpack now instead of my shoulder bag, which means that I need to reorganzie what I need to bring. Make sure that I have what I need for these little expeditions.

Grit and Grime

It's spring! For sure... finally!!! I'm holding onto that, even if we do get some fresh snow. For now though, it sounds like spring, it smells like spring and it is spring! Complete with all the grime and grit that comes with it. Driving along the roads here, there are thick accumulations of winter sand along with bits and pieces of garbage. Everything that was hidden by the snow, is now being revealed. Lost hubcabs, wrappers of every description, bits and pieces of bumpers from fender-benders. The one thing that seems to be missing is the plastic bag.

In BC, there used to be tonnnes of plastic bags caught on chainlink fences, wrapped around bushes and trees. Anywhere you looked, you'd see an accumulation of plastic bags. Which is kind of disconcerting. But here... I haven't seen any! And I drive past several prime potential plastic bag hang outs... Places where the wind blows and where there are fences to catch the bags... but nothing. Either they are much better at cleaning up trash here... or we're slowing letting go of the plastic bags?? Wouldn't that be cool... if we could finally be moving beyond plastic bags into a different realm.

The street cleaners are going to be out in full force in the coming weeks, and soon all the grit and grime and bits of garbage will be swept up... Beyond that... this is a pretty garbage free place... Which makes me wonder again... are people here different than elsewhere? Are there more trash cans around? Or are we just using less disposables...

Canadian Coupons

OK, I was going to add this to the last post, but it got kind of long so here you go...

Here in Canada, we have a few websites that can help you save a few $$... Keep in mind that some of these might be printable coupons, others might be mailed to you...


http://www.save.ca/ (weekly coupon deals)
http://www.smartcanucks.ca/ (this one will actually list items from store fliers and tell you which coupons to use) - scroll farther down and you'll see all sorts of deals
http://www.flyerland.ca/
http://www.frugalshopper.ca/ (wow)
http://www.websaver.ca/
http://www.gocoupons.ca/
http://www.brandsaver.ca/ (Proctor & Gamble products - good deals)
http://www.rightathome.ca/ (SC Johnson products - but very good deals)
http://www.groupon.ca/ (daily deals and you buy in with others to get discounts)
http://www.teambuy.ca/ (same as groupon)
http://www.supersaversclubcard.com/ (Value Village Super Savers card... check it out!)

For those who are lost on some of the abbreviations in smartcanucks.ca (like WUB or B1G1), go here...
http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/78133-abbreviations-acronyms-mrsjanuary-canada/

Extreme Couponing

There's this new series on TLC called Extreme Couponing. Picture this, 4 cartloads of groceries and toiletries, retailing for $1700 and the person gets a 98% discount and only pays $34. Yup.... And all they do is shop sales, clip coupons from fliers, get online coupons and take advantage of store loyalty programs and "double your coupon" events. Sometimes, they even make money when buying something... How does that work? The item costs $2 regular-price, is on sale for $1.25 and they have a $0.75 coupon and the store is offering a double your coupon deal... so they get a product and actually make $0.25 on the deal! Mind you, that doesn't seem like a lot but when you buy 50 of the item... well it adds up.

Some of these people's houses look like mini-markets... stockpiled chips and shampoo and soup and diapers (even though they don't have kids), toothpaste out the ying-yang. What do they do with it all. Well, some of them donate their supplies to schools or soldiers fighting overseas. Which makes a bit more sense to me. Why would anyone buy 50 bottles of Gaviscon??? And don't the things expire??? When you think about it though, it's a great way to provide food for the foodbank (as a lot of the food is processed and canned). Or provide toiletries to homeless shelters, etc.

One of the men (usually it's women, but sometimes it's men) said, it's like a hunting expedition for him. Instead of hunting a deer though, he's hunting deodorant. Most of these people get a real rush from this too... almost addictive... and their homes look like they are hoarding for the next World War... I suppose that's why the show is called Extreme Couponing....

I remember my mother clipping coupons when I was growing up. But nowadays, most stores (like Safeway) have loyalty programs and you don't need to clip flyer coupons anymore... kind of takes the fun out it! But it does save time. Some of these couponers take 3 hours to prep, 5 hours to shop and 2 hours to get through the checkout. Have fun!

Spring Cleaning

Spring is a little tardy this year, but we are seeing hints of its approach. It is getting warmer during the day, above 0C, which is nice. The snow is definitely starting to melt, even in the shady areas. We are still, however, waiting for the first tinge of green. So far, I have yet to see a hint of a dandelion or a crocus.

While spring may be a bit slow, it is the time for spring cleaning. The time to buckle down and clean an accumulation of winter stuff. We do try to keep a handle on it through most of the winter, but the last few weeks, things have slipped a little bit. This morning, with the early morning spring sun shining into the kitchen and dining room, I was shocked to see tumbleweeds of cat hair rolling around. Somehow, they aren`t so noticeable in artificial light! But now that the sun is rising further north every day, and earlier, I am seeing more... more tumbleweeds, more dust, more smears on the windows.

So... time to buckle down and do a good spring cleaning... or a at least a good vacuuming and dusting! It`s funny how the change in light means that we see things differently. Which also happens elsewhere in our lives. We meet someone who has a different point of view, a different perspective, and all of a sudden we see things in a ``different light``. We see things that we hadn`t seen before. And in seeing them, we can then do something about them... or not...

Sometimes it`s people who shed a different light on things, sometimes it`s books or articles or a television show. Wherever we encounter this different light, we can stop and take a look. Maybe there are some spiritual dust bunnies we need to take a look at? Maybe there is some spiritual dust collecting in our lives??

You are what you think...

The other day, I was watching an Oprah episode and once again, I am reminded that our thoughts have the power to create our reality. We all have a sense of this to a certain extent. We know that our thoughts create our actions. So if we think about something long enough and hard enough, well, it'll start to manifest in our lives.

Which makes me wonder... nowadays we hear about an increasing number of mental illnesses, an increasing number of sex offenders, pedophiles, etc. We hear about an increasing number of unmanageable children. When you look around, you don't really have to wonder too hard how we came to this place. Our society is obsessed with body image, with achievement, with sex, with violence and "me first". Is it any wonder then, that if we think about those things all the time... that we end up manifesting those things in our reality?

People often look back to the good old days (1940s, 50s, etc)... back to a time when life was slower and gentler. Maybe the real difference is that people thought differently back then. Maybe people thought slower, gentler thoughts. Maybe they thought higher thoughts, God-centred thoughts...

Just a thought... food for thought... you are what you think... so what are your thoughts?

What to do with "stuff"

I've been happily reading a few blogs regularly on simple living, on decluttering and on organizing. Sometimes I get neat ideas that I put into practice at home. Other times, I just get some food for thought, that I ruminate over for a few days.

One of the things that bothers me, is all the things that we outgrow, outuse or just need to let go of. What do you do with all this stuff?? We recycle paper, plastic (most types), glass and metal... but there are a lot of things out there that can't be recycled. Some can be donated to second-hand stores like Value Village. But what about the others?? What do you do with old keys that no longer have a lock to go with them? Do you recycle them (they are metal)?? You can't donate them? Or can you?

Today I came across a cool website which gives some ideas on what to do with various "things"... Some good ideas on where you can donate things...

http://www.downsizechallenge.info/

If You Need a Laugh...

We were visiting some friends the other week, and they introduced us to the latest Youtube sensation, Keenan Cahill. We watched at least 20 videos by this teenager and were mesmerized. All he does is lipsync to popular songs but... well... you'll have to watch them yourself and see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm_n3hg-Gbg

http://keenansroom.com/

Maybe you've come across him already... but if you haven't, you'll be guaranteed to be smiling by the end of his video... and you'll want more!

On his website, read up on his story, which has a bit about his medical condition as well. Amazing that a young lad with so many seeming obstacles, can still come out the other end smiling and making others laugh.

To Do Lists

So, I'm still using my coil-bound notebook as my to-do list. It still works very well, although when I'm away a lot, I find that I just use one page for a whole week. I still like having the left page blank for comments and notes and appointments. That works well. Mind you, there are some items on my list that have been there since September, which means they are almost hitting 9 months old. Definitely time to complete some of them and clear some space in my life!

The other thing is this... being away a lot... I find that the to-do list for work gets longer and longer, as things start to pile up. Seeing it all as a big long list is kind of disheartening actually. I've read elsewhere, that it's a good idea to just focus on the top 3 things to accomplish in one day. Which makes sense to me. Rather than working a little bit on 10 things in one day and completing none of them, it would be far more satisfying to work on 3 things and complete all of them.

Sometimes that doesn't always work, as there always seem to be little extra things that pop up during the day. Emails from people. Requests from people. Things that need to get handled "now"! But again, if I only have 3 things to accomplish today, then it doesn't feel so overwhelming.

And of course, there is always the thing of creating the time for what I need to accomplish. Just be in the space of "more than enough time"... and see what can get done.

Time

Funny how it keeps coming back to time... or the lack thereof. There are only 24 hours in a day, for each and every one of us. Yet, some of us seem to get more done than others. Some of us have a different relationship with time than others. For myself, time seems to fall under the category called "never enough". Which isn't surprising, as that little phrase pops up in other areas of my life as well. I know I'm not the only one with a relationship to time based in scarcity. But there are other options too... Because time isn't the issue... it's the relationship I have to time that is the issue. Or more accurately, what I believe about time is the issue. If I think there is never enough time... then that is exactly how time is going to show up in my space. If I alter that belief about time... then suprising things might happen.

This week I have a lot to accomplish... and I mean A Lot! But if I start this week with "there isn't enough time for... exercise, grocery shopping, reading" etc... I'm in trouble before I even get out of bed. Far better to come at the week with a different belief... that there is a tonne of time available to me and that I can take whatever time I need for whatever I need.

I need to create the time for the things that are important for me... because nobody is going to hand me and extra 3 hours today... Or at any point this week... So, let's go for it and see what shows up!

Heaven on Earth

So, the other day, we were coming back from the airport in a taxi, and the driver was very chatty. He's been here for 25 years, and came to Canada at the age of 17, a refugee from Ethiopia. He says that Canada is "heaven on earth". He's experienced hell, and so, for him, this country is heaven. He says that when he starts to complain about the little things, like we all do, all he has to do is remember his youth, how his father and sister were killed by the socialists, and he is grateful. He received a second chance at life.

Which is a good lesson for all of us. In the big scheme of things, how big is this "issue", really? Can we see the heaven around us? Can we be gratefulf or all that we have? Or do we focus on what we do not have? When we look around the world, at all of the conflicts, and all of the things that happen to people in places like Japan, Rwanda, Thailand, New Zealand, Somalia... it can remind us that in our country, we are exceedingly blessed.

Spring 2??

Well, it's a week later and... it is snowing... still. We had a bit of a snowstorm this past week, and my hopes of getting my bicycle out for a ride are on hold, again. Ah well... Easter is just around the corner, and it might be a snowy one, but at least spring is definitely coming. It seems like it has been a long winter, and I suppose it has been, but what really gets to me is the tantalizing tastes of spring, which disappear into the whiteness of another snow storm. I want to take Spring aside, and say "are you in or are you out"! This back and forth is maddening... although it does have the benefit of easing the snowmelt and making it more uniform... which is a good thing.

Spring?

Well... I'm thinking spring might be coming, but it keeps teasing us. One weekend, it's 30 cm of new snow, then it is +10 C and then it is -10 C. Sometimes it's sunny... sometimes cloudy... sometimes warm and springy... sometimes cold and blustery. I never know what to wear anymore. My winter duffle coat is a bit too warm. My regular spring jackets are a bit too cool... So I'm left with a mishmash of layering, trying to find just the right combination of clothing to keep me comfortable.

Mind you, that's how it is in life sometimes too. We don't quite fit in with this or that... and we try to figure out a way to make things work for us. What used to work doesn't work anymore... and we need to find a new way. We need to let go of the old way of doing things, and create something different. Which can be a bit challenging sometimes... but is an act of creativity. Rather than complaining that things are not like they used to be... or not like the good old days... how can we create something different and new in this moment.

That's a challenge for us sometimes... to be open to something new and different. We like the old and the comfortable... that's why it's comfortable. The new.... well, we haven't quite figured that out yet... so we are left feeling our way tentatively... or ignoring it altogether. What are the "old" things you need to let go of? The old way of being? The old way of doing?

Volunteering

So, last year, I volunteered for several things. I volunteered to sit on the Condo Board. I volunteered to be a co-editor on the community newsletter. I volunteered to do some indexing for a genealogy website. I volunteered to continue writing for the parish newsletter back in BC. So... that's quite a bit of stuff!

The parish newsletter is every 3 weeks, give or take, and I enjoy doing it. I can write the major pieces ahead of time, and then whip together a page pretty quickly. So that's pretty good.

The genealogy indexing is just plain fun. I love indexing the old census images or birth, marriage or death records. I've benefited so much from online genealogy records, so it feels really good to contribute by helping others.

The community newsletter comes out once a month. And as long as a I remember the various deadlines, it's pretty painless as well. Even being away a lot, I find that with wireless access, I can do a lot of it from anywhere.

The condo board wasn't too bad for a while, and then work took off and well... I found that I wasn't able to keep up with the flurry of emails and documents and issues that needed to get handled. So, at the AGM a couple of weeks ago, I decided not to stand for re-election. And it's a relief to get something off of my plate.

I do have a tendency to take too many things on sometimes... so now it's time to let a few things go and just stick with what I'm up to... and complete a few projects! That would really create some space... to complete a bunch of projects that are taking up mental energy. Everytime I think about them, I get a bit of a twinge and know that I "really need to complete that"... so... now's the time!

Surprise

So, I'm sitting in my favourite Starbucks and I've long since finished my hot chocolate. But I'm still happily working away on stuff. And then one of the baristas comes over and gives me a free hot chocolate "on the house"! Now, that's service... They know how to keep their loyal customers happy, that's for sure... It definitely keeps me coming back when they know my name, and give me free drinks on the house every once in a while... Which just goes to show you... you never know what might show up in your space. I was sitting here, wondering what to blog about and surving the news websites, looking for something interesting... and then this shows up. Perfect!

So, maybe that's the lesson here... I just need to look around me and I'll probably see something "bloggy" to muse about. It could be anything... I just need to look and see and who knows what will show up in my space.

5 Sentences or Less

I came across this website the other day which said all email messages should be 5 sentences or less... We've all received emails that are long... and sometimes longer... But do we read them? According to the link below, there are several reasons why long emails aren't effective:

• It takes too long to read
• It doesn’t respect my time
• You don’t get to the point
• You ask too many questions
• I won’t respond

Hmmm... I wonder how many times I've tried to cram too much into an email... Check out the link, as it also gives some pointers for short, effective emails...

http://zenhabits.net/snore/

In the Air Again...

It's been a wild few weeks and I'm losing track of the days. I'm in another airport, flying to another city for another workshop. I have hardly been home in the last little while and I'm actually quite a home-body... which I'm recognizing even more as I sit here in the airport. I do try to create some routine in my travelling adventures... Most places have a Starbucks (except Winnipeg and Saskatoon airports)... so I'm usually able to maintain a bit of my morning routine of blogging and drinking hot chocolate. I bring along a few books to read along the way. There is a lot of waiting in airports... and in airplanes... so why not use that time. I have lots of little projects on the go, which I bring with me on my laptop. And thank God for the laptop!! I can listen to music... I can check my email... I can do all sorts of things with it. I'm not quite sure how I managed all this travelling before the laptop...

Actually, not quite sure how I survived before cell phones, or sticky notes, or a wide variety of things. I guess that's progress... One thing I do want to do, when life gets back onto an even keel, is revisit the local library and get back into my habit of signing books out there... I've been away so much that I've been afraid to request books, as they would arrive when I'm out of town! But now... life can get back to normal... Or at least,  life can have a bit more balance... Or I can have a bit more balance!

Easy Does It

So... we all have some habits that we want to change... don't we? Habits that we want to let go of. Habits that keep us stuck. Habits that we would love to take on. Habits that we keep topping about but habits that elude us.

The thing with habits is this... they are called a habit because we tend to do them unconciously. They're just part of our automatic routine... we do them on auto-pilot without really having to think about them. If brushing our teeth in the morning is a habit... then we really don't have to conciously remember to brush our teeth... it's just part of our morning routine... it's part of our habit. We don't really think about it all that much.

Forming a habit... or doing a makeover on an old habit... is done conciously. When the old routine kicks in... we need to choose differently. Choose something else. Choose something different.

I was reading a website on simplicity the other day and the author has a great little checklist for how to form a habit... (http://zenhabits.net/lil/#more-7596)


•Do one habit at a time.

•Make it easy to do.
•Do it consciously, very consciously at first.
•Don’t allow any exceptions.
•Post your progress publicly.
•Keep doing it, every single day.
•Enjoy the habit.

Give it a try and see what happens...

Boomerang World

So, you know how you've heard that what you give, is what you will receive? You know... if you give out anger, that is what will come back at you? Well... I'm seeing it in action right in front of me.

So, I go to Starbucks and the guy ahead of me looks a bit down and out and I think he's wanting to get some looniees from the barista and he's paying her with quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies. She is impatient and angry with him and tells him that his array of coins do not add up to $4. Repeatedly. Eventually, she realizes that it is $4 and hastily pushes the 4 loonies at him, as he leaves saying thank you. She mutters to the barista next to her that they do not have time for this.

Now, it's about 20 minutes later, and the same barista is finding that their system is down and it's not accepting the cards with which people want to pay... and it's holding up the whole line-up... She put out impatience and guess what she's getting more of?? Funny how that works...

Enjoying the Road

So, I'm on the road alot. Or rather, in the air alot. And rather than get my knickers in a knot over it... I've decided to enjoy it. I usually leave for the airport with plenty of time, so I don't feel rushed getting checked-in or going through security. I usually have time to get a Starbucks hot chocolate once I'm through security... and the airport now has a tonne of comfy chairs... and free wireless. So I'm pretty much good to go.

Today, I'm going to Nanaimo for a workshop (this is actually a few weeks ago as I'm writing this a few weeks before the fact... if that makes sense). Anyhow, I decided to fly into Vancouver and then take the Skytrain and bus to Horseshoe Bay and catch the ferry to Nanaimo. I have a few ferry options, so I figured I spend a couple of hours nestled in a Starbucks here in downtown Vancouver. At first I was a bit concerned about rush-hour coffee lovers, but... it is Sunday so... it is delightfully empty. I had a pannini sandwich... my hot choclate... and can listen to soothing jazz on the speakers and watch the world go by. I have lots of projects with me on my laptop so... life is good... Lots of time... lots of room for enjoying the journey rather than resisting it...

Placebo & Nocebo

We've all heard of the placebo effect... I think. That's when they do controlled studies and they give one group of people a certain medication to help with some disease or medical issue. And they give another group, the control group, a sugar pill instead of medicine, but tell them that they are receiving medicine. Then they compare the two groups. You would expect that the medicated group would see some improvement (if the drug works) and that the placebo group would see no effect whatsoever, since all they are receiving is sugar pills. Well, there's something called the placebo effect which means that the placebo group often does see some improvement, and it is because that group believes that they are receiving medicine... so someone that makes a difference.

Now, they've done studies on the nocebo effect... The idea is this... you expose a group to some pain and ask them to rate their pain. Then you give them a painkiller (via IV) and tell them they are receiving a pain killer and ask them to rate their pain (it's lower than before). Then, you expose them to the pain again, give them the pain killer (via IV), but tell them they are receiving nothing for the pain... and ask them to rate their pain... and they rate their pain as almost as high as the first time... That's the nocebo effect. Even if the body receives a pain killer, if the person doesn't believe they are receiving a pain killer... or don't believe that it will make a difference... then it won't. This could explain why so many chronic pain sufferers, who go from doctor to doctor, seeking relief from their pain... get no relief. After a while, they begin to believe that nothing will make any difference... and so it doesn't...

Both the placebo and nocebo effect depend on our beliefs... Our mind and its beliefs can influence our brain and our body... Kind of cool...

And now there's another study that says you can get an even more powerful result by telling people that they are getting a placebo, telling them about the placebo effect, and encouraging them in positive thinking... Huh... go figure...