Aloha Moana - - Hello Ocean!

I often wonder if in a past life I lived by the ocean and surfed everyday.  Surfing has been something Zoe and I have talked about since we were very small.  Our obsession with the ocean, having never been there until our 20's, was that of a fantasy.  Maybe it was what the ocean represented to us... almost like a fairytale.  Growing up we use to tell people we were Hawaiian and most believed us... our dark features and tan skin always raised questions of where we came from.  We never liked to wear socks and preferred bare feet.. still do to this day.

The first time we saw the ocean, we were amazed.  The smell, the taste, the waves.. everything about it was exactly as I had imagined.  I felt like I belonged there and I never wanted to leave.  Still to this day the beach is my absolute favourite place.  I feel that it is a place where I am most comfortable.. most relaxed.. most like me...  

Although I have only surfed a few times, it was something Zoe and I picked up quite quickly... the natural feeling of the wave pushing you forward and pulling you up.  It is so exhilarating.  Every time I got out into the ocean and surfed a wave, I felt infinite!  

I often think about moving someplace like Hawaii, buying a small house, opening a surf shop and living a simple life.  I would never wear socks again ;)  Surfing would become a daily routine and the ocean would be my safe haven.  

One of the things I love most about the ocean is how mysterious it is.  There is so much yet to be discovered and so many beautiful creatures live there.  I read somewhere that the ocean covers 71 percent of the Earth's surface yet more than 95 percent of the underwater world remains unexplored.  How crazy is that?  

As you know from reading my blog, I am a sucker for quotes and one of my favourite ones is: "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf!"  Life is crazy and unpredictable.  Shit happens that we can't control but having dreams, ambitions, and happy thoughts can help you get through the rough times.  

When life throws me lemons and curve balls I think of the ocean and what it represents to me.  If I had access to some gnarly waves when I was feeling stressed.. I feel like my troubles would disappear once I hoped on a board.  But because my life doesn't involve an ocean, the beach is the next best thing.  When I feel overwhelmed or stressed I sit in the sand and think.  For some reason, I always leave feeling refreshed and happier.    

So, next time you feel overwhelmed with the crazy "waves" in life, venture to the beach.  Listen to the water and just relax... Think about the life you are blessed with and the beauty of that moment will help you realize life isn't that scary after all!  

Heavy heart...

Today I decided I wanted to write a blog post.  I had a topic in mind and I was ready to just write.  But then I heard the tragic news of the Boston Marathon and I realized my venting over something so trivial was pointless.  My heart is so heavy for those involved.  Tragedy such as this one and the Newtown shooting really makes me question humanity and unfortunately my faith.  Don't get me wrong, I believe in God.. at least in some form.  But I question how a greater being can allow innocent people to be faced with such tragic events.

Children are the most innocent souls and deserve a chance to live.  They don't deserve to have their last memory be one of fear.

I know I say this ALL the time, but life is so unpredictable and so short.  Just the other day I attended a funeral to celebrate a life of a young man who got caught up in the evil world of addictions.  His life was taken from him too soon and right at the time that he was ready to get the help he needed.  It just seems unfair.

I've been trying to live my life doing all the things I love and with the people I love.  I have been trying to not get caught up in negativity and trying to stay positive.  Some days are harder than others.. especially when you hear of such tragedies.  But during these sad times, we have to remember the value of our lives.  Do we want to spend the last day in a fight with a friend or family member or being stressed out about something at work??

I believe that everyday we get to wake up, we are blessed.  Everyday we go to work, we are blessed.  Rain, snow, sunshine, no matter what weather, we are alive.

So I ask that anyone who reads this, remember how it is a privilege for you to be here right now.  Don't take that for granted.  Instead of stressing, be happy that you are living.

Don't get caught up in gossip, drama, and negativity.  It's not worth it.  People will talk, people will judge... It is up to ourselves to not let it get to us and not to get involved in it.  Don't allow anyone to control your life... you are the one behind the wheel.  Make sure you go in the direction that makes you happy.

Look out world!

Today I did something crazy, unpredictable, and totally spontaneous... I feel scared, excited, and liberated all at the same time.  This is the first step towards the rest of my life.  Goodbye negativity..  I'm ready to move on from you and start to make room for beautiful things! 

 Look out world!!  My dreams and ambitions are about to come true and nothing is going to stop me!  

People Watching...

It's Friday afternoon and as I sit at Starbucks working on a current project for work, I look around and can't help but get lost in it all.  People coming and going.. some in a hurry.. some ready to camp out for the afternoon like me.  People sitting solo daydreaming, some having business meeting, and others catching up with friends.

It's funny how a coffee shop is a place where people feel comfortable enough to meet and discuss intimate details in love, business, and relationships.  As I sit here, I overhear the man across from me talking on his cellphone and he is making a pretty big business deal... a $500,000 business deal.  After I hear his phone click, I see him get up and walk to his brand spanking new black Land Rover.  Curiosity gets the best of me and I can't help but wonder about this man, his $500,000 business deal, and the lifestyle he must live.

I find people so fascinating.  Ever since I can remember my mom use to bring my sisters, brother and I around in the car to "people watch".  Weird I know, but we LOVED it!  We use to make up stories of how we thought their lives were lived.  What they did for a living, what vacations they went on, etc.  Our favourite day to go was Christmas Eve.  We would look through windows and watch how each household celebrated the holiday.  I found it exciting and it always made me happy.  Happy to see the smiles and the excitement the holiday always seemed to bring.

Maybe this is why I went into Psychology, then Public Relations, and later teacher's college.  All three professions deal with the study of people.

As I grow up, I learn more and more about people and their behaviours.  Each of the three jobs I currently work allow me the opportunities to learn more and really understand behaviours.  At Community Living I deal with people with disabilities, their families, and employers.  At Boston Pizza, I get the opportunity to observe family and friends coming out and enjoying each others company.  And finally, while teaching I get to see where it all begins.  I learn a lot from these little humans.

Some days can be very challenging in the teaching world but these challenges are really what makes it worth it.

Because of my life experiences and the training I have been blessed to have, I have come to realize that sometimes a child who may show behaviours, may have no control over it.  This small person may have an empty belly or a mom that works her butt off to put supper on the table and therefore is hardly present.  This small person may not have the basic needs that each person is entitled to and at no fault of their own I might add.

Just because a person acts a certain way does not mean that this person is "bad".  They may in fact be struggling and this is their only way of asking for help.

I was very lucky growing up with the family I did.  That being said, it was not always easy for my mom and dad.  They struggled with money at times and had to ask for help when it got really bad.  My mom worked 50+ hours at minimum wage jobs while my dad tried finding a better paying job just to keep us a float.  I never went without a meal but my life certainly was not full of thrills and frills.

I believe I am the person I am today because of my life experiences from childhood to adulthood.  Everything happens for a reason and a life without struggle is fake.  No one can say that their life is and has always been a bed of roses.

My hope is that one day I can, with the help of my experiences, change the lives of children.  I know that you can only do so much but I hope I can at least save one life.  I hope I can make that life know its worth, realize their dreams and help them achieve them.

Everyone deserves a chance and sometimes they just need someone there to tell them THEY ARE WORTH IT!

Enjoy the ride!

The sun is shining today and my mood is 110% HAPPY!  Sometimes I wonder if I am a victim of seasonal affect disorder.  I hate to admit that because as most of you know, I LOVE WINTER!  But the reason I love winter so much is because one of my favourite hobbies involves snow... And because of a stupid surgery, I was given orders to take the season off from snowboarding...  So, if I can't board, then I am ready for this winter to be done with and for spring to arrive.

To be honest, I am ready for everything spring represents!  Regrowth and new beginnings.  Today as I was catching up on all my favourite blogs, I came across a post that made me smile.  Now, the post was sorta sad and showed struggle.. but the reason I smiled was because it told me that I am not alone.  That even the people I look up to who seem to have it all together, don't.. not always anyways.  I am always saying life is like a roller coaster and I truly believe this.  If you stayed on the Ghoster Coaster your whole life, what fun would that be?  We need to experience the ups and downs of the Millennium Force or the crazy twists and turns of the Wicked Twister to truly appreciate the life we were given. 

The blogger I mentioned above had taken quite some time away from the blogging world.  She was going through a tough time with work, relationships, etc. and took that time to regroup and refocus.  I realize now that the ups and downs in life are never going to go away.  And sometimes a little time to refocus is needed.. I believe this is the time we are recreating ourselves for the better.  

So if you are in a spot in your life where it seems a little crazy and you are feeling a little blue, know that you are not alone.  Everyone experiences this at one time or another.  But be the person that can learn from these experiences.  Learn from it and then put it in a bubble and blow it away. 

We are made to make mistakes.  If there was one way to live life then each person would be given an instruction manual.. and let's be honest, what fun would that be?

So to all you out there who have a bit of the winter blues, know that spring is just around the corner and there are brighter days to come.  Keep your chin up, keep smiling and enjoy the ride!

A day in my shoes...

People are so quick to judge others.  So quick to think they know someone when really they are only seeing what that person chooses to show.   A great quote I once read was, "Don't judge a person until you have walked a mile in their shoes."   

This last year I was a different person.  A close friend told me that they use to look up to me and loved that I didn't care what others thought... They had felt that I lost that for a while.  To be fair, maybe I did.. but to be fair to me, no one has any clue what my journey has been over this last year.  I have overcome obstacles that not everyone is faced with and I have the scars inside and out to prove it.

This year has taught me a lot about myself and a lot about the people I want to surround myself with.  I love meeting new people and maybe I am too nice but I would never think that as being fake or dishonest.  It's who I am.  I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt because I don't know their past or the obstacles they may be currently overcoming.  Just because someone is smiling on the outside does not mean they aren't screaming on the inside.  Life isn't always easy.  We are all trying to figure it out and everyday we are presented with new situations, new obstacles... People deal with life and its ups and downs very differently.  But I feel that if you treat everyone you meet with respect and true happiness, you could change their outlook on life and help them overcome some of the obstacles they may be facing.

I met a man today who was picking out flowers for his wife.  He asked for my help in choosing what flowers to get.  He told me how lucky he was to have her in his life and that if he could afford to, he would buy her flowers everyday for the rest of his life.  My day went on and I went about my work.  At 4:15pm, I was called to front reception and there waiting for me was one single rose with a note that read," Thank you for listening!"  I learned from the lady who owned the flower shop that this man's wife had passed away almost a year ago.  I almost cried.  This small gesture made my day, week, month... I made somewhat of an impact on this life and in return, he did the same for me.  I may never see this man again but I will always remember the single rose that brightened my day.

Life is unpredictable and we don't know how we are going to react to the challenges we are faced with. It is not fair to judge anyone when you haven't walked a day in their shoes.  People react differently to challenges and its not fair to judge someone based on a reaction to a hard time.  We are all made differently so give people the benefit of the doubt.  I bet if given the chance to learn some people's whole story, you'd be surprised at how well they are doing considering...

So remember, life throws us curve balls once and awhile and sometimes a behaviour is because of this and not a true reflection of who a person is... People can go through phases where they lose themselves a little and that is ok...  As long as you have the support, the road back to you is always an option!

What will your legacy be?

I hate being too busy to write.  I have been finding it much more easier to send a fast 150 character tweet then to sit down and write a post... But I miss it so I told myself that today, no matter what, I was going to blog.

Last night a friend said to me that 2013 was going to be his year to "treat himself".  I like that... Why not allow yourself to be a little selfish and do the things you have always dreamed of doing.  The start of 2013 was a rocky one for my little community.  An amazing person's life was taken away from her tragically... But one thing she left behind was her love for everything life had to offer.  I knew her throughout high school and, as of late, in the schools as she was a teacher as well.  I can honestly say I NEVER saw her without a smile on her face.  She had a sincere love for life.  In this tragedy she has taught me and many others to live life with the same kind of passion she did.

I know I probably sound like a broken record when I say this, but life is too short and you really have no clue when your time is up.  What do you want to be remembered for?  I know that I don't want to be remembered as the girl who always said she was going to do things but never actually did those things.  I want to be known for adventure but also for being a good person and bettering lives of others.  So 2013 and every year after that, I am going to do just that!

I have always had the desire to see the world and after I ventured to Australia, that desire intensified.  There is a world of opportunities out there and I want to take full advantage of that.  I want to float in the dead sea, I want to snowboard in New Zealand, I want to volunteer in a school in Africa, jump out of an airplane over the Great Barrier Reef, surf the coast of Cali... my list could go on forever... Sometimes I wonder if I'm getting to old for these dreams but age really is just a number and you really are as young as you feel.

I can honestly say that I would live in a shack if it meant I could see the world.  I don't need flashy things.. I would prefer just a backpack with essentials, my health, and map of the world...

On top of adventure I want to better lives... I want to help children realize their dreams.. I'm not sure how I'm going to do this but I have some ideas... Let's just say Zoe and I have a plan in the works...

Noelle, in your tragic goodbye, you have changed my life and many others and for that I will be FOREVER THANKFUL!

So to all you that stumble upon this post, really think about how you want to be remembered... take that and go with it.. Life really is too short to sit around and wait!  LIVE YOUR LIFE!!!

Thank you Noelle!!!