Me?!..... Beautiful?!!!!

I have this quirky thing I do, in that I go up to random strangers and tell them how beautiful they are.

The usual response is:

{While looking around to see if I'm really talking to them}"You're talking to me?!!!"

YES, I'm talking to YOU!

Do you know how truly outstanding and beautiful you are? 

All the people I stop aren't "beautiful" in the classical, standard sense. They usually have very distinct features, come in all sizes and shapes, and its true that when I stop them, they truly don't hear compliments enough.

When's the last time you stopped someone to appreciate their beauty? Without expecting anything in return; this is not an excuse to pick someone up, but you acknowledging someone purely for their existence on the planet.

I challenge you to make someone else's day, purely for knowing that it feels good to see someone else smile. 

Please feel free to share your stories, as I love to hear what happens when people do this! 

I am Awesome... Here's Why :

Thank you Chivon for writing an article that gives me a chance to slow down in the middle of the day and think of why I love myself so much. Here we go:

I am Awesome Because:

1.  I love people unconditionally, without judgement, and all the awesomeness that is them... ALL people!

2. I am a walking encyclopedia for most genre's of music (with the exception of house) - country, r&b, metal, classical, jazz, folk, pop... I gotcha covered baby!

3. I am the Queen of Meeting New People - on the subway, bus, walking anywhere along the street, I have no fears about walking up to a random stranger and saying "Hello", "You're absolutely beautiful", or "You have amazing style!". Love the unexpected reactions too, they get me high :).

4. I'm not afraid to try new things - going to a country where english isn't the first language, going to networking events solo, or learning sign language. All pretty hard, but how can I learn to master things without trying them first?

5. I treat my friends like family - why shouldn't the people who support me unconditionally, listen to me when I whine, help me get through rough and traumatic times, be treated like my brothers and sisters?! Shout-out here to Nawar, Chivon, Karlyn, Bobby, Ryan, Bas, Sophie and Renee here :).

6. I have learned how to say "I'm Sorry"... and mean it! - no one is perfect, especially not me. If I hurt someone in a relationship I value, I do my best to clean it up, admit I was an idiot, and allow the person respond, without attachment to whether they accept it or not. I am super-blessed; in nearly all cases, my friends accept, and our relationship deepens even further... Have I said it enough already that my friends ROCK?!!!

7. I am natural - from not having conventional chemical cleaners in my house for over 8 years now, to rockin' my 'fro every day, to only wearing lip gloss and lip liner (all natural stuff courtesy of Pure Anada btw) daily... Whatcha see is whatcha get :).

8. I am SCOTIAN!!! - gotta give a shout-out to my Home Province. I'm sure that part of the reason I'm so awesome is because I was raised in Halifax - a city that feels like a small town. We love, we laugh, we love drama (come on, if you're Scotian, you KNOW how much everyone is up in your bizness!!! lol). The last one is the only thing I had to let go of when I moved to Toronto... I've kept the rest :).

9. I master things, so that I can teach them to others -  I believe that experiential learning is the key to moving our planet into its new age and the solution to most of the problems we have now... So how can I teach others how to love themselves and love others if I haven't mastered the art myself? I teach so that I can consistently practice the art of living joyfully myself.

10. I am beautiful, inside AND out - this was the hardest point for me to get to, because for years I thought I was as ugly and non-descript as the pavement itself... However, after the years of work I did on myself, and letting go of the crap around me and in my life, I now see that I'm unbelievably, amazingly gorgeous. Gonna give myself a big hug and then a High Five!!! :).

If you create your own list, please post the link to it below, so I can share it throughout my network, and so others reading this post can see it too... We need more love and light in this world, so it would be my pleasure to spread yours around too!!! Don't be afraid to share your own awesomeness with the world!

Will Money Solve the Problem?

I seem to be meeting tons of people these days who are sticking to jobs they hate, because they have a fear of becoming penniless, losing their investments, and just plain becoming homeless.

Well, here are some pieces of truth that might be a catalyst to you considering the million other possibilities for the rest of your life:

• There is No Such Thing as True Security!!! - Life itself is a blessing, and it is by no means guaranteed... So why are you living each day as if you're entitled to tomorrow? This is not to say that you should become reckless, forget about saving money, or living carelessly. All it means is that you don't wait for that extra dollar, that perfect job, before you start appreciating the life you have... right now.


• Happiness is in the NOW - Do you overlook life's small blessings like getting that green light, having a door being opened for you, or hearing the laughter of a child? If you're so busy trying to "get somewhere" that you miss the countless, priceless blessings in your path every day, the truth is happiness will always elude you. Be thankful for health if you have it, breath if you have it, a job if you have it, a house if you have it, friends if you have them, and family if you have them. These are basics to having an abundant life. 


• There is wealth in moments - You know, like getting a call from a friend you haven't seen in months. In sitting down with your loved ones to a potluck meal. In experiencing the embrace of your partner. In having someone you work with say "thank you". When you shift the focus of your wealth from the accumulation of goods to the accumulation of beautiful, simple moments, you find that you don't need those "things", and no need to overconsume "stuff". 

I watch every day as I'm out in the city, how many people look down at the ground, instead of looking up and being in awe of the fact that we get to see a beautiful sky each and every day (no matter if its white, grey, orange, black or blue).

What do you see each day when you face the world? And how does this effect your view of what money can do for you?

The Keys to Being Hot

I'm asked quite often how I got to be so cute... And then my usual response is "if you only knew how much I used to think I was $h!tty it would blow your mind".

HOWEVER,

The road to getting there was hard, I shed litres of tears, and had years of battles with my own self-doubt.

IT WAS SOOO WORTH IT!

I'll share with you some of my very simple (and did I mention FREE or affordable) rules that I used to literally turn back the hands of time for my physical self-beauty, and make my self-confidence literally unshakeable (well, some hours of shaking happen here and there, but that's a part of life!) confidence:

• Love Yourself Unconditionally - That's right, love the bumps, scars, cellulite, bad hair days, whatever makes you human. Until YOU accept yourself fully, how can anyone else?!
• Tell Yourself How Awesome You Are - Yes, I tell myself every single morning that I'm the bomb! lol... It's funny and strange at first, but boy oh boy, love then becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy to all the other areas of your life too :). 
• Don't Judge Lest You Be Judged Too - Would you want anyone sizing you up, trying to figure out if you're "worth it"? How about giving people room to be themselves. When people are allowed to be themselves and feel comfortable being who they truly are around you, miracles happen - for them AND for you!
• Feed Yourself the Good Stuff - Read your labels on what you eat... Better yet, eat mainly things that don't need to be packaged - fresh fruits and vegetables! If you can't pronounce it, don't wear it on your skin or put it in your body. Spend a few extra dollars on local and organic so that you save thousands in future medical costs.  

And most of all, don't seek approval from the outside world. Learn to be who you authentically are, as is. Me? I LOVE country music, love being a Linux girl, will stand up for the underdog, and continue to challenge people who make others feel bad... No excuses, no pity-parties, and standing true to my overall purpose on this planet. I'm here to help people HEAL themselves, and also to help HEAL the planet. Because I'm as certain of this purpose as the air that I breathe, I will allow no one to stop me from being who I was born to be.

That's what makes me hot. Confidence is super-sexy.

Remember that all of us - everyone past, present or future - crave two main things in life; love and acknowledgement. When you are a stand in your life for those two things, what can stand in your way?! If you know of some things that prevent this, feel free to comment, so we can dissolve those mountains :). 

No Such Thing as Coincidences (Specially 4 Your Weekend!)

This is what happens when you become high.... ON LIFE!!!! lol :)

Cat Fight Central... NOT! :)

There is this HUGE misconception by men in general that the only way that women know how to be is catty, jealous, and inconsiderate to one another... Also, we fight over men, territory, jobs, work, and just about everything else in life.

NEWS FLASH:

That was the old way... the new way is that we strong women love ourselves first, and this allows us to love other women like true sisters. I know this is true because you can watch Chivon, Karlyn, Candice, Ingrid, and Gwen and countless others of us come out each day and support one another fully. With love, with confidence, and knowing that supporting their beauty only adds to the continuous growth of ourselves!

So this is a quick plea to stop buying into the false images of women. Do not continue to watch "The Bachelor" and believe the lie that all women cat fight, think of themselves only, and are extremely shallow. There are those of us who are open, honest, vulnerable, full of integrity, and (this is the kicker) have taught ourselves not to gossip!!! Too unbelievable? Watch an episode of our show, Hot N Holistic and see for yourself. :)