The First Step

As many of you know, I launched PFW 4 years ago (last week!) with no business plan, little research & limited vision. I just knew I had to do this, so I took the first step – not knowing where it would lead. I trusted my intuition and believed in my gut feeling. I have never, ever, looked back!

As we’re starting off a brand-new year, I invite you to listen to your heart and open yourself up to possibilities. If there’s something you’ve been wanting to do, just take that first step. You’ll know if you want to continue on that path, or simply take a step back (it’s totally okay you know). Trust that little voice and let go of the need to have total clarity and complete control. Embrace change, lean into the discomfort and accept ambiguity. It’s scary, but exhilirating!

You don’t have to see the whole staircase – just take that first step. As Mark Twain said, 20 years from now, you’re likely to be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do (even if you failed).

So just do it!!

Reflecting Back on 2011

Phew, only a few weeks left in 2011 – how did that happen?

A few people have asked me lately how this year was for me. My response has been “it’s been interesting”. While things may have looked the same on the outside, I’ve actually experienced some major shifts, many of which could be described as negative; business challenges, relationship heartbreak, the end of few old friendships, a sense of disconnection, lack of clarity, overwhelm, financial difficulties. I could go on, but you get the picture.

Somehow, I have managed to just lean into the pain. Rather than resist and deny, I’ve accepted and allowed each and every one of of my “negative” emotions like an old friend. No judgement. Eventually they leave, one by one.

What I’m left with is a profound feeling of peace and calm. I have more big/bold/juicy/deep/clear sense of of purpose, passion, energy, commitment, hope and focus. It rocks!

To quote Gandhi, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” I can honestly say that I’ve never been more clear on who I am, what I stand for, and why I’m here on this planet. And anything or anyone that doesn’t support my vision has to go. Yes, I know it sounds harsh, but it needs to be done.

So for me, 2011 hasn’t been the most easy, sweet, fun fabulous year – but I’m so very grateful for everything & everyone that has come & gone out of my life. To use one of my favourite phrases: It’s all good!

I’m home.

K.

Orlando here we come!

A few weeks ago I was contacted by a local Chevrolet dealer, Roy Foss, and asked if I’d be interested in doing an extended test drive for the new Orlando and in return offer some comments and feedback to them via my my blog. I’d never done anything like this before, but thought it would be fun to try a new set of wheels for few days – so I accepted.

Let me tell you, driving someone else’s car is a bit like cooking in your neighbour’s kitchen – you know everything is there – somewhere –  but you just can’t find them right away. Luckily my 14 year-old son was quick to figure things out and before we knew it we were zipping along the roads.

To give you a bit of background, I’ve been driving foreign sedans for the past 10+ years – so a domestic SUV was quite the change. I was concerned that this 7-seater would be bulky, that it fit into my single- car garage and would be a hassle to park – not to mention be a gas guzzler. to my surprise, I was wrong on all counts. I found the Orlando to be super fun to drive, great on gas – and yes even fit in my small garage.

My 86-year-old father initially complained that the seats weren’t as cushy as what he was accustomed to, found that getting in & out of the car much easier on his back & joints than a sedan, so he was a content (phew!). My teenage boys found the shape of the vehicle a bit boxy, but once inside, they raved about the legroom in the back seats. There was lots for me to like – from a convenient cubby hole tucked behind the radio controls, to a super handy child-view mirror and a highly-visual Driver Information Centre.

So after four days of driving the Chevy Orlando, I’d definitely give it a thumbs-up and would recommend it to any family looking for a practical, compact-yet-spacious vehicle that’s fun to drive, easy-to-park and even gentle on your wallet.

Can you say fabulous?

PS. Aside from having the vehicle for 4 days, I was not compensated for any part of my involvement with Roy Foss, and was not given any restrictions or direction about what this post contains.

Networking Mingler | Jun 7

Details to follow

The Grilled Panini Generation

The other day during a converation with a friend, I was sharing the challenges of juggling my personal needs, with those of my kids, my aging parents and business. She responded by saying that I was part of the sandwich generation. I just laughed and said that I feel like I’m being grilled from both sides, so it must be the panini generation.

It got me thinking about my life. I am a single parent of 2 teenage ADHD boys (need I say more about that?), the only daughter to aging parents who increasingly rely on me for their needs, and the sole business owner of a thriving growing business that support thousands of women. Umm seriously – am I crazy to think I can handle all of that, and somehow make time for a social life – not to mention exercise, keep up with my mani/pedi’s, stay on top of my inbox, friend requests, DM’s, maintain my Klout aaaaaand be totally positive & fabulous throughout?

Ha!

OK here’s a tip: when you juggle a few too many balls, some are bound to drop. I try really really hard not to drop my kid ball, although I have to admit it does suffer at times.  My boys are old enough to understand that Mom has a lot of her plate, but still. The parent one is another biggie I can’t let go of. The business, well that’s my livelihood and – more importantly – my passion, so need to take care of that. So what’s left? Yep you got it. Moi. Time to take care of myself, to chill, stop and smell the roses. And yes those mani/pedi’s. I have little time to go shopping for new clothes. I try to keep in touch with friends, but my social life isn’t exactly what it used to be. It’s a bit pathetic actually, but I am at least aware of it.

Here’s the other thing – not only I drop the occasional ball, but the juggling is so fast I can rarely enjoy and savour each of the balls for all that they bring into my life. Also, I end up not doing a stellar job at anything. Sad. Very very sad indeed.

Balance shmalance.

I totally get that if my tank isn’t filled, it’s hard for me to support and nurture others around me – whether that’s my kids, parents, friends or members. But I have to confess that I don’t always practise what I preach – at least when it comes to self-care.

Do you think I’m always joyful, positive, dancing around the house as I run from one thing to the next? Not a chance. Am I happy? For the most part, yes.  How – you ask. Umm that’s because I live with a strong sense of purpose, which propels me forward and keeps me anchored. I do get off track – a lot – but usually find my way back. I’m busy, but I’m I’m not lost.

Yes, my life is a messy juggling act – but when I step back and look at the big picture I feel excited, even proud, of everything in it. Some days I love it, other days I want to curl into a ball or run off to a tropical island. But you know what? In many ways, I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s true.

What about you – how do you deal with all the balls in your life?

Am I good enough?

Yesterday I got back from the shesconnected conference where I spent a day and a half with 200 women bloggers from across Canada. It was an amazing experience where I got to hear from some wonderful speakers, put a face to many of the women that I tweet with, meet with brands who are interested in working with bloggers, hear from expert panelists and generally just have fun.

I was invited to attend this conference as a digitally-connected influential woman – yet because of my inconsistent blogging patterns I went there feeling like a bit of a fraud. It was only until the second day that I relaxed and started feeling at ease with the whole thing. I may not be consistent – but hey I deserved to be there as much as anyone else!

It got me thinking – why do we do this to ourselves? You know what I’m talking about. We tell ourselves we’re not good enough, smart enough, thin enough, experienced enough,  fill-in-the-blank enough. Yet if a friend shares their doubts about themselves with us we immediately jump to re-assure them of just how brilliant, bautiful & amazing they are – but we fail to do the same to ourselves. Instead, we beat ourselves up, doubt and question our worthiness in so many ways. So pathetic, isn’t it?. Wouldn’t be awesome if we can treat ourselves the way we’d like for others to treat us?

I could go on and on about this – but back to the conference for now. I’m feeling inspired and determined this time to keep up with my blogging. I want to prove to myself that I can do this, that I am a good-enough writer, that I’m worthy of sharing my ideas and thoughts with the world.

Who knows, hopefully by next year’s conference I’ll feel more worthy to attend!

 

My Personal Values

Yeah I know, sounds pretty heavy – but so exciting to think about what we really stand for in this world! Who are you? What are you trying to create? What are your buzz words that light you up & get you all excited?

I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few weeks really thinking about this – and here’s the summary of what I choose to bring into my life! What are some of yours top values? I invite you to give it some thought, and then you can go to Wordle and create your own art (and it’s so much fun too!!).  Mine is posted right where I can see it, so I have no excuses not to stay true to myself!

 

My Wordle Creation

I just created this on Wordle – and so totally love it!

What do you think? Am I missing any good ones?

I’m Singing (and Dancing) in the Rain!

Recently I received an invitation from Dove Canada to participate in the production of a music video, along with 13 other real Canadian women. We got to strut our stuff, and learn some dance moves by famed choreographer AJ Jones. See how it all turned out. Then see it again and again, because Dove will donate $100,000 to the DSEF after 1 million views*.

YAY! What a fabulous experience & awesome campaign! You can see me around the 42 & 48 second mark, but if you blink you’ll miss me

*Deadline for one million views: December 31st 2011.

A Fab Day to Remember

Once in a while, you have a memory that stands out from all others. Sometimes we’re aware of it as it happens, sometimes it takes a while to get the specialness of the moment.

Last Tuesday, I had a entire day that was full of those spectacular moments. I knew, every second of the day, that I wanted to capture all the images & sounds so I can come back and savour any time.

Alright, so here’s the scoop: I was be invited to participate in a shooting of an online video production of Singing in the Rain, for Dove Hair. I was told that I was one of 14 leading social media women from across the country to take part in the day, that we’d be working with a celebrity hairstylist, Mark Townsend and LA choreographer, Aakomon Jones (AJ). It sounded like fun, so I thought, hey why not?

I showed up, a little late and frazzled, expecting a good but somewhat stressful day, working with these high-caliber experts. I was excited to meet everyone, learn those dance moves and have as much fun as we’d be allowed to.

Little did I know that the focus of the day was simply to make us feel fabulous. The organizers of the day created a space around fun. We were pampered and doted on all day. Luckily for myself, and most of the other women, perfecting the dance moves was not a priority. Every time I looked around, I saw a roomful of beaming radiant women who were just soaking up every moment of the day. We knew that this was one of “those” days you just don’t want to ever forget.

Many of us, myself included, got too distracted by the lights, cameras, “rain”, audience and all the excitement to focus on those simple steps – so we fumbled, messed up the steps – time after time. I kept waiting for AJ to ask us to focus and pay attention; instead he kept telling us to smile and have fun. Instead of mounting pressure, we experienced bigger smiles and more joyful hearts. When the filming was done, I felt sadness rather than relief. I didn’t want the day to end.

I’m sure that the final video will look amazing – not only because of the professional editing that I’m it’ll have to go through, but I just know that the camera must have captured some of that incredible energy we all felt. Along with our beautiful shiny hair and make-up, we had radiant bright smiles & beaming lit-up eyes. Now that’s what they call “priceless”.

Thank you Dove Canada & team for a truly fabulous day to remember!

The final video will premier March 15th, in the meantime, here’s a sneak-peek of the day!

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