Taught by a Tot

There’s a little girl named G. in my life who has already mastered a thing or two about life.

As anyone who has had a toddler knows, we all learn by repetition. Little G. has perfected this so! When G. comes to visit us, she heads to boxes that are familiar, reaches from tippie-toe and dangles her fingers on those “no” items and squeals and belly laughs at the predictable.

Like most adults I know, we too like the familiar. We frequent the same places, order the same menu item and park where we know we won’t forget our cars. (Yes, I am the guiltiest of this last one.)

With age, we know which things are our guilty pleasures, and we too cast our eyes about to see if we’ve been busted! I’ve been told, that the fastest I’ve ever eaten something, was a two scoop cone at the My Favourite Ice Cream Shoppe on a sweltering hot afternoon. 

If you get to the stage as an adult that you can actually recognize what brings you joy and pleasure, we need to keep repeating these things. Bring on the running shoes, the travel map and the camera, the paintbrush, the guitar, the dancing shoes, do it because it makes you smile!

Little G. will be a bigger G. one day soon. She will no longer need two hands to lift the blue ball in the box. She hefts with authority right now, she doesn’t hesitate to put her hands together because some things are worth hoisting. As adults, we too need two hands to lift ourselves and to reach whatever is our goal, two hands to clap, and some days two hands to cover our faces and not show our tears.

Little G. reminds me of this each time we meet. Go with Gusto and have faith, there is always someone around to kiss away that booboo.

The Yardstick of your Life

Life is fast. It happens so quickly that there are weeks and months when you look back which are just a blur. How could I possibly have children in their thirties. Wasn’t it only yesterday that I was their age?

How did it come to pass that I am at an age when my parents were “old”? Thank goodness we are now of a generation who are relatively active, fit and still have goals and plans. I believe that this is what keeps us youthful. We are a cohort who will go down fighting with our carry-on luggage jammed with running shoes, comfy socks and fuel belts. The days I hung out on the sofa with a good book and a beverage by my side in my twenties and thirties are just a vague memory now. These days we are so busy that both PVR’s are sitting at 85% full.

I’ve never been one to waste time (please note: sitting and reading does NOT come into that category of wasting time!). But as the years go by, what fills our time must change if we are to grow. Do you remember the days of having a child or two or three all down with Chicken Pox? The days spent with an unwell child seemed to last forever. However, look back now. Those days were just a tiny blip on the radar of our lives. Those times hardly register in your memory as time goes on.

Look at the whole yardstick of your days, at times you inched forward and other times you galloped. Each fraction moved you forward to your current spot, they all became You.

 Every moment, every choice is precious, not good nor bad, just a little inch forward. Enjoy the chaotic times, you will be given the stamina and courage to deal with it. Relish the quiet times, they are a gift to allow you to make plans, learn, research and reach out for your next adventure. We need to let go, and trust that all things will work out in the end. We need to have faith that we will be given the strength to make it through the tough times, and wings to soar when we have a new creative idea.

Take a look at the yardstick of your Life thus far. What choices will you make today to set yourself up for a happy finish line?

Faith

When you get to the end of all the light you know and it's time to step into the darkness 

of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: 

either you will be given something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.

 Edward Teller

Act Yourself

You have to believe in yourself, that's the secret. Even when I was in the orphanage, 
when I was roaming the street trying to find enough to eat, even then I thought of myself 
as the greatest actor in the world.

Charlie Chaplin
1889-1977, Comic Actor

If you do not believe in yourself, who then will have faith in us? We are all destined to at times "fly by the seat of our pants" and surprisingly, it is in those times that we make our greatest strides. Have faith, have courage, be brave. Do this just one moment at a time, and realize by the end of the week that we can be someone new, someone fresh, someone to be admired. 

Find yourself, Find your Bliss.

How many times should you get up?

Just trust that everything is unfolding the way it is supposed to. Don't resist. Surrender to what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be. Great things are waiting for you around the corner.

Sonia Ricotti
#1 Bestselling Author 
Unsinkable: How to Bounce Back Quickly When Life Knocks You Down

Waiting for Better

This is for you. 

Letting time pass to set a history is a good thing. Invariably the good people will stay good, and those that are not will also be revealed. But waiting and waiting can be just an avoidance that creates deeper pain. We say we want to be happy but remain in situations that we know prevent us from being so? It is honorable to give someone the benefit of the doubt, no one wants to be judged by one single act. However, we are sometimes so stuck, so paralyzed by our fear of the unknown that we cannot move out of a situation that does not honour ourselves.

We put up, and we shut up. 

Life has a way of teaching us the lessons we need. We will each get them to teach us in the way that matters most, the inconsiderate "friend", a (lack of a better term) crazy partner, an idiot boss. What will we let that person get away with? Why do we let them do what they do? The nonsense this person hands out will keep escalating until even you can't ignore the volume. The cosmic 2 by 4 will finally stop you in your tracks.

Then one day, you will know with no doubt in your mind that you are “done”. It could be caused by something catastrophic or something small, but it will happen when you are ready and have the courage to move on.

Have faith, you will survive. You will no longer be able to deny the proof.

And on that day, you will love yourself a little more and not let it happen again. Don't lose yourself in the battle and until then be safe, be well.

Flow

Hold my hair in your hands
Life has not been gentle to me
Show me a side
That I’ve never seen.
Let the water spill
And grow thick with steam
Take me from
Where I have been.
Don’t let your past stop you
I need you to be brave
Build a bridge to a new life
To memories I should save.
I have seen proof
Have faith in what my life should be
Be my partner in this path
Wipe the mirror with me.