Trish Blogs … for change

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Photo by Paul Wesson Photography

Photo by Paul Wesson Photography

Change is good. Change makes us grow.

Blogging in itself is certainly no change for me, I’ve been at it on & off now for seven and a half years. I’ve been posting pretty consistently for the last 4 years at least.

But I hope to inspire change with what I blog. Change in myself and/or in the others who do me the honor of reading my work.

My life often feels like it follows the same direction as technological innovation – constant change… I’m in an ever-flowing state of flux. I learned to embrace change early in life and find for the most part that I welcome and in fact even look forward to it. This is not the way for many others. People often fear change, even hate change.

Yet, we all love new things. It’s a bit of a conundrum really. How do we manage change while embracing new things? I recently upgraded my tablet from the Samsung Galaxy which I had a love-hate relationship with. It served me well, when it worked. It crashed frequently, and drove me insane with how slow it became. I tried everything to fix the problem, so the next step was an upgrade. Do I go with the new version of the same product? Minimizing the change? That’s not my way.

ipad mini

I had been waiting since April 2010 when the first Ipad was released, for a mini version. It was just too big for my purposes. I didn’t need, or want, a smart phone but I wanted to carry my tablet with me. So, I now need to relearn an iproduct (my last one being the ipod touch when it was new on the market). It’s exciting, but also a pain to setup all the day to day stuff all over again. There always seems to be a bit lost with what is gained.

Blackberry Z10

And with the recent release of of the BlackBerry Z10, my curiosity has been peaked. I’d love to take this innovative new smart phone for a test drive. 🙂 Maybe, more changes are ahead. 😉

Personal changes may soon come as well in the form of a physical move, from one house to another, one job to another, perhaps even one community to another. These are changes that I look upon with anxious anticipation. I love the excitement of a fresh start. While not without a ton of work, these are changes that I always find energizing, refreshing and rejuvenating.

Recently some of my blogging activities have allowed me the opportunity to make new friends. Each new relationship comes with changes to day to day life. Conversations take a different twist, topics of discussion are new or at the very least with new perspectives. My outlook on things are molded slightly differently with each new insight. How could one not look at things differently when bouncing ideas off of Bublé’s twin, getting advice from  Rent-a-Hubby and finding a shoulder to lean on in a Digital Summit BFF?

Martin "Buble" SagalaRent-a-hubby PaulPhoto courtesy of @wedding_crasher

As for changing my blog for the better, I’ve changed my name/domain, my webhost AND my design (thanks to these great new friends for their input). I’m working on some ideas for an editorial calendar to bring a little more cohesiveness and fun to my writing. I hope it will be appealing to my readers and perhaps bring a few more ;-). All in the interest of improvement, a little work is created to have a more polished look, and better home for my passions. Things don’t get better without change.

Drop me a note and tell what you think about the changes, or share your own story of change for the better.

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Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun or email me at trish at trishblogs dot com!

I invite you to subscribe to my blog using one of the options available on my page (email, rss, Google Connect, like my page on Facebook, etc.)

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Filed Under: balance, General, West Nova Family Tagged With: , , ,

Life Lessons – Coming Full Circle

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I recently un-celebrated my 38th birthday. It was not a happy day for me. Not for my age, but for recently associated painful memories. And of course… It happened at a time when I was making difficult decisions to protect myself from further heartache, leaving me somewhat alone during some of my darkest days.

 

A wonderful friend provided me with support across the miles and I felt a little less alone.

 

Then things continued changing for me.

 

Everything happens for a reason. We have lessons to be learned and sometimes it takes multiple cracks at it before they have enough depth to begin effecting our lives. < It’s not fun to learn the same lessons over and over so, of course, the sooner we catch on the better. 😉 >

 

I am always trying to remind myself that every experience is a lesson to be learned, to look positively on the process or the outcome, or some aspect that will eventually serve to improve my life.

 

In the midst of it heartache is the hardest to learn from, but in hindsight it could be the simplest lesson to be learned. If only we allow ourselves to live through the hurt and reflect. When we avoid the pain, we tend to relive the lessons.

 

I’ve taken to really trying to live by the philosophy of Now. Live in the moment, live for today. The past is over, tomorrow is yet to come. And every relationship (friend, lover, family, etc.) has a purpose. Sometimes they enter our lives for a reason, sometimes for a period of time, and some will always be there. I try not to over think the purpose too much anymore. I’m not very good at that, and the heartache always seems to be magnified when I give in.

 

I am in a place of transition in every aspect of my life it seems.

 

Trying to establish stable work, a home for my family and eventually a relationship (partner in life) that will grow while feeling stable and safe. I not only feel like I’ve come full circle in that it’s a time to re-establish my life. Those who I rely on for support are those lifetime friends, some of whom have re-entered my life during my time of need. I feel a sense of belonging in a place I haven’t even thought of as home for years.

 

What is to come is yet to be seen. While I try to be proactive and plan, I am also trying to allow what is meant to be to come to fruition without much interference. There’s a certain fear in not directing it all. There’s a certain power in leaving it to the universe. My worries are less. Though I feel somewhat at a loss. I want to be in control of my destiny. I am not.

 

38 may not be old, but it sure feels like late in life to be starting over in some ways.

 

How do you reconcile not having complete control over your destiny? 

 

 

Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at ceilidho at ceilidhontherun dot com, or use my contact form!

I invite you to subscribe to my blog using one of the options available on my page (email, rss, Google Connect, like my page on Facebook, etc.)

If you enjoyed this post, please do like/share it. You can do so using the easy share button below!

Filed Under: balance, General, Health & Fitness Tagged With: , ,

Stop. Commit. Act.

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We’ve all said it at one time or another. I wish I could do such and such, but I just don’t have the time… A speaker at a mom’s networking event recently shared some very wise words: we CAN have it ALL, just not all at once. Once we get that, we can make time <and yes it is ALL about MAKING time> for ourselves.

 

Once I made the decision to fit fitness into my life, it happened, other less important things got pushed aside. Activities that I once completed in 2 weeks, would take 4. It was OKAY! I was out there, pounding the pavement, coming back with my heart racing and my lungs on fire – feeling glorious!

 

Guess who benefits from your self care time? Sure you do, and that is the most important thing, but for some the motivation to do so comes from this: we cannot give to others all of ourselves unless we take care of ourselves first! It’s true, the less we care for ourselves, the less we have of ourselves to offer others. Guess what – when we are feeling refreshed and alive we treat our loved ones with more care, compassion and concern. We are able to empathize better, and we actually ENJOY giving to others.

 

What is the trick? Scheduling ME into the calendar first!

 

I know this is easier said than done, but it’s critical. The next step being: following through with the schedule. Which is where I still struggle. Yes, I see that 15 minutes of mindfulness before I leave my room in the morning scheduled in my calendar, but I’m JUST going to check on the noises coming from 8-year-old’s bedroom before I get started… Guess what? I don’t get started.

 

One thing I have learned from past successful attempts at making time for self care is that I need a goal, something to work towards that provides me with both accountability and a sense of accomplishment. When I was running, I would enter an event that coincided with the end date of my current goal. There is nothing like fundraising for a cause and not only starting, but finishing the 5K, 10K or even half-marathon I just signed up for to get me motivated. People are counting on my to bring their message across the finish line and many people are aware of my deadline!

So, how do I incorporate that into my current goals? I am no longer running, due to knee injuries. I’m not a fan of winter cycling, and the pool hasn’t been working for me lately, no matter how much I love it. So, it’s walking and mindfulness for me.

 

I’m sure there is a walking event I can sign up for, similar to my running challenges, but what do I do about the mindfulness I so desperately need to slow down and experience?

 

Share your ideas with me and I will report back with a plan of action! Perhaps you’ll join me?

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: balance, Health & Fitness, Parenting, West Nova Family Tagged With: , ,

Who says these blogger campaigns don’t work?

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I was a participant of a bloggers’ conference sponsored by FORD, then invited to a bloggers’ event about the wonders of Prince Edward Island as well as another FORD event spending a day in the Escape. So, what came of it besides my blog posts?

 

I bought a FORD Focus, then took a family vacation to Prince Edward Island in a loaner FORD Escape (to review in more detail)! What can I say? In both cases, we were not disappointed.

 

Our family vacation to PEI was definitely enhanced by traveling in style in a fully loaded Escape. The first thing we noticed was how much more comfortable it was for a long road trip than my Focus. Not just the extra leg room, or leather seats, but the comfort of the seating itself.

The next big highlight was the Sirius radio. There was a bit of a battle between Charlie & I versus the kids. Not really, but every chance we got, we switched it from the chart hit dance channels, back to 70’s, 80’s or 90’s. 🙂

 

I hadn’t really anticipated the use of the GPS would be necessary in such a small place as PEI. With Charlie driving around like he knew the place almost as well as his hometown, I would have been at a severe disadvantage without it if I’d suddenly found myself chauffeur-less on those crossroads. Never mind the senseless driving in circles it saved us, trying to find that Pizza Delight or some such shop that Charlie was certain was there. 😉

 

Once we left the highway, and had crossed the Confederation Bridge (big anniversary this year!) we rolled down the windows, opened up the moon roof, and may have even gotten a little sunburned (oops!) My favourite feature above all was the backup camera. Driving in and out of crowded parking lots if far less stressful with a camera that shows all of the blind spot right behind the vehicle, especially when it beeps at you when you begin to approach something within its range. 🙂

What’s a family vacation in PEI without COWS ice cream, or amusement parks? We ran out of time for the beach, much to my disappointment but those girlies had the time of their lives. Charlie knows how to make vacation all about the kids, letting them make most of the choices, and stay as long as they like.

 

Sandspit was the first big day, with Shining Waters and a little shopping on day two. Swimming at the Rodd Mill River resort pool. Eating. There’s so much to do on the Island, a weekend is far too short a time. We’ll be back for an adult vacation again soon! Then we can better take advantage of the good food and music so plentiful!

Traveling with 9 & 11 year olds is great, they entertain themselves well, make friends everywhere they go and can actually take in some of the rides, etc. on their own! I can’t think of many places but PEI where I’d be comfortable letting my kids run off and return to my bench after I got tired out!

 

#peibound #fordescape

 

Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at trish at ceilidhontherun dot com, or use my contact form!

I invite you to subscribe to my blog using one of the options available on my page (email, rss, Google Connect, like my page on Facebook, etc.)

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Filed Under: balance, General, Sponsored, West Nova Family Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

July 12in12 Challenge

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Updating 12in12 challenge

 

I realized as the first half of the year came to a close that some of my 12in12 challenges just weren’t relevant for me anymore, so I have given myself permission to make substitutions. This month I have a living room that looks like a storage room and each day I find a home for something in the piles.

 

New challenges for the second half of the year:

 

JULY: declutter/organize daily

 

Practice yoga Everyday

Cycle Everyday

Run Everyday

Call someone I care about Everyday

Try something new Everyday

http://ceilidhontherun.com/2011/12/29/12in12-a-pleasant-twist-on-resolutions/

 

Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at trish at ceilidhontherun dot com, or use my contact form!

I invite you to subscribe to my blog using one of the options available on my page (email, rss, Google Connect, like my page on Facebook, etc.)

If you enjoyed this post, please do like/share it. You can do so using the easy share button below!

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: 12in12, balance, West Nova Family Tagged With: , ,

12in12 update May/June

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I can’t say my 12in12challenge is going very successfully anymore.

Last month was to unplug by 9. Very unrealistic goal. I made 10 most nights, but did allow myself a couple of freebies when I stayed connected later.

Here we are halfway through June and my 12in12 challenge hasn’t even been declared here! Obviously it is not to update my blog daily!

Meditation was my pick for this month, similar to mindfulness but not the same. It worked well for the first few days, now I need to reboot. Let’s see how the rest of June goes!

If you don’t know what the 12in12 challenge is all about, you can start with my blog entry here: 12in12challenge

Filed Under: 12in12, balance, Health & Fitness Tagged With: , , ,

12 in 12 Month 5 Unplug by 9

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I practised mindfulness for April, somewhat unsuccessfully.  It seems I didn’t even manage to make a blog post indicating that was my challenge for the month.

This month my challenge will be to unplug by 9pm everyday.

My hubby will be very happy to hear this one.

Hopefully it will help me get my sleep cycle back on track too.

The hardest part about that will be that girlies’ bedtimes on week nights are 8pm & 8:30pm respectively. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for last minute checkins, etc. The second hardest part will be reading – I have three books on the go that are all ebooks. Not that I don’t have plenty of hard copy books to pick up after unplugging. 😉
*The only exception will be for a couple of work meetings that I have no choice but to do after 10pm because all of my counterparts live in earlier timezones than I.

Filed Under: 12in12, balance, Books, General, Health & Fitness Tagged With: , , , ,

BE the good life.

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Sometimes you just have to take the time to acknowledge how good your life really is. Forget all the crappy, stressful stuff that has piled up in the back of your mind and focus. Focus on everything good. Or focus on one good thing. Whatever works.

 

Today I am feeling good. I am feeling awesome actually. I believe I am experiencing the least amount of pain that I have in years. I don’t mean in general, and I know it may be different by the end of the day. But right now, in this moment. I feel really, really good. Fantastic actually.

 

And this moment is all we truly have isn’t it? We don’t know what is coming, and everything in the past, is well – in the past. So take a moment to embrace how good your life is RIGHT NOW. Find the thing that you know makes your life awesome and live it. Experience it. BE it.

 

Filed Under: balance, General, Gratitude Tagged With: , ,

Things about myself that I became better acquainted with while away:

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  • Distractions keep me from facing the depths of my emotions
  • There are fewer people in my life that I am comfortable being truly vulnerable with than I realized
  • Water is my greatest physical therapy
  • I wish Florida was a part of Canada (like Alaska is a state)
  • I love my family
  • I cherish my time away from everyone and everything (and wish for more)
  • Running is my mental health/therapy
  • I will never see my mother again in this life
  • Life is unfair
  • I need more sunshine
  • I am fortunate
  • I love to travel and experience new places
  • I feel alone
  • I have many people in my life who care about me and mine

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Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at ceilidho at ceilidhontherun dot com, or use my contact form!

I invite you to subscribe to my blog using one of the options available on my page (email, rss, Google Connect, like my page on Facebook, etc.)

If you enjoyed this post, please do like/share it. You can do so using the easy share button below!

Filed Under: balance, General, Gratitude, West Nova Family Tagged With:

Living for today

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I have been living in a sort of “quarter life crisis” since at least 8 years ago. It came to a head at the age of 29 after the birth of my second child. My marriage was unhappy and struggling but before I had accepted that I had started looking outward for solutions.

I had been a very happy stay-at-home mom for four years, but suddenly determined that I needed to go back to work or school or both, to regain my authentic self. During the process of trying to identify what I really wanted for myself I realized that what was really at the depth of my despair was my unhappiness in my marriage.

I left my husband and returned to the community that felt most like home, with 2 children in tow, entering a second degree (my social work degree) and desperately needing to be employed to support ourselves. So began a long and difficult journey.

I have written multiple business plans over the years, explored funding options, sought endorsements, even begun the initial start-up process, only to halt mid-way and never see my dreams through to fruition. I have always feared that I might have the wrong plan, that I might be headed in the wrong direction. That I didn’t really know my own mind or purpose.

Instead I stuck to the norm, seeking paid employment in areas of my skillset. Only I have found I have always reached a point of dis-satisfaction. My expectations for the role we played, the work ethics we practised, the passion we felt in our work always left me feeling like my standards were set so high that I could never be happy where I was. I have moved on to new jobs for multiple reasons all brought about by my desire to work harder and smarter in an environment not willing to change.

I’m a big picture person, usually seeing the vision before the specific goals and objectives, and always prepared to break new ground to get there. Unfortunately those around me were simply not on the same page.

I have a desire to do something big with my life. To know that my efforts have brought about a positive change in the larger social system of our world.

I’ve been on a journey for years now, often finding my progress met with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Most recently, just as I began to get a handle on things my mother passed away suddenly after a short aggressive illness with cancer. My mother has taught me so many things, most especially to love life itself and seek the positive in everything. Most recently she helped me see how important it is to never put off that which is important to you.

And so I am like a dog with a bone going after this authentic life NOW, feeling an urgency like I’ve never felt before. As Oprah has said: “this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.” If we have only this moment, then we’d better make it a good one!

I’ve been actively pursuing goals that I have long put off or been afraid to take action on. I am about to embark on the biggest one yet, starting my own business. It officially begins March 16th.

How are you embracing the moment and living for today in your life?

Trish

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Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at ceilidho at ceilidhontherun dot com, or use my contact form!

I invite you to subscribe to my blog using one of the options available on my page (email, rss, Google Connect, like my page on Facebook, etc.)

If you enjoyed this post, please do like/share it. You can do so using the easy share button below!

Filed Under: balance, General, West Nova Family Tagged With: , ,
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