What is true happiness? A constant state of feeling good no matter what is going on around you

What is conditional happiness? Giving yourself permission to feel good only when certain conditions are met.

My early life consisted of a series of aptitude tests from the Universe, challenging me to tiptoe through landmines of other people's emotions, praying that my lightest step, my barely audible breath, my invisible self, would not set off the explosion of unresolved issues inside my family members. 

I learned to tread lightly, but not in the poetic way Thich Nhat Hanh was quoted. I’m talking about treading lightly, so you don’t get blasted away by the nuclear bomb going off in the living room every night. I’m lucky I still have all my fingers and toes considering the force of anger in my house could wilt flesh. 

Which is why I was so drawn to people who were always laughing and jovial. I was quite frankly gobsmacked that someone could take such a...

If you spend a lot of time rewriting your to-do list for the next day

If you like to be super prepared and organized before doing anything

If your family, partner, friends, boss or other obligations seem to take up all your time

You’ve been lying to yourself

If you tell yourself that you will get to what you really want tomorrow, or next week or next month

If you spend a lot of time saying affirmations, making vision boards or writing out goals, but they never seem to change your life

If you feel too tired, frustrated or emotionally drained to get to what’s really important to you

You’ve been lying to yourself

How to Know for Sure: Ways to Spot the Lie

Unexplained anxiety despite doing all the things

Chronic aches and pains that pop up every time you decide to move forward

Things go wrong and you have setbacks, bad luck and life feels overwhelming

You feel frustrated and angry because you never seem to get to where you want to go

...

As I sit here and think about what to write this week, I can’t help but notice that we are still in a global pandemic. Despite the flurry of opinions, science, facts, fantasies, arguments and hysteria, the reality is we are still in lockdown to some degree or another.

Six weeks or so into this, an air of discomfort has fallen over us.

The lightbulb is on: we’re in this surreal episode of the twilight zone for the long haul.

I’ve had friends and colleagues ask me how I’m doing at home, social distancing.

I usually give an honest, but brief explanation of my emotional ups and downs, careful to straddle my desire to not to be too much of a downer while still keeping it real.

If I had more time to answer, I would introduce them to my entertaining imaginary friends and their hilarious antics. Since you’re reading this, guess what? You’re getting a window into my world.

Pollyanna likes to visit regularly and dazzle me with her Colgate smile...

With the social media and news space crammed with all the crises connected to the global pandemic, you may be looking for something different to focus your attention on.

What about your future? What do you want that to look like?

Who do you want to be when all is said and done?

This is my vision to help you get the creative juices flowing. Note: It encompasses EACH and EVERY animal, vegetable and mineral on the planet. I’m talking everyone, even non-coffee drinkers and Fruitarians.

Feel free to use my musings as the fuel for your forward motion!

1. Clean air and water
2. Fresh, organic food
3. Safe, affordable and clean shelter
4. Your community who does not exclude you for any reason, even your fascination with tiny furniture
5. Freedom and space to roam and live as you please
6. Feeling connected to all
7. Freedom to be yourself, no matter how bad you are at karaoke
8. Access to unlimited resources and support to follow your passions and pursuits—from wood whittling to stamp...

Have you ever done any kind of cleanse, diet or fasting regime? I’m guessing if you’re a human being walking this earth, you have.

Well, get ready to laugh along with me or at me (I’ll never know which one it is, so go for it).

I’ve been on a 22 day program to reset my metabolism, because I “suddenly” woke up one day to realize that my waist was expanding out in all directions. I can’t blame this on the Coronavirus Indoor Eating Plan: my love of doing nothing coupled with my love of carbohydrates in the form of potatoes and bread has been a lifelong love affair.

As a half Irish, half Italian/Croatian mix, bread, pasta and potatoes are my religion!! I was never in danger of being too skinny. The only difference is that in my youth I kept the fat at bay with cigarettes and excessive worrying—that’s a real fat burner if ever I came across one.

So, what does a health conscious and determined type A individual with a slight...

Recently, I’ve felt a growing sense of exasperation at COVID-19 inspired crazy behaviours. Why are people continuing to ignore the directives to stay home? Why do they seem to spit in the face of being a “good citizen”? Since it’s in my nature to try to understand human behaviour, especially during the chaos and uncertainty of the COVID-19 landscape. To the best of my ability, this is what I’ve come up with.

FOMO

I didn’t think that FOMO (fear of missing out) was really a thing until I saw it playing out in this life or death scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic. Who would’ve thought that being told not to go to church, have a beach day with friends or visit family over the holidays would spark a deadly rebellion and a pandemic of FOMO?

To be honest, I have a hard time connecting to this FOMO phenomenon to begin with.

1. I’m not religious, so I don’t connect with the need to practice religion no matter what. However, when I...

If you’re spending copious amounts of time on social media like I am, you’ve probably come across the conspiracy theories about C-19. Although I’m into a good theory like the rest of us, I’m a little bit alarmed at what I’ve been reading.

First, let me give you a quick preamble on my background so you know I’m not a closed-minded arsehole with another opinionated blog about those crazy AF conspiracy theorists:

1. I grew up with parents who traveled the world with their Tibetan Buddhist teacher, and later formed a nice little cult … I mean … community of families all learning about compassion and suffering while eating homemade bread and building cabins in the woods for our retreat centre.
2. I learned about meditation, mantras, mandalas and reincarnation before I hit 10.
3. I heard all kinds of stories about life, death and everything in between.

In other words, I’m open to pretty much anything. If you told me you were joining...

Please note: Since we are never sure if someone has hurled themselves off the edge of sanity or if they actually joking, I will ease your mind right now and tell you this is meant to be funny.

1. When you arrive at the grocery store and there is a line up of people outside standing close enough to breath in each other’s neck musk, take a pause and ask yourself if this meets Coronavirus protocol. If someone approaches you and asks if you have change for the grocery cart, while thrusting a virus soaked five-dollar bill in your face, run to your car and lock the door.
   
   
2. When you do finally arrive at an acceptably vacant store, sit in your car and survey the surroundings first. Watch for people parking too close to you or for anyone who is displaying signs of Corona Craziness (don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean). Exit your car while glancing repeatedly over your shoulder. Slip into the store.
   
   
3. Make sure to leave your recyclable bags in the car, because now that...

Obligatory intro statement: I’m not a doctor and this is not medical advice. If you are feeling any symptoms associated with the Coronavirus, seek immediate help from healthcare professionals.

The Coronavirus now has the world’s attention.

Some of you may be thinking, “Oh great, another unstable “non-expert” musing about the virus that is taking over the world. We want science. We want facts. Nothing else matters right now!”

I’m going to keep typing in the hopes that someone will find comfort in my words. I will not be telling you what you should or shouldn’t do in this blog. I will be offering a perspective that may ease your worries and help you feel better. That is my intention.

As the news rolls in about the Coronavirus and the confirmed cases of infected people rises, I’m rolling along myself—on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Some days I’m silently soothing myself with encouraging messages, determined...

I’m riding the Coronavirus wave like everyone else and spending unhealthy amounts of time scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, looking for that one gem of wisdom that will make it all ok.

From what I can see, there are some very distinct philosophies to answer the question on everyone's mind: "Why the Eff Are We Going Through This?"
(none of which make it ok by any stretch of the imagination, but here goes)

Unhinged Conversations on the Internet

1. The world is being taken over by aliens and we best let them arrest the bad Illuminati people whilst we wait at home for the big announcement.

2. Mother earth has had it with us and while she detoxes, we are all in a timeout for being bad.

3. Survival of the fittest is reducing the surface population.

4. A group of bad people have created this virus in a lab as part of their biological warfare to get their grubby mitts on the world’s resources.

Which one would you choose? I’m going with Number...