TRUST AND RECEIVE IN GRATITUDE

The beginning of December has shown me once again the importance of asking and trusting that the best possible outcome will be generated and not to judge the answer sent to you, just be open and receive in gratitude the gifts offered, even if they are not in the package you envisaged. I am grateful for once again having received this valuable reminder, and also that going into fear is one of the most crippling energies one can buy into. The turn around time to receiving the answers is amazing and I must have compassion with myself, my toughest critic and remember that I am a "HUMAN BEING" and that being more than doing is the best way to stay in the moment. I am so very grateful for the wonderful friends who are there for me when I most need their help.
NAMASTE

Long Overdue!

My creative and inspirational writings had been put on hold for a number of months as I persued other directions in my life. One of which was a trip home to
New Zealand where I spent a wonderful time reconnecting with family and friends. It always amazes me how we are able to just pick up, reconnect, catch up and continue on like we only saw one another yesterday.

Canadians questioned my reasoning in making the trip home during the New Zealand winter, but with commitments to school and family this was the best time for me. However, it prooved to be a good reminder of how mild the New Zealand winters are in comparison to here in Alberta. Because of this factor the buildings have no central heating, which leaves one no option but to relearn how to dress appropriately. I therefore added a couple of wonderfully warm items to my wardrobe. My cherished merino wool cami, the possum and merino gloves and of course one cannot live without warm wool socks!

Further updates of my travels and experiences in New Zealand are to follow.

Learning to Stay in the Moment....

The mind loves to distract us from the present, by wandering off into events of the past, or speeding ahead into the future attempting to figure out what direction we should be heading in, or trying to control the outcomes. Some would call this daydreaming, others call it goal setting. By analysing what happened in the past and putting this interpretation onto future projections we are not allowing ourselves to look at things with a fresh new perspective each moment. Our Mothers may have done this to us when we were growing up. Out of protection or based on one of her painful past experiences, she would try to prevent us from doing something. We then have the tendancy to carry this habitual patterning of protection forward into our own adult lives, not allowing us to approach things as a child would, with eagerness and no fear. By learning to bring ourselves back to the present moment and trying to stay there allows us to stay focused, with more energy being available for the tasks at hand. There is nothing wrong with goal setting or looking back as long as we learn not to allow them to consume the majority of the days time.
Ann-Maree

Weather Changes!

Well Spring appears to have finally arrived. The unpredictible weather is not unlike the seasons in our lives where we are familiar with a pattern, a known flow of events, then something unexpected happens, someone or something changes the rules and we are left standing there dumbfounded, confused, frozen, being momentarily thrown off track. After the initial shock we pick ourselves up, rethink what we are doing and choose the next step to take. Not surprisingly then, given the eratic weather, many of us have been like the rabbit, thinking Spring had arrived, only to be presented with more snow, causing our primal sense of survival to kick in and again head for our burrows. This scenario is not unlike the current economic climate.
It has been said that the predominant energy being run by humans effects the Earth's weather. This being the case it should be no surprise that we are experiencing weather patterns that mirror the unpredictability of the World's economics. The present economic situation has caused a great number of humans to be running fear based energy. Many people, like the rabbits have had to go into hibernation to protect themselves from the hungry wolves (negative energy) who are desparately trying to find food (positive energy).

Now with the arrival of Spring which is representative of new beginnings and the birthing of new ideas we should start to see signs of an emerging sense of hope and renewal, creating the desired ripple effect.

Ann-Maree

First Day of Spring!?

Oh what a wonderful day yesterday was, being the first day of spring it was filled with all the signs of just that. I spent the afternoon in the country enjoying the sunshine with its welcome warmth, the dampness of the melting snow, the wonderful sight of deer ever so gently grazing, the awe inspiring flight of an eagle over head, the sound and sight of a twosome of Canada geese making their way across the blue horizon, and along with this symphony of life came the accompaniment of familiar, very welcome spring smells floating on the gentle breeze. With my camera in hand I enjoyed capturing the beauty that surrounded me, blissfully thinking that these were all the signs and indications that spring had finally made her appearance. I was so easily lulled into the anticipation of the new green growth that would soon be bursting forth like the birthing of a new born baby. But once again it appears mother nature was out to fool me. With the taste of spring still carressing my senses, tonight she gently pulled the carpet out from under me. As I left the supermarket, stepping innocently out into the void of darkness I felt the soft brush of snow falling on my face! My heart dropped at the realisation of more snow! Oh well at least I have what I need to stay cozy and warm until the next hint of spring appears!

The sun is setting before the new dawn...

It feels like the sun has just set and that the new dawn is bringing in the beginning of a new phase in my life. This realisation has had a very profound effect on me the last few days and it would appear that the powers that be have been lining things up and closing things off to prepare for the new that is scheduled to come into my life. This has found me at times feeling like I am in limbo and impatient for the next steps to unfold. I have always found the valleys in life a little hard to accept, partly due to my wanting to run at full throttle most of the time, with the speed bumps generally not slowing me down for long. So now I am in a valley and I know that I should make the most of this time, but there is this impatient little voice inside telling me "Lets get on with it please, I am ready and waiting for the next steps....so hurry up!" But the voice of experience is also there telling me "You know Ann-Maree that you need this time to recoup and re-energise, to fill up your cup so you have enough juice to get through the next exciting phase. Just accept, let go, relax and enjoy this peaceful, calming, nuturing period!"

So now I am letting go, closing my eyes and preparing to enter the long dark night enveloped in my cozy blankets, feeling the warmth before the dawning of a new day and new beginnings. I now slip into the dream land and allow myself to relish in the quiet, the darkness, the safety of the cave before I awake to poke my nose out into the fresh scents and sights, of the new in my life. I will be ready, renewed and refreshed.

Make a Smilebox postcard

Communication.....

The last twenty four hours has been filled with different forms of communication which I have had the pleasure of partaking at many different levels. This has been a real feast for the senses and the soul combined. There are so many options of communication available to us in this day and time which keep increasing and becoming more sophisticated, with what was new yesterday so often becoming outdated tomorrow.

As I am so auditory it is still very important for me to have that face to face communication where I am able to engage all my senses. Unfortunately with emails and texting we lose this and therefore this opens up the possiblities for misinterpretation and sometimes heartache because of assumptions. These forms of communication were supposed to be quick message options, but which now appear to have become more of the normal way that many communicate today. There is a place for everything and I am certainly grateful for the use of Skype (VoIP) which allows me the pleasure of communicating with friends and family all over the world, especially in my birth place of New Zealand.

I have enjoyed the many phone calls from all over Canada and New Zealand today. It is wonderful to be able to stay connected to the people who are in my life. Thank you to you all and
I look forward to our continued communications with one another.

Ann-Maree

A Week of Variances....

This past week has been filled with an abundance of new and varied material, so much so that I have needed to spend the weekend with the brakes on to try and assimilate some of it! There was a nice balance though of family, business, friends, creativity and learning.

During this time period I have had the priveledge of learning from two very accomplished Speakers/Facilitators and would like to share them with you:

The first is Patricia Morgan, she is an Author, Keynote Speaker, Workshop Leader and Counselor. I attended her workshop on "Women with Survivability" where she masterfully incorporated humour into her presentation enabling the participants to relax and absorb the material she presented. If you get the opportunity I would highly recommend you attend one of her events, and if nothing else visit her website with its great content: http://lightheartedconcepts.com/index.html.

The second is Mark Bernard, he is a Speaker, Author, Trainer. He presented at the MKS Learning Centre on the subject of "Discovery Meetings" and I felt his strong presence and persona successfully engaged and empowered his participants, enabling him to successfully convey the subject matter. I also had the pleasure of meeting Claude Pellerin, his Business Partner who is himself a Speaker and Trainer, and presents with a wealth of knowledge and insights. Their upcoming workshop is a one day on "Stress in Check" and I encourage you to refer to their website for further details: http://www.cplseminars.com/

On a lighter note, Ryan, my eldest son has just cooked me a delicious Sunday breakfast, so I am off to enjoy this. Wishing you all a relaxing day of rest enjoying some time spent doing what you love, and may the week ahead be all you dream it to be and more.

Yours in the continued learning process of life ......Ann-Maree

NEW YEAR SPEEDING BY!

Well here it is February already, so where did January go?! After being cocooned for what seemed like an awfully long period, we are now starting to poke our noses out of our little burrows, to venture out and experience some warmer weather. There is that hint of the promise of Spring, the snow melting, the leaf buds, the smells, being adventuresome and not wearing a jacket. I even looked at the grass today to see if there was the slightest hue of green showing. But, as any seasoned Calgarian has experienced, there is that niggly little voice of doubt lingering in the recesses of our minds saying "this good weather will not last." There are whispers of doubt wafting through the air with that leaden query of when, and the urgency and bustle of getting things done before the next temperature plummet and that inevitable dump of fresh snow.
I sure hope some of the icy mounds and ruts on our streets melt before this!

All I can say is roll on Spring!

Ann-Maree