"couldn't stay away, I coudn't fight it"

Fingers dance across ivory keys and break the silence

words join in quietly and find momentum.

Truths are revealed and questions are asked

promises are made and the tempo slows.

White noise.

Adele's 'Someone Like You' has been on repeat for the last 30 minutes. The longer I sit here, the more convinced I am that given the opportunity to collaborate, we could not have produced a song more indicative of my present mindset.

Music is a powerful force, it connects fragmented emotions and pacifies tough conversations with oneself.

 I have always envied those able to dress up an everyday emotion.
Tonight, I just needed someone like you.

find comfort in discomfort

Words.

January 26th @ the ROM

A collection of letters arranged together.

Instead of understanding them just the way they are, I look in, between and beneath them as they dance around and around my head.

  

Last night at the first installment of the lululemon expansion series, our instructor Linda Malone (iam yoga), encouraged us to "find comfort in discomfort," breathe deeply and resist the urge to come out of challenging poses. In these instances, where does your mind go? For anyone that knows me well, you can agree, that I struggle with living in the moment. Despite genuine efforts to be present you will hear me reliving a memory, fixating on something I cannot control, or gearing up for the next phase of my life plan. My Mum has urged me time and again to be less rigid. As shoot her a smile of appeasement, my nods are really saying "blah blah blah." 

  

...but perhaps she is onto something.

  

Her sentiments were echoed last night, "find comfort in discomfort." Whether an elaborate yoga pose or the uncertainty that lies within every one of life's funny twists and turns, find your breath - it won't last for forever.

"I'll wait here for you."

Happiness. Simple concept, profound meaning.

A pioneer in women's free skiing, Sarah Burke surpassed expectations and re wrote the rules for female skiers after her. She followed her passion for extreme skiing across North America, to the summit of dozens of peaks and eventually the top of the national podiums. From here, Sarah spearheaded a campaign to integrate freestyle skiing into the Winter Olympics and boy was the ski community excited to see what she had in store for us in 2014.

Today, surrounded by friends and family, after sustaining a critical ski injury Sarah lost the fight of her life. Far too often does it take a tragedy to remind us that we are not invincible. All we can take away from something that cannot be reversed is a sense of urgency. Urgency to laugh. Urgency to learn. Urgency to never go to bed angry. Urgency to set an intention for everyday. Urgency in the pursuit of happiness.

Let Sarah's full life be an example to us all. RIP our fair Ontario girl.
Be present. Love deeply. Be grateful.

I will

do one thing that scares you daily. breathe deeply. sweat once a day. dance, sing, floss and travel.

These antidotes, among others, comprise the lululemon athletica manifesto. Simple phrases that are intended to inspire healthy living, balance, unite communities and entrench feelings of genuine happiness within us all.

Since its inception in the late 1990s, lululemon has been a powerful force in the athletic apparel industry. However, it was not until I joined the team this fall (as a part time educator), that I witnessed the unwavering commitment, at all levels of leadership, to the pursuit of this manifesto. It did not take long for me to realize that this kind of loyalty is a byproduct of environment, one in which people, regardless of their affiliation to the brand, want to be apart of.

Although lululemon attracts like minded people, I am constantly learning from my team. Recently, all the Toronto lemons were invited to a screening of  'The Happy Movie', a documentary that brings us on a journey in search of answers to one of life's greatest emotions, happiness. Not only did this event mark the beginning of a larger community initiative (more details to come in the new year) but propelled me to look at my own education differently. International development seeks to appease the gap between the developed and the developing world and provide resources to better equip floundering economies to curb the cycle of dependency. Ironically, the scenes I found most moving were those that illustrated stories from the communities in so-called 'need'. Riddled with optimism, their stories shed perspective on my personal worldview and highlighted the importance of understanding. Not only in the context of development but in how we interact with our surroundings on a daily basis.

I think the underlying message of 'The Happy Movie' and lululemon's manifesto are one in the same, and together, will guide us to our own peace...whatever form that may come in.

I could sing lulu's praises until there were no more lemons left to squeeze, instead, why don't you join the conversation too at: http://www.facebook.com/lululemonSherwayGardens#!/lululemon or @lululemon on Twitter.

Namaste.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBOJR6QEpmA

forget regret or life is yours to miss

Today was a strange sort of day.

Walking home from the subway I got to thinking about how all too often we define ourselves by what we aren't/don't have/can't afford/can't fit - whatever. This veil of negativity (likely brought on by the driver that made me get off the 44 South when I failed to present my student ID card with my metro pass... HELLO I AM ON CAMPUS NOW, CLEARLY I AM A STUDENT), like those before it, it managed to overshadow the great elements of my day. Why is that and what can I do to quell future rage blackouts? Be SMART.

Specific.
Measurable.
Attainable.
Relevant.
Timely.

This acronym, derived from my management strategies class, breaks down the framework for effective goal setting. At a glance this methodology seems quite straightforward, but in practice we are all dreamers and usually spend more time than we should fantasizing about greener pastures.

  

So instead of what if-ing until we are blue in the face, lets be realistic. Be pro active. Utilize the resources and capabilities of our existing environment to ensure success and growth. To know where you are going, you need to know where you have been...and when you know this, you will see how far you have come.

"Holding onto you, holding onto me...you're all I see." - Mat Kearney

Be your best self.

girl power

Development can wear many different hats. From immediate relief, to long term education...one aspect that is consistent is the hope to facilitate positive and sustainable change among communities in need. Perhaps the most important thing to understand before launching any development campaign is the issue. Although seemingly obvious, misdiagnosing the problem will undermine the projects success from day one. Therefore, as outsiders, we should seek to empower and utilize existing capacities and then teach the practical skills to curb the poverty cycle.

At the onset of the year, I was keen to explore development through education, and ideally work with an organizations like the Institute of International Education that subsidizes projects to bring quality education to the most dire corners of the world. All too often women and girls are left as the collateral damage of failed education systems and so began my curiosity in development byway of advocacy.

Feeling heavy and rather bogged down by the worlds laundry list of social injustices, I looked for guidance among other liked minded young women. Dr. Samantha Nutt's book 'Damned Nations', chronicles two decades of her work delivering aid and her vision for Canada as a leader in future peacekeeping pursuits. Enthralled by her personal testimonials, it has never been more clear to me how important an accurate needs assessment and the establishment of measurable and achievable goals are. For a further commentary, listen to her interview with the CBC.

"Be the change you want to see in the world." - Gandhi

c'est la vie

from sunrise to sunset - city hall

Like the interactive art of Nuit Blanche that connected  neighbourhoods across Toronto, my stories from last night required a full range of movement. Over coffee and poached eggs, my parents learned about "this guy that was on the tallest unicycle ever! I don't even know how he got up there, let alone juggle three blazing torches" and the refurbished office building with "a wading pool spanning (hmm I'd say) the entire length of the lobby. There were logs floating freely, I tried to walk on one - quickly thought better of it when I nearly dunked. I would have been pissed if I got wet, it was freaking freezing out. Oh yeah, they also provided us with umbrellas!" In between stories and bites of breakie, I came to realization that the work of art that resonated with me the most was the splash of colour that wiped across the downtown core. Every age and every colour was represented at Nuit. Last night was about Toronto and celebrating contemporary artists and embracing how we are different. United by our shared passion for beautiful and interesting things, our minds were left bursting with wonder, our bodies warmed by the spirit of Toronto.