2020 unleashed a series of events that took me by surprise. Although my intensifying struggle with my hair had been brewing for some years, epic health crisis, the emergence of COVID and lockdowns emboldened me to try something equally dramatic. After years of wrestling with my hair, I decided to give up the struggle and explore the unknown territo…

At the dawn of our 29th wedding anniversary, we are celebrating a long-dreamt milestone, the fulfillment of our home mortgage! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/leavingbusy/message

One of the joys of life and friendship is having the opportunity to watch extraordinary women grow and come into their own as the years progress. I have the privilege of knowing many fabulous women who are doing amazing things and am excited to feature them periodically in my new "Extraordinary Women in Focus" article series. --- Send in a voice me…

February 2021 is upon us, and I have fully embraced the love theme of Valentine's Day by decorating my home in an unprecedented way. There are pink flowers, white ribbon, hearts, lights, candles, and traditional colour-themed candy. Everything that speaks of whimsical romance and creating lifelong love and it makes me happy. Walking down the aisle …

Confession: I am a Serial Dieter and this is a list of the 12 diets I’ve tried and failed at over my lifetime.Nutrition is an overall health-related topic that needs to be included in this blog but as a serial diet failure, I was delaying as long as possible.How could I write about something that is a glaringly current personal struggle for me? Who…

As December drew to a close and 2021 was dawning on the horizon, I was decidedly shy about emotionally investing in new year goals. I have always advocated making life plans and daring to dream, but my optimistic agenda was drop-kicked and knocked unconscious last year. When I woke up, the world had changed, and so had I. Still, nothing inspires dr…

Nothing about 2020 has been normal. Life has changed significantly in the wake of global events. Regardless of faith, political leanings, social-economical status, race or life season, 2020 has had an array of events and ripple effects that have touched us all. Everyone has a different spin on who is to blame, what decisions should be made to hold …

My friend eyed me inquisically, and I found myself unburdening years of negative experiences trying to connect with hobbyist groups in search of "support and encouragement." It was apparent that I had found precisely the opposite. Not that all these groups were terrible and didn't have support to give. Just that they were too intensely focused on t…

After every crisis, there is a time of rebuilding. Even as I write this, our country of Canada is beginning to rebuild after six weeks of closing all non-essential businesses and mass quarantine to slow the spread (flatten the curve) of the COVID-19 virus. Rebuilding can be slow and painful, but it is necessary. This narrative is a recollection of …

During my sedation, I was aware that things were not going as planned. The combination of fentanyl and morphine I was given while sedated had an effect on my perception of real and imagined events. In Part 1 of Life Tsunami: Surviving the Unexpected, I lay out the facts that lead up to my surgery, two weeks of sedation and the aftermath I woke up t…

As my friends and I toasted the arrival of 2020 on New Year's Eve with all my hopes and plans for the months to come, I had no idea of the events soon to crash the peaceful shore of my life. A silent storm was brewing, and a life tsunami was about to break, not only for me personally but for everyone globally. Since that celebratory evening, life h…

I’m talking about the stuff that we know we should address but don’t and somehow, we think that 2020 is going to be different without us behaving differently. Changing our behaviours is something we can do at any time, but most of us are more receptive to change at the ushering in of a new year. So here are 3 Ingeniously Practical Ways to Expand Yo…

Christmas. It is supposed to be the season for joy and merriment and for the most part, it is; however, even for the jolliest Santa, Christmas preparations and celebrations can bring out their inner Scrooge! No-one likes going into debt, but we all want to enjoy generous festivities, bless our loved ones and extend our giving to those less fortunat…

My love for Christmas advent calendars is progressively turning into an obsession. It started as a child when my mother introduced me to the store-bought cardboard version that contained chocolates. I suspect this was her way of coping with the “How many more days is it to Christmas?” question I posed to her multiple times a day. Now though, chocol…

In the Christian community, Christmas is traditionally celebrated on December 25th as a religious holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. However, in the marketing world, preparing for celebrations is launched well before the Canadian Thanksgiving, Halloween, continuing past the US Thanksgiving through to Christmas Eve. All this results in…

The more I delve into the world of blogging and writing, the more I realize how important it is to build relationships with fellow bloggers and authors. Online communities have been invaluable in achieving this and I have been the recipient of unexpected, generous support from others as a result. When I announced the publishing of my first book, I …

The holiday season can be one of the most stressful times of the year. Starting around mid-October, straight through into the New Year, it seems like we go non-stop. From preparing food to home decorations, parties, shopping for presents, booking accommodations, and incurring travel expenses, etc., celebrations can become overwhelming if you're not…

Halloween season does surface the universal beliefs of good versus evil and the supernatural. It appeals to a lot of people who don’t embrace the same belief system as I do. As limited humans, we all long for power that elevates us from our limitations to expand our realities.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/leav…

It was the beginning of Thanksgiving weekend and although Kara was going through the motions of preparing a traditional turkey dinner, her heart wasn’t in it. It felt like there was nothing to celebrate.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/leavingbusy/message

Writing and self-publishing your book. It’s the ultimate lifetime dream for those with a passion for writing. For most of us the path is not a direct linear line but a weaving, scattered journey.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/leavingbusy/message

I love the idea of a reflective retreat and try to set apart time to pursue a meditative, learning or development activity at least once a year. It is so healthy and centering to pull away from the regular demands of life to quietly examine one’s inner self and pay attention to the weightier matters of the soul.--- Send in a voice message: https://…

Email to subscribers featuring 2 latest articles--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/leavingbusy/message

One cannot responsibly preach a message of slowing down, rest and sabbaticals…living the life you’ve always dreamed of…without addressing the hard reality of finances. A more reasonable balance between work and play sounds romantic and enviable until the bills pile up and the car breaks down. Still there is a path one can proactively walk that will…

There is pro-choice rhetoric that claims pro-life advocates of having little interest in the wellbeing of mother and babe past the initial decision to decline abortion. This story is a celebration of the community that rallied around my mom and me in my first years of life, a violation of trust and innocence and how ultimately love and forgiveness …

I stood in front of the Father’s Day card display at our local Wal-mart crying. Having stopped to pick up some items on my way to a work meeting, I came across a random mid-isle display.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/leavingbusy/message

Essential Oils. Even two decades ago, I had never heard the term. I certainly had no idea that I would not only try them but come to love and share my love of oils with friends as well. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/leavingbusy/message

The coupon codes were everywhere. In my Facebook feed. Little coloured slips of advertising in my regular correspondence. Tempting ads in my Google finds. Goodfood. Another meal subscription service that promised to make my life more convenient while allowing me to enjoy better home-cooked meals. Honestly? I ignored the message. I kept on browsing.…

This morning I dragged my reluctant body through a 30-minute stretch routine. Struggling to harness my attention span, I would catch myself staring listlessly off into the distance as the drone of fitness instruction guided me through a series of body positions. In this stage of fitness repentance, stretching is full of awkward reminders that my la…

This year, Marie Kondo’s system of tidying up has swept North America. Households are embracing the very practical “KonMari” method and purging record volumes of excess possessions from their homes. Why? To enjoy the promised mental, emotional and relational peace that comes from making decisions, getting rid of clutter and moving forward in life w…

I’m convinced that unresolved conflict is a major cause of poor mental health and that confrontation that leads to healing can be the best elixir to a troubled soul. Yet even the word “confrontation” brings a sense of adversity, does it not? The truth is that conflict doesn’t have to be adversarial! Addressing offences can be loving and gentle. Hea…

Adopting a pet comes with multiple benefits! Dogs definitely lead the pack when it comes to pets but cats are a very close second and their owners are no less enthusiastic. While there are many other creatures one can enjoy like hamsters, gerbils, fish, turtles, lizards, snakes, spiders, pigs, rabbits, horses and more…we’re going to focus today’s a…

Easter is just over a week away and it brings to mind a springtime long weekend, pastels, bunnies, chickees, eggs, and CHOCOLATE! It also includes a festive Sunday morning church service with best dresses, excited musical pageantry over Christ’s triumphant resurrection and an afternoon with family around an abundant table. Tucked in there is the so…

You just signed up for a blog filled with oodles of great information that you need and earnestly want to read. The moment you hit “subscribe” your inbox is filled with confirmation emails, offers and those valuable facts you plan to consume…later on when you have time. Soon those emails are sandwiched between work and personal correspondence, volu…

Last week I shared the personal mental health crisis that gave me the courage to leave the security of my job. This ultimately lead to starting this blog dedicated to promoting mental health and helping people live more healthful, balanced lives Today I want to share 3 risk factors to avoid mental health crisis. There are many factors that contribu…

If you’d told me that I would be starting a blog dedicated to the promotion of mental health and the many topic threads woven in and around it…well let’s say I didn’t see this coming. Before we move on, let me introduce myself and how the topic of mental health became one of importance to me personally. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcaste…

An introductory welcome to website visitors in the first weeks of development --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/leavingbusy/message