Finding the Wonder in All Seasons....

Finding the Wonder in All Seasons

I haven't blogged for a while as we have had a lot of visitors over the last couple of months. So... here goes...

Today, we decided to go for a drive around the Deer Trail - it's about a 3 hour loop starting north of Elliot Lake and ending in Iron Bridge, after which we hit Hwy 17 for the return home. 

Although the leaves have mostly been blown off the trees, there was still so much to appreciate. I just love looking at the leafless trees when they appear as a silhouette against the background of the sky. Each branch and twig can be seen in every detail. The naked trees affords us a better view into the wooded areas that are prolific around here. We get to see deeper into the places where wildlife is active and are often surprised by what appears. 

Today, we were appreciating the small rapids on the Little White River and commenting about how nature is beautiful, no matter what the season. Just at that point, Mark became aware of movement in the corner of his eye, and spotted a black bear on the other side of the river. He stayed there for a few minutes, before disappearing back into the forest. I'm not sure that he saw us as bears have very poor eyesight (though we may have appeared as a couple of shapes to him). Nevertheless, he was no doubt aware of us, using his keen sense of smell. It's funny how that it was not while we were looking out for wildlife that we spotted him, but when we were focusing upon something else that we found pleasing. 

'Bernie' Bear - on the Little White River

It occurred to me that sometimes in other areas of life, when we are wanting something to come into our experience and we keep waiting and looking for it to come, it often eludes our grasp. When we relax, let go, 'go with the flow', and focus elsewhere - especially upon something that gives us pleasure - that's when things come to us. People often tell me that when they have lost something, they only find it once they have given up looking for it. I believe that this is because while we are focusing upon the problem, or the absence of what we want, we cannot be in the vicinity of the presence of what we want at the same time. Once we stop noticing that something hasn't happened for us yet, we allow it to ease its way into our experience. 

As a bonus, we saw also saw two more wolves this afternoon, and I can honestly say that I had a knowing earlier on that this would happen. I'm a happy camper!  And I'm gonna try to relax and let go more often!

Spur of the Moment..... and being in the Right Place, at the Right Time!

Spur of the Moment..... 

......and being in the right place, at the right time!

It was Sunday lunchtime, and we were having a nibble at one of our local restaurants in Elliot Lake when Mark suddenly said, 'It's so nice outside, we should be going out somewhere'. Very quickly, we fell upon the idea of visiting Manitoulin Island - something we had wanted to do ever since we moved here in June. 

Now, it was 2:30 p.m. and it would be at least a 2 hour drive to get to our destination, but we rolled with idea and, after a quick visit back home to collect our energy bars, snacks, and water, we set off. It occurred to me that freedom of time which comes along with retirement is a wonderful thing. I knew that I didn't have to get to bed at a 'reasonable time' because I didn't have to get up early for work the next morning. After all, this was a Sunday! We just did it!

The journey to Espanola is familiar to us, having done it several times over the last three months. However, when we headed south of there on Highway 6, the scenery completely changed. Rocks plunging into lakes at various angles merged with large open spaces giving us a variety of vistas to enjoy along the way. 

Manitoulin is quite a large island, and so we had chosen a particular destination: Bridal Veil Falls. Ever since we had heard about it from those who had been there, it had been placed on our ever-increasing bucket list. 

We were not prepared for just how beautiful it was..... and the small village of Kagawong certainly lives up to its welcome sign: 'Ontario's Prettiest Village'. 

This was to be the first time that we had actually been behind a waterfall and it was amazing - a very different perspective. Although the water was a little cool, if we would have had our bathing costumes, in we would have gone!

After spending some time here, and in the village - where we admired some of the stained glass windows, we made our way south to South Baymouth to see where the Tobermory Ferry comes in. We nearly didn't go there because we were hoping to get back on to the mainland before dusk so that we could continue to enjoy viewing the areas which were new to us on the Island. However, we are so glad we did because it would put us in the right place at the right time... 

On the way back, we witnessed a spectacular sunset - one of those where the cloud formations just add to the overall effect. While stopping to take photos, we noticed a field with hundreds of sandhill cranes milling about. As we moved closer, they began to make noises which are now familiar to us (reminiscent of the veloceraptors in Jurassic Park!) and then took off in flight. Luckily, we had our phone in movie mode and we were able to capture them as they flew right in front of the setting sun!  It was a magical moment. 

We didn't get back to Elliot Lake until 11:30, and Mark was adamant in his desire to download all of the photos and get them posted on Facebook. So, we didn't get to bed until gone 2:00 a.m. - which didn't matter - because it doesn't matter any more!!!

As has been said by so many people, it is the unplanned events that sometimes bring the most joy. Our spur of the moment decision on Sunday was one of those occasions!

Creating the Reality We Want

Creating the Reality We Want

(Composed at camp - August 19th) 

We’re just lighting the campfire at Rabbit Blanket Lake Campground in Lake Superior Provincial Park after another spectacular day. 

Mark lighting the campfire

It started off at 5:00 a.m., when we rose early to head up north of Chapleau to the Game Preserve in the hopes of catching some wildlife as they began to be on the move. We had seen a bear the night before, but no sighting of wolves – either last night, or this morning - though we did catch a wonderful sunrise.

Sunrise in Chapleau Game Preserve

(The next bit may sound a bit esoteric, so please feel free to reinterpret according to your own understanding!)

After breakfast, we left for Wawa taking the highway northwards. It was at this time, I began to realize that I had perhaps not seen wolves because I had mixed my thoughts of hope with thoughts of disappointment and so I decided to tidy up my vibration.

Inside my head, I told myself that I had taken action before doing the vibrational work of getting into alignment with what I wanted. At one end of the ‘stick’ was the presence of wolves, and at the other end was the absence of wolves. I had been vibrating somewhere in the middle so I realized that I could not have rendezvoused with them.

I started to tell the story of what I wanted – as if it had already been achieved. I said to myself, the Universe has absolutely no doubt about what I want, as I’ve been wanting to see wolves in the wild for many years. Therefore, it’s already done – it’s already in my vibrational ‘escrow’ waiting for me to be a vibrational match to it. So, all I had to do was to visualize it as already done, and find thoughts on any subject that would make me feel good, knowing that this would take me right into the vortex where I would rendezvous with my heart’s desire. I decided to share this aloud with Mark.

I had barely finished the sentence, when we turned the corner, and right there, ahead of us, was a beautiful black wolf crossing the road!!!  We did not have the camera ready, and it had disappeared into the bush by the time we arrived at the spot where it had crossed. I HAD SEEN MY VERY FIRST WOLF IN THE WILD!!!!

The Wawa Goose

After a brief visit to the beautiful town of Wawa to replenish supplies,we headed south towards our next campsite at Rabbit Blanket Lake. On the way, we turned the corner on Hwy 17 and fell upon Old Woman Bay. What a fantastic view that was – and with Lake Superior stretching out towards the horizon.

Old Woman Bay
Lake Superior Provincial Park

  

After setting up camp, we took a 10 minute ride back to Old Woman Bay and spent some time jumping the waves, collecting stones, and just having fun! The water was a little cold, but we didn’t notice it after a while. 

After creating an almost perfect day, we’re looking forward to a really good sleep under the gentle sounds of the wind in the trees at our campsite.

Tomorrow, we head south towards Sault Ste. Marie, passing through some amazing vistas about which so many people have told us.

Can life get any better than this? You bet!  The best is yet to come!!

 

Alan - the 'true camper' composing this blog on camp!

36.7 million dollars in the last 11 years...... A Butcher's Story

Quote from my business partner, Jimmy 'the Butcher' Smith:

"This is the only profession I know where you can fail 90% of the time and still become a millionaire!"

David Wood

David Wood, an international money-making expert and success trainer, gets up close and personal with Jimmy as he shares how at 84 he is still living a Kickass Life by helping others do the same. 

After being forced to retire because of an injured back, “Jimmy the Butcher” Smith had earned a grand total of $400.000 for 40 years of work. His wife suggested that he become a crosswalk attendant at a local school and accept the inevitable, that there was nothing out there for an injured 56 year old butcher.

Jimmy 'the Butcher' Smith

Jimmy stumbled across a tape that changed his life and the lives of millions of people! Today he and his two daughters have earned almost 30 million dollars, and last year he paid more in taxes than the president of the United States earned! (August, 2012). 

Over the last 11 years, he and his family have earned in excess of 36.7 million dollars. 

Listen to the full podcast:  Jimmy Smith - the Millionaire Butcher.

(For the actual interview, skip to minute 13).

(Courtesy of David Wood's website: http://www.thekickasslife.com/)

Putting Ourselves First - A Path Leading to Love?

While the plane taxied out of the gate at Toronto Pearson Airport the other morning, on the small screen in front of me, they were showing an ad which showed a sullen child who was pouting no matter what toy was shown to her. After several attempts to encourage the child to smile, the parent had nearly given up when the girl looked up at a passing sales cart and saw a soft toy which brought about a change in the child’s demeanour.

The father immediately bought the toy, presented it to his daughter, and was rewarded with a smile and a joyful hug. The point of the ad was obviously to sell the toy to the watching audience.

However, I felt that there was also an underlying message that this child should be placated, no matter what. No way should this child be allowed to be unhappy. After all attempts to improve her demeanour failed, the pouting only stopped when she got what she wanted. The father jumped through all the hoops he could in order to please his daughter. It was a supreme example about putting others first, no matter what the cost.

In life, we often find ourselves putting others first – and there are occasions when this serves everyone involved. In fact, many philosophies and belief systems subscribe to this ideal. The word, ‘love’, is often defined as the action of putting others before ourselves. However, if we establish a pattern of living our lives for others – we may realize that we have fallen into the trap of being ‘people pleasers’. If this continues, we may be sacrificing our own joy and may even begin to feel a little resentful.

Minutes later, while nearing the runway for take-off, they were running through the emergency procedures and something caught my attention. When it came to the part where we were told that there may be a drop in cabin pressure, it was explained that masks would drop down to supply oxygen for each passenger. If you had a young child with you, it was imperative to put the mask on yourself first and then only after you had done this, should you put the mask on your child.

I remember the very first time I saw this, it struck me as odd that the parent would serve themselves first, before securing the mask on their child. Shouldn’t it be the other way round? Upon quick reflection, I realized that, if the parent became incapacitated in any way, due to the sudden lack of oxygen, then she would be in no position to help the child. Very quickly, it became obvious to me that, by putting herself first, the child’s safety and well-being was more likely to be secured.

It may seem incongruous to say that by tending to our own happiness, we are ultimately going to be more effective in what we have to offer others. Being ‘selfish’ enough to ensure that our own inner alignment is in place may be the most loving thing we can do for others.

The founder of Christianity is portrayed as teaching people to ‘Seek first the Kingdom of God, and then all these other things shall be added unto you.’ Elsewhere, he exclaimed that, ‘The Kingdom of God is within you’.

The Buddha also taught that, ‘The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart’; and elsewhere, ‘Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.’

It would seem that these seekers of wisdom had come to know that, unless we are in a good-feeling place ourselves, we will have very little to offer anyone around us. Inner Alignment is the most important thing we need to achieve in order to be in the vicinity of unconditional love which will overflow into the hearts of others.

Once we come to understand that we have not come into this life experience to be people pleasers or to feather the nest for others, no matter how close we may be to them, we will be free to seek first the inner peace and calm tranquility that can become the stepping off place for real change and loving transformation of those around us. When others witness our inner alignment, we are then in a position to influence them to their own alignment from which their peace and joy will flow.

Maybe we should have the courage to be a little more ‘selfish’, so that the world may become a happier, more peaceful place.

Calm on the Surface.....

7:00 a.m.  - and I’m sitting quietly overlooking Canal Lake at our friend’s cottage on Paradise Road (aptly named!) in Bolsover, Ontario. Lori has generously allowed us to stay here for a few days before we head out for our annual conference in Las Vegas.

It’s so easy to slip into the Vortex of Appreciation when you have such peaceful surroundings and beautiful vistas to coax you into a good-feeling place. The water looks like silk – so smooth, still, and unruffled. The silence is mesmerizingly incredible.

And yet…. I know that under the surface of the water, life is teeming with activity. Beneath this seemingly tranquil scene, the busy-ness of everyday life continues, unabated….. new birth, growth, decay, and death – the natural and inevitable circle of life carries on…. unnoticed and yet ever present.

This leads me to reflect upon our own experience of life, and to realize that, no matter how busy we are, no matter what we are experiencing, no matter what is going on beneath the surface, if we can find a tiny piece of tranquility and stillness, we will put ourselves into the vicinity of a calmness where we can recover a sense of peace and well-being.

When I have made the effort to find a small amount of time - just 5 minutes will do it – to silence my mind, embrace the stillness, and connect with my inner being, I set myself up for a day where I can go with the flow and achieve so much more than I thought possible. I notice that, when I rendezvous with people, my timing, my words, my opportunities just fall into place – easily and efficiently.

In the movie, ‘Pretty Woman’, there is a scene where, on the way to an evening out at the opera, and before the evening event has happened, Julia Roberts says to Richard Gere, “By the way, I just want you to know that I had a good time tonight!”

With similar sentiments, I’m so appreciative of Lori for allowing us to experience this little bit of paradise…. and I’m so appreciative of the day I am going to have.

The Power of Laughter

Loretta Laroche is one of my favourite persons. If you haven't seen her, check her out on YouTube. Here's a link to one of them.
She shares a few strategies to relieve stress using humour.

Loretta Laroche

If I want a good laugh, I choose to listen to her. I think she has a gift for holding a mirror up to the silly side of our lives and helps us to laugh at ourselves.

I often find myself taking things too seriously - taking myself too seriously. Others have told me that this is true for them, too. I suspect that this is the case for most, if not all, people. When this happens, we tend to take offence more easily, we become prone to disappointing experiences, and can start a downward spiral which then affects other areas of our lives.

Back in January/February of this year, I found myself complaining about several things that, from my perspective at that time, were not going right. I felt totally justified because I knew that I wasn't making these things up - they were really true. The thing is..... the more I complained, the more life threw more things my way to complain about.

Then I suddenly caught on to what was happening and I decided to do something about it. After all, we can't control anything outside ourselves. We try that constantly, and just as often fail in the endeavour. I remembered something that I had learned several years ago.... that the only thing we can control is what we choose to focus upon and by paying attention to what we are feeling when we are focused upon something will tell us whether we are on track towards more peace and joy, or widening the gap between my desires and their fulfilment.

So, I deliberately (note that word) started to choose thoughts that gave me some relief - thoughts that made me feel a little better than I did before. To help this process, I started to watch snippets on YouTube of 'Just for Laughs, Gags - just before going to bed.

I believe that when we laugh, we let go of a bunch of negative stuff, which is why it feels so good. I did this over the next few evenings, and within 3 days noticed a shift at the core of my being. After a week, I began to feel more hopeful, and then I noticed that things around me started to morph into more pleasing experiences.

Within a month, we were in a position for me to retire, we sold our house in just 2 days with no conditions, we found a terrific place to live, and the income from our part-time business increased dramatically. It was as if the doors that had been shut for a long time, were suddenly flung open, one by one, and we stepped through them effortlessly going with the flow, heading downstream into a more joyful, pleasing experience.

Laughter was the key for allowing the shift to take place within. The rest just followed, piece by piece, as we watched things come together in ways that we could never have dreamed was possible.