Arianna Merritt, MEd | Health Educator & Digital Creator

Be Brave. Show Up at the Beach. Be Seen.

Did I ever think that the young girl who didn’t like public speaking nor being seen on stage would grow up to be brave and write a blog to share her random thoughts with the world? Truth is, I didn’t.

Becoming an author and blogger was never something I planned. Rather, the idea for this platform to express my thoughts came to me “randomly” in 2010 while taking a coffee, talk, and a walk on the beach in Hawaii with my family.

Relaxing on the beach that day, I looked around: everyone was smiling, having fun, enjoying the surroundings, and at peace. Hawaii was working its magic – it was allowing people to feel free to be themselves. There were men and women from around the globe, all of so many shapes and sizes. But they had one thing in common; they were happy at the beach. As was I. So at the beach that day, I had a life-changing thought: everybody is beautiful.

Blogging, ConfidenceArianna MerrittMarch 18, 2016Beach, blogging, Hawaii Comment

Overcome Your Fear of Judgement

After reflecting on my own and others’ perspectives about these questions ending my last post, “Finding Time for Self-Care in Our Busy Lives,” it became pretty apparent that many of us CRAVE more physical activity in our lives.

For example, during a recent conversation with a dear friend and loyal blog reader we talked a lot about her busy summer travel schedule and how difficult it is to find the time to work out. Since being active is so important to our physical and mental health, I invited her to share how she incorporates physical activity into her busy schedule.

Body ImageArianna MerrittFebruary 2, 2015Beach, erin, sport england, this girl canComment

Dr. Nina Savelle-Rocklin's Self-Discovery Lesson on Learning to Slow Down

Therefore, to continue the conversation, I reached out to Dr. Nina Savelle-Rocklin to share her Record Worthy Practice with us. She is a mom, wife, and “busy” professional. Despite her packed schedule, she has been a mentor to me, giving me lots of advice through sharing her personal insight. Dr. Nina (as she is known) is a psychoanalyst, an author, an award-winning blogger, and the creator of the ‘Win the Diet War’ program. In the past, Dr. Nina has been on the blog sharing her insights; we’ve also been following each other on Twitter since we have similar professional interests. I emailed her to ask how she finds time to incorporate self-care into her busy schedule.

Director of Athletics Dr. Ivan Joseph's Self-Discovery Lesson on Practicing the Skill of Self-Confidence

As the Director of Athletics at Ryerson University in Toronto, Dr. Joseph leads the university’s sports community of 12 varsity teams, more than 20 multi-tiered intramural leagues, several sports clubs, and other extensive offerings. He shows the participants how to be their personal best athletically and mentally, both as individuals and as a group.

In his former role of recruiting student athletes, he was often asked what skill he was most searching for when looking for potential members to his teams; was it speed? Strength? Agility? In Dr. Joseph's TEDx Talk, he answers this question, explaining how self-confidence is not just the most important skill in athletics, but in our lives! Watch Dr. Joseph’s talk here:

What does it mean to be alive?

What does it mean to be alive? This was a question one of my grandmothers asked me recently after we were reflecting on just how precious life is. Why does it take death or the process of losing someone dear to you to realize what truly matters in life?

You could be in a place thinking there is no clear pattern to your career and you are looking for direction. Sometimes it takes you doing what you don’t like or seeing the world from a different lens to actually realize what your gift is in this world and what your purpose is on earth.

On the airplane home after an inspiring trip with family and friends, I couldn’t help but reflect on how valuable life is and the mark I want to leave on this world.

Happy Holidays!

The holiday season is among us. For me, this season is one of the most beautiful times of the year. What is your favourite part of the holidays?

For many, it is a time of celebration when people reunite with their family and friends and have delicious meals and spend quality time together. With our busy lives, this time of year serves us with the beautiful reminder to cherish our relationships.

The bright light displays remind me to spread the holiday cheer wherever I go, especially with my friends and family.

RelationshipsArianna MerrittDecember 14, 2014Beach, Christmas, Holidays, keep shining, shake it off, taylor swift Comments

Get Clear on Your Vision

How do you handle the fog?

Foggy days, like today on the West Coast, always make me reflect on time in my life when my path lacked direction and I couldn’t see the horizon in front of me. Thinking out loud and sharing my “random thoughts” with others really provided light, clarity, and support at a time when I felt hopeless and lost.

I have realized that there will always be foggy days in life but with faith and hope for brighter days ahead, you can get through them. Perhaps because today is a foggy grey day and I have also been talking a lot about blogging this week that I feel compelled to write this post and share my thought process with you.

BloggingArianna MerrittDecember 1, 2014Beach, blogging, Clarity, Coaching, vision Comments

The Strong Bond of Sisters

What is the best present you have ever received?

November is a time of celebration for me, as it is my birthday month. On my birthday last week, I received many calls, emails, cards, texts, and visits from friends and family all around the world. I felt the outpour of love and support and am truly blessed. For me, presence is the best present!

Body ImageArianna MerrittNovember 17, 2014Beach, Birthday, Empowerment, November, sisters, starfish Comments

Blonde Ambition

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the term, “blonde”? Do you think of a smart woman?

For example, in late September, I attended a workshop at the BellyFit Summit with Taryn Brumfitt, creator of the Body Image Movement. The purpose of the Body Image Movement is to “to reach as many women as possible around the world and speak to them about how we can learn to fully embrace and love our bodies.” Taryn is also the creator of Embrace the Documentary and co-creator of The Unstoppable Program. I had been inspired by Taryn’s work for awhile; in person, she was authentic and her talk about body image was powerful and engaging.

The Value of Cheerleaders

How can you empower your friends to reach their full potential? How important is it to cheer them on along the way?

Ideas come to me at random times. These were the thoughts that crossed my mind late last week. I wrote the rough draft for this post from the waiting room of an opera company, where I was standing by while my friend was auditioning. Listening to her sing, I was reminded that following one’s dream can be hard; so it is important to have cheerleaders along the way.

My friend, Shantelle Przybylo, is an opera singer who travels throughout the world. She came all the way to British Columbia from Washington, D.C., to sing live in front of the opera directors.

Arianna MerrittOctober 27, 2014Beach, Friendship, Opera, professional, shantelle przybylo, singer, Vancouver Comment

Lessons Learned From Chris Guillebeau's Book Event

This quote came to mind travelling home a couple nights ago. I was so grateful that when given the opportunity, I showed up! If you follow me on Twitter and/or Facebook, you would have seen that on Sunday, I attended a special event with Chris Guillebeau at Chapters Robson in Vancouver.

Chris was there to promote his new book, The Happiness of Pursuit. The event involved him giving a 20-30 minute talk, then answering (or attempting to answer as he put it) audience members’ questions, followed by a book signing. I totally recommend this book - click here to order one through Chapters/Indigo.

The Importance of a Strong Core

While on the plane, the airlines broadcast the following safety announcement before each flight: “Make sure that your own oxygen mask is on first, before helping others.” The same principle can be applied to life. I believe that you can’t help others in the most effective manner if you aren’t helping yourself first. One of the ways I help myself is to practice yoga.

Yoga is a very personal practice which makes me stretch myself past my limits, physically and mentally. It encourages me to persevere and ignore negative thoughts; it empowers me to become the best version of myself.

Arianna MerrittOctober 14, 2014Beach, community, Rowing, strengthen your core, thoughtful conversations Comments

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