What do you do when you are feeling ‘isolated’ or ‘lonely’?

Those words have been surfacing in my conversations over the past couple of months. Many people I have encountered recently in my daily life and throughout my travels have said they seem ‘lonely’ or ‘isolated’ - they feel disconnected from others.

On vacation in Hawaii – a spectacular natural ‘paradise’ – fellow tourists brought up the term. They said they felt ‘isolated’ because they were SO FAR AWAY from family and friends.

Happy Start to Summer! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend celebrating its arrival.

When I think back to my summers as a child, the term ‘care-free’ comes to mind. Being out of school, you can sleep in, go to camp, and pursue more activities you enjoy outside the classroom. How do you have fun in the summertime?

Summer has always been one of my favourite times of year, as it makes people get outside more and enjoy the sun and warmth. Especially in Canada, summer is the season for refueling after a LONG winter.

Today, Chris Guillebeau, the New York Times best-selling author of The $100 Startup, is sharing his record-worthy practice with all of us. During a lifetime of self-employment, Chris visited every country in the world (193 in total) before his 35th birthday. Each summer in Portland, Oregon, he hosts the World Domination Summit, a gathering of creative, remarkable people. Connect with Chris on Twitter, on his blog, or at your choice of worldwide airline lounges. 

What do you think of when you hear the words, “I don’t know”?

For many years, that saying made me uncomfortable. I was stuck on seeing the term “I don’t know” as a negative thing (as if I didn’t have all the answers) or a stumbling block.

Over time, instead of seeing the words “I don’t know” as a stopping point, I learned to cherish them as a starting place for my personal and professional growth.

Songs that tell stories really speak to my heart. Music creates a powerful connection between others. Songwriters communicate personal stories and share experiences. The audience listens to the songs and relates to what the other went through.

For me, that is what music is all about: support. When listening to a beautiful song, you can feel a sense of hope and connection! That is what Zach Sobiech’s song, Clouds, gave to me when I first heard it.

Many people only think of talk therapy. However, today more therapists, myself included, are turning to other modalities to help individuals express themselves. I reached out and invited Caroline Macrory to enlighten us all about the healing powers of therapeutic writing.

I’m excited that today, Lydia Criss Mays is “Speaking From the Heart” and sharing her experiences with all of us. I have known Lydia for the past couple of years. I have been so inspired by her beautiful vision and passion that I asked her to be part of this series; she is a mentor to me. On See Beautiful’s website, Lydia shares the stories of others. In this interview, I’m delighted that we all get to hear her beautiful thoughts.

Ever heard of the common empowerment phrase “Say Yes to Life”? What does “saying yes” mean to you? How do you apply it in your life?

I heard the phrase a couple years ago and wanted to adapt it into my life as a way to be open to new possibilities.

To me, I initially thought of it as a way to overcome one’s fears about trying new things. People would present me with opportunities and I would say yes.

After 4 years of blogging with wordpress.com, I recently decided to move my blog to a self-hosted site. I had thought about it for a while (a year actually) and decided this spring was the perfect time to launch.

Initially, I started the blog as a place for my own healing and personal growth; over time and through your support, this beach space has grown into a collective retreat space for us all to gather. I wanted the design to reflect the transition.

I reached out and asked the amazingly creative designer and fellow Canadian, Rita Barry (Blog Genie), to help me make the transition from wordpress.com to wordpress.org. The process is quite challenging and technical, so I asked for an expert’s help.

I'm excited that today, Dawn Brown, is “Speaking From the Heart” and sharing her experiences with all of us. Dawn was the Director of Student Life Services and head of Career Services at Carleton University (where I obtained my Bachelor's degree) in Ottawa, Canada. I am really inspired by Dawn's message of hope, so I asked her to be part of this series; she is a mentor to me. As said on her website, "she credits those she has met on the road and seas with inspiring her by allowing her to see life through their eyes." I had to ask Dawn to inspire fellow writers by asking her to speak from her heart!

Ever wondered about the writing process? How does it work? I get asked about my writing process quite often and love having conversations about expressing one's thoughts. Writing is a solitary practice so it is more fun to have people around to inspire you along the way. So when one of my blog friends and fellow authors, Heather Grace Stewart, invited me to take part in this blog hop, I wholeheartedly agreed. How the blog works is that you mention the author who invited you (i.e., Heather) and then share your answers to the Blog Hop questions. Thanks for the invitation Heather! Prepare to be inspired and feel free to share your thoughts on the writing process!

During the winter months, the opposite of ‘moving’ or ‘doing’ occurs. Many people don’t feel motivated to do anything except sit inside by the fire and get warm. The lack of sun and cold temperatures prompt people to stay inside and enter hibernation mode. Growing up in Canada, you get used to long winters and learn to adapt to the snow and cold temperatures. You learn to have fun despite the harsh winter months. Still, we Canadians are always excited for spring to come!