What is one word that would describe summer for you?

For me, I think of SHINE! Perhaps it is because of the warm sunshine, or that every living thing seems so alive and free.

One of those things that I keep free and flowing during the summer is my hair. You see, those who have naturally curly or wavy hair will totally understand; no matter how hard you try to straighten your hair, heat or moisture cause it to go back to its flowing state. Therefore, in the summer, I spend less time straightening my hair, as there really is no point with the humidity and my love of being in the water.

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.

Last night, I returned home from spending five days at a narrative therapy conference in the beautiful city of Vancouver.

Called Therapeutic Conversations, the conference was empowering. The souvenirs from my travels were a full heart, a journal filled with notes, and a camera of precious memories!

The word that summarizes my experience is: gratitude. Some conference goers (myself included) took part in an exercise on the first day about connecting with and appreciating our bodies. During this time, the facilitator asked us to focus our thoughts on our knees, and to thank them.

Ever have a love/hate relationship with a place that you enjoy so much, yet it causes you great anxiety when you are there?

In my experience, this place has been the water’s edge (i.e., the beach).

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.

As you may know, I have been reaching out and asking people I admire what daily practices (i.e., record worthy practices) they perform in their lives to feel better about themselves. I encourage you to sit back, put away your distractions for a few minutes, and reflect. Think about how you can apply the record worthy practice, which is shared below, in your life.

Today. Anne-Sophie Reinhardt shares her record worthy practice with all of us.

“What can you do with a Psychology degree?” is a question many students (either prospective or current) ask about the program. I bet you have asked yourself a variation of this question before starting your training.  What students really want to know is: “How can I apply the skills and knowledge I learn from my Psychology studies outside the school setting?” and “What will result?”

While I was an undergraduate student at Carleton University, I remember asking the same questions. However, now through gaining professional experience in the field and finding my way, I can tell you there are SO many routes to apply your degree.  

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!

What makes you come alive? When I was working on my Master's degree and contemplating this very question, a friend of mine shared with me a quote by Howard Thurman (image found further down in the article).

After reflecting on that quote, I decided to create a blog as I love writing and connecting with people from around the world. Relationships are what make me come ALIVE. I’m so excited to have connected with the inspiring coach and creator of Alive in Berlin, Jana Schuberth. In the interview below, Jana speaks from her heart and talks about what makes her come alive.  

As you may know, I have been reaching out and asking people I admire what daily practices (i.e., record worthy practices) they perform in their lives to feel better about themselves. I encourage you to sit back, put away your distractions for a few minutes, and reflect. Think about how you can apply the record worthy practice, which is shared below, in your life.

Today, Rebecca Fraser-Thill suggests: