I often reflect on the beauty of a new season and all of the
promise that comes along with it. Spring is one of my favorite seasons of all.
I love the renewal, the fresh, clean promise that you feel when you hear the
birds return to our forests.
I recently returned home from 2 weeks on the Baja. I love
the warmth, the dry blue skies on a daily basis. I love the beautiful smell
that permeates the air and the ever present lightness of the days; however,
coming home to my West Coast gets sweeter each time that I do it.
At this time of year, returning home to the North Shore when
the weather is as sunny and warm as it has been, it is just a pleasure. Besides
the glorious weather, I am grateful for the feeling of being happy to come
home. Home really is my sanctuary and I truly do love my home and the community
in which I belong to.
The spring is a time when people begin to find a little pep
in their step and I find that in general people find it easier to share a smile
with a stranger. One of the things that I find with the Mexican people and that
I appreciate so much about them, is that they are so warm and giving of
themselves. For the most part they would never dream of walking past you
without looking you in the eye and offering a heartfelt smile.
It has been my experience that many people here find it no
problem to walk past a stranger and to ignore them entirely. It seems so
foreign to me. How can we be so cold? Now granted, I am far more touchy feely
than most people, so I am told, but then
again, I am also the girl who hugs you when I greet you and when I leave your
presence. Regardless, I would never dream of walking by someone with out
acknowledging their existence and I cannot venture into that mind set for even
a moment to try and understand the mentality.
I have a good friend that moved down to Cabo 3 years ago. To
give you an idea of who Carlene is, let me tell you that she is a gorgeous
person from the inside out. She is beautiful, charming, and sincere. She is a
straight shooter that is business savvy and the kind of friend anyone would be
lucky to have. Anyway, she and her husband decided to take their 3 young
children out of the hustle and bustle of West Vancouver and they have never
looked back since.
I had the privilege of enjoying an entire day with this lovely
lady while I as down in Cabo last week. To know her before and after moving to
Cabo you would believe that she was an entirely different person. She is
calmer, more centered and more joyful than ever. There is an ease in her spirit
that was not there before. There is a light in her eyes that is new. When I
questioned her about her obvious transformation, she was pleased to share with
me her evolution.
Basically my girlfriend explained to me how Mexico has
offered she and her family a laid back life style where they are surrounded by
people, a community that experiences Spring all year long. People are getting
plenty of vitamin D and they are very family focused rather than worrying about
what their neighbours are doing, if you know what I mean. Everything that is
important to the Mexican people, they find within their family and within their
own home.
It sounded so simple to hear this amazing recipe for this
new found balance and happiness, but the more I sit with it the more obvious it
seems. Of course there is a
serenity that prevails when we have our priorities straight
and have all of our focus on our immediate family. It is only when we venture
beyond our own family and home that we find ourselves taking on too much,
worrying about other people’s journeys, that is when we find ourselves in a
position to feel overwhelmed and therefore a vulnerable place to be personally.
Returning home as I said was a beautiful thing, but I
brought with me the lesson that my girlfriend gifted me. I came home committed
to being more joyful and by using her basic but powerful recipe in my day to
day life. Just a few days in and I have already been challenged to keep my life
simple and to keep my focus directly on my own immediate family.
Now, when I say that I am keeping my eyes on my own
backyard, what I mean is, I am not allowing myself to over extend my mind or
heart on those that are not apart of my immediate circle of family and friends.
I have been notorious for giving more than was in my well to give, and often to
those that really have no business taking my attention away from my true
beloveds.
What does that look like, you ask? Well, it means that I
stopped myself from emailing that friend I have not spoke to in 6 months to see
how she is. Instead I choose to trust that she is fine, and instead I read my
daughter a book. It means that instead of going for coffee with an acquaintance
that I usually find to be an energy vampire, I called a good friend and
connected in a way that left us both feeling nourished and full. Instead of replacing all of the lamps in my house today, I spent 4 hours cleaning out my garage. Simplicity.
After being away on a family holiday, people always notice
the tan and ask where have you been and what was the highlight. Clearly, to
know me is to know that having that family focused time with my amazing husband
and brilliant children was by far the greatest highlight of the trip for me,
but a very close second goes to my girlfriend Carlene who gifted me with the
idea of simplicity. She has successfully and joyfully been modeling the life I
wish to live.
Don’t get me wrong… Car and her husband still have the heavy
responsibilities that we all carry day in and day out, the difference is that
they go about their days with a sense of peace that is rare to find here in
this beautiful place that I live, where beauty is everywhere, and so you would
think peace would be also, yet you actually have to look a little more deeply
to find it as often.
So, what do I do with this new found perspective? I go into
my days with a brighter heart, spreading the joy and peace I have found with each
person I meet, by simply sharing an authentic smile with the intention of modeling
what Carlene modeled for me. I want to live a simple life in away that keeps me
grounded yet still provides plenty of room for amazing opportunities and
serendipity to find me.
I never take for granted that my family has the privilege of
taking a two week holiday in a tropical place. I am very thankful for the
opportunities that our hard work lends to us, but I am also grateful for having
people like Carlene in my life to remind me of how easily joy can be found.
Happiness is a choice, in each and every moment. Living life with an open heart
and a pure intention will attract beauty beyond our wildest dreams. I know this
for sure. I have seen it with my own two eyes.
Wishing you a beautiful spring that brings you a true
happiness, Mexican style.
Love & Light,
Xo t.
