The Gratitude Process

There is not a day go by that we as humans, do not want for something. It is often a minor thing, like a hot cup of Chai. Yet, at times it can be something that would prove to be life changing. Normally, depending on the magnitude of the want, we either attend the craving by obtaining whatever it was that we wanted; however, the larger ‘wants’ seem to go unsatiated and we go on wishing for something to come or way or to happen for us.

Many people believe in positive visualization or they believe that somethings are just not attainable for them in this lifetime. There are a multitude of reasons why people settle for going without what they want. Often times, we feel that the dream is too big or that we are somehow undeserving. There are those that truly believe that they are just not ‘lucky’ enough to get what they want.

The truth is this; there is no luck. I love the Oprah quote,  “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” I didn’t quite understand the quote at first. It took me a few weeks of processing and relating the quote to my personal experience before I was able to fully appreciate the logic. It goes without saying if you want to be a chef, you need to do the ground work and educate yourself on cooking. I get that. What took me time to grasp was how that logic applied to me.

I know plenty of people who honestly seem to have an easier ride in this life, than most. They ‘seem’ to have things and opportunities arrive at their door, seeking them out, instead of the other way around. I remember the day I sat down with one of those people and I basically interviewed them on how they managed to live and create what I can only label as a ‘charmed life.’ The answer I was given changed my life from that day forward. I took their words and advice and added some wisdom that I already had and I have employed them together, ever since. Have I lived a ‘charmed life’ as a result? Not necessarily. Do I feel that my well is full and that I am living a life that I adore and appreciate? Absolutely!

I refer to this process as the “Gratitude Process’:

There is no safe guarded secret or ancient recipe that I was given, rather, I was given a set of tools which serve me well. Do I always attract what I hope to? Not always and not exactly, but what I do attract is what is best for me and my journey at that point in my life. There is a great saying…”Thank goodness for unanswered prayers!” Sometimes what we think we want is not what will best serve our better good, and it turns out in the long run that we are grateful that what we prayed for did not find us.

The first piece of sage advice I was given was to remember that life is not perfect. Not everything will always look like we had hoped; however, if we stay true to the course, it is usually revealed that we received exactly what we needed at that time. We need to remember to go with the flow and to not get hung up on the plans we had made, rather, appreciate what we have at any given time.

The second tool that is absolutely essential to acknowledge is that if you are thinking it, you are feeding it energy, and that is where the beginning and ending of most everything starts… in your thoughts. For example, if you want a new bike, you need to start utilizing positive visualization. You need to imagine yourself at the store purchasing the bike you want. Then you need to imagine riding ‘your’ bike. Imagine how it feels under you. Picture yourself putting it away after a great ride. You truly need to experience having it in your mind.

Once you have accepted that although you wanted a blue bike, you just may have to settle with a red one. Once you have experienced the ‘feeling’ of owning it you then need to talk about it. Discuss with your friends your intentions of owning this bike. Tell them how you intend on paying for it, where your first ride is going to be and how excited you are about having it. Really by discussing it out loud, you are verbalizing it to the universe that you want this ‘thing’. You need to remember, that if you do not set your clear intention and let the universe know, how will the universe provide for you?

A major key to this powerful equation is that you need to be full of gratitude for what you do have. You cannot be hung up on not having this item that you want for. You need to first make peace with what you have has served you well and that if this other ‘want’ does not come to fruition, that you are equally at peace with that. By letting it go before you even have it is such an important part of obtaining what you want. If you were to get obsessed with the want, it will become a negative experience for you and you will end up surrounded by your own negative energy which will not only repel what you ‘want’ but also the people around you.

Finally, you need to go after what you want. You need to seek out whatever it is that you need to achieve in order to have the wanted thing. You need to do the preparation in order to be in a good place to receive the thing when it comes along. Preparation meets Opportunity. Be prepared. What I find incredibly beautiful about this step, is that half the time, you have done the preparation without even knowing it or you completed it years ago without giving it any thought how it would benefit you in your future!

So to recap; you want to accept that what you wish for may look different than what you think you want. You need to positively visualize and imagine what it will be like to have the think that you are after. You need to share your intentions with the universe so that the universe can help to provide you with what would be of service to you and finally you need to be absolutely grateful and humble for what you do have and you must accept that perhaps the thing you think you want, may not be in line with what is best for you at this time in your life. Once you have completed your preparation, you are ready to receive. That may sound like many steps, but I cannot explain to you, how easy this process is or how often it has worked for me personally.

To give you an idea of what I am talking about, here is a recent example of how ‘the process’ has served me.

Besides owning my own jewelry design company, I have otherwise been out of the work force for exactly 10 years. A whole decade has passed and I have not been on anyone else’s payroll, except my own. Ten years is a long time to be out of the work force. Things have changed in my previous field of work. I have spent that past decade having children and nurturing them into the school system where they are presently flourishing. I, on the other hand have been craving to wet my feet again and rejoin the work force in some capacity. I have been toying with the idea for about a year now.

Six months ago, I spoke about my intention to seek some sort of employment for the first time. Since then I have inquired a few times about a few different jobs but at the end of the day, their needs did not match up to my availability. I have school aged children. I need to be there to drop them off at school and there to pick them up after school. There are stat holidays, easter and spring breaks, and then of course the two months off each summer where they of course are 100% my priority. I kept thinking to myself that I would love to find a part time job, but I was very doubtful about someone hiring me with my limited availability.  Then of course there was is my need for financial benefit. Unless I feel like I am making decent money, why would I work somewhere part time? It would make no fiscal sense.

Fast forward to one month ago. I was sitting on my deck, designing jewelry when I remembered my ‘Gratitude Process’. I felt like kicking myself for taking so long to remember how important it is to me and how well it has served me over the years. I immediately put down what I was doing. I pulled out my yoga mat. I went through some poses and began to meditate. I focussed on the perfect job. I decided in that moment that I wanted to be someone’s ‘girl friday’, a professional assistant, an executive assistant with a strong personal assistant gear. I began to imagine how valuable I could be to the right person. I focussed on what I could do for someone, rather than what they could do for me. I considered the multifaceted nature of my experience and skill set and I imagined how beneficial that could be to someone. I made the decision right there that I was going to approach two different people that I knew and pitch them my offer to work for them. Both individuals I knew well and respected. I had also decided that I needed to know the person I was going to work for because I knew I only wanted to invest my time, energy and love into someone that I could sincerely care for. The first person I approached took no time to shut me down. They simply did not have the room on their payroll for anyone else at this point. So, I went to the second person on my list and they were gracious to hear me out. They were thoughtful while I pitched my idea and they actually were intrigued and agreed that at some point in the near future they would call on me and we could set up an arrangement. A month later and I had heard nothing from them. I took that as a time to let go and let the universe provide me if and when this ‘want’ was going to be in my best interest.

I had let the idea go last Saturday, and on this past Thursday is when I saw one of my friend’s twitter feeds. She was advertising that she needed a part time Executive Assistant who could also cross over into a little personal assistant work. I could not believe my eyes. There it was! Someone I knew, liked and respected, needing exactly what I want to do in the capacity in which I was available to do it. I applied right then and there. I heard from her the next day. We arranged to go for a walk to discuss the position and both of our different sets of needs. Today was the day we walked. I found her needs were within my realm of knowledge and my needs which were mostly about the time I needed to be with my children. On every count that I was concerned was going to put a wedge between me and this job, it actually was a none issue and in fact worked well with this person’s schedule. I could not believe my ears. The more this amazing women spoke about what her hopes were for the position the more excited I became. Right there in front of me was the person and the job I had been visualizing. Once again the ‘Gratitude Process’ worked. Again, it did not come to fruition in the way I had planned or in the timing I had originally wanted, but it arrived in it’s own divine timing.

As it turned out, I was one of a dozen different applicants, and I was told that I was one of a couple that were actually in the running for the job. Both the other applicants and I had a different set of skills, and what I thought was going to be hurting my cause actually helped me to get the job. My age… Forty years old and out of the work force for ten years… instead of seeing me as out of the work force, it was seen as ready for a challenge after a good rest. My age was seen as a mature and responsible person. The time off I needed was also time off that my new employer also needs. Money was not an issue and I feel fabulous and appreciated by my new salary.

You simply never know what is around the corner waiting for you. You never know how you or what you think are issues, will actually be perceived. Here I had this great
process and I spent 6 months forgetting about it. Then I allowed negative chat to enter my head which worked against me for another 6 months. Not until I remembered to value myself and all that I bring to the table, was the universe able to provide for me. Half of the experience that makes me valuable to this position are tools and experience I gained between 10 & 15 years ago. I was preparing for this job without even knowing it.

I cannot help but wonder what this new job will be preparing me for. I don’t know. What I do know is that I am excited to step out into this new chapter of my journey.
I can hardly wait for tomorrow to get here so that I can jump in with two feet and begin to hopefully inspire and to be inspired.

I encourage and invite you to give some thought to the process you evoke when you want something. Does it work for you? Do you have an ‘attitude of gratitude’?
Do you think that perhaps you have room in your repertoire to try out the ‘Gratitude Process’? I promise you that life feels lighter and brighter when you are thankful for what you have, where you are and who you are with.

Namaste,

Tiffany

ThanksLiving.

As you know, I love autumn. I love everything about it. I especially love Thanksgiving. It seems to me that we all slow down and take a sort of personal inventory of the blessings in our lives. We stop to be grateful for so much of what we often take for granted.

Life is so precious and fragile. Everyday we hear stories on the news that should remind us how blessed we are, but somehow the insulation of the bubble that many of us live in, protects us from realizing how close to home these heart wrenching stories, actually are.

This Thanksgiving, one of my children was seriously ill. It took away my ability to be grateful for my family's health. It made me stop and look around and to really notice that other than my family and friends and the beautiful life my husband and I have manifested, nothing else matters when you have an ill loved one.

Today marks the 8 year anniversary of my husband's best friend's passing. Not a day goes by that we do not think of him, talk about him, or benefit from having him in our lives. Having had a such an amazing person in our lives was such a gift. He taught us, and everyone around him how to live in the present moment. He taught us how to live life to the fullest and to not make apologies for being true to ourselves. Randy was the epitome of an adventurer. He was such a good person and he had such a love for life. It breaks my heart to this day that cancer took him away at such a young age.

Although saying good bye to loved ones, and I have said good bye to a few very dear loved ones in the  past decade... I must say, I am so grateful for having known them and for having them in my life for the short time that we shared together. At this time of year, I am always brought back to the questions - Am I thankful enough? Am I grateful enough? Am I using my life to the fullest? Am I wasting any time, talent or opportunities? I ask myself these questions at this time of year because I am faced with the fact that in order to be truly grateful, I must use the gifts and blessings in my life to their fullest, in order to be as grateful as possible.

I recently saw something that read: "Thanksgiving is a holiday, ThanksLiving is a way of life." I must say that this quote has really resonated with me. It is a beautiful reminder that living in gratitude is the easiest way to live life without taking the little things for granted. I do try to live mindfully; however, being human allows me to get caught up in the mundane and I sometimes lose sight that without gratitude, no other blessings will find me. It is just a belief that I carry.

ThanksLiving, gives us the gift of the feeling we experience around Thanksgiving, all year long. I do not think that we can ever be too grateful or too appreciative of the many, many blessings that surround us. Most of the people I know, need for not. They love, and they are loved. After health and home, there really isn't much else to be grateful for, nothing else really matters.

Wishing you all the blessings that come with a ThanksLiving attitude.

love & light,
t.

Thank You 2012

Being up the Sunshine Coast here, resting in our family’s cabin, it is easy to forget the hectic schedule that December delivers. Here, from a cozy chair I can gaze out the window and watch boats sail by, eagles soar and I am easily enveloped by the tranquility that this sacred place offers .

Sharing this peaceful time with my family,  including my husband’s parents has been a beautiful reprieve. It is lovely to hunker down and just be. The children are in their element. There is no place that they love more, or people that they adore more, so being up here has been the perfect medicine for all of us.

My in-laws left today and were only here for a quick overnighter. So it returns as it is each year at this time, there are just the four of us and our dogs up here to say good bye to the year and to welcome in the new one. It gives me great joy to spend this quiet time reflecting on the year and revisiting the lessons and blessings while sending out thoughtful intentions out for the new year.

I usually write out some goals and revisit past ones and do an inventory of the successes and do some reconsidering of the ones that did not come to fruition and then giving a good hard look at why that might be and what lessons came from it. Half the time the lessons of the failures were the whole point rather than the completion of the goal. Besides, you can always have a retry at the goals that were unfulfilled, at least I believe so.

2012 was quite the year. I think that if you read my blog, you know of my blessings and lessons so I need not go into detail here. It’s safe to say that it was a big year of

great things, and of great extremes.  Our family saw great adventure and greater adversity in the way of ailing health and wellness. Please keep my family in your prayers as we head into 2013.

If I were to sum up 2012 I would have to focus on Faith. This year I found that I turned to faith in a bigger way than I ever have before. That will happen to you when someone you love’s health is in jeopardy. You will turn to faith to keep you in the light when the shadows come calling.

I have always enjoyed having that solid belief system in something bigger than me. After several years of losing people that I loved very much, I turned from my faith and began to question all things related. I have always been a spiritual person. But in the face of great loss, and great questions surrounding the why that comes along with it, I have paid little attention to the God in things. I have focused on the light and love more and ignored the source you could say. Losing so many important people in such a small period of time was just too much pain, and I had a hard time believing that there was a God that would orchestrate such darkness. And then with the arrival of my nephew’s illness, I had no where else to turn but to God. The doctors do not have all of the answers and the ones that they do have are not serving my nephew’s health in the way that we need right now.

People always balk at the word God. I am not talking about Jesus or the other prophets that make many people cringe, I am talking about the life source in the world. There are so many questions I have regarding God, but what I do know, is that I have spent dozens of hours praying for my young nephew this year and each time I have finished, I have honestly felt better. There is something to be said for that.

I have high hopes for 2013. I have a long list of hopes and dreams that I plan on meeting along the road to fruition. First and foremost, a cure for my precious nephew and for all those out there fighting for their lives. I have a wish to see my beautiful children grow strong and healthy and to prosper in all they do. I hope that my husband continues to feel loved and to find solace in his work and play. I want my friends and family to love and be loved, to find fortune of heart and spirit where ever they go and to find the peace in spirit as I have this year.

I want to continue to live a generous life where I put others before myself and I want to be a role model to my children that no matter what happens to you in any given day, your happiness is directly linked to your attitude. With a positive attitude and a healthy outlook, anything is possible and nothing is quite that bad.

In 2013 I want to continue 2012’s theme of simplifying. I want to simplify on a grand scale of small things. Everything from the linen closet to the circle of people I share my life with. I want to just bring everything to a cleaner more user friendly state of being that supports a healthy and happy existence for my immediate family and myself and that will further solidify the amazing foundation I have built with my nearest and dearest, including those whom I wish to build one with.

2013 promises to bring many blessings, but this year I don’t have a long wish list of gifts I want to ask of her, I just want more of the same and I want to need less of it.

I feel that I have been so blessed, that I just want to have a quiet, low maintenance year where I find all of my gifts are in the giving. A place and a way of life I have come to have deep appreciation for.

Being up here at the cabin and away from our daily routine, I am offered a clarity that I would not otherwise have. At home there is always a chore list, jewelry to make, friends to call back, where up here, the world stops and the quiet moves in.

There is a stillness here that allows you to catch up with your inner voice and to really stop and listen to what the universe has put in front of you.

Since I have been up here, the word that keeps coming to mind in my head is gratitude. I am just so grateful for a blessed year of life long memories and lessons that will re-gift them selves to me for as long as I live. I have beloved friends and family that make me feel loved and appreciated and I have you, a crew of people that somehow find some value in hearing about my journey through this crazy life.

Thank you for continuing to read my blog, and I continue to hope that you find a small piece that speaks to your heart and that somehow inspires you. I hope that there is a little piece of me that resonates with you and that makes you feel heard, understood or at the very least that there is a kindred spirit out there that is learning some of the same lessons as you.

From my heart to yours,

Happy New Year.

love & light,

t.

Warmest Winter Wishes

This time of year, while being mighty cold and darker than what I prefer, also brings one of my favorite times of year. Christmas. That's right, I said it! I said it!
C h R i S t M a S...

Let me be clear... Christmas to me is about Santa and Snowflakes and less about religion and consumerism. I love decorating my home ( which I do on November 12th fyi- I pay my respects on November 11th first), I host ornament exchanges, winter teas, xmas parties... I even bake. I love opening my home in all of it's holiday beauty and sharing the bounty of love and light that has been entrusted to me through out the year.

The spirit of the season really is not lost on me. I wait all year to celebrate the magic of believing. Believing in Santa, believing in the spirit that takes over those in a position to reach out and help those in need, believing in the promise that January is yet another fresh start and a chance to get 'it' right one more time. I believe that there is more gratitude at this time of year than at any other. On the heels of Thanksgiving which is also a favorite holiday of mine, which rolls into Remembrance Day and then extends a welcome to winter, all of these events create a warm light of gratitude that just continues to grow and give life to the spirit which to me is the peace that is created by and is Christmas.

I regularly extend light and love in my greetings to people. Some people get it, most don't. Most think of it as an airy fairy token of my spiritual side, but what it actually is, is an extension of my wish of love and peace. We all have spiritual beliefs of some sort, and for some that means no belief at all. We all have a way of thinking of the universe and of where we fit into it. I believe that white light is the greatest gift of healing energy. That is why I send it to people whenever possible. Whatever you need healed in your life, body, spirit, relationships, whatever, I hope that people receive the light and allow the healing to envelope them. I extend my sincere love to people because first and foremost I am a lover and not a fighter and I believe that love is where we all begin and end. I want everyone who crosses my path and I do mean everyone,d to feel love every single day. I am sadly aware that many people go without love on a daily basis and I try to extend what I can.

The spirit of Christmas is in the love and light that I extend, and what I find the most beautiful is that I know that I am not alone. If you are reading this, then I believe that you also share your own light and love in the way that you know how. We all come to this earth with different gifts and generosities. I suppose what I am trying to get at is that it is this time of year that many of us really are able to share this love and light and have it received more easily.

I am well aware that the holidays are very difficult for many, many people. Emotions run high and can present very raw. The holidays for many bring up difficult memories and emotion that are only compounded by this time of year. To those people I find a great deal of compassion for and I try especially hard to share in the goodness of the season. It is not always well received so I try to respectfully allow them to stay where they are at, but I continue to celebrate in a way that is not as outwardly obvious when I am around them. The last thing I would ever want to do is to hurt someone further with my joy.

As we head into the last stretch before Christmas, I am eager with the full on excitement of a 5 & 8 yr old. I can't wait to have my house full of people that I love and want to know better. I can't wait to hang my stockings on the chimney. I can't wait to share what I have with those around me.

I always find the gift is in the giving, and I always find that more people give at this time of year, when others really need it the most. I find that the love and light that I love so much is gifted and received by those who normally reserve these gifts for their chosen few.

My wish for you, is that while the season gains on us, and the world begins to spin faster and our time is feeling lessened, and our chores seem to multiply, that you remember to slow down and feel the joy in the air. I hope that if you experience any sadness at this time of year, that you become open to allowing more joy to take over those spots of sadness and that you allow yourself to welcome the joy that is in the air to take over your spirit and offer you the levity that is light and love to encompass you.

Warmest Winter Wishes,

love & light,

t.

Gratitude

September has come and gone. Indeed she followed through with her promise of routine and structure and has left in her wake a month of solid sunshine and warmth that has continued into this glorious October. I have refitted the house with autumn colours and have put away the ocean blue accent pillows for yet another year.

There is something sacred about the ritual of honouring the changing of seasons. It feels slightly tribal. I can find deeper meaning in anything, but when fall rolls around it seems that there is just more meaning in most things and it is easier to find depth in daily life. People slow down again, they stop longer to chat on the street, they pick up the phone and connect again with those that summer somehow kept from us.

There are so many things to be grateful for as we close in on the last few months of 2012. This year has been one of many blessings and many profoundly rich reasons to be humbled in gratitude. If you have read any of my previous blog entries you also know that this year has challenged my family at it's core.

In all of the many blessings and challenges, there is a common thread that binds us into the same boat of grace and gratitude and that, has been our family. Whether I look back at our time in Mexico this spring or fast forward to my nephews diagnosis in June... it is the family bond that has cradled our journey in both the bliss and the blinding reality of a life threatening illness. I am not sure that there is anything more beautiful than the love that comes from the deeply bound family unit that I come from.

Growing up I never felt those ties that bind, but this more than ever I feel them, I sew them and I absolutely tend to them. The past 12 months have brought my own immediate family closer and that of my siblings and I. Don't get me wrong, I have always been close to my siblings, but like I said, when you sit in wait, between life and death, your earth bound connections strengthen in a way that is indescribable. Life changes. Important things become more vital, small things cease to exist, the sky gets bigger and your words become kinder, and you somehow learn to be braver.

I am so grateful for all of the goodness that has come my way this year. I am also grateful for the lessons that have come from the more unfortunate occurrences, for those have taught me the most, and again, at the top of that particular list you will find Cancer. I have a couple of friends and my super, awesome, brave nephew that have been battling that bitch. (forgive my french) I have been watching even closer and have seen first hand what true bravery looks like, what real courages acts like and how true grace carries us when we allow it to.

It's no secret that I am turning forty next year. Growing up, I thought that I would have life figured out by now. Instead, what I now understand is that when people say take one day at a time, it really means that we are to slow down, breathe deeply, love unconditionally and live with passion. "Live each day to it's fullest" is not just some passe quote. It really holds value to our human existence. What I have finally figured out is that there is no figuring life out. It is what it is, and our journey will become what it will, in accordance to how we respond to life on a daily basis.

Everyday is a bounty of blessings if we will just allow ourselves the pleasure of seeing the bright side. It is so easy to find the faults and shortcomings that find us in a day. It is also even easier to choose to reside in the light of each moment that is ours to claim. I am not saying that life is rainbows and butterflies, I know better, I know it is also compromise and acceptance. I also know it is exactly what we make if it.

2012 was filled with beauty. As we approach Thanksgiving, I am profoundly grateful for the love and light that has found it's way into my heart by way of family and precious friendships and I wish the same love and light to find you and yours. I hope you have been as blessed as I, and that next Thanksgiving you will have even more in your heart to be grateful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

In Gratitude,
t. xo

Winter Solstice

Soon the Winter Solstice will arrive and with it the return of brighter, longer days in time for the end 2011. I wish there were words to convey all that learned in this year. Very possibly the most heartbreaking and breathtaking year of my life. So many highs, so many lows and everything in between. Meeting new friends and loving old friends, and then having to let go of both of them... oh, the lessons. Life lessons come in all shapes and sizes and within their own time lines. I wish I could reach out and change part of the landscape of this year, while in the same breath I fully understand that we should also be grateful for unanswered prayers. If I had sum up what this year has meant to me, it would be that a massive chapter in my life has come to an end while a new one has been revealed. We all have the peaks and valleys that create our life's story and it fascinates me to no end to be present and in the moment while it all unfolds. There have been so many amazing people that have taught me so much this year. Watching loved ones achieve their dreams. Whether it has been having children, landing their dream job or simply finding it within themselves to live, take and own their lives and to allow themselves to grow into their 'best selves'. I have a lot to learn from them and I honour those friends for being so courageous. This year I have faced some truths about myself and I am proud to stand up, stand tall and to admit to myself my flaws. It must have something to do with growing up and realizing all of the ways I am still evolving. I can also own that I have done some amazing things too. Firstly and foremost, I have surrounded myself with amazing people. I am proud of my circle of loved ones and what they have taught me, how they have supported me and loved me every step of the way this year. I owe a deeply humble debt of gratitude to all of them. I realize that this is a far more personal blog entry than I usually post. I normally write about the jewelry business at some point, but today I wanted to acknowledge my friends. From Halifax to Vancouver Island and right here in my own home. I want to say thank you for your wisdom. Thank you for sharing your love and compassion and I hope you have been able to find some nurturing in our friendship also. Life has become more than ever about the dance of intimacy in my friendships. The trust, the lessons, the vulnerability that comes with being open and honest. Whether it be in our moments of triumph or in those moments where our ugly bits surface. It is all about the fancy foot work that creates a forgiving flow in our closest relationships. Thank you for loving me through all of the above. With 2012 fast approaching, I want to extend a warm winter wish to each of you reading this. My wish for your new year is that you allow yourself to be cared for. So often we are the caregivers. I hope that you find it in yourself to be cared for. Whether it is a friend who offers you a heartfelt compliment or a stranger that offers to buy you a coffee... accept it. What goes around comes around and you have love and light coming your way. Allow yourself to give the gift of giving to someone else. This has been my greatest lesson this year and it has taught me more about myself than anything else in my lifetime. It has been an amazing journey this year. Thank you for being apart of it. Thank you for being your beautiful self. Gratitude. It is where I will be in 2012. Love, Tiffany

Luck Is A Matter Of Preparation Meeting Opportunity.

Happy 2011! Just as I was sitting back marveling at what a fantastic year 2011 was going to be, the phone rang. Well,not really. Actually I got an email, but it was a TSN Turning Point kind of email. Let me preface this by saying when you do something you love and you do it because it is what your heart tells you to do,although not everyone will understand why you do it and that is just fine as long as you believe in what it is you are doing. When you have spent ten years creating something you love and working hard to get it into the retailer market, the home show circuit, donating it to copious amounts of different charities & fundraisers, regularly giving it away to friends and sometimes even to strangers, in the hope that eventually the right person will see what you have created, and maybe, just maybe, one day it will lead to the right person seeing what you have created and it will inspire them to send you a TSN Turning Point kind of email. The email I received this past Thursday was indeed that TSN kind of email. So much so in fact, that I kept looking around waiting for Don Cherry to show up at my front door. The email was from a Stylist in Los Angeles that is responsible for sourcing the contents of the VIP gift bags that are being given to the Nominees, Presenters and Celebrity Stylists at the Oscars this year. Indeed, the right person at the right time found their way to my website, liked what they saw and contacted me with confirmation that they would like to invite me down to participate in this years Academy Awards Style Lounge. The Style Lounge is where the celebrities gather to do a little free shopping. Although I am absolutely stunned, flattered and honoured to be invited, and just to know that this year I am beyond excited to have my jewelry included in the VIP gift bags,is going to be enough for me this year. I have decided to graciously decline the invitation to be present, rather I will spend my time from this point forward preparing to attend next years awards circuit. You see, once you are 'in' the circle you are invited to sponsor other awards shows such as Grammys, Emmys, Golden Globes, ESPNs, American Music Awards, CMAs, the list goes on and on... So now is the time I get myself prepared before I launch my brand on such a grand scale. So 2011 is the year I learn more about the marketing aspect of my business. I have spent the past ten years laying the ground work by working my brand, sending as much love and light into the universe while protecting my karma and now the universe has listened and provided me with this opportunity. As you know I am inspired by Oprah and many of her words deeply resonate with me. One of her quotes that I hear over and over in my head is this: "Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity." - Oprah. I believe that when we follow our passion and step into the world with our deepest authenticity, we are preparing to receive the next opportunity that will innately further our journey along it's way to take us to the exact place that we belong in any given moment. Today I am giving thanks to all of those people who believed in me and encouraged me to follow my passion and to dive into my creativity. To those people who purchased my work when I was still figuring out my mediums, thank you for your support. Eleven years ago when I was seeking jewelry for my bridesmaids to wear at my wedding. When I was unable find anything that I liked or that suited me and my girls... it was two of my 'Moons' as I referred to my bridal party at the time. I had four women in my bridal party. Each of them 'represented a season of my life' as I had known it up to that point... each season has a new moon... you get the picture I am sure... Sorry I digress... So anyway, two of them, My Wise Old Indian(who will be referred to as 'Big City in all future blog postings) & The Princess, suggested I make my own jewelry. That suggestion triggered an action in me that has led me to today. I need to thank them both for believing in my creative ability even before I did. As a gesture of thanks, I promise that whenever I hit a red carpet, you will be on either side of me... but no one else is allowed to have their hair up. ;) a little inside joke for My Moons. Please sign up to follow my blog. I will be posting updates as this journey reveals more little twists and turns everyday. I am giving an interview tomorrow with one of our Canadian publications! I will tell you how it goes in my next post. Love & Light, t.

Squint Your Eyes And Look Closer...

Years ago I heard Ani Difranco sing 32 Flavours. The song resonated with me then and decades later it still speaks to me. So often we know someone for years and years and we have this virtual photograph of them in our mind. We think we know them, what they like, how they think and ultimately who they are as a person. In the past couple of years I have been having to ask people to take a new snapshot of who they think I am. We are all evolving and becoming who we are meant to be. For some people and myself included, trauma of some sort at an early age can paralyze our evolution and can change us from who we were meant to be to a slightly dimmer version of that.
With the right guidance and or therapy we can find our way back to the path that will return us to the journey we were born to live.


With every year that goes by we are all continually learning about ourselves and who we authentically are. It has been my experience that the older we get the easier it is to shift into and remain in the state of presence, where we function as our authentic selves. Largely due to the fact that the older we get the easier it is to find the confidence to fore go the  comfort of peer acceptance.


Recently, I found myself in the company of someone that I had labeled as 'superficial'. Now just to be clear, although I felt that way, I still valued the individual for being interesting, funny and charming. I appreciated the fact that this person was sweet, just not the person I would confide my deepest emotions in. I believe it takes all sorts of personalities to nurture the 32 Flavours in me. Everyone in our lives- feeds different parts of our spirit.


So here I am face to face with this person, and to say the least I was not in the mood to discuss the latest fashion find or place to be seen. I entered the conversation with my back up and my tolerance low. I think the phrase "Get me the f@#K outta here" crossed my mind. To my delight the conversation that I was dreading actually was a figment of my imagination. Shame on me for projecting my expectations on this person. In fact it had been several months since we had met up and it was clear to me that a massive shift in her had occurred. I had to step back and reenter the conversation. I had the biggest Aha! moment. I had to take a new snapshot of this old acquaintance. Just as I have had to ask people do for me. I needed to offer the same respect and allowance for this person's journey.


Looking at her again with fresh eyes it was clear to me that she too had changed at a cellular level. It brought me back to Ani's 32 Flavors which I have added below this post. "I am beyond your peripheral vision, so you might want to turn your head." I have been spending more time turning my head and seeing the bigger picture of this person and truly she is a beautiful spirit. I have to wonder how much of her I have been missing out on because I have had this old snapshot in my head which had been blocking my heart from reaching out to her.


With Christmas around the corner and the hustle and bustle that innately comes with the season, I am grateful for the reminder that each person who crosses our path deserves fresh eyes and an open heart. Having just celebrated Thanksgiving, I am more grateful than ever for having these life lessons sneak up on me when I have fallen asleep and fall back into the comfort of auto-pilot.


I will use my daily meditation to visualize open hearts connecting with white light- seems appropriate considering today is 'We Day'.


Love & Light,


Tiffany