Spring & Simplicity

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.

I Lied... I Do Judge You...

Last week I met with my accountant to review a few protocols now that I am selling my jewelry internationally. I should say not only is ' My $ Man' just that, over the past decade he has become a great friend but also a trusted confident. I went in to see him and we began talking about some of the colourful neighbours he has. 'My $ Man' has his office in a slightly industrial area where there is a recycling depot not far from his office. It somehow came up that there were a lot of 'recyclers' ie: ' homeless' fellas around when I drove up. He launched into what a blessing they were to have around. I thought he was being sarcastic and that is when he explained the reality of the situation. This area of town we were in is their 'hood'. They feel as much pride and ownership in their backyard as we do our own personal addresses. 'My $ Man' said that they park their business vehicles in the public access parking lot for weeks on end. Never a problem with anyone ever messing with them. In fact, their business park has an unusually low crime rate. No break ins. No vandalism. No one is ever harassed. In his ten years of working there no one, not one of those colourful locals has ever, ever, ever asked him for money. Not only was I stunned, I was shamed. I assumed that those folks would have been a thorn in the neighbourhood's side. In fact, I was exactly wrong. I had exactly judged them, and judged them wrong. In fact, they are appreciated in that neighbourhood for being the security force. They protect the area and in turn the local businessmen/women, repay the thanks by bringing their domestic recycling to work and paying it forward to these guys. It was such a lesson for me. How often do I go through my day claiming not to judge others, rather, it seems I may have masked my judgment in a cloak of assumption. I am not proud of this but I am grateful for 'My $ Man' and his candid and accurate portrayal of an unorthodox society that may not look like mine; however, functions the same way mine does, with consideration, respect and community. I wonder what kind of assumptions people make about you and I? How are we judged for things that don't have any business being applied to us? It reminds me again, to look EVERYONE in the eye and smile when I walk past them. Every spirit deserves to be acknowledged and appreciated regardless of their present situation. If we are honest, how many of those local homeless people that we come across actually receive heartfelt smiles from people that are experiencing better fortune than themselves? Join me, lets spread the love by giving them the respect of eye contact and a simple smile. Can you imagine what that ripple effect might translate into? love & light to all, t.