Avoxtar 2.0

Some days, the best thing you can do to lift your spirits and boost your energy is to just go outside. I’ve been in the house for several days… falling back into my old habit of spending wayyyy to much time in front of the computer… what can I say, I’m an information junkie.
Time to unplug, dress warmly and go outside to visit my favorite meditation tree.

Just thinking about it makes me feel better.

Try it! Take the time to breathe. Look around and take it all in. Listen to the wind. Feel the sun on your face and just enjoy the moment.

Wow! I’ve been tagged by Kate (from the experiments in living blog) in the “twenty five days to make a difference” meme that was started by 10 year old Laura on her inspiring Twenty five days to make a difference blog!

Laura started her wonderful project in memory of her Grandfather who taught her about leadership and the importance of making a difference in the world. Laura reminds us that little actions go a long way… reading her blog entries gives me hope for the future. Good job Laura!

Now, for the meme …
1. In your opinion, what does it mean to make a difference?To me, making a difference is getting up and doing something to help another person. We all have different talents and abilities and I believe we are here to put them to work for the better good.

2. What is an example of a unique way to make a difference?

I think a unique way to make a difference is to listen to people with our hearts. We live in a really fast paced world and I think that many times people feel their voice is not heard. When someone speaks, it’s easy to be distracted by a million different things… but when someone speaks to me, especially about something important that is going on in their life, I like to really focus on what they are saying; I give my full attention to their words and to their body language and I can often “hear” things that they haven’t expressed yet.

3. Who has made a difference in YOUR life this week?

My son Loïk has made a difference in my life this week because he always invites me to play, paint, sing songs and laugh at silly things. He has brought joy into my life from the first moment I knew he coming into this world.
4. If I didn’t have a blog, would I still be making a difference?

Yes, I would still be working at making a difference. My blog is like a journal I use to remind myself how important it is to contribute to making the world a better place.

5. What is your favorite thing about the internet?

There are so many things I love about the internet… I love the fact that there is no limit to what I can learn. I love the fact that there are little or no boundaries  and that I can get to know people from different parts of the world. I love the internet because it’s a place where my soul can roam free and find other souls who are of like mind. I love the internet because it brings an unlimited supply of new ideas and images into my mind and unlike tv, I can pick and choose exactly what I want to focus on. And finally, I love the internet because I hear of wonderful projects like yours Laura.

Have a great day everyone!  Sending positive thoughts to you and yours.

Our corner of the world was hit with a record breaking snow storm yesterday. In all, we received over 42 cm of snow in less than 12 hours. Some regions in Quebec received close to 60 cm’s of snow. (that’s almost 2 feet !) Here in Quebec, we are pretty accustomed to our harsh winter conditions… nevertheless, many towns were completely paralyzed by this storm and authorities urged people to stay home as much as possible.

Here at the little pink house in the mountains, we knew the weather was bound to be frightful, so we had stocked up on old movies, delicious hot chocolate and of course, Francis made sure our fire was extra delightful. Let it snow - we said! After all, we had no place to go!

But when it comes to snow, 5 year olds have other ideas in mind… they don’t want to avoid the storm… they like to play in it! So while I chose to start a new painting and warm my toes by the fire, the boys went out to play.

That’s when I started thinking … first I thought about how fortunate we were because we didn’t “have” to go out that day… my thoughts went out to people like my sister (she’s a bus driver for the city of Montreal) who were out on the road yesterday because they didn’t have a choice.

Then I thought about how reality is different for everyone… it’s a question of perspective. For some people, the storm was a major inconvenience, for others it was a reason to play and have fun! Some people were injured and/or died as a result … while others stayed home, made love and created life.

How does our attitude affect the outcome of a negative event. Is there really such a thing as a negative event? Or are there only opportunities for growth?

We all face life storms at one point or another… it’s a part of life. The real question is how do we face the “storms” that happen in our lives?

My theory, for what it’s worth, is that humans react to natural storms in the same way that we deal with storms in our own personal lives.

Based on yesterday’s storm, I realized that I’m a person who likes to get comfortable, philosophize, and wait for the dust (or in this case snow) to settle while Francis likes to face it head on (he was shoveling snow off our roof at the height of the storm) and Loik is always looking for a way to play and have fun while the storm rages on. And my sister the bus driver? She went out into the storm with her smile and positive attitude and brought people to where they needed to go.

So how do you face storms? Does my theory hold water?