Why moving help me define who I am

This picture was taken right before we closed the door of our last moving truck (June 2014).  There really was not more then that.  It was a 14' truck and we did not even manage to fill it between the 3 of us!

But let's back track...

I spent the first 23 years of my life in the same home.  Born and raised in one place...
Then I moved out in my first apartment into which I stayed for 2 years... and bought a home.  Into which I was convinced, at the time, that I would spend the rest of my life in... I stayed there 4 years... That was in 2002 and ever since that day, of Oct 31st 2002 I have stayed in 6 more homes. Including another house from 2002 to 2006... then apartments!

I discovered that I LOVE moving!!!  I was, up until almost 2 years ago, always in the same city but it was a huge one and quite frankly I have lived in many very different parts of it... Every time requires adaptation... Every time required you go through your stuff and box it up or let it go... Every time you need to re-install yourself and once again choose where everything goes and if everything needs or deserve to stay part of your life... Every time by going through your physical stuff you cleanse physically but also psychologically! Letting go or keeping stuff has an immense power over your life... believe it or not.

I won't lie... moving from my first apartment into my first house was a nightmare!  I was highly unprepared and really stressed out! I cared to much about everything... and it made it not fun!

However, after that, it all became more fun every time... I feel like I am born again and can re-invent myself!

No one knows you on a new street... so you can break old pattern without worrying people will talk...  You can create a new life and attract more like minded people... You can completely dress in a different way and no one will know...  It's like you are a brand new person! It's a white canvas that you paint how you like...
Of course you can always paint over an existing canvas but the work required is much more...

This, the white canvas, actually holds even more true if you move far far away!  On my last move, we took the moving truck 973km away from our original town...  We switch province...  We had to say good bye to everyone we knew all our life including family...  We moved into a city where no one knew us... Into a place where there was no such jobs as what we use to do...

Three completely white canvas that were to be painted how we wanted them to be...

Whether we like to admit it or not our families, friends, work collegue can hold us back if we want to make a 180 degree change to our lives...  because they may not be ready to do so themselves... because they may not want to loose you... because it may triggers insecurities a about their own lives!

Moving can sometimes be the best option.

We needed to step away from our old life and even though moving every 2 years or so was a nice progress... the actual complete switch occurred when we completely moved away!

No one knew us... no more family engagement... no work obligations... no social gatherings... All 3 of us in a new city and open to completely different opportunities!

My son turned into a fine young man... and I have seen him blossom... Really! I have never seen him so confident...  and well surrounded.
My husband found his dream job and even though it was less money then he made in the last 25 years of his life he had to try cause there was nothing else (it was something he was considering back in Montreal but would not accept the pay cut)...  he ended up really loving it!
I have managed to work part time and be able to concentrate on my family life and health.  This was what was most important to me....  have I not moved here, it would have been way more difficult to do so...

By considering moving anywhere you can actually look into what suits you! Not all cities, even within the same country, offer the same advantages, have the same cost of living and the same environment...  There can be huge differences!

I truly believe that in Montreal, having spend 41 years there I could have never become who I am now... I tried but there was too many obstacles of all kind!  I was able to somewhat be who I wanted to be but some parts were inaccessible for many different reasons.

And this is why I have not created roots anywhere since I moved in 2006...  I no longer wish to... I stay somewhere as long as I see it fit and then move on... My home is where my husband, son and I are...

It will be the same with Moncton... It is perfect now but I will want to move again one day...  the only difference is that now, I will not move within the same city (Moncton is so small that anywhere you go you see the same faces - or pretty much - even after only 19 months spent here)...  If I move, I am going elsewhere... I am trying something different...  completely different because really having roots is not for me - or not that kind of roots anyway.  I love to try different things, meet new people and see different landscape!

Be who you are... DREAM your life... LIVE your dream...

namaste

love&peace,

chloe

xox

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Time to look back on a life experience

Hello!

almost a year ago I announced my decision to move from Montreal, the city I grew up in and thought I would never leave, to Moncton  10 hours drive away... I did that with a #108daystoanewlife perspective (you can read my posts about those 108 days in the section labelled 108 days!).

I wanted to change a few things...  I wanted a quieter and yet even simpler life...  I had goals and objectives and challenges...  You can read about it all if you want but my goal here is not to go over them in great details... All I wish to look at is HOW I lived through 11 months being away from every one I knew beside my husband and son...

We got into this adventure all together and aside from my son, who went to see his dad, none of us went back to Montreal and we did not even see anyone we knew in our "previous" life.

My ultimate goal was to live the life I wanted free of people's expectation and explanations to give and lessons to get...  I didn't want to feel like I was letting anyone down... disappearing was the best solution to me. And it worked! I did manage to get exactly the life I wanted... it did take a little longer than I anticipated for everything to fall into place but this week, the last few puzzle pieces came into place.  All good things comes to those who wait.

Main achievement for the year:

Got back to my natural hair color : sometimes I still think about dying it again.. but then I realise that people here got to know me and love me this way!  Why bother and waste money putting some chemicals in my body??? 

I started really dressing the way I want - and even got to a really low number of clothes...  This is super cool and a time/money saver.  I only own clothes I love and feel great in.  REALLY.

I did get over my shopping addiction.  FINALLY.  I really have no interest in shopping and when I really do need something, I feel like I am wasting money...  and try and extend my need as much as I can before I go and buy it! I also only get "on sale" stuff... or pre-owned! Some would say I have become "cheap" I like to think I have become savvy... or wise!  We pay things, in general, way more then we should.... waiting for a sale is legitimate.

I managed to keep plants alive!  I have 4 thriving now and hoping to get a couple more. I will also start a herb garden and put flowers on my patio.

I have lost interest in watching television shows... I have Netflix and am following 2 shows (Dr Who and Supernatural) with my son but mostly to spend time with him...  he loves to watch these with me! I also got a new interest in documentaries... but not anyone as I find most of them are not in depth enough and still are trying to put "normal" thoughts in my head without explaining the "why" I should think like that.  I am now seriously ready to get rid of my television all together. 

I enjoy spending time doing NOTHING at home... just watching the view of my lake!

I realised that all that matters to me is living a peaceful life with my husband and son...  I enjoy cooking and learning about nutrition as well as reading.  Taking walks outside, going to have a tea with friends or family...  nothing else really matters. Doing yoga and more and more meditation.

I have refine the way I eat further more... staying away from process food at least 95% of the time...  and working on it.  I also cut down all process oil...  But what are you eating you may ask???  Mostly starch (legumes, potatoes, rice, oats and whole grains) alongside veggies and fruits.  With the occasional nuts and seeds. This is the diet of people in Asia and Africa who are 99% free of all the disease we know here and also in countries where people live the longest and active life.  This is what I want for my life.

I am working part time doing work I love - no matter how disappointing this was to some, I enjoy it and I have no intention of ever working in an office ever again...  I would miss the people's connection too much.

Now, I have also learned a lot about myself and the human nature in general while living this experience...

I am VERY  independent and stubborn.  And I love it!
When I care for someone I can go a long way... but if I don't or no longer do, there is nothing you can do/say to change my mind.
I do not miss "Montreal" AT ALL (and will never go back) and that shows my that I am more of a wanderer then I always wanted to admit to myself... I will definitely not stay put for the rest of my life!
I do not miss people in general...  Loin des yeux loin du coeur.... Except for 2 friends and they know who they are!

Now about human nature...

people are full of good intentions... but rarely follow through.  They rather found excuses. Easier.

people who get to know you for who you really are, are the ones who care the most about you. They know you are authentic and it builds a strong bond!

but unfortunately, most people are NOT authentic...

And last but not least, I have met a great deal of amazing people here in Moncton...  many who came here from other places kind of for similar reasons to mine:  run away from a life they no longer liked.  Some who spend their whole life here but are bringing about change in this community.  And some young people who honestly bring back my hope in human kind.  Not many.... but we do not need many to change this planet... a few seeds can grow an amazing forest!

on that note.... hope you will have a chance to experience such a lovely life changing opportunity...
Really...  you should do it!

love&peace,
nath
xox
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#108 days : final post

warning:  this is a LONG post....  as a summary to my #108daystoanewlife I had much to say...  I contemplated dividing it into 3 posts but I'd rather let you choose how you wish to read it!

I am a little sad today...  I am on day 109...  my project is over...  and I ended with a post on living with MS because this is my reality and it shapes my life... and the decisions I make.  I came across some studies that were saying that most MS patient need a wheel chair by year 15...  I am on 17th... and I can walk just fine...  and my balance is great...  It was also saying that most patient with MS have permanent vision impairment by year 10...  I have 20/20 vision! Another point they made is that the last years of your life are spent in bed... and that you rarely live past 34 years of onset... My onset was at 25! You do the math... I am not dying THAT young... and I am not getting a wheel chair!!!  Or spending years in bed!  And this is why MS shapes my life... I can live like I am OK, because I am... but I am because I make good decisions! I shall never forget that! At my own expense...

Now, in May I had posted an introduction to Project #108daystoanewlife and I have copied some of it here for a final look at it... I am commenting some of it...


1) Why I am doing this?

Because I will be moving to another city and another province. This is huge for me who has spent 41 years of my life in the same city. The lifestyle over there is quite different, from the information I got more in tune with what I want, but still quite different from what I am use to and it will require adjustment for several reasons. First off, I had to rent a place to live in that I have never visited in a city I do not know. This is very out of my comfort zone. My husband and I both have to find new jobs and my son a new school. We'll all have to make "new friends". The daily schedule will be quite different and we'll have to adjust. And for the first time, it will be 3 of us full time. It will be more like a big village than a big city - going from roughly 4 millions people from all over the world to 70 000 people not as diversified.

Our apartment is just perfect... would I have visited it, I could have have made a better choice.  I was lucky. My husband and I both quickly found jobs...  that we LOVE!  And my son is adapting well to his new school.  He even no longer hates Mondays!  Schedule is not issues and easy to deal with.  Living the 3 of us all the time does require some adjustments... but we talk a lot about it and find solutions...  so we all have our personal time and time as a family, as well as each of us time with the other... I love my new, much, much smaller city... the life is slower and much less stress...  people are really nice... there is less temptation to shop and spend money therefore making less in not an issue! It allows me to work part time and take care of my health!

2) What do I expect from it?

Therefore, I imagined this project to help with the transition. If I am going to a new life, I will make a new life. I will need to change the way I live to go even more into the direction I wish to take. There will be no more excuses. I wanted to get full on with this new life in a place where people have no expectation of me, do not know the "old" me and will get to know me for who I am now. I want this "who I am" to be really like who I want to be - really let my inner self come out without boundaries. I know I am use to put barrier and build walls around me - I do not want to do this over there and this project will prevent me from doing it - at least to some extent.

Right on! I am who I am... I assume it... and I am no longer shy or ashamed of it!  I am a Minimalist, Vegan, Hippie of 41 years old.. I do not aspire to be rich or wealthy...  I do not aspire to earn lots of money or increase my status in society...  I want to live a life that is simple... filled with love towards my son and husband... I want to do my yoga...  dress weird and act like a 20 something hippie... I treat my son like another person living with us (not a kid that needs supervision) - mature, responsible and not needing to be told what to do all the time. I do my parenting differently... showing him to take care of himself  by eating well and exercising, showing him to respect himself, others and the nature around him...  I am teaching him to follow his dreams that comes from his hearth and not his brain...  and this is new to me... in a way.  I use to put so much focus on formal education...  and what people say...  I have a son I am proud of!  He has his own dreams and will do whatever it takes to make them come true - he needs support by someone who respects that even if his dreams are not like mine.  He is not attached to people or things... he can move on quite easily...  I think what I expected of this project actually happened even though the mean may have been different then what I expected.

3) How do I see it?

As an opportunity to assume who I am with all that this entails. An opportunity to no longer find excuses for old patterns. A chance to reinvent myself yet again... I have made several changes to my life over the last 7 years but yet, there are some that stayed in the back burner because I made up excuses... I did not want to let people down... I did not want to seem even weirder then I might already be...

One of those things was to take a job a love even if it is less pay and doesn't require all my education and background... and I did it!  And I am proud of it!  And I am really happy at that job!  And it brings in just enough money.

It will be a project that will last 108 days ( I will explain why 108 days in next week's post), a project in which I will have to challenge myself, do out of my comfort zone stuff, do things I always wanted to try but never did.... I will be 108 days to work on a newer me... 

Well... I did work on myself... in ways I did not expect...  my life took me a place I had never imagined I was heading too... and that's OK!  Because by not fighting it, I really believe that I am now where I should be.

I do not know why I would need to go there to do it (although I have some doubt) but I intend to find out during those 108 days.

I do know now why I needed to move so far... and sorry if this is hurting anyone... but I needed to move away from certain people.  I needed to create a physical distance between me and some "not as supportive" people.  And in some instances, to get that distance emotionally I needed to create a physical one...  At least this is the only way I could find.... after trying others of course!

I am not doing this #108daystoanewlife challenge to prove that I can do more - but rather to show myself that I can be who I want to be! Completely! 100%!

And that worked too...  even though I have a few more steps to completely assume myself they are under way and I know nothing will stop me now.

In another post a few days later I officially announced the rules of my #108daystoanewlife .  Little did I know that most of those rules would be dropped...  only because I realise that when I give myself rules, I do all I can to brake them. Therefore another approach I took is to actually take those rules and make them long term objectives... and that has better results! Once again I have copied the rules and going through them to see what happened...

Rules are:

Project start: June 21 2014
Project end: October 6th 2014

Daily:
- Post a picture on social medias - I have dropped most social media after a few weeks...
- Keep a journal - never did that for more then 3 days in a row! I cannot write a journal... my blog and my status on FB are my journal.  It is what it is.  That stopped quite early. In fact last entry is on Day 26th.

Weekly:
-Every Friday there will be a blog post about the past week.  Sometimes it was not on Friday, especially when I started working and school resumed...  I refuse to kill myself over this but there was a blog post every day...

Objectives/Challenges:

1)Not buy anything that is not food or a vital necessity. If I do, I have to post a picture and amount of money spent. This will not be easy for me - being in a new place, I will want to buy stuff...
There are 2 exceptions to that rule:
a) what my son needs for school
b) missing furniture: couch, dinner table, coffee table, washer and dryer - but must be bought used Did get the dinner table used..  no need for another coffee table... I am not getting a washer and dryer but using the one from the building...  Couch is not bough yet and will not be used.  I just can't get a used couch.

I did buy a few more things... like bicycles (transport system), clothes for work and some items because my style changed...  but spent very little money on that.  Never did the picture and sharing of the amount because I feel this is no one's business. I also bought a set of dishes because I broke some and I had exactly what I needed therefore we could no longer eat all at the same time.  I bought a set of 4 since we never really get visitors over AND I could not find anything sold by piece.  A set of 4 was the smallest.

2) Complete a Treego obstacle - I am afraid of heights and I could never do one of those things where you go from one tree to another in the forest - it is ridiculous, there is absolutely no danger!
Forget about this!  I refuse to spend 30$ dollar on doing something I hate just to prove I can do it.  There is no added value.  Who cares if I am afraid or height?  Are we suppose to be high above the ground anyway?  If we were, we'd have wings.

3) I will do a fruit/veggie cleanse for 7 days - on those days, I will be eating only fruits and veggies. They can be raw or cooked. A little oil/ herbs/spice are permitted. Smoothies are also permitted but with no "milk" or any protein added to it in the form of nuts and seeds. Juicing is OK of course. If all fails and I really cannot stand my hunger, I am allowing myself 2 handfuls of nuts per day - but I will have to mention it.
Did not do that one... simply because by the time I was suppose to start it, as per my agenda, I had started work and I think it would not have been a good idea to do this while working. Also, I am no expert on the subject but I think I move around way to much for that...I would have to discuss that first with someone who knows what they are doing.  For health reasons.

4) Do yoga in the park at least 7 times - always too shy to practice outside where people could see me
I meditated a few times and did some yoga once outside...  not on the grass because of all the geese it is filled with crap. Next summer I will know Moncton more and find a proper place to do that.

5) Let my hair go back to their natural color - by day 21, I will have to cut my hair and not dye it again at least until my 108 days are over. I will post picture of my natural color. After the 108 days are over I can choose to stay natural or dye again. This is one of the biggest objective for me. I've been wanting to do that for 2 years now. Now is the time!
THIS is the thing I am more proud off... it may seem like the easiest but it sure is not!  Having silver or grey or salt and pepper hair at 41 is a BIG deal... and not expected... and not even supported by society!  You have to remain young looking at all cost.... and this is not young looking!  Although I must say that after I got use to it (roughly 3 weeks) I did not see myself as looking older but jut as having a different cool hair color and cut! I do not feel older and do not act older either! But my scalp is healthier, my wallet too... and I save time every 4 weeks to do what I love instead of poisoning myself! And quite honestly, I got way more compliments on my new look then I expected (I was expecting none!).

6) Get an indoor plant and keep it alive!
Got 2!!!  Alive and growing.... after I killed one...  Now will look into having a inside herb garden...  Cilantro, Mint, Basil and Parsley..... 

7) For 21 consecutive days, I will do at least 1h yoga. I do a regular practice but most time shorter than that and never did 21 consecutive days. - I rather practice 3-4 times a week
This was way to much for my body.  I did some of it and then cut the 1h yoga to 30 min yoga and 30 min meditation/relaxation...  I now do yoga 3-4 times a week....  back to where I started but this is what works best for me.

8) For 21 days I will wake up at 6am and go for an hour walk before breakfast. Rain or shine.
Nope... I wake up a 5h30 am every day for my husband to go to work... I sit with him while he has breakfast and then hit my mat especially when I have work too and won't have time for yoga later on during the day...  No time for walking and we walk A LOT anyway...  just getting to and from places!  I do not need to do more then that.

9) For 21 consecutive days, I will try a new recipe. Recipes are to be choose a little later and will be shared on my weekly post when I do chose them
I got in a cooking/baking halt... did not feel like it and did not feel like trying anything new... I am now getting back to it with the colder weather...   I did try a few new things:  some pickling (beets, cauliflower, onions), a pumpkin loaf, pumpkin muffins, an easy one bowl muffin recipe, a new Indian dish, some mashed cauliflower,  a apple desert, a fall stew and a new veggie soup...  11 new recipes.  And I also identified some recipe I'd love to try for this winter.

10) I will have to read the books in the above picture at a minimum. I will not list them here but as they are completed, I will share with you on my weekly post - and if by the end I did not complete all the reading I wanted to do, I will mention which are left.
The only book I read form that list was Martin Luther King.  I find reading is an issue still.... I do not seem to be able to make the time for it.  What I will do is continue reading the books I had identified and mention on FB once one is completed. I will get through that list, most likely when the weather is colder and we stay in more.  Summer is NOT a reading season for me - books are more associated with cold, snow, rain in my case anyway...

11) Do one writing exercise in my "642 things to write" about book per day
That too stop quite early.... maybe on day 22nd... because I was already writing enough and all those things I needed to do were becoming to cumbersome and I felt this project was out to show the world instead of turning in... This was the first thing I dropped.

12) Get a tattoo - my first and only one - for 4 years now I wanted to get one - I finally chose which one - I will have to get over my fear of that. The image I choose is very significant to me and I will explain it to you once I get it done.
Did not do that - afraid the pain is not worth the result. Period.

13) No processed snack (chips, cookies, crackers...) for 108 days - if I cheat' I'll have to mention it
Followed that for 35 days... then I cheated... I had some Oreo cookies... and then a few days later very little chips... only to realise that I enjoy those snacks...  even though I know they are not the best for me, I know they are vegan... and that once in a while is not that bad!  After all I love those life little pleasures... But, what resulted from that is that I eat much much less frequently of those vegan junk food and when I do the quantity is MUCH smaller because I get satisfied faster.... and nauseated faster too! Perhaps one day I will no longer be able to have those... I can see it.  In due time.

14) No eating after 7 pm for 108 days. In the case where I would be really hungry, fruits would be permitted - If I cheat (meaning something else then fruits), I'll have to mention it
Quite easily done... we changed supper time so that we finish around 6h30 -7h pm... and then I eat an apple before bed.  That works out just fine. I may have cheated 3-4 times while watching a movie on Netflix.

15) Organize a vegan potluck to meet new vegan friends in Moncton - this is not something I am comfortable with or ever did... but I want to try it and see what happens!
I came to my senses.... I do not like to have people over.  Period.  Except for tea and desert... or snacks...  I have to accept that.

There was another rule that I created that I could not find in my posts (I think it was announced at a later time)..  but I wanted to stay 21 days without television - we did 35!!!  Easily!!! And now the only time I watch TV is when my son ask me to watch something with him.  And that is perfect!  We did not take a TV service and stuck to Netflix.  That works fine for us - we all watch much less of it and are not influenced by advertisement and the like...

And in the end, on top of all that, here's what my #108daystoanewlife gave me:

A life that I love... I life for myself.  Over the last year and a little more (since my book came out), I had set myself up to change the world!  Well I just can't do that!  I am not strong enough... I am not big enough.... or known enough...  I had to come to my senses... by trying to change the world, I was loosing myself and neglecting the 2 people I love most - my son and husband.  I was getting tired and depressed about the too little impact I had... I was in constant contact with social medias... Interact, check numbers, make sure I am visible... I would post every single thing I did and every single breath I took... I wanted to prove to other that my way is the best way... for your health and for the planet... well I do not need to prove anything to anyone... I live my life the way I want and I know I have some influence on some of you and that is good enough!  One by one you guys make small changes... and influence others to do the same... and this is how it woks!  Through a community... not a single person.

This brought me to take the decisions to cut some of my presence on social medias... and therefore cut the time spend on them...  I currently am only on Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest.  I have shut down my website, Facebook page, Goodreads, Bidstrips, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and also lost the iPhone and got a regular flip phone.  I go on social medias once or twice a days... almost never on Saturdays and Sundays....  and that is just great!

Another huge change was in my  wardrobe... I dress with less then ever.  You can see my list of clothes for the next 7 months here . And I do realise that this is much more then I'd like to dress in but this is what I need for now with work requirement and the fact that I refuse to let go of clothes because of a number.  If I love the clothes and they fit me and my lifestyle well they are staying and I will only need less replacement in the future years.

I also have a better sense of direction as to where my life is going and I am now sure that 9in no specific order):

1) I love to work part time
2) I want to get involved with a yoga studio to share my knowledge
3) I am aiming to cook 95% from scratch... I am currently at 75-80%
4) I want to write more
5) I want to have more time for longer yoga practices  and register with a studio
6) I want to live in a tiny house - long term
7)  I want to choose more wisely who I surround myself with
8) My husband and I want to travel America in a Winnebago, live a few months in Portugal and a few months in Bali.  This is LONG term... maybe 15 years...
9) We want to live debt free - as soon as possible and forever after and believe it is possible as the rate we are now spending money, reimbursing debt and increasing our savings.
10) I will not go back to permanently live in Montreal OR Quebec.

OK... that is enough...  I do not know what to write anymore...  but in the end, these #108daystoanewlife were really a way to create a new life for myself... to stay open to possibilities and try new things.  When you let your guard down, when you stop trying and planning and start to let go and watch things unfold and happens, you get to where you should be much faster.  This was lesson #1 from all that.


thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!

love&peace,
nath
xox
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#108 days: week 15... and only 3 more days to go...

This picture was taken this week at sunrise... I love fall... and I love sunrise...  both so magical!  And I love my view... I know I am repeating myself...

On another note, I am now on my last complete week and in a few more days, I will have a detailed post about what this #108daystoanewlife gave me... 

But as for this week, there has been not too many changes on my side...  however, my husband almost made a deal on a used car.... he's getting there! To me this was a huge decision because I had said so many times that I would not have another car!  However, this was when I was back in Montreal and I have come to realise that life in Moncton is slightly different.  Although bus transit system is awesome for a small town, it still brings my husband late (by only 3 minutes) to work 2 days a week on average... his boss understands... for now.... not sure how long before this becomes a real issue!  Another thing is that with my son entering the cadets:  some places he has to go are really far off and not always accessible by bus! And he'd love to go.  We did look into carpooling and he is doing that for now BUT not all activities are mandatory  therefore for optionnal activities he depends on his drive... 

For me, personally,  having a car is still useless... and what's in it for me???  Not much! The only thing I can see, is that I will be able to go to the beach... which is 20 minutes from here but that I couldn't go to this summer because of transportation issues...  the rest, I could do without... but I see that it will have so some benefits for my son and husband... and isn't that what a family is all about?  Making it work for ALL members???

I am still not gona use that car for grocery shopping, going to work or shopping...  anything I can access otherwise I will and my husband and son too!  This is the agreement we came to, to minimize car amd gas usage! And stay in shape!!

I will also cancel my driver's license.  I do not like to drive... never did and never will! Plus with MS, they are giving my a hard time renewing it each year and I need to get doctor's note that "yes I can still drive"... and I just hate it!  It takes time and money...

Besides that, this week as more or less been routine... work, yoga, cooking...  I still wish I could read more...  and realise that if I would have a comfy spot to sit at home I would...  here comes the need for a couch... at least a small one.  Soon... I hope!   In the mean time, I could get use to read in my bed... I just never did so much...  so I don't think of it much!

Working with the public has given me a chance to experiment a few notions on human nature...  and relationships! And it is amazing... I am discovering so much about people!  For example, it is so right how your attitude changes the other's attitude...  coworker AND clients!  Even if they are with you a few seconds, if you change your attitude towards them every single day for a while, their attitude towards you changes too!  

One more thing about this week is that I have slow down so much that, on what I now call "busy days", I am not feeling so great at the end of the day! But I also know that this "busy day" is not even as busy as my life back in Montreal a year ago was... I can't remember how I did it!  I am not sure if my life there was "normal" or my life is here...  but I know that I much prefer my life here!  Less busy and more time to myself... more time to breathe and do nothing!

I do not have a lot more to say about this week...  as I am finally settling down to a lifestyle I wanted for myself... 

I will now reflect about the whole experiment and get back to you on Tuesday with a final post of my #108daystoanewlife !

thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!

love&peace,
nath
xox
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#108 days: week 14

Another week... another post...

Except that as I get closer to the end of my #108daystoanewlife (last day will be October 6th) I realise that only the frame of mind I set myself up to for 108 days makes a HUGE difference in my life...  Rules came  and rules were out the window... but despite all of that I had wanted to make this adventure special and it sure is... 

Besides that, there was not much new this week... I am slowly settling down in my new life and letting myself enjoy it.  Of course I had a revelation earlier this week that was a post on it's own and if you missed it, you can read about it here , if you wish too...  but besides that there is not much to write. 

What this post, from Tuesday, prompted in me were more reflexions and realisations of who I am...

I now know:

1) I am enough - I know this sound "cliche" , but I know what people mean when they say that.  For years I tried repeating it to myself and never quite believed it...  now I do.  Really. And it is amazing to know that I am enough.  Just as I am. I do not need to be more and even less try to prove to other that I am more. I love what I do and where I live and the few people I am surrounded with and that makes my life wonderful and that is enough.

2)  I have enough - even more then what is really needed.  People, including me, until a few weeks ago, always want more...  more money... more friends... more activities.... more time... more "like"... more "followers"....  nicer cars... nicer furniture...  nicer clothes....  nicer homes...  nicer everything...
But really, how much of "more" would you really use???  Would you really need?  How nice is nice enough? And at what price??? Not only money... but lack of time.... more stress...  failed relationship....  By pursuing more, we end up with less... inevitably... think about it...

3) I will be OK. Everything will work out.  Because it always does, because I make it so... this is who I am... I have gone through so much in only 41 and some years....  more then I one might have loved to...  but then again it made me who I am.  Everything happens for a reason and if I was to change only one second of my past, I would not be here and now.  Life happens... for a reason... and I make the best out of it... learn and move on.  At one point, a wished it my life would get "quiet"... "perfect"....  but I know it won't...  because this is not what I am after! I love challenges... I love looking for solutions...  and thinking out of the box... I love destabilizing my self, and others, and when this is what you choose as a life, you're in for a rough ride!  But that's OK!

4) I don't do well with rules.  Rules are there to be broken...  change is good... stability is not!  What ever becomes stagnant dies... somehow.  This is why I will not stop questioning myself...  and I will not stop trying new things and moving to other places... and start over...  because this is life.  I do not want to "die"... not now anyway...  I have more to do and see and I will... I love to be free...  rules imprisons you. No more rules for me.... EVER!  Will do things as I feel them...  period.

5) It is when I walk that inspiration comes to me to write... I need to take more walks.  Riding my bike makes it faster to get somewhere but walking is inspiring.  I need to walk alone.  I will do it more.

6)  People won't change... well MOST won't change...  because it is scary... and destabilizing... and most people are not after that.  But you know what?  That is OK too!  I wish I could have "converted" more people to become vegan and minimalist... but numbers do not matter... anymore.  The "battle" I chose is not easy... and I met amazing people and great supporters... but also many critics... and that is part of the game (and sometimes support and/critics do not always come from who you would have thought - it can be surprising!)  I have learned to ignore criticism...  no matter who it comes from. It is my life...  and only mine to live and love.  I am now concentrating on people that support and love me for who I am and letting go of the others... not fighting anymore.  I am letting people who are after the same lifestyle as I am come to me... and join me in my "revolution".  Want it or not, when you are going "against" 92% of the population, it is a revolution. And it is not easy.  And I am OK with that now.

This was week 14... nothing specific but just lots and lots of thinking and realisation...  It felt good to feel things from the last few months and years all come together...  Into a wonderful life!

thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!

love&peace,
nath
xox
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#108 days: Week 13 - and what a week!

 

 

 

 

 

Update on plants:

Plant is still alive and growing (this is initial picture of it... too bad I can't add a current picture!)... and I even got a second one but for some reason, I can't add the picture of it either...
Realised what my problem with plants was... I was drowning them!
Knowing that I have establish a schedule for watering them...  they both require very little water!

My family has establish a new daily ritual...  every day after supper we wash the dishes and then we have tea/coffee/hot chocolate and "desert"...  it gives us time to talk and laugh...  more then at supper I find where we are still not quite over our daily stresses... but around 7pm we're all in a good place... and we feel like chatting about other stuff then our day! I love this ritual...  we do it 7 days a week!  It is lovely! And it keeps my son off the mindless eating all evening...

Work wise, I finally have a pretty much set schedule....  I work Wednesday through Friday and a few hours on Sundays...  My husband does Monday through Friday...
I still love my job and it is allowing me to meet amazing people...  I love the fact that I can work part time...  it is great for my health... and my sanity!

Now, why did I say "what a week" up above???

Because my husband started a new job... it required a lot of training and he does not deal well with training.... it stresses him out!  On top of that, the way this cie works, we found out that he won't be paid for 6 weeks...  which makes our financial situation a bit of a struggle! But since we had a little saving we'll manage... It's a good think I lost the habit of spending all the money I have!  Or we'd be in deep trouble! The other issue with this job is the public transit might make him be late a few days now and then... the cie understand that he cannot afford a car for now but we're not sure how long they will...  he can bike on nice days but we worry for the winter.  I've call the public transit to see if they could modify the schedule and they said they'll look into it for December... but no guarantee...


Therefore the stress of the training and commute... and the figuring out the finances...  and a weird day I had at work for several reasons....  it was a difficult week!  And to top it off, we had a unexpected, disturbing phone call on Friday night...  one of my husband's son wants to come and live with us...  all the way here in Moncton! We were definitely NOT expecting such a request...  and we do not have an extra room to spare...  plus there is the financial aspect of adding a new member to our family... This made for a very short sleep between Friday and Saturday because we had ask him time to think about it...  and we didn't want him to wait for days on....  Therefore my husband and I started brainstorming to see if and how we could make this work...  We cannot move...  our lease is very strict and it would cost too much to bbreak it!  Plus we love the place we live in and the view! It is well located for school, my job, groceries and the cadets. Not having a car make choosing a place to live a little more difficult!

We figure out a solution...  for our apartment and the sharing of it with an extra 15 years old boy... Now my husband needs to figure out a few details with the boy's mom and once this is done, looks like he'll move in with us...  and the way me figured it out, we're not planning to move for a while...  we'll have to make it work! After all, people before would have much bigger families in much smaller home then we do today therefore we can make it work it we want to! 

I will write more about that later...  the details and how we worked out the apartment... when it definitely is a go! For now, this is all I can share on that...

Another decision we had to come to is that my husband might get a used car...  to make it to work and back home and drive my son to cadets stuff every now and then. We've set a budget for the car... AND rules to use it or not...
It could be use for :
- my husband to go to work.
- my husband to drive my son to cadets activities that are too far to walk too.
- to  go to outing in the Maritimes and/or Quebec but will be calculated in the budget like a car rental or bus fare.

It would not be use for grocery shopping, going to coffee, a movie or a restaurant...  or shopping... only those places/conditions mentioned above.  We are very strict with that.... not having a car has helped us save money and get fit and loose weight.... We are not going back to that place of using a car as a convenience for everything!

Therefore, because we had to make all those decisions (new job, new member of the family, new transport mode, organizing of finances) it was a difficult week... But we did manage...  because we want this to work and we love/respect each other very much...  For example, I am very against having another car... but I can understand that for my husband, to not stress if he'll be on time to work, it can be important...  Similarly, my husband, who's very happy that his son wants to move in, understand my concern since we've never lived with him and he's a 15 year old boy...  he asked me what it would take for me to be happy with this... and we figured it out... figured out a way to make it work for all 3 of us!   This is what a marriage is all about out...  listen, understand, respect and make it work... everyone needs to be listened too and understood....  and sometimes we ask for things and sometimes we need to give in...

However difficult this week may have been, it has proven to me that our relationship is really strong...  still... and we can manage to deal with the most unexpected things... in fairly short timeline and we both still feel loved and respected and we both receive and give in...

A note on all my rules for the #108daystoanewlife:

TV - only watching a show with my son and husband on Netflix - one episode per day - Heroes
and we do movie night on Saturdays.  Do not miss is at all...  no longer even have time to watch more then that as I have found other things to keep me busy.

Food - gived in a little with my rules...  with the cookies and candies...  I have some, sometimes...  but much less then before... and to be honest, I get more and more nauseated when I eat them so I eat less and less and much less frequently...

Yoga - doing good - learned to respect my body more - therefore my practice changes a lot day to day and week to week...  sometimes is is long and physical and other more meditative...  but I am happy that I am at this point where I can recognize and accept what my body and mind need and give it to them.

Shopping:  Really only buying what I really truly love and need now.  No more impulse buy... no more using credit card...  no more buying just for fun or because I am bored...  Of course I spent more then I wanted to when I decided to move to Moncton but that is only because our needs changed...  we needed to get bicycles to get out and about....  We needed to buy a table for dining (we bough it used). We both needed to get a few things for our jobs... and there was school items for my son...  and now looks like we'll need a few things to accommodate another person.  But all this is money well spent... I will still keep you posted on things we'll buy to get re-organised here....  but the way we figured it out, we'll only need to get an extra bed (with all that is required on a bed), one chest drawer (which I'll try to get free or used) and some dishes... and maybe a used car... What I've come to realise is that although there is a fine line between a fake and a real need, there are some real needs.... and there are some conveniences that make our lives easier and worthwhile... and it changes from palces to place and with time. A car in Montreal was useless... here it might be useful for a few things... We got into an habit of really analyzing the financial aspect of every purchase and the good and bad sides of them. We think about it thoroughly and take our time to make the decision... we no longer impulse buy stuff and we need to agree on anything we'll buy... even smaller stuff like pillow case and a plant... because is does add up!

Reading:  I am still not reading as much as I'd love too but perhaps this is because the weather is really nice and I spend lots of time outside... and we have many things to talk about my husband and I to make this adventure a fun and exiting one...  many decisions needs to be discussed about and made... once we settle down and weather gets chillier, I'll have more time to read...

This is it... only a few more weeks to go but I can already say that I created for myself a new life... a better life.... I am miles away (in every way possible) from where I was back in June... and I am happier and calmer...  and I love my life! I can't wait to make the final post of this adventure where I list everything that changed... 

thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!

love&peace,
nath
xox
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#108 days week 12 already!

Whether I want to or not, there is only 3 1/2 weeks left to this project where I wanted to create a new life for myself... a better life!  However, I do not think it will ever end.... I will always create a new life for myself...  until I've reached my dream life... I may not be far... but I also know that nothing is ever perfect and everything changes all the time... what seems perfect now may not be in a year from now! Therefore my project #108daystoanewlife will turn into #infinitedaystoanewlife .... This is not a destinatin but a journey. Of course, as of Oct 6th, I will no longer write about that every week... but still write about me... and minimalism, veganism and being a yogi!

What I have learned is that I will no longer "stay" in a place (physical or emotional) where I am not thriving... because I know I deserve better! We all do!

I have also learned that I am a helpless peace and love freak... that I love the idea of peace on hearth... even if some may think it is impossible...  I still wish for it...  and always will... and cry when I see it is not there...

I have learned that I have more empathy and compassion then I'd like to admit...  and even people who seem to be sabotaging their own life get my sympathy and compassion... because in the end, they may be the only person responsible for their choice, but what choices do you have when you were not given any??? And if they were given a choice, were they free to choose?  Or knowledgeable enough? Did they have the right tools? No one can judge... therefore we need compassion...

It is really hard to live in this day and age and feel the pain like I do... and have compassion like I have... because I am often "crying" for things I have no control over.... and I know now why about 2 years ago I got a "crying yogi" sculpted in wood... because I feel like that crying yogi... crying over the misery of human nature and feeling helpless...  but don't get me wrong.... I do not cry all the time... and I am not unhappy!  I can be aware of the pain in this world and around me and still be happy about my own life... and laugh and have fun!  It is only when I stop to meditate and think about the state of this planet and of us human that I get sad... but I also know that I have no control over all of it... therefore I do what I can and move on! This is the thing with living here and now, you can be sad one minute when something comes to your mind but the next moment when you see a butterfly pass by you can also be really happy! The most difficult part is learning to deal with all those emotions...  changing all the time... but once you get it, it gets easier. Basically, you need to let go....  feel the emotion but not become it.

I also learned over the past week, that no matter what, I need to come first... and then my son and husband.... I cannot take care and love them as much as they deserve to if I do not take care and love myself first! For this I need to do my yoga and meditation and eat well...  but I also need to do stuff I love... like cooking and reading...  and biking.... and writing... and to do this I need time... working 40h a week and squeezing all that is nearly impossible for me who needs to manage my stress and sleep to deal with MS... therefore being a minimalist, living with less and spending less allows me to live the life I want by working less hours in a less stressful job... and still have time to do what I love... and not aggravate my condition. It is all a question of balance.... but balance required choices...

I also decided I would continue writing ebooks...  it might not sell as well as I would want to but I love doing it and people who buys them and read them actually love them....  and I love to do it and help others... and I think this is a nice way to do it! I love, I'll do it!  It is that simple.

Also, my son joined the Air Cadets from Moncton... I know... not my thing... son of a peace and love yogi freak joining the cadets... but it was his dreams... and after discussion I could see he was serious about this and understand and respect his reasons for doing it.  Would I wish he had joined a yoga studio and Green Peace instead?  Of course....  but what these past week have showned me is that everyone has a different path on this planet... for many different reasons.... sometimes it takes us a long time to know what it is... or to accept it (like me)... and in the case of my son, it is clear that his path was opened up to him very early... and even though it scares me, and brings me in a very uncomfortable zone I will help him follow it, to the best of my knowledge, and I will help him find the tools he needs to live his life and follow his path and his dreams.  I do not want to be the reason why he hides his dream and do not realise them.  This, I believe, is the role of a good parent.... not to push their kids into their own, hidden dreams... but help them find and realise their own. It might be the most difficult part of being a parent... because it means realising that our kids may not be like us... or how we would like them to be... but it is a great lesson in unconditional love... and respect. It also means learning to let go... and that our kids do not belong to us... even though we call them "our" kids... they are with us for a while and then off to live their lives. 

Once again a week very high in emotion for many reasons...  but I can see things clearing up... I can see my mind and actions becoming more free... caring less about what others think and say...  I can see myself emerging into a "new" person (to many... but a very well known one to me)... that I kept hidden for so long out of fear... and I refuse to do this still.  I now have the courage to live my life... and this is partly due to the work I have been doing on myself but I know it is also partly due to the unconditional love of my son and husband who support me in all my craziness... we are ultimately 3 very similar people in our hopes and dreams but very different in the way we live them...  this makes all of this adventure very interesting!  And a great learning experience...

thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!

love&peace,
nath
xox
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#108 days - week 11?!? is it???

Seriously loosing track of time here....  seems like I have always been here in Moncton living with my son and husband...  I have really moved on and this is HOME now...  I am not realising that time goes by so fast...  I feel like time is stopped and life is allowing me a "vacation"... almost as if this is too good to be true and it won't last...  Can this really be life from now on?  Is it possible to be this happy and in the right place at the right time?  I have never really seen this before in my life! Sure there are few things I miss from Montreal...  Pierre D'Ailleurs, L'Heureux Boudha, Sophie Sucree, Resonnance Cafe and La Panthere Verte... and if I stop and force myself to think about it I will miss those places... but on a daily basis I am doing great here!  The only thing is that I wish people I loved could come and visit... because I am not sure when I'll be able to go back... I will have not time off for a few more months... and no money to afford a trip!

Here's what is going on:

I am really happy... and peaceful!  Life flows well and I do not have anything to force or fight for...
I do yoga and meditate 5-6 times a week...  but not for an hour... this was too much! 20-45 min depending on the days...
I read a lot... biographies and novels... and also self development and yoga books.
I love my hair (the silver and all)...  and the way I dress...  I feel genuine, authentic... and my scalp is healing... finally!
I bike to and from work and to and from all other places...  Moncton is small!
I cook simple healthy vegan meals... and can actually come up with new recipes on my own!
I am starting to have a strong desire to go back to drawing and painting...  maybe I'll give in...
I work part time on a job I love with very little money...  but it is worth so much more then just a salary....  I'll adjust my lifestyle over and over again before going back to a regular job...

Here are some recipe I came up with:

I do not have a picture because I do not have my iPhone...

You peel and cut some apples, throw them in a Pyrex container, add some vegan butter, quick cooking oats and brown sugar... put into the oven for about an hour (depending on the apples and how you like them cook), toss about twice during cooking... take out of the oven and enjoy warm! Delicious!!!

Another recipe I came up with is the following:  barley, "ground chicken" from St-Yves, celery, carrots, mushrooms, onions, garlic....  veggie broth, salt and herbs... cook in the oven for about 4h at 250F...  delicious and nutritious...

On another front, my son started school this week and he loves it!  OK maybe "love" is a strong word but he likes it more then he ever did!

I made a few changes to my home...  especially my bedroom which I am trying to make more cozy and bohomenian like... getting there...  I have to reuse only what I currently own so it's a challenge...  but a fun one! It requires creativity... Next to be adress will be living room... but this room too is almost there!

Still do not have a couch... or a washer/dryer...  Couch will come... washer/dryer probably not! I can very well the washer and dryer from the basement. I use the laundry room in my apartement to store bicycles, the cat litter, cat food and water as well as tools, luggage and other stuff...  it allows me to spread the stuff and be able to breathe...

I may be repeating myself...  but I love my new life... and I would not trade my old one back... which is good... and exactly why I wanted to do this 108 days to a new life...  to start from new and appreciate the life we created for us without looking back...  only move forward! On day 78, when writing this blog, I can already tell you that I have succeeded at that...  I didn't even need 108 days... let's wait and see what the remaining 31 days reserved for me....

thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!

love&peace,
nath
xox
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#108 days : week 10 completed!

Week 10 is over...  and I am late writing this post...  it was "due" on Friday I know but when I got home from work Friday I was too tired... and then Saturday was thrown upside down by different events and then we lost in internet connection in the evening!  Plus Saturday night is movie night....  not negotiable! Today I worked....   and here I am now....  thinking about the past week...

What I did notice is the I have been much much lest present on the social media... and you know what?  Life still goes on! And actually even better because I get more time for MY life... which is also why this post is late... because I made myself a priority... not writing this... even though I really love writing this blog, sometimes it can be time consumming... and when I am too tired or too busy it can become too much (depending on how I look at it)... and it is not as much fun! 

Although I still will write every Tuesday and Friday, I will not beat myself up if I am late for whatever reason.... I know you guys will understand!

My Facebook page and Twitter account are now officially closed! I only have to take care of my personnal FB page (which you are welcome to follow), Pinterest and Google+.  This does free up so much time...

Also, iPhone is not used anymore.., not even as an iPod as a quick connection to all the social media anytime of the day (which I kept on doing even though it was not a phone anymore)...  I have to actually sit and open the computer... I can only do this twice a day... on good days!

As a result of less presence on the internet, I have more time to read actual book which I really do enjoy! I also can see that my creativity is up the roof!  I get really creative idea for drawing, crafts at home (to decorate with what I already own), dress up (recombining my clothes to create new outfits)... and also in the kitchen... I came up with a few recipes of my own and they are excellent!  I never did that before.

The other added benefit to being less present on the internet is that I have time to do my yoga Monday to Friday for at least 20 minutes!  This is important to me... and it does wonder for my health and sanity... but if I got caught up on my iPhone in the morning, I would sometimes no longer have time to do it... and it made me feel bad!

I also realise this week after reading one of my favorite blogger ( Tasmanian Minimalist), that I have just recently realise the minimalism is NOT a punishment...  it is not deprivation... I am not obliged to do it... I do it because I want to...  because I really deeply believe that this can make a difference in my stress... and financial life!  And it does.... I can now do work I love... and I am much less stress because I know I do not need as much money as I used too... and I owe less money...  and I actually have savings... never did this happen to me before!

It is also really cool to be able to clean up your whole home in about 45 minutes! Including bathroom! Can you imagine all the free time this gives me???  To do stuff I love???

These were all what came clear to me this week...  It was a week of self realisation.... and I often found myself smiling for no reason...  and with no one around...  with this internal feeling of being happy and at the right place...  this is AWESOME!

And it came with an overall sense of peace... and I love it!

Now on my plate for the upcoming week, is back to school for my son... in a new school, new system and new province! Also finding him a few extra curricular activities.....  and registering myself to a yoga school to actually practice with other and get to know people! Also this will bring about reworking the schedule for the whole family.... as I will also be working more hours... did I say I love my job?!? Also working on my pickling!!!  Got a few more recipes to try...

what about  you?  what did you realise about yourself recently?  do you need to make any changes to your own life? how will you do it?

thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!

love&peace,
nath
xox
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#108 days: week 9 is over.... day 63!!!!

There goes another week...  63 days of my 108 are over...  and despite the fact that I have let go of a lot of the rules, I am still discovering a lot about me... surprisingly enough perhaps more then with the rules!  It's amazing what comes out when you give yourself the gift of liberty!

What I did discover is that:

1) I feel much better when I eat very little at a time....  lots of fruits and nuts...  nuts can bring me a long way!  I am better off with soups and stews then mostly anything else. 

2) Despite the fact that I still crave "candies", every time I allow myself to have some, I feel really bad after.  Why crave something that makes you feel bad???  Will I ever understand? Is sugar really so addictive??

3) I am better off with a regular 15-20 minutes yoga practice then an hour long 3-4 times a week.... 

4) I love to bike to places more then to walk. I am planning to use my bike as much as I can and as long as there are not enough snow to prevent me from using it

5) The week end walks I had mention might not be so rigid!  I bike to work and most places... when I can't, I walk...  I stand up at work 8h a day... I think I may rest on the week ends...  and not "force" a walk each morning...

6) I am more solitary then I first thought I was...  I love my peace and quiet... I love being in Moncton and far away from my hometown...  This may sound selfish but it is not.... I do miss some people but I can keep busy and give myself time to do things I love without expectations from anyone...  and for now, at almost 42, it is what I needed. I needed to be "alone" and finish figuring things out...  and this is exactly what I am doing now.

7) I am surprised by human nature...  I started loosing faith in it but it is coming back... working in the public makes me see that most people are actually really nice...  many are just shy...  very little are taking out there bad days on the first person they can and very very very little are just mean and frustrated! Perhaps people here are much less stress and it helps...  Perhaps I am much less stress and it helps in the sense that people react better to me...  who knows?  There are no way to find out for sure...  but I like it here, people are nice to me... and my "accent" make French and English people smile...  they both think I talk in a bizarre way! 

8) I am really, really happy when I am home...  finally!  No longer running away from something...  of after something!  Not sure which one I was doing... perhaps, a little of both!

And now as for this week more specifically:

1) I spent more time with my son and we went, amongst other things, to visit his new school which seems awesome!  He is really exited about it!

2) I have officially started my work at Starbucks as a real barista no longer on training.

3) I have found more recipes for pickling I want to try.  Some from a book and some from my mom.

4) I started working on one more craft projects that is not done yet...

5) Watch a few Dr Who with my son... we are almost done and now looking for another show we would both love... any suggestions?

6) Starting to let go of more social medias and blogs....  I kept only 4 blogs I really really love... here they are:

http://busywomanstripycat.blogspot.ca/
http://tasmanianminimalist.blogspot.ca/
http://theproject333.com/about/
http://www.becomingminimalist.com/
for now, these are the only one I can afford to follow time wise....  however, I still kept all the FB pages so I will know if something interesting comes up on one of the 12 or so blogs I was following...

Also, on that note, I will be phasing out my own Facebook page and possibly my Twitter account...  in the very near future...  If you wish to keep on following me, you can always do so by suscribing to emails, sending me a friend request on my personnal FB, following me on Google+ (directly from this blog) or Pinterest. Links to FB page and Pinterest profile are down below in signature.

I am actually loving less time on social media and more time with my husband, son and myself.  I even leave my phone home when we all go somewhere together!  Never would I have done that before!

Well, this is it...  enough for tonight... I had a rough week and now I need to relax and perhaps take a hot bath! :-)

7) Got a new ebook project in the furnace... on minimalism...   that is all I can say for now.


thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!

love&peace,
nath
xox
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#108 days: week 8 check!

Hey guys!

how are you???  I am doing GREAT!!!

Let's start with the bad news...
1) First plant I bought die....  watered it too much!

2) I still have issues with money - in the sense that I am always scare to not have enough.  This is a major stress factor for me that dates WAY WAY back... and I have my ups and down...  made big progress on the subject but I have my bad days...  Technically our budget works out fine! But I am always worrying never the less... Will work on that until the end of my 108 days.

3) Fell off my bike yesterday and hurt myself...  not too bad... but just enough to be sore...  for a few days I guess!

Good news:

1) My son is back!!!!  I am soooooo happy about that...  and really proud of the young man he is becoming! I know, I say that often...

2) I have figured out a short 15-20 minutes yoga practice that I can do on busy days and helps with my legs, stress and heath in general. I can easily include it in my morning routine if I know that is all I will get to do.

3) I love my job!  It is really nice to make people smile by providing them with their caffeine fix!

4) I have figured out that doing work I love is worth the decrease in salary, stress and happiness wise.

5) I started pickling:  did some beets and cauliflower! It is so simple and saves money in the long run. Also it insures that veggies are always available in my home.  OK, some might say that they are not the best veggies nutrition wise but they are still better than none for some days...

6) Second plant is still alive and doing well.  I will NOT water this one too much!!!

7) My diet is well under control.  Did a little process stuff ( cookies and chips)...  but not too much and actually much much less then I use too so I am on a good roll for that.  I am sticking with the fruits only after 7pm and that does wonder on my sleep.

8) I am trying to be more social. I get to see a lot of people now and people here like to have a chat.  Coming from Montreal, I am not use to that... but I am starting to enjoy it...  it feels good to actually acknowledge people around you - those passing by, sitting by you at a restaurant, working at the grocery store....  etc... they are people... with lives and stuff just like you!  And sometimes they need to share...

9) Tried to veganize a new cake recipe and it turned out amazing!  Maybe I'll share the recipe sometimes next week...

10) Actually decrease my commute budget and increased my level of physical activities by riding my bike everywhere (or mostly) rain or shine...  In Moncton, nothing is never really far... I only need to get some rain pants... for those crazy heavy rain pours we get. Good investment.

11) We celebrated our wedding anniversary the savvy way.  Before we would have bought each other something- that would have eventually, in the near future, end up in the donation bin...  and then spend more money on restaurant...  and maybe a movie... after all it's a big one:  10 years!  And when we got married we had actually said we'd go down south to renew our vows for our 10 wedding anniversary!  Talk about expensive!  Instead, it cost us 23$ to have an orange rose to dress our table, a meal we like, kombucha, desert (homemade spice cakes) and some chips - my husband favorite! And meal, cake and chips have left over for another night!

This was this week...  I really enjoyed myself... Still discovering a few things about me... which was the whole idea about this #108 days project.

For example, when someone says something, I REALLY do think about it... and depending who said it, I can really hurt me...  but I know it shouldn't...  and that my life is my life... and I shouldn't live it according to anyone's expectations...  be it my parents, my teachers, my friends, my family, a random person...  If I end up with a crapy life because I did not live to my expectations but to theirs, it's entirely my fault... they only really wanted to help by guiding me towards the life THEY wish they had... doesn't have to be mine.

Therefore, this  "ambition" thing from last Friday's post really did hurt me... and worked on me a lot... and almost make me feel like wanting to quit a job a like to be more ambitious...  but then I realise that I do have some ambitions... not like what might be expected of me but ambitions that do make me happy... I have to stick to that.  This is what this week has been mostly about.  Being at peace with the "new" me and my own "ambition"...  and I think I got this resolve...  We'll see in a few weeks if this seems to be an issue still. If it is, for sure you'll hear about it.

This is it for now....
Time for me to go make supper...

Please do not hesitate to send me your comments!  I always appreciate it!

thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!


love&peace,
nath
xox
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#108 days : week 5 is over!

Week 5 is over....  35 days of doing this project and I can see this is going somewhere!  Maybe not where I wanted to when I signed up for it!  Maybe not as fast as I would love to... but it is moving along.

Since I announced my new rules, I can see much changes in me.  By-the-way, I wish to thank everyone who took the time out of their busy lives to send me a gently note or a word of wisdom!  I really do appreciate all of them.

It has done that because I have allowed myself to turn in more...  instead of turning out to social media so much. It brought a new light to myself....  how I work and operate... and some unresolved issues I have...

First, I realise that I need to share... I know I can help people by doing so with the nice testimonies I get ever now and then.  I will continue to do it but less frequently...  and more deeply.

Second, I know the life I chose is not for everyone.  I understand and respect that. I do not criticise the way you live your life so do not criticise mine. My blog is only about how I feel. If it doesn't resonate with you, you do not have to keep reading it.

Third, this blog will be re-oriented much more toward minimalist living...  like it was at first...  because I realise the all I do in my life, all the decisions I make are oriented toward having a simpler, more meaningful and less stressful life. This is what light me up... this is what I like to share...  and this is what it will become. For instances:

         1) Budget/money tips and tricks that I used and worked or did not... to save you time
         2) Decluttering tricks
         3) Wardrobe issues
         4) Small space living
         5) Eating on a budget
         6) Eating healthy and simply
         7) Relationship decluttering
         8) Doing work you love instead of work to pay the bills
         9) Entertainment/activities/travel tip for minimalists

All these subject are, to me, the essential of minimalism.   It is not only about an empty house and closet, it is a lifestyle...  it's about choice you make... choice that will bring you freedom.

This is what this week as been all about for me... realising all that... streamlining what I want to do and share with you guys.

Fourth, I also realise that I have major issues with letting go...  especially of things I cannot control. I find that ever since I have moved here, I am always waiting for something.  A job interview, a second job interview, a call for an answer, another call for another job...  my son to leave... my son to get back... but husband to be back home from work...  This has to stop.  It is preventing me from being here and now.  Because my iPhone will go soon, I had to get an agenda for the next year... I found a super cute one that will help me get in the here and now pronto!  I have giving myself until the end of December 2015 (which is the period cover by the agenda) to get this once and for all! Here's a picture of the agenda:

Last but not least, my husband and I took another deep look at our budget...  doing work we love instead of work to pay the bills sure has an impact on the budget... so we had to look into a few more things...  we've pretty much down to the core now...  It made me realise that I did come a long way from my shopping addiction...  and I am sure happy about that.... but I am not where I'd like to be yet after 7 years of working on that...  Even if we're in a smaller city and I am not watching TV, news, magazines...  The over-consumerism society we live in still has a grab on me! Whether it's social media, people walking down the street, there seem to always be a new "need" which really is just a "want" around the corner! Having a tight budget and working hard on paying off our last debt and increasing our savings, it doesn't allow for many unplanned "needs"... therefore I would use the "magic card"! Well this is so counterproductive.... I know... but so easy...  until the statement comes in! I haven't used it in 3 weeks... and yesterday I decided to put is way...  far and away... it no longer is in my wallet (but I did not cut it yet)!  And no worries, I do not know the number so I cannot use it! I will work on paying it off as quickly as possible and at the same time raise my saving high enough that these could be used in case of emergencies and the "magic card" could be cut off for good! I would have to only live off what I have.

Before I go, I would like to share with you pictures of my living/working area.  Keep in mind that is fairly big (at least for me): about 12'x18' and it is missing one piece of furniture... a couch...  we know what we want but we can't find it use...  so I'll keep looking or we'll have to wait to get the money...  we want a double papasan couch!  They have them at Pier1.  Anyway, now it's summer and we spend most of our times outside anyway so we don't really need it now.  Here are the pictures:

home office where I write this blog from

music/coffee table book zone
 

meditation/tea area

rocking chair facing lake for rainy days

closed bookshelves - less dusting to do on the few books I kept

And about my new rules...
Diet:  perfect
Yoga: work in progress - easy for me to jump of the wagon on an irregular schedule
Buying: Under control!
Yoga outside:  found a place with no geese shit to do it! Will try next week.
TV:  21 days done... even though officially started last Friday... this truly is a ride in the park.
and I keep on going.....  73 more days to do the rest...


thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!


love&peace,
nath
xox
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