An Anniversary: 100 Posts at Premier Blueprints!

Today offers the 100th post over at Premier Blueprints—the brilliantly inspired and inspiring blog, hosted and written by my personal trainer, Marshall Page.

Premier Blueprints is about creating your own success, not just in the gym, but—more importantly—in your mind and spirit, where it all begins. Your environment is controlled by your own mind—the way you choose to respond to outside circumstance affects every aspect of your life. Premier Blueprints teaches readers how to design and create their own environments, and fill each step of the journey with success and happiness.

I have learned much from Marshall, and as such, my life has changed dramatically in the last six months. Most notably my body, strength and energy. On the inside, I respond more calmly to external frustrations. I give each personal connection a new opportunity, every opportunity. I have stopped judging and labeling others. I have learned to embrace each moment for what it offers. I take time each evening to reflect on my thoughts and promote success for the day ahead.

Marshall aims to post each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I crave his writings, and find value in each one. Here are some of my recent favourites:

Guard Your Thoughts of Others
How’s Your Day Going?
Energy Flows Where Attention Goes
As You Wish
What You See is What You Get When it Comes to Kids
Thoughts = You

There are many more posts (94 in fact), which hold significance in some way or another. Read a few… heck, read them all! Premier Blueprints provides the tools you require to transform your life in whatever capacity you desire. Take from it what you wish—as much or as little. Embrace the moment, and enjoy the journey!

Here’s to your next 100 posts, Marshall. Thank you and congratulations!

Soon…

The other night as dinner preparations were wrapping up, we asked the boys to go wash their hands.

Jake (3 years old): “Why?”
Me: “Because we’re having supper soon.”
Jake: “But when are we having supper?”
Me: “Soon.”
Jake, after a thoughtful pause: “But, but… SOON means NOTHING!”

Clever kid.

Palette: Autumn Fire

Snowflakes fell in my neighbourhood this morning. So pretty and soft. The ground is too warm to keep the white stuff cool enough to stay, but the snowfall was glorious all the same. Reminds me that it is the time of year to snuggle up by a warm fire. Sipping red wine, or mulled cider. Reading a great magazine, watching a chick flick, or chatting with a dear friend. 

What are some of your favourite Autumn activities?

“Autumn Fire”: Pantone 142C, 153C, 168C, Process Black

Pantone is a colour system used primarily by graphics professionals and offset printers. As always, if you’d like to know paint equivalents for these colours, simply post a comment with your request, and I will be oh-so-happy to oblige!

[Please comment with your thoughts on this palette, and if you would like to see more colours in the future. Thanks!]

Happiness 101.5

This morning’s frost, twinkling in the early morning sunshine, brought such happiness to my heart. Yep, I’m typically a pretty happy gal, but every so often Mother Nature encourages me to stop and embrace the moment.

Today’s happinesses:

• Feeling yesterday’s squats in my thighs and butt. Who needs sex, drugs and rock‘n’roll when your body can feel like THIS!?
• Jake finally enjoys watching Dora the Explorer. I was beginning to think he was a freak.
• The attitude is shifting in our house. Less negativity. We catch each other, and encourage positive thoughts and reflections. Feels wonderful.
• Sunshine.
• Reconnecting with a friend.
• Watching Quinn beam as he reviewed better-than-he-thought math homework marks.
• The Cranberries. The Fray. Kings of Leon. The Killers. Blue Rodeo. Great Lake Swimmers. Peter Gabriel. 3 Doors Down.
  
• This week’s full moon.
• Hot baths with lavender bubbles.
• Tetracycline finally kicking in, right at the end of its 14-day course.
• My new hot pink Converse Chuck Taylor low-tops.
• Jake designing a bead necklace at the desk beside me.
• Thinking of my childhood friend, Jen King, on this, her 37th birthday.

[Jen and I at Nangor Resort, Summer 1986]

What are your happinesses today?

Gratitude Journal

While it is not a new concept to our family, keeping a Gratitude Journal is something we haven’t done in a while. In fact, I am presently looking to locate the book we used to keep at the kitchen table to record our daily high points.

Wow. I just found it. Last entry: October 18, 2008. Oops. Time to reinstate the journal.

Here are some of the items we have written in the past:

Thursday, January 3, 2008
Quinn: “For the picnic Mom and I had on the living room bench today—she surprised me!”

Andrew: “For fish, because I like fish. It was a nice fish dinner. I don’t usually get to eat my sole.”

Me: “For spending another great day with Quinn—he helped me mop floors and we danced a LOT today.”

 •     •     •     •     •

Friday, May 23, 2008
Quinn: “Tomorrow I’m going to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for a sleepover!”

Andrew: “For the weekend. It always seems to take so long to arrive when it’s a short week.”

TJ (Jake): nodding

Me: “That I had a fun and silly chat with Sensei Shawna and Gerri-Lyn tonight. Lots of girly giggles.”

Keeping a Gratitude Journal encourages us to think of the happinesses of the day, and pushes the not-so-great moments to the bottom of the barrel. After a few days of this, you will find you truly embrace those happy moments, and they tend to occur more often.

Even on a day you may think was “the worst day ever”, you are bound to find even the smallest moment for which to be grateful.

Turn your face to the sun, and your shadows will fall behind you—Anonymous

Do you keep a Gratitude Journal? If so, or if not, what are 3 things you are grateful for today?