Creating Sparks That Last & All Things Relationships

Learn From It My favourite thing to do is learn from my mistakes. Seriously. I love nothing better than to analyze a situation, how it went wrong, what went wrong and how to make it better. Note: I intentionally did not say 'how to fix it' because 'fixing it' denotes that something is broken. WE ARE NOT BROKEN, WE ARE HUMAN and humans are complex. And I think we all know by now, that no relationship is without its problems 100% of the time. So back to 'Love is a Crush' - it's essentially an emotion of intense infatuation that either rapidly evolves into a deeper emotion of care and affection, or not. Of course, I'm referring to romantic relationships because we can all acknowledge that we have the capacity to encompass dynamics of love such as parents, children, siblings, friends and family outside of a romantic relationship. I've spent nearly 4 decades married to my husband. 4 Decades!! I'm sure you can imagine some of the changes we would have

No running in circles required If, like me, you're wondering how on earth the holidays are almost upon us, you're in the right place. Crazy isn't it that we say this same thing every year and yet every year, we have the same 365 days to prepare for it. But life happens, stuff gets in the way and we just. get. busy! So here are my no-nonsense tips to surviving the holidays and keeping your relationships intact, whether with your children, parents, friends, colleagues or spouse (or your cat, dog or mouse 😼🐶🐭). Be still - I'm serious. Stop, breathe - really breathe - like deep into-the-belly breaths. Take just 10 minutes to do what you love -  Don't have 10 minutes? Pick up the phone and call a trusted human to relieve you of your busyness for 10 minutes. If they care for you at all, they'll do it and you can return the favour when they need it. Don't know what you love to do? Jot the first 3 things that come to mind and start there. Move your body - I c

In Conversation with Author Pat Backley Photo credit:  Pat Backley Pat’s memoir  From There To Here (With An Awful Lot In Between) is sprinkled with her positive outlook and quotes to live by. Here is one such quote that really stood out to me: Whatever life throws at you, never give up. Just learn to adapt and change. You’ll hear more of her passion and positivity shine through as you listen to our chat here: Relationships and Resilience   And if you have any questions for Pat, let’s hear them in the comments. She is a font of inspiration! You’ll find all of her books, both fiction and nonfiction on her website:  Pat Backley - Author Connect with Pat on the socials at the following links: Instagram   Facebook LinkedIn Twitter And I’ll leave you with one last quote from Pat that will inspire you to live the life you dream of: Life can be tough, but try to keep smiling through the tears. When you get knocked down, get up and carry on…You never know what’s around the next corner. Have a

Own It! I’ve discovered a new way of doing what I love. Creativity streaks, or sprints, are the go! Have you ever challenged yourself to a creativity streak? Bam! Brave act right there. Not brave as in heroically fight a bear, but brave as in step out of your comfort zone kind of brave, and not onto a bindi either— or maybe that is brave; kind of like a giant leap of faith but stepping into something risky. No I’m kidding, don’t go stepping onto any bindi’s or into any risks! But you know, sometimes you’ve got to take a chance on yourself— so let’s say calculated risks potentially. Anyhoo, a creative streak is quite a commitment. So it depends, are you committed to your craft, your creative influence? Because, without it, who would you be? De’Andre Bush I mean, your very personality is a creative streak: the way you wear your hair, the clothes you choose, your daily habits - they make up your creativity, your daily interests, AKA - You! See? Creativity is anything that brings out your

Let’s rethink the 2023 buzz… What if there’s no reason to change anything; No reason to want things to be different. What if there’s no reason to work towards a goal; No reason for New Year’s resolutions. Sound good? My fur-niece, Topaz Binky, agrees! What if you like— no, LOVE the way you are, exactly as you are. There is no reason to buy into the hype. ICYMI - There. Is. No reason to buy into the hype! You get to shine as brightly as you are. Of course, I’m not advocating stagnation because  growth is the new humankind.   But you get to grow at your own pace. Not when the New Year tells you to. So ditch the phony New Year’s resolutions, ditch the societal expectations and pressured-into goals. Find your own tendrils of new growth, unfurl deliciously slowly, leisurely, savoring the softness of life’s gentle awakening - all will come good, in your own time; in your own way. Let’s cheer together: I AM ME IN 2023! Not a new me, not a better me— ME exactly as I am. If this stirred a feeli

I’m delighted to introduce our guest blogger kayymorgan today, directly from her own platform: Are you there, Erma? It’s me, Sylvia.”  In her article below, kayymorgan captures the essence of self-care in relationships perfectly. Enjoy. "ARE YOU THERE, ERMA? IT'S ME, SYLVIA." “I” BEFORE “U” kayymorgan Sylvia : Erma, how have you survived that mother of all relationships? You know. Marriage? Erma : Oh Sylvia, that's a biggie.  The question of all questions.  Too early for wine or an old-fashioned, so put a fresh pot on. As the cooler temperatures set in and the daylight hours grow shorter, Sylvia contemplates all the ways to bring possibilites for happiness to life. It seems a bit inconsistent though since autumn for many carries darker thoughts. Death and dormancy even for some. However, Sylvia, ever hopeful given the company she keeps and her best friend's soothsaying abilities (Erma predicts that everything works out as it should in the end), is thinking about w

Tiny Pivots is All it Takes Whether you’re stuck in a dead-end career, relationship or life, YOU CAN CHANGE IT. One tiny pivot at a time. You don’t have to change job/relationship/life if you can’t or don’t want to but if you’re unhappy, you can easily change the dynamics one tiny pivot at a time. • Have the awkward conversation with that difficult colleague or boss (Just don’t do it while you’re feeling emotional if there is anger involved). • Set boundaries for yourself in your relationship, friendship, family - the world will adjust. • Work towards a personal goal every single day in some small way; a sip of water instead of treats; 10 minutes of movement instead of being a coach potato; read/study/practice instead of scrolling social media. You get the idea. Because one tiny pivot each day creates a life worth living.