Oh Inspiration – You Elusive Sexy Beast!

Hello My beautiful and sexy blog readers and supporters!

I hope that this week’s ramblings and word shenanigans find you all happy, healthy, a bit more wealthy and maybe a wee bit more wise.  One can hope right!? 😛

Summer is upon us with a vengeance and I am freaking loving it! After making the revelation to you all a couple weeks back about jumping back into the film writing arena I had noticed a few things about myself.

Allow me to explain…

First of all, I have finally come to the realization and acceptance that I am a storyteller at the very core of who I am as a person and more specifically as a woman.  I generally am the one to almost put on a show so to speak when I regal you with my musings or experiences full of funny voices, hand gestures and contorted body configurations.  I love taking you along on the mystical ride and hope you have quite an experience when you do – intrigue, laughter, fear, love, happiness etc. whatever the story entails.  I guess that is why I took to writing my blogs every week, I am in essence taking you all along on my own journey – The story of my life.

Even as a young child I was enthralled with movies – Such a wonderful way to take someone on a magical journey – A way to escape and become anyone or anything you ever wanted to be.  I remember quite vividly at about the age of 5 or 6 I think, I was watching The Wizard Of Oz for what seemed like the umpteenth time on TV, and I was just mesmerized by the magic and fantasy of it all – It was in this moment that I knew I wanted to be apart of this – Not knowing entirely what ‘THIS’ was, or in what capacity I wanted to be apart of it, I just knew in someway I was going to be.  Fast forward to today and once again here I am moving myself closer to realizing that dream.

Now we come to the second part and the basis for this week’s blog – Inspiration, where to get it and how to harness it!

For me, I have had an ongoing, ‘love/hate’ relationship with inspiration – She can be abundant and yet completely elusive at the same time, that sneaky minx!

Inspiration really has no rhyme or reason for me. Where it comes from is never common place or consistent. It could be music, art, film, life, nature, dance, fashion, a PB & J sandwich etc. etc.  I have tried so many different ways to try and harness it, but to no avail.  I find, since I have gone back to walking everyday, that has helped to knock some ideas loose, which I am exploring at the moment. Stay tuned for script announcements 🙂

But I gotta say, one minute it is here and the next poof it’s gone. Or maybe the answer is that I could just have a mild to moderate form of ADHD?  No really, I tend to be all over the place.

Could it be the copious amounts of sugar I can consume in one sitting? I once put four whole boxes of smarties in my mouth on a dare, needless to say my Mother had to peel me off the ceiling from my sugar high.

I really can’t say, but what I can say with undoubted certainty is that my wide and vast ocean of imagination has never waned or faded. It is almost a need not just a want for me. I NEED to be lost in the cascades of lollipop land and gumdrop sunsets, even as I approach 45 years of age next week, EeeeeeeeK.

It really is my escape, it always has been and I believe it always will be. I can be who and what I have always wanted to be with no regret or compromise. In this land, I am beautiful, strong, playful, courageous – Ultimately I am free. Free from judgement, obligation and expectations not only from others, but much more profoundly from within my own self.

Don’t get me wrong, I can feel these things in my everyday life – My work, family and friends allow me to explore these emotions, but in there – My limitless and vast imagination, I have no need for compromise or explanation.  I can just be ME, flaws, quirks and all!

I believe that growing up does not have to mean you have to lose your child like wonder or sense of adventure. No, I think in efforts to put things like, our life and our experiences within it, into nice, neat and ordered little boxes of conformity,  we in fact lose. We lose the very unique and unorthodox pieces that make up who we are in the process.

Our quirks, flaws abnormalities if you will, are what make us, well US.  Those are what make you stand out from the crowd, make you unique and special in my books.  This amusement park of my mind has been closed for far too long and I am excited to gas up the roller coaster and merry go round and just simply enjoy the ride.

Ultimately I have discovered is that I don’t need to harness my inspirations, just delight and feel blessed that I am still able to have them in the confines of my crazy and unpredictable world called my imagination.

Thank you all once again for coming along on this crazy blog ride with me each week and for taking the time to read my shenanigans.  It indeed does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.  But, before we go let me ask you all, where do you find your own inspiration in your life?  Are you able to harness it or is it elusive as it is for me?

I can not wait to read your answers!

Until we meet again,

Love and Light Always,

Dina xxoo

Sometimes in Life You Just Gotta Pivot

Hello My fellow blog lovers and supporters,

Is it hot in here or are you all just beautiful sexy beasts!?

I think it’s both really 🙂

Hot and steamy weather is here with a vengeance and quite frankly I am pleased as punch to see it.

I was recently reminded of a quote from Socrates – YES Socrates I read folks 😛 that said,

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”

I found so much intrigue, insight and a slight bit of comfort after reading this quote.

Allow me to explain…

As my 45th birthday is drawing closer I find that I am looking back on what I have done, what I have dreamed of doing and what I feel I have yet to accomplish and I am drawn to some “what could have been’s” or basic “what if’s’ if you like.  Now, this is always a dangerous territory to go down for anyone of any age – Nostalgia is not a bad thing in of itself until you use it as a means to compare, then it can become deadly.

Comparison is the thief of joy as they say, (they being good old Teddy Roosevelt) and he could not have been more right.  If we are constantly comparing ourselves to the past or even others, we are in essence robing ourselves of the motivation and focus to go after our dreams in the present.  ie, ‘I have already failed so why bother’, or ‘I will never be good enough to achieve that.’

This has been my usual cycle and I believe one of the reasons I have not gone after everything that I have wanted to.  But, this is where I am going to buck the ‘Millennial’ parenting phase of telling their kids they can be ANYTHING that want to be in this world – Sorry I believe this is a load of shit.  I mean, what if I wanted to be a mermaid – Your advice to me would be, ‘if you try hard enough and believe it, you will achieve it.” Ummmmm K …

Don’t get me wrong, I do believe in going after your dreams, of course I do!  But, what I believe is that you can TRY to be anything you want to be in this world, but there is no guarantee you will achieve it.  After you have tried all of your avenues and are no way closer to achieving your dream, it may be time to reevaluate or pivot if you will. (Hence the title of this blog – See what I did there) 😛

Pivoting is not giving up, it is merely trying it from another angle or being open to having another dream enter into your consciousness that you may never have considered before.  Being open to change or new opportunities is pivotal in navigating these choppy waters called our lives.  Each of us has a course to navigate but it is up to you to steer the ship in the best way possible to reach your destination.  You may hit choppy patches and have to redirect your course, but in the end you still will reach your destination, so what does it matter as long as you get there right!? (OK enough of the nautical theme – Sheesh I guess since I live in a canal side town I am influenced) 😛

Take me for instance, I had written in a previous post about how your dreams can change in life and that is OK (If you haven’t read it here it is so you are up to speed https://dinaarsenaultblog.wordpress.com/2016/09/13/dream-on/

And I still believe this, vehemently. But, what I have really noticed is that the pivot can in essence bring you back to where you first began as well, which is me in a nutshell at the moment – My desire to write and create films has been ignited once again in me and I am both scared but excited at the prospect!

You see, I have felt this restlessness for quite some time and I finally figured out what has been eating at me – I have been living a safe secure life, making the ‘right’ choices for my life because that was the responsible thing to do, what was expected of me.  To sum it up – I’m bored or unmotivated in my life.  I have not honoured the very core of who I am, a creative being yearning for the opportunity to create and tell the human story on a grander scale.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not angry or bitter as I do believe that everything does happen for a reason and I needed to go through this ‘pivot’ to bring me back to what was lacking in my life – Telling the human story cinematically.  There I said it, I put it out into the ether, can’t take it back now!  I don’t know what capacity this will take in my life, but I do know that it will be a part of it and that is huge revelation at this point.  I do love what I do in social media, I do very much, and quite honestly I am proud to say I am damn good at it – But, it is not enough and I can no longer pretend that it is.

Will you be seeing my big name in lights, maybe, but until then I will be seeing you each and every week right here 🙂

Thank you all once again for taking the time to read and support my ramblings and shenanigans each week, it does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.  Before I leave you, let me ask you this, have you had to pivot in your life? Was it a positive experience?

I can not wait to hear your answers!

Until we meet again,

Love & Light Always

Dina xxoo

 

 

Today We As Women Celebrate

Hello My fellow blog lovers and supporters,

March is upon us and I and my sinuses can feel that Spring is right around the corner.  I am ready for it, how about you?

Recently, I had the privilege to attend the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce‘s  16th Annual International Woman’s Day Event in the beautiful Club Roma located right here in the Niagara Region.  As I entered the beautifully decorated ballroom filled with elegance, beauty and sparkle befitting the gorgeous women who we were gathering to celebrate- Niagara’s own Women Entrepreneurs, I was again reminded how fortunate I am to have found my tribe of like minded women entrepreneurs.  These last three years have been a whirlwind of networking, events and meeting and talking with other business owners. This foundation allowed me to enter this room not by myself but greeted with so many familiar and friendly faces that I can proudly call my tribe and more importantly my friends.  Hugs, greetings and lively small talk magnificently complimented the positive energy of the room filled with vendors and women looking to connect, inspire and be inspired.

We were asked to take our seats so the days festivities could begin.  Ruth Unrau, focus Coach and Past Chair of Women in Niagara and lucky for us today’s MC, graciously gave her introductions and the speeches began.  Compliments, heart felt words and all around inspiration filled the room as each courageous women took the podium to present her part of our Niagara story outlining the impact of women entrepreneurship right here in the region.  No one more inspiring was the day’s International Women’s Day Award Recipient, Rosemary Hale – accomplished author and the first female to be appointed dean in my old Alma Mater Brock University.  Rosemary epitomizes this year’s theme of #BeBoldForChange; her willingness to pioneer her own path, not allowing her gender or societal prejudices to stop her from going after her dreams and her resounding proclamation that “we can and will get so much further if go it together”  solidifies that I am indeed on the right path and surrounded by the right women.

Our keynote speaker Teresa Cascioli – small town Hamilton girl who has done extremely well – Former CEO of Lakeport Brewing and author of M is for Money was the next to graciously take the stage. Through her tenacity and very strong work ethic, she was able to bring a bankrupt private company (Lakeport Brewing) and in turn sell it as a publicly funded corporation for over 221 million dollars in 8 short years. 8 short years of blood, sweat, tears and ironically gratitude.  You wouldn’t think that someone who was able to accomplish such an amazing feet such as this, would say that “working with purpose” and to remind yourself that “success is fleeting, practice gratitude everyday” would be the one of the keys to what she attributes to her success; but it is.  This was a wonderful reminder that we are not guaranteed tomorrow, today is the only certainty that we have and we need to learn to really live and not merely exist.

Being surrounded by my wonderful colleagues and being able to witness the energy and passion of our wonderful presenters, truly has made be acknowledge and realize how fortunate I am to live in the the time that I do and the region that I do, because here, my dreams CAN come true.  So many women in other parts of the world are not given access to resources, knowledge or the support and guidance of other women to let them realize that their dreams do matter – They matter.  I was never more reminded of this than I was today, in Club Roma with all of my beautifully inspiring and supportive sisters of women entrepreneurs right here in Niagara.

So much gratitude!

A heartfelt thank you for each and every one of you for just being your inspiring selves and for coming along on this blogging journey with me.  Your support and taking the time to read my ramblings each week does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.  But, before I go I would like to ask you this, what or who in your circle inspires YOU?

I can not wait to hear your answers!

Until we meet again,

Love and Light I send to you always,

Dina xxoo

My definition of success

Hello My Fellow Blog Lovers and Supporters,

Here we are again, embarking on a new week, new goals and new responsibilities to fulfill. I must say this glorious almost Spring like weather has made achieving those that much more enjoyable!

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the Haste & Hustle Marketing Conference right here in the Niagara Region.  In fact, here is a Facebook LIVE I did directly from the event, check it out!

But I digress, while I was watching Gary Vaynerchuk the CEO and founder of Vaynermedia speak, (as mentioned in the video), he said something that really resonated with me, “Find your own definition of success, because no amount of money is a direct correlation to your own happiness.”

Seriously, mind blown!

This got me thinking – What does success mean to me?

I really had to take some time, be quiet and look within and really pinpoint what success would look like for me.  It has not been an  A + B = C answer that is for sure, more like A + B= Infinity and beyond.  So this is where I had to sit down and really map it out and see on paper what true success or happiness really would look like specifically for me and my value system.

First of all, I need to be working in a career I love.  A career where I get to help people and assist them in some way achieve their own goals for success.  Well, it would seem like I would have this one covered.  My business of social media management and coaching for small business owners genuinely allows me to assist others to go after and achieve their own goals of business success.  When I see my client land a new customer because of the relationships we worked so hard on establishing online for them, it literally makes my heart sing! No really it does.  I really do ❤ what I do and ❤ when I get to experience those moments with my clients!

Second of all, I want to be surrounded by those I love and care about and nurture those relationships.  Moving back into the Niagara region has allowed me to do just that.  I live with my Mom and Stepdad, my sister lives 5 minutes away, my brother a 1/2 an hour away as well as my best friend.  Having the opportunity to rekindle and reconnect with these people has been a wonderful experience to say the least.  I never realized how lonely I truly was out West until I moved back and was able to experience these relationships once again.  I really was missing out, and getting to watch my precocious, smart and funny great nephew grow up has been beyond wonderful.  Gawd I LOVE that kid!

Lastly, I want to own my own home decorated and filled with the things that make me feel inspired and loved.  Pictures of those I love, items that I picked up from my travels, books and objects that evoke memories or feelings of peace, fun and tranquility.  Have dinner parties where I can invite those I care about to come and sit around my table, eat the food I lovingly prepared for them, laughing and drinking wine the night away, really is an evening of bliss in my books.  I do live in a comfortable home that I have carefully chosen to decorate my ‘rooms’ with these very such things.  However, I do not own it.

So as they say, 2 1/2 out of 3 ain’t bad!

So as you can see, my wants and desires are pretty simple and I by no means am rich.  Not that I am looking to be rich, but improving that part of my life is one of my goals for me and my business this year.  To make a comfortable income so I can afford these luxuries I have outlined and through in world travel into the yearly mix as well.  So I guess what I am trying to say is, Gary was right, the amount of money you make does not equate the amount of happiness you will feel.  But, it does help a bit doesn’t it 😛

So I guess I am well on my way to creating the ‘successful’ life I have envisioned for myself, now the bigger question is, how do I morph into Ashley Graham so I can have the trifecta of happiness? 😛

Thank you once again for taking the time to read my weekly ramblings and supporting me on my blogging journey.  But, before I go, let me ask you this, what is YOUR definition of success?  I can’t wait to hear your answers!

Until we meet again,

Love & Light I send to you always,

Dina xxoo

 

It’s All In How You Choose To Look At It

Hello My Fellow Blog Lovers and Followers,

Well we have done it, we are officially in the second week of February, and might I say the home stretch until the start of Spring (fingers crossed).  But, I find myself in the same quandary I do every year, the quandary of Valentine’s Day, or is it one?

Allow me to explain…

Now I know, many of you HATE this ‘pseudo holiday’ as you like to call it, saying it is nothing but a commercialized ploy by the mainstream to sell more chocolates and expensive presents.  It just puts pressure on those in relationships to live up to the unreachable standards put forth by this day, and it is rigged to make those who are single to feel horrible about their self worth and desirability towards their desired sexual interests.

Now, don’t get me wrong I used to be apart of this mob mentality as well.  Saying down with Valentines and all the negative connotations associated with it!

I mean the only good thing about it was the half price chocolate you get on Feb 15th right?

But, one year I decided to look within and see it from another perspective…

What if, instead of looking at it from the negative, we, I mean me, chose to look at it from a positive perspective, the perspective of celebrating LOVE in all of its glorious forms.  Why does Valentine’s Day have to ONLY be about romantic love?  Why can’t it be about the celebration of LOVE in all of its beautiful, raw and overwhelming variations – friends, family, neighbours, co-workers, fur babies, fellow human beings. You name it, let’s celebrate it!

Once you flip that switch so to speak and flip the script to the positive, you would be amazed at how wonderful a holiday or an experience you will encounter.  In addition,  your day to day life will open up to greet you and shape how you see and relate to things.  It really does boil down to your mindset.

Now being a small business owner, I have found that this can apply to how I run my business as well.  If I were to have the mindset of never being good enough or overwhelmed with paying the bills or finding new clients to keep myself a float then, that is what will happen.  The energy you put out into the world is the exact energy you will receive.

Now you may not believe in the power of attraction, but I assure you I have seen it work in my own life.  When I acknowledge my feelings, be they negative and I allow myself to reset my energy and my mindset to positive you would be amazed at the outcome – More energy, more feelings of accomplishment, more clients have come my way and my confidence in what I can accomplish has skyrocketed.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not Polly Anna happiness all the time, seriously I am human just like you and I have days where wine and chocolate seem to be the only elixir for the crazy beast of emotion brewing inside of me.

But, now I know how to sense them, defuse them, release them and redirect them towards the positive.  That is huge for my emotional well being and for own sense of wellness and confidence.  But, I truly do believe most of this is due to the company of people I choose to surround myself with. They say you will resemble the characteristics and values of the top 5 people you hang out with the most.  If you hang around negative people you will inevitably become negative in your thoughts and outlooks.  Fortunately, the same can be said if you surround yourself with positive people as well.  I feel so fortunate to have found my tribe of like minded entrepreneurs who are all about community and support and lifting not only their businesses, but those in the Niagara region as well.  So what I am really trying to say, is that it’s a no brainer – Find your tribe!

If you are looking to change you life the answer can be found in changing your mindset, it is really as easy as that!

Thank you all once again for coming along on my blogging journey with me, your support and taking the time to read my ramblings each week does not go unnoticed or unappreciated! But, before I go, let me ask you this, what are some of your tips for changing a negative situation into a positive one?  I would love to hear your answers!

Until we meet again,

Love & Light I send to you always,

Dina xxoo

It’s Time To Go All In on Me…

Hello my fellow blog lovers and followers!

Can you believe we are already onto our second week of 2017!  Time sure does fly when you are having fun 🙂

Now an interesting thing happened to me on the way to my office.  Yes my office is located directly across the hall from my bedroom, but whose counting 😛

Anywho, last week I got up on a Tuesday as I normally do, picked up my phone and checked it for any messages or engagements that may have occurred on my clients or my social media pages over the course of the night as some of my clients have international followers.  I know, I know – Not even a cup of coffee or brush my teeth before I launch into work?? I get it, I may seem a bit obsessive or some may call it committed to my work, but in the end that is what my clients pay me for after all.  Don’t worry, before I get the comments, “but what about you and your well being?”  Not to fret, balance is one of my key objectives that I am focusing on in 2017.

But I digress, nothing eventful so I continue downstairs and jump into the shower and get ready to tackle the day.  As I finish getting ready I notice that I have a voicemail message on my phone.  As per what you do, I listened to it.  To my surprise it was a call from a local Chamber of Commerce asking if I would like to come in for an interview for an open Special Events & Communications Specialist contract position with their organization. Needless to say I was surprised.  Promptly I called them back and spoke to the woman whom I was to be replacing as she was going on maternity leave.  We agreed upon a time for me to come in.  Got off the phone, curious and a bit excited at the possible prospect of having a 40 hour a week job, stable and secure income coming in.  A feeling that I am all to well accustomed to feeling and living.  Never really gave it much more thought, went about my day.  Dinner time came about, as I sat eating my dinner, thoughts of this new job prospect came trickling into my head.  “So if I get this job, I can still have my business, I can just work around it.  I can work as soon as I get home to schedule my client’s posts into the night.  Of course I would have to use my lunch hour to check for engagement during the day.  Probably would have to give up the gym, or extra curriculars and what if I land another client, how would I fit that work in?  All relevant ideas I needed to consider.

Finally it hit me, “when is it going to be the right time to go all in on you Dina?”  Having and growing your business has been your passion for the last 10 months, so why are you willing to put that on hold for a temporary stable position?

You know what, I wasn’t ready to give that up!  I am worth the time and dedication I have put into me and my business and as scary as it is, moving forward and truly committing even further to growing my business, IS the right direction for me.

Why?

Because I finally believe and realize that I am worth it.  Worth the work, dedication and commitment from who else ME!  2017 is the year that I dedicate to my financial, spiritual, emotional and physical well being through acquiring balance and growth in all of these areas of my life.  Self Care and Self Worth are on the menu this year and I am ready for many, many helpings!

Needless to say, the very next morning I called the very nice lady I spoke too the day before and let her know my plans.  She was so grateful that I took the time to call and let her know, many would just not show up.  Side note:  Even if you aren’t taking a position with a company, don’t be rude and just not show up, common courtesy goes a long way not only in life but in business as well.  Who knows you may need to use their services in the future and having left on a positive foot will get you much further in the process.

So there you have it – 2017 is the year I go all in on me!  Eek not gonna lie I am scared, excited, overwhelmed and determined all rolled up into one.  It is going to be one hell of a ride but did I mention that roller coasters are one of my favs! 😛

Thank you all again for coming along on this crazy blog ride with me, your support does not do unnoticed or unappreciated. But, before I go, let me ask you this – What is your focus either personal or professional for 2017?  I can’t wait to hear your answers!

Until we meet again,

Love & Light I send to you always,

Dina xxoo

Passion Planning for 2017

Hello My Fellow Blog Lovers!

I hope that your holidays were everything that you had wanted and hoped them to be!

Mine was filled with food, fun, family, drink and did I mention food? 😛

The start of another new year always makes me reflect about how I want the coming days to be, both personally and business wise.  But, what if this year I inject a bit of ‘passion’ into my ‘new year new me’ parameters?

Allow me explain…

Every year it is the same thing.  A new year rolls in and I immediately go to my ‘resolutions’ of how I am going to:

1. Lose weight
2. Exercise more
3. Focus on my family
4. Focus on me
5. Be more financially sound
6. Find a committed loving relationship
7. Blah Blah Blah…

You see, I am no different than you, I have all the gusto to tackle all the ‘things’ I think I need to have and do in order to truly BE happy in my life.  At least the things that I have been told over the years what I am supposed to want and need.  But, like most, by Valentines Day, life gets in the way of well my ‘new life’ goals and old, familiar habits creep back like a worn in sweater full of holes and faded but still comforting and soothing in its destructive, self deprecating nature.

You see in theory, resolutions are not a bad thing, the very nature of planning on what and how you plan to achieve your  goals is paramount for success in anything both personal and business wise you intend to do.  The problem lies in the how and why we set these resolutions.  If we only verbally say we want to lose weight and not do the due diligence of researching what the latest research on weight loss is ; what are the pros and cons of different programs out there and what exactly do I mean by ‘losing weight’ –  Is it 10 lbs, 20lbs or 50lbs?  Who am I as a person when following programs or guidelines?  Do I like strict guidelines or do I like to find my own way? Am I a morning person or night owl? And so on and so on.

Do you see the problem here?  Why we eventually give up and go back to what we know, which is failure in my case.?  If we don’t understand our true how and our true why for wanting to achieve whatever it is we want to achieve, setbacks and roadblocks which honestly are inevitable in any new direction in life will ALWAYS derail us and divert us back to our old behaviours.

This year, I really took the time to be quiet and look within and see what it was that I was truly feeling and wanting out of my life, not what I think I was supposed to want.  What I came up with is Balance and Growth in the my overall emotional, spiritual, physical and financial health.  Seems pretty straight forward right?  Or is it?

Instead of keeping everything I want to achieve inside of me and kind of fly by the seat of my pants, this time I have chosen a different route – I am going to plan, passion plan every detail.  You see I did something I have never done before I bought a Passion Planner to help me organize my thoughts, my goals and my actionable plans to achieve them.  This is huge for me as I have never approached me and my life this way – methodically and deliberate.  I have generally been a ‘go with the flow’ and wing it when necessary kind of girl.  Quite frankly that ain’t cutting it anymore.

So here we go, passion planning the top 10 things I want to achieve this year including what are the daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly steps I need to do in order to achieve this.  Phew, my brain hurts so far but I am feeling empowered and excited for actually having a clear focus and plan on how to achieve what I truly and passionately desire in my life.  Scary, exciting, exhausting, overwhelming but eagerly anticipating the life I have truly envisioned for myself.

To help get this ball rolling even more I have also enrolled in a Vision Board making workshop on Jan 17th with Crystal D’Cunha of The Inside View.  I have never done a real vision board either.  I am excited to tap into my deep seated wants and desires and bring them to the surface and write them down.  As Crystal says, “Once you write it down, it becomes real”

It becomes real and the work begins for doing what needs to be done in order to make them come true.  After all, that is what this journey called our life is all about right!?

I will keep you updated on how this social experiment goes for me, who knows I just might keep those resolutions after all 🙂

Thank you once again for taking the time to read and follow my blog every week.  Your support does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.  But before I go let me ask you, what goals have you planned for you and your business this year?  What strategy have you put in place to allow you to achieve them?  I can’t wait to hear your answers!

Until next time,

Love & Light I send to you always,

Dina xxoo

 

 

‘Hallo – Freedom’

Hello my fellow blog lovers!

Another week has come and gone and here we are again and it is November already to boot.  Time is flying by quicker I feel or maybe I am just getting old, who knows, could be a bit of both :P.  As you all know, Halloween just happened and I am always so amazed and tickled to see all of the little trick-or-treaters come to the door decked out in their little costumes, full of awe and wonder with a side of sass for some.  It generally is a holiday where we can  let our deepest desires come out and come to life even for just one night and be whatever we have always wanted to be.  Inhibitions are dropped and wonderment and unbridled fun is had.

But, why do we need a holiday to become what we have always desired, why can’t we find the courage to do this every day of our lives?

Why do we need to hide behind the veil of a holiday, are we not worth following our dreams every day of the year, instead of just one, don’t you agree?

It got me to think about what happened to me when I took drama in high school.  You have to understand, I was painfully shy as a kid and it would take all of my courage to say hello or even god forbid look you in the eye as we had a conversation.  And, if you were a boy, ‘forget about it’ But, once I became the character I was playing on stage, it was like my fears and inhibitions would fall away from me, if only for that brief moment where I could become someone completely different from who I was.  It was like I gave myself permission to be anything I wanted under the notion that it was OK as long as it wasn’t me. I felt that I wasn’t anyone worth being and dreaded it every day that I had to be ‘her’.  As you can guess, along with the bullying, the shyness and my all around awkwardness, I had extremely low self esteem and felt that I didn’t matter or was even valuable enough to love or be loved.

Maybe, this is what happens to us on Halloween, we allow ourselves to be whatever we desire no matter how different or more ‘valued’ from who we are in our everyday lives or the furthest thing away from who we think we should be, as a one night pass so to speak to live out our fantasies.

(some random pics of past alter ego or Halloween fantasies lived out)

Why do we give in to convention and allow ‘life’ to squash our dreams?  I know that we need to be responsible enough to pay our bills and be productive members of society, but who says we can’t do it as an solopreneur, entrepreneur or dressed up in a pink TuTu for all I care?

I mean I get practicality, I have always wanted to be the lead singer of an all girl rock band, but I can neither sing nor play an instrument, I get it, but it doesn’t mean i should give up on my dreams, does it!?

Why do we always have to do what is expected of us instead of becoming who we long to be?

I by no means have the answers, fear is a big obstacle I suspect, but what I am hoping from all of this, is that by talking about this openly and honestly and by writing this blog we can help spark this much needed conversation.

What do YOU think, why do we trade in our dreams for ‘real life’?  What stops us from going after and living them?

I can’t wait to hear your answers!

Thank you once again for stopping by and reading my weekly ramblings, that never goes unnoticed or unappreciated!

Until we meet again,

Love & Light I send to you all always,

Dina xxoo