Think Arete - If You Weren't Afraid

Happy Friday! I wanted to share something that floated into my inbox this morning. I thought it would be a great way for everyone to start their weekends. Maybe even a few of you won't return to that 9-5 job that doesn't agree with your soul on Monday morning ;)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and don't forget to pursue your happiness and LOVE your life and everyone in it!

            

thinkAreté.theManifesto  |  by Brian Johnson

What would you do if you weren't afraid? 

OK...
 So...uh...what exactly are you waiting for?
 This isn't a dress rehearsal...
 Wake up!
 Here's the deal: What we can be, we MUST be.
 Period.
 There's no getting around that one.
 So, turn off your TV. Put down your drink. Get off the medication.
 Quit numbing yourself. The pain's not going away.
 Not until you Think Areté.
 Think Areté?
 Yep.
 Gandhi got it. Einstein got it. Mother Theresa got it.
 Tiger gets it. Gates gets it. Oprah gets it.
 The Greeks got it.
 Get this: Guys like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle said that if you want happiness you better live with Areté--a word that literally means virtue or excellence but has a deeper meaning...something closer to “constantly striving to reach your highest potential.”
 Areté.
 How beautiful is that? It was one of the highest ideals of Greek culture.
 It should be one of ours.
 Tragically, it's not.
 We seem to be more interested in resumes, accolades and 401k's.
 Speaking of retirement...
 Who came up with that? Work our asses off doing something we're not passionate about so we can accumulate enough money to pay the bills from our stress-caused illnesses while we bitch about what we should have done when we were still young.
 Hmmm...can't quite figure that one out. Seems like it makes a bit more sense to go ahead and dare to live now...
 Why not Think Areté?
 Live to your highest potential--moment to moment to moment.
 Not in the mood?
 Fine. Then live with regret, anxiety, and disillusionment.
 Your call.
 Think about it. When do we feel most alive?
 Exactly. When we're being ourselves--our highest selves.
 You want happiness?
 Think Areté.
 Dream. Grow. Stretch yourself.
 Rip off the tie. Jump out of the cubicle.
 Dream. Think. Dare to be crazy.
 What are you waiting for?
 Think Areté.
 Live. Love. Smile. Hug. Laugh. Dream. Do. Create.
 Have fun. Be intense. Be audacious. Be unreasonable. Act impeccably. Breathe.
 Be you. Be different. Get paid to do what you love. Dance in your underwear on your way to work...
 Why not?
 Ditch the tie. Escape the cube. Leave the 8-5. Trash the resume.
 Ignore the critics. And the cynics. Burn the corporate ladders. Laugh at the ceilings.
 Quit the bitching. Open your mind. End the laziness. Overcome the fear. Transcend the conditioning...
 Why not?
 Move the world.
 Change the world.
 Push the human race forward.
 Whatever you call it, go out and do it.
 When?
 Now.
 Not when you have enough money or once you do this or do that. That's nonsense.
 It's not gonna be easy, but go out and live your dream. Now.
 You deserve it.
 And, if that doesn't move you: The world deserves it.
 Think Areté.

-Michelle
Certified Holistic Health Coach

Graphic Source: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/272467846179116604/

Things That Really Matter

Yesterday I came across a post from Jess Lively and wanted to share it with you all. I had seen this story a couple years ago but had completly forgot about it.

It's a great reminder to appreciate what truly matters in life. Family, friends and happiness should never be second best.

Appreciate the Small Things in Life That May Mean the Most

Golf Balls, Sand, Coffee and a Mayo Jar

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and fills it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “YES”.

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things – God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else — the small stuff.” he said.
“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you…” he told them.

“So… pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Worship with your family. Play with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Spend time with good friends. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. Take care of the golf balls first — the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled and said, “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

Don't forget to tell the most important people in your life that you love them and that they are everything to you!

-Michelle

Travel : Cresent Beach, White Rock

I love the beach, the ocean and sun. It lives inside of me and I have an instant smile and calmess when my toes feel the sand beneath them.

There's a small town called Cresent Beach which is located in White Rock. White Rock is 40 minutes south from downtown Vancouver. White Rock also borders Washington, US. Cresent Beach a very laid back community with a majority of the residents being weatlhy retired people. The funny thing is that all the new aged hippies flock to Cresent Beach. It's full of yoga studios, unknown amazing restaurants and cute organic cafes. There is one main street which holds them all. At the end of the main street is the beach.

When I took time off during 2011 to venture into different industries in the business world, I would take my dogs along the path that follows Cresent Beach on days I had free. Hearing the waves crash against the shore cleared my mind and allowed me to let go of the stress of the day. I always loved going with my mom to Cresent Beach for a nice long walk and end up grabbing sweet hard ice cream at the end of our journey.

A couple weeks ago my mom and I wandered over to Cresent Beach just to sit by the ocean so we could take in the soft sounds and scents of the ocean. Afterwards we headed down to our favourite organic cafe, Sunflower. They have the best muffins I've ever had and they aren't tiny! We split a moist Blueberry Peach muffin and sipped on their delicious Saltspring Island coffee. Everything is handmade right there in the cafe and everyone who works there is incredibly down to earth. There's no other cafe where you feel like you're at home like Sunflower.

This time I spent with my mom was eye opening to me. It was a time when it really hit me how the chemo is affecting my mom. We used to be able to take long walks but now the walks have turned into strolls. The positive I take from this is that it makes us slow down in life. Appreciate each word spoken to each other. Appreciate the small things around us that we take for granted. Like the grapes we found in the garden patio in the back of a small bistro that we would have never seen before. Although this pains me to see her feel confined by the cancer at the moment, I know this will soon be over and she'll be right back to where she was. There's lessons to be learned right now and then it's time to move on with the positive healthy future.

Never forget to be in the present moment and appreciate the people and things around you.

-Michelle 

Motivation for a Sleepy Monday

Yaaaaaaaawn! okay... enough of that. It's time to hit the street running and get energized for another week of so many possibilities and opportunities.

Here's some Motivation & Inspiration to get your week started!

In this world - there is NO ONE else LIKE YOU! You are one of a kind.

img via

No one talks like you
No one smells like you
No one listens like you
No one thinks like you
No one believes the same things as you
No one has the exact opinion as you
No one sees the world like you
No one remembers what you remember
No one loves the same way as you
No one can be you

Don't try to be someone else or act like someone else. You are beautiful and brilliant in your own way. No one can be like you.


Be The Best Version of YOU





-Michelle