We Are All Connected

I received a forwarded email today from a Canadian friend. I normally don't even open these kinds of emails, but I opened this one for some reason (and I believe "everything" happens for a reason).

This email-forward contained one of those whiny rants - put together by someone with way too much time on their hands - wanting everyone to spread their collective outrage about the Canadians of Hindu origin requesting that the Canadian Anthem be sung in Hindi during the 2010 Olympics.

The gist of this email was presented as a concerned Canadian wanting to preserve Canadian "culture."

With Canada being such a young Country, I worry that my native land is sounding more like a land of division and narrow definitions. Canada was born as a land of immigrants... people who fled from other less-hospitable places seeking freedom.

I hope "the message" can be heard and appreciated.

We are all connected.



Tanya
http://www.activeemotion.com/

Create Your Tomorrow

I always seem to have a better day, when I start off with inspiring words.

I have this neat desktop scroll from The Secret. You can get yours here on this link: http://thesecret.tv/

Here's another nice message to kick-start your day (while you're waiting for your own Secret Scrolls to arrive :-)



Everyday, when I sit in front of my computer... before I do anything... I'll read the daily message from my Secret Scrolls. Today's message was especially meaningful, and I wanted to share it with you:

Tonight, when you're in bed, go over your day in your head just before you fall asleep. Feel gratitude for all the good moments. If there was something you wanted to happen differently, replay it in your mind the way you wanted it to go. As you fall asleep, say..."I will sleep deeply and wake up full of energy. Tomorrow is going to be the most beautiful day of my life."

Here's to all our great tomorrows!

Tanya
http://activeemotion.com/

My First Bullfight

I had never really given much thought to bullfighting, before moving to Spain.
I remember my nephew wanting to watch his bullfighting videos once in awhile, but I attributed that to his condition of William's Syndrome (he always wanted to see the bull win, and the videos didn't show the bull being hurt in any way).
So, it was actually with my nephew, Tyler, in mind that I decided to take my camera along to my friend's apartment yesterday. She's in the process of moving, and she has a fabulous panoramic view from her top terrace (which also happens to overlook Alcudia's Plaza de Toros - the bullring). There was a bullfight scheduled for 6PM, and I was there with my camera ready. There was a small contingent of protesters across the street, shouting "toros, si... toredos, no."



There was also a lot of pomp and circumstance in preparation for the big spectacle... a marching band, horses being primped with ribbons (after having been tied to the side of a transport truck in the scorching sun for 10 hours prior), men dressed in tightly-fitted suede suits with matching hats... riding the exhausted horses into the ring, etc.
Needless to say, I didn't stay on the terrace long enough to see the bull killed. It was enough to see the frightened, dazed bull being pierced twice in his shoulders with long arrows, adorned with flowing ribbons, thrown from a man on top of a horse (hardly a great skill). I'm told this spectacle continues, to a cheering crowd, until the bull is repeatedly pierced, taunted, and exhausted.
Finally, a guy with a sword plunges it between the bull's shoulders, behind his head, to deliver the fatal blow.
I think if I'm around for Alcudia's next bullfight, I'll likely be joining the folks across the street, trying to shout some sense into the people who find this barbaric practice entertaining.
Til next time,
Tanya
www.ActiveEmotion.com

Our home in Spain

We always tend to take what we have, and where we live, for granted.

When we lived in Nova Scotia, we rarely travelled around The Cabot Trail (World-reknowned for its scenic beauty).

When we lived in Ontario, the only time we went to Niagra Falls was when friends or family from another Province or Country came for a visit.

Now we live in beautiful Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands of Spain. We're in a northern city called Alcudia, which is an original, walled city of historic significance.

We were reminded of how lucky we were to live in such an ideal spot, when friends came to visit this week. They were in awe of the beauty and history of the town, as were other friends who came to visit in June.

So, with these reminders in mind... I vow to be grateful for what I have, and where I live, EVERY DAY.

Have a great, and grateful, weekend!

Tanya
www.ActiveEmotion.com

Life in Spain

I’m often asked what it’s like to live in Spain.

Well, it’s certainly been a cultural - and language - adjustment, no doubt about it.

Culturally, the people are steeped in what has often been a violent history. It’s currently a very Catholic environment here in Mallorca (the largest of the Balearic Islands). It makes for very interesting holidays (fiestas), and it seems that there’s a celebration every month in the name of one Saint or another. It’s hard to keep track, there are so many. My husband tells me that Mallorca workers enjoy 21 paid fiesta holidays per year + their basic 2-wk holiday. Nice, eh?

The language adjustment is ongoing. There is a large English-speaking population living on the Island, so there is little opportunity to learn and practice Spanish (unless one makes a concentrated effort with private lessons).

Like immigrant populations anywhere, we seem to gravitate towards one another, and stick together… which is not at all conducive to living a full and productive life in a society that speaks a different language.

It’s especially trying when you encounter problems with your telephone/internet connection, because the company that holds the monopoly on the telecommunications infrastructure here in Spain, Telefonica, is typically uncooperative to English-speaking customers.

I’m actually not too bad at communicating in Spanish, until it comes time to talk to someone on the phone. That’s a whole new challenge, because Spanish people tend to speak very fast (although I've had Spanish/English-speaking people tell me that I speak fast in English). I guess it was all those years on radio, when I had to fit a news story into a 30 or 60-second blip.

So, the latest language challenge for me, while living here in Mallorca, was to set an appointment for a technician to come attend to our phone and internet connection problems. I’m not sure if I got the time right, so I'll just hang around all day to see if someone shows up. Heh, heh, heh.

Til next time,
Tanya
www.ActiveEmotion.com

Running with Scissors

I was chopping up some fruit this morning for my breakfast, and a thought popped into my mind.

Were you ever told, as a child, to never run while holding a knife or scissors? I was even told, if I was going to walk while carrying scissors, to always hold them points-down (nobody mentioned this was a terrible way to hold scissors if you were prone to dropping things).

It's interesting how our thinking is programmed from such an early age.

I think that's why I loved The Pursuit of Happyness with Will Smith about protecting our dreams

I remember being in high school and asking a guidance counsellor for help in applying to be a flight attendant (I think they were called stewardesses back then), because I wanted to travel the World, She said, "that's no vocation for a lady." When I went home and told my family what she said, my aunt replied, "well, she's right... why would you want to be a glorified waitress?"

Until tomorrow, I'll leave you with a wonderful quote from William James (1842-1910), "The greatest revolution in our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives."

So, DREAM BIG :-)

Tanya

http://www.activeemotion.com/

House Full of Cats

My husband just phoned me to say he was greeted this morning by a house full of cats. "A houseful of cats?," I said, "you're not serious?" The houseful of cats turned out to be TWO. When I suggested that he was grossly exaggerating, he said... "two strange cats and ours make three... that's a houseful. When the number of cats outnumber the number of humans in a house, that's a houseful!"

I, obviously, need to make sure all our windows are closed before heading to bed in future.

The weather continues to be beautiful here in Mallorca. Sunny days range in the low 30´s, and nights cool off to low 20's. There's a wonderful, fresh cross-breeze at night when I open the front window and back door. Just have to remember to close the front window from now on:-) Wouldn't want Lance waking up to another "houseful" of cats anytime soon!

Gratitude

No matter what's happening in my life, I spend the first few minutes of every morning expressing gratitude for all the great things in my life.
We create our reality, in more ways than one.
We can express gratitude for anything... our family, our friends, a song, the weather, a flower, a pet, our favourite sweater/cardigan:-) Anything!
I always shoot for at least 10 gratitude expressions every day.
Today, I'm grateful for:
my healthy & youthful body
my smooth & blemish-free skin
my fabulous husband
our wonderful townhouse in Spain
our terrific neighbours
my beautiful family in Canada
our positive-thinking friends
my weird & wonderful cat, Trueno
my favourite black, linen pants/trousers with the pockets that are soooo comfy
my pilates instructors for providing ongoing motivation to stay in shape

There, that was easy. And, now the Universe has ten more positive thoughts in the energy field which will reflect back to me ALL DAY! How great is that!

Powers of the Universe

All the powers of the Universe are already ours.
It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.
We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think.
Words are secondary.
Thoughts live; they travel far.
When an idea exclusively occupies the mind, it is transformed into an actual physical or mental state.
We reap what we sow.
We are the makers of our own fate.
Noone else has the blame, noone has the praise.
There is no help for you outside of yourself;
you are the creator of the Universe.
Like the silkworm, you have built a cocoon around yourself...
Burst your own cocoon and come out as the beautiful butterfly, as the free soul.
Then alone you will see Truth.
In one word, this ideal is that you are divine.
God sits in the temple of every human body.
-Swami Vivekananda (1863 - 1902)

Getting Rich in Personal Development

Former Canadian journalist packs in a 20-year career of being immersed in bad news!

I am now living the life I deserve with the man of my dreams in Spain.