Review of Week 45 – Optimizing Yourself – Listening is an Act of Love

As I worked on actively listening to those that I spoke with this week, I found that truly listening to the people in my life was hard work, but well worth it. Dr. M. Scott Peck says it is rare that someone listens to you with their full intention, as people’s minds wander, or they… Continue reading Review of Week 45 – Optimizing Yourself – Listening is an Act of Love

Oprah’s Garage Sale and Vancouver Visit

  You don’t usually find a pair of $700.00 French country nightstands at a garage sale, but Oprah Winfrey’s garage sale isn’t your usual garage sale. She is selling off many of her former favorite things in Santa Barbara this weekend, to fund a college education for girls at a school she set up in… Continue reading Oprah’s Garage Sale and Vancouver Visit

Optimizing Yourself – Week 45 – Oct 28 – Nov 3, 2013 – Listening Is An Act of Love

Listening Is An Act of Love M. Scott Peck –“The Road Less Traveled” For this week’s optimizing yourself exercise, I am going to actively listen to people, without getting distracted with other things. Dr. Peck says one of the most important ways you can show people you love them is by listening to them. By… Continue reading Optimizing Yourself – Week 45 – Oct 28 – Nov 3, 2013 – Listening Is An Act of Love

Ann Singing Hey Jude With Paul McCartney in Vancouver

In a knock one off my bucket list moment, there I was, almost a year ago, being summoned by Paul to sing “Hey Jude” with him as one of the “ladies”. Paul was the bassist in The Beatles, who performed on The Ed Sullivan show in New York on my 2nd birthday on Feb 9,… Continue reading Ann Singing Hey Jude With Paul McCartney in Vancouver

Review of Week 44 – Optimizing Yourself – Satisfy The Mind to End Food Cravings

For this week’s optimizing yourself exercise, I became conscious of my eating habits. I normally eat a limited quantity of food during the day, then crave snacks in the evening. Deepak Chopra says when you reach for a snack, stop for a moment and ask yourself why you are eating it. If you are not… Continue reading Review of Week 44 – Optimizing Yourself – Satisfy The Mind to End Food Cravings

A brief history of Halloween Celebrations

On Halloween, I see more of the supermarket than the supernatural.  With my cart full of pumpkins, candy, decorations, and costumes for my kids – and of course my dog Rocko, I contributed to the scary amount of over $8 billion dollars that was spent on Halloween in North America last year. Halloween was once… Continue reading A brief history of Halloween Celebrations

Optimizing Yourself – Week 44 – Oct 21 – 27, 2913 – Satisfy the Mind to End Food Cravings

The mind is the key to loosing weight. When the mind is satisfied, the body quits craving too much food Deepak Chopra  Since my diet hasn’t been going too well lately, I am going to take Deepak Chopra’s advice and try a different approach and focus on satisfying my mind, so my cravings for food… Continue reading Optimizing Yourself – Week 44 – Oct 21 – 27, 2913 – Satisfy the Mind to End Food Cravings

Review of Optimizing Yourself – Week 43 – My Imagination Paints My Dream

This week I wrote in my dream journal and felt a good vibe.  This is what my dream feels like: I am walking down a street that is made of stones and feels bumpy beneath my sandals. The sun warms my back as I touch the soft petals of the hibiscus flowers in the blue… Continue reading Review of Optimizing Yourself – Week 43 – My Imagination Paints My Dream

Optimizing Yourself – Week 43 – Oct 14 – Oct 20,2013 – My Imagination Paints My Dream

“I dream of painting and then I paint my dream” Vincent Van Gogh For this week’s optimizing yourself exercise, I am going to paint my dreams in my mind.  I am going to dream in colors of  ocher and magenta, feel the beauty in the painting’s texture and tone, and imagine that I already have… Continue reading Optimizing Yourself – Week 43 – Oct 14 – Oct 20,2013 – My Imagination Paints My Dream

Review of Week 42 – Optimizing Yourself – Don’t Worry About What Others Think

This week, as I didn’t worry about what others think, I was able to be myself. Ester Hicks says that many of us learn at a young age to care about what other people think. We learned if we pleased our parents and our teachers, we got their love and felt good, and if we… Continue reading Review of Week 42 – Optimizing Yourself – Don’t Worry About What Others Think

The Embodiment of Faith

    As I travel along my spiritual journey, I explore the subject of Christianity and touch on the Catholic faith, as I am familiar with it. I became a Catholic upon my baptism at 2 months old. For children, Catholic masses can seem long, especially high mass.  When I was 4 years old, with… Continue reading The Embodiment of Faith