"The secret of life is no secret. It's sprinkled all over your life."

I stumbled upon this book the other day at the local Costco store, I am a sucker for an inspirational read and after a few minutes of flipping through the pages of Be The Miracle, 50 Lessons For Making The Impossible Possible by Regina Brett, it was clear this was going to be one of my fav's!

Each chapter is broken down into a lesson with an inspirational story to go along. Regina Brett is a skilled writer who has been a newspaper columnist for twenty-six years. She is a Mother, a cancer survivor, a radio talk show host, an award winning novelist and an amazing woman!

Some of the lessons include: Start where you are, Get Busy on the possible, You can make a big difference, no matter how little you make, Speak up for others, especially when they aren't present to speak for themselves, Adjust your own oxygen mask before helping others, or you'll be of no use to anyone-inlcluding you. 

I wanted to share with you her words from the lesson: The secret of life is no secret. It's sprinkled all over your life.

                         "Experts offer these tips for harnessing happiness: Choose time over money. Meditate and pray. Make peace with the past. Spend more time socializing with friends. Seize the day, the moment, the Oreos. Okay, that last one was my tip."

                        ".....The Secret of life is no secret.

     It's the baggy pair of overalls. Poems by Mary Oliver and Billy Collins. Music by Louis Armstrong. Chocolate by Godiva. It's listening with both ears. Asking someone to dance. Driving with the top down. Loving the reflection in the mirror. Waiting up for your parents. Giving everyone a chance. Not counting strikes or foul balls. Not keeping score. The cool side of the pillow. Waterproof mascara. 
     

    The secret of life is knowing no one gets out of here alive. Loving every minute. Carrying a spare. Remembering to check your oil. Wearing cotton. Knowing when to let go. Holding a newborn. Laughing when you're happy. Crying when you're sad. Getting out of the way. Leaving notes in a lunch box. Daring to be different.        

Having no regrets. Loving God regardless. Making peace with dandelions. Having friends who are computer literate. Charging less then expected. Loving a child. Complimenting your boss. Teaching someone to spell. Making cookies from scratch. 
   

Showing up with flowers. reading the funny pages. Skipping class. Starting with dessert. Wearing red underwear. Burning good candles. Never growing up. Never growing old. Country line dancing. A squeaky porch swing. Saturday morning cartoons. 
 

    The secret of life is forgetting what you were mad about. Toasting the newlyweds. Speaking up for yourself. Praying for others. Playing peekaboo with a baby. Flipping the mattress. Hiring a maid. Wearing comfortable shoes. Knowing the mail carrier's name. Letting traffic into your lane. Singing Christmas carols in July. Taking walks that go nowhere. Watching Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire dance. 

    Thick chocolate milk shakes. Twelve-step meetings. Decaf after 8 p.m. Trips to the ocean. Merry-go-rounds. A swimsuit you can bend over in. SPF 30 sunscreen. A warm pair of gloves. Group therapy. Bubble baths by candlight. Flannel pajamas. A pack of 64 crayons. A song in your heart. 
   

    Obeying the speed limit. Returning what you borrow. Pruning your apple trees. Leaving big tips. Paying bills on time. Not getting bees mad. Honouring your wedding vows. Preforming somersaults in the front yard. Thanking a teacher. Getting on your knees to pray. Being persistent. Ordering takeout. Letting your employees leave early. 

    The secret of life is rolling down hills. Having grass fights. Singing in the rain. Receiving real letters written in cursive. Knowing where all the bird's nests are. Leaving spiderwebs alone. Asking stupid questions. Wishing on falling starts. Never going to bed angry. Asking for help. 
   

    Butterfly kisses. Winnie the Pooh, Campfire songs. Open sunroofs. Rides in the county. New socks. Tire swings. Recess. A bowl of cereal before bed. Fireworks. A good novel on the night stand. Drive-in movies. The Serenity Prayer. Someone to confide in. A fat, juicy peach. Teddy bears with one eye. 
   

    The secret of life is saying "I love you" first. Telling the truth. Giving candy to trick-or-treaters. Reading the classics. Framing your photographs. Forgiving all debts. Carrying a camera. Making scarecrows. Using words everyone can understand. Checking the batteries. Not having to be right. Admitting when you are wrong. 
   

    Long walks in the woods. Riding a horse in the rain. Snow days. Karaoke. A new pair of shoes. Old pictures. A big, crunchy apple. Hayrides. Childhood games. Being happy for the person who wins even when it isn't you. Honking the horn. Sticking up for your best friend. 
   

    Calling just to say hi. Writing a letter that starts out slow and ends up being five pages long. Crossing the state line. Sitting up all night and talking to your mom. Trying not to laugh when you are already in trouble. 
   

    Jeans that fit just right. Fudge. The love of a grandparent. Adrenaline. The first snowfall of the year. Family reunions. Psalm 23. Eskimo kisses from a three-year-old. A grilled cheese and tomato soup on a cold day. Puppies. Snow angels. The fresh scent of new sneakers. The smile on someone's face when you do something unexpected.
   

    Playing the license plate game. Watching old movies. Sitting on the front porch during a thunderstorm. Walking barefoot in the grass after a summer rain. Trying something new. Doing nothing for a day. Carving pumpkins. Treating people with respect. Knowing the consequences before you act. Calling in sick. 
   

    The secret of life is knowing that you alone make everything come true. Following your heart. Having faith in yourself. Being free to do what you want when you want. Remembering who you are and where you came from.
   

The secret of life is no secret. It's sprinkled all over your life. It's celebrating what already is. Right here Right now. All around you." 

   


Thank you Regina Brett for your words of wisdom. I will hold these close as I celebrate the Right here, Right now.

What a Week!!!

It was a busy week at the Township Hall last week and I enjoyed every minute of it! Last week was a week full of interviews as Council began the process of filling openings on our Advisory Committees.  I have to say I really enjoyed the process and was impressed with the quality of applicants who applied for our committees. Each day was filled with passionate people who were eager to serve our community, it was a great reminder of why Langley Township is such an amazing place to live! It certainly will not be an easy decision for Council to make as we make our placements.

 This will be the beginning of two new committees for the Township, the Seniors Advisory Committee: co-chaired by Councillor Richter and the Community Participation, Infrastructure and Environment Committee: co-chaired by myself. Both committees will offer great value to our community and I am excited to see the ideas and advice these committees bring forward to Council. We are also seeing a new and expanded mandate for the Community Safety Committee with the addition of Transportation, this committee will be co-chaired by Councillor Ward. I am thrilled to see the transportation aspect added to this committee, as we can all attest to the importance of addressing this issue!

I wanted to end by expressing my gratitude to those who volunteer within our community. As I sat and listed to those whom we interviewed, I was struck by the amount of volunteer work these individuals did within our community, all working to make Langley a better place. Thank you, Thank you for all you do for our community, you are the backbone and your desire to serve is such an example to our youth, what a great legacy you leave.

Chapter 2013 Page 1....

I found this photo on Facebook the other day and I thought it summed the New Year up perfectly!

For me as a mother, I have found this new and refreshed feeling comes about two times a year, January and September, when the kids go back to school. It is at both these times of the year, I find myself with the overwhelming urge to organize! I approach each new year with optimism, this will be the year I get it all figured out! I will finally form those good habits of going to bed early each night with a tidy house, full refrigerator, empty dishwasher, laundry folded, meals planned, lunches made, children bathed and tucked into bed. It is not long however, that reality sinks in and there never seems to be enough hours in the day.

I think we need to not be so hard on ourselves and stop creating unrealistic expectations. If we don't cut ourselves some slack who will? I think its great to set goals and make resolutions, but we also need to allow ourselves room to fail, allow time to pick ourselves back up, and be okay with trying again.

 I can't tell you how many times I have tried to set a family schedule to follow, I had such great intentions, and I loved having things spelled out in front of me to follow. But, inevitably I would leave very little room for failure, and after only a few days in, the planned meals were not being cooked, the routine was not followed and I gave up with a feeling of failure. So...  I am working on being okay with failure and allowing myself to be picked back up and to get back on the saddle, but this time I am going set myself up for success with flexibly and understanding built in, and I am going to be kind to myself when I fall off, offering a helping hand rather then a judgmental one, as we really are our own worst critic sometimes!

Over the years I have learned to not go too crazy with the New Years resolutions and to allow myself some blunders along the way!  But, I do enjoy the fresh feeling of a new year, it feels like you have opened up a brand new journal with pages and pages of crisp white paper awaiting your next story, I think it's the possibilities that excite me, the unknown can be scary but it can also give such hope for the infinite possibilities of what the year has in store. You never know..... maybe this is the year, I go to bed early each night with a tidy house, a full refrigerator, an empty dishwasher, laundry folded, meals planned, lunches made, with my children bathed and tucked into bed!.... a girl can dream!!