How can you empower your friends to reach their full potential? How important is it to cheer them on along the way?

Ideas come to me at random times. These were the thoughts that crossed my mind late last week. I wrote the rough draft for this post from the waiting room of an opera company, where I was standing by while my friend was auditioning. Listening to her sing, I was reminded that following one’s dream can be hard; so it is important to have cheerleaders along the way.

My friend, Shantelle Przybylo, is an opera singer who travels throughout the world. She came all the way to British Columbia from Washington, D.C., to sing live in front of the opera directors.

Happy September!

Hope you all had a wonderful summer. September has always seemed like the start of a new year! With these new beginnings – whether they be school, job, city, activity, or friendship we should start afresh with our attitudes! We should open our hearts to new ideas; we should make goals; and we should ASK for what we want. You never know what amazing things will happen when you take action!

What is your favourite weekend activity that lifts your spirits? After going out for a friend’s birthday brunch this past Sunday, I realized one of my favourite weekend activities is going out for brunch. Enjoying a meal with friends, is a treasured activity of mine regardless if we go out to eat it at a restaurant or cook it at someone’s home.

Perhaps you were like me; you never really thought death or serious illness would happen to you or to someone you cared about deeply.  Then one day, you get the news.  Trust me, how you cope with it makes all the difference. I initially wrote this post months ago, but after hearing many stories of illness recently, I thought it would be fitting to share this story now.

Why does it take hardship for people to realize a person’s character?

Let me explain. 

Recently, I made a mistake, and I’m the first to admit it.  You see, I befriended someone and we got super close and chatted regularly. Then all of a sudden, this person stopped talking to me for the period of a month (this can seem like forever if you talk to someone a lot). 

I thought the reason they pulled away had to do with me.  I am guilty of this - if someone pulls away or is upset, my first instinct is to believe that I am to blame. These are the thoughts that came into my head as soon as this person stopped talking to me: “I am the one to blame. What did I do wrong? Was it something I said? What was our last conversation?” I was really hurt that they stopped communication.

In the past, the way I coped with insults was by seeking support and advice from others. Many people like to offer advice – I think the worst piece I ever got was when, after sharing with someone that I had been criticized, I was told in a harsh tone, “Suck it up and deal with it.”  I had been really low, as someone had said something really hurtful when I was vulnerable.  Usually I am good with bouncing back from an insult, but this time it took a little longer.  My delay in bouncing back wasn’t due to the insulting comment; it was because of how I dealt with it.

I have always been fascinated by rocks – to the point that my friends and I even started a “rock club” in elementary school.  To this day, I have a rock jar that consists of beautiful rocks from the various beaches I have been to; each was associated with a great memory.  Every time I look at the jar, I think of happiness and the lessons learned. Many individuals view rocks as a source of strength, but they also have deeper meaning for me.  They are symbolic of being solid as they are resistant to damage and hard to break.  You may have heard of the terms “rock solid” or “solid as a rock”. However, when the rocks are broken; true beauty is exposed. 

This has been a question that has been on my heart recently: Why do I spend countless hours sharing my thoughts and experiences through blog posts?

There are many reasons why I write my blog,  but one of the main ones is due to building relationships with my readers. I'm blessed to have such amazing readers! Thank you for listening to what I have to say and sharing your stories.

I received such a sweet email yesterday from a reader who is letting me post her comment.  It reinforced why I write my blog.

After reading my post yesterday, I realized how much certain people have influenced my journey.  I thought I would share this beautiful quote with you.  Due to numerous factors, I can't see certain friends as often as I would like but want them to know that they are always with me.

Thank you is such a small yet powerful statement.   It should be said more often.

I will never forget the time I went out to lunch with a couple of friends, and one of my friends treated us all.  After the meal, she remarked to me that some people weren't thankful for her treat because they didn't say "thanks" to her.   This situation sticks in my head to remind me to always say "thank you" whenever someone does something nice for me or helps me out in some way.

In today's western society, individuals are constantly interacting with members of the opposite sex (i.e., at work, school, places of worship, in sports,  etc.).   Most people in the generation of individuals from 16 to 35, have many close friends of both sexes.  How does having many friends of the opposite sex influence the individual's romantic relationships?  As someone who has numerous friends of both sexes, here are some questions that I have been thinking about lately.   I would like to hear your opinions on this topic.

The first question that I have asked myself frequently is:  Can men and women be "just friends" without the question of dating entering the picture?  

I had an interesting conversation with a friend the other day, which made me think about an earlier blog post I wrote, "The Value of Authenticity in Relationships." My friend and I have known each other for a number of years, and we have tried to be authentic with each other.   While I thought we were close, recent events happened that pushed us awayfrom each other and made us only discuss superficial topics.  My friend then brought up how I was a "frustrating friend," as I only talked about superficial topics; so, the friend had lost interest in our friendship. We were both going through hardships, yet we did not share with each other.  This example shows that it is even hard to reach out to share with your friends.