1. How to be a woman of my word. If you say you're going to do something. Do it.
2. Similarly, there will be some things you don't feel like doing. Do it anyways.
3. How to be serious about cultivating relationships that last. 
4. There is so much more joy and fulfillment in life when you share.
5. In life, you will always be provided with a series of invitations. We have the power to say yes or no.
6. How to live on my own in a new city.
7. How to take myself less seriously.
8. Humble pie is an acquired taste.
9. How to read more pages in 4 months than in 4+ years of undergrad (thanks law school)!
10. Everything is for a reason and a season. 
11. Time heals everything.
12. Push yourself. Yes, you'll feel super unqualified, but you're where you are for a reason.
13. Speak life into others. Make people feel good about themselves.
14. Take it easy on yourself. Things always work out in the end, so what's the point in stressing?
15. Showing up is half the battle.
16. After showing up, work hard.
17. Take more photos. Print them. Frame them. Write things down more. They usually come true!

For anyone that has imagined their dream life, but can't seem to figure out how to get from point A to point B.

Spoiler Alert:

You're going to get to point B. I promise you. Life has a way of rewarding those who are resourceful, work hard, and don't give up. It's just a matter of time.

The unknown is how much time it will take you to get there.

In my experience, there are a few things that will either slow you down or derail you from point B:

• Your ego
• Your attitude
• Comparison
• "Talking" Instead "Walking"
• No vision

Your Ego

My favourite book has to be Ryan Holiday's "Ego is the Enemy". I must warn you that this book is extremely inflammatory. It's everything that an ambitious person doesn't want to hear, which in essence is that: you're inexperienced, self-absorbed, and you need to get over yourself.

We live in a society where everyone wants to be their own boss. Now I have nothing against wanting to work for yourself. But I think there is so much value in working for others.

The Benefits of Working for Others:

• For one, it allows you take risks on someone else's dime.
• If you are working on a large team, it is likely that you have very little accountability (that is, in comparison to an entrepreneur).
• What you lack in salary, you gain in knowledge and information. 

When you trust the process, you realize that every experience will come in handy one day. There is a link between what you're doing now and what you'll need to do tomorrow.

Attitude

Having a can-do attitude about doing the rudimentary tasks that everyone hates will take you far. Your colleagues will take notice. Your future self will thank you. I've worked in various positions where I'm the youngest person in the room with the least amount of experience. In most cases, I spend 90% of my time listening. When working in a new industry, it takes years to become a subject matter expert, and it's unlikely that you have any idea of what you're talking about in the beginning. Yes, others may mistake your silence for being aloof, or not assertive enough. Who cares? When you have a vision and a purpose, you know exactly why you're there and you're too busy learning.

Comparison

Stay in your own lane. I did a digital detox for the majority of a year (no facebook, no instagram, no snapchat etc.). I had no idea what my peers were up to, what they did last weekend, and where they went on vacation. In my opinion, the first year out of university is such a critical time for figuring out your own path. Being offline helped me to get settled into the new season of my life by focusing on the present. I had more energy to nurture my relationships with friends and family. I called people on the phone more. I wrote hand-written notes and sent them by mail.

Back to my point: comparison is distracting. It's also a waste of time because you could be using that time to work on yourself. I firmly believe that there's enough room for everyone to succeed, and that if you stay in your own lane, you always win. You'll never need to step on anyone to get there.

"Talking Instead" of "Walking"

Hey everyone,

Happy Spring! I thought I would share some photos from a weekend trip in Huntsville, Ontario, a town nestled in the heart of the Muskoka region.

If you feel unsure about visiting the cottage country in the spring time, I can assure you that you'll find it to be just as (if not more) relaxing than the summer season.

Echo Woods

We arrived at Echo Woods Bed and Breakfast just before dark and were greeted by the owners and their happy golden retriever, Boo.

Being off peak season, we had the entire area to ourselves.

We took a tour through their lovely abode which was tastefully decorated with  a mixture of rustic and fine antique pieces.




Breakfast was served at 9:00a.m. sharp in the dining room. The smell was tantilizing.

We were served a massive pot of coffee, a variety of fresh fruit juice, and home made jam.

The B&B Experience

The best part about staying at a B&B is that the experience is intimate and personalized.

Kind of like staying over at a family friends house.

I was pleasantly surprised when the owners took the time to sit and have coffee with us. They told us about their careers and how the B&B has always been their retirement dream. They went on to explain the steps of making their vision into reality; explaining their vision to contractors, selecting the furniture, and perfecting the fine details.

Between sips of coffee, we discussed the rise in travel and tourism in the Muskoka region, the imminent housing bubble looming over Canada's major cities, and about the best places to go for a hike.

We decided to head over to Lions Head Lookout, a short but steep hike within minutes from the B&B.




In the early afternoon, we went downtown to perouse the antique stores, stopping every so often to admire the outdoor gallery featuring works by The Group of Seven, the famous Canadian painters that were commissioned to decorate the town.

Final Thoughts

I love an adventure as much as the next person, but I definitely found that I have a new appreciation for quiet time, mindfulness, and for scheduling time to recenter myself.

I'll definitely be back in the area to visit Algonquin park (this has been on my list of places to go for ages)!

Happy Monday.

Best pizzeria in the US in 2015 (TripAdvisor)

Large pie, please!

The tomato-less pizza was something new and quite refreshing. I especially appreciated the sweet scallions, the savoury pancetta, and the generous layer of fresh mozzarella.

Sunshine and a stroll were well warranted after such a satisfying meal.

Brooklyn Ice cream Factory

Manhattan Bridge

Brooklyn Bridge

Jane's Carousel built in 1922

"Life should be an extraordinarily enjoyable experience... day, by day, by day." - Brendan Burchard

Hey friends!

It's been a while. But I made this post extra special for you. This post is on the subject of wellness, and the importance of doing something extra special for yourself every once and a while.

Treat Yourself

We all do it. We find ourselves at 100% capacity with succeeding at work, in school, and with our personal projects. However, you'll soon find that your Friday evening treat (you know, that glass of red wine) just isn't cutting it anymore.

Three reasons

Rewarding yourself is so essential to your overall well-being. In fact, studies say that we:

• work harder
• achieve more, and are
• happier 

when we have a reward system set in place. But in order for it to feel like a reward, it needs to be on a "large" enough scale so that:

1. It actually feels like a reward because it's clearly defined (i.e. you anticipate it, it's satisfying and memorable)
2. You feel rejuvenated at the end of it all. 

Some may argue that treating yourself is too costly, but I'm a firm believer that doing something "extra special" doesn't have to burn a hole in your pocket. Splurging can be as simple as dedicating a block of your time - let's say, an evening - to go off on your own and do something that you love and not feel guilty about it. That last part is the key. You have to truly believe that your positive actions have made you deserving of something great.

New York City

I recently went to New York for a few days with my best friend on a sort of grad trip/girls trip hybrid. Our goal was to check out some key food spots, monuments, and museums that we've been storing in memory after years of perousing blogs, reading books - and more generally - from seeing in pop culture. We constructed a hefty excel spreadsheet that outlined our activities by day, while keeping fully aware that Manhattan is arguably the largest metropolis in North America, and that we can't see everything in one go.

Despite the fact that we had a jam-packed schedule, some rainy weather, and a 24hr flu; the trip was a great, and felt like a nice way to cap off four years of undergraduate studies. Also, I managed to squeeze in one extra special event: Carnegie Hall.

Dream Fulfilled: Carnegie Hall

125th anniversary (left) Stevie Wonder and other celebrity autographs (right)

Attending a concert at Carnegie Hall has been a huge dream of mine for the past few years, and even moreso in the last two years, as my knowledge and appetite for classical music expanded. The dream was realized in excellent timing too, as 2016 marks the 125th anniversary of the hall's opening.

Emanuel Ax 

I attended a piano concerto by Emanuel Ax, a musical mastermind with warm face and humble demeanor about him. We all watched in anticipation as he walked onto center stage and took his seat.






Mr. Ax played an assortment of pieces from Beethoven's Grande Sonate Pathétique. He started the evening with Grave - Allegro di molto e con brio, a piece reminiscent of  beautiful despair (shrill almost). However, my favourite piece by far was the Adagio cantabile, a slow, delicate and majestic piece that is played with extreme attention and care. It has a way of lifting your spirits and transporting you to your happy place. Isn't it just beautiful?




So please. I highly encourage you, my fellow workaholics, to do the same by taking a break every once and a while :)

the city of lights

I've been holding off on this post for quite some time, but here it is!

A collection of my favourite places and things in Lyon (in photos):

Milling along the Saône river...

Cou cou,

Nous sommes actuellement au mois de novembre. C'est toujours automne, qui est ma saison préférée.

le décor, une journée ensoleillée, les boissons chez Starbucks

Cette semaine, j'ai envie de vous parler des choses féminines. Comme vous l'aurez deviné (vous me connaissez bien), c'est à propos du soin de la peau. À mon avis, la peau fera n'importe quoi pendant les mois automnales. Dès le début de novembre, tout d'un coup, les lèvres devient gercées et vos mains sont sèches. On peut essayer d'utiliser les mêmes techniques (qu'on utilisait pendant les mois de l'été) mais rien ne va plus. La raison en est parce que le température descend et l'air est sec, donc il faut changer votre routine tout de suite. Comment maintenir la peau hydratée ? Personnellement, je n'utilise qu'un seul produit. OK, deux, techniquement. C'est tellement simple et moins cher que vous n'arriverez pas à y croire...

Je prends soin de ma peau en utilisant *roulement de tambour* un exfoliant. Chaque jour sur mon corps. Deux fois par semaine sur mon visage.

J'aime le fait que l'utilisation d'un exfoliant est rapide et efficace. Ma marque préféré est celle de Live Clean, mon go-to produit pour avoir un super glow.

1, 2, 3

Je me concentre sur les zones suivants : les épaules, les bras et le clavicule.

J'applique l'exfoliant en motions circulaire pour avoir le meilleur résultat. Même si j'ai pas le temps et que je suis pressée, j'utilise un petit peu. Si j'ai l'occasion de prendre plus de temps pour me faire jolie et douce, j'utilise un peu plus. Après, j’enduis mon corps avec l'huile d'olive biologique (ou noix de coco pour sentir fraîche et pétillante).

Voilà, mon astuce. xx

Bonne journée !

Some people come into our lives and quietly stay. Others stay for a while, leaving footprints in our hearts and we are never the same. - Flavia Weedn

While walking through the subway station this morning, I witnessed a simple but heartwarming encounter between a young man and an elderly woman. At first glance, I wasn't sure what was going on... the young man was carrying a massive suitcase up a flight of stairs. He left it there, and bolted back down the steps in a matter of seconds. Then I realized that the suitcase belonged to an elderly woman, who was at the bottom of the steps. She was thanking the man profusely for being so kind and for saving her 15 minutes of trouble. Mind you, this wasn't the first time I have seen a stranger help someone with their bags, but it was the expression on her face that really spoke to me. She was literally beaming from ear to ear. She kept that bright smile on her face as she made her way up the entire flight of stairs.

My heart melted. It feels so good to see humans being good to other humans.

I can relate to that feeling of joy after receiving help when you least expect it. But life has made me realize that this isn't always easy. We may have good intentions or a natural inclination to be thoughtful, caring, or loving people, but we don't always act on it. When we're out in public and see someone in distress, it's easy to turn a blind eye and assume that some other stranger will do something about it. It takes a lot of courage to extend a helping hand to others, especially when a positive reaction is never guaranteed.

Another challenge with being kind (or having a good heart) is that your qualities may be mistaken for weakness, passivity or in certain cases, flirtatiousness. Criticism and snide remarks flow into our ears and deter us from doing what's right and saying what we really mean. In an effort to avoid conflict, we live safe and comfortable lives where we only look out for our own concerns.

You might ask, 'whats so wrong with that?'.

Many things, actually. Galatians 6 really sheds some light on that challenge, as we all have our fair share of burdens in life, but we're meant to help each other with carrying the heavy load:

2 Bear one anothers burdens, and so fulfill the laws of Christ. 5 For each will have to bear his own load 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith

A watershed moment for me was the recent passing of a schoolmate. Her passing was the sudden and silent variety that leaves the heart and mind of everyone she left behind in complete shock and disarray. She was extremely kind, driven, bold, and didn't wait for anyone to tell her start anything. Her passing confirmed many things for me. First, I reevaluated the kind of woman I aspire to be and the way I want to treat people. My philosophy stands true, and that is to be good to everyone (regardless of race, economic status, health, whether they're a good egg or not, or whether or not they're nice to me). Don't have hidden agendas, ulterior motives, or a scoreboard to see who's winning or losing. Be good because it's good in and of itself. Secondly, I got a wake up call - tomorrow is not guaranteed (Proverbs 27:1). Forgive people, love intensely, slow down, and enjoy life. I know this will be challenging to do, but going through the trouble of being kind is worth it every single time. Our days are numbered (Job 14:5-7) but ironically, living into old age doesn't necessarily mean that you lived a full life. Make time for rest (Matthew 11:28). After all, how can we be generous people if we're groggy and feeling worn out?

Kind people are powerful. They effectively manage their emotions. They hold on to life's positive aspects and they quickly rid themselves of negatives and keep pressing forward! More importantly, they leave an impression on those around them and empower them to do the same.

I was flipping through some old photos from St. Paul de Vence, and I was drawn to this photo because of the inscription on the sun dial. I quickly realized that the words were not in French, and just had to know what language it was.

I learned that "Passo coume lou vent" is Provençal (the dialect of Province circa 17th century) for "pass like the wind" or "passe comme le vent" in French. In the past, it was quite popular for sun dials to display Greek or Latin mottos reflecting the thoughts of it's artisan, or words of wisdom that reflect the philosophy of the epoch. It's impossible to know what year this sun dial was made in, but it's message reminds me of the Baroque philosophy on life, which spanned the 16th and 17th century. This period was marked by a struggle between two ideologies; the lingering optimism of the renaissance (think of great French Kings and exuberance) and the self-denying, modest lifestyle of the religious and church (think a life of solitude and seclusion). In effect, the population was fixated on both the richness and the curtness of life.

I ask myself how this applies today. We're still fixated on measuring time and enjoying each day (Carpe Diem)! We don't necessarily focus on death, but our culture is fixated on youth and self-preservation (i.e. anti-aging creams, cosmetic surgery, and working hard so that we leave our legacy behind). But I wonder if our society is too fear-driven that we miss the bigger picture. I think we've warmed up to the idea of being dissatisfied with today, and instead, we heavily rely on the promise of brighter days ahead when that isn't necessarily guaranteed (i.e. looking forward to Friday on a Monday).


Before I ramble on for too long... let me end by leaving you with a couple of "Carpe Diem" inspired quotes as a reminder of how amazing and powerful living in the present can be:

"The trick is to enjoy life. Don't wish away your days, waiting for better ones ahead" - Marjorie Pay Hinckley

 "Dream as if you will live forever; Live as if you will die today" - James Dean

"When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love" - Marcus Aurelius