by Mackenzie No Comments
THE MISCONCEPTIONS OF DOING WHAT YOU LOVE

THE MISCONCEPTIONS OF DOING WHAT YOU LOVE

live your purpose
ORIGINALLY POSTED IN 2012 ON focusonsimple.co When I was growing up one of the things I was told, + which has stayed with me, is to 'do what you love, + the money will follow'. Not that I'm hoping to make loads of cash, rather, I'd like to support myself + family by doing something that is really fulfilling + makes the days sparkle. Sounds great, in theory. + that's what I've focused on - doing the things that I love, think that I love, searching for what I love...thinking that if I loved it, it would be easy. But nothing worth doing is easy (see, another quote...from who? I don't remember. I govern my life by quotes. Maybe not the best practice...). The 'do' part of 'do what you love...'…
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THE INVITATION BY ORIAH MOUNTAIN DREAMER

THE INVITATION BY ORIAH MOUNTAIN DREAMER

be the change, grow heal love, live with intention
The first time I read this it sank into my being, + when things start to go south it always comes back up to the surface - particularly the line about spending a night with grief + despair, + still being able to get up in the morning + feed the children. It's been a great reminder to be real, authentic, not to deny ones feelings, but not to let them keep you down. It doesn't interest me what you do for a living I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.It doesn't interest me how old you are I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love for your dreams for the adventure…
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by Mackenzie No Comments
IF I HAD MY CHILD TO RAISE OVER AGAIN

IF I HAD MY CHILD TO RAISE OVER AGAIN

family, grow heal love
If I had my child to raise over again ~ Diane Loomans If I had my child to raise all over again, I'd build self-esteem first, + the house laterI'd finger paint more, + point the finger lessI would do less correcting + more connectingI'd take my eyes off my watch + watch with my eyesI'd take more hikes + fly more kitesI'd stop playing serious, + seriously playI would run through fields + gaze more at starsI'd do more hugging + less tuggingI'd see the oak tree in the acorn more oftenI'd be firm less often + affirm much moreI'd model less about the love of power+ more about the power of love.
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by Mackenzie No Comments
IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER AGAIN

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER AGAIN

family, grow heal love, live with intention, live your purpose
By Erma Bombeck, 'If I had my life to live over again'... "I would have talked less and listened more. I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was  stained and the sofa faded. I would have eaten the popcorn in the good living room and worried  much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the  fireplace. I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about  his youth. I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer  day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed. I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it  melted in storage. I would have sat on the lawn with my…
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by Mackenzie 1 Comment
WHY CREATING TRADITIONS FOR YOUR FAMILY IS IMPORTANT

WHY CREATING TRADITIONS FOR YOUR FAMILY IS IMPORTANT

family, live with intention
Traditions are the stories from our family that are passed from one generation to the next. They are our history and provide the knowledge of who we are, where we come from, and the values we hold. This is how you experience your family time together + how you relate to others, + you can either create them with intention, or they'll be formed by default. It helps to define your family's identity + culture, + is a way of demonstrating how each of us belong. Belonging to a community, or a group with a defined identity, is crucial to our experience as human beings. We thrive when we feel that we belong, that we're part of a bigger story. Creating + establishing traditions help provide the definition of who…
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by Mackenzie No Comments
AN INTENTIONAL CHRISTMAS

AN INTENTIONAL CHRISTMAS

family, keep it simple, live with intention
Are you already all wrapped up in the Christmas season? Who's already stressed feeling the stress? I've been working on making our Christmas as stress-less as possible over the past few years. + where I've found our stress really originates from is expectation + consumerism. Expectation of what the season should be, + the draw to buy #allthethings for our home, for others, for ourselves... Even as we've tried to simplify how we do Christmas, the draw is still there – who doesn't get sucked in by the sparkle + warmth + texture of all the Christmas things in all the stores + advertisements?? - but so is the realization that it's all there every single year. It doesn't end or go away. + I don't feel better with more…
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by Mackenzie No Comments
ORANGE SHIRT DAY

ORANGE SHIRT DAY

be the change, grow heal love, truth + reconciliation
Full disclosure : I am a 30-something white woman. I'm not sure how much perspective I really have to give, or that my words really bring anything to the table... Today is Orange Shirt Day, in recognition of the abuse suffered by the First Nations people in our country by the hands of my ancestors. Here is the explanation from the official website : "Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission (SJM) residential school commemoration event held in Williams Lake, BC, Canada, in the spring of 2013. It grew out of Phyllis' story of having her shiny new orange shirt taken away on her first day of school at the Mission, and it has become an opportunity to keep the discussion on all aspects of residential schools happening…
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by Mackenzie No Comments
A SIMPLE SCHOOL START

A SIMPLE SCHOOL START

family, keep it simple
Are you ready for the new school year? Are we? Uh, that's a hard nope. Full disclosure : this is our first “back to school” experience...last year was our first start of school. So we're really just getting started. *big gulp* I like low fuss when it comes to kid stuff which comes in handy for this time of year. So we don't, + likely won't ever, go crazy for “back to school”. For example : We'll be using the same back pack + lunch bag as we purchased last year, even though one of the lids is missing from his container set. We'll just swap it out for a different container.We might get a new outfit?...maybe? But likely won't if it means a trip to a store we're not…
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