Raiders of the Lost Spark

I don’t believe in New Years resolutions; I believe in goals and dreams. The turning of the year is the time when most people make their resolutions, and as such, it is a wonderful time for me to evaluate my goals.

2008 was fantastic. I loved and lost, and loved again. I traveled and studied, I worked hard and played harder. I toured the Niagara Ice Wine Festival, fell in love with San Diego, drank Tequila in Tijuana, ate sushi in Bermuda, took in some witchy history in Salem, spent a good chunk of the Winter and Spring in British Columbia (Vancouver, Kelowna, Whistler…), and spent the Summer flying around Ontario (Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, Timmins) and made Ottawa my temporary home for 2 months – when I wasn’t cottaging, that is. I reconnected with some amazing people from my past, and made new connections that I plan to take into my future.

I became more of an adult. Took out an RRSP loan, formulated an appropriate savings plan, acquired a fantastic business partner + benefits page, and making plans to move forward with my present place of employment and my present love relationship. I cut off the safety blanket known as my hair, and am loving the care, freedom, and worry-free aspect of it all now. My passion for my love ebbs and flows, but now it seems to be in a definite pattern of free flowing goodness. I am blessed and loved.

Goals for 2009

• Be continually conscious of my health and diet
• Learn some form of martial art – Aikido, Tai Chi, Qi Gong…
• Return to Vancouver, Halifax, Orange Country, Mexico and possibly visit Asia
• Finish my yoga teacher training
• Attain my Zend Certified Engineer designation
• Learn Flex
• Collaborate with my fantastic partner on some projects
• Finish my 10 speeches to receive my CC (Competent Communicator) award at Toastmasters
• Learn some additional modalities in energy healing
• Visit more spiritually charged destinations

2008 goals that didn’t make it

• Visit San Francisco
• Apply to grad school

The following have been on my list for the past 2 years… maybe this year I will actually see them to fruition?

• Get my Registered Practitioner status with the Canadian Reiki Association and complete my teacher class outlines
• Write my exam with the Certified Personal Trainers Network
• Master of Herbology with Dominion Herbal College
• Finish my course work with the University of Metaphysics and Pathways of Light

I believe in being realistic, although I am certainly ambitiously realistic. Happy 2009… and may the new year bless you with health, wealth, and wisdom!

This holiday season was different than seasons past. It was fabulously different – challenging, inspirational, filled with love and cheer, thought-provoking. For the first holiday season of my life, I didn’t eat turkey and only missed it in the slightest. Granted, I certainly gorged on many of my (non-meat) favourites (although it resulted in something of a stomach ache for my relatively healthy state of being). I took a bit of a break from the tech world, turned off my brain, and enjoyed some earthy and enlightening activities. Now, I’m ready to get back into the swing of things – to eat an apple, write some code, and do a bit more yoga. I’ve had enough eggnog to last me until the next holiday season, and I’m looking forward to consuming a large amount of vegetables once again. Raw food, php, yoga, and inspiring books – this is the stuff that the next week of blissful holidays will contain!

I have a wonderful friend who lives in Vancouver. This summer, I popped into Thunder Bay for a day (on Rebecca’s “All-You-Can-Fly Ontario” adventure) to visit him while he was there with family. His father gifted me with a book upon my departure – Thank God for Evolution. Save for my initial excitement over a new book, I set it aside and didn’t think much of it until recently when I felt compelled to pick it up and leaf through it. Written by Michael Dowd, a pastor who believes that understanding and accepting evolution can deepen one’s relationship to God, it is the first time I’ve really seen (read) a digestible synthesis of Creation and Evolution. Whether a person is an atheist, Buddhist, pagan, Christian Fundamentalist (etc. etc), this book is non-partisan and inspirational. Whether or not a person is adamant about their beliefs (or lack thereof), I believe this wonderful book has something to offer! A big thank you to Peter V. in Thunder Bay for gifting it to me this past August!

In recent months, I’ve taken to renting documentaries instead of the constant stream of the Hollywood cheese that usually piques my interest (not that I don’t still enjoy these on occasion!). My main interest is in films of a religious, health, or planetary (healing planet earth!) nature. In particular, as of late, I would like to make mention of both Zeitgeist and The God Who Wasn’t There.

One of the particular features that stood out to me in both of these films is the fact that the Jesus Christ of the Gospels is strikingly similar to other ancient heroes and leaders of pagan cults. Whereas my initial inclination was in agreement with the hypotheses presented, upon further reflection, it occurred to me that perhaps the commonality of these persons could actually be used as an argument in favour of God, rather than against.

I am happy to have something to believe in.