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.