Ann Becks

Dreaming of warm comfort food today It’s cold here the skin on my face tingles as I step outdoors. Even the heavy mittens, coat and warm toque feel insufficient unless engaging in brisk activity. My thoughts turn towards warmth, a fire and a bowl of warm nourishing comfort food. Soup, a stew, Shepherd's Pie steamy goodness to warm from the inside out. Maybe a bowl of garlicky kale or some creamy mashed potatoes. Hungry yet? ... Food represents a way to care for ourselves and a way that we connect and nourish relationships. What foods do you dream of or create when you want an inside hug or when you are ‘loving on’ your friends and family? I think I’m going to make a Shepherd’s Pie with a side of bright green kale. To eat after my winter walk. Drop your favorite comfort foods below!

Struggling to control Life? Want more ‘joie de vivre’? We all want happiness, ease the joy of life and living. We long for and try to hang on to the times where life ‘feels good’. And, we know that Life is often ‘less than’ what we hope for it to be we want Life to be something different than it is. This is where anxiety, overwhelm and the ‘push and drive’ to create more of what we want enters our world. ... We struggle- with the optimism and hope that if we work hard enough it will improve- ‘get better’. Why? Because we are highly competent, skilled, knowledgeable people who accomplish much, strive for excellence (perfection??) in our professional and personal worlds. We have a belief that if we do a and b c will result. It is only when Life serves up something that will not be ‘controlled’ that this theory falls apart and we usually blame ourselves (because we believe that we have not done enough, been enough, said enough you get the picture). Making Life happen is an illusion. WE CANNOT CONTROL LIFE. Period. We can do some steering using our expertise and experience but ultimately Life happens. We have no control over how our client responds, what action they take, who receives a cancer diagnosis, the turn of the stock market Learning the skills to navigate Life’s spicy, difficult and ugly moments creates an ease and confidence to meet what shows up and an access to our hearts dreams and desires. This is ‘joie de vivre’. ‘Mud to Lotus’ is my signature program that provides the support to live with ‘joie de vivre’. Contact me via email [email protected] or send me a private Facebook message and we’ll set up a complimentary call together to chat. Life is short.

Vertical workplace bullying brought me to my knees Life is messy and hard sometimes. We are all intimately familiar with the distresses that show up in life and they leave their impact often in the subconscious realm. Vertical workplace bullying was the tipping point that kicked me to the curb and shone a light where my values were disparate with the organization. I was deeply distressed- angry, grieving and heavy with shame stories. This triggered old wounds and beliefs s...o powerful that my usual coping strategies were insufficient to keep me on my feet. It was also the catalyst for me to seek a different way to navigate life. Life had previously served up heart wrenching experiences and my layers of defence had become more protective. This event, although different, carried the old familiar brain chatter and story threads that added ‘proof’ to a belief that I was deeply flawed. This lifetime of familiar distress, anxiety, overwhelm and exhaustion became the reason that I committed to learning how to navigate Life with greater ease AND how to really have my own back live fully, fiercely as me. This commitment took me on a path of learning and discovery that when coupled with my professional expertise helping people to navigate the biggest, scariest experiences of life, has become the basis for my program Mud to Lotus’. **If you find yourself wanting more from the familiar hamster wheel of life- longing for more ease, wanting to live more of ‘you’... have your own back to live your dreams and desires fully this program is designed for you. ** Let’s hop on a call together to discuss if it's a fit. Email me at [email protected] or send me a private Facebook message. Your heart is calling you.

I get to. vs I have to Have you ever considered replacing the phrase, I have to [go to work/wash the dishes/walk the dog/clean the bathroom] with I get to [go to work, wash the dishes, walk the dog, clean the bathroom]. How often do we hear ourselves saying I have to do [such ‘n such]? ... Inherent in the language of I get to is choice and an acknowledgement of the ‘gifts’ that we are fortunate to have in our life. I participate in a group that is committed to living fully and the mentor suggested we try this phrase and see how it lands in our lives. I notice that it shifts my perspective on the tasks (often mundane, familiar, routine) that Life presents to me. I invite you to try this on in your own life and add your reflections below. I love to hear from you.