October 31st, 2016
My youngest daughter turned 8 on October 14th, 2016. We kept both daughters home from school on that day and celebrated as a family. On October 29th, we celebrated with friends at Gym Stars in Smiths Falls. This is where Stella's love of gymnastics began. She attended a friend's birthday party at Gym Stars two years ago and she was hooked.
She always has her birthday party at Gym Stars now and I am forever amazed at the transformations I see throughout the two hour period that we are together. Some of her friends have done gymnastics before. They are excited to participate in a specific activity whether it be hanging and swinging from the bars, walking on the beams, jumping on the trampoline, swinging from the Tarzan rope, showing off their splits on the main floor or vaulting into the air, landing on a big mattress.
There are usually a few new children who have never tried gymnastics. At first, they feel nervous and doubt that they will be able to catch up to the others. However, as they work their way through warm-ups and play fun games, they start to relax. Next, they go through a routine. They are introduced to equipment and guided through the movements safely by a coach. I love that Gym Stars has excellent coaches who always take the safety of their students into consideration.
My favourite part is watching the new kids as they move through the equipment. I take lots of photos and you can see their confidence growing. At first, they are blushing, hesitant, super cautious. By the end of a few rounds, they are beaming, asking me if I am getting a photo of them and, challenging themselves even further. They run to their parents as they come to pick them up. They tell them they had so much fun and they boast about all they have accomplished.
I am so pleased that my daughter chooses to celebrate her birthday at Gym Stars. I know everyone will have fun, it is cheaper than anything I could offer at home, the kids are really tired after so I know they will go to bed on time and sleep well, there is a party room so I can still serve pizza and cake, the instructors are amazing (we had Jenn this time and she was fabulous but, last year, Alisha was wonderful as well) and, I don't need to plan it or clean the house before and after the party. Hooray!!!
As parents, we put so much pressure on ourselves. We love our little ones and work hard to make their special day perfect. If they don't enjoy their party, we are disappointed. Some of us are better at planning parties. We hear about a mom who had a great craft or paid the big bucks to have a Disney character play with the kids. Another mom booked a hall and decorated it to create a special place like a castle. We are exhausted and we just don't want our party to suck. Parenthood has become a competitive sport in some ways. Children go to school after Christmas and compare what Santa got them. They lose a tooth and ask how much the others received from "their" tooth fairy. At one of my workshops, a little boy told me the tooth fairy gave him "fifty bucks" for losing a tooth. I was in shock. Being a parent is hard enough, some of these expectations are just over the top.
Having a place like Gym Stars makes the planning easy. You pick a date and time, send directions, have some food set up, order the cake, prep the goodie bags and then you sit back and enjoy! I would like to thank Jenn for doing such a great job. She started on time, connected with us as soon as we entered the gymnasium, was organized, explained the rules to the children and reinforced them to keep everyone safe and, she stayed a little longer so everyone could finish eating their cake.
If you wish to have a party at home and you don't know what to do, I would like to recommend a craft. In the years before we discovered gymnastics, I always had parties in my home. As soon as everyone had arrived, I would take them into the dining room and lead a craft. If you are thinking you can't do this because you are not crafty, there is great news, you don't need to be.
Step 1-What theme does your child like (princess, dragon, fairy, puppies, a sport)?
Step 2-Locate the closest Dollarama because you can buy cheap art materials there.
Step 3-Get a drop cloth at the Dollar Store (or clear table cloth) and set up the table.
Step 4-Give them a clear directive like they are going to create a princess hat or sculpt a dragon or build a fairy house etc)
Step 5-Have a variety of cheap art materials and non-art materials (tempera paints, stickers, markers, home-made play doh, empty boxes etc).
Step 6-Step back, watch them jump in and explore the materials.
Step 7-Stand by to help the children who need assistance.
Every time I introduce art, I run out of time to do other activities, they are so excited, it lasts longer than I expected. If you have a back yard, it's good to include some physical activity. A trampoline can use up another chunk of time. A soccer ball, football or skipping ropes can also be fun. Blowing bubbles outside can be enjoyable even in cold weather (the bubbles freeze). Young girls love to show off their gymnastics moves or teach each other new ones. If your children are older and can help out, you may want to create an obstacle course together, crawling under chairs, hoola hooping, relay racing, jumping over a bucket etc.
If it's too cold or wet to go outside, there is still plenty to do. When my daughters were younger, I would blow up balloons and have them try to keep the balloons off the ground. This would get the group giggling and, even if someone got hit in the face by a balloon, it didn't hurt. You can also get children involved in making their own food, decorating their pizza or creating a sundae. These are messy activities but the children have fun and it keeps them busy. Having a drop cloth on the table makes cleaning up much easier.
Last but not least, it's good to have some free time. The older they get, the more independent they want to be and just setting up board games or cutting them loose for a while works too. No matter what you do, chances are the children will have fun because they are together and they get to eat cake. They don't care how clean the house is or how much you spent on the cake. I used to clean my house and worry that my house looked messy, then I realized the parents rarely leave the front door. I put a whole lot less pressure on myself and I find that I have way more fun that way.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Monday 31 October 2016
Friday 28 October 2016
The Brain's Way of Healing
October 28th, 2016
Yesterday was a low point for me, dealing with the pain in my brain despite receiving a healing treatment less than two weeks prior. This morning, I received a gift. I saw a post on Facebook about the author of two books on brain health, The Brain that Changes Itself and The Brain's Way of Healing, Norman Doidge. Dr. Doidge and his revolutionary discoveries were the focus of this week's episode of The Nature of Things with David Suzuki.
I was able to watch the episode online and I am still floored by what I have witnessed. The basic message is that our brains are not fixed and permanent the way we've been told. People are diagnosed with illnesses like Parkinson and Autism or they acquire a Traumatic Brain Injury and they spend the rest of their lives a compilation of symptoms. Dr Doidge shows us a different perspective.
Our brains are sophisticated and they respond to stimulation. Neuroplasticity is the concept that our brains change throughout our life and that we can alter our brains via stimulation. In this episode, we explore techniques that are used to help heal the brains of people who thought there was no hope for them.
We meet a gentleman going out for a walk and learn that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson yet his movements seem fluid. He is practising Conscious Walking. His Basal Ganglia are no longer automatically making his movements flow so he has to focus on what he is doing and use his prefrontal cortex to direct every minute aspect of his movement (micro-movements). He walks for 75 minutes every other day. He also is conscious of blinking his eyes and swallowing. The exercise gives him energy and, reduces his symptoms.
Next up are two women who experienced a traumatic brain injury. They decided to explore pottery as a therapeutic activity and called themselves the "Cracked Potters". Each of them survived their accident but were living with many symptoms which greatly reduced their quality of life. We are told that following a brain trauma, some neutrons die and others provide noisy signals therefore the brain is not working properly. A clinic has individuals exercising while they hold a PONS in their mouth. The PONS speaks to the brain through electrical stimulation. The tongue is situated directly in front of the brainstem and is covered with receptors. By stimulating the tongue with the PONS during exercise, the body is able to speak to the brain through our senses. This helps re-synch the brain, awaken dormant circuits and allow the brainstem to communicate normally with the rest of the body. They call this neuro-modulating the noisy brain.
We then get to witness the transformation of children on the Autism Spectrum through sound. We have this ability called the auditory zoom. It helps us cancel out noises and focusing on what we want to hear. When this is impaired, we go into emergency mode and shut down social contact. By introducing sound through the mother's voice, then with Mozart, the children or teenagers are able to learn to focus on sounds which are a precursor to speech. They change the rhythm, frequency and which ear is receiving stimulation. What we see is a boy progressing from tantrums and sensitivity to sound to a regular boy who is socializing. One of the older boys has developed social skills and thought his speech is stunted, he can speak flawlessly when he is imitating someone else. Blew me away!!!
A lady recovering from a brain tumour underwent surgery which saved her life but damaged her brain. She was exposed to light therapy through a low intensity laser. The photons go into the brain and into the body, powering up mitochondria, unblocking inflammation. There was an indication that this might work for people with PTSD as well.
Lastly, a young girl was born with an intellectual deficiency. Using the Feldenkrais Method, she learned to differentiate between movements. She went from having no movement to crawling, walking and ultimately dancing on her wedding day. This technique develops mental awareness of movement and uses touch as well to stimulate the brain.
If this sounds awesome but you think you'll have to move to California, I have good news, many of the cases in this episode were based out of Toronto. I am going to be looking into this. I urge you to do the same.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Yesterday was a low point for me, dealing with the pain in my brain despite receiving a healing treatment less than two weeks prior. This morning, I received a gift. I saw a post on Facebook about the author of two books on brain health, The Brain that Changes Itself and The Brain's Way of Healing, Norman Doidge. Dr. Doidge and his revolutionary discoveries were the focus of this week's episode of The Nature of Things with David Suzuki.
I was able to watch the episode online and I am still floored by what I have witnessed. The basic message is that our brains are not fixed and permanent the way we've been told. People are diagnosed with illnesses like Parkinson and Autism or they acquire a Traumatic Brain Injury and they spend the rest of their lives a compilation of symptoms. Dr Doidge shows us a different perspective.
Our brains are sophisticated and they respond to stimulation. Neuroplasticity is the concept that our brains change throughout our life and that we can alter our brains via stimulation. In this episode, we explore techniques that are used to help heal the brains of people who thought there was no hope for them.
We meet a gentleman going out for a walk and learn that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson yet his movements seem fluid. He is practising Conscious Walking. His Basal Ganglia are no longer automatically making his movements flow so he has to focus on what he is doing and use his prefrontal cortex to direct every minute aspect of his movement (micro-movements). He walks for 75 minutes every other day. He also is conscious of blinking his eyes and swallowing. The exercise gives him energy and, reduces his symptoms.
Next up are two women who experienced a traumatic brain injury. They decided to explore pottery as a therapeutic activity and called themselves the "Cracked Potters". Each of them survived their accident but were living with many symptoms which greatly reduced their quality of life. We are told that following a brain trauma, some neutrons die and others provide noisy signals therefore the brain is not working properly. A clinic has individuals exercising while they hold a PONS in their mouth. The PONS speaks to the brain through electrical stimulation. The tongue is situated directly in front of the brainstem and is covered with receptors. By stimulating the tongue with the PONS during exercise, the body is able to speak to the brain through our senses. This helps re-synch the brain, awaken dormant circuits and allow the brainstem to communicate normally with the rest of the body. They call this neuro-modulating the noisy brain.
We then get to witness the transformation of children on the Autism Spectrum through sound. We have this ability called the auditory zoom. It helps us cancel out noises and focusing on what we want to hear. When this is impaired, we go into emergency mode and shut down social contact. By introducing sound through the mother's voice, then with Mozart, the children or teenagers are able to learn to focus on sounds which are a precursor to speech. They change the rhythm, frequency and which ear is receiving stimulation. What we see is a boy progressing from tantrums and sensitivity to sound to a regular boy who is socializing. One of the older boys has developed social skills and thought his speech is stunted, he can speak flawlessly when he is imitating someone else. Blew me away!!!
A lady recovering from a brain tumour underwent surgery which saved her life but damaged her brain. She was exposed to light therapy through a low intensity laser. The photons go into the brain and into the body, powering up mitochondria, unblocking inflammation. There was an indication that this might work for people with PTSD as well.
Lastly, a young girl was born with an intellectual deficiency. Using the Feldenkrais Method, she learned to differentiate between movements. She went from having no movement to crawling, walking and ultimately dancing on her wedding day. This technique develops mental awareness of movement and uses touch as well to stimulate the brain.
If this sounds awesome but you think you'll have to move to California, I have good news, many of the cases in this episode were based out of Toronto. I am going to be looking into this. I urge you to do the same.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Thursday 27 October 2016
Concussion Consequences
October 27th, 2016
Today is a hard day. On Monday, October 17th, I enjoyed a thai massage. My masseuse was excellent and I really felt that I was doing something great for myself. However, as with every treatment I've had seen our car accident in July 2012 (massage, physic, acupuncture, cranio sacral etc), there were consequences to this stimulation.
I haven't been able to feel the back of my head since the accident. I sometimes wake up and my skull is numb, it feels the same as when your arm falls asleep. I have also had vessels burst in my eyes on a regular basis. I visited the eye doctor and he claims my eyes are healthy. He is puzzled by this and suggested I "keep an eye on it".
When I wake up in the morning, my lower back is in pain. I have to roll over and slowly ease myself out of bed. I am in my 40s, what will I be like in my 80s? I also have a sore ovary, it hurts when it's ovulating. This has been an issue since the accident because of the pressure from the seat belt during impact.
Initially, after the crash, I was sleeping most of the day. I was dizzy and nauseous, I experienced headaches (something that had never happened before), I had a sore back and ovary. My mother came to help but I had to function as best I could, as fast as possible because my daughters were at home for the summer.
By the time I received treatment, it was September. I thought I was healing and progressing well but I had no idea how damaged I actually was. I went for a massage and experienced non-stop headaches for two weeks. I promised myself never to do that again. I booked sessions with my physiotherapist. She couldn't do any physical manipulations because my central nervous system was so out of whack. As soon as she started working on me, I would have to run to the washroom and empty my bowel. She used crania-sacral therapy for our sessions together. She added a heating pad, some electrical stimulation and acupuncture as our time together drew to a close. We weren't done healing my brain but the insurance was done paying so I stopped going.
I decided to start working out. I joined a gym, briefed my fitness trainer and we took it slow. I enjoyed the treadmill and did some basic machines to work on my legs and arms (without straining my neck) and floor exercises like lunges and stretches. I had to be careful not to overdo it as I would hit a wall of fatigue and couldn't function for the rest of the day.
I had to adjust my schedule, not driving at night which means my husband now takes the girls to gymnastics, not scheduling clients at night because I am too tired and therefore don't want to try to help people when my brain is not at its best and, drastically reducing my time with our daughters each night. They used to get quality time playing with me 1:1 as well as bath time. We have switched to showers and a story. They still get angry sometimes that I am not the same mommy. They wish we had never been in an accident. Me too.
Why am I re-hashing all of this today? A few days after my thai massage, I started to get a headache. Then I noticed I was grumpy at night, not my usual patient self. I was running out of energy more quickly. If the girls were asking for a snack or wanting me to stay with them until they fell asleep, I was grumpy about it. I wasn't being myself. Then I woke up at night but instead of my head being numb at the back, I was experiencing sensations. This sounds like a good thing but it hurts. I have this aching in the back of my head where the numbness used to be. It's very scary to discover, every time I do anything for my health, that my brain has still not healed. I feel frightened that I'll have a stroke and won't be here or healthy enough to care for my girls. I worry that my brain is turning off and I'll end up with early dementia. This may not sound rational but, on days like today when I feel just how vulnerable I am when it comes to my brain, it feels reasonable to worry.
This is a hard day because I have been out interviewing moms for the book, I have a client scheduled in later today, my daughters have a PD day tomorrow and I have a workshop and a birthday party for my youngest on Saturday. The old me would be very excited, the present me wonders if I'll have the energy for it all. Will I ever NOT feel brain damaged? I don't know. Meanwhile, the young lady who crashed into us, because she was busy texting, is out there, free, unscathed, planning her life and, on days like today, I resent that. There was never a call, a letter, any indication that she felt bad or even gave it a second thought. Today is a bad day. I will keep moving forward, loving my children for as long as I can and trying to make a difference while I have the chance.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Today is a hard day. On Monday, October 17th, I enjoyed a thai massage. My masseuse was excellent and I really felt that I was doing something great for myself. However, as with every treatment I've had seen our car accident in July 2012 (massage, physic, acupuncture, cranio sacral etc), there were consequences to this stimulation.
I haven't been able to feel the back of my head since the accident. I sometimes wake up and my skull is numb, it feels the same as when your arm falls asleep. I have also had vessels burst in my eyes on a regular basis. I visited the eye doctor and he claims my eyes are healthy. He is puzzled by this and suggested I "keep an eye on it".
When I wake up in the morning, my lower back is in pain. I have to roll over and slowly ease myself out of bed. I am in my 40s, what will I be like in my 80s? I also have a sore ovary, it hurts when it's ovulating. This has been an issue since the accident because of the pressure from the seat belt during impact.
Initially, after the crash, I was sleeping most of the day. I was dizzy and nauseous, I experienced headaches (something that had never happened before), I had a sore back and ovary. My mother came to help but I had to function as best I could, as fast as possible because my daughters were at home for the summer.
By the time I received treatment, it was September. I thought I was healing and progressing well but I had no idea how damaged I actually was. I went for a massage and experienced non-stop headaches for two weeks. I promised myself never to do that again. I booked sessions with my physiotherapist. She couldn't do any physical manipulations because my central nervous system was so out of whack. As soon as she started working on me, I would have to run to the washroom and empty my bowel. She used crania-sacral therapy for our sessions together. She added a heating pad, some electrical stimulation and acupuncture as our time together drew to a close. We weren't done healing my brain but the insurance was done paying so I stopped going.
I decided to start working out. I joined a gym, briefed my fitness trainer and we took it slow. I enjoyed the treadmill and did some basic machines to work on my legs and arms (without straining my neck) and floor exercises like lunges and stretches. I had to be careful not to overdo it as I would hit a wall of fatigue and couldn't function for the rest of the day.
I had to adjust my schedule, not driving at night which means my husband now takes the girls to gymnastics, not scheduling clients at night because I am too tired and therefore don't want to try to help people when my brain is not at its best and, drastically reducing my time with our daughters each night. They used to get quality time playing with me 1:1 as well as bath time. We have switched to showers and a story. They still get angry sometimes that I am not the same mommy. They wish we had never been in an accident. Me too.
Why am I re-hashing all of this today? A few days after my thai massage, I started to get a headache. Then I noticed I was grumpy at night, not my usual patient self. I was running out of energy more quickly. If the girls were asking for a snack or wanting me to stay with them until they fell asleep, I was grumpy about it. I wasn't being myself. Then I woke up at night but instead of my head being numb at the back, I was experiencing sensations. This sounds like a good thing but it hurts. I have this aching in the back of my head where the numbness used to be. It's very scary to discover, every time I do anything for my health, that my brain has still not healed. I feel frightened that I'll have a stroke and won't be here or healthy enough to care for my girls. I worry that my brain is turning off and I'll end up with early dementia. This may not sound rational but, on days like today when I feel just how vulnerable I am when it comes to my brain, it feels reasonable to worry.
This is a hard day because I have been out interviewing moms for the book, I have a client scheduled in later today, my daughters have a PD day tomorrow and I have a workshop and a birthday party for my youngest on Saturday. The old me would be very excited, the present me wonders if I'll have the energy for it all. Will I ever NOT feel brain damaged? I don't know. Meanwhile, the young lady who crashed into us, because she was busy texting, is out there, free, unscathed, planning her life and, on days like today, I resent that. There was never a call, a letter, any indication that she felt bad or even gave it a second thought. Today is a bad day. I will keep moving forward, loving my children for as long as I can and trying to make a difference while I have the chance.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Wednesday 26 October 2016
Ontario Parenting Connection
October 26th, 2016
This evening, two local women are holding a meeting in Kemptville to launch Ontario Parenting Connection. The goal of this initial meeting is a needs assessment therefore all local parents are invited to attend and voice their concerns, desires and dreams for the area. Some of the needs identified by the co-founders, two busy moms with young children, are walk-in clinics to avoid congestion and long waits at the KDH emergency room, a recreation complex with an indoor pool, a splash pad, bathrooms and shaded areas at local parks as well as a more pedestrian-friendly infrastructure for our city.
I can vouch for all of these concerns as the parent of two young girls, now aged 8 and 10. After I had my second, there was nowhere to walk safely and this made it harder to shed my baby fat, get my daily dose of vitamin D from the sun and stay fit. My daughters don't ride bicycles because we live at the corner of two busy roads where people scream around the corner, often distracted by their phone.
Ever since my daughters were you, we have had to drive to Brockville or Ottawa to swim in the Winter. This requires an extra effort, some planning and, driving through various weather conditions. If there was an indoor swimming pool in Kemptville, we could go weekly, at a set time and look forward to it. However, driving to the Nepean Sportsplex makes things more complicated. When one or two of your children are at an age where they nap, it becomes almost laughable. You need to find out what time you can go for a free swim or family swim, you need to figure out how long the drive will be, where the children will nap (in the car, before you leave, when you return?), when they will eat (prepared lunches in the car, eat once we get there, eat at the house and bring a snack for later). It gets complicated.
I am blessed with two healthy daughters. However, when my youngest started grade 1, she was getting ear infections. She had never had them before and apparently they were caused by mould in her classroom, an issue that has since been resolved. I have needed to take her to the emergency room twice due to double ear infections, waiting hours to be seen by the doctor and leaving with a prescription for antibiotics. A third time, I had her checked after the school called me because another student had knocked her to the floor, banging her head on gym tiles during physical education class. They suspected a concussion but she was fine. Once again, a long wait in a germ-infested waiting room. A walk-in clinic would alleviate congestion and cut down on wait times.
My daughters and I have been to pretty much every park in the area. Other than the Riverside Park and South Mountain Park, most of the time, there is nobody there. In the warm months, the play structure gets really hot and dangerous because there is no shade. If your child needs to go to the washroom, you have to drive home, go to a store near by or have them pee in the bush. There are Port-A-Potties at Riverside Park but they smell bad and occasionally have hornet's nests in them. There is no way I am getting my daughters in there.
I would add another item to be discussed. The lack of buses or train stations in Kemptville. We have one bus, it leaves Kemptville early on weekday mornings to bring commuters to Ottawa for work. It returns to Kemptville around 6pm on weeknights. We have many one car families. One parent drives to work and the stay-at-home parent stays home without any means of getting anywhere for socializing and recreation. You may be able to walk during the Spring and Fall but it may be too hot to brave long distances in the Summer and too cold in the Winter. This means parents are stranded and isolated in their homes. Having a bus that flows through Kemptville, Oxford Mills and South Mountain, would mobilize parents with young children, allowing for greater access to local stores, to programming at the Municipal Centre and, to each other. Some of my clients are in abusive relationships. Their partner takes the phone and the car away during the day and these women are stuck, too far from any resources to attempt their escape.
I went to Ontario Early Years when my girls were young. It was an awesome resource for me as I had moved to the area while I was pregnant with my youngest. The OEY centre moved from Saunders to across the street and now to CR 43. I was lucky enough to live up the street and have access to a car. I believe that the best strategy for rural areas is to have an RV which travels to various neighbourhoods and offers programming on a set schedule to that area. Parents could walk up the street to attend programs and connect with other families who live nearby. The RV could park in Meadowglen on Monday mornings, Stonehaven on Monday afternoons, Abbott Road on Tuesday mornings, Victoria Park on Tuesday afternoons, E-Quinelle on Wednesday mornings and return to the first area for a second visit. This way, every family could walk to at least one location for support and they could still drive to other areas if they wished to do so. It just makes sense.
If you'd like to give your two cents, join Samantha Kutowy and Meghan Coupal this evening from 6:30-8:30pm at the Grenville Mutual Insurance Building in Kemptville or e-mail them at ontarioparenting@gmail.com.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
This evening, two local women are holding a meeting in Kemptville to launch Ontario Parenting Connection. The goal of this initial meeting is a needs assessment therefore all local parents are invited to attend and voice their concerns, desires and dreams for the area. Some of the needs identified by the co-founders, two busy moms with young children, are walk-in clinics to avoid congestion and long waits at the KDH emergency room, a recreation complex with an indoor pool, a splash pad, bathrooms and shaded areas at local parks as well as a more pedestrian-friendly infrastructure for our city.
I can vouch for all of these concerns as the parent of two young girls, now aged 8 and 10. After I had my second, there was nowhere to walk safely and this made it harder to shed my baby fat, get my daily dose of vitamin D from the sun and stay fit. My daughters don't ride bicycles because we live at the corner of two busy roads where people scream around the corner, often distracted by their phone.
Ever since my daughters were you, we have had to drive to Brockville or Ottawa to swim in the Winter. This requires an extra effort, some planning and, driving through various weather conditions. If there was an indoor swimming pool in Kemptville, we could go weekly, at a set time and look forward to it. However, driving to the Nepean Sportsplex makes things more complicated. When one or two of your children are at an age where they nap, it becomes almost laughable. You need to find out what time you can go for a free swim or family swim, you need to figure out how long the drive will be, where the children will nap (in the car, before you leave, when you return?), when they will eat (prepared lunches in the car, eat once we get there, eat at the house and bring a snack for later). It gets complicated.
I am blessed with two healthy daughters. However, when my youngest started grade 1, she was getting ear infections. She had never had them before and apparently they were caused by mould in her classroom, an issue that has since been resolved. I have needed to take her to the emergency room twice due to double ear infections, waiting hours to be seen by the doctor and leaving with a prescription for antibiotics. A third time, I had her checked after the school called me because another student had knocked her to the floor, banging her head on gym tiles during physical education class. They suspected a concussion but she was fine. Once again, a long wait in a germ-infested waiting room. A walk-in clinic would alleviate congestion and cut down on wait times.
My daughters and I have been to pretty much every park in the area. Other than the Riverside Park and South Mountain Park, most of the time, there is nobody there. In the warm months, the play structure gets really hot and dangerous because there is no shade. If your child needs to go to the washroom, you have to drive home, go to a store near by or have them pee in the bush. There are Port-A-Potties at Riverside Park but they smell bad and occasionally have hornet's nests in them. There is no way I am getting my daughters in there.
I would add another item to be discussed. The lack of buses or train stations in Kemptville. We have one bus, it leaves Kemptville early on weekday mornings to bring commuters to Ottawa for work. It returns to Kemptville around 6pm on weeknights. We have many one car families. One parent drives to work and the stay-at-home parent stays home without any means of getting anywhere for socializing and recreation. You may be able to walk during the Spring and Fall but it may be too hot to brave long distances in the Summer and too cold in the Winter. This means parents are stranded and isolated in their homes. Having a bus that flows through Kemptville, Oxford Mills and South Mountain, would mobilize parents with young children, allowing for greater access to local stores, to programming at the Municipal Centre and, to each other. Some of my clients are in abusive relationships. Their partner takes the phone and the car away during the day and these women are stuck, too far from any resources to attempt their escape.
I went to Ontario Early Years when my girls were young. It was an awesome resource for me as I had moved to the area while I was pregnant with my youngest. The OEY centre moved from Saunders to across the street and now to CR 43. I was lucky enough to live up the street and have access to a car. I believe that the best strategy for rural areas is to have an RV which travels to various neighbourhoods and offers programming on a set schedule to that area. Parents could walk up the street to attend programs and connect with other families who live nearby. The RV could park in Meadowglen on Monday mornings, Stonehaven on Monday afternoons, Abbott Road on Tuesday mornings, Victoria Park on Tuesday afternoons, E-Quinelle on Wednesday mornings and return to the first area for a second visit. This way, every family could walk to at least one location for support and they could still drive to other areas if they wished to do so. It just makes sense.
If you'd like to give your two cents, join Samantha Kutowy and Meghan Coupal this evening from 6:30-8:30pm at the Grenville Mutual Insurance Building in Kemptville or e-mail them at ontarioparenting@gmail.com.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Tuesday 25 October 2016
Is it Aging or is it the Medication-When Health Care Fails Our Elderly
October 25th, 2016
We are excited to welcome my mother-in-law back into our home for the Holiday Season. We speak to her every week and she updates us on her preparations. She has purchased thermals because, being from London, she has heard about our nasty winters. Last time she came, we had looked into her medication. In my opinion, she was on too many medications and, upon researching the specific pills she was taking throughout the day, I realized that one of the pills was NOT indicated for someone with diabetes. She is a diabetic. We spoke to her pharmacist, got her an appointment with her doctor and, much to our dismay, they just added one more pill to her regimen. We were really discouraged. It's difficult to do anything from this far away.
She came, she had a great time, she went back and stayed in high spirits for months. Lately, however, our conversations were cut short because she was out of breath. She would either avoid my husband's calls or speak very briefly because she was too tired and out of breath. We became concerned. My husband asked her to go see a doctor. She would agree to it but, when he checked in the next day, she hadn't gone. As her health declined, he finally gave her an ultimatum: go or I will call an ambulance. She went. They diagnosed her with a lung infection and sent her home with antibiotics. She had a bad reaction to the antibiotics, throwing up, diarrhea, feeling weak and, still out of breath.
My husband explained that in the UK, the class system is still very much alive When her mother goes to the clinic for help, they don't assess her medication, listen to her concerns or follow-through with tests, they simply write a prescription and send her on her way. That is how she ended up with so many pills in one day. I think it was somewhere between 9 and 11 pills, some taken multiple times per day.
A friend of my mother-in-law, Lisa, contacted my husband. They had been communicating regarding their shared concerned for her health. My husband urged her to get his mother to the hospital. She took her to the Royal Free, a reputable hospital minutes away from her home. This is a teaching hospital, the very same one that saved my husband's brother three years ago when we all thought he was dying. It didn't take long for them to notice that my mother-in-law was jaundiced, that her breathing was laboured and that she had been misdiagnosed. She did NOT have a lung infection and, she was actually having a negative reaction to the antibiotics. What she did have was a clogged artery. Tests revealed that she was also anemic. Her white cell count was so low she required a blood transfusion. She was experiencing heart failure.
The doctors are taking really good care of her. She was in good spirits when we spoke this morning, feeling stronger, knowing she had been close to death and that she shouldn't have been too stubborn to go to the hospital in the first place. The doctors have taken her off all of her medications. They will be assessing her over the next week. My husband suggested that she enjoy her stay at the hospital, treating it like a hotel. I knew she was feeling better because, while we were Face Timing, she kept looking at the state of her hair in the computer. She's a tough cookie. I am happy that she is in good hands and will probably be in excellent health by the time she comes for a visit in December. However, it disgusts me that so many elderly like her are being overly medicated. Doctors stop listening to their clients. They rush through appointments, add medications to address the latest complaint without going any further in their investigation. "Oh well, she's just getting old", they say. What if she didn't have a friend or son who care about her and push her to get assessed? She would be like one of the many elderly who end up dead through complications caused by their medications, heart attack, stroke or being misdiagnosed.
Baby boomers are aging now and, as more of them go through this flawed health system, I just know they will shake things up. This level of care is unacceptable and inhumane. We need to return to the old days where physicians visited people in their homes and looked for the cause of the symptoms rather than cover them up with chemicals. I have faith in the boomers. Demand the best, accept nothing less.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
We are excited to welcome my mother-in-law back into our home for the Holiday Season. We speak to her every week and she updates us on her preparations. She has purchased thermals because, being from London, she has heard about our nasty winters. Last time she came, we had looked into her medication. In my opinion, she was on too many medications and, upon researching the specific pills she was taking throughout the day, I realized that one of the pills was NOT indicated for someone with diabetes. She is a diabetic. We spoke to her pharmacist, got her an appointment with her doctor and, much to our dismay, they just added one more pill to her regimen. We were really discouraged. It's difficult to do anything from this far away.
She came, she had a great time, she went back and stayed in high spirits for months. Lately, however, our conversations were cut short because she was out of breath. She would either avoid my husband's calls or speak very briefly because she was too tired and out of breath. We became concerned. My husband asked her to go see a doctor. She would agree to it but, when he checked in the next day, she hadn't gone. As her health declined, he finally gave her an ultimatum: go or I will call an ambulance. She went. They diagnosed her with a lung infection and sent her home with antibiotics. She had a bad reaction to the antibiotics, throwing up, diarrhea, feeling weak and, still out of breath.
My husband explained that in the UK, the class system is still very much alive When her mother goes to the clinic for help, they don't assess her medication, listen to her concerns or follow-through with tests, they simply write a prescription and send her on her way. That is how she ended up with so many pills in one day. I think it was somewhere between 9 and 11 pills, some taken multiple times per day.
A friend of my mother-in-law, Lisa, contacted my husband. They had been communicating regarding their shared concerned for her health. My husband urged her to get his mother to the hospital. She took her to the Royal Free, a reputable hospital minutes away from her home. This is a teaching hospital, the very same one that saved my husband's brother three years ago when we all thought he was dying. It didn't take long for them to notice that my mother-in-law was jaundiced, that her breathing was laboured and that she had been misdiagnosed. She did NOT have a lung infection and, she was actually having a negative reaction to the antibiotics. What she did have was a clogged artery. Tests revealed that she was also anemic. Her white cell count was so low she required a blood transfusion. She was experiencing heart failure.
The doctors are taking really good care of her. She was in good spirits when we spoke this morning, feeling stronger, knowing she had been close to death and that she shouldn't have been too stubborn to go to the hospital in the first place. The doctors have taken her off all of her medications. They will be assessing her over the next week. My husband suggested that she enjoy her stay at the hospital, treating it like a hotel. I knew she was feeling better because, while we were Face Timing, she kept looking at the state of her hair in the computer. She's a tough cookie. I am happy that she is in good hands and will probably be in excellent health by the time she comes for a visit in December. However, it disgusts me that so many elderly like her are being overly medicated. Doctors stop listening to their clients. They rush through appointments, add medications to address the latest complaint without going any further in their investigation. "Oh well, she's just getting old", they say. What if she didn't have a friend or son who care about her and push her to get assessed? She would be like one of the many elderly who end up dead through complications caused by their medications, heart attack, stroke or being misdiagnosed.
Baby boomers are aging now and, as more of them go through this flawed health system, I just know they will shake things up. This level of care is unacceptable and inhumane. We need to return to the old days where physicians visited people in their homes and looked for the cause of the symptoms rather than cover them up with chemicals. I have faith in the boomers. Demand the best, accept nothing less.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Monday 24 October 2016
Queen Mimi, the Homeless Lady, Documentary
Oct. 24th, 2016
Saturday night, my husband and I decided to watch a movie. We were trying out a new babysitter and were back from supper a bit early. We scanned Netflix, searching for something upbeat and meaningful. We both stopped to consider a documentary about a homeless woman living in Santa Monica, California. That is what we chose to watch.
At first, we see Mimi who has no teeth but is always smiling. She is hunched over, dishevelled and sending kisses to the camera. You can tell she is a character. Vin and I were both reminded of my Grandmother. She was short and spunky like Mimi and, a tad bit flirtatious.
Mimi lives in a laundromat. She was homeless for a long time but, one wet and cold night, she was allowed to stay in the laundromat for shelter and she never left. She slept on a plastic chair at night and helped clients at the laundromat during the day. She even had her own paying clients. She became a celebrity in Santa Monica. Clients looked forward to chatting with Mimi. She liked to go to the bars at night and, since she had her own key to the laundromat, she could party and let herself in at night or in the wee hours of the morning.
The first part of this documentary is all about her being cheeky. We hear from friends and clients who think she's amazing. We learn that the person filming this documentary is a guy who works at a coffee shop across the street. However, as the movie progresses, we realize that nobody really knows much about her. She doesn't share much information about her past. She is a mystery to her coworkers, friends and many admirers.
A few celebrities like Zack Galifianakis (The Hangover) and Renee Zellweger (Bridget Jones Diary) took her out and included her at red carpet events. She had many friends and seemed content. However, the more people talked about her and how much she meant to them, the more you wondered, Why is she still living in a laundromat, sleeping on a plastic chair?
The documentary interviews people who have invited her to stay for a while. You hear about her drinking and her late nights. Some co-workers say Mimi hates homeless people and won't let them into the laundromat, where she once stayed to keep her warm. We witness her getting angry at a client because he moved her basket, it contained her client's order. She definitely has strong opinions.
We then delve into her background, how she ended up on the street and who she left behind. Mimi was married for 29 years. Her husband cheated and she left him. She lost the house and lived in her van until it was taken away from her because she couldn't afford to pay for her licence to be renewed. She ate leftovers thrown into the bin behind local restaurants, she slept in bushes or doorways, she made shoes and blankets out of newspaper. Mimi explains that she had been out of work for years because her husband insisted that she stop working when they got married. She hadn't worked in nearly 30 years and that made it difficult for her to gain employment.
Just when you think you've heard it all, you find out she has two daughters. Your mind is swimming with questions. Where are they? How old would they be? Does Mimi have grandchildren? Do they know she's homeless? How did they get separated? Why didn't they help? It turns out, one of her daughters has passed away. She was looking for her and never found her. The other daughter is found by a friend during the filming of this documentary. They start building a relationship. Mimi meets her grand daughters. Mimi's daughter tells viewers that they were a united family, churchgoers and she didn't know where her mother went. They did look for her. They hoped to be reunited one day. Now, this dream has come true for the one daughter.
Another dream comes true as well. Zack Galifianakis rents an apartment for Mimi just across from the Laundromat. She finally has a bed to sleep in and a home of her own. At the end of the documentary, we see Mimi with Yaniv Rokah, the young man who works at the coffee shop across from the laundromat. He is escorting her to a movie theatre for the premiere of the documentary he has created about her life. Her daughter and granddaughters are there as well. Mimi gets a standing ovation.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching Queen Mimi. This documentary has many layers, like Mimi herself. She is slowly revealed-Bride, Mother, Sunday School teacher, divorced woman, homeless lady, laundromat resident and employee, celebrity and, inspiration.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Saturday night, my husband and I decided to watch a movie. We were trying out a new babysitter and were back from supper a bit early. We scanned Netflix, searching for something upbeat and meaningful. We both stopped to consider a documentary about a homeless woman living in Santa Monica, California. That is what we chose to watch.
At first, we see Mimi who has no teeth but is always smiling. She is hunched over, dishevelled and sending kisses to the camera. You can tell she is a character. Vin and I were both reminded of my Grandmother. She was short and spunky like Mimi and, a tad bit flirtatious.
Mimi lives in a laundromat. She was homeless for a long time but, one wet and cold night, she was allowed to stay in the laundromat for shelter and she never left. She slept on a plastic chair at night and helped clients at the laundromat during the day. She even had her own paying clients. She became a celebrity in Santa Monica. Clients looked forward to chatting with Mimi. She liked to go to the bars at night and, since she had her own key to the laundromat, she could party and let herself in at night or in the wee hours of the morning.
The first part of this documentary is all about her being cheeky. We hear from friends and clients who think she's amazing. We learn that the person filming this documentary is a guy who works at a coffee shop across the street. However, as the movie progresses, we realize that nobody really knows much about her. She doesn't share much information about her past. She is a mystery to her coworkers, friends and many admirers.
A few celebrities like Zack Galifianakis (The Hangover) and Renee Zellweger (Bridget Jones Diary) took her out and included her at red carpet events. She had many friends and seemed content. However, the more people talked about her and how much she meant to them, the more you wondered, Why is she still living in a laundromat, sleeping on a plastic chair?
The documentary interviews people who have invited her to stay for a while. You hear about her drinking and her late nights. Some co-workers say Mimi hates homeless people and won't let them into the laundromat, where she once stayed to keep her warm. We witness her getting angry at a client because he moved her basket, it contained her client's order. She definitely has strong opinions.
We then delve into her background, how she ended up on the street and who she left behind. Mimi was married for 29 years. Her husband cheated and she left him. She lost the house and lived in her van until it was taken away from her because she couldn't afford to pay for her licence to be renewed. She ate leftovers thrown into the bin behind local restaurants, she slept in bushes or doorways, she made shoes and blankets out of newspaper. Mimi explains that she had been out of work for years because her husband insisted that she stop working when they got married. She hadn't worked in nearly 30 years and that made it difficult for her to gain employment.
Just when you think you've heard it all, you find out she has two daughters. Your mind is swimming with questions. Where are they? How old would they be? Does Mimi have grandchildren? Do they know she's homeless? How did they get separated? Why didn't they help? It turns out, one of her daughters has passed away. She was looking for her and never found her. The other daughter is found by a friend during the filming of this documentary. They start building a relationship. Mimi meets her grand daughters. Mimi's daughter tells viewers that they were a united family, churchgoers and she didn't know where her mother went. They did look for her. They hoped to be reunited one day. Now, this dream has come true for the one daughter.
Another dream comes true as well. Zack Galifianakis rents an apartment for Mimi just across from the Laundromat. She finally has a bed to sleep in and a home of her own. At the end of the documentary, we see Mimi with Yaniv Rokah, the young man who works at the coffee shop across from the laundromat. He is escorting her to a movie theatre for the premiere of the documentary he has created about her life. Her daughter and granddaughters are there as well. Mimi gets a standing ovation.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching Queen Mimi. This documentary has many layers, like Mimi herself. She is slowly revealed-Bride, Mother, Sunday School teacher, divorced woman, homeless lady, laundromat resident and employee, celebrity and, inspiration.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Friday 21 October 2016
Book of the Week-Living an Inspired Life
October 21st, 2016
I just finished reading Wayne Dyer's, Living an Inspired Life. I always enjoy his books, they make me think and, sometimes, after his book has changed the way I see things, my life is better. Every improvement of my mind, leads to a higher quality of relationship with my loved ones and with the state of my life in general.
In this book, Wayne shows us what an inspired life looks and feels like, providing examples from his own life and from other mentors. You take some time to be quiet and to connect with your Source, every day. You have a plan for your life and you are open to signs and synchronicity that steer you in the right direction. You value your health so you make time to nourish your body, rest and spend time with other high energy individuals. You hold onto your vision for your life without becoming attached to outcome or led by your ego. You know that your Source knows what you need and you search for the clues to the next step. You also recognize that all people and experiences are intended to move you forward on your path.
Wayne reminds us that we are each a piece of that Source, that we are connected, powerful and creative. He warns against judging others, dismissing their role in our life and holding back the forgiveness that may set us free. He suggests that we protect our vision for our life from the scrutiny and criticism of others. We also need to avoid media, entertainment and people who expose us to violence, hatred and fear. This pulls us away from our Source.
We are also guided to see our bodies as healthy because that is our normal state. We are bombarded with messages by media that encourage us to worry about our health. There is a pill for every ailment and we are told that 1 in 10 or 2 out of 5 will get this ailment, leading to fear and dis-ease. As we align with Source through time spent alone in silence, we may need to make changes in our lives. In order for our life to bloom, we may need to correct some of our behaviours (addiction, negativity etc) and end some relationships or change employment.
We can move in the direction of our inspired life by noticing what excites us and taking action in that direction. We don't always know how we will get there but if we say yes to life, follow our intuition and simplify our life, we will be moving in the right direction. Wayne encourages us to retrieve our child spirit: joyful, trusting, playful and full of hope and surrender our ego. The ego restricts us because we are working for the payoff, we want the reward and acknowledgement. In order to get out of our ego and into spirit, we can practise giving generously to others without any expectations. We must declutter our schedule as well as our space because there will be no room for inspiration if our minds are full and our life is hectic. That is why it is wise to slow down, do what we enjoy, spend time in the service of others, connect in nature and take small steps, recognizing opportunities as they come your way.
Obviously, this is an ideal way of life but, just making any adjustment in this direction can lead to more joy, peace and fulfilment.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
I just finished reading Wayne Dyer's, Living an Inspired Life. I always enjoy his books, they make me think and, sometimes, after his book has changed the way I see things, my life is better. Every improvement of my mind, leads to a higher quality of relationship with my loved ones and with the state of my life in general.
In this book, Wayne shows us what an inspired life looks and feels like, providing examples from his own life and from other mentors. You take some time to be quiet and to connect with your Source, every day. You have a plan for your life and you are open to signs and synchronicity that steer you in the right direction. You value your health so you make time to nourish your body, rest and spend time with other high energy individuals. You hold onto your vision for your life without becoming attached to outcome or led by your ego. You know that your Source knows what you need and you search for the clues to the next step. You also recognize that all people and experiences are intended to move you forward on your path.
Wayne reminds us that we are each a piece of that Source, that we are connected, powerful and creative. He warns against judging others, dismissing their role in our life and holding back the forgiveness that may set us free. He suggests that we protect our vision for our life from the scrutiny and criticism of others. We also need to avoid media, entertainment and people who expose us to violence, hatred and fear. This pulls us away from our Source.
We are also guided to see our bodies as healthy because that is our normal state. We are bombarded with messages by media that encourage us to worry about our health. There is a pill for every ailment and we are told that 1 in 10 or 2 out of 5 will get this ailment, leading to fear and dis-ease. As we align with Source through time spent alone in silence, we may need to make changes in our lives. In order for our life to bloom, we may need to correct some of our behaviours (addiction, negativity etc) and end some relationships or change employment.
We can move in the direction of our inspired life by noticing what excites us and taking action in that direction. We don't always know how we will get there but if we say yes to life, follow our intuition and simplify our life, we will be moving in the right direction. Wayne encourages us to retrieve our child spirit: joyful, trusting, playful and full of hope and surrender our ego. The ego restricts us because we are working for the payoff, we want the reward and acknowledgement. In order to get out of our ego and into spirit, we can practise giving generously to others without any expectations. We must declutter our schedule as well as our space because there will be no room for inspiration if our minds are full and our life is hectic. That is why it is wise to slow down, do what we enjoy, spend time in the service of others, connect in nature and take small steps, recognizing opportunities as they come your way.
Obviously, this is an ideal way of life but, just making any adjustment in this direction can lead to more joy, peace and fulfilment.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Thursday 20 October 2016
Multiple Sources of Income
October 20th, 2016
Ever since I decided to leave my full-time position as a College Professor, I have been searching for ways to make money from home. I got to work building a work space in our barn and marketing my services through local networking groups. Working for myself means there are times when money comes flooding in followed by periods of idle waiting for my next client or opportunity. I know there are ways to make my money work for me.
When I heard the expression, multiple sources of income, I was imagining people who own buildings and businesses, those who own condos in gorgeous faraway places, rented most of the time, enjoyed during peak months. I keep remembering all the Monopoly games we played when I was younger where the name of the game was to gain assets and dump liabilities.
However, what I have come to understand is that multiple sources of income doesn't mean you necessarily need to buy real estate or storage facilities, own pinball machines or car washes, you can develop different streams of income based on how you make money right now. This was a revelation to me. As a matter of fact, I discovered that I was already moving in the right direction.
You might be a stay-at-home mom, reading this, thinking it doesn't apply to you but it does. Jot down the activities you do every day. Which ones do you enjoy? Are you really good at something that always impresses friends and family? You may be one of those people whose home is decorated for each season. I love having my house decorated for Christmas and Halloween, Easter and Valentine's Day but I never do it. I don't have it in me. Every year I am daunted by the idea of placing Christmas lights all around the house. I don't do it. What if you decorated other people's homes? People like me would pay you for it. Perhaps you make incredible Halloween costumes for your children or grandchildren. That is a skill. There is usually a handful of popular costumes each season. You take orders and prepare entire batches of them, selling them online or through a local school/day care. Do you spend a huge portion of your week buying groceries? There are plenty of people who are not able to get out of the house: the elderly, moms without cars, individuals recovering from an injury etc. Get other people's groceries and deliver it to their home. A lot of people hate shopping. Advertise your services in time for Christmas. Are you great at getting just the right gift for your loved ones? Apply that skill for others and get paid for it. If you are a mom, you talk to other moms and hear them complain. What are they complaining about? Is there a way to invent a product or service to make a profit by solving their problems?
If you are not a stay-at-home mom and are already employed outside the home, think about the skill set involved in your existing job. If you work as a chef, can you create individualized meals to sell to your neighbours? Is there a secret recipe that your family loves? You can sell it at a local shop. Are you a mechanic? What if you offered courses, Car Care for Dummies on the weekends? If you work as a real estate agent, write a guidebook to help regular people understand the pitfalls to avoid when buying a home. Educate people regarding what to look for during a house inspection. See your knowledge. Perhaps you organize group trips to foreign locations for people who want to invest but have no idea where to look. Regardless of what you do for a living, you can focus on the skills and figure out: 1) Who could benefit from this skill set? and, 2) How can I communicate with this target audience in a way that turns my knowledge into profit?
As I mentioned before, I am an art therapist. I offer workshops, one on one sessions, I speak about my work or its applications with various populations, I write books to use in my workshops and I am developing a digital version of my workshops. In this way, I am expanding the reach of my business by catering to different populations via a variety of mediums. You don't have to be rich to develop many streams of income, you just need to know your worth, find different ways of sharing it with others and get paid for it.
Anne Walsh
www.artsnoul.org
Ever since I decided to leave my full-time position as a College Professor, I have been searching for ways to make money from home. I got to work building a work space in our barn and marketing my services through local networking groups. Working for myself means there are times when money comes flooding in followed by periods of idle waiting for my next client or opportunity. I know there are ways to make my money work for me.
When I heard the expression, multiple sources of income, I was imagining people who own buildings and businesses, those who own condos in gorgeous faraway places, rented most of the time, enjoyed during peak months. I keep remembering all the Monopoly games we played when I was younger where the name of the game was to gain assets and dump liabilities.
However, what I have come to understand is that multiple sources of income doesn't mean you necessarily need to buy real estate or storage facilities, own pinball machines or car washes, you can develop different streams of income based on how you make money right now. This was a revelation to me. As a matter of fact, I discovered that I was already moving in the right direction.
You might be a stay-at-home mom, reading this, thinking it doesn't apply to you but it does. Jot down the activities you do every day. Which ones do you enjoy? Are you really good at something that always impresses friends and family? You may be one of those people whose home is decorated for each season. I love having my house decorated for Christmas and Halloween, Easter and Valentine's Day but I never do it. I don't have it in me. Every year I am daunted by the idea of placing Christmas lights all around the house. I don't do it. What if you decorated other people's homes? People like me would pay you for it. Perhaps you make incredible Halloween costumes for your children or grandchildren. That is a skill. There is usually a handful of popular costumes each season. You take orders and prepare entire batches of them, selling them online or through a local school/day care. Do you spend a huge portion of your week buying groceries? There are plenty of people who are not able to get out of the house: the elderly, moms without cars, individuals recovering from an injury etc. Get other people's groceries and deliver it to their home. A lot of people hate shopping. Advertise your services in time for Christmas. Are you great at getting just the right gift for your loved ones? Apply that skill for others and get paid for it. If you are a mom, you talk to other moms and hear them complain. What are they complaining about? Is there a way to invent a product or service to make a profit by solving their problems?
If you are not a stay-at-home mom and are already employed outside the home, think about the skill set involved in your existing job. If you work as a chef, can you create individualized meals to sell to your neighbours? Is there a secret recipe that your family loves? You can sell it at a local shop. Are you a mechanic? What if you offered courses, Car Care for Dummies on the weekends? If you work as a real estate agent, write a guidebook to help regular people understand the pitfalls to avoid when buying a home. Educate people regarding what to look for during a house inspection. See your knowledge. Perhaps you organize group trips to foreign locations for people who want to invest but have no idea where to look. Regardless of what you do for a living, you can focus on the skills and figure out: 1) Who could benefit from this skill set? and, 2) How can I communicate with this target audience in a way that turns my knowledge into profit?
As I mentioned before, I am an art therapist. I offer workshops, one on one sessions, I speak about my work or its applications with various populations, I write books to use in my workshops and I am developing a digital version of my workshops. In this way, I am expanding the reach of my business by catering to different populations via a variety of mediums. You don't have to be rich to develop many streams of income, you just need to know your worth, find different ways of sharing it with others and get paid for it.
Anne Walsh
www.artsnoul.org
Wednesday 19 October 2016
In Defence of Homeopathy
October 19th, 2016
There are so many grey areas in health care, services that may work but you'll never hear about them from your health care provider. Many people are turning to naturopaths to explore other options. The problem with that is not everyone can afford to pay for their doctor's appointments or the supplements or health products that are recommended. As an art therapist, I know that many people who could benefit from my services choose to see a psychiatrist because they can't afford to pay for my services and their work insurance plan doesn't cover it.
Recently, I was trying to help my daughter. She will be 11 years old in January. Her hormones are kicking in and she is finding it difficult to settle at night. Initially, she was anxious at bedtime because she was preparing for a new school year and worried about her potential teachers, wondering if she would have any of her friends in her class. Once the semester started and she realized she liked her teachers and was surrounded by friends, I fully expected the anxiety to subside. It didn't. She asked me to sleep in her room. She started coming to my room during the night, her heart racing, wanting to join us. This doesn't work as my husband snores very loudly. My daughter was complaining about the noise, my husband was annoyed by her presence in our bed because she moves around a lot and hogs the blanket, I was tired and stuck in the middle.
Something had to be done. I feared going to our family doctor. I don't want her to be medicated at this age, before her brain has fully developed and her hormones have stabilized. When I took my youngest in for ear infections year ago, I provided lots of information, I was looking for an explanation. Why does she suddenly get ear infections. She never did before. The doctor prescribed antibiotics. My daughter would be ok for a few months then the ear infections would return. I later found out that there was mould in her classroom. She never had another ear infection again. If I had known that, we could have avoided repeatedly exposing her to antibiotics that year.
I reached out for help to alleviate my eldest daughter's anxiety. I called various professionals who failed to reply to my e-mails or voice mails. I felt quite alone and frustrated, not to mention tired. Then, I received a reply from the local naturopath. He couldn't see us for another week but, as we chatted over the phone, he said he would start with homeopathy then nutrition and supplements to see how this affected her anxiety. I was sleeping on a floppy, tiny mattress on the floor next to her bed by this time so, waiting another week felt like torture.
I visited the local health food store and asked to be directed to the homeopathic remedies. I explained that this would be for my daughter. We spent some time talking about the expression of her symptoms. This is crucial in homeopathy. Every product is designed to address a specific set of symptoms. It is thought that if someone without the symptoms took the treatment they would develop the very ailment that the medicine was trying to treat. However, if you do have those symptoms, the treatment will neutralize them. Since my daughter's anxiety happens at night, we discussed medication for people who can't sleep. However, she doesn't struggle with sleep once she is asleep. She is just too anxious to relax sufficiently to get to sleep. Therefore, the core symptom was her anxiety. We examined the source of her anxiety. She was worried that something bad would happen if she was left alone, in the dark. It was more like separation anxiety.
I chose Worry and Fear drops for kids by Orange Naturals. The first night, my daughter spit out the drops. She said they tasted like vomit. The next day, are with a container of apple juice mixed with water, we tried again. She didn't spit it out. I increased the dosage to the recommended three times/day over the weekend. By day 3, we could see a difference. She no longer clung to me at night as we prepared for bed. She was able to stay alone in her room while I tucked her sister in across the hall. She even fell asleep before I showed up to read her a story on the fourth night.
By the time, I reached this point, trying homeopathy, I had tried using a diffuser, a himalayan rock lamp, back massage, meditation, stretching, progressive relaxation, guided visualization and acupuncture. I should mention that she hated acupuncture but I do think it helped. It's just hard to go for follow-up treatments when your child is adamant that she "will never do this again".
We started the drops three weeks ago. She is much calmer at night. She comes out more often with her. She used to always want to stay home. My daughters are playing together more because my eldest has the energy to play again. She used to be too tired from not sleeping. I wanted to learn more about homeopathy. I did some research online and most of what I found discredited homeopathy as foolish and ineffective. It was described as the equivalent of a placebo. I was very disappointed by the lack of scientific data to back it up as a treatment. As I read about the founder of homeopathy and his followers, I recalled another time in my life that I had used homeopathic medicine. I didn't even realize I was doing it.
When my daughter was teething, the Advil didn't soothe her and the Orajel only made her gag. What helped every time was a product called Camilia by Boiron. I am not sure how I found this product but it helped my family out through the teething years. Its effect was instant. It was easy to administer and my daughter often enjoyed chewing on the empty container. I have recommended it to moms and even shared it with some of my husband's clients over the years. It turns out, this is also a homeopathic product.
I am sharing this with you because homeopathy has worked for my daughter, twice. If you are a parent, looking to support your child and you are reading about homeopathy, you might decide that it's hocus pocus. You may move on. I want to share my experiences with parents so they will give homeopathy a chance. Being a parent is hard. We make difficult choices every day and, most of us doubt our decisions. We fear making the wrong decision, making things worst. I am not a doctor or a naturopath and I certainly don't sell these products. All I can say is they worked for us. I hope, should you need them, that they'll work for you.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
There are so many grey areas in health care, services that may work but you'll never hear about them from your health care provider. Many people are turning to naturopaths to explore other options. The problem with that is not everyone can afford to pay for their doctor's appointments or the supplements or health products that are recommended. As an art therapist, I know that many people who could benefit from my services choose to see a psychiatrist because they can't afford to pay for my services and their work insurance plan doesn't cover it.
Recently, I was trying to help my daughter. She will be 11 years old in January. Her hormones are kicking in and she is finding it difficult to settle at night. Initially, she was anxious at bedtime because she was preparing for a new school year and worried about her potential teachers, wondering if she would have any of her friends in her class. Once the semester started and she realized she liked her teachers and was surrounded by friends, I fully expected the anxiety to subside. It didn't. She asked me to sleep in her room. She started coming to my room during the night, her heart racing, wanting to join us. This doesn't work as my husband snores very loudly. My daughter was complaining about the noise, my husband was annoyed by her presence in our bed because she moves around a lot and hogs the blanket, I was tired and stuck in the middle.
Something had to be done. I feared going to our family doctor. I don't want her to be medicated at this age, before her brain has fully developed and her hormones have stabilized. When I took my youngest in for ear infections year ago, I provided lots of information, I was looking for an explanation. Why does she suddenly get ear infections. She never did before. The doctor prescribed antibiotics. My daughter would be ok for a few months then the ear infections would return. I later found out that there was mould in her classroom. She never had another ear infection again. If I had known that, we could have avoided repeatedly exposing her to antibiotics that year.
I reached out for help to alleviate my eldest daughter's anxiety. I called various professionals who failed to reply to my e-mails or voice mails. I felt quite alone and frustrated, not to mention tired. Then, I received a reply from the local naturopath. He couldn't see us for another week but, as we chatted over the phone, he said he would start with homeopathy then nutrition and supplements to see how this affected her anxiety. I was sleeping on a floppy, tiny mattress on the floor next to her bed by this time so, waiting another week felt like torture.
I visited the local health food store and asked to be directed to the homeopathic remedies. I explained that this would be for my daughter. We spent some time talking about the expression of her symptoms. This is crucial in homeopathy. Every product is designed to address a specific set of symptoms. It is thought that if someone without the symptoms took the treatment they would develop the very ailment that the medicine was trying to treat. However, if you do have those symptoms, the treatment will neutralize them. Since my daughter's anxiety happens at night, we discussed medication for people who can't sleep. However, she doesn't struggle with sleep once she is asleep. She is just too anxious to relax sufficiently to get to sleep. Therefore, the core symptom was her anxiety. We examined the source of her anxiety. She was worried that something bad would happen if she was left alone, in the dark. It was more like separation anxiety.
I chose Worry and Fear drops for kids by Orange Naturals. The first night, my daughter spit out the drops. She said they tasted like vomit. The next day, are with a container of apple juice mixed with water, we tried again. She didn't spit it out. I increased the dosage to the recommended three times/day over the weekend. By day 3, we could see a difference. She no longer clung to me at night as we prepared for bed. She was able to stay alone in her room while I tucked her sister in across the hall. She even fell asleep before I showed up to read her a story on the fourth night.
By the time, I reached this point, trying homeopathy, I had tried using a diffuser, a himalayan rock lamp, back massage, meditation, stretching, progressive relaxation, guided visualization and acupuncture. I should mention that she hated acupuncture but I do think it helped. It's just hard to go for follow-up treatments when your child is adamant that she "will never do this again".
We started the drops three weeks ago. She is much calmer at night. She comes out more often with her. She used to always want to stay home. My daughters are playing together more because my eldest has the energy to play again. She used to be too tired from not sleeping. I wanted to learn more about homeopathy. I did some research online and most of what I found discredited homeopathy as foolish and ineffective. It was described as the equivalent of a placebo. I was very disappointed by the lack of scientific data to back it up as a treatment. As I read about the founder of homeopathy and his followers, I recalled another time in my life that I had used homeopathic medicine. I didn't even realize I was doing it.
When my daughter was teething, the Advil didn't soothe her and the Orajel only made her gag. What helped every time was a product called Camilia by Boiron. I am not sure how I found this product but it helped my family out through the teething years. Its effect was instant. It was easy to administer and my daughter often enjoyed chewing on the empty container. I have recommended it to moms and even shared it with some of my husband's clients over the years. It turns out, this is also a homeopathic product.
I am sharing this with you because homeopathy has worked for my daughter, twice. If you are a parent, looking to support your child and you are reading about homeopathy, you might decide that it's hocus pocus. You may move on. I want to share my experiences with parents so they will give homeopathy a chance. Being a parent is hard. We make difficult choices every day and, most of us doubt our decisions. We fear making the wrong decision, making things worst. I am not a doctor or a naturopath and I certainly don't sell these products. All I can say is they worked for us. I hope, should you need them, that they'll work for you.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Tuesday 18 October 2016
Thai Massage
October 18th, 2016
Have you ever been for a massage? I am a very affectionate person but I don't really like strangers touching my body. I think it was ok prior to having children but, somehow, after having my daughters, I no longer wanted to go out for a massage. It wasn't a treat. I preferred time to myself, to think, to write, to walk around. I craved personal space I guess.
After my first daughter was born, I went to a spa in Stittsville, a gift from my hubby, and a young lady massaged me. I didn't feel a connection to her. It felt awkward like she didn't want to do the work and I couldn't wait for it to be over.
On another occasion, this time after the birth of my second daughter, my husband surprised me with a massage during the girls' nap time. I had my period and I told my husband that I was bleeding profusely and would need to postpone. He had already paid and they were waiting for me. Two women stood over me, one of them massaging me, in a communal, open air room. She was good, some of it was relaxing but every time she lifted and pulled a leg, I could feel the blood oozing, dripping and I worried about what kind of mess awaited me when she was done.
For Father's Day, I booked a Thai Massage for my husband. He has travelled through Thailand and told me about the rigorous massages he received during that trip. One day, we watched Anthony Bourdain, the celebrity chef, receiving a Thai Massage during his travels. It looked like torture to me but my husband was looking on, longingly. I found the best masseuse I could find. He came home with a blissful look on his face. He told me he had booked a home massage for both of us.
I was worried. I don't like pain. I don't want to be twisted and have my limbs bent in unnatural directions. My husband had his 90 minute session first. Then, it was my turn. I must add here that, following our car accident in 2012, I went to visit a massage therapist and she worked me hard. I ended up with a massive headache for two weeks. This experience did nothing to restore my confidence in these health professionals.
She had set up some mats on the floor. I explained that I didn't want a headache and pointed out my vulnerable areas (neck, lower back, right ovary and base of skull). I informed her that, unlike my husband, I didn't like it rough. I actually prefer more of a gentle, soothing approach. She listened to my spiel and assured me that she would start slow and build a sense of safety for me.
She started holding my feet and rocking. She stayed at my feet for a while, working on each foot individually then moving my feet together. She moved up my legs, explaining what she was doing along the way. She used her body with mine to compress and stretch the various parts of my body. Everything was done in a gentle, nurturing way. We communicated throughout. She checked with me to ensure I was not in any pain. Having my body pulled and rocked was very soothing. My favourite parts were when she was supporting areas that are normally quite tense like my lower back and the base of my skull. When she removed the tension from my body, I was able to breathe and just enjoy.
Breathing was an instrumental part of this process. She would ask me to inhale before she compressed my body then exhale as she released it. Being on the floor together means we work as a team. She used her body to help support mine. I thoroughly enjoyed this process. There was no pain and I didn't get a headache. As a matter of fact, she ended with my head, relieving stress, relaxing muscles, supporting its weight.
If you are feeling frail, wanting some TLC and looking for a professional who will tailor her approach to your needs, I would strongly recommend a 90 minute massage with Sarah at Bliss Yoga, http://blissyogaottawa.com. You will feel nurtured and healed.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Have you ever been for a massage? I am a very affectionate person but I don't really like strangers touching my body. I think it was ok prior to having children but, somehow, after having my daughters, I no longer wanted to go out for a massage. It wasn't a treat. I preferred time to myself, to think, to write, to walk around. I craved personal space I guess.
After my first daughter was born, I went to a spa in Stittsville, a gift from my hubby, and a young lady massaged me. I didn't feel a connection to her. It felt awkward like she didn't want to do the work and I couldn't wait for it to be over.
On another occasion, this time after the birth of my second daughter, my husband surprised me with a massage during the girls' nap time. I had my period and I told my husband that I was bleeding profusely and would need to postpone. He had already paid and they were waiting for me. Two women stood over me, one of them massaging me, in a communal, open air room. She was good, some of it was relaxing but every time she lifted and pulled a leg, I could feel the blood oozing, dripping and I worried about what kind of mess awaited me when she was done.
For Father's Day, I booked a Thai Massage for my husband. He has travelled through Thailand and told me about the rigorous massages he received during that trip. One day, we watched Anthony Bourdain, the celebrity chef, receiving a Thai Massage during his travels. It looked like torture to me but my husband was looking on, longingly. I found the best masseuse I could find. He came home with a blissful look on his face. He told me he had booked a home massage for both of us.
I was worried. I don't like pain. I don't want to be twisted and have my limbs bent in unnatural directions. My husband had his 90 minute session first. Then, it was my turn. I must add here that, following our car accident in 2012, I went to visit a massage therapist and she worked me hard. I ended up with a massive headache for two weeks. This experience did nothing to restore my confidence in these health professionals.
She had set up some mats on the floor. I explained that I didn't want a headache and pointed out my vulnerable areas (neck, lower back, right ovary and base of skull). I informed her that, unlike my husband, I didn't like it rough. I actually prefer more of a gentle, soothing approach. She listened to my spiel and assured me that she would start slow and build a sense of safety for me.
She started holding my feet and rocking. She stayed at my feet for a while, working on each foot individually then moving my feet together. She moved up my legs, explaining what she was doing along the way. She used her body with mine to compress and stretch the various parts of my body. Everything was done in a gentle, nurturing way. We communicated throughout. She checked with me to ensure I was not in any pain. Having my body pulled and rocked was very soothing. My favourite parts were when she was supporting areas that are normally quite tense like my lower back and the base of my skull. When she removed the tension from my body, I was able to breathe and just enjoy.
Breathing was an instrumental part of this process. She would ask me to inhale before she compressed my body then exhale as she released it. Being on the floor together means we work as a team. She used her body to help support mine. I thoroughly enjoyed this process. There was no pain and I didn't get a headache. As a matter of fact, she ended with my head, relieving stress, relaxing muscles, supporting its weight.
If you are feeling frail, wanting some TLC and looking for a professional who will tailor her approach to your needs, I would strongly recommend a 90 minute massage with Sarah at Bliss Yoga, http://blissyogaottawa.com. You will feel nurtured and healed.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Monday 17 October 2016
Mothers Without Babies
October 17th, 2016
Did you know that October 15th was Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day? I didn't, until my mother saw an article in the Ottawa Metro Newspaper and brought it to my attention. I read the article and learned that "2,700 mothers... deliver stillborn babies every year in Canada". That is a huge number! Why do we not know about this? Also, I learned that parents lose their maternity benefits right away when the baby dies and only have ten days off work before they are expected to return. This is insane! Can you imagine the trauma of a miscarriage or stillbirth followed by a routine day at the office? You need to grieve and have a burial or ceremony but you're back at work dealing with people's questions and, sometimes, insensitive comments.
The thought of mothers leaving the hospital empty handed hits a nerve with me. When I was born, my mother's parents did not approve of her keeping me. I was bi-racial, she wasn't married and she could not afford to raise me on her own. My grandmother had raised five children and she feared that I would become her responsibility. My grandparents told my mother she could come home but not with a baby. Therefore, immediately after birth, I was taken away to an orphanage. It would be months before my mother was able to prove to Children's Aid that she was a responsible adult able to care for her child. My mother told me how difficult it was to leave the hospital without me. She wasn't able to breastfeed, she had to take medication to dry up her milk supply. Her breasts were engorged and painful. She went back to work where she was harassed and judged. I feel for her. I wish I could go back in time and tell her not to worry, that we would be ok.
I have counselled women who have lost a child but I've never had a client who delivered a stillborn. That is why the statistic surprised me. One more thing I learned about in the article is how fathers are excluded from the grieving process. They have also experienced a loss but they are forgotten, neglected. This is sad. If the wife is grieving and getting support from loved ones but the husband is not included in the grieving process, it could impact their relationship. He may not want to try again if she is ever ready to do so. He may resent her for not including him in the process. She may feel angry if she feels that he is not supportive, not realizing that he has withdrawn due to pain and lack of support, not because he is indifferent. There is a huge need to educate the public about this. Luckily, there is an excellent resource for families who have lost a child, http://pailnetwork.ca.
When I was a university student, I worked with a woman in her forties who had an abortion in her twenties. One day, we had our break together and she told me about her daughter. She thought about her every day. She dreamed about her at night. She described what her daughter looked like, she aged in her dreams just as she would have if she had lived. I have encountered a great deal of women who complain of chronic pain. They come and see me for art therapy and we get to see the link between an abortion or miscarriage and the pain they were talking about. Once they tell me their story and create art to gain closure, the pain subsides.
That is just one more reason to include stories of loss in my upcoming book, The Mommy Monologues. I hope to share stories that will inspire mothers in all sorts of situations to speak to people about their experience and ask for support because they know they are not alone.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Did you know that October 15th was Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day? I didn't, until my mother saw an article in the Ottawa Metro Newspaper and brought it to my attention. I read the article and learned that "2,700 mothers... deliver stillborn babies every year in Canada". That is a huge number! Why do we not know about this? Also, I learned that parents lose their maternity benefits right away when the baby dies and only have ten days off work before they are expected to return. This is insane! Can you imagine the trauma of a miscarriage or stillbirth followed by a routine day at the office? You need to grieve and have a burial or ceremony but you're back at work dealing with people's questions and, sometimes, insensitive comments.
The thought of mothers leaving the hospital empty handed hits a nerve with me. When I was born, my mother's parents did not approve of her keeping me. I was bi-racial, she wasn't married and she could not afford to raise me on her own. My grandmother had raised five children and she feared that I would become her responsibility. My grandparents told my mother she could come home but not with a baby. Therefore, immediately after birth, I was taken away to an orphanage. It would be months before my mother was able to prove to Children's Aid that she was a responsible adult able to care for her child. My mother told me how difficult it was to leave the hospital without me. She wasn't able to breastfeed, she had to take medication to dry up her milk supply. Her breasts were engorged and painful. She went back to work where she was harassed and judged. I feel for her. I wish I could go back in time and tell her not to worry, that we would be ok.
I have counselled women who have lost a child but I've never had a client who delivered a stillborn. That is why the statistic surprised me. One more thing I learned about in the article is how fathers are excluded from the grieving process. They have also experienced a loss but they are forgotten, neglected. This is sad. If the wife is grieving and getting support from loved ones but the husband is not included in the grieving process, it could impact their relationship. He may not want to try again if she is ever ready to do so. He may resent her for not including him in the process. She may feel angry if she feels that he is not supportive, not realizing that he has withdrawn due to pain and lack of support, not because he is indifferent. There is a huge need to educate the public about this. Luckily, there is an excellent resource for families who have lost a child, http://pailnetwork.ca.
When I was a university student, I worked with a woman in her forties who had an abortion in her twenties. One day, we had our break together and she told me about her daughter. She thought about her every day. She dreamed about her at night. She described what her daughter looked like, she aged in her dreams just as she would have if she had lived. I have encountered a great deal of women who complain of chronic pain. They come and see me for art therapy and we get to see the link between an abortion or miscarriage and the pain they were talking about. Once they tell me their story and create art to gain closure, the pain subsides.
That is just one more reason to include stories of loss in my upcoming book, The Mommy Monologues. I hope to share stories that will inspire mothers in all sorts of situations to speak to people about their experience and ask for support because they know they are not alone.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Thursday 13 October 2016
Do What You Love Regardless of Outcome
October 13th, 2016
Tomorrow is my daughter's eighth birthday. Both my daughters will stay home to celebrate. I will be eating cake, playing with her new toys, going out for lunch and taking lots of photos so my next post will be on Monday.
Today's post is about perseverance. There are so many sayings like: "Jump and the net will appear" or "Follow your heart and the money will come". I have followed my heart and I jumped without hesitation. Guess what? There was no net or money. However, I get to do what I love every day. This includes taking care of my family, participating in activities that contribute to my community and developing my skills as a writer, public speaker and art therapist. I also enjoy a better work-life balance now that I am my own employer.
This post was inspired by a 100 year old artist named Carmen Herrera. She was born in Havana, Cuba but spent a great deal of her life in New York. Her father was the founder of a newspaper, El Mundo, and her mother was a journalist. Carmen was creating innovative, minimalist art in the 50s along with Frank Stella. As a matter of fact, her geometric shapes and use of colour and contrasts were unparalleled. Why haven't you heard about this artist before now? She's a woman and, in the 50s, she was not included in art shows because of her gender. I
n the documentary, The 100 Years Show, Carmen recalls a moment when she met a woman who was the curator for an art gallery. A friend assured Carmen that this curator admired her work. Carmen went to see this woman, hoping to be included in an art show. This woman explained that she did love her work but she couldn't include a female artist in her exhibits. This shocked Carmen because it was another woman who was placing limitations on her.
Carmen married a photographer who encouraged Carmen's creativity and fully believed that her work would be recognized one day. They were great friends. He passed away at the age of 100 after years of suffering from dementia, becoming dependent on Carmen for his care. Carmen has created every day, finding purpose in "putting order in a chaotic world". No one was buying her art but she created for herself. She created because she simply had to do it. That is true passion.
It turns out, her husband was right. People started to recognize her talent and she is now selling her art, included in art shows, part of the collection in a dozen art galleries and, interviewed in various magazines and newspapers. Starting in 2002, she has enjoyed being a recognized and celebrated artist. While it saddens her that her husband never got to see her efforts pay off, she is grateful for the income. It allows her to stay at home and afford the supports she needs such as an art assistant, a physiotherapist and a chef.
Her documentary is short but inspiring. For all of you who have worked hard and have yet to reap the rewards of your labour, there is hope. Just keep doing what you love. Trust that you are where you are meant to be and, perhaps, one day when you least expect it, your moment will come. Hopefully, you won't be 100 years old when it does.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Tomorrow is my daughter's eighth birthday. Both my daughters will stay home to celebrate. I will be eating cake, playing with her new toys, going out for lunch and taking lots of photos so my next post will be on Monday.
Today's post is about perseverance. There are so many sayings like: "Jump and the net will appear" or "Follow your heart and the money will come". I have followed my heart and I jumped without hesitation. Guess what? There was no net or money. However, I get to do what I love every day. This includes taking care of my family, participating in activities that contribute to my community and developing my skills as a writer, public speaker and art therapist. I also enjoy a better work-life balance now that I am my own employer.
This post was inspired by a 100 year old artist named Carmen Herrera. She was born in Havana, Cuba but spent a great deal of her life in New York. Her father was the founder of a newspaper, El Mundo, and her mother was a journalist. Carmen was creating innovative, minimalist art in the 50s along with Frank Stella. As a matter of fact, her geometric shapes and use of colour and contrasts were unparalleled. Why haven't you heard about this artist before now? She's a woman and, in the 50s, she was not included in art shows because of her gender. I
n the documentary, The 100 Years Show, Carmen recalls a moment when she met a woman who was the curator for an art gallery. A friend assured Carmen that this curator admired her work. Carmen went to see this woman, hoping to be included in an art show. This woman explained that she did love her work but she couldn't include a female artist in her exhibits. This shocked Carmen because it was another woman who was placing limitations on her.
Carmen married a photographer who encouraged Carmen's creativity and fully believed that her work would be recognized one day. They were great friends. He passed away at the age of 100 after years of suffering from dementia, becoming dependent on Carmen for his care. Carmen has created every day, finding purpose in "putting order in a chaotic world". No one was buying her art but she created for herself. She created because she simply had to do it. That is true passion.
It turns out, her husband was right. People started to recognize her talent and she is now selling her art, included in art shows, part of the collection in a dozen art galleries and, interviewed in various magazines and newspapers. Starting in 2002, she has enjoyed being a recognized and celebrated artist. While it saddens her that her husband never got to see her efforts pay off, she is grateful for the income. It allows her to stay at home and afford the supports she needs such as an art assistant, a physiotherapist and a chef.
Her documentary is short but inspiring. For all of you who have worked hard and have yet to reap the rewards of your labour, there is hope. Just keep doing what you love. Trust that you are where you are meant to be and, perhaps, one day when you least expect it, your moment will come. Hopefully, you won't be 100 years old when it does.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Wednesday 12 October 2016
Resilience in Teenagers-A New Tool
October 12th, 2016
I had a very energizing day in Brockville, meeting professionals who were gathered to learn a new tool. The Sources of Strength training is meant to prepare us to lead teenagers to make a difference in their schools and communities. We have all heard about the rising risk of suicide and the need to foster resilience in our children. This training empowers young people to develop resilience through focusing on the skills and resources available to them rather than on daunting, scary statistics .
The skillful leaders shared the Sources of Strength wheel with us. There are eight categories and the goal is to have students identify all the activities, places and people who are there to support them in times of need. The training is about much more than just this wheel but I would like to focus on this wheel for the purpose of this blog because it is a tool that all of us can use to feel more connected, supported and grateful. It's a also a great way to set goals for our personal development. Once we've assessed the areas that require improvement, we can get to work adding people or activities to our social network.
The first slice in the pie is mental health. You need to be clear for yourself how you would define mental health. What does this mean to you? Is it the absence of illness or constant growth and improvement? It's good to stop and ask the hard questions. How is my mental health? How well am I coping with life right now? Do I need assistance? What kind of help would be most beneficial and how can I access it? Sometimes, we deny our vulnerabilities until we are in crisis.
The second section is family support. Is your home a safe place for you? Do you feel loved and supported by your family members? You may need to have a conversation about boundaries or lessen your contact with certain relatives. If your home is not a safe place, where else can you get your sense of belonging, support and love?
The third part of the wheel is positive friends. Sometimes we focus on the amount of friends we have in our life but it's not the quantity that counts, it's the quality. Are you surrounded by loving, positive people? Do you know people who care about you and would be there for you if you needed them? If not, how can you grow and nurture your social network. There are times in life when fitting in more people is a challenge. However, those are often when we need people the most. Think about your schedule and determine if there are groups you could join, individuals you'd like to reach out to or places you can go to connect with like-minded individuals.
Mentors make up the fourth section. We all need role models, people who have made it out of a situation or phase of life who can help us navigate our own journey. As a teenager, you can approach a teacher, local business owner, coach or neighbour. As adults, we can turn to others in our profession or people who excel in areas of life that we have identified as areas for improvement. We are all here to learn from each other and people in general will be happy to be a mentor.
Healthy activities are my favourite part of the pie. You don't need anyone else to participate in this. You pick activities you enjoy that can help alleviate stress, make you healthier, happier, more connected, that can contribute to your growth and development, bring new people in your life and improve quality of life. For me, these include reading, journalling, creating art, writing books, travelling, going to yoga or Zumba classes and going out for coffee at the local coffee shop. What about you? What activities energize you? What do you love to do?
Generosity is another one of the sections. It is a bit more vague but I can see how giving our time and energy to a good cause would improve our life. When you volunteer or help someone else, you feel fortunate, useful and connected to your community. Using your skills to help people in your community is really rewarding. What are your skills? Who could benefit from these skills? How can you put your skills to good use in your community?
Spirituality is another favourite. There were lots of school Chaplains at today's meeting. We are all here for a reason. If we are just living day by day without any thought about where we fit into the grand scheme of things, we can get quite bored. What does spirituality look like for you? How do you express your spirituality? This is a broad section. You may go to Church, belong to a group, meditate or simply volunteer at a hospice. Whatever helps you connect to and feed your soul would be considered spiritual.
Medical access is a tricky one. It is a valid section because this tool was developed in the U.S. where access to medical services is limited. It may not seem applicable here in Canada but I know from working with families where a loved one is battling cancer or raising a special needs child that there are huge gaps in our system as well. Information is power. The more information you gather about this section, the better equipped you will be to advocate for yourself and your family.
I was thrilled to be a part of this training. As you can see, people of all ages can apply this wheel to their life, to uncover strengths and celebrate resources in our communities.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
I had a very energizing day in Brockville, meeting professionals who were gathered to learn a new tool. The Sources of Strength training is meant to prepare us to lead teenagers to make a difference in their schools and communities. We have all heard about the rising risk of suicide and the need to foster resilience in our children. This training empowers young people to develop resilience through focusing on the skills and resources available to them rather than on daunting, scary statistics .
The skillful leaders shared the Sources of Strength wheel with us. There are eight categories and the goal is to have students identify all the activities, places and people who are there to support them in times of need. The training is about much more than just this wheel but I would like to focus on this wheel for the purpose of this blog because it is a tool that all of us can use to feel more connected, supported and grateful. It's a also a great way to set goals for our personal development. Once we've assessed the areas that require improvement, we can get to work adding people or activities to our social network.
The first slice in the pie is mental health. You need to be clear for yourself how you would define mental health. What does this mean to you? Is it the absence of illness or constant growth and improvement? It's good to stop and ask the hard questions. How is my mental health? How well am I coping with life right now? Do I need assistance? What kind of help would be most beneficial and how can I access it? Sometimes, we deny our vulnerabilities until we are in crisis.
The second section is family support. Is your home a safe place for you? Do you feel loved and supported by your family members? You may need to have a conversation about boundaries or lessen your contact with certain relatives. If your home is not a safe place, where else can you get your sense of belonging, support and love?
The third part of the wheel is positive friends. Sometimes we focus on the amount of friends we have in our life but it's not the quantity that counts, it's the quality. Are you surrounded by loving, positive people? Do you know people who care about you and would be there for you if you needed them? If not, how can you grow and nurture your social network. There are times in life when fitting in more people is a challenge. However, those are often when we need people the most. Think about your schedule and determine if there are groups you could join, individuals you'd like to reach out to or places you can go to connect with like-minded individuals.
Mentors make up the fourth section. We all need role models, people who have made it out of a situation or phase of life who can help us navigate our own journey. As a teenager, you can approach a teacher, local business owner, coach or neighbour. As adults, we can turn to others in our profession or people who excel in areas of life that we have identified as areas for improvement. We are all here to learn from each other and people in general will be happy to be a mentor.
Healthy activities are my favourite part of the pie. You don't need anyone else to participate in this. You pick activities you enjoy that can help alleviate stress, make you healthier, happier, more connected, that can contribute to your growth and development, bring new people in your life and improve quality of life. For me, these include reading, journalling, creating art, writing books, travelling, going to yoga or Zumba classes and going out for coffee at the local coffee shop. What about you? What activities energize you? What do you love to do?
Generosity is another one of the sections. It is a bit more vague but I can see how giving our time and energy to a good cause would improve our life. When you volunteer or help someone else, you feel fortunate, useful and connected to your community. Using your skills to help people in your community is really rewarding. What are your skills? Who could benefit from these skills? How can you put your skills to good use in your community?
Spirituality is another favourite. There were lots of school Chaplains at today's meeting. We are all here for a reason. If we are just living day by day without any thought about where we fit into the grand scheme of things, we can get quite bored. What does spirituality look like for you? How do you express your spirituality? This is a broad section. You may go to Church, belong to a group, meditate or simply volunteer at a hospice. Whatever helps you connect to and feed your soul would be considered spiritual.
Medical access is a tricky one. It is a valid section because this tool was developed in the U.S. where access to medical services is limited. It may not seem applicable here in Canada but I know from working with families where a loved one is battling cancer or raising a special needs child that there are huge gaps in our system as well. Information is power. The more information you gather about this section, the better equipped you will be to advocate for yourself and your family.
I was thrilled to be a part of this training. As you can see, people of all ages can apply this wheel to their life, to uncover strengths and celebrate resources in our communities.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Tuesday 11 October 2016
The Lost Wardrobe
October 11th, 2016
Well, I think we all agree that Fall has come. The mornings are chilly and the evenings are just plain frigid. I am attending some training tomorrow. It's in Brockville and starts early in the morning so I decided to pull out my Winter wardrobe. I walked down to the basement. No tupperware boxes. I checked the barn, where I knew there was a black garbage bag full of tights, tops and dresses. Nothing.
My husband has been driving to the local charity, Lazarus House, throughout the Summer with bags of stuff. He has been de-cluttering his closet. We have donated piles of toys that our daughters have outgrown. However, I think he may have gotten over-zealous and grabbed stuff that wasn't meant for the donation bin, namely, My Entire Winter Wardrobe.
I told my husband that I seemed to be missing a season's worth of clothing. He scratched his head, swallowed and asked me where this "wardrobe" was stored. He came with me to double check the basement and the barn. He came to the same conclusion as I had a mere 10 minutes earlier. Yup, no clothing here.
So, here's the thing, I can just got to the store and get a few pairs of pants, a couple of sweaters and a handful of tights but, I don't buy a lot of clothing. I pick items I like and keep them for years. I am imagining various items that I loved to wear. My favourite colourful dresses, my funky tights, my cozy sweaters. It's sad, like a photo album burned up in a fire.
The other thing is I am chunkier than I used to be and some of those items were my motivation to lose the weight. I wanted to fit into the colourful pants, that tulip shaped skirt. Those were my measuring stick. Have I lost weight? Let me try on those pants. Nope, still too tight. I feel like I have lost a whole section of my identity. I know it's only clothing and people have real problems and this is NOT a serious problem but it feels like a loss.
I can go shopping but I want my old clothes back. The shirt with a tiny stain from my daughter's spit up. The dress I wore to my art therapy interview. The pants I bought in Montreal in that cool shop on St-Denis that smells of incense.
I guess it's time for a fresh start. A new wardrobe with new memories. Clothing that fit me the way I am now. It just struck me that it's ironic that it is my Winter wardrobe that has disappeared since I visualize every day that I go away with my family every year to a warm destination for the entire Winter. Perhaps the Universe is listening to my request and preparing me for our departure. If my life is about to change and I won't be around for the Winter then bring it on but it better happen soon because it's getting cold.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Well, I think we all agree that Fall has come. The mornings are chilly and the evenings are just plain frigid. I am attending some training tomorrow. It's in Brockville and starts early in the morning so I decided to pull out my Winter wardrobe. I walked down to the basement. No tupperware boxes. I checked the barn, where I knew there was a black garbage bag full of tights, tops and dresses. Nothing.
My husband has been driving to the local charity, Lazarus House, throughout the Summer with bags of stuff. He has been de-cluttering his closet. We have donated piles of toys that our daughters have outgrown. However, I think he may have gotten over-zealous and grabbed stuff that wasn't meant for the donation bin, namely, My Entire Winter Wardrobe.
I told my husband that I seemed to be missing a season's worth of clothing. He scratched his head, swallowed and asked me where this "wardrobe" was stored. He came with me to double check the basement and the barn. He came to the same conclusion as I had a mere 10 minutes earlier. Yup, no clothing here.
So, here's the thing, I can just got to the store and get a few pairs of pants, a couple of sweaters and a handful of tights but, I don't buy a lot of clothing. I pick items I like and keep them for years. I am imagining various items that I loved to wear. My favourite colourful dresses, my funky tights, my cozy sweaters. It's sad, like a photo album burned up in a fire.
The other thing is I am chunkier than I used to be and some of those items were my motivation to lose the weight. I wanted to fit into the colourful pants, that tulip shaped skirt. Those were my measuring stick. Have I lost weight? Let me try on those pants. Nope, still too tight. I feel like I have lost a whole section of my identity. I know it's only clothing and people have real problems and this is NOT a serious problem but it feels like a loss.
I can go shopping but I want my old clothes back. The shirt with a tiny stain from my daughter's spit up. The dress I wore to my art therapy interview. The pants I bought in Montreal in that cool shop on St-Denis that smells of incense.
I guess it's time for a fresh start. A new wardrobe with new memories. Clothing that fit me the way I am now. It just struck me that it's ironic that it is my Winter wardrobe that has disappeared since I visualize every day that I go away with my family every year to a warm destination for the entire Winter. Perhaps the Universe is listening to my request and preparing me for our departure. If my life is about to change and I won't be around for the Winter then bring it on but it better happen soon because it's getting cold.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Monday 10 October 2016
Grateful this Thanksgiving
October 10th, 2016
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
I am feeling so grateful this year in particular. My mother joins us every year for our feast. It was great to have her here with us. We designed special cards for each other to express our gratitude. My daughters, mother, husband and myself hand wrote why we were grateful for each member of our family. Then we exchanged our handmade cards. We expressed our gratitude out loud during supper. It was so sweet to hear my girls talk about how lucky they felt to be in our family and to have each other.
We savoured our delicious turkey supper with carrots, potatoes, brussel sprouts and cranberry jelly which my husband had so meticulously prepared. He is such an awesome cook!
As I drove my mother home, I was thankful for the sunshine and multi-coloured trees lining the 416 and Prince of Wales drive. My mother told me she learned a great deal from watching my daughters. My husband took our youngest out to buy clothing. Her birthday is next weekend and she has outgrown her clothing. My mother was meeting them at the store. She watched my daughter decide without hesitation which items of clothing she liked. My mother said she couldn't recall ever being that certain about anything. Growing up, she wasn't asked her opinion. If she had expressed it, chances are, her observations would not have been well received.
As we designed our cards, my daughter couldn't decide what to write and how to shape her paper. I had pumpkin-shaped papers, my husband had flags, my eldest daughter and mom both had hearts, so my youngest thought she might create stars. She didn't like the way her stars turned out. I offered to help but she pretended she didn't want to write cards. We accepted her decision to not make cards. She then came up with her own invention. She sculpted hearts out of red clay, she wrote, I love you!, on each one and placed a feather at the top, a different colour for each of us. My mother was impressed with her creativity and her freedom to express her gratitude her way.
I felt grateful that my daughters were having a good time, playing together, chasing the pets around the house and participating in this art activity. I also felt lucky to live in my home, a lovely family home, warm and spacious, loved and lived-in. I am thankful that my husband is such an excellent cook, that my mother is open to learning from her grand-daughters and sharing her insight with me. I am grateful that my daughters are older now. This means they are more independent and they are able to express their thoughts and feelings with words.
We have been through so much as a family and I am thrilled that we are all here in this moment, enjoying and loving one another. I am proud of my family with our two sweet pets. Our golden lab who is affectionate and excited to see us every day. Our sleepy, mellow cat who allows the girls to dress him up, carry him like a baby and make him dance in the most embarrassing ways (see photo of George with his sombrero on my FB page).
I have one more thing to be grateful for this year. Ever since I have posted about The Mommy Monologues on this blog and on FB, I have been inundated with stories from moms who have been through challenging pregnancies, births and traumatic experiences. They have survived and are sharing their stories to help other moms who are still battling. I am so grateful for their honesty and courage.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
I am feeling so grateful this year in particular. My mother joins us every year for our feast. It was great to have her here with us. We designed special cards for each other to express our gratitude. My daughters, mother, husband and myself hand wrote why we were grateful for each member of our family. Then we exchanged our handmade cards. We expressed our gratitude out loud during supper. It was so sweet to hear my girls talk about how lucky they felt to be in our family and to have each other.
We savoured our delicious turkey supper with carrots, potatoes, brussel sprouts and cranberry jelly which my husband had so meticulously prepared. He is such an awesome cook!
As I drove my mother home, I was thankful for the sunshine and multi-coloured trees lining the 416 and Prince of Wales drive. My mother told me she learned a great deal from watching my daughters. My husband took our youngest out to buy clothing. Her birthday is next weekend and she has outgrown her clothing. My mother was meeting them at the store. She watched my daughter decide without hesitation which items of clothing she liked. My mother said she couldn't recall ever being that certain about anything. Growing up, she wasn't asked her opinion. If she had expressed it, chances are, her observations would not have been well received.
As we designed our cards, my daughter couldn't decide what to write and how to shape her paper. I had pumpkin-shaped papers, my husband had flags, my eldest daughter and mom both had hearts, so my youngest thought she might create stars. She didn't like the way her stars turned out. I offered to help but she pretended she didn't want to write cards. We accepted her decision to not make cards. She then came up with her own invention. She sculpted hearts out of red clay, she wrote, I love you!, on each one and placed a feather at the top, a different colour for each of us. My mother was impressed with her creativity and her freedom to express her gratitude her way.
I felt grateful that my daughters were having a good time, playing together, chasing the pets around the house and participating in this art activity. I also felt lucky to live in my home, a lovely family home, warm and spacious, loved and lived-in. I am thankful that my husband is such an excellent cook, that my mother is open to learning from her grand-daughters and sharing her insight with me. I am grateful that my daughters are older now. This means they are more independent and they are able to express their thoughts and feelings with words.
We have been through so much as a family and I am thrilled that we are all here in this moment, enjoying and loving one another. I am proud of my family with our two sweet pets. Our golden lab who is affectionate and excited to see us every day. Our sleepy, mellow cat who allows the girls to dress him up, carry him like a baby and make him dance in the most embarrassing ways (see photo of George with his sombrero on my FB page).
I have one more thing to be grateful for this year. Ever since I have posted about The Mommy Monologues on this blog and on FB, I have been inundated with stories from moms who have been through challenging pregnancies, births and traumatic experiences. They have survived and are sharing their stories to help other moms who are still battling. I am so grateful for their honesty and courage.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Friday 7 October 2016
Women's Worth
October 7th, 2016
Yesterday was a packed day! So much has happened since I posted my invitation to mothers everywhere and anywhere to share their stories. I received messages on Facebook from women I knew. I also received e-mails from complete strangers giving me a sneak peek at their experiences.
This morning, I met with my friend Chris. We try to go for a walk every Friday. She was telling me that she is noticing a great deal of loneliness and self doubt in many women in their 40s. This worries her. This was an interesting comment because I was thinking about self-doubt this morning as I prepared for my day. I have a list of women who came forward to participate in my Mommy Monologues project. Every woman wrote something along the lines of; "I don't know if you'll want my story in your book but here's what happened to me and I would be willing to tell you all about it if you want to hear it". These women had all been through important experiences to share yet their first thought was that I might not want to include their story.
This echoed another experience I've had in individual work with women. They will ask me for a smaller piece of paper because they don't want to take up that much space. They fear making a mess in my shop and immediately clean up after themselves. They warn me not to pour out too much paint into their tray because they don't want to waste products.
When I am working in groups, the women praise the other participants. "Wow, you are so strong, I couldn't have done that". or "Are you kidding me, you are amazing, I haven't done anything". This dance of praising others while humbling ourselves is present in every group I run. Why is it so difficult to recognize and affirm our worth?
As Chris and I discussed this loss of worth, we talked about the power dynamics in relationships where the man is the main breadwinner. If you pause your career for a few years to take care of your children, you work very hard every day completing invisible tasks; cooking, laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, planning, organizing etc but you are not paid for any of these tasks, they need to repeated over and over again and, after a while, people stop appreciating them, they take you for granted. You also stop noticing all the things you do. If you were a career woman, you may feel the loss of earning your own income and of feeling independent. If your role is not valued, you forget your worth and downplay all the actions you take every day within your role. You become invisible.
You are more than the money you make. You are a worthwhile person just for being you. I love Louise Hay's mirror work. She asks her clients to sit in front of a full length mirror and practice saying kind things to themselves. Try it out. Sit in front of the biggest mirror you can find and express your love and respect for yourself. Louise encourages women to say their name followed by "I Love You"! Write a list of your strengths and qualities (at least ten) and say to yourself, "I am..." as you go through each one. If you can't come up with ten strengths and qualities, ask your loved ones to help with your list. You might be surprised by what they say.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Yesterday was a packed day! So much has happened since I posted my invitation to mothers everywhere and anywhere to share their stories. I received messages on Facebook from women I knew. I also received e-mails from complete strangers giving me a sneak peek at their experiences.
This morning, I met with my friend Chris. We try to go for a walk every Friday. She was telling me that she is noticing a great deal of loneliness and self doubt in many women in their 40s. This worries her. This was an interesting comment because I was thinking about self-doubt this morning as I prepared for my day. I have a list of women who came forward to participate in my Mommy Monologues project. Every woman wrote something along the lines of; "I don't know if you'll want my story in your book but here's what happened to me and I would be willing to tell you all about it if you want to hear it". These women had all been through important experiences to share yet their first thought was that I might not want to include their story.
This echoed another experience I've had in individual work with women. They will ask me for a smaller piece of paper because they don't want to take up that much space. They fear making a mess in my shop and immediately clean up after themselves. They warn me not to pour out too much paint into their tray because they don't want to waste products.
When I am working in groups, the women praise the other participants. "Wow, you are so strong, I couldn't have done that". or "Are you kidding me, you are amazing, I haven't done anything". This dance of praising others while humbling ourselves is present in every group I run. Why is it so difficult to recognize and affirm our worth?
As Chris and I discussed this loss of worth, we talked about the power dynamics in relationships where the man is the main breadwinner. If you pause your career for a few years to take care of your children, you work very hard every day completing invisible tasks; cooking, laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, planning, organizing etc but you are not paid for any of these tasks, they need to repeated over and over again and, after a while, people stop appreciating them, they take you for granted. You also stop noticing all the things you do. If you were a career woman, you may feel the loss of earning your own income and of feeling independent. If your role is not valued, you forget your worth and downplay all the actions you take every day within your role. You become invisible.
You are more than the money you make. You are a worthwhile person just for being you. I love Louise Hay's mirror work. She asks her clients to sit in front of a full length mirror and practice saying kind things to themselves. Try it out. Sit in front of the biggest mirror you can find and express your love and respect for yourself. Louise encourages women to say their name followed by "I Love You"! Write a list of your strengths and qualities (at least ten) and say to yourself, "I am..." as you go through each one. If you can't come up with ten strengths and qualities, ask your loved ones to help with your list. You might be surprised by what they say.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Wednesday 5 October 2016
Tony Robbins-I Am Not Your Guru
October 5th, 2016
I was first introduced to Anthony Robbins as a teenager. I don't know how I ended up with his cassette tape, Awaken the Giant Within, but I listened to it over and over again. I had to decide on my Magnificent Obsession and figure out what was keeping me from it. Tony stated that all our behaviours are about avoiding pain or getting pleasure. This was how you understood behaviour. What is the payoff? What am I avoiding?
I have since read some of his books, watched him on You Tube and, recently, I noticed a documentary about Tony on Netflix, I Am Not Your Guru. The documentary is all about his six day Date With Destiny Seminar in Bocca Raton. He offers this seminar every year in different locations and each seat costs just under 5G but the place is packed!
The documentary takes you through each day and you get to witness one or two interventions per day. This is really powerful work. Granted, some parts are a bit flashy, like a Las Vegas show but the people are doing some deep thinking about the life they want to lead. Tony says the goal of this seminar is to teach people "how to re-shape yourself so you can enjoy yourself. To Uncover who you are, reclaim who you are, meant for anyone who is hungry for more".
Day 1 is Preparation Day. He explains that we go through problems in life but they are gifts because problems keep us moving and we are meant to grow. When we stop growing, we are not happy. His aim on day one is to get to the source of problems because when you address the real issue, not the tiny stuff that you use to distract yourself, you can change your whole life in one moment. He asks the audience what is keeping them from reaching their dreams, from achieving their vision.
Day 2 is Evaluation Day. He gets people into teams. They share insights from day one and he has them examine patterns that they are not aware of but seems to be controlling them.
Day 3 is Discovery Day. They show a very poignant intervention with a young lady who was raised in a sect and taught that all she was good for was sex, this was how she served God. Tony obviously feels a connection to this woman. He sees her pain and helps her see that she now has the power to make different choices. He hooks her up with some training and support and has her pick three men in the audience that feel safe to her. They are tasked to check up on her once a month for six months. They created a bond that lasts beyond the seminar.
Day 4 is Relationship Day. Tony addresses the challenge of relationships, where we feel deeply, where we are raw, where we grapple with not being "enough". He says we develop visions for our business but not for our relationship. We need a vision of what we are creating together. He works with a couple who is off balance. The woman is more masculine and the man is more feminine. She wants him to be more masculine. He also desires this but he has had no male role models. He feels lost. Tony works with him and, we are told, they go home and have some pretty wild sex that night.
Day 5 is Transformation Day. Tony starts the day by talking to audience members who have not had one insight since the start of the seminar. He warns them to get out of their heads. The groups create posters with their vision, goals, mission statement and primary question, the question they ask most often that directs their life. He has people imagine their ideal life and describe it.
Day 6 is Integration Day. The groups work on anchoring their vision for their life into their nervous system. They jump, attach this vision to each sense and proclaim their intention at the top of their voice. Tony asks them to think of early memories and figure out what stories they created from these experiences, the meaning that was assigned to them. He takes them through a visualization exercise. They each recall three times in their life for which they feel gratitude. Again, he attaches these memories to the five senses. He then has participants stand, stretch and make their joyful sound.
You can tell that these people are feeling energetic, re-born and changed from this experience. As the crew follow Tony from Day 1 to Day 6, you can see that he is very focused and disciplined and that he is energized by his work. His wife is also very compassionate. She stands with him at the end of the seminar and she is seen hugging and interacting with people throughout the seminar. Tony's last directive to his devoted fans is "Leave the past behind and go make your life a masterpiece".
Very inspirational work!!
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
I was first introduced to Anthony Robbins as a teenager. I don't know how I ended up with his cassette tape, Awaken the Giant Within, but I listened to it over and over again. I had to decide on my Magnificent Obsession and figure out what was keeping me from it. Tony stated that all our behaviours are about avoiding pain or getting pleasure. This was how you understood behaviour. What is the payoff? What am I avoiding?
I have since read some of his books, watched him on You Tube and, recently, I noticed a documentary about Tony on Netflix, I Am Not Your Guru. The documentary is all about his six day Date With Destiny Seminar in Bocca Raton. He offers this seminar every year in different locations and each seat costs just under 5G but the place is packed!
The documentary takes you through each day and you get to witness one or two interventions per day. This is really powerful work. Granted, some parts are a bit flashy, like a Las Vegas show but the people are doing some deep thinking about the life they want to lead. Tony says the goal of this seminar is to teach people "how to re-shape yourself so you can enjoy yourself. To Uncover who you are, reclaim who you are, meant for anyone who is hungry for more".
Day 1 is Preparation Day. He explains that we go through problems in life but they are gifts because problems keep us moving and we are meant to grow. When we stop growing, we are not happy. His aim on day one is to get to the source of problems because when you address the real issue, not the tiny stuff that you use to distract yourself, you can change your whole life in one moment. He asks the audience what is keeping them from reaching their dreams, from achieving their vision.
Day 2 is Evaluation Day. He gets people into teams. They share insights from day one and he has them examine patterns that they are not aware of but seems to be controlling them.
Day 3 is Discovery Day. They show a very poignant intervention with a young lady who was raised in a sect and taught that all she was good for was sex, this was how she served God. Tony obviously feels a connection to this woman. He sees her pain and helps her see that she now has the power to make different choices. He hooks her up with some training and support and has her pick three men in the audience that feel safe to her. They are tasked to check up on her once a month for six months. They created a bond that lasts beyond the seminar.
Day 4 is Relationship Day. Tony addresses the challenge of relationships, where we feel deeply, where we are raw, where we grapple with not being "enough". He says we develop visions for our business but not for our relationship. We need a vision of what we are creating together. He works with a couple who is off balance. The woman is more masculine and the man is more feminine. She wants him to be more masculine. He also desires this but he has had no male role models. He feels lost. Tony works with him and, we are told, they go home and have some pretty wild sex that night.
Day 5 is Transformation Day. Tony starts the day by talking to audience members who have not had one insight since the start of the seminar. He warns them to get out of their heads. The groups create posters with their vision, goals, mission statement and primary question, the question they ask most often that directs their life. He has people imagine their ideal life and describe it.
Day 6 is Integration Day. The groups work on anchoring their vision for their life into their nervous system. They jump, attach this vision to each sense and proclaim their intention at the top of their voice. Tony asks them to think of early memories and figure out what stories they created from these experiences, the meaning that was assigned to them. He takes them through a visualization exercise. They each recall three times in their life for which they feel gratitude. Again, he attaches these memories to the five senses. He then has participants stand, stretch and make their joyful sound.
You can tell that these people are feeling energetic, re-born and changed from this experience. As the crew follow Tony from Day 1 to Day 6, you can see that he is very focused and disciplined and that he is energized by his work. His wife is also very compassionate. She stands with him at the end of the seminar and she is seen hugging and interacting with people throughout the seminar. Tony's last directive to his devoted fans is "Leave the past behind and go make your life a masterpiece".
Very inspirational work!!
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Tuesday 4 October 2016
The Mommy Monologues Begin
October 4th, 2016
Today is the day. There is a book in me, begging to come out. I have requested funding. I have discussed it with others. I have collected contact information for potential interview leads. The problem with requesting funds is that you are not supposed to start the project until you find out if you have received the funds or not. This is proving to be difficult for me. You see, this book has a mind of its own. It wants to live and will not leave me alone. Therefore, I have decided to just get started, there is so much to do.
The Mommy Monologues is a book about women who have chosen to become mothers whether they actually gave birth to a child or not. Women are strong and, when we support and acknowledge one another, there is nothing we can't do. Unfortunately, when we become mothers, an intense, emotional experience, we divide into cliques. Even within the "mainstream moms" there are four distinct sub-sections: the stay-at-home mom, the working mom, the breastfeeding mom and the bottle feeding mom. They are all moms but somehow there is judgment and division where there could be solidarity and mutual support. That is so sad!
What about mothers who are different in other ways? I call them marginalized moms. They are often excluded from the "mainstream" clique even though they are very much a mom, just like them. The aim of this book is to give every mother a voice so that any woman can pick up this book and find herself represented. Mothers who feel isolated can see that they are not alone. Other mothers reading these stories will gain some understanding of what it's like to be a different kind of mom. There is so much diversity within the one umbrella that is motherhood.
Here is a sample of the types of moms I am looking to interview:
-Women who never left the hospital with their baby (miscarriage, still born, put up for adoption)
-Women whose children have a disability or physical illness
-Women whose children have a mental illness
-Women who themselves have a mental or physical illness
-Women who have adopted their child
-Women who became a step-mom
-Women who got pregnant through in-vitro
-Women who are recovering addicts
-Women who are serving or have served time in jail
-Women who are living or have lived in a shelter
-Military moms who move from one base to the next every few years
-Military moms who have been diagnosed with ptsd or whose partner has been diagnosed with ptsd
-Gay/Lesbian/Transgender/Transexual moms
-Multicultural moms
-Mothers who live at or under the line of poverty
I want to hear these stories and share them. I believe that reading about the diverse experiences of motherhood teaches us that we are all human beings doing our best based on our knowledge and abilities. There is no need for judgement, division and comparison. We can learn from each other and grow even stronger as a community.
If you are one of these moms, I want to hear from you. If you know someone who is, please share this post and my contact information with her. I look forward to learning from you,
Anne Walsh
artnsoul@ripnet.com
www.artnsoul.org
Today is the day. There is a book in me, begging to come out. I have requested funding. I have discussed it with others. I have collected contact information for potential interview leads. The problem with requesting funds is that you are not supposed to start the project until you find out if you have received the funds or not. This is proving to be difficult for me. You see, this book has a mind of its own. It wants to live and will not leave me alone. Therefore, I have decided to just get started, there is so much to do.
The Mommy Monologues is a book about women who have chosen to become mothers whether they actually gave birth to a child or not. Women are strong and, when we support and acknowledge one another, there is nothing we can't do. Unfortunately, when we become mothers, an intense, emotional experience, we divide into cliques. Even within the "mainstream moms" there are four distinct sub-sections: the stay-at-home mom, the working mom, the breastfeeding mom and the bottle feeding mom. They are all moms but somehow there is judgment and division where there could be solidarity and mutual support. That is so sad!
What about mothers who are different in other ways? I call them marginalized moms. They are often excluded from the "mainstream" clique even though they are very much a mom, just like them. The aim of this book is to give every mother a voice so that any woman can pick up this book and find herself represented. Mothers who feel isolated can see that they are not alone. Other mothers reading these stories will gain some understanding of what it's like to be a different kind of mom. There is so much diversity within the one umbrella that is motherhood.
Here is a sample of the types of moms I am looking to interview:
-Women who never left the hospital with their baby (miscarriage, still born, put up for adoption)
-Women whose children have a disability or physical illness
-Women whose children have a mental illness
-Women who themselves have a mental or physical illness
-Women who have adopted their child
-Women who became a step-mom
-Women who got pregnant through in-vitro
-Women who are recovering addicts
-Women who are serving or have served time in jail
-Women who are living or have lived in a shelter
-Military moms who move from one base to the next every few years
-Military moms who have been diagnosed with ptsd or whose partner has been diagnosed with ptsd
-Gay/Lesbian/Transgender/Transexual moms
-Multicultural moms
-Mothers who live at or under the line of poverty
I want to hear these stories and share them. I believe that reading about the diverse experiences of motherhood teaches us that we are all human beings doing our best based on our knowledge and abilities. There is no need for judgement, division and comparison. We can learn from each other and grow even stronger as a community.
If you are one of these moms, I want to hear from you. If you know someone who is, please share this post and my contact information with her. I look forward to learning from you,
Anne Walsh
artnsoul@ripnet.com
www.artnsoul.org
Monday 3 October 2016
Book of the Week-Love Warrior
October 3rd, 2016
My mother and I met at Bayshore last Thursday. She told me she was done reading this book so I could have it. I was in the middle of another book but she said there was no rush, "Just take the book and read it when you have time". I was intrigued by this book. I started reading it that very afternoon.
What a roller coaster ride! I couldn't put it down. It is a memoir, the real story of Glennon who has a perfect childhood and finds herself disconnecting from her body at the age of ten. She numbs herself with food and develops an eating disorder. She numbs herself with alcohol and later drugs. She also has sex without any connection to her body or the people who are using it.
No one is able to reach her and help her until she gets pregnant. This is a turning point for her. She never loved herself enough to take care of herself but she can stop drinking and drugging in order to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Her boyfriend marries her. They have a few decent years in the cocoon of their family. Then, they grow apart as they each pull away from the other. When she finds out that her husband has betrayed her, Glennon must decide whether she will ever trust him again and if she even wants to try.
As Glennon and her husband work on their relationship, we learn a great deal about what it means to be authentic, to be real with one another. Glenn takes us along on her exploration of who she is and her discovery of what it means to be someone's intimate partner. She learns to love and accept herself and shed her masks. She connects with her body and discovers intimacy.
This is a truly brave, raw, honest look at her relationship with her Self, her Source, her children and her husband. It is inspiring because what she learns is something we can all apply to our lives and relationships. Here is what I have learned from Glennon:
1-Breathe and pay attention to the still voice inside you
2-You are loved and perfect as you are, nothing you can do will make you more loveable or less loveable
3-When you enter a relationship, both of you are loved and perfect, you can help each other grow by communicating honestly with each other and being present to one another
4-You need to identify your needs, respect them, take care of yourself and, ask your partner for what you need from him/her
5-You can be real and leave your representative (fake self behind)
6-You are a soul, a mind and a body, embrace all three aspects of yourself
7-When something happens to someone, the best thing you can do is acknowledge their pain and offer to be present (not fix or compare to someone else's story)
8-Be prepared to fully live this life, this means you will experience pain at times but you are a Warrior and you will survive it
9-Teach your children that they are loved and perfect as they are, show them how to express love in the world
10-We all suffer, don't pretend with others, be real and they can be real with you, no need to be lonely, reach out and tell the truth
This is one of those books that I inhaled. I will need to go over it again, slowly, because there is so much to learn from it. I feel inspired! If you are looking for a life-changing book, read this one.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
My mother and I met at Bayshore last Thursday. She told me she was done reading this book so I could have it. I was in the middle of another book but she said there was no rush, "Just take the book and read it when you have time". I was intrigued by this book. I started reading it that very afternoon.
What a roller coaster ride! I couldn't put it down. It is a memoir, the real story of Glennon who has a perfect childhood and finds herself disconnecting from her body at the age of ten. She numbs herself with food and develops an eating disorder. She numbs herself with alcohol and later drugs. She also has sex without any connection to her body or the people who are using it.
No one is able to reach her and help her until she gets pregnant. This is a turning point for her. She never loved herself enough to take care of herself but she can stop drinking and drugging in order to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Her boyfriend marries her. They have a few decent years in the cocoon of their family. Then, they grow apart as they each pull away from the other. When she finds out that her husband has betrayed her, Glennon must decide whether she will ever trust him again and if she even wants to try.
As Glennon and her husband work on their relationship, we learn a great deal about what it means to be authentic, to be real with one another. Glenn takes us along on her exploration of who she is and her discovery of what it means to be someone's intimate partner. She learns to love and accept herself and shed her masks. She connects with her body and discovers intimacy.
This is a truly brave, raw, honest look at her relationship with her Self, her Source, her children and her husband. It is inspiring because what she learns is something we can all apply to our lives and relationships. Here is what I have learned from Glennon:
1-Breathe and pay attention to the still voice inside you
2-You are loved and perfect as you are, nothing you can do will make you more loveable or less loveable
3-When you enter a relationship, both of you are loved and perfect, you can help each other grow by communicating honestly with each other and being present to one another
4-You need to identify your needs, respect them, take care of yourself and, ask your partner for what you need from him/her
5-You can be real and leave your representative (fake self behind)
6-You are a soul, a mind and a body, embrace all three aspects of yourself
7-When something happens to someone, the best thing you can do is acknowledge their pain and offer to be present (not fix or compare to someone else's story)
8-Be prepared to fully live this life, this means you will experience pain at times but you are a Warrior and you will survive it
9-Teach your children that they are loved and perfect as they are, show them how to express love in the world
10-We all suffer, don't pretend with others, be real and they can be real with you, no need to be lonely, reach out and tell the truth
This is one of those books that I inhaled. I will need to go over it again, slowly, because there is so much to learn from it. I feel inspired! If you are looking for a life-changing book, read this one.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
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