Food for Thought - The Gift of a Gathering

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Food for Thought - The Gift of a Gathering

The F2P clan hasn't exchanged Christmas gifts with each other and with others for many years now. If we’re invited somewhere—which we feel privileged to say is common place for us during the Holidays—we bring something the hosting party needs for the evening, and we ask what that might be ahead of time. It never fails because there’s always something.

And it’s no different when we play host. We prefer not to receive gifts and, when we do, we’re delighted that people bring food stuffs and not consumer goods that adds to the clutter we would prefer not to have in the first place.

How, then, do we celebrate during the Holidays?

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Book Review: "The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die" by John Izzo

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Book Review: "The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die" by John Izzo

Want to know what Free to Pursue thinks about John Izzo's book "The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die"?

I gave the book a 4 out of 5 Rockstar rating.

Here are the five secrets:

  1. Be true to your self
  2. Leave no regrets
  3. Become love
  4. Live in the moment
  5. Give more than you take

I dare you to read this book and not be moved, or at least inspired.

To know more about the book, read my full review here.

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How Many Winters?

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How Many Winters?

As snowflake clusters fall softly to the ground this morning, I watch, coffee in hand. I appreciate the spectacle and wonder: "How many winters do I have in my future?”

I say it not to be morose but to ensure I cherish this one. This day. This snowfall. This moment. I want to soak in what this experience offers me. I've written before that memories are my most prized possessions, but I think the ability to stop and spend time in the now—doing what feels right in the moment—as often as possible is even more precious.

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Don't Be a Moron, Life Happens

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Don't Be a Moron, Life Happens

I work with a number of people every week, as do most people. What's unusual at present is that most of the people I interact with have experienced significant life events that were out of their control: death of a loved one, illness, job change, career opportunity, new relationship. All of these were highly unexpected. And their sheer number reminds me of the following:

Anyone who thinks that every step in life can be planned out and executed to perfection is a moron.

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Exercising Good Judgement: How Money Affects Our Behaviour

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Exercising Good Judgement: How Money Affects Our Behaviour

I’ve often heard that money only amplifies who we are. If we’re a giving person, money will only make us more giving. If we’re an a**hole, money will only make us a bigger a**hole. 

I don’t disagree with the above, but I think we’re ignoring the other end of the spectrum: believing we don’t have “enough” can have the same effect. 

Being tight on money because we have too much debt or don’t feel we’re where we need to be in life (career, love, savings) also amplifies who we are and how we use money to affect others.
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My Kind of “Polished”

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My Kind of “Polished”

I used to get a manicure and pedicure every month or so in my spendthrift days, but now I go for a pedicure only once or twice a year or when my feet are in major need of a little TLC .

Now that I’m doing more public speaking, which means wearing uncomfortable dress shoes more often, it was time for another appointment. I asked if Mr. F2P if he wanted to come with me, given his feet could also use some attention thanks to the abuse they endure at the hand of his nasty steel-toed boots. He said "Absolutely!".

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How To Avoid Living The "Groundhog Week"

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How To Avoid Living The "Groundhog Week"

I just helped a fellow blogger with a significant project of his. I learned about it on Friday and, based on the tight timeline, I knew that it was this weekend or that it wouldn't get done. So, rather unexpectedly, this past long weekend (Victoria Day weekend in Canada) went from spending time in the garden to spending time at the computer reading and commenting on his significant project.

And it was worth it, because 1. I wanted to do it, knowing I'd find it rewarding and 2. I don't find weekends much different from weekdays (which I realize isn't the norm).

The weekly grind for most goes something like this...

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Fat and (Un)Happy - How Overconsumption Eats Away at the Self

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Fat and (Un)Happy - How Overconsumption Eats Away at the Self
Dear reader, I found this old, unpublished post recently. Actually, it's one of a large number of posts I'd thought I'd lost for good. I can't tell you exactly when I wrote it, but its contents surprised me, as I'd (thankfully) forgotten about this episode. I appreciated the reminder of the many benefits of staying active and focused and thought you might as well.

I can't believe the last few weeks. A flu morphed into another two weeks of absolute unadulterated SLACKING and this is after I started to feel better! My good habits took a nose dive and I feel AWFUL! I can't believe how quickly our bodies and our minds adapt to a new level of laziness and need for creature comforts.

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