Nineteen Eighty-four

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Nineteen Eighty-four

*The following post contains affiliate links. TrishBlogs receives a small percentage of compensation for purchases made via these links.

 

George Orwell was certainly ahead of his time. He envisioned a future much like it became. Although I find beyond the references to Big Brother and how surveillance physically took place that there is so much different (thankfully).

Manipulative Politics

Another very poignant and disturbingly familiar theme is that of manipulation. Politicians and Politics which usually aim to address the needs of society at the start, become more and more manipulative in nature as Government becomes more Knowledgeable and prescriptive in what is best for the People.

Citizen surveillance

It makes you wonder though – could we be headed down the path lead by Big Brother (thankfully NOT a reality TV show) since we are using technology that so closely resembles and in many way surpasses his visions of surveillance? OR can we learn from the book as well as from history and prevent the worst of it?

One thing is certain, Nineteen Eighty-four could have been written much more recently and would still become a classic.

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Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun or email me at trish at trishblogs dot com!

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What is Coaching with Trish and how does it work?

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Have you been considering coaching to get some help with setting and/or reaching your goals?

Coaching is a great way to improve your chances of success!

Many people have heard about life and/or health coaching but aren’t really sure how it works. So, if that is you, you are not alone. Just about anyone can benefit from coaching, including other coaches.

Coaching helps individuals and groups to establish goals in different areas – whether it be life in general, career, business, finances, health and/or fitness, etc.  With the help of your coach YOU will determine what you want to work on. You will set goals that are reachable, and YOU will decided how to work towards them.

So what does your coach do?Trish - Coaching for Change

Before answering that, I must share with you one thing that coaching is NOT. Coaching is not therapy. If during your coaching sessions, therapy is determined as one of the resources required to meet your goals, I will assist with the process of finding the right therapist for you.

As your coach my goal is to help you work through that process. I will ask you the questions that will point you in the right direction. I will assist with researching both the issues/presenting obstacles and how to overcome them. I will help you to find the resources needed to be successful. And I will walk you through the process of setting the goals and objectives required to meet those goals.

Now once you have a clear idea of where you are wanting to be, and how you want to get there, we will decide together what support you require in moving forward. Primarily I will be your accountability partner. I will be looking for updates and helping to assess how your progress is coming. I will work with you to determine if there are new goals of reaching higher and/or maintaining the successes achieved.

How long will you need to work with a coach?

The answer to how long is completely up to you. You get to decide when we are done. You also get to decide how flexible the accountability will be and what will happen if you do not hold up your end of the bargain. Have you reached the goals you hoped to? Is the coaching relationship successfully assisting your journey?  Have you determined new goals to work on? Many people work with coaches for at least several months. Some people work with coaches for years and move through varying stages and or issues as they go.

I will “meet” with you via email, or virtual chat (text or audio) on a weekly basis (or otherwise, as determined in your sessions). I will help you navigate through a series of questions and conversations. The first session is a get to know you opportunity about where you are today and where you think you’d like to be headed, or what issue(s) you’d like to work on. This will also give you an opportunity to learn a little more about me and whether I would make a good fit for the coaching you are looking for.

What will be expected of you?

During sessions you will find yourself sharing/talking a lot more than listening. And you will be the decision-maker on this path.

In between our sessions you will have assignments, determined by you – with my assistance. I will be looking for an update during or prior to our next session(s). I may offer to provide resources to help with your journey. Most importantly, we will determine outcomes that will help us to know if you have achieved the desired objective and/or goal. And we will set a timeline by which you will work on them.

Coaching should not be stressful, but will be a bit uncomfortable. The only way to achieve change is to step outside of your comfort zone and do something that is at least a little bit of a stretch for you.

We will also determine what your learning style is and what will help you to be motivated to make the necessary changes to move forward. If this involves some sort of reward(s), we’ll establish what those rewards should be, and later, if they worked for your desired outcome. That way we will be able to set effective outcomes and rewards (or consequencWellness, parenting and social media coachinges if appropriate) going forward.

So what can we work on in our coaching sessions?

 

My areas of specialty are health and wellness; parenting/family/relationships/child care/and child development; social media marketing; curating family stories; and more. That being said I am able to work with you on just about anything that you identify as being important. My role is to ask you the questions that will help YOU to identify WHAT and HOW to work on the issue(s)/goal(s).

If you are ready to get started, or would like speak with me for a short consult to learn more, please complete my contact form. Or… you can join us on Facebook for a closed discussion about how coaching works.

I look forward to working with you!

 

 

Filed Under: balance, General, Gratitude, Health & Fitness, Leadership, Parenting, Social Media, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

Amazon Prime

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Amazon Affiliate Product Review

I am a huge advocate for shopping LOCAL. However, living in small rural communities makes it hard to buy what you want/need sometimes. Often when the item is available, there is no choice of options. I had heard about Amazon Prime for a while, and even saw how beneficial it has been for northern communities with extremely limited and highly overpriced shopping options.

I decided while I was ordering a few larger items to give the trial membership a go. I figured that based on my location, the 2 day shipping wouldn’t really be 2 days. I was pleasantly surprised! Everything I ordered arrived just 2 days later and in perfect condition.

It felt like Christmas morning to be honest! I hadn’t been so excited to receive mail in ages.

I like that I can check out reviews and ratings from other customers before ordering. And Amazon is extremely competitive in price. Plus there is the added benefit of not having to leave the house for purchase or delivery!

Amazon Prime offers a number of benefits that I haven’t even tried yet, but for the low annual fee, the free 2 day shipping is worthwhile in itself. Can’t wait to check out the other benefits, including Amazon Prime Video and early access to deals and special Prime discounts.

 

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Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun or email me at trish at trishblogs dot com!

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The Way of Letting Go – a book response

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The Way of Letting Go

*This post contains affiliate links. TrishBlogs receives a small percentage of compensation for purchases made via these links, at no cost to the consumer.

One Woman’s Walk toward Forgiveness

The Way of Letting Go crosses between memoir, and support/self-help, with a “healthy” dose of Christian advice including bible passages and teachings. I lost my momentum after the second “teaching” which was not what I was looking for in the book, but continued reading. The book came to my attention as a book about letting go of aspects of grief and became reminiscent of another book I’ve read about forgiveness. I was reminded of how many events in life result in a process of grief, including but not limited to death. And as always the important message being that choosing to let go and forgive is for yourself, not for the benefit of the person being forgiven. It’s not meant to become a clean slate upon which we set ourselves up for more grief. It’s intended to be a means of dealing with our grief in a healthier way. The individual being forgiven need never know, if you choose.

Kobo:

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Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun or email me at trish at trishblogs dot com!

I invite you to subscribe to my blog using one of the options available on my page (email, rss, Google Connect, like my page on Facebook, etc.)

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Filed Under: 50BookPledge, Books, Uncategorized

Making a difference, one little thing at a time… according to Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point”

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The Tipping Point:

How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

Since posting my 2017 Books Read list (read so far that is), I have finished nine more books.  I hope to give my response (not review), to the books, and how they have some impact on my life.

Most recently,

I finished the audio version of  The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, by Malcolm Gladwell.

Malcolm is an author who was referenced in a couple of different podcasts I’ve been listening to. In The Tipping Point the author talks about how epidemics occur. He provides many examples of the multiple factors that have to accumulate before a difference is made thus reaching a Tipping Point that sets the epidemic in motion. It is an interesting perspective to consider.

What’s the difference?

I’m not sure if it was the topic, the stories or how at times the next story was well in hand before the connection became clear, or perhaps it is simply the soothing nature of the author’s voice, but I found myself losing my focus and missing bits & pieces of the book. That said I found myself interested in reading his other books to see what other insights the Malcolm Gladwell imparts. I am currently reading “Outliers” in ebook format.

Kobo:

*The above post contains affiliate links. TrishBlogs receives a small percentage of compensation for purchases made via these links.

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Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun or email me at trish at trishblogs dot com!

I invite you to subscribe to my blog using one of the options available on my page (email, rss, Google Connect, like my page on Facebook, etc.)

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Living “right” for health & wellness

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Wellness has a right/wrong?!

Imagine that there is a “right” way to live. That by not living it your health and wellness suffers. Now imagine that this right way applies to every single human – regardless of age, gender, fitness level, income level, etc. – on the planet. It seems implausible. Why is it that people have such emotional responses to how others chose to live? Why is that so many try to convince others that their way is the right or best way?

*This post may contain affiliate links. TrishBlogs receives a small percentage of compensation for purchases made via these links.*

I have been looking into many options. Because of my chronic condition I have a specific motive for doing so – that is to find the right way for ME. I have read many books. I have surfed a lot of websites. I have listened to many podcasts.

 

It’s not one-size-fits all

Everyone presents his or her way as THE way to living the best life. From dietary recommendations of Paleo, to Vegan, omnivore, Vegetarian, low-carb to prescribed diets from nutritionists… one thing is clear to me. Each of our unique body-types, gene make-ups and lifestyles has a unique need for health & wellness. I’m not looking for a one-size fits all solution. I’m looking for what meets my individual needs – INCLUDING my other treatment options. It’s funny how few people question my doctors’ multi-prescription approach even with no noticeable improvement – yet tell someone that you have seen improvements due to a change to your diet based on natural/alternative medicine theory and you must heed many warnings.

There are a few common threads and that is where I want to focus for the time being. Limit processed foods. Eat real, whole, foods as much as possible. Read labels. The more green vegetables the better. Reduce sugar consumption. Move your body.

Then the waters begin to muddy.

Draw from multiple diet & exercise plans

It’s unfortunate that all professionals don’t have the same information. A base of unbiased general knowledge of all schools of thought and what situations they seem to apply best to. And the ability to then work with individuals to determine what is most appropriate for their lifestyle, body’s needs, etc.

I love research and so I have been attempting to find my “right” fit for a while now. From books like Dr. Sara Gottfried’s YOUNGER, websites like http://www.mercola.com/, podcasts like Ultimate Health, and professionals whose care I seek… Some of my preconceived ideas are applicable to a certain lifestyle (i.e. carb-loading for running races), but seem detrimental to my current condition. Where I once was training for endurance sport I learned specific recommendations. However, as my body began to complain, my mindset didn’t keep up with the changes. Not entirely.

So now, I am eating and exercising for my condition or what I hope will offer the best possible outcome. My biggest challenge is reminding myself not to compare my progress in any way to the formerly fit me. I need to compare my progress to me current situation going forward. One thing is clear – it’s much easier to navigate the waters when you have a better idea of the destination.

 

Wellness coaching services

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Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun or email me at trish at trishblogs dot com!

I invite you to subscribe to my blog using one of the options available on my page (email, rss, Google Connect, like my page on Facebook, etc.)

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Filed Under: General, Health & Fitness, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Perfect? You are NOT the perfect parent.

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That’s right. You are not a perfect parent.

Perfect parent and child care giver

It really shouldn’t be news to you that you’re not perfect. Not perfect in general, not even a perfect parent. If it is, you may be somewhat delusional.

Guess what? Those other parents. They’re not perfect either. Not even the ones who lead you to believe they are. Especially not them.

Many of us hope we’ll be the perfect parents.

Maybe not perfect to every child, but perfect to our own children. Even though many of us know we won’t come close, we want SO badly to be the perfect parent. And when we come to realize the reality of our distance from perfection. It’s a little depressing.

There comes a day in every new parent’s life that we wish those infants came with a manual. A do-it-yourself guide. At the very least, some sort of a description of what to expect.

Real life experiences…

My oldest used to get these fevers, unexplainably. Two days later, she’d cut a tooth. Doctors always say that there was no evidence that fevers and teething are co-related. Fevers are supposed be indicators of infection. Yet, it appeared to be a pretty obvious pattern to me.

And I remember thinking that I would never ever get my youngest daughter to sleep at night. I was *this close* to bringing her to the doctor to see if she was colic. And one day, things just settled down.

Where is the Perfect Parent manual?

A manual seemed like it would be so helpful, but even when I found a few minutes to read the next best thing – self help books about parenting. None of them really quite cut it. One thing I realized though, more from my previous experience as an early childhood educator… you are your child’s best “expert”. That’s right. No one, and I mean no one, knows your child better than you do. Parents, I repeat… no one knows your child better than you do.

You are your child’s best expert

If the doctor says something that doesn’t sit right with you. Ask more questions. If that doesn’t help, ask for a referral or a second opinion. Talk with people and find out what you can about similar situations. That mom who “appears” to have it all together? She may *not* be your best “go to”. But maybe you’ve noticed another child that seems to be in a similar boat… does dad seem approachable? Maybe he’s going through the same thing, or better yet, maybe he’s one step ahead and has some insights to share that *may* be applicable. Just remember that no two children, no two parents, and no two families are the same. Their “answer” may not be your answer. But it may point you in the right direction.

You’ve got thisPerfect parent

I bet you’d like to feel like you have it all under control. I can almost guarantee that will never be the case, at least not for long. With our ever changing lives, our ever changing children, and our ever changing knowledge and experience this will ebb & flow.

 

And if someone tries to let on that they *never* hide in the bathroom hoping that everyone in the house would forget how to find them for just 15 whole minutes… they are lieing.

I don’t have toddlers trying to talk to me under the bathroom door anymore, but I do have cats. Can you relate?

 

Coaching services for parents

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Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun or email me at trish at trishblogs dot com!

I invite you to subscribe to my blog using one of the options available on my page (email, rss, Google Connect, like my page on Facebook, etc.)

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Filed Under: Childcare, Parenting, Uncategorized, West Nova Family Tagged With: , , ,

Book list for 2017… (Books read so far)

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I used to document each  book I’ve read and responses to them. I’d like to get back to that. Once I get caught up, I may work backwards and share some of the responses I’ve had to books I’ve already read this year.

Self Portrait, Reading, Book

To start I’ll share my book list read so far in 2017:

 

, Sheila Watt-Cloutier

, Rajiv Surendra

, Kristin Hannah

, Karyn L. Freedman

, Robert J. Sawyer

, Andre Alexis

, Gretchen Reuben

, Sarah Blake

, Marian Keyes

, Dave Kerpen

, Tami Stackelhouse

, Simon Sinek

, Greg Morgtenson

, Nia Vardalos

, Trevor Noah

, Linden MacIntyre

, Tami Stackelhouse

, Linden MacIntyre

, Malika Oufkir

, Nicholas Sparks

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Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun or email me at trish at trishblogs dot com!

I invite you to subscribe to my blog using one of the options available on my page (email, rss, Google Connect, like my page on Facebook, etc.)

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Filed Under: 50BookPledge, Books, General, Health & Fitness, Leadership, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Do you have a plan? 10 tasks to help make blogging successful…

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Do you have a plan for your blog? Are your activities strategically mapped out? Or do you wing it?

I originally posted this on my first self-hosted blog (ceilidhontherun), but it’s one of those posts that just never seems to lose it’s value – so I thought I’d revisit it here, with a few minor updates:

 

FordNAIAS Online Influencer

Photo courtesy of @paulletourneau

Do you have a plan for your blog? Are your activities strategically mapped out? Or do you wing it?

I have been spending some time now researching and learning about blogging success. Because there are tons of resources out there I just hadn’t been able to decide where to focus.

First of all I had I simply started my blog without any real plan. I did what felt right and hoped it would come together. In many ways it had. I blog about what I enjoy.

I was invited to (and participated in) She’s Connected (or #SCCTO as known in the Twitterverse), a conference for Canada’s top digital women, connecting women and Brands. My influence steadily grew with Twitter following, blog page views, and Facebook influence, as well as other platforms.

In fact, because of my online influence, I returned to ShesConnected and was subsequently invited to FORD NAIAS; was invited to interview the Editor in Chief of Today’s Parent magazine; and have been invited to multiple opportunities for digital influencers…

Is a niche a requirement?

I have read over and over about the need to identify a niche.The value in niches seemed clear to me and I was pursuing one niche in a separate endeavor. However, I struggled with how I would narrow my blog down into one little niche, or create an off-shoot in a niche. The truth was that I really didn’t want to.

It was a relief to hear from and meet a few women who were making success online without a niche, by simply being themselves and connecting with interested online readers. They were falling into a new blogging realm of “Lifestyle blogging”. I loved that my blog was, and continues to be, a place that I can express whatever suits my fancy. I want to keep it that way.

When I re-branded my blog to “TrishBlogs… for Change” I identified the key theme to my blogging and my advocacy efforts – being a catalyst for change. Not surprising given that I studied Social Work when I went back to school for a career change in 2005.

Perhaps as I begin to feel satisfied with the way my blog is working, I’ll define a more distinct niche to build an additional online nest. For now, I continue using my personal work and art to learn the craft of working online and specifically, blogging.

Blogging resources

Due to reading such resources as Chris Guillebeau‘s website, emails and book(s), I always felt (and still do) inspired to remain true to myself. After reading Chris Brogan‘s tips I know there is a real science to success online. Darren Rowse (ProBlogger) previously issued an ebook of 31 Days to Building a Better Blog (which I’d read he’d released an updated version of), and I worked my way through each day’s entry / tasks to formulate my own daily/weekly task sheet to guide my own work. As a result, most of my task sheet I have taken from Darren’s tips. Some tasks come from other activities I already did regularly that seem to help me build that growing Klout score. 

Blogging task sheet:

  1. Respond to comments on blog
  2. Message a reader
  3. Participate in relative platform(s) activities
  4. Plan week’s posting schedule
  5. Post blog entries and schedule tweets
  6. Connect on Twitter: reply to someone I follow; thx 4 mentions; connect w/ new followers; post new content (RT’s, news articles, etc.)
  7. Connect on Facebook: like & comment on other blog pages; respond to comments; connect with new likes; post new content
  8. Connect on other social media platforms
  9. Comment on other bloggers’ posts
  10. Email another blogger to build relationships

Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at trish at trishbogs dot com!

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When (if ever) does the end justify the means?

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When (If ever?) does the end justify the means?

Individuals whom I have come to know and respect believe Trump to be a good choice as President. Hearing these words upset me almost as much as the actions of this man.

I’m a Canadian without a huge concern for direct impact of his Presidency. I sympathize with my friends to the south. They have to suffer the consequences of the orders he manages to push through during his “reign”. I have some misgivings about potential “seepage” so-to-speak across the border with policies, etc.

We had a Prime Minster who I disagreed with on almost every issue. A PM who had a manner about him that was unsettling to me. However, in all his days in power and campaigning I never felt real concern … that he would or had at any time prior (that would have been known to the world) behave in a manner that could be seen as outright bigotry, misogynistic, bullying, etc. Yes, I disagreed with his opinions and values. I certainly would not have accused him of championing the cause when it comes to most forms of discrimination. But I did not fear that he would be the one to encourage and initiate the vitriol.

justify this

Herein lies the real issue with The Donald’s election as President of the U.S. of A.

During the election campaign I was infuriated that Trump had a platform where not only was his ignorance and absolute smuck being accepted but it was glorified. In the period between his election and the inauguration, he should have be reigning himself in and learning to present himself in a manner deserving of the Oval Office. Yet, it continued. In fact, he justified himself anytime it was noted.

Now we have a man in the most powerful office in the world, who is being given seats at tables that deserve behavior of utmost respect and decorum. The @realdonaldtrump is engaging in middle school playground fights with celebrities, television shows and “the media” while the entire world watches. He is now wasting his (and our) time celebrating his over-stated success at drawing a crowd for his inauguration. Seriously, I’m just waiting for the “nannah nannah, nan-nah…” tweet directly to his predecessor.

How much time will it take for my learned friends who believe his claims of caring about their economic values and hatred of “the establishment” … to see just how much this was a power play – and nothing more – for this bigoted, misogynistic, opportunist.

Don’t be fooled by his claims to represent and care about “the people”, he doesn’t have any understanding of what it is like to struggle in any way, shape or form. Nor does he care.

 

So the question is, does the end justify the means?

I don’t have to agree with your values. Nor do you have to agree with mine. There is nothing that justifies the actions of a man so powerful pointedly belittling and degrading those far less powerful than he. Worse still, by accepting that a man in his position behaves in such a way it will only serve to make it acceptable for *anyone* to behave in such a way. Thus undoing the progress our society has made in treating people of all sexes, races, class, abilities, cultures, beliefs, ages, levels of income, etc. with the respect and equity that “the people” deserve.

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Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun or email me at trish at trishblogs dot com!

I invite you to subscribe to my blog using one of the options available on my page (email, rss, Google Connect, like my page on Facebook, etc.)

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