This week marked the passing of a former staff of Community Living. Those of us that worked with her have shared memories together and mourn her passing. Marnie was a complex person that had such an adventuring life. Married to a diplomat in her first relationship, she was well travelled, she was an administrator of a school in Nunavut, she lived for years in the Northwest Territories and regaled us with stories of her life there. When I met her was living in Fenelon with her best friend and husband Greg and a constant wonderful group of dogs. Marnie worked at a community home, and her very presence was a calming, wise, centering and impactful. While her presence also usually meant that cold coffee and an English muffin with peanut butter long forgotten was also constantly present. Her laugh was infectious and she loved to make things fun. On a day where we decided as team to do a Julia Roberts movie fest, she arrived first thing in the morning dressed as Roberts in Pretty Woman. For me this week, I think all of us that knew her have realized the huge impact she had on our lives that perhaps we hadn’t realized while she was walking the earth with us. For me also, I reflect on this huge life that she had, that she travelled and took on the rugged living of the far north and through it all her focus never waivered from her family, community and much loved pets.  She had these extraordinary adventures, but when I met her, she was living a quiet life in a small community making a huge difference in her role and inspiring almost without meaning to.  Sometimes, I think we get awestruck by those that have high profile glamourous lives in exotic places.  However, as Marnie’s legacy will attest, inspiration comes in all forms and can certainly hail from a small life in a small community, where a person carves a path of connection.  Marnie made an impact, and an impression and leaves a whole bunch of us wishing we had told her. And so here is another reminder that we should just blurt out the awkward stuff when we think of it, tell people that they are great, tell them how they inspire you, take a minute to show how much we appreciate another. I know that we may think there is time or perhaps a special occasion where we can offer our admiration, lets make any old day that special occasion and say the things we want to say to those the inspire and lead from where they are.

This week I saw an old friend who told the other people that he was sitting with that- “Teresa and I go back 100 years.”  So, I thought about how far we actually do go back and its more like 21.  But I would say that we often use these kinds of exaggeration to make a bigger impact.  I know I say things like – I have heard this a million times, or I know I am 100 years old, but… However, lets think for a minute about 100 years ago- 1925, so much was different.  The first world war and Spanish Flu had just finished changing society a great deal.  There were more cars than carriages in the streets, but there were still both.  Women were still for the majority relegated to the domestic roles of housewives and service.  People were just settling huge swathes or this country and trying to clear forests and build homes out of the raw material around in lots of parts.  In the context of history 100 years is a blink, in the context of family 100 years is up to four generations.  In the context of almost everything it is called antique or vintage.  100 years from now, what do you think we will see?  In the year 2125?  What will be remembered of our time here now?  Family history will call us daughters, fathers, nephews and grandparents.  Some of us might be remembered for volunteer roles or impacts that we had on different projects.  For the most part the world will just continue.  Just another reminder to live in the moment, do all we can now, 100 will go by and we will be just a memory, lets embrace all that is right now.  In 100 years it’s only the things that we create now that might last.

I was asked this week, as part of a good conversation about goal setting, to identify my peak moments of 2025.  Here is the interesting thing, the facilitator gave us a lot of time for the exercise.  So, at first, I focused on the big shiny things, a wedding, a vacation, a professional achievement.  However, as I continued to think and write I found myself remembering more little moments like, the moment when my kids installed a water fountain in the pond and I spent the afternoon beside it.  Or the day that I went on a road trip with my spouse and we had no agenda or real destination and we just rambled around all day on an adventure in Ontario.  I think sometimes we get lost in the idea that the highlight reel is big ticket items that we plan and save for.  When we have more time to think about times that made our hearts sing, we can start to think of the snapshots in our reels where there was great impact that was more spontaneous.  All this reflecting then led to the question: what does success in 2026 look and feel like?  It was an impactful move from the peak moment reflection because after the time with my thoughts I was able to be more mindful that a successful 2026 will have a mix of the big moments that I work for and plan and the small unexpected delights that just happen on a quiet Saturday often when we are making other plans.  Take a moment to reflect on your own, what were the peaks, what do you want to chase and make happen in 2026 and enter stage right.

I love the idea that Arianna Huffington offers that failure is not the opposite of success but is in fact part of success.  As we enter a new year, I am sure we are thinking about 2025 and all that transpired.  I can say that I have had a few highlights, a few adventures, a few challenges and made several mistakes.  The great part about the changing of the year, is that feeling of a clean slate, a new fresh start, even if only symbolically.  And while I am tempted to focus only on the highlight reel, the mistakes and challenges deserve a little attention too.  What did we learn? How did we change and grow?  What do we know about ourselves now that we did not before?  It’s all important for the next part of the journey.  For the part of the new year where we start to have new opportunities, or chances to try something different or where we are forced to make hard choices and face icky things.  It’s the culmination of all that we have done and been so far, that builds us up to face the next thing.  Afterall, the new year also offers a chance to reflect on all that we have overcome and triumphed over so far.  We are still here, we are still facing the future, we are still making a difference, and we are celebrating a new year.  Sure we have made mistakes, had some flops, we know better now and we can do better in the next chapter, happy new year.

I am no mountain climber, but I have been on hikes and trails that seemed impassable at first. As you walk up to a hill it can seem so steep and formidable. However, many times as you get closer and just start gradually climbing it almost seems to level out more. A path becomes clearer in the climbing, just one step at a time in the next spot that makes sense and is within reach. When we gaze at hills and hiking trails a well laid out path is often not in view, but as we start the climb it almost unrolls before us like a carpet, and the well-worn parts where others have already walked come into view. I often think about how the adults of my childhood seemed to have it all together, and now that I am an adult I am realizing they were just figuring it out and searching for their path, as I am now. In times of great challenge there is really only the next step that we can take, only the next clear part of the path that we can embark on, and all we can really control is ourselves. I can control how I am showing up, how I am walking, my thoughts and reactions and my next step. I am guided by the landscape, the paths of others, the destination and the environment. We are all going somewhere, sometimes exciting, sometimes challenging, in joy and in sadness. We are on a path, figuring out the steps that are right for each of us. When we look too far ahead or from too far away we cannot see any path or guidance. I guess, my main thought is that most of the time, you just need to start somewhere, look for the next logical, right step and keep on going. In staying true to ourselves, working to find the next step and taking charge for how we affect all that is around us we can overcome mountains, one step at a time.

I read a great passage this week about living your life in a way similar to your GPS prompts. When you make a wrong turn, go past the street, stop for a break or just choose a different road the GPS simply recalculates. There is no prerecorded message about the mistake or questions as to why the set route was adjusted or criticism of your ability to follow directions.  Just a quick change in plan, an alternate route, a different turn.  The idea was that we sometimes spend so much time berating ourselves when we lose our way or make a mistake.  Sometimes we get a little hesitant and fearful not wanting to repeat a mistake or get further embroiled in something that is somewhere we did not intend to go.  The GPS would teach us that without judgement or analysis a different route, goal, expectation or journey can be plotted.  Without being overly judgmental or emotional, we can simply look at what options are now before us to reach the destination and line up those.  To simply recalculate also means that we admit that we made the wrong turn or different route and that it is not working or no longer getting us to where we want to be. We need to get clear on the destination, refine the goal, see clearly where we want to be headed and map it out. There are a lot of streets and routes, and countless options that can get us to our destination.

Near my home there is a road that winds along the side of the hill.  In the early 2000’s my municipality named all the roads rather than the tried-and-true numbers and nicknames that had been used over the decades.  In doing so they often use family names of long owned farms or names of culturally significant landmarks.  It was an interesting time as the names were released, and we had to get to know the new road names.  The road that winds along the hill had two farms on it owned by the Beer family.  The resulting road name then became Beers Road.  Now all these years later, we are all quite acquainted with the road names. Beers road, we all have to remember, since there is almost never a sign posted.  Within days of the sign being installed it is stolen, and all over cottage country places are now adorned with the unique sign directing company to a certain favourite beverage.   I feel like there might be a longer-term solution, but for now the municipality replaces a few times a year, a cottage decorating is enhanced in the same number.  There are countless road signs all over the place, however, Beers Road has a special appeal, it stands out, people relate and are compelled to break the law, even to be able to declare that their spaces have a similar theme. It’s a sought-after prize.  What do you seek?  What thing or element or sign do you look for to enhance your spaces?  How do you know when you have found it?  At this holiday time of shopping and ads we are bombarded by images and ideas for things we did not yet know we needed.  It is easy to get swept up and overwhelmed by all the options.  Understanding what makes you happy, what brings you joy reliably is a place to start.  Get clear about that and you can cut through the noise to focus on what is true to you, what is important, what you need.  Once you know, it is my greatest hope that you will seek it out and not settle for less.  The local road sign is a stand out, find your Beers Road sign, avoid theft, and seek out your road to more joy.

Brene Brown says that the opposite of belonging is not being outcast or solitary, it is, fitting in.  Making changes, becoming smaller, altering your personality, hiding gifts or maybe forcing yourself to display gifts that are not yours are all ways that inhibit belonging.  I toured a progressive private school recently and there was a great story about how the children co-designed the play area.  Without prompts the kids of all ages started to spontaneously talk about how to make spaces and equipment accessible for all.  They had a strong sense that their play time in that yard would be richer if all could have a chance to play together.  Inclusion and belonging are about feeling comfortable, able to enter, safe and valued not for what you are doing, buying, bringing in your casserole dish, but in who you are.  We all have unique gifts, perspectives, ideas, talents and interests.  Belonging means that you can bring that whole self, be fearless in the sharing and know that you are valued.  It also means that while the entire group on the playground may not share your passion for Elvis’s music and Jane Austen books, you feel safe and heard and appreciated enough to share your delight in those things even when not shared.  I feel like this explains why isolation and loneliness does not always equate to being alone.  Lots of humans spend time with others in lots of different ways.  What does belonging mean to you?  Are there ways that all of us can make the spaces around us more inclusive, can we take an extra step toward making the people around us feel more safe and able to bring their whole selves?  Can we make our playgrounds in all forms available for all to share in the adventure we call life.

Snow came early this year, I mean really, we should be ready in November, but overall, there is an unwritten agreement that November snow is too early, December is wondrous and then anytime in January we start to complain that it’s hanging around.  The snow has an immediate effect on those of us that have a vehicle, if we do not already have them, we are in a rush to get our snow tires on.  This week I have heard many stories of people making appointments, visiting garages overrun with tire changes and lamenting not being able to get an appointment.  We know the snow will arrive, we know it’s a task that needs doing, however, this is an event that immediately propels us into motion.  Are there other things in our lives like this?  Perhaps the illness of a close friend or relative spurs us on to make a healthy change?  Maybe the neighbour being broken into, launches us into a home security mission?  Or a speeding ticket slows us down for a good long while in our driving.  We have so much to worry about, handle, do and plan, it becomes so hard to get it all into our weeks.  I met one person this week who said, I simply put my snow tires on at Remembrance Day and take them off at Easter, I do not wait for the weather to remind me.  I admire that kind of planning. They say that one the secrets of Steve Jobs was that he worked intentionally to limit his choices, for instance he did not deviate very often from one outfit, thus eliminating the choice of what to wear.  When we let our planning be influenced by the external, we may always feel stressed or behind.  Is there one thing we can just book, just get done or pare down in choices that would smooth out the busyness?  Let’s get ahead of the snow, lets work out a way to have a smoother ride in all weather.

This week I was asked “What does your billboard say?” Sort of a weird opener, but what was meant was; what are you bringing? What do your actions say? What is it that you offer a conversation, project, visit or workspace?  There is the adage that we reap what we sow, but often we do not check on what we are planting. This speaker was asking that we check in with what we are bringing to every space that we are in, are we complaining, focusing on the negative, are we tired, out of energy, low on enthusiasm, is that starting to affect others?  Or perhaps we can check in and find that we are looking at what is great more than what isn’t, what is strong more than what is wrong and that our billboard is really sending a message that we are open for business, willing to work, ready to create and lift others up.  Important to note that none of us can be positive all the time, and its in these times that others could offer up the seeds of support needed to pull us all through. What’s on your billboard?  I think just the act of checking in with what we are presenting to others will make us more mindful of the emotional trail we are leaving behind us everywhere we go.  Check in with what matters to you, your core values and make sure the neon lights of your interactions hold true and that your billboard is the you that you want others to believe in.