attitude adjustment

Once in a while I find myself a little short of patience.

I don't like being cranky, and sometimes have to make a bit of an effort to escape from that mind set.

Let's face it ... if we don't get a decent night's sleep, feel pressured by challenges and responsibilities, or are in a bit of a rut, most of us can find ourselves feeling frustrated.

Often we can't control what comes our way,

but we can control how we react to it.

Strategies I use to try when I want to improve my attitude:

• Get a little more exercise
• Contemplate the GOOD things in your life
• Seek more sunshine
• Force yourself to do something you've been putting off
• Listen to music
• Take a St. John's Wort
• Focus on happy events you are looking forward to in the future
• Treat yourself to a treat that you can be proud of, is healthy, and honours yourself
• Get out and get some fresh air
• Escape, and go see a "feel good" movie
• Think about your accomplishments, and take pride in your good work
• Use positive affirmations to remind yourself of good things
• Meet a friend for a coffee or tea
• Give people around you a heads up and warn them of your state of mind

It can be a challenge at this time of year for some of us Canadians to stay positive ... we can feel like we've had enough of winter and are ready for spring ... there can be a lack of sunshine, and at times we can feel a little stir crazy ...

Fight the blues!

We deserve to be healthy and happy,

and the people around us don't deserve to be exposed to our crankiness.

The choice is ours ... we can selfishly dwell in despair, frustration and anger, or we can spend more time feeling good about life and who we are ...

winter's here

This week Ottawa received it's first significant snow of the season. I didn't mind ... it helps put me in more of a Christmas spirit. I love how mother nature forces me to stay fit too ... shovelling snow can be a great way to burn off a few calories, and it's nice to have an opportunity to work out more of my upper body for a change.

I'm glad I was born and raised in the Canadian prairies ... the winters there have prepared me for pretty much anything as far as extreme cold.


I remember playing hockey as a lad in Saskatoon ... early mornings at the outdoor rink in the cold Saskatchewan winters. My dad had the heat cranked in the car afterwards ... there were some pretty frosty hockey practices.


I bought another snow shovel today at Canadian Tire. We now have about 5 shovels in the garage, if I'm not mistaken. The big scoop, the little one in Janice's trunk, the metal scoop, the smaller one thats for digging and the newer plastic one now, for pushing snow.

I don't mind winter so much. I have learned over the years how to drive properly with the Canadian winter road conditions. I know what wind chill is, how to dress in layers and leave as little skin as possible exposed in extreme weather. I know what black ice, a block heater, lock de- icer is. (Don't laugh - there are many, many people in the world who have never heard these terms.)

Everything just takes more time and patience in winter ... what with the extra clothes and adjusting to stopping distances on roads.

This will be my first full winter in Ottawa, and I hope mother nature will be kind ; )