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Tag: love

Simple Living, Nature, Tiny Homes & Art

Just a little Saturday morning inspiration…

I came across this YouTube vide below. It’s a little documentary about a travelling hobo artist named Dan Price. He tours his underground home, talks about his art and philosophy. He is all about the simple living. Really simple living, living off the land mostly, and connecting with nature, and making art. He never wanted to grow up and be an adult, and loved the magic you had back then as a child. So he applies that artistic magic to his lifestyle. He’s lived in tents and teepees, but now lives in a hobbit style home in the hills. Watch the video below.

He’s written a couple books too, one on Radical Simplicity. Now edited to My Simple Life, and a book about his Tiny House.

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And one on How To Make A Journal of Your Life. This one inspired me to connect with the outer world, and document my life again. I used to write everyday as a teenager to document my high school life. It’s’ wonderful to pick one up and read through it again. Albeit slightly embarrassing too haha.

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He’s written a Moonlight Chronicles Series that documents his life traveling the world and the many adventures and observations, and he’s definitely inspiration to the style of books I want to write. I’m really glad I came across this.

Check him out, if you enjoy whimsical things about the meaning of life. It’s a really beautiful breath of fresh air.

Adios and enjoy the weekend!

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I’m Raising Money for Kitties!

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Just a quick one guys, I wanted to let you know that my partner and I will be raising money for the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue (VOKRA)

VOKRA’s mission is to end cat overpopulation and homelessness. They rescue, heal, then place cats –  first in their network of foster homes, then in carefully matched, loving, forever homes. They are a passionate, volunteer-driven charity with extensive cat care experience. They believe that no-kill is the only responsible approach, that TNR works, and that cats are AWESOME!

We will be walking in VOKRA’s 6th Annual Walk for the Kitties on September 13th, and we are trying to raise money for this cause. Cats have always had a special place our hearts. I, Pia, have grown up with them, and I’ve been trying to save animals who can’t fend for themselves since I was a child. I believe that all creatures should be given a chance to live and be loved. Tony has been an animal lover since he was a child as well, and believes they should all have a safe place to call home.

If this resonates with you at all and cats have a special place in your heart, please donate to this cause and help make a difference.

  • $15 will provide a vaccine
  • $30 will buy a flat of food
  • $50 will provide care for one cat for a month
  • $60 will buy a trap for use in our trap-neuter-return programmes
  • $100 will spay/neuter a cat

Every bit helps!

We’ll be walking for Tuffy. (pictured above)

The donation link is here and you will get a charity tax receipt with your donation.

Thank you so much, it means a lot!

This week…

What is going on with my eating habits? Again, I can’t seem to stay clear of the unhealthier stuff. Well, it all changes tomorrow, as I start the juice cleanse by The Juice Box. Mmm, I’ve done a few juice cleanses, and actually love them, and the taste. So I am hoping this will mentally and physically reset myself.

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I am loving Astrology. Reading my book on Astrology and trying to learn about it. The Cancer description is scarily me.

That is all for now. Let’s chat soon.

<3 Pia

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Spark Essentials Women’s 2.5 Day Retreat Soul Weekend

Screen Shot 2014-06-18 at 9.35.09 PM“Creating inspiring and loving human connections!” – Spark Creations

Just this past weekend I was lucky enough to attend the Spark Essentials Women’s 2.5 Day Retreat Soul Weekend hosted by the lovely ladies, Lorie, Aileen and Michelle, at SPARK Creations.

Wow, what can I say. These women are doing WONDERFUL things. Helping people find their life’s purpose while creating loving human connections at the same time. These values deeply resonate with what I believe in so it was a blessing to attend this workshop.

Not only was it a mind and soul experience, it was also a place to relax my body. I really felt pampered, loved and taken care of. The weekend is all about you, and a very special place to take a break from the craziness of life, and get focused on the things that truly matter all in a very safe, open and calming environment. I left with a clearer sense of purpose and an ignited awareness of gratitude.

Personal development has always been one of the most important things to me and I find it essential for helping me in my work and keeping me grounded. Through this work I have found joy, gratitude, and serenity in knowing what my values are, and living my life according to them. Transcendence was a new word I took away from this weekend and the SPARK ladies will help you get there.

So if you’re feeling a bit stuck, need some inspiration, and want to focus on what is really important in life, I highly recommend checking them out. I promise you will leave with a clearer mind, and a lighter soul. Anyway, I don’t want to get into the details of the event, you will just have to find out for yourself! They also have a men’s program and other programs if you’re interested.

More info about SPARK Creations below:

SPARK Creations is a heart based leadership and empowerment organization that provides highly interactive and fun experiential learning and development, strategic planning and people and culture programs for individuals, teams and organizations.

We create opportunities for you to connect with yourself and like minded individuals who share the same desire to reach their greatest potential and together we co-create the love and support you need to embrace your personal and professional development journey.

We will massage your heart, mind, and soul!

SPARK Values

Love – Completely
Connection – Build meaningful relationships starting with self
Fun – Make moments yummy

Start your SPARK now!

Please check them out at startyourspark.com!

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What would your life look like if you had a Terminal Illness?

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A dear friend lent me a book which I have just finished called The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield and it was life changing! If you haven’t picked this one up yet, I highly recommend it. It’s about breaking through the resistance that stops us from creating the things (and life) we are meant to do. I’ve read many similar books, but this one beats it into you and gives you a good kick in the butt and reality check!

Resistance will try everything to stop you from following through on your dreams through fear, procrastination, distractions, self medication, self doubt etc. This book lays out practical tips for overcoming these (and more), but also gets right into the heart and soul of how we can get past resistance in order to be a professional, as well as tap into our higher realm. It applies to not only artists, but writers and entrepreneurs – anyone who wants to create something. In fact, this is the book that got me to start this blog, something that I’ve wanted to do for a very long time now. The chapters are short and it’s an easy read, so there’s really no excuse!

Anyway, one chapter entitled Life and Death wowed me. It talks about Tom Laughlin (an American actor, director, screenwriter, author, educator and political activist) whose speciality is working with people who have been diagnosed with cancer. His findings are that,

“The moment a person learns he’s got terminal cancer, a profound shift takes place in his psyche. At one stroke in the doctor’s office he becomes aware of what really matters to him. Things that sixty seconds earlier had seemed all important suddenly appear meaningless, while people and concerns that he had till then dismissed at once take on supreme importance.”

Patients realize that working all those long hours in the office didn’t matter and they start to recognize that the people they care about are much more important, as well as the dreams and passions they once had earlier in life. They are faced with asking about the meaning of life. Tom Laughlin says that our consciousness shifts from the Ego (our everyday brain that thinks, plans, and runs the show of our day-to-day life” to the Self which is a greater entity (our dreams, intuitions, “archetypes of the unconscious,” and the “sphere of the soul.”)

Once we realize what is really important, “Superficial concerns fall away, replaced by a deeper, more profoundly grounded perspective.” Tom teaches his cancer patients how to live out their dreams, and when they do, by some sort of miracle, cancers go into remission!

I strongly believe that when we are ill, our bodies are trying to tell us something. Imagine having to be one way (ie. an accountant because your family expected it from you) that was inconsistent to who you really were (a painter), and how much stress (whether we know it or not) that causes on our bodies. Yikes! I think about this a lot. About the Deathbed. Sure, it’s a little morbid perhaps, but it’s SO IMPORTANT for our health and well-being that we live our lives and make choices that are in line with our values and who we want to be.

Please check out this amazing book! http://www.stevenpressfield.com/the-war-of-art/

How would your life change if you found out you had a terminal illness? Let me know in the comments below or send me an email at lessoftheexcess at gmail dot com.

If you liked what you read, please subscribe!

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