My Little Man Loves Jazz......

Last week the Little Man was messing around with our TV control and accidentally switched the stereo onto the radio. Out blared the jazz music station and so a discovery was made. Our little man LOVES jazz. As soon as we put it on he starts dancing and shaking around. Sooooo cute! Last night he was falling asleep on the couch next to me and he had his little face squished up to mine and his hands around my neck and his little body still couldn't help but jiggle to the music. I fall in love with him again and again each day.......

So much fun......

Yesterday I was lucky enough to have lunch with 14 of my fellow lulu's (including the CEO and CFO of lululemon athletica Australia). It was so great to hear what was going on in the other Sydney stores and to be inspired by the fantastic plans that everyone has. It is such a supportive environment to be in and it is awesome to be part of what is essentially a movement to make the world a better place. We had lunch at a cafe called 'Moo' on Bondi Beach. I had a great cheeseburger as well as a Mooteaser Milkshake (a choc milkshake with maltesers mixed through it. Too good). We then all finished up with mini choc top ice-creams. I had to discuss the food as I firmly believe in appreciating and enjoying the simple things in life!

As if that wasn't a cool enough day, later on I had a one on one goal coaching session/chat with the CFO at the Ivy. We had a glass of champagne and got to talk about Mum stuff and ourselves and lululemon, and it was such a lovely way to finish off a fantastic day. I doubt there are many companies where the CFO will fly up from Melbourne for two days and take the time to meet an employee and talk to them about their goals and their life. This is a very special place to work.......

Gratitude...........

Yesterday was a great day because...

1. My little sister came home from Germany and we all met her at the airport at 6am.
2. The little man had an hour and a half sleep after we got home from the airport.
3. We had yum cha with my family as this is what my sister had missed the most!
4. The little man was full of personality today - so funny and affectionate.
5. The little man had a second daytime nap when we got home from yum cha (this is very, very rare let me tell you).
6. My Mum called from Indonesia (they don't get many phone privileges on the boat so this was special).
7. I got to spend some time being creative last night.

Bump in the road.....

Image by sosunshine via flickr

Every now and then I hit a little bump in the road where I start to doubt myself. Last week brought me one such bump (hence my last post where I needed to give myself a pep talk as my self- esteem seemed to be hanging by a thread). I can slowly feel myself coming out of it but it has not been easy, let me tell you. I would even go as far as to suggest that this is the greatest knock I have taken in the past year, so it scared the hell out of me. I have done ALOT of work on myself in the past year, and it has been hard work. So to then be faced with a feeling that it was all being undone and I was sliding back into my old dark days was rough. But, as I have been doing with everything in my life, I need to try and look closely at what the universe is trying to tell me by sending me such a difficult situation. So far my thoughts are:

1. Relationships are HARD and each person in them has their own experience and perception of them at any given time (I already knew this one but its often one of the hardest ones to deal with). Keep working on them all the time.

2. Some days there is nothing you can do except fall in a heap, and it may be better to do this than fight it. Give yourself a break, cry if you need to and hopefully once you have let it out you will be able to keep moving.

3. I have AMAZING friends and particular family members who have held me up this week when I needed it (particularly my lulu family, my twin sis and my Mum).

I Am......

I am kind

I am strong

I am lovable

I am passionate

I am a great mother

I am generous

I am creative

I am intelligent

I am compassionate

I am happy

I am brilliant

I am fun

I am grateful

I am thoughtful

I am generous

I am trying

I am me. And that's more than enough.

5 sleeps to go....

Five sleeps to go until my little sister returns home after spending a year in Germany. We can't wait to have her home again and it will be so amazing for her to meet her little niece and nephew who were both a lot tinier when she last saw them. Looking forward to our welcome home yum cha on Saturday!

An invitation to you all....

Our store is holding its inaugural Breast Cancer Awareness event this Wednesday night, 21st October. I urge anyone who is in Sydney to come along. There will be drinks, food, education, conversation and inspiration. Plus 10% of all lululemon purchases on the night will go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Shopping and making a difference to others at the same time - how cool is that?

What are you going to do about the fact that you are here?

It isn't an accident that I am where I am in life right now. It isn't an accident that I am at lululemon at this particular time in my life (as opposed to any other). It isn't an accident that I have been blessed with the responsibility of guiding and celebrating the gorgeous life of my little man right now. I believe that I needed to go through everything I have gone through in my life up to this point, so that I could be in a place to appreciate, understand and truly be a part of this amazing movement that is lululemon. I needed to be pushed to the limits of what I thought I was capable of and even to have that moment where I was essentially choosing between life and death, so that I can help my little man experience the world and his life in the happiest and greatest way possible. I came to lululemon for a reason, I have a husband and son for a reason, I have gone through all these highs and lows for a reason. Understanding these reasons and acknowledging these reasons is all good and well, but there needs to be more.

So last night (with the help of some lulu inspiration), I asked myself the question "What am I doing about the fact that I am here?". The answer to the question of why I came to lululemon was to develop people. Now that I have sat down and actually thought about that question and answered it, it seems so obvious. The way in which I live my life and all of the choices I am making in my life now come back to this one thing. And the choices I have made in the past are intrinsically linked to that as well. I became a teacher so that I could develop young people and help them be all that they could be. I wanted to be, and I was privileged to be, the person who took a stand for my students. I was the voice whispering in many young people's ears saying "I believe in you, be great". Where I am now is just an extension of this and comes back to the same desire. I am passionate about everyone (including myself), living their best life. I love my fellow lulu's, my family, my friends, guests I meet each day and myself, enough that I want to do everything in my power to share what I know and what I am learning so that they and we can achieve greatness.

Regardless of where you work, what you do, how old you are etc I urge you to ask yourself "What are you doing about the fact that you are here?". What are you on this earth for? What have you been given this life for? Find the answer to that question and then get out there and live it!

My First Thanksgiving.....

Image by Smitten via flickr

So this weekend that just passed marked Canadian Thanksgiving. Since I now have a whole new North American family courtesy of lululemon, my little family were invited to share in our friends' Thanksgiving dinner. To put it simply, it was one of the loveliest things I have ever been a part of. There was GREAT food, amazing company, GREAT food, red wine, and did I mention there was GREAT food? We had spinach dip, turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cous cous salad, and a beautiful salad with strawberries in it, just to name some of the delectable items. As if this wasn't enough, we also had pumpkin pie (that looked just like the image above), chocolate cake, crumble and oreos. I was in food heaven! My little man also thoroughly enjoyed being the centre of attention, being the only child in attendance. The whole evening I just kept thinking how lucky we are to have made friends with people who are so welcoming, caring and supportive. I can't wait to return the favour to them when they join my family for Christmas dinner in December!

Laughter yoga with a beer chaser....

Image by xenonfarcticus via flickr

Last night we held a laughter yoga workshop at our lululemon store. It was run by a lovely young woman by the name of Kathy Popplewell who is trying to raise awareness of the healing and health benefits of laughter. She is about to travel down the east coast of Australia for 30 days, doing free laughter yoga workshops. Apart from raising awareness she is conducting a little experiment to see just how much of an impact laughing every day can have on your health and well being. I have to say, that by the end of it my mood was definitely elevated (a pretty good outcome considering I had been at work for over 12 hours yesterday!). It was a great challenge for me to do something completely different, to interact with new people and to share an experience with my fellow lulu's. (By the way, you don't actually do yoga. The workshop is based around laughter activities). If you ever get a chance to participate in a similar workshop, go for it.

After the workshop concluded, a few of my lulu pals and I went to the pub next door for drinks and a bite to eat. While I was with them, chatting and sharing stories, I couldn't help but think how lucky I am to be a part of such a special group of people. I have this whole new family where everyone supports each other and wants the best for each other. Its sad to say that this is quite rare in this day and age, so I am sooooo grateful. Even when I am not at work, these are the people with whom I would choose to spend my time. Every single member of my lululemon family is amazing in their own special way and knowing each of them makes me a better person. I heart them all........

A Noble Cause....

I want to make mention of my Mum today as she has just embarked on a momentous journey. She is aboard HMAS Kanimbla, bound for Indonesia. As a medical officer in the Austyralian Navy Reserve, she will be involved in helping with the relief effort for victims of the recent earthquake in Padang. Whilst she has been on training exercises before, this is the first time that she has been deployed. It will no doubt be an amazing experience to assist people who are in such desperate need of help, but I'm sure it will also be quite confronting (and she has no idea how long she will be gone). We know she will do an amazing job and we are thinking of her every day......

Go out into the world and do good....

One of my very special lulu friends, Nancy, had her last day working in the store this week. I wanted to acknowledge her 'Amazingness' because she has played a huge part in making my lululemon experience so life changing. She took me under her wing straight away but also allowed me the freedom to try things and to learn through 'doing'. She challenged me, encouraged me, and acknowledged me. She is a phenomenal leader. Her guidance from a work perspective has been invaluable, but more than that I would like to thank her for her friendship and for sharing her life with me. The support she has shown to myself, my husband and our little man is overwhelming and I can't thank her enough.

Nancy, even though I have only known you for about 3 months, I feel as though I have known you forever. You make me think, you make me laugh, you make me hope. If ever there has been a person in whom I have 100% faith that they will go into the world and do good, it is you. Be strong, be great, be YOU!

P.S. While you are in Australia or even when you one day go back home to Canada "My Family is your family."