Activate your Core Values - determine your Purpose in Life

I am liking this journey through midlife! It feels more and more like I am listening to my heart and following my real passions but holy shit does it take courage. It takes confidence and lots of positive self-talk and support from loved ones and mentors. 

I believe to be happy and to find that balance in life; we need to understand what makes us tick. What do we need to be at our best? What turns you on and fills your soul so that you have buckets of confidence to swim upstream against the current?  

I have done a lot of soul searching over the years as I design my next 50. I am pretty confident I know what makes me tick, turns me on and keeps my heart full.  I know where I want to go and how I need to get there.  I have been told I am a sparkler, my openness to greatness is admirable and my inspiration of others is contagious.  (Oh and compliments go far so give them out freely and accept them back with grace).

A girlfriend shared a mantra that speaks loudly to the importance of taking control of your own life. 

"Gather all the facts-know where you are-know where you want to be-plan how to get there"  K. Little

Must say Danielle LaPorte and her daily truthbombs that pop into my inbox keep me on track and reinforces the tribe is out there. I also hold very close to my heart the supportive encouragement from my family, friends and mentors (many of which are female entrepreneurs). 

Sometimes we feel off track, not quite right and drained and so need to re-evaluate our Needs and Wants.  Needs are those things that you require to be your best. They can swing from emotional, social to physical. When these are missing, we can feel unfocused and unbalanced.  I know first hand if I am not feeding my soul and meeting my needs then my actions become mundane, sometimes killing the inner bubbling that feels like butterflies ...  

I worked with friends at UnleashDreams years ago to determine my purpose and my core values, which guide my choices on this journey called life.  I often turn to them for support, reminders of my needs. I became a Dream Maker myself so that I could also influence others. TheBoomerVine another place, I hope can inspire other boomers by sharing my authentic stories.  I really want to make a difference in the lives of others and inspire them to be more. 

I am being vulnerable here to share openly so that you can see what makes me tick!  

My Priceless

I have a contagious enthusiasm for connecting and leading teammates to a common goal while respecting differences.

My Purpose

To share my spirit and energy with others so that it creates smiles and activates a sense of playfulness, wonder and learning.

My Core Values

Foster the Spirit - energize and unite

Generate Kindness - give unconditionally

Continuous Improvement - welcome change 

Optimism - positivity reigns

Resiliency - never give up 

Are you doing what fills your heart or are you merely following the crowd?

Let me know if you want to jump out of the pond into the ocean and create a life by design. I want to be remembered for how I made you feel and maybe inspire you to be more. Everything else is gravy. 

Fire Away

I am listening to an amazing new band called Dawes as I fly home from an incredible weekend in Calgary during Stampede.

Again, another decision we made for which I have no regrets. A fun long weekend in Calgary to hang out with my amazing brother (and his amazing friends). We are an incredibly close family despite the physical distance in between. We are authentic. I have 2 sisters and 1 bro and 3 great "outlaws", a term, which my Mom lovingly refers to our husbands!  My Mom Mitzi happily watches and reaps the rewards and sucks in the love that we share. I feel incredibly fortunate and never do I take this for granted!  Don't wait for the right time, just do it....

We saw Dawes while in Calgary, a great band from LA who our grown kids introduced us all too. I love concerts.

We love music- all of us. One of the outlaws plays in a band and the others share stories of great old classic bands. We play the record game at our house - choose from our 100 or so records and take us back to the "good old days" as you play your favourite album on our turntable.  Our kids have all developed an appreciation for great music too. Our music jams in Vernon are unbelievable and memory makers. Mitzi sits on the Calhoun.

While in Calgary we also went to the OxfordStomp concert- Sam Roberts, George Thorogood, Sheryl Crow an all-afternoon/evening event with free beer, food, sunshine and dancing. We met some great Calgarians and like the friends we like to keep, have fun anywhere! "Leave people wanting more and always with a smile on their face".


A visit from my sister and one of the outlaws as they passed through Calgary themselves added another element of fun. (Missed my other sister and her "Tom Jones"). Couple great dinner parties, laughs, rodeo watching in some great VIP seats, music, late nights, Marda Loop Starbucks, dog walks and the consumption of some great wine!  We won't forget the "dispose a flask" (crazy husband)!


I feel full and bubbling over with appreciation for my life. My husband, my kids and my family. Dig deep and find yours too. It won't just come to you without a conscious effort. 

Oh and watch a little Dawes in the link below, such great music. You can get it on Google Music and Apple Music (both platforms I use).

Fire Away....

My new love affair.

Well that was NO Spa Utopia massage but let me tell you I am definitely awakened in a whole new way!  Bring it on...


Cracking open the honesty here, I had been suffering with a sore hip for some time and sleeping was grueling, I felt stiff and then it started affecting my hiking and my everyday activities. Despite trying to stretch and drink lots of water, and pretend it didn't hurt, I started feeling OLD. THE worst ever. With hockey coming up in the fall, I had to do something!

That was when my personal coach (aka my wonderful daughter who graduated in Kinesiology last year) introduced me to the blue foam roller.  If you have one and know about this, fine but for those of us who don't frequent the gym, boot camp or have personal trainers then you should know it is an odd thing.

The first time she told me to roll on it was awful.  Remember I am intimidated by Yoga, so even getting to the floor into the position on top of the roller was grueling and quite hilarious.  I thought she would die laughing, as my execution was anything but graceful! Apparently I needed to stretch  the fascia that surround my muscles.... ok, so lay this way and roll on the pain spot back and forth.  Good God it was so painful I squealed like a wild cat and sadly one of my kids has it on video. 

Hated it and avoided rolling despite her constant reminders.  

Until we intrinsically want to make change there is no hope.  I knew I had an issue and had to face it.  Growing old sometimes sucks.

Into the picture comes this wonderful kind and compassionate Registered Massage Therapist Holly at MoveoSport & Rehabilitation Centre whom I saw this week. I am an open book so she knew me in the first 10 min and she gained my trust instantly.  Yes the rolling apparently was a good thing but for me likely incredibly painful at the onset.  We needed to start slow (Plan B) and she spent 45 min working more then my sore hip muscle.  Apparently it's all related and she dove into my body with oily hands and nothing like at Spa Utopia.  OMG, its a technique where the RMT digs her thumbs into the upper fascia and I guess pushes the knot along.  She did this all over my body - gluts, calves, back etc.  Honestly I thought I would throw up, but she coached me in her sweet gently voice, "it's good, it's doing the work we need and I can stop at anytime".  At one point I had to divert my mind and started counting down from 100, then I was imagining myself at the beach, but I have to say Holly coached me along and explained everything she was doing.  

She encouraged me that my own active lifestyle was enough (well above the average) and that for me, at my age; I was doing the right things.  This was all I needed to hear. She commented that my body was responding well and loosing up quickly because of my active lifestyle and it was making a difference in my healing.  She couldn't comment on how I got so tight, but I guess the blue roller will be in my future.

We talked Yoga and the lack of places supporting newbies and those who don't fit the "typical image".    She did give me a referral to Yoga teacher who might be a fit. I shared with Holly my passion for helping other Boomers by sharing my stories.  She too supports healthy living and Moveo will consider working more with Boomers like me to maybe facilitate hiking groups for those wanting to be active, social and learn a little more how they can proactively avoid the blue roller!  They already volunteer at bike races, so this would potentially be just another target group they could gain trust with.  

I have 2 more sessions booked with Holly and I can't wait.  I did my homework today with the tennis ball and I committed to both (she and my in-house Kin coach) that I would see this as a lifestyle change and take charge.  

Looks like I might be having a new love affair with the blue roller.   Like all relationships it will have peaks and valleys and pain along the way but with commitment comes happiness.