Inventory as a Metaphor

Inventory as a Metaphor

by | Life Reflections

While attending to the usual business year-end inventory count, I was struck with how this process can be a metaphor for many things. Who knew that by counting inventory stock and reorganizing it in one’s work space, many other lessons and comparisons could be made?  It wasn’t something I went looking for, but I’m glad I found it!

The process of “taking inventory” is to note what you actually have in stock and how that compares with what you are supposed to have in stock.  Those of you familiar with the process know that what the inventory sheet says you are supposed to have and what you actually physically see and count can be very different.  What you think you have now, is shown to not be true. There is a discrepancy!

Doing an inventory count is a messy business.  Everything gets moved, piled up and put out of its normal place – complete disruption.  A great term to describe the scene is “chaos”.  Nothing is left untouched. But from this chaos came great ideas and new ways of looking at things. Here’s how it went.

As I went through each area and item, I found myself asking many questions:  Why was I holding onto these things?  What purpose did they have?  Are these things that I will likely use with clients over the next year?  Are these things I would use for myself over the next year?  Does keeping this feel like a burden or a blessing?  I found myself being brutal with letting go of things that no longer served the Centre, its clients or me. Don’t look back or second guess – just toss  it!  And those things that were still purposeful and meaningful were given extra attention and care.

Once I had only what was purposeful and meaningful, I cleaned and rearranged the store and the storage areas to be more organized and user friendly.  When all was done, there was a sense of peace and accomplishment that arose from the chaos. I looked around and thought, ” I like this now!”  Everything felt fresh and with renewed energy.

Once I finished the inventory, I realized that life is a lot like this process. The phrases,  “taking stock of a situation”, “counting your blessings”, “spring cleaning” and “analyze this!” had more relevance.  All of these phrases ask us to think about our self and our situation. We ask questions such as: “Is this a blessing or a burden for me?”  or  “Is this for my Highest Good?” We may uncover uncomfortable or painful aspects that momentarily send us for a loop (chaos?).  But after a while, and with focused intention and action, we are able to understand what it is that works for us and what needs to be tweaked.  Then we take action and tweak!

The treasure at the end of this process is a sense of personal accomplishment and satisfaction. The change we make helps us feel good about ourselves and our situation. Improvement, satisfaction, accomplishment, joy and Highest Good.
All from willing to engage with doing an “Inventory”.

Future, Today and the Past

Future, Today and the Past

by | Energetics, Psycho-Spiritual

“Today is yesterday, but in its future state of being.”
This is the type of thing a quantum physicist would say – and it can be really trippy to understand! Yet if we pause and think about it, we know this to be true.  By understanding how our yesterdays can influence our todays and tomorrows, we can appreciate how precious each day really is.

Another message to be taken from this is that whatever our yesterday was, it helped create our today.  And today is what helps create our tomorrow.  If we want a better tomorrow for ourselves, we must start with now. Now will soon become our yesterday, our past – so by changing the energy of now to something we wish to have more of in our life, we set our  life course to be more in keeping with what we truly want for ourselves.  And our world.  Therein lies the key.

Projection from the past into the future may seem a far-fetched idea,  yet this is how energy works. Energy can’t be destroyed;  it can only be transformed. Energy is present in our words, thoughts, feelings and actions.  We are encouraged to use positive words and affirmations to describe ourselves and our world, visualize abundance on all levels and in all dimensions, focus on joyful, loving, compassionate, fearless  thoughts and actions towards ourselves and others.  In other words, “Be the change you wish to see in the world”  (Gandhi)

It is difficult for some folks to realize that their future really is in their hands.  To accept this would mean to give up a way of living and relating to others that has become familiar, a habit, co-dependent, or too comfortable for them .  It would mean that the mantle of self-responsibility for one’s thoughts and actions, falls firmly on their own shoulders.  It also means that successes and failures in their lives are ultimately their own. For many, this is just too frightening.

We have been given free-will and this is our ticket to freedom of choice or entrapment.  To use free-will wisely requires an understanding of rights and responsibilities that come with being here and participating in life.  It seems there is a lot of talk about freedoms and rights these days,  but if this is not balanced with responsibility towards self and others, then it becomes warped.  It can morph into an overwhelming sense of entitlement that serves only the Ego.  Or it can show itself as victimization -it’s  someone else’s fault for my life.

Many folks re-live and recreate their past traumas and dramas in their daily lives.  These then become their today which will project into the future.  How can anything change if the pattern remains the same?  What would it take to begin to create a different future for themselves?

Love works!  It helps with changing one’s inner critics and  negative self-talk into more loving, positive words and feelings towards self.  This inner shift may be subtle, but it has far-reaching effects.  It is like dropping a pebble into a pond – the ripples go out in all directions and change the surface of the water in that moment.

When we change how we view and feel about ourselves, we act differently, too.  These changes send out a different vibe to others.  These changes also help us to look at the world differently and respond to it differently.  Slowly but surely, we create the changes that our future has been waiting for!

Today is the future you’ve been waiting for.  What ripples will you be sending out into the world now?

Essential Oils and the Summer Sun

Essential Oils and the Summer Sun

by | Aromatics

Summertime – and the sunshine is intense.  Great idea to use sunscreen to prevent sunburn and sun damage;  most people would consider this a no-brainer.  But did you know there are some essential oils that will react with the sun’s ultraviolet rays and create unpleasant and painful skin reactions?  The phenomenon is called
photo-sensitivity – and it can be quite nasty.The aromachemistry of essential oils plays a role in determining which essential oils are safe or not safe to use on the skin during extended exposure times or higher intensity to ultraviolet rays. Essential oils containing a type of Lactone phytochemical called Furocoumarin is primarily responsible for the photosensitivity reaction to ultraviolet rays.  Any essential oil containing furocoumarin can be problematic.  Bergamot essential oil has the highest concentration of furocoumarin in the form of a phyto-chemical called Bergapten.  Because of this, you won’t find it in any stay-on-the-skin products used in the summer months – or you shouldn’t!

What does a photosensitivity reaction look like?  The reaction can be skin burns, skin blisters or serious skin discolouration.  Depending upon the type and amount of essential oil applied and the length of exposure time to the sun, the skin damage can be mild to extremely severe. The risk of having a reaction can be any time up to 12-18 hours after applying the essential oil.  It does not necessarily take alot of essential oil to create the reaction.  Reactions have been documented at essential oil dilution rates less than 0.5%.  Besides the skin reaction itself, the pain that accompanies the reaction can also be a great concern.

The essential oils most likely to create a photosensitivity reaction include most of the expressed citrus peel oils.  Bergamot, Grapefruit, Lemon and Lime are best avoided.  Mandarin and Tangerine are safer to use as their furocoumarin  content is almost zero. Some researchers say it is safe to use expressed Orange essential oil, while others caution against its use.  Additional essential oils that are problematic include Angelica Root and Tagetes. There are others, but they are rarely used in our daily skin care routines.

To limit this photosensitivity problem, some companies will offer Furocoumarin-free essential oils, or FCFs.  These have been processed to remove the offending furocoumarin phyto-chemicals.  For instance, you will often see Bergamot FCF (or Bergapten-Free Bergamot) available for sale during hot, sunny weather. The removal of the furocoumarins does alter the natural chemistry of the essential oil and, as some would argue, the oil’s full therapeutic benefits. But by removing the furocoumarin, it improves the essential oil’s safety for use on the skin in sunny weather.

Can you use essential oils containing furocoumarins during the summer?  Certainly – but with safety in mind.  Anything that will be washed off the skin immediately (such as soap or shampoo) is usually fine.  Room diffusions are okay.  Room sprays can work, as long as the droplets don’t land on one’s skin when spraying. Evening skin care should be fine, as long as the dilution rate is very low so the essential oil can be gone before the next day’s sun exposure.

Any questions or doubts about the essential oils or aromatherapy products you are using?  Contact a qualified Registered Aromatherapist or Essential OIl Therapist for the safest answers.

Did you know ……

  • HealthLink BC is a government funded tele-health service which provides non-emergency health information to the residents of BC.,  through combined telephone, internet, mobile app, and print resources.
  • HealthLink BC has two dedicated phone numbers:  8-1-1 and 7-1-1 for hearing impaired callers.
  • The website is a good source of health information and contact info for provincial services, agencies and supports  http://www.HealthLinkBC.ca/

If you are dealing with a life-threatening situation, call 9-1-1 instead

Courage and the Pioneering Spirit

Courage and the Pioneering Spirit

by | Life Reflections, Psycho-Spiritual

On a recent trip through British Columbia to Alberta, I was struck by the pure majesty of our country.  From verdant forests to rock bare deserts; flowing rivers and waterfalls to stiff stone mountain ranges;  every colour of the rainbow to blackness.  As I soaked up this splendour, I wondered how it came to be that someone from a distant land could ever find their way to these areas;  the mountains, forests and waters are so rugged, how could they find a way through?  Why would they come here?  How would they find it?  And what would it take for a pioneer to stay on this journey?  Perhaps they dared to dream – and had the courage to follow that dream.

So what is this quality we call “courage”?  Osho, in his book Courage:The Joy of Living Dangerously, describes it this way:

“Courage means going into the unknown in spite of all the fears.  Courage does not mean fearlessness.  Fearlessness happens if you go on being courageous and more courageous. …  But in the beginning there is not much difference between the coward and the courageous person.  The only difference is that the coward listens to his fears and follows them, and the courageous person puts them aside and goes ahead.  The courageous person goes into the unknown in spite of all the fears.  He knows the fears, the fears are there. …  Going into the unknown gives you a thrill. The heart starts pulsating again; you are alive, fully alive.  Every fiber in your being is alive because you have accepted the challenge of the unknown.  To accept the challenge of the unknown, in spite of all fears, is courage. …

Basically, courage is risking the known for the unknown, the familiar for the unfamiliar, the comfortable for the uncomfortable, an arduous pilgrimage to some unknown destination.”  pp.1-2

Seeing the rugged terrain that confronted the early settlers and knowing the severe weather they would have had to endure, one wonders how they ever made it through to create towns, farms, businesses, and transportation networks?  People dared to dream of a better life for themselves and their families and took the risk into the unknown. Some saw the chance to have wealth and success, while others sought a place of refuge, freedom from persecution and peace. Most survived and thrived, but some didn’t.  Was the risk worth it?

Courage is an attitude and feeling as well as an action. Courage comes from the Latin root, “cor”, which means “heart”. To be courageous then, means to live with the heart. To live through the heart is to discover meaning. Heart is the future; heart is always the hope and is always somewhere in the future. Heart dreams about the future.

Courage is experienced in the body, mind and spirit.  When this trinity is in courageous alignment, fearlessness can occur.  And when fearlessness is attained, freedom exists!  Freedom: because you now live your life from a place where fears have no power. You are free to leave the past and allow the future to be. You are free to live in love and trust and move into the unknown.

Where are your pioneering spirit and courage these days?  What does your heart know to be true for you?  What dreams of the future does it hold?  Know that you are always in the driver’s seat of your life’s Magic Bus. Where would you like to go ….

Garden Wisdom

Garden Wisdom

by | Aromatics

As the Spring gardens continue to burst forth with life, I am humbled and in awe of the regenerative and restorative powers of Nature. While it restores itself, it also restores me. Form, colour, aroma and textures all come together in a way that is nothing short than miraculous. The healing energy coming from the garden showers down and around me and helps me become grounded, calm and joyful.

The forms in the garden inspire the imagination. Notice how the Fibonacci sequence can be found in the unfolding of the petals of roses or sunflowers and the unfurling of ferns. These plant spirals grow by exactly 1.618 each cycle. In Sacred Geometry, this is called the Golden Ratio and is known to be one of the most appealing shapes to the human eye.  It was how Da Vinci created his Vitruvian Man – just look at how the spirals and lines dissect the image.

The colours in the garden reflect those of the rainbow – and then some!  Each colour has a part to play in restoring and balancing our energy centres.  The reds, oranges and yellows offer us energy, vitality, security, joy and focus; can’t be sad when they are surrounding us with their gifts!  The blues, purples and pinks are more calming and soothing;  they help us to dream, rest and connect to the greater powers.  All gardens have lots of greens – light, dark and everything in between!  Green is a great balancer – it is the physical heart energy and is a colour that helps us find our centre.  That place of peace within, at our core.

The aromas in the garden can take us on a magical ride!  Inhale the lilies, lilacs, roses, sweet peas, mock orange and lavenders and see where you go in your mind!  Pick the fresh herbs – smell and taste them to really appreciate their aromatic gifts. Without aroma, food would taste bland.  Without the aroma of flowers, the garden would not be complete.  Gardens and their flowers help us to imagine, remember and smile.

The textures in the garden offer us a tangible way to help anchor our experiences in the garden.  Gentle petals, fuzzy leaves, spiny twigs, soft grass and moss all call us to come and connect.  If you’re not sure about this, watch a youngster in the garden.  Learn from their delight.  Connect with the plants and feel your tensions melt away.  Hug a tree or sit up against it and feel the strength it shares.  Braid some grass, create a flower headpiece, arrange flowers in a vase or create something beautiful with the plants you find in the garden.

June is a most magical month for experiencing the healing gifts from the garden.  Give yourself the gift of time spent in a garden each day – and see how your world responds.  I am sure that you, too, will feel grateful for Nature’s gifts you receive.

Did you know ……

  • Edible flowers include:  roses, violets, pansies, nasturtiums, calendula, daylilies, squash blossoms, flowers of edible herbs, lavender. borage and orchids
  • If you plan to eat the flowers, be sure they have not been sprayed with toxic herbicides or pesticides or have had toxic fertilizers used on them.
  • Fill an ice cube tray with water and press one or two small edible flowers into each section.  Freeze until solid.  Use the cubes in any cocktail or drink