Happy six month Vanniversary! One of the keys to a successful partnership is celebrating milestones, even the little ones. That was one of the lessons we taught in this episode of The Awesomeness Advantage. I thought in honour of my six months in Vancouver, I’d share some of the lessons I’ve learned so far (about life and about myself).

1. I love mountains, ocean, and forests. Being surrounded by this beautiful scenery has shown me just how much I love connecting with nature. Running along the ocean and doing a mid-run meditation on the beach has proven to be super grounding for me. I encourage everyone – especially you land-locked folks – to take a drive into nature. It will change your day, and maybe even your life. Who knows. It changed my life seeing the west coast mountains a year and a half ago; now it’s the view from my bedroom.
2. Strangers can become family if you approach them with an open heart. One of my biggest fears about moving was not making friends, especially being in a new city by myself. I was happily dropped into the middle of a conscious, loving family of people that welcomed my presence and connected with me on so many levels. It’s unlike any experience I’ve had.
3. I’m, like, really funny. Don’t interpret that the wrong way, I mean it in the sense that I love getting more in touch with myself, and figuring out what my strengths are. My sense of humour has helped me to get through difficult and sticky situations. More than anything, my goofiness has proven to that I have the ability to make people feel better about their lives. From dancing in the aisles of Whole Foods to The Awesomeness Advantage, I love to make people laugh.
4. Everyone is a mirror. Every person you attract into your life is a reflection of yourself in some way. I knew this before, but I’ve really started to embrace it since being here. It’s made my communication and interactions with people way more intriguing. For every annoyance or elation I experience in someone else, I’m given the opportunity to ask myself where that’s showing up in my life. The self-expression you admire in a some girl singing to herself as she walks down the street is a quality you also carry, but might not fully want to share (yet).
5. You can’t change anyone. Or the past. Or how people will react. The only thing you really have control over is how you react in this moment. My crew here has helped me to be more authentic. To me, this means learning to how to share what I’m actually feeling and voice my needs. Doing this empowers me and allows for clear communication between all parties. I can’t change anyone, but I can change how I react, which might influence how they react in return. Kindness is always better received than passive aggression or snippiness.
6. I love love. It’s easy to get caught up in negative speech patterns and hating on other people. I know this first hand, because it’s a way that women typically bond (“She looks gross” or “You’re way prettier”). Vancouver’s given me a love-reality check: I’d much rather talk about how awesome people are. I’d rather encourage the positive aspects of a person, than trash-talk the negative aspects of another (remember point #4). Why not raise your vibes by being positive and in love with your life, rather than lower your vibes by being in a state of jealousy and fear? Reframe how you articulate your thoughts and you’ll notice changes happen all around you.
7. I love staying in. In Toronto all of my friends were a minimum 30-minute subway ride away.  Now living in downtown Vancouver and having the majority of my friends living in my building, I rarely leave my condo (let alone my neighborhood). I enjoy lounging on my couch with some vino, tunes, and good people. Not only do I save money, I get to create real connections.
8. Spiritualism is cool. I didn’t doubt this in Toronto, but I never felt like I connected with anyone on this before I moved. Having a connection to source/Universe/Divine/whatevs makes life’s ups and downs flow together with meaning.
9. I love crystals. I keep them in my bra, my pockets, and under my pillows. There’s a fifty percent

   

   I have a raw piece of quartz I use on my seventh chakra during meditation and it’s a serious connection amplifier. Yeah it’s kind of like this…

   chance of finding at least one with a broad hand sweep under my duvet. They make a difference in my attitude and my spiritual connection (see point eight). Say what you will, crystals are sweet. And pretty.

10. I’m worthy of my dreams. I’ve learned that a lot of people, myself included, have difficulty accepting their worthiness. It seems much easier to give rather than receive and allow the Universe to deliver your dreams. I don’t know where in our culture we started to accept this untruth, or how we even allowed it to occur. I know I am worthy of my dreams. I am worthy of love. I am worthy of healthy relationships. I am worthy of abundance in all areas of my life. Accepting these facts is something I work on every day.

It's been an amazing six months, Vancouver. Thanks for calling me out here!