Nicole Bonneau
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

On Exuberance

As I look out my window, I am reminded of a scene from childhood. The memory is my brother in fits of uncontrollable laughter as he is being tickled, he was exceptionally ticklish and we used to get him on the ground and just tickle and tickle him, sometimes he would beg for us to stop and we just continued on ‘til he had such a hard time breathing, we would stop for a second or two and we would allow him to pull himself together for a moment and then right back at it. He would try to tickle us in defence, but, I for one, developed the ability to control myself and not react when being touched in this way, but it was something he was not able to control.

The trees outside my porthole to the world are a reminder of this childhood experience. I am witness to the wind stirring the tree’s boughs, and they are unable to control their reaction, but the reaction is one of great laughter. It is cold out there, but I choose to notice laughter instead. I can hear in my humanity the merriment being released from these great fir trees and am witness to shifting my perception of who am I when I no longer try to control.

I ask you to take a moment in your day, and internally share a moment of laughter, an uncontrollable tickling inside of you that wants to be freely sent out as a gift to the world, and allow that wave of unrestricted joy to reach all our brothers and sisters to experience this delight, maybe not consciously knowing where it came from, only knowing its presence. Ah, what would our world be?

Rebecca Vaughan

Exuberant Women Interview Questions

Your name: Rebecca Vaughan
Your profession: Visionary Officer at ImagineDesign
Age: 34
State or Province: Virginia

Website you’d like everyone to visit: www.imaginedc.net

How would you describe yourself?

always find this to be a difficult question to answer. I am a sales person – I will try to sell you anything! From my ideas, to my business, to just being my friend! Being a passionate person, I find myself becoming an evangelist for everything that really strikes my fancy.

I live by the Law of Attraction and invest myself into those principles quite heavily. I spend a lot of time working on becoming a better person.

What inspires you?

My husband and other entrepreneurs inspire me!

What is the bravest thing about you?

Having my mother move in with my husband and I after 9 months of marriage – and then having my step daughter move in with us a year and half later. Family always can put you to the test.

What do you fear the most?

Nothing – I live without fear – OK – I wish I did – but rats really freak me out.

What do you wish everyone knew about life?

I wish that everyone knew how easy it is to stay positive and put that into practice. It takes so much more effort to worry and stress than to know in your heart that everything will turn out the way it should.

What do you think is most exuberant about you?

My sense of humor – I’ve been told that I should do stand up – I love making other people laugh!

When are you most proud of yourself?

When my step daughter, age 11, says that I am right about something.

What makes you happy?

Success in all layers of my life- personal, financial, career, spiritual, etc.

Is there a woman who has inspired you? If so, please tell us about her.

My mother and my sister truly inspire me. My mother raised me and my sister practically on her own and really gave us the building blocks to become great women.
And my sister just ran the London Marathon at age 42 – WOW – that’s impressive! She didn’t think my joke asking her if she had won was funny – but she still inspires me to be a healthier person.

What is Your Favorite Quote?

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
- Henry David Thoreau