June 4, 2010
I have something to share, a rather shameful confession; as of yesterday, I reached potty-mouth status.
I have a long history with swear words; we have a love/hate relationship. I love them because they are rather effective shock words, which can sometimes sum up a stressful situation quite perfectly – and what is life without a little enthusiastic cursing now and then – but I hate how they can quickly sound crass when not used judiciously and very carefully. I have tried to balance this relationship for years; keeping them around for those moments in my life where I want access to them, and then moving into phases for years (okay months) in which I won’t swear at all.
The problem with starting again after these breaks is that my use of them inevitably grows; what started as a one-off in a perfect moment becomes a two-off, and then a four-off, until I sound like a drunken sailor throwing f-bombs in every remotely stressful situation. Lately, these words have been gradually creeping into my speech more and more frequently, getting far too comfortable in my mouth, until they culminated in a moment like the one I had yesterday; I found myself in the middle of what was, granted, a big issue; but the swear words were flowing from my mouth with as much ease as my ‘ands’ and ‘buts’. And in the same quantity.
I pulled up short when one of my staff said “Wow, Jodi, you swear a lot”. Eeep. Ooops. And that ’s enough of that. If they have gained that level of comfort in my vocabulary, and are now defining me, to any degree, it is time to put them on hiatus again, and I am pulling the band-aid off quickly. They are no longer serving me, and I am serving them…and we just aren’t having that. So I am officially on a strict ‘no swear’ program. As of today. last one. s**t. Okay, that was it. Good by, swear words. Good by, easy dramatic effect. Hello, clean, unsweary mouth.
Wish me luck! And if you have any suggestions, feel free to post them!
March 19, 2010
Exuberance has always been a reflection of me and where I was at in my life – my fears, my hopes, my belief about the brilliance inherent in women (open love letters anyone) and at times it has been a greater exposure than I was ready for. As someone said today, it has always been about more than skin care for me; it is a message of living our best lives, celebrating our beauty and finding our purpose and personal exuberance.
With the advent of my own growth, it offers a new direction for my company, and with me stepping into my own light, we see all sorts of simultaneous changes for Exuberance; internal changes with staff, external changes with our vendors and suppliers, visual changes with our packaging and formula changes as we move to even cleaner formulas.
We are so excited by what this year will bring, and I leap into it with faith; unknowing what the future brings, hoping for brilliance and beauty, but, as a wise women said to me recently, I am open to the outcome and willing to ‘let it ride’. And I’m going to enjoy it, the entire way.
More news in weeks to follow about our beautiful changes!
Jodi
December 7, 2009
“One must from time to time attempt things that are beyond one’s capacity” – August Renoir
December 3, 2009
Among the books I am currently reading (oh, for a larger bookshelf) is one titled “The Intimate Art of Writing Poetry” by Ottone M. Riccio. I came across a beautiful phrase in the book this morning that I want to share. In the paragraph he writes:
“There is, in our bodies and minds, movement – movement that will not cease while we live, for it is the movement of life, the rejuvenating dance. We are an arc from one stillness to the next, and it is in the arc that we find our dance. We are warned of darknesses inside us, of dangers we face if we dismiss the censors that keep the demons hidden. But there is also a song within us – jubilant, vibrant melody that holds our lives together. We must face inherent risks if we are to reveal the rhythm and song within us, if we are to transpose such basic compulsions into poems”.
This beautiful work says to me that when we let go of our self-censorship and risk exposure of our deepest selves we begin to reveal the beauty of our unique song. Our fear of our darkness binds us, and yet the irony of this is that we are never as bad or as dark as we fear. When we own all aspects of ourselves, what we create can’t help but be beautiful – whether it is a poem or a painting, or each day we live – because our creations become a reflection of our purest, highest selves, darkness and light as one.
We’re all alike, in our humanity. We all have fears about not being good enough, about not being what we ‘should’ be (alas, was there ever a more destructive word than ‘should’). For me, when I let go of the voice in my head that whispers “this isn’t good enough”, or “who am I to be open about what I think”, etc… and all the other standard self-talk that defines my darkest fears about myself – when I let go and ignore this voice, and let my spirit speak and my words flow, I begin to create magic. This is who I want to be, and this is who I want to live as. This is the magic. Magic that is within each of us.
The thing that inspires me the most – the thought that keeps me striving to find ways to express myself more authentically, to be closer and truer to who I am in my core, is the belief that if we all found ways to let go of our fears and became what we thought possible for ourselves – what we know is possible for us in our quiet hearts – then the entire world would be elevated. The whole world would be changed. Because instead of shrinking ourselves down and living in relation to our fears, we would begin to live in response to our dreams – finding the dance and our movement – and truly, the accompanying magic and beauty and power for positive change this would bring makes me catch my breath in awe. This feels to me like a responsibly that I have, that each of us have – a responsibly that begins with finding the way into loving ourselves, and to continuing, each day, to move through our darkness and into our light. Moving into our song, into our movement. Into our exuberant lives.
November 27, 2009
Good morning!
What a gorgeous, brilliant morning – the first day of a new snowfall. I’m currently looking out from my 17th-floor vantage point at all the downtown houses in their ticky-tack order, lined up with the snow gently blanketing their roofs. Overnight my neighbourhood is refreshed, become new again.
In looking at this, for me, it feels like a new beginning – like the first day of school used to feel – like I’ve been given a new chance to start again. A new opportunity, to be the person I wanted to be, to say the things I wanted to say – anything was possible.
For me, all it takes is a great line in a book, a beautiful phrase that ties together nicely, a gorgeous ornament, a new piece of clothing, a recognition from someone else that you are more than you currently seem to be…or a snow-filled morning that blankets the old and brings in the new. Moments like these take me out of my mundane reality into the world of magic, possibilities and new beginnings – beginnings that existed all the time, but that my tired brain had lost the art of seeing. Thanks snowfall..my muse for the day…anchoring me back into the world I want to live in, and reminding me that change can happen overnight and the way my world looks along with it.
Hasta la vista baby..onto change and possiblities!
November 16, 2009
We like you. Tell us about yourself!
We want to know about your life, what makes you Exuberant, what Exuberance means to you, how you change the world, what you did today, what you want to do tomorrow. Anything, really. Tell us all about you right here, right now!
To submit, simply send an email here on whatever you want to. We’ll review and post the ones we can, so check back here often!
Do something daring. You don’t have to start with skydiving! Taking risks invigorates your emotional health and makes you feel more alive. Do something every day that breaks you free from your routine – you’ll reap benefits only dreamed of by those who won’t take a chance…
November 9, 2009
Who is the most joyous person you have come across today? The other day I was walking down a dirty street, my thoughts grey with grumblings of some mundane drama I was repeatedly uselessly in my mind. My mood was becoming fouler as I replayed the perceived injustice, indulging in self-sympathy. I made eye contact with no one as I pushed through the crowded streets of Chinatown.
Then I tuned in to the sound of a jazzy beat bursting from around the corner, growing in its groove as I approached. A young man was playing a keyboard on the sidewalk, hovering over the keys and banging out a merry tune as he rocked back and forth. He shined with enthusiasm, his smile sparkling so widely it caught me by surprise. I paused in my steps, taking in this stranger who instantly became the best part of my day.
This man, without arms, was playing the piano. This man, without legs, was dancing in the streets. He looked up at me and told me I had a beautiful smile. I laughed at his flirtation, wildly attracted to his life-force, his exuberance. Moving along, I wondered who I could aspire to inspire with irrational joy? What a wonderful mission.
Is there any good reason for you not to be the most joyous person on any street corner or in any room you find yourself in today? Exuberance is pushing the limits of your gratitude and enthusiasm for life, finding your joy in the most unexpected places and being your truth, whatever form it comes in. Play on.
October 9, 2009
The Power of One
Bryce Courtney
Fiction
Recommended By: Jodi
The Power of One is a beautiful example of how the biggest of spirits can be found in the most unlikeliest of places, and how with enough heart we all have the power to change the world (even when we don’t feel we do). I first read this book when I was 19, and this was a lesson I needed at the time. I went on to recommend this book at a book club, and it was unanimous – everyone loved it. And on top of the inspiring content, it is incredibly entertaining – a definite must-read. (say ‘hi’ to the crystal cave of Africa for me!)
August 16, 2009
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?
