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Exuberance According to You...

David Reed
Cinncinnati, Ohio, USA

“Exuberance” is among the most unique words in the English language.  It is the perfect word, but not one you use haphazardly.  No, “exuberance” is one of those special words you save only for those occasions when you need the quintessential word and nothing else will suffice.  Go ahead; say it – “exuberance.”  Feel its softness as it rolls off the tongue.  Feel its warmth as it passes through the lips like a warm summer breeze on its way to freedom and independence in the world.  Watch it as it moves away, seeking a willing ear.  Follow it as changes and gains strength and purpose along its journey.  See its powerful aura as it impacts on others, bringing its full force of meaning to the listener.  Yes, “exuberance” is one of the most unique words in the English language.  Like two sides of the same coin, it is both gentle and forceful, it is luxurious and powerful, always soft, never harsh and it carries with the promise of beauty, success, determination and skill.  In short, it connotes enthusiastic excellence in whatever it describes.

Everyone knows the definition of “exuberance;” at least I think I do.  I could go to my Oxford or Webster’s dictionary and look up the “officially” accepted denotation if I had any doubts, but let us leave the scholars at Oxford and Noah Webster on the shelf and see if we can define “exuberance” for ourselves.  After all, when you hear it you don’t whip-out your pocket dictionary to check your understanding; do you?  No, this special word is recalled from the recesses of your whole existence and it is under that umbrella that you understand.

When my personal catacombs of understanding hear this word, I first see a child, jumping up and down in unbridled excitement over some object or event.  The sheer joy of the moment is etched on their face and their entire body joins in the celebration.  From this first impact on my senses, the more subtle meanings start coming through.  I see a one-pointedness of purpose; an unwavering promise of success.  I feel the determination to excel and to accomplish the moment, carpe diem, or better yet, “seize the future.”  I see unity-of-purpose with no doubt that the instant goal is in-hand and will be reached.  I see fairness and honesty, respect for one’s self and for others; I see ethical actions and caring for all.  I see beauty and softness harnessed to determination and perseverance.  I see, well, “exuberance.”

I guess defining such a unique word may not be as easy as first thought.  But, as I said, we all know what it means; right?  Let’s try and experiment.  If the myriad of adjectives, some apparently conflicting, that our denotative and connotative gray-matter conjures up, let’s quiet that portion of our minds and start from scratch.  Put yourself in a completely relaxed condition.  If you meditate, then sit in lotus position and clear the mind.  If you prefer a water environment, fill a warm bath with salts and bubbles and climb in.  If nature is your “pull,” go and lie in the sun or under the stars.  Relax every portion of your being.

Recall your history, discover who you really are.  Be honest with yourself (and with others).  Allow your inner thoughts to swirl and condense into your essence.  Examine what is really important to you.  Focus on that.  Allow it to form into the perfect thought, the perfect goal, the perfect action.  Formulate your personal future plan and touch that special part within you that reaches out and grasps your future direction.  Formulate your plans and strategies for the rest of your life.
Revel in the ecstasy of knowing who you are, where you are going and how you will get there.

Now leave your momentary posture-of-reverie and begin the rest of your life.  Make your journey comfortable, dress as you would want the world to see and know you -- casual to formal and everything in between.  You know how you want to be perceived; now is your chance to become the “you” of your visions. 

You are ready, you have your future, you have your “self.”  You are one-pointed, you are determined, you are beautiful, you are committed, you are enthusiastic, you are excited.  Now stand in front of the biggest mirror in your home with your back to it.  Close your eyes.  Think of all you have decided, all of your goals, your future, your self.  Without looking, turn around to face the mirror.  Slowly open your eyes.  What you see is “exuberance.”

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?

Exuberance, the Company
This summer I bought a name-brand moisturizer that contained an SPF15 because I thought it was a good idea at the time.  Ah, okay, impulse buying got the best of me because I normally stay with what I believe to be as close to natural as possible skin care products.  As a woman in menopause, I began to experience hot flashes.  Also as a woman who does not want to buy into the need for hormone replacement, etc., for a bodily function that has been going on for millennia, I decided to look at any changes I had introduced into my system as the flashes seemed to come on quite sudden, and then remembered the new skin product.  Within days of stopping its use the flashes also stopped. Coincidence?  I can only say it is a pleasure to not being awaken during the night in a sweat and I am sure my body is mighty pleased too.  This gives food for thought about what is contained in products, but that’s a whole other topic.

Shortly after stopping the other moisturizer, Karma Wear introduced me to a skin care product.  They talked about the product being chemical-free, how it had worked for them, and even better, that this was also an opportunity to support local as it’s an Ottawa-based company.   And so I bought the Witch Hazel cleanser, and love that my face loves it!  Using products that have a simple, uncomplicated base, I believe in the body’s own built-in capability to taking care of itself.  My skin knows when it is experiencing something it does not like, hence rashes, redness, and a multitude of ways of saying, PLEASE STOP, your hurting me. And YEAH, this minimally blended creation works.  Despite the current weather, the skin on my face is fully balanced – no dry spots, no oily, just nicely smooth and it is getting better the longer I use it.  But much more than that.

Stepping out of my own comfort zone, I decided to take this a step further and met with the owner and one of the staff.  Among other things, we got to discuss Jodi’s own experience with skin products.  She found very few products on the market that contained ingredients that hold to the principles of being truly natural.  She was experiencing her own unpleasant skin reactions, so she decided to come up with her own formulations based on the latest research, without compromising the principles of being natural.  And as with many new businesses, she wanted something better and took up the challenge of creating her own.

Jodi and the staff at Exuberance are creating a way of life, not just a product.  Their web site match their core values and I got a glimpse of this strength in meeting with them.  I know they have a great product, and I am looking forward to their launching anything new.  And I also am pleased to be passing on their name as a company that I can conscientiously recommend to other women – all from a place of integrity.  And being based in Ottawa, I like supporting home grown too.