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March 8, 2024

International Women’s Day 2024 – Journée internationale des droits des femmes 2024

March 8, 2024 By admin

Women in countries worldwide, right now, are imprisoned or targeted with harassment and violence just for practicing their rights:

  • to live a life free from violence and slavery
  • to bodily autonomy
  • to be educated
  • to earn a fair and equal wage
  • to own property
  • to free expression

International Women’s Day is a global day for us to unite as powerful allies striving to achieve true gender equality worldwide. No matter how you recognize this day, remember that every action counts towards creating a better future for all women everywhere!

Aujourd’hui, dans le monde entier, des femmes sont emprisonnées ou victimes de harcèlement et de violence simplement parce qu’elles exercent leurs droits :

  • de vivre une vie exempte de violence et d’esclavage
  • à l’autonomie corporelle
  • à l’éducation
  • de gagner un salaire juste et équitable
  • à la propriété
  • à la liberté d’expression

La Journée internationale des droits des femmes est une journée mondiale qui nous permet de nous unir en tant qu’alliés puissants pour parvenir à une véritable égalité entre les hommes et les femmes dans le monde entier. Quelle que soit la façon dont vous célébrez cette journée, n’oubliez pas que chaque action compte pour créer un avenir meilleur pour toutes les femmes du monde !

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April 29, 2022

Spring Cleaning

April 29, 2022 By admin
Spring is the season of fresh starts and new beginnings. It symbolizes new life and growth. It’s the time when we clean our homes, prepare our gardens for seedlings and organize our lives. Much like the beginning of a new year, starting a new job or moving into a new apartment, spring offers us a “clean slate”, a time to start fresh.
Whatever happened last year, last month or yesterday is irrelevant to you now. It is not the time to say “Fuck it!” and give up. Right now is the only moment that matters.
What can you do this spring to wipe the slate clean and start fresh?

Start each day with a positive affirmation
Beginning your day with a thought like: “Today will be amazing!”, “I cannot wait to see what today will bring!” or “Today, I will find a way to make it happen!” will keep your focus on the present and boost your confidence in your ability to achieve your goals.

Let go of past drama
Drama and all the negative feelings attached to it, have a way of clinging on to us and dragging us down. So, let all that drama go… All of it. You’ll feel less stressed, be more positive and you will be able to handle whatever is coming. If you feel like you need advice and guidance, don’t be afraid to reach out to a professional.

Practice self-forgiveness and start a no “what ifs” rule
Obsessing about what might have been, what you could or should have done differently, not only keeps you up at night, it keeps you from moving forward.
Take some to time to write down or to meditate on these teachable moments in order to be better equipped and avoid such mistakes in the future. And then… Move on!
Help create and maintain that clean slate by forgiving yourself and realizing that you are human and you will make mistakes.

Clear clutter and remove visual reminders
Even letting go of a single box of junk can give you the amazing feeling that comes with moving on and starting fresh.
Furthermore, to really give yourself a chance for a clean slate, remove all visual reminders of whatever needs to be cleared away. If there are items, in your home, reminding you of negative situations or habits, now is the time to get rid of them. If the items in question are invaluable to you, store them away and if they’re not, donate or toss them.

Tackle projects you’ve been putting off
Start a spring cleaning list and write down all the things you’ve been putting off. From home repairs, to going to the doctor’s or having dinner with the in-laws; now is the time to prioritize and start making the necessary appointments.

Learn something new
Broadening your knowledge on a topic means taking your mind to a new fresh, undiscovered territory. So, google a question that’s been bugging you, open a book you’ve been meaning to read or enroll in a class. Whatever piques your curiosity will do: scuba diving, how to compost or grow the perfect tomato, the art of rabbit fur spinning or quantum mechanics. You are only limited by your imagination.

Celebrate your wins
At the end of each day, give yourself some major props for your accomplishments. The rewards of that work will motivate you to keep going beyond this spring.

Every day is a new opportunity for a fresh start. The beautiful thing about life is that it provides us with an infinite amount of erasers to wipe that slate clean. And remember, you’re not perfect and neither is the world around you. So, try to be kind to yourself, focus on the now and take a moment to appreciate the spring sun on your face.

You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.

Toni Morrison

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April 19, 2022

Morning Ride

April 19, 2022 By admin

The thing about Prince Edward Island is that it is extremely beautiful. But it is also as windy as it is pretty.
For a cyclist, that kind of wind can transform a pleasant ride into a full blown exorcism.
Therefore, before you hop on your bike, you usually plan. Checking all the weather websites and defining the best route. You think you’ll outsmart nature…

Comes this morning’s ride… Feeling confident and a bit cocky, you hit the road. You’re all good, you planned! You’d think….

Then boom! There it is! Wicked as ever! THE wind!
You should have known better! Every single time it’s the same! Headwind, crosswind, sea breeze, whirlwind. Coming from everywhere!

Just the thought of groveling into this gale for the next hour makes you regret not opting for the couch.
But what can you do?!? Walk? Hell no! You’ve got pride!

As you are grinding, huffing, puffing, cursing the Anemoi and hating the world, you hear Scorpions screaming in your headphones :

Here I am

Rock you like a hurricane

And it is at that precise moment, that you realize:

Wind is far stronger and has more endurance than you will ever have.
Now is the time to stop hating it and learn to embrace and accept it.
Even better, how about using the wind to become a better rider?
As trees need the wind to blow against them to grow taller and make their roots grow deeper, so do you. That wind will make you stronger and quicker…

Then, just like that , lost in thought, you get to the end of the road. You turn the corner and the wind is gone… From there on, it’s smooth sailing.

Now you are strong and you ride on.

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Take a breather

March 16, 2022 By admin

To say the last two years have been tough would be an understatement. And it’s natural for people to feel stressed and overwhelmed. The events unfolding in Ukraine, following two years of a global pandemic, failing economies and facing the effects of climate change have taken a toll on our psychological strength.

When you get anxious and stressed, your body triggers a set of symptoms. Your breathing becomes shallow and rapid, your heart rate increases and your muscles become tense. You might even feel like you’re on the verge of a panic attack; holding your breath, gasping for air.

And you ask yourself “How can I cope RIGHT NOW?”

To feel better, try this easy self-care strategy:

BREATHE

Just paying attention to your breathing can be an amazing antidote to stress.
Deep breathing encourages full oxygen exchange (beneficial trade of incoming oxygen for outgoing carbon dioxide). It can slow your heartbeat and lower or stabilize your blood pressure.
Deep breathing sends messages to the brain to begin calming the body. It tells your body that you’re in a relaxed, safe state. In turn, your body and brain can start to calm down.

Here’s a simple way to practice deep breathing:

Sit back or lie down in a comfortable position. If you like, you can close your eyes. Then :

1- Inhale. Breathe in slowly through your nose for 5 seconds. Pay attention to the feeling of the air filling your lungs.

2- Pause. Hold your breath for 5 to 10 seconds. you don’t want to feel uncomfortable, but it should last longer than an ordinary breath.

3- Exhale. Breathe out slowly through your mouth for 5 to 10 seconds. To slow yourself down, pretend like you are breathing through a straw.

4- Repeat. Practice for at least 2 minutes, until you feel calm.

Tips

  • If you’re new to this, try placing a hand on your stomach. If you breathe deeply enough, you should notice it rising and falling with each inhalation and exhalation.
  • If it’s not working, slow down! You are probably breathing too fast. Time each step in your head. Count slowly as you do so.
  • Counting in your head will also take your mind off the source of your anxiety. If you catch your mind wandering, just return your focus to counting.
  • For each step, you can lengthen the time if it feels natural to do so, or decrease it if you feel discomfort.

When practiced regularly, deep breathing can provide both immediate and long-term help with anxiety, stress management, focus, sleep and recovery from exercise.

Deep breathing can benefit many people. If you’re not getting the benefits you’d hoped for right away, don’t be discouraged. Keep at it! And if your anxiety remains or gets worse, consider talking to a mental health professional

Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.

Oprah Winfrey

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