Dawn Lupul – Page 22 – Holistic Health Coach

January 4, 2020January 4, 2020

Predicting the Future

Rain, sun, or both? 50-50 chance – take the umbrella and then it won’t matter

If you had the ability to see what was going to happen, would you want it? I think it would be an advantage in so many ways, but at the same time a curse.

For one thing, I don’t want to know when people around me are going to die. I definitely don’t want to know when I am going to be leaving. Knowing other things though would be quite useful.

I would like to know what the weather is going to be like so I can plan accordingly. The weatherman always sounds like he knows what he’s talking about. Then you get rained on when he said it was going to be sunny and you wonder if he is just guessing.

Kind of like handicappers I guess.

January 3, 2020January 3, 2020

The Racetrack World

A beautiful sight – the crowd enjoying Queen’s Plate at Woodbine Racetrack

I consider myself fortunate. I was six years old when racehorses became a part of my life.

My earliest memories include running around the tarmac at Northlands Park in Edmonton, picking up tickets that bettors had thrown away. My brother and I used to run all over the place, never being told not to and enjoying the freedom to do whatever we wanted.

The backstretch where the horses were stalled was always a source of fascination for me. I loved seeing the horses there, relaxing or eating or flat-out sleeping. It was always comforting to hear them munching away on hay, with the sunlight streaming in through the open doors and the whole place smelling like heaven.

At least to me it smelled like heaven.

January 2, 2020January 2, 2020

Betting On Me

Seven is a lucky number – one of many for me

It was early, the night’s velvet darkness still keeping the morning light at bay, and I was just waking up. My eyes were barely focusing after a long night of sleep. Excitement suddenly gripped me as I remembered that there was a race the night before, and our horse had a good chance to win. I forced my sleepy eyes to work so I could see if it was there on my night table.

It was. Joy surged through me as I saw the small stack of money sitting beside my radio. Success! Another winning effort and the spoils that came with it. I felt richer than anyone in the world.

I was also six years old. My parents always put $2 across on our horses for me, and I am so thankful for that and what it did to help make me who I ended up becoming.

January 1, 2020January 2, 2020

New Year, New Beginnings

You don’t see two dollar bills anymore! I like to keep these around as my good luck charm

A new year, a new decade, and new opportunities. Whatever you wish your life to look like in the future, it all begins with an idea to do something now.

An idea followed by a plan and then action are the three steps that can take you wherever you wish to go. One decision in one moment can change the course of your life forever.

I had an idea and now this is the result of that idea. These pages have been a source of inspiration for me and, I hope, for you as well.

Now it’s time for something new. I need to do what I enjoy, and that happens to be betting on things. Not just things, but specifically horses and football. It has been a long process of acceptance to realize that this is what I want to do.

December 31, 2019December 29, 2019

If I Were You I Wouldn’t Be You

Cuddle something soft and feel good about it

Takes one to know one. Remember that phrase from childhood? I do, and it makes me laugh now when I think about it.

Someone would insult you, something childish like calling you a moron or stupid, and the standard comeback would be, “Takes one to know one!” Or the equally clever, “I know you are but what am I?”

It was genius though. We didn’t even realize what we were doing but it was brilliant.

We were deflecting. Returning something that we didn’t want. Giving back to the giver. Then we would go on with whatever we were doing, hopefully not even giving the comment a second thought.

December 30, 2019December 28, 2019

The Morning

It’s calm and peaceful right now. The world tends to be like that when it’s early enough. Soon the hustle will begin, another day full of things to do, trying to get ahead, and worrying about falling behind.

I looked at my bed when I got up this morning. I spend enough time in it, almost one-third of my life. A little less because I don’t often sleep eight hours, but close enough. One-third. That’s a lot!

If one-third of life is spent in slumber, that leaves two-thirds of the day to be awake and do things. It seems like a lot of time but then the day begins and it really isn’t. Work takes up another third of the day minimum, because getting ready for work and getting to work adds to the overall total.

Then there are errands to run, like grocery shopping and other things. That takes up time too, and soon the days all run into each other and time seems to be flying by.

Is that all there is?

December 29, 2019December 29, 2019

Being Honest

Another sunrise, another opportunity to live and be better

I have a confession. I’m not always happy.

Even though I write about the strength of the human spirit, how we can move through life with dignity and grace by accepting the world around us as it is and making ourselves a source of positivity, there are still moments when I can’t get that feeling for myself.

Sometimes I struggle with knowing that I should be doing better but I’m not. And when I feel this way, I’m not happy. I don’t like that.

Then I pivot.

December 28, 2019December 26, 2019

Don’t Take It Personally

It’s smoother sailing when your feathers aren’t ruffled all of the time

I’m offended that everything offends everyone these days. I like to find a reason to be offended. It makes me happy that I can be outraged at all that is wrong outside of me so I don’t need to worry about improving who I am for awhile.

Except none of that makes sense. I am never happy when I am offended.

While it is progress that we are beginning to be more mindful of what impact our actions and words have on others, it has perhaps gone a bit too far. Too much time is spent looking for things that are offensive and then building a story around them.

It seems so simple. You get what you give in life. If you are engaging in making others feel bad for who they are, then there will never be serenity in your soul. You are indulging in self-harm when you intentionally hurt those who aren’t you.

December 27, 2019December 25, 2019

Knowing

The coast of Cuba, absolutely breathtaking at any time of day

I know very few things, but I believe some stuff. I have had experiences that happened and formed my beliefs, but they are just that. They are only my beliefs.

I believe in the law of cause and effect, that for every action there is an equal reaction. What the reaction is, I don’t always know. I can speculate, postulate, formulate and hypothesize what could happen, what should happen, but ultimately I don’t know.

Things happen around me, and the way I look at them affects how I feel. It might be a big change in the economy, or an election that puts someone into a position of power who doesn’t seem fit to rule, or a natural disaster that ruins lives. I can let these events paralyze me with fear, or not. It’s my choice.

December 26, 2019December 24, 2019

Allowing Health

Perhaps not the healthiest choice for The Raptor, but I don’t know what red velociraptors eat

In every moment, our bodies are working hard to keep us healthy. They never quit, never take a holiday and usually never give up.

Tirelessly and methodically, they work to fix the things that need fixing and to get to a state of balance.

Then we come along and mess it all up.

There are so many temptations in the world that it’s difficult to choose wisely. Food is so delicious and so tempting and often, so not good for us. Everything we decide to allow into our mouths is a choice, but sometimes it’s not that easy. We often feel powerless to resist.