So cheesy!

I feel like I've fallen for some corporate buzzword, but it's really hard to argue with common sense.

Last week, I took a seminar through work about the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. There's a reason why it's a popular book. It makes sense. I don't remember all the habits right at this moment, but I'm going to be doing my homework to make small, but significant changes.

On the weekend, I made myself truly listen to my Cheruby. It was so hard not to interject my own opinions and thoughts in. I had to keep telling my brain to be quiet coming up with responses and just listen. You know what I heard? That my job with all the traveling is just as hard, if not harder, on him than it is on me! I truly hadn't considered it. I knew he wasn't having an easy time of it, but I just assumed that my life was harder than his and it's not. I felt like a weight had been lifted because I no longer felt the need to explain myself. I really don't know how that worked, but I have less to say now that I've started just listening from time to time.

We've had some really revealing conversations ever since that incident that have been amazing and so open and not so afraid to say hard stuff that it doesn't get said. I know that everyone else in the world has feelings too, but actively listening sure does put that into perspective.

Next, I started up with my weight loss support group again. I took a hiatus when I thought life was too hard to deal with trying to lose weight too. You know what? That's just silly. Why would I compromise looking after myself to do a job or wallow in my own stress? I think most people do it from time to time, but it's such a silly decision. It was hard to tell them that I'd gained weight back, but I did it and of course, they didn't really care. They are just as supportive as ever. Countdown Chrissy is totally fabulous!

And then last weekend, I went to get this new age treatment called BodyTalk. My mom has gone for several treatments and after 20 years of not being able to sleep well, she has been sleeping through the night easily and consistently. And she can make finally make her own brain stop whirling. She says that she has a clarity now that is so peaceful. I can tell how happy she is. She told me that I amaze her every time that we have a chance to sit down and really talk, just the two of us. That makes me happy.

So, anyway, the treatment - I think it's kind of like neuro-linguistic programming but works on the premise that your body knows what's wrong with itself and knows how to fix it but just needs a little direction. I know, I know - beware of charlatans. The way I see it, if my mom paid money to be able to sleep through the night, that's money well spent. I'll tell you more about it if you ask, but after my treatment, I laughed for 15 minutes straight for no reason at all. That's not even an exaggeration as I watched the clock on the desk.

Cheruby and I have decided that I should work through November and then I will have Christmas and all of January off. I'm really looking forward to it. It's going to be wonderful. I don't know what we are going to do yet, but I'm sure it's going to be GREAT!!!

59.1%

Really?

That's it?

There has to be a better way to do this. I was listening to some of what was being said after the results were in last night and I thought, "When did I start to care this much about politics?" I blame Cheruby. :)

Party	Seats won	%	Total votes	%
Conservative	143	46.4	5,205,334	37.6
Liberal	76	24.7	3,629,990	26.2
NDP-New Democratic Party	37	12	2,517,075	18.2
Bloc Québécois	50	16.2	1,379,565	10
Green Party	0	0	940,747	6.8
Independent	2	0.7	89,524	0.7

So does that seems right that 6.8% of all the votes aren't represented in parliament? It bugs me that 37.6% of people who cared enough to vote now have 46.4% of the say about what happens in this great country. There really does have to be a better way.

My dad asked me whether I made my vote count yesterday. I said yes, but I didn't like his implication. The only way to waste a vote, IMNSHO, is to not cast it. A vote doesn't count more because of who you cast it for. Each one is worth just one. Maybe my vote counted more because I live in a less populated area than someone in Toronto. Heh.

I'm glad for a minority government. I always have been. It's always made sense to me that if more than one party has to agree, we get a better decision being made for everyone. Of course, my mom pointed out to me years ago that there might not be any change because people can't agree. Maybe the changes being proposed aren't the best thing for Canada's people if they can't agree.

October 14th, 2008

If you don't know where - please find out.

Vote.

It's important.