The Sound of Silence ......

I have had many people question me over the years in regards to working in a Casino and putting up with all the noise. How do you put up with all the noise from those slot machines they say. Well my answer is simple. I, like many, have gotten use to the fact that I work in an environment with a steady stream of noise. I hardly hear the slot machines anymore because I have learned to tone them out. Not only do I apply this at work with the slot machines, but also with all the other noise I may encounter during my day ....... including the noise made by other people.

I have often thought that people who talk are the equivalent of a slot machine. You can't stop people from talking and creating noise, but you sure can learn to tone them out. This is how I got through some of the most challenging times in my life. I just toned them out the same way I do the slot machines and it worked. You can't change other people, however, you can learn to adapt to all that noise. It's unfortunate really that we live in a society that creates so much noise but all we can do is look within ourselves and try our best not to contribute to the ruckus.

I love the sound of silence, but there are a few things I know for sure. You can't quiet a City, you can't quiet a slot machine and you can't stop people from creating noise that hurts others , however you CAN choose to tone it all out ...........

Feels Like Home to Me......

There is only one thing worse then dissing someones favorite sports team and that is dissing their hometown. I will admit I am guilty of this but I have learned over the last few years that when you dis a city or town you may also be inadvertently insulting someone and sometimes that just hurts.

I grew up 10 Minutes outside of Orillia in a small Village called Oro Station. (insert village idiot joke here) My family's roots are between Orillia and Oro Station. I remember spending most of my childhood between these two places. I remember when the East Side Mario's on the corner of Hwy 12 and Memorial use to be a Ponderosa. I remember when the Tim Horton's and the office building beside it on Colbourne use to be a drive-in A&W, complete with servers on roller skates and trays that sat on your window. I remember when everything beyond Country Produce was just a field. Speaking of Country Produce, that cemetery across the road from it ..... that's where my grandparents are buried.

I know Orillia has some downfalls, but when you think about it, doesn't every other City have downfalls as well? Everyone seems to know what Orillia's downfalls are but do they really stop to think of all the benefits of living here? Let me point a few out to you. Orillia is located by 3 bodies of water. It is the home of 3 Provincial Parks and Gordon Lightfoot .... Gordie Rocks!!! Two of my all time favorite places are located here, Theo's and Mariposa Market. Last but not least, how could you not like a place that is nicknamed "The Sunshine City" ?

I hope I have given you a little insight into my hometown of Orillia. People's roots are strong and they are very loyal to where they came from. Try to keep this in mind the next time you decide to talk negatively about a City or Town, because you never know where people are from, where their roots are or where there family is buried............

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly ......

Energy .... It's the one thing that is truly ours and nobody Else's. So why do we allow others to steal it?

About 8 years ago I started to learn about peoples energy. I love looking at people's energy. You can see it in the way we carry ourselves and you can see it in the way we interact with other people. I generally gravitate towards those with good energy, however I have on occasion been fooled. Just like everything else in life there is always the good and the bad and the ugly. The good and the bad are pretty self explanatory, however, over the years I have learned that there is another dark creature lurking amongst the human race. It is ugly and it comes in the form of a person who steals your energy.

Everyone knows at least one "energy stealer". You know the ones I mean ... they are the ones who after you have had a conversation with them, you feel drained, weak and low on energy. They just swooped right in and without you knowing it they have violated you and stolen the one thing that is truly yours.... YOUR ENERGY!!! I use to get really angry when an attempt was made at stealing my energy, however over the years I have learned how to appropriately balance these people so that they do not disturb my energy and thus me. It's all about the balance once again and this is how I found it in this situation.

I identified the people in my life who are "energy stealer's". If I had my way I would just avoid these people at all costs, but unfortunately life isn't that easy. I generally keep them at an arms length, but there are going to be times when you have to interact with these people. When I do this, I am always pleasant, however, I am very cautious and guarded about what I say. In a nutshell, I say what I have to say and get the fuck outta there before they have any opportunity whatsoever to steal my energy. This is a technique I have perfected over the years and I have some simple rules that I try to live by.

#1 When you interact with others, there should always be a healthy exchange of energy.

#2 Find a healthy balance between protecting yourself and interacting with "energy stealer's"

#3 I always try to remember this when I interact with everyone ..... this is my own personal rule that I try to live by and I find that it helps to keep me grounded and it helps me keep things in perspective. ALWAYS REMEMBER EVERYONE YOU ENCOUNTER IS : AFRAID OF SOMETHING, LOVES SOMETHING AND HAS LOST SOMETHING!!!

Have a great week everyone!!!