As some of you know, I was interviewed by Anne-Sophie for her podcast recently.  I was a little nervous as I had never done one before but it was amazing and so much fun. I love trying to new things and reaching out of my comfort zone.    We had such a fun discussion - the conversation is 45 minutes long. Thanks Anne-Sophie for the opportunity!  Click the image to hear the interview. I'd love to hear your feedback on it.

On a walk this past weekend and seeing all the beauty that surrounded me, I started to think about my blog.  The “random” thoughts going through my head centred around how can I make my site a better foundation for all of us to grow.

This spring shouldn’t just be a time for flowers to reach their full potential; we should take their cue that it is our time to rise up.

Instead of looking to myself for the answers, I am reaching out and asking for your input; we are on this journey together.  You are a vital part of this community and your “random” thoughts matter.

 met author Heather Grace Stewart “randomly” last year through the blogging community on WordPress.com, even though we grew up in the same city.  We have never met in person yet have so much in common.  Therefore, when she asked me to take part in this blog hop – I jumped at the opportunity to get to know my new “friend” a little more.

Jesse Ruben is a Philly-bred singer/songwriter currently living in Brooklyn, NY. He has independently sold over 10,000 albums, gotten song placements on TV shows such as One Tree Hill, Degrassi, and Teen Mom and toured with some amazing artists including Jewel, KT Tunstall, Rick Springfield, and Hanson. His song “We Can” is in regular rotation on the XM/Sirius Coffeehouse channel, which called him “the next generation of singer/songwriter”.

Michelle Marie McGrath is the creator of Sacred Self’s Self-love range of Alchemical oils and cards. She’s the co-author of “Love and Oneness” in the bestselling Adventures In Manifesting series. She’s also the creator of "100% self-love ecourse” and author of "7 ways to love yourself" ebook. Michelle is passionate about falling in love with ALL parts of herself, and encouraging others to do the same.

From the UK, Michelle lives in Sydney, where she explores her favourite self-love activities: meditating in a candlelit bath; daydreaming; massage; chai tea and raw chocolate. Her idea of bliss is a day full of the above! 

Now, you might be asking yourself "What is Pink Shirt Day?"

The last Wednesday of February (this year is Feb. 27th) in Canada, is Anti-Bullying Day (i.e., Pink Shirt Day).  It is a day where we take a stand and address this important issue.

As I work in bullying prevention and love the colour Pink, I support this wonderful cause and am proudly wearing pink today.  People always ask me, “Why bullying prevention?”  My answer is always the same: “I have seen and personally experienced the negative effects of bullying and want to stop it from hurting others’ lives.”  That is why I support this initiative.

Mara Glatzel is a self-love coach + author of the Body Loving Homework e-course. She works with women who are ready to create the lives they want — and deserve. Her blog — Medicinal Marzipan — has inspired thousands of women to heal their relationships with their bodies, and treat themselves with relentless compassion. Catch up with her on facebook, twitter, or join her body-loving mailing list for secret swapping and insider news.

Music speaks to my heart. It also unites people and helps you ride life's waves.

One particular memory stands out as a highlight of my trip to Great Britain and Ireland this past summer with one of my sisters(the same sister who introduces me to new music).  We had a special and uplifting experience one night on vacation in Killarney, Ireland.  Our tour group consisted of more than forty adults of different age groups from around the world.  This night in particular, we went to watch an outdoor concert that was happening near our hotel. The band was playing songs we all knew, so we sang out from the top of our lungs.

Therefore, today I'm happy to feature Cameron Von St. James and his FAMILY as part of my Profiles of Perseverance  series. To this family every day is family day, as they know how valuable it is to be together. Cameron initially reached out to me and wanted to share his family's story, which he called "Living with Cancer." After I read it, I had to ask Cameron to also share his pieces of advice about overcoming obstacles. His writing moved me to tears, as many in my life have been affected by this disease.  As you will see below, the Von St. James family is beautiful and perseverant. Hearing their story shows how important social support is in overcoming obstacles. Thank you, Cameron, Heather, and Lily, for reminding others what is important in life! 

I have been asked many times by new and fellow bloggers for advice on how to better their blog. I'm starting a series on this.  So, when a friend of mine and fellow blogger, Anne-Sophie Reinhardt,  volunteered to write a guest post, I suggested she share with us her tips on how to become a better blogger.  Hence, this post was created.  Anne-Sophie is an awesome communicator, who gives tremendous advice. She is so kind and even offered to give away 10 copies of her latest book on the same topic to readers. Thanks, Anne-Sophie, for helping others shine!  Find out how to enter the giveaway at the end of the post.

I'm so excited! My book "Stand Tall & Speak From the Heart: How to Find Your Way" is DONE! I can't wait for you to read it.

I have to thank my amazing designer, Tara Jacek, who put this book together beautifully. I recommend her to anyone as she took my vision and turned it into reality - all without ever meeting me. She has been a loyal contributor to my blog and has really encouraged me to share my story.

As I have said before, one of my favourite things about blogging is connecting with others.  Erin and I connected randomly on Twitter. Erin O’Brien lives in Sydney, Australia and is Chief Encouragement Officer at Activate28. She helps women who procrastinate and feel overwhelmed, and who want more *flow* and ease in their workday. I'm so glad I met her. Soon after she emailed me the following virtue card along with the message:

"When you mentioned that perseverance is a core theme for your life, I decided to attach the virtue card of perseverance. The third sentence reminds me of your website … and I imagine other sentences would resonate with you on the journey you’ve been on. "