Welcome to the Wild West

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Following a few hectic months of liberating ourselves from the stuff that I collected over a lifetime, we knew a trip to Canada's Wild West would be a welcomed break!

Despite being quite tired, we were happy to land in Calgary, Alberta, settle in, connect with family and just take some time to recharge.

We often forget the importance of pausing.

In an era when work often becomes the priority, it becomes difficult to fit those important pauses into our daily schedules. Many cultures still prioritize the necessity of pausing. Siestas (midday naps), for instance, are very common in many Latin American countries, while Muslim cultures are required to stop five times a day for salat (prayer). As Europe reflects on its routines, many European countries have work weeks less than thirty hours as a means of prioritizing leisure and family. Canada and the United States, on the other hand, strives to ensure that every waking moment is filled with some sort of work, the irony being that one is much more productive when able to stop, reflect, recharge and come back to the table with a rested mind, body and soul.

In our search for the real, the question often comes up, "What is it that compels one to ignore the health of the self?" I suppose the simple answer is that we have been convinced into accepting a lifestyle that serves the purposes of a few at the sacrifice of many. While of course this is a typical cycle that fills the pages of history, the reality is that it still comes down to choices. How we value time, family, friends, money and experiences is all determined by the actions we take. When we choose to work 80 hour weeks rather than spend time with family, we are - through our actions - showing where our priorities lie. The same may be said for anything we take on or neglect.

Life is a series of moments, each moment occupying a time in our lives that we will never get back. I have always taken pride in looking back and reflecting on what I have done to fill the pages of my story. If, however, at any time in life one faces a moment of regret, it is time to change paths. I, for one, never want to look back at my past and say, "I wish I did more". I will, however, be proud to say I did it my way!

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