Busting the Happiness Myth: Part I - Where to Find Happiness

(Confederation Bridge from Nova Scotia to P.E.I. photo courtesy Nancy Murdoch)

Happiness. Why isn't anyone happy? I mean truly happy, not just content? It's not because we don't have that nice car, cushy job, luxury vacation, or time to spend with our kids (or without them). We may think it is because we don't have enough money, freedom, health, or a partner who understands us. That belief is a myth that has been sold to you by every industry that sees you as a commodity with a particular dollar figure attached to your statistics. It is time to find your own sense of happiness, and not buy into what 'they' are telling you.

Three_Summer_Roadtrip_Stories.mp3

(Nova Scotia fishing village. Photo courtesy Nancy Murdoch)

Three summer road trip stories told by 3 generations. Short, entertaining and lots of fun to listen to. I give some background about the storyteller and why these stories are important to them.
The first one is a baby boomer and her mom on a vacation mission to find their heritage. The second story is a guy and some friends swimming through the dangerous grotto on the Bruce Peninsula. And the third story is a 95 year old woman telling about a train ride back in the olden days.
The one thing all us baby boomers have in common is that we are losing more friends and colleagues to heart attack, cancer and alzheimers faster than we can count. How many of your friends and family members died this year? How many of them left an audio legacy for their family and loved ones before they passed? How many of their kids wished they had taken the time to document and record their life stories before their parents and grandparents passed?
Your kids and grandkids aren't going to ask you for it while you’re alive. They are thinking about themselves. But once you’re gone they are going to be thinking about you. And they're going to wish they had spent more time with you and had some quality recordings of you telling them all about the time you smoked pot with the other hippies at Woodstock.
You can sign up for my online Audio Legacy creation course at  http://ow.ly/QbSn30e1kuX. If you have any questions, send me an email at nancy@nancymurdoch.com


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Secret Agent Andy

This story is about a woman who waited, wondered, hoped and prayed that her heavenly, hunky, perfect soul mate would mysteriously apparate into her life, fill her hungry void with excitement, joy and love, then carry her off to an ever-after real life land of bliss – tropical, preferably! But instead, she kept attracting different men wearing the same issues, who left her disappointed and in despair of ever fulfilling her deepest heart-felt desires. 

That woman was me.   The best stories are the ones that come from our deepest pain and take us on a journey through winding paths, treacherous cliffs and deep dark secrets . . . Where they end up is anyone’s guess.

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Override Your Fear of Writing

Today’s episode is about overriding your fear of writing so you can have the courage and the authenticity to speak your truth through the stories you tell your grandkids. As baby boomers we want our grandkids to think of us as the cool world changers that we know ourselves to be, but the millennials and GenXers say baby boomers ruined the world for them. They need to know our side of the story.  And they need to hear it in a way that opens their hearts and their minds in order to bridge the generation gap. We can do it.  We’ve gained wisdom and knowledge by meeting life’s challenges. The only thing that appears to be standing in the way is fear. When fear is present, we can achieve nothing. Learn how to override your fear of telling your story.

Don't Stop Believing

If you are listening to this then you still have time to make your mark on the world. No matter what your background is, or what you have lived, you can still make a difference. And it starts by telling your stories. If you have ever felt like there is more to life than what you are living, that something is missing and that if you don’t find it soon you may never find it, then you know how devastating that can be. When you look at your own life does it seem just ‘ordinary’? This episode will help you fill that void.

Living A Life That Matters

How you tell your story DOES make a difference. It makes all the difference in the world. Storytelling is an art. The younger generation these days have short attention spans and lose interest quickly so in order to engage and hold your grandchildren's attention you need to learn the art of storytelling.
Through storytelling you have the opportunity to find purpose, see your life as valuable and make a greater, lasting connection with your grandchildren and loved ones. You also have the opportunity to educated and teach your grandkids life skills in a fun and unobtrusive manner when you learn how to tell your story properly.

I Don't Want to Know That

Today’s episode is about having the courage to look at those things in our lives that we don’t want to know about, and why it’s imperative that we get out the microscope and examine them very, very closely.Telling your story is a great way to do the kind of self-inquiry that will give you answers you need to make a difference in the areas of your life that are falling short of your desires.

Purpose, Value & Storytelling

Purpose

My grandson is growing up in a world where the arts have been removed from schools, handwriting isn’t taught anymore, and cell phones have become part of a child’s anatomy. He has no idea what it was like for me growing up in Motown during an era of racial riots, political assassinations, the British Invasion, Transcendental Meditation, Viet Nam war, Watergate, and Peter Max, whose art clearly expressed the psychedelic craziness of a history wrought with turbulent change. These experiences helped shape who I am today, but my grandson won’t know unless I tell him my stories.

Mother's Day Stories

The important role of motherhood. This audio contains 3 fun stories written and recorded by moms.

If you want help getting started writing your life stories for your kids and grandkids, check out my free online course Write Your Life Stories Quick Start Kit. It's absolutely free. You can find info and registration sign up on my website: http://nancymurdoch.com

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A business from my heart to your heart

We all want our lives to have a purpose. We want to feel valuable, like we matter. And we want to belong by being part of something. Otherwise we feel like butterflies banging up against a glass door. I’ve felt that way more times than I care to acknowledge because 1, 2, or 3 of those qualities were missing from my life.
 

My kids grew up, moved out and moved on, and as much as I like to deny it, it left a gap in my heart and soul that I had to find a way to fill. My identity was ‘mom’. When that no longer seemed relevant, I was nothing. You’ve probably felt something similar in regards to a job or a relationship. Sure, it leaves us with LOTS of free time to travel, have the bathroom to ourselves, and buy more toys. But when the trip is over and the thrill of the toy wears off, all we have left is ourselves. And sometimes that doesn’t seem enough.

As baby boomers we have lived through massive world changes … probably more than any other generation throughout history. We learned a LOT. We overcame challenges and grew as individuals in so many ways. But what good is it if we can’t share our gifts of wisdom and knowledge with others?

Stories For My Daughters: How I Met Your Dad

My girls like stories so this one is for them. Our personal stories are what great books and movies are made from, and span the test of time for others to enjoy.
Want help turning your life stories into mini-audio memoirs. Contact Nancy nancymurdoch@live.ca  Visit my website to learn all about the e-course I created called How To Create & Record Audio Memoirs For Your Grandkids & Loved Ones, and other cool stuff!  nancymurdoch.com.

The Madman of Tibet: A Reincarnation Story

Milarepa was born in 1052 in Tibet. His father was a wool trader who had become quite wealthy by the time his son was born. The family lived in a huge mansion and were very generous to their friends, family and the whole community. They were liked and admired by all. Suddenly the father became ill and died, leaving everything to his brother until his son was of legal age and married.  Suddenly it turned into a real-life Cinderella story. But it’s much more than that. Milerapa learned Black Magic from a forest monk, and cast a curse on the people who treated him poorly. 

Why Entrepreneurs Don’t Eat BonBons and Other Cool Stories

What is it like to be an independent woman after separation and begin your own business? Do you take life by the reins, spurred on by the mission in your heart and the unshakeable faith that you can and will make a difference in the world? Sometimes everyday life gets in the way of our best intentions and our friends and family judge us harshly because what we do is a total mystery to them.
In this episode I describe a week in the life of a self-made woman entrepreneur, how art plays a part in living our purpose and why art is a highly sought after commodity that people throughout history have risk their lives to steal. A fun and entertaining show for everyone.

Also included are big names in the media who have a daily meditation practice.

Want help turning your own life stories into awesome audio memoirs? Check out my e-course.

Holiday Tip for Dealing with Difficult People

 

This is a quick tip for how to deal with difficult family members. We all have them. But here’s the cool piece you may not know. Everyone is a mirror of you. I know it’s hard to believe. You’re probably saying, “Nancy how is that person a mirror of me? I would NEVER act that way. I’m responsible, I’m reliable, I’m honest and dependable. That person is acting the total opposite of everything I do and stand for.”

Are you Magnesium Deficient? Find Out.

Exhaustion is rapidly becoming a growing complaint among women of all ages. Today’s women work longer hours for less pay and still do most of the housework. Understanding how to use color can dramatically increase your energy levels giving you more time for fun.

Listen to Podcast to Increase Your Energy and Decrease Fatigue Using Color

The Man on the Subway

Sometimes we look at people and only see the ‘bad’ part….the part that gets us angry and causes us to point fingers and justify our attitudes and actions because we don’t agree with their methods or lifestyle. If we could all stop blaming, judging and complaining for just 7 days the results we see in our physical reality would be so much different. The whole world doesn’t need to change in order for your life to be happier or different; it only takes you. Jesus told parables to get people to look inside their own hearts before pointing fingers at someone else's wrong doings.

The Gift of Energy Technique

This is a simple process you can do anywhere, anytime to shift the energy in your space or uplift people you care about. Use it on your teenage daughter if she is moody or your 2 year old is prone to throwing tantrums. It’s great for sending loving energy to your best friend, boyfriend or family members if you’ve recently had a fight. Practice this technique so it becomes second nature to you and reap the rewards! Read article for the technique.

A ‘BAD’ GUY WITH A GOOD HEART – and how to send positive vibes to someone

Sometimes we look at criminals and only see the ‘bad’ part … the part that gets us angry and causes us to point fingers and justify our attitudes and actions because we are on different sides of the prison walls. Jesus told parables to get people to look inside their own hearts before blaming, shaming or complaining about someone else’s wrong doings. We’re all human. We all make mistakes but we also all have the ability to bring the good out in others and help them to see the Divinity that lies within themselves.

Boost it Before it Breaks You: Self-Esteem Building 101

There are benefits to having good self-esteem that go beyond just attracting a good partner. Being able to attract the right partner is critical to many people because it means you are less likely to end in a break-up and more likely to be a loving couple who do lots of fun things together, share deep secrets and trust one another. Read More . . .

How to Increase Your Self-Esteem for Better Decisions in Health & Relationships

Today we’re going to connect the dots between self-esteem and how that plays out in the choices you make. Higher self-esteem leads to better decision making and more power in attracting the right partner for you. Low self-esteem leads to dysfunctional relationships that often end in heart-break.  We are going to give you some ideas for how to improve this area of your life in order to make decisions that support the happy, healthy person you truly want to be.

How to STOP COMPLAINING! And Why Your Life Depends On It

Today’s show is about turning around those things in your life that suck. You know the ones. The things that keep coming up over and over again. The friend who is always late or the family members who never appreciate the things you do for them. Those little irritants you are always complaining about. I have some simple strategies you can employ to make your life happier. We are going to explore how complaining sabotages your best efforts and what you can do about it.

Also, I’ve added a new segment called Helpful Home Remedies. Today I talk about the benefits of apple cider vinegar, what to look for when buying it and the best method for drinking it.
Want personal help? I've been there and I know the way out. Let me help you become the woman you want to be. Personal email consultation service available. Contact Nancy nancy@nancyatnoon.com  Visit my website for blog posts, more audio and other cool stuff!  nancyatnoon.com.

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Couscous & Fresh Vegetables with Samosas

Last night I wanted something fresh, nutritious, filling and festive for dinner. So I created a new recipe to satisfy all my desires. It's couscous with red and yellow peppers cooked in lots of healing spices then topped with fresh chopped tomato and avacado. I added a bit of decadence with the organic veggie samosas. So easy to make. For added elegance, I served it on the pretty new plates my sister gave me. READ MORE FOR RECIPE

How to Protect Yourself From Con Men on Dating Sites

How to avoid con men on dating sites. What to look for, warning signs that you’ve been targeted, and how to protect yourself to stop it from ever happening. Also, what to do when guys send unsolicited X-Rated photos of their private parts.

4 Tips to Recognize Con Men on Dating Sites

Con men create stories that match your lifestyle. They find out all about you then create a complementary story and persona that would attract you and keep you coming back. They often have one or 2 adult kids off in university, they own a prosperous business, have nice homes, expensive cars, travel to exotic lands on business trips and all the trappings of wealth.  They dress for success. Their cons are longer than ever before, depending on how much time it takes to win your trust. It could be a few months to a few years.

How Color can Ground You, Increase Self-Esteem and Creativity

 Color can increase your energy. In this post I'm going to briefly explain how color works and how you can use it to remove creative blocks, feel more grounded and develop a stronger sense of  intuition.

Listen to full 30 minute podcast.

How to Increase Your Energy & Decrease Fatigue Using Color

Toni is a healthy woman in her 40’s who is constantly exhausted. She wants to know how to have more energy so she can do the fun things in life that she doesn’t do anymore because of always being tired. Exhaustion is rapidly becoming a growing complaint among women of all ages.

How Organizing Your Closet Can Bring Balance to Your Whole Life

To bring your life back into balance you need to know where it’s out of balance. To set up a personal balance meter for yourself, list the different areas of your life, such as work, family, playtime, rest, and whatever categories resonate with your lifestyle. Then figure out how much time you spend in each category. Determine which areas of your life are demanding more of your emotional, mental and physical energy, and which areas are not getting enough attention. Read More . . . 

Listen to Podcast

How To Get Over Your Ex without Keying His Car

Many people mistakenly think it’s necessary to detach from ex boyfriends after a difficult break-up. Or to detach from friends after they’ve abandoned you. We can’t go around detaching from everyone who walks out of our life. The world would be a very lonely place indeed. Read More . . .

Listen to 30 minute Podcast.

Accepting the Unacceptable

Accepting the Unacceptable is an absolutely daunting task for most of us. But it’s necessary if we are to pick up the pieces and move on after devastating break-ups. They say time heals all wounds . . . . but does it really? Read More . . .

Listen to podcast of Accepting the Unacceptable:

Stuffed Zucchine with Tomato Almond Nut Pate

Stuffed Zucchini

This is a very refreshing recipe that is great all year long. Fun and easy on the barbeque or cooked in the oven. Very filling and fulfilling, you won't need a side dish when you serve it. 

Click the Read More link to get the complete recipe.

How to Make Happiness Last

Have You Made The Decision 

To Be Happy?

Lasting happiness is a choice. It's YOUR choice. It may seem like lots of things stand in the way of having a life where happiness reins, but it's not true. Stress is the biggest obstacle. It plays a huge role in our moods and emotional state. Read More to learn simple ways to lasting happiness. Read More . . . 

Listen to Podcast of How to Make Happiness Last


 

6 Tips to EASY Weight Loss

1. Live as if you are already your ideal weight. Feel how good it feels to be exactly how you want to look right now. Love yourself exactly as you are.

2. Forget about the scale. In Ayurveda we aim for Excellent health, not weight. Weight loss or gain is a by-product of perfect health.

Read More to get 4 more great tips!

Nancy's Morning Tips to Easy Weight Loss

1. Set your emotional tone before getting out of bed.

2. Drink warm water to start metabolism and cleanse.

3. Move. Do 20-30 minutes of exercise. Walk, swim, bike, yoga, run up and down the stairs.




I'd love to hear your weight loss tips. Please us the comment section to post your suggestions.

Ginger Lemon Tea Infusion

So simple to make with benefits that last all day. I drink this tea every morning and never have a cold. It's not really a tea, it's an infusion of fresh lemon juice and ginger root.

Read more for recipe and benefits.

Natural Homemade Banana Ice Cream

An Ayurvedic diet does not usually contain frozen foods, but this is a healthy alternative to the chemicalized frozen dairy products sold in supermakrets. So, if you are going to eat ice cream or serve it to your family, make a conscious choice to serve them natural energy and well-being.
Read More to get the recipe.

Traveling

I love France. It is so beautiful and there are great photo opportunities there. Ahhh ...... I am such a romantic.

The world is a trip and our life is just the journey through time space and emotions.

Spicy Warm Apples

Ahhhhh.....Nothing like a warm dish of spicy apples and cinnamon on a cool Fall day.
This is a great recipe for warming the heart, comforting the spirit and nourishing the mind. Simple, easy and delicious. 

Creamed Pear Delight

 

Creamed Pear Delight

Yummy, yummy, yum. Read more for complete recipe.

Medicinal Wine

This is a recipe for an ancient ayurveda medicinal wine. It has low to no alcohol content and is great for getting your digestive fires heated up so you can digest your foods better while assimilating the most from the nutrient content. 

What You Say May Be Killing You - Literally

Internal Factors That Affect Your Health

* * *

Internal factors are reactions that you create inside yourself in response to the world. Even though they happen inside you, it's best to think about them as behaviors because they are actions that you choose. By choosing how to perceive yourself, you can either behave your way to success or

When our lives are weeping the flowering of our heart's intentions,
the only thing that matters is to find ways to blossom.

This blog is dedicated the the flowering of my heart's intentions.
May you too be blessed with the tears and laughter of a life fully lived and love fully realized, given and expressed.

Journey Ahead

I am here on earth to live the fullest expression of my authentic self. Thus, I need to figure out what that means and what it is for me. Hmmmm.... I think me gots a wee journey ahead.

The Quagmire

When we understand that we come into life bringing eternity with us, all we've ever gone through and the behaviors we learned over lifetimes, we can then realize that the way our children turn out is not fully our responsibility. And, the way we turned out is not the responsibility of our parents. If we did our best in raising our children, then the guild in being a 'bad parent' can be dropped.

Exploits of a Would-Be Cake Decorator

     Last November I gave my daughter a cake decorating class for her birthday. For six months we have been eagerly waiting to learn the magic of turning an ordinary cake into a scrumpdili-icious mouthwatering masterpiece of gourmet art. On Wednesday night we finally got our chance.

     I thought it was going to be an easy class. The kind where we basically squeeze icing through pre-made tips to form flowers, letters, dots and squiggles. Then voila! Everyone is oohing and ahhing at our beautifully crafted decadent delights as we blush and say, "Shucks, it was nothing."
    
 Yeah, well that sure didn't happen. 


THIS HAPPENED . . . 

     That's my homework. The cake I'm supposed to take to class next week to decorate with pretty pink rose buds and dainty green foliage. NOT.

     I even treated myself to the expensive 8" x 3" round Wilton cake pan so that my cake would turn out perfect, just like my teacher's.   I've been baking cakes for neigh on 45 years and this one was straight from the Betty Crocker box. So what happened?

     I'll tell you what happened. This cake reflects my creative state of being at the moment - ALL OVER THE PLACE. There's just no hiding the truth, especially when it's flopped on a plate staring back at me. 

     So I decided to eat it for dinner, bake another one for class and use this crumbly mess as a message. Yep, time to make some clear goals with an action plan to back them up. 

     Stay tuned for  part 2 of The Exploits of a Would-Be Cake Decorator - layering with filling. It already sounds like a lick-it-off-the-body-and-floor yummy catastrophe waiting to happen. I'm in!!!

Hearts in Harmony

Valentine’s Day brings stress. Regardless of our relationships status, on February 14th every year our biological chemistry moves into the danger zone. Why? Because it’s one day of the year that is all about love . . . . and loneliness. Relationships and loneliness cause people intense anguish and mental suffering.

Art Makes YOU Beautiful: I know the secret....

A painting REFLECTS YOU and your energy.

How does this make YOU beautiful?

Simple. Every time you look at a painting you see an aspect of yourself. If you choose art that was created by a person with a beautiful spirit, her energy is embedded in the paints she uses, the canvas, the image and even the sweep of the brush. The painting that is born of her deep inner beauty radiates that energy into your home and seeps into your spirit. This allows you to connect to the Higher Source Inner Beauty from which all heart-centered artists channel and create, and thus raise your own vibrational level. And as you know, outer beauty is merely a physical display of the beautiful Being you are inside. We don't always show this side of ourselves to others because of the walls we put up to counter the conflict and chaos we meet with every day of our lives in the outside world.

You can enhance your external beauty merely by being surrounded in beautiful artwork.

Art Uplifts your Spirit, Feeds your Soul and Magnifies your Natural Beauty while Adorning your Walls.
Anything else you need to know can be found here:
nancymurdoch.com

Abbey of the Glen

She's a mystical earth spirit who makes her home in the meadows of our imaginations and the hearts of our yearning. The woman with ethereal beauty and a practical mind - Faerie Tale marries Mother Earth.

She leaves a dash of magic everywhere she goes and lights up the forest of confusion, doubt and darkness with the love that genuinely radiates from her heart. She lives inside each and everyone of us.

What message is she bringing you today?

Worthy Priciples to Live By:

Principle #3: Before you say anything to anyone, ask yourself;

1. Is it true?

2. Is it kind?

3. Is it necessary?

Worthy Principles to Live By #2:

Principle #2:

Never miss an opportunity to compliment someone or say something encouraging to someone. There are always many positive qualities to be found in all people. It's a healthy practice to seek them out and bring them to the surface. When it's honest, it makes us feel good and radiates a higher vibration to everyone around us.

Principles to live by #1

My ongoing intention is to always have a warm heart, an open mind and a peaceful continence. To maintain this state of love there are a few principles I live by.

Principle #1: Have a forgiving view of people; believe that most people are doing the best they can.