No one can fairly accuse Canadians of not knowing how to throw a great birthday bash. Record crowds gathered for Canada Day Ceremonies in Ottawa which included the impressive RCMP Musical Ride and the changing of the guard on Parliament Hill, free music concerts headlined by The Bare Naked Ladies, a fly-past by the Snowbirds and CF 18 jets.  This year's lunch ceremonies were crowned by a visit by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The grand finale, as always, was a magnificent firework display with the Parliament Buildings as a backdrop.

 

A rfisky statue "accosts" a passerby

 

Most of the paint covering your walls probably contains Volatile Organic Compounds, (VOCs), which evapourate into the air that you breathe as the paint dries. Inhaling VOCs can cause respiratory problems, headaches, memory impairment, dizziness and fatigue as well as damage to the environment.  There are now an increasing number of low or no VOC products available for health conscious consumers. Look for the Ecologo Seal which certifies that the paint contains less than 250 grams/liter of VOC a level considered safe by Environment Canada.

Advantages

Low VOC paints are healthier choice for children's rooms and for people with existing respiratory problems.

Disadvantages

While base paints may be low or no VOC, when darker tints are added the VOC concentration raises.

The price of Low or No VOC paints tend to be higher than regular latex paints. ($50.99 / 3.78 litre container)

Recycled Paint

Advantages

Recovered paints do not end up polluting landfill sites, (or sewers), and are low cost ($13 / 3.78 litre container)

Production of recycled paint produces up to 75% less greenhouse gases than production of regular paints.

Disadvantages

Recycled paints may be manufactured from older high VOC paints and the colour choice tends to be fairly limited.

Where to get eco friendly paint.

This is what's available at Rona Hardware

For more detailed information about low or no VOC paints see the 2010 Consumer Reports Review.

Most unhealthy beliefs were created by us when we were very young and felt uncontrollable fear. We thought, "Fear is big and I am small so I must ignore my feelings of fear so that they don't overwhelm me. I will do something that soothes me and takes away my fear." Often what soothes us is eating. Many fears that we ignore in childhood remain unchallenged and are carried into adulthood. Here are some common unhealthy beliefs:

-          I am not worthy of respect unless I serve others or punish myself

-          I need to control things around me so that I don't get hurt. The world is a hostile place and there is not enough to go around. 

-          I will be successful when I get the promotion, drive that new car, win the lottery, find the perfect partner...

-          I will always be lonely because I'm unlovable

-          I must control myself because my poor judgment can spring out in an instant and ruin my life

-          I can't explore the feelings that make me unhappy because they will overwhelm me

-          I am so unhappy because I'm overweight

Here are some constructive beliefs to replace the ones above. These lead to healthier decision making.

-          Other people's behavior has nothing to do with my value as an individual and my self respect.

-          I already have everything that I need to be happy. Heaven is already here on Earth.

-          Getting what I need is very different from wanting something that I can never have. Spiritual hunger can never be satisfied on the physical level.

-          Everybody loves the same beautiful things like kindness to others, taking care of yourself, taking care of the Earth.

-          If I avoid challenging my past beliefs then I will always spend the present fearing what's past.

-          It's not feelings of sadness, loneliness, or grief that will overwhelm me. It's my inappropriate overreaction to those feelings that will hurt me.

-          I am overweight because I am unhappy. When the shape of my beliefs no longer matches the shape of my body, the extra weight will disappear.

Bolting

Bolting is another behavior learned in childhood that allows children to mentally leave a situation that they can't physically leave. The main reason that adults bolt is to avoid facing their feelings. Many people believe that if they experience their feelings, they will become incapacitated so they look outside themselves to find comfort. Here are some common ways that adults bolt:

-          keeping distracted with the internet, texting, TV, video games, movies, gambling...

-          blaming others for your problems, comparing yourself to others, dreaming about life in the future, overeating, becoming obsessed with work, money, fame...

-          keeping yourself numb through alcohol, addictive drugs, antidepressants...

-          Trying to solve your problems in ways that will never work. When you invent a problem to cover over your life, all that you'll see is the problem that you've invented. Whatever you focus attention on will get bigger and you'll miss anything that is not related to your focus. You'll miss your life.

Bolting is maladaptive because it  avoids resolving feelings which then prevents closure for bad situations. Bolting around food means that you eat when you're not hungry or bored and don't stop eating after you're full. When you learn how to separate the reaction to bad feelings from simply experiencing them you will be in a better position to identify the faulty beliefs that cause them and then create resolutions that allow closure.

The Voice

If you were asked to list ten things that you could improve about yourself, chances are that you could come up with them quickly, (and possibly add some more). This is an example of what Geneen calls "The Voice". The voice starts out as coach that helps us adapt as children, (don't stick your fingers into the electrical socket, look both ways...), develops into a moral compass, (don't take that because it doesn't belong to you...) and then can become "The Voice" of self judgment, (you have no self control because you ate that entire piece of chocolate cake).  Listening to the voice will sap your strength, passion and energy and leave you feeling ashamed and squashed. No real or long lasting change can occur until you learn how to ignore the voice.

Here are the simplified steps to ignoring the voice.

1. Identify when you are being affected by the voice. A good way to tell is if you do something out of shame, obligation or deprivation.
2. Write or speak out loud the exact statements that the voice is making. Note them without directing, judging or becoming affected by them.
3. Do what you love that motivates you to be kind, take care of yourself and take care of others.

By being directed by the voice we punish ourselves for daring to believe that we can create a better life for ourselves. Freedom is hearing the voice and not believing it.

Rediscovering Our True Nature

There is a part in everyone which has never been hurt by others; a place within all of us that is unbroken. Think back to a time when you were transported beyond yourself, when time stopped and you were suddenly happy. You suddenly caught sight of the beauty around you and not one thing had changed from the moment before and yet everything looked and felt completely different. This is a gllimpse of our inner beauty; our true nature.

The activities to help people discover their true nature involve bringing your attention back to the present moment by using awareness, (the ability to know what you're feeling), and presence, (the ability to observe a feeling while sensing the underlying cause).  Geneen explains what to do to become aware of your feelings while you eat with seven eating guidelines. Some of these include: eat sitting down in a calm environment, (not in your car), eat without distractions like radio, television, reading material or anxiety-producing conversations, and eat with pleasure.

She invites you to become aware of what you feel but not react by judging, comparing or analyzing. Thinking like this will return you to the well worn grooves of behavior that you've experienced so often you believe them to be the truth.

Inquiry is about finding out who you are when you are not being run by your past. When you evoke curiosity without judgment you can align yourself with the beauty, dignity and love of your true nature. You will learn to tell the difference between what you feel and what you think you should feel through increased body awareness, meditation, and breath awareness.

Women Food and God ends by describing the journey in God which is about living in authenticity, inquiry and meditation which are based on the belief that you already have within you everything that you need to be whole.