THE ATTITUDE IS GRATITUDE By Sara Stepa

Hey Party People, I’m sure many of us have felt the feeling of excitement and joy when we get something back we haven’t had for a period of time. And I KNOW there are A LOT of things we’ve been missing since COVID hit. What are some of the things you’ve missed most? For me, it has definitely been people, and I don’t just mean my friends or co-workers, I just mean PEOPLE, in general. What’s been very weird over the years is that I have transformed from a complete and utter introvert to a mega extrovert. I now 100% recharge in settings when I am with people, and of course more so with “my people.” This could be in a professional setting, or social setting; its places where I feel like my most confident self and I thrive. Since COVID hit, obviously these social settings have been off the table. But now that we are beginning to re-open I am SO EXCITED to see people. I am happy to see 4 th street, the amazing community I live, full of life again. I am happy to be able to hit a pati...

Hey Party People, The sun is BACK here in YYC and I cannot express how much joy those blue skies bring me. Dreary days have an impact on our moods, but when they begin to dissipate it transforms not only our external environment but our internal state as well. I left my apartment Saturday morning and the fresh smell of rain was so refreshing, it smelled like a flourishing forest even though I live in the concrete jungle of YYC. As the day went on I took notice of the clouds dissipating and enjoyed a beautiful evening outside with clear blue skies and crisp air. It might seem small, but taking notice of how the external environment impacts your mood can be very eye opening. Pay attention to how you feel this week with sunny skies in the forecast, or if you’re elsewhere that doesn’t have sunny days coming up, how does the forecast impact your mood. I know we can’t change the weather, but we can change how we view it and how you let it makes you feel. On that note, how do you feel,...

Hey Party People, Well, it’s a bit of a dreary week here in YYC with cloudy skies and rain. I said to someone today, the rain is here to help water all our trees and flowers so they can burst out and fill our lives with colour! Who else can ’t wait for the colours!! We’ve all heard sayings like there is always sunshine after the rain, or we can’t know joy without true sadness, and it's true. But when we’re living the dark days, or trekking through the storm it's hard to remember that it will get better. What we forget is that we have to keep going. If we simply stop trying we will stay stuck. We’ll stay stuck in the sadness, stuck in the anxiety, stuck in the storm. Now if you need to stay stuck for a while, be stuck, but at some point, if you want more for your life again, you have to take a step. You have to move forward. I think so many of us are lost and don’t know what the next step is. When our lives get flipped upside down, OF COURSE, we’re going to feel lost, of...

Hey Party People, The first long weekend of the summer has come and gone. How did it feel? It was a gorgeous weekend and I saw so many people out and about enjoying the beautiful weather. But I can guarantee that many people were dwelling on the fact that patios didn’t open in Calgary, or that COVID is going to hold a dark cloud over the rest of our summer. This will only be true if you choose to only see the dark cloud and ignore the sunny rays breaking through. I was chatting with a friend about summer and she asked if I thought I’ve be travelling or go anywhere. For me it’s doubtful, I just feel there are too many unknowns. I’m just going to enjoy my summer close to home and do the best I can. Unfortunately, many of the great things I could enjoy during a summer at home have been cancelled – Stampede, Country Thunder, etc. But I’m not dwelling on this. What IS possible is time with family, backyard fires, more chances to go hiking, opportunities to go for a picnic. There are ALW...

Hey Party People, I hope you are having a wonderful and beautiful week. I know it started off a bit gloomy and CHILLY, but yesterday here in YYC the sun was shining and it felt like a NEW day! There’s something special about sunshine after gloomy days or a rainbow after a storm. Its always more beautiful, don’t you think? What if we chose to focus on our rainbows and the rays of sunshine in our lives right now instead of the storm of unknowns swirling around us. I’ve started a new mantra, “how is COVID happening FOR me?” I’m trying to focus on changes and our adjusted reality in positive ways. Ha I know you saw that coming (positivity central over here!). This practice may come in handy as the province begins our re-launch strategy. Starting today most of the province can begin opening up, but Calgary was an exception. It came as a blow and surprise yesterday evening for many restaurant owners, hairstylists, and more, who are excited for the upcoming long weekend. We were all exc...

Hey Party People, I’m feeling a bit fiery in my heart right now despite feeling a little crappy in my body. I heard a question today that made me think – Could you imagine if you were going through this time without a purpose? And I wondered, how many of you feel that way? How many of you feel like you’ve lost your direction or lack any kind of purpose right now? Are you allowing yourself to drown in the unknown? Are you allowing yourself to just be pissed off all the time? Are you wallowing in the experiences you may have missed out on? If you are still sitting in those feelings we all felt in week one of COVID, its time to let it go. It is time to stop allowing this virus to control your life, your mindset, and your choices. I’m not saying you forget about how you felt, or the things you may have lost, but staying stuck in those emotions does not serve you. It can no longer be an excuse to watch Netflix or to start drinking at noon, or to eat take-out food every dang day. ...

Hey Party People, We’ve done a pretty good job of keeping our COVID numbers low in the province, staying home and limiting our contact with ... well everyone. And its worked exactly as they had hoped, we flattened the curve. Now its time to start loosening up some of our restrictions. Non essential health procedures are starting up again, things like physio and chiro are able to take patients again and come May long weekend cafes, bars, and restaurants have the option to begin opening their doors again. YAY! This is good right ? Truthfully I have complete mixed feelings about it all. First of all yes I want to hug the crap out of everyone I see. This is what I miss the most and I truly want to see my friends and spend time with people in real time, but I’m also hesitant. I can feel a resistance to what this will look and feel like. Just because things are opening up does that mean I should go out? Just because restrictions are loosening does that mean I can see my friends again? ...

Hey Party people, Remember  those tiny little gremlins  in our head I wrote about a couple weeks ago. That voice that tries to kill your dreams and feeds your excuses? Well they are wreaking havoc in my mind as I strive to become a better version of myself, and share it with others. I keep saying to myself that what I have to say doesn’t matter. My opinion carries no weight. No one cares what I share. I'm not struggling...so I don’t get an opinion! Its this never-ending loop of these tiny little gremlins that are growing into gargoyles. (Don’t ask where these analogies came from, I really don’t know myself haha). These negative thoughts discourage me and plant seeds of doubt and unworthiness. And its unfair the power these words have on my mindset. Fortunately, or unfortunately, these words only have the power I give them. Do you have tiny little gremlins eating away at you too?   As I go through each day and each week of this pandemic I’v...

Hey Party people, I just finished a full Saturday of personal development by a woman, named Rachel Hollis, who has changed the way I believe in myself. Changed the way I believe I can show up in this world. And I am inspired. I spent over 8 hours listening to speakers talk about courage and the importance of leadership during this time. Throughout the day there were so many nuggets of amazing inspiration and takeaways but the final message from Rachel was about leadership. Leadership is about showing up when others don’t know how. Leadership is taking a step forward when no one else will. Leaders know the way, show the way and go the way. Leaders are mamas, sisters, coworkers, writers, speakers, and friends. Sometimes we choose this role and other times it gifted to us by others. Being a leader is hard. It’s not a role that should be taken lightly because when people turn to you, count on you, and follow your direction, they need you. You have been given a special power to gu...