Boy, why is it that I always start out writing one blog, but end up switching to another? Yesterday I tried to write this blog, a quick update on what I’ve been up to while I’ve been so remiss in blogging. However, I also spent a lot of time yesterday reading about feng shui and working on my own project. And so, yesterday’s blog just poured out of me and now this little update got relegated to today. I’m pretty sure this one is not as interesting as yesterday’s, but an update is still probably worth it for those of you who, like me, take a slightly excessive interest in the lives of people you don’t know…

This past weekend was a long weekend due to Canada’s celebration of Queen Victoria’s birthday (or of beer – there is a reason it’s called “May 2-4 weekend”). Hence the title of this blog.

It’s been a busy last couple of weeks! My birthday was last weekend and I had a great dinner with friends. This weekend I visited my Dad and got to have a few more great dinners and celebrate my birthday a second time with him!

I’ve also been working at my NEW JOB, which is already so fun and informative! I am working in a health food store that truly excels at customer service. The owner seems to know every customer by name and it is unbelievable how many people come in just for his compassion and expertise. Of course I am learning so much about nutrition and supplements, which will be invaluable to me when I am a doctor (many years and dollars from today).

I continue to meet wonderful people at school and at my job and therefore continue to be amazed at how fun and stimulating my life is because of these people! This also has me already excited about IfHI 2007, where I will surely meet so many more exceptional people from this community. Check out more information here

For the past few weeks I have been working on a feng shui project with the generous help of a friend from the forums. She was nice enough to offer to share her extensive knowledge of feng shui with me and I am excited to tap into her expertise to work on my new room and house this summer! Already I am learning so much from her feedback and from my own reading in books and on the internet. Check out the feng shui discussion in the forum.

Sante_j recently wrote a blog on feng shui. While I admire her vigor in expressing her view, I just don’t see things in such a strict way. Why assume that the great thinkers and artists she mentions chose imbalance and were therefore great? While I believe that NOTHING is ever in balance, isn’t it the SEEKING of balance (or “harmony” or “right” or “better”) that produces greatness? No one who is a “master” in some field begins as one. True masters learn the guidelines and techniques of their art and use these tools for their own extraordinary self-expression. The paintbrush does not create a masterpiece, it is simply a conduit for the painter.

So, I think rather than being restrictive, feng shui is a tool that encourages creativity and individual expression. Feng shui provides guidelines and a structure for creating a harmonious home just like the BTD does for creating a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Many people see the BTD (or any other popular diet or lifestyle strategy) as being too restrictive, but my experience has been that learning about this lifestyle, and natural medicine in general, has challenged me to go beyond what was easy or convenient and instead step up and learn what is RIGHT for me. It provided a structure to learn the best foods, exercise, and lifestyle for me as an individual and the reward is a healthy, happy outlook that I might not have achieved otherwise. Just like I have tools to help me achieve my goals for health, feng shui is a tool to help me achieve my goal of a harmonious and personalized environment. Feng shui is a set of guidelines, not hard and fast rules. It is up to the user to go beyond “following the rules” to become an artist and to apply this information to their unique situation.

Today I was working on possible floor plans for my room and thinking about what colours and decorations I want to use. If I was not considering feng shui principles, my room would look nice enough, but I definitely wouldn’t have put as much time and effort into it. Learning about feng shui is so interesting that I am now challenging myself to be more thoughtful and creative. Because of this effort, I have come up with new ideas on furniture arrangement and how to use pieces I already own (and love) creatively to make this space truly mine. The result is going to be far more harmonious and personalized specifically BECAUSE I have feng shui guidelines at my disposal.

The use of any tool depends on the user – guidelines may exist, but the use of them by a unique individual is what makes the product art.

The definition of compassion is: sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it. Compassion is a wonderful thing and I have benefited from an abundance of it this past week.

The latest in the long list of changes in my life this year is that my relationship with someone for whom I cared deeply ended. The fact that this relationship ended is not a surprise in itself, but the timing was not expected. And while I am sad that it had to end, I think that I am likely more upset about the potential that this relationship had, but was not realized.

Whenever something hurtful happens to me, there is always at least a small part of me that feels like the world should stop, because somehow my problems are larger and more important than anything else, which is of course not true. However, when people show me as much compassion and support as they have lately, it really helps me to gain perspective and remember that the world is a wonderful place. Knowing that people care about you and that you are valued is the best feeling in the world. I am so grateful for all the kind words and favours that so many people have shown me this week. This experience has made me realize how important compassion is and that my lesson from this is that I can and should show more compassion towards others. I can pick myself up and lend my strength to people who need it.