Maybe you are very connected to nature. Maybe you spend a lot of times in the outdoors. Maybe you are a city slicker always surrounded by cars, people and buildings (like myself). I actually take joy in being a city girl, but I don't forget the feeling I get on my morning runs, or when I get to take in fall colours against a blue sky background. The feeling is not like anything I get when I am in my city life. I need that feeling. I need nature. We all need nature. This is how I figured it out...Enjoy! (better if you're listening to this in nature ;)).Cheers, Nat G

Très Flavoured

E32. Our Need For Nature

What is your opinion on graffiti? My guess is, considering where society stands, you don't see it as all too harmful or bad. But there was a time when it was frowned upon. What changed? We are often scared to change our minds and our beliefs because it implies questioning what we've believed to be true up until now. The thing is that when we hold so strongly to our values, we sometimes create judgemental thoughts in our head. This sometimes plays out on our treatment and behaviour towards others, usually strangers. Consider: road rage. Have a listen to my thoughts on context and how it can rid us of our judgement. Let me know what you think by subscribing and liking this episode. Check out my blog here: https://unconventionalclassrooms.blogspot.com/

E31. Graffiti Is Bad: Context Is Everything. Judgement Is Nothing.

Early Mornings. Running. Staying Motivated. These are things that you either dread or enjoy and embrace. Either way, you can relate to the idea that finding motivation is tough because it's usually involving something unpleasant and undesirable. It involves disrupting peace and calmness in your life. It usually means you have to experience pain and/ or suffering to some extent. And well, that kinda blows. Regardless, here is a little story on how I found my initial motivation to wake up early and go for a run. Essentially it came down to feeling a sense of desperation and also creating an environment that made it easy to be "successful" in. Creating "good" habits and breaking "bad" ones is no easy feat, but there are some very simple principles and I have discussed a few here. Have a listen, let me know what you think. Subscribe as well to my blog here: https://unconventionalclassrooms.blogspot.com/.Thanks for tuning in.Happy Habit Making & Breaking!Naty G

E30. Early Mornings, Running & MOTIVATION: How Can Find Yours?

We all know it. At one point in our life, we've hated that alarm clock. Okay, probably many more times than one. But it's a reality of life. Deal with, right? I am here to share a few thoughts on why it is so hard to wake up in the morning and get out of bed. I also have a few tips on what you can do to make yourself more effective at doing so, and hate it less. It's not really that you will hate it less, it is just that you will shift from suffering to a little bit of pain. Enjoy this one, really! It has helped me immensely in my morning wake up routine. Enjoy, subscribe and like if you do!Also, check out the blog post of this topic here :).

E28. If Waking Up In The Morning Is Hard For You, You NEED To Listen To This!

Man, why does everything great require so much damn patience. It's true. Tell me a time when you didn't have to wait for something great, and it turned out for the better? Okay, maybe when your ran out to buy a tub of ice cream, a whole pizza, sodas and some cookies. But let me guess, you felt like crap afterwards??? That's it. Good things take patience. The problem is that we barely know what this means anymore. Well, I am here to break down what patience is, feels like and how we can incorporate it more into our life. Check it out, enjoy & SUBSCRIBE.Check out the blog version of this podcast here!

E27. Patience As An Imperative Pain In The Butt

Hey Gang,We've all been going through a lot with this coronavirus pandemic/ COVID-19 situation. It's taught us a lot about, well, a lot! We have learned all about social distancing, quarantines, self-isolation, being boring, waiting in lines, dealing with worldwide emergency situations and toilet paper shortages. While we have been learning this the hard way, there are some cultures and countries who already knew what this felt like, pre-COVID-19. I lived in one of them, Cuba, for almost 5 years. Here is why I think they are killing it at the coping-game!Enjoy & Subscribe or SHARE this episode.Also, check out the matching blog post for the visual learners in the house!

E26. Why Cubans Are Well-Prepared For A Pandemic

Hey there, Naty G here with another valuable life lesson from an "unconventional classroom." Today we go to the kitchen while doing a chore that some of us despise and some of us don't actually mind. Regardless, we have all probably done it once and have found it to be quite time-consuming. That's what is so interesting: most things that lead to greatness do take time! Listen in to hear the other life lessons that I have learned from doing my dishes by hand (you might just be convinced)! Enjoy, share and subscribe if you are curious about what other crazy and wild "Unconventional Classrooms" I reveal along the way. Enjoy, Subscribe & SHARE!Also, you can check out the written blog post version here!

E25.Why Washing Dishes Will Make You A Better Person.

Well, we don't know exactly where we sit/ stand/ isolate right now. We are sort of making progress, but not because the little COVID-19 virus-things are much less prominent in our lives, simply because we are trying, as a society, to make progress. It's strange because it's not really safer, but we're acting like it is. Well, aside from all of that, I think one or two of us have spent the last few weeks & months pacing our houses asking ourselves things like, "What is my purpose in life? Where do I go from here? What do I need to do to truly be happy?" Big life questions like that, no? Well here are my 7 biggies to ask yourself, and don't worry, it's not too late to do so, you still have years to figure it all out ;).Happy Quarantine-ing!

E29. Quarantine Quiz: Have You Asked Yourself These 7 Questions During Quarantine?

Hey Guys, Naty G here with another reflection, not from a place of expertise, from a place of growth. I am right there with you in trying to become a greater version of yourself. This is something that came into my radar recently regarding where my head goes when convincing myself to do something. I usually have a very dramatic, "What If," reaction to the idea. And well, here's a little thought that might challenge me in these moments. Have a listen, see what you think & if you can relate. This is all about challenging us to push ourselves to become better communicators. It's usually hardest with the ones we love the most. Have a go! Enjoy ;)

E23. Do You Ever Play The "What If" Game With Yourself?

I made a decision today. Now, I just have to prepare my story for 2 or 3 years down the road when I say, "and then one day, I just decided to change." Then again, I have done this all before, you know, made a decision and then committed to it for like a week or even a few months. Somehow, this decision feels different. Although I have also said that before. However, the reason this decision feels different is that it's not really a decision to have a different end goal, like it usually is (I want to be more successful in my business, I was to lose x lbs, I want to find a boyfriend, I was to finish y project, etc). It's actually a decision to get more okay with and involved in the process of how things all play out in my life, not just the end goal. I will give you a summary of what I did today to prove to you that this is not just hocus pocus and that I am for real.- I ran. I didn't feel like it, it wasn't my normal routine, but I didn't have a better option for a workout given the situation, so I did it. It felt okay, good actually.- I started my email marketing. This has been DAUNTING me for so long because I imagined it to be so difficult. You know what, it wasn't! It wasn't easy, there were a couple of loop holes, but I did it. And the process was actually really rewarding. - I bought groceries and odds and ends from Canadian Tire. It seems easy, but the "yesterday me" would have found a reason not to do it when I was there and put it off. But I did it. Felt good. The list could go on, but I think you get the idea. Have a listen, give me your thoughts. I am sure the process of improving my podcast isn't going to be an easy one, but somehow I feel more prepared than yesterday, so bring it on!

E22. I Made A Decision Today

Meet Craig Martin. I sat down with a guy that I met and connected up with somewhere between serving him his double allongé espresso to back-and-forthing on Instagram. Then I realized something. This guy, is just like all of us, trying to live his best life, and make it something meaningful. For him, that means being in a healthy relationship with his wife, pampering his cats, spending an appropriate amount of time on social media sassing on others accounts, cooking, and well being a good friend to me. I think you will enjoy taking sometime and getting to know Craig, and who knows, you might just find that you have somethings in common with this complete stranger. Go and follow him on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thugbrutsen/Follow me while you're at it, here (personal): https://www.instagram.com/la.flavourista/ or my cookie business here: https://www.instagram.com/tresflavoured/Enjoy and please subscribe! Also, let me know if you would like to be featured and share your "flavourful" life story, or at least part of it!

E21. Meet Craig: Everything from dairy farms to deep dark periods of life, from social media to writing books, from introversion to belligerent homeless people, we touch on it all.

Today I woke up to a snowstorm, and a pretty legit one at that. Two things went through my head: not a good day to uber & an excellent day to uber. I went for option 2. In the end it was both. It was not a good day cause the roads were slick AF but an excellent day because demand was high, and life lessons were to be learned. So I went out, and persisted through, and ended up with a lot more in my head than I bargined for. Here's my take on ubering in a snowstorm....Enjoy!

E20. Ubering In A Snowstorm: A Lesson At Winning In Life

This is technically Episode 19, but for the sake of paying respects to the Black Mamba, we'll call it episode 24. This is a post about what excellence really encompasses. Why are we so scared of being excellent? Or perhaps, it's a disconnect between our mind and our actions. Whatever it is, it seems to be the very reason that we are inspired by people like the late Kobe Bryant. He portrayed excellence in his words, his actions, his sport and his life, in general. It is with these ideas that I have taken a moment during my morning drive to reflect on this recent unfortunate event. He is really something great. Guess what, you are too. Life is about living up to YOUR full potential, whatever that is. I say, "Go For It!" Cause tomorrow is not a promise...

E24. Excellence Is Expensive: Reflections on the passing of Kobe Bryant and why it's such a big deal for the world.

Salut à tous,Aujourd&apos;hui je lance mon premier episode en français! C&apos;est exciting, c&apos;est horrible, c&apos;est drôle, c&apos;est toute ça. Le weekend passé j&apos;ai voyage à Toronto pour une petite visite. Quand j&apos;était là, je suis allée au resto, "Ma Yve Grill" que j&apos;ai connu pour un video de Serge Ibaka, jouer de basket sur l&apos;équipe Toronto Raptors. La soirée on a passé super, en jasant de beaucoup de chose: les entreprise, la nourriture, la cuisine congolaise, les saveurs du monde, le social media, etc. Anyways, voilà, juste un petit "taste" de notre conversation. J&apos;éspère que vous le aimeriez. À la prochaine!Oui ça doit être "de" Calgary, pas "du" Calgary. All part of the charm, folks!

E18. L'Accent Français du Calgary: Ma Rencontre Avec Ma Yve de Ma Yve Grill

Hey there,Today I feel the urgency to share this recording that I made from back in the summer. This was some one-on-one time that I spent with githo, which is what we call "grandpa" and the term comes from the Czech, which is where his roots lie. My githo isn't doing so well these days. He is uncomfortable, with a number of medical problems and feeling the unimaginable feeling of getting near the end of his life, and having to deal with it emotionally and physically. Regardless, a few months back he was in slightly better condition and so I wanted to share the chat during the time I spent with him. Family is family. Love them or hate them, they are there, in your life, to teach you lessons, to be with you, to support you, to frustrate you, etc. All of that is important. Try to realize the importance of family in your life, that's what I have to say.

E17. This Is My Githo.

Flavour Is Life. When I started playing with cookies recipes and flavour, I would get so excited. Some ingredients (and their respective flavour) were sweet, bright and vibrant, others were spicy, while some were smooth, or intense. Then in some moment, I started realizing that is what life is like. Our lives are full of "flavours" of all sorts. Throughout our daily grind, life events, experiences, adventures and lessons, we get to taste a lot of different things. Some we like, others we don't, and maybe event hate. If you think about it, this metaphor of flavour reflects how we keep life interesting, where we find value, grow, connect and learn. My goal is to extract and share all of this "flavour" in life (mine, yours, otherwise). I hope you enjoy!

hubhopper

Très Flavoured

hubhopper