Hi everyone, Yvonne Heath here with Love Your Life to Death.

I have been sharing my life lessons learned along the way;
the wonderful knowledge and wisdom that has been shared with me
over the last many years of interviewing so many people, having great conversations and from my nursing career. I have learned so much
and continue to learn. One thing became clear when I stepped away from my nursing career really started to watch everyone.
Wow. busy-ness is truly an epidemic.

We do not have the capacity to sit still, to be present. We talk about mindfulness and yet I see what many try to jam pack in a day (even in a pandemic!). It is just too much. We don't have time for meaningful conversations. We don't carve out time to just sit and be present. As soon as kids have a moment out come the iPads or cell phones. 

We wonder why we have mental health issues? Our brains are so overloaded and overstimulated. It truly is time for change. When they tell me all the things they're doing, I simply ask, "Oh, are you happy?" They respond, 'What are you talking about? I don't have time to think about that question!" I think that's very sad. If you do not have time to ask,
"Am I happy in my life?" I think it's time to slow down. And now my question to you is, "If not, what can you do to change that?" 

There are so many choices in our world and so many activities our children can do and we can do. How wonderful. But where can we carve out time to just be? We really need to find it if we want to have joy in our lives. We want our children to have joy in their lives and be able to just slow down and ask those questions too. 

"Am I happy?" Something to think about!

 
To learn more about our
Get Ready for Grief
online program
click here

Purchase your copy
of Love Your Life to Death,
   
​ or audiobook here. 

    Click here to see Yvonne's TEDx Talk

This week I wanted to share my recent conversation with
my new friend Laurel Gillespie.

Laurel Gillespie is the Director of Advance Care Planning at the
Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association. Laurel is an advocate for disability rights and accessing quality health care. A true survivor,
Laurel has survived her battle with cancer and is considered by many
as a true social justice warrior -looking to create not just equality or
even equity but justice for all to live the best life possible. We talk about why it's important to have "The Talk" about end of life BEFORE it arrives!

To learn more about how you can #SpeakUp and start that
conversation with your loved ones, visit:

 https://www.advancecareplanning.ca/

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To learn more about our
Get Ready for Grief
online program
click here

Purchase your copy
of Love Your Life to Death,
   
​ or audiobook here. 

    Click here to see Yvonne's TEDx Talk

A few weeks ago, we shared that I reached a “career high."

Well, here it is—a conversation with my hero--Patch Adams!!

In 1998, I watched the movie, “Patch Adams” in which Robin Williams
(who lives in my heart forever), played a real-life doctor who brought clowning and joy to those who were suffering the most. It changed my
life and nursing career and I became sillier and funnier and loved to
make people laugh… especially on hard days.

When I began to write my book, we reached out to the Gesundheit Institute which was founded by Patch in 1971 and wondered if I could
get a quote for my book. (It’s always a “no” if you don’t ask, right!) 

I was given the quote, “If you gotta die, why not make it fun?”
I was beyond thrilled.

Since then, I have been studying Patch and all his incredible work.
He is a clown that is a doctor, an activist for care for all people, nature
and so much more. Ironically, this journey started with Patch being beaten up for standing up against racism in the 60's. He did not want
to live in a world with so much violence and injustice. He was suicidal and decided to start a "Love Revolution" instead. Now I have the
privilege of sharing a wonderful conversation that I had with Patch.
A dream come true.

I encourage you to visit his website and learn about his clown trips, Clownvets, and the free hospital he aspires to build. You can read the entire letter shared in the blog here.  Please support his vision in
any way you can. Learn, share and be inspired to help create a better world with heart and humour. Be like Patch!


People hunger for love and
clowning is a trick to get love close
~Patch Adams~
-

 
To learn more about our
Get Ready for Grief
online program
click here

Purchase your copy
of Love Your Life to Death,
   
​ or audiobook here. 

    Click here to see Yvonne's TEDx Talk

Happy Canada Day Everyone!
Here's a great song from our Muskoka neighbour, Paul Lagendyk.
Enjoy and celebrate our great country!

#ijustshowedup

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