Own 2025: Make It Yours

Contributed by Stephanie Staples at Your Life Unlimited

In This Issue:

The Concept of Year-Defining Events
January 12 is National _____ Day!
Inspiring Movie Recommendation
My 2024 Reading List

Year-Inspiring Defining Events (YIDE)
Last year, I introduced Y.I.D.E.—the “Year-Inspiring Defining Event” idea, inspired by Maurice Thibodeau, a bright light in our world. The concept centers on planning a special event that defines your year, adding purpose and intention to your life.
For 2025, my YIDE is to complete a portion of the Camino de Santiago in Spain. It’s a dream I’ve held onto for years, and if the stars align, June will be the month to make it happen.
Looking back, I’ve been purposeful about YIDEs for over a decade. These planned experiences have enriched my life immensely, and my goal is to continue this tradition throughout my “go-go” years.
Here are some of my past YIDEs to spark ideas:

2024: Mt. Kusam Klimb; Build a Boat; Motorcycle Camping, Busking for charity
2023: Backcountry Canoe Trip; Attend Arlo’s Birth
2022: West Coast Trail Hike (Mother/Daughter); Solo Motorcycle Trip
2021: Broken Islands Kayak Trip
2020: Costa Rica
2019: Spartan Race
2018: Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip
2017: Hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
2016: Hosted a Couples Retreat; Vegas Marathon
2015: Visited Sidney, BC (now our home)
2014: Mindcamp
2013: European Mother/Daughter Trip

Plan your 2025 YIDE today—live intentionally and create a life filled with extraordinary moments. Click reply and share your past or future YIDEs!
***

Repairs needed

Public washroom vandalized in Sylvan Lake now closed

Mar 29, 2025

LINDA DOWNEY

Red Deer Catholic teacher receives Excellence in Catholic Education Award

Mar 28, 2025

Ready by June

St. Andrew's United Church Tree Planting Project approved by Lacombe city council

Mar 28, 2025

January 12 is National Tea Day
As someone who’s never had a cup of coffee in her life, National Tea Day speaks to my heart! My favorite tea is Bengal Spice. It’s caffeine-free, has a chai-like flavor, and is delicious hot or cold. Best of all, it’s impossible to over-steep. My only complaint? The boxes aren’t big enough!
What’s your favorite tea? Reply and share!

Must-Watch Movie: The Six Triple Eight
This WWII drama is based on an incredible true story, and it’s a cry-jerker that you won’t want to miss. The Hub and I both gave it top marks—reason enough to get Netflix, IMHO!
Seen a great movie lately? Reply with your recommendations!

What’s On Your Nightstand?
I doubled my reading in 2023 by committing to 15 minutes of daily paper-book reading and keeping an audiobook on the go. Here are some highlights:

Fiction: Anything read by Meryl Streep. Remarkably Bright Creatures & Starlight unforgettable were wins for me.
Non-Fiction: Living Untethered was a deep, thought-provoking read, and The Salt Path inspired me with its remarkable, true story, read by the author.

My 2024 Reading List is below, featuring mostly non-fiction with a sprinkling of fiction. Have any must-reads? Reply and share!
 
R – Read | L – Listened | F – Fiction
Practical/Science-Based

Return to Centre – Patricia Morgan (R): Practical, science-backed tips for balance.
Living Untethered – Michael Singer (L): Deep, thought-provoking, worth a relisten.
The Good Life – Robert Waldinger/Marc Schulz (L): Insights from the longest study on happiness.
The Mindful Body – Ellen J. Langer (R): Thinking your way to chronic health.
Outlive – Peter Attia, MD (L): Longevity advice; focus on grip strength.

Inspirational/Philosophical

The Last Lecture – Randy Pausch (R): Classic, thought-provoking read.
Bird by Bird – Ann Lamott (L): Encourages writing “word by word.”
The Creative Act – Rick Rubin (R): Reflective take on art and creativity.
Think Again – Adam Grant (L): Challenges beliefs with curiosity.
Emotional Agility – Susan David (L): Cool concepts about thought-blaming.
Never Split the Difference – Chris Voss (R): Negotiation insights like valuing “no.”
Your One Word – Evan Carmichael (L): Finding focus for life and business.
Infectious Generosity (R): Love the idea of spreading generosity.
The Art of Interesting – Lorraine Besser (R): Cultivating the good life.
Lagom – Nikki Brantare (L): Swedish philosophy of balanced living.

Fiction/Storytelling

Amy and the Angels – Wendy Burton (R, F): Different but enjoyable read.
Small Things Like These – Claire Keegan (L, F): A poignant 2-hour novella.
Lessons in Chemistry – Bonnie Garmus (L, F): Delightful and engaging.
Starlight – Richard Wagamese (L, F): Powerful storytelling.
Tom Lake – Read by Meryl Streep (L, F): Exceptional performance.
Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby Van Pelt (L, F): Similar to The Octopus Teacher.
Heartburn – Nora Ephron (L, F): Witty, read by Meryl Streep.
It Happened One Christmas – Chantel Guertin (L, F): Light and festive.
Really Good Actually – Monica Heisey (L, F): Drama-filled post-divorce story.

Creativity/Business

Feck Perfuction – James Victore (R): Encourages boldness in life and business.
Never Play it Safe – Chase Jarvis (R): Practical guide to freedom and creativity.
The Visual MBA – Jason Barron (R): Best consumed visually, not audio.

Happiness/Self-Care

The Happiness Track – Emma Seppälä (R): Science-backed tips for success.
Real Self-Care – Pooja Lakshmin, MD (L): Rejects cliché self-care ideas.
The Gifts of Imperfection – Brené Brown (L): Focus on embracing flaws.

Personal Memoirs/True Stories

The Salt Path – Raynor Winn (L): True story, deeply moving.
The Year of Magical Thinking – Joan Didion (R): Reflection on grief and life.
The Role I Played – Sami Jo Small (R): Behind-the-scenes of a hockey legend.

Short and Fun

G’Morning, G’Night – Lin-Manuel Miranda (L): Best enjoyed in small doses.
Big Ideas for Curious Minds – School of Life Press (R): Philosophy for kids.

Follow-Up to Last Week’s Good News
In last weeks issue, Question of the Year, after mentioning Tree.fm, Benita Stafford-Smith, my life-changing mentor (from 20 years back), who now lives in Oman, shared this:“In a land void of forests, there is magic in the sounds of the sands! The stillness atop a dune in the Empty Quarter left me breathless with its beauty.”
Although I have been to the Middle East, I did not have this experience. Curious about it, I looked up the sound of sand dunes—and wow, what a way to discover the world through a new sense!

That’s all, folks; make it a great week! Steph

Contributed by Stephanie Staples at Your Life Unlimited

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