The Coldest Winter – I believe that’s a Kanye West song from 808s & Heartbreaks, and that’s exactly what the mood it feels like, not just in Toronto, but on the East Coast and some of the Midwest in America. I feel for the homeless who are out there in the cold who can’t get to shelter (although it’s seriously necessary for them to be), and because of the crazy ice storm that happened just before Christmas ’13, this Winter taught a lot of people to return to the basics and appreciate the little things like oh, the appreciation of essential plumbing and electricity, and also it took us away from technology for a second and got back to actually communicating through words in front of people’s faces. See, I’m from the era where playing board games and cards with my mother was a weekly thing; a tradition I wish could continue, but as the years go by, responsibilities mount, new lifestyles change, and yes even technology changes.

Everything is about changes, and where a lot of people do everything in their power to keep things the same, it can’t be the same in all instances – you have to move with the times and grow or you’ll just stunt it and you’ll never truly tap into your true capabilities. I mean, I don’t know why us in a 1^st World society like to overcomplicate things by feeling that it’s necessary to have so many things that aren’t truly necessary, but the truth of the matter is, if you live in an environment where you need a certain amount to keep up with a maintainable lifestyle, yes, you have to adapt and adopt or you’ll get left behind. There are a lot of people who like to keep it basic and not feel like they have to live a mile a minute, but when so many people have dreams and ambitions that are of greater size than the land mass of their residence, you have to do more to get ahead. I’ve taken the metaphor of this winter and seeing the destruction of Mother Nature to gain some appreciation of what I have and although I don’t overly feel like I’m where I need to be, I had to stop and really appreciate just what I’ve accomplished, because you never know when you’ll hit that wall, although that’s a terrible way to look at life. I don’t like looking at life like “hey, I have to do so much now because I’ll never get the chance later”, I look at it like, if I continue to follow my instincts, and if certain situations set me back, it’s not going to necessarily hold me back from doing what I want down the line – nothing is ever out of reach.

I feel like people are scared to dream because of that doubt that lingers in the back of their minds. I get it, but life is about trial and error – you have to go through situations where you can learn how to stumble and get back to regain your footing and find better traction when you continue to push forward. I mean, life’s short and long at the same time. The average person lives like what? 80 something years? Unless you have a superb healthy lifestyle or a history of longevity in your family? I’m 24 now, and a lot of people I know in their 20 somethings feel like they can’t live the way they want to at such a young age…I mean, I don’t get it. Again, I get it; situations and all that – that’s fantastic, but however, unless you’re really one of those people who just want to take it easy forever and just kick it in the simple life, then disregard everything. If you’re a worry wart about having to do everything before you’re 35 when you’re ‘supposed’ to settle down, then you need to re-assess some things in life. I can’t judge – no one’s on trial, so maybe that was inappropriate, but it’s the truth that people never seem to understand. There’s no right or wrong way to live (well…in some cases), but at least live for as long as you can. 60, 70, 80, or 90 years – there’s always room to do something new. 2014 is set to be a continuation of good vibes for me, personally, and if you’re looking to make a significant change for the better, then why not now? Don’t let doubt and playing it safe consume you…I mean, unless that’s what you’re into and you want to be contained in solitary because of the extreme cold…polar…vortex. Spring is coming soon.

That’s My Word & It STiXX