https://pixels.com/profiles/trudie-ottolini

A Journey through Life - Day by Day, Nanaimo, BC (2026)

08/17/2025

DAY 20 – COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

“Gratitude is one of the fastest ways I know to magically begin experiencing the full state of health you are meant to have in your body and mind.”
The Magic by Rhonda Byrne

1. I am truly blessed to have had a strong mum who despite all our challenges helped me navigate the medical challenges that came with this little body of mine! Thank you thank you thank you
2. I am so happy and grateful for what became our days of adventure as mum and I took the bus, the train, the subway and then walked the big city blocks to the hospital for my checkups because I see now they gave me more confidence to move about and explore the world beyond my doorstep. Thank you thank you thank you
3. I am truly grateful for my Dad, who took me on father daughter trips once a year once I graduated school and showed me his way of exploring this great big world. Thank you thank you thank you
4. With all my heart, thank you for car rides and train rides and plane rides and bike rides and all the rides that took me farther and farther outside my comfort zone, until everywhere became comfortable. Thank you thank you thank you
5. I am truly blessed to have had homes in three different countries, each with a wonderful circle of friends, and for all of those friendships that have carried on and carried me through all the good and bad times of life so far. Thank you thank you thank you
6. I am so happy and grateful for my extended family in England who welcome me if I visit and who come to visit me when they can, and who continue to let me know I am loved and despite mum and dad’s passing that we will not be forgotten and will always be family. Thank you thank you thank you
7. I am truly grateful for cool, rainy days and tv channels with endless sappy hallmark movies where you can lose yourself for a quiet moment or three. Thank you thank you thank you
8. With all my heart, thank you for strong legs that carry me through forests and streams, up hills, down ravines and deep into other worlds waiting to be explored. Thank you thank you thank you
9. I am truly blessed to have miles of rocky beaches with gentle waves or beasts that roar against the shore, just moments away at any given moment. Thank you thank you thank you
10. I am so happy and grateful for a quiet and peaceful life surrounded by beauty and friendship. Thank you thank you thank you

What are you grateful for today? Don’t be shy….share a little gratitude!

08/15/2025

MAGICAL PRACTICE # 15 – MAGICALLY HEAL YOUR RELATIONSHIPS

Gratitude will magically improve any difficult relationship, whether that person is a spouse, a sibling, a child, an in-law, family, friend or a neighbour.

For today’s magical practice you are going to look for a hot coal that is burning your life (that is a difficult relationship), and literally turn it into gold thru gratitude! Choose one difficult, problematic, or broken relationship that you want to improve.

Sit down and make a written list of ten things you’re grateful for about the person you’ve chosen. Think back through the history of the relationship and list the great things about the person or the great things you received from the relationship. The easiest way to do this is to think back to the way things were before the relationship deteriorated or ended.

This magical practice is not about who is right or wrong. No matter what you feel someone has done to you, no matter what someone said or didn’t do, you can magically heal the relationship, and you don’t need the other person in order to heal it within you.

By the time you have finished a list of 10 things you are grateful for about this person, you should feel better about both them and the relationship. The ultimate point you want to reach is where you don’t have any bad feeling towards the person anymore, because it is your life that is burned by those feelings.

1. L, I am grateful for our time together, for it gave me an opportunity to know you better as the adult you have become and to reconnect with you after so long apart. Thank you thank you thank you
2. L, I am grateful to you for introducing me to the beauty that is Vancouver Island, without you I may not have chosen this magical place to call home. Thank you thank you thank you
3. L, I am grateful to you for introducing this place as “Super Natural, BC” and believing that the magic here is real and possible. Thank you thank you thank you
4. L, I am grateful to you for providing me with a safe space, a roof over my head, a place to call home, a place to regain my feet (literally after my broken ankle) and a place to catch my breath after a traumatizing life experience. Thank you thank you thank you
5. L, I am grateful to you for sharing your home with me and giving me a place to live while I took a moment to decide where my next home would be. Thank you thank you thank you
6. L, I am grateful to you for arranging for me to borrow a car from your friends to allow me the freedom to explore my new world and make plans for a future. Thank you thank you thank you
7. L, I am grateful to you for also taking in my beloved cat Sky, giving him a safe space with me, even though I know you are not a cat person. Thank you thank you thank you
8. L, I am grateful to you for the meals we shared despite you being tired after long days at work. Thank you thank you thank you
9. L, I am grateful to you for taking the time, and making the effort, to show me around this beautiful island, both when I first visited on vacation and then when I actually moved here. Thank you thank you thank you
10. L, I am grateful to you for introducing me to your friends and reconnecting me to your side of the family and making me feel like I was not alone in a new place, even if only for a moment. Thank you thank you thank you

I wish you all the love, all the joy, peace and gratitude that this world has to offer.

Thank you thank you thank you

08/15/2025

DAY 19 – COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

“…the magic you once believed in is true, and it’s the disillusioned adult perspective of life that is false. The magic of life is real - and it’s as real as you are. In fact, life can be far more wonderous than you ever thought it was as a child, and more breathtaking, awe-inspiring, and exciting than anything you’ve seen before. When you know what to do to bring forth the magic, you will live the life of your dreams. Then, you will wonder how you ever could have given up in believing in the magic of life!”

The Magic by Rhonda Byrne

1. I am truly blessed to have answered the phone when my surgeon’s office called because I was able to accept an appointment that became available from a cancellation and can get my knee replacement done in 5 weeks instead of 5 months! Thank you thank you thank you
2. I am so happy and grateful for friends with extra equipment that I can borrow to help in my recovery after the surgery. Thank you thank you thank you
3. I am truly grateful for the friends that have already stepped forward to let me know that they will be around to drive me to and from my surgery, an hour away, and more importantly that they will not let me go through my recovery alone or without assistance! Thank you thank you thank you
4. With all my heart, thank you for our medical system where my knee can be replaced without a penny from me directly to pay for it. Thank you thank you thank you
5. I am truly blessed to have a rainy day, a good book and a purring cat…what more could one want or need! Thank you thank you thank you
6. I am so happy and grateful for the smell and taste of hot coffee on a cool, dark day. Thank you thank you thank you
7. I am truly grateful for apple pie in a jar because it takes the work out of making a wonderful apple crisp! Thank you thank you thank you
8. With all my heart, thank you for jars full of fresh plum jam, setting on my kitchen countertop, that will provide yummy nourishment to add to many dishes throughout my recovery and the winter! Thank you thank you thank you
9. I am truly blessed to have a surgery date that will have me fixed and healed before the first snow falls so that I need not worry about slipping with a walker or cane. Thank you thank you thank you
10. I am so happy and grateful for Youtube that suggests video after video of healthy meal and snack ideas that I might prepare ahead to have quick and easy food ready for when my mobility is briefly very limited. Thank you thank you thank you

What are you grateful for today? Don’t be shy….share a little gratitude!

08/13/2025

MAGICAL PRACTICE #14 – HAVE A MAGICAL DAY

To see and experience the most magical day of your life, you can be grateful for your whole day before you live it!

To Have a Magical Day, you simply think through your plans for the day and say the magic words, thank you, for each one going well, before you’ve lived it. Being grateful for your day beforehand creates a magical day through the laws of attraction; when you give thanks for the experiences in your day going well, you must receive back experiences going well!

End your list with “and thank you for the great news coming to me today!” and see what comes your way!

Now get out there and enjoy a magical day!

08/10/2025

DAY 18 – COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

“Intentions compressed into words enfold magical power.” – Deepak Chopra

The Magic by Rhonda Byrne

1. I am truly blessed to have the freedom to sleep late if that is what my body decides it needs! Thank you thank you thank you
2. I am so happy and grateful for apples picked fresh from the tree to preserve into jars for colder days. Thank you thank you thank you
3. I am truly grateful for the wonderful smell of fresh picked strawberries! Thank you thank you thank you
4. With all my heart, thank you for hot summer days, gentle breezes and flowers in bloom. Thank you thank you thank you
5. I am truly blessed to have a circle of friends large enough to fill my days with so many adventures! Thank you thank you thank you
6. I am so happy and grateful for Jojo, my beautiful little cat that is a living example of the joy of afternoon naps. Thank you thank you thank you
7. I am truly grateful for warm beams of sunlight coming in through my windows! Thank you thank you thank you
8. With all my heart, thank you for my outdoor sanctuary, water trickling down my fountain and birdsong from sun up to sun down! Thank you thank you thank you
9. I am truly blessed to have stacks of books to read on quiet afternoons, new worlds ready to explore with the turn of every page. Thank you thank you thank you
10. I am so happy and grateful for timbits….a guilty pleasure every now and then…mmmm. Thank you thank you thank you

What are you grateful for today? Don’t be shy….share a little gratitude!

08/08/2025

DAY 17 – COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

“It is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”-Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1045)

The Magic by Rhonda Byrne

1. I am truly blessed to have a beach bag, packed and ready for the next spontaneous adventure to begin! Thank you thank you thank you
2. I am so happy and grateful for friends who take me along to meet even more new friends to have a day of fun. Thank you thank you thank you
3. I am truly grateful for campgrounds where you can visit new friends and enjoy the beautiful surroundings! Thank you thank you thank you
4. With all my heart, thank you for extra floaties, to spend an afternoon of conversation rafted up in the water floating on gentle waves. Thank you thank you thank you
5. I am truly blessed to have friends to help get me back to a standing position after an afternoon of floating! Thank you thank you thank you
6. I am so happy and grateful for BBQ burgers and a bag of chips, devoured just feet from the sea. Thank you thank you thank you
7. I am truly grateful for cake and cookies and ice cream bars…because everybody brought a dessert! Thank you thank you thank you
8. With all my heart, thank you for clear blue skies after a smoky morning and the gentle breeze that moved the smoke! Thank you thank you thank you
9. I am truly blessed to have friends that eagerly stand at the ready to help out when I will be unable to walk for a moment, even though that is still months away. Thank you thank you thank you
10. I am so happy and grateful for new friends, good laughs, and more plans for days on the water to enjoy this wonderful summer. Thank you thank you thank you

What are you grateful for today? Don’t be shy….share a little gratitude!

08/04/2025

MAGICAL PRACTICE #13 – MAKE ALL YOUR WISHES COME TRUE

“the Magic” – by Rhona Byrne

Gratitude is something you must have before you can receive, not something that you simply do after something good has happened. Most people are grateful after they receive something good, but to make all your wishes come true and change your entire life by filling it with riches in every area, you must be grateful before and after.

Through the act of being sincerely grateful for receiving your desire beforehand, you immediately form an image in your mind that you have it, you feel as though you have it, and you’re fulfilling your part. If you continue to hold to that image and feeling, you will magically receive your desire. You won’t know how you’ll receive it, and it is not your job to figure it out.

So….What do you most want right now?

Choose your top 10 desires for this magical practice. Imagine you are putting in a magical order with the Universe for your top ten desires. Be specific, include details.

Make a list of these desires, as though you have already received them:

1. Thank you, thank you, thank you for a large plot of land with a forest, a beach and an ocean view!
2. Thank you, thank you, thank you for an environmentally friendly home built from h**p blocks, with solar electricity, rainwater collection and everything I have always wanted a home to be
3. Thank you, thank you, thank you for small cottages, and full human sized fairy homes, on my acreage by the sea so that I may age gracefully in the company of wonderful friends
4. Thank you, thank you, thank you for a space where I may print and sell my photography, bringing beauty into so many homes
5. Thank you, thank you, thank you for a contract to sell my photos as puzzles, earning a steady royalty and making my photos accessible to more and more people
6. Thank you, thank you, thank you for multiplying my stock photo sales and generating a sustainable revenue stream every month
7. Thank you, thank you, thank you for a wonderful partner who loves me unconditionally just as I am and is everything I have ever hoped for
8. Thank you, thank you, thank you for years of adventures, travelling to all the corners of the world, exploring new vistas and photographing all of nature’s creations
9. Thank you, thank you, thank you for allowing me to be a part of a world changing company, making homes more environmentally friendly, conserving the planet’s resources, making homes more affordable and changing the ways we live on this planet
10. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the heavy rainfalls, they are just enough to put out all the fires burning and nourish the earth, and yet not so much as to cause flooding and further heartbreak for the affected communities

Now, if you have your list, use your imagination to answer the following questions in your mind, as though you have received each of your ten desires:
1. What emotions did you feel when you received your desire?
2. Who was the first person you told when you received each desire? How did you tell them?
3. What is the first great thing you did when you received your desire?
Include as much detail as you can in your mind.

Do you dare to dream a little dream with me?

What are your greatest desires?

08/03/2025

DAY 16 – COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

“Whoever has gratitude now will be given more in the future, and he or she will have an abundance”– the Magic by Rhonda Byrne

1. I am truly blessed to have blackberries growing wild, everywhere, fresh, sweet and tart and free for the taking! Nature’s nutritious bounty. Thank you thank you thank you
2. I am so happy and grateful for all the firefighters working so hard on the island to save our natural beauty and protect homes and animals from the current forest fire. Thank you thank you thank you
3. I am truly grateful for a peaceful home, birdsong and summer breezes, allowing me to remain calm and at peace each day. Thank you thank you thank you
4. With all my heart, thank you for millions of shades of green in our local woodlands, there is no box of crayons big enough to capture every shade of green Mother Nature has imagined. Thank you thank you thank you
5. I am truly blessed to have an irrigation system, gently watering my garden every day….so I don’t kill it in this heat! Thank you thank you thank you
6. I am so happy and grateful for ceiling fans and a shaded porch, allowing the apartment to stay cool on hot summer days without needing to turn on the a/c. Thank you thank you thank you
7. I am truly grateful for other people’s dogs, all of the love, none of the work. Thank you thank you thank you
8. With all my heart, thank you for 4 loving nieces, at least 3 of which actually read my posts! Thank you thank you thank you
9. I am truly blessed to have space to call my own where I may rest, relax and be whoever I choose to be each day. Thank you thank you thank you
10. I am so happy and grateful for all the wonderful people reading and liking these posts! I am hopeful that each of you is taking a moment to think of what you are grateful for today, even if you don’t share it out loud. Thank you thank you thank you

What are you grateful for today? Don’t be shy….share a little gratitude!

08/01/2025

THE MAGIC THAT IS RACHEL

Rachel, the youngest of my nieces, and the one that has followed in my footsteps. Thank you thank you thank you for choosing to walk the path that I have walked, and doing it better, starting it younger and stronger than I did, and growing into such a strong and confident young woman. Thank you for taking the time to come visit me and allowing me to know you better. Thank you for being fun and playful and playing supermodel to my camera to create such stunning images! Thank you for showing me that my choices just might have been inspiring after all, despite them taking me to far away places away from your day to day young life. Thank you for making time to spend with me whenever I come back home to visit. Thank you for silly afternoons doing holiday crafts, for your smile, your laughter and your patience!

Know that you are loved, you are seen, you are kind, you are intelligent, you are beautiful and most importantly, know that you are enough and simply perfect just as you are!

Love you!

08/01/2025

THE MAGIC THAT IS ROBYN

Robyn, today’s birthday girl, you are the niece that I share the most posts about, in order to support and encourage you as you follow your dreams. Thank you for the times you have come to visit me and allowing me to know you a little better. Thank you for sharing the songs you are working on before they are finished and filling any space with your music. Thank you for showing not just me, my friends, but also the children of my friends, that dreams really can come true and inspiring all of us with your journey. Thank you for giving me the unexpected smiles that come from the “I can’t believe you know her aunt and have met her family!” comments that comes from the kids of my friends who have grown up following your journey! Thank you for staying fun and quirky and authentic despite the fame. Thank you for being undeniably and unstoppable you! Thank you for making sure I am “on the list” when you make it out this way, and for calling me out proudly from beyond your spotlight on stage. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and emotions, trials and tribulations, heart throbs and heart breaks with all us through your lyrics and connecting people through your songs, allowing each person to feel that they are not alone in whatever may trouble them on their journey. Thank you for crediting my life choices and journey with being even a small positive influence in your choices to move to Nashville, chase your dreams and buy a home because that shows me that despite the physical distance I may still have had some small influence on the wonderful young woman you have become and that you have come to understand my journey and wanderlust a little better.

Know that you are loved, you are seen, you are kind, you are intelligent, you are beautiful and most importantly, know that you are enough and simply perfect just as you are!

Love you!

A Journey through Life - Day by Day

08/17/2025

08/15/2025

08/15/2025

08/13/2025

08/10/2025

08/08/2025

08/04/2025

08/03/2025

08/01/2025

08/01/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category