Doug and I spent the last 5 days in Montreal. Neither of us have ever been. We were celebrating our 31st wedding anniversary—which is actually tomorrow. We did so many fun things from fine dining, to the subway trek out to the LaSalle region to bike, to visiting Notre Dame, and finally to cheering on the Habs as they beat the Capitals in overtime (or ‘la prolongation,’ as they say!). What was completely consistent with our entire experience, no matter where we went, was how nice everyone was—it was really extraordinary.

They seem to have an expression in Montreal that is both beautiful and sincere—upon every request, they say, “With pleasure.” It didn’t matter where we were, it was like a knee-jerk reaction, “with pleasure” was their response. There’s no way that we simply caught all of Montreal in a good mood, right? They all seem much less stressed, much more relaxed, and overall content. It was something we felt. They all seem at peace, which may be why all requests receive, “With pleasure,” in return.

Here in the states, we all seem to be overbooked, we are under a lot of pressure, and we feel a sense of overwhelm. Does this resonate with you? If we ask something of someone in the US, “With pleasure,” isn’t always the response, at least I know it isn’t for me. What would have to be removed from your schedule today for you to be able to exhale? Can you remove it? Can you give yourself some “breathing room?” Isn’t it funny that we even say that—Give yourself some breathing room? Shouldn’t that be the norm, not the action taken when things need to be fixed? Just a thought for us to mull over.

Let’s GO! And by “GO,” I mean remove one thing—
Beth