I woke up to some pretty sad news on Saturday morning. Marcia Henville, mother, journalist and activist, who marched to the beat of her own drum was killed in a fire that was deliberately set at her home.

Our paths crossed a few years ago and during that time being part of each other’s journey, I was always in awe of her. She knew who she was and she was fearless in expressing that. What struck me first was her statement hair (I think I’ve seen it every colour of the rainbow), statement nails and that she spoke her mind.

At that time in my life, I was just finding out who I was and was still struggling with letting the world see the real me. I wanted to be that fearless and express myself…just like she was doing. A quality I always admired in her.

Eventually our paths diverged again but whenever we saw each other…she always made sure to catch up. The thing that struck me on Saturday morning after I heard the news was people referring to her death as “untimely”.

Yes, her life was “taken” in an act of violence and I pray that justice prevails. But I don’t agree that her passing was “untimely”.

We die when we are supposed to die.

That’s why we must live when we have life to do so. And there is no denying that Marcia.lived.her.life. AND OUT LOUD.

Sudden death. Violent death. Long goodbyes. Death…is a call or a reminder for us who remain to LIVE EACH DAY.

Here is my SEVEN for this week:

Coffee dates with friends. I was feeling down on Saturday…understandably so. And I am blessed with friends who are always up to some kind of foodie shenanigans and who welcome company in need of a smile. Our coffee date…turned into a dessert for lunch kinda date.

“Pineapple pick-me-up.” Despite, the dessert cafe using the term tiramisu very loosely in describing this dessert…it was a nice pick-me-up.

Coffee dates that turn into food-tasting affairs. You know how it is with men and their toys..buy yourself a smoker…promptly start smoking the biggest hunks of meat you can find. Then invite your friends to try said hunks of meat. I was fortunate to be able to accompany a couple of friends to a “tasting” of the “fruits” of the experiment with Cherry Mesquite Turkey legs. It was yabba-dabba-doo good! And hopefully, soon to be in an Upmarket near you! *fingers crossed*

Matcha smoothies! Matcha tea is an acquired taste. In a bid to start drinking more green tea…I played fast and bought myself a tin of matcha. I pretty much gagged my way thru my first cup and promptly decided if the relationship was going to continue…I was going to have to come up with an alternative way of using it. And lo and behold the matcha smoothie was concocted! And it was yummy! And all was right in the world of green tea exploration once again!

Birthday dinners at new to me restaurants. I am aspiring to Eat Well & Travel Often. Thus far for 2015, I’m doing pretty great with the Eat Well aspect of my goals. I was able to try a new restaurant and celebrate one of my dear friends at the same time. Celebrations aside, I will not be going back to that restaurant. While their wait staff were amiable enough, the food was way too expensive to be that bland and they advertised tiramisu and they didn’t have any. All that aside, it was a fun night out with the Cohort of Awesome.

Which brings me to Finding fun ways to move ma body! All this eating well…must come with balance! I have added some fun new activities to my routine. I am proud to say that I now box three times a week and I dance – dancehall and soca (read plenty plenty wining) – twice a week.

I have never been happier, felt sexier or been stronger. And I found the most inspirational quote that just goes straight to the heart of how I want to live in 2015.

I don’t engage in exercise as a way to burn off calories or punish myself for last night’s dessert; now I move and stretch in ways that make me feel strong, relaxed and sexy. – Alex Jamieson

Living Each Day. “I admire the way you love and enjoy your life. Keep doing what you are doing.” This was posted recently on a photo of mine on Instagram. I needed to read hear that at that moment. Especially since I was feeling a bit judged by a person who took a swipe at me on an earlier post. I realized after reading the comment…that when I die, this is the message I would want to leave behind…that I loved and lived my life. Life is just too short…to live any other way.

Mastin Kipp said, “We wake up with the blessing of a fresh start. Begin to build your dreams again.” So I say to you: If you wake up and find yourself still in the land of the living…Dive in! Unfurl your wings. Live and Love with Passion. Dream fearlessly. Start living your best life now! There are seven days in the week, and “someday” isn’t one of them.

And there you have it. I hope that by paying attention to all that I have to be thankful for and sowing the seeds of faith and gratitude, I can truly carry with me and reap the rewards of “positivity + balance + bliss” throughout the days ahead.

Thank you for reading, I appreciate you! This is me blowing some glitter and confetti on you because you’re super blessed to have received the gift of another 86,400 seconds today, to spend any way you desire.

Make those seconds count!

I love hearing from you…what are you grateful today? What made you smile? Feel free to share below!