Today is “May Day”… May 1st.

And every time I think of that, the distress call uttered by pilots and boat captains in trouble pops into my mind.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday!” I hear them calling.

So I started wondering, what it is about May 1st that’s connected somehow with danger?

Turns out… absolutely nothing.

May Day, the holiday, has been around for thousands of years. For the Druids of the British Isles, it was the second-most important day of the year, according to TheHolidaySpot.com. It marked the middle of the year, and was celebrated with cleansing fires — a symbol of the spring sun.

Couples would walk through the smoke for good luck… nothing distressful about that.

Then the Romans came, and they used early May to celebrate Flora, the goddess of flowers, through feasting.

By the Middle Ages, the day had transformed into a festival for children, complete with the maypole: an elaborate ribbon-strewn pole constructed by each village, all attempting to have the highest one (just like the “tallest building in the world” race that continues today).

Kids would take hold of the ribbons and dance merrily around the maypole, weaving them into one complete unit. Again, no distress there!

In contrast to all this celebration, the distress call (which is always uttered three times for clarity: “Mayday, mayday, mayday!”) has nothing to do with May Day.

It comes from the French “m’aider,” which, as any Canadian who has been through the school system can tell you, means simply “help me!”

Now why the heck didn’t I figure that one out on my own?

Keep Unwrapping the Mysteries of Life!

For Mother’s Day today, Barry took Konan and I to the park for a walk. Part of the outing included going down to the river’s edge to see the families of geese that always hang out there.

I always smile at the fact that the local goose is the Canada goose. It’s cool to know that other Canadians, besides myself, are living down here!

But today I noticed something unusual about them:

Every family of Canada geese had not only the two parents and a gaggle of fuzzy little babies… but either a white or grey goose hanging out with the clan.

It looked like the regular geese were being bodyguards — or maybe nannies, or even guardian angels — helping mama goose with her family for Mother’s Day.

I tried to find out if this is a common phenomenon. Both Ducks.ca (Ducks Unlimited) and ItsNature.org talk about how Canada geese mate for life, and both take part in raising the goslings for a year… but I couldn’t find anything about white or grey geese joining the family.

In fact, according to ItsNature.org:

“Once the goslings are hatched they are often seen with the parents. The female usually leads while the other is behind the goslings, and they will react very violently to any approach, whether it be from human or even something so small as a blackbird.”

Hmm… maybe our geese didn’t get the memo, because none of them were being violent or aggressive towards the big white geese.

After some more searching, though, I did find a picture by Bill Allen (shown above) of the same phenomenon in Vancouver’s Stanley Park, and another picture from a guy somewhere in the southern U.S… so they do it all over the continent, despite what “official” goose facts say.

So Happy Mother’s Day to all the geese families out there who choose to buck the trends, break the rules, and do things their own way.

And Happy Mother’s Day to the human moms, too. May you also feel confident in writing your own rules, and maybe even have your own real-life guardian angel to watch over your family.

Keep Unwrapping the Mysteries of Life!

A recent Parenting magazine article focused on how you can calm down, even amidst all the hustle and bustle of being a parent. And, well, that goes for non-parents too, whether you’re working at home, doing the daily rat race, or going to school.

The article referenced author and yoga teacher Fred L. Miller’s book, How to Calm Down.

I liked all the tips, but one of them really stuck out for me:

Pop a LifeSaver into your mouth. Focus on the fruity taste of the cherry, lime, orange, or pineapple flavor, and resist the temptation to chew. The longer you suck and concentrate on the flavor, the more calm and tranquil you’ll start to feel.

I always thought it was about the shape of the candy, but maybe there was more to it when they named the candy a LifeSaver!

Honestly, though, you can do the same thing with anything meant for oral consumption. Any candy, any food, any beverage… just focus on how wonderful and amazing it tastes, and feel grateful and appreciative for the ability to enjoy it.

Sloooow down… relax… and then come back to regular life renewed.

This will also amp up your manifesting emotions, so you’re prepared to have more things go your way.

Keep Unwrapping the Mysteries of Life!

Last year I wrote a post about British singing sensation Susan Boyle called Why Does the World Love an Underdog?

It wasn’t picking on Susan — it was pointing out limiting patterns many people have, and why we need to provide value in order to receive it — but it caused quite an uproar from Susan fans who took it personally, and don’t understand the personal-development lessons that Barry and I offer by dissecting trends and actions.

(This blog is written by me, whereas our LWL blog has been written by both of us, but make no mistake… I discuss a lot of thoughts and feelings with Barry before writing posts like this, so parts of him are here too.)

Don’t go to that post looking for the flames, though, because most of them weren’t approved. I always welcome intelligent commentary, but not things without substance, like, “You’re evil! Susan rules!”

Again, I think Susan has a great singing voice — not my taste, but she’s certainly talented.

As for the winner of this season’s Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, I can’t say the same thing. What it proves is that some people still love underdogs, and can’t stand villains…

>>> CONTINUE READING Why People Love Underdogs… and Hate Villains…

I do most of my online shopping at Amazon, because they usually have the best prices (not to mention free Prime shipping on many items); another favorite supplier for health-related items is VitaCost.

But I just purchased some supplements at iHerb.com because they had prices that beat all the others.

Even better, they offer a discount to first-time customers, which gets you an additional $5 off the already-reduced prices; you’ll also get extra discounts for meeting certain order minimums, and free shipping in the U.S. if you spend at least $40 (fast, too… 99% of orders ship the same day if you order by 1 p.m. PST/4 p.m. EST).

The other discounts are automatic, but for your $5 off you have to use the Referral Coupon Code GOS766 or click this link.

It’s good for any order, and you can choose from thousands of quality natural health supplements from dozens of top companies, like Enzymatic Therapy, Natural Factors, Source Naturals, Natrol, NOW Foods, Twin Lab, Carlson, Life Extension, New Chapter, Vibrant Health and more.

Because of their competitive pricing, great selection, reliability, 10-year reputation and excellent customer service, iHerb.com was rated the Top Online Retailer for Supplement Merchants in the 2009 ConsumerLab.com Survey of vitamin and supplement users.

Take a look around iHerb, comparison shop, and enjoy your discount(s)… don’t forget to use the coupon code GOS766 if it’s your first time, to get an EXTRA $5 off.

Keep Unwrapping Great Health!

One of our favorite slogans around here is “Adapt, Overcome and Improvise.” Barry started saying it years ago, and together we’ve made it into a Goss family motto.

For what it means, and how it can help you like it’s helped the Marines, job seekers and us, read my latest article on Life As A Human: Adapt, Overcome and Improvise.

Keep Unwrapping the Mysteries of Life!

Let me guess: as a busy new parent, you don’t have time to get take a shower every day, let alone get to the store for diapers, wipes, ointments, bottles, bibs and other supplies.

Not to mention, you obviously want the best price possible on this stuff.

To the rescue: Diapers.com. I’ve been using them since Konan was born 19 months ago, and I’m always happy with their prices and selection. I’ve purchased large boxes of diapers at his various stages of development, as well as other diapering necessities, nursing supplies, bottles, pacifiers, sippy cups, a baby food mill, and even shoes.

Get $10 off

your first order of diapers

use code HEAT4834$49 min. total order

Believe it or not, they also deliver furniture, strollers, toys and a lot more… almost anything you could think of that a parent of a baby or toddler would need.

They carry the big brands, but also some hard-to-find products, and unique items invented by other parents.

Their prices are usually the best online, but if you find it better elsewhere, they’ll match what you find. Shipping is free if you order at least $49 worth of supplies (which is why I always stock up, and get at least one large box of diapers when I order) and it’s delivered very quickly by courier.

Even better… you can get a total of $15 off your first two orders with the discount code HEAT4834.

Here’s how it works: If you’ve never used Diapers.com before, you get $10 off your first order of $49 or more, and a $5 credit for your second order which will be added to your account within 14 days — that’s $15 over two orders (and if you’re a new parent, you’ll be using these guys more than once!)

To get your total of $15 off at Diapers.com, just enter the Promotional Code HEAT4834 when you check out.

If you go there now, while you’re thinking of it, you won’t end up being down to your last two diapers and suddenly panicking — or being forced to pay more at the local store.

So… you’re welcome!

Keep Unwrapping the Mysteries of Life!

A couple of days ago, some anchors on Fox’s Good Day New York said Bret Michaels must have been faking his illnesses over the past few weeks, because nobody can recover that fast… and because Michaels has gotten some nationwide sympathy over his ordeals.

Here’s a video of the accusation:

I admit, I wanted Bret to win Celebrity Apprentice, and was glad he did. But I started calling it over a month ago when it became clear that this guy — who I, like many of his colleagues, had written off as a non-contender — was one of the most creative, ambitious people I had seen in some time.

Bottom line, he won my respect and admiration based on his actions and abilities.

So here’s the question: if somebody has a fighting spirit, and is able to overcome and conquer what life throws his way, does that make him a faker?

Only to naysayers who never like to see people pull off what they don’t believe they, personally, can do…

>>> CONTINUE READING Fighting Spirit = Fabrication or Inspiration?…