Author: Chris Budd

Hello. I'm Chris. I'm a good ol' Canadian boy from New Brunswick. I love Disney, the WWE, movies, books and music. I love to cook. I am a happy-go-lucky kind of guy who enjoys life with his darling wife, Isabelle, and his kitty, Roxie.

An Abundance of Abundance

On By Chris BuddIn General, Musings, Power of PositivityLeave a comment

With my mental state being a bit in flux as of late, I find myself scouring the recesses of my mind for some of the items that I’ve added to my toolkit over these past years of doing self-work. One of the items that keeps popping to front of mind is the power of attraction. Now this may be a divisive subject for some people. I am not here to proselytize on the matter – I’m not here to convince you that what I’m saying is 100% true, or that if you suddenly start to think you’re going to win a million dollars in the lottery that you’re going to win a million dollars in the lottery. I’m just here to talk about energy, positivity, attraction and abundance.

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Let the Magic Begin

On By Chris BuddIn Disney, General1 Comment

I have come to realize that I’m writing and posting blogs much less frequently than I have been historically. For a few years, I endeavored to write at least 1-2 posts per month, but this has fallen by the wayside over the course of the post-COVID world. When taking a moment to assess, I’ve realized recently that I have not been at my best. I think one of the reasons (not the sole source of my lower-energy states, but one factor) is that I haven’t really had anything major to look forward to in some time. Yes, we went to Paris last spring, but that was a semi-impulsive trip that was only planned out a few weeks prior. And since then, there has been nothing big to speak of.

Until this past week.

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Follow Through

On By Chris BuddIn General, Health, Musings1 Comment

Today’s post is a continuation of sorts from my last post.

I am an idea guy. I always have a multitude of thoughts jumping through my mind about things to do, places to go, how to make things better, etc., etc., etc. As my former manager used to say, I’m a “blue sky thinker”. The challenge that comes along with these ideas, at least for me, is following through.

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Tick Tock

On By Chris BuddIn General, Musings1 Comment

I’ve had a lot of moments of solitude and quiet over the past few weeks and months. Between Isabelle being back on the road for work and being gone for a day or two from time to time, to our wonderful bouts of stomach flu for our anniversary, I’ve had plenty of time for contemplation. It was during one of these moments of solitude that a thought crossed my mind for the first time, and it caused some consternation on my part. It was the realization that the hourglass of my life was now lighter on the top than on the bottom.

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Vacation Interruptus

On By Chris BuddIn Travel1 Comment

Following up on my most recent blog post, here’s another slice of true life in the world of Chris.

Today is my wedding anniversary. Eleven years ago today, Isabelle and I tied the knot and have lived truly blessed lives since that day. I am very recognizant of the privileged life that I live, and I am eternally grateful for all of the abundance that I have in my life. But even a privileged life like mine isn’t always perfect, despite what social media may tell you. Here’s the brief rundown of our long-simmering trip to Cape Breton.

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It’s Not All Rainbows and Sunshine

On By Chris BuddIn General, Musings1 Comment

As with most forms of social media, blog posts can be somewhat misleading for readers. Most people put out the highlights when they publish something on social media – fun experiences, delicious food, beautiful sights and moments. Having nothing but positive experiences being shoved down your throat can cause some people to have negative self-views. “Why is my life so crappy when everyone else seems to be thriving?” As much as I strive to be fully authentic in my social media, I do recognize that I rarely post anything overly negative on my Instagram or Facebook. Occasionally, I do talk about more negative aspects and thoughts here in my blog. So today, it’s a bit more real talk.

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What Makes You Happy?

On By Chris BuddIn GeneralLeave a comment

During a recent visit to Starbucks, I saw a display in the store with a bunch of Post-It notes stuck to the wall. Upon approaching, I found the question posed in today’s blog title – What makes you happy? On the counter below the sign were stacks of Post-It notes and pens. Evidently, this particular store had had this up for a few days based on the number of notes stuck up on the wall.

I added my own items to the list (on that particular day, it was good tunes and a road trip as we were out and about for the day). Afterwards, I got to thinking… what does make me happy? Why not pose the question openly, like Starbucks did, and ask the world? Or at least ask you.

What makes me happy? Here’s a brief list of a few things at the top of my mind.

  • Isabelle & Roxie
  • My family & friends
  • Road trips
  • Disney World
  • Loud music
  • Good books
  • Good food (okay, most food to be perfectly honest!)
  • Silence
  • Being in nature (whether forest or beach)
  • Discovering new things
  • Bacon 🙂
  • Cooking (when I feel like it, not when I NEED to do it)
  • Visiting new places
  • Going to the movies
  • Having dinner out with my wife
  • DINK days

Obviously this is not an exhaustive list. There are so many things that make me happy. Sometimes we get so caught up in the day-to-day of our lives that we lose sight over the pleasures; over what truly makes us happy.

And you, my dear reader, what makes you happy? Feel free to share!