So many of you shared your stories of joy, balance, overcoming life hurdles, personal goals and so much more. We are truly inspired by all of you and all you do in your life to achieve happiness for others and yourself. That being said we can only have one winner!

 

The winner of our Stand Up & Shout Contest in partnership with Kalavida Surf Shop is Steve Taylor. This is his story.

I woke up in the middle of the night in a Hospital bed. I asked myself, “Was it worth it?” I knew immediately the answer was no. I needed to learn balance in my life.

 12 hours earlier I was eating fast food at my condo in Calgary, and started feeling discomfort in my midsection. Eventually I was in so much pain that I called an ambulance out of fear of rupturing my appendix. After a short ride to the hospital I discovered out it was kidney stones. Somehow over the past few years I had allowed high stress and a poor diet to define me. Gone were the days of 15K runs, yoga, spiritual awareness and cooking fresh food. I had gained 20 pounds and felt a constant stress in my chest.

 I lay there and thought through the past few years of my desk job, and the path I had taken. I knew I needed change.

 Throughout the weeks that passed I made the decision to leave Calgary, to change my environment. I was Okanagan-bound. I sold my Calgary condo, bought one in Kelowna, quit my job and headed out west with a mission. I got back in shape, started buying and eating organic, local food (thanks in large part to my neighborhood grocery store – Nature’s Fare of course), bought a punch pass to a yoga studio and took the time to breathe. It amazed me how a new outlook on life led to me feeling like a new person.

 Today, a few years after I made my decision to move to Kelowna, I met a girl, fell in love, got married, got a puppy and moved into a townhouse. We seldom talk about work, make cooking an activity, spend plenty of time outdoors, stay active, encourage each other to laugh and focus on the things that make us happy. Work / life balance has become a natural part of our lives.

 Just last week I said to my wife, “I think I want a paddle board. I want to spend more time on the water, and this is how I want to do it.” Money was tight but it quickly became a priority. I rented a paddle board the other day and had a blast with my wife and puppy on the lake. Arriving home, deflated because we could no longer afford to buy one of our own, I saw a tweet that I can only hope will help me keep the balance I’ve achieved in my life. I sat down right away and wrote this email.

 Thanks for listening!!!

 

Steve we at Nature’s Fare Markets are very excited for you! Enjoy your prize to the fullest and we would love some pictures!

 Live well. Live Organic.