Marie Claire Bourque, MD

Quick Introduction: Who am I? What do I do? How did I get here?

The Power of Play: Remember when we used to play without a care in the world? Running, jumping, and splashing in the biggest puddles, swinging on trees, and cannonballing off docks. Ah, those were the days before adulthood's rules and regulations infiltrated our emotional operating system. But guess what? It doesn't have to be that way. We can be adults who still play.

Engaging in play allows our brains to release the grip of "I shoulds," "what ifs," and "I ought tos," creating space for endless possibilities. Letting go and embracing play also reconnects us with the truest expression of our emotions. It's a profound experience that can bring tears and a sense of grief as we realize how many years have passed without experiencing true, unadulterated joy and freedom in play.

Reclaim the magic of play. It's time to rediscover the joyous, rebellious joie de vivre that has been lying dormant within you. Embrace the power of play and unlock a world of endless wonder and happiness.

"I THINK"
To think is a gift. Consider the countless factors that have aligned to bring us to a point where we can ponder, wonder, and be aware of our curiosities. The intricacies of this complexity may elude our complete understanding, but the power of our thoughts remains undeniable.

With this gift, we hold the power to shape our own worlds. What will you do with your thoughts? How will you construct a reality that reflects your innermost desires and aspirations? Embrace the limitless potential of your mind and create a world that is uniquely yours.

SITTING COMFORTABLY WITH THE UNCOMFORTABLE
That is what I am trained to do. That is what I get paid to do.
People are often scared to start therapy because they "aren't ready" or they are "too broken". They are often worried that I will abandon them or judge them.
That's where the work starts.
I have heard it all. We have heard it all. There is NOTHING you could tell me (or any other therapist) that would shock me. Nothing. People always apologize when they start crying (because they always cry - even the 'manly' men).
I can handle it.
We can handle it.
It is my job to contain whatever is there that you no longer want to contain within yourself anymore.
So if you're thinking of starting therapy but you think you're "too broken", "not ready", "carrying too much", start. Pick up the phone. Write the email. Start.

EMPOWERED LANGUAGE
The alternative to feeling empowered is feeling DISEMPOWERED, and THIS IS A TERRIBLE feeling❗ We've all felt it. We've all felt like we are powerless to change things around us. But if we are in a free country (and of course there are exceptions to this like domestic violence), we have a choice.
So let's choose to speak empowered language.
Because language matters.
Simply changing the language in our heads can take us from feeling disempowered ("I have no choice") to feeling empowered ("I have a choice and I am choosing not to prioritize that.")
Let's take staying in a job that we hate as an example.
We might tell ourselves the following: "I have no choice, I have to pay the bills." This is a highly disempowering though. AND it's untrue.
You CAN quit your job, but there will be consequences (the lights might go off). But if we change our internal language and say instead "I could quit my job, but I am choosing to stay because I am prioritizing bill payment for now." This type of self-talk is more empowering, but also much more truthful. And telling ourselves the truth about makign choices that don't align with the life we want to live? Well that starts gnawing at our deep-rooted wisdom. When we tell ourselves the truth, we have power. And eventually we become uncomfortable knowing that we are staying in a job that we hate. And guess what? This motivates us to find alternatives.

BE HERE NOW!
Life is happening now. And now. And now. The best way to enjoy life is to be in it, and the only way to be in it is now. And now. And now.

But our minds wander and they travel through spacetime like they know how.

So what is your cue to get your mind back? What do you need to tell yourself to get back to the present moment?

YOU ONLY GET ONE OF THESE!
So why not live it while loving the s**t out of yourself?

When you're on your death bed (which will happen to all of us), would you rather say "I was kind to myself and loved myself" or "I wish I had been kinder to myself." Because I have NEVER met anybody on their death bed who has though "I should have been harder on myself."

You can start today!
1. Notice when you're treating yourself poorly.
2. Ask yourself "What would I say to my best friend in this circumstance?"
3. Change your internal dialogue.
4. Repeat over and over and over.
5. Watch your life improve.

YOU ARE THE ONLY REASON YOU ARE WHERE YOU ARE.

This isn't true in all circumstances, but if you are a free person who has not been subject to a war zone or domestic abuse, your decisions have led you to where you are today.

If you want to change where you are? Start making different decisions.

And remember - little decisions over a long period of time = big change.

AGING PART 2:
Byron and I took a quick trip to celebrate our 40th birthdays. While there, we had a conversation about how we wanted to spend the next 40 years of our lives.
And the answer was fairly simple; like we are living now with values-based decision-making. Because when we make decisions based on our true values (and not somebody else’s values or priorities), we end up living the life that we want to live…which feels pretty great!

That’s not to say that our lives are perfect. They aren’t. But the more we stay true to decisions that make sense for the life we want to live, the happier we are!

Here’s to the next 40!

AGING.
40.
I’m one of the lucky ones.
I get to do it.
I get to be 40.
Which makes me wonder why ‘we’ have such a negative association with aging.
Sure our joints have more wear, but so do our souls.
We forgive more.
We love more.
We laugh more.
We know more. And we start realizing how little we know.
Friendships are deeper.
Even the Wine is better (because it’s no longer the cheap stuff)!

AGING has made me rethink my relationship to aging.
I LOVE aging.
I get to.
And just because of that, I’m lucky.

@ Calgary, Alberta

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP

They say you’re the average of the five closest people in your life.

If that’s the case, brings my kindness and coolness (this is a low start- I don’t have a lot of coolness) levels up.

Xoxo trop fancy

CONFIDENT WOMEN.

We don’t always like confident women, do we?

I remember being in high school and having healthy confidence in myself (because of sport- sport gave me so much). And I remember being made fun by other girls because I had confidence in myself (and being made fun of for a myriad of other things like walking and talking and generally existing). But I remember so vividly and specifically trying not to feel confident so that I could avoid being made fun of.

What if we normalized girls/women experiencing confidence in who they are? No girl or woman would have to fake self loathing to fit in.
And women supporting women would just be a given. Because when we feel great about who we are, there is no appeal to making others feel lousy.

This weekend brought together a powerhouse team of influential women for High TEA, education and SKIN CARE! Even a self confident woman feels even more confident with glowing skin
😊

MAkE IT BETTER THAN WHEN YOU GOT THERE

Thank you to ALL the women who went before me.

Your courage made it better for us.

You stood in rooms where you weren’t wanted.

You stood there and took overt and covert hatred.

Your courage and perseverance made it better for us.

And we continue to need progress….in our own country and outside of it.

In Canada, we have equal rights. But our neighbors to the south don’t have equal rights to healthcare, and women all over the world are displaced, and many have very different legal rights compared to their male counterparts.

Because of that, let’s make it our priority to take advantage of the equal rights we have in Canada.

Let’s live into the boldness and the courage that we are afforded simply by having the right to.

(Also- my friend sent me these pics- I don’t have the original- which is why my face is circled :)- Thanks Noah!)