One of the areas where I scrape my knees and bang my head is around failure. The way I’m defining failure is simple: “the inability to meet an expectation.” Why can failure be such an emotionally devastating reality? Why do we say “I’m a failure!” when it’s more accurate to say “I failed!” The greatest […]
This week I got stuck. I don’t enjoy getting stuck but it seems like getting stuck (from time to time) is as sure as the sun will come up in the morning. I’ll get into why I think I got stuck but before I do, let’s dig a little deeper (pun intended) into this subject. […]
One thing I’ve come to appreciate is the power of outside people and energy who keep me going and growing. Whether you’re in recovery or simply trying to keep from going backwards in life, outsiders are essential for growth. The second law of thermodynamics says: “Everything in the universe is running down, running out of […]
Every new milestone brings with it a new challenge we must face. Does that sound like a contradiction? Aren’t milestones simply an opportunity to celebrate progress and growth? Yes and no. Yes – milestones reached are a reason to celebrate! Take this week in my life. I reached a milestone: I started driving after 710 […]
Victor Hugo once said, “Change your opinions, keep to your principles; change your leaves, keep intact your roots.” Living by principles instead of running around looking for the perfect methods gets you where you want to go. When the helicopter carried us away to Royal Columbian Hospital, my principles were firmly in place. As I […]
Are you pushed by a drivenness to work and excel and get things done? Or are you pulled by a desire to live from a place of value and deeper meaning? I was asked that question the other day as I spent some time reflecting with one of my pillar people (a counsellor) during this […]
From time to time it’s worthwhile to stop and take stock of your life. Since the current year is about to appear in the rear view mirror, now is an excellent time to do some personal reflection. One way to deepen your learning from the past and move forward with purposeful action in the future […]
When a bad wind storm hits the west coast of BC, it’s not unusual to see a tree uprooted with roots no more than a couple of feet in depth. The growth comes so easily due to plenty of rainfall. In Saskatchewan, the opposite is true. The winds blow hard and long combined with stretches […]
The upside of saying “yes” far outweighs the downside of a noncommittal “maybe” or a poorly timed “no.” Learning to say “yes” goes hand in hand with the ability and the choice to say “no.” Some people have had a field day with “yes”, giving it more power than it deserves. On the other hand, […]
Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny. [Frank Outlaw] Your character is who you are and what you do when no one is looking. It defines you. It’s what people see. […]