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 […]
Last week I received news of the strong likelihood of another surgery – surgery number nine. What I thought would be day surgery to release my knee so it will bend past 90 degrees was inaccurate. The release my surgeon will perform is a complicated procedure involving re-entry into my rebuilt leg and pulling apart […]
This week I stood in the hall of the Physiotherapy clinic I frequent approximately three times a week and found myself doing a little show and tell. My Physiotherapist was explaining my situation to a colleague and we were taking a look at the scar on the top of my upper leg. The scar looks […]
Abraham Lincoln stands head and shoulders above the crowd as an example of someone who endured in the face of adversity. The movie “Lincoln” was a great reminder of his struggle and triumph as he faced incredible odds. There are three qualities I admire as I think about the life he lived and the legacy […]
Some days I find myself wanting things to be just a little bit different. Does that ever happen to you? I’m not talking about the drive to improve and learn something new. I’m talking about the undercurrent of discontent that steals your joy and keeps your mind and heart from true gratitude. 1000 years ago […]
When is the last time you have heard the words “You have 0% chance of [insert the descriptive words for what you won’t be able to do]!”? Someone used those words on me just the other day. When someone uses the words “0% chance”, what are they saying? They could be imposing their low expectations […]
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 […]
It may surprise you but pain is not always the enemy we make it out to be. When put in the proper perspective, pain can be our friend and ally. There is no doubt I am much more acquainted with pain than ever before. Some of the pain I’ve experienced this past year and a half […]
You may think it’s true but it isn’t. The last two lines of the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley puts it this way: I am the master of my fate/ I am the captain of my soul. These words couldn’t be further from the truth. On one level, we do have control. We do […]
Your intelligence alone will not determine how well you handle the problems of life. Those who soar with hope compared to those who sink into despair when problems come have another trait. The answer is found in the words of Einstein. I am not more gifted than the average human being. If you know anything […]