i’m thankful for the smell of the blanket my daughter likes to use on the sofa the dimples in my older grandson’s cheeks the sweet little voice of my younger grandson the particular shade of purple of the asters on my front yard i like thinking about the specifics, somehow it gives my gratitude more… Continue reading canadian thanksgiving: 20 things i’m thankful for
Category: emotional health
understanding acceptance
last month we had a conversation about acceptance, and i’d like to continue it. evan said, “i think changing the world can be valuable, too.” maybe there is no either/or between acceptance and making changes. to accept comes from the latin, meaning to receive (as in “UPS delivered a parcel for you, and i accepted… Continue reading understanding acceptance
10 happy questions
as you know, questions have a special place in my heart (see this post on encouraging questions, for example.) as i was preparing for a little workshop i facilitated today on solution focused coaching and counselling, i realized that my first discovery of the power of questions was not back in 1999, when i first… Continue reading 10 happy questions
soul music from a piano’s underbelly
soft, these sounds steal again into my heart. how’d he do it? he played on the piano like he knew all about our souls. this is a little tanka – a short japanese poem – i wrote after listening to the CD of the wonderful sounds craig addy created when my friend and soulmate haedy… Continue reading soul music from a piano’s underbelly
understanding parents
a few semi random musings on parents … through my parents, a lot of challenges came my way. but through them, i also learned how to build the tools to overcome those challenges. for example, creativity was highly encouraged. parents irrevocably shape most of the way we view the world. some of that can be… Continue reading understanding parents
cracking the whip on procrastination
like many of you, i am a victim of procrastination. procrastination has done horrible things to me. it has robbed me of many hours of sleep. it has made me feel less than, a loser. at the hands of procrastination, i have experienced embarrassment and hopelessness. that’s a true story. and. or. why not make… Continue reading cracking the whip on procrastination
now what – who are you really?
once in a while, the good people from FSB associates send me a book for review. usually, i read the book from front to cover and then write about it. this time, i’ve decided to do it differently and put the book to a test. the chapters test. you know when you go to chapters… Continue reading now what – who are you really?
ye old ego
how much joy, power & money have you abandoned to avoid a little dent in your ego? what an interesting question, posted by harvey griffin on twitter the other day. (it seems like sometimes i get all my inspiration from twitter, doesn’t it?) oh, let me count the ways! let me, also, sidestep for… Continue reading ye old ego
taking responsibility: constance barnes and the braidwood enquiry
i was going to offer you another poem of sarah’s in this post but there’s something i need to say before we move on to that. the braidwood enquiry into robert dziekanski’s death, the polish immigrant who was tasered at the vancouver airport in the fall of 2007. and constance barnes. right from the very… Continue reading taking responsibility: constance barnes and the braidwood enquiry
taking a stand: what does it take to make a difference?
my last post was inspired by the 20th anniversary of the tiananmen square massacre. in it i was musing about what it takes to stand up against whatever oppression we’re experiencing, be it political or in a smaller social environment. making that decision marie reflected: “i guess it’s a matter of deciding what is more… Continue reading taking a stand: what does it take to make a difference?