I have been on a kick lately of really getting on board with this idea. In the past I had cultivated a very solid set of strategies for calming my psyche in times of stress. I would feel stress, sit and process that stress, untangle it and work to resolve it before moving forward. Don’t get me wrong, these are Read More …

This week I have put it before myself to do something big each day. To dare. To risk. To move beyond my comfort zone. That topic has me thinking about my relationship with insecurity. In Mating in Captivity, author Esther Perel, talks to the conflict that comes between our desire to create comfort and security in our romantic relationships while Read More …

I’m a fan of changing my thinking or philosophy through mantras. My current system involves choosing an area of focus and putting a positive statement about that area on my todo list. Everyday when I hit that item I stop and consider that mantra and try to carry it with me through the rest of the day. These mantras have Read More …

You can’t truly control others, circumstances, or even your own feelings but you can choose where you place your focus. I recommend placing your focus and your practice (how you challenge and measure yourself) on principles or virtues that can lead you in a powerful direction. I am personally focusing on integrity – the alignment of thought, word, and deed. Read More …

I’ve recently spent a few days visiting some close friends abroad. I was in town specifically to visit them and not to be a tourist, so I had a lot of time just hanging out in their house and doing things with their family. Within about a day I easily slipped into a routine and a place within their family, Read More …

I just finished teaching a swordplay workshop in Fort St. John, a small city in northern British Columbia. The organizer of the workshop had anticipated more than 20 people coming out to the workshop but on the day we only ended up with 6. I think our friend here was quite disappointed and understandably so. It can be disheartening to Read More …

If you want to avoid conflict, avoid integrity. The act of acting with truth will inherently lead you toward conflict. By standing for an idea you make that idea less malleable, less willing to bend or hide. The more proudly that idea stands the harder it is to squish it past others that do not comfortably co-exist in its space. Read More …

A friend of mine recently admitted to me that the last year of her life had largely been flailing about trying to find her way. This comment reminded me of a robot I had read about years ago. The robot, shaped like a starfish was designed to be able to locomote across alien terrain through a process of self-modelling and Read More …

I failed my driver test 5 times. You might be thinking “Wow. He must be a terrible driver.” the truth is I’m a very good driver. When I did pass I had a faultless exam, which my examiner told me was extremely rare. Failure can shut you down or it can move you forward. If you see it as a Read More …

There are many ways to enjoy the things you do. Not all enjoyment involves a smile on your face or laughter in your heart. Though some of the best kinds certainly do. Some of my other favourite kinds of joy: Tongue Sticking Out Joy. I don’t mean mischief, but that kind of enjoyment where you’re concentrating so hard your tongue Read More …