Last year, I did pretty well, keeping my New Year’s resolutions. I feel that I did increase my fitness – I made 10,000 steps almost every day of the year. I started a strength routine that — while patchy — showed me that strength training is important to my well-being. I achieved my Kayak levels …
Category Archives: Personal Success
In solitude, we don’t escape people, we escape machines
I went on a kayak trip to the West Coast of Canada recently. It was beautiful beyond one’s imagination. I kayaked from Okeover Inlet into Desolation Sound, British Columbia. The sense of solitude and togetherness with humanity there has remained with me since. I had many adventures on this trip. I saw a Minke whale …
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On the Queen as an example of duty
We have heard many opinions about Queen Elizabeth II, ranging from fawning admirers to resentful critics. For me, this range of commentary, coming out of ideological commitment is of little interest. Ideological thinking is inherently unreasoned, therefore of little value if we wish to speak of any profound human truth. Ideological thinking is a reductive …
A visit to De Mazenod Farm – A quiet Christian contribution
Sometimes you visit a place that just feels right. My recent visit to De Mazenod Farm was like that. The Farm is a development of the De Mazenod Door program, which was started by Fathers Tony O’Dell and Jarek Pachoki, both Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. It was named after Saint Eugene de Mazenod, a …
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We never walk alone
This is a quick personal narrative about why I love walking in the forest. Memories, imagination, creativity. I walk for many reasons. Obviously, I need to get from place to place. Sometimes I need a workout, so I walk fast or listen to music that will make me walk even faster. Other times, I walk …
New Year’s Resolutions 2021
This year was a strange year. COVID-19 kept us at home and made many of us sick – I had extended family members who caught COVID-19 and survived, thankfully. As many of you know, my life revolves around my work as a professor of communication studies and communications management at McMaster University and my work …
An uncanny conversation en route to dinner
I was in Ottawa last week and had the pleasure of having dinner with my friend Lars, who works on the Hill. We had plans to go and have a quick dinner at the food court in the Rideau Centre – I am partial to the Amaya chain for quick vegan and they have a …
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New Year’s Resolutions 2019
In 2018, I pretty much kept my resolultions (except for those concerning fitness – that was a sad failure.). I established plant-based living as my permanent lifestyle, banishing all animal products from my pantry, and experimented with many vegan cooking styles. I also made progress towards a liberal, progressive Roman Catholic lifestyle. I refreshed my knowledge …
A wake up call to end 2018
I had a powerful experience this morning in a Starbucks in Niagara Falls, Canada. I sat in my car enjoying the overnight oats that I made the day before, in front of the Starbucks where I intended to set up to prepare for a meeting later in the morning. My mind was full of concerns: …
New Year’s Resolutions 2018
2017 – A year of resolutions met The last few years, I have focused my New Year’s Resolutions on well-being, and I have made progress – in 2017, I built my fitness by doing more cardio, going vegan. I wrote a draft of a book on social media and management, which I hope to get …