I am taking public transit as a part of my wellness journey. I am on a trip to Ottawa today, which meant an early morning wake-up at 4am to catch the early train. I took the GO Train at Aldershot Station with the other bleary-eyed riders to Union Station in Toronto. Then VIA Rail from …
Category Archives: Personal Success
Personal discovery: Nutrition is a practice and requires planning
Proper nutrition is a practice, I am finding. And not necessarily one where the path is obvious. I am discovering that for me, proper nutrition requires a little research and planning coupled with mindful cooking and eating. After paying the $50 or so annual membership to unlock the hidden features of myfitnesspal, I have been …
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A lovely day
I woke up early today (5:30) and made myself an americano and some spoon-size shredded wheat with blueberries and strawberries. Then meditated for 10 minutes and spent the morning working peacefully, writing and editing on the deck as nature woke up around me. Then an easygoing 50 minute swim at the Ancaster Lions Pool, lunch …
Sleep and not sleeping
Sleep is central to our well-being. It is a healing time when the body rebuilds itself and our mind consolidates memories and learning. I have found that sleep is a good barometer for how I am doing in terms of day-to-day wellness. I always thought that I only needed 4 to 6 hours of sleep and …
Gratitude
I woke up today feeling very grateful. Grateful for having been blessed with privilege and opportunity. Grateful for having a supportive family and friends. Grateful for professional friendships based on trust and warmth that have created opportunities for me to contribute in academia, politics and professional communications practice. Grateful for life in a peaceful, tolerant …
Finally rained
It has been a very dry summer in Ancaster, Ontario, where I live. This morning I was awakened by loud claps of thunder and the sound of rain pattering on the windows and roof. I realised that it has been a long time since I heard this sound. It even felt a little strange to …
The quantified self makes us more human
I have been thinking a lot about the concept of the quantified self. Since Ash Wednesday 2016, I started a fast that meant that I went pescetarian. While I thought that I would miss beef, chicken, pork and duck, the reality has been that I do not. It helps that my favourite foods have always …
Meditating so that writing becomes fun and not work
Amazingly, I have stuck to two of my New Year’s resolutions: meditating and writing. Each day, I have been spending two hours (at least) focused exclusively on editing JPC or working on my book project. I have found that the time I spend writing and editing has become an inspirational and meditative time that I …
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On the simple life: find your peaceful thing.
Every new year, I hear many of the people I know express that they want to “return to a simpler life” or eliminate clutter. I often have this noble ambition myself. This year, I asked myself what this really means. I came up with a couple of ideas. Eliminating clutter doesn’t mean stripping back all …
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New Year’s Resolutions for 2016
As I have discussed on Facebook and this blog, 2014 and 2015 have been difficult years for me. These challenges have forced me to rethink my priorities and set myself on a new path, fuelled by greater focus and enthusiasm. As I write this post, I sit by a roaring fire and watch the snow float …