Rain or Shine

A barometer on someone’s character can easily be measured by asking them about the weather. This seems to work if it’s a perfect, sunny day or in the midst of a long rainy spell. You can test the theory on people around you, or better still, test it out on yourself. I think this idea […]

The List

Edward is a very good friend but Edward is starting to really bug me. Almost every time we chat he asks if I have written “the list” yet. You see, Eddie knows that one day I will die (note to Eddie… we all die). He has been asking me for years to put a note […]

Hope and Fear

I was in the presence of the Dalai Lama and sitting with Lama Tara when I opened the email with the shocking personal news. I cried. Lama Tara comforted me and said, “We live lives of fearless hope and hopeless fear. You have felt both”. With a new reality dominating my synapses I switched gears […]

True Happiness

Every step I take, every thought I think, every word I speak, every moment of my life… My religion dictates how these should be done. More often than not I fall short of the lofty expectations and vows. I live my life in the shadow of the Buddha’s teachings. And tomorrow I will get to […]

Bedside Manner

More people should be taught about the benefits of a good bedside manner. This morning I had an ultra-sound. First of all, let me say that I am thankful to live in British Columbia, Canada, where our health care system allows me to have the ultra-sound without an invoice afterwards. I also feel blessed to […]

Run Squirrel Run

I rarely write blogs about my day job- personal training. The mantra I follow is “it’s personal”, so my training with specific people doesn’t usually equate to others. We are all individuals with specific wants and needs. Another thing I rarely do is give someone a nickname. This blog will be different. A client needed […]

A Good Story

I’ve told the story many times, and with each telling, the ending changes. Maybe it’s a trilogy or an on-going series. With each year a new twist appears. Lama Tara reminds me that our lives are like a book. Even when you read the line “The End,” that’s never really the final scene. It’s just […]

Write it down

Why can’t I remember the perfect blog topic I thought of this morning? This seems to be a writer’s dilemma. So I went to a local craft store and bought a dry-erase board. I hung the board in my shower. It dawned on me that I have many ideas while standing there without a pen […]

Are you sure?

Today the airwaves are filled with comments about the Scottish Referendum Vote. September 18th will be their defining day. I’ve been watching the debate for a year and it’s been intense. But whatever Scotland decides isn’t going to make a difference here in Vancouver. We get to vote for our own future on November 15th. […]

Vancouver Echoes

There are all types of writing. For me, the focus is on the task at hand. A business report will never look like the frenzied scratches so often found in my personal journal. The stories for my books will go far deeper than my blog. And notes to close friends will show a personal side […]