Sail Away, Sail Away, Sail Away
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Enya’s song Orinco Flow keeps popping into my mind these days, so much so that I’ve finally downloaded it to my personal music library.
Why this song?
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Lessons from Shawshank
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Can you think of someone in your life—other than a family member—who you would help in a heartbeat, no questions asked, with no expectation of help in return?
If so, what are the characteristics of that person?
Read MoreOn Rediscovering Lost Loves
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As I’ve written about here and there, I both love trying new things and believe that doing so is paramount to a life well lived.
One of the ways we end up trying new things is that they present themselves to us as opposed to seeking them out. The only ingredient we need to bring to the table is to say "yes."
In my case, the lastest opportunity to say "yes" was a Hallowe’en costume party that was part of a recent conference I attended in late October 2017.
Read MoreI Wish - Why Sharing Dreams Matters
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I met up with my friend Rob in August of this year. He’d sent out a message to his friends on Facebook looking for anyone interested in going out for a meal/drinks that evening to get over his cabin fever. Well, I hadn’t seen Rob in ages and thought “Why Not?”
Read MoreGiving Feels Better Than Receiving, When We Make It Personal
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Some actions have unanticipated consequences. I was reminded of that today.
I’m thankful to have been given the opportunity to play a small part in helping a Syrian family get settled in our lovely city of Winnipeg, Canada.
This morning, we managed to pack a pickup truck full of various household items this morning, including various bedroom/kitchen/dining room furniture, home decor, kitchen/bath essentials, and some toys for their two children.
Read MoreAre We Listening? On Meaningful Conversation
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Coffee is one of my favourite beverages. Not only because I enjoy having a cup (and many times two) of the dark elixir but because it’s often accompanied by good, if not great and memorable, conversation.
These memorable conversations usually take place with one or more of my friends and/or family, sometimes in a private home, sometimes at a coffee shop. Sometimes it follows a meal, sometimes not.
What each conversation has in common, other than a beverage of some kind, is that there is no agenda, there is no timeframe or time limit. Once we've experienced it one, I find that almost everyone knows something good or great is about to happen but this last point we never bring up because it might kill the magic of it all.
Read MoreWhat's Your Story?
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It might not be what you think.
When we think of our story, we think of what we tell others. This story usually consists of our background, our expertise in various areas and what we’ve had a chance to experience throughout our lives.
Our résumé is a story, our online dating profile is a story, how we introduce ourselves is a story, even our elevator pitch is a story and it can influence how others view us—how they mentally file us for future reference.
What if I were to tell you that those stories, though important, are not as material as your story, what you tell yourself?
Read MoreDon’t Be a Flatliner
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I first started noticing them well before the hype of the TV show and movies, these people who seemed to have no pulse, no passion, no soul. These people that I call the walking dead.
At various levels of predictable speed, from dragging their feet to being lost in adrenaline-filled busyness, they would get through the day, every day, as if life were something to merely survive as opposed to something we should feel privileged to experience.
I remember the first one I ever saw. It was in January 2001. I had started working at Megacorp only four months before. It was about 8am and he was pressing the elevator button to get to his cubicle and start his day. He was expressionless, resigned.
Read MoreBook Review: "Deep Work"
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Want to know what Free to Pursue thinks about Cal Newport's book "Deep Work"?
I gave the book a 5 out of 5 Rockstar rating.
Author Cal Newport uses top insights from highly-respected sources to drive home the point that deep concentration is going the way of the dodo bird in a society increasingly focused on immediacy and that harnessing and developing this ability further leads to both a personal competitive advantage and a happier life.
Read MoreMore Than Meets the Eye - How I Read Books
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I’ve finally decided to document my book-reading process because over the last year or so, this question is popping up with increasing frequency.
For simplicity's sake, I’ve split the process into two parts:
- How I keeping track of what I read
- How I read a book
