Category: Motivation

Don’t Stress While Reading This…

Stress is without a doubt one of the most insidious and harmful things that a person can fell, short of paranoia and distrust. The reason behind this is quite simple; prolonged stress will cause all sorts of measurable, physiological effects on the human body. In fact, prolonged stress in one’s life can be almost as damaging as Diabetes, in that it can cause digestive and sleep issues, cardiac issues, not to mention potentially harming and damaging personal relationships, if not managed properly.

“Self-care Is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From An Empty Vessel.”

– Eleanore Brown

It continues to amaze me, how people manage their stress so poorly. But don’t lat that amazement fool you; I’m just as guilty of being unable to do so. Even recently, I’ve found myself managing my own stress quite poorly and as I’ve written about before, you can’t truly help others until you’ve helped yourself. Therefore, if you’re stressed and managing it poorly, you’ll be ill-equipped to help others or deal with issues outside of that stress.

A lot of people are afraid of taking the time to self-care because they either feel that it’s a selfish thing to take time for oneself or are made to feel this way by others. The caveat there is that if you’re surrounded by people who consider you selfish for taking care of yourself, they’re likely a big part of the stress you’re feeling. And although I’m not suggesting throwing momma from the train, eliminating those negative sources of stress from your life is a huge step towards self-care.

There are a number of things you can do that are extremely helpful with managing stress within one’s own life. They seem obvious and may be common sense to some but if sense were common, it wouldn’t need saying. For that reason, I’ve decided to share some tips on what one can do to help manage daily stress. Here are a few gems:

1. Exercise Regularly: Look, I don’t care if cardio, weightlifting or fuckin’ speed-walking is your poison! Just get up off the couch and do it. Regular exercise not only helps improve your overall health and mood, it will help mitigate the feelings of stress. At least three or four times a week, set aside at least an hour for some sort of physical activity. I know that in the hustle and bustle of modern life, finding this time can be difficult. But the benefits of doing so far outweigh the struggle of finding said time. As the popular logo says, just do it!;

2. Maintain a Proper Diet: Again, this might seem like common sense but the reality is that if you eat like trash, you’ll feel like trash. And if you’re one of those people who justify their diets because they eat fish and poultry a few times a week, it doesn’t count if those foods are battered and deep fried. Eat lean proteins and be sure to includes some freakin’ veggies in that mix (something I’m sorely lacking). There’s nothing wrong with occasionally snacking, but this doesn’t mean eating the entire bag of chips or binging, even if it’s only one day a week. Contrary to the joke where an entire cake is only one piece if you believe in yourself, moderation is key;

“If Your Compassion Does Not Include Yourself, It Is Incomplete.”

– Jack Kornfield

3. Get Enough Sleep: Please take note that I didn’t say “get some sleep.” I said to get ENOUGH sleep. There’s a big difference, there. I recall a time where I could get away with five or six hours’ sleep and still function normally the next day. The problem with that kind of thing is that rejuvenating sleep is not cumulative. You can’t skimp on proper sleep all week and then sleep for twelve hours a night on the weekends. that won’t repair the damage it does. Proper sleep will greatly help in decreasing feelings of stress and anxiety one experiences. A rested mind will manage daily stress far better than the opposite;

5. Get A Hobby: Look, it may sound easier said than done but the purpose to life isn’t to simply go to work, come home and have dinner then flop on the couch and wait for bed. Wash, rinse and repeat. There needs to be some purpose to your life, whether that means playing with your kids, building models, playing with LEGO’s, whatever! There needs to be something that you do for yourself that takes you out of the humdrum habit of the daily grind; and

6. Find Your Inner Zen: Yes, I know! Not everyone is into religion or spirituality but you know what? You really don’t have to be, in order to reduce stress and anxiety within one’s life. Meditation, yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi… Hell, just go sit by the water and have some quiet, contemplative time to yourself. All of those things will go a long way towards helping you overcome stress and live a happier life.

Having some stress in life is normal. After all, a sense of urgency is necessary in order to reach and accomplish some goals. But if your stress is deep and affects your overall daily life, you may want to consider some of the above elements that can affect one’s overall ability to manage that stress. Your health’s be wellbeing are paramount to a happy life. And you can’t take care of others until you’ve learned to take care of yourself. Food for thought… ☯️

Where there Is Life, There Is Growth…

I started my current job in April of last year and I have to say… it’s been a total blast. I have good people, a good boss and the environment is conducive to my staying put for the foreseeable future, which is ultimately all one can truly ask for when contemplating employment. Enjoying what you do is an important part of maintaining a healthy life and eliminating suffering in one’s own life. But when I started in my new office, my wife and kids were kind enough to provide me with something of an office-warming gift…

This is Herb, my adorable little succulent plant. When I first got this little guy, I had him sitting on the corner of my desk so that I could glance at him occasionally throughout the work day in an effort to brighten it. As time has passed and my thoughts focused more on herb than myself, I moved him to my filing cabinet where he can get the most intermittent sunlight. I water him every Monday morning when I get to the office and I’ve come to be amazed at the growth I’ve seen in such a small plant.

I unfortunately don’t have a “before” photo… I took some when I first got the plant and I’m sure they’re still in the original post from a year ago but for the purposes of this post, a current photo will suit the purpose. As you can see from the photo above, Herb has significantly sprouted up since last year. When I first got him, his stalks were completely flat against the rim of the pot. Now, we can clearly see that his stalks are pushing up.

What’s even more interesting, is that the stalks are shifting in such a way too face the sun. This fascinates me and I’ve made a point of turning the pot on occasion, as the stalks at the back (facing away from the sun) are yellowed compared to their sun-facing counterparts. The overall plant has gone from being all but completely flat to being almost two inches tall.

Plants can be finicky at the best of times. Depending on the type and breed of plant you have, keeping them alive and healthy can be a challenge. In my case, my wife got me the perfect type of plant for me; one that requires very little watering or care and only needs intermittent sunlight. This is perfect for an office setting, where there may be a number of days where I wouldn’t be in the office. Plus, there’s no denying that having a silent touch of life in one’s environment can help to improve mood, temperament and overall productivity. ☯️

It’s Not A Solitary Journey…

Once ion a while, you may encounter someone who has the ability to push through and reach their goals without any assistance or guidance from the outside world. These people are pretty rare and are the exception to the rule, not the common theme. And even for those who go it alone, they’ve usually learned the skill or reached the goal they’ve set by learning from a source that was written, filmed, developed or provided by an another individual. If you look at it from that perspective, they’ve still gotten help from someone else. And there’s an important lesson to learn from that…

Originally, and I’m talking way back before we stood upright, humans were nomadic animals. We stopped long enough to find food, mate and bear children and move on. Eventually, as we evolved and progressed, we came to realize that certain things were easier when we stuck together. There was strength in numbers, we were safer in packs, food was easier to attain and we could maintain a better lifestyle in groups. This became the norm as humans eventually became sedentary and would seek each other out for this purpose. Although you can still find the odd individual here and there who lives completely off grid and by themselves, they’re pretty rare.

The moral of this morning’s narrative is that humans have evolved to come together to tackle common causes. And some of them are substantial enough that they would be all but impossible to learn by oneself. And this is where karate comes in. I recognize that someone, somewhere, closed their fist and used it as a weapon for the first time, although one could argue that this was likely more instinctive than anything. But for anyone who has studied karate extensively, can you imagine trying to learn that art by yourself? Sure, you could find books and videos, either online or in stores but there’s nothing that quite substitutes the presence inside the dojo.

Everyone who is in the dojo has come together for a common cause; to learn the art. Although one’s reason for wanting to learn may be different than another, that end result will always be the same. This is why it’s important to come together within the dojo and help each other out. There’s no room in a traditional dojo for egos, attitude and cheering for one person over another. The dojo environment is meant to serve as a safe space for all students to learn. The only thing worse than a McDojo (look it up, I’ve written several posts on this) is a dojo where the instructor ignores, belittles or openly ignores one of their students.

I once wrote about something referred to as the martial arts ladder. The concept is pretty simple: a student advances and progresses to a point where they can teach and pass on knowledge to another. Once the other student begins to learn and progress, they may climb that ladder and surpass the one who was helping them along. It’s important at that point to stop, turn around and assist that surpassed student in climbing higher as well. And this is how we grow, by helping each other up one rung at a time.

Last but not least, it’s important to communicate within the dojo and with your instructor. If you feel that you aren’t being treated fairly or that there is something off, you should talk about it. Although there are rules of conformity within any dojo and it’s important to show proper respect, your instructor likely can’t teach you properly if they don’t know there’s a problem. And it genuinely sucks to be training in an environment while suffering in silence. Talking about such things is not a sign of weakness but a sign of maturity; the modern dojo has no place for the disregard of a student. Food for thought… ☯️

Unseen Enemies

There can be a lot of obstacles and unseen enemies when one is trying to accomplish any fitness, health or martial arts goals. Some of these that include things like lack of motivation, discouragement, wanting what others have (seeing more advanced students or their progress) and even seeing others discouraging or making fun of people who are trying to better themselves. That last one is particularly bad but as anyone who’s rocked out to the soundtrack of Rocky IV, “it’s you against you; the paradox that drives us all.”

We are our own worst enemy. Sometimes, this is a results of how we’re biologically programmed. As living things, our bodies are designed to preserve energy and be at rest as much as possible. This can often make it difficult to push through, when we need to attend karate classes, do workouts at home or try and find the energy to play with one’s kids. This is aggravated when one has a condition that causes apathy due to blood sugars. I’m not complaining (anymore than usual), jus’ sayin’… But there’s a reason why people always shit like, why put off ’til tomorrow what you could be doing today.

Most people always believe that they have more time and that it doesn’t matter. “Meinh, I’ll get to it tomorrow” or “I’ll start AFTER this weekend…” People rarely stop to consider the damage that’s done while waiting for that better time or the time they lose BECAUSE they wait. We are our own worst enemy, and there are consequences to putting off until later what we can start on, today. A perfect example of this was made clear to me last Saturday; not so much from a fitness standpoint but on a personal level.

A few weeks ago, I made my peace with the fact that I had to start mowing my lawn. Although I enjoy the perks of owning my own home as opposed to renting, I absolutely abhor yard work.That means that things like lawn-mowing, weed removal and all those different things that one needs to get done for the outside of their home, I despise. I rather be writing, doing karate or playing with my kids. Adulthood, am I right? The point is, I had dandelions sprouting and my front lawn looked like shit so I popped in my earbuds, grabbed my lawn mower and got to work.

I only planned to finish the front lawn and call it a day. By the time I finished the front, I decided to start tackling the rear. I managed to get half of the back lawn done before my upper back and shoulder started reminding me of my age. This sucks on many different levels, because I couldn’t plan on when I would get to the second half and my OCD was really going to LOVE seeing half the grass at a different growth level. The following couple of days, one thing after another came up that gave me excuses not to get to it.

The following weekend, we were out as a family, doing our weekly family activity and I planned on getting the lawn done once we got back. But my neighbours were staining our side of a piece of fence they were using as a windbreak for their sitting area. Didn’t seem polite to start mowing some lawn right by their ankles or potentially throwing up grass clipping against freshly stained wood. I opted to wait until later so that the fence’s staining could dry. Are we seeing a pattern of behaviour here? Putting off a needed chore?

That was over a week ago and last weekend I decided it needed to get completed as the back half of the rear lawn was starting to look like a small jungle. The result of my laziness was no small task. As a result of my putting off this chore, my weak-ass electric lawnmower had no chance of cutting through that tall grass. I had to spend over an hour with a whipper-snipper, cutting through it all manually. Then I had to rake and collect all the clipped grass by hand before finally running the mower over the clipped grass to bring everything back into balance.

Several hours work for what would have only been about an hour of lawn-mowing, had I been smart enough to get off my ass and get it done when i should have. My apathy and unwillingness to push through my urge to stay comfortable actually caused me a greater effort once i had no choice. And yes, I’m writing about clipping grass, which isn’t exactly a life-altering thing. But the lesson applies to all things in life. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can jump on today. Start those fitness goals. Start eating cleaner. Build some goals and start working towards them. Everyone thinks there’ll always be more time; until there isn’t. Food for thought… ☯️

Back On The Old Warhorse…

Well, my first week back to karate after recovering from my rib injury was a great success. And what’s more, I managed to make all three classes without missing a single minute. This is a catch-22, since I feel ridiculously exhausted but satisfied that I attended the full week. I can admit that my ribs and muscles ache but this is to be expected. Mix this with a couple of days’ rain in the Regina area to add some pain in my old joints and it made for a Friday night chock full of relaxation to prepare myself for the week to come.

It was good to be back and the increased temperatures accompanying the coming summer also made the workouts particularly rough. There doesn’t appear to be any A/C in the dojo… (did I SERIOUSLY just type that???) Talk about first-world problems. But I did recognize that two months of basically sitting still and doing nothing seems to have contributed to my overall weight. I could definitely feel the difference. I’ll have some significant work to do over the summer to get myself back into shape. The good news is I found out that our dojo only closes for the month of August, which means I’ll have in-person training all summer.

Short but sweet post today but what can I say? I can’t ramble on for pages and pages every day. ☯️

A Little Reminder Of What’s Important…

Once in a while, I tend to recycle old material I’ve already written about. Kind of can’t help it when you consider that I’ve been blogging for about four years at this point. But once in a while, it’s important for any of us to remember what’s important in life. And this brings to mind a story i read when I was in college, way back in the 1990’s. I kept a paper copy of this story as it inspired me back then, almost as much as it does now. Some of you may have heard this story before, but here it is:

A professor stood in front of his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar slightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous YES.

The professor then produced two bottles of beer from under the table and poured their entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things such as family, your children, your health, your friends and your favourite passions. And if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else, the small stuff. If you were to put the sand into the jar first, there would be no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.”

It’s important to pay attention to the things in your life that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your spouse and children. Visit with your parents. Take time for your health. Treat yourself to dinner. Play another 18 holes.

Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the professor’s students raiser her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled and said, “I’m glad you asked that. The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beer with friends or family.” ☯️

Weekend Family Chronicles, Volume 3.

It was quite a busy weekend for my little baby Buddhas and I… Friday night was reasonably uneventful, with not a lot going on besides getting some yard work accomplished and playing with the kids. We made plans to go to a local indoor swimming pool on the Saturday, which is always an enjoyable thing for me. I’ve spent the majority of my life in water, having been born and raised on the shores of an open bay, It al started at the tender age of 2, when my grandmother dropped me into a body of water my father was snorkelling in… The look on his face when I waddled my way down to find him would have been priceless, had he not been wearing a scuba mask and I wasn’t a toddler. But I digress…

My boys, so far, haven’t shown much interest in the water. We tried putting Nathan into swim lessons, but they never took. He’s only just recently started to wander into deeper waters with the use of a life jacket. Alexander however, is already starting to kick and swim and take to the water like the son of a water baby that he is. So on Saturday, we joined my friend Jayden and his wife Tori at the pool, where everyone had a reasonable time, splashing and playing. I say reasonable, because Nathan tends ot become a sensitive little pill when we don’t play the way he wants. But I think he still had a good time.

Brothers of Mayhem

Sunday morning was a strange change for our household. Both boys actually allowed for a bit of sleeping in (sleeping in when you have children means no later than 9 am) followed by a breakfast of cheerios and cheesy bread. Sundays are usually our grocery and laundry day in order to get the household ready for the week to come. Although Saturdays are the usual go-to for outings, we decided to make a different plan and I took the boys to one of their favourite playgrounds while my wife made a grocery run without having to contend with the boys IN the grocery store.

They had a lot of fun, with Nathan finding some random boys to play with and Alexander raising hell all over the playground. In true toddler style and much like a domesticated cat who prefers the box than his cat bed, Alex couldn’t help but be fascinated by the trees, bushes and twigs as opposed to all the colourful play structures that sat on the property. In fact, as you’ll see from the photo below, his favourite play structure turned out to be a bike rack…

I’ve had a few people ask me why I choose to write about my time out with the boys on weekends. That’s a valid question, considering this is a Diabetes/Buddhism/Health&Fitness blog. A valid question, and here are the reasons… many people do things like open an email account for their children and send photos, videos and memos to it with the intention of providing the username and password to their children when they turn 18. In some ways, many ways, my hope is that my boys will someday read my blog and soak in my experiences and everything that was done for them, even when they didn’t assume they were getting as much as they THOUGHT they were.

The other reason is because although some may say that they didn’t choose the path they’re on, there’s no better way of finding peace than in the eyes of your children. It’s important to recognize that these experiences are JUST as important to the father as they are to the son. Or in my case, the sons. And with everything going on in the world, it’s al the more important to have something positive to read, in any forum and through any media. Food for thought… ☯️

Networks Aren’t All Wires And Tech…

Early last week, I had the opportunity to experience something different. I attended a 2-day conference related to my work. The reason I say it was different is because although I’ve attended a number of courses and seminars during my time with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, I never quite had the experience of communicating, exchanging information and business cards. It’s always been about the learning but this time it was about the networking.

I spent two days hearing others speak about matters related to my current field, which was fantastic. I also got to speak on some subject matter, myself. Never one to keep my mouth shut, I was able to speak well over time and infringed on everyone’s lunch. Shame on me, but it was free lunch so they really don’t have too much to complain about. I ended up handing out dozens of business cards and making all sorts of connections. It was phenomenal…

It definitely exposed me to a different side of the professional world. As a police officer, I was usually limited to a world where I associated with other badges. Now, my world has expanded a bit. It gives me some thoughts about what the future may hold. And I’m kind of thinking that the future may be bright enough that I’ll have to wear shades…

Anything Is Always Something More Than Nothing

The title is something I came up with years ago, usually referring to one’s personal health & fitness goals. The reasoning behind it, is that many people will assume that because all one can do is take a light walk or use extremely light weights, that it isn’t making a difference in their health and fitness. But nothing could be further from the truth. Even the lightest weights will offer more than sitting on the couch. Taking a walk may not be going for a 10-kilometre run but it will still give you more than snacking on a bowl of chips while binging a streaming service.

This concept also includes meditation. Although there are various forms of meditation and different ways of doing it, for some proper meditation means clearing their minds and thinking of nothing. Although this is a great concept, having completely nothing on one’s mind is more difficult than the average person is inclined to believe. Even with decades of experience in meditation, sitting in a quiet room and focusing on absolutely nothing is almost as elusive as trying to catch a glimpse of an eye floaty that always strays right out of your immediate view.

Speaking from personal experience, when I manage to meditate to the point where I clear my mind, I always find myself drifting and my mind will idly stray to random thoughts, memories and ideas. Although not an inherently bad thing, if one is genuinely trying to focus on nothing and allow their conscious mind to cool, this can lead to some frustration and cause the practitioner to consciously move their mind back to nothingness. This is where the connection to the first paragraph comes back into play because focusing on nothing is still something. And anything is ALWAYS something more than nothing.

Unless you’ve committed yourself to a monastic lifestyle or discipline that requires it, it’s critically important to remember that the meditative experience can be different for everyone. You shouldn’t be too hard on yourself if the type and manner of meditation that you’re pursuing tends to be elusive for you and quite difficult. For those who aren’t simply going through the motions of making it look like they’re meditating for the gimmick of it, it can take years of study, practice and in some cases even guidance from others, before you can successfully achieve one’s goals.

What’s important to remember is that if meditation allows you to relax, lets your mind cool and reflect as opposed to dwell on any particular thing, you’re still doing something beneficial for your body. And don’t be afraid to reach out to various sources for help. After all, you wouldn’t try to bench press 300 pounds if it’s your first time in the gym, right? Why try to carry the full weight of one’s mind on the first time out? Be patient. Be consistent. Work towards what YOU want to get out of meditation. You’ll be all the better for it. Food for thought… ☯️

On The Road Again…

That very special time has come again… The time when I need to leave my home and travel for a few hours to a neighbouring city to be put into a chair and have needles inserted into my eyes… Yes, you read that right: NEEDLES IN MY EYES! If you had told me, six years ago, that I would be having this done every 8 weeks I likely would have laughed at you and called you crazy. But yet, here I am. Doing it again…

I suffer from something called Diabetic Macular Edema, which is a condition where a Diabetic sufferer will develop an accumulation of fluid in the tissue of the eyes. A side effect of living years with type-1 Diabetes, the fluid causes a swelling that can blur one’s vision, hinder sight and eventually cause blindness. The only treatment currently available is to inject a prescribed medication into the eyes that reduces the swelling and dries up the fluid.

Sounds lovely, eh? Picture the scene from Clockwork Orange where the guy has his eyes held open by metal clips. I’d like to say I’m exaggerating but that’s pretty much what they use to keep my eyes open during the procedure. Freezing drops are used and I’m fully conscious and can see while this is happening so I’m usually treated with a show of swirling colors and lines, directly in my line of sight despite the fact that it’s all happening on the inside.

I’m usually blind, by the legal definition, for several hours after the injections and once the freezing drops wear off, it’s an unwanted visit to pain town for many hours to follow. Given the need for my kids to stay at home and my wife to work, I usually embark on this adventure on my own, which means I book a hotel room near the hospital and pass out for a few hours to let the pain subside once the injections are done.

Although the process is onerous and painful, it would be a lie to say that it’s entirely a bad experience. Besides the fact that it’s a proactive step towards ensuring my continued visual health, I get to have dinner in a nice, stylish little Irish pub that’s located on the hotel’s main floor. A little place called “Finn’s,” it’s usually all but dead on a Monday night, which means I get excellent and speedy service on my food and drinks and I get to observe a bit of society from a dark corner while I recover.

I’ve never been much of a club or bar person. unlike most of my counterparts, I didn’t spend my youth hitting the clubs or getting shit-faced at parties. Instead, I spent those formative years training and studying the martial arts. Some may claim they had more fun than I did. I have the benefit of saying I clearly remember all of it. But I digress… Since there’s really nothing I can take to alleviate the pain caused by the injections, a couple of cold brews help to take the edge off and I’ve yet to find a place with a burger as flavourful as Finn’s.

Given the new job I’ve been in for the past year, tomorrow morning will see me attend a couple of meetings virtually in my hotel room before checking out. Gotta love the way of the new world. It seems kind of rainy in Regina this morning, but the forecast seems to suggest it’s sunny in Saskatoon, which is important since I need to walk to the hospital. I guess I need to pack up and get on the road.

I could be bitter and complain about need to get injections in my eyes but two important facts come to the forefront. The first is that I’m pretty lucky in the sense that many people are much worse off than I am, and if getting needles in my eyes helps me to maintain my sight, I’m in! The second is that when I started taking this medication, I was going every four weeks. Now that it’s been stretched out to every eight weeks, it feels like a walk in the park by comparison, which is kind of ironic since I take a walk through a park to get to my appointment. ☯️