Category: Motivation

Something Is Anything More Than Nothing…

A couple of weeks ago, a good friend of mine from back home posted a meme-style poster with Dwayne Johnson’s face shadowed behind the words, on his Facebook timeline. It read, “I want to see what happens if I don’t give up.” My friend shared the post with the caption “A legend will be born, if so.” An interesting but truthful perspective and one that more people should acknowledge. There’s a great deal to be said for pushing on when it feels like you should give up.

His post sent my mind back in time, all the way to 1995. I was a year away from graduating from high school, I had my own car and I spent my weekends playing Star Trek RPG in my buddy’s basement. But I was also training at karate, full time. By full time, I mean I would wake in the morning and do a half hour of forms before school. Then it would either be a karate night or not. We had three classes a week, and not just an hour or an hour and a half; I’m talking two hours of blood, sweat and tears wrung out of us by traditional Okinawa karate. Then we’d usually go 30 minutes over time, asking questions and trying techniques. If it wasn’t a karate night, I’d spend an hour training at home, followed by wandering around town on my bike or running on the beach.

It was a different time of my life and all I did was eat, sleep and breathe karate. I loved it, and it was all that was me. And yet, right around that period in 1995, I hit a slump. I just didn’t seem to have the energy and the get-up-and-go that I usually did. I started to find that I was struggling in class, was always tired and didn’t seem to have any motivation. It all came to a head one night, when we were doing drills involving crescent kicks and I just couldn’t get my damn legs to go fast enough to keep up.

I bowed out, left the class and headed to the locker room where I proceeded to sit on the bench and openly weep into my hands. I felt as though the entire reason for my health and well-being, both mental and physical, was coming to an end and I was powerless to stop it. Was I in a slump because of my Diabetes? I had conditioned myself NEVER to use that as an excuse for not accomplishing something. But the consideration was there. Had I simply peaked and had nothing left to give? My heart said no, but my body and mind didn’t seem inclined to agree.

Sensei was used to having me excuse myself during class, as I would occasionally need to wolf down some fast-acting carbs in order to keep going. But I had been gone for much longer than usual, which was enough to have him come check on me. I was still sobbing when he walked in, which in and of itself was embarrassing enough. But when I explained why I was upset and how I felt that maybe it was time to give up and call it a day, he sat next to me and fed me the words that were burned into my memory and that I’ve carried with me, ever since:

SENSEI: “Want to know what happens if you give up?”
ME: “What?”
SENSEI: “Nothing. Nothing happens. And nothing is always worse than anything. So keep going, even when it hurts, even when it’s hard and even when it feels like you aren’t moving forward.”

Even now, almost thirty years after he spoke those words to me, it gives me chills and makes my eyes well up. I turned a corner after that night. My energy and motivation came back and I found myself renewed. Maybe I just needed the encouragement. We all need a little pep talk sometimes.

That brings me to my point. I may not be your Sensei. And I don’t know who may need to hear this. But you matter. And no matter how slow you move, you’re still getting farther ahead than the person who’s standing still. Don’t give up. Don’t EVER give up. Even when things seem hard or impossible, you can always make some headway, as long as you’re willing to fight. And I believe you can.

Anytime I’m reminded of that night, I feel a pang of guilt at how close I came to walking away from such a huge part of my life. And I know others who have. Where would I be today, without my martial training? I would definitely not be the same person. But I can’t help but feel that I would also be potentially worse off, health-wise. Karate has done far more for me than simply teaching me to defend myself.

A huge shout-out to my friend Ricky for this post. Unintended consequences, brother. Even when you don’t mean to, one’s actions can have them and this post is a prime example. And despite the importance of this story, I should provide some levity and tell you how that night played out. It ended with Sensei clapping me on the shoulder (nearly hard enough to dislocate it) followed by the words, “Now get the fuck back upstairs and back to training or you’ll owe me a hundred knuckle push-ups!” And I did. Go back upstairs, not owe him the push-ups…. ☯️

A Lighter Update…

Sometimes I forget that this is a blog and I can write posts without getting too “in-depth” on the topics I cover, or writing ad nauseam to the point where readers will lose interest halfway and stop reading. But that’s me…. I have a tendency to ramble, even when it’s in written form. Just look at right now…. Instead of getting to the point of my post, I’m rambling about NOT getting to the point of my post. But I digress…

I recently wrote about a change in diet where I started to reduce the amount of carbohydrates that I consume. I haven’t been trying to eliminate them, mind you. That would be bad. Carbohydrates are the body’s source of fuel, and trying to eliminate them completely can have some detrimental effects on the body. But in an effort to spur along some weight-loss efforts on my part, I’ve made some gentle changes to my overall diet.

For the most part, I’m not the worst eater in the world. Hell, I’m not even the worst eater in the circle of people that I know. I’m aware of some people that I know that eat like a trash can (their words, not mine) and consume pretty much whatever they want. While some people may have the metabolism to do that and still look stunning, I do not. And I recently took stock of my body, age, weight and overall health and I recognized that I ain’t getting any younger and change to the body becomes harder as you age, for a variety of reasons.

I’m by no means obese. I don’t believe I’m even overweight, insofar as I can tell but I’m no doctor. But I have developed a rather significant case of “dad bod” in the past couple of years, which I attribute to a combination of stress from recent events combined with good ol’ COVID-19. But those excuses will only stand on their own for so long, especially for someone who doesn’t believe in excuses. So, what have I been doing? Well, let me share that with you…

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve cut down on the total amount of carbohydrates that I consume in the course of a day. This has been pretty easy to do and is actually far simpler than people think. When someone tells you, “Cut down on carbs” it suddenly feels like you may starve. After all, what is one to do without potatoes, bread and snack foods on the weekends? They key word here is “reduce,” not eliminate.

My mornings start with caffeine. I think that should be obvious and if it’s not, you don’t know me at all and haven’t been reading my blog for long. Breakfast, whenI have time to consume one, will usually consist of eggs and/or bacon and on the rare occasion, an English muffin that weighs in at about 10 grams of carbs. Any or all of those individual components will do. I typically ensure my lunch, which is eaten at work is entirely carb-free. This is the main area where I make up the difference. It will include a lean protein, such as chicken, as well as some salad and perhaps cheese and a handful of nuts. I’ve recently taken to enjoying the occasional small cup of yogurt for it’s benefits, as well.

Do nuts have carbs? Why, yes! Yes, they do! But they happen to be filled with a bunch of shit that’s good for you, like the healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. And 100 grams of mixed nuts comes in at only about 20 grams of carbs, so I limit myself to an extremely small clutch of them, usually pecans. They’re excellent for adding some crunch to your salad or just eating them on their own. If I DON’T include a few nuts (and I don’t mean my coworkers) then my lunch is typically carb-free. Even if I do, I’m looking at 30 grams of carbs to my day, thus far. Not so bad when you consider that I would typically consume more than that in a single meal before I started limiting my total intake. Hell, the average sandwich will come in at about 30 grams of carbs when one considers the two slices of bread.

At supper, I will allow myself to indulge in whatever meal my lovely wife has prepared, carbs or not. That being said, I’ll limit my portion. So if there are mashed potatoes, I’ll have half the scoop I usually would. Same for pastas, rice or noodle dishes. But dinner is usually where I will allow the MOST carbs of my three meals, bearing in mind that one needs fuel to keep going. Last but not least, I’ve all but eliminated evening snacking. This doesn’t mean I won’t allow myself to indulge during movie nights on the weekend or there won’t be the occasional exception if hunger strikes. But I for the most part, I’ve eliminated snacking, which most people should do since eating late at night is horrible for your body.

So, have there been any results? I’m glad you asked that question (if you’re still reading by this point) because there have! I’ve been at this “mild” change for approximately a month, now. I started out at just below 220 pounds. That’s right, folks! It ain’t ALL muscle…. My wife and I recently bought a new scale and my habit has been to wake in the morning, deal with my morning ablutions (look that up, if you don’t know what it is!) remove my pump and step on the scale.

As of last week, I was down to about 210-213 pounds. Okay, okay, not so bad…. I’m burning some off…. Two days ago, I decided I was hungry enough and my wife had made some shredded chicken, so I made a plate of nachos. I was in the linen closet for something and decided to step on the scale, just for the hell of it. Lo and behold, I was down to 203 pounds! Without removing my pump and cell phone. After a full plate of nachos. I’m considering that I may have been even a pound lighter.

This post ran on for far longer than I expected. If you’ve read all the way to this point, the lesson here is that a small change can make a noticeable difference. And since the warmer weather has kicked in, I’ve started to include some 10k bike rides and outside workouts, which have no doubt helped. Will I ever get back to my 165-pound weight I had after basic training? I’m willing to say not a chance in hell. Besides, I have more muscle mass now than I did, back then. Yes, I’m bragging. But it’s truthful bragging. But to be able to break that 200-pound threshold and maintain it, is my goal.

Last but not least, it’s been a lot smoother on my blood sugars. Less carbohydrates mean less insulin bolusing, less miscalculations on how many grams of carbs I’m actually consuming and less high’s and low’s. So much so, that my pump consistently asks for added BG readings because it hasn’t had to micro-bolus as much. Better blood sugars mean better overall A1C’s and better overall health. I’m not going hungry, I allow the occasional indulgence and I’m losing weight and getting healthier. It’s a win-win. As with all things, even if this works for me, it may not work for you. Be sure to consult your doctor or a dietitian before making any serious change in diet or lifestyle.☯️

Just For Laughs…

I’m nothing if not able to laugh at myself… I think that laughter is the best ingredient for a happy life. SO much so, that sometimes I make my wife question my sanity while reading and/or watching comedy to the point where I have tears coming down while she looks at me wondering what the hell she got herself into… IT’S TOO LATE NOW, HONEY!!!

As a good example, did you hear the one about me getting a coffee at my local Tim Horton’s and trying to sip it while on the way back to the office, forgetting I was wearing a fuckin’ mask? Yeah… That wasn’t COMPLETELY embarrassing to pull off while walking along a busy Regina street… Or the day when I was filling my water bottle at the fountain and when I leaned in to check if the bottle was full, I managed to spray water all over my crotch… Luckily, I was the only one in the office. Nothing like a wet crotch to convince your coworkers that you’re incontinent. But I digress…

Once in a while I manage to find something related to my faith that makes me grin and laugh. Unlike a lot of other people, I can see the comedy in some of those things and enjoy sharing them. Knowing its funny MAKES it funny. Anyway, without further ado… Here’s a funny Buddhist meme I found online:

This makes me laugh, because my son Nathan has said, “Come at me, bro” on a few occasions. So this serves two purposes: making me laugh and reminding me of my son. Both are ultimately important in my life, so I hope you enjoy it, as well. A pleasant laugh on “hump day.” ☯

Couples Who Sweat Together, Complain About The pain Together

One of the more pleasant aspects of working out is being able to enjoy a solid workout with your significant other. I don’t get to enjoy that pleasure often, as between work, the kids and other obligations, we never seem to sync up with the times when we individually work out. My wife has taken to using a program called T25. They’re fantastic circuit workouts that only last… you guessed it! 25 minutes! She usually does these workouts during the morning when I’m at work while the baby naps.

My habit is to slip in some quick 30-minute workouts of varying types during the evening, when I’ve gotten home from work. I either hit the bag, do some weights or get on the bike. I’ve started hammering out some 10k runs on the bike, which is nice. Considering I was hitting the 60 and 70 kilometre distances last summer, it’s about time I started building that endurance back up. Especially after the harsh winter I just endured.

We’ve been talking about having some workouts together for weeks, now. It just rarely works out. But as I always say, if it’s important, you make the time. So, on Sunday we decided to hammer out a workout. I wanted to try one of the circuit workouts she’s been doing and she agreed to find one that would include dumbbells so we could get some weight work in. Considering I’ve done Meta-Shred, which is one of those 30-minute circuit routines as well, I figured it would be reasonable.

It. Was. Brutal. There we were, each doing our own thing, but doing it in tandem. We were both struggling, but getting through it at our own pace. By the time the workout timer ended I was sprawled on the floor, covered in sweat. My wife was blasted as well. It was loads of fun and it was something we were able to do together. Spending time together can be such a simple thing and it can be made all the more special by working on each other’s health together. Even with the busy schedule of life, one should always make time to share interests with one’s significant other. After all, couples who sweat together, complain about the pain together. ☯

Simplicity Is The True Spice Of Life

I was recently blessed with reading a post by one of my brother bloggers that goes into the topic of critical thinking versus creative thinking. There’s a lot to be said and described on this topic, but one of the important aspects that I took from that interaction was the importance of keeping things simple. This applies to all areas of life and can mean the difference between suffering and relative peace. Allow me to explain.

Critical thinking is an important aspect of life. Without it, we would likely not have a lot of the innovations and technology that modern society enjoy so freely. The ability to recognize, analyze and evaluate any given problem is how progress happens. We’re not quite “The Jetsons” yet, but we’re getting there. A hilarious side note on the Jetsons… I read a meme online that said that the Jetsons are set in the year 2062 and that George Jetson is about 41 years old, which means that somewhere in the world, he’s currently being conceived. That made me giggle a bit, especially since we’re nowhere near to living in the skies with flying cars. But I digress…

There are two basic perspectives to life and almost everyone without exception falls under one of these categories. I’m talking the scientific perspective and the non-scientific perspective. Even with science as a guide through navigating life, it’s important to recognize that the world is more than just what our six senses perceive and that at some point, if you go far enough backwards in the grand scheme of things, science fails to provide an answer. Perhaps it will, someday. But not all things can be compartmentalized and analyzed and there’s something to be said for running on faith.

Let’s take the Big Bang, as an example. No, I don’t mean the television sitcom, I mean the actual event that the title is based on. We know that at some point, billions and billions of years ago, an explosive release of energy resulted in the massive expansion of space that we recognize as our universe. So here’s the interesting question: what came before that? If one were to take the religious approach, then one would be inclined to believe that in the beginning, there was nothing until God said, “Let there be light!”

If one takes the scientific approach, we find ourselves at a loss. Some speculate that our universe is a piece of another, pre-existing universe and that something cataclysmic caused our universe to basically be tossed out and begin to expand on its own. There are a number of theories but I think we can agree that until proven, theory remains speculative. So, which perspective is the correct one? Is it so impossible to think that at some point, far enough back, a single individual or entity is responsible for all that we know? I don’t want to go off on a tangent and start getting into chaos theory, but if the flapping of a butterfly’s wings can cause tsunamis on the other side of the world, then…

Our self-awareness leads us to the belief that we’re at the top of the pyramid of life on our respective little blue marble, but the truth remains that we don’t know what’s out there. Or where it all came from. or even what’s to come, despite plenty of speculation on that, as well. One of my guilty pleasures is watching those YouTube simulations that show the progression of the universe until its end. How accurate those are will remain to be seen, just not by us in all likelihood. But I’m crawling FAR to the wayside of where I was going with this. Let’s see if I can get myself back on track…

When we talk about simplicity, we need to recognize that interaction is part of the human condition, and that we sometimes have to alter, improve or improvise how we perform those interactions. If I were to use employment as an example, when was the last time that you wrote a cover letter and JUST used plain language? When we want to make a certain impression, we have a tendency to “fancy” things up. I’m talking about something like describing oneself as a “master of the custodial arts” instead of just saying “janitor” or “cleaner.” Sure, it sounds fancier but it potentially leaves one open to misunderstanding and misinterpretation.

There is room in this world for both critical and creative thinking. In fact, in most instances they can used interchangeably. The key is keeping an open mind. Keeping things simple in all areas of life helps to guarantee that we reduce the amount of suffering in our own lives and frequently even in the lives of others. And it also ensures better communication in the overall grand scheme of things. Keep it simple. After all, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Food for thought… ☯

Revenge Is A Dish Best Served At Someone Else’s Buffet…

It’s no secret that I’ve been through quite a bit in the past three years. I always say that life doesn’t care about one’s plan, and I often say this because you can be prepared, trained and ready for any obstacle or issue that you may encounter and still fail. When I look at the course of my own life, I acknowledge that no matter how prepared I was, I certainly wasn’t ready for the nightmarish few years that were to follow. I can honestly say that the issues I overcame (and I DID overcome them!) shook my existence to its very core and threatened the nature of who I was and how I lived my life. Often, I wanted to blame other parties for these difficulties. And make no mistake; there was certainly and undoubtedly blame to be placed on the other person.

When facing any issue or problem in life, it’s important to remember that the cause or the “blame,” if you will, can be attributed to three involved parties. The first is the other person. This is obvious, but actions, words and/or choices made by the other person will certainly be a root cause of any problem you’re facing. The next aspect is fate. I use that term quite loosely and a better word honestly eludes me, at the moment. But it’s important to always remember that some elements of life are out of your control. Most people get angry and try to fix things when fate intervenes, but there isn’t much you can do about it. No sense getting angry at the rain for getting you wet!

The last involved party and the most important, is yourself. It is the height of ignorance to assume, on any occasion, that you have no involvement or responsibility for the problems you face. If we take a simple example, such as being late for work, it may have happened due to traffic, a passing train holding you up or some other factor. But one still needs to recognize their familiarity with the route, traffic and potential delays as well as taking responsibility for the time you left your home. This is a pretty simplistic example, but it goes to show that no matter what the situation, you also hold some responsibility for it. This is usually a hard pill to swallow for most people, as most prefer to place blame on the other individual. Whether this is because they feel better thinking they’re excused from blame or because they want a target to focus their anger is beyond me.

Once you’ve acknowledged that there is SOME self-blame involved and that some of it is out of your control, knowing who else may be responsible will often become irrelevant. And just to be clear folks, I’m not referring to an intentional, criminal act on someone else’s behalf! There is absolutely no reason for one person to commit a crime against another. But this doesn’t prevent some people from using their words, actions or choices in such a way that it causes you problems. The bottom line, whether you buy into this rhetoric or not, is that when people face/overcome any problems in life that involve another party, it usually prompts a comment that always makes me take pause: “Karma will get them!”

Karma has different meanings and connotations, depending on the religious background you follow or are familiar with. In most instances, it describes making your next life better by ensuring the sum of your actions in the current life are positive. Even if you don’t subscribe to the concept of reincarnation, karma can be considered something of a spiritual cause and effect. If you do good, good will happen and vice versa. The problem comes in when people start believing that karma is an instrument of vengeance or revenge. I have some news for you, folks. That’s not how karma works.

There are a lot of reasons why I SHOULD be angry and pissed off against the person responsible for all the grief in my life over the past few years. And despite the responsibility I accept for these issues, the person involved had no right and no reason to cause me difficulty. I have every confidence that karma will eventually catch up to this person. After all, do bad and bad things will happen, as well. But the important thing, which allows me to move on and maintain my sanity, is being able to let it go and walk away. I I were to sit and watch for this person to step off a cliff, that would make me no better and likely worse, than this person was to begin with.

I’ve had a number of people share their thoughts that I should pursue this person, sue them or take some sort of responsive action against this person. Karma is self-regulating and I am not its instrument. At least, I never KNOWINGLY am. And that’s where people need to understand the significant difference between karma and revenge. Revenge involves direct action on a person’s behalf, does nothing to fix what has happened and will only contribute to the suffering of the world. Karma eventually catches up and happens independently, with no vengeful agenda behind it.

Don’t even get me started on suing someone. I absolutely abhor the prospect of suing someone. That’s just a personal perspective, but that always seems to be everyone’s go-to, nowadays. “Oh, I’m gonna sue them…” There’s a time and place for that kind of thing and is meant to be recuperative, not punitive. And one also needs to recognize the inherent difference between “revenge” and “justice.” One has nothing to do with the other. Will karma get them in the end? I always tend to believe so. But I’ll draw no pleasure from it and it’s important not to halt one’s life to see it happen. Food for thought… ☯️

Relaxing In A Pressure Cooker

Life can come at you pretty fast, and it rarely cares what you may be dealing with at any given moment. Challenges and work assignments will continue to pile up, regardless of the fact you may feel that you’ve “got enough on your plate” or can’t keep up. The big problem as well, is that society is still quite a bit behind the times as it relates to acknowledging that sometimes, a person needs a mental health day or to simply shut down and recover from whatever they may be facing.

Unfortunately for us, life doesn’t work that way. Even though some people have the ability and resources to take a step back and let their heads cool from the pressures of life, we’re not all so lucky. Eventually, it can become overwhelming, and cause a variety of issues like burnout, depression and negative thoughts. It’s important to remember to take steps to ensure that these don’t happen. After all, your mental health and wellbeing is your responsibility.

They say that life will never pile on more than you can handle. If this is true, my shoulders must be capable of bearing quite a bit. Last Friday, a significant amount came piling on. The day before I had noticed a strange sound coming from the family vehicle. The way I describe it is to compare it to the winding up sound that Doc Brown’s DeLorean makes when it accelerates in Back to the Future. Unfortunately, my vehicle wasn’t travelling through time. I called that evening to make an appointment to get it repaired and was asked to drop the vehicle off at 8 am the following morning.

The next morning, I began my typical work-from-home Friday at 7 am. It was raining heavily and unfortunately, we discovered that our roof was leaking. I discovered it by accident, as water was driving between floor boards in the basement. This struck me as odd, until I realized water was falling from the attic by way of the space between the inner walls and into the basement. in short order, every light fixture in the upstairs was dripping with water.

Great. As if dealing with the vehicle wasn’t enough of an issue for the end of the week. I immediately sent an email to the roofing company I had received an estimate from, last May. I realized it was 7:30 am and I needed to head out in order to drop off the SUV. My wife reminds me that she has her first vaccination appointment at 5:40 and to ensure that the garage will return our vehicle prior to that. I drove down to the garage and dropped off the SUV. Then, I walked to the bus stop that should take me back home. The rain was practically torrential, soaking my legs and feet within minutes.

I arrived at the bus shelter and checked the arrival schedule on the inner wall. The #5 was scheduled to arrive at 7:55 am. Splendid! It was already past 7:45, so I had less than ten minutes to wait. Then, I noticed a #5 on the opposite side of the road heading towards downtown. Shit. Seems that the arrival schedule was meant for the other direction. I did a quick Google maps search and discovered that the next bus towards home would be in 30 minutes. The physical walk would only be 20. I had the choice of waiting for half an hour, followed by a ten minute bus ride or get my legs moving and be home in 20 minutes. I opted to walk.

By the time I got home, I was soaked through, cold and sniffling. The water situation at home had worsened. The baby’s room was leaking water down the east wall, resulting in paint bubbles. I decided to step it up and phone the roofing company, not satisfied to wait for an email response. I got no answer and left a detailed voicemail. I changed clothes and tried to get back to work. Key word was “try.” I should mention that it was one of those so-called “teacher development days” and Nathan was home for the day. He and the baby were blessing us with their usual colourful display of noise and destruction. Work was impossible.

I only had one meeting scheduled. I arranged to have it an hour earlier, then told my boss I would be taking a vacation day. He agreed that I had a significant amount on my plate for one day. The stress and pressure of everything happening at once started to pile up. Such pressure affects different people in different ways. For me, it makes me focused and committed to solving the problem. I’ve always been like that. get a problem, solve a problem. I think Lee Child’s character, Jack Reacher, said that at some point.

I got the car fixed. I was able to grab the correct bus back to the area where the garage was located. With the vehicle properly repaired, I went back home and decided to ease the sting of the day by ordering pizza for everyone. The rain had stopped and with it, the drips in each respective room ground to a halt. The crisis was averted. For now. I did a few work-related tasks and had some food, and the world looked just a little bit better.

George S. Patton Jr. once said, “Pressure makes diamonds.” And it’s quite accurate. Sometimes the intense pressure we’re exposed to in our daily lives can lead to very beautiful things, as long as we’re willing to see it through and persevere. It’s the natural example of how life doesn’t care about one’s plans. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make them. AND keep fighting the good fight, even when the odds seem overwhelming. Food for thought…

in closing, the roofing company didn’t get back to me before end-of-day. guess I’ll have to chase them down this week and get my roof shingles seen to. The previous owner of our house, may he rest in peace, re-shingled the roof almost fifteen years ago. But he only did the front half, facing the street. Ironically, the only rooms that had water leakage were the ones on the back side of the house. Where the shingles weren’t replaced. Yet another lesson that if you’re going to do any thing, you must do it properly and completely. Or else suffer the consequences of your shortcuts. of course, I’m suffering the consequences of someone else’s shortcuts, but the message is still the same. (Thanks for the post idea, Boris!) ☯

Gimme A Break!

I’m going to assume that most of my readership is too young to remember the sitcom that today’s title is taken from. “Gimme a Break” was a sitcom that aired in the early 80’s and featured Nell Carter playing a housekeeper named Nell Harper (I know, not very imaginative…) who looks after three young girls for a local police chief. Although it was mostly on because my father watched it, it’s one of those early shows from my childhood that occasionally passes through my subconscious. I can still hear the theme song…

Anyway, enough with the nostalgia! Today’s post is literally about breaks, as it relates to daily life and work. I’ve written on occasion about needing breaks from fitness routines and that still rings true. As important as it may be to stick to a routine and keep fit, sometimes you need to let your body recuperate. The same is just as true for one’s mind. This means taking a break from whatever cranial endeavours you may have your nose buried into, whether it’s paid work or personal study and research.

Last week I found myself working well beyond my scheduled shift. Although this isn’t an unusual occurrence for me, it’s one that I discourage among my staff and coworkers. The simple reason behind this is to prevent people from burning out and reducing their productivity. When we get exhausted, we tend to lose focus, concentration and make mistakes. I only realized when I had worked for almost four hours beyond my scheduled shift end that maybe I needed to back off a bit. It’s pretty easy to get carried away, when you love your job and work from home. But I digress…

It’s always seemed as though I’ve worked with one of two extremes: people who always seem to be doing nothing and the people who never seem able to shut down. The key is to find the happy medium. And with that, I can provide an example. On a particular day, one of my staff asks me if I’d like to join for a morning coffee. I have a mountain of work piling up and I think that I should likely keep at it, until a thought crosses my mind. The fifteen to twenty minutes I take to grab a coffee and converse briefly won’t make the pile bigger. AND it will allow me to shift my mind’s perspective long enough to refresh me. Breaks can be important.

We walk to the next staff’s office. We ask if he wants to join for coffee. He declines because he has too much work to do. Okay, fair enough. but the scenario is the same for that employee. The work will still be there in fifteen minutes and the break is short enough it won’t make it worse. But it may make it better and easier for the employee. After some coaxing, the employee finally decides to join us and we spend twenty minutes chatting about various things and sipping our coffees. Everyone returns to their respective offices with smiles on their faces and caffeine in their systems. Good times.

Sometimes we forget to that even when our bodies are at rest, our minds need a break as well. Even though you may spend 8 hours sitting at a desk (which is fuckin’ horrible for you, BTW. You need to get up every hour, stretch and look outside), your mind needs that occasional respite to recharge and rest, as well. That can only be accomplished by pulling yourself away from the pile and stepping elsewhere. This can apply whether you’re at a job, working from home, studying or doing personal study and/or research. It really doesn’t matter.

The mere act of stepping away and coming back with a refreshed set of eyes can often help increase or maintain your productivity. And if nothing else, it’s important for you from a mental health standpoint. I’ve often said, “When you aren’t exercising the body, you be exercising the mind.” As true as that may be, it’s also important to remember that no matter HOW you rest the body, you should also take time to rest your mind. No matter what your situation, don’t skimp on your breaks. They can pay dividends in the one run. Food for thought… ☯

Goodness And Right, My Goodness!

Roy T. Bennet once said, “We should be brave to stand up for what we truly believe even if we are standing alone.” I first heard a version of this quote in 2014, when I was posted in a small, southern Saskatchewan community that had it painted on one of the walls in their high school. theirs read, “Stand up for what you believe, even if you’re standing alone.” I like both versions and they both ring true with me, considering they tend to diverge slightly in their wording.

But today’s post isn’t about what one believes in. It’s about being good. What is a good person? Is it constantly doing good deeds? Is it doing unto others as you’d have them do unto you? Or is it simply the act of living simply and minding your own business without bringing harm to others? I could easily argue that being a good person is a combination of all those things. You don’t need to wear a cape and run around saving people all the time, but I believe you should damn well give it your best if you find someone who needs your help. After all, it’s also been said that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

I think that if you can live a genuine life of not causing suffering in others, you can easily be a good person. Of course, that’s the Buddhist side of me, coming out. But there are so many things that are easy to do in life in order to be good… Simple things, like holding a door open for others, helping someone carry something heavy to their car or helping a friend pack up and move from one home to another…

The possibilities are endless. But I think the ultimate test comes from seeing what you do when you aren’t being watched. Get your minds out of the gutters, you perverts! I don’t mean anything nasty! I mean what actions and steps you take to be good when there are no consequences and no one is watching to see what you’d do. I think this speaks to the nature of a person’s character and how “good” they truly are.

One really good example of this, is the shopping cart conundrum. I’m sure you’ve read about this on Facebook or some other online forum. Basically, the question has been asked whether you return your shopping cart to the cart corral after you’ve loaded up your car or if you leave the cart sitting in the parking lot and drive away. I’ve heard some folks say that it helps with job creation, justifying the need for a job position that fills the role of collecting these carts. Others say that it’s cruel to make minimum wage workers scavenge the lot for these carts in the depth of winter or sweltering heat of summer, to collect the carts you failed to bring to the corral.

The reality is that returning your cart costs you nothing. It usually takes thirty seconds to a minute of your time (big deal) depending on where the corral is located. But that simple act ensures that you prevent hazards to other vehicles in the parking lot, make life easier for the lot attendant who collects the carts and ensures that there are more carts available inside the store once they are collected. It also prevents blocking potential parking spots. If you DON’T return your cart, there is zero penalty, zero consequences and zero repercussions against you (except karma, but I’ll be nice and won’t go there). So returning the cart is a pure act of a good person, whether one believes they need to do it or not.

This is just one example, but there are plenty of others. Holding the door is another good example. Do you HAVE to hold open a door for someone? If your momma taught you well, you will. But you don’t have to. There are no penalties or repercussions if you don’t. You may even encounter a surprising number of people who won’t be grateful when you do. But it’s another pure act of goodness that only satisfies you, really.

Being a good person can mean a lot of different things to different people. At the end of the day, as long as you’re keeping things simple, doing what’s right and staying consistent within the laws of whatever place you live in, it’s hard to go wrong. Just remember that even when no one is looking, karma still gets its due. And if you do great things when people are watching but bad thing when you’re alone, that shit’ll catch up to you. Guaranteed. Food for thought… ☯

Happy Freakin’ Birthday…

I’ve never been much of a fan of my own birthday. Anyone who’s known me for any length of time knows that. But DAMN if there isn’t something magical about having a day all your own, eating cake and shit… It can be loads of fun. Well, today happens to be my lovely wife’s birthday. So, I’ll keep it short and sweet, since today isn’t about me and my propensity for being wordy as hell. Happy birthday to my beautiful wife. Although time marches on, we’ll never get older as long as we stick together! ☯