Category: Motivation

The Second Time Was Much Sweeter…

I’m not one for being stubborn (as my wife shakes her head), but I wasn’t satisfied with how my sugar pie turned out a few days ago.  As a result, I did a search and found a French Canadian recipe that only included two ingredients (I may have mentioned this in the last post).

The recipe only involved 400 grams of maple sugar and 225 mL of whipping cream. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t find maple sugar, so I chose to use brown sugar instead.  Most sugar pies these days are made with brown sugar anyway.

I started by mixing those two ingredients and heating it up for fifteen minutes to thicken the mixture.  Once that was done, I poured the mixture into an uncooked pie crust and baked at 345 degrees for about half an hour.  Despite a slight burning smell from some of the mixture bubbling over, there was a nice, warm aroma of brown sugary goodness in the house.

Way better attempt, this time

Once it came out of the oven, I let it cool for a while then put it in the fridge to let it set.  I had the benefit of having low blood sugar, so I gave in to temptation and had a piece. It was still a bit liquidy, perhaps from needing more time to set.  But it was good enough that I was sorely tempted to eat the entire thing!  It may not have been 100% like the sugar pies back home, but it was damn close.

A bit on the watery side but still delicious

It just goes to show what happens when you’re stubborn enough to keep at it until you get it right.  It may require a few more tries and a lot more insulin! ☯

Footprints In The Sand…

Something that most people don’t know about me is that I was raised on the Catholic faith. My mother studied to become a nun (once again, SUPER happy she didn’t pursue that route) and my family and household were rife with references to the Catholic Church.  It influenced me throughout my childhood, considering I attended elementary school before Canada had a firm separation of church and state. We even had missionaries in our family and I would donate some of my belongings every year to impoverished countries at the behest of these family members.

Although the years that followed would see me steer away from the Catholic Church and organized religion as a whole, some aspects of my theological studies remained with me.  And as I’ve always believed, true knowledge can be found in most religions and applied to all.  One of these examples is the story known as “Footprints”.  Although who the author of this “poem” was is still debated, it carries a powerful message. Here’s the poem:

One night I dreamed a dream

I was walking along the beach with my Lord.

Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,

One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

When the last scene of my life shot before me,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

There was only one set of footprints.

I realized that this was the lowest and saddest times of my life.

This always bothered me and I questioned the Lord about my dilemma.

“Lord, you told me when I decided to follow You,

You would walk and talk with me all the way.

But I’m aware that during the most troublesome times of my life,

There is only one set of footprints.

I just don’t understand why, when I need You most, You leave me.”

He whispered “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you,

Never, ever, during your trials and testings

When you saw only one set of footprints,It was then that I carried you.”

I believe we find knowledge and truth in the places we least expect them.  When I first heard this poem, I was about 8 years old. I had been diagnosed as a Type 1 Diabetic four years prior, I was in poor health and had already suffered several Diabetic comas.  My life was in jeopardy and insulin resistance posed a real threat to my continued existence.

I couldn’t conceive of life and a future at that point, but as I look back at everything I’ve suffered through I realize that I’ve left a significant number of footprints in the sand, myself.  If one were to tell me I’d be where I am now, ten years ago, I likely would have laughed in their faces.

The thing about sand is that although it’s solid matter, it holds nothing permanently. Eventually, those footprints melt away and life goes on.  So ask yourself: who will remember your footprints?  What impact have you had and what difference have you made in the world that your footprints should be cemented in the minds of others?  The answer you find may shock and/or inspire you…

Not everyone has religious beliefs. And that’s okay. We live in a modern world where science has been able to prove (or disprove) most things written in religious texts. But that doesn’t make some of their lessons any less timely or important. The impact we make on this world has the opportunity to either remain in the memory of others of fade away with the washing of the sand. the choice is yours. ☯

When It Doesn’t Make Sense Is When You Need To Keep Working At It

One of the weirdest lessons in life is how things have to be the opposite of the result you seek to achieve in order to realize you have to change it.  For example, most people won’t necessarily realize it’s time to change their diets and hit the gym until they gain a noticeable amount of weight and start experiencing health issues.  Or we often won’t eat properly until we are diagnosed with some measurable health deficiency or dietary issue caused by eating too much junk food or making bad health choices.

I think it was Albert Einstein who said, “If you don’t understand it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”  There’s a depth of truth in this that applies to all persons, regardless of their goals. Here’s the simple truth: you shouldn’t wait until you fall out of shape or gain weight to start “getting into shape” or exercising.  You shouldn’t wait until your blood sugars run rampant or your health falters before you change your diet and eat better.  And live better.

That’s an important aspect as well.  It’s not all about diet and exercise (although they are two of the most important factors and the focus of this post).  You have to be well within your own existence.  You have to be able to wake up in the morning WANTING to face the day instead of dreading the next 8 hours that may be coming.  Trust me, when I say that this is not always an easy aspect.

But let’s focus on the two first factors, diet and exercise.  I once read that the only way to get in shape is to show how out of shape you are.  What I interpret this to mean is, there’s nothing impressive about the 250-pound muscle jock benching huge amounts of weight and screaming with every rep. Sure, he no doubt worked to get to the state he’s in, but what’s more impressive is the brave soul who steps onto the treadmill and sweats within a minute and has to struggle to speed walk for five minutes.  Then they come back the next day.  And the next. And the next.  And before you know it, this person is losing weight and becoming stronger, faster and better.  That’s how change is made.  By showing up and doing it!

Your diet is the next big aspect.  It has to be specific to what you’re trying to accomplish.  The athlete training for a heavy weight boxing match won’t have the same diet as someone trying to slim down and lose weight.  And most people seem to be confused about what diets can work and what specific foods can do for you and/or against you.

Let’s discuss carbs for a moment.  Carbs are a Type 1 Diabetic’s biggest nemesis.  Why? Because carbs are the reason we need to take insulin.  The more carbs we ingest during a meal, the larger the dose of insulin that’s required. That’s an over-simplification, but carbs are meant to provide energy for the body.    This is true for all people, Diabetic or not.  So it’s usually not advisable or healthy (unless instructed by your health practitioner) to try and be completely carb-free.  Carbs get broken down into glucose or stored as fat.

Carbs get stored as fat when we take in more calories than we require or burn within the day, and get stored in all those lovely areas we hate to look at when we hop in the shower.  That’s why many professional athletes will “carb load”, because they know they’ll need the energy and it will all get used up, as opposed to being stored as fat.

The lesson here is that in order to lose weight and get into shape, you need to combine exercise AND diet.  There’s no getting around this.  You have to fire up your metabolism to help you along, and there’s no magic pill that will accomplish this.  You just need to get off the couch and do it.  You can’t diet but sit around like a lump and expect t lose weight.  You can’t exercise like a pro athlete then go out and eat the entire value menu at your local fast-food restaurant and expect to stay healthy.  You have to combine both aspects.

You want to avoid refined carbohydrates and sugars such as pastries, white breads and pastas as well as sweetened drinks and sodas.  Base the amount of carbs you ingest on your level of exercise.  If you are just starting, then keep your carb intake on the lower side in order to prevent increasing those fat stores.  Eat plenty of fiber and lean protein to help with muscle repair and development and the continuance of “friendly” bacteria in the digestion.  Lean protein means meat options that are low in fat and provide the healthiest totality, such as skinless chicken or fish (sorry vegetarians, cutting out meat does NOT help you lose weight).  And last but not least, don’t make any major changes to your lifestyle without consulting your health practitioner and/or professional trainer.

All pebbles seem small until you have one stuck in your shoe.  I forget who said that, but it’s true.  Getting into shape and reaching your health goals always seem like a HUGE challenge… until it’s not.  Then you get to maintain that health instead of trying to fight for it, and you can look back on the days you wished you were in the shape you are now. But you have to start.  One step, that’s all it takes.  Then once you get moving, you’ll be amazed at how difficult it is to stop! ☯

Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch… You Know I Love You! 🎶

You know, when you spend every day minding what you eat and watching your health it can get a little tedious.  Sometimes we forget that it’s okay to take a step back, take a breath and let ourselves enjoy simple pleasures that we’ve always been told were a no-no.

Enter sugar pie!  As some of you may remember from earlier posts, I’ve been living in the Canadian Prairies for the past ten years.  During the past decade, one fo the things I’ve missed the most from the east coast is exactly that: sugar pie.  This delicious desert has many different backgrounds in North America, but the one I’m referring to traces its roots to the Province of Quebec.

French Canadians have a bit of a dark history and faced many difficulties during the country’s development.  Many of the recipes created during this period were rich in calories with lots of fat and sugar.  This helped early French settlers to survive the harsh living conditions they faced due to the elements.  Of course, the modern recipe is made with brown sugar, a rare commodity that wasn’t available back then.  The original recipe called for maple syrup as opposed to brown sugar, so the flavor may have been different but many recipes still use either, or both.

The results of my attempt at a sugar pie

Today I decided to try my hand at making a sugar pie.  It’s one of the few vices that I long for whenever I visit my family in the Maritimes, and I’ve never been able to find one anywhere in Saskatchewan. Although some people have mentioned having heard of sugar pie, no one has ever been able to provide me with a place to get one.

I happened to find a recipe for it online today, and decided to try my hand at it. The ingredient composition may have been a bit more complicated than the original recipe, but I figured I’d give it a shot.  Depending on the taste, it may be an indulgence I can now allow myself.

Watery and unsuccessful…

Ultimately, it tastes like a bowl of jellied s&*t!!!  I should leave the baking to those who know how.  The French settlers would have likely opted for starvation over eating this thing.  I’m not sure where I went wrong, but it’s watery and tastes nothing like any sugar I’ve ever had out east.  But hey, at least I tried… ☯

Bear Beats Battlestar Galactica…

Bears have an important place in human history.  Powerful, authoritative animals, they have been the subject of mythology and legend in many cultures throughout the centuries and are featured in many diverse ways.  For example, bears can even be found in astronomy.  Ursa Major is considered the “Bear Constellation”.  The bear has, at times been feared as a significant opponent and there are legends of defeating a bear as a symbolism for overcoming significant adversity.

For those of you who may not be as big a nerd as myself, Battlestar Galacticais a science fiction show that came out in the late 1970’s.  The show basically involved a group of surviving humans on a lone ship (the Galactica) trying to overcome incredible odds to maintain their way of life.  It only ran for two seasons, but it amassed a significant cult following that inspired a reboot in 2004.

I’m going somewhere with this, trust me…  I feel like I’ve been battling a huge, angry bear for the past two years. This bear is bigger, stronger and has more resources than me.  And it seems as though no matter how hard I push, the bear seems intent on breaking me. Much like the crew of the Galactica, I often feel like I’m throwing in my last ditch effort in order to maintain my way of life.

Okay, maybe this is a bit of a stretch to get a message across… but it’s an important message.  We all face overwhelming odds at some point in our lives.  After all, life is hard!  It kind of has to be, right?  If life were smooth and easy, what would be the point without some kind of challenge? But despite the severity or depth of the challenges we face, the important is to keep fighting.  As long as you can still draw breath, you can still fight.  And as long as you can still fight, there will always be a chance of overcoming those odds.

No matter the odds you face, don’t ever give up.  Although the saying goes, “Nice guys finish last” we get there eventually, right?  That’s the important part.  Take of yourself, your health and your family and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. ☯

Shut Up, Kryptonite!

In all my travels, I’ve yet to meet someone who isn’t at least VAGUELY familiar with Superman.  Even folks who aren’t into comic books and such will have at least some idea of who this iconic superhero is.  And why wouldn’t they?  Incredibly powerful, but still noble and true…  The best of all things with none of the bad.  Truth, Justice and the American Way… (you’d never guess that Superman is actually Canadian!)

But my point is, as strong and powerful as Superman may be, he still has a weakness: Kryptonite.  Able to weaken and even kill him, kryptonite was the one thing that Superman could never overcome.  And even though it’s a comic book, there’s an important lesson, there.

The importance behind how hard you train should be directly related to the fact that no matter how strong or skilled you get, there will always be someone stronger.  That’s just a fact of life.  But by giving your training the maximum effort you can muster, you ensure that you can continue to grow and progress, and should the day ever come that you face an opponent, your odds of getting out in one piece are much better.

One good example of this is Diabetes.  Diabetes is my kryptonite.  It weakens me, leaves me vulnerable and gets in the way of even some of the simplest joys in life.  But I’ve trained and conditioned myself for decades to overcome and outsmart my kryptonite. And through training, education and help from the appropriate healthcare professionals, I’m much better prepared to deal with it (even though at times, it still weakens me!)

Sometimes overcoming our weaknesses means taking steps and pursuing treatments that we personally don’t approve of.  I can certainly attest to having been prescribed medications or been put on diets or treatment regiments that I haven’t liked or wanted to do. But sometimes getting over one’s kryptonite requires swallowing our pride, and recognizing that it’s for the greater good.  It’s not a weakness to accept these treatments or the help that comes with them.  In fact, recognizing that you need the help and accepting it takes more strength than we usually care to acknowledge.  Especially if you find yourself in a life situation where there are many loved ones who depend and count on you.

There are always ways to be fit, get stronger and stay healthy.  The trick is finding what works for you, then sticking with it no matter whether you like or not.  Because no matter what personal kryptonite you face today, there may be bigger fish to fry tomorrow. ☯

Run Or Keep Up, The Debate Of Machine Over Muscle…

Cardio is an important aspect of fitness.  Like any other part of working out, there are safety guidelines and recommendations as to how one should perform their cardio.  One point of discussion I had with a colleague recently involved the difference between running under one’s own steam or using a machine, such as a treadmill, elliptical or tread-climber.  So what, if any, is the difference?

Here’s the thing:  I hate running.  Like, with a passion!  I have the center of gravity of a boulder and I tend to move like one as well.  Cardio is simply a reality of my workouts and I often push myself to perform at least SOME level of cardio when the opportunity arises.  For example, I make frequent use of my bicycle during the appropriate seasons.  But you’ll very rarely see me run.

When I do run, I tend to favor the treadmill.  The reasons behind this are quite simple.  I get to have my water bottle and my music nearby, I can control the pace and incline AND I don’t have to deal with weather, stray animals or bad drivers.  But there are significant advantages to running both on machines and outside.

For the most part, the important thing is to just get out there and exercise!  If all you do is run on a treadmill, great! You’re already doing more than the average couch potato who does nothing.  Treadmills are fantastic for a number of advantages, such as speed training.  You can adjust the speed to increase or decrease at specific intervals, making for a nice interval workout.  A treadmill provides a controlled environment.  Treadmill and machine use in general tends to be a bit easier than running outdoors because the machine is technically pushing you along.  That’s why it often feels as though you can run faster on a treadmill than you would outside.  On the other hand, treadmills and cardio machines tend to be easier on the joints and body as they have more “give” to them when your foot hits the pad, as opposed to running on pavement, sidewalks or paths.

But before you go out and splurge on a machine to stick in front of your television, running outdoors has some significant advantages to it, as well.  According to an article from WebMD, running outdoors will provide a better overall workout for a number of reasons.  When running outside, you need to adjust for the terrain and changes in surface.  This works different muscles in your feet and legs in a way that a treadmill can’t. The article also points out that running outdoors provides the opportunity to run downhill, which engages different muscle groups than flat running will provide.

Another difference is that you’re the one physically pushing yourself off the ground, as opposed to a machine that’s trying to push you backwards.  As the article describes, “running outside stresses the body in a variety of ways […] Outside is tougher, but more rewarding.” The benefit of running on hills is also significant, since you can normally max out a treadmill at a 10 percent incline, but this doesn’t compare to running up a real hill.

The article also explains that if your primary goal is simply to improve your cardiovascular health, a treadmill is just fine.  It also allows you the opportunity to run after dark or in inclement weather without having to face the elements.  It’s an interesting article and worth a read, if running’s your thing: https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/is-it-better-to-run-outside#2

I still hate running. Nothing will likely change that, but as I always say, the important thing is to get up and do something.  Whether you use a cardio machine, hit the outdoors or get in some weights or any other kind of workout, variety is the spice of life and what matters is that you do it.  I’m sure if I had a treadmill sitting in front of my television, I could run while binge-watching Star Trek on Netflix.  But the important thing is to stay active. ☯

Go With The Flow

Energy is a strange thing.  We can’t see it, under most circumstances.  We fail to acknowledge its presence and some even doubt its existence. But everything is made of energy. From the eraser on your pencil to the very core of your physical being, it’s all energy!

George Mattson, a karate practitioner from the United States, once wrote, “A workout should be like a painting.  Each one has a characteristic of its own.”  The meaning behind this is that a classroom workout is much like a painting as well.  Each and every student is a separate characteristic of the class as a whole and lends one more piece to the workout.

Each and every student in the class affects the overall tone of the workout.  Think about it; have you ever participated in a class where the instructor was less than motivated?  Maybe he or she had a low, baritone voice with no enthusiasm behind it…  You can easily guess how motivating THAT would be to the students.

The same can be said about the students themselves.  If every student doesn’t put forth their best effort, they drag on the overall energy of the class.  The top students will no doubt put forth their best effort and potentially raise the bar, if you will.  But it’s up to each and every student to put in his or her maximum effort.

We all have bad days.  Some days we may be feeling ill, tired or simply lack the motivation to give it our all. This leaves us with two options: dig deep to find the energy needed to get through the night’s training, or take a break and stay home.  There’s no shame in that.  Everyone needs a break on occasion, so long as it doesn’t become extended or start interfering with your overall progress. ☯

Power Of The Printed Word.

Books! Books are awesome.  And they’ve been around for a hell of a long time. Books can contain anything: information, stories, reference materials and more.  But little by little, books are becoming somewhat obsolete in favor of the digital frontier.  This makes me sad on levels I can’t even express.

Books have been around for longer than recorded time.  Although there are some articles out there that cover this very subject, the exact time that the printed word became a “thing” is mostly unknown.  And when it did become a “thing”, it may not have been in any form we would readily recognize as an actual book.  I’m talking printed tablets, scrolls and such.

It might seem counterintuitive for me to be bringing this subject up, considering your reading a digital blog as opposed to an actual book, but there are a number of benefits to picking up a musty stack of pages and reading a physical book:

  1. It exercises your brain.  I’m a big fan of saying that when you aren’t exercising your body, you should be exercising your mind.  Books do that very thing.  And through that development and sharpening of the mind, you help yourself to focus when doing others things that are important.
  2. You’ll learn new words.  Believe it or not, there are a s&*t ton of words out there that we don’t know the meaning of, or have never even heard of.  Reading helps you to expand your vocabulary and may even help you to learn new things in general, depending on the style of book you’re reading.
  3. It relaxes you.  Believe it or not, reading a book will help reduce stress and calm you.  Stories help transport you to a different world and take you out of the immediate moment; a step which can help people deal with the hectic routine of daily life.
  4. It helps make you a better writer.  Think about it: if you learn new words and are often reading sentence structures and seeing proper grammar (at least you hope it is!) then those aspects become routine and you transfer them to your writing. So for all you bloggers reading this, it can be a great help!
  5. It will help you sleep better.  Remember the reduced stress it provides?  Well, less stress means better sleep.  And if you choose to read for a short period before bed instead of staring at your phone or other devices, it guaranteed to help you get to sleep easier than having the bright back-lit screen messing with your body.

This is just some of the benefits of reading.  Don’t even get me started on how much information and learning one can do by reading about a specific topic.  Look, we live in a world where technology is progressing at a lightning-fast pace.  But we can still take time to slow the world down and pick up a good book.  

Whether it’s to learn something new, let your imagination run wild or simply to relax, nothing but good can come of it.  I always have at least three different books on the go at once. Usually a story of some sort, a martial arts book for study and something educational. you can’t go wrong! So kick back, grab your favourite beverage and lose yourself within some pages. ☯

A Decade Of Blood, Sweat and Literal Tears…

Yesterday was an important milestone for me:  I celebrated ten years in my chosen career.  I chose to celebrate the same way as I have for the past ten years.  I did one shot of Fireball for every year of service!  The burning sensation reminds me of the pain I’ve endured.  The warmth of the alcohol reminds me of the benefits of peace.  The headache I get the next day generally reminds me of the occasional cost of that peace and the existence of suffering in this world!

And yes, before anyone gets in on me about the amount of alcohol that involves, I’m quite aware.  And in my defense, it wasn’t a big deal for the first few years!  But now that I’ve reached ten years, I’ll admit that it’s becoming a bit more difficult to keep up the tradition and I may soon need to find a different way of celebrating.  Especially since Fireball has a fair amount of carbohydrates per shot, so blood sugar control becomes a bit convoluted throughout the evening.

What made yesterday all the more difficult is that I celebrated by myself.  Since the birth of my son Alexander, my wife can’t partake since she’s nursing him.  I guess the only silver lining is that I likely won’t have to take eleven shots next year as this may likely be the last year I will have such a celebration…

I remember when I started this career.  I had a lot of hopes and aspirations for the future and the good that I could do.  I woke up every morning grateful for the work I did and went to bed every night grateful that I had survived another day. I can say with firm honesty that I’ve met some amazing people and seen some incredible (and sometimes ridiculous) things.  It’s been quite a ride.

As I nurse the headache I woke up with and take my first steps in my eleventh year of service, I consider it all bittersweet.  The career I committed my life to may be coming to an end because of someone else’s lies and destructive nature.  But the mindset, the mentality and the hard lessons I’ve learned over the past decade will stay with me for the rest of my life.  The values and discipline I developed will remain and hopefully be passed on to my sons.  It will be difficult to let go.

I have no regrets.  I can’t. Every event that has come to pass has brought me to the here and now.  And I would not be the person I am today without each and every single one of those events, good or bad.  And even if it sounds like a conceit, I like the person I’ve become.  I’m pretty awesome.  Since starting on this journey, I’ve become a role model, teacher, mentor, husband and father.  I have already gained a lifetime of wealth in only a decade.  Imagine if I could continue for another decade?  Who knows what good I might accomplish. Unfortunately, this won’t be so. Such is life.

I guess if someone were sitting next to me as I toasted last night, they would hear me toast the lives I’ve saved, regret the lives I couldn’t reach in time and weep for the lives I won’t be there to help in the future.  Such is the way of the protector and one such as I.  

I will begin another chapter.  Life won’t allow me to do otherwise.  Perhaps the next chapter will be filled with as much as this one has been.  Who knows?  Only time will tell, but I promise that I will continue to share the adventures as they come.  There are always stories to tell… ☯