Transitions are times of great danger. The disruption brought on by transitions leaves us vulnerable and exposed. We may fear what lies beyond the transition. Long held routines are torn away leaving us seemingly stranded in an unfamiliar world. We must be cautious with our thoughts, words and actions. 

Transitions involve an element of loss or an ending.  It takes time to process this, to grieve and accept what is no longer here. It is a very personal process and each of us responds differently. There is…

I sometimes feel as if my creative neural pathways are starting to calcify. I have a theory that our brains "calcify" as we age if we are not mindful. Perhaps not in terms of actual calcium deposits, but in that we lose the flexibility of thought required to adapt to new situations or think in new and creative ways. We become rigid and "set in our ways" unable to change or adapt.

One of the saddest things I ever witnessed was the behaviour of a polar bear in Vancouver's Stanley Park zoo. The bear slowly…

Travel isn't always pretty. It isn't always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that's okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind. - Anthony Bourdain

Landed last night in the middle of a snow/ice storm from the sunny island of Jamaica after spending a week there at an all-inclusive resort. It was everything we…

Sometimes life feels like Groundhog Day. Not the popping up out of a hole looking for your shadow Groundhog Day but the Bill Murray every day just repeats itself plot of Groundhog Day the movie.

It is easy to fall into a life of comfortable routine. Comfortable but not creative. Time passes rapidly by with the only trace of existence consumption and waste. The challenge is getting out of the routine, doing the difficult and challenging work that will leave a trail of discovery and creation.

When we are cold, we put on a sweater. When we are hungry, we eat and when we are thirsty, we drink. We actively seek to minimize or eliminate discomfort in our lives but can value be found within the feeling of discomfort?

Discomfort is the feeling of change so if we are seeking positive change, perhaps we should actively seek discomfort. The benefits of exercise cannot be realized without some level of discomfort. The same can be said for creative pursuits - we have to move out of comfort to find the…

An original song recorded in my childhood home that we are vacating after 55 years of continuous occupancy.  It is difficult to leave but we take with us a lifetime of memories.

It's difficult to let go of things. 

You've probably noticed this if you've ever moved, decluttered or had to deal with decommissioning an estate. Objects and items retain deep emotional attachments even when their functional value has long passed. How many of us still have boxes from our last move waiting to be unpacked? 

I am fascinated by the concept of minimalism - reducing the objects you own to a bare minimum. Minimalism means different things to different people but what do we really need to live a…

"We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise, we harden" 
                                                                                              Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 

Whether guided by faith or internal desire for change, personal growth and renewal is a worthwhile, lifelong pursuit. There is much to learn from the natural world. In spite of being stationary, trees have the ability to adapt to their environment, growing and proliferating in areas of optimum sunlight, moisture…

It is easy to end something that requires effort. Especially when faced with an indifferent world that values shallow insight, social approval and immediate gratification over deeper analysis, individualism and positive change. It is easier to fill the day with meaningless activities rather than make a determined effort to create real value. 

But endings also provide opportunity for change. The opportunity to craft an energizing new beginning that fosters purpose and meaning. The challenge lies in avoiding…

Change has many faces. Sometimes we seek it out - travel, new experiences, novel food, beverages, and the latest technology. Other times we abhor change, particularly when things change for the worst - health, finances and the weather. Radical change is often limited to a handful of moments in life - birth, leaving home as a young adult, starting a job, entering a long term relationship, getting fired, retiring and dying. 

Everything is impermanent. The only thing consistent about change is that things…