We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey. Kenji Miyazawa Dear Mom, It’s hard to say goodbye. It’s hard for me to believe that you’re actually gone. I still expect to see you enter the room or to hear your voice when the phone rings. Your passing has affected me deeply…more…
The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. Joseph Campbell This summer I challenged myself – I signed up for a stand-up comedy course. The course is Comedy Girl, an all-female stand-up class taught by seasoned performer and writer Dawn Whitwell. The Level 1 training at Comedy Bar was no walk in…
I don’t believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive. Joseph Campbell Not long ago I celebrated my birthday, an event made more memorable by my friendly neighbourhood drugstore, which announced that as a “young senior,” I now qualified for a special…
The key to finding a happy balance in modern lives is simplicity. Sogyal Rinpoche, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying In the profoundly moving New York Times essay My Own Life, neurologist and author Oliver Sacks recently revealed that he’s dying of terminal cancer. Referring to himself as “a man of vehement disposition, with…
The moment you wake up, right away, you can smile….You are aware that a new day is beginning, that life is offering you twenty-four brand new hours to live, and that that’s the most precious of gifts. Thich Nhat Hanh The tune It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And…
The future is completely open, and we are writing it moment to moment. Pema Chodron, teacher, author For many of us dealing with life transitions, new beginnings can be strange and confusing – we fear them as much as we anticipate them. More often than not, there will be moments along our journey when filled…
The only way to make sense of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. Alan Watts, philosopher, writer The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus famously observed that the only constant is change and that life is a rapid river, perpetually flowing, churning and transforming. When challenged by change in…
All great changes are preceded by chaos. Deepak Chopra Not a day goes by that I don’t find myself chasing tiny balls of solder from various corners of our home, reminders of recent re-piping and renovation work. The need for re-piping had presented the ideal occasion to initiate much neglected and long deferred projects. For…
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage Anais Nin, novelist “Larger! Larger! Larger! Forget small! Think big! Abandon fear! Light the fire in your belly!” The fifteen of us sat there timidly, hands poised hesitantly in mid-air. Welcome to first year life drawing class. A huge, pad of white paper rested on an…
Deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. Lao Tzu Who would have thought that a chance encounter with a stranger one winter evening could leave a lifelong impression? Christmas was a few days away and I remember thinking as I finished my holiday errands, what a beautiful night…