“We learn some of the most important lessons in our lives in very short moments.” We know that. When you want to learn something new, and put the hammer down, trying to force learning, it rarely works. As fatigue sets in, our I’ll do this 10 times, turns into 20, then 30, and before long, […]
Midwives and Mediators: Facilitating new beginnings
March 5, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Midwives and mediators have much in common. I’m convinced. Last week I read Ami McKay‘s excellent, and popular, novel, The Birth House. Set in small town Nova Scotia in the early 20th century, the story initially orients around an elder midwife, and her young protege. Using traditional herbs and remedies, they help local women through […]
Changing habits: A simple plan
February 2, 2011 by · 2 Comments
I used to smoke a lot. It was a habit. It was a serious addiction. Then I took up running. That became my new habit. It wasn’t easy shifting habits. Zen Habits suggests 3 simple steps (as the core) to change your habit: Write down your plan. Identify your triggers and replacement habits. Focus on […]
Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life: Video Book Review
January 23, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Compassion is an attitude. It’s principled and consistent concern for another. It’s about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, feeling their pain, as though it where your own, and entering generously into their point of view. It’s not about pity or feeling sorry for someone else. To be compassionate is to live the golden rule; […]
15 Ways to bridge the gap between cultures and communities in conflict
December 6, 2010 by · 14 Comments
I shed tears this weekend. They weren’t for me. They were for others, and their stories, I heard, as a participant, along with 200+ others, in the first ever Truth and Reconciliation conference between Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals in Victoria. The conference was titled Open Hearts, Clear Minds: A Road to Reconciliation, and took place at […]
