LGTBQIA2S+ Author, Blogger, Runner
No one likes to think about their mortality. It’s easy to think that we have lots of time left. And maybe that’s why we get bogged down by the ‘Tomorrow Syndrome.’ Because we think tomorrow is guaranteed, we tell ourselves, I’ll start my business tomorrow. Or, I’ll have time when I retire to travel more. Or, Next week I’ll get back to the gym regularly. Who told you that you’d be here tomorrow? All I know is this: I’m going to be dead soon. [Read more…] about I’m Going to Be Dead Soon
I’ve got to be honest… Over the past few weeks, I’ve fallen back into some bad habits. I had been on a nice streak of doing certain things that would, if I had stuck with them, help bring some positive changes to my life. I’d done well at not eating sugary treats, then started baking again—and taste testing uncontrollably. I was stretching daily, then abruptly stopped. And now my hip flexors and calves are protesting. I was writing for an hour without distractions, and now I find myself ‘checking facts’ and ‘verifying information’…and tumbling headfirst down the internet rabbit hole. Change is hard.
And, at times, frustrating.
But that doesn’t mean you give up, especially if you truly believe in your dreams and where you want to go. [Read more…] about Change is Hard
I can’t say how many years it’s been, but for the better part of a more than a decade, I usually don’t answer the phone in the morning. Weekday or weekend, it doesn’t matter. That is my creative time, and I don’t want to be disturbed. It’s sacred. And it’s that moment when I acknowledge the ‘self’ in selfishness. [Read more…] about Recognize the ‘Self’ in Selfishness
The past couple of weeks have been challenging on the work front, and it’s taken up a lot of mental headspace. That left me, at times, not able to fully focus and drained—both mentally and physically. But it also had me thinking [again] about a song by the late singer-songwriter Laura Smith, “Clean Up Your Own Backyard.” That translates, for me, like this: dig deep and figure out what is my next right move. [Read more…] about The Mind Battle
In life, whether I’m at work or not, I try to maintain a calm demeanour. It takes a lot to rile me, to get me to react. Most of the time, I shrug things off because it’s either out of my control or it simply doesn’t warrant a response. But there are other times when you must stand up for yourself, when you must be the voice that breaks the conforming silence.
In 2010, I left Ottawa for Quebec, leaving behind the traditional office work environment. When I started my current job in August 2023, there was a ‘new’ reality that I had to deal with: Slack and Teams.
When I am trying to focus, I find the notifications to be a distraction. I’ve muted them and turned off the sound. I’ve also done the same with e-mail, which is less important in terms of my role. I get that they are communication tools to assist in our workflow, but there needs to be best practices for workplace chat apps—and consequences when they’re not adhered to.
Just over a week ago, one of my coworkers posted a GIF in our work chat that, as a Black man, I found offensive because it propagated a stereotype. And in the chat—in a very diverse workforce—there was nothing but silence. So, I decided to stand up for myself and others and called it out. Because, as Maya Angelou advised, you must “Develop enough courage so that you can stand up for yourself and then stand up for somebody else.”
Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself. Don’t be afraid to stand alone.