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
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.
For most of my adult life, I have been hard on myself. Extremely hard. I have always set high expectations for myself, and when I don’t meet them or come up short, I’m disappointed. While I have been trying to be gentle with myself, it’s not easy. Even though I know it’s unrealistic for me to believe that I will succeed at everything or get everything right on the first try, deep down that expectation is still there. [Read more…] about Be Gentle
In the last week, I’ve switched from taking the UP Express (the train from Union Station to Toronto-Pearson International Airport) to the Kitchener GO Train to get to work. At every opportunity, I take a seat by a window and stare at the rolling landscape. Sometimes I read. Other times the 30ish-minute journey is a time to reflect, to disconnect and just be. [Read more…] about Just Be
We survived the holiday season. It was, as usual, a quiet Christmas in my corner of the world. I haven’t travelled over the Christmas period since 2019, when I was still working as a flight attendant. I’m not going to lie. I’ve been happy not to travel, this year especially as a massive storm system swept through the region wreaking havoc on the roads and causing days-long power outages in some areas. And with all the Christmas baking I did, let’s just say there was no such thing as moderation. I ate every little Christmas cookie or dessert I could get my hands on. Now it’s time to step up the workouts and the running. [Read more…] about Welcome to 2023