inspiration

It Really Does Begin with WHY

March 1, 2023 by Marcus 1 Comment

why

Since 23 January 2023, I’ve been [more] intentional about how I start my day, intentional about the things I do and don’t do. My frustration with the lack of progress in certain areas of my life had been palpable for months. Still, I found it hard to change some habits that were, undoubtedly, the source of that frustration. I’d been wasting too much time streaming movies and TV shows, and on certain—not all—social media apps that didn’t provide value. All because I had lost sight of my why. [Read more…] about It Really Does Begin with WHY

Letting Go of the Things that Don’t Serve Us

January 19, 2023 by Marcus Leave a Comment

In these early weeks of 2023, I am thinking about how to fix my life. Not everything. Or at least not everything at once. But the one or two (possibly three) bad habits that are holding me back. If I want to stop feeling stuck, and stop focusing on the past, I need to become — as Mark Manson puts it — ‘future-obsessed.’ This is a first step in letting go of the things that don’t serve us.

If you are able to think then you are able to make different choices. If you are able to make different choices, you are able to improve. If you are able to improve, with enough time, you are able to overcome anything. – Mark Mason [Read more…] about Letting Go of the Things that Don’t Serve Us

Beyond Writing: My Obsession with Food

February 13, 2020 by Marcus Leave a Comment

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Writing is not the only thing I’m passionate about. I also love food. Good food. The kind that makes you go back for a second helping even though you know you shouldn’t. And I truly believe that we are what we eat.

Family Dinner

I grew up on a diet of meat and potatoes. And leftovers. Sunday dinners were either roast beef, turkey, ham or roast pork. Turkey, which I can’t stand now, was the worst because it was then recycled for the next five or six days. Turkey sandwiches. And turkey hash. Oh, don’t forget about turkey soup. Turkey anything. It was an economical way to feed a family, but it turned me off a lot of foods.

My mother wasn’t a bad cook, but I grew tired of that staid menu of meat and potatoes. So, one day she said to me, “If you don’t like it, learn to cook.” Challenge accepted.

By the fourth grade, I was preparing the family meal (my mother had returned to work by that point and my father was still working nights). Going into junior high and high school, I came home and watched The Learning Channel (TLC). Biba Caggiano and her show, Biba’s Italian Kitchen, taught me how to make delicious pasta recipes from scratch. Caprial Pence (Caprial’s Café) gave me a foundation in cooking and baking, along with Martha Stewart and Julia Child.

Family Inspiration

I took a lot of inspiration, too, from my grandmothers, who were fabulous cooks (we all fought over my grandmother’s homemade bread). That’s why, no matter how busy or tired I am, I make dinner from scratch. (All right, most of the time; I’m allowed a cheat day now and then.) But there are a lot of prepackaged or prepared foods that I stay away from. Have you ever checked the sodium content on a frozen meal or in a can of soup? Half a serving of Celentano’s eggplant parmigiana contains 285 mg of sodium. (I think most people are like my partner, who eat the whole thing.) One cup of Italian-Style Wedding Ready-to-Serve soup, by President’s Choice, contains 292 mg of sodium. Everything in moderation, I guess, but nothing beats the aroma of homemade bread baking in the oven or that bolognese sauce simmering on the stove.

I’m often asked if I have a favourite type of food I like to make. I love gnocchi and putting a twist on in — sweet potato, braised cabbage, arugula. Cooking is another creative outlet for me. It doesn’t have to be long and involved (although most of the time it is, especially the twelve hours it too me once to make croissants!). but there are simple dishes that are quick to make, taste great, and are healthier for us.

Food as Inspiration

Sometimes when I’m struggling to develop a character, figure out a plot twist, or flesh out a story’s theme, creating in the kitchen is a great release. It allows me to step back, and when I least expect it an answer or insight comes. And at the end of a long day, there’s nothing better than sitting down with my partner to a homemade meal.

Do you like to cook? Or do you just like to eat good food? What’s one of your favourite dishes? Click Reply to let me know. I love hearing from you!

10 Quotes that Inspire

November 6, 2019 by Marcus Leave a Comment

quote I’ll be honest…

There are days when I don’t feel like writing. It’s not that I’m blocked, but that I’m procrastinating. I want to catch up on the latest season of Jack Ryan, or episodes of Prodigal Son. That’s a sign of two things: 1) I’m getting close to finishing something and not knowing what I’m supposed to do next; and 2) Doubt is trying to have dominion. And if I let doubt in, I’ll question my talent and my worth, and then start asking, “What’s the point?”

Inspired

Part of my morning ritual is to read a quote that inspires and keeps me motivated. I write the quote in my planner, and seeing it throughout the day gets me to the page. Today, I’m sharing ten of my favourite quotes that inspire me. Hopefully, they’ll inspire you, too.

“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.” – Rosa Parks
“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.” – Pablo Picasso
“All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination.” – Earl Nightingale
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” – Steve Jobs
“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Rohn
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.” – Joseph Campbell
“Greatness belongs to those who have mastered the ability to focus relentlessly on their ambitions and act decisively towards them.” – Brendon Burchard
“If you dream it, you can achieve it.” – Zig Ziglar
“We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.” – Marie Curie
“Risk more that others think is safe. Dream more than others think is practical.” – Howard Shultz

Do you have a quote that inspires you? Click Reply to share. I love hearing from you!

Keep Your Head in the Clouds

February 6, 2019 by Marcus 2 Comments

No matter what you do in life, there’s always someone who’s going to tell you what you should be doing and how you should be doing it. Sometimes it’s a well-intentioned partner, friend, or teacher who are concerned about you. You tell them that you want to be a novelist or a sculptor, and they’ll say, “That’s crazy. You can’t make a living that way. Get a real job.” Don’t listen to them. In fact, the best thing you can do is keep your head in the clouds.

The Lost Dream

When I was growing up, I wanted to be a writer. But attitudes in my circle of influence (my family) were not favourable to a life in the arts. Writers, musicians, filmmakers, painters, sculptors … they were all drug addicts and alcoholics. And, surely, I didn’t want to end up like that, right? The pressure to not pursue what I really loved back then won out. I buried my writing aspirations deep inside of me and tried to forget about them.

Head in the Clouds

You can’t outrun your calling. As an undergrad, I read poetry at open mic nights and was invited for interviews to talk about my writing. My mother said, “I hope you don’t say anything stupid,” when I mentioned the interviews. Then I learned to not say anything about my creative dreams to anyone. But I kept writing, kept sharing my work … almost incognito.

Over the years, despite working in an office, I kept writing. I like to say that I came back to my writing, but the truth was I never really abandoned it. I kept daydreaming about a life as full-time writer. Would the dream come true? I didn’t know. But I couldn’t outrun the calling. I had to write. I had to try.

Never Give Up

Whatever your dream, don’t listen when people tell you it’s impossible, crazy or stupid. They’re often the ones too afraid to strike out, to, as Audre Lorde put is, “use my [their] strength in the service of my [their] vision.” They’re jealous that you’re daring to try, to be of service. They don’t have your courage.

Yes, keep your head in the clouds and your dreams alive. Dreamers change the world.

Be a dreamer!

Did anyone try to discourage you from going after your dream(s)? Did you take the bait or did you power through? Click Reply or leave a comment in the section below. I’d love to hear from you.