The end of 2023 isn’t that far off. As Halloween approaches, it won’t be long before Christmas displays start popping up in stores. Reflecting on the year so far, I’ve accomplished more than I sometimes give myself credit for. I quit a job where I was underpaid, undervalued, and that left me empty. I figured out how to spend most of the summer doing what I love. A recruiter found me and now—for the first time in years—I actually enjoy my day job. I published Bring Him Back to Me in August. And last but not least, I recently ran the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. The question is…what’s next? [Read more…] about What’s Next?
writing life
Less but Better
It’s been a difficult lesson to learn, but it is slowly sinking in: less but better. Because I have only recently recognized that I have perhaps pushed myself to the brink vainly trying—despite what I told myself—to do it all. And if I’m trying to do it all, I’m not able to (when I’m honest with myself) bring the focus and attention necessary to each task. [Read more…] about Less but Better
Perfectionism: It’s Not a Prize
Shortly after my fiftieth birthday, I finally sat down to finish reading a book I’d started a few weeks before. The book? Brené Brown’s Imperfect. In the aftermath of my trip to the ER two weeks ago, Brown’s book hit a nerve. Actually, it dug out the demons and gremlins I’ve been battling most of my adult life: self-doubt, perfectionism, and worthlessness. And just to twist the knife a little deeper, it had me thinking about—obsessively, and not in a good way—if I, and by extension my life, mattered. [Read more…] about Perfectionism: It’s Not a Prize
The Wanderer
Generally speaking, we tend to group writers into two camps: plotters and pansters. Plotters write an outline of their entire book before they sit down to write, hence the nickname. Pansters, as you can imagine, fly by the seat of their pants. They have an idea and they sit down and write—no idea where the writing will go, but they let the words ‘lead’ them. I’m a panster. I like taking a flicker of an idea and developing it as I type. But lately, I’ve become another type of writer: a wanderer. [Read more…] about The Wanderer
50 Years of Learning
With my fiftieth birthday looming (it’s tomorrow), I’ve been quietly reflecting on my life’s journey so far. Since I’ve always believed that age is a state of mind, I’ve never had—and am not having now—one of those ‘crisis moments’ that some people have when they hit certain milestone ages. But in my fifty years on this planet, I like to think that I’ve gathered a little wisdom. And today, I’d like to share a few of the lessons (in no particular order as I believe they’re equally important) that life has taught me, beginning with… [Read more…] about 50 Years of Learning