writing life

The Hardest Part of Change

April 18, 2024 by Marcus 5 Comments

In the few short days that I have been off social media, I have already noticed a shift. I don’t feel overwhelmed. Because I’m no longer trying to do things that aren’t important to me. I’m not rushing in the morning to record, edit, or post videos for social media—or worrying about their possible virality. I’m also not scrambling to squeeze in some writing time, or wondering if I can get out for a run or to the gym. Instead, I am focused on doing the things that matter. But I need to share with you the hardest part of change… [Read more…] about The Hardest Part of Change

Writing Off the Grid

April 15, 2024 by Marcus 19 Comments

As April began, my focus was on change because, as I recently explained in my last newsletter, I had a feeling that something was off. Life had been speaking to me, but I wasn’t listening even though I knew, knew, that if I changed my habits I could change my life. And I have a vision of what a better life can look like. A better life beyond the big dreams and goals I’ve been chasing. A life filled with calm, joy, love, and purpose. But to create that better life means changing my mindset, which isn’t always easy. It also means making sacrifices. That’s why I’m going back to writing off the grid.

The more I talked about change on social media, the more I thought about what seemed to be missing from my life. While I was creating lots of content for my social media accounts, progress on my writing projects stalled. What happened to the passion I had for writing? I realized that I had let it be derailed by less important things. [Read more…] about Writing Off the Grid

Life is Short

March 11, 2024 by Marcus Leave a Comment

life is short

Recently, I stumbled across a quote from Dr. Phil with a blunt message: “If you want more, you have to require more from yourself.”¹ And it has helped me to get a better grip on what it is I want [more of]. Because life is short, and I’m not getting any younger. So, that makes the time to act now. [Read more…] about Life is Short

https://everydaypower.com/short-inspirational-quotes/ [↩]

The Mind Battle

February 12, 2024 by Marcus Leave a Comment

clean up

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

Stand Up for Yourself

February 5, 2024 by Marcus Leave a Comment

stand up for yourself

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.

How Things Have Changed

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.

Stand Up for Yourself

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.