The reports of six Canadian veterans, including the death of twenty year old, Leona MacEachern of suicide, deeply troubled me. The media surmised that their despair was caused by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which was caused by experiencing the horror of military service. PSTD and suicide are often paired; too often! PTSD and suicide […]
What might happen if masses of people stopped looking for perfect and expecting no flaws in themselves, others, and the world? I like to say, “We’re perfectly imperfect.” On day Friend, Jannette, said to me, “Thank you to Les and you for staying married for soooooo many years. So many people are looking for the […]
Sheepishly I snuck into the freezer to grab some left-over Halloween candy. Was I unable or unwilling to tell myself,”No”? Or did I really want to say, “Yes, you deserve a sweet little treat?” Using wisely those two simple words is key to our futures. Yes, No, and the mediating term, It depends, are resiliency building tools […]
Have you ever said or done anything you regret? I am not talking about a fumble mumble or tripping over the front hall rug. Rather, I am referring to disrespecting someone, emotionally wounding another, or crossing over a personal boundary. I’ve done my fair share. For example, I have: Acted disrespectfully. Years ago, I invited […]
We live in an addiction-prone culture filled with many invitations to become addicted. Magazine and television advertisements are filled with promises of a quick fix (they say cure) from many physical, mental or emotional discomforts. I am not denying the need for medications for real pain, clinical depression or other mental health disorders. But we […]
“We are abusing our children in new ways. We are diminishing their resilience, their ability to deal with small or large challenges by overindulging them.” Jean Illsley Clarke, author of How Much Is Enough? This was the basic message Jean Illsley Clarke delivered at a Calgary public seminar. She and her colleagues have published their […]
In some ways, all of us are resilient people. Yet, there are some people who prove obvious and high resiliency. You know! Those people who when you hear their story you ask, “How did they do it?” Examples of famous and highly resilient people include Nelson Mandela, The 14th Dala Lama, and Malala Yousafzai. Of course, there […]
Between June 20 and 30, 2013 over seventy-five thousand Calgarians were evacuated from their homes in over 20 neighbourhoods. Many in southern Alberta communities such as Siksika First Nation, High River, and Canmore were also affected.
My hubby, Les and I have lived in Calgary, Alberta for over 25 years and this is the first time we have seen this kind of flooding or crisis in our city. I’m talking about the Calgary and Area Flood of June 2013. Over 75,000 of our 1.3 million residents have been evacuated from their […]
My hubby, Les has been a long-time fan of the reality TV show, Survivor. I sometimes watch. The 2013 series had special interest for me because of the resilience demonstrated by the unlikely and successful contestant, John Cochran. He is now simply known as the Survivor Cochran. When Cochran previously competed in the show, he was perceived as a nerdy, […]
“I love you but. . .” Those with excellent communication skills understand the power of single words and phrases. Often we give little thought to our use of many words including our use of but. Frequently, when individuals hear the word but they automatically assume something disappointing, discouraging or devastating is going to be said. […]
Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton’s book, How Full is Your Bucket? was first published in 2004. It provides research and a delightful reminder that we all want to be seen, heard and acknowledged. Overview: Rath and Clifton argue that providing brief and positive interactions in work and home relationships can result in benefits […]
