This past Saturday, I wrote a blog post about my desire to eschew energy-consumptive activities with little meaning to my life in the long run. I proclaimed that instead, I want to focus my energies into building up a valuable base of personal skills – an endeavour applauded by Cal Newport in his book and…
Category: Life Thoughts
A List of Little Significance
“That’s not important” and “No, thank you” are two phrases that I find particularly challenging to say. Perhaps you know the feeling; a friend or family member asks you to assist with something and the task suddenly takes on extreme and looming dimensions in your mind. Put into the context of everyday life, the task…
Some New Additions
After much thought, I have decided to add two new ‘themes’ to my blog. These themes will focus on my favorite activities; hiking and reading. Hiking Highlights will take viewers on a virtual journey (either through pictures or video) of my hikes in Southwestern Ontario and beyond. Book Delights will expose readers to various books…
Another Sad Loss – Therapy Post
In my wanderings, I sometimes encounter things that I don’t necessarily want to see. The night of December 3rd was just one of these occasions; I was driving home when I passed a freshly killed cat on the roads right outside of my apartment. Pause. Breathe. I wrote out this post the night of the…
Birthday Thoughts
Today is my 24th birthday. I’m working – in secret – on a list of things that I want to accomplish in my 24th year. Or thereafter. It doesn’t really matter, since I’ll probably just keep a reflective diary of my progress. I’m thinking almost daily about what’s important to me. Rest assured that if…
Ways to Stay Optimistic during the Job Search
This week I’ve been reflecting on the nature of the job market and increasingly finding reasons to be happy and relaxed about the whole situation in which I currently find myself. Yes, it’s true that I’ve graduated from university (twice) with stellar marks, an excellent track record, and lots of supporters – yet still can’t…
Female Bullying as Cultural Force
When I was much younger, I was fully exposed to the censure of female criticism. Female bullying – which often occurs with words rather than physical violence – can happen anywhere from grade school right through adulthood (these ideas have been extensively portrayed and popularized in movies like Mean Girls). Stereotypes about women are as…
Life and Death in the Nook of a Tree
While out walking a dog several days ago, I happened to glance down in passing at the base of a tree. Crouched in the nook of that tree, barely visible, was a small squirrel. My canine charge, not really concerned about this tiny creature, ambled on until the leash ran out of slack and began…
Who ‘Ya Gonna Call? Cat Behaviorist Reads Feline Minds
Have you ever heard the expression “like herding cats” in reference to a futile or exceedingly difficult task? Cats are a symbol of myth and largely misunderstood by their owners in the modern day; but Pam Johnson-Bennett is the woman who knows – and I mean really knows – about cats. She is currently the…
The Joys of Walking
While dog, cat, and house sitting this weekend, I took the time to go out for a really long and meditative walk. Walking has always been one of my greatest pleasures and most enjoyable pastimes. All it requires is that I put on sturdy walking shoes, season-appropriate clothing, and a thoughtful mindset. In return, I…
End of November = End of Movember
As many of you will know, November is a month for celebrations and commemorations of all things big and small in our world today. In a previous blog posting, I outlined how November is rife with ‘days’ of recognition (e.g. World Toilet Day is November 19th), and the month itself holds great meaning (e.g. November…
Let the Shopping Begin!
Today is Black Friday, which is “often regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season” (Wikipedia article). The term ‘Black Friday’ originates in “Philadelphia, where it originally was used to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic which would occur on the day after Thanksgiving” (Wikipedia article). Origins of the name are…
Maria Legault 