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This August will mark 30 years since I intentionally and consciously made Vancouver my home. Throughout these years, I have always been very happy about that decision – until the hockey game was over last night. Along with the rest of the world – at least those of us who weren’t downtown and actively participating -- I watched with horror and grief while insanity gripped the city I love. A small group of jerks who clearly have no clue about how to have their grievances heard in any kind of … [Read more...] about The Morning After — Shame on WHO??

One of my spiritual teachers used to talk about the futility of trying to be perfect as a human being.  When she made a mistake, she would immediately say -- with a dollop of amusement --“Ooops!”  She would then add to that a resounding “Oh well!” to let people know that, no matter what, she would definitely be making mistakes. It is often observed that we are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but rather we are spiritual beings having a human experience. I really enjoy thinking … [Read more...] about “Ooops — Oh well!” : The Antidote to Perfectionism

Have you ever felt the temptation to not deal with things? I find that it’s especially tempting to not deal with issues in relationships when they come up – especially the ones where I feel shamed or disappointed by someone. When that’s happened to me in the more distant past, I would nurse my wounds and secretly feel resentful, all the while convincing myself that my feelings were better left unsaid. I think that’s the result of being brought up in a family where real feelings were never … [Read more...] about “Talks-It” or “Toxic” ~ Our Choice Point in Relationships

My heart is so heavy as I write this today. It has been four days since the earthquake and tsunami completely overtook northern Japan, and the news we are receiving is becoming more and more horrific. On a global level, this is such a monstrous tragedy, and I know I am but one or the billions of people around the world who are watching CNN and other news programs with ever-mounting shock and disbelief. But for me, there is a personal grieving as well. I have a very dear friend named Mika who … [Read more...] about Earthquake in Japan: A Personal Story

Have you been watching the sad saga of Charlie Sheen splayed out in newspapers, on TV talk shows, and online recently? Like many of us, are you wondering how a person with such apparent abundance in his life could take such a negative turn? While I do feel it’s quite unfortunate that someone’s extensive battle with mind-altering addiction (and possible concurrent mental illness) can wind up becoming fodder for ridicule in the public arena, I am also very much hoping that it might increase some … [Read more...] about Addiction in the Family: Or… What’s Up with Charlie??