It was a pleasant enough social gathering with a diverse mix of guests engaged in light, casual conversation. A young man began to describe how his life would be transformed, fixed, and truly perfect, if only…. He would be happy if only he landed his dream job with an annual salary of $130,000. He presently earns $95,000. He is probably caught […]
I am going to date myself here, but oh, well! For as long as I can remember I love movies about friendship from The Wizard of Oz to ET, to my all time favorite, Beaches with Bette Midler. Back in 2002, the hot movie of the summer was The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood based […]
Loneliness kills!” Dr. Robert Waldinger, Harvard University We were forty-years-old when my hubby was transferred from Ontario to Calgary, Alberta. I felt excited to explore the employment opportunities in this dynamic city. After four months of job seeking, I was still unemployed. I was often home alone and the phone seldom rang from near or […]
For several months, Yvonne E.L. Silver’s elegant book, Words, Women & Wisdom: The Modern Art of Confident Conversations sat on my bedside table. But once I picked it up and cracked it open, I was immersed! Overview Silver packs a mass of empowering content into her work, including flashbacks of moments with her abusive father, […]
Surely we want to tell stories that enhance our vitality, harmony and work satisfaction.
Now and then I watch the popular, some say feminist, some say b%$#ch fest, TV show, The View. It was launched in 1997 by the American broadcaster and journalist, Barbara Walters. Co-hosts included Meredith Vieira, Star Jones, Debbie Matenopoulos, and Joy Behar. Only Joy Behar, a feminist, comedian, writer, actor, and resilient woman remains. Behar […]
Dwayne Peace and I are members of Calgary’s chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. From the day we met, I have been impressed with Dwayne and his work as an ex-police officer, School Resource Officer, and now youth and parent speaker. He is a strong, no-nonsense, reliable, caring, and gentle guy, who willingly […]
If a key factor to increasing mental health is a sense of humor, perhaps we could all use a booster shot of smile and laugh.
When I was in my early fifties, I met the psychologist, shaman and poet, Gwendolyn Jansma. While living in San Diego, she offered events called Heart Seek Gatherings in the U.S. and Canada. Gwen, as many of us called her, was intuitive, insightful, fun-spirited, creative, healing, and loving. She spoke words of wisdom. Many times […]
How often do we hear a sigh and then, “I wish my children acted more responsibly!” We’ve also heard, “She is so irresponsible. I have to do everything for her.” Or “At his age I had to act responsibly. I did not have any choice.” What has happened in an era when children have more […]
“I would have been more successful if I had a wife like me.” I said this years ago and in jest. Yet, it holds significant truth. Gender differences exist! Women are still under-represented in all levels of government and in corporation boardrooms. At the same time, women are over-represented in family shelters and as ‘single […]
It was at a Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS) convention that I met Brad Coulbeck. Brad is the author of The Resilient Mind: Achieve Success by Building Mental and Emotional Toughness. He is a calm, solid kind of a guy, who is a Certified Trauma Service Specialist, a hypnotherapist, and a police officer. Plus […]