Hey Reader, Last week we talked about the grooves we slip into that keep us circling the same routines. Have you’ve identified one you’re feeling stuck in? You don’t need a giant leap to break free. Most of the time, a rut starts to crack with the smallest shift. It happens to mountains, to boulders, and to us. Your challenge for this weekDo one thing differently. It doesn’t matter how small. Take a new route to work, try a different coffee order, start a conversation you’d usually avoid, or...
24 days ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, There are seasons in life when it feels like you’re walking in circles. The same thoughts, the same conversations, the same Monday mornings that blend into each other until you wonder if time is actually moving. Ruts sneak up on us. They feel safe and normal, until you wake up one day and realize you haven’t moved forward in months. I’ve been working on this topic for a bit, and it became more personal today. I’ve been in a “comfortable” rut with work for awhile, and this morning...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, Tonight I’m doing something that scares me a little. It’s my first aquathlon - an 800m swim followed by a 5k run. I’ve done multiple long-distance events. I’ve swum much further. I’ve run much further. I’ve even done both in the same day with a long ride in the middle. But this has my stomach doing flips. Why? Because it’s new. And because I’ve gotten comfortable in the distances and formats I know I can do. And let’s be honest, it’s also easier to hide being slow when you have...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, We’ve had a new houseguest for a week now . . a Guide Dog puppy we’re fostering. At 15 months she’s sweet, incredibly smart, and, it turns out, very good at testing boundaries. She came to us with some excellent training already in place. She knew where she was supposed to go, what she was supposed to do, and how to behave around people. But the problem wasn’t her training. It was ours. We didn’t yet know the rules clearly enough to stick to them consistently. So of course, she...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” I thought of that recently while listening to someone (myself) complain about the same thing for the tenth time. You know the drill. It’s the friend, the colleague, or even your own inner voice that keeps circling the same frustration over and over. It might sound like: “I hate how much time this job takes from me.” “I can’t stand how cluttered my home feels.” “I hate these extra pounds I want to...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
The other day I was catching up with a girlfriend. And I don’t even know if catching up is what to call it, we talk at least once a day! We’ve known each other for years, and our conversations cover everything. Work challenges, politics, music, books, travelling . . anything and everything. The other day she said she’d been thinking about what makes a good friendship. She’s been noticing how easy it is to stay in certain friendships simply because they’ve been around forever, or even because...
2 months ago • 1 min read
A few months ago, we planted a little garden. I didn’t go into it with high hopes, seeing as how I’ve kept a total of 2 plants alive . . ever. One of my neighbours who keeps a nice garden did assure me, “the worst that can happen is they die and you buy new ones, they’re cheap.” That’s the kind of motivational encouragement I needed to get started. At first, it was mostly soil and unfounded hope. But now 6 weeks later nothing has died, we’ve got bees, butterflies, and ladybugs making...
2 months ago • 1 min read
This weekend, I was working at the finish line of the Outlaw Holkham 70.3 triathlon. If you’ve ever been near the end of a big endurance event, you’ll know it’s heavy with emotion - exhaustion, relief, pride (sometimes disappointment), all coming out at once. One thing that hit me over and over was how many athletes crossed the line in tears. Some cried quietly, some absolutely sobbed. And every time, myself or one of the other volunteers was right there, offering a hug, a hand on the...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Last year we redid our guest bedroom. I had visions of a blissful hotel room, always looking perfect and welcoming. You can probably guess what’s next . . You know the clean laundry pile? The one that starts as a neat little stack you promise to yourself you’ll put away later, but somehow by the end of the week, it’s turned into a mountain of clothes you’re now dreading to tackle? That’s what’s usually sitting on our hotel-like bed in our welcoming guest room. Our thoughts and feelings can...
3 months ago • 1 min read