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The Messy Art of Navigating Transitions: Learning to Trust the In-Between
February 24, 2025
I have often wished that transitions came with a map. A well-marked trail, a clear set of
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Coaching and the Wisdom of the Body
November 30, 2024
Why Somatic Awareness Matters in Coaching, Leadership, and Pretty Much Everywhere Else There’s a
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The Alchemy of Hope and Hopelessness: Why Keep Showing Up for the Hard Work
November 6, 2024
In a world where the “right” thing often feels heavy and daunting, or even impossible at
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At the Crossroad of Humility and Wisdom
October 8, 2024
We finished a hike and then stopped at a sweet little cafe with a sunny patio, where Luna the puppy
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Know Thyself and the Missing Piece
July 28, 2024
The phrase “Know Thyself” is often attributed to Socrates, but its origins trace back even
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A Journey with Egypt
March 13, 2024
Somehow, I lucked out. My main Enneagram teacher, Russ Hudson, has been leading small groups yearly
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From Accepting to Embracing.
April 17, 2023
There is a flow to wake-up calls. A pattern that has a way of repeating itself, that –
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Doors. Closing and Opening.
September 21, 2022
It has been a very long time since the last reflection. Over a year, I believe. I am sending this
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Having More Fun
May 17, 2021
“Your homework is to have more fun. Play more.” This was given to me through an exploration of
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Musings on Needs and Wants
December 15, 2020
I was recently challenged by my coach to look into the theme of my needs and wants, within the
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A Timeless Question
October 11, 2020
Let’s dive right in, shall we?! Without stories, disclaimers, or ways of easing into a deeper
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A Quilt of Random Thoughts
June 15, 2020
There has been a lot happening as of recent, both for me personally and, obviously, in the world. As
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Right Livelihood Quest is Going Virtual
April 29, 2020
When does something actually start? What is that moment we call a “beginning?” Is there even
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How Do We Show Up Now?
March 18, 2020
A lot is happening in the world these days, and – of course – the main focus is on the
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He? She? It?
February 16, 2020
Something has been bothering me for a long time, every time I would see or hear it. It would come
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Bruce Lee and the Enneagram
December 9, 2019
With a diverse and mysterious history, the image of the Enneagram (ennea-nine, gram-image) dates
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Is the Universe Friendly?
October 13, 2019
Is the Universe Friendly? I have been working on this Reflection for a few weeks. Then for a couple
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There are no shortcuts…
January 23, 2019
to any place worth going. And definitely not when one is embarking on a long and arduous journey of
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Awakened Living Program Announcement
November 29, 2018
What does it take to birth a new program/project/venture/initiative? I have been thinking about it
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The Masks We Wear
November 2, 2018
“When it comes to recognizing the truth of our own identities, most of us experience a symbolic
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On a Journey of Awakening
September 10, 2018
This is a topic I gave a presentation on, this July, and it is an evolving area for me, both
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What Do I Know?
July 3, 2018
The only real question is not one of winning or losing, but of experiencing life with an
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Loving the Porcupines
May 6, 2018
Many elements and learning moments played their role in this reflection, as it all kept unfolding
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Loving Sadness
March 4, 2018
I might have just coined a new expression. At least, it is new to me. While I have been living with
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Winter is Coming
November 12, 2017
Leaves are falling non-stop, like a magical multi-coloured and multi-shaped rain. The days are also
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An Ode to a Fluffy Guru
August 20, 2017
This is the one reflection I never wanted to write. How does one review 14 years of a life with such
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Riding the EAC
June 21, 2017
This was a very different Friday. I didn’t really do any work. Meditated in the morning.
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Celebrating a Birthday
February 15, 2017
A person close to you has a birthday coming up. Usually, it will mean “all the usual,”
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Freedom and Discipline
January 3, 2017
I have this periodical and persistent drive to accomplish things. Sometimes, I also need to. Tasks
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The Bike Ride
November 24, 2016
I love cycling. The passion for it started many years ago, when I lived in Ottawa and a friend gave
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Learning to be Guided
September 21, 2016
It was a beautiful Tuesday afternoon. Sunny, yet fresh, with all the beauty of a Fall that is
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Facing Ourselves
August 1, 2016
“Don’t give them too much to do on the weekend,” said the head counselor to the woman who is
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A Special Dinner Gathering
May 29, 2016
My students are completing a two year course in Leadership and Personal Development and are about
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On Being a Man
April 24, 2016
I am in the middle of a weekend workshop, which is a part of a 5-months Conscious Leadership
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On Trust and Surrender
February 4, 2016
Every end of the year I start this process, or perhaps a ritual, of reviewing the past year and
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House of Mirrors
December 13, 2015
One of the concepts I have recently started bringing into my teaching and into my life comes from
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Gratitude
October 13, 2015
Canadian Thanksgiving was yesterday, with a grey and rainy day in Vancouver. The trees started
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Quieter than Water
July 20, 2015
What is a happy and healthy childhood? Did you have one? Did I? Did anyone? Sure I remember moments
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I Will Make My Own Lunch
May 6, 2015
The journeys and the magic of the Right Livelihood Quest have been happening for about 4 years, with
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Living Fully
March 19, 2015
A beautiful house on a beach of a lake, somewhere in the wine country of Interior BC. 9 men have
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Creativity Is An Inside Job
March 19, 2015
“I am not one of those creative types,” he says. “I am an engineer.” He is a product
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What If Life Was Easy?
January 31, 2015
It is a wine and cheese reception, following a graduation ceremony of yet another group of students
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Like an Island in the Ocean
January 5, 2015
“Want to try an experiment in something different, love?” This was a written note in a
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What About Me?
December 1, 2014
For many years, I have been a fan (truth be told, more of an addict, really) of the 1 Giant Leap
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What’s For Dinner?
November 18, 2014
We have known each other for quite a few years. First, both D and J were students of mine, then they
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A Circle of Men
October 7, 2014
There are two circles. One of about 20 men, who came to participate in this weekend. We call them
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What Can I Learn from You?
September 10, 2014
As far back as I remember, I have never really had mentors or role models. Not until the past few
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Tending the Fire
July 16, 2014
Vacation is a wonderful thing. Especially when it meant spending 10 days in Spain with my beloved.
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Honouring Fathers
June 22, 2014
My fingers just flew over the keyboard last weekend, as though of their own will, pouring some
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A Letter from The Universe
April 21, 2014
Here we all are, trying to make a life, or perhaps a living. Wanting to create something, do a good
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Like a Marionette Doll
March 23, 2014
Where did the time go? I wrote the last Reflection at the end of January (here) and, despite my
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Through the Fog
January 28, 2014
Fog. There was fog at the airport when I was leaving Vancouver. There was heavy fog, early in the
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Thank You 2013
January 3, 2014
Dear 2013, Time came for us to part ways. It is nothing personal, really. Just the nature of things
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An Ode to Grief
November 20, 2013
It all started yesterday, as I was watching the TED talk by Johan Rockstrom. I am in the process of
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Of Time and Passion
October 27, 2013
Where did the summer go? I know it was here, because I remember hot days, and ocean, and sun on my
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The End of 14 Years
August 28, 2013
Even though I moved into my loft in August of 1999, I still remember coming to see it before the
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A Lesson in Patience and Trust. Again.
August 7, 2013
The work of the Right Livelihood Quest has been growing and evolving over the past two years in
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Welcoming Discomfort
June 26, 2013
There is a deep dark hole, marking a beginning of a possible tunnel with no end in sight. Perhaps of
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Just One Question
May 27, 2013
A room. In it, two long rows of pairs of participants, sitting facing each other. Most of the people
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What Inspires You?
May 2, 2013
A student of mine recently posted a question to the group, curious about our sources of inspiration.
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Witnessing Courage
April 1, 2013
22 willing and engaged participants. 2 wonderfully supportive assistants. One me. A journey of 4
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When Does the Workshop Really Start?
January 27, 2013
One thing I learned over the years, and as a result of the many workshops and seminars I have
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Who is Driving My Bus?
January 9, 2013
I love what I do for “work” even though I actually don’t use this word much. Over
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Letter to Self
December 29, 2012
There is a chapter called “Giving an A” in the timeless gem of a book, The Art of
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First, Make a Road
December 12, 2012
The full phrase is, “First, make a road. Only then you can drive the car.” This is the
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A Gratitude Journal
November 20, 2012
I have been keeping this journal for some time now, and even though I don’t do it daily, it
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Beyond Hope
November 4, 2012
A student was recently sharing about a sense of hopelessness s/he was going through. Whether it was
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A New Beginning
October 16, 2012
“How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment; we can start now, start slowly changing
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Life is (or “as”) an Offer
September 29, 2012
I am just finishing a period of a few full and rich weeks, with plenty of adventures and diversity
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Stepping into Elderhood
August 26, 2012
I just finished celebrating a birthday, which included a series of surprising and diverse events. It
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Living in a Global Village
August 8, 2012
It is perhaps both ironic and also uncanny that this Reflection comes in parallel with a whirlwind
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For the Right Reasons
July 9, 2012
As part of the work with the Right Livelihood Quest, I regularly interview people who have gone
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Leadership Theology
June 19, 2012
Leadership and Personal Development (LPD) is a 2-year course I teach at Bainbridge Graduate
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Decisions, Decisions,…
May 28, 2012
When faced with a dilemma, of a kind that is deeper and more challenging than a “latte or a
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A Hope for the Future
May 4, 2012
Earlier this week, students from the School of Inspired Leadership in India, where I taught at the
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Once Upon a Time
April 17, 2012
I recently had a chance to visit the Old City of Jerusalem and wander through the narrow streets of
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What’s Important
March 31, 2012
Dear friends who have been together for many years, have recently parted ways. Even though there is
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On Being Vulnerable
March 14, 2012
Today’s Reflection is about that which we often don’t want to talk about. Yes. Being
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The Pattern that Connects
February 27, 2012
Today’s Reflection is about the pattern that connects it all. A yearly retreat of my spiritual
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One More Day
February 6, 2012
Today’s Reflection is about my time in India, that is coming to an end. I have just one
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Amidst the Extremes
January 22, 2012
Today’s Reflection is about a beginning of a whole new adventure. Light – the country of
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Thank You, 2011
January 1, 2012
Today’s Reflection is about the gifts of 2011. Well, some of them. Another year has gone by,
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Being the Board
December 20, 2011
Today’s Reflection is about what Benjamin and Rosamund Zander call “Being the Board,” in
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How to Not Know
November 13, 2011
Today’s Reflection is about that interesting place, on the edge of chaos and order. I am designing
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10 Years and 10 Minutes
October 30, 2011
Today’s Reflection is about a new baby being born. Of sorts. I think that, ultimately, we never
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A wake-up call. Again.
October 12, 2011
Today’s Reflection is about yet another wake-up call. The River of Life is a powerful metaphor to
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I am just looking
September 24, 2011
Today’s Reflection is about Istanbul, and a lesson from a vendor at the Grand Bazaar. Istanbul. A
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8 Years. A Lifetime.
September 14, 2011
Today’s Reflection is about a lifelong period of 8 years of a life with a precious companion.
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I Want a Savasana
September 1, 2011
Today’s Reflection is about passion, pace of life, and yoga. In a way. Savasana is a yoga pose,
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137 Meters
August 8, 2011
Today’s Reflection is about swimming, beginner’s mind, and wake up calls. The outdoor pool
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On a Right Livelihood Quest
July 17, 2011
Today’s Reflection is about quotes and passages, while exploring this : fascinating, and often
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Say “Cheese”
June 29, 2011
Today’s Reflection is about smiling, and about not. American Visionary Art Museum is located in
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Life in Full Colour
June 13, 2011
Today’s Reflection is about a life with an open heart. These past few weeks have been
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33 Dunes in the Ténéré Desert
May 25, 2011
Today’s Reflection is about indigenous wisdom. And future. The Ténéré desert in Niger is a
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Oh Canada… How I Cry for Thee…
May 4, 2011
Today’s Reflection is about the elections results here in Canada, and my reaction to it. I really
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A Story of a Wake-up Call
April 13, 2011
Today’s Reflection is about an encounter in the air, and the resulting story of listening to a
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Collaboration and Innovation in Leading Change Conference, Victoria, BC, on May 5-6, 2011
April 3, 2011
The Institute of Certified Management Consultants of British Columbia (CMC-BC) is hosting a
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A Perspective on Life – from Sendai, Japan
March 28, 2011
Today’s Reflection is about a different way of looking at, and experiencing life. This email, from
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Staying Hungry
March 14, 2011
Today’s Reflection is about being hungry. Though not only when food is concerned. I am fasting
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Lessons from a washing machine
February 17, 2011
Today’s Reflection is about the impermanence of life. My washing machine started misbehaving.
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The Power of Deep and Active Listening
February 2, 2011
Today’s Reflection is about a seemingly easy and natural-to-us all act. Or maybe not that easy. I
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Giving Way to Passion
January 18, 2011
Today’s Reflection is about year passed, duality, and passion. A rich combination indeed. 2010 has
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Remembering to Appreciate
December 28, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about Appreciating What Is I am spending the Christmas holidays with dear
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Combining Heart and Head
November 30, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about charity and donations. Sort of.Wilford organized a very unique event
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Big Brother in the 21st Century
November 23, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about Big Brothers, of the Orwell kind. My parents and I left Russia, or
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Life According to Four Basic Laws
October 30, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about a different set of laws to guide one through life. I think we live a
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Right Livelihood
October 3, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about a stone, of a particular kind. The words are somehow not coming. It
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Seven years. A lifetime.
September 12, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about the last seven years of my life, and a precious four-legged companion
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A River of Life
August 30, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about an activity, about a way of looking at one’s life, and perhaps also
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The Burning Flame
August 7, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about the Summer Gathering event I just attended at Hollyhock. Though I have
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Between two stories
July 20, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about integrating a duality of a life. Definitely mine. Perhaps yours too. I
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Mirror, Mirror on the wall…
June 13, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about a rich and profound journey of the past two years. They have graduated
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What Else Are We Missing?
May 30, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about being present. Or not. Washington, DC. Metro Station on a cold January
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Four Years. Go!
May 15, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about the gift and the blessing of meeting extraordinary people. The
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Drumming Away
May 2, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about a recent drumming weekend in Seattle. “I have had many
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Shamans of the 21st Century
April 17, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about the new healers, of many kinds, in our 21st century. A lone traveler
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One Day
March 17, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about dreams and visions. This was a good start of the day. As Tobi and I
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Unleashing and harnessing energy
March 2, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about the Vancouver Olympics 2010. In a way. I felt like a real
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Feeling the Silence
February 14, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about the pleasure and importance of a time-out. The Olympics are here, in
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Not my problem. Or is it?
January 31, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about the Vancouver Olympics, the recent Toyota recall, and our
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Can I have a recipe please?
January 25, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about recipes, in all areas of our lives. In one of the courses I am
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Can there be too much of a good thing?
January 12, 2010
Today’s Reflection is about an irony of life. At least, one of them. I love what I do. It is both
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Empty and Loving It
December 22, 2009
Today’s Reflection is about being empty. And loving it. It is Saturday morning, and I am in
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Accepting the Offer
December 2, 2009
Today’s Reflection is about the concept of “Accepting the Offer” which comes from the world of
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Breaking the Chain
November 3, 2009
Today’s Reflection is about our Western view of the world. And about some of the implications of
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An apple from a tree
September 28, 2009
Today’s Reflection is about my recent travels, and some unexpected outcomes (aren’t they
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Mussel Beach Campground
August 29, 2009
Today’s Reflection is about a vacation, Nature, and our human ways of being in, and with, the
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Between Hope and Despair
August 7, 2009
Today’s Reflection is about a paradox, a duality, and a way of being with no easy or immediate
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About Solitude… and more…
July 23, 2009
Today’s Reflection is about solitude, surprises, and gratitude. I woke up early this morning,
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Transformational Creativity and Learning in The Netherlands
June 24, 2009
Transformational Creativity and Learning (TCL) Skills is a groundbreaking learning experience. This
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About Seiko Brown
June 9, 2009
Today’s Reflection is about the sadness of a loss, and the many kind words from many strangers.
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Lessons in Impermanence
May 25, 2009
Today’s Reflection is about the impermanence of our lives. “As the morning tide recedes at a
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What Will It Take?
April 28, 2009
Today’s Reflection is about taking action. Or not. Margaret Wheatley tells the story that happened
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I have something for you…
April 6, 2009
Today’s Reflection is about gifts. Several years ago, I was going to be away for about a week, and
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Three Questions
March 29, 2009
Today’s Reflection is about a story that crossed my path, “The Three Questions” by Leo
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This and That
March 11, 2009
Today’s Reflection is a collection of thoughts and quotes that has accumulated here and is waiting
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What to Remember When Waking
February 15, 2009
Today’s Reflection is about a poem that feels very relevant to my life right now. Perhaps to yours
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The Art of Possibility
January 31, 2009
Today’s Reflection is about possibilities. Possibility: 1. The quality or state of being possible;
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A Language Older Than Words
January 5, 2009
Today’s Reflection is about the end of a year and a beginning of another. And, I believe, a lot
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An Invitation to Make a Difference
December 16, 2008
Today’s Reflection is about an opportunity – and an invitation – to make a difference, of a
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To Give or To Receive?
December 8, 2008
Today’s Reflection is about another perspective of looking at our deeply and profoundly
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Into The Rain
November 11, 2008
Today’s Reflection is about being in, and with, Nature. Something that many of us, city dwellers,
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This and That
October 22, 2008
Today’s Reflection is not about any one specific topic. The past few weeks have been full of many
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October 14 is Almost Here
October 5, 2008
The article below has an enlightening – and sad – review of Harper’s economic
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Shaping Your Future
September 29, 2008
I am not much into politics. Never have been, really. Yet, I am beginning to see and realize, more
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To be creative is, in fact, Canadian
September 29, 2008
Mr. Harper is wrong: There’s more to the arts than a bunch of rich people at galas whining
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The Art of Creative Leadership
September 19, 2008
“Do your responsibilities as a leader give you a sense of seriousness – a sense of being
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Living Vision Retreat – Sep 26/28 2008 – Vancouver
September 19, 2008
LIVING VISION is an intentional community convergence of like-hearted visionaries, artists, and
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Time Out Of Time
August 7, 2008
Bang. Bang! BANG! What a way to wake up. It happened this morning, despite my attempts to bring
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A Real Revolutionary
July 17, 2008
Recently, a poem crossed my ears, eyes, heart and soul, and so I thought I’d share it with you. A
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