Happy Bloomsday!!
Why James Joyce’s seminal novel is worth the considerable frustration it may sometimes induce
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Author: formerwriters
It is just a thought, but it can help
Hello! Last Sunday, I moved to my new apartment in a new city, where I will be working at my new job. There is a lot of new. I am obviously very joyful at my new start and honestly, this new start feels like a full one. It is a complete reset of life. My first 9-5 job, my first self-rented and decorated apartment etc. … Continue reading It is just a thought, but it can help
Racing Against the Clock: A Meditation on Being Human in a World of Endless Possibility
On a planet that has existed for billions of years, the human lifespan is remarkably short. Assuming I live to 80, the average age of a Canadian male, I have about 4,000 weeks on this earth. If I am lucky and healthy enough to make it that long, that gives me about 2,500 weeks left. [1] Given the limits of our short existence, why is it … Continue reading Racing Against the Clock: A Meditation on Being Human in a World of Endless Possibility
The “Real” McCoy
Many humans will only purchase brand name items. They wouldn’t be caught dead buying anything less. They want the genuine article, the best of the best; and yet how easily they are fooled into buying into a false “i”-dentity. The latter was certainly true of me. With regard to the subject of “Know Thyself,” we most often–through lack of awareness–settle for a knockoff. The origin … Continue reading The “Real” McCoy
The Books You Read Are Safe…
I had an epiphany a while back: The Neverending Story is an entirely different movie when you are an adult. I watched it with my kids a while back and they loved it. My son requested it daily for several days afterward. The scene with the wolf scared him slightly, but much like Sebastian, he overcame his fear. There are so many memories from that … Continue reading The Books You Read Are Safe…
Lessons from Taoism: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times
It was at a university book sale where I was first introduced to the ideas of Taoism. Hidden away deep in the philosophy section, I picked up what initially seemed like a strange esoteric book – the Tao Te Ching. It was a short text, under 100 pages, that was filled with often puzzling language and concepts which seemed contradictory at first. As I dived … Continue reading Lessons from Taoism: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times
Lunch Break: Temple of Apollo
In our modern age, Kristo and Morpheus would have excelled as ironworkers on the tallest skyscrapers; they moved with confidence and ease high above the ground. At the sound of the whistle, they set down their chisels and hammers and reached for their nearby lunch pails. Their torsos were dark bronze from many hours under the sun. With their legs dangling over the frontispiece of … Continue reading Lunch Break: Temple of Apollo
Memorial Day in America
So my great uncle was, I think, 19 (let’s say 19) and stationed in England as a private in the US Army on the eve of the Normandy invasion. And he was scared out of his wits. So much so, he placed a call to his oldest brother, my grandfather, and confessed he was thinking of going AWOL. Well, as he must’ve known, my grandfather … Continue reading Memorial Day in America
Internal Talk
Hi! Let’s talk about how we talk to ourselves today. Internal talk is the communication that goes on within you. You encounter an unpleasant or challenging situation. What do you say to yourself? That is internal talk. This talk is vital in shaping our perspective. Let’s say you said something awkward in a meeting. Do you blame yourself and say you are stupid? Or do … Continue reading Internal Talk
Lessons from Nature
Below is a poem I wrote inspired by the peace, joy and reprieve being in nature provides me. What do you find in nature? Let me know in the comments below. Nature, teach me how to live To embrace change and Flow effortlessly like the steady stream To embody the wisdom of the trees Who shed their leaves in the fall Scattering their vibrant colours … Continue reading Lessons from Nature
Connecting The Dots
I would have made a poor Sherlock Holmes, especially when it comes to solving the mysterious case regarding the Truth of our Being. In that regard, I behaved more like Inspector Clouseau, of Pink Panther fame. That’s not to say that I was as bumbling in life as the inspector was with his investigations; but I was definitely a prodigal son without knowing it. Unbeknownst … Continue reading Connecting The Dots
The Numbing of the American Soul
each slaughter that sprouts up has chipped away at my humanity, and has created a thicket of scars around what I will refer to, for lack of a more exact term, soul. And these scars have left me largely numb . Continue reading The Numbing of the American Soul
Manifestation or Zero Limits
Hello! The topic of this week’s post comes from a discussion with a friend on Friday: manifestation or letting go? Manifestation is a popular term. It refers to the type of activities done to make things you want happen in your life by using various techniques such as visualization, specification etc. Let’s say you want to buy a house. You make a vision board, believe … Continue reading Manifestation or Zero Limits
Living in the Gift
Take a deep breath. Open your eyes and observe what is around you. Look at the sun beaming through the blossoming trees. Listen to the birds singing ecstatically with feverous joy. Touch the different textures of plants in your garden as you await a bountiful feast upon harvest. We didn’t earn the pleasures of the awe inspiring world that we were born into. Rather they … Continue reading Living in the Gift
Dismantling Fences
There is an old saying which states that “fences make good neighbours.” Although this may seem a logical way to deal with conflicts that invariably arise due to the human condition, it is a shortsighted solution. Of more importance, building fences–even mending fences–leaves us subject to judgmental behaviour that ignores our shared oneness. Relying on the fluctuating mentality of the masses only serves to separate … Continue reading Dismantling Fences
Most important week of my life so far
Hello! This is me in the picture. It is from this Wednesday. I had three graduation ceremonies and one celebration this way. I am finally no longer a student (ever in my life, probably), ever since I started school. I had a crazy week. I am moving for work soon, so I went apartment-hunting last weekend and this early week (hence the lack of a … Continue reading Most important week of my life so far
The Value of Acceptance: Saying ‘Yes to Life: In Spite of Everything’
A review of Victor Frankl’s ‘Yes to Life: In Spite of Everything’ Continue reading The Value of Acceptance: Saying ‘Yes to Life: In Spite of Everything’
Service…With a Smile
Guilty–as charged! Yes, the title of this article is cliché, but there’s good news: the content isn’t. As you may have guessed, the content relates to service–the real kind; not the smarmy “have-a-nice-day” (insert roll of the eyes) kind. On a deeper level, service can be interpreted as Purpose, with a capital P. Through wisdom, we learn that Being, Life, and Purpose are all so interdependently woven that one thread cannot be withdrawn … Continue reading Service…With a Smile
Trying To Get Organized
There are people, and you’ve likely met some of them, hell, some of you may even be some of them, who are, and there’s simply no polite way of saying it, organized. You know the type. The types who always take out the correct recycling on the right night. Who never misplace their car keys or ATM cards or young children. And these people, when … Continue reading Trying To Get Organized
The Artist
I believe that we all yearn to create. To nourish our unique gifts and bring something new and authentic into the world. This is how we affirm our identity and find meaning in the world. The role of the artist is to show us the way, and point towards the vast possibilities that are available to us. Great art can reignite our imaginations and awaken … Continue reading The Artist