I spent the first 30 years of my life learning to navigate the world and the people in it. My drive and direction came from a desire to be part of a new order and community I looked up to, a place where surfers, skateboarders, designers, musicians and other creative entrepreneurs called the shots. Piece …
In our goal oriented, how-to obsessed world, the idea of success supersedes all others. Whether we’re talking about our companies, careers or relationships, the focus always seems to be an end goal or return that is greater than what we have now, preferably as soon as possible. Even growth has become a reason unto itself, …
I have a problem. Distraction. My distraction is tricky. It’s sneaky, deceptive and able to shape-shift into any form. It can be an obligation to a friend, a beautiful women or an old story that still hurts to remember. Sometimes my distraction shows up as a brilliant idea that runs off with my imagination. When …
When I stopped played hockey it was the joshing and mutual encouragement I missed the most. No matter how competitive, we all shared our collective wins and individual loses, often under the guise of a good ribbing. It was a safe way to say I love and appreciate you to each other and am grateful …
It was pointed out to me this morning that it’s been awhile since I wrote something inspirational, which is true. I have several reasons. Last week I rescued a woman in her sixties, who was caught in a rip current alongside her adult son and his young daughter. My lifeguard partner brought in the other …
The greatest moments in my life are when everything I believe, love, wish, hope and desire come together at once. When my skills meet their equivalent challenge. In the Flow. From the age of six age until my mid-thirties I pursued Flow relentlessly. Skateboarding and snowboarding went from hobby to business to lifestyle followed by …
The Canadian shield appears slowly, patches of granite flooring alongside the road. Then tables. Then shelves. Somewhere north of Port Severn the low walls begin to climb until fortified corridors become two-story faces with dynamite-scarred cheeks, the ground below littered with their pre-cambrian stubble. I feel safe here. No matter how old I get, driving …
It’s funny how many people ask me what it’s like to live on an island referring to my life in Costa Rica- which is, of course, not an island at all- when the one I do live on is in Toronto. I guess that’s counter-intuitive for most who don’t know about it this gem in …
Do you know the story of the boiling frog? It’s a metaphor for the risks of not noticing gradual change that ends in disaster. The frog gets used to warming water until it boils to death. Even uncomfortable change can be normalized as this compelling video describes about the current situation in Venezuela. Watching it …
I love coconuts. With a few strokes of the machete I can have a belly full of delicious, potassium-rich pipa (coconut water). Several more whacks reveal a chewy, health-filled snack and, with a little more effort, the perfect vessel for eating and drinking at the beach. Easily found just about anywhere around here, coconuts are …