How to get more motivation
In 2007 I enrolled in a six week anger management course with my partner at the time. It wasn’t because we needed to deal with anger issues, but instead we wanted to deal with our anxiety and stop allowing things to get on top of us. Several weeks into the course I had the opportunity […]
One Step at a Time
For the first few months after breaking my neck I was on bed rest, flat on my back with weights hanging down over the top of the bed attached to a halo that had been bolted to 4 points in my head. At about 6am the ward would come alive, some patients were taken to […]
Being happy with what we have
If I asked two people how happy they were – a lottery winner on the day they won the lottery, and a homeless person on the day they were made homeless – it would be no surprise one would probably be over the moon and the other pretty miserable. Ask the same people the same […]
My Own ‘Mini Hell’
Winston Churchill once said “When you’re going through hell, keep going.” I’m not comparing my present struggle to those of the soldiers in WWII, to whom Winston Churchill was referring, but it sure feels like hell for me right now. Around two weeks ago I trapped or damaged a nerve in my neck, which has […]
Finding your purpose in life
Let’s say you have a meeting at school or college to discuss your future career, and they immediately hit you with the obvious question: “What do you want to do when you leave here?” So maybe you say that you want to travel the world, see everything from the Grand Canyon to the Northern Lights, […]
Are you awake?
“Of course I am, I’m reading this – I can’t read in my sleep!” No, wait a moment. Not that kind of awake. I mean are you really awake? I’m talking about really awake, aware of everything in this given moment. Although you’re reading this, how much are you really aware of what is going […]
It’s Time to Start
“You’ll worry less about what people think about you, when you realise how seldom they do.” – David Foster Wallace When you live your life making decisions based on what strangers might think of you, your impact on the world is softened. Millions of words have been written on the subject of living ideal lives, […]
My life as a C5 Quadriplegic / Tetraplegic
The Incident and Its Aftermath In 1991, a seemingly harmless dive into a swimming pool changed my life forever. The accident left me paralysed from the chest down, with limited arm movement and no hand function. This paralysis affecting all four limbs is known as “quadriplegia” in the US and worldwide, and “tetraplegia” in the […]
True Leadership: Who Do You Really Owe?
“I wish I could say I didn’t owe anything to anyone, but the truth is I wouldn’t be standing here if it wasn’t for the courage and support of each and every one of you.” Now, that’s not some wisened guru speaking. It’s Jack O’Neill from Stargate, and yes, I’m a sucker for the show. […]
Is It Time to Rethink the IQ Test?
In 1882, an English statistician by the name of Francis Galton laid the foundation for what we now know as IQ testing. Fascinated by the idea that intelligence was hereditary, Galton devised tests focused on reflexes, grip strength, and—believe it or not—head size. While his 1883 publication, “Enquiries into Human Faculty and its Development,” did […]