✍ 1987 Digital Cam

Picture this... You sit in a locked prison cell, isolated. It's just you; no friends or family reside. You've been here so long, it's basically all you now know. It's home. One day, you hear footsteps walking towards your cell. They pause in front of your prison door. You hear what sounds like a set of keys jingling in their hands. Then a loud click rings through your ears, one that a lock makes as it becomes unlatched. The door swings open. The light from outside starts to engulf every inch of darkness that surrounds you. You cover your face because of your eyes' sensitivity to the brightness. Though you cannot see, you hear a man's voice as he says, "You're free. Go." Several seconds pass in silence. You don't move. Nothing happens. So he asks, "What's wrong? Don't you want to leave? Here's your chance." Although you don't possess much in your cell, you look around at what you do have... A pillow your ...

A movie, life is not. There's no pause. There's no stop. There's no rewind. There's no replay. There's no fast forward. There's no skip scene. There's no menu. There's no settings. There's no foreshadowing to prepare you for the things to come. And some events that occur never have any explanation. It's stubborn. It's forgiving. It's frustrating. It's relaxing. It's stressful. It's peaceful. It's painful. It's soothing. It's simple. It's complex. It's a double edged sword. So enjoy the highs. Find strength in the lows. Celebrate your achievements. View your failures as challenges. Appreciate the good times. Be thankful you survived the bad. A movie, life is not. But it's better. It's deeper. It's real.

"One day: 2 of the most dangerous words in the English language." - Joshua F. Millburn You pretend you are invincible. You live as if there's a tomorrow. You procrastinate. You postpone. You take almost every aspect of your life for granted on an daily basis. You lie to yourself using phrases like "someday", "one day" and "later on". Why? Nothing in this life is promised to us. Nothing is permanent. And all three of those terms above represent an illusion of the future that is non-existent. You think time is on your side? You think he's your best friend? Well, I am sorry to break it to you... Time has NO friends. Zero. Zilch. Your past is nothing but memories. Your future is only a dream. Both exist soley in your brain. The present, the here and now, this very moment is all you have. Once you face that reality and fully embrace it, you then come to the realization that every single breath is nothing short of extraordinary...

Sometimes the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself. Before this year, I never genuinely asked myself the simple question of, "Who are you?". I'm sure those who know me best would probably assume I answered rather quickly, but in all honesty, I did not. In fact I did the opposite. I treated the question with the upmost respect; I took my time and pondered over it. I did so to see the man behind the mask, the truth hiding behind the facade which I'd created so long ago. Neither your perception or mine is reality. We tend to go through life, seeing what we want, to provide ourselves with a false sense of security. By not rushing contemplation, I was able to see my life from angles I had not previously seen beforehand. I have to admit, the conclusion I arrived at was disappointing to say the least. I was let down and ashamed of myself. But thankfully along with that shame, a willingness to change followed. My entire life, I had unconsciously defined...

Last month, my wife and I decided to be more active and start hiking. It has been one of the best decisions we've made in a long time. It's a nice little getaway, a mini vacation of sorts, from the repetition allowing us to take a step back for contemplation, relaxation, restoration and realignment. Not only does spending time alone strengthen our bond and our marriage, but the beauty and peacefulness nature provides is an experience all in itself. It's an honor to share that with her. "Communication to a relationship is like oxygen to life. Without it, it dies." - Tony Gaskins There are times during our walk where no words are exchanged at all. Several minutes pass as we both stroll in silence. We listen to the soothing sounds of the wind blowing through the trees, leaves brushing up against each other, birds chirping and nearby water running downhill. If that doesn't steal your attention or take your breath away, the alluring scenery definitely w...

If you truly want something bad enough, you'll find a way to make it happen. If you don't, you'll find an excuse. You say you want that promotion at work, but when was the last time you asked to pick up an extra shift? You say you want a new job, so tell me how many applications have you turned in to other businesses? You say you want to find your soulmate, but when was the last time you put your heart out on the line? You say you want to further your education, so what books are you currently reading and have you signed up for any classes yet? You say you want to lose weight and get into better shape, so how have your eating habits changed and which exercises seem to be working best for you? You say you want to be open-minded, but when was the last time you listened to another's opposing viewpoint that questioned your own personal beliefs? You say you want to be adventurous, so tell me about a recent experience where you reacted on impulse by trying so...

Do you feel like you are being stretched too thin? Are you being pulled in every possible direction, mentally and physically? Is your mind going numb from trying to cram 36 hours of to-do's into a 24-hour day? Do you need a break from it all? If so, I can help. With all the chaos, tension, stress, confusion, noise, and distractions that constantly bombard you, it's so easy to feel overwhelmed; like your sanity is slowly slipping away from you. Personally, I have found the solution to be quite simple, but yet it's proven itself to be extremely effective. This is my recommendation: Spend 30 minutes a day, alone, doing ABSOLUTELY nothing. No... I'm not crazy. It actually works. Power off your television. Shutdown your laptop. Turn off your iPad and your iPod. Silence your phone. And just be in the present. Sitting in silence and isolating yourself from your surroundings on a daily basis can be very beneficial to your health. This act not only has the...

Are you someone who does just enough  or do you go that extra mile to make sure the task at hand is 100% complete? Part of my last job and my current as a manager in retail consists of hiring employees. I see so many people, young and old, come and go. Of coarse there are many various reasons why, but the main issue I see from a manager's perspective is that most don't seem to care anymore. Most want a maximum paycheck for doing the minimum amount of work. What people like that don't realise is that every single thing they do is a direct reflection of who they are as a person and how they are perceived by others around them. You can talk all day and night until you're blue in the face, but in the end, your actions will ALWAYS speak louder than your words. So tell me, what do your actions say? Do you settle for mediocrity? Do you give up easily? Do you accept failure as being a part of the norm? Do you only do just enough to get by? Working hard, earning ...

Go to your favorite band's concert. Go see your favorite comedian perform. Visit a place you've always wanted to see. Order food you've never tasted. Eat on top of a rooftop. Surprise someone you haven't seen in years. Call your parents just to talk. Spend a day with a sibling. Go on a road trip with no destination. Test drive your dream car. Stay at a bed and breakfast. Go to a drive-in movie theatre. Visit a haunted house or area. Visit a museum. Visit an aquarium. Visit a zoo. Visit a farm. Go see a historical landmark. Go biking. Go hiking. Run a local marathon. Go skydiving. Go skiing. Go ice skating. Go skateboarding. Go paintballing. Ride the biggest ride at a theme park. Ride on a boat. Take a train ride. Fly on a plane. Take a cruise. Go fishing. Jump off a high dive. Scale a mountain. Explore a cave. Climb the tallest tree you can find. Swim in the ocean. Swim in a lake. Swim in a creek. Swim in a pond. Go swimming at...

It's okay to not have all the answers, but it is NOT okay to give up seeking out the truth. Not trying to find a reasonable solution or a logical explanation is never acceptable. Understand there are certain questions out there we may never know the answers to, but that doesn't mean we turn a blind eye, accept failure and move on to something else. Keep searching! Attempt to find answers, no matter what the topic; no matter how taboo. Because as long as you are alive and breathing, you should be continuing your journey of education and furthering your personal growth. Its a simple 5-Step process: Question Read Experience Absorb Repeat Question everything: life, love, the world, time, money, labels, biases, religion, politics, leadership, other cultures, tradition, what you were taught, how you were raised, schools, education, television, the media, historical events. Inquire, ask and investigate. It's okay. I promise you that forcing yourself to pond...

What if today after your long shift at work you came home to your house, along with every thing you own in it, burning to the ground? Would you be devastated by the loss? Would you become depressed? I would be disappointed, but to tell you the truth, that's about it. Through my journey of minimalism, I have realized that the important things in life aren't actually THINGS at all. And none of the stuff I have actually defines who I am.  After donating, selling and getting rid of about four truckloads of stuff I no longer wanted or felt like I needed, I learned to detach myself from my possessions.  It's extremely freeing to know you could part with any object, trinket or item in your life without it affecting you in a drastically negative way. No longer would the loss of anything materialistic leave me feeling hopeless, desolate or empty. I'll be honest with you, the overall process of minimising and simplifying was not the easiest thing I have ever ...

Don't be ashamed of your story. The life you've lived, the lessons you've learned, the mistakes you've made, the heartache you've felt, the joys you've experienced, the adventures you've went on, the roads you've traveled, the people you've met, the novels you've read, the things you've seen, the hardships you've endured, the temptations you've ran into, the choices you've made... Can inspire others. Nowadays, most of our conversing only involves small talk. I get it. I mean it's convenient and comfortable for everyone. We discuss the weather, movies and televisions shows, our jobs, food, etc. Isn't it strange how we can go on for hours talking about shallow and empty topics, but when it comes to the more important things in life, we avoid them altogether? Let's change the status quo! Open up to others. Don't fear vulnerability and openness. Don't be afraid to let people in.  Share your feelings, ...

I know, I know, it's been well over a week since I've written a new blog post. My intentions when I created this blog were to actually try and write at least one or two a week. That was what I had hoped for, but let me explain to you what happened this past week... Last Thursday I woke up on my day off, sat down on the couch and started to write. About ten minutes in and I realized I had nothing to say. It wasn't writer's block. It wasn't because of a lack of ideas or events to talk about. Honestly, I've had several family issues and work situations arise recently that I could've easily discussed. But as I read over the three full paragraphs I had already written so effortlessly, I realized every word, every sentence, all of it lacked true emotion and real conviction. The post was just meaningless words I had constructed out of repetition and reflex, which is the opposite of what I'm about. I never want to be that type of person. See, almost eve...