~~~ Happy new years ~~~

Okay ... I am sure many of you expect me to pontificate on the many ins and outs of what the very meaning of newyears is, how it affects us as beings, and what the greater good can be from refreshing a new year. Well sorry to disappoint, nothing to overly dramatic today ... just a simple list of things I am grateful for:
- My son
- My health
- Being
Nothing more, nothing less ... well okay ... there are a few more:
- Family
- Friends
- Love
Okay .. now that is it i promise... wait ... can i add one more ?
- Beer
That is right, I am Canadian.... I like Beer. Everyone out there have a great night, enjoy all the things you are grateful for... and for Pete’s sake... Hold a beer up high at the stroke of midnight, grab the closest person too you yell happy news years and lay a slobbery wet kiss on them. What could it hurt right ;-)

~~Under Construction~~

Well today I am taking a much needed personal day from work.... I know we just had 4 days off in a row, but i could not get anything done I needed too as everyone else was closed !

So today, you must talk, or discuss amongst yourselves. Post up a comment, share ideas, or just leave behind some verbal diatribe.... who knows you might like it enough to start your own blog :)

Feel free to leave me a commentary of what you have liked thus far,or disliked for that matter. I am always eager to hear both the good and the bad to help hone and improve on my skills.

Enjoy your day everyone

Focus

Recently I have wondered what the greater effect of meditation has had on my life. Has this practice added value to my life in any tangible way? When done properly, meditation can help you reach a state of clarity that allows you to become truly aware of your thoughts, emotions, and surroundings. I am wondering how many of you reading take part in any form of mediation as a regular occurrence?

If you are thinking of starting mediation, what are your personal reasons? Are you hoping for spiritual guidance, or just a formalized way to sum up the events in your mind over a day or week? How many of us do this personally, and how many join into the concept of guided mediation or group environments.

I know that I have found this a very useful tool for crystallizing in my own mind what has, or in some cases has not yielded results in my day to day life. It allows me to stay focused, gain calmness at the end of a day, and achieve a psychological balance in my life. I find that this type of Mindfulness is essentially focusing my mind on the present. To be mindful is to be aware of your thoughts and actions in the present, without judging yourself. It is from this point I can organize my goals for the coming day, or week.

What do any of you utilize this art form for in your lives?

Some Random thoughts

House hunting – as markets back here in Canada soften even further, more and more options become available in the price range I have been looking at. Originally Milton seemed to be the best option, but now even areas in Oakville and Burlington have become more attainable again. Being that the home in Texas is now rented out; the home purchased here in Canada will be a second mortgage. This is a question for all landlords out there... or people with more than one mortgage. I want to know if there are mental aspects of owning two homes, and thus carrying two mortgages, that one needs to prepare for. I have of course worked out all the finances of it, but am in the dark for what stresses if any may come from owning more than one home....

Running – Well yesterday I went and bought some new shoes. If you recall in my previous posts I had been complaining about how difficult it was to find motivation while running. Well I have decided to treat myself as a sort of motivation. I hit a goal of running now 10 K continuously (just under an hour for those who care) so I bought myself some new runners as a reward. Can self bribery help me to obtain my own goals?

Yoga – As I continue my practice of yoga to keep limber during these times of heighten training, I am becoming aware of the variety of posses and variation of posses in this art form. I find certain posses I love, and some that I shy away from. I am wondering for all those out there ... do you find the same thing? What are some of your favourite posses?

~~~~ Gravity ~~~~

Well ... here we are. Seemingly stuck to this rock we call earth, bound by some unknown force called gravity. Now before most of you run away from this post figuring I may be poised to go off on some theoretical rant about the forces of the universe ...hang tight. This is actually a post about my love affair with one lady of my life who has never failed me .... Gravity!

It is usually this time of the year when I walk past my Downhill bike hanging ominously in the garage. I sit and stare remembering all the good times we had, screaming down the mountain together. Carving out turns at breakneck speed, hanging on to the very edges of the path overlooking the cliff side below, all the while seeking out even more speed. Riding so fast (only due to pre-inspection of the race course) that you don't see what is below you, around the next corners, but having to trust that you recall which way the race course turns below when you eventually land after the kicker. Yes people I am talking about DOWNHILL racing on my mountain bike.

Now for those of you who know me, remember that this was a number one passion in my life before I got married, had kids, and moved to the great state of Texas. Amongst all of those reasons, I stoped racing both the provincial and national circuit for DH (Downhill). I cant tell you how many times I have woken up in the middle of the night, dreaming of racing again.

Well now that I am living back here in Canada, I am ready ... wait scratch that prepared... no OBLIGED ... to get back in the saddle and shred up the mountains with reckless abandon. I OWE it to the hills, bumps, jumps, stumps, and drops to come out once again and rip it up with all fear lost at the start gate. But wait ... there is an age old adage in the sport. It is well know that the top racers get significantly slower, even skittish once they have children .... well I can't control that my boy is always in my thoughts, but with some help from a sports physiologist I have come to realize ... it is all about calculated risks. Do nothing you have not prepared for, and are comfortable doing during the race. Prepare for every corner, know every drop, jump, or rock garden, and nothing will seem difficult.

So I have been in the gym for the last 5 months, and will be for the next 5 preparing. Training with the goal in mind. Every bench press, ball balanced squat, set of plyometircs, and even every yoga session will bring me closer to this prepared goal. Winning

Personailty

Recently I have dedicated quite of bit of thought to how our own individual “personality” helps us derive our place in the world. Consider how we interact with one and other, how we either talk, study or listen to others.

This personality of ours ingrains into every facet of our lives, including the work place. Recently in my life I had the privilege of having some people very close to me that work in the public sector. These people are an intriguing breed to me, and I was drawn quickly to the differences ... studying each and every decision they make. Now the best way I can describe these traits held are in juxtaposition to another. Public servants differ from Politicians in that their dominant trait is equilibrium, while the dominant trait of Politicians is energy.

So what is energy, or the description of energy in the context spoken of above? Consider some of the great politicians from the past forever changing the course of humanity by driving a new ideal, or a societal goal. They do this with “energy”, provoking it in others through rousing speech that is often described by onlookers as an ability to “connect” with the common person. I believe that this is simply an innate trait they posses to shift energy from one person to another on a subconscious level.

But all of this change cannot happen without our societal stewards, the public servants. How would we keep control with all the abundance of energy and change surrounding us? Let’s take the public servant and what I believe is there constant strive for "equilibrium". They focus on stability and past procedures so that changes occur in an orderly fashion and do not have a negative impact on the administrative system.

So here is what I have been posturing over.... when these personality types meet in regular day to day life (even with the array of other personally types not mentioned in these thoughts I have been jotting down) are they all aware of how they interact with each other? Can each of us recognize our own personality traits and how they control both our conscious and subconscious choice made during our interactions with one another?

Merry Christmas

Well, I may not be the first one to wish you all a merry Christmas, but I wanted too none the less. Make sure to take some time out today for family, friends, or pick up the phone and call old friends you have not talked to in a while.



If you have little ones, give them lots of your time, hugs, and affection. Heck do that same to siblings, and parents .... it is good for all ages.



Happy holidays, and remember to smile

‘Tis the season for giving so I thought I might share a recent chain of events that shed some light on the worth of giving not just around Christmas, but all times of the year.


Now, let me preface this story with a caution to all who know me, and have heard me say a million times before that I believe all homeless people have ended up in their situation by choices they have made, and that they alone posses the ability to make changes in their life. To that end, I have never felt it worthwhile to give money to the homeless while passing by. Please don’t confuse this with giving to reputable charity, that I feel is outstanding and generally ends up making a difference in the world. Rather I feel giving change to a homeless person “begging” would just end up being spent on many vice they may have.

So on with the story then …as recently as a month ago on my way to work, walking up Yonge Street to work in my “ivory tower” as some of my friends call the corporate office buildings downtown in the finance district, I decided to give a homeless man I pass by each morning some money. Call it a moment of guilt for all the successes and fortunes that I have had in my life, but as I walked past him with my hand in my pocket my arm came out with a $20. I was taking this out to buy some ridiculously overpriced StarBucks drink when I stopped, leaned over to him, and handed him the money. With nothing said between us, he simple looked stunned then smiled broadly.

Fast forward two weeks, when walking up Yonge street again I happened to notice some books he had amongst his belongings. I stopped to peer at them, and he quickly showed me with pride that he had used my money donated to go to a used book store and purchase some mathematics books. I asked him why he picked those, and he explained that he had been trying to get a job but found it difficult without his high school diploma. I was floored, and all of a sudden embarrassed for years of assumptions I had passed off on all homeless I pass by. Could it be that given the right tools we could help these people in bad situations?

Trying to think how I could further help this man out of his situation, I dug out all my old books from high school sitting in boxes collecting dust. Began bringing them to him one by one starting with English; followed by science, and then stats courses. Over the weeks we have developed a little rapport between us where he periodically asks me for help with particular question in the books he is having difficulty with. I spend a few minutes and help him through the problems, then am off to the gym for my morning workout. He has never asked me for any more money, and today gave me possibly one of the best gifts anyone ever has. On my way into work he was standing up looking around, almost excited to see me. He gave me a test, with a mark listed as an 80 % on his first math test. He had enrolled in an adult learning center, taken a test and wanted me to have his first accomplishment as a gift for helping him out.

Reconsider the worth of giving to others this season, no matter how small it can make the world of difference in someone’s life.

Progression

As my son gets older each passing day, I am ever astounded at the most marvelous things humans possess innately. Take for example the art of crawling. My son now at 8 and a half month old, just learned how to crawl this week. It was a momentous occasion to watch as he reached for his favorite toy (placed just out of reach by yours truly for motivation) and he got up on all fours and crawled to it. This unto itself was not the incredible part, but rather how second nature it all came to him. Once he had done it for the first time, and it looked ever so natural, he began crawling everywhere.

I suppose what interests me the most about this is that he never regressed, never went back to old ways. He simply added this to his arsenal of choices for mobility and now acts as though it was never an issue.

So what is the relevance to us, the adults watching? I pose a question to those reading … those interested in humanity and how we develop as beings in our world. What is it, or when is it that adults forget how to truly progress without reflection? Somewhere along the lines we begin to look backward, considering old methods and ideas, allowing them to enter our minds and potentially cloud judgment. Why is it we are incapable of progress, like children, and only keeping what is good in our lives? Ponder it for a moment, would we all not be better people for leaving old habits that we know are bad behind? Only keeping what is beneficial in our lives?

Motivation ???

Those who know me are aware that I love training, admittedly almost to the point of obsession. I am a 7 day a week gym junkie with ever changing goals and aspirations.

Recently I began training for a triathlon while living in Texas. I have always been very involved in mountain bike racing, but found the move to Texas leaving me with nowhere to ride nowhere to compete, and feeling left without a goal. Enter the idea of triathlon ….

SWIMMING – Okay... Not too bad, learned a few strokes (heads up front crawl a must for open water) and trained until I can handle the 2000m distance I needed, not a problem

BIKING – well, this area I needed no help with

RUNNING – this is where the reason for today’s post is coming from. Where the heck do all you runners get your motivation from?? Honestly, from the moment my first foot lands I want to stop. I find this is a constant mental battle going on inside just to keep moving. Each step gets worse than the next and all I want to do is stop and rest.

So after three weeks of training indoors I am up to three 20 minute segments with 2 minutes in-between totaling up to 1 hour. My question is this for everyone who is a runner …. What do I do to enjoy this … or how long does it take before you begin enjoying this aspect? I look around at all these graceful gazelles running on the treadmills next to me, and can’t help feeling that I must look like a drunken hippo! Any help in this matter is greatly appreciated

Good day to everyone, and welcome to my blog.....
First off let me say that I have no clue what the primary focus of this spot will be, but it will undoubtedly swing and shift through he many facets of my life. It will most likely become an outlet for my many thoughts, theories, and a sort of documentary of my daily events.

I am the father of a wonderful little boy named Gaven who is my primary focus in life. I enjoy spending time with him and will write about him plenty. Some of my other interests are:
Mountain biking (XC, 4x, and of course downhill)
Skiing (both cross country and downhill)
Sailing
Volleyball
Hiking
Yoga
Weight training
I think you get the idea ... I love to be outdoors and will make any excuse to get there.

I am a lover of free thought, theorizing whether it be metaphysical, physics, spiritual, or the creation of the universe its self. Heck I may even post thoughts on government, community, social ideals... you never know what you are going to find here.

IN short WELCOME ... I hope you might find any of the thoughts that will be posted here are insightful, exhilarating, or at bare minimum thought provoking.

Remember, the sharing of knowledge and sense of community communication is what separates humans form the rest of the world :) To that end, please feel free to leave comments or your thoughts on any subject. I love discussion and debate !