Self-acceptance

Sharing this photo I took a few years ago in Mauritius. It reminds me that when we feel insignificant against the immensity of nature's splendour, it is easier to find perspective within ourselves. The meditative atmosphere is conducive to a deeper understanding of our capacity to love and accept ourselves and others as they are. It is an inner journey each of us has to take alone. It may not be easy at times. This article is a good reminder of how to practice self-acceptance.

When we can focus on the positive in us and in all situations, it is easier to accept the negative and work on them in a more constructive manner. I wrote this haiku to say it in simpler words.

In all negatives

you can discover the gift

of positive strength

BIg City Blues

Went through a long, exhausting cold. Yes, of all things in the middle of summer. My body was too drained of energy to accomplish much, and yet my imagination kept churning at hyper speed with depressing thoughts on my health, city pollution, deceptive people, the violence in our world, making sleep a fidgety affair.

Grateful for the support of caring friends, and the creative resources that helped me out of the funk. I exorcised the wretchedness out of my system, and poured the chaos into Big City Blues, a photo montage, and poem about my feelings for this beloved, yet maligned city. I feel cleansed, and hopeful. If my art moves you, please write to me ...

Big City Blues

city lights glare

hard edges everywhere

streetcars screeching

cars spitting fumes

frantic rushing

vitriolic swearing

coldness of a stare

saps the heart bare

you crave the softness

of rolling hills

cool mists of waves

scents of wild flowers

that smell of hope

you taste its warmth

aware, so aware

of those who care

Authors' Afternoon with Ken Becker

Inviting you to chat with our guest author, Ken Becker, brilliant writer and journalist, who will discuss his memoir, The Expat Files: My Life in Journalism. He was a regular contributor to Maclean's magazine, a writer and producer for CBC News, and a journalism teacher at Humber College in Toronto. His op-ed pieces have been published in the Washington Post, the Toronto Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star. His amazing stories will make this an afternoon to remember.

You can read a short sample of his book on amazon by clicking on Look Inside.

Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things

I caught a bad cold a few days ago and I ended up watching movies and documentaries in between sleeping and resting. This documentary resonates, especially at a time when we keep being pushed into insatiable consumerism by corporate advertising, and society in general. 

Minimalism is one way of getting out of the superficial consumer rut and getting in touch with our true selves. In this documentary, Dan Harris. explains that we keep wanting more because we're wired to "hunt". Since we don't need to hunt like caveman anymore, we now hunt for things to better our lives.

We're told by our governments to buy goods to keep the economy rolling so our countries can prosper. But corporations seem to gain the most in this, hence the extreme gap between rich and poor. So, why make prosperity the main goal in our lives? What about aiming for a sensible economy that is not fed by useless goods but the betterment of people's well-being?

I'm all for minimalism although I do want some minimum comfort in my home and I'm not planning to live with items that fit into a few bags. But I do feel lighter when I get rid of things I don't need. Owning less frees the mind. Try it and you'll see what I mean.

Minimalism can help us focus on more important things. like meaningful connections with people and communities that are inclusive and respectful of others, which would result in less anger and violence in this world. 

Here's a preview of the documentary. You can watch it on Netflix.