The challenges of down time, up time, no time

September 29, 2021 · 0 Comments

We cannot stop the passage of time. Our particular position in the universe sees us marking the hours, days, months and years as we circle our sun. We may think that we have plenty of time during our waking hours. But how much of that time is productive? Are we wasting time, frittering it away, and spending it needlessly?

What if the mundane just isn’t enough?

A current radio commercial notes that one of the toughest decisions adults face is what to cook for dinner each night. If you have children, you know all too well the trials and tribulations of this nightly chore. But wow, just how mundane and unimpressive our lives can be at times.

Cost of homes driving young people away

It’s been said that most of us are born, live and die within a 300-kilometre radius. For me, that’s definitely true, being born and bred right here in the GTA. And it’s true for many of my peers, except one who found his calling south of the border. Working, living, getting married and finding a home all seemed fairly straightforward for my generation.

The burdens of being a ‘deep thinker’

Having deep thoughts is what separates us from lower life forms. It’s what makes humans the strange and fascinating creatures that we are. While thinking too much can derail one’s momentum, we’re often caught up in our own thoughts deep in our heads. Sometimes we delve so deep in the recesses of our mind, we struggle to find our way out.

Animals are much smarter than we think

As an “animal-lover” I’m happy to say that yes, part of my soul has been awakened. I truly believe that all life on this planet has a purpose and is sacred in its own way. Whether they be plants or lower life forms that are part of the food chain, all creatures, great and small, are fascinating.

Celebrating with lefties on Friday the 13th!

An international recognition day came and went last week, in a double-header of mystique and superstition. Friday, Aug. 13 was International Left-Handers Day. The Aug. 13 day was created by the UK’s Left-Handers Club. I have embraced by right brain and celebrated my left-handedness. I always notice when someone I encounter is a lefty, and smile as I find another member of this prestigious and limited club.

Let’s remove ‘nothing’ from our vocabulary

Nothing, rien, nada, nichts, niente, nekas. It’s odd that every language, every culture has many synonyms for “nothing.” An interesting word, defined as “not any thing,” or of “no interest, value or consequence.”

Is ‘easy’ really what our species needs?

We are living in fast-paced times. We’re desperately trying to catch up to our always-expanding technology, but we have to wonder to what end. Our world, and our species, have seen more wonders, more advancements in the last 100 years than in all of our hundreds of thousands of years on this planet. In what can be seen as the blink of an eye, we’ve gone from horse and buggy to rides in space. We’ve gone from dying young to living long. We’ve switched from back-breaking work to modern luxury.

Mental clutter makes us lose our focus

A mind may be a terrible thing to waste, but it’s also a mysterious enigma that can drive you crazy. I was basking in the sunshine the other day during my lunch break. My mind wandered, as minds often do. I thought to myself that I should give my uncle a call to see how he was doing. The only problem was, he passed away more than 15 years ago. Wow.

Many ways to feed the mind, body and spirit

try to provide “food for thought” each week in my editorial columns. Sometimes I even provide actual food suggestions. As we reintegrate with our fellow humans in the coming weeks and months, we are looking for a new balance. Hopefully lessons learned over the past year will give us some renewed umph, or at least some motivation to get out, explore and become more fulfilled.

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