I sometimes introduce myself as YodaNinja. "Yoda on the outside, Ninja on the inside." Outside, I seem calm and composed. When I speak (or write), what I say can be profound, perplexing... or both. But my inner world is another story. Deep inside of me is a Ninja battleground where thoughts, emotions, ideas, and utter randomness all fight for my attention. Every once in a while, they actually cooperate and I have to say, I'm deadly. But then they go at it again... and "Everybody is Kung Fu fighting." I'm a dad, a husband and a guy whose mind has a mind of it's own. My recovery from my addiction to numbing myself (with pretty much anything I can get my hands on) is a lifelong journey. I live with depression, anxiety and adhd... and sometimes they don't get along very well with my family, or with the rest of my life. Professionaly, I make my living as a Counselling Therapist in Edmonton, Canada. I teach on addiction and psychopathology at City University, and I have a small counselling practice where I use superheroes and other geeky stuff to help people make peace with their own personal YodaNinja. This blog is part of my healing and writing keeps me grounded. I hope that something I have written may add a little bit to your journey. Keep it Real
Men face midlife crises; Women face menopause. Teenagers have their own crisis to deal with: Teenopause. Teenopause is most common in youth aged 12 – 20, however, some studies have found that Teenopause can last well into our 50’s. The symptoms of Teenopause: Dramatic mood swings Whining Craving Jube Jubes Isolating themselves in their rooms, while simultaneously demanding your … More Teenopause
Are you ready for an adventure? Maybe it’s time that you have a midlife crisis? “I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone.’ I should think so — in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. … More Six ways that Midlife is the best time to be alive
Addiction is inventing chaos when we are insecure, uncertain or afraid. It is a defense mechanism that helps us avoid. We invent chaos when we over eat, over buy, over pack, over stock our homes, get over busy, over debt ourselves, over do things, or over think. Recovering health is not easy, but it is … More Addiction: A simple path
I love my kids, but sometimes I can’t stand them. Some people are unable to have children and here I am whining about my frustrations about my kids? Yes, I am. Sometimes love means that we get really frustrated with each other, but that doesn’t mean we are quitting. I love being a dad and … More I Love my Kids, but Sometimes I Can’t Stand Them
What do our texts say about us? What do our texts reveal about us: about our fears, our desires and our needs? Our texts are like free associations, quick and uninhibited statements. If Freud were alive, he would probably ask to see your phone. He would wonder about the size of your phone and what … More What do our texts say about us?
Unnecessary things are like USB ports. They are reminders, mementos, inspirational pointers that allow you and I to time travel… mental triggers of vacations past, adventures forward and unlived dreams. Unnecessary things are the seeds of a wild imagination and they make life worthwhile. Todd Henry talks about Unnecessary Creating in a recent Accidental Creative Podcast. After … More The Necessity of Living Unnecessarily
Editors are trying to destroy your life. They attack with bolts of lightning and you may not even realize it. Microsoft made a deal with the devil. MS Word installs the Editor with every copy of software. Every misspelled word, every grammatical error and every contextual faux pas invites a bolt of lightning from your unfriendly … More Your Editor may be destroying your life
Schools are failing our children. They don’t teach typing anymore. They also don’t teach spelling or real math… I learned to type on a typewriter. Yes, I know that means I am old. The typewriter, for you young’uns, is a machine about as big as a microwave. You hit the keys and the words slowly appear … More The four keys that can change your story
“Mind is loaded, chambers filled and ready to create. The problem is that my mind is locked in a safe and I forget the combination.” Why is creativity like this? You feel eager to create, to write, to build, to initiate. But damn, the first step can feel like a leap off of a cliff. Why does … More One Small Step: Becoming Creative One Step at a Time
http://www.postcrossing.com I like to run with mosquitoes. Don’t misunderstand me. I hate mosquitoes. In Canada we have a lot of mosquitoes, but if you want to be outside, you have to deal with them. If you haven’t met a mosquito, they are tiny little flying vampires that suck your blood and sound like a buzzing … More Do you like running with mosquitoes?
Getting High on Recovery 