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
I was recently asked to paint a large painting, intended to be used at my church to kick off the year with a new theme. I was given a few ideas and some words to put on the canvas. Then I painted. It was edgy and different. I poured my energy and my life into … More Personal Graffiti
I am reposting this article that I found through Dyani Lewis‘s blog. In the article, she asks’ a number of excellent questions about the nature of mental health. Usually when we think of mental health, we think of negative symptoms or experiences like depression or anxiety. Just like with physical health, mental health can suffer, … More What is Good Mental Health?
You may not think of yourself as a leader, but you are. There are many ways you may be a leader: Self-leadership, leading a home, leading at work, leading at school, leading in traffic and being a shopping Ninja. Each form of leadership is important and has an important place. Part of the challenge of leadership is to figure … More Leadership Serenity Prayer
After the birth of my firstborn, I realized something. My waistline had expanded. A pretty “normal” weight gain given that I was experiencing a load of stress from my new life as a parent along with job stress and working on a Masters degree part time. Overeating gave me an emotional way to decompress, to release the tension … More Something in your eyes took a thousand years to get here
What matters most to you at work? You and your office have a hierarchy of needs that will allow you to get important stuff done. Companies may have memos and policies posted in the lunchroom that discuss office etiquette and behavior. The real hierarchy of office needs is posted on the Wall between the walls. … More Hierarchy of Office Needs
Little ole jesus seems so nice, so familiar. He speaks with a voice that I recognize, in fact he sounds just like me. He has come by his opinions by dredging the bottom of Longing Lake and Pain Point and all the stupid stuff I have done. You would think this would make him wise, … More Which Jesus do you listen to?
Are you a leader or a follower? I hate that question for a number of reasons. I hate it because it is an either/or question: You either lead, or you follow. Every leader is also a follower and every follower is often also a leader. Second, I dislike the question because it assumes that leading and … More Are you a Leader or are you an Oreo Cookie?
My family has dirt in our blood. Not the pale thin dust that the city throws at you, but the rich dark roasted dirt that can only come from Saskatchewan. I bet you wish you were born there too. People from Saskatchewan don’t need a lot of credit, the banks won’t give it to them. … More Lessons from a Saskatchewan Boy
One of the things I don’t get very often is a day to do whatever I want. Work, family, house, chores and the to-do list seem to eat up most of the “free” time that I have. So I secretly long for the day when I can just do nothing. It becomes like an mantra … More A Day Off?
I love words because words can be shaped and carved. Words have energy and life. Words can be a playground. I love how khaki sounds even if the color is overused, how juxtapose feels like tongue-Yoga and how imagination sounds like a small country in the Middle East but it is also mind-expanding. I find it … More Why I love words
Getting High on Recovery 