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
How Knowing Your Limits Will Improve Your Life ___ The messages that we hear about our limits are confusing. Just read the two quotes below and you will see what I mean: Surrender to your limits. Peter Scazzero Whatever doesn’t kill me… had better start running Recovery is about learning how to accept your limits … More Recovery and Learning to Respect Your Limits, Part 1
For article on how how In Recovery, Your Destination is NOT Your Destiny, click on the photo above. I write articles about wellness, leadership, parenting and personal growth. My hope is to deliver the best content I can to inspire, to inform and to entertain. Sign up for my blog if you want to receive … More Recovery is Important, but No One Says that You Need to Be So Serious
For article on the 10 Ways that you protect yourself from pain and what you can do about it, click on the photo above. I write articles about wellness, leadership, parenting and personal growth. My hope is to deliver the best content I can to inspire, to inform and to entertain. Sign up for my blog … More Why Being Good Might Just Make You Unhappy
Steve Austin shares how healthy self care helped him to let go of shame ___ Steve Austin is not who you think he is. No, he’s not a wrestler. He has come to learn that his life is not together and that is okay. Despite being a pastor in his church, he openly admits that … More Recovery and The Four Lies of Shame
For article on the 10 Ways that you protect yourself from pain and what you can do about it, click on the photo above. I write articles about wellness, leadership, parenting and personal growth. My hope is to deliver the best content I can to inspire, to inform and to entertain. Sign up for my blog … More Why Being Good can Cost You Your Self-Respect
For article on how How Not to be a Grump in Your Recovery, click on the photo above. I write articles about wellness, leadership, parenting and personal growth. My hope is to deliver the best content I can to inspire, to inform and to entertain. Sign up for my blog if you want to receive the … More The Four Stances Towards Recovery and Life
The six benefits of smiling no matter how difficult your days may feel ___ I call her the doughnut Nazi. Yea, that’s harsh. She works at a Tim Hortons restaurant in Calgary, Alberta. She’s not difficult to miss. She is in her mid 50’s and she looks like she’s been eating lemons for about 50 … More In Recovery: Your Diagnosis is not Your Destiny
For article on how In Recovery, Your Destination is Not Your Destiny, click on the photo above. I write articles about wellness, leadership, parenting and personal growth. My hope is to deliver the best content I can to inspire, to inform and to entertain. Sign up for my blog if you want to receive the latest … More Recovery Lessons from Your Passport
Being quiet is one of the most difficult things you will ever do. And it will heal you. ___ Silence. When a moment of quiet falls on you do you quickly rush to fill it? Or is it a welcome guest? Right now you are the most silent that you will be all day. … More The Healing Power of Silence in Recovery
Recovery does not need to be so serious. Smiling a little will open us to the world around us and within us. ___ Recently I updated my passport. When I took my photo, I put on my saddest face. Apparently everyone involved liked the sad-me photo, because my application was approved by the powers that … More In Recovery: Your Destination is NOT Your Destiny
Getting High on Recovery 