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
In early 2017 I will be setting aside time to study for an exam to become a Clinical Addiction Counsellor. Currently I am provisional in my designation, but I am working towards a full international certification as a Clinical Addiction Counsellor. If you are interested, you can learn more about me and about the designation … More What I am Up to in 2017
Working on your mindset IS your recovery. As you think, you will be. ___ There is an automatic assumptions that negative is realistic and positive is unrealistic. Susan Jeffers Negativity. It’s not a fun topic. Negativity is something that a lot of us think about. A negative mindset can shoot holes in your recovery. The … More 5 Ways to Have a Positive Recovery Mindset in 2017
For article on the 8 Myths of Happiness and What You Can Do to Feel Better, click on the supercool Batguy 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 … More You Cannot Choose to be Happy, but you Can Choose Your Focus
I wish you and your family a great and happy 2017! Thank you for supporting my writing for the past year. I plan to deliver even more great content this year. You can support me by joining my site, by entering your email address in the “follow smswaby” link above. Please also consider sharing my … More Happy New Year 2017!
For humorous article on parenting, click on the photo above. This article was featured on Disney’s Babble, which you can find by clicking here. 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 Funnest Parenting Post of 2016: The Post Apocalyptic Guide to Teenagers
For article on the lessons you can learn from depression and mental illness, 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 Most Read Mental Health Post of 2016: Depression will make you a Better Human
Think you have no choice? Think again. ___ Bad marriage? Bad habits? Bad hair? Or your life is just Badd. Whatever you are facing, you can learn to be badder. You have more choices at your disposal than you imagine. Too many choices can be overwhelming. But not enough choice can make you feel trapped. … More Bad Marriage, Bad Habits or Bad Hair… You Have More Choices Than You Imagine!
Ask yourself how far your lectures have gotten you? ___ There are a lot of things that you can start at New Years. New exercise programs. New eating routines. New approach to your marriage. New, new, new. Starting new things is fun. But there is one thing that is even better. I want to stop … More The Best New Years Resolution: Go on a Lecture Diet
Your today contains the seeds for a better tomorrow ___ There it was, staring at me. My breakfast cereal hit me with some unusual wisdom. The flakes and nuggets became flecks and nuggets of gold. The lessons came to me when I thought about the milk to crunchiness ratio. Stay with me, friend. This one … More Recovery Lessons Courtesy of Your Cereal Box
For article on how your judgments will save your life, but how they can also destroy 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 if you … More How Can You Grow Past Your Judgments?
Getting High on Recovery 