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
If you are in recovery, go ahead and fall in love. Your life may depend on it. ___ Recovery wisdom says that we shouldn’t fall in love in the first year of recovery. The idea is that you need to focus on yourself because the crazy-love feelings will hijack your recovery. Falling in love should … More The Benefits of Falling in Love in Recovery
“Hello God, You have reached the voicemail of SMSwaby. Unfortunately, I’m busy right now. You can leave a message at the sound of the tone. I will respond within two business days, but please recognize that I have been very, very busy lately. If you want to speak to me, please speak louder than … More Hello God, I’m Busy Right Now So Please Leave a Message
How can you let go of the past? By embracing it. ___ Things have happened to you that cause you pain. You may also have done other things that cause you pain. How can you embrace what pains you, the anchors that seem to bring you down? In a previous article, I wrote Your past … More Don’t Hate Your Past, Embrace It
Do you have trouble letting go? ___ I have a problem with hanging onto things too long. One summer when I was a teenager, I went with a friend and his family to Kalamalka Lake in British Columbia. On the lake, there is a spot with a high cliff face and an overhanging tree swing. … More 5 Ways That Will Help You To Let Go of the Past
Each decision is an opportunity to experience life in a new way; to learn and grow, to find out who you are and what you would like to do in this life. Each path is strewn with opportunities – despite the outcome. Susan Jeffers, Feel the Fear, p. 114 This is taken from a recent … More Fear and Recovery: What You Can Do When Fear Has You Fenced In
A healthy mind is a healthy soul. ___ Mental health and faith can feel like two separate worlds. For many people, they look at life as either spiritual or physical/mental. Mixing the two is like trying to mix steak and Kraft Dinner. They just don’t seem to fit. But this is not healthy, because a … More The Weight of Living: Mental Health and Faith
Your grouch stands between you and the life that you want to live. ___ You have one. We all do. He is never quiet. And he hates the limelight. He delights in mistakes, missteps and missed opportunities. He dwells in the depths and loves the trash bins of your life. Who is this mysterious person? … More Recovery and Your Inner Grouch
11 Ways that getting it wrong is the path to getting it right ___ Failure. It’s a scary topic. It brings the strongest to our knees and makes each of us question whether we will get up and try again. Yet we do just that, again and again. Why do we do it? Why do … More How Failure Can Teach You to do Pretty Much Everything Better
Working out could reduce drinking’s deadly risks From the CBC September 8, 2016 About 40% of respondents met minimum physical activity guide of 150 minutes of moderate intensity. Being physically active offset some of the mortality risks associated with drinking, researchers found. Move more to drink? Getting the recommended amount of exercise could help offset … More Report: Exercise and Alcohol Use
If your life is full of yesterday’s energy then you have nothing left for today ___ Did you know that your brain likes to recycle? Your brain has a limited capacity, you can’t store everything up there. So your brain becomes selective in what it hangs onto. You and I remember the really important details … More Maybe it’s Time to Sell Your Memories?
Getting High on Recovery 