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
When your superpower becomes your kryptonite ___ So you are a Quiet Leader. You are an introvert who leads and whose thoughtfulness is a strength. Have you ever wondered whether you are being too quiet? You know you are being too quiet when: You can scare a cat by sneaking up on it. You need … More Quiet Leader: How Do You Know if You are Being Too Quiet?
Lots of work but little change? I’m there. This year, I am going to lower my standards. ◊♦◊ By MARGARET WENTE The Globe and Mail, Published Saturday, Jan. 09, 2016 8:00AM EST Don’t tell me about self-improvement. I’ve been improving myself for decades. I have dieted, exercised, made to-do lists and then lost them. I have striven … More Lessons From a Lifetime of Self-Improvement
This is one of the most difficult posts I have ever written. ___ Imagine a magic trick where you are the one to disappear. Someone else is left holding the rabbit, but the rabbit has fangs. The trick? It is a great one called Avoidance. Addiction is like a magic trick: It is a mystery that … More Addiction: Avoidance and Your Fanged Rabbit
Don’t just think with your head. Think with your heart, your hands and your feet this year. ___ This year, I have a goal. I need to lose weight because my brain is too fat. “You get your intuition back when you make space for it, when you stop the chattering of the rational mind. … More 8 Things You Can Do If Your Brain is Too Fat
This May be a New Year, but How Can You Make it a Good Year? ___ What makes you feel like you have good life? Relationships that make you feel cared for? Money and Things that make you feel content? Accomplishments, titles or education? Applause and recognition over your efforts? Doing good for another, helping them? Things going … More 2016 Happy Good Year
Don’t Surrender Your Joy: The Eight Ways to Reclaim the FUN of Your DysFUNctional Family. ___ The DysFUNctional Manifesto This is a manifesto, not a manual. We are not telling you how to live your lives. Heck, we are just trying to keep ourselves sane, we don’t have time to tell you what to do. This … More Addiction: The DysFUNctional Manifesto
Originally posted on Addiction & Recovery News:
I’m reading a book called Unconditional Parenting. (It’s a good book, though I can’t recommend it without some qualifiers.) He offers 13 guiding principles for unconditional parenting that seem to offer some helpful ways to frame unconditional recovery support. It’s important to keep in mind that it doesn’t really matter if…
Recovery is about getting your life back. Maybe it’s time to recover your sense of humor? ___ Why are so many addicts or recovering addicts also comedians? Humor should be a part of recovery because humor is central to what it means to be a human being. Humans are the only creatures that laugh. Except for monkeys, hyenas … More Addiction: Laughing Loudly While Quietly Crying Into Your Beer
What you eat, who you like and what you believe: Live by your judgments and you are not much different than a two year old. ___ “Kids, don’t eat cancer. Eating white sugar and white bread is basically the same as smoking. You may as well eat cigarettes because you are eating cancer when you eat … More Your Judgments Will Save Your Life and They Will Kill You
You may have threatened to destroy the video games, but what take to really do it? ___ Parents, what would it take for you to snap and go Darth Vader? Don’t lie to me, you’ve thought about it. You fantasize about using the Force to crush and destroy, to shoot laser beams and lightening bolts. No, you … More 11 Reasons Why I Want To Become a Darth Vader Dad
Getting High on Recovery 