Author Archive
Interdependence Day
Posted by: | CommentsInterdependence is and ought to be as much the ideal of man as self sufficiency. Man is a social being. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
The weekend of July 1st -4th has been a weekend of shared celebration by people in Canada and the U.S. on the occasion of Canada Day on July 1st and Independence day in the U.S. on July 4th.
While people on both sides of the border proudly stand up and salute what each country stands for, it is to be noted that the founding principles of both the countries are essentially the same. In fact it is true of every country that fought for independence – the right to be free from oppression of any kind. The right to grow freely and to one’s maximum potential regardless of race, colour, creed or any other distinguishing attributes. The right of an individual and therefore his country, to flourish, unfettered by any limitations or statutory bonds of allegiance.
But having achieved independence from all that binds us, what next? Can we truly stand up and succeed by ourselves? Or is there a more powerful dynamic at play that multiplies our efforts and exponentially explodes our success into a myriad directions?
Is Interdependence the answer? Read More→
Breaking out of Uniformity
Posted by: | CommentsThe unity of freedom has never relied on a uniformity of opinion. -John Fitzgerald Kennedy
It is a source of never ending wonder to me that people, and in particular women, each with a uniform arrangement of two eyes above a nose, lips below it, adorned with tresses can each belong to the same species, and yet exhibit so much unique personal beauty.
And yet, modern women seem to yearn to look like each other instead of themselves! They want lips like Angelina Jolie, a bottom like Jennifer Lopez among countless other attributes; each disregarding the happy arrangement of features that make them inimitably beautiful, just as they are.
I wonder why our society is so obsessed with uniformity, when clearly diversity of appearance, thoughts, opinions and actions is what makes our world a richer place to dwell in. I mean seriously, could we live with cloned counterparts of each other?
It is time to break out of Uniformity! Read More→
Keeping Your Cool
Posted by: | CommentsKeep cool. Anger is not a an argument. Daniel Webster
Summer with all the joys it brings, of barbecues and pool parties, of endless sunny days and cool swims, of swarms of mosquitoes and Coldstone ice-cream, of beachwear and sun screen lotion- is finally here.
We try and stay cool in order to deal with the perils of indulging in too much sun worship, wearing light summer clothes, staying out of the hot sun from mid morning to late afternoon. drinking lots of iced tea and refreshing gallons of cold water.
But what should we do when our colleagues, customers and families get us hot under the collar, a phenomenon that is not confined to the summer months, but happens all year round? Read More→
Woofstock and The Case for Living with Pets
Posted by: | CommentsIf having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans. – James Herriot
Come June and it is Woofstock time again in Toronto. For years my husband and I had been considering adding a dog to our family. But busy careers and constant travel and mobility kept us in a state of suspended animation for much longer than I care to remember.
However every year, we were unanimous in our mutual agreement to visit the Woofstock festival and pretend for a space of time that all the dogs there belonged to us!
This year, we took our little Ginger out on her first outing to meet other waggy tailed people of her ilk. Our earliest observation of her behaviour towards other dogs is that she did not care much for canine attention. Especially when inquisitive little dogs snuffled her ears and were generally annoying to her. She is her own little person with a royal identity of her own.
I knew from my experience of walking her last summer, that she was terrific for my waistline as I dropped two clothes sizes in a few short weeks and have been looking forward to shedding my store of winter pounds as quickly as I could. Little did I know that Ginger could help our health in other ways too! Read More→
The Riddle of Risk
Posted by: | CommentsMan cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to leave the shore – Andre Gide
Risk has been defined as the chance of injury or loss, a hazard or danger.
Now if Risk-taking means a definite chance for a loss, I respectfully disagree. The only possible loss is the loss of that which you don’t want- your current results.
I have always had a high tolerance for risk. And as I reflect on my life and the many risky decisions I took which have brought me to this place in my life, surrounded by these people, makes me wonder if the decisions I took were in fact a good thing. A very good thing!
We hesitate to leave the safety of our well worn paths and our comfort zones. Yet in order to grow we need to leave the seeming safety of our known world in quest for new horizons in order to grow. But therein lies the conundrum and the Riddle of Risk. Is it good for us or not? Read More→