Tag Archives: Personal

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Unexpected Time

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This post is a complete departure from most others in that it is not my usual writing.  Instead, it is a pause.  A reflection on a moment.

Unexpected Time

Unexpected Time

Last week my wife, Christina, and I were invited to a reception for the newly formed Cayman YMCA.  Christina is a director of this outstanding organisation.  Among her many qualities, my wife is known for her organizational skills and for always being on time for events.  It was no surprise when we got there a few moments after 6pm that we were the first in attendance.  We often are.   Of course the caterers were still setting up, but that is not all that unusual.  However, around 10 minutes into our chat with the hostess I started to realise we were the first there not because we were early, but because we were really early.  On casually asking, we learned to our embarrassment that the event started at 7pm.  We were an hour early.  What to do?  The photo above is the answer.  It was taken during that unexpected time together.  We excused ourselves and stepped out to the terrace to take in the view.  Together we had 45 minutes to sit, talk and enjoy the most beautiful of sunsets.

Unexpected time was the perfect time for us that evening.  Sometimes we need that, don’t we?  Moments to unplug on one level and reconnect on another.  Have you had unexpected time lately, and did you use it wisely?

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Its Time To Be Tested

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My kids are always a source of inspiration for me in my life and, more specific to this blog, my writing. I have pages in my journal with blog post ideas. However, the best posts always seem to come out of the answers to my question, “Hey kids, what should I write about this week?” This week, as always, the question they suggested surprised me. However, what really got me thinking were their answers. Read on.

Tired schoolboy

“Write about our tests, dad,” was their immediate answer. On my end I’m thinking, really? What could be so interesting about a test? I hated them frankly. I was what you would call, a poor test taker. In hindsight I think that was a guidance counsellor euphemism for ‘David is a lazy procrastinator who waited too late to cram for his exams’. But, enough about me. I had been thrown an idea by the kids. To expand on it I did what I have learned to do when presented with a thought that at first seems unworthy. I asked a few questions.

“So,” I asked. “What is it about tests that you want me to know about?” I got two wonderful gems in reply.

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3 Tips For Getting Your Goals Back On Track

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Have you ever felt like you have come completely off your tracks? Projects just not getting done in time, disconnected from your routine, commitments not being met? Of course you have. We all have, and I have too. In fact, I have been off track for the past few weeks (probably months) now. Let me tell you three tips I used to step back and take control again.  Read on.

accident of a wooden toy train

I read a ton of blogs across a wide spectrum of subjects. One could say they are my resistance. I like to think I am learning and fine tuning my research into procrastination. Seriously though, from these blogs I pull ideas that I want to apply in my personal life. I have written about a few of these and, honestly, I’m not doing that great in any. So many thought leaders in the world of blogging say that you have to be honest, real, and open in your writing. Well, this is me ‘fessing up.  It is also me passing on some steps that I am working on to get back to my commitments.  If you are in a rut and off track a bit, hopefully my experience is of some help in getting you realigned.

So, what happened?

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Nature or Nurture? Let Passion And Drive Lead The Way

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Yesterday my wife and I flew back from Canada where we had spent two days visiting boarding schools with our son, Ryan. No, we are not looking to send him to boarding school because he has done something wrong as we were actually asked (jokingly) by the immigration officer. Instead, we believe that this investment in our son’s education will better position him for college admission, give him more sporting and academic options, and pay him huge dividends later in life through the networking and independence that the boarding school life provides.

Life is a journey, not a race.

Life is a journey, not a race.

On our way back to Grand Cayman from Ottawa we changed aircraft in Charlotte, NC. My family had some breakfast in a typical airport restaurant. You really never know what you are going to experience in terms of service, and having been up since 3:30 am we probably just wanted to have no-one speak to us.

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What Comes First: Goal or Aspiration?

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My son asked me an interesting question today. What is the difference between a goal and an aspiration? I did as any self-respecting dad in the digital age would do. “Have you Googled it,” I asked? “Yes,” replied Ryan, “but it is very confusing.” Looking closer at the definitions I could see what the problem was, and I gained an insight I think is worth sharing. Read on.

Steady wins the race

First, the definitions, using the Oxford Online Dictionary.

GOAL:  The object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.