- The dance between ambition & inner peaceThis past week I sort of crashed and burned. My creative juices were flowing more than usual, largely contributed by 1) my coaching sessions going super well with clients and 2) enjoying my current lifestyle deeply. Sounds healthy on the… Read more: The dance between ambition & inner peace
- ListsI grew up with my mom, who taught me that using an agenda is bad because it hinders my ability to remember things. It’s better to get your brain to practice remembering stuff so it stays sharp, she used to… Read more: Lists
- Conquering fear by nondoingA practical use of meditation This morning while meditating through Waking Up’s daily meditation, I caught my body wanting to run away from itself. The usual fear in my longer meditation sits came up. Has any limb of your body… Read more: Conquering fear by nondoing
- Commitment as freedomClosing doors feels scary, dangerous, and suffocating, both literally and figuratively when it comes to making decisions. Think of the last time you closed a door by making a decision. Sure, initially it feels scary cause you have no idea… Read more: Commitment as freedom
- 3 Tools for an insightful New Year’s EveThere is no shortage of “New Year’s resolution” type resources. They’re mainly variations of what TikTokers call manifestation. But is there any difference between a resolution and a wish? When was the last time wishes reliably came true? (Comment below… Read more: 3 Tools for an insightful New Year’s Eve
- My Favourite Podcast Episode of 2024This is my favourite podcast episode from 2024. I never knew what it meant to master Language until I listened to David Whyte talk in his interview with Tim Ferriss. I’ve read and listened to David Whyte’s poems in the… Read more: My Favourite Podcast Episode of 2024
- What do you choose to believe?We all have to believe in something, even if we don’t believe in anything. Generalizations are a core subconscious function that allows us to efficiently move through life, cognitively speaking. Beliefs are generalizations on the level of categories. Even holding… Read more: What do you choose to believe?
- My time at meditation bootcampI finally did the 10-day Vipassana silent meditation course that I’ve been meaning to do for the last 7 years. I used to meditate for 10-15 minutes every morning. After doing this meditation course, I’m now able to a deeper… Read more: My time at meditation bootcamp
- Blogs of smart people [WIP]Some wise leaders in tech write about their ideas that are relevant to tech, but also touch on the bigger questions in life, many times from a philosophical lens. Here are some of the blogs of smart people I have… Read more: Blogs of smart people [WIP]
- 101 Koans to Amplify Your PracticeA mindfulness or spiritual practice in my experience and humble opinion seems to be half meditation practice and half studying wisdom or contemplation. This list of 101 koans is a resource for the latter half. Koans are like riddles, from… Read more: 101 Koans to Amplify Your Practice
- Whole Body YesI was introduced to Jim Dethmer from his interview with Tim Ferriss (episode here). Since then, I’ve been following the organization he co-founded and operates called Conscious Leadership Group. Recently, the group published a great article, including an audio guide,… Read more: Whole Body Yes
- Sometimes – Poem by David WhyteThe poem plus reflection by the poet himself, David Whyte, found here on the Waking Up app. If you do not have access, get a year’s subscription for free, no questions asked, by filling out this form within the minute.… Read more: Sometimes – Poem by David Whyte
- lists of spots in mtlI made a bunch of lists so you don’t have to keep your head down when vagabonding in the cultural capital of Canada. I’ve spent hours curating a bunch of different spots for different purposes based on my own visits… Read more: lists of spots in mtl
- Essay #5 – Spiritual LiteracyA good friend of mine and I were sipping on some Japanese flash-iced pour over coffee on my balcony in Ottawa, which happened to be the last coffee I made and my last balcony hang in the city. As balcony… Read more: Essay #5 – Spiritual Literacy
- Essay #4 – Ebb & Flow of EnergyIt was during two periods of time this year that I was extremely jealous of the Energizer Bunny. Pandemic summers have treated me very well, but to get there we have to endure the awkward transition in weather conditions that… Read more: Essay #4 – Ebb & Flow of Energy
- Essay #3 – Understanding FaithFaith. A word that has been commonly used for as long as I’ve been alive, but a concept that I nor others around me seem to have ever understood enough to define it. I think Joel Embiid and The Philadelphia… Read more: Essay #3 – Understanding Faith
- 5-Part Meditation SeriesHere you will find a Google Drive folder with 1) crisp audio-only files and 2) audio/video shot on iPhone. I created this 5-part meditation series because I was contracted by Parkdale Food Centre to create something that will resonate with… Read more: 5-Part Meditation Series
- Essay #2 – The Fruits of PracticeWe always read about befriending the ego, but what about the ego befriending awareness? When we say, “befriending the ego,” it is implied that our true self / buddha nature / awareness / higher power is befriending the ego. I… Read more: Essay #2 – The Fruits of Practice
- Essay #1 – Appreciating SufferingAppreciate the suffering. This does not mean to enjoy it and to seek it our, or to crave more of it in a self-punishing way. By appreciating the perceived tarnished perfection of life, we stop resisting the impending suffering. Instead,… Read more: Essay #1 – Appreciating Suffering
- Coffeeshops and Restaurants in Ottawa(last updated Feb 2021) This list is for all of those wanna-be foodies, fellow humans trying to take their special person out to a special spot, coffee-heads, or anyone that wants the biggest (food) bang for their buck. I happen… Read more: Coffeeshops and Restaurants in Ottawa
- Pour Over Coffee Guide & Recommendations for Beginners (and Pros)Equipment Recommendations Kit: Hario V60 pour over kit (brewer, decanter, paper filters) Brewer (cone): Hario V60 02 dripper (plastic, clear) Paper filters: Hario V60 02 filters Decanter: Timemore Coffee Server Scale: Smart Weigh scale Kettle: Bonavita Gooseneck Kettle Manual grinder:… Read more: Pour Over Coffee Guide & Recommendations for Beginners (and Pros)
- Books that have shaped my life [WIP]Last updated: Jan 2, 2025 I sorted this list in the sequence that I read these books (and what my age was when I read each one). Every year I end up reading a book that shapes my life for… Read more: Books that have shaped my life [WIP]
- Life-Changing Podcast Episodes – The Tim Ferriss ShowFerriss Favs: Curated Podcast Episodes Above is a playlist of interviews from The Tim Ferriss Show by Tim Ferriss that have altered the way I approach life. It’s a dynamic list, but it has at least 90% of the episodes… Read more: Life-Changing Podcast Episodes – The Tim Ferriss Show
- My Music PlaylistsHere are a couple of playlists that I’ve created that I hope will deepen your life, the same way they have for me. vibration of spirit When I listen to it: when I feel reflective, contemplative; wanting to enjoy solitude… Read more: My Music Playlists
- “AND” Instead of “OR” – Career EditionWhen contemplating whether or not I should pursue being a barista again during a gap between teaching contracts sometime in the near future, I realized I needed to reframe the question. The question was initially “this or that.” Until last… Read more: “AND” Instead of “OR” – Career Edition
- TV & ThoughtsWhat does a thought feel like? For most thoughts, they’re a memory being replayed, or situation being played for the first time. Either way, it resembles the act of watching TV a lot. Why do we watch TV? Pulling ourselves… Read more: TV & Thoughts
- Ólafur Arnalds – some kind of peace“This album is almost an awakening for me to a completely new life that I don’t think I would have been ready for otherwise. I’m in a very happy relationship now that I don’t think I would be if I… Read more: Ólafur Arnalds – some kind of peace
- 13 Lessons Learned Over 13 Years of Blogging – Maria PopovaI first discovered Maria’s blog, Brain Pickings, by listening to Tim’s episode with Maria a month ago, where she describes the inception and motivation behind her blog that gets +5 million visitors per month (!). The episode encouraged me to… Read more: 13 Lessons Learned Over 13 Years of Blogging – Maria Popova
- Basic Guide to Self-ReflectionThis step-by-step guide is to shift from our usual habit of pushing away negative emotions to becoming inquisitive about them. The no-frills nature of this simplified process helps me ground myself when at times I over-complicate self-reflection or contemplation after… Read more: Basic Guide to Self-Reflection
- Turning Terrible Cards into a Winning HandBefore I get into it, I want to acknowledge this difficult time for millions of people around the globe. For those that are essential workers, frontline heroes, working more than prior to the pandemic, and personally affected or have loved… Read more: Turning Terrible Cards into a Winning Hand
- Valuable Habits and Resources during a PandemicIf it wasn’t for COVID-19, underlying anxieties, fears, and tensions that foster my anger would have likely continued to pester me until…well I don’t know. However, I do know that this forced “down time” has resulted in tremendous mental and… Read more: Valuable Habits and Resources during a Pandemic
- An Intentional Nomadic LifestyleIf you haven’t read my previous post re: teaching, I’ll quickly summarize now: I went into a full-time teaching contract without any previous teaching experience — no substitute teaching experience at all. Those four months were a way to experiment… Read more: An Intentional Nomadic Lifestyle
- Key Strategies to Succeed at a New JobThe students captured in this photo have given permission for their faces to be shared. I love throwing myself into the deep end. Since September, this meant becoming a full-time teacher with no previous teaching experience (not even a day… Read more: Key Strategies to Succeed at a New Job
- Leonardo Da Vinci & Curious GeorgeWritten about two years ago (I never got around to hitting the “publish” button). I was inspired to write this piece after listening to Tim Ferriss’ wonderful podcast episode with Walter Isaacson, the author of a few biographies including that… Read more: Leonardo Da Vinci & Curious George
- The Technological Teeter-TotterHere’s a moment from my weekend that has me struggling with ditching my iPhone cold-turkey. As you’ll read from many self-improvement articles and books, it’s all about using digital tech in a mindful manner. I’ve been reading Reclaiming Conversation by Sherry Turkle… Read more: The Technological Teeter-Totter