I started the day with a sense of gratitude.

At 43, I am well, healthy, better, and productive and loved by family and friends.

I am more patient, generous, and persevering than a few years ago.

I am better at listening and understanding and refraining from making judgments of others and their situations.

I am better at making commitments and doing them, and taking at stab at new challenging projects.

There is nothing you can't do in this interesting time when technology is at your finger tips.

There is nothing that can't be done with talent, passion, and hard work.

There is nothing that gets in your way unless you allow it to do so.

Cheers to another year of great fun, adventure, and learning!

Yes, can I have my cake, now? 

A few weeks of renovating kitchen cabinets gave me the perspectives to think about how these processes can be used by leaders and executives running their organizations.

As a first-time DIYer, the Covid-19 forces many of us to start tinkering around the house, clean the garage, and get down to some work that had to be done anyway. There is plenty of down time to be fully appreciated.

Painting kitchen cabinets could be difficult but with plenty of preparation and research and getting the right tools, it can be exhilarating, to say the best.

Prep work is key-clean, sand, degrease, prime, fill, sand, and check again. This could be repeated several times until you get that shiny product you can be proud of.

One thing though is your attempt for perfection versus having a good enough product. What is good enough for you is a subjective question that you as a leader should be able to answer. Other people will tell you to do more for less impact and outcome because it's good to do or for other aesthetic reasons. 

Keep your outcomes front and center. Defining and keeping what matters most is very crucial. One more additional step that is not needed is waste.

Repeating the process is a good discipline. Once you reach mastery, you can see which steps can be substituted and skipped with no consequences whatso ever. Mastery brings satisfaction and leads to excellence.

Lastly, the process requires patience and understanding of the time it will take to actually get the finished product right. Expect many iterations and bumps . Projects like this need a realistic timeline.

Bear in mind that there will be many interruptions and waiting times, it's best to enjoy the moments of learning, making mistakes, and discovering yourselves in the process. 

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Happy Birthday Canada!

Ten Things I love about Canada:



1. Courtesy in the road for mergers. 

2. Best health care in the world.

3. Hockey is culture not just a sport.

4. You can buy your native food almost all the time at every town.

5. Line ups are respected. 

6. There are many answers to the question, "where are you from?" 

7. Small talk frames the day. 

8. Come prepared for any weather, especially in Alberta.

9. Emergencies are emergencies. 

10. Enforcers enforced; they don't play tricks on you.



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Something came back to life!

A little plant that was gifted last year by a dear colleague came back to life. I am not good with plants. They die with me. Given that awareness, I thought it was dead as dead. 

Little did I found out that, a few weeks ago, two buds started to spring back to life.
I was doing my spring cleaning this morning in the area and found out a simple fact. Life happens! 

There are things that are essential no matter what. When you think that everything is starting to go on a wrong tangent, focus on what you can govern. 

When you least expect, events or situations can turn into positive accidents waiting to be mined to its full benefit. Life presents its surprises and serendipities.

The question is: are we fully aware that positive unexpected outcomes exist too! 

It is a big deal and worth celebrating when it happens.

When it happens more, it's not luck, it's called harvest time! 

I was on ER for a positional vertigo which, was upon being inspected, was relieved with a simply Epley maneuver by the attending physician. If there is a change in the position of the head, this will cause dizziness or spinning. With one simple physio exercise, the vertigo stopped and normal activities continued.

I am thinking about this in the context of what we are collectively experiencing in our daily lives as part of the besieged population.

What is a simple activity, maneuver, or thinking we can do to alleviate our sense of  fear, frustration or ennui today?

Count your blessings.

​Enjoy spring. 

My daughter was trying to get something done but can't said, "Mama, kids do their best. Kids do their best."


Why can't we all do our best with the shrinking options that we have. Many are now stuck in lock-down situations with recreation being taken away as social distancing is imposed.

I cannot overemphasize how the right attitude and mindset can get us out of the anxiety and debilitating restrictions we are facing. 

We may not be able to control so much of what is happening out there but we can control our responses, our attitudes, and our convictions of hope for the human spirit, compassion, and to become a force for good. We can control and design intentionally what is happening inside of us. 

Staying healthy, exercising, and giving up on negative mental frames can take us in a better place while staying at home and doing what we can to alleviate our individual woes.

The fact that we are keeping healthy and away from illness is a service to society and to the medical institutions and workers who are completely burdened with the epidemic. Being sane and cheerful at home is a service to our loved ones and families who are also struggling on their stresses. Being productive, learning a new skill, chatting with a friend help immensely with mental health. 

We can do our best. Stay safe!

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