patience

If there was one quality that I'd have to say was worth working on for most of us, it would be patience.

Every day there seem to opportunities where we need to just take a deep breath, smile and focus on relaxing.

In line at the grocery store, stuck in stop and crawl traffic, or in dealing with people who are oppositional and rude ... there is no point in letting yourself get stressed out - all that can do is make things worse ...

I remain between jobs ... but will continue to be optimistic.
I could focus on the negative parts of this,
but know that this would not help.
Somewhere out there is meaningful work for me.

It will all fall into place : )

spring is around the corner

Winter in Canada can be harsh. The cold and wind can chill you to your bones. Often we can be tempted to hide indoors and avoid having to deal with outdoor activities until it gets nicer out.

We Canadians are pretty rugged, though. As a young prairie boy, I grew up playing hockey outside even on the ugliest of days. There have been many times when the howling wind and the extreme temperatures have made the wind chill dangerous to spend time with any skin exposed .

The cold winters help us truly appreciate the summers here. There is nothing like feeling the sunshine on a beautiful summer day after enduring another Canadian winter.

It's March now, and the worst of the Winter weather is behind us. Ahead lies bike rides, walks in the park and exploring Ottawa's outdoor concert scene.

Life is full of good times and happy memories. It can't all be sunshine and good times ... if it were we wouldn't appreciate it as much. Sometimes remembering that better times are ahead helps us get through the not so good times.