A thought occurred to me not long ago. Why do we (usually) assume that when people try to help us or share with us, that they are only doing it for their own good? Why do so many people have such a hard time trusting that other people in our life may genuinely want the best for us, or that a stranger may want to help us?Now, let's be clear, I am not saying to be naive. Certainly you should always practice a degree of caution when dealing with others, that's just common sense. What if though, ... Read Full Story

One of the things I often talk about to groups is how to take time to enjoy life. This is something my mom has taught me since I was a young boy - she used to say to me "Gary, the difference between a rut and a grave is simply the depth of the hole".So often we fall into ruts in our lives and can't get out of them. Change doesn't have to be monumental, in fact if you just make small changes consistently you will still accomplish the growth you are seeking from those changes.Have you ever hear... Read Full Story

Just a quick note today. We are swimming in lots of work, which is great, but busy!Today, my thought is to ask everyone . .. "what are you greatful for?"What is it, right now, that you can look around and be thankful for.For me? I have a wonderful family, great parents who are coming to visit soon, a career I love, some sunshine trying to poke through the clouds, and when I look out my window I see the beautiful St Lawrence River flowing by.So, what are you thankful for today? Read Full Story

When focusing on your positive thoughts, and trying to be the best you can be mentally, one should not forget that to be fully healthy, you must live healthy as well.Now, I am not here to lecture you on getting up at 5am every day to go for a jog, or hitting the gym every night of the week - although kudos to those of you that do. I think it's admirable to work hard consistently to meet your goals, be it losing weight or having a fit body.However, I also feel that everyone should be finding w... Read Full Story

What is a self image? It is basically how you see yourself. If I were to ask you to describe yourself, your self image is likely what you would use to do so. Having a positive self image is a very powerful tool, and one that you will find most successful, happy people have. It will also increase the chances of others seeing you as a positive, upbeat, and capable person.It does not matter how successful you truly are, what you drive, how you look, etc. What matters is how you choose to see you... Read Full Story

Than to be right. Someone wise said this to me years ago, and it's stuck with me. It has guided me through relationships with others, and it is a useful piece of knowledge in marriage as well.What does it mean?There are times when you will argue and argue because you believe yourself to be correct. I have actually met people who will spend time and energy seeking out ways to prove a friend wrong on a simple topic of no real consequence. What do you gain by doing this?I am not saying you c... Read Full Story

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared.He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole. Then it stopped, as if it couldn't go further.So the man decided to help the butterfly.He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon.The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.The man continued to watch it, expecting that any minute the wings would enlarg... Read Full Story

Last Friday we did something wild and radical here at the office. . . We took 2 hours off to have some fun. Please don't misunderstand, we were busy. Busier last week than the average actually. You could feel the tension building while everyone rushed to meet our deadlines. The entire team was feeling overwhelmed, stress levels were rising - you know how it goes. Our IT department in particular had been putting in some crazy hours trying to reach the goals that were laid out for them.We c... Read Full Story

How hard do you try to keep your word when you give it to someone?It's a tricky thing to do, in today's busy life, but it is terribly important.When you keep your word, and follow through with whatever you said you were going to do, you are building your integrity.While it is true that something may seem insignificant at the time, integrity is often built through small moments of truth. Moments when you can choose to do what's right, to be a person of your word, and to hold yourse... Read Full Story

My father used to always say to me "Gary, success is a split second decision, it's all the agonizing that takes so much time".That is a lesson I have always carried with me. It is a lesson I feel everyone should learn.We, as humans, are programed to make decisions. We want to move towards a goal. The challenge arises when we choose to not make a decision, or agonize over that decision for too long.What my dad was saying, and still says, is just MAKE the decision. Everything else... Read Full Story