If you’ve read Freakonomics, you can get a bit of a sense for what I’m talking about. For example, people are more afraid of guns killing children than children drowning yet way more kids drown in swimming pools than are killed by guns.

In a similar (but much less morbid) way, a company like the Canadian Red Cross’s success for blood donations doesn’t depend on the actual impact it has on our lives but rather on the Red Cross’s ability to inform the public about donating blood. However, their tagline “Blood – it’s in you to give” is such an accurate line that I wish more people would realize just how important it is to donate and go on a regular basis; not simply when they feel compelled after seeing a commercial.

As well, when the earthquake hit Haiti, the world came together in a huge way and sent a ton of aid to those in need; however, what about all the people in our own country and cities who need our help? Why don’t we help them out instead/as well as?

I’m all for helping causes that matter but I think instead of being influenced by marketing and being told that “for less than a dollar a day…” etc, we should instead really think about what we care about and support those causes – either with our time or our money. There are so many reports about how organizations don’t allocate the money they receive very evenly (ie too much goes to administration costs) or how a lot of the money never reaches the intended target due to legal issues so instead I think we should think more locally where we can be sure that our help will have a real impact.

We see so many commercials but if everyone wants our money perhaps don’t give it to anyone; instead why not give them our time? Just a thought.

Sweet potato fries.

Tri-ominos.

Good friends.

Cute puppies.

Good music.

Ultimate frisbee.

Water.

More good friends.

Every Wednesday at the Joyce on 4th in Calgary. There are other places too (all owned by the same group of owners). But what a fantastic idea. 1 cent ribs. And then of course they make all their money off the beer and pop. Pfffft. But still.

How would you feel if you went out for 7 cent ribs and I told you I was only spending 1 cent on my ribs? Would you feel ripped off? Because I think it’s awesome.

When’s the last time you could buy anything for 1 cent? 1 cent candies haven’t been around for years. They’re now 1o cents most places – some still offer them for 5 cents, but 1 cent? Not a chance.

The next time you’re eating 7 cent ribs, I ask you…what would you do with an extra 6 cents per rib?

Think about what parking is. Your car is sitting on the ground. Yet you have to pay for it to sit on the ground. Maybe you could have like a time share system. You use someone else’s parking spot downtown and they use your spot somewhere else.

Have you ever seen those garage type parking systems? Like the one in the pic. They’re so sweet. Efficient since all of the spaces are optimized to fit a car and there’s no wasted space. But, what happens if your car becomes like a chocolate bar in a vending machine and gets stuck halfway out? Then convenience and efficiency turns into hassle.

I get why we’re charged for parking. And I understand that people have come to expect to pay for parking. But honestly can’t they make money another way? The amount we spend on vehicles is high enough already between car payments, insurance and gas so why not cut us a break?

I think the government should do something about it. For university students, it’s outrageous how much they have to spend to park to go to school. No wonder so many people try to park for free and get tickets for risking it.

Do you let your friends tell you what you can or cannot do?

Do you let your parents?

Your boss?

Or yourself?

Of everyone, shouldn’t you listen to yourself?

So why is it that so often we let what others say dictate our decisions? Why don’t we instead know what we want, believe in ourself and go for it? By not doing something we fail. By doing it, the worst case is fail; best case is success. So there is no do not; there is only do. Think about that. And go for it.

• Soda crackers and yogurt
• Peanut butter and chocolate chips sandwich
• Peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie sandwich
• Soda crackers, yogurt and chocolate easter eggs
• Soda crackers and ice cream
• Soup and pasta
• Chicken and cream of mushroom soup
• Cheese Whiz and sandwich spread (smelled like salmon…odd)
• Soda crackers dipped in chocolate pudding
• Rice cakes dipped in chocolate pudding

It’s fun trying new combinations. Leads to trying new food. And not being nervous about really eating anything. Try it sometime. And if you ever have me over for dinner, make sure you have lots of soda crackers, beer and ice cream for dessert.

So why is it many people feel like their life is out of their control? What happened to cause that? How can they get it back?

I have been in this situation before. I felt like I had committed to doing so many things that I wasn’t really into doing that it was negatively affecting my personal well being. I would over commit and be too busy. But when I wasn’t busy, I felt like I should be. So what to do?

1. Realize that you can say no. You don’t always have to say yes when someone asks you a favour. Consider what you’re getting out of it, what they’re getting out of it, if you have the time and energy to say yes and then give them your answer. It’s ok to say no. It may take some time to realize that but you need time for yourself too.

2. Start doing the things which you really love doing. Don’t busy yourself with activities which aren’t right for you. Doing things which drain your energy isn’t good for you. And you don’t have to do them. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. But you should definitely be doing things that you love and that are good for you.

That’s it. Two very simple things. Start off by doing them. Everyday, make a conscious decision based on these two points and it’s amazing how much clearer your mind will feel. It’s amazing how much happier you will be. And it’s amazing how much more in control of your own life you will feel.

1) Lost my mom

2) Lost my grandfather

3) Learned how to play ultimate frisbee

4) Taught myself how to build websites

5) Met a lot of amazing people

6) Lived in 3 provinces and 8 different places

7) Attended 4 universities in 3 provinces

Had 14 jobs

9) Lost some friends – made lots of new friends

10) Completely changed my career focus

11) Discovered my passion in life

12) Got 3 speeding tickets

13) Bought my first car

14) Had my first love

15) And have been a part of many amazing trips, groups, parties, adventures and events

I wouldn’t change it all for anything. As hard as some of it has been, it’s made me who I am today. Very cliche to say but it’s true. The worst thing ever and the best thing ever happened to me – losing my mom and finding my passion. Knowing that she would be happy with what I’m doing makes it all worth it, what I’ve gone through to get here. Sometimes it’s nice to look back on a period of your life and reflect. You could almost consider it to be an era of my life ending and a new one starting. But really there’s multiple parts of my life right now so just one part of that is going to be over when I graduate in April. It’s been a good run, I’ve learned a lot and still have a lot left to learn. Here’s to living life!

The second article I read was from Seth Godin’s blog and it was titled “Bear Shaving“. Seth is a leader in market thinking and has some great perceptions into how things are done, how they should be done, and why they end up being done the way they are. He used several examples but the one about bears spoke to shaving a bear so it could deal with global warming instead of actually dealing with the global warming issue.

There exist many examples of “bear shaving” and the way to fix this approach is two-fold. Find a way to treat the issue, but more importantly, find a prevention to the issue. We tend to focus on the treatment because it’s in our face. It’s a short term solution and so we feel as though something is being done when in reality it’s not at all. We need to shift out thinking and realize that we need to educate people about things that are happening to cause the issue in the end.

A great example of this is the obesity problem. There are so many drug companies developing all these “miracle” cures and pills and drinks and diets and it’s all Bullshit. What we need to do (and watch The Biggest Loser for proof) is to 1) Eat well and 2) Exercise. This needs to start with our children. When I was a kid I played sports, my mom/dad would cook for us and we never had to worry about weight. But, as our kids grow up and have kids of their own, the problem only gets worse. Families who don’t know about proper nutrition and exercise need to be educated. Our kids need to get back into sports and eat less junk. This will lead to a larger prevention of obesity. Diets and drugs only work so long. There needs to be a shift in our thinking. And healthier people equals happier people equals a better world.

The next time you encounter a problem, ask yourself “am I about to shave a bear?”

The day was Thursday, October 2, 2008 (technically the Friday since it was past midnight) and I had just left Paul Filek’s show at the Balance Lounge in Calgary, Alberta.

As normally happens, when I’m up late, I get a craving for junk food. So, I stopped at the Petro Canada in Riverbend to pick up some snacks. I had collected a few things and walked up to pay when out of the corner of my eye, I saw a guy walk in the door. I put the snacks on the counter when I noticed that this guy had a ski mask on and was holding a gun, pointing it at me. As he walked towards me, he yelled at me to “Get down on the ground.” So, I put my hands up and laid face first on the floor of the Petro Canada. While I’m lying there this guy proceeds to steal a whole bunch of smokes and money from the clerk. In the back of my mind I’m thinking “that gun didn’t look real.” It looked too flimsy and I had thoughts about getting up and tackling the guy – I was bigger than he was – but on the chance that it was a real gun, I didn’t want the clerk to be shot for some money and smokes so I stayed on the ground.

After the robber left, I got up and the clerk was freaking out and was in the process of dialing 911 (I had to get on the phone with them since his normally thick accent was even thicker and very hard to understand). To make a long story short, I waited there for the cops to show up. They got me to provide a description of the robber (along with 2 other witnesses who were outside at the time) and of the situation. Granted, the description which the 3 of us provided really weren’t the same. The colour of his mask, what he was wearing, and the colour of his skin – we all weren’t exactly sure.

So, given what happened after the robbery I certainly learned to be more aware of the circumstances in an intense situation like this (a la Hardy Boys) but really I won’t know if I’ve learned to be more attentive until I’m in a similar situation. Which, knock on wood, I’m not again.

Also, if a guy holding a gun (even if it fake – cops later recovered it and it was) tells you to get on the ground…you get on the ground…

Oh and I’ve also learned that eating junk food CAN be potentially bad for your health. In more ways than one.