GRATITUDE

It’s an Outlook Ever since I embraced positivism, the practice which has had one of the biggest effects on my outlook is expressing gratitude. I remember an episode of Battlestar Galactica where the Cylons showed how they could project any reality they wished upon their ship so that instead of drab metal corridors, they walked through lush forests…

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The Power of Saying Sorry

Early Lessons Like most kids of my generation, I was brought up to believe in and practice the art of giving a sincere apology. I remember my mom telling me, “Don’t say it unless you mean it” and teachers in the playground prying kids apart and exhorting them to apologize and shake hands. It was a simpler time,…

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Journey to the Centre of the Onion

A Vırtue of Necessity We were half way across Lake Van when we saw Mount Ararat looming out of the mist… but wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. For two summers my son and I had wanted to go home to Canada to see our friends and family and particularly my ailing mother. Unfortunately, due to the strict…

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In Defense of Critical Thinking

Old Values Versus the New I remember when I returned to university after my gap years and was accepted to the University of Toronto to study literature. Many of the people I knew saw no practical value in my choice and believed I was destined to a life of dead-end jobs, or at best, that I would end…

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