Silken's Blog

Willpower

Apr

I am reading a book right now called Willpower by Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney. My partner David thinks this is hilarious, since I am, apparently, the most willful person he has ever met. Rather than argue with him or elaborate on the difference between willpower and willful, I... more

Blow Up the School System

Mar

I think we should blow up the current school system and start over. I said this to a teacher friend of mine this morning; a man who is taking a year of medical leave for a stress disorder akin to burnout. Blow it up; start over. There is so much wrong with what is happening in our... more

GoodLife’s Spin 4 Kids!

Mar

My butt is killing me. Spin 4 Kids was held throughout Canada this Saturday March 3rd, and I cycled, alongside GoodLife’s fearless leader Patch, and Olympic cyclist Seamus McGrath, for 2 hours! I can almost hear you die-hard spinners and cyclists mocking my complaints, but my bottom end... more

Taking Action on Obesity

Mar

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. David Butler Jones warns that if we continue on this trajectory by 2023, 70% of Canadians will be overweight or obese. (Calgary Herald) This really got my attention. I know Dr. David Butler Jones; he is a fine man, not prone to hyperbole. He is absolutely... more

The Voice of Calm

Feb

Every now and again I read a quotation that stops me in my tracks. Yesterday, one came through on my BlackBerry as I was sifting through the chaos of my Monday morning. There I was enjoying my morning almond milk latte, fighting off a sore throat, the fatigue of a weekend of driving... more

My Autistic Child Has Never Had A Friend

Feb

Everybody deserves to have friends, a person or people who love and care about them. For a special needs child, this can be the biggest challenge of all. Kilee is profoundly autistic; she is 15 years old and has never had a friend. Kilee has limited language abilities so she cannot tell... more

Physical, Mental, and Spirtual Health Diary

Feb

In January I kept a diary, a diary of how I was investing my physical, mental and spiritual health each day. I purchased the Eckhart Tolle Day Timer for extra inspiration as I began tracking the time I invested in my health and enlightenment. Kind of sounds funny doesn’t it, the idea... more

Can Sports Raise Middle-Eastern Women's Self-Esteem?

Jan

When I opened the Globe and Mail this week, I was absolutely delighted to see the centre section with a two- page spread of the intense faces of three female Iranian athletes in the full concentration of a rugby game. The intensity and sheer physical determination of these women jumped... more

Mom, Why Am I Fat?

Jan

A teen boy sits opposite his mother and asks this question in an advertisement running in Georgia. The next caption says 75 per cent of Georgia parents with overweight kids don't recognize the problem. Stop sugarcoating it, Georgia. The ad is shocking, as are all the other ads in this... more

Tension for Change

Jan

Goal setting has been part of my life since my early days as a track runner. With four Olympics and years of leading others in the discovering and living their potential, you would think setting a New Years resolution would be a snap. I had created my list of what I am proud of in 2011... more