Hi, and welcome to my site! It’s a blog about personal finance and careers, told through the lens of my search for happiness and mindfulness in life. Why those things? Well, because most people view them as a necessarily evil to use in their pursuit of happiness in life… and I think they can be more than that!

General
March 26, 2017

It’s no secret that I love nature and greenery. During a recent trip to Bali, I realized that plants have far more impact on my general level of wellbeing than I originally gave them credit for. There’s science to back that up, too – give this article a read if you’re curious to know more! Since that trip, my wife and I have been working to add more plants and greenery into our home and our life.

Here, I’ll share five of my favourite plants that fit well with the clean lines and style of contemporary homes. These plants are more than just pretty faces though. Are you lacking a green thumb? No problem, these guys will survive despite your best efforts to kill them! Have asthma or allergies? These plants also remove common pollutants from the air, so you can breathe easy. (more…)

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Be as hard as the world forces you to be, and as soft as the world allows you to be.

Sensei Chuck Merriman

Karate, The Arts
March 22, 2017

This post is part of a series on lessons I’ve learned through my studies of Karate that I’ve found apply well to other areas of my life. To read the first post of the series, click here.

As I’ve said before, I’ve been training karate for over three years now. Not long by any means, but long enough to have recognized that there are lessons I’ve learned in the dojo that apply to other areas of my life. Last time, we talked about the principle of Shu-Ha-Ri. This time, we’ll focus on the quote at the top of this post. It hangs on the wall in my dojo, and it’s a quote I find myself returning to over and over again. Heads-up: this one’s a little sappy, so brace yourself. (more…)

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19Mar2017
Travel
March 19, 2017

Some people remember their trips through photographs. Others remember them through storytelling. Still others do it through writing in their journals. I usually fall into the first camp, but for some reason I felt compelled to document my experiences in detail while in Bali. I outline some of my motivations for that in this post. Here though, I’ll share transcriptions of my journal entries on a day-by-day basis. Be warned though, these were written for my own enjoyment, so they may or may not be a little cheesy! (more…)

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12Mar2017
General
March 12, 2017

The other day, I was talking with someone about taking some time to do some reflecting. You know, the kind where you sit there and just think, without regard to anything else going on. I think it’s important to do that every once in a while, but apparently the person I was speaking to thought differently. (more…)

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The Arts
March 9, 2017

There are few things more satisfying than walking around feeling like you look your very best. Attention to detail matters, and in order to look put together your entire ensemble needs to tell a cohesive story. That includes your shoes, especially walking into work. If you’re wearing a power suit with faded, scuffed up leather shoes, your get-up will lose its impact. Here, I’ll teach you how to get a mirror-shine on your shoes, so that you can walk around looking and feeling like a boss, and not the rookie using the $5 express shine from Aldo (good lord please don’t do it, no shoe deserves that). (more…)

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6Mar2017
Karate, The Arts
March 6, 2017

I’ve been studying karate for nearly four years as of the date of this post. Throughout that time, I’ve learned a ton of lessons; lessons that apply both to karate and the world beyond. Sometimes the lesson is painfully clear (like keeping your guard up while sparring so you don’t get punched in the face). Other times it’s not so clear, and I’m still exploring most of them. But this series of posts represents a chance for me to reflect on those lessons for both your benefit and my own. I’ll specifically focus on lessons that I’ve been able to apply outside the world of karate. Today’s focus is the principle of Shu-Ha-Ri. (more…)

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27Feb2017
Budgeting, Personal Finance
February 27, 2017

My wife and I recently purchased a new home; and by new, I mean 35 years old. Not ancient by any means, but old enough to be in need of a little TLC. As first-time homebuyers in the way-overheated Canadian real-estate market, we were lucky to even be able to afford this place, but it came with a few expenses we weren’t prepared for.

If you’re planning on buying a resale home, you want to be as prepared as possible upfront for the expenses you’ll be facing. That’s why I put together this list of expenses I’ve had to deal with. You may not need to address everything on this list, and it’s not exhaustive, but hey, it’s better than having to take a week’s worth of cold showers when your faucet craps out, right? (more…)

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Investing, Personal Finance
February 21, 2017

Have you ever thought about your retirement? Do you dream about all the things you’d do if you didn’t have to work? I do, every single day. If you want that though, then you’ll need to have a plan and work toward it. And a great place to start is to understand the power of compound interest.

This is the first post in the Personal Finance category of my site, so we’re starting out basic. If you don’t already know what compound interest is, read on to learn more about why you need to get it working for you sooner rather than later. (more…)

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21Feb2017
General
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February 21, 2017

Recently I’ve been the target of identity theft in a few different instances, and across multiple mediums. It’s irritating, but it’s nothing compared to the feeling of helplessness you get when someone actually gets away with it. It’s hard to focus on your happiness when you’re thinking about what some fraudster is doing with your personal information. That’s why I wanted to reiterate some good information on how to avoid identity theft. (more…)

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