Tag: dailyprompt
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The First Time I Learned Hard Work
In what ways does hard work make you feel fulfilled? I was fifteen the first time I met hard work face to face. Not chores, not the jobs around home that I already knew. This was something else—intensely hard work, the kind that strips you back, leaves you empty, and then fills you with a…
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Risk and Waiting
What’s the trait you value most about yourself? What I value most about myself is not a single trait but a paradox I live with. I am both daring and patient. I will risk everything when the cause is right, and yet I will wait years if the time is not ready. It’s a strange…
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Three Jobs if Money Didn’t Matter
List three jobs you’d consider pursuing if money didn’t matter. If money were no object, I’d choose work that feels less like a job and more like a way of honouring what matters. Each of these roles is about restoration—of stories, of people, of things we might otherwise lose. The Story GathererI imagine a workstation…
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Many Strands of Heritage
What aspects of your cultural heritage are you most proud of or interested in? When I think about my cultural heritage as an Australian, I don’t immediately go to music, food, or fashion. I go to politics—not the bickering kind, but those rare, defining decisions that have shaped the fabric of our nation. There are…
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The Brand Manifesto
What brands do you associate with? I do not associate with brands because of their slogans.I associate with brands because of their integrity. I do not want a glossy commercial that wins awards if the factory floor is filled with silence and strain.I want truth that stretches from the warehouse to the storefront. I do…
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How “More” Finds Its Way In
What could you do more of? Sometimes the easier way to answer the questionis to flip it. What could I do less of?Less rushing from one meeting to the next.Less eating lunch at my desk,fork in one hand, typing emails with the other.Less pretending that rest is optional,something to earn at the end of the…
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The Wisdom of Two Ears
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? I work with people.Their words spill into my days—rants, confessions,small mercies offered like gifts,distortions dressed as truth. A friend once told me,learn to use your good earand your deaf ear.The wisdom is knowingwhich ear belongs to the moment. Sometimes the good ear listens close,catching what trembles…
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Empty and Full
What things give you energy? By the end of the day, my cup is empty.Operations and planning drain it.Workplace conflicts drain it.And even the conversations with students—so often good and worthwhile—can drain it too. Because alongside the laughter and energy,there are stories of mental health struggles.There are hurts no one should have to carry.There are…
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Nearly 30 Years On
What’s your all-time favourite album? That’s a hard question to answer. It depends on the day, it depends on the mood, it depends on the occasion. There could have been any number of albums I might have chosen. Rather than overthink it, I went with the first album that came to mind: Loreena McKennitt’s The…
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Critical Thinking in a Complex World
If I could be more informed about any single topic, it would be critical thinking. In a world overflowing with information, opinions, and competing narratives, the ability to question assumptions, weigh evidence, and arrive at well-reasoned conclusions has never been more important. Critical thinking is not just an academic skill—it’s a way of navigating life…
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Ziggy’s Party
Yesterday we celebrated Ziggy’s 6th birthday. Ziggy, for those who don’t know, is a cavoodle who has left paw prints on the heart of our college since the day he arrived. His story is already legendary: at just 12 weeks old, his owner was encouraged to let him sleep outside. The fences were secure, but…
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Holidays Are About People
For me, holidays have always been about people more than anything else. I grew up in a large family—five children, 14 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren. My parents were the node, the centre, and everything radiated outward from them. At Christmas or for big birthdays, 25, 30, sometimes 35 of us would gather under one roof. But…
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One Letter Too Far
There are nights you imagine one way, and nights that play out another. In one version, I read the recipe carefully. One teaspoon of chilli, not one tablespoon. The curry turns out fragrant, warming, balanced. My wife tastes it and smiles. Maybe she even says, “You should make this again.” A quiet victory. A new…
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A Proof That Didn’t Work Out
When I was younger, I thought I had solved one of the great equations of life: Theorem: Harder work = Better results. So I set out to prove it. At first glance, it seemed airtight. More time should mean more output. But there was a flaw in the logic. The more hours I worked, the…
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The Company I Keep
Curry is my fiery friend.Especially Sri Lankan curry — bold, generous with spice, never apologetic. But really, any curry will do. They arrive like storytellers, each with a different accent, a different rhythm, always leaving the air fragrant long after the plate is cleared. Vietnamese food is the unassuming poet.Even in the simplest banh mi…
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How Often Do I Walk or Run?
I don’t run these days. I’m a bit old for it, and if I were to run, I’d prefer to do it in a game with teammates—passing, chasing, laughing—not as a solitary exercise. But I walk every day, and rarely alone. In fact, as I write this, I’m heading out the door with the dog.…
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Lighthouse Keeper
Do I see myself as a leader? Yes, though I would describe my leadership differently from the way many might picture it. I have led churches and not-for-profits for the best part of forty years, but I am not the loudest voice in the room nor am I constantly chasing the next opportunity. My style…
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Play and Encounter
I tried to answer the question, “What’s your favourite word?” but I couldn’t do it. One word isn’t enough. My world is held together by tensions. Not contradictions to be solved, but creative tensions to be lived. The energy is in the middle, in the space where both are true at once. So it makes…
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A Quiet Evening
I don’t know exactly what this evening will hold. Life has been fragile this week. My mother moved into a dementia ward yesterday, and the reality of that environment was confronting—residents calling out, staff doing their best under pressure, and a sense of stepping into the unknown. My father, at 95, is still in the…
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Red Flags and Green Flags
Act I: The Quick HelloThey’re the first to say hello. Their friendliness feels flattering at first—warm, energetic, almost too good to be true. They want to be friends quickly, and usually on their terms. Before long, the pattern shows: there’s always a payoff. A favour asked. An introduction needed. Something for them, or for their…
The Afterword 