Favourite Moments of Rugby World Cup Final

First Fav Moment: Hayley Westenra singing God Defend New Zealand. Hayley Westenra is one of my ALL-TIME favourite singers and to see her singing at the final, just awesome!



Second Fav Moment: France approaching New Zealand as they do the Haka. Ultimate intensity.  I felt that it built up the seriousness of the moment, however France was fined for "breaching a cultural ritual protocol".

The NHL needs to address Depression

With the three deaths this year of Derek Boogard, Rick Rypien, and Wade Belak who fought personal demons has brought to light the darker side of professional sports.

At times it is difficult to understand why someone who makes well over $500,000 a year would suffer from depression.  However, we know from many professions, money doesn't heal all wounds.

The NHL needs to wake up and realize their players, their product, are human.  They have issues.  Some as severe as abuse as a child, others have parents or family members who are ill, they become parents, they have to deal with the stresses of moving, and so on.

We know of the familiar stories of Theo Fleury and Sheldon Kennedy.  Neither committed suicide, but they were close.... and the NHL never really addressed the issue, they put a band-aid over the situation.

But this all has me wondering who is next?  Is it another "fighter"? Or is it someone who is depressed due to performance stress or concussions? Which I immediately thought of Marc Savard and Sidney Crosby, two players who have been on the injured reserve due to prolonged concussion symptoms.  Concussions to star players are a dark mark on the league.  But could you imagine if a star player took his life?  Could you imagine the ramifications?  I wonder if the NHL would act quicker in implementing a program if it was one of their elite products that committed suicide?

It just makes me wonder.  It has been a dark summer, compounded by the plane crash, for the NHL.

Let's see some action to protect this from happening in the future. Please.

Cricket & Life: Run Out. Don`t Forget To Listen To Others

A run out happens in Cricket when the batsman is trying to run to the other side of the pitch, but in the process a fielder has grabbed the ball thrown it at and hit the wicket.  A run out usually happens because of poor communication between the two batsman; and due to that poor communication someone is now out.

How often has something gone wrong or been done incorrectly because there was improper communication.  How many times have we said “I thought you meant…” when we didn’t completely understand some ones directions.  Has anyone ever said that to you?

When we communicate well with others success can be had in a relationship, whatever that relationship may be.  It is because the messages are being sent clearly and concisely.  There is no beating around the bush, watering down of the message, or expecting others to rely more on our body language than what we are actually saying.  We can understand each other best when we verbally communicate our desires and wishes.

Let’s take it another way. Do you listen to you parents, friends, or ecclesiastical leaders when they give you advice? 

When we communicate well within ourselves, and start realizing that our parents, family, friends, and other people in our lives have an outside-in vantage point, it can be beneficial for us.  They may be seeing things that we can’t.  They may know something is happening on the field that is in your blind spot.

How about your inner-voice, gut, or conscience, are you listening to them?  The more we listen to our gut, the more it will talk to us.  Our gut feeling is a safety mechanism that lets us know that what we are doing may not have the best outcome.  Listen to your gut; it is a vital tool for your own communication.  Learn to understand it and follow it better.

As we begin to communicate better, we will be able to prevent ourselves from being run out of relationships and ourselves.

Welcome Back Winnipeg Je-Errr No Name Team

It's been a week now since it the announcement that Winnipeg is getting an NHL team.  It has been fascinating to see the hype, excitement, and the outpouring of support to this new team.

I remember being in high school and doing a school project with two classmates about the afford-ability of bringing an NHL team back to Winnipeg.  At the time with a low dollar, no salary-cap, smaller population, and other factors we came to the conclusion that Winnipeg couldn't support a NHL team.  It's amazing how much can change in almost 10 years.

It's exciting. It's a new refreshing start for Winnipeg. Let's Go Jets!!!! (or who ever you are)

YouTube: Basketball - Feel Good Story

I Love Stories Like These!!

Movie Recommendation: Forever Strong

Forever Strong:

"Don't do anything that would embarrass you, your family or the team." - Larry Gelwix