Robots, drones, and smart technology driven by artificial intelligence are about to have an enormous impact on our world.

I will share with you some ideas on what you can expect in the next ten years and think about the year 2034.

Please contact me with your comments, questions, and suggestions.

I arrived in Melbourne ten days ago, listened to podcasts, and joined international meetings where friendship, mentorship, and leadership were mentioned.

The suggestion to create community-based friendship and mentorship hubs would assist in tackling mental health and civility issues.

Please contact me with your comments, questions, and suggestions.

This past week I left the Sea Holly behind in the Ladysmith Marina and am now settled in the pool house at my daughter’s home in Melbourne.

The trip was long but all went well.

Please contact me with your comments, questions, and suggestions.

I recently shared a Template for Effective Presentations with a group who need to give presentations occasionally.

The purpose of this template is to assist those who need a checklist/guide to review as they create and present their presentation.

Please share this template with anyone you think might be interested in keeping it on file to assist them when they are preparing a presentation.

The template can be found at the link included in the description below the video.

Please contact me with your comments, questions, and suggestions.

The more things we try, the more likely we can stumble upon what we enjoy.

This can help us find our purpose and realise why we are here.

Please contact me with your comments, questions, and suggestions.

There are days when we don’t feel like doing some of the things we want to do.

If we just start going to that meeting, start that exercise, save that money, and look for that new job, we will feel glad that we did it.

Please contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

This past week I spent four days in a beautiful spot with Yogi.

I was in East Sooke on Vancouver Island where I could see the Olympic Mountains in Washington State.

Please contact me with your comments, questions, and suggestions.

Recently I have been staying on my friend’s boat and it was Thanksgiving in Canada.

This has had me consider friends, family, minimalism, and being a nomad.

Please contact me with your comments, questions, and suggestions.

The phrase, “We’ve always done it this way” is heard regularly in our conversations.

This approach has positive and negative aspects as it preserves some great traditions, but also can prevent us from thriving.

Please contact me with your comments, questions, and suggestions.

As I work with Agora Speakers on creating their leadership educational paths the subject of what and who are leaders arises.

Our world needs leaders who can actively build a better world at all levels within our communities and our countries.

Please reach out to me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

Improve it

I had a recent conversation with a person in Cape Town who I met recently at Agora Speakers.

We discussed how small the world can be.

Please reach out to me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

What goals or changes do you want to make?

Finding like-minded people you can work with to help each other become the best you can be is key to achieving success.

Please contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

I had an outstanding past seven weeks experiencing the west coast of Canada and the Arctic plus being in Romania during the Agora Speakers convention.

Lifelong learning is a key to enjoying and experiencing the world.

Please contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

The past week has been busy with my arrival in Romania, and participating in a public speaking summer school, and the Agora Speakers International convention.

I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting the amazing team of people at Agora Speakers Romania!

Please contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

After over 11,000 kilometres in the past month, the road trip to the Arctic and around British Columbia has ended.

It has been a wonderful opportunity to learn more about British Columbia, meet interesting people and learn more about road-tripping.

Here are details about my past week and some things I learned.

Please contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

The journey from Whitehorse, Yukon to Bella Coola on the west coast of British Columbia was wonderful and informative.

I spent some time in a cottage at Atlin Lake and visited Liard River Hot Springs which was on my revisit bucket list.

Please contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

The journey from Whitehorse, Yukon to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean and back was a six-day journey covering over 3000 kilometres.

The Dempster highway was interesting and so were some of the people I met and my car Charlie, was outstanding.

So far I have driven 6,785 kilometres since leaving Victoria on the 16th of July.

Please forward me your comments, questions, or suggestions.

This past week I travelled to the capital of the Yukon, Whitehorse.

So far I have driven 3750 kilometres and one of the amazing side trips was to Telegraph Creek in northwestern British Columbia.

Please send me your comments, questions, or suggestions.

This past week, I spent most of it with my best friend, Ken, and we celebrated my birthday at my favourite place.

We visited our old scouting friend Dave and then went on his boat to Ganges harbour on Salt Spring Island.

Please send any comments, questions, or suggestions to me.

I am excited as I am about to embark on an extended road trip to Tuktoyaktuk in the Canadian Arctic.

I hope to at least put my feet in the Arctic Ocean and meet some of the approximate one thousand inhabitants in Tuktoyaktuk.

Please contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

In a recent book, “Get Better At Anything” Scott Young refers to an approach that has been used for over 130 years in teaching surgery.

This See, Do, and Feedback approach is very effective and is used in many fields, including learning communication and leadership.

Please contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

In the past few months, I have watched someone in the United Kingdom grow and do exceptional activities.

We have a weekly meeting with people from around the world and this nine-year-old girl has accomplished wonderful results to date.

It is exciting to see and watch her grow.

Contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

What can be done about the challenges that our younger generation are facing?

I suggest that the outstanding work of Dr. Marilyn Price-Mitchell is very relevant where she highlight 8 core attributes.

You can find details about her work with free surveys and many articles and printouts that can be used to assist our younger generation on her website at https://www.rootsofaction.com/about/

Contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

In my downsizing effort, I came across a folder with notes my father wrote.

The notes contain details about a story he often told about an incident in 1930 when his stepfather was driving his 1925 Ford Model T Touring car.

I hope this may be of interest to hear a little information about what the world was like in the 1930’s.

Please contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

At thirty years-old, it was time to treat Charlie to a nice birthday present.

I arranged a “spa” day for Charlie; he is looking and feeling much better now.

After spending the previous six months outside, my chariot, Charlie, my 1994 Toyota Corolla station wagon has been faithful to me and deserved the “spa” treatment.

If you are interested there is a previous video where I show Charlie loaded with my rowing machine and other belongings which is found at Notes of a Nomad Video #91.

Reach out to me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

Attending two Celebrations of Life for Bob and Heather made me think about life, its fragility and impermanence.

Listening to the stories about others’ lives encourages us to review our values and priorities and have gratitude for what we have.

Also, it can be motivating and makes us think, “What would Bob or Heather do in these circumstances?”

Contact me with your comments, questions, and suggestions.

Life has been interesting in the past 80-plus years.

The changes have become obvious as I go through the collected memorabilia as I downsize.

Each decade is so different as we age and the world evolves.

This video may be of interest to historians.

Please contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

We tend to accumulate many items during our lifetime which can become burdensome for those who sort out our estate.

I have returned to Canada and have the challenge of downsizing some more.

There are some reasons why this works for me and it is liberating to own fewer things as they can control you.

Contact me with your comments, questions, and suggestions.

Travelling can teach us so much.

We learn to be adaptable, patient, independent, self-aware, open-minded, and grateful.

However, we don’t have to spend a lot of money and time to gain these important skills.

Contact me with your comments, questions, and suggestions.

Mental health is often not spoken about and considered shameful, but it is becoming more of a challenge in our changing world.

This past week I visited a museum at a large state mental health hospital in California and listened to three speeches that helped prompt this video.

I refer to a TEDtalk by Vikram Patel, “Mental Health for All By Involving All,” which can be found at the link found in the description of this video.

Contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

Today there is so much access to the ‘news’ that if we are not careful we can become obsessed and even addicted to watching the news.

It has been shown that too much negative news can harm our well-being.

There are some ways I have tried to control going down the never-ending news channels.

Contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

Encouraging youth to speak in front of a group and even make presentations is something I have been doing for around two decades.

I have learned a few things and recently sent an award to a young 9-year-old participant for giving her fifth speech.

Having a variety of ages working together also adds some magic to the process.

Contact me if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions.

I was impressed seeing the different generations collaborating at the recent rehearsal of the Great All-American Youth Circus here in Redlands, California.

This reminds me of what happens at many of our Agora Speakers meetings with young and old people working together to improve our interpersonal skills.

Today we have the wonderful opportunity to work with people of all generations to help each other become the best we can be.

Contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

“I feel very adventurous. There are so many doors to be opened, and I’m not afraid to look behind them.” is a quote by Elizabeth Taylor.

I also received an email from Gabriela, the Agora Speakers Ambassador for Romania inviting me to visit in August.

That is an exciting door to be opened as I plan to visit Romania.

Contact me with your comments, questions, and suggestions.

Nelson Mandela said, “People say it’s impossible until it’s done.”

I listened to a fascinating podcast with William Ury, an American author, academic, anthropologist, and negotiation expert.

His stories and approaches about some of the negotiations in which he has been involved are extraordinary.

You can find the podcast at https://tim.blog/2024/02/13/william-ury/

Contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

We can all learn something from Richard Morgan, a 93-year-old world indoor rowing champion from Ireland.

Richard started his journey at the age of 73 and had not been highly athletic previously.

His success can be partially credited to consistently doing various exercises, and having a high-protein diet.

If you wish to learn more about Richard you can find the article about him in the December 2023 Journal of Physiology. Also, there is a video about him and his test results. Links to the journal article and video are found in the description of this video..

Contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

This past week I was in contact with some young people doing something I would never consider when I was their age.

A year ago I visited a school, Everest Academy in Nepal.

This past week a group of their students surprised me with some activities demonstrating that we should not underestimate them.

Contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

Ageism is a systematic oppression against specific age groups.

Older and younger generations can often be excluded from various opportunities due to their age.

There are examples of older and younger people who have contributed to changes in the world.

We can use intergenerational connections and judge people by their strengths, not their age.

Please contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

At a recent meeting, people gave me criticism or feedback on a demonstration video I had created.

It is often challenging to cultivate an open mindset to constructive criticism, but this can lead to growth and improvement.

At first, I thought they did not appreciate what I showed them.

However, their comments will help make the final product better.

Please get in touch with me with any comments, questions, or suggestions.

Recent conversations reminded me that often the things we own can end up owning us.

Storing the things we own can be a challenge. Storage has become a growing multi-billion-dollar business.

Cleaning our clutter can be challenging. Less clutter can often benefit our overall health.

Please contact me with your comments, questions, or suggestions.

I watched a recent short video by Simon Sinek where he answered, “I’m not the CEO, how do I change the organization?”

The answer is you can influence the group of people you are involved with daily. This can ultimately have a positive impact.

You can find Simon’s short video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5VbM95rY58

Please reach out to me if you have comments, questions, or suggestions.

Although it is a challenge, getting out of our comfort zone has many benefits.

We can increase our self-confidence, broaden our perspectives, improve our problem-solving, increase our motivation, and unlock our potential.

Please reach out to me with your comments, questions, and suggestions.

We often hear stories about families with an elderly parent suffering from dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease.

This can be very concerning for the family; as we grow older, it becomes more prevalent.

There are preventive approaches that can be taken to help avoid dementia occurring.

Please get in touch with me if you have comments, questions, or suggestions.

After arriving from Hawaii a few days ago, I had the opportunity to visit a local mall and noted all the Black Friday sales in Australia.

Black Friday sales started the day after Thanksgiving in the USA and appear to have spread worldwide.

There are many opinions about this shopping period which starts the holiday season in many countries worldwide.

Please contact me if you have comments, questions, or suggestions.

Family gatherings offer the opportunity to reconnect, share meals, have fun, and create memories.

Currently, I am in Hawaii with family members from Australia, California, and Canada.

Please contact me if you have comments, questions, or suggestions.

In this video, I discuss hearing an interview with Ella Kanninen, a journalist and TV presenter who was chosen as the most positive or happiest person in Finland, the happiest country in the world.

I think Ella’s main message is that “positivity means confidence in the future.”

I believe there are solutions to the world’s challenges if we work together and help each other solve all the issues we are facing.

Please contact me if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions.

I share three photographs that I found in a file folder that represent three generations of my family.

One purpose of these videos is to provide information about me for future descendants.

We know very little about our grandparents and I don’t plan to write a book.

This past week at a dinner, Steve told us about his wonderful trip across Canada mainly by train.

It was wonderful to discuss the trip with three friends discovering much of Canada he had never seen even though he is an accomplished world traveler.

Please contact me if you have comments, questions, or suggestions.

This past week I travelled to Toronto to visit some family members I have not seen in Toronto since 2011.

It was a busy week and I received an unexpected gift at the end of the trip.

Please contact me if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions.

In 2012 when I was on a four-month overland trip from Cape Town to Cairo two of the seventeen people referred to a book.

In a recent down-sizing effort I came across a notebook that referred to the book, ‘Your Money or Your Life.’

I know the book had an impact on those who read it, so in researching the book I found some elements that I thought I would share.

They made sense to me, perhaps they might do so to you.

Please contact me if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions.

So many ‘rabbit holes’ have us getting deeper into something which becomes time wasters.

It is not easy to avoid them, but with some techniques such as setting some priorities and being aware of where you have spent your time it is possible to have a more balanced life.

Please contact me if you have any comments, questions or suggestions.

Volunteering offers wonderful benefits, such as connecting us to others, is good for your mind and body, and brings us fun and fulfillment.

As a volunteer since 2009, I have enjoyed and received many benefits from my involvement.

If you are interested in volunteering there are websites that can connect you to volunteer organizations.

Please contact me if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions.

During my twelve-week journey through Nepal earlier this year, I started coughing and not eating well for the last few weeks.

When I arrived back in Canada I saw how much weight I had lost and started working on some routines to recover.

In the past ten weeks, I have put on weight and recovered my fitness by implementing regular daily and weekly routines.

Please get in touch with me if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions.

The past week was outstanding as I spent a few days on my friend Ken’s boat.

We traveled to Salt Spring Island and spend a few days in the marina.

I felt so blessed to be able to spend time with a good friend, and enjoy excellent food in a beautiful spot in the world.

Please contact me if you have comments, questions, or suggestions.

The fourth question from Scott Pape, the Australian author known as the Barefoot Investor is, “What Are You Most Proud Of?”

I explain living into my 80s and feeling you are never too old to keep an open mind makes me proud.

Please reach out to me if you have comments, questions, or suggestions.

The third question from Scott Pape, the Australian author known as the Barefoot Investor is, “What does being a dad mean to you?’

This video contains my thoughts about being a dad and comments about some good information sources about approaches I would have found useful.

Please reach out to me if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions.

In a recent newsletter from Scott Pape the Australian author known as the Barefoot Investor, he discussed his ‘Ultimate Fathers Day Present.’

This consists of asking your elderly parents five questions and recording their answers prior to them disappearing from our lives.

My daughter in Australia suggested I answer the questions, so today I respond to the first question, “How did you meet mum?”

Please reach out to me if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions.

Being back on Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada, I feel so grateful to live here.

I am appreciating the exquisite combination of the ocean, multitude of trees, and snow-covered mountains.

The air is healthy, the tap water drinkable, and the people are hospitable.

It is great to be back here after being absent for six months.

Please contact me if you have any comments, questions or suggestions.

This past week I left Nepal, visited a friend in South Korea, and then back to Canada via the USA.

It was a busy traveling week. I am now relaxing in Victoria, BC Canada after the past three months of journies around Nepal.

Please reach out to me if you have comments, questions, or suggestions.