Teaching children skills that will help them be successful when they enter adulthood is a great gift.

A children’s book ‘Barefoot Kids’ recently published here in Australia is a wonderful example of helping children gain important skills.

You can find more about the author, Scott Pape on his website found https://www.barefootinvestor.com/

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

After testing negative for Covid I have been able to use the rowing machine at the local gym.

In addition, I have been attending a variety of meetings at all times of day and night.

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

After arriving in Melbourne, Australia, Covid-19 appeared on the scene and I am secure in the pool house at my daughter’s family’s place.

I am doing well with few effects likely thanks to the five vaccinations I have had over the past years,

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

This past week, I made a long extended journey from the British Virgin Islands to Melbourne, Australia.

In particular, the flight from Vancouver to Manila in the Philippines was an exceptional experience.

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

This video contains a few pictures from the time I have been on Virgin Gorda Island in The British Virgin Islands.

I was invited here by Kevin and his wife Amy who are currently living here.

I met Kevin in 2012 on an African overland truck journey from Cape Town to Cairo.

Pictures of the unique Baths Beach with its giant boulders and the Virgin Islands Search and Rescue boat at Virgin Gorda are included.

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

Today I arrived at the Toronto airport from Vancouver and tomorrow will travel to the British Virgin Islands to visit a friend Kevin and his wife Amy.

Travelling offers a great education. We can experience new things, open our minds to the outside world, and meet different people from different places.

Travel improves our social skills, increases our confidence, and gives us a sense of success.

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

‘Too many meetings’ is cited as the biggest waste of time in many organizations.

Meetings done badly can be time-consuming, boring, and unproductive.

Meetings done well can help build your culture, your team, and your organization.

I share some approaches from a book I found useful, “Meetings Suck” by Cameron Herold.

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

In the coming decades, leadership skills will become more critical than ever.

The old leader-follower approach does not work well.

The leader-leader model where power and responsibility are placed as low on the organizational hierarchy as possible is more effective.

We need to turn more followers into leaders.

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

At school, we are programmed not to fail.

However, we do not get the most out of our time on earth by being cautious and not trying new things.

This reminds me of why a growth mindset is much more effective than a fixed mindset.

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

Loneliness threatens our health and happiness.

Loneliness is widespread around the world and affects people of all ages.

Some approaches are to connect with like-minded people with common interests,

Another tip is to consider spending at least 15 minutes a day in contact with others.

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

Our Scoutmaster who passed away earlier this year had a treasure trove of scouting mementos from the 1940s to the 1990s.

Included in these items was a card I wrote to him in 1962 from France.

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

After two weeks back in Victoria on Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada, I appreciate being able to call this home.

It has a wonderful mix of the ocean, forests, mountains, and helpful people.

I challenge you to spend five minutes and day and think about what you are grateful for as showing appreciation can have a positive impact on you,

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

I am back in Canada and currently with my friend in his boat at Ganges harbour at Salt Spring Island, British Columbia.

A recent quote from the Greek philosopher, Socrates resonated with me.

As a nomad, I have found having fewer things has been liberating.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

I believe that communication with each other is a key skill that we can learn to improve.

If we communicate well with each other we can prevent many of the problems we face in our world.

In a TedTalk, Celeste Headlee mentions ‘Ten ways to have a better conversation.’

I suggest we look at her suggestions and choose one at a time and attempt to put it into practice.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

The original bear on which the stories about Winnie the Pooh are based was from a small town, White River in Northern Ontario, Canada.

Since I discovered this fact and often mention this, my family knows that I am a fan.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

Sometimes we have the opportunity to try something new and if we do not take it, we can regret not having done so.

Some opportunities deliver new experiences for growth and new perspectives that we cannot obtain elsewhere.

It is your life,  only you know if it’s right for you, trust your gut.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please contact me.

After living in South Africa for 22 years during the Apartheid era, I share some of my experiences and thoughts.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

As you may know, I consider communication to be one of the biggest challenges we face in the world.

A TEDtalk by Loretta J. Ross has some approaches that we can try when we face challenges in understanding others.

Loretta states, ‘fighting hate should be fun,’ and a link to her TEDtalk can be found in the description below our video.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

Last week we lost a friend and mentor of over 60 years.

Ron who was 92 years old started having a positive influence on our lives as our Scoutmaster.

It has also been shown that a positive approach adds years to our lives.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

We are habitual creatures and about 50% of our time we are following regular habits.

Habits affect what we eat, if we exercise, what we learn, and how we sleep,

By slowing improving our habits we can upgrade our lives.

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please reach out to me.

‘Having enough’ can be very liberating.

Time is our most valuable asset.

Spending time chasing job promotions, money, and more possessions can become an endless treadmill.

When we have enough, we can spend our time doing things we like and enjoy.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

This past week I traveled to California and watched my two granddaughters and my daughter participate in the Great American Youth Circus.

This circus started in Redlands, California in 1929 and states it is the oldest community circus in the world.

The circus members “enjoy a non-competitive environment that encourages them to connect and collaborate with their peers.” [Quote from show program.]

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

When I started these videos in early 2020, I did not expect it would be over two years before I would travel again.

Travelling has its benefits and challenges. It does not appeal to everyone.

I enjoy meeting people around the world but do not enjoy the touristy aspects.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

We all grow old and this cannot be changed.

What we can do is change our objectives from when we were younger to those that suit the strengths we have gained as we grow older.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

The Sandwich Method is a mindful, sensitive communication strategy that can transform relationships.

This approach can be applied when making requests or giving feedback to a partner, friends, family, and coworkers.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

This is a shortened presentation about the world of Elon Musk which I gave a month ago.

We can learn about passionate projects, problem-solving, and persistence from Elon Musk.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

Instead of becoming furious, we take out and become curious, we can often prevent and solve problems.

It started with a speech a youth gave about getting revenge when someone stole her pencil case.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

During a recent conversation, dancing was discussed.

I realized probably the last time I danced was in Ethiopia in 2012.

I also included some dancing at a wedding we attended in the Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

It’s time for a little levity instead of serious topics.

This video shows some fun I participated in when a friend and I sang a duet at his wife’s birthday in 2017.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

This video reviews the rewards of helping others.

Belonging to a group of volunteers in Emergency Support Services since 2009 has made me understand how rewarding it is to help others.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

According to the book, ‘The Sweet Spot,’ instead of avoiding discomfort, we need to find the right discomfort.

There are challenges we can attempt that help us appreciate what we have, learn more about our capabilities, and make a positive impact.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

The African tradition of Ubuntu struck me in 2012 after extensively traveling through Africa.

Ubuntu represents elements such as respect, community, sharing, caring, trust, unselfishness, and helpfulness.

With what is currently happening in Ukraine I believe we can learn much from this African tradition. If you are interested in learning more about Ubuntu there are many excellent videos available.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

“Not Yet!,” is a phrase introduced in the 2014 TedTalk of Professor Carol Dweck entitled, “The power of believing that you can improve.”

The Growth Mindset is one that we all can practice and benefit from and we can encourage our friends and families to do so as well.

If you have any comments, questions,  or suggestions, please reach out to me.

For many years I have carried a card listing “The 5 Regrets of the Dying” which were noted by an Australian palliative care nurse, Bronnie Ware back in 2009.

It is interesting to notice what people regret about their lives and this makes us think about how we are living our lives.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

As a nomad, I have items that never see the light of day.

They are in a storage box in a friend’s garage.

This video uncovers some of these items like awards that would likely be of interest to future descendants.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

This video outlines many common problems we face.

It asks the question if you know of any approaches on how we learn to cope with such challenges?

If you have any stories or approaches that can help solve such problems, please reach out to me.

This video revisits Thunder Bay where I spent my first thirteen and a half years. Most of my living relatives are there.

A landmark there is the Hoito restaurant which started in 1918.

I share the current status of this iconic restaurant and some other thoughts and memories about Thunder Bay.

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

This video is the second half of the 1971 road trip and covers Thunder Bay to Niagara Falls, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal.

This trip is another 2,250 kilometers. The video ends with scenes spotlighting the children.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

After being absent from Canada since 1962, nine years later I returned to Canada with my wife, Gail, my two young children, Dominic and Samantha.

I also brought a Super8 movie camera and produced some movies about our trip. This part is about the 3600 km trip from Vancouver, British Columbia to Thunder Bay, Ontario.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

The world is being impacted by extraordinary weather causing incidents like fires and floods.

Here in British Columbia, we had wildfires and now four months later we have had flooding and landslides closing down our province.

What are the steps we can take to help us cope with all the challenges we are facing around the world?

In this video, I introduce you to my faithful and trustworthy chariot, Charlie.

He is my 1994 Toyota Corolla station wagon that has been with me for over ten years and I use to move my belongings from place to place.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

It is now over 40 years since I started having blender meals after meeting an American in South Africa.

For those who often ask, I share the current contents of my concoction that I have on a regular basis.

Also, I discuss some other challenges of eating properly.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

This week my friend Ken and I went to Salt Spring Island on his boat the Sea Holly.

We had a relaxing time reminiscing about our previous adventures together.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

In 1942 there was no Facebook to track a youngster’s progress.

I recently uncovered a baby book kept by my mother. My future descendants may be interested in some of the details found in this book,

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

I have been enjoying the opportunity to do daily ‘forest bathing.’ This is known as ‘shinrin yoku’ in Japan.

Also, the automated kitchen blinds have become disarranged.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

I am staying in a luxurious house because there is a dog and a cat who require company.

We live in an interesting world as this shows how important our pets can become.

If you have any comments, or questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

This video reviews that being a responsible person can lead to success.

Being responsible raises our self-esteem, improves relationships, and increases our trust with others.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

Recently, I had the opportunity to review a photo album that my mother created in the 1940s.

This video contains some of the photos from that time which shows some of the fashion and cars from that time.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

This video is about my dad which may be of interest to my grandchildren and future descendants.

My dad was a gentle soul who loved fishing. This love likely kept him grounded.

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please reach out to me.

Courage is something for my grandchildren and future descendants need to consider.

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage” is a quote from the authour, Anais Nin,

With all the challenges and potential changes we face, courage is an attribute that can affect our lives.

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

I am back at the location at which I recorded the first video in February 2020.

A lot has changed since then and I note some of the very noticeable changes.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

This week I am in East Sooke and looking after a dog, ‘Baba’ and a cat, ‘Yogi.’

I am here for another week, and then move on again.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

This week’s update is on the wildfires and Emergency Support Services call center and pet sitting four dogs.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

The wildfires in British Columbia have started with a vengeance.

This has resulted in me assisting in the Emergency Support Services call centre here in Victoria responding to phone calls from a variety of people affected by the fires.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions please reach out to me.

After over 15 months we are starting to open up and meet face-to-face. I note why I am grateful to have been on Vancouver Island since March 2020.

Also, next week as people start to travel, I start the first pet/house sitting gig since we closed down last year.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions,  please reach out to me.

In a note to my grandson, I mentioned the important art of mastering human relationships.

He is a very sociable person and this skill can lead to success and happiness.

I refer to a well-known book that most of know about.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

It appears that pet/house sitting may be opening up soon as I have not been able to that for over 14 months.

I discuss some of the things I have discovered since I started pet/house sitting over 4 years ago.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions please reach out to me.

After almost seven months on my friend’s boat, I have moved to a friend’s place for a while.

The message this time is that we cannot do everything ourselves. Having others in our lives is an important part of our lives.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

This video is about avoiding competition and implementing cooperation. By finding common ground and working on solutions with others, this approach can make a substantial impact on the world’s problems.

This approach can help reduce conflicts at many levels.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

After leaving my last job in 2016, I decided I wanted to help our youth gain communication and leadership skills.

I am currently working on setting up a pilot project for a course on How to Start a Youth Club. If you know of anyone who may be interested in knowing about this project, please share this video with them.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

This video ends the journey about the variety of jobs I have had. I did miss mentioning selling woman’s shoes in a shoe store in Vancouver.

My last job was selling a project management product over the internet for over 10 years.

All the changes in my life have enabled me to adapt and not fear change.

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please reach out to me.

After leaving Datagram, I moved into the recruiting or headhunting business.

I started my own business in 1989 and worked from home for 15 years and networked with other recruiters in North America.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions please reach out to me.

After leaving NCR Comten, it was off to sell Datagram’s data compression devices.

However, I and the other new salesperson discovered that we were not wanted by the local manager.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

In 1985 I left South Africa and returned to Canada after being away for 23 years.

In Toronto, I found work as a salesperson for NCR Comten. We sold front-end processors to IBM mainframe users. These devices interface peripheral units like terminals, printers, disk and tape units to the mainframe computer.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions please reach out to me.

After selling minicomputers, I was approached by two ex-Control Data employees who had the agency for SAS analytics software used for decision making.

This company is enormously successful. It is the largest privately held software company in the world. It treats its customers and employees extremely well.

It was the best sales experience I ever had.

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please reach out to me.

This video illustrates how much the world has changed since I sold PR1ME minicomputers 40 years ago in the early 1980s.

This makes us think how much the world has changed and is going to change in the next 40 years.

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

In 1979, when I left the gold mining industry in South Africa, I joined Control Data Corporation’s Cybernet Services to sell computer services to the mining industry in South Africa.

I share some pictures of what the million-dollar plus computer looked like in those days.

It has been one year since the COVID-19 shutdown was announced here. I review what might be happening this year and the big question is, “When should I get a haircut?”

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

Some thoughts on International Women’s Day which started around 1909. There has been lots of progress and still more needed for women’s rights.

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please reach out to me.

During the past weekend, we had a reunion of some of the overland travelers who were on ‘Rosie, the overland truck.

My daughter, Alexis, and I traveled for 4 months with this gang from Capetown to Cairo. I share a video of some aspects of the trip on Rosie.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

This video is about why I wear hats, some places I have worn hats, and some of the hats I wear. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

There have been lots of cold weather including snow throughout the northern hemisphere this past week. I share the power of small choices when we are able to change some bad habits to good habits. This is what can lead to success. (This tip is especially for my grandchildren.) If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me.

We start with the view of the overland truck ‘Rosie’ from 2012 in Africa, then talk about the cold weather in the northern hemisphere, and why the word “Good” can be used in a positive manner.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you.

This is the first anniversary of the Notes of a Nomad videos. It was one year ago that I created the first video. I was not aware of the pandemic at that time. I show the Notes of a Nomad website where you can find a list of all the videos.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me. I always look forward to hearing from you.

This video starts with a short video of me attempting to dance with some Ethiopians in 2012.

I then mention lifelong learning and some of it benefits.

You can find a 2018 posting on my website with more details about lifelong learning at http://www.ourfutureleaders.ca/blog/lifelong-learning-a-skill-for-this-century/

Please reach out to me if you have any comments, suggestions or questions. I always look forward to hearing from you.

In this video, I share how the words ‘laugh’ and ‘noise’ from two books connected with me.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions please reach out to me. I always look forward to hearing from you.

We start with a short trip to Istanbul and then end up with how the motto, “Be Useful” is great to put into practice.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me. I always look forward to hearing from you.

Today I remember being in Tasmania exactly three years ago visiting a historical penal colony where some frightful activities occurred including a more recent event in 1996 which impacted Australia overall.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you

I lived in Thunder Bay in Northern Ontario, Canada until I was 13 years old when our family moved to Vancouver.

I believe this move had a very big influence on me.

If you have any comments, suggestions or questions, please reach out to me.