A little while ago, I wrote some posts about optimism. In more than post, I wrote about the late great Daniel Kahneman and one of

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald I started this newsletter and website with one purpose in mind. It was not to make any money, since everything is

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald The world is still mourning the loss of the late Pope Francis. We will miss his compassionate presence and messages of

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald Harry is a very GSD kind of guy. He is a guy with a big heart who works tirelessly to help

As promised, my new ebook is now available. This Big Free eBook is full of inspiring stories, practical ideas and useful strategies. It is about

Last year I retired. I was fortunate to have a long and rewarding career as a clinical and rehabilitation psychologist. Ninety per cent of my

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald This new eBook is almost ready for you. So I thought I would send out a little teaser. 101+ Pathways will

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald On the path toward our goals, we will have to overcome obstacles. And, unfortunately, some of these obstacles will be ones

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald You would be hard-pressed to find a group more creative than Cirque Du Soleil (Circus of the Sun). They have excelled at storytelling,

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald I was re-watching an interesting video from Room to Read , the other day, called What’s Your Superpower (see below). The

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald Michael J. Fox continues to rise, despite incredible obstacles in his path. On January 4, 2025, President Biden presented Fox with

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald I am looking forward to reading Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World by Anne-Laure Le Cunff. It

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald Is all the negativity out there beating you down? Do you want to get back up and stay up? A strong

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald In this day of AI and ever more powerful media companies, we can be pushed down a slippery slope and end

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald I have always loved reading about marketing – even before I became a psychologist and started a small practice group. But,

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald My attention span is not one of my strengths. My attention to detail is even worse. My wife wonders, sometimes, how

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald Optimism and self-confidence are both powerful forces in almost all walks of life. And, they can mutually reinforce each other. When

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald I love watching The Daily Show and sometimes even the other late night comedy shows. I have been a fan of

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald Faithful readers will know that optimism is powerful force. It can lead to greater productivity, better health, stronger relationships and an

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald Optimism can help us in all walks of life. I am positive that it has helped me throughout my life (no

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald There are many ways to strengthen your mind. But what does that really mean? And how can I strengthen my mind?

Dr Michael R MacDonald “I just kept showing up.” Really! Such a humble statement for an incredibly accomplished man, David Patchell-Evans, or as friends and

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald My logo, A Warm Heart, A Strong Mind, gives you a hint about this new focus. But first, a little background.

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald I have a confession to make. I am a “Les Mis” groupie. Like a love-obsessed starlet, I have been following “Les

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald Self-confidence is all about believing in yourself and your abilities. It is a type of useful knowledge about yourself, usually based on

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald We all have senior moments, don’t we? Or do we? People of all ages do experience lapses of attention. We all

Sometimes our worries will take us to the worst place. Even though such worries may be based on  assumptions that don’t hold up when we

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald We all have a little narcissism in us. Don’t we? Hopefully not too much. We don’t want to be the person

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald This is an update to one of my favourite articles, How to Live a Creative Life When You are “Not Creative’.

Camille Johnson On behalf of A Warm Heart, a big thank you to Camille for your guest article. In the heart of every community lies the potential

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald June 2024 I used to get so much done before my retirement. I was motivated and full of energy. I would

Michael R. MacDonald, PhD It is not helpful to discount or diminish anyone’s pain or suffering. By discounting, you are (thinking) or saying to this

Teresa Jackson A big thank you to Teresa Jackson for guest writing this post. You can see more about her, below. In the pursuit of

Michael R. MacDonald, PhD Some of my writings can be a little heavy. So, I thought a big smile from young Michael might lighten the

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald We can easily slip (or decay) into a life that we do not want. We may not even know how it

Dr. Michael R. MacDonald Birds do it. Bees do it. Even billionaires do it. This is a take-off on a famous song by Cole Porter,

Michael R. MacDonald, PhD Moses Znaimer has been creating magic for decades. His creative work has always been new, edgy and highly successful. The creation

Her actions in life, the lessons her sons took from their time with her, and the play “Casey and Diana” demonstrate the compassion and the

I have updated and added a new section to this previous post. Be sure to check out the section on How to Get Started and

To feel young and alive, no matter what our age, we need some energy and passion. Sometimes we need some tears or experiences that make

I thought it was about time to refresh. AWarmHeart.ca was feeling a little too sentimental to me. It needed a more serious look. What do

Generosity is a core principle for Seth Godin. And it shines through in his creative life and 21 best-selling books. I liked his approach so

Would you like to add years to your life, years of quality living? Most of us would. There are several ways to do this. Exercise,

There must be a simpler way. A simpler way to help you support others with your hard earned money. (Don’t miss two amazing facts below).

I just went to see the movie Air, starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. I loved it. It is a story of how Nike was

Have you ever been surprised by the lyrics of a song you thought you knew? This happened to me the other day. I was helping

By now, I hope everyone has heard about Malala Yousafzai and how she is changing the world. Her story is truly a remarkable one. In

I still have fond memories of listening to David Crosby and the iconic Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young band. In my early university days, I

Who can forget the cool energetic guy on the “flying” skateboard – the star of the hugely successful film, Back to the Future. It’s Michael

A good friend, Tom Brokaw, has called him a dirtbag. This is a term of endearment. According to mountain climbing lore, a dirtbag is a person

You can make a huge difference in this crazy world. And it is so easy to get started. You can help a child go to

This is a guest post from Lacey Connor. I appreciate Lacey reaching out to contribute to this blog and I want to encourage her and

HER FIRST ACT OF DEFIANCE? GOING TO SCHOOL This headline drew me in and I was hooked. This headline, ad and article was part of

I just finished reading Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships by Nina Totenberg and I loved it. It is packed with

When you think of being creative do you start to feel a little freer? Or do you quickly freeze up with frustration or self-doubt? I

Our memories store much more than what has been going on in our lives. Much more than what we learn at school or from the

This is a guest post from Stephanie Haywood. I appreciate Stephanie reaching out to contribute to this blog and I want to encourage her and

Here are some startling numbers. I read about these numbers in a moving book by John Wood (co-founder of Room to Read) and Amalia McGibbon,

What does living an extraordinary life mean to you? World travel? Sky diving? Writing a best-selling novel? These life experiences and accomplishments are exciting. But

I am semi-retired and have been searching for a good way to invest my extra time and energy – to help make this world a

Have you met Ameera? She is the newest Sesame Street character with a big message. Hers is a powerful message of representation and inclusion. This

Hania has done it again. A new video and a bonus feature. Hania’s video gives us a deep look into how educating girls and women

If you had billions of dollars how would you use that money to make our world a better place? Who would you help first? How

Being a male, I am no expert on femininity. But I thought I would share some insights from a few impressive women. According to Neha Prakash,

Many people, of all ages, feel that our fast-changing world is leaving them behind.  And this is especially true when it comes to technology, computer

I made a big mistake. And as a result, some of you who requested a Free copy of my ebook did not receive it. Worse

I hope you are still with me – for a fun ride toward more energy, activity and meaning in your life. This might be in

In a previous post, How to Feel Younger at Any Age, Part 2/5, I included a description of the Abyss of Insignificance. I loved this

Have you been feeling overwhelmed or maybe a bit worn down by the seemingly endless bad news all around us. If you have been watching

A Mighty Girl – what an amazing name. And a perfect fit for a business devoted to the empowerment of girls. A Mighty Girl was

Who is driving our world’s newish interest in climate change? Is it the old guard, hanging out in Scotland at the recent Climate Change Summit

Do you want to feel younger during your retirement years? Of course you do – we all do. And not just in our later years,

Need more evidence that girls’ education matters? Here are some powerful facts from one of my favourite organizations, Room to Read. Whether or not a girl

It is because of his kind and generous view of creativity and how to live in an ever changing world. Here is what I mean

The short answer, it looks like the education of girls, in all communities, all around the world. The education of girls in communities where girls

Thank you Debbie. I am not a dancer, choreographer, actor, director or producer. But, I do love that you have excelled in all of these

Hania Azimi is becoming more creative and talented everyday. And I really appreciate all of her hard work. Recently, she has learned how to create

I must admit that I don’t know much about Garth Brooks. I know a little. I know that he is a widely recognized and decorated

I was surfing through some sports channels on TV and came across a very inspiring interview on Tara Sloane’s show, Top of [Her] Game, on

You start with passionate teenagers and watch them go. Ten teens who are changing the world, in their own unique ways, were recently profiled in

There are lots of ways and it is really easy and fun to get started. And for any one in their mid or later years,

The answer to this question is an enthusiastic yes. An enthusiastic yes because of how much educating girls really does help. I have written about

The numbers are staggering. More than 6,000 women and children are housed in emergency shelters each night across Canada trying to escape abuse. And this

Yes she does. And she had the confidence to talk about it on a widely publicized interview with Oprah on March 7, 2021. She gets

I became a monthly donor over the past year and am very glad I did. I had many good reasons to choose Room to Read

Let me start with a clue. You don’t have to be a billionaire to help people the way Melinda Gates does. Of course, it helps,

Who doesn’t admire Celine Dion. Celine Dion is not just an accomplished singer, she is also a very successful entrepreneur. Her entertainment empire has been

Room to Read is celebrating the very important International Women’s Day. On this special day, I was sent this invitation from Room to Read. And

That would be silly – wouldn’t it? Let’s investigate. Unless you have been asleep at the wheel, you have heard of a bright new star,

Every day there are new things to learn. It’s exciting, especially when I read about groundbreaking ideas and new ways to make a difference in

I think so and here is why. Less than 1 percent of charities have received a 4-star rating for 12 years from Charity Navigator. Room

I am still learning about all of the incredible work that is being done to educate children around the world. This is so important. And

I have been a big fan of Alicia Keys for a long time now. I have almost all of her music and have recently read

Peter Singer starts his well-known TED Talk with an alarming video of a two year old Chinese girl, Wang Yue, being run over by a

What is the best way to help someone who is suffering? This could be someone who is suffering a little or a lot. The fastest

My wife used to make fun of me. She said I was “A man on a mission”. I wasn’t offended – I kind of agreed

I was watching an interesting video from Room to Read called “What’s Your Superpower”. It had a lot of great ideas. Attainable and inspiring superpowers