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

Let’s start with some clarification.…

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 family call him, Patch.…

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.

My Inspiration

As faithful readers will know, I am a big fan of Seth Godin’s work.…

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 Misérables” around for decades.…

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 experience.…

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 have moments when we are not as sharp as we need to me.…

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 look at them closely.…

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 sucking all the air of the room and leaving little for others.…

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 to forge a brighter future for its most vulnerable members — the children.…

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 get up each day and really get going.…

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 person, I think you are suffering a lot less than you say you are. …

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 self-improvement and personal development, individuals often find themselves overwhelmed by a flurry of tasks and objectives, risking burnout in the process.…

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 tone.…

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 has happened.…

Michael R. MacDonald, PhD

Birds do it. Bees do it. Even billionaires do it.

This is a take-off on a famous song by Cole Porter, called Let’s do it (Let’s fall in love).…

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 of Citytv and MuchMusic are well-known examples.…

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 defiant kindness of Princess Diana.…

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 a new section on Donor-Assisted Funds.…

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 the hairs stand up on our skin.…

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 you think?…

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 much that I updated this post, on top of the other posts I have wriiten about Seth Godin.…

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, diet and stress reduction are common strategies, for people of any age, but they are not the only ones.…

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).

But it is not easy.…

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 able to grow their basketball division by signing Michael Jordan and creating the Air Jordan shoe.…

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 a friend of mine, Hania Azimi, work on a script for a new video she is creating.…

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 October 2014, Malala, along with Indian children’s rights activist Kailash Satyarthi, was named a Nobel Peace Prize winner.…

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 loved  to lie on the floor, put on my headphones, and listen to the album Déjà Vu.…

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 J.…

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 who dedicates her or his entire existence to the pursuit of mountain climbing, even living in a tent or vehicle to save money.…

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 school, learn to read and build a life for herself, her family and her community.…

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 others on their writing journeys.…

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 a fundraising campaign called Defy Gravity from the University of Toronto.…

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 details on the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, as seen through the eyes of a lifelong friend, journalist Nina Totenberg.…

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 would like to help you to loosen up with a few practical ideas from people who know a few things about what creativity really is.…

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 web.…

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 others on their writing journeys.…

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, called Purpose Incorporated: Turning cause into your competitive advantage.…

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 what about all of the life in between these peak experiences?…

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 little better.…

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 should not surprise us, coming from Sesame Workshop, creator of the Sesame Street television show.…

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 around the world benefits us all.…

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 would you make that happen?…

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, Marie Claire’s Senior News and Culture Editor, femininity isn’t a bad word—it’s just a misunderstood one – ever-evolving, nuanced, and individualized.…

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 skills and social media.…

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 yet, you may have received no response at all.…

I hope you are still with me – for a fun ride toward more energy, activity and meaning in your life. This might be in your retirement years or really at any age.…

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 concept so much, I decided to go to the source and read the book.…

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 lot of traditional or social media, you probably have.…

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

A Mighty Girl was founded, as a labour of love, by Carolyn Danckaert and Aaron Smith from Washington, D.C..…

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 (UNFCCC COP 26)?…

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

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 stays in school has an astounding effect on not simply her quality of life, but that of her future family and community.…

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 – a brief snippet from his recent blog.…

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 are discouraged or even prevented from going to school.…

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 ways.…

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 and edit videos.…

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 country music star.…

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 SportsNet.…

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 People magazine.…

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, it can make you feel young again.…

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 these benefits in other posts and on my main website pages.…

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 is only the tip of the iceberg.…

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 that representation is important – representation of women, persons of colour, LGBTQ, and persons from all cultures and walks of life.…

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 and to begin donating.…

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, but money is not the key to her success.…

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 valued at $800 million.…

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 I wanted to pass it along to you.…

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, Amanda Gorman.…

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 this world.…

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 to Read is one of these top 1 percent charities.…

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 it is one of the best ways to give children, their families and their communities a lift out of poverty.…

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 her new book, Alicia Keys: A Journey (with Michelle Burford).…

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 van and then again by another van.…

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 and simplest way is is to listen and make a heartfelt connection with them.…

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 with her.…

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 to help young girls and women build their confidence and power in a difficult world.…