Marcus Lopes's Blog, page 24
February 10, 2021
The Things We Never Say
“Who are you again?” Ryan asked with an edge as he shook the hand of the olive-skinned man who’d just introduced himself.
“I’m Toby—”
“I caught your name,” Ryan interrupted. “How did you know Mitch?”
Toby let out a nervous laugh. “We were friends.”
“I don’t recall Mitch ever mentioning you.” Ryan studied the attractive blond with boyish looks who couldn’t have been older than twenty-five. Maybe younger. “Were you one of his students?”
“Yes. I took his political theory class as part of my underg...
February 4, 2021
The Scary Part of Goal Setting
I’ve been consistent about setting goals and writing them down for the past three years, maybe a little longer. But there’s one thing I never did.
I never shared them.
Because I was hanging on to limiting beliefs. Afraid that people would laugh at me. Mock me. Tell me I’m crazy.
But at some point, you have to stop running from yourself. I had to stop running from myself.
If there’s one thing I took away from Gary John Bishop’s Unfu*k Yourself, it’s this: “I am not my thoughts; I a...
January 24, 2021
Father Daughter … Son
“Why am I here?” Ian glanced at his watch. “It’s been a goddamn waste of time.”
Karen swatted her brother’s arm. “Language. You’re in church, not on Third Street turning a trick.”
Ian bristled. “I haven’t turned a trick in nine years. And for the record, we’re in the refectory.” When his sister’s mouth dropped open, he added, “God, you’re gullible.”
“You know…” Karen stepped in front of Ian and blocked him from moving away. “This is an important day, and it would be nice to get through it witho...
January 16, 2021
1,578,240 Minutes and Counting
Or 1,096 days. Or 36 months.
That’s how long it’s been since I stopped drinking on 17 January 2018.
“Why?” many of my friends and colleagues asked with bewilderment as much as curiosity.
Most didn’t like the answer: Because I wanted to change my life.
No one pressured me to stop drinking. When it came to alcohol, I knew my limit and respected it. Alcohol wasn’t ravaging my life. “Then…why?” people continued to ask.
When Life Speaks…
Sometimes, life speaks to you but you’re tone-deaf. I was tone-...
January 6, 2021
2020: Imperfectly Perfect
2020 is over. But the gift it gave us — COVID-19 — continues to impact millions around the world. Here in Ontario, we entered a province-wide lockdown on 26 December 2020. The City of Toronto has been locked down since 23 November 2020. Tough days are still ahead, but we will, together, weather this storm. I’m still hanging on to hope because, in the words of Desmond Tutu: “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness.”
The Year that was Imperfectly Perfect
I will remem...
December 1, 2020
2020: It Changed Everything
I don’t know about you, but at the beginning of 2020, I had some big, ambitious plans. I’d hoped to: publish two full-length novels, complete my second full marathon, and begin transitioning out of a job that I no longer enjoyed. Those were my top goals for the year that would push me closer to living my life’s purpose, to be more daring and bold. Most of all, I wanted to stop caring about what other people think and focus on what matters most. Then COVID-19 hit and changed everything.
Embracing...
November 17, 2020
Staying Positive During a Pandemic
When the first lockdown occurred here in Ontario — and especially when there was a lot of uncertainty about the way forward — I stayed positive. Despite losing my job, I saw it as an opportunity to focus on my writing and other creative pursuits. And that was how I spent my days. Being creative. And since March, I’ve written three novels (two solid first drafts and one that’s almost ready for publication). I learned to make duck confit. I ran (until an injury sidelined me for a while). Writing. ...
November 3, 2020
7 Days of Bliss
It’s like a magic pill. The moment I turn off social media, everything falls away. The overwhelm. The doubt. The fear of both success and failure. It’s the easiest way to get back to myself, to remind myself of what really matters. So, that’s what I did last week. I unplugged from social media, and that gave me seven days of bliss.
The ONE Thing
When life gets busy, and I feel overwhelmed, some of the things I love fall to the wayside. Like listening to podcasts. During my time away from social ...
October 21, 2020
Course Correction
When I learned to kayak, my instructor made swim the rapid. Even though I grew up with a pool in the backyard, I wasn’t a strong swimmer. And the lifejacket strapped to my body didn’t really comfort me, either. “Don’t panic. And take a big breath when the rapid shoots you out, because then it’s going to pull you back down again.” Sure enough, I panicked. Underwater, my arms flailed grandly as I tried to reach the surface. When my head popped out of the water, I took a breath — probably not as bi...
October 7, 2020
It Wasn’t Supposed to be Like This
The last thing I wanted to do was travel during a global pandemic. The idea of being stuck on a plane for hours with others held zero appeal. In fact, just thinking about it made me even more anxious and paranoid. But on 30 September, I flew to Edmonton to see a dear friend who was diagnosed with glioblastoma in August. Glioblastoma is the most common and most aggressive primary brain tumor. My friend’s diagnosis has left me in shock, and I’m asking myself a lot of questions about life and this ...
