June 3, 2026

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On The Upside with Marley

Learning to Become Comfortable with Discomfort

Most meaningful growth begins with discomfort. Unfortunately, that’s also the moment many people stop moving forward. The instant something feels awkward, uncertain, unfamiliar, or emotionally difficult, the natural reaction is often to retreat back toward what feels safe and predictable.

But comfort rarely creates change. Discomfort often does.

Almost every skill, achievement, or personal breakthrough starts with a period of feeling inexperienced. New jobs feel uncomfortable. Honest conversations feel uncomfortable. Public speaking, setting boundaries, trying something creative, or making major life changes all carry uncertainty at first.

The problem is that many people interpret discomfort as a warning sign, when in reality it is often evidence that growth is taking place. Your mind is adapting. Your confidence is stretching. Your awareness is expanding beyond familiar routines.

Emotionally strong people are not fearless. They simply become more willing to tolerate temporary discomfort in exchange for long-term growth. They understand that confidence is usually built after action, not before it.

There is also freedom in realizing that discomfort is survivable. The conversation you were nervous about eventually ends. The situation you feared becomes manageable. The challenge that once felt overwhelming slowly becomes familiar.

Growth often feels uncomfortable because you’re becoming a slightly different person than you were before.

Sometimes the greatest progress in life begins the moment you stop asking, “How do I avoid discomfort?” and start asking, “What might this discomfort teach me?”

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Interesting Facts About Human Memory

• Your brain rewrites memories – Each time you remember something, the memory can subtly change before being stored again.
• Smells trigger powerful memories – Scent is closely tied to emotional recall and long-term memory processing.
• Sleep strengthens memory – Important information becomes easier to retain after quality sleep.
• Stress affects recall – High stress can interfere with the brain’s ability to retrieve information clearly.
• Music improves recollection – Songs are often remembered more easily than spoken information.
• Your brain filters constantly – Most information around you is ignored so your mind can focus efficiently.

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Four Beer Company CEOs Walked Into a Bar…

The CEO of Budweiser ordered a Bud Light.
The CEO of Miller ordered a Miller Lite.
The CEO of Coors ordered a Coors Light.
The CEO of Guinness ordered a Coke.

The first three asked the CEO of Guinness why he didn’t order a Guinness. He replied, “I figured if you three weren’t ordering beer, it would be rude for me to.”

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The Invisible Sister

A little girl asks her father, “Daddy, why don’t I have a little sister?”

Trying to be funny, her father says, “You do have a little sister.”

“I do?” asks the little girl.

“Sure you do,” her father says. “But every time you walk in the front door, she is walking out the back door.”

“Oh, I see!” says the little girl. “You mean she’s just like my other daddy.”

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The Cheap Husband

A cheapskate husband and his wife are walking past an expensive new restaurant.

“Mmm… do you smell that food?” she asks. “It smells absolutely delicious.”

Being a kind-hearted husband, he thinks, “Oh, what the heck… I’ll treat her.”

He takes her arm, and they walk past it again.

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The Golden Telephone

A distraught man walks into a Toronto church and says, “Father, I’m depressed. I really need to speak to God. Can you help?”

The priest points to a golden phone on the wall.

The sign reads: “Talk to God — $5,000 a minute.”

The man scoffs and leaves.

He travels north to Barrie and asks another priest the same thing.

Again, there’s a golden phone. This one says: “Talk to God — $1,000 a minute.”

Still too expensive, so he leaves.

Further north in Orillia, he finds another church.

The golden phone there reads: “Talk to God — $500 a minute.”

The man grumbles and keeps going.

Finally, he arrives in Muskoka. He walks into a church and sees a golden phone with a sign that says: “Talk to God — Toll Free.”

After his call, feeling much better, he asks the reverend, “Why is it so expensive everywhere else, but free here in Muskoka?”

The reverend smiles and says, “My son, this is Muskoka… God’s country. It’s a local call.”

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Cheeky Teacher

I asked my algebra teacher if I would ever use it when I grew up. He said that I wouldn’t, but one of the smart kids might.

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Editor’s Quote Book

“Do one thing every day that scares you.”

— Eleanor Roosevelt

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Trivia Quiz

(Click Question For Answer)

 

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Your Horoscope

For Amusement Only

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Arrrrrr

A slice of apple pie is £2 in Jamaica, a slice of apple pie is £2.40 in the Bahamas, and a slice of apple pie is £1.70 in Barbados.

These are the pie rates of the Caribbean.

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“Hello.” Are You a Lawyer?

Woman: “Hello. Are you a lawyer?”

Lawyer: “Yes.”

Woman: “How much do you charge for a consultation?”

Lawyer: “Three hundred dollars for three questions. And your third question is…?”

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Shhhh

A man walks into a library and orders fish and chips.

The librarian says, “This is a library.”

The man says, “Oh. Sorry.” Then, in a whisper, “I’d like some fish and chips.”

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What Do You Get?

What do you get when you cross a cow and an octopus?
A call from the ethics committee and immediate revocation of your grant funding.

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What do you get when you cross a dog and an antenna?
A Golden Receiver.

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What do you get when you cross a pit bull with a computer?
Not sure… but when it megabytes, it megahertz.

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What do you get when you cross an idiom with a Freudian slip?
Six of one and half a dozen of your mother.

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Lately at my office I have had quite a few “New Canadians” coming in to get documents printed and such.  I always welcome them and treat them to something special if I can.  I thought though I wonder if there’s a video out there that tells new Canadians how to really become Canadian… HERE it is!

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The Last Word

“Growth rarely feels comfortable while it’s happening, but comfort rarely creates growth.”

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