“Volunteering is on the decline.”
“Young people are disengaged.”
“People are abandoning community.”

I heard versions of these same concerns while delivering workshops this week in three very different communities.

While on the surface many would believe these are valid issues, personally I’m not buying it.

I’m not buying it because everywhere I go, in addition to these concerns, I’m also hearing that people are hungry for a sense of community and for being connected to one another. And, despite not always being involved, they very much do want to give back to their… More Posted on 03-11-13

Healthier Lifestyle is Paying Dividends

While the sturdy “baba” genes I’ve inherited from my Ukrainian grandmother may mean I’m never going to be svelte, my workout regime and focus on making healthier food choices just might be paying off.

I’ve recently done a fair bit of work-related travel — Whitehorse, London, and Winnipeg alone within the past two weeks. Despite the reality of hauling hefty luggage, sleeping in uncomfortable beds, and hoofing my way through airports and parking lots, I realized I was holding up pretty well.

Nowhere near as tired as I might have been in the past, my healthier lifestyle is making… More Posted on 03-03-13

What is it that allows one to flourish?

Like many seniors these days, my mother-in-law is in a difficult place.

No longer able to live safely on her own, she has recently moved into a retirement home leaving behind her beloved house where she had raised her family and lived for over 60 years.

While she is now safe and well-cared for, the truth is that her emotional well-being and happiness is very much at-risk.

I was thinking of her this week as I participated in a workshop that shared the concept of PERMA from a book called “Flourish” by esteemed psychologist Martin Seligman — the father of… More Posted on 02-21-13

A Woman of Dysfunction?

I recently had the opportunity to deliver leadership training at a provincial conference. Geared to the presidents and vice presidents of their local chapters, I liked and appreciated this particular organization’s emphasis on identifying emerging leaders and supporting them to develop and grow.

As a result of this priority, they encouraged a young and somewhat nervous vice-president to hone her ability to speak in front of a crowd by having her introduce me.

With my bio in hand and a rueful smile, she proceeded to read a bit about my background.

Among my credentials is an award… More Posted on 02-12-13

Why We Should Care About Global Issues

I am, and have for years, been a passionate advocate of communities and grassroots leadership. The flip side of that has meant that, like a lot of other people, I’ve had a tendency to ignore a lot of what’s been happening at the global level.

While that used to be somewhat acceptable, today, as Bob Dylan would sing it, “the times they are a changin”.

The constantly changing nature of our hyper-connected world means we are all increasingly susceptible to be being impacted by global issues. It will be especially important for us to pay attention because it is… More Posted on 02-02-13

Public Participation in Budgeting?

Our systems are breaking down.

This is especially evident when it comes to public spending.

As the government financial year-end of March 31st approaches, there is often a flurry of activity as employees scurry to spend everything within their budgets to avoid having to return the dollars to their central treasury and risk being criticized for inaccurate estimates, or, in a worst case scenario, having next year’s allocations reduced.

Additionally, elected officials and staff are faced with growing demands and budget woes leading to painful cuts in public services and infrastructure that too often impact our most vulnerable.… More Posted on 01-20-13

5 Strategies for Being a Better Boss in 2013

I can’t believe the number of people I’ve talked to recently who are desperately unhappy in their jobs.

With rare exception, the core cause of their complaints is their boss.

While I realize not everyone is a boss, most everyone has a boss. As a result, I thought I’d share my list of five strategies for being a better boss in 2013.

First of all, in the event you haven’t noticed, the workplace is changing. A good boss knows the future is about collaboration and meshwork.

To collaborate, you have to get over the idea that your… More Posted on 01-06-13

My Top Excuses for Not Exercising

It was pretty quiet at the gym today.

And, while I so didn’t want to be there, by the time I finished my workout—albeit not one of my finest—I was glad I had made the effort.

Truth be told, me even getting there was a long shot given that the holiday break had made me lazy and messed with my routine.

Regardless, I really can’t take too much credit because my workout buddy provided much of the incentive for me actually getting my butt in the door.

Like most people these days, I know there are significant benefits… More Posted on 12-28-12

Counting Our Blessings

While I realize this might sound a little strange, a recent vacation read of a Ken Follett book called “World Without End” was the impetus for me thinking more about, and deciding to make a more concerted effort to practice the art of gratitude. 

It seems especially apropos given that the holidays are upon us.

Additionally, I’ve been thinking for some time that I have a lot to be grateful for. The trouble is, I don’t have Oprah in my life to remind me in quite the same way since she gave up her daily talk show, so I… More Posted on 12-21-12

Sandy Hook Broke Our Hearts

While every country has a psychopath that commits mass murder—Canadians need only think about Marc Lépine and Montreal’s École Polytechnique—there was something about the recent massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut that simply broke our hearts.

In part it was that they were such young innocents and so undeserving of such violence.

Being so close to Christmas also made it especially poignant as there isn’t a parent among us who hasn’t thought of how painful and sad it will be for the friends and families of those lost.

But even President Obama struggled to retain his composure… More Posted on 12-17-12

Ode to Those Who Annoy

She was definitely a detail-oriented person.

As follow up to training I had delivered for her organization she asked if I’d like to debrief the session. Always keen to learn and grow, I of course said yes.

After telling me she thought it was a great training session and she had learned a lot, the feedback also included her identifying a few minor typos, suggesting I make the graphics more diversified (quite valid given changing demographics), and adding some missing commas.

Whereas a number of years ago I might have found that kind of feedback to be a tad… More Posted on 11-25-12

Decluttering

I love the character of an older home but I can’t say I’m a fan of the small closets.

As a result, closet culls are part of my routine — typically as the seasons change.

During my most recent clothes purge, I realized my criteria for decluttering was no longer effective and needed to be tightened.

Like many others, I was probably only wearing about 20% of my clothes on a regular basis.

The rest stayed there because they fell within my rather loose criteria of thinking I might wear that article of clothing “some day”.

Since “some day” rarely… More Posted on 11-19-12

Can Your Life Work Actually be Your Play?

I often think about my late stepfather Joe and how for years he prodded and encouraged me to pursue my community building work under my own umbrella.

While I’m not sure exactly why, I resisted the idea of being self-employed for a long time. And yet, life seems to come at us with plans of its own.

So here I am owner of my own company and an emerging tech start up. What is most amazing is that after all these years I finally seem to have landed where I’m supposed to be, doing what clearly is my… More Posted on 11-11-12

Is Leisure Literacy a Bullying Antidote?

I’m probably not the only one who’s been thinking about bullying this week.

It’s heartbreaking when anyone gets to the point where they have lost heart and hope. It’s even more horrific to think that someone with so much of their life ahead of them sees suicide as their only option.

Such was the case last week with 15-year-old B.C. teenager Amanda Michelle Todd who committed suicide as the result of cyber-bullying. 

Both the cause and her state of mind were clear as the result of a video she had posted on YouTube in September.

In… More Posted on 10-21-12

Can Retail Therapy Move Online?

While on some level I hate to admit it, the truth is I like to shop. I jokingly refer to it as my retail therapy and as my contribution to supporting the local economy. 

A friend of mine recently made me feel better about shopping by suggesting that for me it was primarily a creative outlet. She also pointed out that it wasn’t a problem because I never spent more than I could afford and always managed to find a deal.

As a result, it was surprising to realize that these days I am shopping as much online as… More Posted on 10-14-12

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