Four Tips for Getting Out of a Funk
It’s that time again. Dark, wet and increasingly cold, November can be a time when many of us are feeling what has come to be called seasonal affectiveness disorder (SAD). For many people this means you may feel like you’re…
The Potential of Church Parking Lots
During a recent meeting with the Vancity Community Foundation I learned about the potential of church parking lots. Specifically, how creatively re-purposing these spaces has the potential to transform communities into more inclusive and engaging places. Church parking lots are…
Five Tips for Having Difficult Conversations
The difficult conversations in our work and personal lives are challenging. Sometimes it is easier to veil the truth of what you want to say in generalizations to soften the blow and sometimes people outright avoid a conversation altogether. Being…
Six Professional Skills Developed by Traveling with an Infant
Over the past month, I’ve traveled by car, train, boat, and plane with my now seven-month old son, Miles. Successfully traveling with an infant requires some luck, and it also requires a diverse set of skills, many of which are…
Professional Lessons from Popular Board Games
We all have our favourite board games. The professional lessons from popular board games like Monopoly, Risk, Settlers of Catan, Clue, and Scrabble can have a powerful impact on your career. For example, while almost all board games involve chance, many…
6 Tips for Being More Mindful (and More Effective) in your Life
We’re surrounded by stimulus and many of us live in a go-go world where we’re balancing multiple commitments, demands and stresses. It can be exhausting. With this in mind, increasingly there has been a growth in the interest of “being…
Contagious Enthusiasm and my Signature Word: “Awesome”
My name is John and my signature word is “awesome”. People often ask why “awesome” passes through my lips so frequently and finds its way into my blog posts so easily. I thought I’d take a moment to explain why and…
Top Ten Leadership Lessons from Chris Hadfield
In his book, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life, Commander Chris Hadfield, weaves relevant suggestions for leaders through the story of his life journey as an astronaut. While some of these lessons are pretty obvious, others fly in the face of…
11 Ways to Win Your First 90 Days at College or University
You’ve probably heard of how to thrive during your first 90 days at a new job. This article explores 11 ways to win your first 90 days at college or university – if it isn’t totally relevant for you I wager that it…
Building Community with #theGoodMoneytalks
Today is Vancity Member Day at The Fair at the PNE and I’m excited to focus this article on building community with #theGoodMoneytalks because you can experience them at the PNE today! Inspired by dinner table conversations, #theGoodMoneytalks are focused…