By Matt Valentine » In the not-so-distant past, kids ruled the country’s forests and hillsides – running in packs, building secret forts and treehouses, hunting frogs and fish, playing hide-and-seek behind tall grasses. However it seems that in the last 30 years, children of the digital age have become increasingly alienated from the natural world, with disastrous implications, not only for their physical fitness, but also for their long-term mental and spiritual heath.

By Mary E. Fenuta » To succeed in the world of business, it’s often important to think outside the box. In today’s economy, it might be just as vital to think inside the box. The ‘virtual box’, that is.

The emergence of a whole array of web tools that make online interaction easier than ever presents tremendous opportunities for business owners. From blogs and forums to social media websites like Facebook and YouTube, the lines of communication have opened up, and smart businesses are tapping in.

By Sharon Worsley » In tough economic times such as what we are experiencing now, many of us have the tendency to be gloomy about the present and our future. We can find ourselves not only feeling negative, but speaking to others with this negative tone, thereby spreading these feelings around our environment.

Is it any wonder that we start to feel depressed, non responsive to our life and unmotivated to do anything about it? In fact, some of us will relegate ourselves to the living room sofa and spend our free time watching TV or sit at our computer mindlessly surfing the internet instead of taking any action, because we are trying to dull our fears.

by Dave Mather  »  Here are some hard truths about employees and their relationship to their organizations. 

• 71% of employees today do not consider themselves actively engaged in their work 
  
• 43% of employees feel they are given the skills needed to fulfill their job responsibilities
  
• 70% of change initiatives fail usually due to people issues or an inability to lead
  
• 63% of Canadians that are “highly engaged” have no plans to leave their organization while 12% of the “disengaged” group are actively planning their exit strategy 
  

Layton and Chow at a Toronto child care centre while on the campaign trail during the last general election

He’s intense, driven and powerfully engaging. She’s lively, cheerful, polite and always upbeat. New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton and Olivia Chow – MP for Trinity-Spadina – are Canada’s most prominent political couple, thrust even further into the spotlight after recent developments nearly saw the party in a historic power-sharing coalition with the Liberals. 

by Pradip Francis Rodrigues »  A month ago, Catherine Sullivan (name changed to protect privacy) walked into the nearest travel agency and booked herself and her family a cruise along the Nile, with a side trip to Paris and Rome. Two hours earlier, Catherine was served a pink slip that ended a ten year run with a five-figure salary.

“I had two choices, go home and cry myself into a depression or go and start packing for a long overdue vacation that eluded me for a decade. I came back more positive and focused on the things that are really important,” she recalls.

On the other side of town, a CEO whose firm is suffering a major slowdown calls in his staff to a meeting, which essentially is a pep talk designed to rally the troops.

Every day, the above two scenarios are playing out over and over again, and in both cases how the managers and business owners deal with the situation is of crucial importance in these times of economic upheaval.

By Maureen Bogoroch-Ditkofsky  »  Some people are born with advantages, and some are given gifts, opportunities or concessions throughout their lives. Others are given very little and you would never know this because they seem happy and smile often.

A smile can break down barriers, but not every smiling face reflects a charmed life. A smile, however powerful, can belie years of hardship, alienation and personal struggle. Who would know that behind a huge smile are questions about how it feels to have had a birthday party, gifts, or a normal loving family? 

Paulina never had a birthday party, never received any presents and did not know her real birth date until she was a teenager. 

By Sharon Worsley   »  Not too long ago, I read a story of an anonymous donor in Japan who for 33 years had faithfully sent an envelope containing small amounts of money each month to the local police station. The request of the donor was that the money should be used to assist the needy. These were only small amounts of money but I am sure for this donor it represented some sort of sacrifice.

Recently the 400th consecutive envelope was received, bringing the total donations to just over C$20,000. This person still remains anonymous after all these years, but the intent is as pure now as 33 years ago; to assist those less fortunate than the giver.

Do you ever get moved when you hear of a selfless act such as this? 

By Matt Valentine  » 

As you approach him, you sense the distinct air of a champion. However the intimidation of speaking to greatness disappears in the first few moments of the interview as Clemons flashes that megawatt smile and instantly puts you at ease.

“Mr. Clemons, it is an honour to…” I begin, before being cut short by Clemons shaking his head disapprovingly while still smiling. The strong grip of his right hand holds mine in place as he comes over the top with the left to capture my hand in a double handed embrace.

“Please,” he pauses. “Call me Mike, or Pinball… no Mr. Clemons here.”

By Sharon Worsley  » Books have been written about it, motivational speakers everywhere expound on the subject and we all want to know what is the secret of success in life. Many agree that success comes down to two principles: the Law of Attraction and the Law of Correspondence.

By Mary E. Fenuta » If you have, you’ve just been handed a wonderful opportunity for change! Downsizing is not a terrible thing – it is a great opportunity to review your career path, take some time to be with your family, or shift gears completely as I did. 

I am writing this article as an expert in the area of downsizing… both from the management side that actually planned the downsizing, as well as from an employee’s perspective – having been downsized myself. Let me share with you what I have learned from both sides.

Editor's Note: This is the third in our Small Business series, ‘So You Want to Be An Entrepreneur’

By Cheryl Antao-Xavier  »   The fun part of creating a business plan is jotting down the concept and projecting big profits at the end. Between the concept and the big profit, however, come the nitty-gritty details of making the idea a reality. Those details constitute the operations plan, which for a budding entrepreneur is generally not the most fun part of the planning process.

Ours is now an age of instant stars – of talents that are unearthed in the public glare. Most often, they are rough diamonds, waiting to be polished and show off their sparkle. In our kick-off to 2008, we profile some of the young talents in various fields who look set to make the great leap forward.

Editor's Note: This is the second in our Small Business series, ‘So You Want to Be An Entrepreneur’

By Cheryl Antao-Xavier  »   Successful marketing of your business is all about “positioning”, says marketing guru Peter Sirois of Sachem & Scribe. “It is carving out a place in the consumer’s mind and owning that space such that no competitor can penetrate it to any significant degree.”