One Photo – Multiple Reactions

One photo has the power to spark very different reactions in people. My reactions are based on my experiences and my beliefs, which are part of the family and the community in which I live.  One photo can feel fun and playful to one person and yet trigger very raw feelings of distress in another. My work is to resolve the perceptions that trigger my reactions so that I can have a higher level of compassion to support others to … Read More

Students First? Let’s Calm Reactive Behaviour.

  We are undergoing immense change and uncertainty. We all want to put students first, yet look around and it is easy to recognize an escalation in the pace of change. All of our systems are feeling the pressure of adapting to intense uncertainty and the external demands often exceed the ability to cope, resulting in breakdown. Schools feel the intensity every day, as children arrive with tensions from home, as parents react out of fear and frustration and teachers, … Read More

Diversity and inclusion – Use tradition to connect.

Traditions are more than memories: Diversity and inclusion are important. We may know this yet we often feel discomfort. As I scrolled through Facebook this morning, I was greeted with a post of group photos from past Terry Fox Runs. This was a tradition in our office. Sometimes I went on my own, sometimes with my family. But we did this annual 5 km run, rain or shine. I was blessed with a boss who valued tradition and made time … Read More

Is it time to rethink feminism?

Do men have to lose power to make room for women? This morning I reflected on Justin Trudeau’s talk to the Women in the World convention held earlier this week in Toronto. I applaud his efforts towards fairness! It feels invigorating to have a proud feminist fight for the rights of women! But there is a watch out. I got stuck on the reference to the notion that men will have to lose power to make room for women. I … Read More

A Fair Chance to Succeed

The world should be fair. Justin Trudeau was asked about his number one priority for the next two years at a recent Women in the World convention. He acknowledged that there was a lot to be done but the big one was around fairness, stating a desire that ‘everyone has a fair chance to succeed in Canada. … Everything I can do, everything we can do, to shift the world in the right direction continues to be something that I … Read More

My Canada. Creating Space for Success.

An interesting debate is heating up in Canada between the government and the self-employed. The Liberal platform states ‘We’ll ask the wealthiest 1% to pay a bit more so middle class families can pay less’. It goes on to say: ‘Our plan to help middle class Canadians: Create jobs. Strengthen the economy. Grow the middle class.’  When Bill Morneau introduced the proposed changes to make this happen, they proposed that they would close three ‘loopholes’ that allowed wealthy Canadians to … Read More