There are many faces of Canada right now that we are pained to see.

The uncovering of the mass graves in residential schools is a case in point.
The on-going struggle to get our economy back on track is another.
The targeted terrorist attack against a Pakistani family a month ago....

We have a long way to go as a nation.
We need healing, reconciliation, and justice before we can experience real peace that transcends our narrow interests and identities.

The Canada that I know when I moved here 11 years ago is a Canada that:

- respects differences and celebrates diversity and inclusion;
- empowers new immigrants to bring their selves into this country and play a vital role in building a nation and economy;
- is a peace and democracy-loving country amongst the nations;
- has a strong and stable government and corruption-free;
- has the best healthcare and educational system in the world;

Definitely, these are superficial facts that foreigners see from the outside- only a tip of the iceberg in terms of the condition of the country and its people. Now I know more but it doesn't give me regrets that I moved here and consider myself a Canadian.

I am proud to be alongside other Canadians in creating a great nation one day at a time, one generation at a time, and one impact at a time. 

Let us not forget too that we are all Canada and what we bring into our communities, represented the best aspirations and attributes of our collective greatness. 

As Andrew Malcolm said about Canada: It's going to be a great country after they're finished unpacking it.

Very true, we are all, a work in progress....


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Perseverance, called Percy, the car-sized rover landed on Mars last February 18, 2021 collecting samples of rocks.

​What great timing in terms of being proud as humans even in the gloomiest situation we found ourselves in! 

We all need more perseverance these days with the most restrictive lockdowns ever to come down in Alberta. 

What areas in your life, whether personal or professional would use more Percy?

What areas in your team environment would use more Percy? 

Are you fed up with dealing with nasty, angry, very difficult public and customers?

Hang in there!  Churchill said, "If you're going through hell, keep going."

Adversity produces Character, Character produces Patience, Patience Hope.


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​We all have a  to-do list. We do. 

This list piles up as we navigate another setback with the pandemic. 

But have you ever wondered, that before you add more to your list. You need to take out three things:


Not helpful to your goals- eschew them and replace with things that help you everyday get to where you want to be;
Not relevant- eschew ideas that are pedestrian or simply have lost their essence through evolution or revolution;  
Not tenable- eschew practices that you will never be able to implement or accomplish given what you're already doing. Be honest with yourself. 

Be very cruel about these things or this will hamper your ability to accelerate your progress.

Again, be honest with yourself. 

What are you removing from your list today and freeing yourself from? 

Your freedom starts today.
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I would like to thank all the women in my life, past, present, and future. 

To my mother, grandmother, great grandmothers, and all the previous generations of women in my life, thank you for being great role models of hard work, perseverance, wisdom, determination, and faith.

To my daughter, sister, aunts, cousins, nieces, comadres, ninangs, mentors, coaches, teachers, girl scout leaders, and all the women leaders that shape me, thank you for showing the way.

We celebrate you today and every day!

Impact is now, impact is us together, lifting each other up.

I was walking in the snow with my daughter today. 

She's leading and would want  me to follow her tracks.

When I'm feeling tired, she asked me to push on.

When we get to the top overlooking the yard, she asked me not to look down, whatever happens, or else I might slip.

If I feel am slipping or getting stuck, she would hold my hand and steady me.

She asked me to follow the tracks closely and not to deviate.

She also reminded me not to make my own tracks because she's the bus driver.

She also reassured me that she knows where she's going and that I need to trust her.

When she's doing the loop-to-loop, that means that I have to just go along with the loop.

When it's time to go home, she will lead me home.

She tells me to enjoy and have an adventure. 

​If you have a firm and confident leader like that, there's nothing you can't do!

Cheers!

Yesterday, my car got stuck in a muddy part of our acreage. With all the wheels spinning deep into the mud, I had no choice but to leave it to the expert. I called for help.

I wonder how this situation is transported in many scenarios in our lives and careers.

How many times we refuse to call for help when we should and not 'game' or 'risk' deepening our being stuck in the mire?

Most of the time:

We thought we can do it. DIY is always the first choice, anyway. Good for learning and making sure you get what you want. Safety, time lags, and wasted monies are consequences for poor planning and execution. 


We thought we don't need to bother anyone. On the contrary, before we get more into debt or trouble, we should call them now and not tomorrow.


We can survive and overcome. When was the last time, you flunk the interview/exam or going into a meeting completely unprepared and acting tentative?  There are clear consequences for misfires and trials.  Learn from the experts, become an expert, or completely walk away, because it's not your strong suit. 


The expert drove the car down in a slope and shared some kind words of instruction. He said, "Some people drive purposefully in a mud, but with not with you."

We need experts and friendly allies to help us, remind us of the things we easily forget, and steer us in the right direction.

But it all starts with asking for help. 

​Cheers!