December 2019 Volume 2 Issue 5 by communitynowmagazine

Volume 2 Issue 5 â&#x20AC;¢ Dec/Jan 2019/20

published by ZX Media Corporation

DISCOVER ALBERTA’S INNOVATION ENGINE Extending the horizon of possibilities to solve today’s challenges, reaching new potential, and creating a healthier and more prosperous future for Alberta, and the world.

MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE

“IT TAKES A

TAKES A VILLAGE

”

- AFRICAN PROVERB

A Grassroots Magazine • For Community by Community • Our imperfections make us great !

CONTENTS A True Visionary 5 Three Lessons From a Year of Mental Health Awareness 10 Technology Breaks Through Mental Health Stigma 14 Depression Research Priorities Established for Alberta 17 Your Best Work Changes the World 22 Four Ways to Improve Your Mental Health as an Entrepreneur 24 Telling It Like It Is

Trust: Believing in The Professional 48

Krista Malden & Kenzie Webber

publisher@communitynowmagazine.com

One Vision & Five Transitions 52

CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS VOLUME 2 ISSUE 5

Did I Choose Happiness…or Did Happiness Choose Me!?! 56

Stacy Richter

Adette Lacerte

Jill Quirk

Nicole Langton

Zanika Malden

Greg MacGillivray

From Home Based Office to Global Impact 58

Diane Swiatek

Wendy Hutchins

Les Mottosky

Uncomplicated Family

Jade Alberts

Business Link

The Strength of Community Within Office Walls 63

Alberta Innovates

Tom Mornin

Heloise Lorimer/ STEAM Team

Brian Cymbaluk

Exploring Events 64

Koleya Karrington

Shawn Webber

Alberta Beer Festival 65

Empathy and Compassion: An Antidote to Bullying and Other Ills of the World 35

Credit to ErroristArtist aka Zanika Malden

From Calgary: In the spirit of respect, reciprocity and truth, we honor and acknowledge Moh’kinsstis (Blackfoot) and the traditional Treaty 7 territory and oral practices of the Blackfoot confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani as well as the Stoney Nakoda and Tsuut’ina nations. We acknowledge that this territory is home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3 within the historical Northwest Métis homeland. Finally, we acknowledge all Nations, Indigenous and non, who live, work and play and help us steward this land, honour and celebrate this territory. This sacred gathering place provides us with an opportunity to engage in and demonstrate leadership on reconciliation. - Wendy Hutchins

Community 4 // Community Now!Now! \\ 4

A TRUE VISIONARY: Darsell Karringten November 23, 1955 - January 25, 2014

ooking back on the trajectory of our lives, it’s impossible for most of us to underestimate the impact of our parents. For entrepreneur and technology leader Koleya Karringten, her father’s passion for the environment and his dream for a greener and more equitable future has inspired her personal journey at every turn. An accomplished musician, visionary inventor and inspiring self-made success story, Darsell Karringten’s unique path has lessons that resonate with us all. (continued on next page)

Community \\ 5

(continued from page 5...) Like many other inventors including Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein, Darsell had precocious musical abilities that led to him performing in his family’s band, A Family Affair, at just 5 years of age. Together with his closeknit family, the band travelled and performed widely, playing a variety of styles including Hawaiian music, Jazz, Funk, Blues, and Soul. A talented drummer, he developed an early fascination with the theory and mathematics behind rhythm. His love for music dominated the early part of his life, and as a child, Koleya remembered the strains of his favorite songs as a constant part of the background as he worked. “My father took so much inspiration from music,” she said. “He had a brilliant analytical mind, and I think he often thought of science and music as two sides of the same coin.” 6 // Community Now!

When Darsell turned 21, he began to see the impacts of life as a travelling musician on older friends and colleagues, and quickly realized that constantly being on the road and late nights were not going to let him reach his full potential. After short stints as a construction worker and bus driver, he discovered a new passion that would come to define his future – entrepreneurship. He devoured books on economics, business models and leadership, along with biographies of business tycoons like Henry Ford. Ever observant, one commonality stood out to him – executives always relied on driving services. In a clever move, he bought a limo and began ferrying CEOs from the airport to hotels and meetings, picking up tips and making valuable friends along the way.

Coming from a non-traditional educational background, Darsell had managed to find a creative angle into the business world. With the help of an investor and a well-crafted business plan, his limo service grew from a single vehicle to a fleet of cars. At the same time as his business was thriving, his family life was also growing. He married, bought a home and soon had two beautiful daughters, balancing the demands of his work with taking an active role as a loving father. Even with his success, Darsell still enjoyed driving and the opportunity to talk to the executives and famous faces in his back seat. Through his enthusiasm and strong force of personality, he developed incredible relationships with everyone from CEOs to royalty, receiving event and boardroom invitations and making lifelong friends. From his unique vantage point, he watched as companies expanded and went bust, industries thrived and faltered, and the economy changed in dramatic ways. Unfortunately, the effects of the 1990’s recession would have a heavy impact on Darsell’s business, and like many other entrepreneurs of the time, he was forced to close his doors. Always resilient, he fought to maintain a positive attitude and made the choice to see his challenges not as a failure, but an opportunity to do something new and even more fulfilling. He threw himself into finishing his education by taking courses on business and integrating theories with the real-world lessons of the many corporate leaders he’d met. Darsell spent hours brainstorming his future path and creating a vision for the next stage in his life – and for that of his children, as well. Realizing the advantages he would have gained from starting his business training

earlier, he took an active role in imparting those lessons to his daughters. Seeing her bright potential even at a young age, he enrolled the then 5-year-old Koleya in a range of classes on business and etiquette. “It’s definitely unusual, but I’m so glad that my father put me in etiquette classes when I was a kid,” explained Koleya Karringten. “He always emphasized how essential it was to present a polished image, and it’s helped me so much in my career.” She remembers that when she answered the phone at home, she would answer it like a receptionist - “Hello, Karringten Residence, how may I help you?”, always remembering to smile as she did so. Darsell’s innate confidence in business and strength as a communicator soon led him to hold his own workshops and corporate training seminars, as well as taking regular public speaking engagements. Through his unconventional education, he had gained deep insights into the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship, and his engaging personality always left a mark on audiences. “He was a fantastic speaker who really knew how to reach the audience,” said Koleya. “Just looking at their faces, you could see he was truly inspiring them to take risks and believe in their own abilities.” He enjoyed his work as an international business consultant; traveling to speak, train, teach and coach, discovering unfamiliar parts of the world and making new international friendships. After a few years, however, an unexpected tragedy would grind his business to a halt. His beloved mother had become seriously ill, and Darsell knew it was important to turn his priorities to supporting and helping her. It seemed like yet another setback – but (continued on next page) Community \\ 7

To this day Koleya continues to use her dads desk and office furniture as her own, with pride.

(continued from page 7...) unknown to him, the next stage of his career would be a transformation beyond his wildest imagination. “When I was 21, my dad said: ‘It’s time to start a business.’ I thought, what do I know about running a business? But thinking back, he had been preparing me for entrepreneurship my whole life,” said Koleya. The inspiration behind the idea for the company came from something that was becoming omnipresent in the news - climate change, emissions and the dim future prospects for a clean, safe environment. “He always said that he wanted to help fix the damage done to our 8 // Community Now!

planet for the sake of future generations,” remembered Koleya. Their goal was to develop a clean tech business, and they began working towards commercializing an innovative technology for one of Canada’s most high-impact industries – Oil & Gas. With this vision in mind, father and daughter set out on a journey to make the world better together. “My dad had the drive to be successful,” said Koleya, “and as long as he created progress, he considered himself a success. There had to be progress every day, no matter how big or small, he just needed to see some incremental movement forward.” With the skills he had developed, Darsell was good at raising money and getting in front

of people. Now, they just needed the right invention that would help make the world a better place. For three years, they tried to develop partnerships with inventors they had met while in business. “It was a hard three years, and I saw my father struggle with depression,” said Koleya, He knew he needed to make a change, and decided to get involved with spiritual practitioners and self-help workshops. This united the family and helped us find a deeper purpose. And I still do the self-care and awareness I learned every day.” It was through these intense inner experiences that Darsell decided to participate in a traditional Indigenous sweat lodge ceremony. According to Koleya, he treated it with as much focus and determination as any of his business ventures. “He stayed in the sweat lodge for three sessions straight - most of the time people take breaks between each session to get some air and recover,” she recalled. He started having detailed and vivid visions; a green eye appeared before him, and he knew it was the eye of a wolf, revealing his personal spirit animal. His Elder announced: “You’re not the same man anymore!”. The transformation was very real, according to Koleya. “He couldn’t feel the cold and he had lost all his anger, depression and negativity,” she said. “It’s an amazing story that shows the power of traditional healing practices.” And it led, unexpectedly, to an almost miraculous break though in the business.

“While dreaming one night soon after, he had an incredible vision of an intricate diagram of a mechanical device, projected like a hologram in the bedroom,” she said. “He was able to recall it and sketch it out as soon as he woke up. While it sounds unbelievable, the history books are full of inventors with similar experiences. My father always believed that this was triggered by changes to his consciousness in the sweat lodge.” Darsell knew it was important, and he threw himself into deciphering exactly what he had seen in his vision. He started to talk to engineers and technical specialists and discovered that it was a new solution for the cleaner, near-flameless combustion of fuel. He found a partner who could help him get a prototype made, and he and Koleya began researching applications in the energy industry. Father and daughter did deep research about every facet of combustion, from burn chambers, air force and nozzles to what it takes to build, test and measure efficiency. Through trial and error, they managed to come up with a technology that not only worked – but outperformed existing competition by 50% or more on fuel use and emissions. His experiences in the healing community carried with him through the whole process. “Starting Absolute Combustion International was an amazing journey,” recounted Koleya, “My Dad worked so hard, but stayed optimis(continued on page 11) Community \\ 9

(continued from page 9...) tic and excited throughout regular 15-hour days, with no trace of the depression he had suffered from previously. He also had so much love and support from our wellness group and surrounding community.” Darsell found a shareholder for their business who owned a recycling facility, offering a new market for the combustion unit. “There is a massive problem with plastic waste,” said Koleya, “but with our invention, we took 10 semitrucks’ worth of plastic and turned it into 1 semitruck load.” This result was the type of positive environmental impact that Darsell was striving for. “Whatever damage I have done to the planet, I know now I can make up for it,” his daughter recalls him saying. Further R&D through hiring talented engineers made the product even more efficient and green. With his innate sales abilities, Darsell gained more shareholders and new funding to drive the startup towards commercialization. Alberta Innovates became a major supporter, providing grants and other assistance. His vision was just within reach.

Success had been so close. In April of 2014, Darsell’s invention was successfully deployed at an oil and gas site, and the company has since expanded into other markets like aviation heating. According to Koleya, her role as CEO of Absolute Combustion is a continuation of her father’s legacy and cherished dream. “This technology has incredible benefits for the environment, and I truly believe, like my father, that it’s an important piece of the puzzle to creating more sustainable industries.” A strong believer in the power of community, Koleya has expanded into the digital and blockchain technology ecosystems in Canada, where she is the Executive Director of the Alberta Blockchain Consortium, a Board member of the Canadian Blockchain Association for Women and runs several of her own blockchain companies. “This is another technology with the power to change the world for the better and help Canada’s industries thrive, and I know my father would be excited to see the work we’re doing. Building an innovation ecosystem is challenging, but he continues to inspire me every step of the way.”

His journey, however, came to a sudden end. Sadly, Darsell passed away after a battle with cancer in January of 2014, leaving grieving Koleya alone at the helm of Absolute Combustion. He had just been nominated for the prestigious Canada’s Top Innovator award, a letter that arrived just four days before his passing, and she tearfully read out at his funeral.

To see a live interview with Darsell about his spiritual and life journey, click here : https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz0xCnL7K-I Learn more about Absolute Combustion and Alberta Blockchain Consortium here. Community \\ 11

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Mental Illness does NOT discriminate …

By KM

It does not care what size pants you wear It does not care about the colour of your hair Mental Illness doesn’t care if you are rich or poor It doesn’t keep a score Mental Illness does not judge you by your age It is not a craze or the latest rage Mental Illness is REAL It’s something we all feel Mental Illness is everywhere And is in no way fair Mental Illness is here to stay Unless we work together to find a way Together we can stand We need to listen and learn How to help those around Not in exchange or for a return Mental Illness is in our homes, in our workplaces and in our schools It’s become a social media frenzy And it has no rules But Together we can unite We can stand up to this and we can fight One day at a time, moment by moment Remove the stigma, survive Mental Illness Together we will build Mental Wellness. Community \\ 13

THREE LESSONS FROM A YEAR OF MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Les Mottosky

bout this same time last year I was writing something for Community Now! that, unbeknownst to me at the time, would come to define my 2019.

One of the surprising

things about this journey was the level of fear and discomfort in others

around my depressive-dip. 14 // Community Now!

To produce an article for the Mental Health Issue, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d developed a thesis I wanted to explore. The thesis was born of instinct and a lifelong curiosity around the creative impulse. An impulse I believe is hardwired into every cell of our bodies. The premise for my article was this: that our own innate creativity could influence personal psychological fitness.

One of the resources I stumbled upon while conducting research was an article on the deceptive expressions a depression can take on. At the end of the article was a self-evaluation questionnaire. I answered the dozen or so questions and what it revealed, surprised me and would later become a passion and a focus of my personal and professional life for the coming year. Despite a fierce decade-long intention to not allow undesirable emotions to become a barrier in how I engage life, I discovered I was

smack-dab in the middle of a depression. In discovering this, I was confronted with a bunch of other undesirable states: shame, isolation, disbelief, and being deeply humbled. I’m embarrassed to admit that part of me thought I was “beyond” depression. I believed an experience in my 30’s had graduated me from Depression U with flying colours. I believed I’d cultivated the mindset, skills and awareness to be able to steer clear of that dark valley. (continued on next page) Community \\ 15

(continued from page 15...) I’m humbled and relieved to share that I’m not beyond depression. And I’m no longer in disbelief or ashamed of this. Instead, I’ve come to understand that I’m human. Not super human, but instead, very human. In working through the details of this hidden health dip I also experienced an embarrassment around feeling like a cliche. Partially because I’ve now come to see that part of my personal identity is defined by enthusiasm and partially because my age suggested this whole experience was a mid-life crisis. Neither of these things, being a slave to my identity or life-stage, were acceptable to me. So at a time when I was starting to gather the resources and energy to pull myself out of this, I also had to wrestle the shame and embarrassment of feeling like a fraud and a stereotype. I’ve now come to see that neither of those labels are accurate. I’ve also come to see three very valuable lessons from my year of working out of this depression. 16 // Community Now!

Micro-Dosing May Not Be The Answer. While I analyzed how I’d ended up in this emotional valley, I was stunned to discover how long I’d likely felt the malaise. It had been close to 18 months. More surprisingly still, I’d noticed that this window of time included my 6 month experiment with one of the purported magic bullets for depression: micro-dosing with psilocybin cubensis, or, magic mushrooms. My time micro-dosing was defined by greater focus, an increase in energy, a slightly uplifted mood, and an increased softness, warmth or closeness to friends and loved ones. What I came to learn later, was that the micro-dosing — in combination with my identity of being an ‘enthusiastic guy’ — was masking a deeper darkness. The little non-psychoactive bump of mushrooms every couple of days wouldn’t allow me to feel bad enough to look at the negative self-talk I’d adopted as normal internal dialogue. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fervent believer in the benefits of micro-dosing and macro-dosing

psilocybin. In fact, to me, the greatest gift of the recent legislation around cannabis is the path it’s paving for mushrooms to be a legal, supportive part of our society. Mushrooms and other plant-based medicines will play a significant role in the ‘The Great Awakening of Human Consciousness’ that I believe is underway. However, the next time I take on micro-dosing as a practice, I’ll be more rigorous about ensuring I’m not deluding myself about my well being.

The Stigma Around Mental Health Is Real. One of the surprising things about this journey was the level of fear and discomfort in others around my depressive-dip. If it wasn’t people outright avoiding asking about my well-being, it was the opposite: worrying about me unnecessarily. I experienced both of those as stigmatization. I’m not hurt or frustrated by it. I understand, because I feel I can be equally awkward around people who are suffering. Nobody wants to upset someone in a fragile state, or add to their stresses. It’s a tricky place to be in. Now that I’m on the other side and digging out, I see the many gifts associated with my last couple of years. One of those gifts is a deeper compassion and, perhaps, some new found skills to better connect with others who are working through challenges around their psychological fitness. Now, when I encounter someone who is struggling, I ask a simpla and profound question: “What would love do in this situation?”. The impact is two-fold: the answer I receive inevitably leads to kindness, and asking that question takes the pressure off of me needing to know what to do.

Creativity Begets Happiness Begets Creativity. We’re taught the nature of life is change. This is true. And it’s true because change is the inevitable bi-product of new things being born. Change is constant because creativity and innovation —in nature, life and society — is unrelenting. New things show up, old things die. That’s just how it goes. As obvious as this reality is, coming to grips with it is another thing. We like what we like and we don’t like to change what we like even if it’s necessary to do so in order to move forward. What we need to do is focus on the thing being birthed instead of what’s dying. This way we can contribute to the new thing that wants to show up. We can tap into our innate creativity. This, ironically, is the big lesson I learned this year. I proved to myself, the very thesis I attempted to explore last December. Not only can our creativity contribute to our psychological thriving, I now believe it’s necessary for it. The by-product of creativity is contentment — on the low-end of the scaler and bliss on the high-end. And the more content we become, the more we want to create. I see it in myself, I see it in my family and friends and I see it in clients and colleagues. When we create we are aligning with the pulse of the ever expanding cosmos. Answering the creative impulse is a mainline to feeling more whole and human. It just is. Let’s get creating people!!!

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TH TH PRESENTS OUR 14 TH ANNUAL PRESENTS ANNUAL PRESENTS OUR 14 TH ANNUAL

PRESENTS OUR OUR 14 14TH ANNUAL ANNUAL PRESENTS

Friendship Friendship Round Dance Round Dance Round Dance

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Technology Breaks Through Mental Health Stigma Stacy Richter

The compounding effects of untreated mental health issues are staggering and worse… unknown. The Canadian Mental Health As-

“

Technology and innovation now become the

great enabler for both institution and employee.

sociation reports that 1 in 5 Canadians will personally experience a mental health problem or illness in any given year1. The matter is complicated by the broad definition of mental health AND how the data is collected. Most of the data available is collected through voluntary surveys which includes its own source or errors. “People who were asked to report their past physical and mental health disorders tended to consistently under-report their previous (continued on next page)

1) CMHA. (2019). Fast Facts about Mental Illness. Retrieved November 30, 2019, from https://cmha.ca/fast-facts-about-mental-illness.

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(continued from page 19...) Workplace analytics for Mental Health and Productivity

mental disorders, prompting researchers to conclude that the prevalence of mental disorders may be substantially higher than previously thought2.â&#x20AC;? Surveys are only as good as the data they collect. People may not recognize their own conditions, recall them accurately or even self de-select because of their own biases and stigmas. The issues surrounding mental well-being may be much larger than they appear.

Christy Hemmingway Chief Operating Officer

Mental Health Tech is blazing new trails in more ways than one. Healthcare Artificial Intelligence (AI) investment has surged early in 2019 with an increase of 14% increase of Venture Capitalist investments (Q2 2019 compared to Q2 2018)3. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not surprising that the investment community is piling into the mental health tech space as the adoption rates among users are on the rise. The increase in use of Smartphones has also lead to an increase in the total downloads of mental well-being mobile apps.

Dr. Nadim Lalani, MD, FRCPC Chief Medical Officer

Kyle McLeod

Chief Executive Officer 20 // Community Now!

There is little indication, as of yet, whether users are leveraging the functionality to improve their well-being or not. Only time will tell. One Calgary company is making its move to improve the well-being of the people they serve. Oragam.ai started when its founders Christy Hemmingway, Nadim Lalani and Kyle McLeod were investigating burnout among medical professionals4. The effects of burnout in the medical profession can lead to consequences including medical errors and patient deaths. The problem is particularly disturbing because an estimated 66% of

physicians experience burnout symptoms according OrigamAi’s website. These founders observed that these types of problems are not limited to the medical community. “Canadian businesses lose an estimated $6.6 billion/year in productivity due to unaddressed mental health concerns” explains Kyle McLeod, CEO of Origam.ai. “Due to a lack of awareness of the issues employees are facing, most companies are reactive in their mental health initiatives rather than proactive.” Assisting employees maintain their peak performance is often a function that is often delegated to the Human Resources function and policies implemented by frontline management. The problem that arises is age old when trying to answer the question ‘how to help employees who either don’t know they may need help OR do not want to speak up and ask?’ That is one of the many questions OrigamAi has set out to answer. “OrigamAi provides mental health and professional capabilities insights to the individual while providing aggregated data at the team and macro company levels to help leaders with informed action. With role-based dashboards, OrigamAi supports every stakeholder in an organization with up to date data, strengthening their decision making and improving the level of awareness and knowledge about the factors that affect their work.” - Kyle McLeod, CEO

Kyle McLeod explains that the “OrigamAi is a workforce analytics platform that leverages artificial intelligence to support the mental health and productivity of employees at both the individual and organization wide levels. By supporting employees to be happier and healthier, and organizations to be better places to work, an organization can best realize its potential.” Conventional models within Canada’s corporations includes annual satisfaction surveys among employees and management combined with months of complicated data analytics which can only provide lagging indicators on overall fulfillment of its employees. Any policy changes and implementation seem to come well after the fact. The data is not timely to matter and neither are the solutions. The flip side of that coin is that the corporate solutions using conventional models are top down and do very little to empower their employees to monitor their own well-being and make changes on the fly beyond simply making outdated programs available. Technology and innovation now become the great enabler for both institution and employee. The mental health tech and innovation space is achieving much more than providing data for people to make timely decisions. Platform innovations like OrigamAi, are taking the sting out of the stigma of mental health.

2) Tumolo, J. (2014, January 15). Prevalence of Mental Illness Might Be Underreported. Retrieved November 30, 2019, from https:// www.psychcongress.com/article/prevalence-mental-illness-might-be-underreported 3) Landi, H. (2019, August 6). Venture capital investment in AI and mental health startups surges in Q2: report. Retrieved November 30, 2019, from https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/tech/venture-capital-investment-ai-and-mental-health-startups-surges-q2-report 4) Origam.ai. (2019). About. Retrieved November 30, 2019, from https://origam.ai/about/

Community \\ 21

New Depression Research Priorities Established for

Alberta

Alberta leads the way using patients to determine priorities for research in depression.

early 400,000 Albertans will suffer from depression at some point in their lives. Many will go undiagnosed or even worse untreated. The Alberta Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) Support Unit along with the Addiction & Mental Health Strategic Clinical Network at Alberta Health Services, and the Canadian Depression Research and Intervention Network want to change all that. In 2018, in a first in Alberta, people living with depression were consulted about direction, emphasis, and priority for depression research in the province.

22 // Community Now!

Mental health research is often conducted without input from people who live with depression. This includes those who experience depression directly as well as those who care for those individuals, including family, friends, healthcare professionals, and clinicians. So, in a unique project – led by Dr. Lorraine Breault from the University of Alberta – patients, families, caregivers, and researchers came together to create Alberta’s top 11 depression research priorities. The 11 priorities include everything from the impact of diet and exercise on mental health – to the effects of long-term pharmacotherapy to treat depression. Researchers in Alberta, looking to make a difference in the lives of those suffering from depression, can look to this list for guidance.

Alberta’s Top 11 Depression Research Priorities Determined by Albertans with Lived Experience

Which treatment therapy or method is more successful for long term remission or recovery?

What are the long term physical implications of pharmacotherapy for treating depression?

For various treatment options (eg. psychotherapy, individual vs. group psychotherapy and psychosocial support), what are the advantages in terms of cost, effectiveness, relapse prevention and safety?

What are the prevention strategies/tactics for reducing self-harm and suicide in children, youth and adults with depression?

What changes to the health care system will increase access to psychological services?

What changes in the health care system will result in shortened wait times for depression services?

Can diet or exercise affect the development of depression?

What are the functional, social, intellectual, physical and psychological problems experienced by children and teens living with an immediate family member who has depression?

What interventions are effective in preventing and treating workplace depression and reducing stigma associated with depression in the workplace?

Are there structural or functional changes in the brain due to antidepressant therapy during brain development?

What is the role of family in the treatment and trajectory of depression?

Alberta Depression Research Priority Setting Project (2017, August 10). [Alberta’s Top 11 Depression Research Priorities: Determined by Albertans with Lived Experience] [Infographic]. Proceedings from the final workshop with the Alberta Depression Research steering committee and workshop participants, Edmonton AB June 12, 2017.

“We know that mental health researchers engage in research to improve the lives of those suffering from depression,” says Dr. Lorraine Breault. “The intent around creating Alberta’s top 11 depression research priorities was to bring better alignment between the research community and those living with and caring for those with depression.” “Having the voices, opinions and experiences of patients, families, caregivers and clinicians greatly benefits research, as who better to inform research questions than those with lived experience,”

Alberta Depression Research Priority Setting Project 16

Dr. Frank MacMaster, Scientific Director, Alberta Health Services Addiction and Mental Health Strategic Clinical Network. The Alberta SPOR Support Unit is proud to have played a role in bringing patients, families, caregivers, and researchers together to help shape future research for mental health in Alberta. We know that this type of patient-oriented research will fundamentally make a difference in the lives of those living with depression. Tim Murphy, Vice President of Health Innovation for Alberta Innovates Innovation \\ 23

YOUR BEST WORK CHANGES

THE WORLD

IT MATTERS HOW YOU WORK, NOT WHAT YOU DO OR WHY Tom Morin, creator of workfeelsgood.com

lmost every day, we learn how powerful leaders, brilliant doctors and scientists, wealthy executives, gifted artists, and popular celebrities change the world by doing their jobs in a certain way. But if we pay attention, we can see that every day regular people, doing regular jobs, are also changing the world. The changes they bring about reminds us that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really no such thing as a regular person or a regular job. Two stories from Starbucks illustrate this point.

Learning From Starbucks On April 12, 2018, at a Starbucks in Philadelphia, two African-American men asked to use the bathroom, but they were told it was for 24 // Community Now!

paying customers only. They then sat down at a table and waited for their business acquaintance so they could all order their coffees together. The Starbucks shift manager saw that the men were still not ordering, so she asked them to leave. The men explained why they were waiting, but the shift manager called the police. The men’s business acquaintance, who was a fellow real estate developer, arrived as the two men were being taken away in handcuffs. A few days later, the commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department apologized. He said he was ashamed that he and his officers had made the situation much worse. And just over a month later, for the entire afternoon of May 29, Starbucks closed eight thousand of its company-owned stores to provide racial bias awareness training to 175,000 employees. Almost two years earlier, in September 2016, terrorists exploded three bombs in New York and New Jersey, injuring thirty-one people. After one explosion in Manhattan, as the police were investigating and the fire department was cleaning-up, a different Starbucks shift manager began handing out free coffees and bags of food to first responders. Each of these incidents involving a Starbucks shift manager was reported around the world. Some people changed their attitudes toward Starbucks as a result of the incidents. The Philadelphia incident sparked protests and boycotts. In Chelsea, the acts of kindness continued with other businesses offering free pizza and free hotel rooms for those affected by the bombings. There’s no doubt how each Starbucks shift manager did their job created change in our world. One caused pain, the other contributed to wellbeing.

Wired to Contribute to Wellbeing Research shows that humans are more likely to be good to one another than evil. Although one person can cause misery for millions, those millions are likely to treat each other well, even in their darkest moments. But why humans are generally good has puzzled scientists for decades. The theory that we weigh the cost of helping others against the reward for helping them explains some prosocial behaviour. Another theory shows that parents and other influential people in our lives teach us that we are rewarded when we are kind and co-operative. Evolutionary scientists can demonstrate that our prosocial ancestors were more likely to pass along their genes. Studies have concluded that reminders of our own death increase our prosocial behaviour. Lastly, other studies suggest that prosocial behaviour causes our brain to be flooded with the feel-good chemical dopamine, and this might explain how prosocial behaviour can become addictive. Why humans are prone to be prosocial, even to people we don’t know, will be studied and debated for a long time, but the fact that we are prosocial is easy to see. We hold the door for someone we don’t know, and tip in a restaurant that we’ll never return to. Some people pay for the person’s coffee or meal in the car behind them at the drive-thru window. Most people don’t have to be forced to be kind or co-operative, they just naturally want to be that way because it feels good. In the same way that caring is human, to want to contribute to well-being is human.

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(continued from page 26...) (continued from page 25...)

A World of Job Dissatisfaction So far, we see that the Starbucks incidents show us that contributing to well-being is not determined by what job we do, but by how we do our job—meaning that we can all contribute to well-being through our work—and good social science research shows us that most people want to contribute to well-being. If all this is true, shouldn’t working make us all feel good? Not quite. Study after study shows that 30-50% of North Americans are dissatisfied with their working lives, and a recent study of 143 countries showed that 85% of the global workforce is dissatisfied with their jobs. Although all these studies show that dissatisfaction is a dominant theme in our world of work, they stop short of showing us exactly what causes dissatisfaction. Social science is like that: it can tell us what’s happening, but seldom, exactly, why.

Feeling Good About Work Since 2013, my coaching and consulting practice has focused on helping people make work meaningful and lead in critical moments. Not finding meaning in our work feels the same as being deeply dissatisfied with our work. I have clients from nearly every sector of our world of work, and my clients’ motivations to succeed at their work are as diverse as their professions. And, there is one thing that makes them all feel good about their work: contributing to well-being. But, the challenge for nearly all of my clients during their workdays is to consistently create opportunities to contribute to well-being that actually feel good. That’s right: sometimes contributing to well-being can make us dissatisfied with our work. 26 // Community Now!

Avoiding Contribution Burn-out Studies have shown that one of the primary indicators of career success is being interested in your job. So, if you’re always doing boring work just so you can contribute to the well-being of others, sooner or later, you’re going to burn-out. But, what do you do if the only job available to you is full of tasks you don’t enjoy doing, regardless of how much other people appreciate them? First, recognize that the tasks that you find boring are truly contributing to the well-being of others. Second, understand everyone in your organization has to do some stuff that they find boring. Third, create opportunities in your day to do work that you love, but that mostly contributes to your own well-being; but, beware! Beware of Doing Too Much Just for You Occasionally carving out time to do tasks that you really enjoy, but that don’t substantially contribute to the well-being of others, enables you to relax and recharge. But without a focus on contributing to others, not only will you become less valuable to the organization, you will eventually become disengaged. Remember that contributing to well-being is our greatest motivation to succeed. Doing Your Best Work We do our best work when we’re deeply interested in our work, and that work contributes to the well-being of others. You know that you’re going to spend part of your day doing boring stuff that others really appreciate. And, you know how great it feels to take a little time to focus on work that mostly contributes to your own well-being. But, so much research in the areas of vocational psychology and organizational behaviour tells us that we

do our best work, and we are most successful, when we love what we do, and we see how our work contributes to well-being.

Change the World with Your Best Work Based on changes I’ve seen in my individual and organizational clients, setting the goal to discover and do your best work creates a deeply meaningful working life. Many of my clients still work in the same jobs that they initially found dissatisfying. But, after discovering how to avoid burn-out and how to spend a little time doing those recharge tasks, they’re spending more time doing their best work. Our world is changed by the work you do, and our world is a much better place when you do your best work. Author bio: Tom Morin is an experienced and accomplished organizational leader, and an inspiring speaker and writer, focused on leadership in critical moments and meaningful work. Tom co-founded Work Innovation Partners before providing consulting and coaching services through Work Feels Good. His first book about work will be released in March 2020. Tom is also Associate Faculty at Royal Roads University and a recipient of the University Founders’ Award. To learn more about Tom, or to book him for your next event, go to WorkFeelsGood.com Community \\ 27

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FOUR WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR

MENTAL HEALTH AS AN ENTREPRENEUR Shay Bachelet, Marketing Coordinator at Business Link

t is often echoed that small business is the backbone of the Canadian economy – in 2017, 97.9% of businesses in Canada were small businesses. In Alberta, small business is responsible for 91.2% of the total workforce, employing more than 500,000 Albertans. The reach of entrepreneurship is wide, impacting almost all Canadians, directly or indirectly. So, how do entrepreneurs fare when it comes to mental health? According to a study conducted by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) earlier this year, not very well. The study, supported by BDC, sought to understand what mental health issues entrepreneurs report; the impact of mental health concerns on business objectives and entrepreneurs’ personal lives; what strategies and/or supports entrepreneurs use to manage these issues; and what barriers they face in accessing service and support. CMHA surveyed 476 entrepreneurs and conducted twenty one-on-one interviews with entrepreneurs across Canada.

Key findings from the study include: • Three of five (62%) entrepreneurs felt depressed at least once a week. • Nearly one in two (46%) entrepreneurs felt that mental health issues interfered with their ability to work. • Entrepreneurs reported high degrees of stress in both their business and personal lives; nearly seven in ten (67%) were stressed about their business’s cash flow. • More than half reported depressed mood (50%). • About three in five (66%) entrepreneurs face difficulty in maintaining work-life balance due to entrepreneurial stress. • More than half (54%) of the entrepreneurs reported that stress impacted their level of concentration at work.

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(continued from page 29...) These findings are far from shocking considering the demands of entrepreneurship and owning a small business, especially during the early stages. Entrepreneurs typically work extremely hard for long hours to overcome the challenges associated with launching new ventures. Working long hours can take away from time that would normally be spent with family and friends, which is concerning - according to Positive Psychology researcher Shawn Achor, social support was the greatest predictor of happiness during periods of high stress. The risks of failure are high, with 41.3% of businesses started in Canada not making it past the 5th year; the stress associated with potentially having a business venture fail can be daunting. Owning a small business is also often accompanied by limited time off, a lack

of stable income, and the absence of extended health care benefits Entrepreneurship is unavoidably stressful, and stress can lead to an array of negative physical and psychological consequences. So, how can entrepreneurs deal with the stress of owning a business?

Meditation and Mindfulness There is a growing body of research that supports the use of mindfulness and meditation in achieving better mental health. Harvard has shown that mindful meditation can change the brains of people with depression and anxiety, issues commonly reported by entrepreneurs. In addition to being an effective tool for improving mental health, meditation and mindfulness can confer many other benefits for entrepreneurs:

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• Research shows that a long-term mindfulness meditation practice promotes improved executive functioning (working memory, flexible thinking, inhibitory control) • Improved ability to focus and think with a sense of clarity that leads to improved decision making • Decreased sleep disturbances and improved quality of sleep • Increases resilience to stress • Decreases reactivity • Increased awareness of emotions and increased ability to ‘tune in’ to the body to identify when stress is increasing in order to take preventative steps before it becomes overwhelming It’s clear that meditation and mindfulness can be helpful for entrepreneurs, but where to start? There are a number of great apps: Headspace, Calm, Insight Timer. Each of these apps offers several different types of meditation and is perfectly suited for beginners. The increasing

popularity of meditation and mindfulness has also coincided with an increase in the number of accessible and well-trained meditation teachers in communities across Canada. All it takes is a simple google search (don’t forget to look at reviews, testimonials, and credentials).

Get quality, adequate sleep Running a business can require long hours and sleepless nights, especially in the early days. But, it’s important to consider that getting enough sleep is critical in giving you the full mental capacity needed to effectively lead. According to a study out of Binghamton University, sleeping less than the recommended eight hours a night is associated with intrusive, repetitive thoughts like those seen in anxiety or depression. Another study showed that a lack of sleep can have a detrimental effect on an individual’s memory, ability to perform simple daily tasks, and attention span. So, though you may feel like you need to stay up later to get everything you need done for (continued on next page) Community \\ 31

(continued from page 31...) your business, trading in those extra hours for sleep may be a better option because you’ll ultimately be more effective and productive when you are working on your business.

Tips for getting a better sleep: • Stick to a relatively consistent sleep schedule • Evaluate your sleep environment: your bedroom should be cool (a few degrees cooler than you would keep it during the day), free from noise that could disturb your sleep, free from excessive light and blue light from electronics • Avoid screens in the hour before you go to sleep • Avoid heavy meals in the 2-3 hours before bedtime

Try to achieve work-life balance As mentioned above, social connections are one of the strongest predictors of happiness and mental wellness. It’s important to balance time at work (or ‘on’ work) with time spent with loved ones. When you’re spending time with family and friends, practice presence – avoiding your phone or other work-related tasks that would take you away from the interaction.

You can also practice scheduling non-negotiable ‘down-time.’ For example, book your Sundays or an evening a week off to spend time with friends, family, or to do nothing at all, leaving that time for spontaneity. Commit to keeping this time free, even going as far as blocking it off as ‘busy’ in your calendar.

Ask for Help Mental health struggles can be detrimental to your business and your overall well-being. Humans are inherently social creatures - we aren’t meant to do everything alone. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the responsibilities and expectations of running a business (self-imposed and external), ask for help. Open up to those around you and share what you’re going through so that they have an understanding of why you may not be ‘yourself’ and can offer support. Speaking to a professional through more traditional methods of therapy can also be helpful when you feel like it’s all too much to deal with on your own. A therapist can help you to maintain boundaries in personal and professional relationships, redefine your relationship with your inner critic, provide new perspectives on what you’re going through, help you to work through cognitive distortions, and equip you with new coping strategies. In addition to in-office forms of therapy, you can also access a counsellor or psychologist through web or app-based platforms.

Prioritizing your mental health is important for the long-term health of your business. In addition to the recommendations above, if you are going through a crisis or thinking about suicide, you can call the Canadian Suicide Prevention Service (1-833-456-4566).

32 // Community Now!

TELLING IT LIKE IT IS In this issue of Telling It Like It Is hear from Jeff Weiland, Founder and CEO of CanWorld Finance CanWorld Finance has the title of the longest Ompany cin business that I have interviewed at over 23 years. That is an impressive feat, please tell us about your business? Thanks Jade, I appreciate the opportunity to talk about Can-World. We started out twenty some odd years ago knowing there was a huge need for businesses, that they needed to access business capital and loans but had no where they could go. We quickly realized that businesses needed more help then we first thought. It is impressive to be in business for 23 years, please share what has made you so successful for such a long time? Well, I think it was because we added a number of new products and expanded the range of services we could offer; that kept our company in front of our clients and them coming back to see what else we had to offer. You can’t be all things to every business but you have to have solutions! Business owners are constantly being challenged so you have to bring them innovations that they can use. I wanted to tackle investing first. The VC/ Angel investor have been the hot topic for some time, but you lend businesses money, please share who you invest in and what industries are you in? Good question! So, Can-World Finance Services is a business finance, consulting and business services provider. When it comes to financing, we are industry agnostic. What this means is that we look at any business and in any sector. Whether they are a startup, well established or an older company looking for a re-boot, we are interested! In terms of size of transactions, because we have an extensive

product range, we can help any business. Whether they are looking for a small loan, term loan, revolving credit facility or equipment leasing we have them covered. As Consultants, we can help create the criteria that best suits their financing needs. You just moved office locations, why and please share how you help businesses in other ways than lending money. Well, we needed the larger space to handle new products in our line-up. We help businesses with everything from Merchant Services & POS to Foreign Exchange, Payroll Support, Job Boards, Business Plans, Business Valuations and much more. Business owners can drop in and see exactly all we have to offer in our show room. What is next for CanWorld Finance? We are continuing to strive towards new products and services that we can take to businesses. Our customers are facing new and exciting opportunities in their industries and we want to be there to support their success! If you had one piece of advice for small businesses or start-ups, what would it be? The most common pieces of advice I’m saying to business owners is: “Don’t wait to look for financing. Don’t assume that because the economy is bad and banks may not be lending, that there’s no funding available”. Come see us! We think you’ll be very surprised. And the other piece of advice is: “The businesses that are willing to do the things other businesses won’t do, will have the successes other businesses won’t have”. It’s that simple! Come by for coffee anytime! Jeff Weiland, President, Can-World Finance Services www.canworldfinance.com

Jade Alberts Jade Alberts Consulting 403-771-1301 • www.JadeAlbertsConsulting.com • www.LinkedIn.com/in/JadeAlberts Community \\ 33

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Empathy and Compassion:

An Antidote to Bullying and Other Ills of the World

Diane Swiatek, Founder and Director of Banbury Crossroads

“

School, Est. 1979

It just so happens

that we are entering upon the Christmas season, and this wintry, dark season tends to be a time when empathy and compassion are especially called for.

n analysis of bullying and other miseries perpetrated upon people by people reveals an intricate web of causal factors. Some of these behaviours result from societal issues and environmental circumstances that disempower and entrap people—perpetrators, victims and by-standers. Examples of contributory factors are neglect or dysfunction in parenting, lack of agency for children in schools, ineffectiveness in communication and problem solving, poor role-modelling from significant adults, injustice, and cultural attitudes promoting aggression and power. Underlying that, and complicit in all of that, is the realm of mental health—or rather its opposite, the realm of “mental dis-ease”—where (continued on next page) Community \\ 35

(continued from page 35...) biological conditions predispose some individuals to bullying, violence, or self-absorption. These are wicked problemsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;not easy to address. Luckily, and similarly, any analysis of antidotes to dysfunctional, misery-making behaviours reveals an equally complex web of potential strategies that could prevent, deal with, and supplant them. Even wicked problems can be addressed, if only through

a cornucopia of small actions carried out by multitudes of committed individuals. This, as Margaret Mead has pointed out, is the only way that deep and lasting change happens. If we focus on mental health interventions, one of the most promising options is to cultivate the use of empathy and altruismâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the motivating spirit behind any compassionate attempt to ameliorate human relations. Thus, we need to understand how empathy, self-control, self-awareness and creativity combine in their ultimate expression as self-regulation. These innate human capacities can provide a natural, powerful and feasible antidote to bullying and other ills of the world. Empathy and compassion counteract the particular part of wicked problems that exist right at the roots of them: egocentricity. The essence of these altruistic acts is other-focussed, rather than self-focussed. Self-centered people

36 // Community Now!

We need to care about the quality of our own life experience and that of other people.

do not handle conflict and pain well, as they become stuck in dysfunctional responses and tend to cave in to their emotional states of fear, indignation, envy or vindictiveness. Their volatile emotional brew often results in aggression and a plethora of complicating problems. The whole mess happens mostly because these people give up the imperative of seeking imaginative solutions until they are found. In fact, the emotional root of aggression and egotistical behaviour is, primarily, the inability of those persons to work beyond their own desires, and to generate options for response. This indicates a lack of imagination, a lack of persistence and resilience, as well as a fundamental lack of empathy, caring and altruism. They need to be led outside themselves to a more objective place where they can see that other people matter, too. They need to be part of the solution. Adrienne Rich has said that war is the absolute failure of imagination, scientific and political. So, self-regulation, with its component parts of

awareness, empathy, creative imagination, and restraint, if actually used by all participants in these situations, could result in reciprocally respectful relationships, and prevent tribulations from schoolyard bullying to war itself. This is a clear example of the solution to a problem being the opposite of that problem. We can easily see that the compassionate acts that are possible with self-regulation can address a much broader scope of ills than those we visit upon each other. Compassion is a true panacea for dealing in a practical way with the rest of the wicked problems that beset usâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;such as illness, natural disasters, homelessness and poverty. It may not prevent or remove these ills, but it gives us a framework to deal with them, after the fact. It is through unselfishnessâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;being able to care about more than ourselvesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that we will be motivated to truly hear, and empathize with, each other. Altruistic behaviour softens the sting of all sorts of personal problems. We can unite to address even global issues that feel overwhelming individually. Environmental degradation and climate change are good examples of this. So are issues like food waste, unemployment, refugee integration, or political partisanship. There is no paucity of issues to pay attention to. Life is certainly intriguing. We need to care about the quality of our own life experience and that of other people. It is the application of empathy and imagination that allows us to step outside our own individual situation, in order to see objectively what is happening around us. Then, it is the application of wisdom that allows us to assess how we can best use the energy, time, curiosity and knowledge available to us, so that we may participate (continued on next page) Community \\ 37

(continued from page 37...) meaningfully as part of the solution. In all cases, we need to act as individuals, and to understand that our own small part is valuable, no matter how small that part may seem. If we believed that the only worthwhile response had to be monumental, then we would not even try. We would, essentially, give up, and thereby abdicate our real responsibility to act in whatever way we can. That is a monumental realization. If there is any hope in the world for actually finding do-able, innovative approaches to conquer these complex problems, it is through multifaceted, concerted, altruistic action. It is our personal obligation, as individual members of the global community, to offer our particular contribution to the small efforts of multitudes of caring and committed citizens. In the end, these multitudinous individual responses can culminate in real substantive change.

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Since the only people we have any power over is ourselves, this is an approach we can do autonomously, so it ought to work. We only need our own goodwill. It is worth the effort to attempt to convince ourselves and each other to cultivate empathy—that we need to act with courage, persistence and maturity, using all the creativity at our disposal, to imagine how other people think and feel and experience the world. As many of us have been told since childhood, we need to put ourselves in other people’s shoes, and walk a mile in them. This means that we need to be capable of experiencing what is called a “theory of mind”, or the understanding that other people have their own perceptions, interpretations, feelings and thoughts. Our points of view are not the only valid ones. Some people, from a genetic, neurobiological cause, have great difficulty with this concept, and they have a corresponding difficulty imagining being in someone else’s shoes. They have what a former teacher at our school, Melissa Taylor, once called, “Center of the Universe Syndrome”. For the majority of us, though, this is easily possible, and we need to use our creative imagination to not only understand others’ points of view, but also to search for novel solutions to shared problems that would satisfy all parties. We then need to act upon our altruistic spirit, in order to extend our help. It just so happens that we are entering upon the Christmas season, and this wintry, dark season tends to be a time when empathy and compassion are especially called for. The so-familiar story of Scrooge in “The Christmas Carol”, by Charles Dickens, illustrates his dawning realization, through concrete experience, that all people have equal importance and deserve consideration and kindness. In fact, altruism benefits both the receiver and the giver. That is what this favorite Christmas story is all about. This story highlights the

process that, in order to feel emotional empathy, people must see and feel life as others lead it, and to experience cognitive empathy, they need to examine and understand the connections between their behaviour and its very real consequences. The very act of imagining causes and consequences is a powerful motivator to change our behaviour, control our selfish impulses and engage in self-regulation. The compassion that Scrooge ultimately exhibits is applied empathy—the ultimate example of self-awareness and altruistic problem-solving. Scrooge experiences all of that, and we vicariously feel the joy that results from his new-found unselfishness. Scrooge learned through his own experience, which happened to be specifically designed and manufactured by the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future. We don’t have access to those fantasy creatures. So, without that fictional catalyst, is it still possible for us to teach empathy? Is it actually teachable? If so, how would we transfer this positive and culture-enhancing attitude of altruism to our children?

Our first response must be to realistically acknowledge children’s neuroanatomy, because all of these desired processes that we wish to nurture in them—imagination, empathy, self-awareness and self-control—are intricately linked to it. In a way, these are catalysts produced by nature, not nurture. For instance, several types of neurons, including the mirror neurons, play a role in imagination and empathy, and the von Economo neurons are involved in self-awareness. Creative innovation and cognitive flexibility are also influenced by neurotransmitter systems involving serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. Some children are just born with the inclination to feel good about being creative—their neurotransmitter transports and receptors work efficiently. Empathy is also related to the neurotransmitter and hormone, Oxytocin. It is produced in the hypothalamus and then transported to, and secreted by, the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. Oxytocin improves cognitive empathy and helps (continued on next page) Community \\ 39

(continued from page 39...) with social adaptation in patients with autism spectrum disorder. It also increases emotional empathy and can enhance socially-reinforced learning. Nevertheless, although it is clear that there is a definite neurobiological and genetic basis to our children’s personalities, executive functioning and behaviour potential, the expression of their genes is still combined with the environmental experience they get, particularly in childhood, as well as throughout their lives. It may be difficult to “teach” emotional empathy, because that needs to be actually felt inside. However, it is possible to teach skill in cognitive empathy, through mentorship in the use of communication, logic and objectivity during social interactions. So, we do have significant influence upon our children’s learning through impacting their environment and experience. How this happens is explained in Dr. Erin Clabough’s book, “Second Nature: How Parents can use Neuroscience to Help Kids Develop Empathy, Creativity, and Self-Control”. She emphasizes that it is the practice of these behaviours that strengthens new synapses and long-term memory. Practice also increases myelination around the neuronal axons in children’s brains, which provides electrical insulation, thus speeding

up the travelling action potential. This connection between practice and the development of prosocial behaviour is the source of parental and teacher influence. Children can learn self-awareness and social-awareness, as well as how to live empathetically. Our influence lies mainly in the use of three simple methods: role modelling for those children who learn easily from observation, engaging in extensive discussion, and offering multitudinous direct experiences that require empathy and compassion. All of this requires talking. We have a primary obligation to speak with our children about life happening around us all. We need to encourage them to show a sincere interest in other people, by harnessing the authentic curiosity that is a hallmark of childhood. We can highlight the needs of others through observant and caring conversation, define potential ways for us to address those current needs, and create opportunities for our children to participate in those altruistic acts—and the more, the better. Parents and teachers can organize activities to help others in need, like working at a soup kitchen, collecting clothing items for a homeless shelter, bringing food and a shoulderto-cry-on to a grieving relative or neighbor, volunteering at a food bank, and so on. This includes experiences like transferring food (continued on page 42)

40 // Community Now!

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(continued from page 40...) from restaurants to shelters in a food rescue program, assisting in horseback riding lessons for disabled youth, or getting involved in environmental cleanups or animal rescues. In schools, such activities can be part of an internship or personal interest project, either individually or in small groups. Although certain forms of empathy may be more neurological than environmental, and thus more difficult to effectively embed within children’s minds, compassion, as a decision and action of cognitive empathy, can certainly be taught. Over time, with accumulating practice of caring, unselfish behaviours, the brains of youth are acclimatizing to those behaviours, until they become “second nature”. It is a powerful idea for us to know that strengthening synaptic pathways through practice, discussion and role modelling can actually enhance the genetic potential of our children’s innate personality. This interweaving of genetics and environment is the science of epigenetics—the true intersection of nature and nurture—and the combination can be a powerful force for good in the world. In addition, these stimulating experiences will keep our children motivated to engage actively in their own lives. We need to guide them while they are growing to work from intrinsic motivation, and to work towards being autonomous. The importance of autonomy is that self-governance, or self-sufficiency, is an expression of power over themselves—and thus, they do not need to seek power over others. They can be more flexible and magnanimous. Setting goals and defining what they want from life is an invigorating process for youth. It helps them to cultivate an optimistic and energetic spirit, and, in turn, their 42 // Community Now!

initiative and willingness to work lead to auspicious outcomes. Considering that multitudes of autonomous individuals need to also work together, in order to effect positive change in the world, cooperation and collaboration are always in our own best interest. It is fascinating to realize how much empathy, compassion, and self-control enable the collaboration that creative problem solving requires. Creativity, whether defined as self-expression or applied as innovative problem solving is, in turn, extremely beneficial to the process of empathic collaboration. It provides practical ideas to fulfill the goals that collaborators seek, and to generate more solutions to their challenges. It takes creative imagination to see things from a different point of view, and to actively imagine what others must be feeling, wanting or experiencing—which is the definition of empathy. Thus, creativity allows for empathy, and empathy allows for creativity, in a circular, intertwined fashion. Moreover, to really act upon the empathy involved in taking another person’s perspective and understanding their aspirations, people must be willing to endure the personal sacrifice demanded during negotiation and compromise. No one ever said that this process was easy. However, the silver lining to these unselfish acts is that they build mutual trust. Schools need to become places that foster mutual trust. In order for students to learn self-control, they need to be free to make decisions that affect their own lives, while taking responsibility for the consequences of their actions. Children need practice in doing this, so when they exit school, they will be able to make reasonable, autonomous decisions to guide their actions. Nurturing empathy in children is another useful strategy for schools—children can better predict the

CMY

future, when they can imagine alternate options for their behavior, and predict someone else’s behavior. Being more practiced at reading faces for emotional cues makes children more adept at understanding how people are feeling, and that’s important for survival when encountering aggression. They will be better able to know when to deescalate a situation, when to defend themselves, and when to take flight. Empathy makes them safer. The benefits of people cultivating empathy, creativity, caring, agency, initiative and connectedness are powerful, including improved health. Research has indicated that compassion may even lengthen our life spans, perhaps due to decreased inflammation and the assuaged stress response found in those who help others. These skills also make us more adept with navigating social situations, creating healthy and satisfying personal

relationships, and taking leadership roles in the workplace and community. Empathy tends to help people create a purposeful life they really want. This is true freedom, and it can only happen when young people are shown how, in detail by the adults they admire, to behave empathetically for their own good, the good of others, and the good of the earth they depend upon. Through experience, youth will gain in maturity and self-regulation, ably using all of these skills as resilient and responsive problem solvers. That is what we’re ideally working toward, in our intention to address wicked problems one step at a time, and together. This line of reasoning flies in the face of the wicked problems that we know are a reality. Yet, it is not naïve. It merely demonstrates the (continued on next page)

Community \\ 43

(continued from page 43...) optimism underlying any attempt to create meaningful change in the world. We choose to move forward, because wicked problems are not the whole story. Beauty, integrity, love and kindness are also a reality, as are music, art and dance. The world is full of pursuits that exhibit integrity, dignity, connection and joy. Empathy and compassion are part of this reality. It is important for us to do something to counteract negative realities by making a positive difference. Just as offering political respect for the rights of others creates peace among nations, offering mutual respect and empathy for the rights of others creates peace within our nations. We must proceed in this direction. For myself, I think of the joyful, energetic, engaged children at Banbury who expect to participate in this fascinating world

WE MAKE

with solid communication skills and a belief that people can work together to clarify their conundrums. That is my reality, too, and I am so grateful for that. I am gratified that they go out into the world now, as children, and later, as graduates, one by one, to jump into their lives with enthusiasm and hope and determination. My attitude is similar to that of the boy throwing multitudes of starfish stranded on the beach, one by one, back into the ocean, who replies to the observer questioning the utility of this seemingly hopeless task, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, it made a difference to that one.â&#x20AC;? Banbury makes a difference to each individual student. That is good enough for me. And these are only the children in my life. The world is full of children, and they need us. We may not be all-powerful, but we are powerful over our own actions. We work one by one, and together, and it is in this determined togetherness, all over the world, that hope exists.

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TRUSTING : BELIEVING IN THE PROFESSIONAL Garry Woods

“

I used humour and above all I did my best to humanize the uniform I was wearing, emphasizing that underneath it is a human being with the same hopes and fears as they have.

46 // Community Now!

I currently have my house on the market because I want to sell it. I have decided to employ the services of a realtor, someone who is skilled and knowledgeable in their field. Of course I could do it myself, but I don’t yet have the necessary knowledge or skills or network to give myself the best chance of success. Then there is the time commitment, being there for people on a certain day and promoting my property and somehow bringing them to a place where they want to buy it ahead of any other one they may have seen. Sounds like a lot of effort. I work as a police officer - you may have gathered that. I am not a salesman, except perhaps for the Criminal Code of Canada and all that it contains. That’s a hard sell. Sometimes, with my clientele, I try to extol the benefits of connecting with health and addiction services, or I try to sell the virtues of obeying release conditions from court. That kind of thing.

I am not suggesting that realtors and police officers have similar roles, but what we do have in common, like many relationships, is that our eﬀectiveness and our ability to work together, is built upon trust. With the realtor I have a written contract. Here’s my house put your best foot forward and sell it for me. With the community the police also has a contract. They sign it with the public in the form of an oath of oﬃce when they are sworn in. We are expected to put our best foot forward and do everything in our power to serve and to protect the community. Many members of the community don’t ever meet a police officer, but they know that if they ever need the police, that officers will attend and deal with the situation they find themselves in. Trust is an essential component between the police and the community they serve. It takes months and years to build up, but can all be undone in a few minutes. In Canada we police “by consent” and with the cooperation of the public. Our actions and behaviours as police

officers will dictate the level of cooperation and trust we have from the community. One of the Peelian principles of policing, dating from 1829, states that “the power of the police to fulfill their functions and duties is dependent on public approval of their existence, actions and behaviour, and on their ability to secure and maintain public respect.” The importance of trust cannot be underestimated. It is as important on a one to one basis as it is in a relationship between an organization and its workers or the community it serves. A few years ago I was the liaison officer for the Latin American and Caribbean communities here in Calgary. My purpose was to build relationships and (hopefully) trust between the Calgary Police Service and the members of our community from that part of the world. The challenge here was that many of these people had come from countries where the police were absolutely not liked or accepted, (continued on next page) Community \\ 47

(continued from page 47...) rather they were feared. They were certainly not trusted. Bribery, corruption, inaction and re- victimization were the order of the day. There was a very real possibility that people would carry these experiences to Calgary with them and avoid any contact with uniforms or authority, fearing the same treatment. That outcome should not surprise anyone. There may also be cultural reasons for this. As a police officer in Northern Ireland I had witnessed the same reticence of people to speak to the police, not out of fear of us, but of repercussions from others. That created a similar theatre where building trust was important to my eﬀectiveness as a police officer.

• Counselling for introverted teens who struggle with anxiety, school, peer relationships • Counselling for introverted adults who struggle with anxiety, work issues, relationships • Parent consulting for parents of introverted teens • Extroverted solutions don’t solve introverted problems. This is why I offer counselling specifically for those that are more introverted so their needs are understood in the context of how they are struggling. Website: https://quietpathways.com/ Facebook: introverttherapy LinkedIn: tracy-guillet-73915473

Of course not everybody here was fearful, but there was certainly a feeling of suspicion and trepidation about meeting with the police. Why do the police want to meet with me? Have I done something wrong? Are they gathering intelligence on me or my community? Are they trying to recruit me for something? “No, I’m not Jack Ryan, just Garry Woods”, I would tell them, “I’m just serving your community and I want to build a relationship with you, so that if you ever need help, we will have done the ground work and we can get on with addressing the problem.” My focus was on those in the city who were already serving their people - those in community associations, immigrant serving agencies, media, academia and business. They were the connections and conduits for me. They were the ones who were actively promoting and building their villages within the greater community of Calgary.

Trust is an essential component between the police and the community they serve. It takes months and years to build up, but can all be undone in a few minutes. It should be remembered that I was dealing with a population of fifty thousand people from that part of the world who had moved here for a better life. That is not a small number of people within our city, each one of them bringing their own skill set and experience. One of the tools I would use was to speak to community association meetings and to groups within immigrant serving agencies. Typically I would be in uniform. It would be in a setting they were familiar with and felt comfortable in. There was no jeopardy. I would stress to them that I am also an immigrant and that I understand the challenges around moving to another country and starting a new life. I would point out that English is my first language, even if, thanks to my accent, it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sound like it! I acknowledged

how much more difficult the whole process of resettlement must be for them as non- English speakers. I made sure they knew that I was aware of the reputation of the police in their own country and that sitting with me may be a challenge for them. I even reignited my passion for languages and addressed them in Spanish. I used humour and above all I did my best to humanize the uniform I was wearing, emphasizing that underneath it is a human being with the same hopes and fears as they have. I was able to provide them with helpful information about driving and the documents they needed, about the Charter of Rights and

(continued on next page) Community \\ 49

(continued from page 49...) Freedoms, about the types of vehicles and uniforms they could expect to see here and how to identify them. All very nice stuff. I always felt a shift in the room when I began to talk about contacting the police for help. Having spoken to many of them, I learned that they had never considered this to be an option. They just didn’t see the police as a resource capable or willing to provide help when they needed it, without having to give up something in return. Result: they would never call us. When explaining this to people I use the examples of domestic violence and bullying, sadly all too common and more prevalent these days, it seems. What happens to those within these communities whenever they need help with these issues and they do not see the police as a resource, either out of fear or because of cultural considerations? They will do one of four things: • They will do nothing and continue to suﬀer • They will take the law into their own hands • They will find someone else to deal with it • They will take their own life I make it clear to the group that none of these options are is healthy. I talk to them about the network of resources and agencies that are available to them, and that the police would be able to connect them with. Many of them were surprised to learn that the police works very closely with a myriad of service providers and that the only involvement required from the police may be to simply 50 // Community Now!

make the connection for them, and set them on a better path. The village mentality ,and the community network with the police as a very active player, was something that many of them were not aware of. It was never simply about me just telling these people to trust the police - it doesn’t work that way. Maybe if they could come to trust me, that would be a start. Contacting a large organization for help in a crisis can be hugely difficult for some people - it is much more manageable and less intimidating if you have one point of contact to guide you through that process. I became that point of contact and I saw the level of engagement from the community increase hugely, compared to when I began in the role. Having lived it and worked hard at it for over five years, I cannot begin to explain to you the importance and impact of this kind of work. Is it a job for the police? You bet it is. If you see the police as simply warriors standing on the periphery of the community waiting for a threat, then you might not get it. If, on the other hand, you can see the police (as that and also) as guardians and social workers and relationship builders and brokers, then you will. It is so important in these situations and relationships to keep your word. Many people have been promised much, only to be let down and disappointed. When you say you will do something, make sure you do it, otherwise don’t bother saying it. It will have a greater negative impact because you will only confirm the fears and expectations in them that you were hoping to leave in the past. Work hard and earn trust, but don’t be lazy and lose it. It will be hard to regain. Anyway, I hope my realtor comes through. Talk soon.

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       

ONE VISION &   FIVE TRANSITIONS 



     Greg MacGillivary 

What Kind of World Can We Work Together to Create?

 double-entry accounting. The big game changer ven after 200,000 years, many of us  of centralized mass production, powered first by wonder what it is to be human. Some of  steam and later by electricity, generated economies wonder even wonder what it is to be humane.  of scale and greatly accelerated the accumulation At a time when we’re more connected than ever,  of profits and wealth. Mass production also created we are more separate from one another. Today, we  a division of labour, where people went from creatare more divided as citizens, more removed from  ing or trading for everything they needed in rural nature, and more divorced from producing what  areas to filling one job on the production line in a we need to live ourselves. And it all seems to be  rapidly growing city. getting worse. Can we do better? Can we remember what we seem to have forgotten – what helped us as humans thrive since the dawn of time? What kind of world do we aspire to create and how can we work together to create it?

 Where We Came From

Mass production and the division of labour also reinforced the rise of the individual. In this new world, individuals now needed to work to make

money to buy what nature or people engaged in



local, small-scale production had previously pro-

Human systems have evolved for 200,000 years.

vided. The coincident rise of liquid monetary sys-

During this time, our systems have also evolved.

tems helped facilitate exchange as money, and no

No one person or group of architects built them

longer values, became the key organizing principle

and no one person or group is to blame for things

in society. Over time we’ve seen the development

being as they are. Human beings are simply a

of global economic, energy and transportation sys-

highly social, highly interdependent species who

tems and ever-more-integrated computer, social

have shared values, built relationships and created

media, automation and artificial intelligence (AI)

order. As tribe-members, we collaborated. As com-

technologies. Changes that have all occurred in the

munities, we lived together to meet our physical,

relative blink of an eye – in only 200 years of our

emotional and social needs. For 200,000 years,

200,000-year journey as a species.

with language and culture, and through story and

“Success”

human innovation, we learned, grew and thrived together.

Some would say that we’ve achieved great success over the last 200 years. Others would say that cap-

Fast Forward to the Days of Dickens

italism is the greatest form of human cooperation

Over the last 200 years, we have seen the rise of

ever created. We have created a world where you

capitalism. Capitalism is not so much of a formal

are free to pursue your own self interest – a world

system as it is the result of the convergence of dra-

where you are free to serve others and reap the

matic technological and social change. Capitalism

benefits. Knowing the failings of planned-economy

was helped along by the rise of merchants and mar-

approaches like the former Soviet Union, we’ve put

kets and by inventions like the printing press and

our faith in the power of self-correcting markets to

52 // Community Now!

allocate limited resources to need and to incent and

Five Needed Transitions

reward innovation.

Let’s look at five transitions, some of which are al-

Governments have grown to enact laws, provide

ready underway, that can move us toward achiev-

services and regulate markets. Strategic planning

ing this shared vision. They include transitions:

has helped public, private and not-for-profit orga-

•

nizations define their purpose, improve their effectiveness and meet the challenges and opportunities of an abundant era. We’ve also seen the rise of com-

to a low-carbon future. •

growth of the common good as billions have been

capitalism for higher purpose. •

ernments do better internally, deliver better

But...

across their jurisdiction, and engage individ-

In the same 200 years, we’ve seen massive environ-

uals, groups and organizations in delivering

mental degradation – carbon, pollution, ecosystem seen rising structural unemployment and low

better. •

to a world where together we consume less,

the exploitation of cheap labour worldwide. We’ve

we reduce, reuse and recycle more, and we see

also seen a massive accumulation of individual

to it that everyone has at least enough.

wealth along with rising wealth disparity – with influence on democracy.

In consumption from a world where we consume more stuff that doesn’t make us happy

wage growth here at home and visible poverty and

some of the wealthy exercising a disproportionate

In governance from 200-year-old governance technology to a new approach where gov-

lifted out of poverty.

impacts, oceans of plastic, and species loss. We’ve

In capitalism from unquestioned, unbridled and in some cases malevolent capitalism to

plex adaptive systems that no one entity controls and an improvement in individual well-being and

In energy use from a high-carbon energy use

•

In connection from a world marked by division to one marked by human connection.

There has also been more-fragmented public dis-

Moving Forward

course, growing division, rising populism, and

None of these five transitions require legislative

struggling institutions and governments. With

changes or embracing some other system. Evolu-

systems under challenge, we see more failed states,

tion not revolution. The five transitions all involve

rising walls between neighbors, and fears of scarci-

a simple shift in focus and a shift in shared values.

ty leading to more hoarding and less sharing. All of

All will help achieve our shared vision. We can

this as well as literal cocktail of human ailments –

start anywhere in the world and share what we

division, self-interest, bias, trauma, loneliness, anx-

learn with the world. In the face of an ever-angrier

iety, depression, addiction, poverty, homelessness,

world, it’s time for the good people to get going.

suicide, violence, incarceration and more.

Start a movement, pick a cause or support the good

One Shared Vision?

work already underway. Bringing our best and to-

Could we share a vision where: Everyone is enough, has enough, contributes their best, and together, we take care of ourselves, each other, our

gether, let’s get after better!

Connection builds community and compassion builds humanity.

communities and the planet! Community \\ 53

DID I CHOOSE HAPPINESS… OR DID HAPPINESS CHOOSE ME!?! Brian Cymbaluk, B Lieve Productions

“

I’M HAPPY!!!

I don’t mind stating it out loud, for all to hear, and given half the chance,

you might just find me screaming it from some nearby mountaintop!!! 54 // Community Now!

enerally speaking, I am a happy guy!!! I’ve been told, “your happiness is infectious”, “it’s heartwarming to see”… and I’ve often been asked what the secret to my happiness is. In fact… when Krista Malden, the Publisher of Community Now Magazine, (an absolutely wonderful local Calgary treasure), asked me to write an article about “choosing happiness”, she kindly offered, “I can’t think of anyone better to write it than you Brian!!!” With that kind of validation, how could I help but feel qualified to share my thoughts on what happiness is, and how you might best grab your fair share of it!

Now I’ll admit, life hasn’t always been perfect. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth, I’m not happy all of the time, and like most of you, I’ve seen my share of hardship and stress, but I wake each day with a strategy to create and earn a state of happiness in my life, and listening to the feedback I’ve received… it’s working! So once Krista’s invitation to write an article about “Choosing Happiness” arrived in the In Box of my email account… my inimitably capricious nature dug in, and I started thinking, (almost too deeply), about what I wanted to say, and more importantly, how I wanted to say it! A surprising amount of soul searching revealed some interesting things to me, about me, and I’m hopeful, reading it will be half as rewarding for you, as writing it was for me. So many doors of understanding opened up to me, as this piece all but wrote itself, and it took me on a wondrous journey of self-awareness, a journey that led me to an even richer state of personal contentment, a contentment synonymous with happiness!!!

Once I wrapped my head around the challenge, the first thing I did was ask myself a series of questions, 4 questions designed to help me more fully understand what HAPPINESS actually meant to ME. They may seem like odd questions to ask one’s self, but really… are they? Go ahead… be brave… answer them for yourself… be truthful with yourself… and see what doors of enlightenment swing open for you! Initially, I sat down with paper and pen in hand, and the answers that arrived, gave me everything I needed to say in sharing my happiness with all of you! So go ahead… I dare you! In fact, I double dogg dare you!! Answer each question as best you can, but answer honestly… and see what doors your answers open for you! • How do YOU define happiness? • Do you think happiness means the same to you as it is to others? • Does happiness really make a difference in our lives? • And really… What’s so great about happiness, anyway?!? (continued on next page) Community \\ 55

(continued from page 55...) Now WordNet Dictionary on Google defines happiness as: 1. A state of well-being, characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. 2. Emotions experienced when in a state of well-being. While I take no exception with WordNet’s definition, (it’s pretty much what you’d expect from a dictionary), my answers read a little more like this: “I consider happiness to be one of the most important aspects of my life and living. There are so many components that can help us create a great life… but family, love, self-satisfaction, purpose, philanthropy and my collective world being in order, all spell H.A.P.P.I.N.E.S.S. for this guy, and clarifying it for myself, provides me with a blueprint on how to best achieve it moving forward!” 56 // Community Now!

Now I must take a step back for a second, and ask… Have you ever noticed how some you know, family, friends or acquaintances, seemingly live life in an unadulterated state of bliss, while you feel like you wear the pressures of living on not just your sleeve… but your on forehead, your back and the rest of your body? It’s all wonderful for this Cymbaluk guy to write an article on “how easy” it is to be happy, but happiness doesn’t seem to know your name… and you’re often left wondering what you can possibly do to find happiness, and more importantly… how you can stay happy? If this sounds like you… trust me… you’re not alone! Read on if you dare to GET HAPPY!!! I often hear or have been asked: 1. OH WHY CAN’T I FIND HAPPINESS??? 2. I WISH I WAS RICH, AND THEN I COULD BUY ME SOME HAPPINESS!!! 3. SOMEBODY… PLEASE HAPPY!!! PLEASEEEEE!!!

MAKE

“

I live my life, being ‘GRATEFUL’ for everything I have!”

It’s been scientifically documented that: • Happy people are more successful… in marriage, friendship, work and income. • Happy people get sick less often, and recover faster when they do! • Happy people have more friends, which in turn fuels their happiness. • Happy people are more philanthropic when able. (This is a happy trigger for me). • Happy people possess an optimism that better eases pain, sadness, & grief. • Happy people are influencers; encouraging others to find their own happiness. • Happy people smile more, something proven beneficial to your health.

Thankfully, somewhere along the line, I came to realize that we don’t just stumble upon happiness; we have to work for it, earn it, and ultimately… deserve it! No money in the world can buy it, and the ONLY person who is going to give it to you… is YOU!!! I also realized HAPPINESS was a by-product of my perception, and knowing perception shapes my day, if my perception changes tomorrow, my methods of achieving happiness must change with it so that happiness remains part of my friend zone! It’s not always easy, but when you follow the bouncing ball and hang on tight, staying happy is the ultimate reward!!! So when I got to the final question, “What’s so great about happiness, anyway?!?”, I decided to do a little R&D on the clinical benefits of happiness, and the Internet was ripe with information on why happiness is as important as daily vitamins for the mind, body and soul!

• Happy people are happy with themselves, and less jealous of others. • Happy people exercise more, healthier, and usually live longer!

are

• Happy people are more productive and creative! So knowing that we all like to feel good, and we all like to feel happy, as you can see from the points above, happiness should be a real goal of each and every one of us, each and every day!!! As I enter my 7th decade of living, (I turn 62 this January), I enjoy a sense of HAPPINESS like never before. I am raising a family of three beautiful boys, have enjoyed an illustriously successful career path, and today… I am charged with plotting a path that is honest, but not urgent! I am no longer trying to conquer… but preparing to exit with eloquence, and while I don’t want to be invisible, I no longer chase acceptance! (continued on next page) Community \\ 57

(continued from page 57...) At times, this person I see in the mirror every morning is becoming more and more of a stranger to me each and every year! He betrays me with various aches and pains that impact my ability to live on the outside, how I live on the inside, where I’m still chasing rainbows, hitting home runs and playing rock ‘n’ roll till all hours of the morning, just to get up a couple of hours later and start all over again! That said, I’m GRATEFUL beyond words, that my yesterdays and todays are mine to design as I see fit, and my tomorrows will be the best that they can be, and you can take that to the bank!!! I live my life, being “GRATEFUL” for everything I have! GRATITUDE has the capacity to turn what we have… into enough! When we live in gratitude, we don’t think of what

we’ve missed out on, or what is yet to come, but we see the opportunities that are right here, right now… the ones in front of us, each and every day! The opportunities to love… to give... to learn… to grow… and to evolve into the greatest US we can be, which is perhaps the greatest gift of all on a quest for true happiness! Gratitude reminds us where we came from, and teaches us that when we throw ourselves passionately into things, that aren’t just things, the gifts we receive in return are plentiful and abundant! The greatest gift life delivers us each and every day... is the opportunity to get up every morning, put our feet squarely on the floor, take a deep breathe, and start creating our future, a future where you define your happiness… because you’re the ONLY ONE that can!!! P.S. As a side note… Learn how to listen to those around you! Even those you don’t regard as clever... can offer up nuggets of pure gold, when they speak from the heart! There is so much beauty all around you... you just have to open your eyes and ears to the gifts others offer! I’m fascinated by the way others see the world, because if I just shut up, and watch and listen, I might see the world through their eyes, and that insight and enlightenment could help me better define my own personal life, love and the pursuit of happiness!!! There’s gold in listening to the wisdom of others… you should try it!!! Choose HAPPINESS everyday, and HAPPINESS SHALL BE YOURS… EVERY DAY!!! MUCH LOVE TODAY, ALL DAYS, and in ALL WAYS!!! B

58 // Community Now!

$5,000 Architecture Scholarship!* Apply to the Architecture Design & Technology program at VCAD before December 31, 2019 and you'll receive a $5,000 scholarship! Get started today.

1.800.290.2179 architecture.vcad.ca * Some conditions apply.

FROM HOME BASED OFFICE TO GLOBAL IMPACT A social entrepreneur, innovator and leader who is taking giant leaps to help children and families living with disabilities Locally, Nationally and now Globally. Meet Robyn Woods, RSLP; CEO and Founder of The Uncomplicated Family Corporate Group (TUF). Which includes: Kids Uncomplicated, The Uncomplicated Family and Teleroo™ Robyn, is a co-parent of five children, two of whom have disabilities. She is an innovator and community leader who has worked, traveled and has seen first-hand the quality of life that children and families living with disabilities can achieve when supported with personalized, readily accessible care. She is also aware of the barriers they face achieving this type of care including: cost, access, geographic barriers…just to name a few. Robyn took her vision and created a solution to impact people around the world, a solution to help families overcome some of the barriers they face when supporting their children to meet their potential. “My mom is my inspiration for all of this.” said Robyn, “She was a ‘stay at home mom’ who devoted her life to serving her community. The companies honour her legacy of service”. Robyn is transforming disability service delivery with Teleroo™ World, a patented, evidence-informed, secure, and globallyrelevant collaborative suite of technologies that can be used in health, education, the community, and the home to deliver personalized disability care. 60 // Community Now!

Robyn’s journey started in Robyn’s homebased clinic, with little to no funding. Now The Uncomplicated Family Corporate Group of Companies is currently getting ready to open a new office in Calgary, Alberta. And on top of that Robyn has taken her business and innovation across the world. Just recently Robyn made a huge impact: Over two years of international cooperation and technology investment led by her Canadian-based digital health company, The Uncomplicated Family (TUF), has resulted in the successful completion of the Panacea Gaming Platform (PGP), a project organized through the EUREKA-ITEA Cluster Programme. With approval finalized by the EUREKA-ITEA Cluster Board, Robyn, will now launch the Serious Gaming platform with the goal of supporting Special Populations and those with disabilities around the world. This is an amazing accomplishment not only for Robyn and her team but for Canada, Innovation and families around the world. “Our goal is to help 1 billion people around the globe” stated Robyn. “And through partnership and by harnessing the power of IT, we can transform healthcare in Canada and Globally.” Robyn and her team has contributed to the advancement of digital health through leadership, influence and impact!

Robyn is a recipient of the 2019 Canadian Business Chicks Innovation Award Trailblazer: STEM, Alberta Woman Entrepreneur of the Year: Upsurge Award and 2016 Ernst and Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year award for the prairie provinces and was selected by Digital Health Canada as a Top 10 Women Leader in Digital Health. “We are just getting started” stated Robyn. kidsuncomplicated.com teleroo.com theuncomplicatedfamily.com

The team is moving the needle in business for women, innovation, and health care and most importantly they are changing lives. Community \\ 61

Our Let's Talk Hope conference on Bell Let's Talk Day is to bring together people from all walks of life to TALK and share about mental health from their context. We invite business owners, artists, non profit leaders, mental health care professionals, teachers and students to come out from their silos to come around the table to talk. We do include a couple of speakers and community highlights and workshops, but the peak of the event is when everyone gets a chance to share. We then notice what is common and what would solve the problem. We then call the community to DREAM together of what baby steps towards that solution looks like. Last year, participants found that a lack of connection was a common issue and described ways to bring people together as a solution. This year our whole conference is based around the idea of "How do we create better connection?" Our keynote speaker, Dr Jody Carrington will be opening with thoughts before we dive in. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/lets-talk-hope-calgary-conference-tickets-75870285065?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

www.thedoorway.ca CRA 13140 1226 RR0001

62 // Community Now!

www.thelisteningproject.ca listening to everyone

onepiece-it.com

On October 25, Benevity welcomed a special guest; Mitch Hermansen from Movember Canada, to the Benevity office to come and share some important stats about Men's health and the work Movember is doing to raise awareness, and improve treatments for Prostate Cancer, Testicular Cancer, Mental health, and Suicide Prevention.

Photos are inclusive to Benevity

The Strength of Community Within Office Walls

“We believe that this is a cause that’s important to everyone. No matter your gender, or gender identity, we all have fathers, brothers, sons, husbands, grandpas, uncles, or friends that are men that we love and care about. Also, you don’t have to grow to save a bro. You can raise funds by walking or running 60 km, hosting an event like a quiz night or a bake-sale, or shave-down to kick off your fundraising. In Canada, 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, 3 out of 4 suicides in Canada are men, and Canadian men, on average, die 4 years earlier than women. That has to change. We all want more time with our dads, brothers, partners, friends, and sons: time for more conversations, more catch-ups, more of what life’s all about. Now is our time to make it happen.” Benevity Since the Grey Cup was hosted in Calgary this year on November 24th, our Chief Financial Officer Kelly Schmitt (who also happens to be a Saskatchewan Roughriders fan and local Movember volunteer) decided to combine her passions and put out a company-wide challenge in support of the cause. She had a $2,500 fundraising goal. And if the team helped her meet that goal, Kelly committed to delivering the company’s financial results wearing a real watermelon helmet. Kelly doubled her goal,

The Team Kelly Schmitt, Chief Financial Officer Trey Yost, SVP Sales (and his kiddos!) Vivian Farris, VP People Jason Becker, Interim Chief Technology Officer Ryan Courtnage, VP Innovation Platforms Sona Khosla, VP Marketing Anusha Srijeyanathan, VP Client Success John Mortimer, VP Engineering

raising over $5,000, and upped the ante by getting Benevity’s management team on board too. For every additional $1,000 raised for Movember and Mental Health causes, another member of the management team would also become a melonhead. The strategy paid off raising over $22,000! “Congratulations Kelly on bringing your team together in a fun exciting way to crush your fundraising goal! This is Community!” - CN! Team

Community \\ 63

CN! EXPLORING COMMUNITY EVENTS: SAFE HAVEN FOUNDATIONS HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS Community Now! had the honour of attending SAFE HAVEN FOUNDATIONS HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. It was a night filled with stories, inspiration, courage and community.

THE COLLABORATIVE IS NOW OPEN… An exciting night of shopping, networking and happiness! The Collaborative is NOW open on the third floor of Bankers Hall across from the food court. Stop in for “A Dose of Happiness.”

64 // Community Now!

“

The sense of inclusivity is the foundation of the craft beer industry.

Shawn Webber

he image most people have of the Canadian Rocky Mountains in November is a cold place with snowcapped peaks, deep in the clutches of winter, a haven for skiers, snowboarders and beer drinkers? Yes, beer drinkers, on this particular Saturday, the Cave and Basin National Historic Site also happens to be home to the 2019 Banff Craft Beer Festival. “Our vision is to share our love of craft beer and festivals with the craft beer community, in one of the most beautiful places on earth,” says Trevor Bacon, the Director of Communications for Alberta Beer Festivals. The three-day festival provides tourists and craft beer enthusiasts the opportunity to sample a wide variety of craft beverages created by local breweries and distilleries; while taking in the breathtaking scenery and entertainment available in the world-famous Banff National Park. (continued on next page) Community \\ 65

(continued from page 65...) With over 50 different breweries, distilleries and restaurants offering the opportunity for festival attendees to sample their products, there is something here for everyone. For the craft beer enthusiasts who arrive early enough to the festival, guided tours of the Cave and Basin historic site were provided by the guides from Parks Canada. The sense of inclusivity is the foundation of the craft beer industry; ask any brewer about the competition in the craft beer industry, and they will tell you about the collaboration and how much of a sense of community they feel with the other local brewers. How much each and every member of the community is supported by the entire community, if a brewer needs assistance, be it technical support, or a supply shortage they have a network of support from other local brewers all they need to do is reach out. This sense of community is often strongest in the places where there is only one brewery or few local options. As explained by Kyle Geeraert of Origin Brewing and Malting, “We supply 80 other breweries with malt, and grains sourced from local farms” but in Strathmore the best way to get fresh craft beer meant travelling. “We saw an opportunity in our community to share our products with the local community through beer. Since we opened our taproom, the community response and support has been unbelievable.” This sense of 66 // Community Now!

community and support in locations both rural and urban quickly became a theme of our visit to the festival. “It’s become clear that people like having options but also like supporting local, if you can provide locally sourced new styles of beer to your community, the public support will be there.” Said Brandon Owens of Campio Brewing in Downtown Edmonton. “The brewing community is attractive to people whether they’re looking to get into the industry, or just enjoy unique high-quality beer. The community that craft brewing has fostered is very inclusive and friendly. Beneficially, beer also serves as a bridge between communities; sports, music, art, and food are all communities that all overlap with the beer community” says Trevor Jay of Blindman Brewing in Lacombe AB. It’s this inclusivity and wide-ranging appeal that has caused the craft beer industry to experience the rapid growth globally, and nowhere is this truer than in Alberta. “With the growth of these festivals and the increasing demand with each passing event we are seeing that Alberta is becoming a craft beer destination on par with Vancouver and California” adds Bacon. Don McDonald of Brewsters, one of the original craft brewers in Alberta, explains, “Brewsters has been a prairie company for 30

years. Over the last several years, it’s been a lot of fun to watch the growth of the industry, to see the innovations with small batches and to watch craft beer go from a few companies to over a hundred. Its always exciting to see the community you’re in expand and provide more opportunities for innovation, employment and growth. Without sacrificing the sense of togetherness that the craft beer community has.” If you’ve never tried craft beer or never attended an Albert Beer Festivals event, it’s a worthwhile experience. As explained by Geeraert “people won’t like every beer we make, but we will have a beer for everyone”, coming to the event trying new or different styles of beer or hard liquor and meeting the people who make the drink and the craft community so popular will leave almost anyone hooked. Adds Bacon “One of the biggest points of pride for Alberta Beer Festivals is the community inclusion. The festivals bring together the professionals and the public, they provide opportunities for people who might be interested in breaking in to the community, or perhaps just interested in knowing what’s in this delicious new beer they just tried and letting them interact with brewers, servers and distributors who are making their career in the craft beer industry.” Community \\ 67

Thank you to everyone who made

this event possible

Peter Lafontaine

Business & Technology Leader, Change Agent, Sales & Marketing Excellence, Entrepreneur, Mentor & Social Good Interloper

Jade Alberts

KEYNOTE Tom Morin

KEYNOTE Koleya Karringten

Jim Gibson

Vanisha Breault

Les Mottosky

Connie Jakob

Author, Speaker, Consultant & Coach at Work Feels Good

Partner of Thin Air Labs, Author & Influencer



Founder; Peer Guidance

Executive Director at Alberta Blockchain Consortium

Founder & Executive Director, Terminator Foundation

Curious, Creative & Speaker, Author &  Innovation Strategist Connection Coach



     Managing Director, Community Builder &  Scenarios to Strategy Inc. Leadership Guru, Hubudub  

Greg MacGillivray

Kurt Kinnear

         

Thank You To Our Sponsors

68 // Community Now!

Stacy Richter

The Marketing Mindbender

Karen Judge

Functional Mind Wellness & Happiness Educator

Ken Goldstein

Dean Kendall

Financial Organizer, Ideal Life Experience Ltd.

Kelly Blain

Certified Therapeutic Reflexologist. Yoga Instructor & Change The Face of Addiction Educator

Robyn Woods

Managing Director, The Goldstein Group

RSLP CEO/Founder Teleroo, Kids Uncomplicated, The Uncomplicated Family

Garry Woods

Steven Archambault

Sargent, Calgary Police Service

Founder, Healing Self Hypnosis

Kristylee Christensen Fehr Community Advocate, Mom & Survivor

Magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2 Annual

Mental Health Event

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Magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2 Annual

Mental Health Event

70 // Community Now!

Community \\ 71

Mer ry mas! Christ

e y, n o lth y r e ea v E H 20 g , 20 n y i ish app ful W H ess A ucc S

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