Nick - these are heart-warming examples of the shift that is occurring that will enable us to create a new world economy out of the ashes of what we have now proven to be dysfunctional as an economic model.

The stories of Bill Stricklands work, and that if Jessica Flannery, are well worth taking a few minutes to view. Imagine the impact of these endeavors.... and then consider what 800 billion in stimulus packages,managed with the mindset of these entrepreneurs, could accomplish. They build success stories by, "changing the way people see themselves, so that they can change their behaviors."

This is "the psychological corner that needs to be turned".

I look forward to your future posts on these Enlightened Orgs!

This is fun!

It reinforces the information on Nicks blog , Your Brain On Music, about how music triggers a response in all areas of the brain - this one certainly raises ones consciousness!...still smiling, and dancing!

http://vanamburggroup.com/blogs/this-is-your-brai...

With the frightening fires and floods happening in Australia right now, this type of grass-roots action is none too soon - not only for Australia but as an example for others around the world as on how to get the attention of government.
We can't wait for senior officials to take action...time for action is critical and the way is local. I hope the Australian example will be a model for how a quiet, calm committed effort is much more powerful than violent protests.
You may be interested in reading my Monday blogs over the next few weeks to see the actions being taken by other local citizens...thanks for visiting and commenting, Darren. If you know of other related stories that need to be shared, please tell us.

Yesterday, Canada posted its job loss for the month of January, the highest number ever in a one month period at 129,000. I believe the US announced an equally devastating number of almost 600,000.
Interestingly, commentators in Canada, were remarking that although it was bleak, it was not as bad as what the US was experiencing. Ironically, no one was reporting or comparing on a per capita basis. The Canadian population is about one-tenth that of the US... a comparative number would be more like 1.29 million jobs lost.
I don't like to be a "Chicken Little", but I also do not like to see leaders with their heads in the sand.
This directory is a wonderful resource. Yes, the economy is bad but at the same time there are many employers still crying for workers. The province I live in , British Columbia,is short 2000 nurses.
My friend , Peter, says in the little town he lives in, the woman who owns the corner grocery store is paying more than double the minimum wage and cannot get someone to work in this little community at the retail store.
Become familiar with this directory resource before you have lost your job. The jobs are out there and will continue to be. The economy is undergoing a huge adjustment as we shift out of a manufacturing/ industrial era. It means each worker needs to be prepared to retrain, relocate and rethink...and it is best to do that when you are still employed.
I was a Director in our federal department of Employment and Immigration during the recession in the mid-1980's. Our unemployment rate was between 12 - 16% and even higher in certain regions and Atlantic Canada. We are currently at 7.6%. This current jobless figure would have been considered good news back then... and at that time, since we had been in recession for a few years, we had a much larger number of discouraged workers who were no longer even being counted in that rate.
We are no where close to the jobless bottom of this recession and workers will be well-advised to have a Plan B while they are still employed.

Looks like my last session in the gym :)

God Bless us all, Danny!

I think there must be a 'wisdom' out there, that believes if we introduce enough" rules" we will be able to offset the need for anyone to have to use common sense.

- I have been sent to Dept of Agriculture at an airport because I was in possession of a single banana I forgot to toss before going through Customs

- I have drunk a full bottle of water while holding up the security screening lineup because they told me the water was too cold to pour on to a plant in the vicinity, and I was not about to give up my special bottle with its built-in filter, so I had to drink its entire "toxic" contents in front of the security folks

- I once had to forfeit my lunch of roast beef meat sandwiches at a US border crossing during the Mad Cow fiasco.

.. if you are in the Hamilton airport there is a special potted plant with my sons wonderful army knife he refused to give up... just waiting for his return one day :)

- my airport stupidity stories are endless

- and then there is my brother, who is a double black belt, who shows me how easily one could maime a pilot or crew with a 39 cent Bic pen... sigh... read my post tomorrow!

Appreciate your comments!

I couldn't agree more, Nick - in some ways, perhaps, Obama's legacy is already achieved. I got to thinking this when someone raised the unthinkable- that this President may suffer the same ends as Lincoln, Kennedy etc... but as I thought about that, it occurred to me, should that happen, he has already performed the enabling role you talk about - because I do not think anyone in this leadership role could take the nation back to where they were - FEAR instead of HOPE.

I read this quote somewhere a long time ago...not sure who said it... but it has been a guide for me in all the management roles I have held - "Of great leaders they will say, "We did it ourselves."

Absolutely! - People generally look to network marketing as a ray of hope from the trap of the 9-5. They are excited about being their own boss, being in control of their decisions... if it isn't fun - they might as well keep doing what they are presently doing :)

You are so right Truus - if we just stop for a minute and think about "how would I feel if..." OR "how would I like someone to relate to me... more often than not, we would do the right thing. Sometimes we get pressured, by the teachings in the industry that we, "must get out of our comfort zone."

Unfortunately, this has often meant that we stop trusting our intuition, and we try to do what we think some wiser, more "industry-saavy" person tells us to do.

I say, "trust your instincts, your intuitions, your ethics - and forever change the way the business is done".

Interesting observations David. I understand you can add Hugh Hefner and Playboy to the list of canaries of "failing porn". Do we have a demographic, as well as a consciousness shift, happening here? Look forward to your posts today...there is always opportunity in downturn economies - and we are all looking for where they will appear!