The Rășcanu Weekly Update Lesson 38: How preparation meets opportunityBy Alex Rășcanu Good morning friend,While preparing for a 5-kilometer run in support of Sunnybrook's Family Navigation Project, I’ve been inspired and encouraged by my chiropractor, who is training for a half-marathon and shared a helpful training schedule. It’s a relatively short distance, but the dedication required (doing proper stretching at least five times per week, running at least three times per week for increasing...
10 days ago • 3 min read
The Rășcanu Weekly Update Lesson 37: How to navigate trade wars with the blue ocean strategyBy Alex Rășcanu Good morning friend,I'm writing to you from Ottawa, during a family trip we've taken to Canada's capital city. Ottawa is quiet in terms of pedestrian traffic (when compared to Toronto), but it's not quiet when we reflect on the ongoing trade warfare. As Greg Koabel puts it in an opinion article in Saturday's The Globe and Mail newspaper, "tariffs, sanctions, retaliatory duties and...
16 days ago • 3 min read
The Rășcanu Weekly Update Lesson 36: How to become a servant leaderBy Alex Rășcanu I hope you're doing well! John C. Maxwell is the author of over 75 best-selling books on leadership, and one of the core messages he shares on this topic is that leadership is about serving others, before yourself.The challenge is that most organizations operate from a hierarchical leadership structure; in that context, being a leader refers to being in a position of power and authority. Rather than showing...
26 days ago • 1 min read
The Rășcanu Weekly Update Lesson 35: How W. A. Baird shaped parks and communityBy Alex Rășcanu Good morning friend, While preparing to facilitate the #ExperienceTO: West Bend Historical Tour on September 6th, in collaboration with two local community leaders, I came across the story of William Alexander Baird after whom our starting point (Baird Park) is named. Research into his life suggests that he had a quiet demeanor, yet he accomplished much both professionally and had a positive impact...
30 days ago • 2 min read
The Rășcanu Weekly Update Lesson 34: Own your past. Change your future.By Alex Rășcanu Good morning friend, In the "Own Your Past, Change Your Future" book, Dr. John Delony shares the following: “We’re the most technologically advanced society in history, but we’ve never been more stressed, medicated, or lonely. We have 1,000 Facebook friends but no one to help us move our couch. The pace of life is making us exhausted. We’re all carrying the weight of our trauma based on the stories we were...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
The Rășcanu Weekly Update Lesson 33: Enjoy poetryBy Alex Rășcanu Good morning friend, As we move through the heart of summer, I wanted to take a moment to share a story (and a poem) that continues to resonate across centuries and continents. Meet Mihai Eminescu, who lived from 1850 to 1889. I'm reading one of his books at this time. Often celebrated as Romania’s national poet, Eminescu was more than a writer; he was a philosopher, journalist, and voice for cultural identity. His poetry blends...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
The Rășcanu Weekly Update Lesson 32: What Jane and Finch teaches us about city buildingBy Alex Rășcanu Good morning, Look around your neighbourhood. Maybe it’s a gleaming condo corridor. Maybe it’s a quiet residential street. Maybe it’s a mix of towers and storefronts, cars and kids, parks and pavement.Now ask yourself: Who planned this place? Who invested in it? And who is involved to make it a true community? Every neighbourhood is shaped by decisions: political, economic, and social. But...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
The Rășcanu Weekly Update Lesson 31: Man can endure almost any “how” of life if he has a “why”By Alex Rășcanu Good morning, I wonder what you're reading these days. Reading and deeply reflecting can stir up learning opportunities and positive outcomes. I'm currently part way through Victor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" memoir. Victor Frankl was born in Vienna in 1905. He studied psychology and philosophy. After earning a doctorate in medicine in 1930, Frankl headed a suicide prevention...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
The Rășcanu Weekly Update Lesson 30: Make your mark on your city, inspired by Toronto's first MayorBy Alex Rășcanu Good morning, Nearly two centuries later, what can William Lyon Mackenzie still teach us about building a better city? In my reading of his story, I find that one of his beliefs was that true democracy requires active civic participation, including fair elections, public debate, and citizen involvement, principles that are essential to good governance. When York became Toronto in...
2 months ago • 1 min read