The Rășcanu Weekly Update Lesson 49: Read Stories. Tell Stories. Hear Stories.By Alex Rășcanu Hi friend, Over the last two evenings, I read two wonderful children’s books to my kids: Pickle the Pig and Lou Lou's Pet Dragon Goes to School, both written by Brenden Bott and published by Arete Books. Sitting in their bedroom with the kids tucked in beside me, smiling at Lou Lou's classroom experience and Pickle the Pig’s adventure, I found myself reflecting on storytelling. "Let me tell you a...
13 days ago • 1 min read
The Rășcanu Weekly Update Lesson 48: Dream big. Plan well. Execute with heart.By Alex Rășcanu Hi friend, I want to share something personal for this week’s lesson. A few weeks ago, while visiting Yorkdale Mall with my children, we wandered into Indigo. Near the stairs on the second floor, an author was seated at a table signing books. It was Karl Subban, the father of well known former professional ice hockey defenceman P. K. Subban. We walked over, chatted for a few minutes, he signed a copy...
21 days ago • 2 min read
The Rășcanu Weekly Update Lesson 47: What Marilyn Bell’s Swim Teaches Us About Courage and Finishing What You StartBy Alex Rășcanu Hi friend, What would make a 16-year-old dive into Lake Ontario at night, swim for nearly 21 hours through cold waves and darkness, and refuse to give up when almost no one thought she could make it? That’s what Marilyn Bell did in 1954. She wasn’t famous.She wasn’t the favourite, as other swimmers included a world-famous long distance swimmer from another...
29 days ago • 2 min read
The Rășcanu Weekly Update Lesson 46: What Sunnyside’s Past Can Teach Us About Change And LegacyBy Alex Rășcanu Hi friend, I've been researching the story of a place you probably know by name, but not by its full history: Sunnyside. Back in the mid-1800s, John George Howard (official surveyor and civil engineer for the government of Toronto, and the first professional architect in the city) bought a big piece of land just west of what was then Toronto.To the east of his High Park property, he...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
The Rășcanu Weekly Update Lesson 45: We Rise Higher Together - The Story of United Way and the Power of Collective ActionBy Alex Rășcanu Good morning, When we look up at the CN Tower, we see more than an architectural marvel; we see a symbol of how high we as a community can rise when we climb together. On November 16, I’ll be joining others to climb its 1,776 steps in support of United Way Greater Toronto. This isn’t just a physical challenge; it’s a way to take part in a legacy of people...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
The Rășcanu Weekly Update Lesson 44: Courage in the Line of Fire. The Story of Corporal Frederick George Topham, VCBy Alex Rășcanu Hello, While preparing to co-facilitate (with local historian/author Jim Adams) the upcoming historical tour focused on Toronto's Runnymede neighbourhood, I came across the story of Frederick George Topham. Frederick George Topham was born in 1917 in Toronto.He attended King George Public School and Runnymede Collegiate Institute.Before enlisting, he worked as a...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
The Rășcanu Weekly Update Lesson 43: Build Something That Outlasts YouBy Alex Rășcanu Hello, While preparing to co-facilitate a historical tour focused on Toronto's Runnymede neighbourhood, I came across the story of John Scarlett. John Scarlett was born in 1777 in Newcastle-under-Lyme, England, into a world of change and opportunity.As a young man, he moved to Antigua, where he gained experience in commerce. By the time he was 32, Scarlett decided to leave Antigua and set out for Upper...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
The Rășcanu Weekly Update Lesson 42: Bend like the humble bambooBy Alex Rășcanu Good day friend, Your ability to pivot around the personal and professional obstacles you're facing right now may have less to do with having the strength of a mighty oak tree and more to do with being flexible like a humble bamboo that bends in the wind. A stalk of bamboo sways even in the gentlest breeze, yet it may be the only thing standing after a typhoon due to its roots being firmly anchored. Bamboo endures...
2 months ago • 2 min read
The Rășcanu Weekly Update Lesson 41: If You Want Your Dreams to Become Reality, Wake Up AlreadyBy Alex Rășcanu Good day friend, You and I have meaningful dreams we’d like to achieve. How much action (despite all the friction/challenges we face) are we taking each day to achieve them? There’s an old Yiddish proverb that I’ve come to appreciate: “If you want your dreams to become reality, wake up already.” To reach the goals we’ve set for ourselves to achieve between now and the end of the...
2 months ago • 2 min read