Hello,

We live in tumultuous times — whether we’re discussing national security, economic development, employment, housing, or the stability of our political environment.
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It was good to see on May 27 His Majesty King Charles III attend the State Opening of the Parliament of Canada and deliver the Speech from the Throne to open the first session of the 45th Parliament and outline the government’s agenda.

As Canada's current legislative session of the Parliament of Canada (which began on May 26) unfolds, let's take a trip down memory lane to explore the level of resilience that is required to reach the most senior leadership role in our country's political system.

"From my earliest boyhood, I was given to romanticization of the future in which I would be able to do something for my country." (John Diefenbaker, Prime Minister of Canada from 1957 to 1963)

John George Diefenbaker was born in 1895 in Neustadt, a small Ontario village over 150 km northwest of Toronto. By 1903, the family moved West and settled in Saskatoon. He was only eight or nine years old when he told his mother that he would become the prime minister of Canada.

As Bob Plamondon recounts in the recently published "Freedom Fighter: John Diefenbaker's Battle for Canadian Liberties and Independence" book, Diefenbaker had an inauspicious start in politics, losing five municipal, provincial and federal elections between 1925 and 1938.

In 1940, he was elected Member of Parliament by only 280 votes. Two years later, he sought the leadership of his party. He tried again when the leadership came open in 1948, but he was not taken seriously once again.

When his party's leadership was once again up for grabs in 1956 and be announced his candidacy, the power brokers in the party orchestrated a "Stop Diefenbaker" campaign. But the party's grassroots members were willing to give him a shot and, on this third attempt, he won the leadership on the first ballot.

"No Canadian politician before him ever role so steadily through a succession of humiliations," said Dalton Camp about John Diefenbaker.

In his first national election as leader in 1957, Diefenbaker defied expectations and won a minority government with 112 out of 265 seats.

Nine months later, there was another election and he converted this into a massive majority, holding 208 seats (i.e., 78% of the seats in Parliament).

That 1958 landslide election win remains the most dominant win in Canadian federal politics.

As you reflect on how to be resilient in your environment and to achieve your purpose, here are three actions you may want to take:

1. Identify a specific goal that is worth achieving (despite all the challenges that you will likely face along the way) and write it down.
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2. As inspiration, read the "Freedom Fighter: John Diefenbaker's Battle for Canadian Liberties and Independence" book by Bob Plamondon (note that you can borrow it at no cost from the Toronto Public Library if you cannot afford to buy it).​
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3. As a brief exercise, you can also read and reflect on the "Resilience: Build skills to endure hardship" article by Mayo Clinic staff.

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Thank you for taking the time to read my weekly e-newsletter. I genuinely appreciate it.

See you at one of the upcoming #ExperienceTO walks or historical tours.

Until next time,
Alex Rășcanu
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