Career Professionals of Canada News Feed

Work-Life Integration – Being the Best We Can Be

November 27, 2020 |

Wikipedia describes the career as an individual’s metaphorical “journey” through learning, work, and other aspects of life.  What jumps out at me here is the word “journey.” It reminds me of a famous quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson;  “Life is a journey, not a destination.”  I used to feel so much pressure to try to decide what I wanted to be when I grow up until I realized that the goal is not about striving to reach a final destination. It’s about being happy, being balanced, being authentically ourselves along the way — being…

Hidden Disabilities: Should Our Clients Dare to Declare?

October 23, 2020 |

Living with a hidden disability is challenging enough, but when we try to hide it from our workplace we only end up suffering in silence. October is Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM), a good time to start some conversations and share our personal stories of living and working with hidden disabilities. Don’t “DIS” Our “ABILITY” The question often comes up with our clients about if and when they should self-declare a disability to an employer. Everyone’s circumstance is different but, at the core, we all share the same internal experience.…

Are You a Voice of Inspiration for Your Clients?

October 16, 2020 |

I was browsing through some good reads when I came across Voices of Inspiration: Real Life Wisdom for Living Your Best Life by Marlon Smith. The book is the third volume in the Success By Choice, Inc. series and was an Amazon #1 bestseller when it was published in 2015. What drew me to this book were the amazing stories of turnarounds and transformations experienced by people from around the world. The strategies used to overcome obstacles were truly inspired and inspiring. Serve as a Supportive Change Advocate for Your Clients…

Work-Life Balance is Possible: 10 Simple Strategies

September 25, 2020 |

A quote by Orison Swett Marden caught my eye the other day: “The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment; it is not in luck or chance, or the help of others; it is in yourself alone.” We often search for happiness externally, thinking that if we could just achieve more, invest in a purchase, or land an opportunity, then we will be content. The fact is that we must consciously choose to be happy at this moment. This year, we have seen…

Bias is a Four-Letter Word

September 11, 2020 |

According to Psychology Today, a bias is a “tendency, inclination, or prejudice toward or against something or someone.” It is usually learned or developed through direct experience or conditioning. Some biases, though, are positive and helpful. For example, having a bias for only eating healthy food is a positive thing. But biases are often based on stereotypes, rather than actual knowledge of an individual or circumstance. Whether positive or negative, such cognitive shortcuts can result in prejudgments that lead to rash decisions and even discriminatory practices. We all have experienced bias in some way,…

Global Crisis: A Wake-Up Call to Raise Our Consciousness

May 8, 2020 |

These days, we are all in the midst of a complex transition requiring a careful reengineering of our daily lives and routines. We’ve had to quickly learn to navigate the world of remote work while being challenged by an unpredictable economy. I have conversed with clients who are using “a one day at a time approach.” This is what it takes now — just one day at a time and one step at a time. It is easy to blame external forces for this chaos and ask ourselves “why now?”…