This is a non Real Estate related post...

Lately there seems to be a growing wave of negativity and complaining surrounding the downturn in the economy. We're all having to make adjustments in our habits and lifestyles and I don't want to make little of anyone's difficulties.

I do find it helpful to have a change of perspective from time to time and I personally find it helpful to be reminded of how fortunate we are to live where we do and in the style that we're used to. One way to sense how fortunate we are is to help someone less fortunate than ourselves. There are plenty of ways, one thing that I've been doing for the past couple of years is sponsoring a child in Bolivia (Bismar, age 14) through World Vision.

We exchange pictures and letters with him from time to time, we received one today that caused me to take a moment to appreciate the circumstances of life in Calgary. It's truly a privelage to be able to live and work in such a wonderful place and it never hurts to be reminded of that at a time when so much of the media coverage is negative. If you've ever considered sponsoring a child, I couldn't recommend it more strongly.