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Globe and Mail
13 hours ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
They downsized to save money and simplify their lives. Here's what they wished they'd known
In 2015, Michelle Thorne was living alone in a four-bedroom house in Barrie, Ont. Her adult children had moved out, and she found herself using only half the house. Ms. Thorne, who was working as a teacher, decided to downsize. She bought a three-bedroom townhouse in a bustling area nearby shops and services – features she thought would be useful once she retired. But soon after moving in, she realized something was missing. 'As soon as I arrived, I started missing the peace and quiet of my old neighbourhood. I used to sit outside and enjoy the nature around me, and I missed that almost immediately.' It was just one of many adjustments for Ms. Thorne. She struggled with the lack of privacy and the tighter living space. Her new garage was too small for her car and barbecuing meant dragging the grill onto a shared driveway. She'd hoped the move would bring a better financial return but barely broken even – and felt a loss of control as the condo board took over maintenance decisions. Downsizing is a popular choice for those looking to simplify their lives with less upkeep and lower costs, especially after children have moved out. A 2024 survey of home-sellers by online real estate platform Wahi found 37 per cent of respondents cited downsizing as the leading reason to sell their home. This trend is particularly noticeable among older Canadians, with 69 per cent of downsizers aged 55 and above. But some are left wondering whether the move to a smaller property is truly worth it. A 2022 survey by HomeEquity Bank found that 41 per cent of respondents admitted they were unaware of the true costs associated with downsizing. Jacqueline Watson, a Toronto-based realtor, says she often sees clients rush into downsizing without fully considering the costs and challenges of adapting to a smaller living space. She notes one of the most overlooked parts of downsizing are the unforeseen financial costs. 'If you have a mortgage, what penalties are you looking at? Are you emotionally attached to your stuff – and if so, how much would you pay to rent a locker to store it? Have you thought about what the land transfer taxes may be?' She adds that costs such as moving expenses, land transfer taxes and condo fees can quickly add up. For seniors, she further advises factoring in a budget for accessibility renovations, such as installing chairlifts, to ensure the home remains functional as they age. Danielle Mah, an educational assistant and creator of a YouTube channel focused on minimalism, had to make sacrifices when she and her husband moved in 2021 from a 2,000-square-foot house in Calgary to a townhouse half that size in Chilliwack, British Columbia. The move was driven by the high costs of utilities and maintenance of their previous home. Ms. Mah says they struggled to fit years' worth of belongings: 'Even after selling items, reducing clothing and letting go of furniture, the real challenge was realizing we no longer had the space for what was left.' During the move, she kept only 50 of her 200 houseplants due to space and logistical constraints. Instead of paying for storage, they gave away some belongings. Ms. Mah advises others planning similar moves to gradually declutter and embrace minimalist strategies such as buying versatile clothing and vacuum-sealing off-season items. Downsizing can also limit the ability to entertain. In 2018, Claudia Espindola, an operations manager, relocated from a three-bedroom townhouse in the Greater Toronto Area to a two-bedroom pre-construction condo in Guelph, Ont., after her job went remote and her children moved out. After moving into the condo, Ms. Espindola quickly realized the absence of a distinct separation between the living and dining areas: 'The biggest challenge was the lack of space for entertaining. I could fit two people comfortably, but I had to buy foldable tables and chairs to set up every time someone comes over.' While her condo offers a party room, each use incurs a $100 fee, as well as a deposit and cleaning charge. She is now hunting for a larger home that includes a dedicated dining area to better accommodate guests. For Ms. Thorne, her first downsizing experience in Barrie helped her make a more informed choice for her next move. In 2017, she moved into a two-bedroom bungalow in a quiet, parkland area near the waterfront. She enjoys being surrounded by nature, even if it means handling the extra work of maintaining the property and replacing yard equipment. The teacher, who retired two years ago, says she regrets prioritizing retirement over her immediate needs. When she downsized, she was focused on a future without car access, even though she plans to drive for at least another decade: 'I was too focused on the future and not paying enough attention to what I needed in the present.' Now settled into her home, she says she would advise others to carefully consider what truly matters to them before deciding to downsize: 'It's a decision that can't be thought of from either a strictly financial side or lifestyle side. They're impossibly intertwined, and I'm not sure anybody can know for sure how much things really mean to them until they lose them.'
Forbes
15 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Business Leaders Must Read These 5 Surprising Children's Books Now
Business leaders can learn invaluable lessons from these 5 children's books Summer is a great time to catch up on reading. This is a list of children's books that business leaders should read. Why children's books? Because they are short. They are fun. And they pack in quick, deep leadership lessons business leaders can benefit from. Leadership growth isn't only found in business books or 5 step strategies on a PowerPoint slide. You can find business communication lessons on making the case for change and turning the complex clear to thriving despite conflicts in children's books. Critical leadership skills can be learned through the creative and joyful act of reading children's books. Enjoy! An endearing picture book about Vashti, a kid who didn't think she could make art. With the encouragement of her teacher, she finally, angrily, makes a dot on a paper. The teacher asks Vashti to sign the paper, and then frames it. That simple act of creation starts a journey for Vashti where she learns to tap into exploration and creativity, and even her own ability to mentor others . This book is stunning — it gives the right dose of encouragement and reframing to inspire someone to do great things. The book illustrates how starting small can lead to big endeavors — especially when you have a great mentor alongside you. Everyone has experienced some limiting beliefs at some point in their career. Like the teacher who reframes Vashti's struggle and breaks open her student's internal stalemate, great business mentors help colleagues grow. Chris McAuley is one such mentor. He was working with an individual who needed to give presentations for her job, but her fear of being the center of attention was parallelizing. McAuley used a storytelling tool, Passion DNA, to help her see herself in a new light. As a guide on the side, McAuley was able to unlock her confidence and the change was immediately obvious to her boss. Read the full story here. This book explains clearly and simply how everyone has an invisible bucket that can be filled through small acts of kindness or emptied by acts of thoughtlessness or cruelty. And when you help fill up someone else's bucket, you fill up your own as well! This book is a metaphorical genius. Emotion is intangible. Kindness and bullying are abstract concepts. In the workplace, there's little guidance on emotions, but we know it when we witness them and feel them throughout the day. Yet everyone experiences these intangible abstractions differently. So how do we begin to articulate them? We search for the right metaphors. 'Did you know everyone everywhere is carrying an invisible bucket everyday?' With that simple metaphor, the author makes emotions something easy for everyone to understand. Metaphors are shortcuts to understanding our world. Comparing the familiar with the unfamiliar is a leadership communication and storytelling tool that helps clarify the complex, giving audiences a way to quickly get the gist. Thoughtfully and deliberately using metaphors is a way to immediately connect with your audience. In a pitch about the urgent need to invest in upgrading medical credentialing — an overlooked and complex process — Dr. Garry Choy compared it to instant credit checks: 'When you buy a car, you can get a credit check, instantaneously. Why don't we have that for doctors? Where they went to medical school never changed. Where they're licensed is public information. With a click of a button, why can't you aggregate the same information that you get when you buy a car?' Because instant credit checks are so familiar — and so fast — it makes it obvious that the same tools should be used in medical credentialing. See metaphors used to explain the complex topics. In this children's book, a mouse family shares a lovely picnic together. After the picnic, the brother and sister have some fun by pestering a neighboring cat. But then the fun turns into danger. The Barking Mouse has a wonderful plot twist. When facing imminent danger (a murderous cat intent on slaughtering the family of mice), the resourceful Mamá Ratón begins barking ferociously at the feline. The cat is puzzled, "A barking mouse?" he asks himself. He decides to play it safe, and retreats. Mama Raton's message to her children, "It pays to speak another language." In conflicts, the element of surprise and creativity is as important as being strong, out maneuvering your opponents. And yes, it's also critical to speak another language so we can reach our opponents more effectively. We all face conflicts at work. How do we overcome them? While barking like a dog at the people involved in the conflict will not solve most of our problems, the element of surprise can catch people in the thick of an emotional argument off guard. In a conflict at work when a person is opposing your point of view, they expect to engage in argument and are in 'fight' mode. Empathetic statements like 'Tell me more' or 'So what I hear you saying is…' can surprise them and help them regain control of their emotions. What's more, their answers may surprise you! Malin Leschly, CDO of Logitech uses the question 'Tell me more. Where's that coming from?' especially when people are frustrated. She found that the conflict is not what she thinks it's about, nor even what the frustrated person thinks it's about. The conflict is actually about something different entirely. 'I think of listening as a superpower,' says Leschly. Irreverent and humorous, this book takes on the classic tale of the Three Little Pigs, but told from the Big Bad Wolf's point of view. Did Mother Goose leave out some important details in her telling of the story? You will find out now. The Wolf is still the murderer — the one who ate the first two pigs. It's still the third little pig who did him in, but when told from a different perspective, the story becomes much more layered and complex. Love this twist? We also recommend the novel James by Percival Everett, which just won the Pulitzer Prize. Everett takes on a similar project in the retelling of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim, Huck's enslaved companion. The twist in perspective helps readers understand that it's important to understand multiple points of view when trying to understand the truth. What are missing if you ignore the point of view of other stakeholders? These books show how point of view can change everything — and sharing your point of view and being open to others perspectives is a critical business leadership skill. Do you imagine your audience's point of view when you are preparing a presentation? A client used our exercise called Know Vs. Don't Know, a tool used to help you understand your audience, and she realized she had been preparing a presentation for her leadership team full of information they didn't need to know and wouldn't care about. With that newly gained perspective, she was then able to share relevant and necessary information with them. This is the essence of brainstorming and bouncing ideas off each other — our different points of view. Astra and her family are moving to a new planet! Before they get into their sleeping pods for the long journey, Astra orders the 'ultimate cake' for a snack from the ship's computer. This turns out to be a terrible mistake. Can Astra and her robot friend save the ship and all its sleeping passengers from the killer cupcakes and marauding muffins? This book's cast of unlikely characters — a kid with a stuffie, desserts that come to life, aliens who hunt the galaxy for spoons, and a terrifying spaghetti-shaped creature — will take you on a wild ride that is an equal mix of fun, suspense, touching and strange. Each character is more complex than they first appear and small actions have big consequences. Through the unexpected twists and turns, the book reminds readers how important our everyday choices are — from the words we choose to the small kindnesses we extend toward others. We want to know what will happen next. Suspense isn't just for children's books and mysteries. Business leaders can also use suspense to engage their audience. Filmmaker Jason Blum describes suspense as: 'creating situations that are relatable, and throwing a wrench in it and watching how people respond.' To show your character in an interview or performance review, suspense is a great way to stand out from the crowd. Describe a difficult situation and how you responded. This takes guts. You have to be honest about the dilemma you faced. But showing how you prevailed illustrates your character — even if the outcome was not what you had hoped for. — We hope you add some children's books to your summer reading list. Though the books are often short, simple, the business lessons they can provide are deep, meaningful and lasting. Business leadership lessons are everywhere — if you are open to learning!
CNN
a day ago
- General
- CNN
Teacher dies after driver loses control following police chase
A doorbell camera captured the terrifying moment a car fatally struck a high school teacher and injured another pedestrian after it lost control following a highway patrol chase in Oakland, California.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
China teacher helps shy boy engage with peers by using lucky draw, sparks cheers, laughter
A primary teacher in China who hand-picked an introverted boy in a rigged lucky draw in a bid to help him integrate with his peers has won plaudits on mainland social media. Advertisement A video clip of the incident at an primary school in Luoyang, central Henan province in mid-May has received 6.3 million likes and been forwarded a million times on one leading short video platform alone. The unidentified teacher told her primary two students to draw lots to decide whether they could play outside for the rest of the class or continue with lessons. The shy youngster walks up to the front of the class to draw lots as his classmates give him encouragement. Photo: She said that if a student selected a blank lot, the class could go outside to play. The viral footage shows the teacher calling out the name of a shy boy, who was sitting in a corner of the classroom, to be the class representative. The boy appears to be in a daze for a few seconds before standing up from his seat and walking towards the podium in the front of the classroom while being encouraged by his classmates. Advertisement He was at first nervous at first, but as his classmates continued to encourage him, he grew more relaxed.
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Malay Mail
Alor Gajah police probe the sex video leak of Melaka teacher fined by Shariah court for illicit act with ‘Abang Wiring'
ALOR GAJAH, May 31 — Melaka police is reportedly investigating the circulation of a purported sex clip involving a secondary school teacher, which had led to her being charged and sentenced in the Shariah Court. Harian Metro wrote citing Alor Gajah police chief Superintendent Ashari Abu Samah saying she had lodged a report on May 24, after learning that a video was shared online. 'The woman was unhappy after learning that a sex video involving her had been circulated. Police have also opened an investigation under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998,' he was quoted saying, referring to 'improper use of network facilities or network service'. Ashari added that the case is being investigated under Section 509 of the Penal Code for outraging the modesty of a person. He said police had examined the mobile phones of both the teacher and the man involved, but the video was not found and is believed to have been deleted. Further investigations are ongoing, and the case will be referred to the Deputy Public Prosecutor for further action. It was reported earlier that the teacher and a self-employed electrical technician dubbed 'Abang Wiring' were each fined RM5,000 or sentenced to six months' jail by the Shariah High Court in Melaka yesterday after pleading guilty to attempting to commit an act deemed immoral under Shariah law. Berita Harian reported Judge Mohd Yunus Mohamad Zin handed down the sentence to Muhammad Hairul Ezuan Hamzah and Nur Fadilah Zainal, both 31, following an incident on February 28 at a residence in Taman Bukit Emas, Sungai Petai, Alor Gajah. Authorities launched an investigation after receiving a tip-off on May 27 regarding a couple allegedly involved in conduct contravening Shariah guidelines, leading to a summons for questioning on May 29 by the Melaka Islamic Religious Department (Jaim). According to case facts, both individuals acknowledged engaging in the conduct on February 28, after which they were arrested and their statements recorded. The matter drew significant public interest after it was reported that the female teacher had been placed on administrative leave amid allegations involving a married man. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek later confirmed that the teacher remained in service as a civil servant while awaiting the outcome of the case.
