iMentoring: podcast offers advice across the globe

By Michael Gibbons

When it comes to issues concerning work, school or family, most people have someone they look to for advice. Karel Vredenburg is that kind of person. Except when he gives advice, tens of thousands of people listen.

The Toronto father of four records a podcast in his home called Life Habits Mentoring with Karel Vredenburg. Through his program, he provides information, insights and advice in order to help people in their day-to-day lives. He stresses the importance of forming good habits and eliminating bad ones. Topics on the 30 minute podcast have ranged from improving sleep to being more assertive.

“It’s really kind of a neat process,” Vredenburg said. “You can just make something available in iTunes and if people discover it, then they go and listen to it.”

“I’m not saying ‘Here’s the silver bullet,’” he said. “It’s sort of just down-to-earth, practical advice. It’s like talking to a friend.”

Pruning your life: A chat with Elaine Dembe

By Jaclyn Desforges

You know the drill: You've just finished dinner and it's time to wash the dishes. Or more likely, you finished dinner 12 hours ago and have only recently worked up the courage to face the sink. You know they've got to get done, but the thought of standing there battling caked-on food and greasy pots and pans just isn't how you'd like to spend your time.

Does this scenario sound like the path to happiness? With a change of perspective, it can be. For my fifth and final beat story, I'm speaking to people who are finding joy in the mundane and becoming more mindful by doing seemingly mindless tasks-- including one man who has chosen to stop using his electric dishwasher in favour of his own two hands.

But it's not really about the dishes-- It's about finding joy in the little things and figuring out what aspects of your life could be made simpler. If I've learned anything over the course of writing these stories, it's that happiness comes from consciously building a life that works for you.

Virtual happiness: social media as friend, not foe

By Jacqueline Delange

Almost a decade ago, Che Kothari sat in the glow of his computer, searching for a connection. ICQ, the Internet’s first instant messaging service, consumed the screen. He recalls how that technology changed the way he interacted with the world.  

“I would stay up all night. There was no phone bill. It was free. It was my way of communicating and staying in touch,” he said. “In my mind I had already seen the potential.”

The service, whose name is a homophone for “I seek you,” was integral in the creation of Kothari’s Bohemian Ethic music festival, which took over Guelph’s downtown square in 2001. And as technology has progressed, so has his vision.