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The Voice of the Land

I'm writing this from the sixth floor of a glorious old hotel in downtown Regina. I'm stuffed with perogies, cabbage rolls, sausage, sauerkraut, fresh-made bread and two pints of first-rate microbrew. I'm feeling as fine as fine can be.

For a week now, I've been on the road (or more accurately, in the air) with No Opportunity Wasted, featuring Phil Keoghan, host of the Amazing Race. Led by Phil, our team is seeking ordinary people who want to overcome extraordinary fears, or turn daring dreams into real, positive action.

I signed on as a photographer, blogger, and all around web guy, and it's been a pleasure to do those things. We're growing a big fan base through the live appearances Phil does at bookstores, and through our website and Facebook. That's my professional sphere and I'm pleased to say it's going well. Our crew is a joy to spend time with, and despite gruelling hours and a lot of travel, it has been fun all around.

The best part, though, has been getting the chance to listen to Canadians from every walk of life talk about their fears and their passions. It's different in every town: in St. John's folks wanted to get out of a rut; in Halifax, everyone seemed to want to help the less fortunate. Montrealers were image-savvy and diverse; in Toronto, it seemed like fear of failure was the big issue. Winnipeggers made us dig below the surface to the heart of the story; and in Regina, the issue was fear of change.

These are generalizations, and there are many exceptions, of course. But this isn't about regionalism for me anyway. The sense I get from all of this is that Canadians have depth. They have character. They are thinking about their lives. They want to live meaningful lives, and their untapped potential is immense. The fears are nothing compared to the possibilities.

These are the little whispers, the murmurs I'm hearing of the voice of the land. I can't get enough. I am listening, rapt, and ready.

This voice will not go unheard. I swear it.

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