Why Not Me? – Introduction

Mark Meincke

Published

6 years ago

9 minute read

Todayville Calgary is proud to provide our readers with exclusive, uplifting content.

Each week on Todayville Calgary will share with you a segment of the book “Why not Me? the keys to unlock your power, and release your potential.” by Mark Meincke.

There are 52 “keys” , and by the end of the series, the entire book will have been shared, for you to enjoy.

It is our mission at Todayville to do more than simply “report the news”. We wish to help our readers be uplifted as well.

Why Not Me?

The keys to unlock your power and release your potential

Introduction

The keys I’ve decided to share with you are not the only keys that are of value. There are many more; however, you will find those other keys as a natural result of using the ones I have provided in this book. I didn’t want to overload you with information, so I only shared these primary keys that will lead you to any of the further keys you may require or find useful.

In a way, this book is my autobiography. The lessons I am sharing are the same lessons I needed to learn to turn my own life around. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth, nor did I have access to the understanding of my own abilities or resources. All I had was a burning feeling deep down that told me I was capable of far more than the evidence seemed to indicate. Resumes are used as evidence of your capabilities, and my resume wouldn’t have impressed anyone in my early years. Resumes can’t show what you are capable of or what your true purpose in life is. Somehow, I had a knowledge of myself that was beyond my resume, and it is this knowledge that gave me the strength to move forward and to grow.

Throughout grade school, I was always placed in the “special education” classes. I just didn’t fit in the school system, so they didn’t know what else to do with me. All of the tests they threw at me indicated that I was unusually bright, yet there I was with the “challenged” kids. In my early years, I was told that I was a “slow learner.” Once I accepted that misplaced label, I gave up at school. There didn’t seem to be a point in trying, so instead, I decided to scrape by with as little effort as possible. As a result of my decision to be a problem student, I failed both grade four and grade nine. I didn’t even graduate high school until I was twenty years old. This fact used to be way too embarrassing for me to admit. Today, instead of being embarrassed, I’m actually quite proud of myself for refusing to be a quitter and not dropping out of high school. It was very uncomfortable for me to be one of only two people out of 1,200 who were twenty years old in Grade Twelve. I just decided that being a twenty-year-old in high school wasn’t as embarrassing as being a drop out. That one simple decision was the fuel I needed to keep going.

To pull myself out of this hole of low self worth, I had to learn the lessons that are shared in this book. These tools, or keys, are fully transferable. Once acquired, you will be able to pass them onto those who ask you to share them. I hope that you are generous with this information, as it is needed badly by people from all walks of life. Just remember that you can only help people who are asking for help.

I am eternally thankful for the teachings of my friends and family. There are people in my life who were able to see my potential long before I could see it in myself, and there are people who still cannot see it to this day. I’m grateful to the people on both sides of this fence, as they all have contributed to my success, either directly or indirectly. Everyone has lessons to teach if you have learned how to listen.

I have a handful of friends who stood by me at a time when I felt unworthy of the company of good people. I’m not sure I would have stood by the person who I used to be, but they did. Somehow, they were able to look past my resume and see my potential. It’s a truly gifted person who has this ability, and I am incredibly blessed to have them in my inner circle.

Some of the keys I am sharing with you will assist you to see past other people’s resumes as well as your own. With this X-ray vision, you will be able to see through the negative shell that many have to the positive core that is trying to burst out of most of us.

This book has been arranged to provide a cumulative impact. Each key is intended to set the foundation to learn the next keys to follow. I have endeavored to make this book far more than just a text of valuable information; I wish for you to absorb the positive lessons in this book in a meaningful and useful way. My intention is not just to sell millions of copies of this book, but to create the largest positive impact I can.

Another key feature of this book is that it is designed to also be used as a quick reference guide. I’ve often tried to review a particular lesson from a book, but I couldn’t remember in which chapter it was buried. To alleviate this frustration, I’ve broken this book down into a unique format of individual keys. Each key contains information that has been placed in bold font. The parts in bold are often key phrases or quotes that are intended to encapsulate the essence of each key.

The extensive use of quotes in this book is intended to provide greater depth of understanding for each key. By providing quotes, I’m providing alternate ways to phrase a particular thought. By seeing a concept through many different sets of eyes, you are more likely to find a style that works for you and thus maximize the depth of your understanding of that concept.

I wish you well, and thank you for allowing me to join you for the next few steps of your journey toward releasing your potential.

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Calgary’s new city council votes to ban foreign flags at government buildings

Published on December 23, 2025

Todayville

From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

It is not yet clear if the flag motion applies to other flags, such as LGBT ones.

Western Canada’s largest city has put in place what amounts to a ban on politically charged flags from flying at city-owned buildings.

“Calgary’s Flag Policy means any country recognized by Canada may have their flag flown at City Hall on their national day,” said Calgary’s new mayor Jeromy Farkas on X last month.

“But national flag-raisings are now creating division. Next week, we’ll move to end national flag-raisings at City Hall to keep this a safe, welcoming space for all.”

The motion to ban foreign flags from flying at government buildings was introduced on December 15 by Calgary councilor Dan McLean and passed by a vote of 8 to 7. He had said the previous policy to allow non-Canadian flags to fly, under former woke mayor Jyoti Gondek, was “source of division within our community.”

“In recent months, this practice has been in use in ways that I’ve seen have inflamed tensions, including instances where flag raisings have been associated with anti-Semitic behavior and messaging,” McLean said during a recent council meeting.

The ban on flag raising came after the Palestinian flag was allowed to be raised at City Hall for the first time.

Farkas, shortly after being elected mayor in the fall of 2025, had promised that he wanted a new flag policy introduced in the city.

It is not yet clear if the flag motion applies to other flags, such as LGBT ones.

Despite Farkas putting forth the motion, as reported by LifeSiteNews he is very much in the pro-LGBT camp. However, he has promised to focus only on non-ideological issues during his term.

“When City Hall becomes a venue for geopolitical expressions, it places the city in the middle of conflicts that are well beyond our municipal mandates,” he said.

As reported by LifeSiteNews, other jurisdictions in Canada are considering banning non-Canadian flags from flying over public buildings.

Recently a political party in British Columbia, OneBC, introduced legislation to ban non-domestic government flags at public buildings in British Columbia.

Across Canada there has also been an ongoing issue with so-called “Pride” flags being raised at schools and city buildings.

Alberta

Calgary mayor should retain ‘blanket rezoning’ for sake of Calgarian families

Published on November 17, 2025

Todayville

From the Fraser Institute

By Tegan Hill and Austin Thompson

Calgary’s new mayor, Jeromy Farkas, has promised to scrap “blanket rezoning”—a policy enacted by the city in 2024 that allows homebuilders to construct duplexes, townhomes and fourplexes in most neighbourhoods without first seeking the blessing of city hall. In other words, amid an affordability crunch, Mayor Farkas plans to eliminate a policy that made homebuilding easier and cheaper—which risks reducing housing choices and increasing housing costs for Calgarian families.

Blanket rezoning was always contentious. Debate over the policy back in spring 2024 sparked the longest public hearing in Calgary’s history, with many Calgarians airing concerns about potential impacts on local infrastructure, parking availability and park space—all important issues.

Farkas argues that blanket rezoning amounts to “ignoring the community” and that Calgarians should not be forced to choose between a “City Hall that either stops building, or stops listening.” But in reality, it’s virtually impossible to promise more community input on housing decisions and build more homes faster.

If Farkas is serious about giving residents a “real say” in shaping their neighbourhood’s future, that means empowering them to alter—or even block—housing proposals that would otherwise be allowed under blanket rezoning. Greater public consultation tends to give an outsized voice to development opponents including individuals and groups that oppose higher density and social housing projects.

Alternatively, if the mayor and council reform the process to invite more public feedback, but still ultimately approve most higher-density projects (as was the case before blanket rezoning), the consultation process would be largely symbolic.

Either way, homebuilders would face longer costlier approval processes—and pass those costs on to Calgarian renters and homebuyers.

It’s not only the number of homes that matters, but also where they’re allowed to be built. Under blanket rezoning, builders can respond directly to the preferences of Calgarians. When buyers want duplexes in established neighbourhoods or renters want townhomes closer to work, homebuilders can respond without having to ask city hall for permission.

According to Mayor Farkas, higher-density housing should instead be concentrated near transit, schools and job centres, with the aim of “reducing pressure on established neighbourhoods.” At first glance, that may sound like a sensible compromise. But it rests on the flawed assumption that politicians and planners should decide where Calgarians are allowed to live, rather than letting Calgarians make those choices for themselves. With blanket rezoning, new homes are being built in areas in response to buyer and renter demand, rather than the dictates of city hall. The mayor also seems to suggest that city hall should thwart some redevelopment in established neighbourhoods, limiting housing options in places many Calgarians want to live.

The stakes are high. Calgary is not immune to Canada’s housing crisis, though it has so far weathered it better than most other major cities. That success partly reflects municipal policies—including blanket rezoning—that make homebuilding relatively quick and inexpensive.

A motion to repeal blanket rezoning is expected to be presented to Calgary’s municipal executive committee on Nov. 17. If it passes, which is likely, the policy will be put to a vote during a council meeting on Dec. 15. As the new mayor and council weigh changes to zoning rules, they should recognize the trade-offs. Empowering “the community” may sound appealing, but it may limit the housing choices available to families in those communities. Any reforms should preserve the best elements of blanket rezoning—its consistency, predictability and responsiveness to the housing preferences of Calgarians—and avoid erecting zoning barriers that have exacerbated the housing crisis in other cities.