PUBLISHER’S NOTE
FIND THE MAGIC AND COUNT YOUR ROSES
T
here is something magical about that moment when you realize what you want to do when you grow up. It is a blessing if this revelation comes early on in life. But just because life puts Michelle Zerillo-Sosa, obstacles or delays on our path to success Publisher/Editor-in-Chief and happiness, it does not mean one should settle. For evidence, read this issue and you will see that there are some exceptional examples of individuals who have made it their purpose to find happiness at various stages of their life, via perseverance, a renewed perspective or just old-fashioned trial and error. For our cover man Bobby Motta, the mentalist who is friends with the likes of David Blaine and has received praise from celebrities like Russell Crowe, that “Eureka” moment came when he was only four years old. He was mesmerized by the way his uncle would pretend to lose a tooth and replace it with a Chiclet. (When I met Motta during the photo shoot for our story, which you’ll find on page 20, I probably looked like that four-year-old as he guessed what number I was thinking, not once but three times. Needless to say, I left right after that trick, out of fear that this man might actually be for real and read something else on my mind!) Motta’s belief that life is all about perspective, and that anyone can change theirs at will, is worth reflecting on. Then there’s Neil Pasricha (story on page 26), who believes that happiness starts with little more than a notebook. Carry one around with you, he suggests in his interview, and write down anything you come upon that strikes you as awesome. As you do this, you will develop a sense of gratitude towards even the smallest things. Pasricha’s world-famous blog, 1000 Awesome Things, contains just that — 1,000 examples of everyday awesomeness, proving that too often we wait for big things, when even everyday events or observations can be enough to trigger joyfulness. In his new book, The Happiness Equation, Pasricha describes a game I particularly love, one that he plays at the end of each day with his wife. It’s called “Rose, Rose, Thorn, Bud,” in which each of them identifies a gratitude (that’s a rose), something that did not go well (a thorn), and something they’re looking forward to (a bud). Pasricha’s studies have shown that five gratitudes a week will increase your overall happiness, and this game will give you double. It’s one of the nine secrets he shares in the book, from minor habits you can easily change, to simple ways to shift perspective. Learning his simple tricks for amplifying happiness was definitely a rose for me. Until the next issue, we hope you too can find both the magic and the roses in your life!
Michelle Zerillo-Sosa Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
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City Life Magazine
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Feb/Mar 2017
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PUBLISHER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michelle Zerillo-Sosa • michelle@dolce.ca DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Angela Palmieri-Zerillo • angela@dolce.ca ART D E PARTM E NT CO-FOUNDER / CREATIVE DIRECTOR Fernando Zerillo • fernando@dolce.ca WEB PROJECT MANAGER Steve Bruno SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Christina Ban JUNIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Axl Valdez WEB DESIGNER Yena Yoo WEB DEVELOPER Jordan Carter E D ITO R IAL D E PARTM E NT FASHION & HOME DÉCOR EDITOR Michelle Zerillo-Sosa BEAUTY & TRAVEL EDITOR Angela Palmieri-Zerillo COPYEDITOR AND PROOFREADER Francetoast Editing WRITERS Rebecca Alberico, Amanda Storey CONTRIBUTING WRITER Amandalina Letterio CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Robin Gartner, Jesse Milns, Carlos A. Pinto, Bela Raba SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Sarah Kanbar VI D E O D E PARTM E NT VIDEOGRAPHER Carlos A. Pinto PUBLISHER
ADVERTISING T: 905-264-6789 info@mycitylife.ca DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Angela Palmieri-Zerillo • angela@dolce.ca DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Susan Bhatia SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Mario Balaceanu ACCOUNT MANAGER Christina Bono OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Alessandra Micieli FRONT COVER Bobby Motta / Photo By Robin Gartner City Life Magazine • Volume 15 • Issue 1 • Feb/Mar 2017 City Life Magazine is published bimonthly by Dolce Media Group, 111 Zenway Blvd., Suite 30, Vaughan, Ont. L4H 3H9 T: 905-264-6789 • F: 905-264-3787 info@mycitylife.ca • www.dolcemedia.ca Subscribe online at www.mycitylife.ca or by calling 905-264-6789. City Life Magazine’s yearly subscription fee is $24.00. We accept Visa, MC & AMEX. Send cheque or money order to Dolce Media Group, 111 Zenway Blvd. #30, Vaughan, Ont. L4H 3H9. Publication Mail Agreement No. 40026675 All rights reserved. Any reproduction is strictly prohibited without written consent from the publishers. DISTRIBUTION AND CIRCULATION City Life Magazine reaches 342,342 readers per issue through household distribution, newsstand sales and event partnerships across Canada. City Life is also available to over 100 million digital consumers of Magzter Inc. and Issuu. Inquiries about where City Life Magazine is available for sale should be directed to Dolce Media Group: info@dolce.ca or 905-264-6789. ISSN 1206-1778 Next Issue: Apr/May 2017 The opinions expressed in City Life Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or advertisers. Dolce Media Group does not assume liability for content. The material in this magazine is intended for information purposes only and is in no way intended to supersede professional advice. We are proud to be a Canadian company that has successfully published magazines for the past 20 years without any government funding or financial assistance of programs to cover editorial costs. It has all been possible thanks to the wonderful support of our readers and advertisers. ©2016 Dolce Media Group • www.dolcemedia.ca • Printed in Canada @citylifetoronto
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