IN THE LAST Culture Shift column, I interviewed Martin Rutte, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work, and discussed what he calls New Prosperity for Nova Scotians. At the end of the column, I invited readers to tell me what they thought it would take to create this new prosperity.

The response was enormous. Some readers went so far as to call this new direction the Nova Scotia Renaissance. There were ideas about technology, spirituality, harmony and vision. Yet one common thread is the belief that we have all the resources we need to make a strong, vibrant, socio-economic Nova Scotia. We just need to get honest and be creative.

So, let’s get honest. Even before the recession, the province was $13 billion in debt and HRM, the economic engine for the province, received a C minus on its economic scorecard for the third year in a row. These are significant challenges.

But we also have hope, as exemplified by the top five suggestions for prosperity I received. Here they are:

Expand your vision. Too often in times of economic uncertainty, our vision becomes one of mere survival. Survival is not a vision. "Without a vision, the people shall perish." So ask your leaders in economic development "What is your vision?" Challenge others in leadership roles to explain their vision. Engage them and invite them to your citizen-led events and have them listen to you. Ask yourself and others: "What would heaven on earth be for Nova Scotia?"

Be creative about making tough decisions. Think about the greater good and how your decisions and actions impact others. A local company was faced with layoffs and instead of cutting people, all staff took five extra vacation days a year without pay. This saved every job.

Creative capitalism. Economic power to the people: A wind farm owned by the residents of Nova Scotia. Profit goes right into the tax-paying citizens’ pockets — instantly. That instant wealth by virtue of being a citizen is the modern way to bring people home and keep people here. Grow it out further with campaigns that encourage residents to put their money in investment funds that support local clean, organic businesses that showcase what we’re naturally good at.

Set fire to the stigma and heal. The notion of have-not and "she’s a sinking ship, but I’m going down with her" mentality must be replaced NOW. "In order to move forward, we are going to have to leave some baggage behind." The people of Eagle Bay, Australia, healed their feelings of being stigmatized by writing down all of their hurts and pain and burning them.

The Nova Scotia Renaissance. We must become a community that values the creative economy and learn how to thread the intellectual capital within our universities right into our local businesses. Our technology, proximity to resources, equitable forms of government and science make us a natural incubator for ideas, technologies and innovations that could be exported around the world, while creating a sustainable and highly skilled workforce here.

It will take each and every one of us to jump on board this vision of a creative economy. Tonight, there will be an open town hall meeting at 7 p.m. in Room 401, Dalhousie Arts Centre, 6101 University Ave., on Building the Creative Economy. The meeting is presented by the Nova Scotia Cultural Action Network ( http://www.novascotiacan.ca/).

Thank you to everyone who submitted ideas.

The winners of signed copies of both Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work and The 7 Virtues of a Philosopher Queen are: David Townsend, John Boileau, Jim Kimbrell, Steve Warburton, Richard Zurawski.

To those who made alternative suggestions that didn’t make the list, I urge you to pursue the idea — now.

Barb Stegemann is an author and motivational speaker who lives in Bedford.