OTTAWA -- The recession has made significant numbers of Canadians re-evaluate what’s important to them, and less than one in 10 say making more money and career success are their top priorities, according to a survey released Wednesday.

“People are saying there’s more to life than this,” said Jeremy Gutsche, founder of TrendHunter.com and a consultant on the survey, commissioned by American Express.

“It doesn’t mean they’re about to give up their day job. Instead they are making time for themselves in addition to meeting their regular commitments in search of their own personal vision of meaning and fulfilment.”

That may mean doing charity work, embarking on a second career, pursuing a hobby, spending more time with family, or going on adventure travel trips according to the survey, conducted in mid-September by Angus Reid and involving 1,003 random respondents.

Nowhere is the trend more pronounced than in Alberta, where 42% said the recession had caused them to rethink what’s important in their lives and where more than half (51%) said they’d actually changed the focus of their lives.

Women weren’t far behind, with 40% saying the economic downturn had changed their perspective on life’s priorities, a sentiment shared by 37% of Canadians.

In fact, more than three in four Canadians (77%) said they are now more focused on their personal lives than their careers.

The survey captured a mood of optimism among respondents, with three quarters saying they believe they will realize their full potential.

Residents of the Prairie provinces tied with women as being the most optimistic about the future, at 89%.

British Columbians appear to be leading the shift to a more fulfilling life. Sixty-three per cent said they are already living lives that are culturally enriched and stimulating, more than anywhere else in the country.

Canwest News Service