Passion Power

Jimmy Carter’s speech as he addressed the US in 1979, talked about a growing doubt about the meaning of our lives and the loss of a unity of purpose for the nation. He said the erosion of confidence is what threatens to destroy countries. The fabric of society used to be woven by strong families, close knit communities, our faith in God and pride in hard work and a job well done. These shared values have been replaced with owning and consuming things. There’s not enough stuff in the world to fill that longing for meaning in our lives. Consumption isn’t making us any happier. Society is getting sicker and sicker, and the solution isn’t more meds. We are confronted with a moral and spiritual crisis and a growing disrespect for government, churches, schools, news media and other institutions. Classic liberals, small ‘c’ conservatives and reasonable middle folks seem to have evaporated as we wrestle with culture wars, forever wars, war on drugs, political and corporate corruptio...

I used to tell my kids that watching too much TV will make their brain turn to mush.   I wonder what parents are telling their kids these days when it comes to their devices.   Keeping kids off technology is next to impossible.   I applaud every parent who is trying to do so, especially during Covd where, a year later we are still stuck in our homes — and increasingly stuck behind our screens.   We must be flexible enough to evolve with the technology but choose how to use it right. Apple is hands down, my favourite company in the world.   It has made our lives better, easier, and more efficient and we cannot overstate how useful these devices are.   Yet for every plus there is a minus. When we spend too much time on our phone, we miss what’s happening in front of us and lose connection with our surroundings.   The average screen time in 2020 was 7 hours a day.   Technology overload is detrimental to a person’s mind. Establish some “house rules”...

We are too complicated for simple labels. I think we should just stop trying to put people in categories and subcategories before we get so divided, we forget which way is up. People want to cram your whole identity into a single term, “Liberal” or “Tree Hugger” “Feminist” “Transgender” “Social Anxiety Disorder” “White Supremist” “Karen” It even bothers me when parents call their kids “asthmatic”. I would not be able to breath properly if I had a label like that. Labels are a slippery slope. I read an article that said you are either a Racist or anti-racist. Those are labels. I am a nice person and a decent human being and that is good enough for me. As a young teenager I was uncomfortable in my own skin. I felt unsupported misunderstood and confused. These days you are assigned labels such as anxiety, depression, transgender, bisexual, social anxiety disorder, ADD, bipolar, etc. “Emily” showed up at camp a totally different person. They had a new name, pronouns, and a bag ...

The Impossible Standard of Beauty Am I the only one that thinks there is an implicit connection between the blown-up beauty industry valued at $530 Billion and the increase in anxiety and anti-depressant use in young girls? The impossible standard of beauty in movie stars and advertising models is now, whether we like it or not unavoidable. There’s an online world more than willing to usher them into adulthood with these beauty games as social media influencers are being tapped to promote products and do tutorials on how to use their “favourite” brands. They’re being taught they aren’t clean enough, thin enough or pretty enough and playing right into the hands of these gigantic retailers. I suppose this messaging has been going on for years. I flashback to my teen years when there wasn’t enough makeup in the world to cover up my perceived imperfections. For better or for worse we eventually have to discover that beauty products don’t cure unhappiness, loneliness, a broken heart...

I was raised in a household in seventies where nurturing a child’s self-esteem would be considered laughable.   I remember hearing, “good kids should be seen and not heard” and my Father would get a few laughs saying that “the joys of raising kids are grossly exaggerated.” I know that my Father loved me, but I did feel small and insignificant. Parents don’t purposely try to lower their child’s self-esteem.   It happens by accident.   We must remember our own baggage and not be a bully or worse, overcompensate by treating them like a victim.   There’s no power in being a victim. I remember notes being passed around in class. Am I The Only One?     Hats were getting rip off people’s heads, people were being followed home from school and tripped.   It’s not much different now but kids have lost their ability to cope. Social media has amplified this, and many can’t deal with the stress of not being accepted or good enough.   To make matters...

I watched someone check Facebook during a business meeting the other day.  I felt so insignificant and unimportant I wanted to throw my hands up in the air.  We’re acting like a bunch of teenagers; drunk on cell phone drama convinced it’s more important than the people right in front of us.  If I’m standing with someone using their device I don’t automatically assume they`re being rude.  Something really important has to be happening on their phone.  I don’t think it’s anti-social or socially awkward or impolite.  They could be running a huge multi-national business or helping a friend off the ledge or maybe their house is on fire.  It`s lovely to remain in touch with people we don`t see but are we talking to the people who live in the same house or sleep in the same bed.  Cell phones don’t belong in the boardroom at the dinner table or in the classroom yet it`s the new normal.  I think society is moving in the wrong direction with v...