Imagine what it would be like if your world were suddenly thrown into chaos, your home burnt to the ground and you had to flee with only the clothes on your back. You are alone and lost and have to walk for days in search of a place of safety and to escape from the chaos around you…
This is the reality that 1.8 million people have faced in Somalia over the past 20
years. What can we do about it?
The UNHCR (the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees) has launched a new initiative
of
Canada is lagging behind other nations when it comes to addressing climate change. Our country produces less than 1% of its energy from renewable
sources like wind and solar power and only employs a few thousand people. The U.S. is now investing 6x more person to build a clean-energy economy and ‘green’ jobs. And we emit 2 to 3 times more global warming pollution per person than most European countries.
Canadians can help stop climate change by speaking up. Call Prime Minister Stephen
The world’s most populous nation (1.3 billion people) is looking to raise its birth rate. China is under pressure to relax the country’s one-child policy, begun almost 3 decades ago to support the country’s development. Now there may not be enough young people in the workforce to pay for its aging population and continue economic development. Shanghai is now inviting their citizens to drink from the cup of ‘double happiness’, and to have two children. The unintended consequences of the
By Jim Selman | Bio
We’ve all experienced a situation—whether in a marriage, friendship or business relationship—where we find ourselves thinking about the other person and saying, “I love you, BUT…”. It’s in that moment we realize a particular behavior of theirs is not acceptable to us and has become a source of stress and resentment. For many, resentment almost always leads to a downward spiral of self-destructive behavior and the eventual destruction of the relationship.I was coaching a friend recently who is in such a dilemma. She is and always has been the primary breadwinner in her marriage. Her husband is a charming, lovable, creative man who is prone to spending binges whenever he is traveling or working on various short-term projects. This usually leads to an ‘explosive’ encounter when the credit card bills arrive. These angry eruptions are followed by his characteristic pattern of apologies, remorse and promises followed by feelings
By Rick Fullerton | Bio
While I don’t have any quick fixes to offer, here are a few ideas that may have potential:
1. As within, so without. All change begins with me.
Recognize that who we are and what we stand for is the starting point for all significant change. Looking inside ourselves to clarify what is important is an essential step. What is our commitment to our children and grandchildren, to future generations and to other species with which we share the planet? How do we balance
By Rick Fullerton | Bio
I continue to be struck by the environmental challenges facing planet earth. With signs of increasing public awareness about the deepening climate crisis, it is gratifying to sense a noticeable shift taking place in my own and others’ behaviour. For instance, I see more and more people supporting recycling programs, choosing Energy Star appliances, and driving fuel efficient cars. And we change our light bulbs! Yet is it enough?
At best, such actions represent well-intentioned
What leads some people to be healthier than others? Researchers have been studying this question for decades. However, most have focused on disease and disorder. Few have looked at strengths and wellbeing.
Aaron Jarden, Head of the Psychology Department in the School of
Information and Social Sciences at The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand, is leading a study to look at wellbeing in people of all ages from around the world. The objective is to capture a comprehensive picture of what
By Jim Selman | Bio
When we know that there is an end to a particularly strenuous period of work, we can feel energized and become even more productive. When we think that the flow of work is endless or that we have no choice in the matter, then we may begin to break down, feel disempowered, become tired. Life begins to feel like a burden.I have found that resolving these kinds of chronic negative moods about workload and feeling overwhelmed begins by reconnecting with the fact that we always have a choice, even when part of our story is that we do not. When we can ‘own’ that our work is our choice (even if we don’t particularly like what we are doing), then we have taken the first step toward changing how we relate to it. It is OUR job.
The second step is to learn to ‘be present’ when we are working.
By Jim Selman | Bio
I think the most common complaints I hear from folks in corporations these days is that they are ‘just tired’, have ‘low energy’ or are ‘burned out’. Usually these declarations are accompanied by a compelling story that there is ‘too much work’ or that they are pressed to produce without having the resources they need. It seems people are working in a condition in which they are being constantly called on to produce more for less. The results: poor morale (at