Why does it often feel like everything was better in the past? We tend to dwell on the positive experiences from our past, retelling them more often, which reinforces those good memories. Additionally, we remember the great songs, cars, or football players from the “old days” and conveniently forget the less favorable
August 27, 2024
People often use the term “speechless” to express how stunned or moved they are, even though they can still speak. When someone says, “I’m speechless,” they usually mean, “I’m shocked!” If you are truly speechless, you are temporarily unable to speak, usually because something has shocked you. But is being speechless positive
August 20, 2024
Some of the most intangible aspects of a job are also the most rewarding: the values held by your company and co-workers. Research shows that job satisfaction worldwide depends on a sense of accomplishment, recognition for a job well done, and work-life balance. Employees who view their work as meaningful are nearly
August 12, 2024
Can you imagine there are benefits to keeping old newspaper clippings? I mean my previously published columns from almost 50 years ago. For me, yes. I have spent a while considering different visions for young people and education, and in the end, I drew on my own experiences and condensed my vision
August 6, 2024
One impact of being in complete darkness is that it can wreck your sleep cycle. Two of the key mechanisms for sleep cycle regulation, the hormone melatonin and the brain’s suprachiasmatic nucleus, both rely on light to function. Daylight reduces our levels of melatonin, helping us feel awake. When I was still
July 30, 2024
“The unexamined life is not worth living” is a famous dictum supposedly uttered by Socrates at his trial for impiety and corrupting youth, for which he was subsequently sentenced to death. This statement relates to Socrates’ understanding and attitude towards death and his commitment to fulfilling his goal of investigating and understanding
July 24, 2024
Originally used in the 19th Century as ‘Everything goes’, it simply means that one can do whatever one likes, without rules or consequences. Anything goes? Yes, it seems so: illegal logging, natural disasters, improper disposal of garbage, climate change, melting icebergs, “my neighbor goes on burning rubber and plastic” (GRABE!), poisonous waste
July 16, 2024
Today, leave the negative behind. I am surrounded by so many negative thinking people. No wonder! A bright and positive future is waiting for you, so keep moving forward. A long time ago… in a land far away… my principal would say “Keep moving forward!” every single day in the morning announcements. My classmates
July 9, 2024
Some feelings of worry can be healthy, pushing us to find solutions to real and present problems. However, chronic worry, even about things out of our control, can severely impact our mental health. The German poet Rainer Maria Rilke put it well: “Life is not even close to being as logically consistent as
July 2, 2024
The aphorism “laughter is the best medicine” has been attributed to the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament: “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones”. This ancient wisdom might also hold true for some medical conditions. It’s true: laughter is strong medicine. It
June 25, 2024
To get the wrong impression means to misunderstand or “misread” somebody’s words or actions. For example, to be offended by something that wasn’t meant to offend. To give the wrong impression, therefore, means to mislead someone in this way, often unintentionally. A mistaken belief accompanies each and every one of us daily.
June 18, 2024
“Down to Earth” (2008) is a Canadian literary collection by high school students in Montreal. The book focuses on environmental issues through creative writing. The collection features introductions by Roberta Bondar and Justin Trudeau as well as endorsements from David Suzuki and Robert Bateman. The book was edited and published by Michael
June 13, 2024