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Think about the people you spend the most time with. They might be the friends you talk to every day, the people you turn to for advice, or the group you feel most comfortable being yourself around. Over time, these relationships can influence more than your social life. The conversations you have, the habits you…

Think about a young person who takes the lead in a group project, helps a friend through a difficult situation, or speaks up when something needs to change. These may seem like small actions, but they are also examples of leadership. Leadership is not only about being in charge or telling others what to do….

For a long time, many youth programs started with one question: what’s wrong with this young person? The focus was on problems to fix, risks to avoid, and behaviour to correct. Positive youth development flips that question around. Instead of asking what’s wrong, it asks what a young person needs to thrive. And very often,…

Almost everyone can name one adult who believed in them when it mattered. A teacher who noticed when something was wrong, a coach who stayed after practice, or a neighbour who always had time to listen. That person probably never called themselves a mentor, but that’s exactly what they were. So, what is a mentor,…

For many people, social connections and loneliness have been a topic of renewed attention due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The implementation of social distancing guidelines has severely impacted our ability to get together and interact. In turn, making it difficult to maintain existing friendships and create new ones.  This drastic shift has exacerbated the loneliness…

We hear it all the time: the importance of being thankful, or showing gratitude. For some people, these words elicit an eye roll or a blank stare (at best). Sure, we know that gratitude is important in an abstract sort of way—but it can be hard to take seriously when our primary mode of interaction…

How to Recognize Past Trauma and Its Impact on Your Life The last few years have seen an explosion in the use of words like PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and trauma in our vernacular. This is due in large part to increased awareness and activism around the lasting psychological effects of war on veterans. However,…

Take a trip down to your local bookstore, and you’ll likely find stacks of memoirs and self-help books recounting peoples’ searches for meaning in their lives. From hiking through the wild to eating, praying, and loving your way through the world, people are obsessed with figuring out how to find meaning in their lives. And…

When you were growing up, you most likely looked up to someone and learned from the way they conducted themselves. Whether it was a family member, a friend, or even a celebrity, this person was your role model. You may not have understood why you looked up to this person, but they were an important…

As a kid, one of the most important things is having someone in your life who you look up to and respect. This person is often referred to as a role model. But, you don’t always know your role models personally. Mentors, on the other hand, are people in our lives who help us grow…

As we reflect on our lives and seek to become better, it is critically important for us to do a self inventory. By that I mean we look at our skills, abilities, talents, and areas we know are challenges for ourselves. I review that specific process in another article, but I want to highlight one…