Optimum Awareness

In both the US and Canada we have been bombarded lately with all the political rhetoric. We each will have a federal election this year.  It’s amazing how some people become so engaged in the political scene as bystanders.  Yes it’s good to be informed and obviously concerned and it’s important to vote.

However we needn’t stress ourselves over things we see in the media when we can do nothing about them.

Election time, like anything in life, is a time of much passion for many people.  It’s also a time of intense stress for many.  As is the case with any stressful event, people can benefit from learning to let go of things outside of their control.

The bottom line is that once you’ve done all you can do,  you need to stop stressing yourself further.  As simple as this sounds, I think it’s something we all need to hear from time to time, especially those of us stressed out by elections.

I’m not surprised at Harper’s election call but wonder if there will be more parties in future to hear from once the call is made?

For some people, the mystery of this title might be the question of who Tom Thomson is.  For others it might be: was he murdered?

Tom Thomson was a member of the famous Canadian group of 7 artists which came to be known as the Group of Seven.  Their art is great.  It represents many aspects of the outdoors of Canada.

I have always been drawn to Thomson’s art.  I just came across a newspaper article with handwriting on it indicating it dates back to January 1971.  This appears accurate as the article is talking about Judge William Little’s new book on the Thomson which was published in 1970: The Tom Thomson Mystery.

It’s neat how we are drawn to certain things. It’s neat how we find things throughout our life about topics of interest.  I actually found this article just the other day.  I’d never seen it before, but I own and have read books on Tom Thomson.

After looking at all the facts I have come to the opinion that he’s been murdered.  I’ve thought about the abilities of forensic science but I don’t think we’ll ever know for sure.

What I really enjoyed about Thomson’s qualities was that he was an introspective, peaceful, outdoorsman who enjoyed painting the outdoors, which for him was Canada’s.  I have some of his artwork in my home.

If you’re interested in finding out more about him or the Group of Seven then I’d recommend checking out Amazon and doing a search on Tom Thomson or checking it out at your local library.

Anyone interested in this topic feel free to post a comment to the blog, just to say you are, of if you’ve got some suggestions as to how this mystery could be investigated, please post it to the blog.

Matthew is writing an installment for one of his newsletters.

In my day job I work with some highly intelligent people. They undoubtedly have high IQ. They have several degrees with precision focus of specialty. This post isn’t about putting these people on a pedestal; it’s about you.

Maybe you possess the same qualities of these people, maybe it seems you don’t. But the point is: it’s not about these qualities.

As stated, I have the pleasure of working with the above mentioned persons. I can tell you that some of these people seemingly don’t have common sense about the basis tasks of completing paperwork. Some of them when attempting to make a decision can’t do so. They continue to contact everyone they can think of and attempt to pass the burden of making the decision to someone else (if that person accepts it). Probably so they can then turn around later, if critized, and state: “that person told me to”; “I trusted that person’s judgment”, etc.

However because of their high IQ and education, even when they demonstrate deficiencies, they do not appear to present the same picture of incompetence.

I could go on about these people but, as I said, this post isn’t really about them.

The real point here is the contrast I’m going to make and its implications.

The people with high IQ and education do not usually expect themselves to be completely proficient in all areas. HOWEVER the people with seemingly low IQ, little education or some other perceived impairment do. They seem to have an underlying need to belittle themselves about the tasks in which they don’t appear to have the necessary competence to complete.

We all have deficiencies. Let me repeat: we all have deficiencies.

All of the above mentioned persons do. We’re human.  It doesn’t mean we’re overall incompetent though.

Most importantly though: If the people who belittle themselves about possible deficiencies stopped doing so, were true to themselves, and did what they were good at, they’d move past this belittling process.

Now this is definitely easier said than done; however, those who do move past the belittling process move forward to be the great people of our world. I’m not saying they are necessarily receiving special recognition from others. BUT they know from within that they are not in fact incompetent or impaired and they are living the live they wish and doing the things they are good at.

We are all good at doing certain things; some things receive greater recognition from others; however, the people who really “get it” and follow their own guidance about how to live their life instead of belittling themselves about deficiencies have something much greater than any IQ, education, or any other external recognition will provide.

Do you know what the most ridiculous thing about this question is? I’ll tell you: It’s the fact that Canadians have to ask themselves this question.

The cost to taxpayers for early elections surely this exorbitant.

I think our friends in the south have got it right when it comes to setting an election every 4 years. You know when it’s going to happen and can be prepared for it.

In a true democracy the ability to allow any party to trigger an election to its advantage should not exist. A party forcing an election because of favourable polls is ridiculous. Moreover, snap elections do not necessarily allow all parties to adequately prepare in time. Certainly doesn’t sound democratic.

Again having a set time for the election every four years would solve the problem.

Some will argue this ability is a safeguard for a really bad government or one that can’t get anything passed because the other parties will not allow it. Well maybe, and this is a real big maybe, a clause allowing an early election to be called in exceptional circumstances might be okay. Even then though this leaves it up to interpretation.

In the end, I’d like to know when this law has actually – not hypothetically – benefited Canadians rather than merely draining their pockets?

Did you watch the Olympics this year in Beijing? What did you think?

Certainly it’s good that the world has had more of a glimpse of China now.

Many people see things they didn’t like.

Certainly the level of violence was disturbing. Then there was the story of the child singer who was replaced by a cuter child who lip synced the performance – in the interest of china’s national image – well of course. Then there is an investigation into allegations of 14 year olds participating in the Olympics. There’s the pollution. There’s the human rights issues.

I could go on. Like I said though the world had a chance to see more of China. Many people we’re just plain stupid though. For instance, the people caught carrying something like three hundred bibles on their person when they probably knew that it was illegal. In China, one can only possess enough religious material for personal use.

These people were reportedly staying in the airport in China waiting for their bibles to be returned – which Chinese officials had confiscated. Well come on people, did you not know this was prohibited? I say “When in Rome…” You know the rest. If you knew it was illegal to bring the materials in, then why did you do it? To make a stand? Well there is a time and place.

However there certainly are legitimate concerns. We need to look in our own backyard though. I think we should all look at the things in China and realize that many of the human rights issues and pollution are being contributed by the Western world continuing to buy in such large quantities from China.

I’m not saying the Western world is the cause. I’m not saying I have the answers. However, the next time you go into the dollar store, or the next time you buy something made in China (these things are literally everywhere), realize that there is a price to pay for having cheaper goods come from China: human rights and pollution.

Because people are paid lower wages and, until recently there wasn’t much in the way of legislation preventing people from working long 12+ hour shifts, we paid a cheaper price but those employees paid a price too. The environment paid a price too. Look at the pollution.

Again I don’t have all the answers but I like to think, at least today, that the answer might begin with us all looking to our consciences.

Picking up where we left off yesterday: Many of Hillary Clinton’s supporters are outraged and indicating they’ll vote: for John McCain, Independent or not at all.

Some advice: You live in a democracy, you should always exercise your right to vote. This is an area where we each have an equal playing field.

If you have issues with how things are going in the world (and anyone does unless they live in a bubble), then your only hope is to vote.

People who give up and say there’s no point in voting, it doesn’t make a difference, are forfeiting the only hope they have. Period.

It’s guaranteed that when people don’t vote (or even more absurdly spoil their ballot) they prove nothing. The people who want things in the country to remain a certain way, or the people with the power will have their interests represented in voting. That’s guaranteed.

I must say I have followed with enthusiasm the events of the pre-2008 election thus far. Certainly Barack Obama’s pick of Joe Biden as a Vice Presidential running mate was a strategically made one. Many of Hillary Clinton’s supporters are reportedly outraged.

While I understand that Clinton’s supporters would have been outraged by today’s events, I absolutely cannot understand anyone that would be willing to vote for John McCain out of spite or because they think he is the better one to serve as president of the United States, since Hilary is not an option.

If you’re already supporting a party, such as the Democratic Party, then obviously your ideals are much more aligned with the party’s than the Republicans. I know you might be angry but don’t be silly. Changing to become a McCain supporter, in other words a Republican supporter, is a much bigger shift than from Clinton to Obama.

The best way to look at politics is to vote with the lesser of two evils. We can’t expect to like everything about the candidate. I understand you might not like everything about Obama. But the party you identify with should be the party you vote for. The ideals of the party is what you should believe in. Don’t put too much faith in just one person. I think whenever any of us make things more about a person (i.e. and not in the ideals of a party) then we are potentially setting ourselves up for failure.

I was reading a great story on the site of the Good News Network about a small town of 1300 people called Roscoe, Texas. Things were looking quite bleak but one man, together with support of others in the town, took action and was able to get a large company on board to set up windmills in the area. Now many of the farmers who were earning very little income are able to supplement their income in a very large way since they are paid by the company for allowing them to place windmills on their property. Each windmill earns them 10-15,000 per year. Not bad considering most are getting 6-10 put on their farmland.

This really shows how people can unite and make things happen. For more information you can click here and read, see, and hear all about it.