Politics – Oh Boy

Politics. Just that word can make you immediately imagine division or distrust. Or give you hives!

Or make you close your ears. Common response for so many people. It’s unfortunately a sign of where things are today.

But what if that didn’t happen? It doesn’t need to.

Politics, whether you want to admit it or not, affects every single one of us. Yup, it’s true!

There can be politics in your local hockey team organization, there can be politics at your workplace and there is definitely politics at every level of our governments. All the way from municipal to federal.

Talking about politics can bring division into our family and friend groups around the table and it can very frequently bring division between us over social media. Very sad but very true. Neither one of those scenarios is ideal. Or desirable and yet it happens all the time.

But if you are honest you will likely admit that politics or the consequences of political decisions affect you every day. Just think about what headlines you are seeing in the media today. In some way, either today or down the road it will affect you. On a micro-level or a macro-level.

How you respond really matters. Do you just put your head in the sand and say I don’t want to know OR are you willing to learn more about what is going on, and think through how it affects you, and think about what position you will take on the matter, or what your beliefs are about it?

In my opinion putting your head in the sand is the worst possible response. I will again echo something I say frequently. It applies to many situations and absolutely applies to this one. Be informed. Stay informed. Politics affects you every day. It might not feel like it but politics, governments and elected officials are definitely in the mix for you and I every day. From big things to very small things.

So I think it’s critical to know what’s going on, know what’s coming and be a part of the process in multiple ways. At a minimum be a part of elections. Research candidates and every single person you will be deciding on while voting. I’m not suggesting you become the political nerd that I will unashamedly admit that I am. Just be a part of the process in some way.

I’m not interested in telling you what positions to take, who to vote for, or anything along those lines. I’m just going to strongly encourage you to get informed, make decisions and take action. A common thread through many of my posts directly applies here. Be informed so you can make better choices. Don’t allow someone else to tell you what to do, learn more so you can know what to choose.

I will also encourage you to find different sources of information. Find different points of view to help you flush out what you believe. It is so easy to get ourselves enclosed in a tight bubble which won’t allow different thoughts or positions to challenge us, or get into an echo chamber so we only hear the same information and ideas over and over.

If you get into one of those bubbles or chambers you can easily come to the conclusion that everyone or almost everyone shares your opinion, when in reality so many other people have so many other opinions or beliefs.

In many places, including where I live, we have just come through elections and we are anticipating an election coming up. (Hopefully very soon) Some recent elections have gotten more attention south of our border and even many around the world. Each decision affects so many people.

So friend, I hope I haven’t made you groan too loudly when talking about politics. As Canadians, right now we are facing some of the most substantive leadership and election decisions we have faced in many, many years. So to any Canadian reading this today, I strongly encourage you to get ready for the significant decisions to be made in 2025. For everyone in anywhere other than Canada, I will push you to do that same. Keep an eye on what’s happening in the political world around you and get ready and be informed when it’s your turn to vote and participate in the process and to understand what is going on around you.

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