Tariffs and New Beginnings

The War on Tariffs will bring changes to the Canadian working landscape. Now, more than ever, is the time to re-imagine ourselves in order to face the challenges ahead of us. To some, this will mean a career change.

"We don't control where we start our journeys, but we do control what we do once we've started. The goal is to take what we've been given and do the most we can with it."
-Chris Brady/Orrin Woodward

It's never too late to re-invent ourselves. We have to do what we must to thrive in this new, uncertain, economy.

Survival mode activated...

Hold off on big purchases as this isn't the time to get into unnecessary debt. If you don't need that new vehicle then wait until such time as a degree of stability has returned.

No one knows what tomorrow will brings but we know for a fact that things are not as stable as they used to be. 

Prepare in consequence.

CEO's Situation Isn't The Same as An Employee

CEOs are quick to point out when they "work on weekends" or "don't take vacations" or "do 16 hour days" somehow thinking this is the path to become a CEO or what any employee should be doing. What they fail to understand is:

• CEO build their dreams while their employees have their own goals or lack thereof. Whether it be consciously or unconsciously, an employee knows when he's building someone else's dream versus his own and act in accordance.
• CEO's paycheck is generally disproportionately higher than most other employees and tied to the company's overall performance creating an incentive not usually shared with employees.
• To some, there's more to life than work.
• When an employee goes above and beyond he's usually rewarded with more work rather than a promotion.

How does someone become a CEO?

Whoever creates their own business or change jobs whenever a higher position is available, at a different company, has a higher chance of becoming a CEO than the person that remained within the same company trying to climb the corporate ladder. The reason why "working harder than anyone else" doesn't usually work is because there's too much competition; everyone else is fighting for the same promotions within the company. 

If a different company has an opening for a higher position, it means they've already looked internally and don't feel anyone is qualified to do it.

"Work smarter" is something that seems to be shared quite often nowadays which, to me at least, means do what you're supposed to do at work without sacrificing your wellbeing.

Buy Magazine to Support the Causes

For the last few months, I've been going through the magazine sections of my local stores and been pleasantly surprised by the selection of science based magazines still available for purchase.

It's no secret that magazines are not as relevant in the digital age however I still find value in buying them when considering the following:

• It helps support the cause while also helping spread the message.
• The, sometime complex, material is simplified for easy reading/understanding.
• Most articles include references that may be useful to someone who wants more information on the subject.
• Information usually comes from trusted/reputable sources.
• More likely to contain the biggest, most interesting, information (as its more likely to sell).

Additionally, there's a sense of "I bought it so I have to read it" that we don't typically get from simply doing research online.

One of the major issues today is that people don't read enough. I know many people that would rather spend their afternoon browsing social media than to pick up anything to read let alone a magazine.

In these troubling times, with Americans pulling back on education in all its forms, supporting science base publication is as important as ever.

Could Science/Technology be Simplified?

"We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for disaster. We might get away with it for a while, but sooner or later this combustible mixture of ignorance and power is going to blow up in our faces."
-Carl Sagan

Our world has become complex and requiring one to spend more time learning its intricacies in order to find success within its systems. We need to find ways to make our society more approachable for the generations that precede us.
A.I. may be able to help humanity make sense of the complexities of science and technology for future generation but we also need to find ways to simplify information in order not to require an expert to understand it.

10-20 years ago existed a "for dummies" book series which was designed to be the first step in learning any new subject. The authors essentially simplifying complex subjects and sprinkling a bit of humour into the mix in order to keep the attention of the reader. It was a genius idea that seems to have died down.

Of course, individuals also have their parts to play as it doesn't matter how simple we make something people will still need to learn it.

What Happened in the USA can Happen Anywhere...

"A constitution should be structured to permanently protect the people from the human frailties of their rulers."

-W. Cleon Skousen

The transition from Federal Republic to Oligarchy/Dictatorship/Kleptocracy that is currently happening in the United States of America can happen anywhere. If anything, this is a reminder that we must pay closer attention to our governments/leaders because if we don't then we may see changes that will make things worse for our country.

• Netherlands, Italy, Hungary and Poland have seen a rise in far-right extremist beliefs.
• Germany is facing similar problems with the rise of the AfD political party.
• In Canada, the conservative leader seems to be using similar strategies as Trump did during his campaign.

It's a concerning trend, as these movements often target marginalized communities and push for more illiberal democratic systems. The rise of such parties can have real-world consequences, including the rollback of human rights for various communities.

"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."

-Jiddu Krishnamurti

It's important that we vote, while we still can, and develop an ability to identify good vs bad leaders. If, for example, a leader keeps saying he'll "become a dictator on day 1" this may not be the person you want to represent your country no matter what other silly promises he may be talking about.