SHANE​ WARREN

As we roll into the end-of-year season - family dinners, office parties, group catch-ups, and those “let’s do this every year!” barbecues - there’s always that one person.

Emotional resilience is like a muscle. The more you work on it, the stronger it gets. When you develop emotional strength, you’re better equipped to handle stress, recover from disappointments, and maintain a positive outlook even when things get tough. This doesn’t mean you won’t feel upset or overwhelmed sometimes. It means you’ll have the tools to manage those feelings and keep moving forward.

Every few years, a chorus emerges: “What if we ran government like a business?” The logic feels neat and tidy. CEOs cut costs, strike deals, and whip teams into shape. Surely, they could do the same with a nation-state.

There are few theological distortions as remarkable, and as dangerous, as the rise of prosperity theology. Rainn Wilson’s words land with force: how did a radical peasant from Galilee, who preached solidarity with the poor, end up rebranded as a cultural mascot for wealth, nationalism, and “God wants you to have a bigger house”?

A strange thing happens when a country starts arguing with itself: we forget who benefits. We trade side-eye with the person down the street who votes differently, while those who profit from chaos quietly toast another bumper quarter. We rage at each other online, and the engagement metrics purr. We are, as the saying goes, taking the bait.

Apparently, the left is destroying society, undermining values, and eroding freedoms. And yet, here’s the inconvenient truth, much of what we call freedoms and values today were delivered precisely because the left fought tooth and nail for them.

What fascinates me and frankly disturbs me, is not whether guns are deadly. That is obvious. The real question is: why are guns clutched so tightly in the American psyche? Why, even after classrooms are turned into morgues, does the national conversation erupt in rage instead of reason? Why do so many cling to the “right to bear arms” as if it is the last thread of dignity they have left?

Suicide is preventable. Together, we can build a world where fewer families know this grief. A world where people don’t wait until it’s “too late” to ask for help. A world where, instead of silence, there is solidarity.

Confidence is like a muscle - the more you work on it, the stronger it gets. I know firsthand how tricky it can be to feel good about yourself, especially when life throws curveballs. But here’s the good news: confidence building techniques are within your reach, and they can transform how you see yourself and the world around you. Let’s dive into some practical, friendly, and effective ways to boost your confidence and self-esteem.

Multiculturalism does not scare me. In fact, it excites me. It inspires me. It challenges me to be a better version of myself. Because history shows us something very clearly: diverse societies don’t collapse - they thrive. They build richer cultures, stronger economies, and deeper opportunities for all of us to become our better selves.