Legal at Last
When we celebrate a birthday between the ages of 16 and 18, we gain new rights: the right to leave school, the right to learn how to drive, the right to vote. We enjoy being able to do new things as we are accepted by society as young adults rather than as children. However, with these rights, there also comes responsibility. Movies and popular culture tend to downplay the responsibility that comes with each right. However, when we fail to acknowledge the responsibilities, we can often end up causing lots of hurt for ourselves and for others. How will you use the rights you have today?
Technology
Over the last thirty years, technology has changed the way we think and the way in which we interact. We depend upon technology to relax; we enjoy the surround-sound 3D cinema experience or download the latest music to our mobiles. We depend upon it to create; we take photos with our phones and try to meet the latest essay deadline on our laptops. And we depend upon technology to communicate; we facebook our mates and skype relatives who live all around the world. Love it or hate it, technology is here to stay. But with it, there is a whole range of issues that we need to explore.
Relationships
Every day we interact with hundreds of people – from those close to us like family and friends, to those we meet for a brief moment like the shop assistant and the bus driver. Just think about the number of people that you have interacted with already today. It’s fascinating how dependent we are on relationships. We rely upon relationships with others for the food we eat and the clothes we wear. We also rely upon relationships to find our place in society. We all want to be liked and accepted in some way; the people around us often affect our behaviour, our dress code and even our language. So, as a relational being, would you describe yourself as emotionally intelligent?
Future
We live in a world where we are often encouraged to live in the here and now without fully thinking though the consequences. We occasionally think about the next few weeks, but might rarely consider what might happen over the next few years.
Sometimes thinking about the future can help us make better choices in the present. When we have a long-term vision of who we want to be, we can see more clearly what we need to do today to achieve that.
What kind of a future do you see for yourself?
Spirituality
The internet is full of theories on UFOs and ghosts. Many people pray, even though they claim not to believe in God.
Throughout history, people’s faith in God or a divine power has impacted how they have lived their lives. Just take Gandhi or Mother Teresa or Martin Luther King, for example.
Although many people question whether there is something more to life, most of us fail to make space for the conversation.
Why not take this time to reflect on what you believe about the spiritual world.
World Issues
Whenever we watch or read the news, we are flooded with images of world issues, ranging from war to famine, from climate change to wide-spread diseases. The world can often appear to be in a real mess and the issues that fill our newspapers are often complicated.
People respond to these issues in a variety of ways. Some people hold the belief that it’s not their problem. Others believe that they themselves are too insignificant, and that they can’t do much to change what’s happening. But some people believe they can make a difference.
What do you think about many of today’s pressing issues, and how will the way you live your life affect the world around you?
