An invitation to the 2008 Meaning Conference
Paul T. P. Wong
Ph.D., C.Psych.
Toronto, ON, Canada

"...I am looking out at my front yard. The once bare branches have burst out in flaming bloom. What a joyful and glorious sight. Yet, some of the cherry blossoms already show signs of withering! Indeed, every winter promises us the arrival of spring, and every spring prepares us for the inevitable winter. Throughout the changing sessions, hope goads us on to live fully in spite of all the constraints..."
(Full Article)

Re-Print Articles
To hell and back and what I have learned about happiness
Paul T. P. Wong
Ph.D., C. Psych.
Toronto, Ontario

"... Pain trumps happiness and meaning any time, until we find a way to confront and transcend it! Other than groaning and mourning, all I could utter was: Help, Help! Have mercy, Jesus! Please come, come quickly to rescue me from this ordeal! Have compassion, Buddha! Show me how to be free from pain through mindful meditation!..."
(Full Article)

A Less Traveled Road to Happiness
Paul T. P. Wong
Ph.D., C.Psych.
Toronto, Ontaro

"I have been wrestling with this question for some time: Where do people find comfort and hope in the darkest hour of their lives, if they believe that material is the only thing that matters, and God is nothing more than a convenient social construction? Could they find ultimate meaning and unwavering faith on their death-beds without believing in a supernatural and transcendental reality?"
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INPM 2008 Summer Conference
We are excited to announce the next Meaning Conference, to be held in Toronto, Ontario July 24-27, 2008. The topic of this year's conference will be
"Living well and dying well: New frontiers of positive psychology, therapy and spiritual care".
Get the conference poster here
Poster.pdf
The poster requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, get it here.

Our online registration is now up and running! Go to our Conference Registration page to start the process. Many thanks to the good folks over at EventRebels.com for all their hard work.

Please check the conference section of our website, as the schedule of events, keynote/invited speakers, registration forms, location information, and other news will be posted regularly.

Call For Papers
The call for papers for this summer's Meaning Conference is currently on. For more information on how you can submit work, check the conference mini-site.

Dr. Ken Hart joins the Board of Directors of INPM
Dr. Ken Hart, Professor of Psychology at Windson Universit of Ontario, Canada, becomes the newest member of the Board of Directors if INPM. He has been actively involved in promoting both Meaning Conference 2006 and 2008.

"The Positive Psychology of Meaning and Spirituality: Selected Meaning Conference Proceedings" has been published. All regular and student members will receive an electronic copy, and professional members will receive a hard copy. To order additional copies, contact lwong@tyndale.ca. The cost is $35.00 per hard copy (including handling and postage).

Dr. Paul Wong is still recovering from surgery (radical prostatectomy). He wants to thank all those who have sent him best wishes.

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On may 3rd, cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar, a nation already in distress. At the time of publishing, there was
24 000 reported dead, 40 000 still missing, and estimates that death tolls could top 100 000 (many people will die of sickness, tainted drinking water, and even hunger).

Our hearts break for the people of Myanmar. Please consider giving to relief funds. Below are three organizations who have workers in Myanmar, but are desperately in need of financial support.

http://www.redcross.ca
http://www.msf.ca
http://www.oxfam.ca

Christian Grief
A reflection on John 11: 28-37
Chris Schryer
Toronto, Ontario

When I first read through the text, I must admit, I was annoyed. Why had somebody else got to reflect on raising somebody from the dead? You have to admit, raising somebody for the dead is pretty cool. Lots of good Easter things you could write about on ressurection. Lots of "glory Hallelujah" and hand clapping. But as I reflected, I realized I actually got the gem.
(Full Article)

The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.
-Mark Twain

As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.
-Leonardo Da Vinci

Die happily and look forward to taking up a new and better form.
Like the sun, only when you set in the west can you rise in the east.
-Jelaluddin Rumi

Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.
-Buddha

He not busy being born, is busy dying.
-Bob Dylan