In a recent interview with a writer for the Reader’s Digest, she asked me about the meaning of Easter. I told her that Easter means hope, quoting my own writing on Easter (Wong, 2002): “Easter never fails us. Even in the worst of times, amidst destruction, death and despair, Easter arrives as surely as daybreak, […]
In this Christmas session, the world is full of bad news, from devastating wars and humanitarian crises to mental health problems (CBC News, 2023). But we can hope again because Christ was born in a manger more than 2 thousand years ago. My 2002 Christmas message reflected hope. I want to share it again with […]
I don’t want to bore you with all the current statistics about our mental health crisis. You already know that the prevalence rates of depression, drug overdoses, and suicide among young people. The challenge before us is how to solve the mental health crisis without solely depending on the medial model (Wong & Laird, 2023). […]
Is it possible to have the kind of ideal community as described by Nelson Mandela? I am afraid not. And for good reasons, too. Suppose that there was an ideal community. Your or my presence would ruin it because none of us are perfect. We are all broken in some way, living in a […]
Ever since being discharged from the hospital three days ago (Feb 20, 2023), my mind could not help but marvel at the wonderful capacity to hope and dream in times of great danger and suffering. I am able to pen this article this morning (Feb 23, 2023) because I have a hope that holds fast […]
“I am very angry. God knows that I try, but I can’t help it – I have every reason to be mad” (Segal, 2003). If this sentiment sounds familiar, it is because all of us have experienced similar inner struggles with respect to anger. Why are We Angry? Wouldn’t you be angry if what you […]
Employee engagement (Harter, 2021) and wellbeing (Bersin, 2022) remain the hottest topics during the post-pandemic era. The great resignation, “quiet quitting” (Harter, 2022), and the resistance to return to the office (Cutter & Bindley, 2022; Guilford & Overberg, 2022) are troublesome trends that adversely impact productivity, the economy, and wellbeing. Common sense attributes these developments […]
Abstract This paper invites you to consider a more adaptive view towards happiness and suffering which may change your life. It suggests that the old paradigm of seeking pleasure and avoiding pain is no longer adequate in the current digital age, and a new paradigm of embracing and transforming suffering is needed in order to […]
The daily news of the Russian invasion of Ukraine brings back many painful memories. The scenes of Russia’s deliberate bombings of hospitals and schools, and the relentless shelling of residential areas fill my heart with sadness and rage, because the United Nation and NATO cannot do anything to stop a madman from destroying cities and […]
The above title sums up the main thrust of all my academic and professional activities this year. It is never easy to change people’s deeply entrenched negative view of suffering, but I have at least turned the corner, thanks to the pandemic. Now, more people are interested in learning about the protective and transformative benefits […]