A recent conversation with a friend confirmed once again that we all have moments of hardship. For this column, hardship…
Author: Ivan Labelle
Through his column "Men Writes", Ivan explores life, relationships, and the modern male experience with honesty, insight, and a touch of humour. Passionate about storytelling and community, Ivan brings a thoughtful voice about men's mental health to local media.
Those Who See Potential
I’ve been recently watching a show on YouTube called Epic Upcycling. This man of enormous talent makes furniture, cabinets for…
Conspiracy to Get Us to Stay Home… Hmm.
The path to communication and socialization used to leave footprints—then came the telephone. The invention of the telephone created this:…
Practicing any art form can lead to self-discovery.
Practicing any art form—painting, singing, drawing, sculpting, playing an instrument, acting, or even writing a column, can lead to self-discovery.…
Why My Generation Might Be Confused (Inspired by a Recent Conversation in the Politically Correct World)
Homer wrote,”In youth and beauty, wisdom is rare.”We now live in a world where anything is possible, where men and…
How Roles have Changed
I recently saw a short reel showing how different genders approach child-rearing differently. It was said, and I agree, that…
Fast times, what a ride ahead
How times have changed and how fast! From the time of my great grandfather to my father, not much changed,…
The emotional raping of men
I along with my co-facilitator have been running a men’s support group for over 5 years now. We’ve seen a…
Believe it or not
You’ve heard of the secret, of the powers of positive thinking and the powers of the subconscious mind… I thought…
Shortages, shmortages
I was watching the news the other morning, and everything was about shortages. Ottawa needs an additional 175 doctors to…
Round is a shape
Hi everyone, so another year and what have you done? Maybe you’re done overindulging in festive food, drinks and Christmas…
You can’t take it with you, or can you?
As we age, time appears to accelerate. With the passage of time, we often find ourselves reassessing what truly matters…
Transparency, where has it gone?
I was uncertain about what to discuss this month as many topics feel taboo. I recently watched a video where…
Time to Revisit Oneself: My Breathwork Visualization Experience.
Recently I participated in a breathwork workshop, so with only a blanket and a yoga mat in hand, I was…
Humans! What filthy animals! Part 1
I recently attended a human trafficking conference, and I was appalled to learn that this heinous crime is occurring in…
American Graffiti, Happy Days and Arnold’s; the times, they are a changing.
Recently , I have participated on a committee that is about setting up a Wellness room for the students at…
Man Up, Pops
If you conceive a child, be there to raise it. For a variety of reasons, men/fathers are not involved with…
Mentor
A Mentor – is defined as “an experienced and trusted advisor”. If you are lucky, you will meet many mentors…
It’s about time.
Some philosopher said “the death of others make us question our own mortality.” As a kid you do not ponder…
The art of conversation and its influence on relationships
Years ago, I read a book called The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz Jr. One of those agreements is…
Cancer, Rocky, and why life requires you to go one more round!
As many of you might know, I am a three-time cancer survivor, having had cancer in 2007, 2013, and 2015.…