Al Lauzon: Addressing the Mental Health Crisis

Umatter Podcast

In this interview Al identifies some of the broken bones of society. As our discussion rolled on, he provided many insights on how to grow and be in this ever-changing world that we live in today. He shares his deep and impactful thoughts about the changes he sees in this new world arising and how we can navigate the changes in ourselves to help create a metamorphosis in the collective consciousness so that we can ground and stabilize the new world that is in the process of becoming our reality.
First, we start with talking about the mental health crisis. He shares that we need to adopt a participatory approach to change, and to do so, we must be willing to set down our old ways of doing and being in the world so that we can more deeply connect with the wisdom of our soul, which in turn leads us into to creating the changes we so desperately need. We finished our talk with the topic of nature and the importance of connecting to our natural world. Lastly, we discussed moving beyond gender and reaching into both sides of our polarities. I encourage you to listen to this talk and take in the critical message that Al has shared. Also, listen deeply to the message between the words and the powerful energy this talk holds.
Al Lauzon is a retired professor from the University of Guelph. He has degrees in psychology, extension education, adult education and community development. Moss won't grow on his feet during his retirement; He continues to write on foundational issues ranging from issues related to technology, education, spirituality and sustainability. Al also writes about the human journey, and in particular, the evolution of human consciousness. Al sees that we need a new mode of being in the world, a new worldview and in his explorations of this new need is the argument that we are moving toward a participatory worldview.
Over the years, he has been involved in numerous projects that focus on rural change and development. This includes rural healthcare, innovation, rural youth, food security, rural education and rural precarious employment, to name a few. He has several publications and can often be found sitting on many different boards that affect community well-being.
I want to share two quotes I pulled from Al’s social media.
“To live at the end of times is to live at the beginning of times should we choose to begin anew, and this is cause for hope.”
“We are now witnessing the demise of one story (modernity), but hope is found in the emergence of a new story, one that will arise from the ashes of the old story, one that is more inclusive and includes all people and all life, a story that is global in perspective and scope.
Our stories, as they evolve, each adhere to a developmental logic whereby each emergent story is both more inclusive and more complex. Such is the human journey and our time merely one of the many cycles of birth/death/rebirth that has characterized the human species' journey whereby the world is restoried. This process should give us hope.”

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