Written by Julianna Bonnett

​Everybody knows that the saying "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is a complete and utter lie. WORDS do hurt, or at least they can, but on the flip side, sometimes people's words can help you or even save your life.


As crazy as it sounds, everyone has their own opinions, and with having an opinion, things can become challenging. Sometimes your beliefs and opinions can hurt someone you care about. People may look at you as an uneducated fool or have some people fearful of expressing their opinion in front of you simply because they are scared of being shut down. So, where do you draw the line on having such an open and honest opinion around others?


Let's start with an outline; there is a difference between having an "opinion" and being "overly opinionated."


For example, having an opinion means you have a strong conviction, but you know you may be wrong. You challenge someone, but you are open to being challenged. You are critical, but it's not personal. You want to change someone's mind, but you are ready to have your mind changed.


Where being overly opinionated means you are convinced because you are right. You challenge someone because you know better. You are critical because that person is wrong. You want to change their mind because they are wrong. You attack them because they are wrong and because your opinion is the only opinion.


Having an opinion on something is natural, and it's not a bad thing; it means you're using your voice and expressing something you believe in, but sometimes words can hurt others. With that, your opinions can affect people negatively. Sometimes though, your voice can guide others and give them the confidence and strength to be open and honest about their truth.
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With every conversation comes different opinions and approaches; being open with one another creates more discussion, and when conversations happen, more change can begin. Learning to respect others for their views and thoughts is the first step to having a real conversation and being open to learning more.


Once you're able to implement that, you will be confident with your opinions while also learning and listening to others. This can lead to a free discussion, whether you agree or disagree respectfully.
 
 
 
 
 

Written by A FABU Contributor

As Demi Lovato said, “What’s wrong with being confident?”

Confidence makes you feel good about yourself, your talents, and your abilities.  It allows you to walk into a room knowing what your uniqueness brings to the table. 

Self-confidence gives you the power to feel comfortable with who you are as a person, and having confidence in other people will give that assurance to someone else.

With that said, there is such a thing as having too much confidence, to the point where it becomes toxic. This is the point where confidence turns into cockiness.

Confidence and arrogance can be confused, especially when it comes to people who work in high positions.

When a woman is bossy, they can sometimes be labelled a “bitch”.
When a man is bossy, they can sometimes be labelled a “douchebag”.

Someone should not be labelled in this way just because they expect a high level of work, but there is a point where over confidence can turn into demeaning behavior towards others. 

To break it down, people who are confident in themselves have a clear understanding of what they want out of themselves and other people.  Whereas, someone who's arrogant might boss around others in order to satisfy their ego.

Take a second to think about the people in your own life.  You can probably think of someone who comes to mind who is confident.  Now, compare them to someone who you deem as arrogant.  You can probably identify the difference just by the shift in the energy they give off and how they talk about themselves.

Usually, someone who’s cocky tends to have an inflated sense of confidence and a heightened view of themselves and what they've achieved, creating a sense that they are better than everybody else.  This, in turn makes the people around them feeling annoyed and undervalued.

Confident people know what they want and still expect a certain level of hard work out of others, but they will lift up those around them in order for everyone to achieve and succeed.

Arrogant people usually tend to brag about their achievements and might even belittle those around them by talking down to them in a condescending way.
They might even make everything about them, instead of getting input from others or taking other people into consideration.

It’s like how the old saying goes “you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” When someone is arrogant, it can be difficult to work with them. And if you try to confront them on their behavior and how it impacts morale,  there may be some push back as it is hard for them to understand what they're doing wrong, and will shrug it off. 

But, when you lift people up and work together, it reflects well not only on the team you are working with, but it reflects well on yourself, so you can confidently present your best work.

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Written by Julianna Bonnett

WIt causes you to feel a certain way. Whether it be to celebrate a new job or to help you pick yourself up after a bad breakup.

​When you hear a song for the first time, it can give you that adrenaline rush, the motivation to be the best, or it could make you relive that one painful time in your life.
 
Have you ever heard that one song that can evoke the same memory every single time?
 
Music is a sensory gift that allows listeners to be taken back to a moment so minuscule, that they forgot it was even a memory in the first place. Songs trigger memories and those memories are often complete.

They include not only the song and the performer but also how we felt the first time we heard it, where we were when we heard it and the events that were happening in our live to shape that song into what it has become in our minds.

Music can be used as background noise to lighten an awkward conversation, to helping patients with dementia bring back momentary colour to a darkened mind but the most critical part about music is that it can bring an element of calmness to our bodies and allow us to travel back to a moment long passed.

​Music isn’t simply a mixture of beats, tones, keys and beautiful lyrics. It’s a gateway for individuals to escape.
 
According to a few Canada wide studies, listening to music can help reactivate areas of the brain that are associated with memory, reasoning, speech and some motor functions. It can also reduce anxiety, blood pressure, pain and help with sleep patterns. 

Music enriches our souls daily and can make us relive that one joyous time we wish we could get back. Whether it's at a big concert, in the car or in the shower, music has the eliminate to bring us all together, no matter the situation. 

Today, tomorrow and every other day, it's something we should be thankful for. After all, it is the little things that are able to bring serenity to us.
 
What music brings back compelling memories for you? Comment below