Life Rage - Is the World Going Mad?

School shootings - church shootings - road rage - bullying - workplace rage. We are so angry! It seems as if there are no boundaries anymore. Have we completely forgotten how to deal with life's setbacks in a civilized manner? Have we become a world full of life's rages?

We live in a very challenging time. We're targets for terrorists, for frustrated and angry students and co-workers, for embittered spouses and for enraged drivers, and for people looking for their "15 minutes of fame." The economic problems in America and all over the world are also contributing to our rages. Unemployment is making people afraid, and they feel helpless and hopeless. They are expressing their fears and anger towards their former employers or at anyone they feel may have "wronged" them at anytime in their life. We are all too familiar with stories like Columbine or Virginia Tech, or a mall shooting or even a church shooting as they seem to be becoming daily events.

Recent years have proven that it only takes one significant event or encounter to set off violence. Our darkest fears have been realized. In my book Life Rage I take an incisive look at the issues creating the violent culture in America and throughout the world today, exploring school rage, airline rage, workplace rage and the fear and reactions from these rages that can lead to violent and deplorable acts. Our deteriorating psyche and civility is telling us we need to examine our virtues, motivations, family, spiritual, and business life, regardless of gender, race, and socio-economic status. And to make matters worse, for many people, there is no longer a fear of consequences for an act of violence or malice.

In order to deal with life's rages, businesses, schools, public buildings, malls and even churches must take action immediately. They need to develop and implement tight security plans that involve a mix of security measures, tools and training. While even little things like background checking volunteers and having patrols in the hallways can help, bigger measures are also needed including cameras, limited building access points, emergency mapping systems, uniformed and plain clothes security, metal detectors, remote lock-down, emergency notifications systems and more.

And just as importantly, we need to send a strong message that this violent behavior will not be tolerated! In today's instantaneous media world, some people see violence both as a way of retaliation and of gaining instant notoriety and fame. Our younger generation has been raised exposed to violence in television, in movies and video games, and while some experts argue that they are not desensitized to it, it's very apparent that these young people look at rage and violence as a normal and acceptable method to handle despair, depression, and negativity. It is imperative that we eliminate the lure of instant fame for these troubled persons.

The safe haven barriers we have always known and trusted have been tragically broken and our world is in a moral spin. It is up to each one of us to fix it.

. . . Continue to Life Rage.