Check out this Skype video of Grind & Thrive’s Torrey McGraw interviewing U-ology 101′s Jesse Jones.
Jesse talks all about making UR passion UR life’s work. Are U doing what U love?

Check out Jesse’s feature editorial in the Toronto Star on the youth vote! READ THE WHOLE STORY AT THESTAR.COM or below.

Channeling Excitement For The Youth Vote

As we come up on this year’s election, a lot has been, and is being, said about the potential power of the youth vote. For many years the issue of youth voter apathy, the questions surrounding it, and why it occurs have been met with much debate.

Among many reasons it has been said that a “lack of knowledge” about politicians and institutions in Canada have been primary sources of the lower than hoped for voter turnouts by youth. And while the issue of youth voter apathy may not be a new one generation by generation, I want to consider another reason for its presence, and in the same breath perhaps provide a consideration for solution.

Let’s take a step back. Before even outlining that a “lack of knowledge” about institutions and party platforms is a leading cause in the apathy rates nationwide, what if we considered for a moment the potential impact on the desire or need to vote when there is “lack of knowledge” of self? Stay with me here.

What if we peeled back all of the layers and started with the individual? I am a firm believer that as a nation, if we begin to place top priority on uncovering one’s true passions and showing not only our youth, but people in general, how one can live their lives doing, not what they feel they must settle for, but what they feel they are truly meant for, we would be developing stronger and potentially more active members of society.

What I mean by that is this: if we have a growing number of individuals in society that are becoming more and more connected to their true passions in life, then all of a sudden political issues become more important.

Are you passionate about becoming a doctor or architect? Then education and tuition issues will and should matter to you, followed by tax concerns that will most definitely affect you.

Do you want to become a musician or plan for your band to make it big? Then funding into government arts programs are going to be of concern for you one day if not already.

If our youth have yet to understand themselves, how can they possibly understand how political parties, policies and agendas will affect them?

The discussion here is about a deeper connection to one’s purpose in life. I’ve always said that the words apathy, and youth together strike me as odd.

Have you ever seen the excitement in a young person’s eyes when they are truly passionate about something? You cannot bottle that energy in.

Our young people are not only our future, they are also some of the brightest and most optimistic individuals our society has to offer, but I believe that this optimism, this excitement, and this passion for life and civic duty can only truly be realized when the connection to self and one’s innate passions and purpose are realized.

So before we revisit the same recurring lists of considerations for voter apathy around election time, let us maybe step back and ask ourselves, how could youth voter apathy, and voter apathy in general, be improved if as a society we were urging people to figure out who they are meant to be?

Jesse Jones, 29, has a zest for life that is fuelled by ambition and positive energy. As the founder of TEN81 brand consultancy, he helps brands manage their public image and connect in an authentic way to their target audience through creative lifestyle-based marketing opportunities. Jones is also the founder of U-ology 101, a motivational presentation that helps people identify the things they are passionate about, develop strategies for harnessing those concepts, and build an action plan for success. His background includes working with a broad range of organizations, including Bell, Mattel, RBC, Converse, Energizer, Fuji Film and Ford. He is a member of the Toronto Star’s Youth Nation 2011 Panel.

Check out this interview on A-Channel Ottawa with Jesse Jones!

Date of interview: March 22, 2011

Check out Jesse’s recent interview on Daytime Ottawa where he discusses how U-ology 101 came to be and the U-ology 101 3 Keys.

Take a listen to this Jesse Jones interview on ‘Toronto Morning Live’ with Flo and Manifest.

U-ology 101.com TML Interview by tanjolaBrands

Check out this interview with Jesse in Young Black Professionals.

Click to read the whole interview