In last week's episode of EZ Conversations (Listen Here), I had the honour of hosting filmmaker Jeff Hays. We discussed his many projects over the years, including his most recent one, the MAHA film. We explored the controversy surrounding the topics he covers and why he chooses to make films that come at the risk of being “cancelled.” Jeff shared that he likes to give a voice to the voiceless, and he explained why the health system has become a political issue — particularly when insurance structures and corporate incentives shape decision-making.

As I often do when conversations move into sensitive territory, I asked Jeff how he keeps himself grounded while pursuing truth. His answer was simple: he reflects daily on how he can be a vessel for his Creator.

That response stayed with me.

The conversation, along with recent world events, brought forward a deeper question:

What do we believe?

If the systems designed to protect our well-being appear, at times, to undermine it, questioning becomes necessary. But questioning is not the same as cynicism. It is not rebellion for its own sake. It is vigilance — so that dysfunction does not quietly become normal.

The analogy of the frog in boiling water comes to mind. If dropped into boiling water, it jumps out immediately. But if placed in lukewarm water that slowly heats, it adapts — until it is too late.

Normalization is powerful.

And dangerous.

When we turn a blind eye repeatedly, we slowly surrender agency. We stop evaluating. We stop discerning. We stop choosing.

In therapy, I see this same pattern on a smaller scale. A difficult relationship becomes “just the way it is.” A harmful coping pattern becomes routine. A compromise of values becomes survival. Over time, what once disturbed us becomes familiar.

But here is the psychological truth:

Human well-being is deeply connected to the experience of agency.

Research in self-determination theory consistently shows that autonomy — the ability to make meaningful choices aligned with one’s values — is foundational to mental health. When people feel they have no choice, they experience learned helplessness, anxiety, and depression. When they recognize even small areas of choice, resilience increases.

Choice restores dignity. Choice restores responsibility. Choice restores meaning.

We may not control entire systems. But we always retain the power to choose how we engage with them.

We can choose to think critically without becoming paranoid. We can choose to question without becoming bitter. We can choose to pursue health in our own lives even when institutions fall short. We can choose what media we consume. We can choose what food we put in our bodies. We can choose what conversations we participate in. We can choose who we become in the process.

Psychological freedom does not begin when systems are perfect.

It begins the moment we recognize we still have agency.

That is not naive optimism. It is a disciplined responsibility.

Perhaps the real danger is not that systems are flawed.

It is that we forget we can choose.

And when we forget that, we surrender more than belief — we surrender ourselves.

So the question is not simply, What should we believe?

It is:

What will we choose — and whom will that choice make us?

Head to YouTube for the full episode. Or Subscribe below:

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