Become More Self Aware
According to Shawn Achor, Positive Psychologist at Harvard University, doing 5 kind things each day takes you outside of yourself and puts you into a mindset of thinking of others, thus becoming more aware of yourself. Shawn actually calls this 5 Random Acts of Kindness (ROKS) however I just think of it as 5 kind things to do. You should set this up at the beginning of the day so that you do not get to bedtime and start to think – well what did I do. It will work best if you start your day thinking about how you will do these 5 ROKS. That process alone helps with your self awareness.
This is because doing it that way actually gets you to thinking about others from the very start and not just filling in the gaps because you do nice things anyway. As you move more and more to thinking about how you can help others, you become more and more aware of how you behave, think and feel. You achieve self awareness more easily.
And by the way, it just feels great to do this, and that’s one bonus. Make it fun and that is the second bonus. Self awareness is the third bonus. Wow, three bonuses from one strategy – that’s got to be good.
What will be your 5 kind things to do today? I would love to hear from you about how you went.
Entrecard Contest At “The Painted Veil”
Add fun and spice to you life by entering the contest currently being run at “The Painted Veil” and win yourself some marketing at the same time. What a bargain!
One blog will be chosen via random generator at the end of September. So go ahead and enter this competition and best of luck to you.
White Balloon Day
White Balloon Day is on Tuesday 8th September. White Balloon Day is a national event; it is a day we all get to be involved in protecting children against sexual assault.
Currently one in five children are sexually assaulted before their 18th birthday BUT – we can change this. Get involved in White Balloon Day and send all children and survivors everywhere a message of support, belief and respect.
Try these ideas:-
- Tie a white balloon to your letterbox, pot plant at work, counter or street sign.
- Hold a Wear White Day at your office or workplace or perhaps hold a White Tea.
- Visit your local Terry White Pharmacy and buy one our really lovely ‘enviro shopping bags for just $2. In fact, if you can use Terry White Pharmacies always as a preference that would be great – they are great supporters of child protection.
Visit your local Bendigo Bank and make a donation – every cent helps….
- $10 buys a child a personal safety education program
- $25 buys a crisis counselling/support session
- $50 buys a specialist therapy session
This is your chance to do something to help children AND publicly SAY NO to sexual assault. Channel 9 and the 4BC radio network are supporting this campaign as are Terry White Chemists, Bendigo Bank, Nutrimetics, Rotary and others. It is your choice – how will you support this day?
Visit the White Balloon Day website and find our more about how you can help. www.whiteballoonday.com.au
Remember, when it comes to CHILD SEXUAL ASSAULT, IT’S ALL WHITE TO SAY NO!
Love and Kindness to Ethiopian Women
Here I am, home from Hawaii and knitting!! You see, I had this organised before I left and I am delighted to be involved with a group of women who are assisting women at the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia. We are knitting blankets that will be given to women when they arrive at the hospital seeking help. Women from all over Ethiopia make their way to these hospitals because they have suffered damage to their pelvic organs as a result of prolonged labour. Their long labours, sometimes lasting for over five days can result in stillbirth and a fistula from the bladder or bowel through to their vagina. This leaves the women incontinent, smelly and cast out from their family and society.
Dr Catherine Hamlin AC and her husband built and opened this Hospital in 1975 and Catherine continues her work to this day, recently opening a self help rural village for those women who cannot be completely cured. They now have a place to call home and real opportunities to earn and income. I am truly grateful that there are people like Catherine and her husband doing these things to help.
That is how I come to be knitting with a group of women, to create some of the lovely blankets that each woman receives when she arrives. You can help too. First, look at the website and get an idea about what is being done and how you can help. And then do some knitting yourself, organise a group of like minded people and just get on with it. Wrap a blanket, knitted with love and kindness around the shoulders of a young Ethiopian girl so that she knows that someone cares.
