Tagged With "Love"
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Thoughts to share
“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” Lao Tzu “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” Martin Luther King, Jr. “A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything.” Malcolm X “There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance next time.” Malcolm X
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Helping Someone with PTSD: Helping a Loved One While Taking Care of Yourself (www.helpguide.org/)
"PTSD can take a heavy toll on relationships. It can be hard to understand your loved one’s behavior—why they are less affectionate and more volatile. You may feel like you’re walking on eggshells or living with a stranger. You may have to take on a bigger share of household tasks, deal with the frustration of a loved one who won’t open up, or even deal with anger or disturbing behavior. The symptoms of PTSD can also lead to job loss, substance abuse, and other problems that affect the whole...
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Self-Compassion Is Your Perfect Present Guidance, Even In The Most Troubled And Turbulent Of Times.
There is one sure form of guidance you can follow every moment of the day, even in today's most turbulent of times, to ensure that you follow the path in life that is truly right for you, truly good for you. The simple way of describing this form of guidance is: making self-loving or self-compassionate choices for yourself in the present moment . Be guided by your heart-sense regarding your every thought and action . When things don’t turn out the way you want them to, instead of blaming and...
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Re: Self-Compassion Is Your Perfect Present Guidance, Even In The Most Troubled And Turbulent Of Times.
This is beautiful. I do believe that the heart-sense is indeed the surest form of guidance we have, but for many of us who've experienced childhood trauma, trusting that heart-sense or even finding access to it can be nearly impossible. So many of us have closed our heart spaces out of a need to defend ourselves and survive horrible circumstances, or we've intellectualized everything, getting stuck in our heads (or both). Thanks for these tips on overcoming that, Bob.
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Re: Self-Compassion Is Your Perfect Present Guidance, Even In The Most Troubled And Turbulent Of Times.
Bob, beautifully written. I wish real love could be found in every church. Jesus gave only 2 commandments Love God and Love your neighbor. However, sadly love is the last thing you find in a church. What you get is judgment, meanness, superiority, lack of support. Money is what speaks in most of these houses of God. All you need is 1 kind and loving person to heal. If you are lucky you will find him/her or else the pain never goes away.
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Re: Helping Someone with PTSD: Helping a Loved One While Taking Care of Yourself (www.helpguide.org/)
Thank you for posting this! Thought you might like this article I wrote as well - https://brickelandassociates.c...vivor-relationships/
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Re: Helping Someone with PTSD: Helping a Loved One While Taking Care of Yourself (www.helpguide.org/)
Alfredo, this guide is so well done. It deserves to be shared widely. It seems that some of the tips, such as avoiding taking a blithe attitude toward someone's traumatic experience and stopping the person from talking about their feelings, could go far in preventing PTSD in the first place (in people who haven't already developed it, that is). Thanks for posting this here.
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Re: Helping Someone with PTSD: Helping a Loved One While Taking Care of Yourself (www.helpguide.org/)
The guide is EXCELLENT! Thank you to the creators and publishers and to Alfredo for sharing here. I am indebted.
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Re: Helping Someone with PTSD: Helping a Loved One While Taking Care of Yourself (www.helpguide.org/)
Thanks for sharing your article, Robyn. I always learn so much from your articles. And this information is helpful not only for the loved ones of trauma survivors, but, in my experience, also for the trauma survivors themselves. I don't know about anyone else, but sometimes I need a reminder that many of the difficulties I experience because of a history of trauma are deserving of some compassion and patience -- from myself.
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Re: Thoughts to share
Love these Michael! My quote of the day from my meditation app Calm: If you are acting like a sheep do not blame the shepherd. You cannot herd lions. Wake up and roar and you are free. - Papaji
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When Bad Things Happen to Good People
Bad things happen to good people. I know. My six-year-old son was murdered by a former student in his first grade classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary School alongside 19 of his classmates and six educators. We read about those who die in countless natural disasters all over the world. Thousands of good people perished in the 9/11 attacks. The media shares headlines of brutality and destruction on a daily basis. The labeling of good versus evil has helped us to categorize unspeakable horror in...
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Re: When Bad Things Happen to Good People
I love “what we focus on grows.” That is so true! I am absolutely for the “Choose Love Movement.” Thank you, Scarlett, for sharing your passion and manifesting YOUR focus. Tina
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Re: When Bad Things Happen to Good People
Hate will never “cure” hate, overwhelming need to teach empathy and compassion, some have never experienced love.
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A Time for Change
The magnificent fall foliage displayed during the month of October reminds me of transition and forward momentum. Ideally, as humans, we grow and change along with the seasons to find meaning and purpose in life and flourish. Unfortunately, the progression of our lives isn't always smooth and people aren't always kind. There are essential life skills that we can learn, however, that can help us grow through struggle and choose love in our thoughtful responses. We have had varied reactions to...
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For Survivors of Childhood Trauma: How To Find REAL LOVE
For people who were abused and neglected in childhood, one of the cruelest ways the damage shows up is in romantic relationships. Too many of us go through life either alone, or in relationships where we’re not loved, not safe, and not happy. It doesn’t have to be that way. If you have Childhood PTSD and you’re wondering why you keep attracting people who are either dysfunctional, unavailable or abusive -- you’re going to want to read this... READ FULL BLOG POST or.. WATCH THE VIDEO ON...
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Make December the First Month of the Rest of Your Life
This month many of us are heading into a holiday season whether it be Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah or another notable day. It is traditionally a time when we get together with family and friends, open our hearts, and put our absolute best foot forward in hospitality and grace. The pandemic has changed the physicality of our lives but not the meaning and intention that lies beneath this very special season. The origin of the word season comes from the Latin word ‘satio’, meaning ‘sowing’ and...
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Discovering the Need for Reflection
My son often complains that he can hear my footsteps throughout the house when he’s trying to sleep. He says it sounds like I’m running. ‘Why don’t you slow down,’ he asks. When I think about it I guess I am rushing around to do this and do that, get things accomplished, and finish tasks. In fact, I take pride in my productivity, sometimes patting myself on the back at what I have accomplished by 9:00 a.m.! After my youngest son Jesse died, I started a foundation and began to travel almost...
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Join us for Choose Love Awareness Month for Hope, Healing, and Connection
As we are all living under the mandate of social distancing we find almost everyone struggling with the ethos of our current stressful environment. As human beings, we were created to connect with one another. Our brains have mirror neurons that help us socialize and communicate by reading the expressions of others. The famous evolutionist Charles Darwin concluded that it would be those who were most ‘sympathetic’ to each other, in other words generous, altruistic, and compassionate, that...
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I know Valentine's Day has passed, but will you be my Valentine?
Hello, It's Sunita here. You are precious to me every day. Including Valentine's Day. But more importantly, I treasure you every day. I love you. I adore you. I put you above all others. Most times, I only want to be with you. I can't bear to be away from you. So, I keep you close to me, even when I am far from you. When I don't get enough alone time with you, I get irritable and cranky. I don't think right, and I can't see things clearly. It has taken a lot of courage and work to put you...
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A Season to Focus on Growth
By March, I sometimes feel as if I am marching through winter. It has been cold long enough that the novelty of snow boots and mittens has worn off. Sledding, skiing, and skating have been fun but navigating the ice from the house to the barn for my daily farm chores gets wearing. March marks one long year of quarantining and social distancing, and it’s still an altered way of life we are required to continue. I noticed, however, that the purple and yellow crocuses have already bloomed in my...
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The Friend of Love
This article was originally posted on the Forward-Facing Institute Blog written by Rebekah Brown The Friend of Love - Resiliency My best friend is moving away. She’d been dropping hints for months, but I decided to retreat behind a wall of denial and hope for the best. The best was not to be. Ellen is moving, and there isn’t anything I can do about it. We had our share of joyous events over the time we had together. Once, a seafood company sent $300’s worth of prime, unreturnable Maryland...
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Re: Be Grateful and Add Positivity to Your Life
I have a micro- minute or two of joy every day. When I wake up in the morning I thank the universe that it is differentiating between day and night. I thank that my eyes opened to see, and my limbs managed to get up, that my ears picked up the bird sons and my lips are giving praise. This is an ancient tradition I practice, a tradition that recognized the value of practicing gratitude and passed it on through its teachings for over 3000 years. I am glad that many more people are discovering...
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Be Grateful and Add Positivity to Your Life
A global pandemic. Social unrest. A contentious election year. Is it possible to be grateful in this environment? YES! Actually, the stressors actually make it even more imperative! Our ultimate goal as humans, for our children and ourselves, is to flourish. Gratitude is the number one way to shift our focus from negative to positive and facilitate growth in our lives. It sounds simple, and it is, but it’s not always easy. How can we be grateful when it seems like everything is falling apart...
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What is Possible?
What is Possible? By Scarlett Lewis I love reading stories about victory! It seems we all have had something in our lives to overcome, to some degree, and learning and growing from the struggle can benefit others. Courage and perseverance are two of the most powerful ways that can be taught to get through and grow from difficulties, and sometimes the best way is by example. However, one thing is for certain -- we need each other. It has been fascinating to me to witness how we rise to the...
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Re: What is Possible?
What a wonderful article, I have no idea what you have had to personally go through to get where you are today, but I am grateful you posted this, for me, for us. Thank you Scarlett
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Horses Teach Us How to Connect on a Human Level
I have always loved horses. When I was a young girl I collected plastic Breyer model horses, read books about horses, and even watched television shows that had an equine theme. I think it is their exquisite beauty, their inherent wild nature, and the vulnerable and trusting relationship between horse and rider that is the attraction. I purchased my first horse when I was twelve, spending a year cutting lawns, weeding, and babysitting, eventually raising enough money along with my parents’...
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How Do You Want to Live Your Life
I had a good life prior to December 14, 2012, the day of the Sandy Hook tragedy that took my six-year-old son Jesse's life. I was a single mom with a full-time job, a first and seventh grader, living on a horse farm with a wonderful mother/grandmother living nearby to help, and a supportive extended family. Always on the go, I woke up early, went to bed late, and would list the day’s accomplishments in my head each night. When I woke in the morning I would thank God for another opportunity...
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Failing our Children -- What You Can Do to Help
Co-authored by Leanne McEvoy, a mother of two and advocate for children's mental health and well-being who is passionate about making sure kids have solid emotional foundations to navigate life. She holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work with a concentration in children and families and has advocated for improved policy and legislation around school safety. This is a true story shared with me but something similar might be unfolding near you as well. Recently, a ten year old boy’s...
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A Solution to the Desperate Need to Belong
As humans, we have a basic, primal need to belong. Belonging is defined as ‘the feeling of security and support when there is a sense of acceptance, inclusion, and identity for a member of a certain group . It is when an individual can bring their authentic self to others, including friendships, family and work.’ Feeling disconnected, unimportant, or not cared about can translate into feelings of loneliness. This has led to much of the suffering our society is experiencing today. Cigna...