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“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.” Anais Nin
Motivation Mondays: International Friendship Day
The International Day of Friendship is an initiative that follows on the proposal made by UNESCO and taken up by the UN General Assembly in 1997 (A/RES/52/13), which defined the Culture of Peace as a set of values, attitudes and behaviours that reject violence and endeavour to prevent conflicts by addressing their root causes with a view to solving problems. UN.org/friendship
Motivation Mondays: International Friendship Day When we think of the word “friendship,” we think of our friends, family and all the great souls who have crossed our path over the years. No matter our standing in life, we all need friends or good people who can lift us up and encourage us in times of trouble. Our friends play that role without asking more of us, and we can offer the same by helping and supporting people around the world. If we had more friendships between nations and support systems that helped those in need, we would see greater collaborations and global peace. It is this idea that led to the birth of the International Day of Friendship in 1997. True friends do everything in their power to avoid conflict and to solve problems, When nations come together in the spirit of friendship and work to keep those principles alive, we see progress and more peace initiatives. Instead of focusing just on what we can get out of our friendships, the UN has nudged us to be more inclusive and consider how the same principles can bring about global goodwill. Come back for more!
May You Be Blessed With Friends by E. Obih-Frank
READ: Fame, Friendships and Social Media Connections Part II
Online Friendships: An Adventure Meeting a Twitter Friend Offline…
On Friendships: Staying the Course with Ourselves & Others…
On Friendship: Ten Lessons Learned from Winnie-the-Pooh & Crew…
“Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.” Albert Camus
Motivation Mondays: International Friendship Day
Motivation Mondays: International Friendship Day
International Friendship Day is also intended to support the goals and objectives of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace and the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010). The Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace (A/RES/53/243) adopted in 1999 set 8 areas of action for nations, organizations and individuals to undertake in order for a culture of peace to prevail:
foster a culture of peace through education;
promote sustainable economic and social development;
promote respect for all human rights;
ensure equality between women and men;
foster democratic participation;
advance understanding, tolerance and solidarity;
support participatory communication and the free flow of information and knowledge;
promote international peace and security. UN.org/friendship
Motivation Mondays: International Friendship Day Our friendships matter. Even if, from time to time, we find things about each other that irk us, we make time to talk things out and remember the bond that brought us together as friends. Because my family traveled and moved quite a bit in my early years, I learned to make friends quickly and be accommodating of changes and shifts in our friendships. My closest friends go way back, and one thing that has always pulled us together is laughter. Not only laughter in good times but the ability to ease each other’s woes with humor in harsh times. I value my girlfriends for being there through storms and sunsets, and I thank them all. Some I haven’t seen in years, and Facebook brought several of us together. Others I see regularly or speak to occasionally, but whenever we reconnect and talk, it is a familiar feeling, like the satisfaction, we get from enjoying a good meal. 🙂
A Time to Talk by Robert Frost
When a friend calls to me from the road
And slows his horse to a meaning walk,
I don’t stand still and look around
On all the hills I haven’t hoed,
And shout from where I am, ‘What is it?’
No, not as there is a time talk.
I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,
Blade-end up and five feet tall,
And plod: I go up to the stone wall
For a friendly visit.
READ: On Friendship: Through Storms & Sunsets…
Reflections: Defending Our Friendships…
True Friendship: When Happiness & Gratitude Merge…
Weekly Photo Challenge: Friendship…
The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for APR 2018/MAY 2018 are:
07/01 – TBD 04, Independence Day
07/08 – 11 World Population Day, 14 Bastille Day
07/15 – 15 National Icecream Day, 18 Nelson Mandela Day
07/22 – 22 Parents Day,
07/29 – 30 International Day of Friendship, Day against Trafficking
08/01 – Girlfriend Day
08/06 – Friendship Day, Indigenous People Day
08/13 – International Youth Day
08/20 – World Humanitarian Day
08/27 – National Dog Day
Are You Looking for Ways to Stay Creative in 2018?
– Join the Daily Post Post-a-day or Post-a-week Challenge.
— Join the BlogHer Writing Lab
MORE BELOW Read more…
Motivation Mondays: DECISIONS
“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” Stephen Covey
Motivation Mondays: DECISIONS
We are not living in a world where all roads are radii of a circle and where all, if followed long enough, will therefore draw gradually nearer and finally meet at the centre: rather in a world where every road, after a few miles, forks into two, and each of those into two again, and at each fork, you must make a decision. C. S. Lewis
Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen. Ralph Waldo Emerson
What kind of Decisions did you make today? Every day, we make decisions, large and small, that have an impact on our lives in some way. Today, I spent 4 hours at my local DMV trying to renew my drivers license to the new upgraded version that, if we plan to travel, will affect us all by 2020. Yes, I could have taken the suggested August 2nd appointment when I tried to schedule one online but, I was impatient to be done with the process. My decision cost me 4 extra hours that could have been spent elsewhere. Each decision we make will leave a wake … a reverberation that impacts other areas of our lives. As I sat there fuming, waiting for my turn, it got me thinking about how we make decisions/choices to do A or B and how that unfolds into other circumstances in our lives. One thing is clear, regardless of what we choose to do in a situation, our attitude can make a difference. We might not have a choice in the outcome of the road taken but, we have a choice on how we respond to those outcomes. We can moan and groan or chin up and move on.
Why did I write today’s post? An important point on this subject was my decision to go ahead and write this post, even though my day was shot. Plus, I had other pressing engagements to handle. I wrote it because I’d made a commitment to myself and my readers to make Monday an inspired day; plus I was not going to let us down, Normally, I prefer to have my blog posts up before midnight east coast time, however, this blog is set at west coast (pacific) time. Why? If you’ve followed this blog from its inception, you’d know that I started it, in California, as a motivational support newsletter for my agents. As training manager, I wanted to give them inspirational support, as well as practical, industry related information. When the market crashed, in 2008, and things fell apart, I turned the newsletter into the blog you are reading today. I took the unfortunate outcome of one situation and made a decision to turn it into another positive endeavor. It is in staying flexible and choosing meaningful alternatives that we see a pathway open. In life, it is imperative that we choose a road and take it. Damn the consequences or stay prayerful that it all pans out.
READ: Reflections: The Toughest Questions
DECISIONS: A MORAL DILEMMA
You have witnessed a man rob a bank, but then, he did something completely unusual and unexpected with the money. He donated it to an orphanage that was poor, run-down and lacking in proper food, care, water and amenities. The sum of money would be a great benefit to the orphanage, and the children’s lives would turn from poor to prosperous. Would you:
a: Call the police and report the robber, even though they would likely take the money away from the orphanage, or
b: Do nothing and leave the robber and the orphans alone? VIA LISTVERSE
The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for APR 2018/MAY 2018 are:
06/03 – 05 World Environment Day, 06, D Day, 08 National Best Friend Day,
06/10 – 13 St Anthony, 15 Eid al-Fitr,
06/17 – 17 Father’s Day, 18 Int’l. Picnic Day, MTV Movie Awards 19 Juneteenth, 20 World Refugee Day, 21 Summer Solstice, Int’l. Yoga Day, World Music Day
06/24 – 24 St John the Baptist, 26 Day against Drug Abuse/Illicit Trafficking
07/01 – TBD 04, Independence Day
07/08 – 11 World Population Day, 14 Bastille Day
07/15 – 15 National Ice cream Day, 18 Nelson Mandela Day
07/22 – 22 Parents Day,
07/29 – 30 International Day of Friendship, Day against Trafficking,
Are You Looking for Ways to Stay Creative in 2018?
– Join the Daily Post Post-a-day or Post-a-week Challenge.
— Join the BlogHer Writing Lab
MORE BELOW! Read more…
“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” Nelson Mandela
Motivation Mondays: Mandela Day #ActionAgainstPoverty
António Guterres (UN Secretary-General) on Nelson Mandela International Day 2018
Nelson Mandela International Day 2018 marks 100 years since the birth of Nelson Mandela (18 July 1918). The Centenary is an occasion to reflect on his life and legacy, and to follow his call to “make of the world a better place.” The Nelson Mandela Foundation is dedicating this year’s Mandela Day to Action Against Poverty, honoring Nelson Mandela’s leadership and devotion to fighting poverty and promoting social justice for all. UN.org
What is Mandela Day about? On Wednesday, July 18, supporters and leaders around the world will gather to celebrate the life and legacy of the great Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, Tata Madiba, Khulu, Dalibhunga, who passed away in 2013. Mandela left a shining legacy of determination and duty. He devoted 67 years of his life on this planet to service and spent 27 of those years as a prisoner on Robben Island, banished to a lifetime of hard labor by the Apartheid led regime. That he survived it to become a beacon of hope for many in South Africa and beyond is remarkable. He also became that nation’s first democratically elected black leader. This year’s anniversary is special because it marks the 100th birthday of this inspirational leader and the focus this year is the battle against poverty. Poverty remains a grave concern around the world because despite the abundance we see in some parts of the world, 1.3 billion people live in abject poverty. 1 billion are children, 850 million don’t have enough food to eat and 750 million lack adequate water in their areas. The Nelson Mandela Foundation invites us all to do our bit by contributing to those folks in need in our communities, by advocating for changes that will help more people get access to resources and by being mindful and conscious of our consumption and impact on the resource supply around the world.
READ:Nelson Mandela: Madiba R.I.P.
“Men and women who fight the suppression of the human voice, who fight disease, illiteracy, ignorance, poverty and hunger. Some are known, others are not. Those are the people who have inspired me.” Nelson Mandela
Motivation Mondays: Mandela Day #ActionAgainstPoverty
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s message for Mandela Day
It is easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and build. Nelson Mandela
Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice Nelson Mandela
Today we should all ask ourselves: What have I done to improve the surroundings in which I live? Do I litter or do I protect my surroundings? Do I buy stolen goods or do I help reduce crime? Nelson Mandela
What can we do to not only champion Mandela’s dream of global unity but bring about change for the good of all? We can all make a difference on this planet by taking even small steps to help others around us. The UN offered a list of actionable plans that any of us can easily choose from. By donating our time to public service, we can take concrete action that will inspire change in our communities and beyond. Here is the UN’s tentative action list of things to do:
Make a new friend. Get to know someone from a different cultural background. Only through mutual understanding can we rid our communities of intolerance and xenophobia.
Read to someone who can’t. Visit a local home for the blind and open up a new world for someone else.
Help out at the local animal shelter. Dogs without homes still need a walk and a bit of love.
Help someone get a job. Put together and print a CV for them, or help them with their interview skills.
Many terminally ill people have no one to speak to. Take a little time to have a chat and bring some sunshine into their lives.
Get tested for HIV and encourage your partner to do so too.
Take someone you know, who can’t afford it, to get their eyes tested or their teeth checked.
Donate a wheelchair or guide dog, to someone in need.
Buy a few blankets, or grab the ones you no longer need from home and give them to someone in need
The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for APR 2018/MAY 2018 are:
06/03 – 05 World Environment Day, 06, D Day, 08 National Best Friend Day,
06/10 – 13 St Anthony, 15 Eid al-Fitr,
06/17 – 17 Father’s Day, 18 Int’l. Picnic Day, MTV Movie Awards 19 Juneteenth, 20 World Refugee Day, 21 Summer Solstice, Int’l. Yoga Day, World Music Day
06/24 – 24 St John the Baptist, 26 Day against Drug Abuse/Illicit Trafficking
07/01 – TBD 04, Independence Day
07/08 – 11 World Population Day, 14 Bastille Day
07/15 – 15 National Ice cream Day, 18 Nelson Mandela Day
07/22 – 22 Parents Day,
07/29 – 30 International Day of Friendship, Day against Trafficking,
Are You Looking for Ways to Stay Creative in 2018?
– Join the Daily Post Post-a-day or Post-a-week Challenge.
— Join the BlogHer Writing Lab
MORE BELOW! Read more…
