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Tag Archives: Mental Health
Helping Jo With Her Last Chapter.
I am grateful to Stevie Turner for sharing this blog from writer Jo Robinson. If you read it you will see that she has posed a number of questions. My responses are below, and I guess they reveal that I am one very lucky guy. What about you? Why not follow her suggestion and answer her questions on your blog or in the comments on hers.
1. Do you believe that you are living a fulfilled life?
Yes – married 55 years, modestly successful career as an Engineer, a decade in politics trying to serve my community through its governance, 4 decades of serving the community as a volunteer. Now officially retired but still active as a volunteer and trying a new career as a writer.
2. Do you think that people have a purpose,
and if so, do you know what yours is?
Yes – to do whatever you can to make the lives of others, especially those close to you, to reach their potential.
3. Are you satisfied with the way the world
and your country is governed?
No – Who is? It’s mostly because no two people can agree on what is the best way for the country/world to be governed. So at any one time at least half the people will be dissatisfied – and if compromises are reached many more than half will be!
4. Do you think that civilised societies today are on the right track?
Not entirely – in recent decades civilised societies have lost their way, pursuing material well being without giving sufficient thought to its effect on the environment, other people and future generations.
5. If you work, are you happy with your job?
I had many jobs over the years and was happy in all of them.
6. If money was no object, what would you do
with your days?
Probably nothing much different to what I do now – after all, I am in the fortunate position of having a pension that provides for my immediate needs with a little over – in other words, money is no real object!
7. Do you believe in life after death or
reincarnation?
No.
8. Do you believe that there will be
consequences for good or evil acts?
Yes – but in this life, not in any future existence
9. Do you or someone that you know have
problems with anxiety or depression?
No.
Growing Health and Well Being #WATWB
I first came across the Sydenham Garden through a feature on the BBC’s weekly gardening programme Gardener’s World. My link will take you to the page on their website that explains how they began. From there you can navigate to the rest of the site where you will see news of some of their achievements.
Whilst researching Sydenham Gardens I also came across another website that presents evidence about the efficacy of gardening as therapy, in the treatment of mental health and developing self esteem. Again, you can navigate from that page to see a huge range of information about the health and other benefits of sustainable farming and food production.
Your cohosts for this month are: Eric Lahti, Inderpreet Uppal, Shilpa Garg, Mary Giese and Roshan Radhakrishna.
Here is a reminder of the guidelines for #WATWB:
1. Keep your post to Below 500 words, as much as possible.
2. Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity, and brotherhood. Paste in an excerpt and tell us why it touched you. The Link is important, because it actually makes us look through news to find the positive ones to post.
3. No story is too big or small, as long as it Goes Beyond religion and politics, into the core of humanity.
4. Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your Sidebar. Some of you have already done so, this is just a gentle reminder for the others.
5. Help us spread the word on social media. Feel free to tweet, share using the #WATWB hashtag to help us trend!
6. Click here to add your link.
Focusing on Mental Health #WATWB #DIL
This month I’m linking to two stories, both concerned with mental health.
The first is about both an organisation and an event. Pieta House is an Irish charity dedicated to the understanding and prevention of suicidal thoughts. It provides counseling services for those experiencing suicidal thoughts and for people bereaved by suicide. It’s services are backed up by an extensive research programme aimed at establishing which services are most effective and how they might be improved.
In 2009 it began a series of annual walks that take place at dawn on the second Saturday in May. That first walk, over a 5km course, took place in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. The idea was that participants would raise funds for the oganisation whilst the progress from pre-dawn darkness into the light of day symbolises the journey from the darkness of suicidal thoughts to the light of understanding that the organisation hopes that both it and its clients undertake.
Dubbed Darkness Into Light (#DIL)*, walks will take place at 4:15am on May 12th this year at 180 venues across Ireland and in 10 other countries around the world. Last year 180,000 individuals took part. It is not too late to register and participate in the experience of walking from darkness into light at a venue near you if you live in Canada, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia or, of course, Ireland.
Meanwhile, earlier this week an artwork was unveiled in Dublin. The work of Irish street artist Joe Caslin, it was intended to provide publicity for the national broadcaster’s series of programmes about youth mental health.
Have you got a good news story to share with the world? Here’s how to join in:
1. Keep your post to Below 500 words, as much as possible.
2. Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity, and brotherhood. Paste in an excerpt and tell us why it touched you. The Link is important, because it actually makes us look through news to find the positive ones to post.
3. No story is too big or small, as long as it Goes Beyond religion and politics, into the core of humanity.
Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your Sidebar. Some of you have already done so, this is just a gentle reminder for the others.
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*You might be struck, as I was, by the similarity between the walk title and the strap line of #WATWB.
