"Bullies Kill, Words Scar, Rumors Destroy"

Kaelynn shouts it out (although she is silent in this brief video) against all bullies, after numerous years of enduring her own torturous abuse until her friend's suicide galvanized her to take action to stand up, speak up and call on all of us to protect others. It is very difficult for people to understand why this ability to "save " someone else motivates people to reach beyond their own perceived ability to help themselves. Yet, they can. History is full of examples of these people. They walk among us, every day. Social scientists have studied this and confirmed this ability (described as reflecting "empathy" or "agape", among other terms). What a brave heart lives within this young woman. She deserves our gratitude, our prayers and our willingness to demonstrate our courage to stand up in front of her and say no more. We will not stand by and say nothing. Nor will we participate or silently "pass it on." Thank you, Kaelynn. Thank you for finding your voice and sharing it here...

Contemplative Lawyers: Some Mindful Resources- Thank you, Stephanie at idealawg!

http://westallen.typepad.com/idealawg/2008/09/contemplative-lawyers-some-mindfulness-resources.html

PSA About Stopping the Easy Access to Guns and Please Note the Violence Against Women Act Has Lapsed in the U.S.

This powerful, 2007 London commercial shows images of the impact of a bullet on an apple, an egg, a watermelon and a water bottle.  London ad agency AMV BBDO got a former Navy SEAL to shoot the items and the photography was slowed to 10,000 frames per second. There are no images of harm to any animal or human in this video. Thank you, BuzzFeed.

Guided Relaxation Exercises for Teenagers and the People Who Love Them!

Beautiful "Duck Run" Where Nature Shows How Little Ones "Pick Their Person(s)"

What a Beautiful and Inspiring Video- Thank you, Arthur.

Beautiful Short Video on Helping Families Get "Un-Stuck"- Thank you, Ackerman Institute, New York City!

New Brand with Wordle and Facebook Page Launch

I am catching up with "modern times" today. On the strong advice from others (ya, ya, ya...) I have made this new Wordle, which includes various "synonyms" with my mission statement and my professional foci (I learned that is the plural form for the word "focus".) 

I also started my professional Facebook Page:

(https://www.facebook.com/CounselorsConsultantsInc.) 

That was absolutely frightening... There was no time to do a "draft" or think it over! I tend to value and fully embrace the beauty and wonder in reflection, running ideas and drafts by my "FOCI GROUP" (gotta work in that new word) and generally operate by the principle "When in doubt, DON'T." 

However, I discovered today that this is not how social media works. I have been inspired by Stephanie Kimbro, my MILO listserve mates, Brandify, MyCase, Virtual Mediation Labs and numerous clients to forge ahead. These folks have no idea of their inspirational impact and are not responsible for any of these decisions. Thank you for your kind tolerance. 

"There is no such thing as bad feedback. Good news or bad news; it is all valuable! Thank you."

"Broken Trust Depicts the Impact of Harsh Anti-Immigrant Sentiment: Harming Children

Flow- The Secret to Happiness- Thank you, Dr. Csikszentmihalyi!

Three Basic Ways We Express Anger as Presented by Julian Hall via GuruView.tv

Project Night Night- Helping the 1.5 Million Homeless Children

Project Night Night in SF, CA

So, in the relentless search of things to do to continually develop a broader sense of "an attitude of gratitude," I came across this charity (Thank you, ResumeBear Online, where I was ACTUALLY searching for resources for college students!) After watching the YouTube and Vimeo videos, I decided to write about this amazing charity. Most of the homeless children I have met (many of them being teenagers) have taken great pains to make sure that their "status" is unknown to anyone. They often refer to themselves as "couch surfers" or "stayin' with friends." We might imagine that no one in "our part of town" might live this reality. Let's go ahead and tell ourselves that... But the next time you are walking down the sidewalk and encounter a child walking your way, will you wonder if they might be one of this 1.5 million? Just in case, I always look directly in their eyes, smile warmly and say "Good morning." There's a momentary flash of connection. Some kids look at the ground and mumble, a few look shocked and shy, most smile back and many of them say "good morning" in return. What are we saying to each other? I can only know what I am saying to them. The meta-message I am sending is "I see you. You matter. I wish you well. Peace be with you."

The Changing American Family: Series of Videos from the New School via FORA.TV

The Changing American Family from The New School and The New School on FORA.tv

Families Come in Many Varieties- Like Ice Cream!

Inspirational Attitude Adjustment: "Get Back Up, Nick Vujicic"