I saw an interview this week with a man who was recognized by his company because he recognized more of his colleagues than anyone else in the business. It is one of the largest companies in Australia, which makes this an impressive achievement. He was a gracious, humble man, and when asked how he managed to recognize so many people,…
“You never know what someone is going through. Always be nice. "~ Unknown A few months ago I was in the park and passed a family taking something like vacation photos. The mother's hair was perfectly combed, Papa was shaved well and looked fairly well-groomed, and four children stood between them smiling – all wearing matching khaki and surprisingly clean…
"In a way, the one-drop rule still exists in society," said Derrick Paladino, a licensed mental health advisor and professor of counseling at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. “At first glance I will always be brown to others and not white and Puerto Rican. There is also the direct perception of people by me, which is based solely on…
“Emotional pain cannot kill you, but it can run away. Enable. Hug. Let yourself feel. Let yourself be healed. "~ Vironika Tugaleva I was nine years old, sitting on the couch with my father and watching a very Brady Christmas (on my sister's birthday, December 20th) when he first molested me. Terror, confusion, unbelief and shame came together to create…
"The price of everything is the amount of life you trade in for it." ~ Henry David Thoreau We all do business in life. We exchange our time. We act with our energy. We trade with our hard-earned money. We exchange our attention. Many of us move through life in constant motion and never stop thinking about where this movement…
Joseph Addison once said: "Reading is an exercise for the body for the mind." I know it seems obvious, but do we act on it? We live in a world in which we have to use our brains increasingly effectively and dynamically. But are we developing our minds so that we can optimize our skills? A regular training program has…
“This is a moment of suffering. Suffering is part of life. May I be kind to myself at that moment. Can I give myself the compassion that I need? "~ Kristen Neff Her best friend just lost her husband and mother within five days. Her husband was terminally ill. Her mother was eighty-six. They don't know how she'll get through…
After discussion and distinction, the ACA government council made the following statement on anti-racism. The ACA leadership listens to a cross-section of members and volunteers to develop an action plan that brings this statement to life. **** ACA Anti-Racism Declaration Racism, police brutality, systemic violence and the dehumanizing forces of oppression, impotence and white supremacy have undermined the very structure…
[ Editor's Note: This is the third of four articles in a series on action plans for different walks of life during the COVID-19 pandemic.] For young adults, the risk of contracting the coronavirus or a negative result may feel small. Research studies show that when young people talk about risk reduction, they tend to relate to reducing social or…
"Fear, insecurity and discomfort are your compass for growth." ~ Celestine Chua Uncertainty can be the glue for fear if you allow it. One can snow into another and soon you will be looking at the street in front of you, absolutely amazed at which way to go. It shakes us to the core; it disturbs our security, our stable…