Every Monday Matters - Respect the Disabled!

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everymondaymatters.com

FACTS

1 in 6 people aged 5 and older, 54 million people, have a non-institutionalizing disability.

25 million disabled are of an employable age.

78% want to be employed, but only 33% have a job.

Disabilities are more often acquired from accidents, illnesses, or late-emerging effects of genetics than by congenital disorders.

Not all severe disabilities can be seen with the human eye.

Over 15% of the cars parked in a handicapped parking space are parked illegally.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

Show respect to the disabled today.

Don’t park in a handicapped parking space or use handicapped plates or placards illegally. Designated parking for the handicapped is a necessity for them, not an opportunity for you to save yourself a few steps.

Don’t use handicapped bathroom stalls unless you’re handicapped. A handicapped person’s need to use the restroom may be just as urgent as yours, and it often takes them longer to prepare to use the facilities.

Drive cautiously and courteously. When you see a handicapped license plate, slow down and show consideration rather than tailgating or honking.

Help people who need assistance by opening a door, rolling a wheelchair up or down an incline, carrying shopping bags, or offering an arm in challenging weather conditions or on uneven walkways.

YOU MATTER

The majority of people with disabilities want to be totally integrated into all aspects of society. With more awareness, respect, and helpfulness, you can make someone’s life a little bit easier. People don’t plan on getting disabilities, but it happens every day. One day, that disabled person may even be you.

Monday used to be the least favorite day of the week, but that is changing. EMM is based on the idea that every Monday people can make a difference in their life and the lives of those around them. No matter how big or small the actions, they matter. And not only do people have the power to make change, they have a social responsibility to do so. Not out of guilt, but out of an appreciation for every living thing in the world. Together, each person can make a difference in the world and raise the collective consciousness, thereby creating a legacy worth participating in…one Monday at a time.

For more information about the EMM movement visit: http://www.everymondaymatters.com/

Be True to Your Heart... and Follow It

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"Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while first. Ask questions, then feel the answer. Learn to trust your heart.” ~ author unknown

TractorsRSeXy7

A few years ago I finally started listening to my heart.  There is wisdom in each of our hearts and the importance of listening to one's heart and accepting the answers is vital to being happy.

Do you wonder about the depth of your heart? Do you let your heart lead the way, or do you usually let your head make the decisions for you? Have you encountered situations whereby your mind told you one thing but your heart said otherwise?

Do you feel happier when you follow your heart? Do you let your heart take you down a path where your mind would be against?

If you are one who wants to follow your heart but are fearful of the risks you'll be taking, I hope this poem and series of heart quotes will shed some light on the wisdom of your heart...  courtesy of thinkexist.com

Be True to Your Heart

And Your Dreams Will Come True

Stay true to all your beliefs and goals.

Stand tall.

Through all life's setbacks and disappointments,

your dreams will come true.

When no one else is with you,

and no one seems to care,

just whisper to yourself,

"I am the controller of my destiny.

It's up to me what comes to pass,

and if I keep my thoughts positive and strong,

my dreams will come true."

When what seem to be impossible obstacles

stand in your way, just think of all the times

you got through yesterday.

There is a place for you in this world.

Stay on your chosen path.

All the power is within you;

be true to what is in your heart.

Be honest within yourself;

if you are, then you cannot fail.

Your dreams will come true.

~ Debra Ruegg-Jenkins ~

"Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart." ~ Mevlana Rumi

"Find the seed at the bottom of your heart and bring forth a flower."~ Shigenori Kameoka

"He who cherishes a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart, will one day realize it." ~ James Allen

"Only do what your heart tells you." ~ Princess Diana

"Let your heart guide you. It whispers, so listen closely." ~ Author Unknown

"My mind tells me to give up, but my heart won't let me."~ Author Unknown

"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dream." ~ Paulo Coelho

"The heart has reasons that reason does not understand." ~ Jacques Benigne Bossuel

"The human heart feels things the eyes cannot see, and knows what the mind cannot understand." ~ Robert Valett

"There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart...pursue those." ~ Michael Nolan

"Wherever you go, go with all your heart." ~ Confucius

Half Full Friday & Aloha Friday! ~ I'm Back.. :-)

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"It doesn't matter how long we may have been stuck in a sense of our limitations. If we go into a darkened room and turn on the light, it doesn't matter if the room has been dark for a day, a week, or ten thousand years - we turn on the light and it is illuminated. Once we control our capacity for love and happiness, the light has been turned on." ~ Sharon Salzberg 

Half Full Friday is a series of weekly posts that Eye Girl originally started in June 2009.  Now the it is hosted by Sprinkles at Wyldechylde.  We believe that a lot of our happiness is determined by our attitude about the things that happen to us. So by participating, we are deciding to see the glass as half full, instead of half empty. We are choosing to concentrate on the positives, instead of dwelling on the negatives. Our Half Full Friday posts are a way to do just that. They are a list of the things in our life that have brought us happiness over the past week. We are determined to find the something good in every day. Are you

"Happiness comes from spiritual wealth, not material wealth... Happiness comes from giving, not getting. If we try hard to bring happiness to others, we cannot stop it from coming to us also. To get joy, we must give it, and to keep joy, we must scatter it." ~ John Templeton

For the next week, we challenge you to keep a list of at least one thing that brought you happiness each day.

"Happiness resides not in possessions and not in gold, the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul." ~ Democritus, (460?-370? BC)

This is what I've Very Happy about recently:  I have a few weeks worth!

• I'm happy that my youngest son has a wonderful 'village' of support at school!

• I'm happy my youngest son is getting LESS dependant on me!!!  (That is one of the hurdles we're getting over!)

• I'm happy for the Awesome and Very Amusing Students at work!  One of them makes up Poems about me and promised me a song soon!  Too funny & very sweet!!

• I'm happy for all the private emails I received as a result of recent blog post!  Everyone needs to feel understood and Not Alone!!  This is why I write!!

• I'm happy my youngest son got his Internship & can now graduate in July!!!!  WoooHoooo!!

"The ultimate end of education is happiness or a good human life, a life enriched by the possession of every kind of good, by the enjoyment of every type of satisfaction." - Mortimer Adler

It's also "ALOHA FRIDAY" Everyone!!  If you want to join in the fun? Post your own question on your blog and leave your link at the Aloha Friday post at An Island Life. Then you can visit the other participants if you wish...It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends or see what people are thinking about this week and join in a conversation or two if you like.

"Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times." ~ Anon

My question:  Which activities make you lose track of time?

My answer:   Blogging for one!  Another one may make you all laugh, but it's Cleaning!!  Seriously!!  Whenever I think a Friday afternoon at work is going way to slow, because all my work is done and almost everyone has already left for the day.... I start cleaning.  Then the time flies by!  At least for me!  The same thing when I get started on a 'organizing' project at home.  I love the feeling after I've cleaned things out! :-)

"That is happiness; to be dissolved into something completely great." ~ Willa Cather

Have a wonderful weekend! 
Love & Hugs!

~ Coreen

What STRESS has done to your Memory and Brain...

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http://www.topnews.in/

I'm sharing some articles below in the hope of helping others to understand the real damage that stress and traumatic events can do to our memory and brain. I came across these articles while trying to understand my own memory loss and difficulty seeing and recognizing people at times, especially in the distance. It really bothers me!

I've been told that I'm rude or spacey... because I don't wave or immediately acknowledge people I should know. Such as when I'm at a public event, mall, etc. It's because I don't recognize them right away; not that I'm ignoring anyone.

In fact, I seldom notice people in other vehicles, until I'm actually passing them and it's too late to wave back. Or I get a strong 'feeling' and look in the rear view mirror and recognize a vehicle. I know that probably sounds odd to many. However, it's not anything I or others can control. It certainly isn't 'on purpose' because we're rude or self absorbed.

This type of memory loss and slow reflex is the result of damage to our brains. Damage many times caused by enormous stress, traumatic events and even physical or verbal abuse. I have experienced all of these and still have many of the scars, although mine can only be seen on x-rays and MRI's.

Now I don't want any of my friends to be sad or upset. I would not be the person I am today without going through all that I have in the past. I also wouldn't be able to help those that I have and hopefully continue to help; if it weren't for the trials, tribulations and traumas I went through and survived. Although I would not wish any of these situations on anyone else.

I just want more people to be aware of the damage that stress and traumatic events can do to a persons brain, memory and well being. I also would like more understanding as to why some people, like me, don't have the memory, recognition and/or reflex that others do.

I am healing and doing better every year, month and day that goes by. Meditation, Prayer and self-help relaxation Cd's have helped me personally.  Today I am safe, most of the time 'stress-free' and very happy 99% of the time! I think that's all any of us can ask, hope and pray for!

Please share the list below, in order to spread awareness and help others!  Thank you!
Hugs & Much Love,
Coreen

The Human Brain and Stress
Chronic Stress Causes Brain Damage
Stress Causes Brain Damage
Brain Damage from Stress: The Invisible Epidemic: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Memory and the Brain
Can Memory Loss Be a Symptom of PTSD
Stress and Neural Wreckage: Part of the Brain Plasticity Puzzle
New studies of human brains show stress may shrink neurons

Every Monday Matters: Support a Global Cause

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http://everymondaymatters.com/26/



  FACTS 

In the world:

Every 3.5 seconds someone dies of hunger.

Every 11 seconds someone dies of AIDS.

Every 15 seconds a child dies from a waterborne illness.

33 million people are living with HIV.

1 billion have no access to clean water.

2.6 billion live without basic sanitation.

5 million live in refugee camps.

1.08 billion live on $1 or less per day.

Over 2 million children die each year from diseases that inexpensive vaccines could have prevented.

9.2 million children worldwide die before they reach their 5th birthday. That’s as if every child under 5 living in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany died in a single year.

The world produces enough food to feed everyone.

Every year more than 16 million people—the equivalent of one hundred 747 jets crashing every day of the year—die from:

Hunger 9,125,000

HIV/AIDS 2,900,000

Pneumonia 2,000,000

Diarrhea 2,200,000

Malaria 1,000,000

Poverty is the common denominator

TAKE ACTION TODAY

Pick a global organization that interests you. The needs are many and obvious.

YOU MATTER

The numbers are unbelievable, but they reflect a truth we cannot ignore. This is OUR world. You, your friends, your family, your co-workers ALL matter when it comes to changing the statistics. Each one of you can make a huge difference. Every day we put off helping our world, we lose tens of thousands of people … many of whom died while you were reading this page.

Global Causes Website:  http://www.globalissues.org/
  Including these: 
Racism
Energy Security
Global Financial Crisis
Global Warming
Environmental Issues
Health Issues

 
Today, over 22,000 children died around the world.  This daily tragedy, from poverty and other preventable causes, rarely makes headline news.  The suffering children break my heart the most.

Poverty Around The World
Poverty Facts and Stats
Causes of Poverty

Monday used to be the least favorite day of the week, but that is changing. EMM is based on the idea that every Monday people can make a difference in their life and the lives of those around them. No matter how big or small the actions, they matter. And not only do people have the power to make change, they have a social responsibility to do so. Not out of guilt, but out of an appreciation for every living thing in the world. Together, each person can make a difference in the world and raise the collective consciousness, thereby creating a legacy worth participating in…one Monday at a time.
For more information about the EMM movement visit: http://www.everymondaymatters.com/

Life is too short, not to Love and be Loved right now!

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“The worst thing you can do for love is deny it; so when you find that special someone, don't let anyone or anything to get in your way.” ~ http://www.thinkexist.com/

I should be posting my 'Happy Friday' post right now, but to be honest, I'm not in the right mood at the moment.  I had a rough day butting heads with my youngest son.  I don't like those days, even though they are few and far between.  Part of being a parent is not giving in to things you know are not 'best' for our children or letting our older 'asperger' children wear us down.   Still, it is draining and not my favorite times of being a parent.

Each time we have one of these days, we both learn some valuable lessons.  And afterwards we also have good 'heartfelt' conversations and get a lot of built up feelings out.  Which usually involves my son talking about his broken heart from repeated rejections from his dad, along with not having the friendships that he would like.  For me, it always involves letting out some hurts, loneliness and empty heart aches of my own.

This always gets me to thinking hard about Life and the things that I feel I am still missing in my own.  Such as finding the 'one' true love and partnership that I know I deserve and even more... I Want!  I also know that when it does come along or works out finally, I am going to cherish it because Life is too short not to Love and be Loved!! 

smashingapps.com

The following post was started a while back and saved for just such a day when I needed to read it.  I thought some of my friends may need to read this too...
Hugs & Much Love to you All,
~ Coreen

'A Story of Life' ....
Lisa Beamer on Good Morning America - If you remember, she's the wife of Todd Beamer who said 'Let's Roll!' and helped take down the plane over Pennsylvania that was heading for Washington DC back on 9/11.

She said it's the little things that she misses most about Todd, such as hearing the garage door open as he came home, and her children running to meet him.

Lisa recalled this story:

"I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose husband died suddenly of a heart attack. About a week after his death, she shared some of her insight with a classroom of students. As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she moved a few things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down there.

With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and said, ' Class is over, I would like to share with all of you, a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important. Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and give of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic experience will end. It can be taken away at any moment.

Perhaps this is "God's", way of telling us that we must make the most out of every single day. Her eyes, beginning to water, she went on, 'So I would like you all to make me a promise. From now on, on your way to school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice.

It doesn't have to be something you see, it could be a scent, perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of someone's house, or it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way the morning light catches one autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground. Please look for these things, and cherish them. For, although it may sound trite to some, these things are the "stuff" of life. The little things we are put here on earth to enjoy. The things we often take for granted.

The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and filed out of the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from school than I had that whole semester. Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what an impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all of those things that sometimes we all overlook.

Take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour today. Go barefoot. Or walk on the beach at sunset. Stop off on the way home tonight to get a double dip ice cream cone. For as we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn't do.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." ~ http://www.thinkexist.com/

I hope I give you Strength.....

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“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ~ Lao Tzu

You may not see me now

But you know that I am here.

You can feel me in your heart

As you enter each new day.

I will always be there for you
because I am your friend.

Someone to share the bad times

As well as the good.

I make no judgments by what you say

I just listen with my heart and

Hope to be of help in anyway I can.
For now I hope I give you strength.

I will be there for you,
whenever you need me.

And always please remember

I really am your friend!
~ Coreen

True friendship isn't seen with the eyes, it is felt with the heart.

When there is trust, understanding, loyalty, and sharing.

True friendship is a rare feeling, but when it is found

It has profound impact on our well-being, strength, and character.

True friendship does not need elaborate gifts

Or spectacular events in order to be valuable or valued.

To ensure long-lasting quality and satisfaction,

True friendship only needs a few key ingredients:

Undying loyalty, unmatched understanding, unsurpassed trust,

Deep, soulful connection, and endless sharing.

These ingredients, mixed with personality and a sense of humor,

Can make a friendship last a lifetime!

- Author Unknown

thingsgodtaughtme.com

I'll Be Here
I cannot ease your aching heart,

Nor take your pain away;

But let me stay and take your hand

And walk with you today.

I'll listen when you need to talk,

I'll wipe away your tears;

I'll share your worries when they come,

I'll help you face your fears.

I'm here and I will stand by you,

On each hill you have to climb;

So take my hand, let's face the world...

And live just one day at a time.

You're not alone, for I'm still here,

I'll go that extra mile;

And when your grief is easier,

I'll help you learn to smile!

- Author Unknown