Love all the information available on the internet for the all important issue of Self Care. Here's a good one from Abundance Tapestry. 70 Ways for Self Care Of course I love the affirmation cards!
I so love this Pope! I hope you read this article and listen/heed his call.
Pope Francis’ Encyclical Urges Swift Action on Climate Change Ahead of Paris Climate Talks
Anastasia Pantsios
Today in Rome, Pope Francis released his long-anticipated encyclical on climate change, fueling precisely the international conversation the Pope hoped to drive. The widespread media coverage of the 180-plus page document, Laudato Si, or Praised Be to You, has undoubtedly increased public awareness of environmental issues dramatically. Photo credit: Shutterstock
There were no big surprises in the encyclical, given its leak to the media earlier this week and the Pope’s ongoing speeches and remarks
about the climate. But the encyclical, a letter from the Pope to the
church bishops, give the official endorsement of the Catholic Church to
his concern for the climate.
Writing that “the Earth, our home, is beginning to look like an
immense pile of filth,” the Pope emphasized the outsized impact failure
to care for the environment has on the poor. He wrote:
The deterioration of the environment and of society affects the most
vulnerable people on the planet: both everyday experience and scientific
research show that the gravest effects of all attacks on the
environment are suffered by the poorest. The impact of present
imbalances is also seen in the premature death of many of the poor, in
conflicts sparked by the shortage of resources and in any number of
other problems which are insufficiently represented on global agendas.
It needs to be said that, generally speaking, there is little in the
way of clear awareness of problems which especially affect the excluded.
Yet they are the majority of the planet’s population, billions of
people. These days, they are mentioned in international political and
economic discussions, but one often has the impression that their
problems are brought up as an afterthought, a question which gets added
almost out of duty or in a tangential way, if not treated merely as
collateral damage.
He attributed this to the fact that “many professionals, opinion
makers, communications media and centers of power” have little contact
with the poor and their problems. But he made it clear that the burden
is on the wealthy—both nations and individuals—to act on behalf of the
poor and to stop exploiting them to the detriment of people and the
planet.
“The foreign debt of poor countries has become a way of controlling
them, yet this is not the case where ecological debt is concerned,”
wrote the Pope. “In different ways, developing countries, where the most
important reserves of the biosphere are found, continue to fuel the
development of richer countries at the cost of their own present and
future.”
While he said that other factors play a role in global warming, “a
number of scientific studies indicate that most global warming in recent
decades is due to the great concentration of greenhouse gases released
mainly as a result of human activity.”
“Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle,
production and consumption, in order to combat this warming or at least
the human causes which produce or aggravate it,” he wrote.
Our failure to care for the planet, he wrote, is connected to a
throwaway culture of “compulsive consumerism” that “quickly reduces
things to rubbish.”
“It is hard for us to accept that the way natural ecosystems work is
exemplary: plants synthesize nutrients which feed herbivores; these in
turn become food for carnivores, which produce significant quantities of
organic waste which give rise to new generations of plants,” he wrote.
“But our industrial system, at the end of its cycle of production and
consumption, has not developed the capacity to absorb and reuse waste
and by-products.”
As expected, he called out those who will not act, whether by denying the problem or simply ignoring it. “Those who possess more resources and economic or political power
seem mostly to be concerned with masking the problems or concealing
their symptoms, simply making efforts to reduce some of the negative
impacts of climate change,” he said.
And he fired a shot at those who have been saying that tackling
climate change will prevent people and countries from climbing out of
poverty, saying that the issues are linked.
“The same mindset which stands in the way of making radical decisions
to reverse the trend of global warming also stands in the way of
achieving the goal of eliminating poverty,” he wrote. “A more
responsible overall approach is needed to deal with both problems: the
reduction of pollution and the development of poorer countries and
regions.”
Ultimately, he expressed confidence that people could and would step up to address the twinned issues of climate and poverty.
“Human beings, while capable of the worst, are also capable of rising
above themselves, choosing again what is good, and making a new start,
despite their mental and social conditioning,” he wrote. “We are able to
take an honest look at ourselves, to acknowledge our deep
dissatisfaction and to embark on new paths to authentic freedom. No
system can completely suppress our openness to what is good, true and
beautiful, or our God-given ability to respond to his grace at work deep
in our hearts.”
Environmental groups praised the Pope’s action in stepping up to talk
so forcefully about the need to take action on climate change, all of
them finding things to like in it. Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune said, “Pope
Francis’s guidance as a pastor and a teacher shines a light on the
moral obligation we all share to address the climate crisis that
transcends borders and politics. This encyclical underscores the need
for climate action not just to protect our environment, but to protect
humankind and the most vulnerable communities among us. The vision laid
out in these teachings serves as inspiration to everyone across the
world who seeks a more just, compassionate and healthy future.”
“The Pope has shown impressive and inspiring leadership where many elected leaders have failed,” said Friends of the Earth’s head of campaigns Andrew Pendleton.
“He is both a friend of the Earth and of the millions of people in
poorer, vulnerable nations whose lives are already being shattered by
extreme weather. The tragedy is that too many governments are currently
in thrall to big vested interests and are failing their people. The
Pontiff’s encyclical cuts across the murky politics of climate change
and will inspire people way beyond his own church community.”
“Pope Francis is reiterating what scientists and advocates have been
saying for years: we need to reduce carbon emissions to avoid
catastrophic climate change,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch.
“But it’s his bold and honest analysis of pollution trading that is
most noteworthy. The Pope has cut through the distracting noise on a
complex global issue. He’s parted the Wall Street smoke screen and
acknowledged that so-called market-based approaches to environmental
problems like cap-and-trade aren’t solutions at all. This clear
assessment puts him well ahead of the mainstream environmental movement
on a critical issue.”
But the document is also already revealing a divide driven by
ideology, given its emphasis on reigning in greed and consumption and
caring for the world’s poorest people. In the U.S., conservative
politicians who have cheered the previous Popes’ willingness to insert
themselves in the politics of private sexual morality are now saying
that he should mind his own business when it comes to saving the planet.
Presidential candidate Rick Santorum and Senator James Inhofe, chair of the Senate Committee on Environment, both said recently that the Pope should not be talking about the climate.
This week, another presidential candidate, Jeb Bush, added his voice to the chorus,
saying, “I hope I’m not going to get castigated for saying this by my
priest back home, but I don’t get economic policy from my bishops or my
cardinal or my Pope. I think religion ought to be about making us better
as people and less about things that end up getting in the political
realm.”
Faith and environmental groups are planning a climate march
to St. Peter’s Square in Rome on June 28 to thank Pope Francis for his
encyclical and express their support for his climate activism. Faith
communities around the globe are planning to join in by ringing bells,
chimes, gongs or sounding their shofars at noon on that day.
The Pope has made clear his goal of influencing the conversation around climate change to hopefully pressure strong action at the UN Climate Summit in Paris in December.
“The Pope’s historic message comes at a critical moment,” said Brune.
“Momentum is building for significant action during international
negotiations in Paris and beyond to transition the world from fossil
fuels to a healthy and just clean energy economy. The Pope’s encyclical
will only help continue that momentum.”
I have set up my email inbox to be a source of inspiration and good news. I thought I would share with you some of the bloggers that I hold in high esteem. I can barely wait for each post or newsletter. At times I find true synchronicity in their written words. It's as if they are following along in my life and giving me direct love and guidance. So here they are in random order.
They say about themselves; "We are a community of 50,000+ people who help each other by sharing our
experiences with change. We hope that by reading our stories you will
find inspiration and practical advice to make positive changes in your
own life."
I first found Jennifer when I read her wonderful book; "Comfort Queen". It's about delicious ways to take really good care of yourself in every way. She also leads writing retreats in beautiful places.
This is a little more commercial but has great sections on (my favorites) Personal Development and Well Being. They are big on business. Making and achieving goals. They have a magazine, blog, videos and you can sign up for their weekly newsletter.
I will share more at a later date. Hope you get the positive news and stories you are looking for!
Here's something from Mindvalley Academy. There are videos too so be sure and visit!!
Discover
how you can shift from where you are to the ultimate state of “Flow” -
See more at:
http://mindvalleyacademy.com/featured/theory-of-awesomeness-infographic#sthash.Sa7nflFT.dpuf
Discover
how you can shift from where you are to the ultimate state of “Flow” -
See more at:
http://mindvalleyacademy.com/featured/theory-of-awesomeness-infographic#sthash.Sa7nflFT.dpu
“Love yourself. Forgive yourself. Be true
to yourself. How you treat yourself sets the standard for how others
will treat you.” ― Steve Maraboli
It’s been a while since we made our New Year’s resolutions, and all
our vows are quite well-intended. Exercise more. Pick up a long-lost
hobby. Reconnect with friends. Maybe you’ve been sticking to your
resolution, or maybe you’re disappointed that you haven’t gotten things
quite off the ground yet. But no matter how things are going, I urge
you to tack on one additional resolution this year:
Love yourself as you are right now.
I’m a very self-critical and goal-oriented person. I hold these
traits dear because they made me who I am today. But being driven comes
with its own set of problems. I am hard to satisfy, and I find there’s
a fine line between self-criticism and self-doubt, even self-loathing.
I want so much to become a future version of myself that I often forget
I’m a pretty great person today.
If you find yourself in the same boat, here are a few tricks I’ve taught myself to keeping loving the current me:
Know when you’re being overly critical of yourself.
A good rule of thumb is, if criticism helps you become a better
person, then it works. If criticism only succeeds in making you feel
bad, give yourself a break. Stop criticizing yourself and instead focus
on what makes you a good person now (even if it’s only that you’ve
recognized you want to change, which is a huge first step). Once you
can find something good about yourself, break down criticism into small
actionable goals you can achieve.
Keep a list of your good qualities.
It’s easy to be lost in all the things that are “wrong” with you. We
keep this mental list at the forefront of our minds. Make sure you
cultivate a list of all the things that you are good at. Write it down
if that helps and refer to it as often as you need it. There’s nothing
arrogant about recognizing the ways in which you rock.
Make time to love yourself.
Praise yourself the way you would compliment others. Give yourself a
smile in the mirror on your way out the door. Notice how you make time
to help others even when there’s nothing in it for you. Make sure
you’re giving yourself a daily pat on your own back, even (or perhaps
especially) if you’re having a rough day.
Celebrate past victories.
The current version of yourself was once a “future you.” Think of
all the times you worked hard and succeeded in the past. For example,
if someone praises you at work, remind yourself that you earned it
through past efforts. Knowing that you worked hard in the past can make
it easier for you to love the current you.
Remind yourself that happiness is relative.
You may think that in order to be happy, you need X, Y, and Z. But
in reality, people living the hardest lives can come out smiling while
others with all the wealth and luck in the world remain unhappy. It is
possible to love yourself right now, no matter the circumstances. If
you can’t do it on your own, don’t be afraid to find help in loved ones,
counselors, or support groups.
***
Loving yourself has all sorts of positive benefits, so if you need
any more motivation, know that you can’t become a better person if you
don’t love your own potential. And here’s to a great 2015!
Deborah Fike is the Director of Educational Outreach for Spotkin, an educational games company that marries fun with learning. She’s also the founder of Avalon Labs,
which provides marketing consultations and writing services for
start-ups and online businesses. She carves out a significant portion
of her time to raising her two younger daughters.
So! I couldn't have said it any better. I totally love this post by Deborah Fike and urge you to take it to heart. I have made lots of changes to how I honor myself. What are some ways you do?
Many of us are familiar with the idea of loving our spouses,
children, or parents unconditionally — and we might even try to practice
that unconditional love, though imperfectly.
But do we try to love ourselves unconditionally?
Consider whether you do any of these (I sure do):
Criticize your body.
Feel like you need to improve at things.
Feel guilty about things you do.
Feel undisciplined, lazy, unhappy with yourself.
Not feel good enough.
Fear that you’re going to fail, because you’re not good enough.
See yourself as not that good looking.
Feel bad about messing up.
For many of us, there’s an underlying feeling of not being good
enough, wanting to be better, wanting to be in better shape or better at
things. This isn’t something we think about much, but it’s there, in
the background.
What if we applied unconditional acceptance of who we are? What if we
took a good look at ourselves, our body, our thoughts, our feelings,
our actions, and said, “You are perfectly OK. You are perfectly good”?
Would that be a whole different experience for you? Could you accept
every single thing about yourself, just as you are, without feeling that
it needs to be changed?
I know what many people will immediately say: “But what’s wrong with
wanting to improve, with seeing things that need to be improved? Doesn’t
feeling bad about ourselves motivate us to change?”
Yes, it can be a motivator. But feeling bad about yourself can also
be an obstacle: people who feel that they are fat, for example, are more
likely to eat poorly and not exercise, because they see themselves as
fat. They are likely to feel bad about themselves and to comfort
themselves with food, alcohol, cigarettes, TV, Internet addictions.
What if instead, you loved yourself, fat body and all? What if you
loved yourself, laziness and all? What if you loved yourself, all that
is ugly and incompetent and mean, along with the beauty and brilliance
and kindness?
This person who loves herself (or himself) … she’s more likely to
take actions that are loving. Doing some mindful yoga, or taking a walk
with a friend after work, eating delicious healthy food like beans and
veggies and nuts and berries and mangos and avocados, meditating,
drinking some green tea … these are loving actions.
Acceptance isn’t stagnation — you will change no matter what. You
can’t avoid changing. The question is whether that change comes from a
place of acceptance and love, or a place of self-dislike and
dissatisfaction. I vote for unconditional love.
I love this guy!!! Always a good read. Do you do what it takes to give yourself unconditional self love? If you do what kinds of things do you include.
