Celebrating Endings for New Beginnings - Independence Day and the Declaration of Independence

 

Courtesy of www.freepik.com

Independence Day, known as July 4th, is a federal holiday in the United States. The holiday celebrates the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, signed on July 4, 1776, which established the United States of America.  The Declaration of Independence, signed unanimously by all 56 delegates of the Second Continental Congress, is an eloquently written historical document which explains the reasons why the Thirteen Colonies decided to sever ties with Great Britain.  Likewise, in our personal lives, all relationships have a beginning, a middle and an end. What can we learn from the Declaration of Independence that we can apply to our own lives whenever we wrestle with ending relationships? Let's discuss....

A Review of Ralph Waldo Emerson's Essay - Compensation Part I

 

Ralph Waldo Emerson, courtesy of Wikipedia

The theory of dualism is everything is created in pairs of opposites. Some examples of created opposing pairs are: a coin has two sides - heads/tales; directions have four pairs - north/south and east/west; days have both light and darkness; wet/dry; yes/no; a game has a winner/loser; hot/cold; male/female; positive/negative; sweet/bitter; young/old; and darkness/light, just to name a few. Is dualism also evident in our relationships with ourselves and the community? Does what goes around really comes back around? Are there really consequences for every personal action? Yes. In his essay Compensation, Ralph Waldo Emerson explains that every action has a reaction and everyone reaps what they sow. Let's discuss....

A Reflection on Dr. Maya Angelou's Timeless Wisdom, "When people show you who they are believe them."

                                              Dr. Maya Angelou in 1993, Wikipedia

Dr. Maya Angelou (April 4, 1928-May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, poet and civil rights activist. Her memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969) tells of her life up until the age of 17 and earned her international acclaim. She wrote seven autobiographies and several books of poetry.  Dr. Angelou also earned several honorary degrees. She recited her poem, "On the Pulse of the Morning" (1993) at the first inauguration of President Bill Clinton. Her wisdom is highly respected, and her poems are frequently recited at poetry readings and graduations. Her quote, "When people show you who they are believe them" is very popular and one of my favorite quotes. Why? Let's discuss....

A Beautiful Day: Engaging in Creative Activities is Good for Your Health

 

A Beautiful Day-Spoken Word Positive Poem Using YouTube Studio Audio Library

With current technology, anyone can be an artist and publish music online. Opinions are diverse about whether this is a good thing.  However, what is true is that technology makes the fun of being an artist accessible to anyone with a computer, interest and time.  YouTube Studio is a readily accessible tool with an audio library with music that can be used freely for YouTube videos.  Let's discuss...

Friday Poetic Motivations: Be Inspired

May 2024

Be Inspired

A  spoken word inspirational poem with music...

The Greatest Love of All by Michael Masser and Linda Creed - An Anthem to Be Your Own Hero

 

                                                         Love courtesy of www.creazilla.com

May 2024

Living an inspired life is an acceptance that you are ultimately responsible for your own happiness. Our family and friends love us as much as their capacity, but they also have their own life to live. It is not fair or realistic to expect others to love us more than we are willing to love ourselves. What are ways that we can cultivate self-love? One way is to listen to inspirational music. One of my favorite inspirational songs is 'The Greatest Love of All' by Michael Masser (music) and Linda Creed (lyrics) because it is a reminder that loving yourself is a gift. Let's discuss... 

Mother's Day: A Celebration of Motherhood and Memories

 

Courtesy of www.Wannapik.com

May 12, 2024

On May 8, 1914, the U.S. Congress passed a law designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. The history of the holiday goes back to 1868 when Ann Jarvis organized a committee to establish a "Mother's Friendship Day", with a purpose to reunite families separated due to the Civil War. After Ann Jarvis passed away, her daughter Anna Jarvis continued her efforts. Today, Mother's Day is one of the most popular holidays in the United States. Traditional celebrations include going out to dinner, buying flowers and candy, seeing a show, or  just spending quality time with Mom.  In the midst of the celebratory spirit of Mother's Day, some families experience feelings of loss and grief as they cope with the loss of their Mother.  Let's discuss....

It's Up to You

 

                 Clock courtesy of Pixabay

Today is yours; live it.

Love is abundant; share it.

Poetry Fridays: Ode to Forgiveness

 

Forgiveness image courtesy of www.PickPik.com

May 3, 2024

Poetry Fridays. Today's theme is forgiveness

Redefining Family: Dr. Kris Marsh's - The Love Jones Cohort-Single and Living Alone in the Black Middle Class

Traditionally, being happy and successful as an adult meant having a spouse, children, a career and a home.  However, the definition of what makes a family is evolving. A significant number of today's households include single adults with or without children.  Dr. Marsh's book, The Love Jones Cohort, Single and Living Alone in the Black Middle Class, studies the lifestyles of a segment of the population who made good educational and financial decisions, but who are living single. Instead of seeing their singlehood as basis of society wondering, "What's wrong with you?" Dr. Marsh aims to remove the stigma of living single and encourages single people to enjoy their lives. Per Dr. Marsh, "I'm just trying to destigmatize singlehood."  Let's discuss....

Dr. Todd Grande: YouTube Therapist Answers Questions With Tact and a Dose of Humor

 

Dr. Todd Grande's Psychology YouTube Channel has a plethora of interesting videos

April 19, 2024

Dr. Todd Grande is a licensed professional counselor of mental health, licensed chemical dependency professional and has a Ph.D. in Counselor Education. His popular YouTube channel has 1.43 million subscribers and 3.2k videos.  What is his appeal? Let's discuss...

Managing the Negotiation Within, Resolving Conflicts by Utilizing the Internal Family Systems Model by David A. Hoffman, Esq.

A Video Review

Photograph courtesy of https://www.picpedia.org/chalkboard/a/agreements.html

One of the goals of the Program on Negotiation is to increase public awareness of successful conflict resolution processes (As discussed in Part 1).  Even though the program is based at Harvard Law School, the information disseminated is not just for lawyers and professional mediators.  Attorney and mediator David A. Hoffman's presentation, "Managing the Negotiation Within: The Internal Family Systems Model", shares the benefits of utilizing the Internal Family Systems Model to make the world a better place. Let's discuss... 

A Presidential Candidate for the People: Netflix's Biographical Drama Shirley Wins!

 

Netflix's Shirley Movie Poster courtesy of Wikipedia

The Honorable U.S. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm's 1972 historical run for the presidency of the United States is the basis for Netflix's Shirley.  Let's discuss... 

The Program on Negotiation Offers Resources on Conflict Resolution - Part 1

Courtesy of freestock.com

 

As this blog enters its seventh year (thank you readers), I decided to revisit my first blog topic Compassionate Disagreements from a different angle. Disagreements are often the precursors to conflicts.  According to the Social Work Theories, offered by the Mary Livermore Library, "Conflict theory claims that society is in a perpetual conflict and competition for limited resources."  Unresolved conflicts disrupt internal and external peace and often result in domestic and international violence. In an effort to make conflict resolution resources readily accessible, the Program on Negotiation, based at Harvard Law School, is "dedicated to improving the theory and practice of negotiation and dispute resolution." Let's discuss.....

The Hammonds House Museum: A Destination for Lovers of Visual Art

 

                                                     The Hammonds House Museum

Atlanta, Georgia has a robust entertainment community. There are numerous museums, theaters, gardens, concert venues, sport events, etc.  Join me as we visit these various sites. You may want to visit them yourself. Let's discuss....

Origin (Film): A Beautiful Biographical Film With Emotion, Suspense and Heart

                                        Origin movie poster courtesy of Wikipedia

Origin is a 2023 film written and directed by Ava DuVernay, which is based on the life of Isabel Wilkerson as she writes her non-fiction book Caste: Origins of Our Discontents. Ms. Wilkerson, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, was asked by a publisher to write an article about the death of Trayvon Martin which would explore how racism played a major role in the incident. However, Ms. Wilkerson believed racism could not be the only reason. Why would a man of color, a Latino, pursue a black youth in an effort to protect a white neighborhood?  Could there be other reasons beyond race? Wilkerson's quest to unearth answers to these questions took her on an adventure to locations in the United States, Germany and India. Her purpose was to find reasons for racial disharmony that goes beyond the simple answer of racism. Ms. Wilkerson's conclusion is that racism in the United States is a type of caste system.  Let's discuss...

American Fiction (Film) Review - Get Ready to Laugh, Cry and Think

 

                                           American Fiction movie poster courtesy of Wikipedia

American Fiction is a movie directed by Cord Jefferson, who also wrote the screenplay, which is based on the book Erasure by Percival Everett. 

 Per the MGM website, 

        "AMERICAN FICTION is Cord Jefferson's hilarious directorial debut, which confronts our culture’s obsession with reducing people to outrageous stereotypes. Jeffrey Wright stars as Monk, a frustrated novelist who’s fed up with the establishment profiting from “Black” entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. To prove his point, Monk uses a pen name to write an outlandish “Black” book of his own, a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain."

Let's discuss....

The Hero's Journey of the Meek Female Archetype: The Color Purple Film (1985)

                                       The Color Purple Poster released by John Alvin courtesy of Wikipedia

                                                                                 

(Warning-this blog includes movie spoilers.)

Happy New Year 2024!

The Color Purple by Alice Walker was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction in 1983. The book is very popular, as well as controversial, and is the foundation for a dramatic film and musicals.  I saw the 1985 film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey, which was directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Menno Meyjes, as a teenager. Recently, I saw the new 2023 musical film starring Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks and Fantasia Barrino. After watching the new film, I was inspired to take another look at the 1985 film, which is now a classic.  Paraphrasing philosopher Heraclitus, No man, or woman, ever steps in the same river twice, for its not the same river and he, or she, is not the same person. As an adult, I have a different take of the story. I understand the critics who feel that the film has a negative portrayal of an African-American man, which is true. On the contrary, advocates believe that the film is not a reflection of all African-American men and is mainly a film about redemption and reconciliation, which is also true. Just like beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, the meaning of a story is in the eyes of the viewer. The themes of The Color Purple (1985) include the consequences of economic deprivation on society and illustrates the hero's journey of the meek female archetype. Let's discuss....

A Must See Film: Two Distant Strangers by Travon Free

 

Two Distant Strangers is a 2020 Academy Award winning short film written by Travon Free.  As of June 2023, the film is streaming on Netflix.  Even though the running time is only 32 minutes long, the short film tells a fully developed story and leaves a lasting impact for days after viewing. Two Distant Strangers explores relatable themes about power, free will, control, déjà vu, police brutality and racism. Why are these types of stories important and need to be seen?  In his article, How Stories Change the Brain, Paul Zak states “…stories are an effective way to transmit important information and values from one individual community to the next.”  Let’s discuss….

March is Women's History Month

(2023)

In the United States, March is a month designated to celebrate the contributions of women in society. Historically, women were not given the same privileges and benefits as men. For an example, it was not until the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920 that women had the right to vote.  The Equal Opportunity Act of 1972 prohibits employment discrimination against women, and other minorities.  However, according to the Pew Research organization in 2022, women earned on an average 82% of what men earned. Women continue to make inroads into traditionally male dominated careers such as accounting, engineering and actuarial science, even though most leadership positions in these careers are still held by men. We have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go. Let's discuss...