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Suggested Reading
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Reading To Your Dog

This page was created to provide quick access to recommended reading as suggested by your Therapist Kerry

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It was created so you can take a deeper dive in matters that

give you some background knowledge on

process and understanding how you can improve

your processes, and patterns -

to create better overall outcomes.

This is aligned with your therapy sessions

and intended that this be discussed in sessions

for insights and amplification of what works

and change out the processes that don't serve you

- for those that will serve you!

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The reading list provided here has no links to purchase

just Authors name & Book Title so you can source them easily 

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Author:  Michael Yapko

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Keys to Unlocking Depression: An Internationally Known Depression Expert Tells You What You Need to Know to Overcome Depression

  •  In Keys to Unlocking Depression world-renowned clinical psychologist and depression expert, Dr. Michael Yapko, gives us the essential information to manage and overcome depression.

  • It is intended to help provide a life raft of clarity to those who are treading water in the sea of confusion about depression. In this easy to read format of 50 statements, Dr. Yapko sums up the science and clinical judgment he has shared with his patients and professional colleagues for over 30 years.

  • Depression is greatly influenced by your own perspective. Therefore, making sure your perspective is clear and well informed is a first step in overcoming depression. Equipped with the information in Keys to Unlocking Depression, readers will learn how to think about depression in a way that will make overcoming it both easier and more effective. No one overcomes depression by declaring himself or herself a victim, so take the valuable keys that Dr. Yapko provides in this book and unlock your depression.

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HAND-ME-DOWN BLUES : How To Stop Depression From Spreading In Families.

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Author: Anthony Smith

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Default Depression


How we now interpret human distress as mental illness

It's a stressful world and we can become overwhelmed. But at what point does sadness become depression, and stress an anxiety disorder?

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https://www.wakefieldpress.com.au/product/default-depression/

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In Default Depression, author Anthony Smith examines the medicalisation of common human experience. Regardless of the context and cause, distress is increasingly interpreted and diagnosed as a mental illness - commonly clinical depression, Default Depression.

 

This phenomenon has grown to the point that it now pervades all sectors of our community through formalised policies and practices such as workplace mental health.

 

Distressed people are directed onto a restrictive pathway of a formal medical diagnosis and treated with potentially harmful antidepressants while the causes of their distress are disregarded, including crucial social determinants of psychological and emotional wellbeing.

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The suffering is real, but the costs for society and the individual of blaming biology, while not considering and addressing the causes of distress, is huge. Default Depression builds a compelling case for an extensive shift in how we support people in psychological and emotional distress - away from the damaging tendency to medicalise and medicate, towards a more nuanced and evidence-based approach.

 

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Author:  Amanda Dounis

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My Coping Skills Handbook

This book has been created by Amanda Dounis an highly esteemed colleague of mine, we trained together and I can speak to her profound care and great competence in helping others,  This book & companion course - whilst written for children aged 8 to 12, is also written to help those who love, care for and support those children, to gain knowledge and skills with her C.O.P.E formula..

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My Coping Skills Online Course 

This is the perfect course for your child to learn the coping skills you’ll wish you learned as a child…  Amanda herself walks your child through interactive videos and audios to learn the skills they need to cope with everyday challenges for happier and more confident kids

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Both of these wonderful resources is available to you - just go to this link:

 

https://www.positivethinkingclinic.com.au/my-coping-skills/

 

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Author:  by WILSON REID & LYNN LYONS ​

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Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous and Independent Children Paperback – 12 September 2013

 

With anxiety at epidemic levels among our children, Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents offers a contrarian yet effective approach to help children and teens push through their fears, worries, and phobias to ultimately become more resilient, independent, and happy.

 

How do you manage a child who gets stomach aches every school morning, who refuses after-school activities, or who is trapped in the bathroom with compulsive washing? Children like these put a palpable strain on frustrated, helpless parents and teachers. And there is no escaping the problem:

 

One in every five kids suffers from a diagnosable anxiety disorder. Unfortunately, when parents or professionals offer help in traditional ways, they unknowingly reinforce a child's worry and avoidance. From their success with hundreds of organizations, schools, and families, Reid Wilson, PhD, and Lynn Lyons, LICSW, share their unconventional approach of stepping into uncertainty in a way that is currently unfamiliar but infinitely successful.

 

Using current research and contemporary examples, the book exposes the most common anxiety-enhancing patterns including reassurance, accommodation, avoidance, and poor problem solving and offers a concrete plan with 7 key principles that foster change. And, since new research reveals how anxious parents typically make for anxious children, the book offers exercises and techniques to change both the children's and the parental patterns of thinking and behaving.

 

This book challenges our basic instincts about how to help fearful kids and will serve as the antidote for an anxious nation of kids and their parents.

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Author:  Lyn Lyons LICSW​

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The Anxiety Audit:

Seven Sneaky Ways Anxiety Takes Hold and How to Escape Them (Anxiety Series)

Paperback – October 18, 2022

 

Anxiety expert Lynn Lyons, whose advice appears regularly in Psychology Today and the New York Times, offers an eye-opening look at the 7 sneaky ways that anxiety and worry weave their way into our families, our friendships, and our jobs, and provides actionable steps to reverse the cycle and reclaim our emotional well-being.

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Ask people to describe anxiety and they’ll start with the familiar physical symptoms: racing heart, sweaty palms, difficulty breathing. Anxiety, they might add, is “freaking out,” a panic attack, or a frightening loss of control. But anxiety isn’t always what we think it is, especially now. Anxiety has become the new normal, constant and simmering, disguising itself in patterns and responses we don’t even recognize as anxiety. These patterns include:

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· Ruminating and worrying (and mistaking it for problem solving)

· Going global, or seeing the world through an overwhelming, all-or-nothing lens

· Isolating and disconnecting, all too common in our "new normal"

· Creating chaos and “busy-ness”, for example, over-scheduling and multitasking

· Embracing your irritability

· Confusing self-medication with self-care

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The Anxiety Audit is a guide for us all: with no overly scientific or diagnostic language--just real talk and time-tested tactics from a respected therapist--it is a relatable and practical guide to untangling yourself from the grips of worry and fear.

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Using stories, real-world examples, and helpful dialogues to retrain the way you think and react, trusted anxiety expert Lynn Lyons helps you recognize the sneaky ways these anxious patterns and cycles of worry take hold in your life. By making small and consistent adjustments, you can reverse their negative impacts and move forward with renewed clarity and confidence.

 

https://www.positivethinkingclinic.com.au/my-coping-skills/

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Author:  Deborah Tannen

Book list per the following

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Author:  Charles Mackesy

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The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

 

This inspiring story is called The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy is all about friendship, kindness, happiness and love and teaches us some very important lessons about life. Enjoy!)

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Author:  John Clarke

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Working with Monsters: How to Identify and Protect Yourself from the Workplace Psychopath

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  • How to identify and protect yourself from the workplace psychopath.

    Does the following person sound familiar?* He/she works inside many of Australia's businesses and corporations.* He/she intimidates fellow workers.* He/she exhibits impulsive behaviour.* He/she demonstrates a lack of remorse.* He/she is glib and superficially charming. Who is he/she? Workplace psychopaths exist in a variety of workplaces. They are individuals who manipulate their way through life and leave an indelible mark on both their victims and society. They are destructive men and women - cunning, self-centered, ruthless and terrifying. They make working life a living hell for many of us. What motivates these individuals? How can you protect yourself from these 'monsters' who hide behind a veneer of respectability? Working With Monsters provides a fascinating insight into the mind of the workplace psychopath. Drawing on his studies and research in forensic psychology, and experience in criminal profiling for law enforcement agencies as well as corporations experiencing difficulties with an employee, Dr John Clarke shows you how to recognise and manage a workplace psychopath within your midst. Don't be a victim - be wise to their     tricks! 

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Author:  You

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(Yes - YOU!)

 & I will help you with the how!​

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Get a good quality Diary , Start using it now!

( & Workbooks & Vision Boards & Pens you can use easily to help organise)​

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Overthinking?  Overwhelmed,? Physically & Mentally tired of juggling everything in your head or a digital (phone) format? - it is VERY COMMON - so let me help you get rid of all the mind clutter - get rid of the brain fog and mental exhaustion - and organise it so you can let your brain have some rest!!

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  • All that clutter and all those thoughts that keep running in your head, need a place to be managed - outside of your brain - so you brain can REST

  • A good diary helps you to get all the daily, weekly & monthly clutter you keep in your mind into a place where you can record it all - and not worry about remembering

    • A diary can help you to visualise it, sort it, prioritise and manage it!

  • A Vision Board, or if you want the projects to be more private - then a  large format Project Book can help you manage projects, visually - at view - play with and sort & prioritise those projects

  • To help you keep your ideas fresh, clean, visually sorted and managed - a good set of pens can be helpful!(I recommend erasable pens, markers, highlighters & textas) see the Pilot Frixon range - available at office suppliers - ask me and I can tell you more - :)  Kerry

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  • Even the faintest ink is better than a sharp mind or a long memory!

  • When you write it down, you not only have it available as a reference, you also are more likely to remember it in the first place

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Author:  Joanna Faber, Julie King

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How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk
(By: Adele Faber, Elaine Mazlish)

 

Parenting experts Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish provide effective step by step techniques to help you improve and enrich your relationships with your children.

Learn how to: Break a pattern of arguments; Cope with your child's negative feelings; Engage your child's co-operation; Set clear limits and still maintain goodwill; Express your anger without being hurtful; Resolve family conflicts peacefully.

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How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen - A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7  (Joanna Faber, Julie King)

 

A must-have resource for anyone who lives or works with young kids, with an introduction by Adele Faber, co-author of How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, the international mega-bestseller The Boston Globe dubbed “The Parenting Bible.”

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Faber and King, each a parenting expert in her own right, share their wisdom accumulated over years of conducting How To Talk workshops with parents and a broad variety of professionals. With a lively combination of storytelling, cartoons, and fly-on-the-wall discussions from their workshops, they provide concrete tools and tips that will transform your relationship with the young kids in your life.

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This user-friendly guide will empower parents and caregivers of young children to forge rewarding, joyful relationships with terrible two-year-olds, truculent three-year-olds, ferocious four-year-olds, foolhardy five-year-olds, self-centered six-year-olds, and the occasional semi-civilized seven-year-old. And, it will help little kids grow into self-reliant big kids who are cooperative and connected to their parents, teachers, siblings, and peers.

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Author:  Peter Roger Breggin

 

Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal

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A Guide for Prescribers, Therapists, Patients and Their Families

By Peter Roger Breggin, Peter Roger Breggin · 2012

  1. ISBN-10 0826108431

  2. ISBN-13 978-0826108432

  3.  Publisher - Springer Publishing Company

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Your Drug May Be Your Problem, Revised Edition: How and Why to Stop Taking Psychiatric Medications Paperback 

by David Cohen (Author), Peter Breggin (Author)

Publisher - Da Capo Press

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Toxic Psychiatry: Why Therapy, Empathy and Love Must Replace the Drugs, Electroshock, and Biochemical Theories of the New Psychiatry Paperback 
by Peter R Breggin MD (Author), Breggin (Author)

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The Antidepressant Fact Book: What Your Doctor Won't Tell You About Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, And Luvox Paperback 

by Peter Breggin (Author)
 

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Medication Madness: The Role of Psychiatric Drugs in Cases of

Vio lence, Sui cide, and Crime 

by Peter R Breggin MD (Author)

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Guilt, Shame, And Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming Negative Emotions 
by Peter R. Breggin MD 

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Talking Back to Prozac: What Doctors Won't Tell You about Prozac and the Newer Antidepressants

by Peter R. Breggin (Author), Ginger Ross Breggin (Author)

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Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry: Drugs, Electroshock, and the Psychopharmaceutical Complex
by Peter Breggin (Author)

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Author:  Chris Voss 

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Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It 

by Chris Voss  (Author)

A former international hostage negotiator for the FBI offers a new, field-tested approach to high-stakes negotiations--whether in the boardroom or at home.

Life is a series of negotiations you should be prepared for: buying a car, negotiating a salary, buying a home, renegotiating rent, deliberating with your partner. Taking emotional intelligence and intuition to the next level, Never Split the Difference gives you the competitive edge in any discussion.

** A Wall Street Journal Bestseller **

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Author:  Liz Wiseman

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Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter 

by Liz Wiseman (Author)

Are you a genius or a genius maker

We've all had experience with two dramatically different types of leaders. The first type drain intelligence, energy, and capability from the ones around them and always need to be the smartest ones in the room. These are the idea killers, the energy sappers, the diminishers of talent and commitment. On the other side of the spectrum are leaders who use their intelligence to amplify the smarts and capabilities of the people around them. When these leaders walk into a room, lightbulbs go off over people's heads, ideas flow, and problems get solved. These are the leaders who inspire employees to stretch themselves to deliver results that surpass expectations. These are the Multipliers. And the world needs more of them, especially now, when leaders are expected to do more with less.

In this engaging and highly practical book, leadership expert Liz Wiseman and management consultant Greg McKeown explore these two leadership styles, persuasively showing how Multipliers can have a resoundingly positive and profitable effect on organizations-getting more done with fewer resources, developing and attracting talent, and cultivating new ideas and energy to drive organizational change and innovation.

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Author:  Kelly Mahler MS, OTR/L

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Interoception: The Eighth Sensory System P

by MS OTR-L Mahler (Author), PhD A.D. "Bud" Craig (Foreword)

  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1942197144

  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1942197140

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Within the human body lies an important sensory system called interoception. Interoception enables us to experience essential feelings such as hunger, fullness, thirst, itch, pain, body temperature, nausea, need for the bathroom, tickle, physical exertion and sexual arousal. Additionally, interoception allows us to feel our emotions.


As with other sensory systems, the interoceptive system can be impacted in individuals with autism. Interoception is a hot topic in other fields, however, up until this point, little has been discussed about interoception in the field of autism. Interoception: The Eighth Sensory System provides a detailed connection between interoception and common experiences of individuals with autism. "Mahler provides research and practical strategies that can be easily implemented across the lifespan to help individuals manage their bodies, emotions and self-regulation" (Brenda Myles, PhD).


The research showing just how important interoception is to many aspects of life is unequivocal.
Interoception: The Eighth Sensory delivers an overview of this research and describes the clear link between interoception and important skill areas such as self-awareness, self-regulation, problem solving, social intuition, perspective taking and many more.
"We all need to listen to our bodies and understand its messages. Mahler knows how to listen, and she knows how to help others listen better to their bodies. Here she shares her natural understanding of interoception and her recommendations for how we can help others to improve their own interoceptive awareness"(Dr. A.D. Craig, PhD)

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(watch here:  Kelly Mahler - youtube Channel Link

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIdtt4YedzRFHx-7iGlzBKA 

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Author:  Jimmy Carr

Before & Laughter

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*A memoir and self-help manual by one of the country’s most treasured comedians – for anyone who feels stuck in a rut but doesn’t have the tools or self-belief to shake things up*

In his mid-20s, Jimmy was bored, boring, unfulfilled and underachieving. He wasn’t exactly depressed, but he was very sad. Think of a baby owl whose mum has recently died in a windmill accident. He was that sad. This book tells the story of how Jimmy turned it around and got happy, through the redemptive power of dick jokes.

Written to take advantage of the brief window between the end of lockdown and Jimmy getting cancelled for saying something unforgivable to Lorraine Kelly, this book is as timely as it is unnecessary.

Because you might be interested in Jimmy’s life but he’s damn sure you’re a lot more interested in your own, Before & Laughter is about both of you. But mainly him. It tells the story of Jimmy’s life – the transformation from white-collar corporate drone to fake-toothed donkey-laugh plastic-haired comedy mannequin – while also explaining how to turn your own life around and become the you you’ve always dreamt of being.

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Author:  Margareta Magnusson

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The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutterr 

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- A charming, practical, and unsentimental approach to putting a home in order while reflecting on the tiny joys that make up a long life.
In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called döstädning, dö meaning “death” and städning meaning “cleaning.” This surprising and invigorating process of clearing out unnecessary belongings can be undertaken at any age or life stage but should be done sooner than later, before others have to do it for you. In The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, artist Margareta Magnusson, with Scandinavian humor and wisdom, instructs readers to embrace minimalism. Her radical and joyous method for putting things in order helps families broach sensitive conversations, and makes the process uplifting rather than overwhelming.

Margareta suggests which possessions you can easily get rid of (unworn clothes, unwanted presents, more plates than you’d ever use) and which you might want to keep (photographs, love letters, a few of your children’s art projects). Digging into her late husband’s tool shed, and her own secret drawer of vices, Margareta introduces an element of fun to a potentially daunting task. Along the way readers get a glimpse into her life in Sweden, and also become more comfortable with the idea of letting go. 

(watch here:   https://www.goodreads.com/videos/127576-meet-margareta-magnusson

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QUOTES

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Quote:  Audrey Hepburn

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When they asked her to reveal her beauty secrets, Audrey Hepburn wrote this beautiful text that was later read at her funeral.

 

′′ To have attractive lips, speak kind words.

To have a loving look, look for the good side of people.

To look skinny, share your food with the hungry.

To have beautiful hair, let a child cross it with his own fingers once a day.

To have a beautiful poise, walk knowing you're never alone, because those who love and loved you accompany you.

People, even more than objects, need to be fixed, spoiled, awakened, wanted and saved: never give up on anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a hand, you'll find them at the end of both your arms.

When you become old, you will discover that you have two hands, one to help yourself, the second to help others.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, in her face or in her way of fixing her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the door open to her heart, the source of her love.

The beauty of a woman doesn't lie in her makeup, but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.

It is the tenderness that gives love, the passion that it expresses.

The beauty of a woman grows over the years ′

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Judi Dench

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"Don’t prioritise your looks my friend, as they won’t last the journey.

Your sense of humour though, will only get better with age.

Your intuition will grow and expand like a majestic cloak of wisdom.

Your ability to choose your battles, will be fine-tuned to perfection.

Your capacity for stillness, for living in the moment, will blossom.

Your desire to live each and every moment will transcend all other wants.

Your instinct for knowing what (and who) is worth your time, will grow and flourish like ivy on a castle wall.

Don’t prioritise your looks my friend,

they will change forevermore, that pursuit is one of much sadness and disappointment.

Prioritise the uniqueness that make you you, and the invisible magnet that draws in other like-minded souls to dance in your orbit.

These are the things which will only get better."

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Cameron Diaz: Fame will never make you happy

 

Cameron Diaz explains the real meaning of happiness

For everyone who ever thought you need to be famous to be successful and happy, Cameron Diaz says, you're wrong.

In a very heart-warming interview for the movie "Human", Cameron candidly talks about what it means to be happy. And no, it doesn't come from being famous. "Being famous is my job... When I'm home, with my family and friends I am not famous. I am me," says Cameron in the video below.

"Fulfillment comes within you by being authentic to yourself."

This is yet another nice and very real reminder, that happiness isn't something that is given to you, it's something you create and value. And being truly happy with who you are and what you do will bring you more happiness than anything else in this world.

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Gone from my Sight: The Dying Experience Booklet

Author: Barbra Karnes 

Hospice agencies across north america use this little blue book to support patients and families after a life threatening diagnosis. Author Barbara Karnes, RN offers best practices on how to use this extraordinary tool in the hospice setting.

 

 

 

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Kurt Vonnegut

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In 2006 a high school English teacher asked students to write a famous author and ask for advice. Kurt Vonnegut was the only one to respond - and his response is magnificent:

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“Dear Xavier High School, and Ms. Lockwood, and Messrs Perin, McFeely, Batten, Maurer and Congiusta:

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I thank you for your friendly letters. You sure know how to cheer up a really old geezer (84) in his sunset years. I don’t make public appearances any more because I now resemble nothing so much as an iguana.

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What I had to say to you, moreover, would not take long, to wit: Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what’s inside you, to make your soul grow.

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Seriously! I mean starting right now, do art and do it for the rest of your lives. Draw a funny or nice picture of Ms. Lockwood, and give it to her. Dance home after school, and sing in the shower and on and on. Make a face in your mashed potatoes. Pretend you’re Count Dracula.

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Here’s an assignment for tonight, and I hope Ms. Lockwood will flunk you if you don’t do it: Write a six line poem, about anything, but rhymed. No fair tennis without a net. Make it as good as you possibly can. But don’t tell anybody what you’re doing. Don’t show it or recite it to anybody, not even your girlfriend or parents or whatever, or Ms. Lockwood. OK?

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Tear it up into teeny-weeny pieces, and discard them into widely separated trash receptacals. You will find that you have already been gloriously rewarded for your poem. You have experienced becoming, learned a lot more about what’s inside you, and you have made your soul grow.

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God bless you all!"

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Kurt Vonnegut

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Lucky Man - Micheal J Fox

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A funny, highly personal, gorgeously written account of what it's like to be a 30-year-old man who is told he has an 80-year-old's disease.

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"Life is great. Sometimes, though, you just have to put up with a little more crap." -- Michael J. Fox

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In September 1998, Michael J. Fox stunned the world by announcing he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease -- a degenerative neurological condition. In fact, he had been secretly fighting it for seven years. The worldwide response was staggering. Fortunately, he had accepted the diagnosis and by the time the public started grieving for him, he had stopped grieving for himself. Now, with the same passion, humor, and energy that Fox has invested in his dozens of performances, he tells the story of his life, his career, and his campaign to find a cure for Parkinson's.

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Combining his trademark ironic sensibility and keen sense of the absurd, he recounts his life -- from his childhood in a small town in western Canada to his meteoric rise in film and television which made him a worldwide celebrity. Most importantly however, he writes of the last 10 years, during which--with the unswerving support of his wife, family, and friends -- he has dealt with his illness. He talks about what Parkinson's has given him: the chance to appreciate a wonderful life and career, and the opportunity to help search for a cure and spread public awareness of the disease. He is a very lucky man, indeed.

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The Michael J. Fox Foundation

Michael J. Fox is donating the profits from his book to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, which is dedicated to fast-forwarding the cure for Parkinson's disease. The Foundation will move aggressively to identify the most promising research and raise the funds to assure that a cure is found for the millions of people living with this disorder. The Foundation's web site, MichaelJFox.org, carries the latest pertinent information about Parkinson's disease, including:

  • A detailed description of Parkinson's disease

  • How you can help find the cure

  • Public Services Announcements that are aired on network and cable television stations across the country to increase awareness

  • Upcoming related Parkinson's disease events and meetings

  • Updates on recent research and developments

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Always Looking Up - Michael J Fox

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Beloved actor, and Sunday Times bestselling author, Michael J. Fox reveals how he has remained optimistic despite his battle with Parkinson's Disease

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'At the turn from our bedroom into the hallway, there is an old full-length mirror in a wooden frame ... This reflected version of myself, shaking, rumpled, pinched and slightly stooped, would be alarming were it not for the self-satisfied expression pasted across my face. I would ask the obvious question, "What are you smiling about?" but I already know the answer- "It just gets better from here."'Struck with Parkinson's - a debilitating, degenerative disease - at the height of his fame, Michael J. Fox has taken what some might consider cause for depression and turned it into a beacon of hope for millions.

 

In Always Looking Up, Michael's Sunday Times bestselling memoir, he writes with warmth, humour and incredible honesty about the journey he has undertaken since he came to terms with his condition.

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No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality

- Michael J Fox

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'The book is great: moving but also properly funny.' Hadley Freeman, The Guardian

 

 

'A memoir with an unusual sense of purpose. . . pithy, highly readable' The Times

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The entire world knows Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, the teenage sidekick of Doc Brown in Back to the Future. His two previous bestselling memoirs, Lucky Man and Always Looking Up, dealt with how he came to terms with the illness, all the while exhibiting his iconic optimism.

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In No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality, Michael shares personal stories and observations about illness and health, ageing, the strength of family and friends, and how our perceptions about time affect the way we approach mortality. Thoughtful and moving, but with Fox's trademark sense of humour, his book provides a vehicle for reflection about our lives, our loves, and our losses.

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Running through the narrative is the drama of the medical madness Fox recently experienced, that included his daily negotiations with the Parkinson's disease he's had since 1991, and a spinal cord issue that necessitated immediate surgery. His challenge to learn how to walk again, only to suffer a devastating fall, nearly caused him to ditch his trademark optimism and "get out of the lemonade business altogether."  Does he make it all of the way back? 

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The core lessons:

With gratitude, optimism becomes sustainable.

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I’ve long realized that control is out of the question; instead, I’ve settled for an understanding that requires adaptability and resilience.

 

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Great Parenting modelling & resources

It is always OK to ask for help!

 

I just witnessed a boy, maybe about 6 or 7, accidentally spill a slushee everywhere in Target.

 

I'm talking blue and red goop all over the floor, the table, everywhere. The boy looked up at who I assume was his father, and immediately apologized.

 

Instead of getting angry, his father just said :

'Hey, it happens. Let's go get napkins and I can show you how to clean it up.'

 

Then they calmly went to get napkins and then he helped him clean the entire mess. Then, as they were throwing the napkins away, the father said to his son:,

'You're going to be a human being for a long time, and you have such a smart brain that it's important you learn how to be more aware of what you're doing. So next time just be sure to pay more attention to your surroundings so accidents like this don't happen. Accidents like these can be prevented, but it's still okay if they happen. As long as you take responsibility for your mistakes, the clean up is a breeze. I know big messes seem overwhelming and you might feel like you can't do it by yourself, but it's always okay to ask for help. There is no problem with asking for help when you need it.'

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I have no words. That is parenting done right. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Credit: Kalynne Marie (Quroa)

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Margaret Mead -On 1st Sign of Civilization​

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“Years ago, anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked by a student what she considered to be the first sign of civilization in a culture. The student expected Mead to talk about fishhooks or clay pots or grinding stones.  But no.

 

Mead said that the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture was a femur (thighbone) that had been broken and then healed. Mead explained that in the animal kingdom, if you break your leg, you die. You cannot run from danger, get to the river for a drink or hunt for food. You are meat for prowling beasts. No animal survives a broken leg long enough for the bone to heal.

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A broken femur that has healed is evidence that someone has taken time to stay with the one who fell, has bound up the wound, has carried the person to safety and has tended the person through recovery. Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts,

Mead said : 

 

"We are at our best when we serve others.”

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Credit: Ira Byock (Quora)

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10 truths - everyone may need to know​

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1. You're going to die and you have no idea when.

Stop pretending that you're invincible. Acknowledge the fact of your own mortality, and then start structuring your life in a more meaningful way.
None of us are getting out of here alive..... so make the most of life right now!

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2. Your material wealth won't make you a better or happier person.

Even if you're one of the lucky ones who achieves his or her materialistic dreams, money only amplifies that which was already present.

If you want great wealth expecting that this attainment will lead to happiness - know that this attainment of wealth doesn't give you more of anything other than money - and money can't buy most things you heart & soul years for in reality...

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3. Your obsession with finding happiness is what prevents its attainment.

Happiness is always present in your life--it's just a matter of connecting to it and allowing it to flow through you that's challenging.

Constantly looking for happiness is the best way to miss it when it is right there with you in a moment... happiness is withing the moments you are living...

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4. Donating money does less than donating time.

Giving your time is a way to change your perception and create a memory for yourself and others that will last forever.

Time is life's most precious commodity, spend time well, making memories for yourself and for others.  The best ways to experience life is to share time, share skills, insights,   experience, share support, share laughter...  if there is someone in need, be it a friend, a family member, strangers who you can help, an animal or person in need of your support - how much more rich is the person who gives of themselves to help others..  Giving time, makes it even more precious...

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5. You can't make everyone happy, and if you try, you'll lose yourself.

Stop trying to please, and start respecting your values, principles, and autonomy.

Value what you have, what you know and keep your mind and heart open to new thoughts, but know, that it is impossible to please everyone, and that it is important to create healthy rules, boundaries and limitations for yourself, and communicate this with confidence to others...

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6. Your achievements and successes won't matter on your deathbed.

When your time has come to transition from this reality, you won't be thinking about that raise; you'll be thinking about the relationships you've made--so start acting accordingly.
Life is about making memories that you can share and those that you create through your spirit of care and support of those around you are the memories that will sustain you and comfort you - and have your life celebrated  by those you cared for...

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7. Your talent means nothing without consistent effort and practice.

There has never been a thinker of note who hasn't ever stretched their mind, or a singer who hasn't practiced their voice, nor a designer who hasn't made many first iterations of an idea and then honed them.. .  Talent without significant effort or practice is talent that will never be seen outside of the rawness that may have existed.. without practise and effort - talent can be lost...

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8. Nobody is deeply interested in how difficult your life was , and you are the author of your life's story, and you are responsible for this next new chapter - right now!.

Stop wondering if anyone will give you a free pass out of some form of sympathy - because you already  have the power right now - to make a new choice - to start creating the life story you want to live...

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9. Investing in yourself isn't selfish. It's the most worthwhile thing you can do.

You can't help anyone else, if you don't look after yourself first!  Remember that all pre-flight safety briefings given before a flight instruct you - that in the case of an emergency, you must ALWAYS put on your oxygen mask BEFORE you attempt to help anyone else!  
Look after yourself first, or you could become part of the problem...

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10. Time is your most valuable asset--you need to prioritize how you spend it.

You have the power and responsibility to decide what you do with the time you have, so choose wisely.  If you are feeling stuck, held back, not yet knowing what to do - then it is OK to reach out, get assistance and make the absolute most of your time - right now!

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It is OK to get help, so you can save time wondering and struggling - and know what to do - to make the most of you life - right NOW!

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Author Unknown

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Atlas Shrugged -

Ayn Rand

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John Galt is a central figure in Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, a novel that has become a touchstone in libertarian and individualist circles. Here's a concise outline of his story and role:

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John Galt is presented as an enigmatic figure whose background and motives are slowly revealed throughout the novel. He is the embodiment of the ideal rational individualist, a brilliant engineer and philosopher who rejects the increasing government control and societal leeching off the productive and innovative members of society.

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Hallmarks of Galt's Philosophy is a world guided by the principles of reason, individualism, and freedom.

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John Galt's story in Atlas Shrugged serves as a rallying cry for the importance of personal freedom, the sanctity of individual rights, and the dangers of government overreach—themes deeply resonant in libertarian thought.

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PC cases - interesting information:

 

Why Was Chelsea Russell Arrested? Where Is She Now?

ByEva Chaudhary anuary 23, 2023

https://geniuscelebs.com/why-was-chelsea-russell-arrested-where-is-she-now/

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 Chelsea Russell arrest (UK Compared to Russia)- short from Konstantin Kisin:
https://youtu.be/GTn1He86oJk

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Reading with Coffee

Every person has a story, and life's experiences and knowledge to share

 

All of is now stand on the shoulders of those who went before us.

We are fortunate to be in a position to do better, because of the work of others

who have lead the way, this reading list helps you access their knowledge and dive deeper.

 

We can all be grateful to those who have taken the time to

capture what they have learnt, the essence of something valuable 

- so they can share it with us.
 

 You have your story, and you can make sure that you too

through your words and actions, create you goals,

make your choices to create your life, your world, your legacy.

 

Good on you, because you have chosen to

find the way, with me, just like you

 to improve your progress and processes and through your words,

your actions, what you choose to do better - to leave a better legacy for all.

Well done - the work and the fun have just begun!
 

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