Compassion Fatigue

Symptoms of Compassion Fatigue Some of the tell tale signs of compassion fatigue are listed below. Lack of enjoyment in day to day activities Not deriving any joy from things that used to excite the person earlier Difficulty in concentrating in any task Feelings of anxiety and perpetual fear Feelings of irritability triggered by trivial [...]

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So how do you get empathy, anyway?

Empathy can be literally defined as: em·pa·thy [ émpəthee ]    understanding of another’s feelings:the ability to identify with and understand somebody else’s feelings or difficulties attribution of feelings to an object:the transfer of somebody’s own feelings and emotions to an object such as a painting [ Early 20th century. < Greek empatheia "affection, passion" ]  Ashoka Fellow Molly Barker, Founder of Girls [...]

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And, speaking of childhood trauma…

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network provides a great fact sheet resource to Domestic Violence  and Children:  Questions and Answers for Domestic Violence Project Advocates, answering such questions as: How do children react to domestic violence? What are some typical short-term responses? What about children’s responses in the long term? What are the factors that [...]

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Jamie Oliver – A Hero in the American Public School Cafeteria System

Jamie Olive is my hero.  Last year, when he came to the United States and make a debut in the small, sleepy town in West Virginia, he clearly made an impact and difference in their lives. This year, he might have taken on more than he could chew by tackling the enormous Los Angeles Community. [...]

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SoulNeeds Beta – Dashboard – txbluebonnet

One of the most creative and latest/greatest social sites being placed out on the world wide web recently is a site called, Soul Needs! It really works on getting to know people for their wholesome goodness, as well as a place for each and every person to come and explore fitness by way of the [...]

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Domestic Violence Voices

Everyone needs a place to go to where they can heal, be safe to talk, and empower others along their healing journey.  For those traveling the healing journey due to domestic violence issues, Facebook’s page called, Domestic Violence Voices, offers just one such place. It’s just a great feel good place with a great community spirit.

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The “Myth” of Domestic Violence Being Worse on Superbowl Sunday

OMG, just read a blog posting that an author stated that, “There is an oft-repeated, but false, myth that Super Bowl Sunday is the worst day for violence against women.”  Of course, the author then adds, “Would that it were that easy.  Domestic violence doesn’t care what day it is.  It is an every day [...]

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Making Lists…

Making lists doesn’t always put our world in order, but it certainly helps us to feel more orderly. ~ Anonymous lol.. I don’t know how many lists that I have written over the years, but it has certainly made me rest better at nights very often so that I could have a renewed perspective of [...]

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Victim Advocacy

Life isn’t perfect — it never really is. A man lost his wife tonight who he had been married to for 14 years, dated for 10, and known each other as children growing up. I have been on many victim bereavement calls after the death of a person. They all take you back in a [...]

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Scarlet Letter?

Today I awakened at my Alzhiemer’s client’s home to find that she is distraught over her cat.   She threw her cat out the door after the cat appearing to have changed colors (say what?). She said that the cat turned pink.  After seeing the cat last night myself and wondering if the cat were pregnant [...]

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The Most Wonderful of all Things in Life…

In reading some profiles on Fubar (much like MySpace), I ran across one that had this written on it (by “Lonewolf”)….. The most wonderful of all things in life, I believe, is the discovery of another human being with whom one’s relationship has a glowing depth, beauty, and joy as the years increase. This inner [...]

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No Stealing the Joy!!

This is the first morning that I have felt half way awake since I woke up on Saturday afternoon b/c I then left Saturday night to work a shift from 6pm Saturday night until 2pm Sunday with an Alzhiemers client.  When I arrived her, there was a new shift person that was there for the [...]

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No Guts, No Glory!

Although I have run across this blogger, known as “Midnight Dancer”, on another social site (currently called Fubar and fka Cherry Tap & fka Lost Cherry), his blog entitled “Let’s Dance Through Life: Love, Honestly, and the Internet” has a posting called “No Guts, No Glory” and poignantly states: It has been said many ways: [...]

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Possible Goal for the New Year?

Received Oprah’s “Today’s Mission Calendar Inspiration” email today wherein in the first paragraph it states about the January issue, “Let the hot air out of the self-esteem balloon–and find a more stable basis for carrying yourself through the world.”  What a great quote! Wow!  Isn’t that a formidable quest at times???  A more stable basis for [...]

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“Normal” Sleep Hours????

I am often wondering what this truly is. What is normal, afterall? For a person that works the typical 8a-5p shifts, sleep hours might be 9p-6a…or something of that nature. However, for the person working the night shifts, it may invert drastically. As for me, my hours shift according to the day… sometimes working day [...]

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Counting “God Bless You!”s …

has become a way of my looking at life in the advocacy world when answering domestic violence calls on a daily basis… or in working with the elderly… or in my victim advocacies…. It is a way of, essentially, looking at the glass half full rather than half empty. Instead of going home a bit [...]

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Parent Alienation Syndrome – “Junk Science” says…

those at the Justice for Children program.  “It is the position of Justice for Children that PAS is junk science. “P.A.S. per se (not “parents lying about abuse allegations”) is not a syndrome.   People lie on the witness stand every day but that does not make it a syndrome.   Various credible studies have documented that [...]

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A Woman is Beautiful at any Age…

“A woman is beautiful at any age, if she feels good about herself.” –Rose Morgan

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“Grace Will Lead Me Home” – Robin Givins

“Grace will lead me home” – the title of the book she is promoting and speaking out about domestic violence, bringing home to a lot of victims of domestic exactly the fears, trials and tribulations that they have faced and feared.  Check out her story in these YouTube videos:     [YouTube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcZg2_BDZKo] – Robin Givins Story, Pt 1 [...]

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On another domestic violence note,

October is domestic violence month. I have a dear friend in Pennsylvania who heard one of Congresswomen speak out with the declaration of Domestic Violence Month and everything uttered out of that woman’s mouth was as if the victim is always a woman. Here, in this video below, sent to me via a Canadian friend [...]

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Worrying is like a Rocking Chair???

Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but doesn’t get you anywhere. – Anonymous

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Battered, but not Broken — Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October 1-31, 2007)

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The Fern & The Bamboo

One day I decided to quit…. I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality.. I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God. “God”, I said. “Can you give me one good reason not to quit?” His answer surprised me… “Look around”, He said. “Do you [...]

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In the Blink of an Eye — we all remember 911!

[YouTube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD2bxNPme7Y]

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Medieval Help Desk

Before there were computers, there was a help desk for introducing the book! [YouTube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFAWR6hzZek]

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A vocation vacation???

What a novel idea!  I was exploring around in 43Things.com.  If you haven’t gone there yet, you really should.  It is like having a large to do list; however, it is out there on the net.  Wouldn’t necessarily put your grocery list on there — or anything extremely personal (breaking up with my boyfriend, for [...]

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Losing or not losing??

“Lose your wealth, you lose nothing. Lose your health, you lose something. Lose your integrity, you lose everything.” – Stew Leonard

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Recognizing Your Own Path…

“You will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need.” – Jerry Gillies

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Something to remember about changing….

  “I wanted to change the world. But I have found that the only thing one can be sure of changing is oneself.”   – Aldous Huxley

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Wisdom per Hoover

“Wisdom consists not so much in knowing what to do in the ultimate as knowing what to do next.” – Herbert Hoover

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Lol… my horoscope for today???

Here is your Work Horoscope for Tuesday, June 12: The weather forecast didn’t say so, but you’re experiencing a serious brainstorm today, with all the flashes of brilliant ideas that entails. Your enthusiasm and electricity turn you into a natural leader. Funny.  I wonder if that also means that I am going to ace my [...]

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Domestic Violence – Sign the Petition!

Your say is needed to make sure that DV programs are funded.  Lifetime is pushing the petition to be signed and states the following: Tell Congress to fund critical programs that help thousands of victims of domestic, dating and sexual violence In just a single day, domestic violence programs served nearly 50,000 adults and children [...]

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Procrastination — who me??? ;)

Seeing a blurb in SparkPeople in posing the question, “Is Procrastination Curable?”, I decided that it just might be a great time to write about it (that ugly word we all hate to admit to – procrastination): “Procrastination. Putting off until tomorrow what you could do today. Is there a more counterproductive habit around? It [...]

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Purpose of Friendship?

“And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit. For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught”. ~Khalil Gibran in The Prophet

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On the Subject of Love

“The Encyclopedia Galactica, in its chapter on Love states that it is far too complicated to define. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has this to say on the subject of love: Avoid, if at all possible”.   What do you think????

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When a Protective Order Becomes More Than “Just a Piece of Paper!”

When does a Protective Order become more than “Just a piece of paper”? When you advocate for programs like this come into place in your state!! See the following article… Worldly Inquiring Mind “iWIM”

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Can David Hasselhoff get back…

Hooked on a Feeling???? [YouTube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfwyuofTdV0] It seems a shame to see someone hit bottom as he has been shown to the world this week by his daughter’s own video of him. I don’t think that she was trying to be spiteful, just at her wit’s end as she tries to intervene and help her father. [...]

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More on Alex Baldwin…

Found this article on him and thought I would share it with you all, although, I am sure, that he would prefer all this media exposure to just go away and quiet down. The author certainly does make a good point in the end. Published on April 29, 2007 by Ezine @rticles Alex Baldwin Doesn’t [...]

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Tyra Banks’ “So what!” Campaign

Tyra Banks’ “So What!” Campaign is such a great movement to set forward. There are so many people out there that have such low self-esteem about themselves. Sometimes, largely due to fitting into the image of what other folks “think” that they should be. Why should that matter??? Tyra Banks often states throughout her ongoing [...]

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Prisoner of Love…

is the name of an article (subtitled – Shattered by loss and overcome with lonliness) in the February 2007 issue of Vogue written by a woman (Joyce Maynard), who is an author of a syndicated column, who found herself being a penpal with a man in prison. The article is interesting and intriguing as you [...]

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