find your tribe!!!

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THANK YOU HEALTHCARE WORKERS EVERYWHERE!!!

in honor of World Health Day 2020 ...

feel free to print and color

Every April 7, the World Health Organization chooses to highlight a special theme current in the wellness and medical world. Ranging from mental health to insurance and everything in between, this day sets the tone for what’s to come in the world stage. 

This year’s World Health Day will shine a light on nurses and midwives, the on-the-call, restless workforce that revolutionized the healthcare industry as we know it today.

https://nationaltoday.com/world-health-day/

World Health Day 2020 - World Health Organization

This World Health Day, we honor the contribution of nurses and midwives, recognizing their vital role in keeping the world healthy. Nurses and other health workers are at the frontlines of COVID-19 response, putting their own health at risk to protect the broader community. Comprising more than two-thirds of the health workforce in the WHO Western Pacific Region, nurses are critical in responding to health needs in all settings and across the lifespan. In the 2020 International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, the World Health Day is an opportunity to highlight the work of nursing and midwifery around the world, while celebrating this workforce as one of the most valuable resources of every country.

https://www.who.int/westernpacific/news/events/world-health-day

Facts and Figures from the World Health Organization:
The global nursing workforce is around 28 million, of which more than 19 million are professional nurses.
The Western Pacific Region has around 7 million nurses, who comprise a quarter of the global nursing workforce.
95% of the nurses in the Western Pacific Region are women.
Half (51%) of nurses in the Western Pacific Region are below 35 years of age.
One nurse out of three (33%) in the Region is born or trained in a country other than their current country of practice.
In 2018, the shortage of nurses in the Region was estimated to be 350,000. 89% of this shortage is concentrated in low- and lower middle-income countries.https://www.who.int/westernpacific/news/events/detail/2020/04/07/western-pacific-events/world-health-day-2020
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Today, remember the power of LOVE ...

One words frees us of 

all the weight and pain of life: 

That word is 

LOVE.

Sophocles

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Let us all remember balance in this month of transitions ...

I felt like balance was a good theme for September's calendar ...

Rumi was a 13th-century (born in Afghanistan) Persian poet, jurist, Islamic scholar and theologian. His quotes will transform your life for the better, they are based upon love, hope, inspiration, and awakening. May these quotes open up your heart and mind to the beauty that lies within you. (from awakenthegreatnesswithin.com)

here is a calendar if you need one for your desk, refrigerator, car  . . . 

feel free to download and print out this calendar for

your personal use.

 if you are having problems downloading or printing the calendar, 

just leave a comment or email and I will send you a PDF. 

 I have uploaded a high resolution file, 

so you should be able to click on the calendar and print.  

It should fit on an 81/2 x 11 piece of paper, however, I always click 

the printing option "scale to fit". see picture below.

love, mom

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Today be authentic & imperfect & know that you are worthy!!

“Because true belonging only happens
when we present our authentic,
imperfect selves to the world, 

our sense of belonging can never be greater 

than our level of self-acceptance.” 

― Brené Brown, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

https://brenebrown.com

I am presently experiencing a HUGE crush on Brene´Brown. It is not a new crush, but currently I am having a surge of love for this woman.  I am working my way through her book 'Darling Greatly' and as I read want to share her wisdom with this group. So I figured the best way to start is to post her first TedTalk so those not familiar with her can get be introduced.
Enjoy and remember no matter what, you are worthy!

love, mom

https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

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Happy August!! Be like a wildflower!!!

May your life be like a wildflower, 

growing freely in the beauty and joy of each day.

Native American Proverb

love, mom

here is a calendar if you need one for your desk, refrigerator, car  . . . 

feel free to download and print out this calendar for

your personal use.

 if you are having problems downloading or printing the calendar, 

just leave a comment or email and I will send you a PDF. 

 I have uploaded a high resolution file, 

so you should be able to click on the calendar and print.  

It should fit on an 81/2 x 11 piece of paper, however, I always click 

the printing option "scale to fit". see picture below.

if you have received this post as an email

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The wonders of being weird!!

illustration by virginia fitzgerald. © 2018

the adventures of Joey - made by a Potato Hill poetry writer

There's a whole category of people who miss out by not allowing themselves to be weird enough. 

Alain De Botton

Once again I had the pleasure of spending a morning with some very creative kids at Potato Hill Poetry's Summer Writing Program. This week we created a comic/graphic novel using thumbprint art. I have posted all the amazing pieces on my other blog, http://virginiafitzgerald.blogspot.com, and I high;y suggest that you visit as the variety and storytelling of these comics are outstanding!

However, during our creating session, the general conversation moved to the topic of weird came up and I was saddened by the group's response to the idea of being weird. They saw weird as more of a negative while I see weird as something to celebrate. We discussed being weird for a bit, and I might have gotten a few of them to see the wonders of being weird, however, their response gave me pause.

I truly do believe that our unique weirdness should be embraced and celebrated because that is what makes us our own person and is the one of a kind gift we can give the world!! However, weirdness is something that much of our everyday lives tries to squash, through advertising, marketing, and peer pressure.  

So to combat those social pressures, I want to preach the wonders of being weird!

Today find your weird and let it shine!!

love, mom

p.s.

there is one more week of Potato Hill Poetry's 

Summer Writing Programs

click here to learn more

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SaveSave

Remember that you ROCK!! love, mom

“You are wonderful. Valuable. 

Worthwhile. Lovable.

Not because others think so. 

Self-worth comes from only one place: 

self.” 

Karen Salmansohn

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Just go with the flow!!!

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. 

Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. 

Let reality be reality. 

Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” 

Lao Tzu

love, mom

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what is your little thing??? here's Wangari Maathai's little thing ...

It's the little things citizens do.

That's what will make the difference. 

My little thing is planting trees. 

Wangari Maathai

Remembering Wangari Maathai, First African Woman to Win Nobel Prize



Wangari Maathai was an amazing woman who did amazing things just following her heart, doing what she knew in her heart was the right thing to do.  She empowered women and fought for the environment.  I highly recommend that you learn more about her and her work, the Green Belt Movement!
love, mom

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and in case the above video isn't working ...

what are your dreams today??

'take to the sky ...' (2003) @virginiafitzgerald

"Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, 

we lose the excitement of possibilities. 

Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning."

Gloria Steinem

love, mom

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Today be fearless!! Stand up for yourself!!

Be brave and be fearless, 

and for God's sake, 

stand up for yourself. 

Gretchen Carlson

simply this!!

love, mom

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Accept your IS-NESS, avoid suffering! love, mom

Accepting means you allow yourself to feel whatever it is you are feeling at that moment. 

It is part of the is-ness of the NOW. 

You can't argue with what is. 

Well, you can, but if you do, you will suffer.

Eckhart Tolle

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what are you concentrating on today???

Concentrate all your thoughts 

upon the work at hand. 

The sun's rays do not burn 

until brought to a focus.

Alexander Graham Bell

It is that time of year again, figuring out the finances for taxes.  

Needless to say there are so many other activities that I'd 

rather do, however today I'm concentrating my 'rays' on my books

(although I hope I don't burn them :)

love, mom

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here's to girl power

A Short Story

by David Escobar Galindo

trans. by Jorge D. Piche

The ant climbs up a trunk

carrying a petal on its back;

and if you look closely

that petal is as big as a house

especially compared to the ant that

carries it so olympically.

You ask me: Why couldn't I carry

a petal twice as big as my body and my head?

Ah, but you can, little girl,

but not petals from a dahlia,

rather boxes full of thoughts

and loads of magic hours, and

a wagon of clear dreams, and

a big castle with its fairies:

all the petals that form the soul of

a little girl who speaks and speaks . . . !

love, mom

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Who is in your tribe??? what are you attracting??

“Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. 

Let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world better than when you found it...” 

Wilferd Peterson

love, mom

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Everyone has a purpose ... what is yours???

“Each person comes into this world with a specific destiny -

he or she has something to fulfill, 

some message that has to be delivered, 

some work that has to be completed. 

You are not here accidentally - 

you are here meaningfully. 

There is a purpose behind you. 

The whole intends to do something through you.” 

Osho

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We are how we treat each other and nothing more .... this is my religion.

I loved this song the first time I heard it and with the insanity of the leadership this week I needed to share it.  And, as happens so many times when I research different items for this blog, I learned that this song was created for the organization Newtown Kindness, an organization borne out of the loss of Sandy Hook first-grader Charlotte Bacon. The group is committed to promoting acts of kindness and encouraging children to become lifelong contributors to their communities.
(click here to read more)

I HIGHLY suggest that you listen to this song and to its words.  In this dangerous time where human rights and basic dignity is taking hits from people in positions of power and leadership, I believe it is our personal duty to be kind to each, respect each other and that our behavior, the way we act, speak and behave is a reflection of who we are!!
this is my religion!

The Alternate Routes- Nothing More  Live on Craig Ferguson

Nothing More

The Alternate Routes

To be humble, to be kind

It is the giving of the peace in your mind

To a stranger, to a friend...

To give in such a way that has no end

We are love

We are one

We are how we treat each other when the day is done

We are peace

We are war

We are how we treat each other and nothing more

To be bold, to be brave;

It is the thinking that the heart can still be saved

And the darkness can come quick;

The Danger's in the Anger and the hanging on to it

We are love

We are one

We are how we treat each other when the day is done

We are peace

We are war

We are how we treat each other and nothing more

Tell me what it is that you see

A world that's filled with endless possibilities?

Heroes don't look they used to, they look like you do

We are love

We are one

We are how we treat each other when the day is done

We are peace

We are war

We are how we treat each other and nothing more

We are how we treat each other and nothing more

We are how we treat each other

love, mom

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where is your attention dwelling??

“I know for sure that what we dwell on is who we become.”

Oprah Winfrey

Last month I had the opportunity to participate in a workshop lead by Priti Robyn Ross, 'Refilling your Well', where I learned many practices and ideas about self care and mindfulness.  Our talks were filled with many thoughtful and smart maxims to remember as we live our days, and I hope to share many of them here.  

We spoke a lot about energy, and one point that we kept returning to was what you put your focus, your time, your energy on, is what is going to grow.  

So today I want you to think about ~

where are you putting your energy and attention??

Are you focusing on the positive or the negative??

what do you want to nurture and grow, your goals or your fears??

love, mom

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What is your great dream???

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. 

Always remember, you have within you the strength, 

the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars 

to change the world. 

Harriet Tubman

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