Month: January 2016

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Celebrating Respect

Posted on by rachaelathomasj

Let’s celebrate Respect!  What is it?

According to Dictionary.com respect is defined as:

  • to hold in esteem or honor
  • to show regard or consideration
  • to refrain from intruding upon or interfering with, as in privacy.

I believe  you know what respect is and I am happy you are reading it because I wanted you to read something you can share with others, be it at home or at school or via email or mail or any of the other available possibilities open to you.

Have a look at this:

Respect involves the acceptance of the views, beliefs and feelings of others. It comes from treating others as you would like to be treated  and it is something I firmly believe in whether it’s between strangers, between bosses and their employees, among colleagues, acquaintances, friendships, marriages, sibling relationships, parent-child relationships, grandparent-grandchildren relationships or any of the other family relationships we know of.

In so many ways we are seeing how respect is being lost.  This video however reminds us “OLD SCHOOL” respect that we have heard about so many times. Respect is a universal topic. Listen to what is being said and see how applicable it is:

In addition to this respect is also needed for nature-plants and animals. Have a look at this:

Here are some things it does not hurt to be reminded of:

  1. Treat others in the same manner as you would want to be treated. It’s the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
  2. Change only to become a better you.
  3. Never compromise your values!
  4. Try your best to live without regrets!
  5. Doing something wrong can never make it right!
  6. Value the relationships you build and the people in your lives.
  7. Be true to yourself!
  8. Respect is a 2 way street- it must be given before it is earned.
  9. In the same way that you must love yourself before you can love others, self-respect comes before respecting others.

Respect and trust are key elements in a friendship and we can all agree that when either is lost, it may be regained to some extent but, more often than not things will never be the same. Most relationships begin with friendship and whether it is any of the relationships described above it involves friendship.

Take note of how Bruno Mars describes friendship in this video:

Hopefully you were singing along with Bruno Mars and hopefully you enjoyed the other videos too. The video is based on friendship but the respect these kids have for each other is so evident!

I was thinking of something local and my dear friend Regina Cozier mentioned this. Thank you Regina! Have a look at this too as it reinforces everything said and brings it across musically. Like everything else there is a lesson in it especially as it can help with values that are being lost in society. Great job 3Canal!

Thank you for taking the time to read this everyone! Hasta la vista!

 

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Celebrating 2015 and surviving it!

Posted on by rachaelathomasj

This post is dedicated to Celebrating 2015 and surviving it. What a year it most certainly has been and our comfort lies in know that our loved ones who have been ailing for some time and suffering are no longer enduring such a fate.

2015 was a year unlike any other. So much happened and this is probably one of the ways to describe it:

As I said to so many I spoke to in the past couple days, when 2015 began, we did not expect so much of what happened or for it to turn out the way it did. Our comfort lies in knowing that that our loved ones who have been ailing for some time and suffering are no longer enduring such a fate. We survived the year and all that it brought us, and we are stronger because we saw the year through  in spite of what it presented us with.

With regards to this blog I am happy to enjoy sharing my messages with everyone! I  really am! Here is how it did: https://rachaelathomas.wordpress.com/2015/annual-report/

Like everyone else experienced, the year was filled with prayer, laughter, smiles, tears, courage, faith, hope, gratitude, sadness and pain. Some were experienced more than others as expected. Whatever it brought we got through it both as a family and for our respective selves, rallying for each other along the way.

Apart from these experiences I can look at a few things in 2015 about me:

  • I am more confident about cooking. I not only cook more but I have more confidence about what I cook. Baking  is also something I am better at. In 2016 I will be able to add to my list of things I bake and things I cook.
  • I have become better at clearing away clutter. Sometimes it’s just too much procrastination and needing to have the right mindset but it usually becomes easier once I get started.
  • I continue to establish myself as a writer and a blogger. This blog is my proof! 30 new posts were published in 2015. The busiest day of the year was March 25th 2015 which received 45 views. The most popular post on that day was the post dedicated to my grandpa, the late Mr Ramlal Dookie. Its title is Celebrating the life of my grandfather, the late Mr Ramlal Dookie!
  • I graduated with the Associate Degree in Journalism and Public Relations from COSTAATT’s Ken Gordon School of Journalism and Communication Studies.
  • With great company-that’s Shiva- I have been able to appreciate music and movies more. In saying this I refer specifically to the fact that he is a big fan of “The Voice“. I understand music more as well as the lyrical content. Also we appreciated not just the great acting and plot of “Bridge of Spies” and “Everest“, but also the fact that they were based on true events.
  • I realized that I am good at transcribing.  I began transcribing in COMM 120 class – Critical Reading and Writing Skills for Journalism and Communication Majors- with Ms Michelle Mitchell. Outside of the class setting I have been able to do some professional transcription.

Ask yourself, in spite of how tough the year was, what did it teach you? Give yourself the credit you deserve because I am sure there is something from 2015 that makes you a better you! What is it?

Here are the trailers to “Bridge of Spies” and “Everest“:

Take life’s challenges one by one. Don’t give up! Always believe you can!