In times of great need, humans may instinctively reach out for a rescue. It can be to a higher power, or if there are people nearby, to the closest person who can provide immediate assistance. Historically, the International Morse code SOS was the most famous of maritime radio distress signals, and today is still used as a visual distress signal. For those of us in peril, our hope is that we will be rescued by competent individuals who are willing to accept our SOS and provide us the exact kind of help we need. In essence, what we are asking for is that our lifeline be composed of people who are prepared and that we can rely upon under any circumstances. Our hope is that these support people will be:
But where does one find such a person, and how does one summon these nurturing individuals into our lives? Better yet, how can we become SOS people ourselves? Unfortunately, the company we keep is often indicative of what type of help we can rely on. The saying, “Birds of a feather, flock together” is not too far off in assessing how most of us find our rescue. The problem with this premise is that often times our own bias prevents us from seeing clearly that the people who most resemble us may not often be the most reliable. To understand why bias affects our perspective, we must first learn a little about trust, what it is, and why we gravitate towards people we trust. For people with addictions and bad habits, misplaced trust can be one of the greatest obstacles to recovery. And for people who are hurting emotionally and physically, knowing whom the right person is to trust becomes crucial to ensure survival in the direst of circumstances. Couragekeepers is a program designed to help individuals who have faced crisis in their lives and want to develop resiliency and courage in the face of adversity and want to be associated with like -minded, positive and resilient people. It is a program that is intended to nurture and expand the circle of SOS individuals in one’s life, and is a model to help one become the kind of person who continues to attract uplifting people in their lives. These quality people can be family members, clergy, counselors, mentors, historical figures, and /or trusted friends. They can come from all walks of life, have varying degrees of education, and may be of any race or ethnic origin, but they all have one thing in common, and that is that they are all highly evolved humans who have developed compassion, empathy and are also grounded in life, meaning and purpose. These quality people value constancy, companionship and commitment and are willing to be stalwart in doing what is right, under all circumstances. Sounds too perfect? Well, these people do exist. They walk among us, and they are always striving to be better. They are people who have found their calling, captured their purpose, and are secure in their standing in life and their convictions. They are the COURAGEKEEPERS, the keepers of the flame of faith when darkness sets in and no hope seems to be in sight. They do not rely on themselves alone for reserves of strength, for they know that the “arm of flesh” is weak. They rely on God to be their inspiration and sustenance and then they rely on time, experience, and wisdom to be the foundation for all other positive decision making in their lives. The wisdom they rely upon are unequivocal, universal principles which have served mankind throughout the ages, and have proven to have societal and moral value to all cultures and peoples. Join me, Debra Norwood, and my partner, Carolyn Bendall on September 23, 2017 for the launch of our new program, Couragekeepers, a coaching method for peacebuilding that will help individuals searching for spiritual and emotional peace learn the tools of conflict resolution, anger management and peacebuilding. Using all the latest empirical research in psychoneuroimmunology, brain health and heart health, as well as keeping things light with the original and happiness building formula for #humor4peace created by Debra Norwood, participants will be guided in methods to dispel automatic negative thinking and will be given tools to promote resiliency in order to prepare them to become peer mediators and fellow peacebuilders. As we emulate the character and nature of The Prince of Peace Himself, we will learn to have more self-compassion, non-judgement, patience and self-awareness. Participants will learn how to develop mindfulness and learn how to meditate and pray more effectively by first clarifying what it is they are truly yearning for. This is an effective program for individuals facing life challenges such as life-threatening illnesses, addiction, anxiety and resistant depression. Along with methods for brain health choices and heart health habits that are medically sound, suggestions for physical and emotional clearing may include referrals for Brain SPECT imaging, trusted medical doctors and/or mind/body medicine alternatives for self-care. Couragekeepers is also a program that applies tried and true principles in habit-breaking and addiction recovery, and may refer some participants to additional 12 step groups that have been properly researched and guaranteed to be aligned with proper faith based principles. Join us! Together we can learn to not only become Couragemakers, but also Couragekeepers, and become trail blazers creating a society of people who can support one another in these troubled times with principles that promote soundness of mind and courage of heart! For more information contact: debra@debranorwood.com
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Carolyn Bendall"After years of teaching people how to develop their 'outside' image; we realized the 'inner image' need just as much work. Let's take this journey together!" Archives
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