Suicide Awareness Part 2: What You Can Do To Help

If you know of someone who is contemplating suicide, if you even suspect they are, there is something you can do. 

o Ask directly if your friend is thinking about suicide.

o Be willing to listen. Allow their expressions of feelings, and accept those feelings.

o Be non-judgmental. Don't debate whether suicide is right or wrong, or whether feelings are good or bad. Don't lecture on the value of life. Focus on being present with their feelings.

o Get involved. Become available. Show interest and support.

o Check in with your friend regularly. Schedule times to talk for the next week when you will both be available, to see how they are doing.

o Don't act shocked. This will put distance between you. Be patient with yourself and the situation

o Don't be sworn to secrecy. Seek support.

o Offer hope that alternatives are available but do not offer glib reassurance.

o Take action. Remove means, such as guns or stockpiled pills

o Get help from agencies specializing in crisis intervention and suicide prevention.

o Encourage (and offer to accompany) your friend to seek help and support from a crisis specialist, therapist, doctor and/or clergy member. 

o Show them the safety or “crisis coping plan” on the Lifeline web site, and talk together about your friend can use this to help him/her to cope in these difficult moments.

For more information click HERE


Share and use this resource to help make stronger connections in your own communities and through social media. Use these tips to reach out to those who may be struggling. We can ALL do something to help prevent suicide.

Source http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/getinvolved/suicide-prevention-toolkit.aspx

http://juliakcole.blogspot.com/2015/08/suicide-awareness-part-1.html

About Julia K. Cole

What can you expect from someone who considers Putting Reality Back Into Spirituality a personal calling? Straight forward answers that lead to life-changing experiences on a soul level!

Known as The Empress of the Known & Unknown Universes™ and The Diva of Duct Tape, Julia has made it her personal mission to put Reality back into Spirituality™. Julia sets out to assist people in expanding their conscious awareness through her rather unique and personal take on the human experience. 

In the style of Erma Bombeck, Julia utilizes her own brand of humor and down to earth demeanor to get her messages across in an all so delightful way. 

As a writer, Julia is a virtual powerhouse of creativity.  Among Julia's literary accomplishments is  the  Children of the Luminaries  trilogy;  Book One: The Coming Storm can be purchased by clicking Here.   

Book Two  of the trilogy is due out in the Fall of 2015 and Book Three will be available in 2016.  The long anticipated ZEN of Duct Tape:  An Empress Is Born will be out in 2016.  As well as the Teddy Mitchell Chronicles.

Julia has also contributed to several other publications including Brad Steiger's  Real Zombies, The Living Dead, and Creatures of the Apocalypse  Click HERE for the review; and Marie D. Jones' Destiny vs. Choice  Click HERE    

PLEASE NOTE:  All artwork, unless otherwise specified, are the property of the individual artists themselves. The author of these blogs claims no ownership of the original artwork, but only of the sig tags created using said artwork. Each sig tag shown on these blogs include the appropriate copyright information of the Artists and the unique licensure for use.

Reproduction and copying of said work without proper authority is strictly prohibited


Unless otherwise specified, ALL articles on this Blogger are the property of Julia K. Cole.  The ZEN of Duct Tape™, it's name, teachings, modalities, and all excerpts; the nicknames The Empress of the Known & Unknown Universes™ and The Diva of Duct Tape™,  The Duct Tape Diva™; Putting Reality Back Into Spirituality™, Reality back into Spirituality™ are the property and trade marks of Julia K. Cole and are protected under Copy Right Laws both here in the USA and Around The World.  

FROM THE PAY IT FORWARD FILES: Kentucky trooper's good deed caught on camera

This is going viral!  And rightfully so. 

CLICK HERE to read the story!

About Julia K. Cole

What can you expect from someone who considers Putting Reality Back Into Spirituality a personal calling? Straight forward answers that lead to life-changing experiences on a soul level!

Known as The Empress of the Known & Unknown Universes™ and The Diva of Duct Tape, Julia has made it her personal mission to put Reality back into Spirituality™. Julia sets out to assist people in expanding their conscious awareness through her rather unique and personal take on the human experience. 

In the style of Erma Bombeck, Julia utilizes her own brand of humor and down to earth demeanor to get her messages across in an all so delightful way. 

As a writer, Julia is a virtual powerhouse of creativity.  Among Julia's literary accomplishments is  the  Children of the Luminaries  trilogy;  Book One: The Coming Storm can be purchased by clicking Here.   

Book Two  of the trilogy is due out in the Fall of 2015 and Book Three will be available in 2016.  The long anticipated ZEN of Duct Tape:  An Empress Is Born will be out in 2016.  As well as the Teddy Mitchell Chronicles.

Julia has also contributed to several other publications including Brad Steiger's  Real Zombies, The Living Dead, and Creatures of the Apocalypse  Click HERE for the review; and Marie D. Jones' Destiny vs. Choice  Click HERE    

PLEASE NOTE:  All artwork, unless otherwise specified, are the property of the individual artists themselves. The author of these blogs claims no ownership of the original artwork, but only of the sig tags created using said artwork. Each sig tag shown on these blogs include the appropriate copyright information of the Artists and the unique licensure for use.

Reproduction and copying of said work without proper authority is strictly prohibited


Unless otherwise specified, ALL articles on this Blogger are the property of Julia K. Cole.  The ZEN of Duct Tape™, it's name, teachings, modalities, and all excerpts; the nicknames The Empress of the Known & Unknown Universes™ and The Diva of Duct Tape™,  The Duct Tape Diva™; Putting Reality Back Into Spirituality™, Reality back into Spirituality™ are the property and trade marks of Julia K. Cole and are protected under Copy Right Laws both here in the USA and Around The World.  

Stages of The Awakening Process: Part 2

Your awakening process parallels your physical stages of life and all that goes along with it. 

• Conception
• Gestation
• Birth
• Infant - Toddler
• Young Child - Early Adolescence
• Late Adolescence - Early Adult
• Mid-Late Adulthood

*~*~*~*~*

Conception & Gestation

It occurs when  you know  there is  more to life than what you see and experience in every day life.  It happens in that very moment you begin to question all you were taught and everything you once accepted as truth no longer feels right.  No longer feels true.    Try as you might, this  feeling doesn't go away.   In fact, the more you try to ignore it, push it aside, cover it up with various distractions, that feeling grows stronger. 

For those brought up in any kind of strict religious environment, this feeling can be most terrifying.  You find yourself caught between your loyalties to your beliefs and the ever growing feeling that propels you forward.    Out of love (and their own fears) those closest to you attempt to bring you back to your senses.   And despite and in spite of your own fears, you continue on.  Unsure of where it will all lead, unsure if in fact what you're feeling is real, you continue on.  Why?  Because something down deep says you must.  Though the fog of uncertainty is thick,  that  something deep down inside of you  prods you on.   It is a solitary nudge that develops into a twinkling of having to know what it is--whatever it may be prompts you to continue on despite, and yes in spite of,  all the fears that keep cropping up.

This is the conception of your spiritual awakening.

What happens next is very much like the beginning of a new life growing inside a mother's womb known as the gestation period.   During this time, the microscopic nucleus  now begins multiplying itself.    Your spiritual awakening is now Energetically growing from within, stretching your physical awareness to the brink of insanity.  The world around you, though familiar, takes on a strange new wonderful aliveness.  All around you is a curiosity.  Yet at the same time, you notice this odd detachment of old familiar places, things and yes, even people.  You begin to notice too that the people in your life are starting to avoid you and/or you them.    For some, their work no longer challenges them so they seek other employment, many times a job they've never considered before.  Conversations with  friends and  seem uninteresting to you now.  The little nudge that has been prodding you is now pushing you to seek out like minded individuals.  Prompting you to seek out that seemingly unattainable knowledge to feed an unquenchable thirst and satisfy your unending hunger.  

You start to notice a change in your physical body.  These changes come in many forms.  Food allergies is very common.  Nothing to worry about.  This is all part of the process.  Certain tones and volumes of particular sounds begin to bother you.  Nothing to be concerned about.  All part of the process!  

You will feel strong emotions one moment and in a flash you feel nothing at all.  Not to worry!  This too is all part of the process!

Whatever stage you find yourself in always remember to be Kind to Your SELF! 

Keep In Mind ...

This is not a race of any kind!  You will reach maturity in your own divine timing!

Every single person is where they are suppose to be ... when they are suppose to be ... at the exact moment they are suppose to be -- Doing and acting as they are suppose to be!

For the short list of "symptoms" of the Awakening Process, and suggestions on how to work through the process,  you can find them by clicking HERE,  HERE,  HERE  and HERE 

*Disclaimer: ALWAYS check with a health care professional FIRST!  

SPECIAL NOTE: many health care professionals are  now using their own personal awakening experiences to help others going through the stages.  We applaud these brave individuals for boldly moving forward and making the necessary changes in how people are treated.

Excerpts from The ZEN of Duct Tape:  An Empress Is Born™

About Julia K. Cole

What can you expect from someone who considers Putting Reality Back Into Spirituality a personal calling? Straight forward answers that lead to life-changing experiences on a soul level!

Known as The Empress of the Known & Unknown Universes™ and The Diva of Duct Tape, Julia has made it her personal mission to put Reality back into Spirituality™. Julia sets out to assist people in expanding their conscious awareness through her rather unique and personal take on the human experience. 

In the style of Erma Bombeck, Julia utilizes her own brand of humor and down to earth demeanor to get her messages across in an all so delightful way. 

As a writer, Julia is a virtual powerhouse of creativity.  Among Julia's literary accomplishments is  the  Children of the Luminaries  trilogy;  Book One: The Coming Storm can be purchased by clicking Here.   

Book Two  of the trilogy is due out in the Fall of 2015 and Book Three will be available in 2016.  The long anticipated ZEN of Duct Tape:  An Empress Is Born will be out in 2016.  As well as the Teddy Mitchell Chronicles.

Julia has also contributed to several other publications including Brad Steiger's  Real Zombies, The Living Dead, and Creatures of the Apocalypse  Click HERE for the review; and Marie D. Jones' Destiny vs. Choice  Click HERE    

PLEASE NOTE:  All artwork, unless otherwise specified, are the property of the individual artists themselves. The author of these blogs claims no ownership of the original artwork, but only of the sig tags created using said artwork. Each sig tag shown on these blogs include the appropriate copyright information of the Artists and the unique licensure for use.

Reproduction and copying of said work without proper authority is strictly prohibited


Unless otherwise specified, ALL articles on this Blogger are the property of Julia K. Cole.  The ZEN of Duct Tape™, it's name, teachings, modalities, and all excerpts; the nicknames The Empress of the Known & Unknown Universes™ and The Diva of Duct Tape™,  The Duct Tape Diva™; Putting Reality Back Into Spirituality™, Reality back into Spirituality™ are the property and trade marks of Julia K. Cole and are protected under Copy Right Laws both here in the USA and Around The World.  

Do It Anyways

Words to live by throughout the year and your life.   

Some sources say that the words below were written on the wall inMother Teresa's own room.  In any case, their association with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity has made them popular worldwide, expressing as they do, the spirit in which they lived their lives. 

They seem to be based on a composition originally by Kent Keith, but much of the second half has been re-written in a more spiritual way.  

Source:  Prayer Foundation

Do It Anyways

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  

Forgive them anyway.

~*~*~*~

            If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.  

Be kind anyway.

~*~*~*~

            If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends 

and some genuine enemies. 

Succeed anyway.

~*~*~*~

           If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.  

Be honest and sincere anyway.

~*~*~*~

            What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  

Create anyway.

~*~*~*~

            If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  

Be happy anyway.

~*~*~*~

            The good you do today, will often be forgotten.  

Do good anyway.

~*~*~*~

         Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.  

Give your best anyway.

~*~*~*~

         In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  

           It was never between you and them anyway.

~*~*~*~

-this version is credited to Mother Teresa

From the PAY IT FORWARD FILES: An On-Going Pay It Forward that Just keeps Getting More Fabulous!

The big heart of a Jeffersonville police officer and the generosity of strangers are still making an enormous impact on one man's life.


Click here to read the entire story

Click here to read how it all started.

If you would like to make a donation Just click HERE


Merry Christmas Everybody!

Officer Stops to Play Ball With Kid

Another Act of Random Kindness ...



This is the kind of dash cam video we usually see – police chases and general mayhem which makes this dash cam video remarkable and unforgettable. 

Saturday afternoon, Rosenberg Police Sergeant Ariel Soltura was on patrol, driving through an apartment complex parking lot when he saw a young man. He slowed down.

“And I saw he was throwing up a football and I could tell that was actually playing by himself - he wasn't just waiting for more kids to arrive,” he said.

Soltura could have continued driving but instead, he stopped.

“I literally got out of the car - I did like this which is the universal sign of throw me the football and at that time you just saw his face just lit up and he was ready to play,” Soltura said.

And so they did. Two men as Soltura says – playing football on a perfect day. The Rosenberg Police Department posted it on Facebook. Hours later, it had a about a quarter million likes. 

Truth be told Soltura says, it's part of the department's emphasis on community policing - not as adversaries, but as neighbors. What was captured on this dash cam video has gone viral but in a good way.

“It's important because we all live in this world together. We all make an impact in this world and I think it's important that we all put in our little bit and make it a better place,” Soltura said.

On this day, in this place, you could say that's what happened. All because of a kid with a football without anyone to throw it to, until a police officer arrived and threw it long.  

To read the rest of this story and to see the Video, Please Click HERE

In-flight Act of Kindness To An Autistic Child

I love sharing stories where people are kind to one another.  

Please share this with all your networks!  

*~*~*~*

When Shanell Mouland boarded a Philadelphia-bound plane out of Orlando early this month with her family, she was bracing for the worst.

Mouland was headed home to New Brunswick, Canada, Jan. 5 with her husband and daughters Grace, 5, and Kate, 3, who has autism and doesn’t like to sit for long. They were returning from a week spent at Walt Disney World.

“We knew that flights were difficult for her,” Mouland said. “And we knew this was going to be a tough one.”

To Read the Entire Story and Watch the Video, Please Click HERE

SIMPLE ACTS OF KINDNESS MEAN THE MOST

This is a wonderful story that should be passed around as much as possible.  SheKnows Home & Living Editor Kelli Uhrich shares her moving experience with a stranger who offered her kindness.

Please share and cross post on all your Social Networks!  

*~*~*~*~*

Dear Stranger,

Today we stood next to one another in line at the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport, waiting to move through the security checkpoint. You probably don't remember me, but I will never forget you. I was the woman with the frazzled hair, the sweat-dripping brow and the large plastic bag — the latter of which was clearly unplanned. I was the woman in the back of the line who thought she had adequately prepared for her business trip but quickly discovered she hadn't. You, on the other hand, were composed, collected andearly for your flight. You owed me nothing. You didn't have to help me, but you did — and I don't know how else to say thank-you.

You see, this all began last night as I was packing for my trip. I wanted everything to be in order and nothing to be overlooked. I wanted to wake up this morning, throw my hair into some elegant curls and put my best self out into the world — but when I discovered my single oversight, all of my planning was for naught.

Business cards. An entire box full of them sits in the upper right-hand drawer of my desk at work, yet somehow, only three of them made it into my wallet. Three business cards for a business convention. Three opportunities to spread the word about SheKnows and network with other media outlets. Three. Only three.

That's where everything went wrong. Instead of heading straight to the airport, I was left with no choice but to drop by the office to pick up more cards. I left my home at 8 a.m., arrived at my office by 9 and then was off to the airport, arriving at Sky Harbor at 9:45.

The ticket in my hand explained that my flight departed at 11:05, but what I hadn't noticed was the boarding information: 10:25 a.m. That was the time I should have referenced in all of my planning, but I didn't.

But it didn't stop there. While checking my bag, I was informed that my items were too heavy. Fifty-seven pounds was seven pounds too much, which is why when you met me, I was carrying seven pounds worth of my luggage in a plastic trash bag. It's also the reason I was twitching anxiously as we wound in and out, moving like snails through the security checkpoint line. Perhaps I looked desperate enough that you took notice of me, standing amid hundreds of other travelers. Maybe you caught how frazzled I appeared and wondered if something were wrong.

READ MORE

Alley Cat Advocates Upcoming Events

Seriously! Do you want to be a part of the greatest thing

happening in Louisville?

Do you want to be a part of the biggest
positive change for cats ever?

Do you want to surround yourself with fantastic, enthusiastic

people who are EXCITED about making a huge difference

for community cats in our area?

It is EASY! Come to a volunteer orientation and see how three hours a month will change your life as you change the lives of stray, unowned cats forever. 

Check upcoming EVENTS for dates and times. We promise. It will be the thrill of your life!

  

Upcoming Events

  

Volunteer Orientations

August 4, 2pm
August 29, 7pm
September 22, 2pm

All at:    536 Eastern Parkway

SAVE THE DATE

Save the date and join us for the

6th Annual Cat's Meow at Bistro 301 on 9/13. This year is full of new surprises! More info coming soon! 

Join Us

Half Price Books 

Alley Cat Advocates will be at Half Price Books on Saturday, July 27th from 2pm to 4pm at the location on Westport Rd.  Donors may bring cat food or other items from our wishlist to receive a coupon for 15% off of their purchase.

Beer, Bones & Catnip

8/3/2013 Doors open at 4pm. 

Join us at Beer, Bones & Catnip by The Blue Umbrellas on Saturday, 8/3 at Apocalypse Brew Works, 1612 Mellwood Avenue.  Music, food trucks and a great evening to support Alley Cat Advocates, Derby City Dog Rescue and The Arrow Fund!

  

Big Fix Schedule

(by appt. only):

August 18

September 8
September 29

October 27

November 17

December 15

When a Community Cares: The Happy Story of Molly and Whitey

So have you ever wondered if there are ANY good people out there? And what about karma? Is there such a thing?   Read on! 


Ok. First, here is Molly’s story. It starts out sad . . . Molly’s owner takes her to the Kentucky Humane Society SNIP clinic to be spayed. He lives near the clinic and knows she needs it! Sadly, he opens her carrier in the parking lot at the clinic to comfort her and scared Molly dashes out into the busy street. A truck drives over the top of her and rolls her and she runs away. Poor Molly!

Now, here is Whitey’s story. A kind gentleman named Victor, who lives around the corner from the SNIP clinic, adopted a couple of Kentucky Humane Society Working Cat Program cats and set them up on his carport, providing food, water, and shelter for them. Over time, a new community cat arrives to eat and share their space. “Whitey,” as he calls her (she is white with black spots, after all!), needs to be spayed, so Victor contacts Alley Cat Advocates, borrows a trap, and takes Whitey to her appointment at the SNIP clinic. All is well. Lucky Whitey!

And here is where it gets fun! Can you guess the rest? Four months after Molly’s unfortunate escape in the parking lot, a neighbor walks by Victor’s house and sees Whitey under the carport. He remembers a flyer that he’s had on his refrigerator for months(!) about a cat named Molly. He thinks it might be the same cat! And, yes, a quick call to the phone number on the flyer results in the happy reunion! Four months later!!! So, kudos to Molly’s owner for putting up flyers and never giving up. Kudos to kind Victor for feeding the new community cat AND for getting her spayed (despite her wishes, apparently), and kudos to the community for caring enough to help these beautiful creatures each and every day!

Source:

Alley Cat Advocates™

 http://alleycatadvocates.org/2013/when-a-community-cares-the-happy-story-of-molly-and-whitey/