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The Classic Pamela Positive: Sticking with the Beauty of Loving Yourself and Others
Posted By Living and Giving - Pamela Hawley's blog
On 17 April 2013 - 5:05pm

A past article by fellow Fast Company blogger, Alicia Morga, advised: “Adopt the Cindy Crawford motto: no flaws…stick with the beauty of loving yourself and others.”

As Cindy Crawford says, “Never point out your flaws but do admit to your mistakes.”

What a powerful distinction.  Cindy is an accomplished wife, mother, businesswoman, spokesperson and model.  She’s demonstrated beauty in so many ways, specifically through her acumen, well-spoken manner, desire to make a beautiful life and home accessible to everyone, and most importantly, knowing that true lasting beauty starts and comes from within.

Beauty is about trusting yourself, appreciating your unique qualities, just as we should for other people. It’s one of our greatest age old wisdoms, to love your neighbor as yourself.  And to love our neighbor as ourselves, we have to start with, yes, you and me.

So as ...more

Parkinson's and Perceptions
Posted By Bubb’s blog
On 17 April 2013 - 2:45pm

Dispiriting to read in the papers the research carried out by the great charity Parkinson's UK.
A survey of 2,000 people with the condition reveals some shocking numbers. 1 in 5 have been mistaken for being drunk. 1 in 10 have been verbally abused or experienced hostility in public because of their condition. 60% feel uncomfortable or nervous in public. One man was even arrested during the Olympics because police thought he looked suspicious. 
As Steve Ford, chief executive at Parkinson's UK, said: "Life with Parkinson's can be challenging enough, but when that is coupled with feeling scared to even go out in public for fear of freezing in a busy queue and being tutted or stared at, life can feel incredibly cruel”
And yet what ACEVO members tell me is that this kind of public hostility to people with disabilities or conditions like Parkinson's is exacerbated by the “debate” on welfare that we are currently being subjected to. Ministerial talk about strivers and ...more

And what of the Hound?
Posted By Bubb’s blog
On 17 April 2013 - 10:49am

I hear you ask?  Well she is not in South Africa , but holidaying in Bromley with her Irish cousin Bantry. She seems to be getting on just fine!  As you can see. 


...more

Posted By Allison Ogden-Newton
On 17 April 2013 - 9:45am

Would we have had social enterprise without Margaret Thatcher?Thatcherism taught us that a mixed market in the public sector is the future, and that a 'state or market' debate is outdatedMargaret ThatcherMargaret Thatcher – a key figure in the history of the social enterprise movement? Photograph: Sportsphoto Ltd./Graham Whitby-Boot/AllstarThere probably aren't many Margaret Thatcher fans among social entrepreneurs, with most attributing the growth of market economics in social arenas to the measures introduced by Tony Blair. But would we have had the Right to Request without de-nationalisation or the Right to Buy?As Ed Miliband said during parliament's tribute sitting, ...more

The Pamela Positive: “Before You Can Give Yourself Away, You Must Have a Self to Give.”
Posted By Living and Giving - Pamela Hawley's blog
On 16 April 2013 - 5:19pm

“Before you can give yourself away, you must have a self to give.” – Isabel Hickey

Similar to George Gurdjieff’s commitment to self and spirit before serving others, Isabel Hickey realized that we must put ourselves first.  In so doing, we become strong and committed to giving ourselves the best, and then we can give our best selves unto others…

Isabel Hickey was an American astrologer and writer who practiced Humanist Astrology with a psychological approach. She is considered the Mother of Astrology in the Sixties and Seventies.  She wrote “Astrology, A Cosmic Science,” “It Is All Right” and “Minerva or Pluto, The Choice Is Yours.”

...more

Asset Based Strategy Matrix
Posted By Geof Cox Associates blogs
On 16 April 2013 - 1:23pm

A while back I was involved in some research on asset based community development, and started thinking about a typology of asset-based strategies.  I wondered if the key factors with regard at least to land and building assets might be

  • how the asset-based strategy relates to organisational aims, on the one hand, and on the other
  • the technical characteristics (method and terms) of the asset acquisition.

I started to fit projects I knew about into a matrix on this, colour-coded according to how successful I felt the asset based strategies had been, and what started to emerge was something like this (I have removed the actual project names)...

Asset Based Strategy Matrix

See the pattern? Intuitively it makes ...more

The Pamela Positive: “To Be an Altruist, You Must First Be an Egoist.”
Posted By Living and Giving - Pamela Hawley's blog
On 15 April 2013 - 5:05pm

“To be an altruist, you must first be an egoist.” – George Gurdjieff

In 1919 Armenian George Gurdjieff founded the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man in Tbilisi, Georgia, in order to serve men in peace.   Yet Mr. Gurdjieff’s commitment to helping others began with himself. It was about complete self awareness; absorption in meditation; and pushing oneself to a higher attunement to the Spirit.  In so doing, we are then able to be conscious of our own spirituality as foremost in thought.

From that standpoint, we can then go on to help others.  We see everyone connected in spirit.  We wish the best for others as we strive for peace and perfect alignment for spirit for ourselves.  So we focus first on our own spiritual commitment, before we focus on helping other’s spirit, in this wonderful journey of life.

“To be an altruist, you must first be an egoist.” – George Gurdjieff

George Gurdjieff was an Armenian mystic and philosopher. He ...more

Postcard from South Africa.
Posted By Bubb’s blog
On 15 April 2013 - 2:13pm

In 1760 Col Robert Gordon, the last Commander of the Cape Hope Garrison at the Castle moved to the Flower St Villas, a rather fetching farm just below Table Mountain and enjoying splendid views out to the Cape. He was a noted artist, botanist and geographer. Now the villa is a rather lovely ultra cool boutique hotel run by Brits and home for a few days to the travelling Bubb and partner, newly arrived from the UK on vacation.


Cape Town is a wonderful place ...more

Get on the train to Brussels and make new friends.
Posted By June's blog - A better future for London's children
On 15 April 2013 - 11:24am

LEYF CEO and Finance attend E3M Social Enterprise event

Reading documents from the European Commission require some preparation: firstly a cup of tea and a packet of Fig Rolls; secondly some good music (in this case my favourite Sharon Shannon); and finally a comfortable cushion.

As those of you who read this blog (thank you all very much, by the way), I am quite keen on Europe – especially for holidays.  I see myself as a European and I think the OECD has always said very sensible things about children. However, like many others, I have found penetrating the workings of Europe a step too far. We know ...more

Abuser or Dependent?
Posted By Addictions UK
On 15 April 2013 - 9:00am

This week's Video ...more