Tag: take action

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Celebrate this Sunday the monumental Loving Day

On 12 June every year, people celebrate Loving Day in the USA. It marks the outcome of the 1967 landmark case “Loving versus Virginia“. With it, laws against interracial marriage and relations were ruled unconstitutional across all of the USA.

Mildred and Richard Loving in 1967; source: Wikipedia

What an achievement!

Pat yourselves on the back and celebrate the achievement. Now get up again and keep the ruling alive. Yes, you heard me correctly. The ruling is in danger of being overturned. Similar to the Roe v. Wade debate, this ruling is in danger of being repealed. It may be a little further into the future, however, once women’s rights are taken way, black and brown people will be next, before other minorities will be oppressed.

The first signs of coming oppression are already with us. Gerrymandering and voter suppression are reality for many and so is police violence. Both disadvantage people of color. Changing the Loving v. Virginia ruling will take away your right to choose the person who you want to spend the rest of your life with. Further, it appears to me to be the first step towards legalizing segregation. Who knows were it will end. I don’t even want to speculate.

The Loving v. Virginia ruling is already being discussed at higher levels and GOP politicians seem to think that individual states should make the decisions themselves. Just like they did with Roe v. Wade which is in the process of being overturned. You can watch the tragedy unfold right in front of your eyes… if you dare to keep them open.

If you live outside of the USA, you would be forgiven to think that this has no impact on your life. Think again. Looking back over history, the rise of fascism in one country often encouraged similar trends in other countries. I’m thinking of the outcome of the recent elections in Hungary followed by increased emergency powers for Viktor Orban for example or the last Brazilian presidential elections in 2018.

So, what can we do to keep our freedom?

It is the same routine as always: register to vote, then go and vote the GOP out of office.

You should also phone your representative and tell them to keep the law, so that they understand how important it is.

Alternatively, you can move to a more liberal country if this option is open to you.

It is up to you how you want to move forward: keep your freedoms and vote for them – OR – loose them.

Choose wisely!

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Get out! Your life may depend on it…

I grew up in a place with few good job opportunities and if you were a woman, there were practically none. I used to joke that the only options for a woman are to either become a dependent of some husband or other for all of eternity or to become a nun or to leave. So I left.

As it turns out, all of my friends I met along the way were in similar situations. For one reason or another, they had to leave. The reasons sound all too familiar: lack of opportunity, poverty, sexism, racism or any other garden variety persecution.

Sidenote: Did you know that passports as we know them have only been in existence for a little over 100 years?

Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels

Watching the news and looking around me, I feel that many places fall back into a hole that resembles the places where my friends have come from: war in Ukraine; misogyny, racism and a broken democracy in the United States of America; over 70% inflation in Argentina; genocide in China; oppression in Russia… the list goes on. People are in danger.

If I lived in any of these countries, I’d be on my way out – and I understand that this is a big task. Some countries don’t allow their citizens to leave. You read correctly: you are locked up inside your own country. The country simply does not give you an “exit visa” and you can’t leave. After all, you “belong” to the country just like a slave belongs to the slave owner. Other people are already fleeing a war zone as refugees, in which case I’d suggest you keep going and I wish you all the best.

For all others who live in a country headed towards dictatorship, I recommend you work towards a way out. Even small actions matter to ensure you have a chance to live a long, happy and fulfilling life.

So let’s look at what’s needed.

For starters, if you are young enough then you may get visas based on age. There are plenty of countries who are willing to let you in – at least temporarily – if you are young and can contribute to their society. Check visa options for your favorite destinations and see what they can offer and apply. If you don’t apply, it will never happen. What do you have to lose? Or better: What do you have to gain?

Next, I’d always suggest getting educated to a level where it is easier to move to another country. Many visa processes look at how you would fit into their system. One factor which will give you “brownie points” to entry is education. The thinking is that higher education equates to more contribution to GDP. Again, check visa options for places you’d like to live in. You may even find that you are eligible for a student visa. Give it a go and see what happens.

Keep in mind that education is not limited to ivy league establishments. It can cover everything including apprenticeships, online learning and even experiences you gain when volunteering. Every action you take to learn more will help you in the long run.

Of course, if you already have a job, especially in international organizations, you could work towards being moved to another country. I’ve worked with expats and most were grateful for the opportunities.

Sometimes you don’t even need to change countries. Sometimes it’s enough to move to another region or state. For example in the USA or Switzerland, each region / state can have (some) different rules. Could that work for you?

I hope you can see the thinking of countries: if they can get something out of you and if you make it easy for them to see that, then they are more likely to let you in. So, please, make it easy for them to see you as a benefit to their country.

Alternatively, Forbes suggests that you can buy citizenship in a country and live there. If you are lucky enough to have the funds, good on you. If not, then Forbes also has an article on an Italian village paying you to move there. Over the last few years, some countries, such as Italy, have come up with ideas to attract people so that their rural communities can survive. Look around online and find your perfect location in the sun.

Whatever may happen, if the rules in your place don’t suit you, then please do whatever it takes to stay safe. I’m thinking abortion, women’s and LGBTQ+ healthcare in the USA in particular. Please, think of your (existing or potential) children and also of yourself first and foremost! Think critically about where you want to live.

Go for it and get out!

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Dare to live in adventure and courage, not in fear!

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been having more contact with an old friend of mine. I only have fond memories of her and I strongly believe we will stay friends forever. The only thing that concerns me is that it appears as if she lives in fear.

Fear? you ask. What’s there to be afraid of these days? There are no hungry lions chasing us, medicine is able to resolve most issues and overall, living standards are higher than during most periods in human history.

I believe the fear that looms is the fear of being left behind and the fear of being alone.

The fear of being left behind is based on rampant technological advances she feels she can’t keep up with. In addition, whilst having paid her pensions contributions all her life, the actual pension doesn’t always reach the end of the month. That fear coupled with negative news headlines, doom scrolling and a hint of living in a bubble of similar minded people, that is the basis of a perfect storm of not even trying to keep up with the outside world.

Given the fear of keeping up, the world around my friend is closing in and getting smaller with every passing year. In the worst case scenario, this could lead to being alone which is the second big fear of hers. All that fear impacts her health which brings out more stress leading to more fear of being alone.

What to do about it?

The main step is to build up a mindset of adventure and curiosity. The reason is simple. If you always want to get out there and explore and learn and live, then you won’t even have enough time to think and fear. It will also result in a shift in mindset from worrying about obstacles to “how can I overcome them?”. These two ways of looking at the same topic couldn’t be more different. One leads to paralyzing fear and the other to building resilience.

If you are skeptical, please go and try it out yourself. Pick a topic that would usually get you anxious and then re-frame the fearful situation as a challenge or adventure that you know you can overcome but you just haven’t figured out how to do it yet. Or re-frame your fear by seeing the positive in the situation. Give it at least 10 minutes to start with.

How did that feel?

I wished this was me but it is not… not yet!
Photo by Eric Sanman from Pexels

Trust me, it is always better to try something, learn a whole lot and fail compared to never being courageous enough to go out there and live. The adventure doesn’t need to be big either. Even a small action can break a habit of staying within the comfort zone. One small action can be the start of something big. All it takes is one step in the right direction.

As for me, I will go hiking tomorrow and I know already that the mountain will be steeper than anything I have walked on before. NOTE: it is not steep for others at all, just for me. For me, the challenge is to overcome my low level acrophobia (aka fear of heights) and that is exactly the reason why I am doing it. I want to be more courageous and I know that I need to go out there and prove to myself that I can do it. After all, others can too.

How will you show your courage and sense of adventure this weekend?

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How to cope with it all

Looking back over the last few years, life seems to be one long onslaught of bad news, disappointments and bad decisions. Starting with the 2008 recession following the bursting housing bubble, to the unnoticed economic downturn in 2011, including the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris and the Syrian refugee crisis in 2015, Brexit in 2016, over COVID starting in 2019 resulting in multiple lockdowns over 2 years, to a full blown land war in Europe and finally, inflation now appears to pull the rug out under many people’s feet.

I didn’t even mention mass shootings, gun violence, wildfires US and wildfires Europe, floods, religiously motivated killings, car crashes, hate crimes and ever rising taxes… because somehow, they seem so “normal” these days.

There’s just so much “bad stuff” is out there. It all appears too much. It appears too much because it is much.

How can we stay sane and safe in a world like this?

How can we stay sane and safe in times like this?

How can we stay sane and safe at all?

I believe that Howard Zinn said it best:

To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.

What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places – and there are so many – where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.

And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.

Howard Zinn

I agree with Zinn in that actions – also small actions – make a huge difference in the world. They definitely made a difference in my life and helped me move from a dark period in my life to a good place where I see the future in a much better light.

At one point, I only had enough energy for one positive action in my life: buy the cheapest, nice looking bunch of flowers at my corner shop. It was a very small action but the impact of my life was great. I always looked forward to the next bunch of flowers and they cheered me up every time I looked at them – and I looked at them a lot. Slowly but surely, this small bunch of flowers brought back a little light into my life and I managed to push back the darkness. As a next step, I started to walk the 2 miles into work which meant I got more daylight and made me feel better and fitter. Then, I incorporated some self-care and slowly but surely, I overcame all the big challenges in my life.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pezels

My life is not perfect by any means (I’m still doom scrolling more than I’d like) and I still continue with this habit of small actions to this day. I wholeheartedly take actions believing that a better future is possible. Furthermore, I know that if I want to see a better future, I must contribute myself.

So my question to you is: What small action will you take today to bring about a better future, to bring about your victory?

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Fight for your right to privacy!

I am a very private person. Whilst I’m happy to share a lot of personal information with people I know and trust, I don’t tend to share important data and most certainly, I won’t share it with everyone. For example, I do not want to share my menstruation pattern with anyone at all least of all Facebook. I see no point in sharing my personal health information with my workplace. After all, if I’m fit to carry out my work, then there shouldn’t be any need to reveal more. I also see no point in sharing information on my personal believes or political affiliation with anyone other than those I wish to share it with.

The reason is not that I want to hide things. The reason is plain and simple that it’s nobody’s business.

Photo by Thomas Windisch from Pexels

If you haven’t seen the movie “Anon” (2018) yet, I highly recommend it. My favorite quote of the movie is uttered by the main character without a digital footprint: “It’s not that I have something to hide. I have nothing I want you to see.” This is how I feel too.

Why is privacy important?

Privacy is important because if it’s not respected, people die. As simple as that. For example, during World War II, people rightly or wrongly identified as “enemies of the state” were killed. It did not matter if they were a conscientious objector like Jägerstätter or Jewish or homosexual or mentally challenged (my grandmother’s brother was forcibly removed from their home in 1943) .

In the “United” States of America, privacy is being destroyed right now whilst we sit back and watch it happen. With the Republican plan to overturn Roe v Wade, privacy is under direct threat.

Sidebar: Overturning Roe v Wade is NOT going to stop abortions. It will merely make it more expensive and more dangerous – unless illegal abortion networks start up again… or we start using a DIY menstrual extraction kits again.

Roe v Wade is not about abortion. It is about privacy. It was a decision that everyone – man, woman, child – has a right to privacy. After all, it’s nobody’s business to know if you are pregnant or not… or if you want to – or are able to – bring up a child.

Please don’t think that Roe v Wade is only an issue that impacts women of child bearing age. Privacy – or lack thereof – impacts all of us (homosexuals, those in interracial relationships, disabled people, etc same list as above) and NOW is the time to act.

To keep YOUR right to privacy, I urge you to go out on the streets and make your voice heard! Call your senators and congressman and all other representatives and tell them to keep Roe v Wade as is!

I implore you to go out in November and vote for the party that has YOUR privacy and YOUR health interests at heart!