Despite obstacles: Morgan McCoy, author and actor recently seen in the Oscar-nominated film Harriet, comes to town with a one-woman show, Evolution of a Black Girl: From the Slave House to the White House. Depicting the struggles and triumphs of fictional and real African American women across numerous generations, the play combines comedy and drama in a rousing tale of empowerment and education.

Saturday 2/15 $10-12, 7:30pm. V. Earl Dickinson Building at PVCC, 501 College Dr. 961-5376.

Posted In: Arts

Tags: Picks

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Arts Pick: Evolution of a Black Girl: From the Slave House to the White House - C-VILLE Weekly

Over-thinking, re-thinking and/or the failure to think through current policies, strategies and interventions in the economy, in education and in our health and penal systems has perpetuated a power structure that is elitist and a populace on the verge of exploding into chaos, anarchy and subversive energies.

Most of the major social challenges that we face today in Trinidad and Tobago can be traced back to the socio-cultural consequences of living in a Third World society where successive governments, eager to compete and qualify for monies and grants from international lending agencies, have sought to commodify all aspects of how the people live and survive: from the ways we raise our children, to schooling practices; how we teach civics and values; which sexual identities we should consider to be respectable and what we should enjoy and see as pleasurable. Within a capitalist economic system, commodification is the transformation of goods, services, ideas and people into commodities or objects of trade.

Max Weber in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism warned societies against blindly accepting a capitalist framework without closely examining the consequences of capitalism. He spoke about the severity of the capitalist economic framework which embodied practices that generated disenchantment as a function of economic growth and which would lock us into an iron cage of rationality without feeling; that is, does the end (excessive expenditure on facades of buildings, extensive highways, etc) justify the means, without due care to the affective needs and feelings of citizens?

How many of our people continue to move about, roboticised by duty to family and self, without pleasure, locking themselves behind closed doors (cages) at the end of the day? The pursuit of pleasure and contentment in simple things has become a luxury, rather than a necessity, increasing the fallout in physical ailments and illnesses and pushing psychological well-being over the edge into an abyss of despair and disillusion.

To add to this dilemma, there seems to be a common thread in the many written discussions in the newspapers on the state of our society thus faran impoverished understanding of the social ills and the interplay of human natures desire for peace and contentment.

This misunderstanding has robbed us of our ability to learn from the mistakes of the past, with a lack of common resolve and social and political will to put the pieces together for the good of our people, starting from the cradle.

There seems to be a lack of agency and intent to re-frame our cultural norms, rituals and traditions to current ways of being and knowing, and seek to root them in a transformational view of education as a form of personal and collective empowerment, for the individual and for the society in which we live.

Mis-education has created poverty, both tangible and intangible, that is real and alive in this country. I have often intimated that our politicians and economists should walk the ground and see for themselves, the struggle of many who do without basic necessities on a daily basis. But these blind persons choose to stay on privileged ground, high enough above the struggle where they continue to benefit from the uneven distribution of resources.

They constantly fail to link the violence and uneasiness that pervade our land to a lack of contentment and pleasure in home and family life and availability of jobs and amenities. The failure to link the absence of pleasure with the absence of social change has dire implications for any policy that is legislated and continues to commodify our people as objects, not as subjects.

There has to be an understanding of the motives and desires of a people, psychologically affected by the state of the society and driven to commit atrocities in the misguided hope of equalising the imbalance of economic resources that exist.

So that there is an urgent need for programmes of socialisation and enjoyment in our communities. We have lost the art of caring, which is an art that is cultivated and nurtured by othersno one is born with this. Who will sow the seeds of compassion and care, instead of sowing the seeds of doubt and despair by the various political parties, with their myopic and high-handed agendas?

The refusal to recognise that a happy and contented people are the stimulus for social development, and the continued dismissal of persons who advocate for morality and truth, paves the way for a self-destructive society that sacrices the peace and goodwill of its people in the interest of a political agenda dictated by economics.

Will we be forever doomed to be the mimic men of a First World that is slowly disintegrating, replicating its global social ills?

When will the people of Trinidad and Tobago accept that we can stand on our own with the multiplicity of talent that we are blessed with? We can. We must. Or else we will perish.

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The link between pleasure and social change - Trinidad & Tobago Express Newspapers

Center for Teen Empowerment Executive Director Abrigal Forrester. PHOTO: MERRILL SHEA

At just 21 years old, Abrigal Forrester was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Even though he was a first-time offender, his decade-long incarceration was due to a mandatory minimum sentence.

Forrester now leads a completely different life. Following his release, he spent 18 years in nonprofit youth development work. Today, he is the executive director of the Center for Teen Empowerment, an organization that helps low-income teenagers inspire their urban communities and advocate for change. Forrester helps these teenagers recognize their self-worth and envision crime-free communities.

The concept of teen empowerment that we use which is really having young people thinking about their values and beliefs is actually the process I personally went through, said Forrester. He was forced to confront his set of values after time in prison values that he had acquired in order to survive.

I adopted what I consider to be a street-corner value system, said Forrester. These values eventually led Forrester down a bad path, he said.

Teens in low-income, crime-ridden environments often face severe trauma. Forrester said that many kids are responding to things that arent their fault.

Youre just really rolling with your emotions, he said. The Center for Teen Empowerment helps these teenagers assess possible strategies to avoid rash decisions.

One of the keys is giving them this space, and asking them to take the time to think, said Forrester. The young people are told to take a step back and lets look at whats happening in your life, in your community, from a 40,000-foot view.

Once teenagers gain a clearer perspective, they can recognize the systemic issues that disproportionately affect their community. They can also look at policies to advocate against, said Forrester.

The main thing we do is hire youth to unpack their own personal challenges, and then identify what are the issues that are impacting the community that they live in, he said.

For instance, the teenagers take a deeper look at mental health and trauma. Its a big issue for them, said Forrester, and there are many issues that subsequently compound this trauma.

Young people at Teen Empowerment also look at criminal justice reform, said Forrester, and how the juvenile justice system is impacting youth.

Stanley Pollack started the Center for Teen Empowerment in 1992. The centers mission was to facilitate disagreements between different populations, said Forrester, as gangs ran rampant throughout the city. The center focused on youth intervention and violence reduction.

Today, the center has branches in Boston, Somerville and Rochester, New York. More than 120 young people are involved in hundreds of social initiatives, amounting to 5,000 community leaders participating in peace-building efforts.

Our concept is paying young people to work on themselves and to look at the issues that are impacting their communities, said Forrester. He later added, Theyre paid to be peer influencers which allows them to go back to the communities that they come from and organize events and activities to educate, make aware and make action positive action.

The Center for Teen Empowerment hosts various events to promote outreach. Forrester said that hes currently working on a peace conference to kick off the summer. The peace conference is a compilation of events by the Centers performing arts initiative. The performances encourage self-expression and inform the community about issues that impact youth.

Forrester, who took on the executive director role in 2019, has big plans for the centers future. What we hope to do, really, is to expand and partner with agencies that do great work (with) positive youth development, he said. That includes partnering with local communities as well as regional expansion.

One of the goals, he says, is to think about, How do we move ourselves to be a nationally-based organization?

For now, the Center for Teen Empowerment will focus on giving young people a voice. With this voice, they can implement strategies and transform their communities.

Those who are closest to the problems are the ones who understand the solutions, Forrester said.

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Local News Teen Empowerment head helps youth find their way February 6th, 2020 - BayStateBanner

Save Me From's six formulations each combat a different source of hair damage for a Tip To Root Hair Reboot.

How do you convey clean-conscious formulations, wellness, and sophistication along with a social mission of suicide prevention in a single packaging system for a prestige haircare brand that isnt overwhelming? That was the challenge for Liv Luv Lab, a company founded by beauty entrepreneur and wellness advocate April Peck, when creating the packaging for Save Me From, a line of damage-specific hair-repair products with a sober social message.

With Save Me From, Peck says Liv Luv Lab harnessed the rich biodiversity of fenugreek seeda medicinal spice used for centuries by Indian women for amazing hairto formulate the brands patent-pending Fenugen technology, a concentrated blend of bioactive compounds proven to improve hair strength, shine, hydration, and scalp nourishment. The lines six formulations each combat a different source of hair damagethese include pollution, chemical processing, age, thermal devices, sun and sweat, and product buildupfor a Tip To Root Hair Reboot.

Read more stories on new product package design from Packaging World at:Haircare for Foodies Gets Equally Appetizing Packaging

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Pecks mission in creating the product went much deeper than addressing damaged hair though. After losing my sister to suicide, I was determined to find a way to save others from suffering the same fate, she shares. I created Save Me From to advocate for suicide prevention and personal empowerment. I believe a good hair day helps us feel comfortable with ourselves. This self-love enables us to do so much more. In a more measurable way, Liv Luv Lab works to prevent suicide by donating 10% of its net income to suicide prevention programs.

A tear strip on the front of the carton requires consumers to tear away the source of hair damagein this case pollutionrevealing the source of repair inside.In March 2017, Liv Luv Lab began working with beauty branding agency MSLK to create the brand elements and design the packaging structure and graphics for the line. Says Peck, the naming, logo, and architecture for the brand were inspired by the companys commitment to suicide prevention. The brand voice, she adds, is helpful with a touch of science, illuminating the cause of hair damage with verbiage that is relatable.

For the packaging, Liv Luv Lab wanted a primary package that could provide precise dosing and hygienic access without contamination, and secondary packaging offering a disruptive unboxing experience. Visually, the package needed to communicate a consumer benefit-driven product experience and the brands clean-formulation, Ayurvedic ingredients, and larger social mission.

The outcome is a jar with airless pump and an outer carton with a metaphorical zip strip that together move from damage to repair and from dark to light.

The jar, in a 0.5- and 3.4-oz size, comprises a white inner bottle within a clear, silk-screened outer jar custom-embossed with the Liv Luv Lab logo. The jars are topped with chrome collars and caps in vibrant colors inspired by the Hindu festival of Holi, a festival of colors that represents the opportunity to come together, forgive, and enjoy the connection with others, says Liv Luv Lab. The optimistic theme of the holiday coupled with its Indian heritage connect back to both the products restorative nature and its Ayurvedic ingredients.

The secondary packaging, a paperboard carton, is designed to provide a cathartic and symbolic unboxing experience. Early on in the process, MSLK and I conceptualized a box that would need to be physically broken apart to open as a metaphor for hair breakage and our mission, says Peck. Midway on the front of the carton is a perforated tear strip decorated with lifestyle-inspired photography that depicts the source of damage addressed with each specific formulation. Opening the carton requires the consumer to tear away the source of damage, revealing the healing product within, says Peck.

The tear-strip graphics also serve a functional purpose: The dominant colors in the image coordinate with the color of the cap inside to help consumers navigate the various formulations.

With the exception of the tear strip, the carton is black with white lettering, striking a serious chord that underscores the brands commitment to suicide prevention. Explains Peck, The darkness on the outside transitioning to the lighter-colored jar on the inside represents that there is hope for a better future.

Keeping in mind the carton holds a luxury brandproducts are priced at $30 for the 0.5-oz jar and $78 for the 3.4-oz sizea number of printing techniques are used to premiumize the experience. These include soft-touch lamination, spot foil stamping, and a spot UV-gloss coating on the tear strip.

Says Peck, since Save Me From was unveiled at beauty industry event Cosmoprof NA in mid-2019, consumers are loving the damage-specific formulas, the disruptive way in which the products have been categorized, and the benefits of the airless jar for hygienic access and precise dosing.

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From Dark to Light: Hope in a Jar - Packaging World

We still need to ask ourselves are companies indeed investing in employee-focused technologies?

February11, 20205 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Our personal and professional lives have become increasingly characterized by an appreciation of and dependence on technology. This has made it a central part of daily interactions, decision making, and even a competitive advantage.

Our aging population, the rise of the millennial workforce, and automation of repetitive and physically intensive labor will in the future greatly transform most industries. To remain competitive, companies must develop fresh ways of recruiting, upskilling, and training the existing and future workforce.

Technology plays a vital role in maximizing efficiencies across industries. However, companies sometimes overlook the role that technology can play in the lives of employees. This could be in terms of engagement, retention, upskilling, empowerment and most importantly, execution. It all boils down to the most primary element that every organization aspires for, driving better efficiencies.

Technology - a Tool of Empowerment, Not a Threat; While conceptualizing digitalization strategies, organizations often focus on customer-centric improvements to products and services. However, an equal emphasis on introducing tech-based solutions that facilitate higher productivity amongst employees is crucial. In fact, while most employees see technology as a threat to their role, it can empower them to perform better. For instance, technology can enable employees to rid themselves of mundane tasks through automation, enhance speed, provide access to resources, and aid accuracy to create a more productive work environment.

Unfortunately, several employers are not able to fully leverage this opportunity. Recently in a Unisys survey that covered 12,000 employees across 12 nations. It analyzed technology used in workplaces and divided companies into two sections, technology leaders and technology laggards. Interestingly, the survey showed that 58 per cent of the employees at companies categorized as technology laggards did not have positive feelings towards their employers. These employees were apparently more likely to use downloads not supported by IT, or use various workarounds. In a lot of cases, this meant that they were, in all probability, working inefficiently and were causing security risks to their respective organizations.

Employee Efficiencies = Great Customer Experience; We have seen that empowering employees with tech-enabled tools to service the customers better automatically ensures precision in execution and better quality of service. Helping employees navigate through daily tasks more easily through faster processing of data and easier retrieval of information greatly contributes to shorter turnaround time and better efficiencies. In practical terms, that could mean a number of things. For example, there are softwares and applications that help sales executives, who are always on the go, plan their sales meetings and update it online without opening their laptops.

Chasing Perfection; Technology integration need not be complicated. These integrations can be in the form of simple tech-enabled solutions. For example, warehousing is increasingly looking at integration of wearables that will ease shipment sorting for employees, thereby enabling them to process shipments faster. Today, powerful capabilities like Artificial Intelligence (AI) can assist employees in more accurate decision making without the burden of manual assessments.

Better Connectedness Enabled; Digitalization also allows for openness and collaboration that can help employees engage better in teams and across offices in multiple geographies. This allows for a better exchange of insights resulting in more informed decisions. Investing in well-designed tools can help build a culture of knowledge sharing across all levels. Well-designed tools could include a systematic intranet, dynamic department-specific search options, seamless mobile access to tools, and constant multi-platform assistance of professional software.

Reports and analytics on trending content for various industry dynamics and stakeholder feedback help employees prioritize what they should focus on. A tool like an intranet mentioned above helps to remotely connect employees and simultaneously contribute to worldwide projects. At our company, we have an internal employee social networking mobile application that helps employees connect with each other across the company. Access to colleagues and information within the system is the key purpose of this application. So far, we have received very positive responses for this. In several cases, it has helped our people engage better across offices.

The Right Balance in the Application of Technology; While it is understandable why companies end up focusing on outward-facing systems and solutions, today more and more companies are catching up with the undeniable need to focus on easing execution for employees besides their engagement and involvement in the business. Striking the right balance between investing in technology for employees and customers requires better clarity in a companys vision through a reassessment of priorities at large. This is not a one-time exercise but a part of the very nature of business.

Today, technology allows companies to equip employees with tools that can optimize their performance. Employees constitute the lifeblood of an organization. However, we still need to ask ourselves are companies indeed investing in employee-focused technologies? As business leaders, we are often inclined to focus on leveraging technology for our customers. In our organization, we follow a very simple principle of digitalization technology has to ensure that it enables a great employee experience, an improved customer experience, and delivers operational efficiency with the right balance.

There is hidden value yet to be realized. Looking ahead into the future, and digitalization holds immense potential to revolutionize business processes across the entire value chain, creating unprecedented opportunities for operational efficiencies, new business models, and richer customer experiences. To stay ahead and actively shape this transformation, organizations need to continuously identify and leverage new trends.

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Unlocking the Potential of Digitalisation to Drive Efficiency in the Modern Workforce - Entrepreneur

Dalhousies Black Student Advising Centre (BSAC) celebrated its 30th anniversary Monday by kicking off African Heritage Month with music, food, and inspiring messages from members of the African Nova Scotian community.

Bookended by music from the Halifax-based group, The Colors of Africa, the evening also featured performances by Dalhousie students Lyris Daye and Erianna Willis-Smith, a History of BSAC video presentation by assitant professor Barb Hamilton-Hinch, and a keynote speech by NASA engineer K. Renee Horton.

Oluronke Taiwo, BSACs black student advisor, attributed the success of this years event to months of hard work and planning, as well as the collaborative efforts of many members of the BSAC community and donors.

Seeing the reaction of the students and hearing wonderful feedback by the attendees made me want to cry. The speaker was very empowering, and the performances were powerful and entertaining, says Taiwo. I am very grateful that all the work that was put into the event by so many people was worth it.

For the past 30 years, BSAC has provided educational and personal support for African Nova Scotian students from the diaspora at Dalhousie and the University of Kings College. The Centre was born out of a 1989 report entitled Breaking Barriers: Report of the Task Force on Access for Black and Native People, which served to address and redress the systemic barriers faced by Indigenous Black and Native learners in accessing academia as a result of years of intergenerational social, economic, racial, and political marginalization.

For this occasion, Taiwo wanted to highlight a person who serves as an example of success and empowerment for African Nova Scotian students, so she asked Dr. Horton, who is space launch system quality engineer at NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility, to present.

For me, it was important for Dr. Horton to talk at the 30th anniversary because the purpose of celebrating the event is to demonstrate how far we have gone in trying to break the barriers that set us apart from the white privilege, which in most cases have made many black students want to give up, says Taiwo.

Oluronke Taiwo

In addition to her work in mechanical engineering, Dr. Horton is a mother of three, the founder of the non-profit mentorship organization Unapologetically Being Inc., the president of the National Society of Black Physicists, and author of the Dr. H Explores the Universe childrens books.

However, the road to success was difficult for Dr. Horton, who faced numerous obstacles in her career that included racism, homelessness, and a hearing impairment. It was hard work, perseverance, and a steadfast belief in her abilities that helped Dr. Horton overcome these barriers to become the person she is today.

I woke up one morning and I said that I was no longer apologizing for being who I am. That I was black, I was gifted, and I was amazing, said Horton. And it was no longer my business that you had a problem with it.

The evening culminated in an impassioned presentation from Dr. Horton, who called for self-belief and empowerment that expands beyond the scope of African Heritage Month.

Your black excellence does not leave just because there are 28 or 29 days in the month, said Horton. The power that black history will bring you today will forever be with you. You too can be black history.

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A celebration of success and empowerment - Dal News - Dal News

When I first chose to get help from a counsellor, I was 37. After seeing myself repeat learnt negative patterns and behaviours as a mother and wife, I chose to go beyond the shame and taboo of sharing my inner world and my history with a stranger. My intuition told me that this decision would set me on a new path of awareness and help me find freedom. Soon after, I did.

Many years before that, at 20, I had decided to go to see a psychiatrist to ask why I experienced sudden bursts of rage. I thought I was going crazy. I left being told that I was totally ok; according to my doctor, all I needed to do was leave home and get some distance from my family to be able to nurture my mental and emotional health alone.

When the time came, I helped my daughter consider counselling or coaching to process the pain and stuck emotional energy and baggage that we store within ourselves after traumatic or painful episodes which we all might be subjected to over our lifetimes.

For my mum it had been different. She was 40 when she was recommended to see a psychologist for a long depression, but she always refused to receive help. In her 70s, a cardiologist had offered the same advice but to no avail. The intent had been to find a way to lower her blood pressure that was spiking due to recurring anxiety and panic attacks, but her response would always be, I will never speak to a stranger about my private affairs.

I have several friends who chose to do the same as my mum and Ive found theres a general resistance and reticence to opening up to a counsellor or coach, although this is slowly diminishing thanks to modern wellness and self-care trends.

Do you approach therapy easily? Do you ask an expert for help when you feel mentally or emotionally strained, the way that you would with a doctor for a physical ailment? Do you go to consult a coach when in need of motivation or find yourself losing balance, confidence or a sense of purpose? Do you consider the possibility of reaching out to a counsellor or coach for help and as a way to achieve greater self-awareness and confidence or is it shrugged off as a luxury service, something that you dont need or a taboo? I challenge you to dig deep with your answers to those questions, asking why and becoming inquisitive regarding your answers.

It has been proven that self-enquiry and personal development is liberating and empowering. Social media is overpopulated with quotes, podcasts, courses and webinars on becoming a better version of ourselves, so why do the majority of us still refuse to consider therapy, counselling or coaching as an effective solution?

There may be several reasons, none of which is more valid than the other. All of our choices, or not-choices, are in fact driven by a motive.

I thought it would be interesting and revealing to share some of the most common reasons why people choose not to approach counsellors or coaches that Ive come across:

These all seem like straightforward reasons, so why bother writing an article? Because in truth I believe these reasons only scratch the surface and dont address or reveal the full underlying truth.

Sooner or later, I believe we all need to talk to someone and truly be heard. Many resistances, including those listed above can come up for us, like money, time, energy, arrogance, ignorance, apathy. Whats difficult is admitting that these are in fact defence mechanisms cropping up that help us avoidgoing there.Seeing and speaking to someone means recognising, acknowledging and god forbid,feelingthe many hurts and scars we carry within ourselves. Facing these inner demons requires enough courage to overcome not just social judgements, but even more powerful, our personal resistances and defence mechanisms which were put in place to protect us when we most needed it but have not since been put aside.

This being said, we cannot enforce others to embark on a journey if it doesnt feel right for them. Each choice we make for ourselves is ok and when the time is right, all will become clear.

The long-term experience Ive had in this field, as a coach, counsellor, assistant and facilitator in many different settings and groups, have helped me see that all the above excuses or resistances are really just protecting us from one thing, pain.

Wounds of the past that feel distant over time. Hurts that never really healed because they were disregarded and denied. Sorrow and grief that was never processed through crying. Traumas that were never fleshed out and all the emotions that come with all of it, anger, hate, resentment, bitterness, coldness and of course fear.

I believe that the real reason why we refuse to engage with therapy or coaching, asking for external help, is because deep down we feel there is unresolved pain. Its all relative, if youve seen someone else endure more suffering than you, this does not diminish yours. Pain is the reason why our hearts close a little bit more each day without us even realising it. Nobody makes the effort to educate us because its a no-go, our society only wants pleasure.

We are not told that when we ignore and deny our pain, its layers grow and roots deepen over time until we become cold, distant, indifferent, arrogant and/or disconnected. But these are all ways we have become professionals at pretending that our pain is not there. We become stone trying to fight for the pain to stay inside, controlled, behaved. We have developed an effective armour on which we have become dependent. We dont feel its heaviness, because anything is better than feeling what its protecting us from; a necessary pain to protect us from the real deal. It is saving us from having to feel our own vulnerability and recognise the fragility and many hurts of our heart.

Going to see a therapist or coach, or going to a self-development retreat, means actually confronting what we as a society think weve been running away from, but have actually become most attached to: pain.

We go on avoiding it and in so doing, keep recreating it in our lives. Carl Jung hit the nail on the head when he said,the more we resist something, the more it persists.

Its a strange paradox because the more pain we hold onto, the safer and stronger we feel, the less need for a therapist or coach. Our ability to protect and resist gives us the false impression of confidence and empowerment, which in turn makes us believe we dont need help or guidance from anyone else, because were fine!

So here we are, building a weird and inauthentic society for our children, on the foundations of unresolved pain. A society running from pain that seems confused when more pain is generated. With every layer of pain that goes unprocessed inside, we feel less, sense less, recognised less, open up less, close our hearts more. Until as a society, we become indifferent, self-serving and narcissistic, totally blinded to whats unfolding by the belief that we are strong, and we are fine!

In truth, if we cant reach out for ourselves, we should do it for our communities, and those we love. Because when we refuse to acknowledge our pain and we escape from it, we do the same with others pain. When we remain insensitive or indifferent to our pain, we begin to act the same with others pain, including our children. It becomes a spreading contagion.

When we refuse to understand our pain and choose not to process it, how can we hope to understand and feel others pain? How can we develop empathy for others pain when we cannot even feel compassion for our own because we pretend its not there? Being empathic requires us to become emotionally intelligent and emotional intelligence requires us to find the courage to turn our gazetowardsour pain, without letting it take control of us.

Excerpts from Stellas Mum Gets Her Groove Back: a True Story (p. 156 164)

In order to identify and confront the beast, it is important to comprehend and acknowledge that there are different kinds of pain. Through my personal experience, I have learned to identify and refer to them as: existential, neurotic and transformational pain.

Existential: I believe existential pain affects us all and is unavoidable; it is part of the process of life Existential pain is the pain of giving birth, the pain of grieving for the death of a relative or a close friend.. the pain of growing older. Existential pain is a fact of life.

Neurotic Pain: We cant avoid existential pain; it is a part of life. Neurotic pain is a different story. It is something that we create and re-enact ourselves, driven by our conscious and unconscious addictive behaviours, beliefs, compulsive assumptions and emotional reactions. Lets think about the nature of our pain for a moment. Is it a pattern in our lives? Is it causing the same old feeling of discomfort over and over again? If it is a pain we feel constantly and we have learned how to live with it, then it is certainly what we can define as neurotic pain. It is not the pain thats part of life: it is an optional suffering that we compulsively perpetuate.

Transformational Pain: The pain that comes with making changes, developing and transforming emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. Unlike existential pain, which is inevitable, transformational pain is a choice. I identify it with the physical pain we may feel when we exercise. We choose to endure the painful demands of working out in order to reach new levels of fitness and well-being.

Pain is part of the condition of being human and is a tool through which we can grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. When we avoid our suffering instead of dealing with it, we risk it being truly damaging or worthless. However, when we face it with courage and look behind the mask of the beast, our pain, recognising the truth that lies there, we can find the inner drive to create something positive out of something negative. With passion, focus, discipline and commitment, we can eventually transform and empower ourselves from the inside, out.

I asked a few clients and friends why they think people avoid seeing a counsellor and would love to share their answers with you:

A.2. Denial. I convinced myself that whilst I wasnt perfect it was OK to carry on behaving a certain way as others I knew were worse than me. Only when I hit rock bottom did I realise I needed to take action, even though I had no idea what that looked like at the time!Tommy B. Enterpreneur UK

So, what can we do to change this destructive trend within ourselves and our society?

Its no more complicated than simply educating ourselves. Learning and understanding. Becoming responsible and searching for our awakening. Walking our talk and putting our new understanding into practice. Spreading the message of the deep necessity for self-awareness by showing others the results we have had in our lives by looking within.

header image by Nikko Macaspac

My book Stellas Mum Gets Her Groove Back is now available on Amazon Kindle.

Click here to get a copy.

The following blog posts go into more detail on some of the topics and themes touched on above:How to Overcome Your Fear of RejectionWhat Is A Confidence Coach & Do I Need One?The Connection Between Unconditional Love & Self-ConfidenceHow a Vision Board Can Boost Your Confidence in 2019

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Why We Avoid Going to Counselors and Coaches - Thrive Global

A college degree doesnt guarantee a secure future. Susmita Bardhan, who hails from South 24 Parganas, a small district in West Bengal, faced this brutal realisation after completing her masters course. A student of political science, Susmita was the sole care giver for her mother, who had been suffering from arthritis, and was unable to take up a job after college.

They say, when reality hits, it hits hard.

Susmita Bardhan at Mission Rise Women Entrepreneurship Summit.

The truth is that an astonishing number of women in India, who are unemployed or not financially independent due to one or the other circumstances, have to face the same reality as Susmitas.

Despite meeting the required qualification standards, a combination of social and cultural factors has crippled the ability of women in Tier II and beyond to contribute to the growing workforce in India. But what if the tables could be turned, and instead of women having to reach out, the opportunities could literally walk home, by way of the internet and smartphone penetration.

Over the last few years, the Jio effect has brought hundreds of thousands of Indians especially women online. With WhatsApp becoming their initiation into the digital world and other social media platforms acting as their means to both personal and business exchanges, there has been an unmistakable rise of social commerce.

Meesho, the Facebook-backed social commerce enabler, says it has empowered more than 2,000,000 Indians to become entrepreneurs with zero capital over the years. Of these, 70 percent are women entrepreneurs. These are homemakers and mothers who dropped out of the workforce after childbirth and students who wanted to start a business but were held back by lack of capital.

Vidit Aatrey, Founder and CEO of Meesho

Bengaluru-based Meesho which literally means Meri Shop (my shop) provides potential entrepreneurs with a virtual shop. The social commerce platform has created an alternate distribution channel by helping housewives, young mothers, aspiring entrepreneurs, students, and teachers to launch, build, and promote their online business.

In the process, it creates a platform where this breed of first-generation entrepreneurs can share and connect while contributing towards the end goal: empowerment of the community at large.

And the other reason, which a lot of people dont talk about, is that these women get a professional identity, he adds.

In Susmita Bardhans case, Meesho came to rescue by providing her with a backup plan suitable for her financial situation.

With her earnings from the social commerce platform, the West Bengal native has managed to pay 80 percent of the down payment for her dream home. She is paying the remaining instalments with her monthly profits.

This is just one such instance. Meesho has been integral to the success of many more entrepreneurial journeys, some of which were recognised and honoured at the recently held Meesho Mission Rise Women Entrepreneurship Summit.

Organised in Bengaluru, Meeshos home city and also the 24th stop of the event, the multi-city roadshow saw the participation of more than 250 first-time women entrepreneurs, who came together to share their inspiring journey on the social-selling platform.

In attendance were Meeshos Founder and CEO Vidit Aatrey and CTO Sanjeev Barnwal, along with 100 other team members.

Going forward, the plan is to take this roadshow to many more cities, and connect with as many inspiring entrepreneurial minds as possible. Meesho wants to grow its community of women entrepreneurs and social commerce leaders beyond metros and Tier I cities.

(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)

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Financial independence and an identity of their own: How Meesho is empowering women in Tier II and beyond - YourStory

In a brightly lit office at a coworking space in downtown Denver, female empowerment is on display. Barbara Brooks reads a poster above one of the desks.

"We have 'hashtag ageless' on the wall."

Guadalupe Hirt calls out the next one.

"Hashtag second act."

Brooks and Hirt are friends and business partners but the two couldn't be more different. Brooks, 53, is black and tall with a big personality. Hirt, 46, is Latina, short and more reserved.

"We laugh because she's like the big thinker," Hirt said. "She's like the constant change agent and I'm like the more grounded girl."

They do have one big thing in common. After owning a business, they decided to go back to corporate jobs in their 40s, but nobody hired them.

KUNC's Stephanie Daniel interviews the founder and co-founder of SecondAct|Women.

"I started discovering that I wasn't getting second, third and/or even making it to an interview after several resumes," said Brooks.

In 2018 Brooks, founder, and Hirt, co-founder, started SecondAct|Women. The company's mission is to change the narrative for women over 40 and 50.

"Our organization is really founded to say, 'No, we're barely getting started and we're here and we're a force and we're fierce,'" Hirt said. "We're showing up in both from a business and a personal life to really help our women boldly step into their second act."

Nearly two out of three workers over 45 have seen or experienced age discrimination at work, according to a 2017 national survey conducted by AARP. Older women, African Americans, Hispanics and those who are unemployed were more likely to feel discriminated against.

"I believe that it may be because in many instances you can get a younger worker with perhaps less experience for a lower salary. So, sometimes it comes down to economic or budget reasons," said Bea Bourne, a marketing professor at Purdue University Global and an intergenerational expert. "I also believe that there are perceptions that older workers are resistant to change."

From the traditionalists to Generation Z, an unprecedented five generations are all competing for jobs in today's workforce. All these generations have different worldviews, approaches to work and values, according to Bourne, as well as distinct communication styles and varying levels of organizational engagement.

But regardless of age, employees need to keep up with the times.

"We need to continue to stay abreast of current events, what's going in the industry," Bourne said. "Keeping up with the latest technology."

Second Act|Women provides professional and life tools through a variety of programs including an online marketplace, workshop series and Facebook group.

One of the company's first initiatives was launching Biz Life Con, a business and lifestyle conference, which Hirt said was the nation's first. The conference offered pop-up salons, interactive experiences and a variety of workshops from creating a business plan to a making a career change.

"Really kind of (a) great lineup for women to come in and connect with other women and learn elevated information," Hirt said.

Angela Wilson, 47, was laid off in 2012. Rather than job hunting, she chose to stay home to care for her young son who uses a wheelchair. Five years later, Wilson was ready to re-enter the workforce, but couldn't find a job.

"Everything I was going after at the level of my education, my experience and my background would put me here," she said. "But that gap, I got dinged for it."

Wilson ended up going to Colorado State University instead to pursue an MBA degree. She graduated and is now creating a travel company for people with mobility challenges. This new chapter led her to Second Act|Women. Wilson attending the company's panel discussion on women starting up after 40 at Denver Startup Week last fall.

The company's core demographic is entrepreneurs.

"It showed that there was a path there that I didn't have to have everything figured out before I moved forward and it actually helped me with my risk averseness," Wilson said. "I just knew if I didn't do it now, it was something I would regret."

The company works with women over 40, but Brooks and Hirt are also empowering themselves. They are entrepreneurs and in one of their previous ventures founded a marketing and public relations consulting firm.

With Second Act|Women, Brooks and Hirt are business partners again. This is their second act.

"It's just beautiful to know that we can help women hopefully find their next thing, hopefully get hired, Brooks said. "Hopefully dispel this ageism thing that we're going through."

Link:

Denver-Based Company Helps Women Over 40 'Boldly Step Into Their Second Act' - KUNC