HomeHomeMarch 2004
"Never, never, never give up"
--Winston Churchill
In a recent excavation through some treasured items, I came across a relic from childhood. It is a small, gold-colored bracelet, with four charms---a lucky 7, a horseshoe, a wishbone, and a four-leaf clover. The worth of this piece of jewelry is only in its sentimental value.
I earned the bracelet through the hard "work" and persistence of eating a certain amount of "magically delicious" cereal, and sending the required number of boxtops to the cereal company. Such was the effort to get the reward. As a child, I had a habit of sending off boxtops or coupons for little gifts such as this. Whether or not the bracelet brought me luck, I do not remember. What stays with me is the memory of the joy I felt when the bracelet arrived in the mail. I loved the cereal, the leprechaun on the package, and, given that I was an optimistic child anyway, probably thought the bracelet would bring additional good luck.
Have you ever thought about the role of luck in your own life? How many of us were born under "lucky stars" where everything we do seems to happen effortlessly and good experiences come our way. And, how many of us have experienced stressful life events--job loss, loss of a beloved, our homes or something equally painful and difficult? What about the secret dreams within us that remain seemingly unattainable? How much of what we experience in our lives is within our control?
Dr. Richard Wiseman, author of The Luck Factor (2003, Hyperion, New York, New York) believes that luck can be learned. In his book, he takes a scientific look at persons who consider themselves lucky and those who consider themselves hopelessly unlucky. Not surprisingly, he found that the "lucky" subjects he studied had a positive overall outlook combined with the quality of endless persistence, even in the face of difficulties. The "lucky" ones took control of their lives in a proactive fashion, and didn’t let failures deter them.
Among the luck-building strategies Dr. Wiseman recommends is this exercise about "creating a phoenix from the ashes:"
"Many people who have faced terrible life events say that, in the long run, the event helped them reevaluate their lives and realize the importance of the things that really mattered to them, such as their family and friends. When bad things happen, spend a few moments thinking about the good luck that might flow from your ill fortune. Have fun being creative and coming up with ways in which your bad luck is a necessary stepping-stone to amazing good fortune. Let’s imagine that you have just been for a job interview and it has been a total disaster. The fact that you are still in the job market means that you will now be motivated to apply for other jobs, and you might find an even better position than the one you were just interviewed for. Or perhaps you will go to a party, be offered a great life-changing opportunity, and now be in a position to take advantage of it.
Now ask yourself two questions--what evidence is there to suggest that these positive events won’t actually happen? And what evidence is there to say that something even more positive won’t come out of your ill fortune? The answer to both questions is "none." You have no idea what the future actually holds for you. All that is certain is that things will almost certainly be better if you don’t let your bad luck get you down."
Usually it is only in hindsight that we can see how we made it through the twists and turns of our own lives, and how the difficulties we faced helped to forge strength of character as well as a more compassionate heart. Although we may take our lucky talismans with us on our journeys, oftentimes, it is our own perseverance that can get us through the tough times.
And that is one reason why I hang on to that sweet little charm bracelet, a souvenir of childhood. It’s a reminder of the happy-go-lucky child I used to be, and of a time when I just knew--and had an unshakable faith--that no matter what happened, everything would turn out for the best in the long run.
Teresa
tcallies@hotmail.comNews from WITNE Friends:
Lorraine Rovig, Jobline Contact at the National Federation of the Blind, whom we listed in our last WITNE column, had a couple of updates:
America's Jobline(r) is now NOT available in every state plus Puerto
Rico. Here is the link to the states in which persons presently can dial the Jobline number
and, without a computer, tap into the database on the Web called America's
Job Bank: http://www.nfb.org/jobline/spons_states.htm
Ms. Rovig also had some exciting news about the National Federation for the Blind’s upcoming convention in Atlanta, June 29th-July 5th. The NFB is hosting the largest convention of blind Americans in the US. It’s a real "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" get-together.
Ms. Rovig can be reached at 410-659-9314.
Michele Leber, Chair of the National Committee on Pay Equity (1925 K St. NW, Suite 402, Washington, D.C. 20006-1119), reports that their new, improved web site has recently gone live. They offer information on Equal Pay Day, Tuesday, April 20th, 2004. The goal of Equal Pay Day is to "raise awareness about unfair pay for women and people of color in America." NCPE observes Equal Pay in April "to indicate how far into each year a woman must work to earn as much as a man earned in the previous year." NCPE also offers numerous fact sheets and publications.
Mind on the Media is coordinating the "Turn Beauty Inside Out" Campaign, an ongoing public education effort started by New Moon magazine. TBIO is "a collaborative effort to foster participation, discussion and awareness of women and girls images in the media."
This year, their focus is media portrayal of women and girls as political leaders. The 2004 TBIO Campaign will "empower girls to be aware of all of the options open to them and to understand that their voice matters. Working with a non-partisan national coalition of women’s and girls’ organizations, the 2004 TBIO Campaign will allow young women to see that they are vitally important to our nation's future. It will encourage them to consider careers in politics to have an impact on our nation's future."
News, Resources, and Other Interesting Tidbits...
In the March 22nd issue of Time magazine, Claudia Wallis writes about "The Case for Staying Home" and reports on women who are choosing to drop out of the workplace in order to work at home, raising their children. Additional viewpoints are contributed by Amelia Warren Tyagi, co-author of The Two-Income Trap: Why Middle-Class Mothers and Fathers are Going Broke, who discusses why women have to work, and Michael Elliot, who also chimes in on this important work-life balance debate.
The cover of the April edition of Fast Company magazine shows us the faces of people who have lost their jobs to offshoring. Writer Jennifer Reingold, with Jena McGregor, Fiona Haley, Michael Prospero, and Carleen Hawn attack a most difficult subject in this interesting article. Unforgettable are the stories and photographs of the people caught up in this complex issue.
In Case You Missed It......
On February 27th, 2004, the Sydney Morning Herald reprinted an article from the New York Times about Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of Presidential candidate John Kerry. The report states "...politically she may be an asset and a liability for his ambitions. While she is known as a highly intelligent and devoted spouse who looks after her husband, Heinz Kerry has a reputation as being offbeat if not a little odd, and even some Democratic strategists say that could complicate their efforts to make the Kerrys appealing to voters."
Apparently, Ms. Heinz Kerry has opinions of her own on controversial topics such as holistic medicine. She is also allegedly spontaneous, and "dispenses unsolicited romantic advice to campaign workers and reporters."
Holding candidates' wives under a microscope is nothing new. Earlier this year, the intense speculation about the role of the Perfect Candidate’s Wife began with the scrutiny of Judith Steinberg Dean. Why was she not following her husband around on the campaign trail? What?! She was WORKING! How dare she!
Is the role of First Lady a mirror for our own confusion about the roles of women today? In 2004, why must a woman need to justify a decision to be a stay-at-home mom or to have a career or to try to do both? Why is it so threatening for a woman to have an opinion apart from that of her significant other?
Just in the nick of time, Ellen Hawkes speculates about "What IS a First Lady" in the Spring 2004 issue of Ms. magazine. It’s a most interesting read.
This-n-That...
Martha Stewart--now there’s a woman who draws the lightning! Although the trial is over, and the jury has made its decision, must we be subjected to unending media scrutiny about her future? If she were a man, would the media take such delight in her downfall? If a male CEO were on trial for and convicted of a similar crime, would there be such intense speculation about the type of suit he wears, his grooming, his choice of (and the cost of) his briefcase, etc? This story is no longer about the story; it’s about the way we choose to CONSUME the story that is so profoundly disturbing. Enough is enough. Let it be.
Speaking of Consumption...
Another story in the news these days is the rising cost of fuel. This is a serious matter affecting many aspects of our economy, beyond the obvious---transportation. However, what is lacking in the story is this: why aren’t we reducing our consumption of this resource? Why is there no public discussion about conservation of our resources? We are "consuming" the Martha story, and also ignoring another important issue with far-reaching consequences.
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