A Few of My Favorite Things… From 2012
One of my favorite things about this time of year is reading all of my favorite bloggers share their ‘favorites’ from the past year. Whether it be written work or material goods – a nice round-up always causes me to reflect and think of what I truly enjoyed from the past year.
Today I wanted to share my favorite resources of 2012 that will help you to feel nourished in mind, body, and spirit.
Enjoy – and feel free to share yours below!
I am not a vegetarian, or vegan – but I often cook like one. I love love love Crazy Sexy Kitchen by Kris Carr.
You can read up on it here.
One book I go back to again and again for inspiration is The Fire Starter Sessions by Danielle LaPorte.
She has a very unique style of writing – almost like prose – that motivates me. She is actually helping me write my book too. You will love it.
This will probably be on my list every year. Or perhaps I will teeter back & forth between this and The Power of Now.
Most relevant, eye-opening books I have ever read.
(Not to be confused with Fierce Grace, the Ram Dass documentary)
I watched Fierce Light on Netflix a long while back. It is about something I often ponder – that intersection between Spirituality and Activism.
Do you receive Gabrielle Bernstein‘s weekly newsletter? She is well-known for her Vlogging, which is always very relevant and features some timely lessons. I recommend signing up. (photo source via Gabby’s newsletter)
I have been following Tara Sophia Mohr‘s work for some time. She was even one of the lovely women I interviewed for the Women Who Inspire series in January.
She is still continuing on doling out the inspiration, helping women to face their fears and Play Big. She is amazing.
Organization Spotlight ~ Every Mother Counts
It is estimated that every 90 seconds a woman dies giving birth taking away her chance to be there for every milestone and treasured moment in her child’s life. (source)
Both Heidi and I experienced “Major” complications during our deliveries, and we agree that although we were terrified the very moment things went wrong, we felt equally at ease being surrounded by nurses and doctors who were providing quality medial care that we were lucky enough to have access to. As a result of these experiences, we were compelled to put the Organization Spotlight on Every Mother Counts, founded by former Supermodel and advocate Christy Turlington Burns.
Christy’s birth complications from her first pregnancy inspired her, when pregnant for a second time, to visit a remote village where mothers had to walk miles to obtain clean water – their only opportunity to receive prenatal and postnatal care. These two experiences were instrumental in her decision to learn about maternal health.
Through her documentary No Woman No Cry, Christy was able to bring to the forefront an epidemic impacting hundreds of thousands of women each year by sharing the stories of at risk pregnant women in several regions, including the United States. In the film she shes light on the fact that this epidemic is not limited to third world countries. Her work continues through advocacy and education by herself and the countless individuals and organizations inspired by her cause.
Various issues including extreme poverty, lack of quality healthcare, complications following childbirth, challenges within the healthcare system, and policies related to healthcare and a lack in family planning and reproductive health services all contribute to this astounding rate of maternal deaths. More astounding is the fact that 90% of these deaths are preventable.
As a mother it’s difficult to fathom not being there to help my child navigate a world so different than the world she knew when she was growing in my womb. To think of all of the mothers who do not have this opportunity is heart-breaking.
Christy shares the one commonality between all mothers; that experience is “birth”. By using it as a catalyst to bring people together she seeks to facilitate a “health moment” to ensure that mothers throughout the world survive the childbirth experience.
There are several ways we can help ensure that more mothers have the opportunity to not only give birth to their children but also raise them. To find out more visit Every Mother Counts – Take Action.
‘ReGENERATION’ ~ A New Documentary Focused On Generations X & Y
ReGENERATION Trailer from Phillip Montgomery on Vimeo.
Had to share this trailer for a new documentary focusing on the issues of Generations X & Y called ReGENERATION, directed by Phillip Montgomery.
The Ryan Gosling-narrated film takes an in-depth look at three different groups. “An inspired collective of musicians working outside the corporate system,” “a twenty-something conservative family about to welcome the birth of their second child, and a group of five high-school students from the suburbs looking for their place in society.”
The trailer looks fantastic and appears as though it truly addresses the various issues members of these generations face today.
It doesn’t appear to have a release date yet, though it recently screened at TIFF. I look forward to its release and will post more when I learn dates.
Visit ReGENERATION‘s Facebook page, and website to learn more.
Conscious Doc Review ~ Academy Award-Winning Documentary Inside Job
I admit, I was a bit hesitant to watch this documentary. I felt as though I would be lost and maybe not able to understand exactly what was happening because I did not understand some of the basics of the financial industry.
I put these fears aside, after hearing rave reviews, and sat down for a viewing of the Matt Damon-narrated, Charles H. Ferguson directed documentary, Inside Job on Netflix. I went into the experience prepared to stop often and have my Financial Advisor/Finance Industry Junkie husband explain concepts further to me. And for the first half of the film, I often did stop.
Though the ideas were explained in a comprehensive way, I found that the film presumed that viewers already had a good understanding of exactly how the companies worked and what their functions were within America.
As a Canadian, and someone who never really took interest in the past, I did not have this foundation. I wasn’t even 100% sure what set an Investment Bank apart from other financial institutions. Once I caught up on of this information, it all came together, and the film did an amazing job of breaking down the issues with the system.
It was shocking, and eye-opening to say the least, especially for someone such as myself who did not know how the system worked at all and the big mess that it had become over the years.
It had all of the features of a top notch documentary – appealing visuals, a comprehensive breakdown of the past events and present complications, and a stirring of emotions that only a well presented doc can cause. It provides names and salaries of the most corrupt of all, the Investment Bank CEO’s, and even university professors that are mixed in on the board of directors for many of these companies.
I really think this is an important film to watch, as it presents a better idea of why exactly the world is in the financial crisis we are in today. Not only that, but the bottom line is that the same people that were responsible for preventing issues, who turned out to have conflict of interest in many cases, STILL hold prominent positions within the US Government.
The film makes it clear that things need to change within the system, and I assume the goal of this film is to ignite a fire within people in hopes that they will attempt to initiate this change.
There is no better tool we can have than being completely educated about a situation. This way we can all make conscious choices and think of the big picture.
As Matt Damon concludes in the film, “It won’t be easy, but some things are worth fighting for.”
