"There is no passion to be found playing small -in settling for a life that is less than you are capable of living."
Nelson Mandela "It always seems impossible until it is done." Nelson Mandela "Life isn't measured by the number of breaths we take but the moments that take our breath away." Anonymous "Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. Let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world better than when you found it.” Wilfred Peterson "Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others, cannot keep it from themselves." James Barrie "Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve." Martin Luther King "Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile." Albert Einstein "No fine work can be done without concentration and self-sacrifice and toil and doubt." Max Beerbohm "If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of the potential. For the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible!" Soren Kierkegaard "If you are called to be a street sweeper, you should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry." Martin Luther King "The miracle, or the power, that elevates the few is to be found in their industry, application, and perseverance under the prompting of a brave, determined spirit." Mark Twain "The world cares very little about what a man or woman knows, it is what a man or woman is able to do that counts." Booker T Washington "It's never too late to be who you might have been." George Elliot "Twenty years from now you'll be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do." Mark Twain "Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation." Robert F. Kennedy "There is nothing in life so difficult that it cannot be overcome. This faith can move mountains. It can change people. It can change the world." Norman Vincent Peale
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Author Bev Gilliard is a certified QPR Suicide Prevention Instructor.
What is QPR? QPR Gatekeeper training (the acronym stands for Question, Persuade, Refer) is one of several suicide prevention training programs developed by the QPR Institute. There is a good summary of the program on their website. The course covers:
Who is it for? A Gatekeeper is someone in a position to recognize a crisis and the warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide. According to the website, Gatekeepers include parents, friends, neighbors, teachers, ministers, doctors, nurses, office supervisors ... pretty much any of us, in fact. Our mission is to save lives and reduce suicidal behaviors by providing innovative, practical and proven suicide prevention training. We believe that quality education empowers all people, regardless of their background, to make a positive difference in the life of someone they know. What is it like? This is a self-paced online course which will take around an hour to complete (you can stop the course and come back to it later). There is a multi-choice test at the end (pass mark 80%). You can review the course modules and retake the exam as many times as necessary. There is a printable certificate on successful completion, downloadable resources and a free downloadable book, Suicide: The Forever Decision by Paul G. Quinnett (this book also can be downloaded for free from the QPR store page). Having taken the two day Suicide Prevention Instructor Training, I found QPR a valuable refresher and it would be a useful introduction to the subject. QPR focuses on recognizing that someone may be experiencing suicidal thoughts, and engaging positively with them. QPR place significant emphasis on confirming whether, in fact, the person is thinking of taking their life, if necessary by asking the question plainly. QPR is clear that it teaches how to recognize and confirm the presence of suicidal thinking, but not how to assess the severity of that risk. Once suicidal thinking has been confirmed (the Question part) the emphasis is on persuading the person to seek help, and referring them on for professional support. It is hard to put a price on information that could potentially save lives, but I do feel the cost of the course on the QPR website ($29.95) is high for a short online course and could dissuade people from taking it (but note that some organisations offer the QPR Gatekeeper course for free. Related programs The Institute offers a range of specialized courses including:
Bev's Next Free Training will be held at Ellenwood Public Library, Ellenwood, Georgia on July 18, 2019 from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Useful links
Don't Wait to promote your speaker. You have strategized your event or meeting theme and selected the perfect speaker. for your occasion. By doing this early, you get the maximum opportunity to promote your event. Sometimes we hear clients say, “I wish we’d done this sooner so I could promote the event more.” For our corporate clients, there is value added for their internal teams when the decision can be made early because it allows more time to align the message. TTherefore book early!
Start the New Year off ahead of the game! The new year always seem to catch everybody swamped and trying to get ahead of the game. However, with proper planning you can have an awesome start to your new year! If you want to have your speaker selection complete when you return from the holidays, you need to begin the process early. I love the thrill of the last minute hunt, but as I said before, first choices speakers do get booked early, sometimes a year in advance. Plan ahead! I encourage you to get your speakers booked before Thanksgiving for the upcoming year. The process goes into slow motion over the holidays. Let’s get everything inked so we can all enjoy the holidays. Don’t let the speaker selection become a “derailing” part of your planning. What do I mean? Scrambling at the end for a speaker takes away valuable time from other work you need to be doing. This is when having a trusted bureau partner is so important. I see it as my job to “push” you to ensure the speaker decision is made early enough to allow you to invest your last weeks leading up to an event on your internal speeches, the details and ensuring your team is ready. Also, you don't want to call to book and hear, "Sorry, that date is gone." There are so many benefits to getting the speaker decision made early because we know it is only one part of the overall success of your meeting. Additionally, you want to give your speaker enough time to adequately prepare to address your audience. Also, you will need to be focusing on: What are you doing for fun i.e. entertainment? Who is going to emcee the event? We can help with those items as well. The important point to remember about this blog… let’s get it started now!! Bev Gilliard welcomes your feedback and discussion on our blog! Thank you. Motivational speaker Bev Gilliard once said, “You are the average of the people you spend the most time with, it is okay to tell some people they cannot go with you on your journey and then change your number.” You will find that these words will definitely ring true as you move closer towards your success.
Therefore, if you want to be successful, spend more time with like minded people who you feel are successful or striving for the success you desire for yourself. Preferably, join a community where you can learn and grow professionally. A community of people who have already achieved what you dream to accomplish, and not those who are sitting around complaining but doing nothing to move forward. Your vision should be propelled — not hindered — by people around you that are weighing you down with negativity, "you can't or I can't" attitude, or just gossiping and being an energy drainer. Also, don’t let others’ comments get in the way of what you want to accomplish. There will always be nay Sayers comparing themselves to you, hindering your drive for success and growth, or pointing out all the mountains you have to climb to get to the top but not offering you any solutions how to make the climb. Get rid of them, and instead of spending your time with people and things that hold you back, fire them and don’t look back. Up-level your network by seeking out mentors, coaches, and peers who support your vision and goals. Be cognizant of how you spend your time.
It is important to be mindful how you spend each day. When you think of budgeting, money isn’t the only resource that should come to mind. In personal finance, time is every bit as important as money, but only you can place an accurate value on it. The financial equivalent of an hour of your time is determined by how wisely you spend it – the more you plan your time and allocate it to productive activities, the more it’s worth. So if you’re looking to squeeze more value out of each hour in your day, try some of these tips to keep you aware of the way you spend your time – and help you spend your time wisely. Think of your days in terms of minutes. There are 1,440 minutes in a day — one-third of which you spend sleeping. After that, you’re left with about 960 minutes. If you commute to work for an hour each way, then you lose another 120 minutes. Take away the time spent on an 8-hour work shift, and you’re left with only about 360 minutes. Oh, and don’t forget mealtimes. Now you’re left with only 180 minutes of free time per day. That translates to just 3 hours. So, how are you spending those precious hours? Budget Your Time Wisely Based on your daily goals and needs, block out your day and allocate time to each goal or need on your lists. Don’t think too hard about it; just use an online calendar or planner and write down your goals and needs next to the appropriate time markers. The process should be short and satisfying, providing you with a way to hold yourself accountable for your time while helping you manage it in an efficient and effective way. Once you’ve developed your time budget, or schedule, stick to it as much as possible. If you’re employed by someone else, your efficiency could be recognized for a promotion; if you’re self-employed, you’ll literally give yourself more time in which to make money. Either way, you can’t lose. Also, Your mindset will shift once you realize the instrumental value of your own time. Do not spend endless hours watching television or on social media, as doing so was a real drain your time. Simple changes like leveraging technology to automate tasks and using a productivity planner will completely transformed the way you handle your daily obligations. Stop Procrastinating Try to stay focused on what you need to do. Procrastination is a dangerous waste of time and, subsequently, money. Don’t leave your email open all day – just check it every hour or two and respond to messages right away. You should also avoid checking social networking sites, reading the news online, and anything else that causes a chain reaction of unproductive clicking. Don’t Lose Sight of Your Own Needs It’s impossible to be 100% efficient, so give yourself a break every once in a while. You’re a person with individual needs, and no one knows what those needs are better than you do. Make a list of what you need on a daily basis, such as a lunch break, a few shorter breaks throughout the day, a cup of tea, a little music, or a few minutes to chat with coworkers or friends. Now, go through the same process of prioritizing them and deciding what you need to do throughout the day to keep you functioning at a high yet comfortable level. Before going to bed, always plan out the next day in writing. You can even plan for the next few months. If you don’t leverage your time, growing and scaling a business will be an impossible feat. If you don’t give it all away, you’ll find that you actually do have enough time in the day. Suicide.org offers these Suicide Warning Signs:
It should be noted that some people who die by suicide do not show any suicide warning signs. But about 75 percent of those who die by suicide do exhibit some suicide warning signs, so we need to be aware of what the suicide warning signs are and try to spot them in people. If we do see someone exhibiting suicide warning signs, we need to do everything that we can to help them. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. It accounts for the loss of more than 38,000 American lives each year, more than DOUBLE the number of lives lost to homicide. We cannot keep quiet on this issue; Our community has felt the impact and we need to be aware of prevention and how to deal with the losses we have been forced to suffer. We must bring light into the corners of this heartbreaking fact.
Those that are left behind do not always get the help they need due to the stigma that they feel still surrounds suicide. Many blame themselves. The Mayo Clinic offers this information to those left to deal with the incredible loss: Brace for powerful emotions A loved one’s suicide can trigger intense emotions. For example:
You might continue to experience intense reactions during the weeks and months after your loved one’s suicide — including nightmares, flashbacks, difficulty concentrating, social withdrawal and loss of interest in usual activities — especially if you witnessed or discovered the suicide. For more information on suicide or for training, please visit: National Violence Prevention at www.1nvp.org The aftermath of a loved one’s suicide can be physically and emotionally exhausting. As you work through your grief, be careful to protect your own well-being.
![]() Many times we find our self so broken after a tragic event. It becomes difficult for us to cope, or to find ourselves out the hopelessness of our situation. These are times when we must learn to refocus. Meaning, change the way we are looking at the things that are affecting our lives and take an inventory of what needs to stay, and what needs to go. Even more important, we have to give ourselves some permissions:
Domestic violence doesn’t look the same in every relationship because every relationship is different. But one thing most abusive relationships have in common is that the abusive partner does many different kinds of things to have more power and control over their partner. Some of the signs of an abusive relationship include a partner who:
You may be experiencing physical abuse if your partner has done or repeatedly does any of the following tactics of abuse:
You may be in an emotionally/verbally abusive relationship if you partner exerts control through:
Sexually abusive methods of retaining power and control include an abusive partner:
Sexual coercion lies on the ‘continuum’ of sexually aggressive behavior. It can vary from being egged on and persuaded, to being forced to have contact. It can be verbal and emotional, in the form of statements that make you feel pressure, guilt, or shame. You can also be made to feel forced through more subtle actions. For example, an abusive partner:
Reproductive coercion is a form of power and control where one partner strips the other of the ability to control their own reproductive system. It is sometimes difficult to identify this coercion because other forms of abuse are often occurring simultaneously. Reproductive coercion can be exerted in many ways:
Economic or financial abuse is when an abusive partner extends their power and control into the area of finances. This abuse can take different forms, including an abusive partner:
Digital abuse is the use of technologies such as texting and social networking to bully, harass, stalk or intimidate a partner. Often this behavior is a form of verbal or emotional abuse perpetrated online. You may be experiencing digital abuse if your partner:
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AuthorGreat conversation with me on the new "Battered, Beaten, Bruised but not Broken" book, launching by September 1, 2018 ArchivesAll
Seeing The Hope In Hopelessness Being Time Wise Grief and Your Health Depression Evaluate Your Influences Suicide Prevention Suicide Warning Signs Warning Signs Of Domestic Violence Book Your Speakers Early Healthy Coping Strategies Keynote Archives
August 2019
Bev’s Twitter FeedTweets @bevgilliard
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