Dear all,
It's been a very productive month at WSTS central. Much of it is behind the scenes - for now - but has involved a lot of research, planning, and preparation for an initiative to be started later in the year. While I cannot say much about it now, it's something that I am passionate about and looking forward to working hard on. There will be others working with me who I trust as talented individuals and professionals alike. More answers will come about soon.
We've ended April and I hope that everyone has found some new purpose or goals in their new year. Back-sliding or challenges aside, I hope you are starting to feel the fruits of the labours you might have put forward so far this year. In numerological terms, this is a new year - a new beginning for many. Has it been yours? It's possible you're going through some rough times, and while it might not seem helpful at the moment, something will suddenly shift and that positive change you were looking for will suddenly be there. You don't have to be a certain religion, belong to a particular belief system, or subscribe to a specific social slot to believe that change is inevitable in life, and at some point, it's going to be in your favour if you've put some effort into the outcome in a genuine, inspired manner.
I wanted to look at one of the facets of success, that being challenging irrational or damaging beliefs. Often it's how we feel about ourselves that can determine our path. The adage of we get what we deserve is true, and sometimes we are the ones that limit what we are paid.
Stinkin' Thinkin'
An article about how to challenge our self-beliefs, check them for reality and how to call ourselves up on unhelpful or unfair definitions of ourselves. Possibly even others. We are not under any orders to be perfect, but it's hurtful to live by rules that are only there to protect us from moving forward. Even if they seemed true when formed, or even now, have you tested them for their pure validity? Could you be holding onto thoughts that support the tides working against you?
Article here.
This month's articles include:
Picking on Yourself: All About Trichotillomania
Trichotillomania is said to be an affective anxiety disorder, catagorised by obsessive picking of one's body, including scab picking, pulling out hair or incessant nail-biting. While considered minor symptoms, long-term it can cause serious health problems and a life-time of discomfort, both physically and socially.
Jem and the Rebooted Holograms
Last year, there was a revamp of the 80s cartoon, Jem and the Holograms, featuring a movie that re-captured the story of Jem and her band. While the movie was pulled out of cinemas after two weeks because it did not meet the high expectation of ticket sales, it doesn't delete the sometimes-energetic, sometimes-creative work starring Juliette Lewis. We look at the history of the Jem phenomenon and how the movie stacks up with audiences.
Sand of Thine
Sandpainting was bought into the world modern scene over the past few years via talent shows and street art, but where did it originate? The old-world art has hit the streets in many modern forms including online expression. See where it could lead you today. Applications enclosed!
As usual, I hope everyone enjoys the fruits of my recent labours and finds something useful in these articles. I try and keep them varied on subject, as the goal of the website is to expose people to content they would not normally seek out, as well as subjects they enjoy reading. Variety is how we develop.
For the next few months, other than article releases, it may appear that it's quiet at WSTS, but that's just the silence of hard work. Many projects are in the pipeline and I can't wait to share them upon completion!
All my best wishes,
The editor.
Tuesday 2 May 2017
Sunday 5 February 2017
January to February: New Year's Reprieve
Dear all,
It feels strange to write on the first day of February about January, but that's what it has become. Things have been through more transition, which has bumped forward some tasks. That's how life seems sometimes. We make great plans for ourselves, only to find some cosmic force wants to prevent us from staying on track. So what does it all mean? Are we destined never to change?
I recently pondered what it means to create and follow our New Years resolutions. Does anyone ever follow them? What does it mean if we fail? It became the topic of this month's lead article, New Year's Reprieve. We are so quick to judge ourselves, that if we didn't succeed, it must be our failure as human beings. In essence, it could be, but the reason is not one to reprimand ourselves, only learn, re-evaulate and re-develop our motivation and maintenance of the journey. This month I wanted to feature the idea that being competent is not about who we COULD be or SHOULD be in order to be powerful enough to solve all our problems, or complete all our tasks. Instead, I wanted to talk about the strengths in choice, reducing knee-jerk reactions and avoid the fantasism we often fall into. You don't have to be a warrior to win a battle.
Article at: http://wesaytheysay.com/?id=214
The other articles we are featuring this month are:
The Pregnancy Project
This story is a few years old, but it never ceases to make you wonder how much power one person can have. Gabby Rodriguez was a girl on a mission - she just didn't know how far her plan would go. What started out a project for her social science class ended up a nation-wide, world-wide consideration. Being of Latin background, she was sick of hearing that she'd end up pregnant before college, and decided to confront the biases that existed. Her goal was to fake a pregnancy and document the change of opinions she faced within her community. What became blatantly obvious was that those around her became her boundaries, not just the "impending pregnancy" itself. The result became an American-wide acknowledgement of the negative contexts that pregnant teenagers face.
Article at: http://wesaytheysay.com/?id=148
Weight Loss Joke Loses Support
With all the fads and diet plans out there, it was only time before a satirical book came out to mock them all. However, it was not regarded as amusing as the author planned. He soon found himself amongst all sort of haters who thought the book was serious. So is humour with limits? Are weight and diet jokes really the faux pas? Where do we have to show care in how we present humour? I sought to find out.
Article at: http://wesaytheysay.com/?id=204
One month into the new year makes me wonder what the rest of the year will bring. Will there be new shining lights, or the same daily interactions we're used to? Only time will tell. Closing January, ready to start February, the month of romanticism, and the hope of April's chocolate endeavours.
My best wishes for the coming month,
The editor.
It feels strange to write on the first day of February about January, but that's what it has become. Things have been through more transition, which has bumped forward some tasks. That's how life seems sometimes. We make great plans for ourselves, only to find some cosmic force wants to prevent us from staying on track. So what does it all mean? Are we destined never to change?
I recently pondered what it means to create and follow our New Years resolutions. Does anyone ever follow them? What does it mean if we fail? It became the topic of this month's lead article, New Year's Reprieve. We are so quick to judge ourselves, that if we didn't succeed, it must be our failure as human beings. In essence, it could be, but the reason is not one to reprimand ourselves, only learn, re-evaulate and re-develop our motivation and maintenance of the journey. This month I wanted to feature the idea that being competent is not about who we COULD be or SHOULD be in order to be powerful enough to solve all our problems, or complete all our tasks. Instead, I wanted to talk about the strengths in choice, reducing knee-jerk reactions and avoid the fantasism we often fall into. You don't have to be a warrior to win a battle.
Article at: http://wesaytheysay.com/?id=214
The other articles we are featuring this month are:
The Pregnancy Project
This story is a few years old, but it never ceases to make you wonder how much power one person can have. Gabby Rodriguez was a girl on a mission - she just didn't know how far her plan would go. What started out a project for her social science class ended up a nation-wide, world-wide consideration. Being of Latin background, she was sick of hearing that she'd end up pregnant before college, and decided to confront the biases that existed. Her goal was to fake a pregnancy and document the change of opinions she faced within her community. What became blatantly obvious was that those around her became her boundaries, not just the "impending pregnancy" itself. The result became an American-wide acknowledgement of the negative contexts that pregnant teenagers face.
Article at: http://wesaytheysay.com/?id=148
Weight Loss Joke Loses Support
With all the fads and diet plans out there, it was only time before a satirical book came out to mock them all. However, it was not regarded as amusing as the author planned. He soon found himself amongst all sort of haters who thought the book was serious. So is humour with limits? Are weight and diet jokes really the faux pas? Where do we have to show care in how we present humour? I sought to find out.
Article at: http://wesaytheysay.com/?id=204
One month into the new year makes me wonder what the rest of the year will bring. Will there be new shining lights, or the same daily interactions we're used to? Only time will tell. Closing January, ready to start February, the month of romanticism, and the hope of April's chocolate endeavours.
My best wishes for the coming month,
The editor.
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