Category Archives: Uncategorized

January, 3rd Monday
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Civil Rights, Peace, Nonviolence. I have a page just for MLK.

February 26 – March 3, 2012
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
Held annually during National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, NEDA educates and screens for eating disorders and connects those at-risk with local resources. Many people struggle with the way they look or how they feel about their bodies, with one out of three normal dieters progressing to pathological dieting. In the United States, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting a life and death battle with an eating disorder, which has one of the highest mortality rates of any mental illness.http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/programs-events/nedawareness-week.php

National Eating Disorders Screening Program^® (NEDSP) online and in the community screening program: http://mentalhealthscreening.org/events/national-eating-disorder-screening-program.aspx

April 5, 2011
National Alcohol Screening Day
Online, in the community. Held annually on Thursday of the first full week of April, NASD is an outreach, education, and screening program that raises awareness about alcohol misuse and refers individuals with alcohol problemfor further evaluation. The program is provided by nearly a thousand colleges, community-based organizations, and military installations world-wide each year. Organized by Screening for Mental Healthhttp://mentalhealthscreening.org/events/national-alcohol-screening-day.aspx

April 1 – 30, 2012
Alcohol Awareness Month
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.
244 East 58th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10022
(800) NCA-CALL (622-2255) (24-hour helpline)
(212) 269-7797
(212) 269-7510 Fax
national@ncadd.org
www.ncadd.org
Materials available

May 1 – May 7, 2012
National Children’s Mental Health Week
This week is dedicated to increasing public awareness about the triumphs and challenges in children’s mental health and emphasizing the importance of family and youth involvement in the children’s mental health movement! Organized by National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health http://www.ffcmh.org/

May 1 – May 31, 2012
Mental Health Month
Mental Health America is proud to continue its tradition of celebrating “May is Mental Health Month,” which began in 1949. Organized by Mental Health America http://www.nmha.org/

May 19 – May 25, 2012
Older Americans’ Mental Health Week
An annual opportunity to spread the message that mental illness is not a normal part of aging. Public awareness increases a community’s understanding of mental illness and reduces the stigma that keeps many older Americans from seeking help. Public awareness activities can range from an information display at a library to a speaker panel event. Together, during Older Americans’ Mental Health Week, we will continue to tell the American public and policy makers that: mental illness is not a normal part of aging; mental illnesses are real, common and treatable; the more people know, the more they can help themselves and others; and healthy adults continue to learn, enjoy life and contribute to society. Organized by The Older Women’s League (OWL) http://www.mentalhealthweek.org/Welcome.html

May 20 – May 26, 2012
Schizophrenia Awareness Week
One out of every one hundred people has schizophrenia. People with this illness not only face difficult and at times debilitating symptoms, but they also face a society that stigmatizes and often isolates them. Organized by Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America.http://www.sardaa.org

June 27, 2012
National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day
The U.S. Senate passed a resolution authored by Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., designating June 27 as National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day. http://bit.ly/bSV5VGOrganized by United States Senate.

July 1 – July 31, 2012
National Minority Mental Health Month
In 2008 the US House of Representatives proclaimed July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. This provides NAMI state and affiliates with a wonderful opportunity to reach out to diverse communities. Learn more about Bebe here.  Organized by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) http://bit.ly/gZN8iG

September 1 – September 30, 2012
National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month
Recovery Month aims to promote the societal benefits of alcohol and drug use disorder treatment, laud the contributions of treatment providers, and promote the message that recovery from alcohol and drug disorders in all its forms is possible. Organized by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)http://www.recoverymonth.gov/

September 4 – September 10, 2011
National Suicide Prevention Week
Suicide prevention is everyone’s business and anyone can participate in National Suicide Prevention Week.  Suicide and suicidal behavior affects individuals of all ages, genders, races and religions across the planet. Suicide affects more men than women in all countries but China. Risk factors remain essentially the same from country to country. Mental illness, substance abuse, previous suicide attempts, hopelessness, access to lethal means, recent loss of loved ones, unemployment and vulnerability to self-harm are just a few examples of risk factors. Protective factors are also the same in all corners of the world. High self-esteem, social connectedness, problem-solving skills, supportive family and friends are all examples of factors that buffer against suicide and suicidal behaviors. Organized by American Association of Suicidology.  http://www.suicidology.org/web/guest/about-aas/nspw

September 8, 2012
World Suicide Prevention Day
We believe that through a combined effort at an international and local level, a difference to the lives of many will be made. Suicide Can be Prevented. * The WHO has noted that not all suicides can be prevented, but a majority can. * Developing and implementing national strategies as well as specific local interventions can lower rates of suicide in diverse populations. * Successful approaches to suicide prevention have includes: restricting access to means; establishing community prevention programs; establishing guidelines for media reporting; and engaging with frontline professionals through gate keeper training programs Organized by International Association for Suicide Prevention.http://www.iasp.info/wspd/index.php

October
Domestic Violence Awareness Month 

October 7 – October 13, 2012
Mental Illness Awareness Week
In 1990, the U.S. Congress established the first week of October as Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) in recognition of NAMI’s efforts to raise mental illness awareness. Since 1990, mental health advocates across the country have joined together during the first full week of October to celebrate. MIAW has become a NAMI tradition. It presents an opportunity to all NAMI state organizations and affiliates across the country to work together in communities to achieve the NAMI mission through outreach, education and advocacy. The National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding is Tuesday. Organized by NAMI.  http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=mental_illness_awareness_week

October 4, 2012
National Bipolar Awareness Day
In recognition of National Bipolar Awareness Day, the IBPF is introducing our own version of Pay it Forward: Say it Forward! Take the time today to educate one person about bipolar disorder. If that person does the same, and so on, think of how much change we can create.  Organized by International Bipolar Foundation.http://www.internationalbipolarfoundation.org/

October 4, 2012
National Depression Screening Day
Held annually during Mental Illness Awareness Week in October, NDSD raises awareness and screens people for depression and related mood and anxiety disorders. NDSD is the nation’s oldest voluntary, community-based screening program that provides referral information for treatment. More than half a million people each year have been screened for depression since 1991. Spread the Word about National Depression Screening Day – select a news brief to post to your website or email to your community. Organized by Screening for Mental Health:http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/events/national-depression-screening-day.aspx

October 10, 2012
Worldwide Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day raises public awareness about mental health issues. The Day promotes more open discussion of mental disorders, and investments in prevention and treatment services. The treatment gap for mental, neurological and substance use disorders is formidable especially in poor resource countries. Physical and mental health are intertwined. There is a real need to deal with mental health problems of people with chronic physical illnesses and physical care of mental health consumers through a continued and integrated care. Organized by the World Health Organization. See World Federation for Mental Health for annual themes: http://www.wfmh.com/00WorldMentalHealthDay.htm

November 17, 2011
International Survivors of Suicide Day
International Survivors of Suicide Day is a day of healing for those who have lost someone to suicide. The third Saturday in November was designated as National Survivors of Suicide Day by United States Senate resolution in 1999 through the efforts of Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, who lost his father to suicide. Every year, AFSP sponsors an event to provide an opportunity for the survivor community to come together for support, healing, information and empowerment. In recognition of the fact that the problem of suicide know no geographic or national boundaries, AFSP’s event is now titled International Survivors of Suicide Day. For more information see: http://www.afsp.org/index.cfm?page_id=fee7d778-cf08-cb44-da1285b6bbcf366e

Add others into this … and then have them auto post from ifttt.com to link on this page on my FB/twitter. Add an anchor to each item below so can have the ifttt.com link directly to each item.

Actions: Ideas
Articles: link to blog tag
Events/Workshops:

“Train hard, fight easy. Train easy, fight hard.”
—Military saying.

This military saying is also true in relationship work: Do the hard work of getting trained in relationship skills and then practice, practice, practice. Conflicts then become much easier to manage and resolve, and the results are easy to live with. Don’t learn the skills and don’t practice then the conflicts are not only hard they are hard to live with the aftermath.

RELATED POST: “Easier Said Than Done.” Well, No Duh!

“Blessed is he who stops being a marriage moron.”
—The Book of Jonathan

“Yea, verily, and the relationship dip wad shall partake of the vine of bitterness.”
—The Book of Jonathan

“For he who dies upon the ‘Altar of Right’ shall find that being right offers scant warmth in an empty bed.”
—The Book of Jonathan

Instead of “goodbye” I often say to my clients as they leave, “You be good to you.” We tend to be so hard on ourselves, and while we can remember to be good to others we forget to be compassionate to our own selves. It’s so simple, but we create a needless double standard where it’s right to be understanding of others but okay to be harsh on ourselves. Beating oneself up is not noble. No one was ever motivated into long-term healthy change through verbal abuse. It doesn’t work with changing self either.

Compassion isn’t just about being nice. It’s simply the single most powerful, intelligent and logical approach to change there is. So knock off the stupid double standard and just be good to you whether you feel like it or not. Okay? Okay.

“Be Good to Yourself” by Journey is a great pick me up song related to this concept.

I remember when I started to realize that others aren’t the expert in my life. That I had something unique and powerful to contribute. That I could “let my light so shine.” It’s very empowering. It’s very true. It’s also very YOU.

When you grow up you tend to get told the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family, have fun, save a little money.

“That’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use.

“Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.”
—Steve Jobs

Sponsor our running relay team of 12 “Angels & Demons” for the Las Vegas Ragnar this October 21-22. Sponsors get their logo on the back of our team shirts (see above). The 6 female runners will be wearing the white Angel shirts and the 6 male runners will wear the orange Demon shirts. Both styles will have the “Angels and Demon” logo on the back with all sponsors below that.

Any amount is GREATLY appreciated and will help greatly to cover equipment, food and drink supplies, medical supplies, lodging, travel and registration costs for the team.

Sponsors

Logo or donor name on all shirts for the following amounts:
$50
$100
$250
$500

Premium Sponsors

$1,000 = Logo BIG on all shirts
$ 5,000 = Logo BIG on all shirts and on back of 2 vans
$10,000 = Logo BIG on all shirts and logo wrap on 2 vans

THANK YOU!!!

Current Sponsors

-Worthen Design
-MarriageEnvy.com
-Anonymous

Team Members

-Jonathan & Kara Sherman
-Ryan (team captain) & Gina Rappleyea
-Eric & Haley Barkle
-Luke & Katrina Ashton
-Dave & Rachelle Upwall
-Morgan Carlson
-Anne Marie Utley

Why compassion for other’s weaknesses, shortcomings and faults? I just read a simple and good answer in Catching Fire (2nd book in The Hunger Games trilogy, p.32):

“Because sometimes things happen to people and they’re not equipped to deal with them.”

Too often we hold people to the standard of our own preparation and abilities, when the truth is not all are equipped the same. Compassion creates space to learn and become equipped. Judgment creates no space, only demands immediate compliance.

— For more tips, strategies and resources for creating truly GREAT relationships with self and others visit http://JonathanSherman.net —

Here’s the Summer Driving Jams playlist with vids. Thx all for the suggestions. http://bit.ly/aASa6b

So here’s the Summer Driving Playlist with Vids I came up with for the road-trip. Thanks for the suggestions all! http://ping.fm/rTv0x?note_id=423689538472

I walked out of my office this morning to wait for my client in the cool air and sunshine. I was reading a passage from The Wisdom of Forgiveness by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Victor Chan on compassion, emptiness, interconnectedness and interdependence.

At that moment, I heard the chirping of birds and through the barren trees saw the striking beauty of Mount Timpanogos to the east. I was overcome by a sense of peaceful happiness as I considered how interconnected all things are. I heard the bird, felt the chill in the air, felt the warm sun, smelled the cold of the air, and squinted at the brightness of the sun. My five senses took it all in—in a single moment—and my spirit thrilled. It was so apparant how connected all my senses were to that around me and how dependent they were on these things to have sense in the first place.

Mindfulness is not a constant state of being for me. It is a state of being I enter as often as I am mindful to do so. These mindfulness moments are all around me every day for me to experience (i.e., bardos moments). All I need to do is pause, breath and see the vastness of all that is interconnected that I am interdependent with.  “He that has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Mindfulness is a great gift for creating and recreating that key relationship with self that is the great influencer of how I then relate with those around me.

Peace,

Jonathan