"Stressing the Positives" - FREE advice on Stress Awareness Day

This year's National Stress Awareness Day (NSAD) will be "Stressing the Positives" on Wednesday, 4th November 2009.

NASD, now in its 11th year and organised annually by the International Stress Managment Association, aims to help people suffering from stress by highlighting the many coping strategies and sources of help available, and offering free advice to people who want to reduce the harmful effects of stress in their lives.

The International Stress Management Association (ISMA) is the leading UK Professional Body in the specialist field of stress management and this year will be working together with Boots, the high-street chemist, to deliver free national access to Stress Advisors.

Please contact me, Pam Lawrence, at pam@pamlawrence.co.uk if you would like more information.

The Indi Project, Kenya

In March of this year I was fortunate enough to have a holiday in Kenya. The first part of the holiday was spent at Tsavo East Game Park and we were extremely lucky to see so many different kinds of animals and birds, including my personal favourite, the cheetah. I even managed to take some photos that I am rather pleased with  - see above!

The second part of the holiday was spent in Mombasa where the contrast between those who have money and those who have very little (and often live in makeshift shelters by the roadside) was very great.

I felt I really connected with Kenya the country and with the Kenyan people that I met – they are friendly, kind and open. And yes, I know that there is widespread corruption in many countries in Africa, not least Kenya, and it would have been easy to come home feeling that there was nothing that I, as an individual, can do about the poverty.

However, not long after I got back, I read an article in a Sunday newspaper supplement about a lady named
Julie Perry who lives here in the UK. Julie won the award of “Clarins Most Dynamisante woman of the year 2009“ for her work in setting up a school in Kenya to help orphaned and disadvantaged children to move out of poverty by promoting education, health and nutrition.  She is tireless in her efforts and does this wonderful work without payment, the project being entirely supported through fund raising.

I have chosen to support this worthwhile charityin the knowledge that all money raised is used directly for the benefit of the children. So if you would like to know more – and maybe even make a donation - then please visit the Indi Project website at: http://www.indinurseryproject.co.uk

My Father celebrated his 100th birthday last week and I have been reflecting on how he has reached such a grand old age!

His life, of course, has not been without it's fair share of troubles - like everyones has. As a boy he lived through the 1st World War, the depression and then was a soldier in the 2nd World War, until he was injured in Normandy in 1944. My Mum died of Motor Neurone Disease in 1972 and Dad has never stopped missing her. He has also had a serious illness and had to have a replacement hip following a fall.

So just what is it that has helped him to keep going? If I were to sum it up in one word, that word would be "FAITH". Although not a church-goer, Dad has always had a strong faith in God and never fails to start and end his day with prayer and thanks for all that is good in his life.

Is this the key to a long and happy life?