fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Jacob Blake: The #MeToo Horror Story We Were Warned About
By: Ephrom Josine
Tags: Metoo, Jacob Blake

Back when the #MeToo movement was gaining traction, one common claim by conservatives commentators was that a man who had been merely accused of rape could have his life ruined. Upon a mere accusation of rape, we were warned, a man could, for example, get shot in the back seven times on charges that were later dropped. I used that example to because that is basically what happened to Jacob Blake.

Yes, the charges against Jacob Blake have now been dropped after he excepted a plea deal. Both Blake and his lawyer have said that Blake basically only took this so he could see his kids (you know, those kids the police department lied about him kidnapping — I’m sorry, lied about thinking he was kidnapping) again, which is a position many parents are forced into. The defense also noted that the only reason Blake was allowed to take this plea deal was because there was not enough evidence to get Blake a guilty verdict. The woman who accused Blake of sexual assault also was uncooperative with the prosecution, and refused to answer to a subpoena.

Of course, even if the accusations were true, that wouldn’t justify what the police did. Rape is not a crime that results in capital punishment, even if it did that’s not the decision of the police officer, and even then the police had a very clear chance to arrest Blake when he walked around a car several times. However, the fact that the police were doing all of this based on a false accusation of rape is worth mentioning — just rubbing salt in the wound is all.

For that matter, it is possible that Jacob Blake was a rapist — but remember, it’s innocent until proven guilty, not innocent until shot by a police officer or innocent until engaged in mild arrest resisting. However, again, the fact that there’s no evidence he did is worth mentioning, because it proves a massive issue with our justice system.

Our justice system has increasingly gone from “innocent until proven guilty” to “shoot first, find a justification later.” Michael Brown robbed a convivence store, Eric Garner was selling loose cigarettes', Treyvon Martin hit George Zimmerman, Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend was selling drugs, George Floyd was on drugs, and Tamir Rice had a toy gun that kind of looked like a real one. Breonna Taylor was the worst example, as there the justifications were based on lies through and through, but Blake’s were nearly as bad — although the lie that he was a kidnapper was attempted, but never stuck. Here, the police betted on the idea that Blake was a rapist, which also failed to gain sympathy and was also either a lie or has so little evidence it might as well be a lie.

Personally, I am very happy Blake got his day in court, however, it would still be nice if he didn’t get shot seven times in the back first. Blake, it has now been proven, was not worthy of getting shot — and that is all that matters regarding this story.
Did you noticed ageism in your daily life?
By: Mahboobeh Sharifi
Tags: Metoo, Empowering Women, Ageism, Wonder Woman

Did you noticed ageism in your daily life?

Have you ever encounter ageism in your daily life? Have you ever thought that how much ageism had impact in your life? Your sex life or social life?

I was watching The YOUNGER series the other night, episode 6. it is an American series, I think it is mostly about women and their relations and the main actress is a woman too. In the morning Liza decide to help Charles and take something to Charles’ daughter, Liza is Charles girlfriend and except 5 or 6 friends all think that Liza is 27, including Charles ex-wife “ Polin” whom left Charles for finding herself and writing book. I am not going to narrate movie here for you. So back to our point in school Liza met Polin. Thay had very warm greating even Polin registered Liza’s name in Parent list. Yet Polin think Liza is a millennial and even later she suggest to “act like grown-ups”, until Polin come across Liza’s age and gets mad. At very first place until Polin doesn’t know the truth she is fine with his husbands much younger girls frien. She even wants to be friend for the sake of girls and bussiness. It is normal for Polin.she went wild when she understands Liza is actually 42. Then she thinks why liza. Why not me. But why? Why women belive in agism and think that a woman 40 or over is not sexy? Why women think men over 40 are charming? Comme ooooon.

Why we women are making this a norm?why we accept led it?Should not we think a mom of 2 or 3 children is yet beautiful, feminine and SEXY. Give this right to yourself. Believe that you deserve best.be happy, let your partner be worry about some parts of your life and be easy going. Do not let Social Media limits you to your house and make a indoor mom. Go out, wear bikini, show your skin starches that are holly maybe due to physical transformation for having a baby or wrinkles that are a part of your life cycle. Go gym, worship yourself let the worlds worship you too.
A woman no one cried for.
By: Mahboobeh Sharifi
Tags: Metoo, Women

A woman no one cried for.

Have you ever thought a mayor shoot his wife and don’t pay back? Or a woman dies and no one cries for??Well, surprisingly it happened, here in Tehran.

June 2020 explosive allegations against former mayor of Tehran had hit the headlines. He was accused of murdering his wife Mitra. Victim was his second wife, 35 years old. She had a son of his previous marriage who lived with her after divorce and remarriage. Mitra and mayor were married two years ago. During these two years based on what neighbors said, they had quarrels and she had been subjected to physical violence. On the day murdering happened, mayor called his driver he gave driver two bags one black and one brown accompanying some letters and ask him deliver them to his daughter Baran. When baran received stuffs, in very first place she read the letter which mayor asked everybody to forgive him and he was ready for death and he is going to commit suicide. Baran asked driver to take her to mitras house also after reading letters. They nocked, nobody answered. Driver had key. Baran asked him to open the door. Nobody was home and due to moving in recently there were a lot of boxes. Baran heard driver scrims. She ran into bath. Mitra’s bod was in bathtub. Covered in blood, she called Ambulance and they asked her to do CPR until they arrive. In first push Baran saw the blood is running out of Mitra’s chest there was a bullet penetration. She was dead.her son a 16 year old boy witnessed these. He came in only 5 min after Baran and driver entrance. After 30min mayors sun in law joined his wife and the driver. The crime was committed in most violent way when poor woman was lied down in Bathtub and the murderer had shot five times. VCC cams had record mayor went out of home; Police called him, mayors mobile was off. So they suspect him and after 24 hours or more he had been arrested and without waste of time he made confession, I shoot my wife and left the home. At very first jurisdiction investigations murderer attorneys tried to prove that Mitra had sexual relationship out of marital and Islamic frame so based on Islam killing her was halal and if having sex had been proved to brother or father or husband it is not a crime it’s a duty actually.

Although they could not prove it but by admitting Mitras dad and brother Mayors family paid the blood money and former mayor was only given 7 years prison sentence. Who believes that a woman life ment nothing in Male-dominated society and the news were covered in a way that people find her guilty and no one fill sorry, feel sympathy. This story is normal here. Men kill women for their social prestige.

Here in Iran women are second hand citizens, marginalized group which play important role in society and work same as men even better but are neglected. We women, we are neglected.
Real-life intrigue in Ronan Farrow’s Catch and Kill
By: P.D. Workman
Tags: Books, Ronan Farrow, Metoo, Harvey Weinstein, Reading

I hope you had a happy and safe Halloween! If you’re still looking for more Halloween-themed or spooky books, grab them from my blog.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.

I recently read Ronan Farrow’s Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators, an account of his investigation into and exposure of Harvey Weinstein’s long history of sexual abuse in Hollywood, of the cover-ups that took place over decades by not only Hollywood, but by police departments, prosecutors, and the media.

It’s fascinating to read Farrow’s account of his investigation, the many women he talked to, and the way the story was suppressed by his news agency. He also lays out the corporate espionage and pressure tactics used against him by Weinstein, who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to a private investigation firm to surveil and investigate Farrow himself to see who he was talking to and what he knew.

It was the exposure of Weinstein that triggered the sudden explosion of the #metoo movement in October 2017. It really is shocking to hear how sexual harassment and abuse was ignored in Hollywood (and certain political campaigns and other industries). It was widely known, but allowed to go on for decades.

Catch and Kill, by the way, does not refer to killing women, but the practice of buying the exclusive rights to someone’s story in order to suppress it rather than to publish it, a practice that was used over and over again by certain media outlets in order to protect Harvey Weinstein.

I returned to… a story about the Hollywood “casting couch” — performers being harassed or propositioned for transactional sex at work… “You should look at Rose McGowan, she tweeted something about a studio head…” Ronan Farrow, Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators

In 2017, a routine network television investigation led to a story only whispered about: one of Hollywood’s most power­ful producers was a predator, protected by fear, wealth, and a conspiracy of silence. As Farrow drew closer to the truth, shadowy operatives, from high-priced lawyers to elite war-hardened spies, mounted a secret campaign of intimidation, threatening his career, following his every move, and weaponizing an account of abuse in his own family. This is the untold story of the exotic tactics of surveillance and intimidation deployed by wealthy and connected men to threaten journalists, evade accountability, and silence victims of abuse. And it’s the story of the women who risked everything to expose the truth and spark a global movement
Mukesh Khanna’s controversial statement about MeToo.
By: Pankaj Kumar
Tags: Shaktiman, Metoo, Mukesh Khanna, Mukesh Ambani

Mukesh Khanna’s controversial statement about MeToo. People called Mukesh Khanna as Kilwish. Mukesh Khanna said that women should not match men.

Mukesh Khanna’s statement on #MeToo that women should stay at home.

Actor Mukesh Khanna whom we know as Shaktimaan and Bhishma Pitamah of Mahabharata. It always talks big and surprising. It looks like Mukesh Khanna is following the footsteps of Kangana Ranaut. Because Mukesh Khanna has an old relationship with conflicting statements. Recently, The Kapil Sharma Show should be talked about with Vahiyat and Gajendra Chauhan with the cast of Mahabharata. This again Akshay Kumar’s statement about the upcoming film Lakshmi Bomb Mukesh is associated with all trading matters. An old video of Mukesh Khanna is going viral. In which Mukesh Khanna was speaking to people about #MeToo.

Mukesh Khanna’s old viral video made a controversial statement about women and said that women should stay at home. Men should not be equaled by going out of the house. Women should stay at home and follow their duties. Mukesh Khanna said that the biggest reason for #MeToo is for women to get out of the house and to match men. He said #MeToo started when women wanted to get out of the house and work shoulder to shoulder with men, but could not concentrate in their house. She is not able to look after her children properly. Because of which the children have to stay at home with Aya. Then the children also sat in the house with their babysitter and breath was sometimes daughter-in-law. Like watch a cheap serial.

People are trolling Mukesh Khanna

Mukesh Khanna gave a big statement and said that there is a man and a woman is a woman. After this big statement, people are trolling Mukesh Khanna. They are sharing their old videos. People are criticizing this controversial statement. After this statement, the public is angry with Mukesh Khanna. He is being compared to Shaktimaan’s villain Kilwish. People are demanding to buy their serial and film. Mukesh Khanna has not yet received any statement regarding this video regarding this disputed statement. Read more
Your Song
By: Fresh Receptive
Tags: Poetry On Medium, Womens Health, Metoo, Poetry, Women

Here is another poem about the wonder of women:
Dr. Kazmir, Thank you for showing the strength to ask this question.
By: Sienna Mae Heath
Tags: Metoo Movement, Metoo, Me Too Movement, Clinton

Dr. Kazmir, Thank you for showing the strength to ask this question. Your words are motivating me to speak out as an independent. Could our quiet tribe be the new progressives of the (near) future?

Feel free to share my piece with anyone who might find it interesting or helpful in this wild time. I linked “#MeToo” to your article: https://conversations.indy100.com/independent-voter-undecided-2020-election
Rapid Application Development Methodology
By: Afif Alfiano
Tags: Metoo, Mobile, Rad

4 Phases of Rapid Application Development Methodology

In the world of project management, "agile" is the method du jour. For decades, project management teams clung to the…
9/26/19
By: Eva Wright
Tags: Sexual Assault, Rape, Metoo, Poetry, Poem

I meet a man and write 6 poems about rape.

They are good poems and his were good kisses.

Still,

it’s a strange way to tell someone you like them, so I don’t.

Trauma makes a strange math of you,

the only thing I know that takes and leaves you being too much.

But isn’t that all I’ve ever been?

Too much tits

too much ass

too much need

too much ache,

I want him to hold me like I’m sacred but what I know is being devoured like an overripe fruit.

It’s hard.

The only sex I’ve known has asked me to leave my body,

til I learned to do it before they even asked.

What is consent if I’m not even there?

This is all that i can’t tell him;

these are the instructions I can’t give:

Touch me like I might break.

Trace all my scars,

Let me know there’s enough time for whatever may come.

Be a softness I’ve never known and won’t know what to do with.

Be everything I’ve never known and won’t know how to respond to,

I don’t want to know what I know anymore.

Be somewhere gentle. beautiful.

Let me learn something new.
Toni Harris and Katie Andrews were right!
By: Robert Lipshutz
Tags: Metoo, Womens Rights, Culture

Toni Harris and Katie Andrews were right! Hindsight is 20–20, and was early in the morning and probably before coffee. But The problem is that the guy was a perv, photographed or filmed you without permission, and, when the incident was over, paid no price. He actually misappropriated your likeness. That is not a crime, but rather a civil wrong called a “tort” in the law. That is why professional photographers walk around with releases for people to sign. You could have confronted him-loudly-and called him out for photographing you without permission. He would have at least been embarrassed. You might have intimidated him into deleting the photo or video, but at least he would have left the incident with some degree of shame. Men won’t change unless women demand that they pay a price every time they violate the person or the dignity of a woman.
No más violencia a las mujeres! ¿una utopía o justicia?
By: Antuanet Elias
Tags: Metoo, Violencia, Justicia, Peru, Igualdad De Género

Hi! As a organizational psychologist I am passionate about the promotion of wellbeing and happiness especially at work. Join me on this journey😉
An Open Letter to the #MeToobin Twitterverse
By: Lon Shapiro
Tags: Metoo, Monkey Spanking, Humor, Feminsim, Work Life Balance

An Open Letter to the #MeToobin Twitterverse

Look, a man’s got to make a living and sometimes the monkey deserves it.

People need to lighten up. I don’t care how much it bothers PETA and the ASPCA, monkey spanking does not cause serious damage to the monkey or the man’s hand.

When your life is on the line, you need that monkey to be connected to you, to think as one mind, and to perform in the most difficult or embarrassing situations.

Out on the streets, this guy Toobin has to lug around his enormous organ AND that fucking monkey.

He probably has a terrible case of carpal tunnel syndrome from all that repetitive exercise.

What happened to the work ethic in this country?

There was a time when men were men and monkeys were, you know, following directions and tipping their cap to collect the coins of passersby.

Now the guy’s got to chase that little rat bastard up to the second floor of a brownstone because some little girl was offering to unpeel his banana for him?

Can’t we give it a rest in this social media zoo with glass walls we call modern life?

Because for every monkey spanker, there are just as many elephant wankers.

We’re talking about an entire political party just jerking off one donkey. Which is a strange mixed metaphor, but didn’t that ass throw his support behind some other donkeys when no one was looking?

We all know the elephant is right there in the room, so everybody’s just watching and not saying a word.

I mean, this is disgusting. There could be children present.

There’s not one person who doesn’t have plenty of big bulging bones banging inside their closets, as in skeletons, of course.

Carl Jung said we’re all carrying around a giant bag containing our shadow, and you don’t want to know the chemical or organic composition of the dark shit that’s in there, do you?

Just remember, everybody’s got something to hide except me and my monkey.

Wait, I’m being told that Jeffrey Toobin was caught doing the deed during an erection stimulation.

Now, that’s a completely different situation. I don’t know why people would use Zoom for this type of activity. They must be some free spirited swingers who have been losing their minds during the shutdown.

Imagine going to a strip club for a lap dance while maintaining social distancing. How is that even possible?

Maybe they’re using those virtual sex toys that connect over the internet. You can’t catch anything from digital signals crossing hundred or thousands of miles, right?

So I don’t see why they’re making such a big deal about these people trying out some kind of virtual hook up chat room. I mean, if they’re not charging anything for it, they shouldn’t have to pay licensing fees for amateur content, register for a business license, or pay taxes.

Where’s the harm in a little good old fashioned sword play?

Wait, I misread that last sentence in the news story. He was masturbating on a zoom call during an election simulation.

In the words of Emily Litella:
Your Trauma Doesn’t Have a Timeline
By: Brianna Bennett
Tags: Sexual Assault, Metoo, Culture, Trauma, Psychology

All of that said, I’d like to bring attention to a recurrent theme in sexual assault cases where there have been several years, decades even, between the attack and the victim coming forward. (Bill Cosby, Donald Trump, Harvey Weinstein, et.al)

The first instinct by many is to blame the victim and demand to know why they didn’t open up about it when it happened. Or to claim that accusations are politically motivated (especially now, with the looming election) but completely ignore compassion and the likelihood of retraumatization.

It takes far more than bravery to come forward and speak openly about being sexually assaulted. It takes an incredible amount of self-awareness that I can safely say the average person doesn’t have. According to the Harvard Business Review, only 10–15% of people are actually self-aware despite 95% believing that they are.

Additionally, individuals who are not self-aware exhibit the following behaviors:

They won’t listen to feedback.

They cannot empathize with others.

They have difficulty tailoring their message to their audience.

They are hurtful to others without realizing it.

They take credit for successes and blame others for failures.

Let’s use the example of President Trump since his moves are heavily documented.

Not listening to feedback: “Fake news!” and giving immature nicknames to his opposition such as Crooked Hillary and Sleepy Joe.

Cannot empathize with others: ‘I don’t really care, do u?’ (Granted, that was Melania more than the Donald, but the point stands.)

Have difficulty tailoring their message to their audience: making fun of a disabled individual, calling any woman who dares disagree with him “nasty,” telling American citizens (and Congresswomen) to “go back where they came from” and saying “it is what it is” about the COVID-19 death toll in the USA.

Hurtful to others: there are honestly too many examples to list here, so I’ll just move on to the next one.

Take credit for successes and blame others for failures: look no further than the solid economy he inherited from President Obama and the tatters it is in four years later. He also constantly claims he’s going to repeal Obamacare but never discloses what his alternative is for it. (hint: it’s because he has no alternative.) He’s also gladly taken back protections for trans-individuals and let the Violence Against Women Act expire.
律師， Are you married?. 職場性別歧視，連律師都敢問？一起來打破這不公平的待遇！
By: Lawyer Evelyn
Tags: 歧視, Metoo, Law, 律師, Gender Equality

律師， Are you married?

Written in English.

This is not a pickup line in the dating site, it is my interview question. Unfortunately, so many years have passed, even I am not a fresh graduate anymore, all those male supervisors still value my personal life more than my professional achievements. How many kids do you want?

Again, this is not the blind date question.

Once you answer the question, there will be more embarrassing questions waiting for you.

This is a trap. No matter you have a partner or not, they just want to know if you can’t work overtime or will take too much leave.

Of course, all by their “experiences” or assumptions.

You may not answer this if you feel uncomfortable.

Really?

Then why you even ask this improper question and target women only?

Finally, my answer to the question:

Why do you ask this question? (With my elegant smile behind the mask)

Normally, they will be stunned.

If they continue, I will say: I am a hardworking person and I will not let my personal life affect my career and vice versa.

To your surprise, I got hired instantly even I gave them the answer above. However, I just walked away.

Tell me about your thoughts, experience, or response.

I appreciate all your comments and let’s make some changes.

WRITTEN BY
Why the rise of misogyny on TikTok is a bad thing in 2020
By: Baileigh Picou
Tags: College Students, Metoo, Tiktok App, Gender Equality, Misogyny

OPINION: There has been a rise of misogyny accounts on TikTok and in 2020, to which there have been positive and negative responses.

There are a multitude of TikTok accounts that are famous because of the sexist videos they make and the reactions that they get from other famous users. These accounts get two types of reactions from viewers: praise or backlash.

One account, for example,@russellhartley, gives dating advice and tells his stories about how he treats women, who by the way he calls horses. He tells disgusting stories about how he treats women like how he had two girlfriends at once and didn’t understand why they were mad when they found out. That story isn’t even the worse one he has told on his page. The worst part of this though is the ignorance towards his own misogyny.

This misogynistic account has 457.1K followers. 457.1K people agree and are okay with what this man is saying about women and his treatment of women. His account isn’t alone, as there are hundreds of accounts on TikTok that are riddled with sexism and have a fan base that sees nothing wrong with it.

However, not all those who have viewed these videos reacted positively. In fact, there have been famous TikTok users and Youtubers who have spoken out against the misogynistic comments made in these videos.

One account on TikTok, @youtheceo, has gone through and looked at the behavior of @russellhartley and even the psychology of misogyny. Another account, @livibart, has devoted a good portion of her account to not only pointing out the misogynistic tendencies and why they are wrong in @russellhart’s videos, but in daily life occurrences as well.

@Russellhartley’s account is only one of the many misogynistic TikTok accounts out there and the fact that there are so many is what is truly troubling about the situation. In the year 2020 where there is supposed to have been so much advancement in terms of social equality for women these types of accounts shouldn’t only not exist, but shouldn’t be as popular either.

The basic objectification and pure ignorance of women shown in these TikTok’s are indicative of the limited progress that has been truly made in society’s sexist mindset. We see the war of the praise for these accounts and those that attack these accounts in the actual world as well.

The #MeToo movement and all the women speaking up about the day to day challenges they face and the objectification they receive are the real-world examples of these stories that are posted on these sexist TikTok accounts.

The TikTok community as a whole needs to ban together to combat this rise of misogyny that should not be tolerated in 2020.
Your soulmate was first a stranger
Tags: The One, Love Life, Strangers, Love, Trust

Your soulmate was first a stranger

Original by Author

Isn’t it incredible that you let them in so quickly? The trust was built as easily as it can get.

Going on holidays with them doesn’t bring thoughts of being with a stranger in the middle of nowhere.

It’s those feelings of being so comfortable that you don’t question if you should be scared or not.

It’s so incredible that someone wants to be by your side, that wants to spend so much time with you. That doesn’t get tired of you. Someone who is completely aiming to make you feel safe. And that you want the same for them.

It’s the perfect balance between being yourself and being influenced by that someone. And you chose that someone because you subsconsciously or consciously you want their influence.

It’s the harmony of growing in the same direction and that makes is so easy.
Unfolding
By: Alice Floris
Tags: Life, Inspiration, Micropoetry, A Few Words, Trust

We cannot control everything. Sometimes we have to trust life itself as it unfolds with time.

If you like this, please take a look at my previous work:
THESE SIMPLE PYSCHOLOGY TRICKS WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE…
Tags: Pyschology, Trust, Life

Knowing if someone likes you or not can be confusing and stressful at times. These simple psychology tricks can change your life and cause people to like you…

MIRRORING…

First impressions are key to gain one’s trust and a positive opinion of you… One trick is mirroring. When you first meet someone, try to copy their body movements. This will cause them to automatically like you… however make sure it does not look like you are mocking them by copying them and make sure you are discreet while doing so…

FAVOURS…

To gain someone to like you more, ask them for a favour. This causes them to feel that you trust them, which makes them like you more. Asking for a pencil or so is a great example for this, as it is a small but effective example…

NODDING

When you speak to a person, nodding is a great way for them to like you. By doing this simple action, you look attentive and people feel that you are listening to them which causes them to like you. Studies show nodding in threes is effective…
The Act Of Falling
Tags: Falling, Teenage Mind, Poetry, Love, Trust

Photo by Mark Williams on Unsplash

Opening up

To someone you love

Is like doing a trust fall

Off of a 30 foot cliff

Praying that

You will be saved

Before you hit the bottom

Looking down

Into an unpromising abyss

You are fearful of the dark

But filled with hope

Of feelings requited

Of support

Of love

So you fall

Eyes shut firmly

You can feel your heart

Screaming

In your chest

Begging you to stop

But it’s too late for that

The blackness calls out to you

“You should never have done this”

So you regret your decision

And brace yourself for the crash

Before you are caught

And held tightly

In my arms
I Accidentally Cut Off Toxic Friends, and Now I Do It All the Time
By: Jess T
Tags: Self Improvement, Relationships, Self Love, Trust, Friendship

I Accidentally Cut Off Toxic Friends, and Now I Do It All the Time

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

At the dinner table, my mom brought up an old friend's experience in middle school.

When I had plans to hang out with other friends, this girl started to throw a fit. She screamed and cried until she was invited or until I ditched them to spend time with her. She took advantage of my friendliness.

We got in fights and argued. She would call me names, and I would fire them right back at her. She influenced and encouraged rebellious acts, and I went along with it because it was exciting. Yet, at the same time, I felt a consistent urge to keep up with her out of fear of being left out.

Then, she multiplied, and soon I had a group of friends, each like her in many different ways. In some cases, the others turned out to be detrimental to my mental health.

The group of us best friends was together for over 8 years until things changed when I left for college across the country.

I accidentally cut off my toxic friends by moving, but now I do it all the time — and here is how:
How To Build Great Teams?
By: Louie Rahil
Tags: High Performance, Leadership, Peak Performance, Team Building, Trust

How To Build Great Teams?

Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash

What is Whakapapa?

The Maori people in New Zealand have a spiritual concept called Whakapapa. The principle behind the idea is that each of us is part of an unbreakable chain of people back to our ancestors, and we are part of a chain of people into the future to the end of time.

So, we are all connected, and the desire to connect is an innate human desire. Our connection gives us a sense of identity, a purpose, a vision of what we are trying to accomplish together. We connect through values, rituals, traditions, and these make our bonds unbreakable.

So, when I work with teams to strengthen their sense of identity, I ask everyone, “What connects you? Their answers hold the key to what we need to work on. It tells me if we have a team or a group of individuals that work against each other to achieve uncommon goals.

Why is that important?

When people work towards a common goal using their written and unwritten rules of engagement, they become unstoppable. They feel connected, and their anxiety and stress levels go down. When they do not feel a sense of belonging, they feel anxious, their adrenaline level goes up, becoming easily distractible and disunited.

What is the first step in building great teams?

If you want to achieve greater results in life, learn how to build great teams. Focus on creating a sense of belonging. It is an essential human desire, and you can not build a team without it, so focus on casting your vision early and often to connect your team to a common goal.
How Confidence Led to Profit
By: Ash Blankenship
Tags: Faith, Work, Creativity, Trust, Confidence

I received an email a few days ago from a thread related to a post I wrote in early 2020. The email notified me that someone had responded to a post where I asked fellow creatives how they price their work in order to turn a profit.

At the time, I was struggling to turn a profit and was seeking helpful advice.

But as I looked back at my post, I realized I have since learned that confidence in my work has allowed me to price my projects based on their value.

As a result, I am now turning a profit and continue to improve my work, which makes it even more valuable to clients.

This progress was made possible because I gained faith in my abilities and confidence in my work. During quarantine, I used down time to add new skills, and that has also played a part in increasing my work’s value.

Looking back at my post from just 10 months earlier, I realized how much progress I have actually made.

I’ve learned a lot about pricing my work this year and confidence in my abilities was key. So my advice to others is to first trust yourself and know that your work and skills are valuable.
Trust •
By: The Little Things
Tags: Love, Relationships, Trust, Relationships Love Dating

Trust •

I know I need to trust you, I just don’t know how. I do! I have to if I want this to work! I trust you, I trust you love me just as much as I love you… I trust you miss me just as much as I miss you, and I trust I am on your mind just as much as you wonder mine.
So Long
By: Reza Fahlevi
Tags: Life Journey, Poetry, Poem, Love, Trust

Three years of dark

Any whites turned to black

Faded gradually

As I saw no more light deep in the soul

Three years of depressed

Live in anxiety

Fearness rising from the inside

Still worthless, for what I've done

And I tried to close my tragic chapter

Searched for the solution

Stopped the screams

I was about to an end

Prayers and tears

Million of them coloring nights

When I see my white shadow left me behind

Alone and afraid

Too black to feel my wish

But she told me of my journey life

She taught me how to survive

She tried to close any leaked here

Well, I was still wondering

Times drove me to my ever tragedies

I was in,

Trapped

Dying

And...

And she asked me to keep trying

When I knew I had no more strengths

She never left me

Keep drawing my hopes

Since she believes I will be in my future someday

So long...

It began when I could feel myself there

Holding my hands

Keep me in trust

Never go by

So long

And good bye

You are my anxiety

You are my fearness

You are my depressed

So long

Until then I will face another troubles

Nightmare has riden me to the truth as who I am

Shouldn't be afraid anymore

She set me free

She washed away the sorrow

She trust me more than who she really is

I learn how to live when I trully fall down six feet under

So long

Now the smiles come along

Light up the dark soul

Coloring my eyes

I left my evil mind

And begin to write a happy ending story

Creating imagination turns to reality

In my fiction

Next to her eighteen

Behind of two

In front of that nineteen...

Right of this ninety seven in my diary

So long...
Today, TRUST is the most difficult emotion.
By: Atiqa Hussain
Tags: Writer, Writers Life, Trust, Motivation

Today, TRUST is the most difficult emotion. To Rely Upon Someone Totally is the actual interpretation of this word. That’s the only reason we initially trust our family individuals. As times slips off we all come across people with multiple mindsets. The second person we choose to trust is/are our friends. One should be extra careful while choosing friends, as all the friends do not own an intention to take you to a prospectus destination.

Later, in practical moments off lives, we often tend to believe people who pretend their existence. This doesn’t mean to disbelief everyone. We simply need to develop an eye to visualize the hidden facts. All we need to do is analyse every person we coincide with. Closely look at the language and body language of each human we meet. Avoid being judgmental.

“Trust is like a mirror which if once broken can never be repaired, If somehow fixed, will always show dual faces.”

-Atiqa Hussain
Trusting Yourself
By: Viraj Acharya
Tags: Self Improvement, Instinct, Self, Trust, Self-awareness

Trusting Yourself

Photo by Alex Iby on Unsplash

We live in an age where we make a gazillion decisions on the fly each day. Some more important to the betterment of ourselves, others more trivial; some are to do with friends and family, others are just plain old broken record type decisions. But at some point, we all question our ability to make the right decision, not the popular decision, not the decision with the best financial outcome but the decision that we intrinsically feel is the right one for the situation we find ourselves in.

At some point, we question the trust in ourselves.

To overcome this lack of trust, when left untouched for extended periods, is the real challenge. When it sinks so far into our mind that we begin to believe we don’t have the fitting capacity. Every action we take, every move we make is filled with a subtext of lacking trust. To be stuck in a crossroads, based on the assumption that we are not good enough, can drive even the sharpest minds to insanity.

We perceive a lack of trust as unfavourable, yet it is a manifestation of the mind. A seed we alone have created, planted and now are realising it’s poisoned fruits. To say this is a state of indecision is false, for it would cause fragmentation leading to confusion and conflict, despair and disintegration. We have to be confident of who we are and the risks we are willing to undertake. At a fundamental level, we take a moment to recognise the trust in ourselves, the infinite reservoir of trust, the one we use every waking second of our existence.

How can we say “I don’t trust myself”?

From the moment we are conceived, we are trusting ourselves, trusting the inner intelligence of the human body to develop the fetus into a living, breathing human. From the moment we take our first breath, we trust ourselves to maintain the physiological functions of the body for the rest of our lifetime.

An intrinsic trust woven into the fabric that is our body and mind is always present.

Some call it nature; others call it instinct, sometimes it’s referred to as intuition. Ultimately, they are all describing elaborately, an ever-present confidence in oneself to act accordingly. We can never be 100% certain of the actions we take; there’s the element of risk in everything. A piece of us that thinks better of what we have done or will do. In reality, it’s an adventure; the secret to a good life has to be in the ability to take chances knowing that we have trust in ourselves.

Who wants to live in boredom, for eternity executing the easy option. Where’s the growth, the fun. Where’s the trust?
Trust
By: Jim Van Den Bos
Tags: Arm, Poetry, Amsterdam, Trust, Step

Just take it easy

One step at a time

My arm will support you

You’re not that heavy to me

Put your left foot forward

Now the right one, that’s it

Trust that I will catch you

With any mistake you make

Dare to go further

I’ll tell you where it’s safe

Imagine your roads and goals

Take the steps you want to take

My arm will be here

Lean on it if you want

I’ll be here for you

As much as you need

So do get up, out of the chair

Challenge yourself, if only a bit

Pick any goal, do it for me

Your paralyzed you, it’s killing me.
Why Life Principles Matter
By: Anshuman Sharma
Tags: Commitment To Action, Life, Fulfillment, Principles, Trust

I always believed that living a principled life is far better than not living with principles. I have certain reasons to have this belief. Let me share few fundamental truths with you.

A principled person knows himself or herself. They know the ground on which they are standing and what can they expect from themselves.

They have complete clarity in their mind about the things they will do and actions they will not take. This helps in taking firm and strong decisions. Most of the time these decisions are right.

You are saved from the regrets for taking wrong actions or the right action not taken, because that will never happen.

You become unique, as you are a part of 1% of the world’s population who can be categorized as principled.

You have a high sense of self-respect and self-esteem in your own eyes. You don’t need anybody to feel good about yourself.

You can easily earn the trust of the people, both in professional and personal life, who would be ready to work with you and commit themselves to you.

You will earn pure respect and love from other people. Generally, it is difficult to find people who are honest, have integrity and can be trusted.

You also become an extremely good learner. You learn from your mistakes and never repeat them.

You will find unending courage and willpower inside yourself, as you begin to trust your character. This will allow you to take big challenges, even the ones which look difficult or impossible.

Magically, your personality will start to shine like a bright star.

Finally, life is a balance between your sufferings and joy. Being principled will allow you to have less suffering and more joy in your life.

Start with just one principle in your life and experience the transformations it brings to you. This principle could be to always honor your words. Try it, you will not regret your commitment.
Thank you for your inspiring and thought-provoking article.
By: Real Estate Dot Love
Tags: Privacy, Bees, Real Estate, Trust, Promotion

Thank you for your inspiring and thought-provoking article. Our company’s answer to your ‘unique signal’ question is privacy. We created a feature empowering people to manage how they are contacted.

Our ‘flower conundrum’ is wanting our paying customers (agents) to connect with our non-paying customers (people) while purposefully preventing contact if a person’s 1) contact options are deselected during the sign up process (indicating a person does not want to be contacted) or 2) contact preferences are adjusted later in profile settings. A feature we call ‘private mode’.

Significant time and dollars go into making our product an ‘attractive flower’ to people, and, in turn, real estate agents. Why are we creating a feature allowing people to be unreachable? Especially in an industry where contacting people matters most?

Your article made us ask, “what’s the ‘common signal’?”

The ‘common signal’ is unfortunately data collection and exploitation. Real estate websites hoover-in customer data resulting in drip-campaigns and mass texts. However, the negative impact of this practice on consumers helped reveal the inverse or ‘unique signal’; respecting consumer privacy and contact preferences.

This positive signal, or ‘beautiful flower’ grew into giving people time and space. Providing ‘breathing room’ planted a seed of trust within the client-agent relationship that could, in turn, be nurtured and grown over time. People in ‘private-mode’ tend to reach out when ready. We found this produced greater efficiency and less stress for everyone.

Can we have a brightly coloured flower with big petals attracting agents, even though some of their clients are in ‘private mode’ and unreachable?

We are discovering agents are gaining by not contacting clients who do not want to be contacted. Period. We, therefore, curtail contacting of any person in private mode.

Positive gains for agents are occurring because happy clients are returning consistently and sharing the app. Like bees pollinating flowers, sharing our app also shares the agent (like pollen) straight to the heart of a friend, colleague, or family member who’s receiving the shared item. In other words, happy clients become “agent pollinators” when they share. And, people sign up because they feel safe and confident they won’t be spammed. Even when a person is in private mode, the agent they see in the app remains top of mind and at their fingertips, it’s just not reciprocal, until the client opens the channel to communication.

This ‘unique signal’ is creating happy people and causing a real Buzz through word-of-mouth referral for us and our real estate agent customers. 🐝
A Walk
By: Alexis Morgan
Tags: Life Lessons, Poetry, Relationships, Love, Trust

Poetry

Photo by Damian McCoig on Unsplash

I took a walk in the snow this morning.

In reality, the journey started yesterday with the snow coming down hard but leaving a landscape so peaceful I knew I had to immerse myself in it. I put on my boots and headed out into what, notwithstanding its gentle invitation, I was still a bit unsure about. Despite feeling unsteady and fearful of falling, I considered what a beautiful walk it might be, and decided that was worth the risk of anything bad that might, but likely wouldn’t, happen.

I started on the way too fast but soon realized that the walk would be much more enjoyable if I would take my time and savor every part of it. I noticed too that apparently very few others had decided it was worth the risk of falling or freezing to experience such an enchanting and worthwhile trek. I smiled realizing that perhaps I had been afforded some rare gift available only to those who dared to set out on it.

To my surprise, even in the harsh cold, generosity of kindness could be found; another's clearing of the path on which I walked the evidence of that. While that allowed me much confidence, I determined still to carefully place my feet in such a way that the beauty to be found was not carelessly destroyed; for how could I crush such loveliness?

On past walks, I had too often been distracted by the noise all around to even realize the nature of the ground beneath me. But this time, I took pause in that blissful silence to find that which seemed sure and steady; and it granted me confidence to enjoy the way all the better.

I don’t know how the walk will end; if I’ll get hurt or make it home safely. What matters is that I’ve decided to take the walk and notice, this time with very different eyes, the wonder all around me.
Fee Structure
By: Haydn Martin
Tags: Consulting, Independent Contractor, Fintech, Trust, Value Based Pricing

We take issue with the way that contractors are currently hired. Traditional fee structures fail to answer the following questions:

How do contractors know/decide how much to charge? How can companies trust unknown individuals and organisations? How can uncertainties about the project be overcome?

These uncertainties lead to a whole host of problems associated with contract work. No one wants to hire a company for 6 months without knowing if they can do the job, how long the job will take, how useful the output will be, and if they are receiving a fair price for the work.

We propose a new way of working.

Our fee structure ensures our incentives are aligned to deliver the most value possible for you while at the same time building trust and ensuring we receive equitable compensation for this value. This is achieved via two mechanisms: value-based fees and trust-based fees.

Value-based Fees

We charge depending on how much value a successful project would add to your company. This is different for every project and can only be determined after an in-depth discussion. We aim to operate with a ratio of at least 10:1 value-added vs. fee charged.

This ensures our incentives are properly aligned to adding as much value as possible to your company.

Trust-building Fees

We work in 5-day cycles with payment only being received at the end of each cycle and on the condition that we were deemed to add sufficient value over the previous 5 days.

At the end of each of these 5 days, you decide whether we have added enough value and you pay us if the answer to that question is yes and don’t if it’s no. So, if you hire us but don’t feel like we can do the job adequately after the first 5 days, no problem. We receive no payment and we part ways amicably. If you feel that the project is no longer a priority? That’s fine, stop paying us and we can both move on to a different one. Still feel as though the project is not finished? Simply continue to pay us and we will continue to work with you.

After 5 days, we present our work and you decide to pay us or not. If we are paid, we proceed with the project and work another 5 days. It’s that simple.

This has several advantages:
Regret
By: Christopher Madsen
Tags: Blue Insights, Poetry, Relationships, Anger, Trust

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