All posts by Amy Jaffe

Indrani Goradia Speaks at TEDxPortOfSpain

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This week, Team ILF is thrilled to announce the public release of Indrani’s TEDx Talk from the Port Of Spain.

This was a “once in a lifetime opportunity” for Indrani to speak to the world about making spanking and corporal punishment a thing of the past, and challenges people to bring peace into their homes.

Indrani brought several ordinary household items onto the stage, such as a shovel, a hammer, a wooden spoon, and a belt.  They were portrayed as instruments of torture and weapons.  The quote from a parent such as, “I’m beating you for your own good,” is a LIE.

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Let’s stop the cycle of abuse in our communities, and we need YOUR help to make this change.  Indrani’s Light Foundation and other organizations that have a mission to end domestic violence cannot do this work alone.  It takes ALL of us to share the message and educate our generations how to discipline our children without using violence.

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Now that you have watched Indrani’s TEDx Talk (if you haven’t watched yet, scroll up and watch it now) share it with your own friends, family, and community. Post this on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter….. share with everyone!  We would love your comments and feedback below ….. what are your thoughts about this message?
 

Much love & light,
 

Team ILF

Brighter Life Bits #27: Reaching Out

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ILF_Wtagline_Logo rgbWelcome to this Brighter Life Bit segment.  For this lesson, you can listen to the original teaching at the 1 hour 14 minute mark of the Class 4 recording. You can download the audio from the ILF website here.

Reaching out and sharing your story can weaken your shame.

Exercise: After listening to this part of the recording, grab your journal or open a word document on your computer and write down what steps you need to take in order to tear down those walls of separation, and share your story.

Your exercise assignment this week: Write down your top three people who you trust…. who has earned the right to hear your story?  Write down your story if it’s safe for you to do so.  Try to practice speaking it out loud if you need to.  

Isn’t it time to give voice to your shame?

Share your experience with how this exercise worked for you in the comments of this post.

The 3 Silent Killers of Domestic Violence

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This is part five of the TEDx Talk blog series, as we countdown to the public release of Indrani’s TEDxPortofSpain Talk.

“When we speak up against violence to women and children we are faced with the undertow of the status quo. A status quo that CLAIMS the RIGHT to beat our women and children.

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We hear comments like:

This is MY woman and I can do whatever I want
This is MY child and I can do whatever I want
This is MY house and I control everybody here.

A recent survey of 800 households was done here in Trinidad and the majority of children interviewed held the belief that their parents had the RIGHT to beat them and that they expected to be beaten.

When one of us DARES to speak up about child abuse, we are faced with swimming against the tides of IGNORANCE AND THE STATUS QUO of raising children.

When we continue to speak up and against child abuse we are faced with ferocious undertows called

Culture
Tradition
Normal

These THREE silent killers are at work every minute of every day across the globe.”

CALL TO ACTION

We need your support! We invite you to click on the social media buttons that appear when you hover over the image above and share this post with your friends, family, and community.  Then ask them to share this blog.  Remember, there is someone out there that you may know who needs to see this TEDx Talk because they are suffering.  Thank you for considering this call to action.

 

With deepest gratitude,

 

 

Team ILF

 

Brighter Life Bit #26: Attributes of Empathy

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ILF_Wtagline_Logo rgbYou can listen to the original teaching at the 19:50 minute mark of the Class 4 recording. You can download the audio from the ILF website here.

The attributes of empathy are defined. After listening to this part of the recording, grab your journal or open a word document on your computer and write down the four attributes of empathy.

Listen to Indrani’s example on the recording.

Do you see how you can see the world through someone else’s eyes?

Your exercise assignment this week: Find a “low intensity” situation with someone you don’t know (i.e., a cashier at the store, someone standing in line, maybe a neighbour you don’t know well).  Strike up a conversation and look for an opportunity to practice some language around an empathetic situation.

Share your experience with how this exercise worked for you in the comments of this post.

The Clock is Ticking …. TIC TOC

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The countdown to the public release of her TEDx Talk continues!  Here is part four of an excerpt of Indrani’s TEDxPortofSpain Talk!

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“By the way, the clock is ticking to count how many women and children will be abused by the end of my talk.

…. Every time a hand is raised to strike someone a question must be asked WHY? Why do we insist on passing on the disease of pain and violence to the most vulnerable?

My task today, in these precious few minutes, is to empower you to go home to your communities and families and STOP the violence to women and children.

Now before we continue, please hold up your hand if you know someone who has been beaten or violated?

Please look around, to see the prevalence of abuse in our communities.”

CALL TO ACTION

We need your support! We invite you to click on the social media buttons that appear when you hover over the image above and share this post with your friends, family, and community.  Then ask them to share this blog.  Remember, there is someone out there that you may know who needs to see this TEDx Talk because they are suffering.  Thank you for considering this call to action.

With deepest gratitude,

Team ILF

LABL Podcast 019: Soul Mapping with Lissa Boles

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ILF_Wtagline_Logo rgbWelcome to Episode #19 of the Live a Brighter Life Podcast!

In this episode of the Live a Brighter Life Podcast, Indrani speaks with Lissa Boles. You will learn:

  • How to recognize your higher work?
  • What is your inner and outer work
  • Doing your higher work will make you joyful
  • What can happen if you lose joy in your work

Indrani looks at how she can use this teaching in helping women who are suffering domestic violence.

lissa-bolesA little about Lissa Boles

Everything she creates is designed to help you do three things:

1. Find your purpose.
2. Grow your business.
3. Fulfill yourself completely.

When all three pieces converge, your role on the planet becomes supercharged. It’s like plugging into a cosmic socket. Visit Lissa’s website at www.thesoulmap.com

 

[powerpress]

Brighter Life Bit #25: How to Build Shame Resilience

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ILF_Wtagline_Logo rgbYou can listen to the original teaching at the 15:30 minute mark of the Class 4 recording. You can download the audio from the ILF website here.

What is shame resilience? After listening to this part of the recording, grab your journal or open a word document on your computer and answer the following question:

“Have you recognized a shame experience this week? If so, what is coming up for you?”

How can you build shame resilience? Use the antidote called EMPATHY.   As you listen to the recording, do you believe you are a “giver” and “receiver” of empathy?  What comes up for you?  Write it down.

Share your experience with how these exercises worked for you in the comments of this post.

Children Who Are Abused Go On To Abuse

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Here is our continuing blog series of excerpts of Indrani’s TEDxPortofSpain Talk.  The public release of her entire TEDx Talk should be available soon.  Until then, here is the third excerpt from Indrani’s TEDx Talk:

“Jails are full of people who were abused as children.

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Our personal pain and inherited cultural ignorance must never be passed onto our beautiful and vulnerable children. Children need to feel cherished.

…… Boys who receive abuse go on to abuse their wives and their children. They think violence is love.

Girls who receive abuse go on to expect and accept abuse and to abuse their children, they think abuse is love.

They grow up to parrot another one of the Living Lies…when they are struck with force and fury, they are told …

This hurts me more than it hurts you…, This Is A Lie!”

CALL TO ACTION

We need your support! We invite you to click on the social media buttons that appear when you hover over the image above and share this post with your friends, family, and community.  Then ask them to share this blog.  Remember, there is someone out there that you may know who needs to see this TEDx Talk because they are suffering.  Thank you for considering this call to action.

With deepest gratitude,

Team ILF

 

Ordinary Household Items Becoming Instruments of Torture

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In the last blog, we promised you an excerpt of Indrani’s TEDxPortofSpain Talk every day until the public release of her entire talk in the coming weeks.

Here is the second excerpt from Indrani’s TEDxPortofSpain Talk:

TOOLS OF TORTURE.

“I had the great fortune to speak to a group of young people here on the Island …all top students from the best schools.

I asked them they were experiencing violence at home. EVERY one raised their hand.

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I then asked what weapons were being used…

Here is a short list

  • LARGE SPOONS
  • SHOES
  • BELTS
  • HANGERS
  • SHOVELS

ORDINARY HOUSEHOLD ITEMS BECOMING INSTRUMENTS OF TORTURE.”

CALL TO ACTION

We invite you to click on the social media buttons that appear when you hover over the images above and share this post with your friends, family, and community. Then ask them to share this blog.  Remember, there is someone out there that you may know who needs to see this TEDx Talk because they are suffering.  Thank you for considering this call to action.

With deepest gratitude,

Team ILF

Brighter Life Bit #24: The Wash of Shame

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ILF_Wtagline_Logo rgbYou can listen to the original teaching at the 1 hour 15 minute mark of the Class 3 recording. You can download the audio from iTunes here  or from the ILF website here. 

The “Wash of Shame” comes from the work of Brené Brown. Here is how it works.

Exercise: 

Let’s “Go to the movies” like we did in module 1.

Think of a “medium intensity” event that happened in your childhood, as a young adult, or maybe something that happened yesterday.  Put yourself there again.  Watch it like you’re at the movies. What was the weather like? What were you wearing? What did you smell? Were you inside or outside? Who was there?

Answer these questions:

  • “I physically feel shame in my …..” (name a part of your body).
  • “I know I’m ashamed when I feel …..”
  • “If I could taste shame, it would taste like ….”
  • “If I could smell shame, it would smell like ….”
  • “If I could touch shame, it would feel like ….”
  • Look at your responses…. This is YOUR “Wash of Shame.”  

The first step is to acknowledge your shame. Share your experience with how these exercises worked for you in the comments of this post.