Hot Off the Press!
Hey! Hope you are having a fabulous summer so far with plenty of sunshine and time spent with friends and family (social distancing of course!). Today I have a few ‘hot off the press’ items that I think you will appreciate. First up is my newest YouTube video ‘How to Spot a Gaslighter’ which will tell you what you need to know so you can protect yourself against gaslighting from narcissistic personality types, and secondly, I have two modern day heroes to discuss that will brighten your day.
We had two weeks up at out vacation place near Powell River, BC at the start of July and it was a much needed break! Although the weather was a bit iffy and the mosquitoes were out in force due to all the rain we had been getting, we still had a fabulous time swimming, kayaking and enjoying the natural beauty of coastal BC.
How To Spot A Gaslighter
With my vacation over I came back refreshed and ready to make a new YouTube video. Reflecting on my counselling / consulting work over the last year I realized that gaslighting had come up in several client and couple sessions and thought it would be helpful to do a video on this.
Gaslighting has been in the news a lot of late thanks to a certain US President and you have probably heard the new hit song ‘Gaslighter’ from The Chicks (formerly The Dixie Chicks). If you haven’t had a listen, check it out, as it is on fire!
Gaslighting can occur in all sorts of relationships, in romantic relationships as well as in the workplace. At times it can be extremely subtle, so in my newest video I share some ‘red flags’ behaviours and phrases to watch out for that might indicate you are being gaslit.
This is serious stuff as gaslighting = emotional abuse and so I also share the #No. 1 thing you need to do if you suspect that gaslighting is occurring in your relationship. I experienced this myself when I was in my twenties with a former boyfriend (who was very charming) and it is a difficult place to be in- disorienting and demoralizing.
True Heroes – Part I
I was having a discussion with my husband the other day about how I was feeling discouraged about the state of the world, and was disappointed with politicians in Canada and the US, and I said to my husband that there didn’t seem to be anyone to look up to these days, that everyone seemed more interested in gaining power and making as much money as possible.
However, as soon as those words passed my lips I recalled two recent events.
#1- the recent passing of U.S. politician John Lewis and,
#2 – the incendiary speech given by US House Representative Alexandria Ocasio – Cortez (AOC) as a rebuttal to the non apology she received from US House Representative Ted Yoho.
If you haven’t heard the story about AOC, Ted Yoho, in front of the press, called her a; “F*$%ing B#@%ch”.
Lovely right? (You can see why I was feeling disillusioned!)
More on that in a minute…..
First let’s get to HERO #1, Mr. John Lewis, born in 1940 in Troy, Alabama, who grew up in the era of segregation and went on to become a civil rights leader and served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Georgia’s 5th congressional district from 1987 to his death just last week.
This was a man who actually LAY HIS BODY ON THE LINE and took BEATINGS from police and racist white folk in order to further the civil rights movement. If you did not catch the Masterclass clip Oprah did on John Lewis which I posted to my personal FaceBook page I highly recommend you watch it, as it is human beings like Mr. Lewis who give us HOPE and he will be sorely missed.
True Heroes Part II- This Woman Made My Year!
Where do I start with AOC – aka HERO #2?
I’m just going to preface this with what I put on my recent Facebook post about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez where I shared this same clip (below).
As David Remnick of The New Yorker put it:
“Alexandria Ocasio – Cortez’s rebuttal should be studied for its measured cadence, its artful construction, and its refusal of ugliness”.
AOC gets ALL THE KUDOS and listening to her gives me so much HOPE for the future and I believe it will have the same effect on you!
Please listen to it in its entirety as it is a thing of beauty.
Are you with me on this?
No more will we take this kind of crap from entitled men like Ted Yoho, and Roger Williams (who stayed silent!) …and other men of their ilk – such as the current US President who has openly boasted about assaulting women.
There is NO place for this in our society.
Well, that’s it from me for today.
As we approach the last week of July 2020 I hope you and your loved ones are enjoying these lazy, hazy days of summer and that you will have a safe and sunny August.
Until next time,
xo
Elizabeth