Greetings! Welcome to another issue of Inspiration from a Blind, brought to you by the one and only www.ShirleyCheng.com !
The big fish eats the small fish, the small fish eats the weak fish, and the weak fish eats the ill fish.
What am I referring to? No, I'm not talking about the food chain. This is what I call the bullying chain.
I am pretty sure, like me, you have witnessed the big guy bullying the small guy as the small guys does nothing to defend himself. Yet, the small guy turns around and bullies the weak guy. Like the small guy who didn't defend himself, the weak guy quivers with fear. But the next day, the weak guy becomes as much as a bully as the small guy when he meets an ill guy, who becomes this weak guy's victim.
Bullying is everywhere,—from the schools and hospitals to your own living room. Bullying comes in all forms and sizes; there is the bullying between co-workers and employers and employees, and there is the unfortunate bullying that occurs in families.
But just because there is bullying does not mean that the bullying chain should continue. And there are two ways to break the chain.
1. Defend yourself when you are being bullied, and protect those who are bullied.
People like to bully those who seem to be easy to pick on. They bully the ones who depend on them. Their bullying worsens when their victims do not fight back. So stand up tall when you are bullied. Show them that you are not an easy target and get the facts straight: that you are not dependent on them (i.e., if your boss bullies you, show him that you can quit—quitting is better than being bullied for potentially years). Many times, the bullies will back down. Trust me, bullies are people—they are scared of trouble and will not want to touch those who can fight back. Have you ever seen the big guy bullying the giant guy? No. So act like the giant guy.
When you witness bullying, defend the victim by either reporting the bullying or showing the victim how to defend himself. Bullies pick on loners, so they do not like to touch those who have allies.
2. Do not turn around and bully someone smaller or weaker than you. If you see someone who is less wealthy, less pretty, less healthy, or less intelligent, than you, do not have this thought come into your mind: "I can take advantage of this person!"
Treat everyone with equality. No matter who you meet next—a prince or a pauper—treat them both kindly in the same way. Do not look down upon the woman who hasn't washed her hair for days or has holes in her shirt. Even if you think to yourself, "Yuck!" never let your actions mirror your feelings. Treat her well; give her a generous smile, and make her feel like a princess.
Completing the above two steps will ensure the destruction of the bullying chain.
I have seen plenty of bullying, from teachers who did not treat every student the same way to nurses mistreating those who they were supposed to show their love and care, and all has saddened me. And I have witnessed the bullying chain, of the bullied victims bulling others in return.
If you hate bullying as much as I do, then be sure to put the above mentioned two steps into action to prevent and stop the bullying chain. Do not be bullied, and do not bully others.
Shirley's Corner
I am so excited to let you know that the translation of my book, Dance with Your Heart, was featured on a Vietnamese TV show called Good Morning, one of their most popular programs. From the description of it, it is similar to ABC Good Morning, America; NBC Today show; and CBS The Early Show, here in the US. It is aired on VTV1, which is the most important national TV channel in Vietnam, and has millions upon millions of viewers!
Here's what my translator, Nguyen Bich Lan, shared with me regarding the show:
"Good morning programme in Vietnam begins at 6:30 in the morning. It consists of news headlines, feature reports, some discussions and the book recommending part named "ONE DAY ONE BOOK ". This book recommending part lasts 5 minutes describing a special book to viewers with pictures and some comments."
"Here, some publishers and authors send copies of their new editions of their works to the Television station hoping that their books will be recommended in "ONE DAY ONE BOOK" . I am glad to tell you that I made no attempt to have our book included in that programme. It was chosen by the editors of the programme! And the comments are so beautiful. If my memory serves me well, I think it began with these words: 'It seems that the world has never been so beautiful as that in Dance with your heart by Shirley Cheng...'"
Well, what can I possibly say to describe how I feel?
Last month, I had a thoroughly wonderful time (even though I barely slept the entire night). I was absolutely honored and delighted to be the keynote speaker at the Celebration of the 18th Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act, a fabulous event sponsored by Taconic Resources for Independence, Inc., one of the Independent Living Centers in New York. New York Senator Stephen Saland was there to receive the Cynthia L. Burchfield Award, which is annually given to someone who advocates for the disabled.
I met some great people there. The TRI staff members, including Executive Director Cynthia Fiore, who personally invited me to speak, And President Thomas Marone, were all kind-hearted people who are truly dedicated to supporting and helping those who need their kindness the most. I was very glad to be there, and am grateful to them for having given me the opportunity to touch more people to bring humor, hope, and healing—as you all know, that's one of my life's missions.
My talk was quite well received, as I got a standing ovation. I was greatly humbled by the kind words the audience members gave me afterward. Needless to say, I've added this event to my memory book deep in my heart to treasure for many years to come.
I will be starting a "Q & A with Shirley" section in this newsletter where I will answer questions about life, so if you have any particular questions, send them to me, and I may just pick your question(s) to answer in a future issue. The topics I cover include ethics/morality/values, Christianity, spirituality, self-empowerment, overcoming challenges, and living with disabilities.
This is all for this month's issue. Remember, the entire human population is a whole big family, with the same ancestors and one Father. Keeping this in mind, we are all brothers and sisters, so never bully a sister or a brother, and always be the big sister or brother by defending a sibling when someone else in the family bullies him or her. But rest assured and rejoice—bullying will not last forever, as it will be completely abolished when the Kingdom of Jehovah God reigns over our land. That day will come, and we will be protected under the loving rule of Father and Son, the Christ Jesus!
My best goes to you!
Content Copyright by Shirley Cheng; All rights reserved
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Award-Winning Author
Miracle survivor, inspiring author and contributing author of 22 books by age 25, poet, motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, advocate, and a co-author in the bestselling Wake Up...Live the Life You Love book series
Board member of World Positive Thinkers Club
http://www.shirleycheng.com
Having a bad day? Then meet Shirley Cheng, A.K.A. the modern day Helen Keller, to inspire, empower, and motivate you to go for the gold medal in life!
"Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains. Let the ropes of hope haul you high!"
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