RU OK?

How do you open conversations with friends each time you see them? I know my  ‘got to’ is asking ‘how are you?’ but do we always answer honestly? And do we really listen to each others response with compassion and kindness, or are we just waiting to get into more interesting things, like how’s work going, what did you do on the weekend, or how the kids/partner/family have been annoying us. The whole premise around RU OK day is so wonderful and so badly needed in our modern day world. We have never before been so ‘connected’ through social media, email, text message and having our phones in our hands 12hrs a day, we have a pool of people at our fingertips at every moment, however the general feeling is that we have never been so disconnected and isolated as human beings.

As social creatures we crave the company of others, community is such an important part of who we are, even for the most introverted of us it is crucial to have people we can confide in and trust.

The idea around asking someone if they are OK is not only about reaching out and helping those around us, but also goes back to the practice of compassion. When we step out of our own heads, moving away from the constant focusing on the small things that consume and concern us, we are able to relate to whomever we are connecting with, this relating on a very basic human level reminds us that we are never alone, not even in our darkest thoughts, and as human beings we all experience suffering. One of the things I love most about my work is that every day I am relating with women around me, as Mother’s, Wives and Females I listen to what they are saying and it makes me feel like I am OK, I am normal in my worries and concerns, and I am part of an amazing community who will continue to support and understand me.

If you feel you are not OK, pick up the phone and call someone, they will listen and they will help. If it seems as though you don’t have anyone, there is always someone willing to be there for you – Contact support services

Alicia xxx

And it’s ok to say ‘no, I’m not’