Course 3: PL 102 - Introduction and Story (Discussion 2)

@GlenM

1. What was the thing that stood out to you most in the introduction?

It really helped me to know that it is never too late to start a healing journey and that not everything that is cultural related is true. Thanks for believing in us and giving us the chance to heal and do progress. It's challenging, but we can do it, like so many.

2. What was  most important lesson you learned from the story of Ancora (Chapter 1)?  Â

I learned that seeking help is hard, but we must do it in order to find light, most importantly, fulfill our roles and stay away from becoming a zombie-like person.

3. How can we learn and help others get more comfortable with the idea that asking for help - or experiencing need - is a strength or a skill that we need to develop to help one another grow stronger?

Letting them know that we are a safe space, a judgment-free space where they can find support and compassion.

Sure it's a hard skill to learn, but with time and practice we can become better at it. And it's extremely important for us to learn.

@GlenM

1. What was the thing that stood out to you most in the introduction?

What stood out to me the most in the introduction was when they mentioned about the hard times and that people have rules about these that are set and agreed upon in the way people see things that isn’t always accurate. This interested me because this made me think of how people would have some collective issues such as what they’re expected to do or be and even though some of us come to learn to accept ourselves these thoughts still linger without us realizing it. Or thoughts of how life should be lived; we think we have to do certain things to get around without having the space to be creative and see what we can do around us that’ll not only get us to where we want but stronger in our own unique ways.

2. What was  most important lesson you learned from the story of Ancora (Chapter 1)?  Â

The most important lesson I learned from the story is that the real cure for the virus or what we actually call fear is to first acknowledge that we are going to have problems in our lives as a way to grow ourself and actually facing them head on alongside other people. People with power and resources think that the resources themselves will help them get away from their fears since they grow up being taught that because they already have everything they need that they shouldn’t have to be in any kind of problems. Although in reality there’s nothing, no power resources status or geography that’ll stop people from having problems and situations to solve in their lives and they’re not the only one with the kind of problems they have.

3. How can we learn and help others get more comfortable with the idea that asking for help - or experiencing need - is a strength or a skill that we need to develop to help one another grow stronger?

We can learn and help people get more comfortable with the idea of asking for help by bringing to focus what makes us human and connected to other life forms. The difference between something alive and moving and something still and unmoving. We can use visual for see these differences and how they look like next to each other. The unmoving things like furniture look nice at first and don’t see to be dealing with anything but as time goes nothing happens to them and they can only wonder if something about them can change but are stuck staying the same without any possible control. Whereas something alive such as a person animal and plant have the privilege to try different things and be affected by them and are able to see different versions of themselves and have the ability to be a part of the events instead of just looking, as the only thing the furniture can do. With these experiences and versions of themselves they’re given new skills and strengths like a character in a video game.

@GlenM

1. What was the thing that stood out to you most in the introduction?

The 7 cups poem is really beautiful. Also, the assurance that the book gives just as you start it makes it feel as if someone close to us is talking.


2. What was  most important lesson you learned from the story of Ancora (Chapter 1)?

First of all, the story is crafted very nicely and it's true that when we see things from farther away, we get a clear perspective, or in simple words, look at the bigger picture.

What I learned from the story is the ability to be a "needy" person. I can wrap my head around the fact that yes, I'm needy, I need people, I need someone to hold my hand and help me get through all my problems, and my family is actually the one that cares.

The story highlighted the reason why we are becoming more and more lonely these days, even though we have much easier ways of connecting with others. I'm thankful to the whole team of 7 cups for giving birth to this amazing book.


3. How can we learn and help others get more comfortable with the idea that asking for help - or experiencing need - is a strength or a skill that we need to develop to help one another grow stronger?

It is all a cycle. When we ask for help, we become open to support and understanding. When human minds receive care and compassion, they start to heal, eradicating the negatives and polishing the positives. Thus, asking for help is actually the first step in making ourselves the version we aspire to be. With a compassionate society, we can help each other overcome our hurdles, and enjoy the sweet fruit of patience and success.

@GlenM 1. What was the thing that stood out to you most in the introduction?

The thing that stood out to me was the confidence the writer had in the reader. Believing in a stranger we do not know anything about is something inspiring on how optimistic the writer was. I like how what the 7 cups community believes in is in the introduction. "Your life makes sense". Many people thing their problems are not significant, or they do not make sense to people, but that phrase gives a whole lot of confidence to the reader. People try to act like they are strong when they are not and act happy when they are actually sad. Assuring that it is normal is something the reader would want to here, to give them the strength is what I liked in the introduction.


2. What was  most important lesson you learned from the story of Ancora (Chapter 1)?

In the start, the story of a disease was something I did not understand on how that would be related to what 7 cups is all about. But later on, reading it made more sense. Asking for help, concern, compassion, human care is what is needed to help us deal with the problem. Distancing ourselves from the world, spending money on resources is not going to help us in our journey of overcoming the problem. Trust, hope and love is what we all need in our life. It is what is worth living for. We need to ask for help. It is for our mental wellbeing. The more we compress our problems within us the more it intensifies like in the story of rich people distancing themselves. The cycle of need, asking for help, receiving help and helping others should be adopted by everyone to maintain their mental wellbeing. Asking for help isn't wrong, isn't a sign of weakness. Human care and compassion is what we all should believe in and the way the writer brings it to light was very affecting to me as a person.


3. How can we learn and help others get more comfortable with the idea that asking for help - or experiencing need - is a strength or a skill that we need to develop to help one another grow stronger?

A skill that we need to develop is comforting nature. We need to make the other person comfortable to share their story with us. Confidentiality is something we need to work on. As a person I wouldn't be comfortable sharing my fears, sorrows with the world. I would prefer telling a person I know wouldn't reveal to the world and that is what we should aim at to make them open up. Trust is something we should develop with our members. They trust us to share, and we should live up to that trust. Asking for help is a sign of showing you want to change and that is a brave thing to do. Hiding them under a blanket or keeping them in a bag as the book said is not what we should do. Instead asking and receiving help is something we can do to come out of the difficult situation. Being compassionate and empathetic can help them open up to as and seek support

@GlenM

1. What was the thing that stood out to you most in the introduction?

Growth is tough, I already know that but it's strange how sometimes we don't see this until we read it, which is very powerful, I really liked where it talks about being on a journey and about self-acknowledgement whilst also saying that not everything is our fault, and this is just pure FACT, we can't control everything, but if we want that growth, we need to keep up the fight to freedom.

2. What was  most important lesson you learned from the story of Ancora (Chapter 1)?  Â

The Ancorans where dealing with a virus, and the community thought by locking themselves in, this would protect them, ultimately, the more we try to lock ourselves away, the virus (issues in our lives) can still get to us, we are stronger together as a community just as the Ancorans realised, in the end, they were working together to make lighter whilst more powerful work.

3. How can we learn and help others get more comfortable with the idea that asking for help - or experiencing need - is a strength or a skill that we need to develop to help one another grow stronger?

I think this can vary between person to person, but I always approach everyone as being unable to ask for help unless I see they will, because I wouldn't feel like I'm caring if I didn't, such as sending follow up or check in messages, once someone is use to asking for help and actually asks, once they see that burden lifted, they will feel more at ease asking for help next time.

We should never struggle alone, there is usually always someone else we could approach.

@GlenM

1. What was the thing that stood out to you most in the introduction?

Self-growth is not easy, and you will always have struggles to face in life.

2. What was  most important lesson you learned from the story of Ancora (Chapter 1)?  Â

It provided valuable insight about asking for help, and that we need "need" to grow and heal.

3. How can we learn and help others get more comfortable with the idea that asking for help - or experiencing need - is a strength or a skill that we need to develop to help one another grow stronger?

Gaining abilities to express trust, hope, and love can help others learn and feel more comfortable with reaching out for help. The sense of need forces one to face problems that are being experienced.

1. What was the thing that stood out to you most in the introduction?

= "Realize that personal growth is not easy." It's true, it's like birth pains except there's a part of you that doesn't want to "give birth". Our old selves remain a comfort zone so letting it go, and everything it comes with is one of the most difficult things we have to do, but is absolutely necessary.

2. What was the most important lesson you learned from the story of Ancora (Chapter 1)?

= "The need is the cure."


3. How can we learn and help others get more comfortable with the idea that asking for help - or experiencing need - is a strength or a skill that we need to develop to help one another grow stronger?

= Opening yourself up to being vulnerable is essential in growth because you are accepting other people's help and strengths in your life. Eventually, when you are healed enough or is back on your feet, you can do the same to people and it sets off a chain reaction that affects the overall ecosystem of humans.

@GlenM
1. What was the thing that stood out to you most in the introduction?
The thing that stood out to me in the introductory of this pdf is that each cup provides a different level of healing which is required in our life to heal and also important for our community to feel that 7 Cups of Tea is a place where you can sit down and have several cups of tea with a friend. It isn’t just a one-time meeting, but a conversation with someone whom you trust with anything and understand yourself better by talking and solution together.

2. What was  most important lesson you learned from the story of Ancora (Chapter 1)?
The most important lesson I have learned from the story of Ancora is that trying to escape from pain and fear, would really make it worst but also people have hard time to admit this and reach out for help. If we become ashamed of admitting that we got issues, then we cannot ask for help. If we cannot ask for help, then we cannot receive help. Without receiving real help, we may find it hard to genuinely help other people.

3. How can we learn and help others get more comfortable with the idea that asking for help or experiencing need is a strength or a skill that we need to develop to help one another grow stronger?
We can learn and help others get more comfortable with the idea that asking for help or experiencing need by being very clear and concise, approaching and asking how we can help them to feel better to make them open up to us by not forcing it. I understood that asking for help builds connections by allowing others to share their resources and this in turn shows people that you trust member's ideas, but also allows for the possibility of fresh ideas and perhaps a new perspective. Skill that we need to have it, patience, empathy, caring and good listening.