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

@GlenM

Hey first of all thanks for this amazing book. I just went through the initial pages and found it so amazing. Below are my responses:-

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

The instruction to pause and think everything in relation with our life and situation is the part I liked the most. It’s really important to have an insight of what impacts our life and how it can be better. If we don’t have the control over our life we won’t be able to help others.

2. What was a most important lesson you learned from the story of Ancora?

The most important lesson that I learnt from the story of Ancora is that, hiding the problem or running away from it is not the solution. It may give a temporary relief but is not a long term solution, instead we need to face the problem to ensure that it never haunts us again.

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 obvious that people will be scared of the pain and fear. Some will think that they’ll never be able to overcome it. The least we can do in this situation is that we can stand by their side, we can cheer them up and let them know that they are stronger than all of these, we are stronger than all of these. We need to shower care and love to spread positiveness around so that it helps everyone in being comfortable and grow stronger.

See you all in the next discussion!

Spreading love
Ash <3

@GlenM

Hello everyone 👋

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

The introduction was clear, direct and encouraging. It addressed how personal growth and development will be challenging, and inevitable. Everyone can start on a fresh slate.

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

The story emphasised the importance of love, compassion, hope and trust. Pushing yourself away from others or being alone because you don't want to open up. This hinders growth, healing and worsens your well-being.

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?

Creating a welcoming environment for anyone that is willing to open up. Letting them know that it is not a weakness to vent and share. Reaching out to others is the first step towards healing and progressing. Relating with others to show that they are not alone in their journey.

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

The one key idea that stood out the most for me in the introduction was that as we journey through the concepts in this book, we will not be judged for the life we have lived in the past. We all have a purpose in this world, and this book will provide us with a fresh start to live with that purpose and goal in mind.

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

The most important lesson that I learned from the story of Ancora was the importance of reaching out for help, especially for your overall well being. However, by isolating yourself from support groups and other resources, you will be keeping yourself in denial and forcing yourself to struggle quietly. On the other hand, by opening up to others and asking for help, you will be healing the pain that’s within you.

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 asking for help by surrounding ourselves with people we trust and care about. By being in a warm and inclusive environment, anyone can feel more confident in asking for help. A non-judgmental and empathetic community will grow and thrive, and eventually will be able to gain a greater outreach to those who need it most!

@GlenM

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

7 Cups believes that personal growth is not always easy. Life is confusing. Feeling unsure and making mistakes is what makes us human. That is how we will grow.

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

The most important lesson I learned from the story of Ancora is that it is NORMAL to ask for help. It is not shameful and embarrassing to ask for help. When we ask for help, we receive help. Then we help others. That is how people will get healed.

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 asking for help by realizing that it is okay to ask for help. We should not close our walls and stay isolated. Instead we should be open to others and show and receive compassion.

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

What stood out to me about the introduction was the amount of care shown towards each individual person who uses 7 Cups, and how hard people are working to ensure we create an inclusive and judgement-free community where everyone is welcome. It stood out that 7 Cups believes in every person and wants to work with them to grow and improve as they continue on their journey. It also showed that everyone can have a fresh start and change direction, even if they're in a difficult place or feel as if they can never change.

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

It is the people around us that matter, and our love gives us hope. Without trust, hope, and love, we can feel very alone or numb, and this makes you feel like a zombie and just autopilot through life. To avoid feeling this way, surrounding yourself with good, supportive people who want to help you grow and build you up is really important.

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 share the story of Ancora with them and explain the meaning around it, and always make sure to offer support to people so they can easily reach out. We can show positivity and kindness towards those who do ask for help so that everything can see the positive community and benefits of asking for help. Over time, asking for help becomes a part of the culture and people will feel more comfortable asking and using help to improve themselves.

@GlenM

1. The potential in ourselves to change and grow all we have to do is believe in ourselves, anyone can grow and be better.

2. It's very important to confide in each other, we sometimes need others to help, grow and heal, when we need help we reach out to someone, this way we can grow together.

3. Everybody needs help at some point, reaching out to people for help creates an atmosphere of trust, unity and shows that theyve got someone.

@GlenM

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

There was this particular passage found in the introduction that stood out to me the most: “Realize that person growth is not easy. It isn’t a straight line. Growth is challenging. It comes in fits and starts. You’ll struggle, you’ll have hard times, and sometimes things won’t make sense. This has nothing to do with you. This is just life. This is how it is”. And this passage stood out to me because it’s a really good reminder for me not to be too hard on myself while trying to accomplish my goals (personal, career, academic), especially if I am dealing with some issues that are out of my control. For instance, I am currently going through a mental health disorder while being a full-time university student. I tend to be too hard on myself for not getting enough done, not doing enough in my life, not getting the grades I wanted, etc. But now I am doing my best to take it easy and see that the adversity I am going through is part of my journey towards a successful career in the future, but also grow as an individual too. I am learning to accept any adversity that comes my way, whether there are external (e.g. poverty, disasters, death of a loved one, etc.) or internal issues (e.g. physical or mental illness, injury, etc.), and rather than blaming myself or others, I become more proactive in dealing with these issues.

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

The most important thing I learned from the story was that avoiding fear only created more fear and that trying to fix problems on your own tends to separate yourself from other people, the one true cure. By facing fear and pair with other people, this created resilience. This cure that exists between individuals is called trust, while others see it as an ability to believe that something good will occur in the near future, called hope

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?

The best way to learn and help others get more comfortable with asking for help is to experience receiving help ourselves. Need forces you to face your problems and ask for help in solving them. Once you receive this help, then you can proceed to helping others get more comfortable with asking for help.

@GlenM

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

I liked how the author was honest and very straightforward with the introduction. A part that stood out to me was how he tried to make the readers comfortable and the book, eye-catching right from the first sentence asking us to grab ourselves a cup of tea.

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

I learned that bottling things up isn't the solution. It is important to share things.

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 do that by taking the first step, by welcoming people who want to share with open arms, by being patient, kind, and understanding. By passing a branch of trust, care, and love first so the other person does the same.

@GlenM
1. What was the thing that stood out to you most in the introduction?
For me, it was that hindsight is 20/20 and we do what we can with the information we have. It's a reminder to keep moving forward and to not beat ourselves up over decisions we have made in the past if we learned from them.

2. What was the most important lesson you learned from the story of Ancora (Chapter 1)?
To not be afraid to ask for help and also to give help to others to complete the cycle of happiness through compassion. This is the aim of 7Cups and something we should try to keep in mind as listeners.

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?
Warmth, patience, and non-judgement. We should acknowledge that everyone will take different amounts of time to open up. All we can do is wait and show compassion. Slowly the person will open up and learn to trust. However, the person will not receive the help you are giving until they are ready. The process will just take time.

It is really wonderful book that teaches us how to communicate with others with love and without judgments and has a piercing vision to explain events🌱