Mother Teresa....an inspiration

     I have chosen to write this blog about Mother Teresa because she made a huge impact on the lives of so many people with no desire for recognition of her actions.
     Mother Teresa was born in 1910 in Macedonia with the name Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (Mother Teresa, 2012). At the age of twelve, Agnes knew she wanted to be God's servant and at 18 became a nun with a group of missionaries in India. Mother Teresa was first utilized as a teacher in Calcutta and seeing the extreme poverty decided to devote her life to the most desperate souls. She set up schools for the poorest of poor in the slums of Calcutta and was soon joined by other volunteers. In 1950, Mother Teresa started her own order, "The Missionaries of Charity"(Mother Teresa). Over the years this order has grown to provide service and love to the poorest and most hopeless souls. There are now over one million Co-Workers in more than 40 countries following Mother Teresa's example of love and charity. Her most inspiring philosophy was; "If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one"(Mother Teresa). Her philosophy is inspirational to me because we can all start with small acts of charity. A large scale project may seem overwhelming, but by providing charitable acts for those near to you we can make a difference. I will leave you with these words from Mother Teresa:

Mother Teresa's Anyway Poem

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

[Reportedly inscribed on the wall of Mother Teresa's children's home in Calcutta, and attributed to her.]
Reference
Mother Teresa - Biography.( 2012, December). Retrieved from http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1979/teresa-bio.html

Tips to Prevent Assault

I chose to blog about this topic mainly because I firmly believe that women should be confident in their abilities to prevent assault. Women are at risk for rape, car jacking, stalking, threats and robbery among many other crimes. A woman who is 21 has a 25% risk of experiencing a violent crime in her life. Unfortunately we are at risk at home as well as in public settings. I have compiled a short list of tips I found most valuable to reduce the risk of assault inside and outside the home.

• Be aware and assertive. Pay attention to what is going on around you as well as other people's actions. Look people in the eye, this give the impression of confidence and strength.
• Don't feel like you have to be polite. Trust your instincts, if you feel something or someone is not right, leave or call someone for help
•  If you think someone is following you, turn around and get a good look at them, memorize the details of the person's appearance.
• Let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return
• Bring a friend. Shopping with another person is a good form of self defense
• Carry a police whistle, flashlight, mace or pepper spray
• If attacked call the police immediately
• Check inside and under your car before getting in and keep valuables in the trunk
• Keep your car in working order. Keep the gas tank between half and full and have it serviced regularly
• Keep a cell phone within easy reach
• At home, keep your entry well lighted, have your keys ready before reaching the door
• DON'T GIVE UP! If attacked you don't have to surrender or endure it- FIGHT, SCREAM

Reference

 A Free Guide to Women's Self Defense and Self Protection (n.d.) Retrieved from

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