The Social Media Kindness Project

The Social Media Kindness Project
by: Talin Orfali Ghazarian

Social media has become a big part in today’s society and some people use it for goodness, positive and inspiration, but others not so much. Some people tend to use social media in a negative and toxic way to spread hate, bullying, rudeness, and sending terrible comments to anyone. As previous generations have taught “If you have nothing nice to say or do, do not say or do anything at all”. That is the golden rule.

So, with that I have come up with the social media kindness project. You have no idea what someone is going through in their lives. It is always a good idea to be kind and use social media in empowering and positive ways. This is going to take a village to do. Social media needs a big makeover and we need to start somewhere.

I cannot believe that we have to teach people proper behavior and how to act these days, but we have to. It has become too much and has gone way out of hand. We are not perfect and we do mistakes, but being rude and unkind is not a mistake. It is a bad habit and we need to eliminate it as much as we can.

Social media should be a place where we can be free to post pictures, updates, videos, status updates, stories, ideas, opinions and suggestions. It should be used to get us out of our daily life and to unwind, have fun and share a bit of our lives, but not to the point where it can be misused.

Now, here are instructions of what we can do together to build a safer and happier community online:

• If you see unkind, rude and horrible comments made by somebody in any group, pages, or to an individual person, report it to the social media outlet that it is found on, and then if you are able to, send that person a private message to teach them kindness and to point out what they did wrong in a civil way. Remember, we are trying to make a difference and be kind to unkind people, so that they can hopefully learn from their mistakes.
• Vulgar language, inappropriate posts, swearing, threats and other profanity should have no place on social media, especially when shared with people of all ages from children to elderly. Respect each other and create a safe and enjoyable place for everyone.
• If you see bullying happen, someone being made fun of, being humiliated and ridiculed, step up, report it, take screenshots, record everything, time, date and names involved in the bullying and then find out who you can send the information to. If the situation becomes to the point where authorities need to be contacted, please do. Silence is not the answer. It could save lives, it could prevent from further escalation of the situation.
• We are all entitled to our opinions and how we feel, but there are all kinds of personalities and people in all walks of life online and we need to be general as can be, and we cannot discriminate. There needs to be 0 tolerance in racism, making fun of someone’s color, orientation, religion, beliefs and how they live their lives. We are all human and deserve love, respect and being treated equal, and fairly.
• Everybody needs a friend, we all need to feel included, to feel welcome, and be amongst people who care, who needs good advice, love, and being in diversity with all kinds of people. We need to give people positive empowerment.
• Some people have lived in a toxic lifestyle with nothing but negativity and bad days in their lives, and we need to make sure that these people can be in a place in their lives where they can count on us and it is important to mean it to make them feel better, to take them out of that negativity to be there for them in great ways, to mentor them and to let them know they are not alone and they can come to us at anytime.
• Social media is open 24/7 365 days a year and there are people in every time zone, It will be amazing and so incredibly beautiful to see social media blossom like flowers to see a fun place for us all to enjoy, be safe and to use it wisely.

This is not some kind of chain letter or those copy and paste posts. This is authentic and very real. This project is very important. I have seen so much as a person who has used social media, since it began before the MySpace days, Asian Avenue and all that. It has been a long time. I have seen a lot of rude and unkind people online and it is very disturbing. We need to combat and make a difference in people’s lives. So important.

What do you think should be done? What are your opinions or suggestions or other measures we can take to get this project underway? Would love to hear from you in the comments below.

This Kindness project will help billions of lives online, and it will make this world a better and safer place. Let’s do this, and let’s start to get things back on track. Now, are you with me on this?

I cannot do this without you. I would appreciate it. Thank you.

Book Smarts Vs. Street Smarts

Intelligence Vs. Education
Logic and common sense

I’d rather have street smarts, intelligence, logic and common sense. Yes, people go to school to get educated, get all these fancy degrees and all that, gain knowledge about mathematics, science, biology, English, and other subjects, people have this perception that if they do not earn high marks in school that they are not smart or anything, and then lose all the confidence in the world to try to prove a point. To me, those numbers mean nothing. Every person has their own ways of learning and at their own pace. Each person is great at something. What I look for in an individual is that they have intelligence, the know-how, common sense and logic in reality. Those are the most important things in life. Not a number. being book smart doesn’t determine if you are street smart. That must come within yourself and of course from the teachings of your past teachers, teachers assistants, family and friends.

I am not saying that book smart people don’t have the intelligence and common sense, and all that. That is not my intention to say that at all.

I went to grade school, high school and college, and my biggest strength was English class, social studies, civics, writing and reading. I did bring high marks and excelled in that above the 90’s. Other subjects did not seem to get me motivated to learn it.

A lot of people knew I had it in me to write and there were a few teachers I had that said, “Talin, you will go places in your life with your writing, creative writing”. She also stated “Talin, I know in my heart that you will make a difference in this world, do not worry about others who have bullied you emotionally and mentally”. Do what you love doing and do not worry about trying to prove a point with bringing high marks”.

Now, look where it is has got me. I have almost 2, 500,000 followers of my writings, my blog site worldwide in all of social media combined, University Professors from the US are using my words and my craft to use in their lectures and more. I’d rather make a difference in the world, use logic, common sense than having those fancy/schmancy degrees and trying to boast, and impress people, but it is not good to brag to people constantly about it.

Life is Like A Journey On A Train

Life is like a journey on a train…
with its stations…
with changes of routes…
and with accidents !

By: Mark Anthony – http://www.evidenceofeternity.com/blog/life-is-like-a-journey-on-a-train/

🚂🚋🚋🚋🚋
We board this train when we are born and our parents are the ones who get our ticket.
🚂🚋🚋🚋🚋
We believe they will always travel on this train with us.
🚂🚋🚋🚋🚋
However, at some station our parents will get off the train, leaving us alone on this journey.
🚂🚋🚋🚋🚋
As time goes by, other passengers will board the train, many of whom will be significant – our siblings, friends, children, and even the love of our life.
🚂🚋🚋🚋🚋
Many will get off during the journey and leave a permanent vacuum in our lives.
🚂🚋🚋🚋🚋
Many will go so unnoticed that we won’t even know when they vacated their seats and got off the train !
🚂🚋🚋🚋🚋
This train ride will be full of joy, sorrow, fantasy, expectations, hellos, good-byes, and farewells.
🚂🚋🚋🚋
A good journey is helping, loving, having a good relationship with all co passengers…
and making sure that we give our best to make their journey comfortable.
🚂🚋🚋🚋🚋
The mystery of this fabulous journey is :
We do not know at which station we ourselves are going to get off.
🚂🚋🚋🚋🚋
So, we must live in the best way – adjust, forget, forgive and offer the best of what we have.
🚂🚋🚋🚋🚋
It is important to do this because when the time comes for us to leave our seat… we should leave behind beautiful memories for those who will continue to travel on the train of life.”
🚂🚋🚋🚋🚋
Thank you for being one of the important passengers on my train… don’t know when my station will come… don’t want 2 miss saying: “Thank you”

Word’s From Andy Rooney – I’ve Learned

I absolutely love Andy Rooney’s sayings. He teaches people a lot about life and so many other things.

Take two minutes to read these sayings and be sure to read all the way to the bottom:

Written by Andy Rooney, a man who had the gift of saying so much with so few words. Rooney used to be on 60 Minutes t.v. show.

I’ve learned ….
That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I’ve learned ….
That when you’re in love, it shows.

I’ve learned ….
That just one person saying to me, ‘You’ve made my day!’ makes my day.

I’ve learned ….
That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I’ve learned ….
That being kind is more important than being right.

I’ve learned ….
That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I’ve learned ….
That I can always pray for someone when I don’t have the strength to help him in any other way.

I’ve learned ….
That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I’ve learned ….
That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I’ve learned ….
That simple walks with my father around the block on summer
nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I’ve learned ….
That life is like a roll of toilet paper.
The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I’ve learned ….
That we should be glad God doesn’t give us everything we ask for.

I’ve learned ….
That money doesn’t buy class.

I’ve learned ….
That it’s those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I’ve learned …
That under everyone’s hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I’ve learned ….
That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I’ve learned ….
That when you plan to get even with someone,
you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I’ve learned ….
That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I’ve learned ….
That the easiest way for me to grow as a person
is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I’ve learned ….
That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I’ve learned ….
That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I’ve learned …
That life is tough, but I’m tougher.

I’ve learned ….
That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I’ve learned ….
That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I’ve learned ….
That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her
one more time before she passed away.

I’ve learned ….
That one should keep his words both soft and tender,
because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I’ve learned ….
That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I’ve learned ….
That when your newly born grandchild holds your little
finger in his little fist, you’re hooked for life.

I’ve learned ….
That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain,
but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.

I’ve learned ….
That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

The Disrespectful Generation

What a rude and disrespectful new generation of teens we have today. I was standing in line at Tim Hortons coffee shop to order, and out goes these 3 teenagers who came in together from a nearby high school with their backpacks and without even saying excuse me to me, they charged their way through to get in front of me, shoving me and my handbag to the side where there were other people behind me too. I said, excuse me you all budded in front of others and myself and nearly tipped me over. The back of the line starts there. I said wait like the rest of us are.

They said to me, isn’t this a line too? I said No, go behind the line. If you want to get by next time say excuse me or something or better yet, don’t bud in line when others are waiting to order too. I don’t think it is fair at all. Who do you think you guys are? I said to them learn to show respect to others, some manners and proper etiquette and common sense, then I ordered my drink and out I went and then I went by them again before I left to my car, I saw them look down on their smartphones and not even looking at each other and I said put your smartphones down and get some real intelligence and smarts and learn how to behave, then I walked right out. I am not afraid to confront these type of people.

They need to be taught these qualities and nowadays there is not enough interaction, and some of these people lack in social skills and manners of which they were not taught, or they are taught and think that they are invincible and think they can do whatever they please because they are young and under 18. Shouldn’t work that way at all. Manners, respect, Attitude,  etiquette, common sense should be enforced and taught to people at all ages. If these people are not taught these qualities when they are little toddlers to little kids by 5-6 years old, then they will grow up thinking it is okay to treat people this way and bud in the line and think its socially acceptable, but it is not. I am disgusted by some of these teenagers these days and whoever else, doesn’t matter the age.

I was taught at a very young age before I was 4 years old to learn to respect others, manners, and proper etiquette. It all starts when you are very young. That will stick with you for the rest of your life. I know we are all born with different personalities, but our personality grows with how our parents, guardians, care-givers teach us about quality of life instead of quantity.

Respect to be Respected,
Be nice so people be nice to you,
Be kind so people be kind to you,
it is as simple as that.

Has Television lost its way?

In the last little while I have not tuned into watching television much and somehow it doesn’t interest me anymore like it used to. So many years back I was glued to it, watching so many different shows and everything else, however recently, something is preventing me from touching the remote control and resorting to social media and getting my news from the internet, communicating online, as well as how busy my life has become outside the virtual world.

Now the question is, has television lost its way? I seem to think so. Nowadays, there isn’t quality content like there used to be. Before this whole stream of reality shows, violence, adult content, coarse language, discretion advised warnings and the string of nothing but bad news has been broadcasted and I just cannot seem to watch anymore of it. I probably spend about an hour or 2 a week watching television with the exception of a few special shows which make me tune in a bit longer, however after that it becomes boring, repetitive and then my TV is shut off. A lot of bad influences come from television and the shows being produced now. Things that teens, children, youth and young adults are tuning in and that is where it becomes dangerous. They think and see it on television, so they thing its alright to do it in real life.

Back before even the 70’s, 80’s, early 90’s, you’d see great quality family values always being implemented, you’d see clean and very well thought of shows that you never got bored of, people were entertained for hours watching their favourite icons play their part, you’d see appropriate clothing, appropriate topics discussed and teaching life lessons to people of all walks of life, things that never offended or hurt anyone, shows that are still discussed up until today from people who grew up in those years.

There is just a couple of good things that are on television now, like the game shows and a few of those sitcoms, award shows, and special events. That is all I tune into. Do you think that TV has certainly changed in the last 20-25 years? I think so. I think it is getting worse and not better. I am glad the TV show reruns are showing at least.

Do you give yourself a time limit to watch?

I’d rather do something more productive like writing, communicating with friends and family, going out, cleaning, cooking, going out to the malls, going out seeing people, doing more hands on crafts, reading, being on the internet and learning so many new things, making new friends online, and so much more.

Do you watch television much? Do you tend to stay away from it?
What are your thoughts?

The Purpose of Blogging – Why do we do it?

In the past few blog posts with the subject of communication and along the lines of what is relative to that, the way we feel, how we get our words and points across to the world and how we do it to reach out to others, and to share with the world our points of view, opinions, suggestions, to raise awareness on issues, to advertise, promote, social issues, recipes, tips, organizational ideas, simplifying life and so much more. We all have our own perspective and our own purpose when blogging and writing about our life. The question is why do we do it? Why do we spend time with writing? Why do we post our blog entries?

To answer those questions is quite simple. We all have a voice and existence in this world and there is just so many stories, journeys, experiences, moments, memories, being helpful, useful and beneficial information about life, travel, food, the holidays, situations, issues to address to the world and things that happen to us to share, to give our insight, and so much more. We spend time writing is because it gives us a boost, and the most important thing is how we feel, and how we want to communicate to the world. Blogging is a therapeutic yet rewarding feeling. It is like writing in our diary, but a virtual diary that we want to post public. We post blog entries to contribute something, an idea and something to share with the world.

Now with this being a virtual diary, there comes responsibility and thinking before we press the post button. There are private issues and things that should not be published of real private matters in ones home, in ones personal life. back in the day and maybe until now people have a personal and private diary, and I am sure you do not want certain people to open it up and unlock your diary of real personal things that you do not want people to see, its almost like the same thing with public blogging. You do not want to post private matters for the world to see, so always be mindful and think before you post something so personal.

Never keep your blogging private. It defeats the whole purpose of writing and expressing to the world. If you want to keep some of your writings private, make a diary, and keep it for yourself in hiding, but hiding a blog is pointless. Somehow no matter how private a blog is, somehow it can always be seen in a way.

Never stop blogging, never stop writing and most importantly never lose your purpose and perspective on why you started blogging in the first place. Never give up what you enjoy doing, never ever let anybody tell you to stop doing what you are good at. Well, nobody is perfect, however that should not define anything. You are in control of your own destiny, your own goals you want to attain from blogging and writing to the world. Remember you do not have to be a perfect blogger, its how you feel and what you want to accomplish. The beauty of blogging is something that is indescribable and the future of journal writing which is now.

So, what is your purpose? Why do you do it?

Communication Style – What is your Type?

As we go through life from the moment we are born, communication is and will always be a vital asset in our day-to-day lives. We need communication when we speak to our family members, boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, husband, partners, groups, friends, colleagues, our bosses, fellow students, teachers, traveling, in social media, sending e-mails and so many different types of communication.

I attended a seminar “Inspire For Tomorrow” at my Armenian Community center and it was about communication, and I learned so much in a couple of hours. It put things into a new perspective, it gave me new light, new ways to deliver our speech, our stories, and so much more. There are several ways you can communicate, but here are 4 styles of communication, that I have observed in my life and my thoughts on it all:

—————————————-

– The Driver — Someone who is direct, to the point, detail oriented, who speaks their mind, who produces results, attaining goals, gets into competitive situations, taking charge and being in control, wasting no time to beat around the bush.

– The Relater — Someone who cares about a situation, who can connect with others by thinking of the other person first, who’s relationships and friendships mean the world to a person, someone who is relaxed, and feel cared for, becoming silent, introspective and withdrawn, being helpful, coinciding with others, comforting others.

– Analyst — One who always seeks data, second guesses people, making decisions after analyzing a situation, testing people, giving people to focus on interpersonal and communication skills, those who despise making mistakes, double-checking everything, not being able to trust situations and people until doing further research on a person.

– Expresser — Someone who recognizes emotions, who expresses feelings, and what that person wants to say, the over sharing person who keeps on talking, and beats around the bush, making a small story into a big one, gets excited, giving feedback, boring people because of overusing communication, explaining ideas to the core then saying things out of turn which then makes it into an argument and problems can arise of sharing too much information.

———————————————–

All those 4 styles have good and the bad, but we must find a way to be consistent when we communicate with others, using the right tone, words, following up with someone privately about something that you feel is gone wrong, not announcing it in a public, group setting, taking up issues with the person directly, instead of involving others in the mix. People will appreciate it when someone brings the other person to the side and discuss with them a problem, situation or something going on, then finding a solution to the problem, solving whatever issue, and finding the right words, tone to express those feelings.

We must always think about how we are going to present ourselves, no matter where you are, whether it is about self-regard, being assertive, emotional self-awareness, self-actualization, independence. It could be a beautiful thing, but it is in the way we utilize it all.

Communication is a never-ending learning process, and nobody is perfect and makes mistakes, however to always learn from them and progressing to do better, to improve in relationships, friendships, is something that is imperative. If you believe you have made a mistake, do not worry, focus on the future and make it better, improve the way you speak to others, always ask for advice, always have a mentor, someone whom you can talk to a person whom you can trust if you are unsure of how to deal with a situation if you are unsure yourself. It is always good to ask, then to stay silent.

Always be confident, express your ideas to others, be in communication, always tell a person how you feel about something without offending them. There is always a way to go around it. How do you normally handle situations that are presented to you? What have you learned from it all?

Why is communicating and expressing yourself so important? Everyone has a voice, everyone has something to contribute to the world, that is why everyday in technology, and things of the world are being invented, new innovations, new concepts, context, perspectives, theories, discoveries are being made across the world, because many people communicate, and want to get out what they feel is right for the benefit of the world and its people. Each one of us can make a difference in this world, and communication is one of them and we begin just doing that. Without that everyone would not have a voice and this world cannot continue to move forward. That is exactly why Communication is key and so important in our daily life.

So no matter how we express ourselves, the most important thing is the way we do it and a way where it will not hurt others, and where we can find common ground with everything in our lives.

How do you communicate? What is important to you to get across to others? Best wishes to you in your journey. We can all do something positive, say great things and to avoid messy situations, by just changing our tone and the way we communicate.

Never Apologize for The Way You Feel

A lot of the times in life we go through many feelings, emotions, and sometimes we tend to apologize for what we are feeling and telling people our emotions. You have every right to feel what you are feeling, You never have to explain yourself to anybody. Never be ashamed of your feelings. I know they say that you have to express your feelings everytime and tell people exactly how you feel, however sometimes you cannot control feelings, you cannot explain the way you feel due to a certain situation. I know no matter what you have to tell someone how you feel, and not keep anything inside of you, but some circumstances say otherwise. It depends on the person and whom you can confide into easily.

If you keep on living your life on other peoples terms and the way they want you to feel, the way they want you to live your life always telling you what to do, forcing, commanding you to do something is not somebody you want to associate with. Find the path and the people who can relate to you, do what you feel is right for you. Sometimes you need to get out from the norm, and do what is best for you. If you keep on living your life to please others, to always try and impress others, to always keep proving yourself and working hard for other peoples approval, you are not going to get anywhere in life and all you are going to do is just live for other people.

Sometimes you need to put your foot down and say, okay enough is enough. People talk so much about you and your life, gossip, spread rumors, put words in your mouth and what you should do with your life, however sometimes people need to look at themselves in the mirror first before they point fingers, criticize and belittle you. Some people have nothing better to do, than talk smack about other people, when they need to sort out their life and what they need to do. Remember nobody full knows you and about your personal life and what you are going through, and you never have to explain yourself to nobody.

Ignore people who talk so much bogus about you, and ignore people and block them out of your life. Life is too short. Be happy, be you, live your life on your own terms and your own comfort, and do not worry about anything else. People are always going to judge and point fingers. Don’t let it affect you and your life, well-being and who you are. True, compassionate and understanding people will be there for you every step of the way without explaining yourself. Remember others opinions of you, do no matter. Its how you make an opinion of yourself that matters. As long as you feel good about yourself and bring yourself up with good thoughts, confidence, the way you are is what matters the most.

People will always do and say mean things, but never let that take control of yourself.

I have realized a lot of things in the last little while, that you cannot expect people to understand you, your feelings and be on the same page as you, not everybody will be your friend and agree with you. I recommend that people should never stop being themselves, be who you are, feel what you want to feel. In the end we are all human beings in this world, we do make mistakes, we do wrong in social issues, we tend to sometimes associate with people whom we always have to try to fit in, do things to stay in the loop, however you never need to try to fit in, try so hard, and try to stand out, because there will be people who will appreciate you for you and there will be people who will love and cherish you and the memories shared and will share in the present and the future.

Wishing you the best with everything and remember never apologize for the way you feel. Always be thankful and just go on with life. There is only so much you can do and life will never give you more than you can handle.

Ways that We Can End The Cycle of Bullying

Since I was a child up until High School, I was emotionally and mentally bullied and I know what it is like to be hurt so badly, being put down, always making fun of me because I was different then everyone else and it was the most toughest times of my life. I didn’t have friends, I didn’t have what others had when they were with each other in groups when I felt left out and being an outcast 99.9% of the time. They were moments that I will never forget, no matter if I have moved on or not. It sticks with you, however I have learned to live past it and began doing positive things in life, to move forward and to stop dwelling on the past. I have been taking a lot of new approaches to this matter and I am going to begin my own social group where people come together from all walks of life and make new friends, interact with others and just figure things out, hear other peoples perspectives on social issues.

There is always a solution and some form of ways to end this terrible cycle going on. Bullying is a very serious problem and it does need to be rectified as soon as possible. It is enough of torment, disgusting behavior that needs to be addressed quickly before it escalates even further.

Now here are ways that we can all come forward to end bullying:

– Creating small, intimate, or large social groups amongst you’re community for those who want to make friends and gather together to create a lovely group of individuals who can relate to one another, creating activities, discussing issues, doing fun, interactive, communication, group work.

– In this modern day society the importance of making it a mandatory course/subject that must be taken and taught in schools and institutions, also the workforce on the prevention of bullying, cyber bullying, social media safety, communications course which should teach students/workers what not to do, what not to say to their fellow peers/colleagues.

– Teachers, Parents, Guardians, School Guidance Staff, School Principals, and as well as outside of school grounds must always be involved in securing our schools, Implementing tougher penalties, more 0 Tolerance in Schools and also the workforce of any type of bullying that should not be allowed, suspension and expulsion.

– tell a person you trust about your feelings, what you are going through and never keep it inside you. Always tell someone you can confide into. Do not wait long to tell someone. In fact tell someone right away.

– Advocate and be proactive in this issue, write to your local papers, attend meetings, start a blog, use social media as a powerful tool to send messages, hashtags globally and come up with your own ways to prevent bullying

– Read up on inspirational quotes, save them on your computer, print them out and scatter positive, happy quotes where you can see them easily, and begin the journey to a happy road ahead.

– Always surround yourself with positivity, good people, do happy things for yourself, and stay away from negativity.

We are on the right road and path to make bullying history, and to look forward to a positive, happy and bright tomorrow. So start today, you can make a difference in someone’s life. No matter how old they are. Bullying has no age as it happens to kids, teens, young adults, youth, adults, and the elderly. Lets end this cycle now.

— If you have more ways to prevent bullying, write them below in the comments section. Thank you.

The Beginning of My Own Social Group of Positivity

Hi Everyone,

This has been on my mind for quite a while now, Every 2 weeks in the Toronto Area GTA(Greater Toronto Area), I want to gather a group together to discuss modern day issues, social issues, those who have been bullied, struggling with second guessing things and not being able to trust easily, How no one is perfect and making mistakes in our lives in social issues is proof that you are trying and bettering yourself for the present and for the future.

The purpose of this group is to strive for courage, positivity, growth and optimism about life, building confidence in speaking out, getting together to make new friends, meeting people from different paths in life and getting to know each other, accepting each other for who each person is, to share ideas and more.

I am not perfect as I have made mistakes too, however those mistakes should not define who a person is, because in the end we’re human. Life is too short to dwell on past mistakes. Especially in social settings. You live and learn. Thoughts on Moving forward, learning lessons in life, reading encouraging, inspirational quotes, and discussing about the deeper meaning to them. being positive and moving on with life is very important as were heading to that direction. Not backwards.

In the coming weeks, I will be working on setting up a place to gather around, which day to gather and so on and so forth. So if you are in the Toronto, Canada area and vicinity and would like to join in, would love to have you and to meet you. This is very important to me, I am passionate about making a better tomorrow for everyone, and gathering people together is what it is all about. I am anticipating, looking forward to a great turn out of people, and to make a difference.

 

Check back soon on the dates, times and the location of the gathering.

Hopefully I will get to meet some of my readers as well.

What are your thoughts? Do you think its a great idea to meet every 2 weeks? Or should this be a weekly event?

I want to Learn More Languages

Since I have been traveling in my life many times, especially in Spanish-speaking countries and tropical places, for many years now, I want to learn and perfect Spanish. As I go to all-inclusive resorts and I speak basic Spanish with the workers there and the locals when I leave the resort to go shopping and meet people on the streets, I want to take courses and learn Spanish from the internet as well, so as I can communicate with them with no language barriers. I only go as far as How Are you, Hello, hope all is well and all that, as well as saying thank you, However I am learning more and more as I go to these Spanish-speaking countries which is something that makes me feel awesome.

I think the more languages you know the better it is. I know 3 languages now which is Armenian, English and a lot of French. I want to learn different dialects of Spanish as well, and Arabic, German and a few others, however I want to begin with Spanish. I love to learn new things all the time and discover the world and have a universal language.

Knowing different languages and about the world, geography, and everything is so important to me. I love being aware of the world, and what goes on, and where countries are, what they speak and everything. It is so intriguing, and interesting to know. I just do not get involved in my own country and everything, I like to broaden my horizons and know the world, study maps, and places, which is why when I go somewhere I learn it right away and I am so observant about the streets and everything. All it takes is one time for me, and everything else falls into place.

It is also good to know more languages because then when you are somewhere and you hear people talking, you can understand what they say. Hopefully it will not be bad and something terrible said about me or anything. I remember one time I was in a store and I was going through the aisles, then I started talking in my language, Armenian not knowing the people in the same aisle were also Armenian, so I spoke with my mom and asked her in my language if you want to get this and what were going to use it for, then automatically both of those people said, OH Your Armenian? We said yes, then we began speaking to each other, then we became instant friends. Thank goodness we did not say anything bad or whatever, that would have been so awkward and it would not have been a good thing, so were always careful.

That is why it is always a good idea to always speak good things or whatever else that is not about the people around you in your own languages, because you never know, they may know the same language, and be of the same race, and then if something bad is said, it will not be a good thing. I truly believe that learning languages is an incredible thing. Many people find employment as translators and then they find many new opportunities and make a lot of money, they travel and do so much. I really should have gotten into that a long time ago, but it’s not too late. 🙂

How many languages do you know?

I Have Found My Mentor, My Guardian Angel

Since joining the social media world and more particularly Facebook, I have come across incredible, awesome and lovely people. Some whom I have met face to face, and some I have yet to meet. We are always in constant communication which is so lovely. It is great to encounter and chat with people, to make friends and to be in a total new interface of communication taking it to the next level. Once you meet a friend you met through a social media outlet face to face, its such a great experience that knowing you kept talking to that person with your fingers doing the typing, and now seeing them is a total different ball game. It is awesome how the world gets smaller.

However, there is this one person whom I have been friends with for about 3-4 years now, and we communicate on a weekly basis and, the reason why I call that person my mentor and guardian angel is because that person is one, which I am so glad to have met also. My guardian angel told me to never let anybody get to you, never let others belittle you and bring you down. That person has told me to always be happy in life, keep smiling, enjoy, laugh and live life to the fullest extent. Life is too short to be sad and dwell on the past.

At one point I had to open up to someone about what I am feeling and all those miserable feelings of that past that kept on haunting me with all that bullying toward me and everything going on when I was growing up. It was not a pleasant thing to go through with my peers at school emotionally and mentally bullying me to the point where I was not able to defend myself, with not being able to stand up for myself and back myself up in situations that I could not control. I just did not have the answers. Then those answers came to me and my mentor really came to me at the right place and at the right time. Everything was so timely. I just couldn’t believe it, but it did happen and its something I am ever so grateful for.

This person said to me, to never worry about what others think of me, as long as what you think of yourself which is the most important thing. That person said the more you worry and care about what others think, that is time wasted, when you could be focusing on positive, optimistic things and look forward to a beautiful life that is meant to be lived on your own terms, not anybody elses.

My mentor and guardian angel put my head back up and told me to be strong, to keep my head up, smile and not care about what people think of me. That person helped me in so many ways that I do not know and how to begin to even thank that person for everything that person said and did for me. I truly believe that each and every one of us has a mentor and guardian angel. We just have to look deeper and that person will come to our lives as a blessing, becomes like family and someone whom we can share everything with.

My guardian angel sent me so many quotes about life, about positivity, and giving me lectures and life lessons. This person has been through so much and now my mentor said to me, “I enjoy making people smile, to have a good time, to bring joy and happiness to kids, to youth, to young adults, and everyone”. That person said to me “Smiles are priceless to me” it does not come with a price tag. – I truly believe in that and its something that I find so warming, so pure and genuine.

Now, the reason why I am not naming my Guardian Angel, My Mentor and even the gender of this person is that I like my Guardian Angel to remain anonymous. My Mentor will forever be part of my life and its one of the greatest feelings in the world to know that someone genuinely cares for you with no strings attached. It feels amazing.

It is incredible on how the internet and social media can serve a great purpose in life. It helps people find other people in relative to their situation, it helps people find their way in life and listening, reading, observing and doing great things. Not everything in social media is bad. It is all in the way you utilize it. Some skeptics always have something bad to say about social media and the people you meet, but it is really not a bad thing at all. Who knows who you encounter. There are still some great people out there for each and every one of us to discover. Sometimes it can be hard to find, but sometimes everything can fall into place and we can find that person just in time as I did. I am ever so grateful for social media and the internet Because I found my mentor and Guardian Angel.

The Road to Beautiful Armenia

Hello, My name is Talin Orfali and I am here to introduce to you my motherland, my culture, my heritage, The Beautiful Armenia and its rich history. Armenia is located in the South Caucasus, which is bordered by Georgia, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. The Official language of Armenia, is Armenian, However you can hear some Russian being spoken, road signs, store signs in Russian, and of course you can hear English as well.

the year 301, Armenia is the first country in the world that has adopted Christianity. The Armenian Church goes back many centuries ago and was founded by 2 Apostles, Thaddeus and Bartholomew. St Gregory the Illuminator was our first Catholicos (Our Pope), of the Armenian Church. He was held in a Hole for 13 years at church named Khor Virap(Khor Virab), which is located close to Mount Ararat, then he had finally be rescued and escaped the Dungeon. Our First ever Church built is the Holy See of Etchmiadzin in the city of Etchmiadzin. It is the oldest Church in the World.

Armenia is mountainous, with rivers, forests, ravines, and it is located mostly at 1800 meters above sea level. The highest point is Aragats Mountain at (4092m), and the lowest is Debed Valley at (400m). We also have our square, Yerevan square, which is Hrabarag. Yerevan is our capital.

The road to beautiful Armenia is incredible, the beauty of our hills and valleys, The Statues, Monuments, Churches, from our great and rich history include, the David of Sassoun, Vartan Mamigonian, Akhtamar, Garni, Geghard, Noravank, St Mary’s, Haghardzin Monastery, Mesrob Mashtots who is the Inventor and creator of The Armenian Alphabet which we have 38 letters, The Madenataran which is our Library with Saint Mesrob Mashtot’s Statue with our Alphabet in the front, There is St. Hripsime, St Gregory the Illuminator Church, You may or may not have heard about our writer William Saroyan. We have many authors, and important figures in our history, past and present.

Some of our Armenian’s include, Atom Egoyan, Andre Agassi, Andrea Martin, Charles Aznavour, Ross Baghdasaryan, Cher, Arshile Gorky, Steve Jobs, Kirk Kirkorian, Aram Khatchaturian, Alex Manougian, David Nalbandian, Raffi, Seymour Skinner who is from the Simpsons, Zildjian Family, System of a Down, Eric Bogosian, Capital Cities group (one of them is Armenian) , the inventor of the MRI ( Magnetic Resonance Imaging), Machine is also Armenian named Dr. Raymond Damadian.

Armenia is just so rich in history, culture, and so much more. Armenia’s flag consists of 3 colours, Red, Blue, Orange. Our currency of money is Dram’s. Check your local Currency for the difference. There is just so much history, so much to know about Armenia, the history, and everything else. If you are more curious, You can definitely search online for more information on our culture, beliefs, religion and so much more.

I had the pleasure of visiting my motherland the Beautiful Armenia in 1999 for the first time. I kissed the ground of Armenia when I first got off the plane. It was a feeling that was beautiful and I was crying with happy tears. It was an amazing journey that really touched my heart. I had gone to Armenian Saturday school and everything I learned came to life, and knowing that and feeling the presence of our history makers, ancestors really made me feel so incredible, knowing that where I may have walked, that several hundred and thousands of years ago, there may have been those people walking the same very steps, as I have took. It was a feeling I will never forget. To this very day, I never forgot the moments when I was there. I will never forget when I took a swim in our lake Sevan, where we put delicious and juicy watermelon in the water so it stays cool where we can eat it by the water.  I had gone to Armenia with my fellow classmates, and couple of my cousins, teachers and volunteers after graduating Armenian School in grade 8. It was a trip I never forgot and I still remember it like it was yesterday.

After returning from Armenia, I began to volunteer and utilize my time in the Armenian community as much as possible. I was in the Armenian community centers here in Toronto and the country more than I was at home. I have just recently began to come back into it all and it feels amazing. It feels great to give back to my community as much as possible.

If you ever have the opportunity to visit Armenia and make that part of your travel plans to see the world, it is a must. You can obtain a tourist visa at the Airport, and you do not need any vaccinations or anything. Follow up with your travel agent, tour operator to obtain more information and your preferences. Also if you have any other questions of Armenia, do not hesitate to contact me. I really hope you enjoyed the Road to beautiful Armenia.

I am so proud to be an Armenian.

Getting Back to My Roots – The Armenian Community

After a long hiatus, I am heading back into the doors of my local Armenian community centres and churches. Time to return back and do more things and be active in the community. I have been so out of the loop lately. After going through many things of life in the last little while, I decided that it is time and its now. I need a new perspective on life and what matters to me the most. One of them is giving a helping hand and being there for my Armenian community. 2 more hands make a big difference and its something that makes me feel incredible. In the past I have accomplished, achieved and been through a lot with meeting so many people, then being globally well known in the Armenian Community is something so incredibly amazing and awesome. The ultimate was visiting my Motherland Armenia in 1999.

I have done so much for my Armenian community in the past and here are many to list…

– I have been in the committee for Jr. ACYOC
– I have been in the committee for Sr. ACYOC (Armenian Church youth Organization of Canada) for over 11 years.

– Assisted in St Sahag, St Mesrob Armenian Saturday School for 4 years. I have also attended from 1989-1999 which I graduated grade 8…
– Assisted in the Armenian Sunday School for 2 years.

– I have been in Nor Serount (New Youth) New Generation) Newsletter publication for 2 years

– Assisted with Communications/Social Media advertising for Holy Trinity Armenian Church Toronto for 2 and a half years

– Assisted with the Armenian Genocide commemoration in Ottawa for 3 years.

– for Bible Study sending out e-mails and being the communications director working with the priest and committee of Bible Study…

– Organized Armenian Camping trips of which one year I was the head of the team and brought over 70 people from Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, and other places to a Camping trip in Kingston, Ontario…

– Was part of Sassoun Dance Ensemble for a year.

– Went on a pilgrimage to Montreal in 2007 with the Armenian Church

– Participated in Many ACYOC Armenian Youth Sports weekends from 2003-2011

– Visited a Nursing home with Armenian Bible Study to spend time with the elderly.

– Assisted in Wrapping Presents for children with Armenian Bible Study at Childrens Aid Society

– Went to Vancouver BC for a sports weekend, then went to several meetings in Kingston, Montreal, and Ottawa…

More to come in the future. There is no stopping me now.