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AN UNENDING COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT

MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

October 10th is World Mental Health Awareness Day! More than 450 million people worldwide suffer from mild to serious mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, self–esteem and financial stress – all of which disproportionately affect women around the world. Recognizing that mental health issues are one of the greatest challenges women face, Philosophy created the hope & grace initiative which pledges an unending commitment to support mental health and well being. Previously celebrity ambassadors such as Ellen Pompeo and Zelda Williams have endorsed the program.

Through inspired action, Philosophy encourages the practice of self-care, not only in soothing and replenishing the skin, but the mind and soul as well. We would love for you to take the time out of your day on World Mental Health Day with us to restore you mind with these tips from Gabrielle Bernstein, best-selling author, meditation expert, and speaker brought to you by glamour.com –

  1. Begin each day positively. Happiness is your choice, so if you wake up feeling grumpy, remember that you can choose to be happy.
  2. Think of yourself as a lighthouse: It’s OK to feel your feelings, good or bad (in fact, it’s much better than disassociating from them), but use the lighthouse idea to rise above the trauma in your life and allow it to flow freely around you.
  3. Move. The human body needs to move, and movement is imperative for the lymphatic system to work properly and to oxygenate your cells. Bounce, jump, dance, or do whatever it takes to move the tension out of your body and get your blood flowing. 

Recently, Philosophy and the hope & grace initiative for women’s mental health hosted a discussion focused on re framing well being as a key to resilience and change alongside  Monica Seles, 9-time Grand Slam singles tennis champion; former World No. 1; Wellness expert Stephanie Covington, PhD., Co-Director of the Center for Gender & Justice; Kavita Beri, MD, Fellow, Regenerative Cosmetics at TRI Princeton; and Marie-Pierre Stark-Flora, Global SVP, philosophy at Coty, Inc. spoke at the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society in Paris, France. It is here the panel discussed ways to amplify the conversation around women’s mental health.

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Where there’s hope, there’s grace. The hope & grace initiative represents an unprecedented and unending commitment by Philosophy to support mental health and well-being. Mental health issues are one of the greatest challenges women face. More than 450 million people worldwide suffer from mild to serious mental health issues – such as post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, self–esteem and financial stress – all of which disproportionately affect women around the world. With the initiative, philosophy becomes the first company to place a deep focus on this important cause and the first major beauty company to make a brand-wide commitment to dedicate 1% of its sales toward the cause. 

For every product sold (this includes all products, no limitations), Philosophy will contribute 1% of sales to the hope and grace fund, and will award multiple financial grants each year to local organizations working to empower women through promotion of mental health and well being, and the prevention and treatment of related issues.

The majority of funding from the hope and grace initiative will support community-based programs doing the most good in mental health and well being. The funds will be distributed by an independent nonprofit organization with guidance from the world’s leading practitioners and experts in mental health and well being. With an average grant size of us $25,000-$75,000, the fund will support hundreds of organizations each year and touch thousands of lives.

The priority focus for the hope & grace fund is to support community based mental health efforts working to overcome barriers to and stigma around seeking treatment for mental health issues, providing access to mental health treatment, and fostering support networks for women with mental illness.

The funds are administered by the new venture fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to supporting innovative and effective public interest projects. We accept one proposal per group, per fiscal year (June 1st – June 31st). you must be a registered 501(c) public charity to apply. to apply, please contact hopeandgracefund@newventurefund.org

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This fall, Philosophy, the wellbeing beauty brand, is collaborating with Golden Globe nominee and 2015 People’s Choice Awards winner Ellen Pompeo on a campaign to eliminate stereotypical perceptions of middle age and introduce a much cooler option based on the facts. To celebrate the release of Uplifting Miracle Worker, Philosophy and Ms. Pompeo will promote a new reality—that middle age can be the coolest time of your life—inviting women to remove the anti in anti-aging and replace it with cool. Women everywhere are invited to join the conversation and declare themselves or women they admire #CoolAgers through original interactive content and social media activity.

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Did you hear? The mid-life crisis is over! A recently released 25-year longitudinal study conducted by the University of Alberta has demonstrated that the phenomenon known as the “mid-life crisis” is unfounded and therefore untrue. Their study shows that happiness actually improves consistently over time. To celebrate this sentiment, Philosophy will launch original video content featuring Ms. Pompeo in comedic, stereotypical roles that have historically defined middle age. Giving the message greater depth will be the host site of the video—CoolAger.com—an online destination for women defined not by chronological age, but rather a will to live life by their own guidelines. The website will feature contributions by renowned authors to serve women young and old who want to envision their lives as uplifting, enlightened experiences instead of a series of planned events.

“At Philosophy, we believe that women should act their age in all the right ways, and Ellen’s admirable, effervescent approach to living well and aging positively is a powerful way to lift spirits and spread a message,” says Rachel Shelowitz, Vice President, Global Marketing, Philosophy. “The philosophy of Uplifting Miracle Worker is ‘Happiness is feeling cool, calm and uplifted,’ a sentiment that not only ties perfectly to the CoolAger campaign, but also to Philosophy’s longstanding message that beauty lives within.” Adds Ms. Pompeo, “I am thrilled and proud to be partnering with a company who has two very important goals: to break down negative stereotypes that society has placed on women regarding their age, and raise awareness and funding for women’s mental health issues.”

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As with every launch, Uplifting Miracle Worker will inspire both beautiful skin and beautiful days, with contributions toward women’s mental health causes. In July 2014, Philosophy launched the Hope and Grace Initiative, the cornerstone of the brand’s philanthropic mission wherein 1% of Philosophy product sales across all retailers supports community-based organizations working to empower women through the promotion of mental health and wellbeing, and the prevention and treatment of related issues. Unique to Uplifting Miracle Worker, Philosophy will donate $10,000 to the Aviva Family and Children’s Services, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to providing community mental health services and support to at-risk children and families, and personally chosen by Ms. Pompeo. To date, Philosophy has granted $1.8 million to 29 mental health organizations across the country.

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One of my Facebook friends shared this article written by Marc and Angel  and it was so mind blowing that I had to share with you guys.

If you only read one thing today… make it this!

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

Written by marcandangel

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you.

As Maria Robinson once said, “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”  Nothing could be closer to the truth.  But before you can begin this process of transformation you have to stop doing the things that have been holding you back.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

  1. Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.  If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you.  You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot.  Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth.  And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.
  2. Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on.  No, it won’t be easy.  There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them.  We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems.  That’s not how we’re made.  In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall.  Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time.  This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.
  3. Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself.  Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves.  Read The Road Less Traveled.
  4. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.  Yes, help others; but help yourself too.  If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.
  5. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you likeeveryone else.  Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you.  Don’t change so people will like you.  Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.
  6. Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.
  7. Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.  Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success.  You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.
  8. Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us.  We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past.  But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.  Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.
  9. Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive.  But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.
  10. Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either.  You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else.  Read Stumbling on Happiness.
  11. Stop being idle. – Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place.  Evaluate situations and take decisive action.  You cannot change what you refuse to confront.  Making progress involves risk.  Period!  You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.
  12. Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises.  Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.
  13. Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. – Relationships must be chosen wisely.  It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company.  There’s no need to rush.  If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.
  14. Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. – In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet.  Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you.  But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.
  15. Stop trying to compete against everyone else. – Don’t worry about what others are doing better than you.  Concentrate on beating your own records every day.  Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.
  16. Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own.  Ask yourself this:  “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”
  17. Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you.  You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough.  But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past.  You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation.  So smile!  Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.
  18. Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart.  You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate.  Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.”  It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.”  Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself!  And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too.  If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.
  19. Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.
  20. Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway.  Just do what you know in your heart is right.
  21. Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break. – The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it.  If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.  Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.
  22. Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things.  The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.
  23. Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done.  Read Getting Things Done.
  24. Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile.  Don’t take the easy way out.  Do something extraordinary.
  25. Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while.  You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well.  You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears.  The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.
  26. Stop blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can achieve your dreams depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life.  When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.
  27. Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Doing so is impossible, and trying will only burn you out.  But making one person smile CAN change the world.  Maybe not the whole world, but their world.  So narrow your focus.
  28. Stop worrying so much. – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy.  One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time?  Three years?  Five years?”  If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.
  29. Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen.  Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story.  If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.
  30. Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life.  Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs.  Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

Photo by: Rob Brucker