We're MOVING!

Hello out there big world!

Well, our word of the year for 2016 was "BRAVE" and that we were.  We traveled, crossed some things on our bucket list, started a new LLC and launched the Lotus Project nationally. Please visit us at http://thelotusproject.us and sign up for our new blog posts and other goodies through that site.

May 2017 bring you love and light!
LaRissa Paras

Reporting Sexual Assault

As an adult in the world it has come to my attention that some seemingly basic ideas like reporting sexual assault are not known to all of our young people.  So, here's the info if you or someone you know needs it.  Save the hotline number in your phone in the event of an emergency.  Hopefully, you will never need it.

1. It is a survivor’s right to report.  Reporting an assault may also help others that have been assaulted.  Reporting can also aid in one’s own recovery.

2. If you are in immediate danger or seriously injured, call 911.

3. Safety first.  Are you in a safe place? If you do not feel safe, find a person you can trust so that you are not alone.

4. Do not blame yourself.  You did not want this to happen.  What happened to you is NOT okay.

5. You have options.  You can…

• Contact Local Law Enforcement

-OR-

• Visit a Local Hospital or Medical Center (these places will provide free exams)

-OR-

• Call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1800-656-HOPE (4673)  If you call this number, you will be connected to a LOCAL provider in your area.  They will direct you from there.

DID YOU KNOW?

According the the National Sexual Violence and Resource Center...

• 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18.

• 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college.

• 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men are raped at some point in their lives.

  SEEK HELP IF YOU NEED IT. SUPPORT EACH OTHER.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

"You become what you believe." Oprah

If you are constantly bombarded with the same message you start to believe it.  Let's make the messages positive.  

We are frequently shown the "perfect" man or woman in the media.  We are told by the people around us to act a certain way.  We put insane expectations upon ourselves.  All of this can be overwhleming.  

When we talk to ourselves we need to remind ourselves that WE ARE ENOUGH.  We need to fuel ourselves and the people around us with positive messages to become our best selves.  We do not need to be perfect to be great.  And we shouldn't expect others to be perfect either. 

So, do yourself a favor.  Speak kindly to yourself and to the people around you.  Start believing in the goodness of yourself and of each other. 

Be Brave

Sometimes when we think of being brave, we think of putting our physical selves in harms way.  Sometimes that is true.  But sometimes being brave is taking a healthy risk... like starting a new business or traveling to a new place or even trying a new food.  That's my mantra right now... BE BRAVE.

LP

Words...

Sometimes the words we use in our slang have origins that are far from their current intent. For example, there was a time in the early 90s when "bad" was "good" and sometimes when someone has a good performance you'll hear the exclamation, "I destroyed it!".... And the one that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, rape.

Rape.  Rape is unlawful sexual intercourse or other bodily penetration of another person without consent of the victim.

Sometimes I hear people use this word to mean they feel cheated, swindled, or taken advantage of. This is not rape.  This is being cheated, swindled or taken advantage of.  When you use the word rape in place of what you really mean, two things are happening.

1. You are taking a horrifying traumatic event that effects roughly 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men (2015) and belittling it.  When you misuse the word you are making it seem like an everyday, annoying nuisance.  You are taking something serious and making light of it.  It is hurtful, even if it's not intentional.  And you never know who is around that has experienced this.  Rape is not something that people tend to announce, like pregnancy or heaven forbid, cancer.

2. You are hurting yourself and lowering your ability to empathize.  When you use a phrase like "I got raped" when referencing a recent exam and not an actual rape, eventually you will see rape as "not a big deal."  When someone at some point in your life confides in you about being raped or you see a news program about it or it's part of a movie, you may be less empathetic.  You may think this is not a big deal.  If you are having a hard time wrapping your brain around this, try this mental exercise: Imagine your sister, wife, boyfriend, son, cousin, basically someone you care deeply about and imagine him or her being pinned down and fighting to keep an aggressor from sexually assaulting him or her.  How we use the word rape matters.  It truly effects people.

Words matter.  How they are used matters. They can lift people up, inspire, or bring people down. So instead of using  the word rape when you're annoyed by something, let's try something else.

Robbed
Cheated
Swindled
Taken advantage of
Beaten
Overcharged
Deceived
Milked
Missed the boat
Fell short
Annoyed

In short, think before you speak.  Be well, LP

Need more information? Click here for the National Sexual Violence Resource Center or RAINN (Rape Abuse and Incest National Network.)