The Daily Dose. . .
to INSPSIRE, ENCOURAGE & EMPOWER YOU!
Shola Richards….To Inspire You!
51 Ways to Change the World
By Shola Richards
(Reprinted with Shola’s permission, Images have been added by Papillon Z.)
Changing the world might be easier than you think.
Can I ask you for a favor?
I want you to change the world.
Really, I do. Are you ready to do this?
Before you answer, it’s usually at this point where I start to lose some people. Changing the world by making it a more positive place always sounds like such a big deal. Don’t get me wrong, it is a very big deal, but maybe not in the way that you might think.
You don’t have to build a new school in West Africa, donate half of your yearly salary to a homeless shelter, start a non-profit organization to fight against global hunger, or give up one of your major organs to a complete stranger who needs it (although, if you were to do any of those things, it would be unspeakably awesome).
Making the world a more positive place is so much easier than that. It’s something that you and I can do right now.
Actually, it’s very likely that you are already doing it.
Big changes are not always about doing big things. In fact, big changes usually happen by doing the seemingly little things consistently. . . .
The List
1. Smile often–not only to your friends and family, but to strangers as well.
2. Refuse to involve yourself in mindless drama (either someone else’s or your own).
3. Enthusiastically support someone else’s dream.
4. Give firm handshakes and powerful hugs.
5. Reject the idea that it’s cool to be aloof, detached, or unemotional.
Founder, Karen Gomez – To Encourage You!
To Build and Maintain Self-Confidence…“YOU GOTTA WORK IT!”
(March 4, 2021)
I am writing this article about confidence today because it is an integral part of the Papillon Z Mission – Prevention through Empowerment through Metamorphosis through Education/Training, and Technology – toward our goal – the prevention of sexual assault.
REMEMBER: Self-Confidence is Self-Defense!
And, also because I watched a segment on the Today Show this morning about the Gen Z vs. Millennials divisive videos on Tik Tok about HAIR PARTS (middle vs. side)!!!! Gen Z mocking Millennials – they say they “look older” with their side parts.
Middle part vs side part?!! Are you friggin’ kidding me?!!! Neither part is a “one-side” fits all, and not every hair style, color, bangs, bun, bob, beehive, bowl, twist, pixie, poof, ponytail, flip, ‘fro, fade, mullet or mohawk works for everyone!!
Jeez!
Hmmmm….did you know that comparing yourself to others is really a sign of envy and low self-confidence? Uh-oh!) (1)
Each person on the Today Show who changed their side part to a middle part looked like … READ MORE
Elle Beyer – To Empower You!
Ms. Elle’s response to a negative review provides a raw and real description of her own personal experiences and how she survived TWO ATTEMPTED RAPES & KIDNAPPINGS.
She explains the what’s, why’s and how’s of her course to train you how YOU can survive an attack.
Elle Beyer – Instructor response to JJ’s Review •4 years ago
Hi JJ, sorry to hear you weren’t pleased with the content. The course is designed to connect with people on a very real and authentic level. If you are looking for an ultra professional attitude/language/design, then this course is not for you. The street is not a professional place. It’s ugly, it’s dirty, and it’s very real. Even selling this curriculum is dirty in a way, because I’m discussing the topic of avoiding being raped and murdered. I will say . . . READ MORE
Award Winning Course*
Self-Defense for Badass Women
*In 2018 the “Survival Science” curriculum won an award for best online Self Defense Curriculum.” This course includes:
- 1.5 hours on-demand video
- 14 articles
- Full lifetime access
- Access on mobile and TV
- Certificate of completion
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
I want YOU to think about this question for a moment, or three…there will probably be times in your life when your split-second decision will protect you from imminent harm, and might actually save your life!
This is such a heavy question for anyone, especially young ladies just entering adulthood, and dealing with everyday real-life adult experiences in college, new work environments, public transportation, traveling, concerts, sporting events, parties, and much more!
Once in a while, someone does the unexpected and you’re confronted with something you’ve never experienced before…and you barely have time to react, let alone act!
The Question is…Will YOU know what to do?
Since October 6, 2018, part of my Mission with Papillon Z has been to help women so they can BE PREPARED for almost any situation!
There are many situations that I escaped or survived most likely because I was aware of my surroundings and was prepared to PREVENT something from happening in the first place!
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IS SO IMPORTANT!!!!!!
From Day One, my Mission (which “came to me” exactly like this) is
Prevention, through Empowerment, through Metamorphosis, through Education & Technology.
Unknown to me at the time… the PEMET acronym is actually French (or, Haitian Creole) for Empower!!!!
What does pemet mean in Haitian Creole? Allow, permit, enable, EMPOWER…
(Source: https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the-meaning-of/haitian-creole-word-caed545ffefbc5d60a76077c375377edf241445f.html )
My new Blog – The Daily Dose – will focus on the Positive with thought-provoking articles and quotations to Inspire and Encourage You, as well as short articles and videos on self-awareness, safety and self-defense to Empower You!!! [btw….I used to write a daily e-newsletter (Daily Dose of Happiness) for a law firm I worked for 16 years ago – 2005-2008 – before 95% of us were laid off during the Holidays due to the economy to try to lift everyone’s mood!]
I spent 4+ YEARS, and 4000+ HOURS doing research for the Resources, learning how to finish my website after I had to fire the developer who was obviously violent and a predator (after seeing the images and graphics he wanted to use!), then I had to rebuild it TWICE (once predictably from his sabotage, then 2 weeks after the year I spent rebuilding it – my site was hacked and I had to rebuild some of it again!!! Always adding more information – ending up with 30 CATEGORIES OF RESOURCES!!! (See Quick Links https://www.papillonz.com )
A lot of this information is on PapillonZ.com https://www.papillonz.com …But The Daily Dose will always provide “bite-sized pieces” from the “Master Library” (my main website Resources) articles, videos and safety tips – which will all be archived so you can return to review/view them again.
There are links to articles and 100’s of TikTok videos here:
“Prevent, Avoid, Escape”
https://www.papillonz.com/safety-tips-how-to-avoid-escape-a-situation/
THIS SAFETY TIPS PAGE WILL ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE FOR EVERYONE.
PLEASE INVEST A FEW MINUTES EACH DAY TO REVIEW AND WATCH A SHORT VIDEO !!!
So, if you are ever confronted with an uncomfortable, scary or dangerous situation –
HOPEFULLY…YOU WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO!
My BLOG is Free, but as a Subscriber, you will have access to all Exclusive Content: Read More ~ for each Blog article, and
Many, Many SAFETY TIPS, ARTICLES, LINKS TO SAFETY EXPERTS AND THEIR MATERIALS, Many, Many SELF-DEFENSE VIDEOS,
and much more, including Weeks 1-4 Study Guides, Special Offers & Discounts. We plan to have interviews with Special Guests and Experts,
and other ideas which are currently in the planning stages.
There is also a new Section, not just for Realtors. . .
SOLO!
for Women who must meet with Strangers & Work ALONE (& live, dine, walk, run, hike, bike, drive, travel, etc~ ALONE!)
(Subscribers will also receive links to my book Biosynergenics: Guerrilla Anti-Aging ~ Secrets from the Past, Present & New Age! (value ~$18, click link to see book and 2 book reviews), and will be eligible for the random monthly drawings for a Papillon Z Box! (Click Link for info, value at least $100!)
*This Special Offer expires 12/31/24. In 2025, the Subscription Fee will be $10 for the year.
After Construction/Renovation are complete, the regular Subscription Fee will be $10/month.
Here is a sample!!!
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY IF YOUR PHONE BATTERY IS DEAD OR ALMOST DEAD?!
ALL MOBILE PHONES HAVE HIDDEN BATTERY POWER!
To activate, press the keys *3370# (remember the asterisk). Do this when the phone is almost dead. Your mobile will restart in a special way with this new reserve and the phone will show a 50% increase in battery life. This reserve will be recharged when you charge your phone next time.
This secret is in the fine print in most phone manuals which we skip without realizing!
READ MORE Things you didn’t know your Cell Phone can do!!!
Many posts in The Daily Dose will include personal experiences that happened to me in my younger years (when I was NOT prepared for any situation), as well as personal experiences after I figured out what I needed to do to protect myself from strangers, employers, potential employers during a job interview (TWICE!!!!!), and other things that I’ve experienced over many years!
I’ll also include many stories that simply deal with everyday things that took me years to figure out how best to deal with people and situations!
My own stories and experiences are genuine, and the articles, safety tips and self-defense videos that I will share are or will be only from the Best of the Best – like C.O.B.R.A!
I am a Survivor …
…of sexual assault (12+ sailors in a walkway – I was only 14) on a cruise ship, THREE violent rapes, attempted strangulation THREE times, attempted murder TWICE, attempted robbery in parking lots THREE times, attempted kidnapping during a job interview, attempted sexual assault during a job interview, and I was sexually harassed numerous times during my legal career! (I will discuss many of these experiences and even more in future Blogs so we can explore the circumstances and I can share things you can do to prevent something from happening to you!)
…of many life-threatening events, which include Botulism poisoning (ER doctor could not believe I was alive and actually drove myself to the ER!), Electrocution (NOT an electric shock – 18 hours after I was electrocuted by my VOIP phone at my desk – the doctor told me that my lab results were too low for a living person!), Carbon Monoxide poisoning, Sepsis (staph blood poisoning) twice, at least 6 Traumatic Brain Injuries – from one TBI, I didn’t know if I was going up or downstairs, and could not remember a conversation as soon as I turned around! Anaphylactic shock from codeine – didn’t even know I was allergic to it!
…of numerous motor vehicle accidents that doctors, paramedics and other told me I should not have walked away from!!! (One obliterated the driver’s side of the front of my Capri and accordioned part of the driver’s side, pushed the engine up to the wall, made my seat go under the steering wheel (The only reason I survived was because a mechanic moved my seat back too far a few weeks before, and it went off the track, and I hadn’t been able to get it back to where I usually had it!) – not one broken bone! but it took Jaws of Life to just open my door, and then at least 30 minutes for the paramedics to figure out how to get me out of the tiny space I was trapped in under my steering wheel and on my seat!!!
And then when my Cutlass – the next car after the Capri – spun out on black ice, shot me across a snowy field, between four 10’ high concrete pylons that supported an electrical tower, then “head first” at least 15 feet down into a concrete flood channel, which then bounced my car around 180 degrees!!!!!)
And, some of the pain from all of the accidents, injuries, etc. has been unbearable at times! But…on top of everything else – I AM ALLERGIC TO PRESCRIPTION PAIN MEDICATIONS!!!!! I can only take over-the-counter anti-inflammatories. I’ve also had life-threatening adverse reactions to general anesthesia, so I can’t have surgery unless I need it to try to save my life!
I do believe God has had Plans for me – TO HELP OTHERS for the last 40+ years! I have literally moved 3000 miles away (6 weeks after the first decision, 24 hours after the second one!) to end up working on a case that apparently only I was able to figure out the strategy for and either win at trial or settle for 7- and 8-figures for the clients. I was also kind of like a chess piece for many years being moved from law firm to law firm after something crazy happened that made me suddenly quit that firm, then I ended up in similar scenarios – where I was “put there” at the perfect time to take over a case that ended up settling for 7- or 8-figures for the clients.
BUT…
Papillon Z isn’t a dream that I’ve had for a long time…after watching a news segment on Saturday October 6, 2018, and seeing women at a rally laughing when a certain male was mocking Dr. Christine Blasey Ford for testifying before Congress about the Brett Kavanaugh sexual assault and said she didn’t know where the house was or how to get to it – I really lost it!
I told my husband I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!!!!
Within minutes, the ideas for Papillon Z started coming to me almost like a “download” and I sat in my office and took notes for at least an hour!!!! (The idea for the half butterfly/half bee – Stinging Butterfly (“Float like a Butterfly, Sting like a Bee!”) – came to me that day, too. I now have a Registered Trademark – 5 years later!!!)
SO….. Let’s get started….What would YOU do?
First of all, let’s address the obvious DON’Ts!
DON’T WALK ANYWHERE WHEN YOU ARE DISTRACTED BY
TEXTING OR LOOKING AT SOMETHING ON YOUR CELL PHONE!
If you have to text or talk, stop where you’re around people, with your back to a wall, and put your phone away before you walk to your car!!!
AND NEVER WALK AROUND WITH HEADPHONES OR EAR BUDS IN BOTH EARS!!! You need to be able to hear what’s going on around you!
DON’T WALK WITH YOUR HEAD DOWN! WALK WITH YOUR HEAD UP, SHOWING CONFIDENCE AND COURAGE!
Don’t make yourself an easy target by not paying attention to your surroundings, and showing weakness – with your head down!
“The best protection any woman can have…is courage.”
Author, lecturer, and chief philosopher of the woman’s rights and suffrage movements, Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
So, in case you forgot the 2 don’ts, and you just walked to your car or the bus stop with your head down (BUT HOPEFULLY WITH YOUR KEYCHAIN IN YOUR HAND THAT AT LEAST HAS PEPPER SPRAY ON IT, and maybe a panic alarm, stun gun, etc) and didn’t see the guy behind the car next to you…
If you are grabbed from behind, you should try to lower yourself from the waist which will shift your weight forward, making it more difficult for them to control you. Then using your elbow, turn to the attacker and strike them in the face. https://fightcitygym.co.uk/self-defence-tips-every-woman-should-know/
USE PEPPER SPRAY ~ AIM FOR THE EYES!
(or another defense weapon you carry on your keychain!)
Here are some additional recommendations on How to Defend Yourself from the California Dept. of Developmental Services: https://www.dds.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/TipSheet_HowtoDefendYourself_v6.pdf
