In The Week That Was we welcome three new additions to the 5th Place world and consider who really needs saving, the planet or us?
New additions to the 5th Place family
The week welcomed three new additions to the 5th Place world, created by Samira Rijnen a young graphic artist.
We hope you enjoy getting to know our new family members. They will be taking you through the twelve principles, qualities and pillars of 5th Place. You may see them popping up in all sorts of places.
We trust you will delight in their antics.
Nokuthula
Her name means "Peace & Tranquility".
Themba
He is full of "Hope".
Nolwazi
Our friendly hyena, the "Knowledgeable one".
Does the planet really need saving?
We took some time out this week. We were at Magaliesburg, the fourth oldest mountain range in the world at 2.4 billion years old.
Did you know that four of the eight oldest mountain ranges in the world are found in South Africa? It made us stop and consider where we are as a species. Forget needing to save the planet! The planet has proven that she will always be here, it's us human beings that need to be saved, and mostly from ourselves.
The human race is social, meant for connecting and collaborating. Instead, what we get most of is competition, aggression, and separation. We have given away our power to the insistent mind numbing propaganda that might is right and money equals power. The scarcity mentality demands that you grab what you can because there is never enough to go around. Get a matric, get a university education, get a job. Then get lots of debt (if you don't already have enough) to buy a fancy car, a fancy house, a fancy phone, a fancy life that you cannot afford.
But geez, this is all supposed to make me happy! Not!
The world doesn't want weak
What a let down when the realisation hits that none of this fills the empty hole, eases the shrill of anxiety or calms the sizzling stress chewing at your insides. What a crock! Is it no wonder that levels of anxiety, stress and depression are at an all time high? But sssh I won't tell anybody what I am feeling lest I be seen as weak. The world does not want weak, go ask Darwin. Or Mr Corporate BigWig - he mostly is a "Mr", although some "Ms's" have bought into the idea they need to be "strong" like that too.
The current way is unsustainable
The current way of the world is unsustainable. Capitalism is eating us alive and like the boiling frog we appear to be oblivious. We are asleep. Wake up! We have to make changes. Significant ones. And those changes start with each and every one of us. With our internal world first. With our way of being, our emotional and physical health, our willingness to connect and see others. If our internal world is attended to, our external world will shift as well. As above, so below.
5 ways to destress
Here are 5 easy ways to stress less:
- Quiet times for reflection
- Shape of Emotion, meditation and other mindfulness practices
- Eating fresh, wholesome food
- Becoming more active
- Connecting regularly with those we love and care about
Principle: It's never about me
If you upset, anger, or trigger (we call it a hook) someone else and you did not mean to - it's not about you. It's about them.
If you can stay centred and not react to their response you will be doing them a huge favour and assisting them to heal their emotional holes and build their emotional fitness. It's never about me.
At 5th Place we have 12 Principles that underpin the work that we do. Each week we explore a different principle. Last week's principle was: It's never about me.
About the author
5th Place
5th Place is a dynamic organization that's passionate about emotional fitness. We're the creators of Shape of Emotion, a revolutionary tool that's changing the way we understand and manage our emotions. But we're not just about theory - we're about practical, tangible change.
We offer Emotional Fitness Classes and courses that help individuals, from children to adults, build emotional resilience and well-being. For our younger audience, we've created the Vibarealm, a vibrant universe that encourages a healthier interaction with emotions.
Join us on this journey to emotional fitness and let's make the world a better place together.