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By Angela Kelly

Dealing with life’s crises – perma and otherwise

COLLINS of dictionary fame chose as their Word of the Year for 2022 “permacrisis.”

I don’t think it’s a word that many of us have ever actually uttered out loud but it was probably an apt one for the year as it is the feeling of living through an extended period of instability and insecurity.

And 2022 with the war in Ukraine, climate change, inflation and the cost of living crisis certainly prompted permacrisis. I suspect that many of us have been changed by all this.

British author Penny Mallory – obviously someone who knows how to tackle any kind of crisis as she’s taking part in the Talisker Whiskey

Atlantic Rowing Challenge in 2023 – told the Daily Mail about ways to deal with modern life’s crises.

She insists that “mental toughness isn’t about being aggressive, strong and macho. Some of the quietest, gentlest people are mentally tough.”

Penny says that resilient people don’t “wallow or dwell on failure. They acknowledge the situation, learn lessons from mistakes and move forward. They are mentally tough and they are more likely to thrive.”

She advises thinking of failure as learning. Be prepared to leave your comfort zone – “Playing it safe and refusing to leave your comfort zone may be a recipe for failure but risk is scary.

“Champions learn to open their minds to possibilities, managing risk and leveraging it to their advantage.”

Penny adds that life is not all about academic success and that qualifications are “not the biggest factor in success. Only 30 per cent of any achievement you make will be down to your skill, talent and intelligence, but 70 per cent of your achievement will be down to your mental toughness, focus, resilience and determination.”

Now that should be enough to allow us to tackle any permacrisis.

Putting the accent on being yourself

SHOULD the accent you use really influence the way that people treat you?

Plainly, today it really shouldn’t but, of course, being humans with all the prejudices that this entails for many, it does.

This thorny subject came to light again recently when a man from Stockport in Greater Manchester revealed that he had changed the way he spoke to fit in at university.

This happened right from Freshers’ Week when he realised he spoke differently to his fellow students.

At university, he was once asked if his home town was “one of those desolate wastelands where the factories used to be.” Now, even allowing for both snobbery and a major misunderstanding of UK environments, this is nasty stuff.

His experiences, and many others, were being gathered for The Sutton Trust’s Speaking Up report which examines the impact that someone’s accent has on their life journey, especially in education and the workplace.

The report shows that public attitudes to the various accents across the country have remained largely the same over time. Standard received pronunciation, French-accented English and classic varieties like Scottish, American and Southern Irish all ranked highly with people.

While this latter finding is not really a surprise because our national ear does seem to be attuned to appreciating, for example, the Scottish lilt, what is odd is the negative attitude towards some regional accents.

Katie Zacharczuk, a solicitor born and raised in Liverpool, said it was a “culture shock” when she went to university as previously she had only been around people who talked like her.

She was worried about being judged “less intelligent” or “not as valuable to an organisation.” To her credit, she never changed her accent and has a successful career.

Sir Ian McKellen was mocked for his Northern vowels when he went to Cambridge University. His accent was the butt of public school boys and he feared it would affect his ultimate ambition to become an actor.

Interestingly, Sir Ian says that he has noticed that original accent “coming back” to him recently – a situation he doesn’t regret “because it is part of me.”

That feeling was echoed by a friend of mine who worked in Government in London in a very good job but found her accent was the cause of much negative comment from colleagues in particular. She didn’t change it but she did eventually move back to her home town. She realised that the way she spoke was, like Sir Ian, all part of who she really was – and she was proud of that.

Separating fact from fiction

AS a new series of blockbuster Netflix series The Crown returns to TV screens it’s no surprise that so does the controversy.

Is it or is it not “largely” based on truth or are whole chunks of it made up?

While it’s unlikely that the current Royal Family would helpfully clear up the salient points about whether Princess Diana courted the media herself or about the real relationship between then Prince Charles and the Queen, there are those in the know who can come up with some guidance.

The general impression given is that, yes, parts of The Crown are fiction and sometimes not even based on actual events.

As an avid viewer, it’s hard not to be seduced into thinking you are watching something factual because we easily recall media headlines backing up the feeling that this is genuine.

The real danger, though, is that The Crown is presented as a documentary, complete with unassailable “truths”, when it isn’t.

Young viewers and those who have not followed the Royal Family’s comings and goings over the years are tempted to accept what they see and not question it.

TV is a great medium for explaining situations, especially in hindsight, and can assemble large amounts of information and experts to provide a helpful overview.

Unfortunately, when you chuck entertainment into the pot you may get a different outcome and the temptation to “expand” on fact and “manipulate reality” can skew truth.

Perhaps more could be done by the programme-makers to emphasise that the series is based on fact but is still fiction.

Would you be willing to open up your hear t and home and welcome individuals displaced by the war in Ukraine?

If you are willing to share your space with those in need of a safe place, you can find out more information here and register your interest: www.sjog-homesforukraine.uk