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27 Unity SUNDAY 26 MARCH 2023 Dr Patricia Bonello Department of Social Policy and Social Work I am a social worker by profession and was a full-time academic with the Department of Social Policy and Social Work, within the Faculty for Social Wellbeing, for four and a half years, between January 2018 and September 2022, when I retired, hav- ing reached the age of 65. In this short ar- ticle, I am going to focus on a few things that I have learnt throughout my career and beyond and which I hope to take with me into retirement. These are keepsakes for me, and I am sharing them, too, as an invitation to you to reflect upon them and, should you see them as applicable to you, use them in your own lives. The first keepsake I would like to pres- ent is "Walk the talk". I am not sure about the precise origins of this lesson, but I know that, as I have grown older, I have become more convinced that, in order to be credible, I need to walk the talk. I expect this of myself, first and foremost, and I am also aware that I leave an impact on people by what I do not by what I say. Age has also made me more able to see through people who talk the talk, but do not walk the talk. I find myself becoming less tolerant of what I see as a sham, even with- in myself. I am aware that talk is cheap and easy but, if it is not matched by actions, it is useless. My admiration is re- served for people's actions not for their rhetoric. The next keepsake is, "Be humble and keep your feet on the ground". This les- son has its roots in my upbringing, but it was reinforced by my experience with anxiety. For many years, I struggled with anxiety to the point where I had panic attacks and even periods of depression. I would have given anything to get rid of this anxiety, which I felt was seriously impeding my life. At the same time, the periods of anxiety created a vulnerabil- ity in me which knocked down my illu- sion of strength. The road out of anxiety was not easy and it left me with the real- isation that I, like other people, could be knocked down by a feather. So, be hum- ble and keep your feet on the ground. Another keepsake is "Count your bless- ings". Life has taught me that difficult times are inevitable. When looking at the world around us, suffering is abun- dant and has a habit of overshadowing the positive aspects of life, unless an ef- fort is made to focus on our blessings and be grateful for them. I do keep in mind that, in some circumstances, I have to stay with the pain, rather than count my blessings. At the same time, count- ing my blessings may prove to be an in- vestment which helps me when I need to stay with the pain. Another keepsake is one which many people who I have worked with see as typical of me, "Trust the process". I see myself as a perfectionist for whom con- trol is very important. However, iron- ically, there have been many periods in my life, when I have been totally out of control over what is happening. I have learnt that, sometimes, there is nothing I can do except trust the process. And, if I ride the wave and, in difficult times, keep in mind that this, too, will pass, I will get through it. Possibly scarred, but perhaps stronger for having gone through the experience. It is what builds resilience! I am aware that there have been loads of situations in my life, including mis- takes, which I have not learnt from. At the same time, these keepsakes form part of my experiences and make me who I am today. To end this short arti- cle, I am going to plagiarise the St Fran- cis prayer and ask those of you for whom prayer has no significance to focus on the words, instead of their spirituality. "Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the cour- age to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference." This prayer encapsulates three lessons I wish to learn. I wish to have the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, to trust the process, as it were. I wish to have the courage to change the things I can change, to not be ashamed of doing what I think is right, as it were. I also wish to learn to know the difference be- tween the two. Perhaps if I carry this wisdom into my retirement, it will help me to continue to live life to the full, to be present to all my experiences, to cope with what life throws at me and to be with people while they go through their pain. I wish this for me but I also wish it for you and would like you to reflect on how you can use this and the other keepsakes I have presented to you. Keepsakes on the journey to retirement Noel Borg Department of Gerontology and Dementia Studies THE concept of holistic approach within the domains of life continues to thrive in each and every life experience. Yet, the conceptualisation of ethics, as a normative understanding can remain unclear within the context of social wellbeing. The definite answer does not revolve around understanding the tan- gible, but rather in formulating moral grounds of right and wrong. Realisti- cally speaking in this day and age, what is right and wrong? The formulation of ethics can be very clear, if reasoning is embedded in holistic and considering frameworks of the social narrative that we all perceive. From an anthropological under- standing to secular adoption, we all have the potential to contribute to society. The basis of what we express in our social context is founded by the understanding of how we relate to each other. In ethical discourse, one can explore as how to resonate con- cepts at the heart of ethical thought which leads to the understanding and interpretation of ethics in our lives. Solidarity, proportionality and justice amongst the many can serve more than simply points of reference. In our understanding such venues of prosperous conduct to us, we can as- pire an inspirational social wellbeing that is founded in the holistic under- standing of interconnection to great- er aspects of self to others. Solidarity, if grounded in com- mon interests that lead towards the achievements of UNITY, has the po- tential to result in a unified sense of selves and social contexts by uniting feelings and actions. The holistic at- tribute of such a positive notion leads to mutual and common interests. This becomes even more consolidat- ed when the aspects of equity and equality within variables and dispar- ities are sought though proportional- ity within societies. Indeed, what can be greater than a sense of wellbeing upon common good? Defining the qualitative theme of wellbeing is a key bone of contention in social science. To achieve qual- ity, we must seek out the individual notions of expression that fulfil our desires as much as our needs. It is through working in that interface between the personal and the social that we attain higher levels of well- being and quality of life. We must seek to acquire a sense of value that gives us perception and reason for self-consideration. We should value ourselves and set parameters that de- fine our qualitative expression within ethical adoption of our communities. Doubters may ask: Is this possible? Are we giving enough space and time to ourselves to come to this achieve- ment? The answers are very simple. However, they must be answered by the same person who put forward the questions. The ethical formulation of individuals should result from virtues that constitute our position in socie- ty. Our culture should also be geared in nurturing values that constitute our identity. Ethics is not a commodity, but rath- er the essence of principles that can formulate much more than guide- lines to our professional and per- sonal selves. It is the definition of behaviour, in right and wrong. It is the framework for sound social well- being. The sense of meaning and belonging within our communities should share common values ground- ed in sense of righteousness. The pos- itive sense of wellbeing compliments and ascertains ethics in defining mo- rality and how each and every person can experience the aura of intercon- nectedness though eudaimonia and its ethical expression. GORG MALLIA A holistic approach to ethics in social wellbeing A Faculty that reaches out to all founded on the principles of inclusion and social justice