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Friday 24 November 2017

Expanding Your Personal Horizon: Why Opening Your Heart And Mind Increases Your Well-being


Whatever you do in life: Think higher and feel deeper.’
                                                           Elie Wiesel (journalist and writer)


Today’s post is about a well-known phenomenon that we are probably all familiar with: the positive effect we experience when we are learning, exploring and broadening our horizon. In other words, the benefits of personal growth and self-development, and the many ways we can achieve them.
Personal growth can be described as having a feeling of continued development, to be open to new experiences, having a sense of growing, expanding and realizing our potential. On the other hand, absence of growth may be experienced as a sense of stagnation, lack of improvement or expansion; we may also feel bored or disinterested in life, and unable to develop new attitudes and behaviours.1

Why should we want to grow?
It has been shown that there is a strong, bidirectional relationship between mental well-being and life skills.1-4,10-12 Having a sense of growth and expansion directly evokes positive emotions, which make us feel good; it increases our self-esteem and has a general positive effect on our well-being. Equally a higher level of well-being is associated with greater curiosity, flexible thinking and openness to learning. So learning, growth and well-being reinforce each other and can lead to an upward spiral.5
Broadening our attention and thinking allows us to form higher-level connections and have a wider range of perceptions or ideas (increased creativity).5,6 These expanded outlooks help us to discover and build personal resources. Personal resources are equally important for our professional and private lives; they help us to take advantage of life’s opportunities and deal with challenges more effectively. Helpful personal resources include:2,5
  • Cognitive resources: e.g. the ability to focus our attention, creative thinking and problem solving
  • Psychological resources: e.g. having a sense of mastery and control over our environment
  • Emotional resources: e.g. perspective taking and being able to receive and give emotional support in order to build good interpersonal relationships
  • Physical resources: e.g. good general health, increased immunity

So personal growth benefits our well-being in the short term (through positive emotions) as well as in the long run (through building personal resources, which increase our resilience).

Personal growth changes our brains
In previous posts we have come across the concept of neuroplasticity, which is the fact that the nerve cells in our brains constantly form new connections. Effectively, every new experience and everything we learn changes, builds and re-shapes our brain.3,7,8 Of course many events just happen to us whether we want or not, but in order to harness the great potential of neuroplasticity to increase our personal resources, we need to be open and receptive for new ideas and experiences.
Neuroplasticity can have quite dramatic effects. For example, brain scans have demonstrated a significant growth of brain areas responsible for the control of the left hand in violinists, and the brain region involved in spatial memory in taxi drivers.7 It has also been shown that keeping active (including learning new skills, having responsibilities; social activities and interactions; physical activity) has a protective effect for developing signs of dementia. Older people who stay active build up a ‘cognitive reserve’, which preserves their brain function. Although their brain may show structural changes similar to patients affected by Alzheimer’s disease, stroke or Parkinson’s disease, they are less likely to show clinical signs associated with these conditions.9

There are many ways to grow
Of course personal growth may be achieved through many ways, but here are a few evidence-based suggestions on how to broaden our personal horizon, promote growth and/or become more receptive for new ideas. Please note that there is some degree of overlap between some of the categories. 

Cultivate curiosity10,11
Curiosity (i.e. seeking novelty, exposing ourselves to changing situations and investigating new information and experiences) is not only an important component of well-being, but also essential for learning. By seeking exploration and novelty, we can focus on activities that feel meaningful to us, facilitate learning, competence and self-determination. By seeking new and challenging events, we stretch and expand our knowledge and skills.

Seek positive emotions3,5,7
It has been shown that positive emotions directly broaden our outlook, giving us new insights and perspectives;  they make us more receptive and creative, and open us intellectually and emotionally, which encourages exploration, connection and experimental learning.  Positive emotions also promote neuroplasticity (see also below) and the building of personal resources.

Positive emotions include joy, gratitude, serenity/contentment, interest, hope, pride (for achieving something), amusement, inspiration, awe and love. Try to take notice and find opportunities to experience these emotions for example by interacting with other people, particularly those close to you; spending time in nature; visiting museums, art galleries, concerts and theatres; spending time with your favourite hobby and/or sport; performing small acts of kindness; remembering what makes you laugh and using humour.

Allow yourself time to play6
Having ‘playtime’ encourages us to engage in unfocused thinking and exploring avenues of thoughts and activities that we are normally not involved in (diversification- see below). It also evokes positive emotions, which are so important for our creativity and personal resource building, as explained above. Try to make some time in your day for unstructured activities, which allow idle thinking, such as listening to music, taking a walk, gardening or cleaning. Try to intermix tasks needing focus with these ‘de-focused’ activities.

Diversify2,6-8,12
Nowadays we mostly strive towards a goal by devoting most of our time onto one area, but this tight focus on one topic/domain can limit our creativity and inventiveness. Diversification can be achieved in many ways, e.g. you can learn a new skill or rediscover an old interest; try activities you never tried before; diversify at work and take on new responsibilities; learn to fix things; learn a new language; start to play an instrument and develop an interest in music; engage in visual arts, literature/poetry or performing arts; take up a new sport; try to read books outside your normal area of interest; watch documentaries or shows on topics you do not know anything about; explore new ideas, theories and concepts; go outdoors; travel; meet new people.

We become creative when the left and right hemispheres of our brain work well together and integrate different networks. The left hemisphere is predominantly involved in linear and logical thinking, whereas the right hemisphere processes images and other non-verbal cues, and allows thinking in more divergent and holistic ways, seeing the bigger picture. So particularly engaging in activities which challenge both hemispheres can increase our creativity. More on this topic will follow in next week’s post.

Enhance the neuroplasticity of your brain7
It has been shown that neuroplasticity can be promoted and enhanced by several factors. One of them is emotional arousal, which is another reason why we should seek positive emotions, as mentioned above. Additionally, neuroplasticity is stimulated by:
  • Focusing our attention
  • Aerobic exercise
  • Novelty
Particularly new experiences and ideas stimulate the formation of new connections; it has even been shown that novelty can promote growth of new nerve cells. So by actively seeking novelty, learning to focus our attention, making sure that we are physically active and experience positive emotions we can maximize the effect of neuroplasticity, strengthening new brain connections.

Live mindfully3,12,13
Regular followers of this blog may have noticed that mindfulness gets mentioned a lot. And it is certainly true that it has many things to offer; in fact, it is probably one of the most important skills when trying to expand your horizon. Mindfulness can be described as a way of living where we pay attention to the present moment experiences with a curious, non-judgmental, accepting and open attitude. The open attitude refers to openness of the mind as well as openness of the heart.

Mindfulness can be practiced with various formal meditations. The effects of the meditations tend to ‘spill over’ into daily life beyond the time limits of the meditation itself. Additionally, we can exercise informal mindfulness practices, such as briefly focusing on our breathing during the day or focusing our attention to a specific situation or experience. In this way, mindfulness can be truly transforming and affecting our day-to-day lives in a positive way. Mindfulness can help us to achieve personal growth in several ways including:
  • Mindfulness makes us more attentive to the moment, allowing us to see the beautiful, remark on the usual, savour the moment, and to be generally more aware of the world, our thoughts and feelings.
  • Mindfulness can reduce our bias and approach situations with a more open and non-judgmental mind. It therefore allows us new insights and outlooks, and makes us more creative and receptive to new ideas.
  • A certain type of meditation (loving-kindness meditation) can evoke positive emotions of warmth and compassion for oneself and others, and has been shown to contribute to growth by increasing personal resources.
  • When practiced regularly, mindfulness can help us improving our ability to pay deliberate attention, and it improves our memory as well as decision-making. It can also make us more resilient, content and emotionally stable.

A great book on the topic
Talking about broadening our horizon, I have recently spent more time exploring mindfulness and have come across the excellent book Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn, who pioneered mindfulness by adapting and transforming Buddhist traditions into secular practices. This book provides comprehensive information about what mindfulness is and in which ways it may help us to grow.  

Truly amazing people- What can we learn from…:
This week’s amazing people are two veterinary surgeons who opened their hearts and minds:
Andrew Francis and Björn Rambags met incidentally on a business trip but soon discovered many mutual interests, and developed a close friendship over many years. With both friends having strong professional ambitions, they soon had the idea to develop a joined business project.
However, during a brainstorm on the Dutch island of Terschelling, Andrew and Björn discovered that most of their business ideas lacked a higher purpose or meaning. Continuing to contemplate on the project, they eventually realized that it was most important to them, that the business had a social impact and was able to help other people.
And so, unlikely as it sounds, Andrew and Björn developed the idea of a children’s book concept supporting children in need: Although neither of them had any experience in writing children’s stories, in publishing, illustrating or retail marketing, they wrote an illustrated bed-time story about two little bears called Lino & Luka. Then, they set up a partnership with the Childhood Trust, which is working to reduce child poverty, and the children’s hospices Chestnut Tree House and Naomi House & Jacksplace. For every sold Lino & Luka book, a child affected by poverty, chronic or terminal illness receives a copy for free.  
Andrew Francis and Björn Rambags show us that it is possible to branch out into different territories. By thinking higher and feeling deeper, we may be able to expand our world, allowing us to grow and –maybe – finding a way of helping others at the same time.
Andrew says about his experience: ‘The Lino & Luka project has made a huge difference to my well-being. We started with a simple aspiration. Wouldn’t it be great if the simple act of buying a book to read a bed-time story to a child that means the world to you could touch the life of a child in need, each and every time? I have been overwhelmed by the response to our story from little people and their parents. What’s more, the feedback we have received from our partner charities has been fantastic. I have learnt so much and met many hugely inspiring people during our journey so far and I feel that the Lino & Luka story is only just beginning.’
Andrew’s friend Björn also feels enriched by the diversification saying that: ‘Everyday, Lino & Luka contribute to my well-being, personal development and sense of purpose in three different ways. The book ‘Tea for two’ allows Andrew and me to make a direct, positive impact on the lives of children and their families, both under wonderful and sad circumstances. Secondly, our own little independent enterprise teaches me about literally every aspect of international business, from book publishing to product distribution, from collaboration with visual artist to partnering with charities, from trans-European taxation rules to retail marketing. Last but not least, our two little bears have enabled the continuation of the magic and flow which are tangible when Andrew and I get into one room and put our brains around, and shoulders under, yet another wild and sheer impossible idea to make this world a wee bit better. And having fun while at it!’
You can find out more about the Lino & Luka story at www.linoluka.com
Preview: Next week we will look more closely at harnessing our creativity and the question, in how far the arts can contribute to our well-being.
References and further reading:
1. Ryff C. Psychological well-being revisited: Advances in Science and Practice. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. 2014;83(1):10-28.
2. Foresight Mental Capital and Wellbeing Project (2008). Final Project report. The Government Office for Science, London. Retrieved from: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/292450/mental-capital-wellbeing-report.pdf
3. Fredrickson B. Positivity: Groundbreaking Research to Release Your Inner Optimist and Thrive. Oneworld Publications; Oxford, England. 2010.
4. Robotham D, Morgan K, James K. Learning for Life: Adult learning, mental health and wellbeing. Mental Health Foundation. London. 2011. Retrieved from: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/learning-life-adult-learning-mental-health-and-wellbeing
5. Fredrickson BS, Cohn MA, Coffey KA, Pek J, Finkel SM. Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2008;95(5):1045-1062.
6. Seppälä E. The Happiness Track: How to Apply the Science of Happiness to Accelerate Your Success. Piatkus; London, UK. 2016.­­
7. Siegel D. Mindsight: Transform Your Brain with the New Science of Kindness. Oneworld Publications; Oxford, UK. 2011.
8. Graham L. Bouncing Back: Rewiring Your Brain for Maximum Resilience and Well-Being. New World Library; Novato. 2013.
9. Eagleman D. The Brain: The story of you. Canongate Books Ltd; Edinburgh, UK. 2015.
10. Gallagher MW, Lopez SJ. Curiosity and well-being. The Journal of Positive Psychology. 207;2(4):236-248.
11. Kashdan TB, Steger MF. Curiosity and pathways to well-being and meaning in life: Traits, states, and everyday behaviors. Motivation and Emotion. 2007; 31:159-173.
12. NEF (2008). Five ways to well-being: the evidence. Available on request through www.foresight.gov.uk
13. Kabat-Zinn J: Full Catastrophe Living: How To Cope With Stress, Pain and Illness Using Mindfulness Meditation. Piatkus. 2013.


Donations are in aid of the International Rescue Committee and the World Veterinary Service

Friday 17 November 2017

All About Perfectionism: When It Works, When It Hurts, And How To Become A Happy Imperfect Perfectionist








‘If everything was perfect, you would never learn and you would never grow.’
                                                                           Beyonce Knowles (musician)


The nice thing about writing this blog is that I learn so much. I am a bit of a perfectionist just as - no doubt - many of you are. In many ways, trying to live a Good Life has to do with learning to live with errors, mistakes and imperfections, but I just had no idea how complex the subject of perfectionism was before researching for this post!
Perfectionism is a personality trait, which is particularly common in the veterinary profession and many other occupations with a high proportion of high achievers, including sport professionals. However, being a perfectionist also has its price. So today’s post dedicated to this interesting trait, discussing its impact on well-being and strategies on how to overcome excessive perfectionism. Even if you are lucky enough not to be a perfectionist yourself, you may find this post interesting as it can explain why your work colleague, friend or family member is sometimes behaving the way they are!

Not all perfectionists are the same
Perfectionism is usually defined as the striving to be or appear perfect and without fault, although the definition can vary somewhat across the literature.1-6 For example, perfectionists have been described as ‘those whose standards are high beyond reach or reason, people who strain compulsively and unremittingly towards impossible goals and who measure their own worth entirely in terms of productivity and accomplishment’, or ‘setting of excessively high standards for performance accompanied by overly critical self-evaluation’.1 So as perfectionists, we are generally more likely to base our self-worth on achievement and striving, and we are more likely to be self-critical.
However, not all perfectionists are the same and there are some important subgroups:
  • Directions of perfectionism: For example, we can have high expectations of ourselves (self-orientated perfectionism), or have high expectations of other people (other-orientated perfectionism).1
  • Motivation for perfectionism:2,3
    • Personal Standard Perfectionists (PSP) set high standards when evaluating their own performance. This means that they strive for perfection because of a strong inner motivation.
    • Evaluative Concerns Perfectionists (ECP) are striving for high achievements because they are excessively concerned about making errors and mistakes, particularly out of fear of negative evaluation or reaction by others, or feelings of discrepancy between the own (high) expectation and perceived performance. Errors result in strong negative thoughts and feelings of blame, shame or guilt.
    • These traits can either occur in a mixed form (PSP and ECP combined), or as ‘pure’ PSP or ESP perfectionism.
The interesting point is that the various groups of perfectionism have different pros and cons. As mentioned above, perfectionism is not all bad: particularly Personal Standard Perfectionists can excel in their chosen activities, whether it is at work, or when pursuing hobbies or sport activities (adaptive perfectionism).1-3,5 This type of perfectionism also appears to be (at least to some degree) protective from burnout and exhaustion, as the striving for perfection due to internal motives leads to positive emotional experiences, active coping strategies and increased performance.3 On the other hand, Evaluative Concern Perfectionists are significantly more likely to experience anxiety and a variety of different mental disorders, including depression, burnout and eating disorders.1-6  
Another important difference between the different types is that people with Evaluative Concerns Perfectionism find it more difficult to constructively learn from their mistakes.2 If we are concerned about our evaluation by others, we are more likely to spend a great deal of our time assessing potential threats, more likely to experience anxiety, and to use avoidant coping styles (withdrawing or escaping from perceived threats, rather than actively seeking a solution). We are also more likely to have a rigid self-evaluation, excessive black-and-white thinking, and ruminate about past failures.1,3 This means that Evaluative Concerns Perfectionists experience a lot of stress when receiving external expectations and criticism, and feel that their self-worth is under constant threat.2

Perfectionism, conscientiousness and obsessive compulsive personality disorder4
Perfectionism does not only come in different categories, but also it is also a scale from mild to severe. There is also some overlap with other personality traits. It has even been suggested that perfectionism can in fact be seen as an extreme version of the personality trait of Conscientiousness.
People who score high on Conscientiousness are highly disciplined, organized and self-controlled; they are able to set internal goals and plans, and stick to them without procrastination. On the other hand, people scoring lower on Conscientiousness are more spontaneous, impulsive and may have a weakness of will.
Of all personality traits, Conscientiousness is the most reliable predictor of professional success, particularly in jobs with a relatively high level of autonomy. On the other side of the medal, conscientiousness can lead to overproductivity, excessive goal chasing and people may turn into very driven workaholics, neglecting social contacts and the need for relaxed downtime. Also, conscientious people do not do well in an unpredictable environment, as they are restricted in spontaneity and flexibility. They find a change of routine very upsetting and difficult to adjust to. On the other hand, low Conscientiousness scorers often cope very well in a chaotic environment.
Perfectionism and Conscientiousness can also be associated with Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD), which can be defined as a ‘pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense of flexibility, openness and efficiency’. OCPD is not to be confused with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which is an anxiety disorder associated with frequent intrusive and obsessive thoughts combined with repetitive compulsive behaviour, impulses or urges, whereas people with OCPD are pre-occupied with schedules, lists and tasks and show a very inflexible approach to rules with excessive black-and-white thinking. In the extreme form, OCPD may prevent a person from getting things done, as they are not able to complete any projects due to their extreme striving for perfection.
However, although there are these important associations and overlapping characteristics, perfectionism has been generally regarded as a unique multifaceted personality trait in its own right.3

Three reasons why extreme perfectionism does not make you perfect
So particularly perfectionists who are highly concerned with the evaluation by others can have an unpleasant time when trying to perform well. But ironically, the desire to be flawless can also interfere with our performance:
  • Taking longer to perform tasks or not completing tasks: Perfectionists can take longer to do and re-do tasks, or spending more time on it than necessary due to the high standards or the fear of making mistakes, which can result in avoidance, procrastination, repeated checking and excessive thoroughness.5 Performance anxiety is a particular feature, and may lead to incompletion of tasks at work or academic projects and exams.1
  • A higher likelihood to make mistakes: As previously mentioned in other posts, strong negative emotions activate the body’s stress response (fight-or-flight reaction), including the release of stress hormones. This stress response (which is easily evoked by harsh self-criticism and the fear of making mistakes) in turn reduces cognitive function, and may decrease our ability to think straight and lead to poor decision-making. Particularly in a complex and high-pressure working environment with high demands, this can additionally reduce our performance and paradoxically increase the likelihood to make mistakes.6
  • Reduced ability to learn from previous mistakes: The key to improved performance is to learn from errors and sub-optimal outcomes. In order to draw constructive conclusions for better future behaviour, we need to be able to look openly at these events.2,6 However, this may not be possible if we are overly concerned with the evaluation by others, and we may instead be tempted to go into denial and/or blame others for our failures.

How to become a happy imperfect perfectionist?5
So, perfectionism is a mixed bag- it can actually be a very helpful characteristic in many ways but the extreme forms, particularly if combined with an excessive concern about the evaluation by others and harsh self-criticism, can be more inhibitive than helpful.
The good news is that there is a lot of evidence to suggest that we can reduce our striving for perfection.1,5-7 The secret here is of course to reduce the maladaptive and unhelpful aspects, while preserving or potentially even further increasing our ability to perform well at the times when it really matters. I am not going to pretend that this is easy, but it is certainly possible! Reducing unhelpful perfectionism means particularly addressing the way we handle mistakes and failures, and becoming aware of whether we try to do something well because we genuinely care about the outcome, or because we are predominantly concerned about how our performance is evaluated by others.
In severe cases it is certainly advisable to seek professional help as cognitive behavioural therapy has been found to be effective in the treatment of perfectionism and its potential wide range of associated issues,1-5 but there are also many basic self-directed steps we can take:1,6-8
  • Be realistic and adopt a growth mindset: Have you ever really believed that your perfectionism is making you perfect? Of course not. As much as we would love it, perfection just does not exist. Absolutely everybody has some flaws and makes mistakes, and that includes ourselves: to err is human. So instead of trying in vain to become some sort of super-human, it is more helpful to try and adopt a growth mindset: When we believe that we can develop our strengths and see mistakes and errors as an opportunity for growth, we are less likely to lose too much confidence when experiencing failures, as we see our abilities and skills less tightly connected to ourself as a person. As Beyonce Knowles noticed, only imperfection allows for learning and growth.
  • What can be really helpful is to learn from other people, who use constructive ways of dealing with mistakes and who are able to say: ‘Yes, I got this wrong but let’s see how I can avoid this happening again.’ I am sure that all of us know a colleague, a friend or family member like this!
  • It is particularly important to change unhelpful attitudes and beliefs, and learn to deal with negative emotions associated with perfectionism. This includes reducing or softening negative self-talk by replacing ‘must’, ‘should’ with ‘I would like to’. This converts overly strict rules without options into a goal or desire, which is kinder and less absolute.  
  • Deal with your inner critic: As we perfectionists can be very unforgiving self-critics, this one of the most important issue to address. Following from above point, try and learn to treat yourself with some kindness. Self-compassion is a very important skill in this context, which allows us to assess our strength and weaknesses more objectively, and helps us dealing with mistakes and errors that we make more constructively. Find out more about self-criticism and self-compassion in the post Taming Your Inner Critic: About Self-Acceptance and Self-Compassion.
  • Try to differentiate: Not all situations are the same and perfectionism is not necessarily required in all contexts. Try and make a habit of assessing situations and only apply high standards in circumstances where it really matters, i.e. when the outcome is truly important. You may find that in many circumstances good is good enough, which will save you time and energy.
  • Practice mindfulness: An important aspect of mindfulness is to cultivate the willingness to be with things as they are - which can be understood as the ‘antithesis’ of the striving for perfection out of the sense that we are currently not good enough. Amongst other things, mindfulness allows us to experience moments of non-striving and we learn to cultivate acceptance.

A truly amazing person- What can we learn from…:9
Reshma Saujani is somebody who learnt about failure the hard way: she ran for the US congress and spectacularly lost the election. Although she admits that it was a very humiliating experience, it did not take her too long to re-orientate herself and take on another project: During the election campaign, she had visited local schools and noticed a significant gender gap in computing classes. In 2012 she founded the non-profit organization Girls Who Code in order to teach young women computer skills. In her inspiring Ted Lecture Teach Girls Bravery Not Perfection, she discusses why perfectionism can be a particular problem in women.
What we can learn from Reshma Saujani is that it is not only possible to turn a big failure into something of value, but that it may be also time to discuss the issue of perfectionism and the fear of making mistakes on a wider level within society and different professions.

Preview: As striving for personal growth is a more helpful mindset than striving for perfection, we will discuss different ways in which we can expand our personal horizon next week. 

References and further reading:
1. Shafran R, Coughtrey A, Kothari R. New frontiers in the treatment of perfectionism. New Frontiers in Cognitive Behavioral Therapies. 2016;9(2):99-106.
2. Barke A, Bode S, Dechent P, Schmidt-Samoa C, Van Heer C, Stahl J. To err is (perfectly) human: behavioural and neural correlates of error processing and perfectionism. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. 2017;12(10):1647-1657.
3. Hill AP, Curran T. Multidimensional perfectionism and burnout: A meta-analysis. Personality and Sorcial Psychology Review. 2015;20(3):269-288.
4. Nettle D. Personality: What makes you the way you are. Oxford University Press; New York. 2007.
5. Kothari R, Egan S, Shafran R. Overcoming perfectionism: Protocol of a randomized controlled trial of an internet-based guided self-help cognitive behavioral therapy intervention. JMIR Research Protocols. 2016;5(4):e215.
6. Seppälä E. The Happiness Track: How to Apply the Science of Happiness to Accelerate Your Success. Piatkus; London, UK. 2016.­­
7. Pittman CM, Karle EM: Rewire Your Anxious Brain: How to use the neuroscience of fear to end anxiety, panic & worry. New Harbinger Publications: Oakland. 2015.
8. Kabat-Zinn J: Full Catastrophe Living: How To Cope With Stress, Pain and Illness Using Mindfulness Meditation. Piatkus. 2013.
If you found this information helpful, please consider supporting the campaign under Just Giving. Of course it is also great if you choose to support another charity or do a practical good deed, but it would be nice if you could let me know that you have done this because you felt inspired by this campaign. Please also feel free to share this post and let me know if you have any constructive feedback- good or bad!





Donations are in aid of the International Rescue Committee and the World Veterinary Service