6th April 2020.
Article by Monika Holc.
Hi everyone,
I hope you're all doing well during this current difficult period we are living in. My thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost loved ones to covid-19. My own family, extended family and friends are sadly in this situation ourselves. I hope that you are staying safe and healthy and enjoying life as much as possible.
Welcome to our fourth article of our re-launched blog.
If you would like to contribute to our blog, please email us with the subject “guest writer” to info@ezelle.co with some detail about yourself and your writing experience (all experience levels welcome).
Take care and enjoy this month's article!
- Hannah
The Bee- a perfect and timeless role model
I may sound like a grandma reminiscing old times but it really does seem to become more challenging than ever before to find positive role models in our society today. We forget how significant this is for our youth’s development but also important for us adults and the community as a whole. Good role models influence our actions and motivate us to strive to be the best humans we can be, to apply valuable principles in our life and inspire others to do the same. Unfortunately the people who are most admired today- especially by the young- are often the absolute opposite of what we would call a role model.
The unrestrained display of sex and violence on the Internet, in movies, on television, and in our surrounding provides negative imagery of modern life. Over time we have seen images of people behaving badly and following their worst impulses. The aim for short-lived fame, reality television shows and aspiring to be social media ‘celebrities’ who gain millions of followers through simply shocking or providing some excitement- all this seems to bring out the worst in some parts of society.
When I was setting up my brand- Bee Like a Bee- I wanted to make sure I build it around a role model or symbol of something I would look up to- so that I could always be motivated to make the most positive choices and be sure the brand has an identity that inspires myself and others. My search led me to finding myself a surprising new ‘hero’: a little insect called the bee.
I was quite shocked by how little significance I have been giving until now to this little creature who, in many ways, is far more developed and sophisticated than us humans and lives with a true sense of purpose. There’s still so much more science needs to do to fully understand how it works but recent discoveries reveal amazing facts about its life- including complex communication and organization techniques; a superhero- body and brain which enables it to be the most efficient animal on the planet.
What inspires me even more is its behaviour. The bee makes sure it acts with respect and gentleness towards each flower it approaches, never ruining even the most delicate one. Whats more, bees will eat only from the flowers which are pure and wholesome in the amount that they need, never in excess.
And then of course their incredible discipline, dedication to serve and work hard for the community. One bee has to fly about 90,000 miles – three times around the globe – to make one pound of honey which we humans enjoy and benefit from all around the world. On top of all that, bees produce a whole variety of substances that have incredible properties and nutritional value- that can be used to treat many conditions. How blessed we are to have such an amazing creature on our planet!
Bees are mentioned in the sacred texts of many religions including Christianity and Judaism; but it’s symbolism is probably most explicit in Islam. A chapter of the Qur’an entitled 'The Bee' (An-Nahl) says that Allah (God) gave revelation to the honeybee and ordered it to be of service to humans by producing ”a drink of varying colors, wherein is healing for men”.
All these findings (and many more surprising facts I didn’t even mention) led me to introducing the ‘healing praline’- a food made of the five most valuable bee products which have a range of important health benefits and also make a delicious snack (available on the Bee Like a Bee website). One of it’s most important qualities is the ability to support the immune system and strengthen the body- something very much needed during the current pandemic which is especially dangerous to those of weak health. Our recent initiative to offer free immunity boost packs to the most vulnerable in our community has been received with enthusiasm and we are happy to extend this offer upon request. If you know of someone elderly/vulnerable who would benefit from this, please contact hello@beelikeabee.co.uk.
There are plenty of fascinating animals which we could all learn from- including ants, dolphins, elephants and many more. The natural world is full of signs and lessons that we are meant to observe and ponder on.
Coming back to role models in the human world- thankfully there are still people around us who can inspire. It’s definitely worth identifying them and reflecting on their qualities and on how we can apply them in our life. Whats more, every one of us is capable of being a role model- if you are a parent, teacher, coach, religious leader, or manager, you’re influencing people every day. Make most of it!
Monika is a marketing manager who has spent years working in the corporate sector, followed by her last job at a corporate foundation which tackled human trafficking (T. Reuters Foundation). She recently launched Bee Like a Bee- a health & well being brand & the only distributor in the UK of the healing praline. Her mission is to promote healthy tasty and balanced nutrition through making conscious food choices.
More info: beelikeabee.co.uk.
You can also follow her brand on instagram @beelikeabeeuk.
References:
- Popular Mechanics, "10 Amazing Architects of the Animal Kingdom " (https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/g518/8-amazing-architects-of-the-animal-kingdom/), Mary Beth Griggs & Daisy Hernandez, October 4th, 2019, popularmechanics.com.
- Earshot with Miyuki Jokiranta, "The Spiritual and Historical Significance of the bee"(https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/earshot/the-significance-of-the-bee/6924374), Kerry Stewart, 11th November 2015, abc.net.au.
- Matter of Trust.org, "20 Amazing Honey Bee Facts!" (https://matteroftrust.org/20-amazing-honey-bee-facts/), matteroftrust.org.
- Ethics Sage, "Where Have All The Role Models Gone?" (https://www.ethicssage.com/2010/09/where-have-all-the-role-models-gone.html), 18th September, 2010, ethicssage.com.
- Odyssey, “Role Models in Modern Society. Do They Still Exist?”, (https://www.theodysseyonline.com/role-models-in-modern-society), Hannah Porcelli, October 31st, 2016, theodysseyonline.com.
- Wikipedia, “An-Nahl”, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An-Nahl), en.wikipedia.org.
- The British Beekeepers Association, “Bee Facts”, (https://www.bbka.org.uk/pages/faqs/category/bee-facts), bbka.org.uk.
All images used in this article are Royalty Free.