I captured this photograph through the windshield of our car during our return from an enchanting weekend family expedition to Watkins Glen State Park in New York. (Rest assured, my husband was at the wheel!) Its allure was immediate, prompting me to share my discovery with my husband, who clarified that the tree had been deliberately pruned to accommodate the power lines. A sense of sadness washed over me as I contemplated the human impact on the gifts offered by Mother Earth.
However, upon deeper reflection, I realized that there was no cause for sorrow. Instead, this served as a testament to Mother Earth's resilience. My heart lightened, and a wave of tranquility enveloped me. Almost immediately, my thoughts began weaving connections and drawing parallels between Women and this Tree. Such associations come as no surprise to me, as I consistently find parallels between Mother Earth and women, recognizing our roles as extraordinary creators of life, you...
There were so many times I look back and see how much I didn't love myself.
I have this harsh inner critic that tells me I will never be good enough. Good enough for what?...for anything. This is a belief that was embedded at a very young age. I love my parents and grandparents, and there were many moments where I felt, and believed, their love was conditional. They gave me so many wonderful memories, and the harsh words and behaviors stuck around for a very long time.
When I made good grades, I was praised with words and money. When I made a B, my grandmother told me how angry and disappointed she was in me with words I would never speak to my children, and a lashing I would never wish upon anyone.
When I was "too large" at the tender age of 11, I was brought to Weight Watchers, where I would weigh in weekly in front of other women twice my age. I began noticing the difference in my body compared to others. I...
“Why fit in when you were born to stand out”~Dr. Seuss
Let's talk about this amazingly beautiful paradox where we all want to fit in and want to be unique in this world.
Did you know that standing out actually helps you fit in?! Follow me here. When we are authentic, we stand out in the crowd we are amongst. This might be the crowd of our family, friends, colleagues, co-workers, etc. When we allow our true self to shine through, it leads us to find the groups where we do fit in, which is a need.
Psychologist William Glasser discusses one of the basic human needs as to “feel a sense of belonging”. In the hierarchy of needs, love and belonging is the 3rd basic need after physiological and safety needs. Cognitive behavioral compassion theory recognizes that mammals survive in community. What happens when we have such an ingrained human need, as well as the need to know we are uniquely made? ...
"If you want to go fast, you go alone. If you want to go far, we go together".
These words came from my Rise to Power Ride Cycle instructor at 5:15 this morning, who may have gotten it from a variety of people since nobody truly knows where this quote originated.
I had been thinking about what I wanted to write for my next blog article and it hit me right then and there. Community and Connection. Through the past few weeks, I had started and stopped writing so many blog articles. None of them seemed to adequately explain what I have been noticing, thinking, and experiencing in my life. There was some self criticism in this process that I "should" be able to bang this stuff out, yet as I write this today, I know it was just the process I needed to come to this perfect topic.
There are countless articles with studies showing that every successful woman has a community of successful women behind her, cheering her on...
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