• REFLECTIONS ON THE WOMEN’S MARCH — INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY!!

    It’s International Women’s Day! I’m using today to reflect on The Women’s March & re-reading my own book: Release From Powerlessness: Take Charge of Your Life.  Sad so little system change since the ’70s.

    What does it mean? I’m asked that in almost every conversation I have.  Clients, Colleagues, Friends ask… and I ask myself as well. Millions of women gathering in small towns and large cities, and in countries around the world does have meaning, even when it’s different for many. I’m listing some of the things I think it means….add your own list if you want to, and feel free to disagree. A dialogue helps almost every conversation!
    Here’s Mine….
    Women KNOW and ACKNOWLEDGED JUST BY SHOWING UP IN LARGE NUMBERS
    — we are not equal to men in the eyes of the law and in the thinking of the new administration
    — we must claim, embrace and assert individual power
    — we must claim more positions of power
    — we must run for political office and win — across the country — in our communities and states and nation wide
    — we must step up and into leadership roles wherever there is opportunity because things get better when women lead
    — we must acknowledge and confront the extent of sexism/misogyny  — in attitude, in speech, in behavior and the impact on us as individuals and on our children, both girls and boys
    — we must support organizations like Planned Parenthood to protect a woman’s over all access to health and wellness
    — we must demand that decisions about our bodies are OURS to make
    — we must understand the challenges of women in every walk of life, of every color, of every belief system
    — we must include and work with men who do understand and want to be engaged with us
    — we must step up and step out and support one another in doing so
    — we must allow for differences in our interpretation of what is happening and in what needs to be done
    — we must collaborate like we have never done before
    — we must acknowledge the stress being encountered and take extremely good care of ourselves by talking to one another and asking for and offering help to those struggling…
    Finally we need to acknowledge that people sometimes disagree with us — intensely — and be prepared for dialogue, conflict management, and the opportunity to learn from one another.
    We can make much progress by looking into the faces of the women — and men — who showed up EVERYWHERE to support one another.  Take a look at the photos in the link below.  And take a breath when you do….the emotion and intensity and dedication and caring is written on the faces……you will feel it!
    Click here to view 2017 Women’s March photos, from across the United States and the World.