Women’s History Month
Some imagery and quotes that celebrate women’s wisdom, experience, and contributions in the world.
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- Connecting with our creativity enabled us to abandon the mental confines of “you should” for the freedom of “what if.” When did you last let your creative intuition guide you?
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- We’ve seen powerful manifestations of this in the #MeToo movement. When you #StandUp does it inspire, empower or motivate you to know that you’re also taking a stand for others?
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- With each and everything we do (or do not do), we make a difference. What difference do you want to make today? What will your legacy be?
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- Strength manifests in many ways. All the women I know possess tremendous strength. How do you acknowledge & celebrate it?
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- Daily, we pragmatically tend to our unending list of “shoulds.’ Remember to take time to dream. Dream big, beautiful dreams that excite, scare (just a little) and inspire you.
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- Do you tiptoe through life or walk with purposeful intention? I want you to know: you don’t need to tip toe. It is your right to walk purposefully and with intention. Stand in your beautiful power.
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- Pain can open or close your heart. Closure breeds more pain through isolation. Opening, though vulnerable, creates opportunity for healing through connection & enables us to deepen our compassion & empathy. Let your heart open like a lotus.
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- Don’t be afraid to use your voice. In that moment, when all is silent and you know that YOU must speak, you will find your strength and your power. Lean in and own it.
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- Celebrating International Women’s Day with the words of the powerful and inspiring Maya Angelou. Few possess such strength, love, wisdom and clarity. She was, and continues to be, a great blessing to humanity.
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- How often do you find your authentic self being stifled & limited by notions of who you should be? Release the “shoulds” and embrace who you are. Right now. As you are. You are unique, powerful, deserving of love and so much more. Embrace it.
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- What if? What dream might come true? What expectation might be exceeded? What connection might be made? What chance is calling you to be brave & take it? What risk could change your world? If you never try, you’ll never know. You can do it.
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- Perfect body, hair, skin, teeth, nails, make-up…the pressure to be pretty is intense. You emanate beauty from your heart, mind & soul…from places that could never be “made-up.” Be pretty if it pleases you, but know always that you don’t owe it to anyone else.
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- How much time & energy do you invest in living up to others’ expectations or some far-flung notion of who & what you think you “should” be? What if you could release all of that & just be YOU? What if you could let all of your beautifully nuanced complexity & uniqueness shine? Don’t strive for perfection. Strive only to be whole & authentically you.
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- When we stifle our voices, we inadvertently disempower & devalue ourselves. Honor the message in your heart & give it voice. Know that it won’t be warmly embraced by all & do it anyway. Your story matters.
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- Can we be “bright and optimistic in the face of devastating reality”? While living in Ireland, I worked with addicts & saw their struggles up close & personal. I also saw their resilience & determination to be cheerful, despite their struggles. That didn’t cure anything, but it sure made the journey more enjoyable. Happy Paddy’s Day!
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- We are most at peace when our beliefs, thoughts & actions are in harmony. Are you experiencing beautiful harmony or cringe-worthy dissonance in your life? What small shift could you make to bring yourself greater peace today?
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- Often, women’s identities are closely connected to those we’re in relationship with. We’re daughters, sisters, wives & mothers. It can be easy to lose our sense of self & awareness of our own wants and needs. Create space to know & love yourself. And find out just what you are capable of.
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- When life feels difficult, what anchors & motivates you? Always know that you are talented & worthy. Believe that you have a gift – something uniquely yours – that you must somehow share with the world. When all else fails, may that belief – & the fire it kindles within – sustain you.
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- The light that shines within is the essence of who you are. Know your light and honor it. You needn’t be anyone or anything more or less than you. Shine your beautiful light.
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- Is a queen unafraid? Or does she move forward in spite of her fears? Fear is part of the human experience. We ALL feel it. Those who live most fully, don’t allow it to control them. So yes, “think like a queen” & be willing to step into your fear, knowing that you will find your greatest strength & growth right there in the middle of it all.
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- Fear of letting others down (which I feared would make me unlovable) kept me from being authentic for years. Eventually, I learned that I had to release that fear & be true to myself…which has caused some relationships to wither & fade, but it’s made the ones that truly matter, that much more meaningful. Let the real you shine.
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- If I had a nickel for every time I was called “bossy”…well, I’d have an awful lot of nickels. Why do you suppose women are “bossy” when men are “authoritative” or “in charge” or “leading”? Give your inner boss a fist bump & tell her she’s awesome…’cause she’s getting sh*t done like nobody’s business!
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- What history holds you back? A story about your family’s luck or fortune? An idea handed down to you about gender roles? Something someone – a teacher or role model, perhaps – once told you about your limited potential? Let. It. Go. Step out of that story & into another that offers you the freedom & space you need to be authentic & make your dreams come true.
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- When you find yourself feeling hopeless, disempowered, angry or sad about the state of the world we live in, look within. All it takes is a small shift in perception to turn those feelings into fuel for your powerful, loving heart. You possess the power, the strength and the love it takes to make a difference. Believe in you!
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- We live in a world that so often values stoic pragmatism over heartfelt creative expression. Give yourself permission to know, honor & apologetically express your creative side. There is magic there. Unleash the gift for the world to see!
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- Can you mindfully and purposefully open your heart and your eyes that you might be able to recognize God everywhere you look? Find Him in a flower, in a tiny insect, in your family, your friends and your neighbor. Find Him in a homeless person, in someone who is misinformed and full of fear, in someone YOU might hate or fear. When we can find Him everywhere and in everyone, we will truly know Love and we will finally be Home.