A Force for Good
On Purpose Woman
June 2019
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On Purpose Woman Publisher/Editor Ginny Robertson Creative Director Kathryn Yarborough Contributing Writers: Carol Burbank Laura DiFranco Claudette Gadsden Sylvia Henderson Andrea Hylen Beverly Ramsey Ginny Robertson Chrisa T.S. Kathryn Yarborough Cover Art by Kay Kemp
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On Purpose Woman Magazine is published monthly online. We reserve the right to edit or reject any material submitted. Neither the publishing team or the advertisers accept responsibility for errors. Publication and distribution of this magazine does not constitute an endorsement of information, products or services. The publisher reserves the right to reject any advertisement or listing for any reason. To reproduce articles, always credit On Purpose Woman Magazine with the link to the issue. Also, credit the author and leave their bio and contact info intact.
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8 Women Entrepreneurs Can Change the World Kathryn Yarborough 14 Are You Really What You Do? Escape the Workism Treadmill Carol Burbank, Ph.D. 18 Do You Feel Empowered? Andrea Hylen 24 A Women’s Journey to Positive Conversations in Life and Business Claudette Gadsden 30 Sparkling Trees Laura Di Franco 34 Mind Gone Blank? Here's What To Do! Sylvia Henderson 40 My Story Kay Kemp (Our cover artist) 44 Soil: So Much more than Dirt Beverly Ausmus Ramsey, PhD 52 Want More Confidence? Change Your Posture Chrisa T.S. 56 Business Directory 60 An On Purpose Woman…Uplifts Other Women Ginny Robertson
Thank You to Our Advertisers Andrea Hylen * Baltimore Organizer * BMore Health Coach * Brave Healer Productions * Chrisa T.S. * Coach Claudette * Community For Life at Keswick * Earthsave Baltimore * Eclectic–Tala * Inspiration Celebration Spiritual Center * Jewels from Jerri * Julia Mattis Re/Max Advantage * Light of Truth Center * Lisa Diane McCall * Nourishing Journey * Soul-utions Hypnosis * Sue Fitzmaurice * Temple In the Woods
Inside On Purpose Woman...
What YOU tell yourself now is creating YOUR future. What WE humans collectively tell ourselves now is creating OUR collective future - for ourselves and our great grandchildren. I invite all women entrepreneurs to join me in developing the skill and practice of being intentional about the stories we tell ourselves. If you develop the skill of changing the stories you tell yourself, you can manifest clients, grow a business you love, and create the life your hearts long for. In addition to that, if you develop this skill,.you will be able to join others in writing a collective new story for humanity and creating a future where our great grandchildren thrive. Woman One One woman told me that she does her bookkeeping on paper instead of her computer because of “what the world is coming to.” She suggested that the next “attack” will be online and everyone’s online documents will be lost. As she spoke to me, I thought, I do NOT want to live in her fear-based world. Woman Two The other woman is Marianne Williamson, the author of A Return to Love, a 2020 Presidential candidate, and the person who wrote one of my favorite quotes that begins, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure...” Marianne Williamson posted on Facebook that she wants to create a Department of Peace. My initial response when I read Marianne’s post was that’s ridiculous. And then I caught myself - I had an old story about the U.S. government based on how things have “always” been. Once I thought about it, I realized a Department of Peace could give attention, time, and energy to creating a world where humans co-exist in harmony. Maybe it creates an initiative where 1000 people meditate daily in Washington, DC and other powerful centers around the globe until world peace has fully manifested. Maybe this Department of Peace invites all citizens to participate in writing a new story for the future where our great grandchildren and their great grandchildren live in peace and prosperity on Earth... or something even better. Once I opened my mind to possibilities, I realized a Department of Peace would be awesome. I want to live in the love-based world that Marianne Williamson continues to call us to. We are part of the collective mind here on our planet. Together we can write a new story about our immediate and long-term futures. I want our great grandchildren to thrive. So, I intend to be intentional about the stories I tell myself about my life and about humanity and our planet. I invite you to join me.
Women Entrepreneurs Can Change the World by Kathryn Yarborough
Kathryn Yarborough is the creator of the Manifesting Clients Academy. In her free video training, she explains a 3-step process you can use to change the story you tell yourself and how to get started now. Go to www.ManifestingClientsAcademy.com.
Today I had encounters with two very different women.
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“Some people worship beauty, some worship political identities, and others worship their children. But everybody worships something. And workism is among the most potent of the new religions competing for congregants.” Derek Thompson, in The Atlantic If you have only one ounce of ambition, there’s a good chance that you believe that your work is the centerpiece of your identity and life’s purpose. It’s as American as manifest destiny, high-sugar fat-free “diet” foods, and debt. It’s called workism. Thompson counts it among what he calls the new atheisms, and notes “for today’s workists, anything short of finding one’s vocational soul mate means a wasted life.” Workism is a special trap for those of us with a spiritual calling, marked by a desire to align our work and leadership roles with a higher purpose. The problem isn’t the spiritual practice of living and working through principles and practices that help us connect with the divine. It’s that workism makes our daily labor the most important measure of our success as individuals. As a result, we work harder, longer, and with more frustration. We experience lives out of balance, out of energy, and out of time. For visionary leaders and seekers, the price of workism is doubled. When the going gets tough, the really tough beat themselves up for not living up to an impossible standard. When tasks are challenging or our vision is blurred, we blame ourselves for not being connected enough to God or our calling. We disconnect from our true center, and give in to negative thoughts and stories. Remember that sometimes our work is just work, and it can be hard to keep going. According to workism, the way through hardship to success is to labor more hours with more effort. But that’s a treadmill, not a path forward. Even as you do what you must in your work, you need to make room for rest and create space for healing and inspiration. What will you do today to reconnect with your center, that place where you know that who you are matters far more than what you do?
Are You Really What You Do?
Escape the Workism Treadmill by Carol Burbank, Ph.D.
Carol Burbank is a writing/life coach and leadership specialist, founder of Storyweaving Coaching and Consulting and the Storyweaving Retreat Center. www.storyweaving.com This article appeared in Science of Mind Magazine, and has been reprinted with their permission. https://scienceofmind.com/
Do You Feel Empowered? By Andrea Hylen
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.”
You are probably familiar with the famous quote by Marianne Williamson: She wrote these words in 1992, in “A Return to Love.” I have spent years pondering why women are afraid to use their power and what disconnects us from our power, our brilliance, our desire. This quest is what led me to start Heal My Voice in 2010 to create a space for women to explore their personal power through writing, speaking, and listening. By talking about trauma, loss, grief, humiliation, and even moments of being told to shut up and sit down, women began to reclaim the power that was tied up in an old story. It’s not that women are fragile little creatures. I see just the opposite! If you have experienced regular humiliation or a trauma that shook you to the core, you shut down the connection to your power. You may have hidden it to protect it. Or maybe you have been afraid to use it because you have seen how people have misused their power and hurt others. The truth is, whether you know it or not, your power has been there, inside of you, all this time. There are two very different definitions of empowerment in the dictionary: 1. authority or power given to someone. 2. the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights. The first definition defines empowerment as something that is given to you, as in, you didn’t have power until that moment. That is power from authority, and many of us have bad experiences from what was expected from us for that power. The second definition defines it as something that you have had all along, and it’s up to you to open the box and claim it. The Heal My Voice mission statement began with the words “to empower women to reclaim their inner authority and step into greater leadership in their home, community, business and the world.” Inner authority is our personal power. Over time we changed the word “empower” to “support.” As Marianne Williamson has said, you cannot empower anyone. The power is already within each person. What women really need is space, time, and practice to connect with their inner power and learn how to use it. It even helps when someone gives us “permission” to use it, the way Marianne Williamson has done in her quote. “Permission” from other women in a group can help us crack through the pain from the past and claim what is already ours in the present with encouragement. As we encourage each other, we encourage ourselves. We have been living in a culture that normalizes the suppression of the feminine: intuition, creativity, and specifically women. Women have been conditioned to be nice, to apologize, to put other people’s needs before our own, to doubt our inner knowing and innate instincts. Our power was diminished with the normalizing of abuse through gaslighting. We were told over and over again that our voices did not have value and did not matter. In some situations, it was subtle: “Nicknames,” teasing, admonishments to lighten up. In the last few years, the words “gaslighting and normalizing” have risen in conversation. The way women were suppressed is now visible. Women can stop doubting their experiences. Now is the time to take your power out of storage and learn to use it. As the Heal My Voice authors have come out of our “well-lit caves,” the secret Facebook groups and private Zoom calls where we reclaimed the power that was tied up in stories of pain, we are sharing our voices in our world. Think about how Harry Potter, Ron, and Hermione all learned how to use their magic wands. It took practice and support. Remember. Your power is your magic wand. An empowered voice knows when to listen. An empowered voice knows when to speak. An empowered voice knows when to shout her message from the mountaintop. In reading those words, reflect on how you use your power. Do you feel empowered? All the time? Some time? Not at all? Do you know when to listen, when to speak, and when to shout? Do you know how to ask for support that strengthens your voice? The discovery of our power is a lifetime of unlearning, learning, and fine-tuning. Your power is amazing! Ideas for Claiming More of Your Power 1. Reflect: Start out small. Take an assessment of your life. The foods you eat. The clothes you wear. The way you celebrate holidays. Your day to day activities. Your relationship with yourself and others. 2. Ask Questions: “Why” is a potent word. Question everything in your life and begin to make a written record of what you think and feel. 3. Be curious: Make a list of some things you would like to try. Notice when you feel vulnerable and what stops you. 4. Redefine: Make different choices. One small step at a time. I leave you with a few questions to explore: *Make a list of challenges you have experienced. Pick one and begin to express your experience in writing and artistic expression. *What are some of the traditions in your family that you have changed or want to change? *Where do you have support?
Andrea Hylen: Author of Heal My Voice: An Evolutionary Woman’s Journey. Creator of The Writing Incubator, online writing community. www.andreahylen.com
Experts estimate that an average brain has anywhere from 25,000 to 50,000 thoughts per day, if not more. According to MessagetoEagle.com, 70% of these thoughts are believed to be negative. As women, our heads are constantly filled with never-ending to-do lists, fitting in “me time,” wondering what we will make for dinner, filling the needs of our spouses, staying healthy, work deadlines and so much more. We are always thinking, and it can get so loud in our heads that we often need a break from ourselves. Leadership Coach with Business Chicks, Margie Warrell, makes a very significant point when she writes, “We work hard to do a great job, to keep all the plates spinning and scale the high bars we often set for ourselves. Yet for many women, it’s still never enough. No matter how much we squeeze into any 24-hour block, we still feel like we’re falling short on some measure; that we’re just not “enough” in some way.” With all that we do daily, why do we still feel unaccomplished and view ourselves as failures? Why do we become our biggest critics and end up self-sabotaging? The little voice in our head doesn’t let up. It serves its purpose in bringing awareness to the situation and more importantly, to the thoughts we have around the situation. Opportunities for optimistic thinking exist in all facets of our lives, and we must re-program ourselves to reflect differently and re-train our brains to recognize these chances for positivity by thinking about what we think about. Easier said than done, as our environment is continually filling our minds with unconstructive thoughts, unfair life events, friends and family who we believe have failed us, offspring who seem ungrateful, a boss who is demanding or a business that is sucking the life out of us. Let us begin with the workplace as the office environment can be a breeding ground for negative feelings when it comes to women. Overall, women have to provide more proof of our ability than men and have our judgment questioned in our area of expertise. We all desire growth, however, when our current job limits our personal development, the negative thoughts take center stage, leaving us feeling worthless, depressed, and stuck. These destructive thoughts can create a trickle-down effect on those that are most important to us, especially our co-workers and family. When we can achieve the process of creating more clear, concise conversations in the workplace, teamwork improves, morale is raised, and there is an increase in productivity and efficiency. Most importantly, stress is reduced in employees, and that means when the workday is done, that lack of stress transfers to home life. How do we choose how we feel about our experiences versus letting our minds do the decision making for us? How do we grow where we have been planted? The good news is there is a lot of power to positive thinking. It can and will change our life. To start, shifting the language of our internal thoughts will help us modify negative patterns we have become accustomed to. Knowing when to shift the language of our inner thoughts is as simple as recognizing when our feelings start to change. Our thoughts impact our feelings, which impact our actions. If we can take a step back and delay our immediate reactions to negative situations, we can discover productive outcomes. When the boss at work is extra picky, requesting multiple tasks at once, we can look at it as an opportunity for growth instead of another annoying request. During a confrontation with a friend, instead of putting up a wall and preparing for a defensive battle, this could be an opportunity to be a better listener and increase our ability to empathize with another person’s perspective. When our inner dialogue is positive, motivating, and empowering, we succeed at reaching our goals faster while being a role model to others. It’s important to grow where we’ve been planted because it’s not always where we want to be. If you’ve decided it’s time to make a career move, you probably don’t want to stop working the job you have, You continue to work in that position getting additional knowledge to make you even better in your next role. If possible, you take this time to prepare for your replacement. The authority to make important inner voice alterations that have for so long been filling our heads with negativity, leaving us with damaging consequences, is already within us. Everything we need to be the next best version of us is within. You are the expert of you, and I implore you to hold on to that power. Confidence is contagious, and others will take notice of this modification to your attitude. Ignoring our destructive voices, speaking to ourselves with kindness and respect, empowering others through self-empowerment, and practicing positive internal dialogue, are all ingredients needed to create the perfect recipe for positivity progression and success. “Every outer experience starts with inner dialogue. What are you saying to yourself?”
A Women’s Journey to Positive Conversations in Life and Business by Claudette Gadsden
Conversation Coach at Coach Claudette & Associates, guiding professional women to create more clear concise conversations; personally and professionally. www.CoachClaudette.com
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Laura’s ready to help you change the world with your words. Find her at www.BraveHealer.com
Sparkling Trees by Laura Di Franco
Late night Summer Still Thick No Crickets Laying back Gazing high for fireflies Yellow-green Christmas lights Bright blinking I’m sinking into bliss This moment Mine Sublime Simple Free Connected to the breeze Sparkling trees Silence My mind Kind Open Receiving Believing in Miracles
Have you ever “gone blank” trying to think of a solution to a challenge you face, only to have a “duh! moment” when someone else suggests a solution to you? My message to you today comes from the very question I ask when my idea tank is empty and someone else gives me a great idea. I ask myself – and perhaps you ask yourself in a similar situation… “Why didn’t I think of that?!” This is different from hearing or seeing your idea come from somewhere else and thinking, “Hey, that’s MY idea!” You ask yourself why you didn’t think of that when you don’t have the idea to begin with. This may seem impossible – not having an idea – when you’re an entrepreneur, or a leader in an organization. It seems to others that you always have ideas. You ask this question of yourself when you don’t have the thought at all until someone else inspires the thought, as opposed to having the thought that you failed to take action on. I’ll tell you a story that, FROM the story, you’ll learn how to GET an idea for a solution that you otherwise might not have gotten on your own. I had breakfast with a client who had an issue she couldn’t seem to solve herself. She bought me breakfast to talk-out her issue in the hopes I would see something she didn’t. This is lesson #1 – embrace the power of a partner in an Idea MindTeam™ group. This lesson is the basis of why belonging to Idea Mindteam™ mastermind groups is so important to growing your business or advancing your career! It’s harnessing the power of the “third mind” where your mind and other people’s minds produce ideas that none of you may think of respectively on your own. Back to the story… During our breakfast, while I gave her ideas to address her issue, I realized they were also ideas I had not thought to implement myself, for MYSELF. Lesson #2 – in helping someone else address their challenge, you might also realize that your idea can solve a similar challenge you yourself have and had not thought of before. Again, this is what happens during Idea Mindteam™ mastermind sessions when you share your thoughts with others. You sometimes hear yourself come up with an idea for yourself. Lesson #3 of the story is that saying your idea out loud validates and cements your thought in your own mind. You hear yourself say something aloud, and what you had in your head when you were alone seems not to be such a crazy idea after all. Or if it seemed like a crazy idea in your own head, once someone else has a “eureka moment” from your idea, it doesn’t seem so crazy anymore. To bring my story to an end… My client heard my suggestions for addressing her issue, was open to them, then came up with ideas that built on mine so that she solved her challenge in a way that she otherwise would not have solved without the “third mind”. Let me help you solve a business or professional issue that you may have gone blank on so that you can avoid saying to yourself, “Why didn’t I think of that?”, and you can move on to transform your ideas to action. I have a program called Idea MindTeam™ Virtual Communities for Solo Entrepreneurs and Messengers. Let’s explore if one is right for you! Body text Body text Body text Body text Body text
Mind Gone Blank?
Here's What To Do! by Sylvia Henderson
Sylvia Henderson is known as the Idea Implementation Expert. She is the creator of Idea MindTeam™ group programs for entrepreneurs and organizations to move ideas to action. Connect at SylviaHenderson.com.
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Ginny Robertson Writes: Thank you to Kay Kemp for the use of her deeply inspirational art as our cover this month. This one is called Earth Prayer: Radiance. Be sure to visit her websites to see more art, as well as greeting cards, labyrinth walking cards, books, journals, bags, cups, phone cases and pillows…all from her beautiful art pieces. www.spiritworks4u.com/ www.kaykemp.com
Cover Artist Kay Kemp
My Story by Kay Kemp
“With all of my art I seek to inspire a thought, a word, a deed, or a prayer towards healing the planet and our sacred relationship to it.” – Kay Kemp It isn’t an unusual story, but one many of us share. It is a life unfolding with purpose and passion, along a circuitous path of seemingly unrelated steps that finally reveal our own soul’s longing. Back in the 60s, I set out to become an art teacher but the road ahead led down a variety of different paths, but all necessary to shape my art and offerings. Here I’m sharing about the last two decades. In August 1997, I discovered the labyrinth as a powerful and significant spiritual tool after attending a week-long gathering led by Dr. Lauren Artress, Veriditas founder and author of Walking a Sacred Path and The Sacred Path Companion. Dr. Artress’ vision for the labyrinth as a sacred path of prayer and walking meditation was a pivotal juncture for me. Profoundly motivated by this meaningful experience, I was led down new roads of personal development and spiritual discovery. I sought additional training as a Certified Personal Effectiveness Coach, a Veriditas-trained labyrinth facilitator, and embarked on an intensive exploration of the creative process through a variety of disciplines. A new trajectory evolved as I fostered a deep conviction that creative expression and spirituality illuminate one’s own purposeful life. Combining my coaching skills, creativity, spiritual conviction, and business acumen, I founded Wild Heart Art, where my mission of inspiring others to liberate their own creative spirit and discover the joy and healing of creativity flourished. My art and innovative programs further ignited my vision. Spirit Works 4 U is the result of that sacred alchemical brew. Throughout the Spirit Works 4 U site, the art and products are inspirited by my dedication to our sacred relationship with one another and our planet.
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Soil So Much more than Dirt by Beverly Ausmus Ramsey, PhD
“The soil is the great connector of lives, the source, and destination of all. It is the healer and restorer and resurrector by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life. Without proper care for it, we can have no community, because, without proper care for it, we can have no life.” ~ Wendell Berry The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture What is Soil? If you listen to the EPA, soil is one of the primary media, like air and water. If you listen to the USDA, soil is the specific combination of particle sizes (loam, clay, sand) located in an area. I believe, as do all ecologists, that soil is the most complex and important stratum in the terrestrial ecosystems. Ecosystem bio-geo-chemical processes primarily occur in the litter or duff layers in soil. They capture inputs, including sunlight, and nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen, and water. Exports from these systems affect the receiving ecosystems and include soluble minerals, soluble nutrients, demineralized/mineralized carbonates, and water. These processes are affected by fires, floods, meteorites, and by a range of human activities from urbanization to pollution. These processes are critical to the terrestrial ecosystem sustainability and provide what we now call ecosystem services which range from photosynthesis to water filtration. How Important is Soil to Ecological Functions? Soil is the “life under our feet,” the bio-geo-chemical processes which provide for carbon accumulation as biomass, conserve nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus within the rooting zone and provide for the interrelationships among organisms which are mutually beneficial to plants-animals-microorganisms in/on the soil. Soil is a medium for plant growth and bio-materials production, and combines with the other soil functions to anchor roots and allow for the transport of water and nutrients to the root/soil interface. It also serves as the medium for a huge variety of microorganisms including bacteria and fungi, for insects and other arthropods, and for other organisms such as earthworms. Soil is a habitat for soil organisms, making up more than half of all “life” on the planet. The micro-organisms are mainly responsible for most of the biochemical transformations in the soil medium; whereas, the macro-organisms primarily affect physical soil transformations. Soil acts as a biochemical or nutrient reactor which absorbs, releases (i.e., desorbs), and transforms inorganic and biochemical compounds such as essential plant nutrients, pesticides, minerals, heavy metals, and numerous other compounds. What Does Soil Mean to Our Water? Soil holds water and regulates drainage, allowing for the transport of various inorganic and biochemical compounds within and through the soil medium. The reason that municipalities, regional waterworks, and foundations in addition to the EPA are interested in soil stability is that soil filters our water, including incoming rain and runoff. When soil is unhealthy from tilling, excessive organic fertilizers, adding herbicides or from pollution, then the filtration of water is lessened. Water received by the stream, or by groundwater is of lesser quality. In mining, soil is degraded, resulting in acid runoff and can cause devastating effects downstream. What Does Soil Mean to our Local Climate? Soil carbon accumulation (called sequestration) can strengthen land-based carbon sinks and off-set man-made or anthropogenic emissions leading to GHG (greenhouse gas) increase. Among numerous benefits of soil carbon sequestration are improved food security, increasing supply and quality of water, and enhancing biodiversity in soil. One of the greatest impacts of wildfires is that the soil becomes hydrophobic and minimally absorbs water — runoff increases, and during storm events, significant mudslides result. The overall result is greater than just the burned area; it increases the temperature in the air above and often destroys the oils for plant production and water filtration for long periods. Nourishing Soil: Sustaining Agriculture, Sustaining Humans We need to build soil banks by nourishing our soil. This not only will enhance our agricultural production but will also minimize the production of GHG production from these areas and enhance carbon accumulation in soil. This includes: • Minimal to no tilling or soil disturbance • Adding all inedible parts produced as surface compost • Using recalcitrant or lignin-rich carbon substrates under raised beds to provide long-term decomposition processes enhancing fungal growth in soils • Adding ectomycorrhizal and endomycorrhizal fungal spores to enhance plant growth • Adding of earthworms (red worms) What We Can Do Locally We can do a great deal locally to nourish our soil and therefore nourish ourselves and begin to reverse climate change. Here are some ideas: • Learn what watershed you are living within and learn about the watershed management program locally. Join and participate. • Quit using inorganic fertilizers and especially herbicides on your land and encourage others to quit using these toxins. The “perfect lawn” kills soil, and many of these materials kill pollinators and decrease water filtration/cleaning in soil. • Nourish your soil in greenhouses, gardens and on your lands. Use composts and recalcitrant carbons additions such as sunflower stalks or corn stalks to line raised beds.
Beverly Ramsey, PhD, recently retired from 50 years of scientific research. She remains a professor in Environmental Sciences at APUS. She is sharing with us what she has learned from her traditional Native American rearing and her scientific research. DrBeverlyARamsey@gmail.com or bramsey@eclectic-tala.org
Do you want to gain more confidence? Do you wish to access that state of confidence instantly? If you answered yes, then this article is for you. Read on so you can find a simple but effective technique that you can use to access your inner source of confidence in a blink of an eye. The Story and the Miracle My maternal grandfather was my greatest supporter, mentor, and coach from the day I was born. I don't know how and I don't know why, but oh boy! There was nobody who could change his mind. And it was challenging for someone to believe in me, especially after the doctor saw the symptoms, and the diagnosis was that I had Down Syndrome. My parents went along with the diagnosis, but not my grandfather! He insisted we got a second opinion. And when the second doctor, confirmed the first, he asked for a third, stating that "this is a healthy child; not just healthy but also capable of great things in life." Everybody in my family thought he was crazy but went along with him, since he was so passionate about his belief. To everyone's amazement, the third doctor ordered a few more medical exams, the results of which proved my grandfather right. I was a healthy baby. Since my grandfather's belief was confirmed, there was no way anybody was going to change his mind about me. I was a miracle, and his mission was to help me manifest that miracle in my life. The Coach and the Granddaughter I have to admit, though, it was tough. Having someone believe in me with such intensity was overwhelming. Being a granddaughter of a man who thought his sole mission in my upbringing was to coach me to excel at everything... well, this wasn't always an advantage. I was the best student at school, the best sister to my siblings, the best singer in the church chorus, the best dancer in the dance school. At times, it was quite stressful to be the first and the best at everything. I can't say that I didn't take pride in excelling, but I was also a child. I wanted to play, to relax, to be perfectly imperfect. The moment I failed to be the best in something my eyes would meet my grandfather's eyes and all I could see was disappointment for just a moment, and then they would light up again to cheer me up and lift my spirits so I could try again. All in all, I am very grateful to my grandfather, because I wouldn't be the same person without him, his teachings, and his belief in me. The Cowboy Walk I was sixteen years old, and I was walking on the street by my grandfather's side when he noticed how I walked. He tried to hide his shock and asked if I was in pain or something. You see, I was walking like a cowboy, with my toes facing outwards, half twisting my waist, slightly hopping in every step. The funny thing is that I put effort into walking like that! I imitated this walk in my attempt to be cool at school because this is how my friends walked back then. And, my friends were mostly boys. The Unapologetic Walk Once I told him why I was walking like that, we went straight back home, where he announced that he would teach me how to walk. He put on my grandmother's heels and gracefully started walking around the house. After he allowed a couple of minutes for my grandmother and me to stop laughing, he asked me to try. "When you are walking," he said, "walk as if you are going to take over the world; walk as if you are off to the greatest mission of your life, even if you are just going to the bathroom. Do not apologize for it." I am so grateful I listened, even though I didn't like having to spend every day after school walking for a whole hour with a bunch of books on my head. Learning how to walk as if I was off to the greatest mission of my life made every step meaningful and mindful. I was feeling the ground beneath my feet, and I was pushing it, using it to move forward. This technique along with my posture (walking with my body straight, chest open-relaxed shoulders, jaw parallel to the ground) helped me change my attitude, aka my inner dialogue from "poor little me" to "I am the queen" and I now I never leave the house without it. Unapologetically. What People Say I teach this in my workshops, and this is what some people have told me: - Since I started using your technique, people listen when I talk at meetings - I found the courage to ask for that raise, and I got it. - My children finally listen to me. - My wife told me I look more handsome than before. - Everybody turns to look at me when I enter a room Even if you are not feeling confident and you need to feel confident, use your posture. Emotion follows motion, and I have found that every time I walk, sit, and stand that way, I can influence people. How valuable would that be for you? Try it and let me know how it goes. And before I go, here's a little wisdom nugget that my experience taught me and can make the difference in your success. Surround yourself with people who see greatness in you, even when you don't see greatness at that moment in yourself. When I kept failing with the power walk, my grandfather kept encouraging me saying you can do it, I believe in you. Who is this person in your life?
Want More Confidence?
Change Your Posture By Chrisa T.S.
Chrisa T.S is a hypnotherapist who loves to guide and witness your transformation. Join her at https://mailchi.mp/9c8cf378223d/goal-getter-mindset-method and find your true purpose in life. Find her at her free Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/highachieversinnercircle/.
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At Length. Jewell Machlan. The Rolf method and therapeutic massage. This method is amazing! Give it a try! www.atlength.org BEMER Distributor. Doria Musaga. BEMER therapy improves blood flow to increase energy. Decreases pain, chronic fatigue, aids recovery from injury. 667-786-1032 http://bmruniversity.com/whatisbemer www.nursedoria.bemergroup.com Blue Lotus Physical Therapy & Wellness. Joyce Fishel DPT. Specializing in Holistic Pain Relief & Therapeutic Movement. 443-650-8886 www.BlueLotusPhysicalTherapy.com BotaniCuisine.com. Nancy Poznak, MS. Plant-Sourced Dining Outreach, Consultation, Marketing, Dining Guides, Plant-Based Info & Coaching. 443-384-7890 Brave Healer Productions. Laura Di Franco, MPT. Have fun with your fear and share your healing message with the world! www.BraveHealer.com 703-915-3653 Cortney Chaite. Protocol for maximized gut-brain health and improved mental wellness. 410-215-6022 cortneychaite@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/cortney.chaite www.GerisePappas.com. Transformational Life Coach & Enneagram Facilitator working with growth-oriented individuals ready to replace fear-based habits with inspired action! Holistic Healer, Life Coach, Money Mentor. Sandy McDougall, helping on purpose women gain clarity, courage, strength, stability, ease. sand@well.com. Hustle with Heart Coaching. Erin Harrigan. Helping "stuck" entrepreneurs rediscover their joy and align results with God's truth. erinharrigan@comcast.net 443-684-3131 Ingrid Dallaire. Realtor Long and Foster. "Service and Results with a Personal Touch" www.IngridDallaire.com Ingrid.Dallaire@LongandFoster.com 301-455-6962 Jewels From Jerri. Jerri St. John. Independent Consultant with Paparazzi. https://www.paparazziaccessories.com/jewelsfromjerri 410-274-3712 Light of Truth Center, Inc. Vaile Leonard. An Innovative Behavioral Health System for women recovering from substance use. www.lightoftruthcenter.org 443-393-2109 vleonard@lightoftruthcenter.org Lilia Shoshanna Rae. Author of The Art of Listening to Angels, Reiki Master, me@lilia.co www.LiliaShoshannaRae.com LNK Creative: End cold calling! Ellen Koronet designs magnetic quizzes and surveys, showcasing brand brilliance and attracting loyal, satisfiable customers! www.LNKCreative.com Love YOUniversity. CortneyAnne Budney. Guiding awakened coaches and healers to spiritually, strategically and collectively uplevel life, purpose and prosperity. www.LoveYOUniversity.net Love YOUniversity. Julia Coplan. Guiding awakened coaches and healers to spiritually, strategically and collectively uplevel life, purpose and prosperity. www.LoveYOUniversity.net Maria Petrucci, DC. Craniosacral therapy, chiropractic, intuitive guidance to support deeper healing. See Nourishing Journey practitioner page: www.nourishing-journey.com 240-394-2037 mpetrucci.dc@hotmail.com Music 4 More. Deidra Stevens. Non-profit that repairs and recycles musical instruments into music programs for schools and veterans. www.music4more.org Nourishing Journey Café & Wellness Center. Jennifer Palmer. Healing Bodies ~ Opening Minds ~ Uniting Hearts. Columbia MD. 410-992-3001 www.nourishing-journey.com Open Heart Healing. Karen Tasto. Free your inner goddess and live a life you love through spiritual life coaching, reiki, sacred circles, and retreats. www.karentasto.com Patricia Iris Kerins. Soul retrieval and voice empowerment coach, healer and channel, working with women who are spiritually awakening. www.patriciairiskerins.com Plexus Ambassador. Natalie Gallagher. Natural plant-based health and wellness supplements and skincare, balancing blood sugar, reducing inflammation and healing the gut. https://plexusworldwide.com/nataliegallagher Positive Power Publishing. Stephanie Mensh. Helping people with stroke and disabilities and caregivers live full lives. stephanie@strokesurvivor.com www.strokesurvivor.com Problem Solved. Errands & Organizing. Deidra Stevens. We provide solutions to get your to-do list done! www.linkedin.com/in/deidrastevens/ Soulful Business Coach Dawn Shuler - I work with women business owners to play bigger by focusing on systems. www.SmartBusinessFromYourSoul.com Soul-utions Hypnosis. Beverly Hamilton CHt. Restoring health and vitality through Hypnosis, Reiki and Aromatherapy. FREE self-hypnosis recording: www.Soul-utionsHypnosis.com HypnoAromaBev@gmail.com 410-663-5089. www.TheChrisaGroup.com. Chrisa T.S, Public Speaking Coach. Speak up. Show up and Share your message with presence and influence. The world is waiting for you. Virtually Nat. Natalie Gallagher. Your one-woman web, social media and funnel digital agency, bringing your online vision to life. https://virtuallynat.com
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Ginny Robertson is the Founder of the On Purpose Woman Community, a global movement that connects women around the world to their gifts, their purpose and each other. She is also a speaker and the Publisher/Editor of On Purpose Woman Magazine. www.OnPurposeWomanComunity.com
In 2012, I presented a workshop at my On Purpose Woman Conference called “Embracing the Other.” I created a space and opportunity for women to talk about our relationships with other women and how we talk about and treat each other. Raw honesty and dialogue bubbled up, and it reinforced my belief that we, as women, want to be in authentic community. I also believe that, as women, we have a responsibility to do our part to make the world a safer place for women and girls. We can’t do that vital work if we are distracted. We get distracted by petty things like jealousy, envy, and comparison. In that workshop I asked: - When did it become OK for us to refer to other women as bitches and whores? - How can we hold men to a higher standard and expect them to respect women when we don’t respect each other? - What kind of messages are we sending young women? I created a pledge that we read together and signed. I’m recommitting to more consciously living this pledge. Who’s with me? A Pledge To My Sisters I pledge that from this moment forward, I look at my Sisters through new eyes. I see the beauty and love, as well as the pain that is within each soul. I am conscious of my words and actions toward my sisters, and especially, towards myself because I can’t give what I don’t possess. For me to love and respect my sisters and to be joyful for their abundant life, I must first love and respect myself. I act as a beacon of light. When I am around negativity, especially towards women, I take the high road. I stand up and let my voice be heard and counted. I let others know that talking about me or any other woman in a disrespectful way is not acceptable in my presence. I reach out to my sisters with compassion and understanding…not just those sisters who are like me, but especially those who are most not like me. I bridge the invisible divide that separates us and know that magic occurs when I let down my walls and extend a hand.
An On Purpose Woman… Uplifts Other Women by Ginny Robertson
On Purpose Woman Magazine is for women and by women. I am proud to be a part of it. Our voices matter. Our businesses matter. Our leadership matters. And what we care about matters. Thank you for your part. This magazine exists because of women like you who read it, write for it, advertise in it, contribute in any way to it, and share it with their friends. Kathryn Yarborough, Creative Director
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