By Joy Heartsong

 I’m all for making it easy. Can I count you in? Then let’s look at 7 simple steps for making our hours, days and lives easier and more fun.
1. Let go of acculturated beliefs that no longer serve us, but we still live by. For example: We’ve got to work long and hard for anything of value. Work isn’t supposed to be fun. First we work, and then we play (if there’s time). I’m sure you can add to this list. Are you still letting these beliefs influence your decisions and make your life harder?
2. Get rid of the idea that you must do it all by yourself.   Ever heard the saying, “Many hands make light work”? This was true long ago and is even more so today. With the multitude of tasks we’re faced with on a daily basis, it’s no wonder we sometimes feel overwhelmed, “edgy” or discouraged. Why do you feel you must do it all and do it well? It’s unreasonable to expect yourself to be an expert in an area you’ve never been trained in. For some of us that may include marketing, computer graphics and sales. For others, it may be trying to do all you used to do and a whole lot more. Do the math. It’s not possible. The bottom line is: Get some help!
3. Prioritize, delegate, barter and contract the help you desire. Look at what really needs to be done vs. habitual patterns. What can be delegated, dropped or done more creatively or efficiently? You may dearly love doing some of your tasks, projects or daily routines. Is it the best use of your time? If so, you may want to keep doing those. You may have expertise in areas that no one else can do to your satisfaction. Continue with those. Look for others who will barter or contract with you. Remember virtual service providers. Delegate responsibilities when possible. Expect others to follow through. Give them the authority to do so. Avoid jumping in to “fix it” any time someone doesn’t do his/her part, or you’ll find yourself back at square one.
4. Say “No” with grace, ease and aplomb. If you find yourself saying “Yes” to doing things you would rather not do, you may find this one very challenging. If you find yourself saying “Yes” because you want to do it but don’t have the time, you still have a problem. In this case, you’re either letting others down by not delivering as promised or you’re letting yourself down, or perhaps your family, by giving up your time for fun or relaxation.
5. Set boundaries. What feels good to you and what doesn’t? Go with what feels good. Let t

By Amy Cook-Porter

Today is my 25th Mother’s Day.  I celebrate today as my 25th anniversary of being a Mom.  This is the longest job I’ve held.  I’m not planning to give it up any time soon.

I didn’t celebrate this anniversary on our daughter’s 25 birthday.  That day, both 2 months ago and 25 years ago, was all about her. 

Mother’s Day, May 9, 2010 is about me.
The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.
She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.
~ Rajneesh
No, I don’t think it’s selfish to take a day for me, on behalf of other Moms who have milestones today.  I have a friend who’s daughter is 40 and she is still married to her daughter’s father.  This woman, this mother should be lauded too for her accomplishment of co-creating a successful and happy young woman.

Another friend with 5 children helped arrange today’s celebration so that her daughters would have Mother’s Day.  She also called to make sure that I would have Mother’s Day – just in case my husband or daughters forgot.

These women understand.  This day isn’t about our children.  It’s about a sacred sisterhood we enter on the birth of our children. 

The real religion of the world comes from women much more than from men – from mothers most of al
who carry the key of our souls in their bosoms.
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

Women who have never given birth can only surmise what it’s like to have this kinship. Nor will men understand.  That’s why we connect with our sisters who do.

A sister understands and never judges: why our houses are never neat, our refrigerators covered with artwork and reminders; and why we never buy new things for us.  They too know that our children’s needs come first; and, that we consciously choose to sacrifice. 

All the while, our husbands and partners complain – complain about the house, the money, and our being tired because we live in a dual world – where we work full-time either in the home or out and raise a family, including our husband.  His mother stopped raising him at 18, hopefully.

So today, is Mother’s day. 
It is a day to do what YOU want of it.
It is a day without self- sacrifice or the need to control

It is a day to be with your family – or not. 
It is a day to play in the garden with Mother Earth
It is a day to go shopping or not
It is a day to let go of chores or to savor them
It’s a day to just be

It’s a day to cuddle babies or snuggle teenagers or walk hand-in-hand with loved ones
It’s a day to lounge on the patio, in the bath or in front of the tv
It’s a day to be me – who I used to be before wonderful daughters or who I will become when our house will be so empty, so quiet in the not so distant future
It’s a day to talk with friends who’s kids have grown and we remember when.
It’s a day for me.  It’s a day for our daughters and their young babies. It’s a day for grandmothers and their wonderous memories. Most of all it’s a day for Mothers.
And a special thanks to whomever put the 50 Inspirational Quotes I found on this website, http://inspirationmanifestation.com/614/a-mothers-day-tribute/ (and many others).  I was glad that I wasn’t the only one that wanted to honor the oldest profession.

By Kath Schnorr
If you had an extra hour today, what would you do? How would you spend your time? When I ask women this question most answer with something for themselves. They would take time to go for a walk, take a yoga class, visit a friend, read, or just enjoy some quiet time alone.

We as women tend to put ourselves last on our list and it seems that we never get to that last item – which is ourselves. For some of us, as illustrated by the question above, we do not even make it on our list. In our world today we are so busy doing, focused on getting things done so we can check them off our list. Our main focus is the end result. We forget to enjoy the process and our journey or even to celebrate what we just completed and accomplished.

Women are nurtures and caregivers. This is an innate and natural talent that comes easy to most of us. Those of us that are great at giving and are consider givers also have a hard time receiving. Our focus is on the other person and not on ourselves. So how do we begin to focus on ourselves and change this pattern?

Think of the whole airplane oxygen mask thing. We are told to put our oxygen mask on first; that is, take care of ourselves before we put on our child’s oxygen mask. Let’s take a closer look at this situation; by putting our mask on first we can breathe and are relaxed to help our child. By having our oxygen mask on we do not get nervous or fumble. Taking care of ourselves first changes how we feel and how we show up in our world.

The truth is our relationship with our self is the most important relationship in our lives and it impacts everything else in our life. When we do not keep our promises to our self we begin to loose our self respect, our confidence and our self esteem. Begin to keep your promises to yourself. Notice how this one small step; keeping your commitments to your self; changes how you feel. By giving to yourself – you will also allow yourself to receive.

Recently, a friend sent the following quote by Rainer Maria Rilke.

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions.”

As mentioned in the quote, the point is to live everything. Live the questions. Live the not knowing. Be present to where you are right now. Stop trying to get everything done and checked off your list. Enjoy the process and the journey of your life. Do something for yourself and notice how you feel. Begin to allow yourself to receive all the wonders and joy that are in your life right now. Focus and enjoy the journey not just the end result. You will live more deeply aware of yourself and what is in your present moment.

So are you looking for something specific to do?  What was your answer to the question at the beginning of this article?  Make that item the first thing you do tomorrow morning. Then notice how you feel and how wonderful the rest of your day unfolds.

Written by Rachael Jayne Groover

With so many young women coming of age we loved Rachel’s article so much that we are reprinting it here with her permission.

I would often try to control the nature of my relationships with men in subtle ways. If I met a guy I felt attracted to I put much of my energy into hoping he would call me, or I’d try to orchestrate a way that we could meet again, rather than let go and trust that if he is interested he would call.
At times I’ve also tried to control what my soul’s purpose should be, or what direction it should go in. I’ve been stuck in thoughts of how to make money, what type of seminars have the widest market, or what course makes the best business sense, instead of listening to that still small voice inside me that knows the way to a fulfilling career. A mentor of mine Gary Ferguson once told me, “When it comes to following your soul’s calling, Rachael, it’s like sitting on the river bank. You are close, but not in the river. Once you let go of the safety of those banks and jump into the river, you will be in the flow and there will be no stopping you.” At times I still want to cling to those banks as a way to remain in control of my life. I have asked myself: “What if my deepest desires don’t come to fruition? What if my heart’s calling won’t sustain me financially?” The paradox is, by giving up control, I am offered the chance to receive all the support I need to make it happen.
When a strong, independent woman fears letting her feminine side out, she can become overly independent and controlling. She will attempt to manage the people and events in her life so she feel in control. This could look like an attempt to make a love relationship work when it really has no chance, or forcing motivation into a project she isn’t passionate about, or wanting others to change. Perhaps the biggest life lesson for the strong, independent woman is Trust – in yourself, in a partner, in Life.
A common challenge I see with many of my clients is giving up the notion that they are in absolute control of their life. Whether the issue they present is about finding the perfect job, the love of their life, or solving a problem, they think they are the only one that must come up with the solution or next step. This is not the case.
You are the visionary. You are the one that needs to get clear on what you want. You are the one that needs to take action. Let your higher power figure out “the how.” That higher power can see the bigger picture, and knows more than your conscious mind knows. You have access to this guidance always. Are you willing to trust it and let go of those banks?
When I began to harness the power of this “divine” relationship, everything started to change. Here are 3 practical ways to connect with this guidance that have worked for me.
One : Start asking questions you want answers to. First get yourself into a joyful, receptive state by thinking of something or someone you are most grateful for, and then ask a question you want support in answering. Don’t demand an answer, just be open to one. It could come in the form of a picture that comes to your mind. It could be a still, small voice that you hear. It could be a feeling or a knowing that you get in touch with. Make note of what comes to you.
Two : Add a gratitude prayer to your day. I do this on my morning walk. “Thank you for the guidance you give, I am open to receiving more and more.” When I say this I feel a deeper willingness to let go and trust life.
Three : In my meditations I have added the word “trust.” Instead of just witnessing my breath and the thoughts that float in and out, I place my focus on the word “trust.” I say it over and over again, and within minutes I feel myself letting go and a relaxed smile comes to my face.
All three practices will support a closer relationship with your higher power, which is the fundamental way to develop a greater sense of trust in Life.
When you find yourself at a time in your life where you want to let go of the trapeze you’ve been clinging to, trust has to be present in order to make the leap. A trapeze artist has to let go of one side before they can be caught on the other. After letting go they must stay in trust, even when they cannot see the person that is there to catch them. Your higher power is like your trapeze partner you cannot see. Your life really takes flight when you start to trust and let go of the control you only think you have.

By Amy Cook – Porter

Turning 50 is all about coming of age, once again.  Our children start to see us as old and of course, uncool.  When we forget something, you hear them whisper, “beginning Alzheimer’s”; when they do it, it’s just being a teen or the not being responsible, “I forgot!”

The question I ask you is, “Do you know what you want to do when you grow up (not old)?”  Truth be told, I don’t have a clue what I want to do either.  Travel would be nice.  Play with grandkids is still 4 years away.  Go on the way I’ve been going for 25 years – not going to happen.

I have to take back my life and decide what I’m going to do.  But, as I said, “I have no clue what that looks like.”  It’s been so many years that I’ve put my dreams on hold or actually gotten what I’ve wanted.  Now I have to decide what I want to do.  How do I do that?  How do you?

When I taught personal growth (yes, I was a personal coach 10 years before it became popular and have a 4 year degree to go with it) I always asked my students to make a list of things, tasks or action items that they would like to do during our time we were working together.

So I’ll do the same with you.  I challenge you to come up with 30 things you want to do or learn in 30 weeks.  I was going to suggest 50, but I personally wrote only 30 on my list; so that I wouldn’t feel overwhelmed or frustrate as I worked to complete the list.  The intent is to figure out what you like and don’t like.  And, putting too many items on the list at first can create a sense of struggle.  Struggle can reinforce the believe that you can’t have what you want, when you want.  And, the lesson of the list is to teach you how to choose what you want to do based on what you like and dislike.  If you are struggling you can’t discern if you like something or not because overwhelmed is what you are feeling.

 There is a trick to writing the list.  It is to make the thing or task unconditional on any thing or person.  That way, you won’t create an excuse not to “Just Do It!”

Here’s an example: 

1. Go hiking. 

By writing, “Go hiking.”  I don’t have to wait for anyone because it doesn’t say, “Go hiking with friend or partner.”  I also don’t have to worry about time or location because it doesn’t say, “Go hiking on the weekend in the Garden of the Gods.”  This way, I can go hiking whenever I want, wherever and with whom.  The lesson is to set yourself up to succeed.  Clear writing will do that.   In writing two words, I didn’t set myself up to fail or create a situation where I didn’t do it good enough.
1. Read 5 fiction books
2. See at least 5 of the new summer movie releases.  (Already saw Star Trek and loved it.)
3. Make a list of 10 books that I want to read for the first time
4. Make a list of 10 old favorites that I want to re-read again
5. Make a list of 10 movies I haven’t seen and order them  (or watch online)
6. Make a list of 10 old movies that I haven’t seen in a long time and watch them
7. Exercise with small weights
8. Work up to walking 2 miles
9. Learn to cook Indian food
10. Learn to make ice cream
11. Learn to make bread
12. Learn to can food
13. Finish my 5th website
14. Read the InDesign Tutorials
15. Read the WordPress Tutorials
16. Learn how to use Facebook
17. Learn how to use Twitter
18. Learn how to use Craig’s List
19. Design a marketing plan using Twitter and Craig’s List (This isn’t conditional. This is the new marketing reality.)
20. Update my business plan
21. Update my personal plan
22. Study French
23. Buy a car
24. Write 1000 words per day
25. email my friends that I haven’t talked to in at least a year
26. Call my sisters
27. Plant flowers in the yard
28. Practice smiling
29. Practice saying “No!”
30. Wait a week and add more ideas to this list.

I wrote my list combining personal tasks and business.  If I had to rework them into categories, the main category would be “New Things to Learn.”  That matches my want to learn; and to bring in new things right now.   Your list will reflect what you want to do next. 

My question is what are you going to do next?  Each day we sit and do nothing time continues on.  We have plenty of time to learn new things, have a few adventures along the way. 

It will only take a second to open a new word file.  Number from 1 to 30 and begin writing.  Begin dreaming.  It is a new beginning.

Margret (Peg) Ploss

I would have to say that the woman who inspired me the most in my life was the neighbor who lived down the street from us. Her name was Maragret but every one called her Peg. She was from my point of view the woman that I wanted to be.  From the day that the moving van pulled up in her driveway for them to move in to the day that the moving van took them away, Peg’s house was the hub of the nieghbor hood. She had two boys and a brand new baby girl but she always had time for the nieghborhood children.She was always thier to listen, whether it be to your dreams or to your woes. She had the patience that it took to be a wonderful mother and a caring adult.

 On those hot lazy summer days when there would be a least six winey hot kids at her door saying they were bored, She could always come up with a game or two or a suggestion to ride our bikes to the library, suggestions for books we might like and then we would sit on her long porch and read in the shade. The other mother’s in the neighborhood would send us out to play for hours but they knew we were safe at Peg’s. On those hot summer days she would always offer us a cool drink from her hose or have homemade popcycles for the gang.

I grew up in the seventies. Back then it was safe to send your children out to play. We children always looked out for one another and the younger kids. Peg’s house was the popular place to hang out. It even got so bad that her doorbell was always ringing. But instead of turning us kids away she made a stop sign so that we would know when it was Ok for us to visit. It was just a little round sign but I have always remember it. If it was red that meant that they were busy if it was green it meant that we could come and play.

Peg always went out of her way for the kids. Even though she had 2 boys all the girls wanted to hang out there too. She was always supportive of us girls and would let us come in and help her when she was baking cookies or making cupcakes.  When we all started reading plays and trying to act them out, She helped us get costumes and even went so far as to build us a stage in her garage.

She taught us kids gardening by allowing her children and us by extention to have a garden to grow vegetables in during the summer. She taught us how to weed and work around the plants and even when we picked the products of our labor to soon she would turn it into a lesson for us. She always would put fresh mint in our tea that grew outside her kitchen door.

Even as a kid I knew that she did not have to do any of this. Back then you turned your kids out and just let them make thier own fun. But Peg always had things that we could use to make our imaginations soar. One time she let us use a bunch of cans to make a obstacle course in her driveway for our bikes and she would take all the kids on field trips to the boy scout events.

So this is a tribute to the woman who inspired my life and who I most in the world wanted to be like. She is a wonderful person  with a big generous heart. God Bless you and thank you for helping to make me the woman I am. You were a great role model.

Dr. Sara Baker

Sara Josephine Baker was born in 1873 in Poughkeepsie, New York, to Daniel Mosher  Baker, a lawyer, and Jenny Harwood Brown, one of the first graduates of Vassar College. She was born into a life of privilege. Both of her parents were educated which was unusual for the times. Many men had college educations but it was rare for a women to have one. Women in this time of history were expected to be wives and mothers. The only careers available to the women of these times where teachers or nannies.

Because of poor sanitation there were many people who died from contagious diseases.  Sara’s father and brother died of typhoid fever when she was just sixteen and she gave up a Vassar scholarship to help support her family. The deaths of her father and brother affected her greatly and despite the opposition of family members who were skeptical of women physicians, Sara persuaded her mother that she was making the right decision to become a physician. 
Sara enrolled in the Woman’s Medical College of the New York Infirmary in 1894 (founded in 1868 by Elizabeth Blackwell and her sister, Emily Blackwell). Sara knew that this would be a life changing experience and  took full advantage of the opportunity to work with a network of very successful female physicians.

After graduation from medical school, Sara was able to negotiating a year’s internship at the New England Hospital for Women and Children in Boston after graduation in 1898. Part of her internship was to work in the worst slums in Boston. It was here that Sara saw first hand the relationship between poverty and ill health that would occupy her for the rest of her career.

Dr. S. Josephine Baker opened a private practice in New York in 1899, but to help cover  costs took extra work as a medical examiner for the New York Life Insurance Company.  She also worked part-time as a medical inspector for the city — her first foray into public  health and the beginning of her association with city health administration.

Dr. Baker was appointed director of the city’s new Bureau of Child Hygiene from 1908 to 1923.  This was a time when women were not appointed as Public officials and when she was first appointed director, the six physicians who had been her peers as medical inspectors “all resigned because of the disgrace of working for a woman. But she convinced all six to stay. Some resented the fact that a female physician was in charge of a city bureau, and, in 1919, there was considerable pressure to remove her from her position. However, she received great public support from the local press and from mothers who marched to the mayor’s office to protest her possible dismissal. S. Josephine Baker’s innovative programs at the Bureau, the first such agency in the United States, were part of the early twentieth-century focus on social medicine. She devised wardrobe strategies to minimize her femininity — man-tailored suits and shirts, stiff collars and ties to help with her deal with her male colleagues.

 She started working in “Hell’s Kitchen” one of New York’s worst slums. Sara helped to establish some of the first programs in preventative medicine and public health. Focusing on the enormous death rates among infants in the city, Dr. Baker used school nurses in the summer of 1908 to visit the homes of newborns to teach mothers how to take care of their babies. She also invented a baby formula by adding water, calcium carbonate, and lactose to cow’s milk that could easily be mixed up at home, Sara found that babies wrapped in thick clothing were dying from the heat or from smothering. So she designed baby clothing that were light and airy and opened in the front, the patterns were bought by Mc Calls and the Metropolitan Life Insurance company even gave the patterns away free..

Dr. Baker promoted health education in the city’s immigrant communities which was innovative as the prevailing thought was treating disease not prevention, and started a program that distributed pasteurized milk to children. She also started a school lunch program for older children.  Knowing that where ever children were together in large groups like schools they could pass diseases to each other and then to their families she standardized inspections of children for contagious diseases and created a school health program that was copied in thirty-five states across America.  .

 She developed programs for midwife training. She also pioneered city-funded well baby stations, where babies and young children could be seen by doctors and the Little Mothers Leagues (beginning in 1910), to train girls age 12 and older in basic infant care. The Leagues had important practical benefits for the family economy. Educating siblings to care for younger brothers and sisters allowed mothers to go out to work without their children suffering neglect, a key issue for family health and financial security.

Dr. S. Josephine Baker was the first woman to earn a doctorate in public health from the New York University and Bellevue Hospital Medical College (later the New York University School of Medicine). She also was the first woman  appointed Assistant Surgeon General of the United States.

By the time Baker retired in 1923, New York City had the lowest infant mortality rate of any major American city. Following her retirement
o She represented the United States on the Committee of the League of Nations and was the first woman representive’s.
o She oversaw the creation of the federal Dept of Health and Human Services
o She helped to establish child hygiene departments in every state of the union.
o She served as president of the American Medical Women’s Association.

Emma Lourien

Celebrating My Mother

By Helen Porter

The woman I most admire in my life is my mother. She was the daughter of emigrant parents who achieved only 3 or 4 years of schooling. As a child Mom attended Humboldt county country schools yet excelled in learning in spite of teachers with little education.

She was first in her family to attend High school, graduating in 3 years, valedictorian, and president of her class of 16. During that time she with her brother, walked 3 miles to school, did all the housekeeping, cooking, and laundry for her room and board. She was a member of Bradgate’s first girl’s basketball team, a new sport at the time.

September 14, she and my dad were married and through the years raised 9 children. Except for the war years of WW1 they lived on a farm, raised livestock, and a big garden. Mom canned, dried, butchered, and preserved a lot of what they needed. When the big depression came and closed their bank they lost their farm but we children did not feel the seriousness of the situation. We were never hungry, cold, or homeless. We might have been poor in material things but we were rich in love, good times, and adventures.

Mom was a good listener, positive and made each of us children feel special as she loved us with boundless patience. She had told us we taught her more then she taught us. Her Strength and understanding gave us comfort and security. In spite of much hard work and troubles she never complained and her life exemplified humility. Her temperament was calm and serene. I never saw her crabby, moody, or pouty although at times she must have been exhausted and upset.

Each summer we raised a ½ acre of string beans to pick and sell to the cannery factory for the money for our school expenses. Even when my brother was 6 weeks old she took him to the bean field in a buggy so she could nurse him when he was hungry.

Our evening meal was followed by bible reading by my Dad. In winter before bed time Mom read aloud to us from many books especially the classics which took us to faraway places and on many adventures. TV had not been invented yet.

After her children were good from home and my father had passed away from a heart attack she became very active in church and community things. She held weekly bible studies at the nursing home, was youth leader, Sunday school teacher and held several offices in clubs. She loved to travel and went on 28 long trips, even to the Holy land at the age of 80 where is rode a camel. Everyone who knew her knew she insisted on doing her share so a week or two before she passed away at the age of 98 she baked up her delicious farmers cream puffs for the church bazaar. She was chosen “Mother of the Year” in her town. We were so proud of her.

My wish is that I’d like every child to have a mother with the qualities mine had. I feel very fortunate. I cherish the memory. She is my Hero. Emma’s Daughter.

Author: Helen Porter

was a school teacher for many years teaching 4th grade and kindergarten. She also was an accomplished homemaker and mother to three boys.

from book by same name by Patricia Lynn Reilly

Imagine a Woman who believes it is right and good she is woman.  A woman who honors her experience and tells her stories.  Who refuses to carry the sins of others within her body and life.

Imagine a woman who has acknowledged the past’s influence on the present.  A woman who has walked through her past.  Who has healed into the present.

Imagine a woman in love with her own body.  A woman who believes her body is enough, just as it is.  Who celebrates her body’s rhythms and cycles as an exquisite resource.

Imagine a woman who embraces her sexuality as her own.  A woman who delights in pleasuring herself.  Who experiences her erotic sensations without shame or guilt.

Imagine a woman who honors the body of the Goddess in her changing body.  A woman who celebrates the accumulation of her years and her wisdom.  Who refuses to use her precious life-energy disguising the changes in her body and life.

Imagine a woman who has access to the full range of human emotion.  A woman who expresses her feelings clearly and directly.  Who allows them to pass through her as gracefully as a breath.

Imagine a woman who tells the truth.  A woman who trusts her experience of the world and expresses it.  Who refuses to defer to the thoughts, perceptions, and responses of others.

Imagine a woman who follows her creative impulses.  A woman who produces original creations.  Who refuses to color inside someone else’s lines.

Imagine a woman who names her own gods.  A woman who imagines the divine in her image and likeness.  Who designs a personal spirituality to inform her daily life.

Imagine a woman who refuses to surrender to gods, gurus, and higher powers.  A woman who has descended into her own inner life.  Who asserts her will in harmony with its impulses and instincts.

Imagine a woman who is interested in her own life.  A woman who embraces her life as teacher, healer, and challenge.  Who is grateful for the ordinary moments of beauty and grace.

Imagine a woman who authors her own life.  A woman who trusts her inner sense of what is right for her.  Who refuses to twist her life out of shape to meet the expectations of others. 

Imagine a woman who participates in her own life.A woman who meets each challenge with creativity.  Who takes action on her own behalf with clarity and strength. 

Imagine a woman who has crafted a fully formed solitude.  A woman who is available to herself.  Who chooses friends and lovers with the capacity to respect her solitude.

Imagine a woman who refuses to diminish her life so others will feel better.  A woman who brings the fullness of her years, experience, and wisdom into each relationship. 

Who expects others to be challenged and blessed by her presence in their lives.

Imagine a woman who assumes equality in her relationships.  A woman who no longer believes she is inferior to men and in need of their salvation.  Who has taken her rightful place beside them in the human community.

Imagine a woman who refuses to use her precious life-energy managing crisis and conflict.  A woman whose relationships deepen in satisfaction and contentment without depleting her.  Who chooses friends and lovers with the necessary skills to navigate thorough the challenges of life.

Imagine a woman who values the women in her life.  A woman who sits in circles of women.  Who is reminded of the truth about herself when she forgets.

Imagine a woman who has relinquished the desire for intellectual safety and approval.  A woman who makes a powerful statement with every word she speaks, every action she takes.  Who asserts to herself the right to reorder the world. Imagine a woman who has grown in knowledge and love of herself.

A woman who has vowed faithfulness to her own life and capacities. Who remains loyal to herself.

Regardless, .Imagine yourself as this woman.