Women’s Empowerment Tip: Personal Reflection

Years of stifling our passions and dreams makes us quickly lose touch with who we are and what we truly want for our lives. Prayer, meditation and journal writing are only a few of the many techniques you can use to once again get in touch with your true you.

As our Soulspring Members can attest, journaling exercises are incorporated throughout the entire Soulspring process. Of course each membership includes an Empowerment Journal, which was designed as an accompaniment to the Soulspring Groups Membership Program. We also integrate journaling into each Soulspring Group meeting and encourage regular independent reflection between gatherings too. Creating a record of your “aha moments” is an amazing self-development tool!

If you’re not experienced at journaling it can be an intimidating process for a newbie. The most common challenge we hear is that old question, “I don’t know how to start.”

We’ve been there ourselves and that’s why we have incorporated a wonderful tool into the Member’s area of the Soulspring Group’s website. Members, did you know that with each login you will find a new Soul-Searching Question on the Member’s homepage? We’ve been told time and again the amazing power of the Question, and how it’s the perfect query for the specific challenge you’re facing at the time.

And, if you’re not yet a Soulspring Group’s member you can still take advantage of the Soul-Searching Questions! Subscribe to our Soul-spiration e-newsletter and receive a new Soul-Searching Questions collection in each month’s edition (you can subscribe by entering your email address in the space on the right).

If you’re feeling stuck in a rut, or just want to get focused in on your goals, dreams and passions once again, these questions are just the ticket to promote reflection and inspire your journal entries. You’ll soon get to know yourself again!

Kim,
Sister of Soul

Soul-spiration of the Week:“Journal writing is a voyage to the interior” ~Christina Baldwin

Tribute to Dad

Here at Soulspring we spend a lot of time and focus on women. Having just celebrated Father’s Day, and with dads on our minds, we’d like to take the time to recognize the men who were instrumental in making us the women we are today; our fathers!

It’s really amazing everything we learn from our fathers. The “maybe not so important stuff” like not taking the first bite of an ice cream cone from the bottom, to the more important work ethic we carry into our first part-time jobs. I would say the most important though, is our fathers joining forces with our mothers to teach us about the kind of person we’d like to grow up to be. While I think back to everything I learned from my dad I can see as an adult how vital these tidbits of wisdom have been. Please allow me to share:

Never pass up the chance to strike up a conversation with a stranger. By observing my dad over the years I’ve come to discover the wonderful things that come from meeting new people. Maybe they have the scoop on the best place to find burgers in town, maybe they’ll offer to take you on a tour of the area, or maybe you’ll just walk away feeling happy that you had a connection with someone. Be friendly; not so difficult of a task, right? So next time you’re pumping gas or standing at the supermarket husking sweet corn, say hi to the person next to you.

Keep your sense of humor. I was blessed to get my Dad’s sense of humor. A little corny at times but we’re always the first and last ones laughing. Always look for the comedy in things and you’ll make life that much more fun.

Use a lot of paper when working through a problem. This originally started out to apply to algebra. My dad would constantly remind us to use a lot of paper and lay out the equation and our figuring in a neat and organized manner. But what about using this idea for all problems in life? Sit down and write your problem out…and use a lot of paper.

Never pass up an opportunity because of fear. I can think back to more than a few fun experiences we got to do all because Dad wasn’t afraid to go for it. When I feel myself sinking into fear I sometimes ask myself, “what would Dad do?” And more than likely the answer is, “he would have gone for it!”

Here’s to all the dads out there (especially our dad):
Thank you for all your love, support, and wisdom throughout the years. Thank you for raising such happy and empowered daughters. We love you and are so very blessed!

Becky,
Sister of Soul

Soul-spiration of the Week:
"The father who would taste the essence of his fatherhood must turn back from the plane of his experience, take with him the fruits of his journey and begin again beside his child, marching step by step over the same old road.” ~Angelo Patri

Who Are "They", Anyway?

Several weeks ago I was offering some assistance to someone in the office. She had several different copying projects to do and I noticed she was adding an unnecessary step to her task. I asked her if anyone had ever shown her this simple trick that would allow her to finish her job in half the time. She looked at me in horror and said, “They said I can’t do it that way.” I inquired who “they” were. She simply said, “I don’t know, but that’s what “they” said.” I reassured her that it is perfectly safe to rearrange her projects and the end result would be the same, but she would complete her assignment in half the time. She seemed satisfied and finished her project in short order.

I thought about that conversation several times since then and wondered who “they” were. Obviously, “they” had their information wrong about the use of the copy machine. I needed to get to the bottom of who “they” were and set the record straight. Wait a minute, who named me the copy machine police? I decided to leave well enough alone and didn’t track them down, but I did come to realize the incredible power that “they” had. It really goes so much further than the proper use of copy machine.

How many times do we listen to the “they’s” in our lives? We don’t bother to question what “they” say because apparently “they” know best. How many times do we give in on something we think is important because “they” say we can’t do anything to fix it anyway? How many opportunities do we let slip through our fingers because “they” say it’s a waste of time? How many dreams have we set aside because “they” say it’s not worth it? How many goals do we give up on because “they” say they are not possible?

Who are these unidentified folks in your life? They may think they are the copy machine experts, but they certainly aren’t the experts in your own life. Fortunately, only you can have that job!

Jenny,
Sister of Soul

Soul-spiration of the Week:
"The greatest revenge is to accomplish what others say you cannot do." ~Unknown

Top 25 Empowerment Quotations for Women

We love a good quotation, and apparently you do too. Often it’s a simple post of a quote on our Facebook page that will draw the most comments and “likes”.

So what is it that draws us to these short lines of text? Is it the feelings of inspiration they provide? Is it the nuggets of wisdom buried in their meaning? Are we so pressed for time that we can only afford the few seconds it takes to read and ponder these sayings? We believe the answer to be, “all of the above”.

We’ve been amassing quotations for years and we’ve built quite the collection. Some are deep, some are funny, and our favorites remind us of the potential and unique power within each woman. We’ve drawn from our quotation library when we’ve needed a lift, and also tapped into this resource when we’ve recognized another is in need of a pick-me-up.

Below we share some of our favorites about women and women’s empowerment. We hope they offer you some inspiration and we invite you to forward this post to a friend who is in need of a power-boost! We know you have your own favorites too, and invite you to post them in the comments area of this blog to help us build an even larger source of empowerment for women everywhere!

Enjoy!

Kim,
Sister of Soul

TOP 25 EMPOWERMENT QUOTATIONS FOR WOMEN:

1. “It doesn't matter who you are, or where you came from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always.” ~Oprah Winfrey

2. “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.” ~Alice Walker

3. “Courage is like a muscle. We strengthen it with use.” ~Ruth Gordon

4. “There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” ~Anais Nin

5. “You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try.” ~Beverly Sills

6. “It's not what you call me, but what I answer to.” ~African proverb

7. “You take your life in your own hands, and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.” ~Erica Jong

8. “Our deepest wishes are whispers of our authentic selves. We must learn to respect them. We must learn to listen.” ~Sarah Ban Breathnach

9. “A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.” ~Diane Mariechild

10. “When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.” ~Audre Lorde

11. "The question isn't who's going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." ~Ayn Rand

12. "Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

13. "The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it." ~Roseanne Barr

14. “I do not wish [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.” ~Mary Wollstonecraft

15. “You don't have to be anti-man to be pro-woman.” ~Jane Galvin Lewis

16. “There is a growing strength in women but it's in the forehead, not the forearm.” ~Beverly Sills

17. “It's hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head.” ~Sally Kempton

18. “Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths.” ~Lois Wyse

19. “Remove those 'I want you to like me' stickers from your forehead and, instead, place them where they truly will do the most good -- on your mirror!” ~Susan Jeffers

20. “Never underestimate the power of a woman.” ~Nellie McClung

21. "Women have to harness their power - it's absolutely true. It's just learning not to take the first no. And if you can't go straight ahead, you go around the corner." ~Cher


Good for a giggle…

22. "The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off." ~Gloria Steinem

23. “Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.” ~Charlotte Whitton

24. “A woman is like a tea bag: you cannot tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” ~Nancy Reagan


Long on power…

25. "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 and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of god. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make and manifest the glory of god that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

~Marianne Williamson

Soulspiration of the Week:
“When emotions are locked up in your heart, they can find release through words.” ~Simran Khurana