Women’s power. Being powerful. Coming out of hiding with our gifts and shining them out, claiming them – I have been utterly missing that this is a power issue. For me, for my clients, for some of the women coming to Santa Barbara (only four spots left!!) and so I’m going to do my radio show about it this Sunday…
I want your thoughts: as women in our Western culture, can we fully develop our gifts and shine? Or when we do, we will always be labeled a bitch? Put under microscope (think Katie Couric right now or Hillary Clinton in the beginning of her political career), our legs and the size of our butts and what we wear endlessly discussed (does anybody ever discuss the size of a man’s penis in regards to whether he can do a job)?
Is it possible to fully be ourselves as a woman in today’s world?
Post your thoughts!!
And call 1-866-675-6675 between 8:15 and 8:45 AM Pacific/ 11:15 and 11:45 am Eastern THIS SUNDAY and tell me what you think on the air. Even if you can’t hear the show, you can hear me and my guest answer you so it will be satisfying and fun!!!
3 responses so far ↓
1 martha Bilski May 6, 2006
This morning Yahoo features an ad about cellulite, we are face to butt with some very young girls smooth one and invited to attain this with some miracle product. Or lips or eyes or hair..the list is endless.I have never ever seen a man in his underear on TV or the internet in a commercial about fat or wrinkles or skin “tone” … How can we feel powerful if we buy into this sex-bias- youth culture crap. Yes am angry about it. We need to write letters and spend our money where our sex and age are honored.This week I bought some clothes from a catalog which featured real size women-not tiny not fat not extreme. And I wote them a note saying how wonderful it was to see these pictures rather than the anorexic fare we are usually offered. How can we be powerful if we cannot eat? I am 49 and I am a powerful woman artist. I hope this is not too long. edit at will!!
2 Mindy Stern May 6, 2006
I see this as not only being a power issue, but even moreso an issue of self-love. How can we love ourselves enough to feel so good in our own skin that we can’t help but want to spread the extraordinary gifts we each bring to this world as creative, talented women? I saw Jean Shinoda Bolen speak last week, and she said something that made an extreme impact on me: When people don’t get enough love, they go for power instead. So, even though I think it is important to claim our power as women, I also feel strongly that we must learn to love ourselves and our bodies if we are to fully embody that power. I agree with Martha, too, that we must put our money where our mouth is and support companies and products that portray women with realistic body shapes and sizes.
3 pixie May 8, 2006
Jennifer,
How I would rush to your SB retreat if I had no babe attached to my breast! Soon…soon. I listened to the podcast with Laura a few nights ago, on the way back from a memorial of a young, too young friend who passed of liver cancer. Death seems to always make me jump up and want to read all the Eckhart Tolle I can get my hands on. Laura’s question of “what do people come to you for?” is brilliant to those of us still seeking to honor our soul purpose. The work you do is so mighty, sister.
I remember Teresa Heinz Kerry being called “spicy” by that belligerent Chris Matthews during the debates, today’s post brought it back to me. I am quite tired of being judged and identified by my looks. I truly do believe that I can develop my more graceful, sacred gifts when I am not being called “perky”, “sprite” and “tiny”. I don’t suppose I pay as much attention to this as I once did, but I’m just pondering why male counterparts are seldom identified by their physical appearance. Their intelligence, wit, politics, religion are what seem to id them…hmmm. Food for thought. I wonder if I can accept that this is the way things are (fashion mags, beligerent commentators), but work harder to see and shine my gifts rather than ignore them because I have chosen to believe that I am what people say. Or become what they say I am…
Tricky trickster. I want to be careful that I don’t hide my light because of “the way things are” or use the status quo as an excuse not to see my purpose or be it.
Thank you, thinker. And thanks for that wonderful radio program! I love hearing your familiar voice: it is so enthusiastic about my soul.