Calling all Strong, Confident Women (& those searching for that within)

Life is passing by quickly... are you living the type of life you always wished you would?

Happiness is there for all of us... are you allowing yourself to live moment to moment and enjoy it?

The Lioness is within you... the ability to hold both crucible and spear, embracing both male and female energies... this is part of what makes up the powerful woman you are and the visionary and leader that resides within.

Being a leader does not mean you want followers.

Being a leader has nothing to do with what you do for a living, your title or your status.

Finding that place of truth within yourself, learning to express your authentic voice for you, through you, in a way that is meaningful to you; that attracts others to you like a magnet... being perceived by others as a leader because you are authentically you.

And knowing that which lies within yourself.

I'm calling all Strong Confident POWERFUL Women, to come out and play. Engage with others in conversations, once a month... or as often as you can make it.

Shaping Our Future is about you, about me, it is about those who came before us, about those around us and those who will come after us.

Come and see how we can make a difference in this world we live in.

First topic Fundamentals of Leadership is on Wednesday, February 6th, at 7:30 p.m.

Let's wake up the world together... to the potential we all hold inside.

Does it call to me?

Does it call to me to be writing my words for the world to read?
Does it call to me to be engaging in certain conversations?
Does it call to me to speak about what is meaningful to me?
Does it call to me to be involved in these relationships?

Does it serve me to be writing my words for all to read?
Does it serve me to be engaging in these conversations?
Does it serve me to speak about what I need to say?
Does it serve me to continue to be in these relationship?

Listen. Hear the silence that we too often fill up.
What is that voice inside saying? Listen.

Feel it. Is my body trying to tell me something?
Am I full of aches and pains, do I need to pay attention? Feel it.

Pay attention. What feels right for you to do, inside of you?
Put aside ego and superficial wants... pay attention.

Yes, it serves me to write what I write, regardless of who may read it.

Yes, it is imperative to my happiness and growth to have these conversations.

Yes, to speak my truth in a way that is meaningful to me is the only way I know how to live now.

Check in with myself... does it remain meaningful to be in these relationships??? Recognize that relationships evolve and change as the people in them evolve and change... it doesn't have to be an end to anything, it just morphs into something new, different. Knowing I will not hang onto someone because they are a fall back. There is no turning back anymore.

Forward moving motion, directing and creating my life.

Shaping our Future – Women’s Leadership Series

A new series of sessions being held once a month to be an invitation for conversations, mentoring and new relationships to be built.

Topic for February – Fundamentals of Leadership

This program is for women who are trying to discover their own leadership within and for women who are already in “leadership” positions.

The invitation is for women who are comfortable, confident and catalysts in their lives and careers to come and share stories, thoughts and ideas with the women who are there who have not yet discovered the leaders they already are in their lives. The benefit of these conversations will be felt by all who participate.

This group will meet the 1st Wednesday of every month at Growing Forward, 1153 Cole Harbour Road, in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Approximately 2 hours from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. beginning on February 6th, 2008.

Cost is $10 per session, RSVP your attendance by the Monday prior to the session to Lori Walton, 461-9169 or via e-mail at potential@eastlink.ca

Limited Seating please reserve your space soon.


* these sessions are open to any women interested in the topics offered *

Starving for Conversation

So here I sit, in some kind of slow mode (for me it's slow), feeling kind of here and now what.

This is what I was waiting for the and now what, so it's time to begin to create again.

I have been trying to find a way to get my Conscious Parenting workshop out to a certain audience and I have been coming up against a blank there... or maybe I'm just not ready to go there yet.

I have been very busy again at work... my job is again changing into something else, different, same people, different challenges. I have been not engaging so much with people via e-mail, telephone... choosing just to move along in slow mo.

And now I'm ready, ready to re-enter into engaging with others... creating ideas for conversations that I would like to begin to have. Coffee Conversations and Catalysts the version I began with is about to re-emerge transformed. Looking different, a different conversation each time, a theme, a topic, those who are called to be there will be there because it is meaningful for them to come out and do so. Coffee Conversations and Catalysts will not be it's name, however what ever I create will be what CCC has become now.

I'm supposed to get together with Amy soon, hopefully she is available tomorrow for some coffee and conversations. Whatever I choose to create next it will be held at her space in Cole Harbour. Growing Forward offers comfort, privacy and a safe intimate setting for bigger, deeper conversations.

Let's see what emerges from this...

There is always more.

Living in a Bubble - New Year, New Vision

I have been mulling around, moving from place to place, space to space, as I feel pulled to.

Since the Ideas Festival in early December I have been floating from place to place, moment to moment.

Spending time with my family, spending time with others who I feel I want to be with.

Becoming familiar and remember who I have always been, integrating things I have come to know about life, love and self in the past 2 years.

Finding meaning my way with many of it... How does it resonate for me? Do I choose to follow the "rules" or do I engage as it feels right to do so?

Christmas time was fantastic and so relaxing. There was no hustle and bustle within my body, so it reflected that calm, happy, content feeling into my holiday season. I spent time with family, I didn't stay longer than I wanted, I didn't do anything I didn't want to do. I slowed down. I had time to connect with both my kids. Balance... no... Bliss Letting go of all I was holding, allowing myself the luxury of time, to simply be.

I went to yoga at Oceanstone a few times. In my perfect world I would go every week, but reality calls, it is a long journey for me to make every weekend. I have decided to treat myself to the first Sunday of each month, to go, to be, to move, to remember, to talk, to breath with Gabriella, Kim, Carole, Scott and whomever else shows up on that particular Sunday morning.

On New Years Day, the weather was warm and sunny, I was invited to participate in a Celtic Sweat Lodge at Earth Sea near the Ovens Park outside of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. I brought Jessica my eldest daughter to experience it. What a unique way to bring in the new year, to celebrate by again remember who I am, who we all are, where I come from and thank all the blessings I have in my life.

My intention for the day was to build my connection with Jessica... for me to invite and allow conversations to flow easier between us, mother and daughter. When it came time to begin the sweat Jessica did not feel comfortable to do so, so she choose to sit out by the campfire or to wander the grounds or go to the house. After the first round I came out and choose to sit out the remaining rounds to be with Jessica, wrapped up sharing a blanket, sitting by the fire, talking.

Many of us who attended the sweat brought along our instruments, and there was a drum by the campfire that Jessica was able to show me some "African" drumming that she learned in her music classes. She tried to teach me and I think she was quite successful in doing so (she may disagree).

Sitting silent. Laughing. Contemplating. Enjoying. Playing. Being. Loving. Sharing. Connection. It couldn't have been more perfect of a day for me. I look forward to more times like this with Jessica out by a campfire in our future.

Now I find myself emerging back into the busy-ness of life and I reflected on how much I have been living in this bubble since early December. I have found that I love myself and I want to slow down and honor that... I am little afraid that as the busy-ness of my life begins again I will lose that.

I know it may sound silly and forgien to some of you... to others it may hit home hard... I am 32 years old and I am only now beginning to love who I am. I've liked my life. I have acknowledged things I have done and enjoyed them... but it was somehow disconnected... less than, still because I couldn't fully stand in that place within to see it.

Accessing love for myself has allowed me to really find the passion again... the love in the things I do. Remembering... back to basics... what was the impulse that moved through me the moment I choose to create that project? etc...

7 or 8 years ago there was this homeless man named Don who was always outside of my office building. I was a single mother at the time... and this was my first job since I was off of welfare. Well I gave something to him everyday... what little I had.

After a few months I would buy him lunch and sit with him on my lunch hour. In my office attire, sharing a lunch with a homeless man. I got to know him a little bit, found out he was from the hometown that my ex (now fiance) was from in Ontario.

A few more months went by and it was a cold winter. I needed some painting to be done in my house so I offered Don a job to come and paint my hallway in exchange for some money and a couch to sleep on that night.

Life went on and after I left that job I never saw him again.

On New Year's Day this year after the sweat experience at Earth Sea, Jessica and I went downtown Halifax to try to find something to eat. I look up at a man on the side walk and it is Don... I was so happy to see him, he also recognized me... I gave him a big hug and told him how happy I was to see that he was well.

He remembered my name (which is better than I did). He said he saw me on TV over the summer talking about my Conscious Parenting Workshops... he told me how surprised he was to see me and how often he thought of me and what I did for him.

He told me he now has a roof over his head and is doing very well, and I don't ever have to worry about him and how he is doing. He told me if there was ever anything he could do for me... that he is easy to find.

And the tears are in my eyes as I write... how little do we know. When you give from your heart because you are compelled to do so... you just never know who's life you will have an impact on.

Love and Light... it's not always a bad thing... I can have that with an edge I think. The crucible and spear. The lioness with her cubs.

This year is going to be amazing. Life is good.