Write to Empower Archives - Mother Natures Daughters

Mother Nature’s Daughters

Jean Houston: “And to rise out of the mush we have been caught in these 100s of years and take flight in the air of the emerging new story. The many flowers of mind & soul we now enter are those that belong to all cultures, to what I call PanGaia. And as the butterfly pollinates and cross pollinates from place to place, flower to flower, so do we if we have the will and the willingness to be part of this extraordinary moment in time.”

As Jean says, we are emerging into a new story. Our world has been out of balance for millennia. Can we stop another eco-disaster from occurring? What can we do to feel more powerful when media messages pummel us into powerlessness and submission? Do we really want to be a woman that’s smiling all the time, smells fresh as a daisy, or has shining perfect hair? Being feminine doesn’t only mean being soft and nice. Where in nature do we see images that are smiling, soft, sweet and nice? We see beauty everywhere, however tornados aren’t nice. Hurricanes indiscriminately rip apart cities and the countryside. Tonight the rain has been battering our gardens. Nature is in balance with ferocity and gentleness, compassion and survival, purification and growth. The cycles we experience in our bodies, the wisdom we gain from experience, our passions, tell us that we are mirrors for, and Daughters of Mother Nature.

As we become more aware we can see that conscious, radiant feminine leadership has the power to set the world to rights. Becoming a feminine leader means emulating the balance in nature, while feeling more joy, and more pleasure in the moment. As women leaders we offer empowerment to all who we touch. Being a leader can mean saying “No”, meaning “No”, and standing on your “No”. Leadership can mean being the best Mother you can be. Being a leader may mean daring to do something you have been afraid of doing for fear that you won’t do it well the first time out of the box. Leadership may mean discovering your role models and being guided by their example. Being a leader may mean stepping out in the community to create a community garden, or more recycling for your area. Leadership may mean running for an elected office to have your voice and those people you touch heard. Being a leader may mean allowing your imagination room freedom to explore and create. Leadership comes in as many forms as we do, and is only limited by our imaginations.

Despite a persistent myth, no one is a “born leader”. The qualities of leadership are in every one of us. Some people are blessed with the nurturance, encouragement and support to fully embody their leadership qualities. Too often as women we either turn to our fathers, lovers, husbands, and brothers for approval and then bury those innate qualities of leadership and courage. We may struggle to recover those qualities through desperation, or despair, or tribulation. Or we women can “pass it forward” to support each other in our process of stepping out into the world and daring to show our passions. We can be mentors for each other, we can form supportive networks to light the way for others women. As Benjamin Disraeli said, “The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but reveal to them their own.”

In the past I assumed leadership in situations, only to realize I was perpetuating a male role model of telling people what they needed to do. In my effort to get things done I was too often the steamroller. Today I am learning that being a role model is part compassion, part inspiration, and lots of listening. For me being in a leadership position means taking full responsibility for my actions, and thus cleaning up any messes I might make. Meanwhile I have faith that I have done some good along the way. My writing is one way I hope make a difference and be a role model to my readers.

For this week’s exercise I’ve included the video from the 1971 movie with Gene Wilder, “Willy Wonka” the song is “Pure Imagination”. http://tinyurl.com/cqf3mg The first part of the exercise is to watch and listen to the video while imagining how you too can be a leader in your own life, your family’s life, and your community. The 2^nd part of the exercise is to write where your imagination took you. What kind of leader are you? What kind of leader do you want to be? What kind of difference can you make with your leadership?

Comments/Feedback? You can find me on Facebook, Twitter @selbyink, or

www.selbyink.com

Copyright May 2010, Mari Selby