Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, “Well-behaved women rarely make history.” There is a long list of women who have made history by not being the obedient daughter, nor the barefoot pregnant wife, nor the stay-at-home sister. Sacagawea became famous because she didn’t listen to her father, who probably told her, “Don’t go with those men.” Harriet Tubman became famous because she refused to be an obedient slave and instead drove other slaves away. Whereas Sojourner Truth is famous for giving a speech in which she said, “Am I not a woman?” Eleanor Roosevelt created a completely new image of what a First Lady could be: “A woman is like a tea bag – you never know how strong she is until you step into hot water.”
For the first time in history, a woman is running for president here in the United States. When I first saw Hillary Rodham Clinton coming down the Capitol steps at Bill Clinton’s first inauguration, I burst into tears. He had no idea who she was, but he knew she was a powerhouse. Today, young women believe that a woman can be president. When I grew up, I was told that a woman’s place was next to her man. Instead of following that command, I have done my best to be a rebellious and “disgusting” woman.
Who are your inspiring role models? Perhaps they are an inspiration because they refused to do what they were supposed to do and instead followed their conscience or intuition. The change we want to see in the world is up to us. As women we are more than peacemakers, nurturers, cheerleaders, and nurturers of children. We can be the strong backs, the compassionate warriors, the catalysts, the healing witches, and the conceited bitches. How long do you spend trapped in fear trying to figure out “the right thing” or wondering why your life is not as fulfilling as you imagine? Instead, challenge yourself by doing at least one scary thing a day and see what happens. Perhaps your fears become less tangible and your dreams more real than you thought possible.
I’ve spent too much time being cautious and indirect, or trying to “figure it out” before I get to the middle of what I’m inspired to accomplish. I often channel my creative impulses to communicate with an international circle of friends on Facebook. Those impulses support my passion to make a positive difference in people’s lives and to be one of the many lights that transform the world into a more humane and loving community. Some days I have to dig deep to find inspiration to work for myself, write my columns, be part of a family, and serve my community. Other days, I’m totally sure that the best I can do is better than the day before.
This week’s exercise has three parts.
The first is to read the following sentences from a fiction book, (The Cipher, by Diana Pharaoh Francis) the character Errol Cipher said: “Women are quite reasonable to the point where they become irrational, and then they do exactly what they want to. “. they wish without worrying about the consequences. Men, however, have a fierce temperament that burns out quickly. They deviate more easily from their stupidity. Women are determined about it. “
The second part of the exercise is to ask yourself, when was the last time you became irrational and to hell with the consequences?
The third part of the exercise is to write down the experience and then ask yourself 2 questions; How do you feel about what you did today? Would you do it all over again?