I formed an advisory board and last Thursday we met for the first time. There are twelve members in our group. I admit, I was a little nervous, but I had no expectations of the outcome, and I came with an open mind and open heart (I had to open my heart because it feels like my soul is WWISH), and the result was incredibly productive. If I actually knew what I was doing when I chose the board, I could not have done better. What really amazes me with the entire process of forming WWISH, and now building on it, is that it seems so natural. The steps become clear as they present themselves. When I meet people and share my vision for WWISH, men and women get excited about the possibility of a place women can go and feel absolutely supported.
What I learned from the board meeting is that all WWISH women need to be able to add their stories on the website for all to see and comment on. At first, my vision for content was focused on the service providers adding the editorial, but the board suggested that I create a place for all women to write and share their stories. When I heard this it made perfect sense. Through women's stories they gain recognition and support from other WWISH members. What makes us all unique is our stories. Every one of us has a story of experience and overcoming adversity in our lives. That is our journey on this planet. Sharing your experiences on your journey can be extremely healing for someone else who isn't so far along in a similar journey. When I was going through, probably my most intense emotional growth spurt, I read. I read everything I could find about women who became empowered by their struggles. Just knowing that I was not alone and other women survived and thrived from similar adversities I experienced gave me hope and courage to persevere. I found tools and new ways of thinking through stories. In addition, my connection with a women's group I was involved with for four years also helped me grow emotionally and change patterns that no longer served me. Receiving acceptance and support from other women grows amazing opportunities.
Last weekend, I spent a girls weekend at my home in Chelan with two dear friends. In my busy life these days, I don't get to connect with other women on a deeper level very often. We had some really great talks on a heartfelt level. Again, I am reminded how important it is to reach out and create support in our lives to help us grow and feel okay. Sometimes it is not even growing so much as just feeling like you are not alone. Knowing that helps me know I can do this.
For many of us, we grew up not feeling very empowered. Not only did society not support empowerment of women but our parents didn't give us the space to find our own power. I remember my mother saying to me time and time again "why do you have to be so stubborn and always do it your way, do what I say instead and it will save you lots of heartache." For me, learning never came from someone telling me what to do. I had to experience for myself and many times (probably more often than not) I did not take the easy road. This is how I became who I am today. Thank God for those friends who didn't tell me what to do and sometimes just cried with me. These are the seeds of empowerment.
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It is so interesting to read this and realize that you just wrote it today! I'm excited to have reconnected with you at a time when you have so much going on.
ReplyDeleteI was a founding board member of Bahia Street (www.bahiastreet.org), and I remember the delicate balance between the board and the founding director. She was the one in the USA with the powerful vision, and it was sometimes hard for us to decide when to challenge her on issues of execution and tactics. Our goal was to educate and empower girls from Brazilian shantytowns, but twelve year later, I see that all of us involved have been empowered in the process.
Meps