A Message From The Creator
A Message From The Creator
Being aware of what you are feeling is the key to transformation.”Lack of self-worth is the fundamental source of all emotional pain. A feeling of insecurity, unworthiness and lack of value is the core experience of powerlessness.”~ Gary Zukav
Inspirational Woman Of The Day
Emine Saner
The Guardian March 7, 2011
Article History
Kelly Holmes
The first British Olympian to win a double gold
t may have only been 1500m but the look of joy on Kelly Holmes‘s face as she crossed the finish line at the Athens Olympics in 2004 The first British Olympian to win a double gold (in Athens in 2004), her career was dogged by injury and depression. A champion junior athlete, Holmes joined the army at 18, becoming a physical training instructor. When she saw women she had competed against representing Britain at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, she decided to return to athletics. By 1995, she had won silver and bronze medals at the World Championships, but had also picked up injuries – at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, she ran with a fractured leg, and for years she battled other injuries, including calf problems in 2003 while she was training for the Olympics, which resulted in her self-harming and being diagnosed with clinical depression. At the age of 34, the Athens Olympics was Holmes’s last hope as a professional athlete and the look on her face as she crossed the finish line of the 800m and then a few days later the 1500m, the first British woman to win a double gold, said it all.
Since retiring, Holmes, now 40, has set up On Camp with Kelly, a mentoring programme to nurture young female middle-distance runners, and the DKH Legacy Trust, to inspire disadvantaged young people.
Inspiration Of A Strong Woman
Linda Durnell
Difficult Woman or Fearless?
When a woman is described as tough, sexual, smart or ugly, you can almost count on that woman being accomplished, secure in her sexuality, intelligent and unaffected by her looks. Women who have forged ahead in their lives, unapologetic for their choices and unaffected by others who would clearly be more comfortable with them if they were “less than” or more like a traditional woman, are an example of true fearlessness.
Do all women feel the pull between what they want to do and what they are expected to do?
My great-grandmother was a difficult woman who swore like a longshoreman and was as tough as the horses she raised. My grandmother was a “tough broad” who regularly out-fished the men in her town and drank them under the table. The men in their lives respected these women for their toughness and their ability to survive.
I learned that toughness and laughter was a prerequisite to personal happiness. When I graduated from the University of Washington and was immediately recruited by Xerox, I felt the rush of independence I feel sure my ancestors experienced on a regular basis. Over the decades, as I accomplished more, I tested myself in new areas and moved confidently forward, unafraid of failure. I witnessed a strange backlash filled with contradictions. The criticism leveled at me included being “too much” of everything: I was too smart, too attractive, too athletic, too driven, too loud when I laughed, too enmeshed with my children as a single parent and the coup de gras — I was too fearless.
Too fearless?
When faced with challenges, I believe we can be fearless and move forward and change or we can hold back and stay the same. Either choice is OK, but understand that your choice will change the trajectory of your life, one challenge at a time.
There are many women who have overcome fear and here are a few of those remarkable women:
Christine Legarde knows something about being fearless. Throughout her career she has faced unusual challenges — intellectual and political — in a male-dominated world and currently at the IMF, where she represents 187 countries.
Mae West chose to be an independent woman who was comfortable with her sexuality. The political climate of the times, however, saw her open sexuality as pornographic.
Oprah is proof that nothing can keep you from your dreams if you are willing to work hard enough and care deeply to make a difference in the lives of others.
Lillian Hellman was called difficult because she drank, swore and slept around like a man. She was self-supporting and unapologetic about it.
Hillary Clinton is a woman of forceful opinions. She threw herself into every tough political battle. When her life was filled with scandal, she forged ahead with courage and conviction and laughed at the notion that she was in any way difficult.
Trying to hold a fearless woman back is never a good idea and thankfully, it rarely succeeds. When women are driven by instinct and feel empowered to achieve, it is a beautiful thing to witness.
I’d like to hear from those who had to come up the hard way and achieve success by overcoming fear.
Women In The News
The Elizabeth Edwards Foundation Established to Support Youth with Limited Resources
Cate Edwards
The Elizabeth Edwards Foundation was recently founded in honor of Elizabeth Edwards, a great lawyer and a great mother, to provide educational opportunities and support to youth with limited resources. Cate Edwards (pictured) is the President of the Foundation. “My mom always said that the best thing you can give your children is wings, because you won’t always be there to bring food back to the nest,” says Cate. “At the Elizabeth Edwards Foundation, we’re continuing my mom’s work – to try to give more children the wings they need and deserve.” The Foundation will run the The Elizabeth Fellows Program is where high school students that show great potential but have limited resources will be indentified and provided with needed support and a broad network of resources. Read more on elizabethedwards.org.
The Insightful Blog Award
Wow! I would like to thank Jacqueline over at “Healing For The Nation” for nominating me for the “Insightful Blog Award” I am really touched by it. I appreciate every one of you who visits my blog. There are so many other things you could be doing with your time. And when I think that you choose to spend a portion of your life with me, it is very humbling. Thank you again to Jacqueline and thanks to everyone for this honor.
I am passing this award on to Christine at Our Souls Purpose. Her blog is very inspirational!
LadyRomp 