Margery's Note....
We’re all sort of feeling unsettled this summer….
We’re not excited about an election year with iffy candidates….
We’re seeing the economy growing but also feeling pinched….
And we’re feeling heartache over wars that seem to never end and so many lives lost….
So, what’s to do?????
For many of us, this is a soul searching time, with no easy fixes. I tend to go back to my notion of finding my center, getting myself to a state of calm so I can keep smiling and keep going, no matter what.
Last month I wrote about watching the Paul Simon documentary on Amazon Prime, and if you haven’t caught it yet, I still hope you do. This week I had a similar experience of being inspired and moved by another one! This time it felt even more relatable: Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge. (streaming on HULU)
One of the first things that struck me: I thought I was pretty wild back in the 60s! But her amazing adventures, freedom of expression and drive far out weighed mine!! She was a unicorn from the get go, having been the daughter of a Holocaust Survivor whose mother chose an unconventional life. Diane felt she had to make her own choices early on.
She took risks, challenged cultural norms and over 60 years built a life that not only worked for her, but inspires all of us to listen to our own voices.
I feel like I learned to listen to my inner voice the hard way. When I stifled myself and tried to conform to what was expected of me, I paid a price each time. I finally came to understand what Radical Honesty really means and now live from my own center point. Which is the only way I can deal with that niggling unsettled feeling about what is going on around me in the world.
Diane created her own world. Made mistakes and learned along the way. Isn’t that really the best we can do? Keep learning from our experiences and do it differently next time?
This documentary emphasized the ways in which women were treated as 2nd class citizens. Those of you under 35 may see women being independent, self-actualizing, more powerful. Don’t take that for granted! The degree to which women are free to be their true selves is still relative to the amount of male dominated control they are surrounded by.
Yes, we have more than we did 60 years ago. But we still aren’t treated as equals to men in pay, respect and opportunities. The most respected and free women I see are the ones who are able to run their own businesses….
Which is why I was so inspired learning more about Diane.
Check it out!
Member Notes
GGN Member Laura Kopec shares some thoughts….
What is success? Many of us pick arbitrary measurements of whether or not we are successful. Women are even harder on ourselves with those measurements. “Having it all” means we either constantly set unrealistic expectations for ourselves or feel defeated before we even start.
Success is really the perception we choose it to be. Success can be the glass half full or half empty, and a change in perception might go a long way to helping ourselves feel less overwhelmed and under accomplished.
These days I remind myself of these two ideas, one was originally from scientist Roy Amara made popular by Bill Gates, “Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”
And the other is when we embrace our uniqueness separate from our successes, we participate in something much more purposeful.
Laura Kopec, ND, MHNE, MA, CNC
Laura Kopec Wellness
Listen to my Podcast
Scheduling Appointments and Supplement Purchase
www.laurakopec.com
Main Office: 972-942-4039
GGN Member Jane Baldwin shares her Full Moon Breathwork with Somatic Sensory Awareness
Join Master Breathwork guide Jane Baldwin in a fresh twist on breathwork that begins with a journey into somatic sensing. Attune to your body’s internal rhythm with slow, gentle movements that amplify your sensory experience. Then you will be guided through an ancient breathwork practice. Breathwork with somatic sensory awareness is a powerful way to connect to your body’s energy flow, cultivate deeper levels of relaxation, and discover what embodied presence feels like so that you can be grounded and centered anywhere, even in difficult situations.
In this workshop, you will:
- Build Mind and Body Connection: Explore the breath as a bridge between the mind and body. Learn two important actions you can take to develop your sense of self-empowerment.
- Practice Embodiment: Experience the world directly through your senses rather than thinking about it conceptually. Learn practical tools for embodiment and how to be fully present and aware within your body.
- Develop Sensory Awareness: Improve your sensory perception through focused awareness. Explore techniques for cultivating awareness and building trust from within.
- Gain insight into the breathwork experience: Explore breathwork as a powerful tool for personal growth and expanding your awareness.
- Practical Application of Sensory Awareness and Breathwork: Understand how to integrate insights from breathwork into your everyday experience.
By the end you will have a deeper understanding of somatic sensing and how to access this deeper state of awareness to enhance your relationships, decision-making, problem-solving, and well-being. Join us whether you are new to breathwork and sensory awareness or you’ve been practicing for many years, this transformative workshop will awaken your sensory experience and renew and recharge your vitality in a safe, supported environment.
July 21 at 4131 Lomo Alto Dr., Dallas.
Here’s a link to the event on the Breathe website
GGN Member Ann Ranson shares:
Can you give YOURSELF Permission?
It’s time to give yourself permission to do and be all you desire!
It’s simple, just not always easy.
I often hear from clients and friends that they should just accept whatever is happening in their life. That they shouldn’t want more, or even something different.
Even though I sometimes experience this myself, I think we’re all wrong!
So, even if from the outside it looks like you have it all: great job, wonderful family, enough money to enjoy life, that may not be what you’re feeling, because looks can be deceiving, right?
Maybe you’re tired or overwhelmed with your life. Or, maybe you just want something different.
That’s ok. It’s OK to want something different, no matter how it looks to others.
In the next 5 days, I encourage you to block 20 minutes on your calendar.
On a blank screen or piece of paper, write, “What I most want right now is . . .”
Then write for 20 minutes. Don’t worry about spelling or punctuation. Just write, from your heart. And don’t judge what you write. Just write.
Add to it next week.
Slowly you’ll begin to define the ‘something different’ that you’re seeking.
Godspeed!
To get started, download my Ikigai (or Purpose) Worksheet
I hope this is helpful information and that you can use some piece of it to live your best life.
If you’d like a guide for the journey, I hope you’ll reach out and schedule a call to explore how I might help. [email protected]
Thanks
Ann
PS – if you need someone to give you permission – just pick one of the permission slips above, then get at it!
Thank you to Toni Portmann for sharing this inspiring message….
Track Meetings
We still ask for $5 to cover costs. And yes, you can register at the last minute…. but it would be GREAT if you let us know a couple of days before so we can plan our refreshments!!!
Our Track meetings are designed to give us a sacred space to have meaningful, purposeful conversations without fear of being judged or competed with. Only Members can attend. They are amazing experiences, unlike any ‘networking meeting’ you have ever attended!
GGN members MUST REGISTER to attend these meetings, so just follow the links below! And if you want to learn about us, go ahead and join GGN~~if you decide it isn’t for you, we will refund your membership fee!
Currently we meet the 2nd Monday morning and 3rd Wednesday evening of each month (see below).
Each one is an event or happening in itself. Some members come frequently, some come only once in a while. Whenever you attend one, you will find out things you didn’t know, connect with women who will challenge and inspire you, and you will leave with some new perspectives.
Monday Morning Magic Track
- July 8, 2024
- 10 am to 12 noon CT
- Mid-summer blues fade away with great conversations!
Click here to join us for Monday Morning Magic!
Growth & Transitions
- Wednesday, July 17, 2024
- 7 to 9 pm CT
- How are you getting to your center? Come share with us!!!
Become a Member!
Great Girls Network is our way of being the opposite of the Good Ol’ Boys Network (which is still very much alive and well!). Even if you don’t participate in Track meetings, your membership gives you a way to support our existence and be a part of a growing group of women who really appreciate each other. And the Trii-Annual Gatherings are unlike any other “networking” event! We know women don’t network like men. We want to build relationships, we want deeper, more meaningful connections. That is exactly what GGN provides.
Our membership fee of $50 per year gives you access to our Track Meetings and also contributions to our Newsletter. The fee helps sustain our website, but it also ensures that when you participate in a Track meeting, you will honor the sacredness of the conversations because you are a member.
We created a digital card that helps people understand what they can get from joining GGN so click here to see the card.
Your membership helps give us that foundation, the strength to grow and have an impact on the lives of so many more women.
