9 minute read
Women Empowerment
W o m e n E m p o w e r m e n t
EVEN THE STRONG NEEDS
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Regina Robinson I I n n ternational Spe ner Confidence aker, Strat Publis egist her, Author & STRENGTH Today, I felt heavy. I was awakened by the sounds of machines and contractors working in my house.
After two floods, blowers in my home for weeks, the water being turned on and off, and the floors in my house being pulled up and bare I thought, what else could go wrong?
Be careful what you summon!
The phone rang and it was a company asking to verify that I was in fact at a store purchasing thousands of dollars in furniture. How could that be when I was sitting in my home office? I learned at that moment my identity had been stolen and someone was on a shopping spree with my name and my credit.
As I was finishing up my call I felt my emotions and my body tremble.
Oh my goodness! I wasn’t sure what was happening to me. My body seemed to take on a life of its own.
My mind was all over the place and I wasn’t exactly sure what I was feeling. I was no longer in control of what was happening to me.
I was at my breaking point. I began screaming at the top of my lungs Crying hysterically – you know, the ugly cry Nose running Shaking uncontrollably Walls closing in Heart racing Gasping for air I fell to the floor I was all alone I was experiencing what I now know was an anxiety attack.
Not me the #UnstoppableWomanOnTheMove!
I had it all together. So, I thought.
With tears streaming down my face, I didn’t know how to be there for me. As an unstoppable woman, coach, and mentor I am always there for other women but at this moment I didn’t know how to be there for myself.
I slowly inhaled and exhaled. With every inhale it symbolized the overwhelm, the fear, the weight of the world, and all life was throwing at me. All while holding my breath.
With every exhale I felt a sense of calm that created peace and joy.
I am breaking my silence today because as women we are told to keep moving. When sometimes it is necessary to be still.
So, what do you do when you are called to move in the midst of all hell breaking loose in your life? Do you cave or do you keep fighting?
Sometimes we don’t want to fight.
We don’t want to be strong.
We want to lie there and suffer in silence.
Credits: BSB Fotography BiBi Saran Bennett I know, I know you're saying to yourself... Not the #UnstoppableWomanOnTheMove! “Yes me, even the strong needs strength!” You see I have... Felt like A failure! Felt Unworthy! Felt Defeated! Stressed myself out with worry! Beat myself up! You know, became my own punching bag!
I got up and realized I needed some help. I picked up the phone and called my friends. I was thinking I’m always the one who gets the calls to lift other women up. This time I needed lifting.
I had to get out of my headspace and stop telling myself lies. You know the lies we tell ourselves as women… You are not enough You are not worthy You are not deserving
My breakdown allowed me to understand that I wasn’t as strong as I thought I was. I needed a strength that even I couldn’t give myself.
If we could all be honest, I’m sure as a woman you can relate. In fact, thousands of women are suffering in silence. We can’t heal if we keep denying that we are suffering.
I realized it was time for me to stop being a Hidden Secret, it was time for me to be a History Maker.
I released my comfort and started experiencing the greatness that was within me. Say it with me… I am a history maker I am more than a conquer I am blessed I am bold I am courageous I am unbreakable I am unstoppable
Credits: BSB Fotography BiBi Saran Bennett I want to remind you that a knock down is not a knock out. I got back up declaring the Champ is here! Anxiety, that’s all you got! You will have to hit me harder than that. I decided to own the unstoppable greatness He has deposited on the inside of me.
When I got back up I realized it required a new version of me… One that was willing to do the unexpected One that was willing to move beyond my comfort zone One that was willing to push past my push One that was willing to put a praise on it in advance One that was willing to do it afraid, knowing it will work out in my favor One that was willing to own my unstoppable power
Today you get to make the decision to get up and become unstoppable.
ARISE!
Regina Robinson
www.reginarobinsonspeaks.com
Audrey Lingg Life Engineer Mentor
Empowered by Struggles
“The Road Not Taken ” is a poem that argues the importance of our choices, both big and small, since they shape our journey through life.
Sometimes our life flows toward our hopes and dreams, and sometimes it flows away. In our times of flow, life is easy, full of meaning and movement. But, when our life ebbs, we may be struggling against the current, fighting to get a grasp on what is important in our life.
Struggle is simply a part of life. At the end of the day, struggles are inevitable and there's nothing one can do to stop this. We're all going to struggle in life or feel lost at times, whether one likes it or not. However, struggle is always what makes the reward much more satisfying.
Leadership is a struggle. The question of how to lead successfully and responsibly is crucially important in our uncertain, high-pressure, turbulent world. Struggle helps us meet the relentless challenges of being a leader today by identifying the most important questions we should be asking ourselves.
What pain do you want in your life? What are you willing to struggle for?
This song is an inspiration. Beauty in the Struggle
We are not born feeling inadequate but we do struggle immediately at birth, what a struggle just to get here to this world. Our life experiences and emotions create that sense within us in a variety of creative ways and we adapt, that is what we were born to do.
Struggles are a very important part of life and many aspects of the changing world are outside your individual control. One can’t control the spread of a virus, the pace of social change, or how the economy behaves. While it can be tough to acknowledge, railing against events or circumstances outside our control will only drain us of energy and leave us feeling anxious and hopeless. Accepting our situation, on the other hand, can free us up to devote our energy to the things that we do have control over and help ease through the struggle.
Gary Vee is a big advocate of failing.
Winston Churchill also said about failure.
The world seems to be moving from one crisis to another lately. We’ve experienced a global pandemic, considerable changes to how we conduct our daily lives, there's economic uncertainty, political and social turmoil, as well as many natural disasters. Then there are personal traumas that we are all dealing with, such as the loss of a loved one, declining health, unemployment, the new normal of how we do business, divorce, violent crime, or tragic accidents. For many, this is a time of unprecedented struggle and upheaval.
Empowered through Struggles
“Healing may not be so much about getting better, as about letting go of everything that isn’t you – all of the expectations, all of the beliefs – and becoming who you are. ” ~Rachel Naomi Remen
Resilience - is important because it's needed to process and overcome hardship. Those lacking resilience get easily overwhelmed and may turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Resilient people tap into their strengths and support systems to overcome challenges and work through problems.
Why do some people seem to be better able to cope in troubling times than others? It seems those who are resilient tend to have a higher tolerance for the emotional distress generated by hard times. The more resilient you are, the better you’re able to tolerate the feelings of stress, anxiety, and sadness that accompany trauma and adversity—and find a way to rebound from struggles.
If you'd like to become more resilient, consider these tips:
Be proactive. Don't ignore your problems. Instead, figure out what needs to be done, make a plan and take action. Although it may take time to recover from a major setback, traumatic event, or loss, know that your situation can improve if you work at it.
Get connected. Building strong, positive relationships with loved ones and friends will provide you with needed support, guidance, and acceptance in good and bad times. Establish important connections by volunteering or joining a faith or spiritual community.
Take care of yourself. Tend to your own needs and feelings. Participate in activities and hobbies you enjoy. Include physical activity in your daily routine. Get plenty of sleep and create consistent bedtime rituals. Eat a healthy diet. Practice stress management and relaxation techniques, such as yoga, meditation, guided imagery, deep breathing or prayer.
Make every day meaningful. Do something that gives you a sense of accomplishment and purpose every day. Set clear, achievable goals to help you look toward the future with meaning.
Learn from experience. Think of how you've coped with hardships in the past. Consider the skills and strategies that helped you through difficult times. You might even write about past experiences in a journal to help you identify positive and negative behavior patterns — and guide your future behavior
Remain hopeful. You can't change the past, but you can always look toward the future. Accepting and even anticipating change makes it easier to adapt and view new challenges with less anxiety. Struggles are what get us to future successes and make them special.
Struggle teaches the value of hard work and dedication.
“Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle. ” — Napoleon Hill —
