I am blessed to be surrounded by women who are empowered leaders. Who have vision and see the gifts and talents of others as necessary to hone, develop and implement that vision. Women who have creative problem solving capabilities because they think outside the box (some keep the box to make a giant game!) and have had to be resourceful with limited resources.
Women who understand relationship building as foundational. Women who don’t cling to fixed notions, philosophies or numbers but recognize the first step is not knowing. Women who enter courageously into the space of not knowing with the intent to build relationship, bear witness and respond with loving action.
There is an African proverb that says something like, “If you educate a boy, you educate an individual, if you educate a girl, you educate a village.” Yep! And we hold up half the sky!
We are relational beings to our very core. There are of course, many women, having to play the good old boys game that have left behind these ways of navigating through life. There are also many men,( I am married to one and have tried to raise one ) with these values and relational ways of showing up on the planet.
I am blessed to be on this planet in this time with these creative souls, who allow their own vulnerability to guide their hearts towards restoring Wholeness, equality, dignity in humanity. Who operate not from the increasingly outdated patronizing “I will help and save you” mode offered in many treatment settings that positions the educated expert to tell the misguided miscreants how to clean up their act and raise their children properly and so on. (Throwing up in my mouth here….).
I am instead enthusiastic and hopeful to find these women who again coming from the often scary space of openness and not knowing, radically treating everyone with kindness and respect and in that same space EMPOWERING people to become the experts in their own lives. Empowering and supporting people to make decisions that serve life. Women who believe in the value of each and every life on this planet. Who believe there is something valuable in what every person has to offer. Who refuse to give up. Women who bear witness to unimaginable suffering. Women who allow that suffering to break their hearts open even wider to fit more of the world in. Women who believe that playfulness, laughter and absurdity also are part of relationship building and community. Women who stand up and say #nomore to violence and sexual abuse. Women who plant flowers around abandoned homes. Women who sing and dance for the sheer joy of it. My sisters! You are a blessing!
Guys! I see some of you here also! This is great! Let’s see more of you here. Let’s make a commitment to honoring the values of empowered, collaborative, relational, humble, joyful, vulnerable and loving leadership.
