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Influential
Women and
The Power of Feminine Support
At the end of a recent
workday, as I finished compiling coaching notes and ideas
for future workshops, I was suddenly struck by the
importance of influential women in the world. I
found myself absolutely mesmerized by the thought, and paused
to ask “who are my mentors?”
Who are those women who influenced my life?
The answer arrived
almost immediately. I have
long admired the spirit, courage, and integrity of Georgia
O’Keefe, Dr. Maya Angelou, and Oprah Winfrey.
But do they have anything in common? Is there a formula
that makes women influential? When I compared what I knew
about the three women, I concluded that they all
demonstrated a fierce determination to chart their own course
until they uncovered the best way to utilize their talents.
Additionally, even after identifying a skill at which they
excel, none were satisfied to rest on their laurels. They
each kept experimenting until they found “the right
fit” or the best way to express their passions.
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| O'Keefe's
"Red Cannas" |
Georgia O’Keefe
was respected as an artist in the field of imitative realism,
but knew that she didn’t relate well to this style.
She knew she could never achieve distinction so Georgia
quit painting completely. Eventually, she
found the harmonious arrangement technique
and continued to work until her death at the age
of ninety-three.
Dr.
Maya Angelou is a highly regarded poet that avoided being
pigeonholed in only one arena. Dr. Angelou
eloquently expresses what is most important to her by utilizing
her talents as an educator, author, historian, civil-rights
activist, actress, and director.
We
are all familiar with Oprah Winfrey’s pledge to live
her best life by empowering others through television, publishing,
teaching, and philanthropy.
 How
many other potentially influential women are out there?
How many thousands of women do we pass every day that have
skills equal to or even greater than those I’ve mentioned?
How many women don’t believe in themselves,
or aren’t encouraged to share their gifts?
How can we support them to bring forth their greatness?
At a retreat last
month, I experienced a demonstration using divining
rods. A Reiki
practitioner in the group first measured the energy
field around each person. I have to tell you, we
were a powerful bunch! Next, we formed a circle around one
member who stood in the middle. The Reiki practitioner led
us in a guided visualization as we all sent positive thoughts
to our colleague in the center. When
the visualization was complete, the rods were again used
to measure our friend’s energy field.
To our amazement, the positive thoughts nearly doubled her
energy.
But that wasn’t
all-by sending another person positive messages, our
own energy expanded, as well!
What
would happen if each of us provided support and encouragement
to other women? Would more of us believe
in our dreams, and in ourselves? Would
we have the courage to explore our many gifts until we identified
those that felt most authentic, those that acknowledged
us as influential women?
I think it’s
worth a try.
How about you? |
Jennifer
Snyder is a personal coach and workshop leader for women. She is the author
of a self-discovery workbook, The Time of Your Life: A Creative Sourcebook
for Women. The Sourcebook can be ordered at www.timeofyourlifeafterdivorce.com
