“I ask no favors for my sex, all I ask of my brethren, is that they take their feet off our necks!”
~Notorious RBG
A Woman Of Substance
Does Lunch
Who will join her?
Quietly moving and flowing underneath all the darkness that is top of mind right now are patient, tenacious smart women who have been preparing, writing, working and creating for 20 - 40 years and more to take up the reins of gender equality and womens rights. Since Ruth Bader Ginsburg knew first hand about discrimination, she set the tone the Supreme Court needed to begin a shift in the law which is the only thing that counts in the real world of commerce and business that touches everyone's lives.
"In 2018, Ginsburg expressed her support for the #MeToo movement, which encourages women to speak up about their experiences with sexual harassment.[91]She told an audience, "It's about time. For so long women were silent, thinking there was nothing you could do about it, but now the law is on the side of women, or men, who encounter harassment and that's a good thing."[91] She also reflected on her own experiences with gender discrimination and sexual harassment, including a time when a chemistry professor at Cornell unsuccessfully attempted to trade her exam answers for sex.[91]" Wikipedia
Visionaries knew this time was coming and have been preparing the foundation of solid consciousness, work ethic and education along with their daughters and granddaughters. Forward thinking men are aligning with the knowledge that women are leading the way to the next evolution that Marianne Williamson called a "Renaissance" in 1997.
Women of all ages are ready to do lunch in spirit with Ruth Bader Ginsburg and take action, who are they? Who do you suggest? I think of the 12 Apostles of the Women's Renaissance beginning with SCOTUS. There are threads of courage, strength, family difficulty, understanding of purpose, and talented discipline inside each of the biography's linked to these women of all ages. The archetypes show up as each woman advises our women leaders now and our women friends sitting at the table next to us.
My new book list includes these amazing women I need to learn more about:
We get together almost weekly for intimate friendship and nourishment! Women To Watch Arizona
This summer the amazing women in my neighborhood sphere will continue our salon's lunches, wine Wednesdays and fun get togethers now inspired by the fabulous Ruth Bader Gindsburg film now in theaters and these stories.
In Tucson, Arizona the film is showing at The Loft Cinema and I will have a review soon...Join us!
Today I know for sure our paths are aligned for a very special time. A wave of several generations are interwoven in a vision that has never been seen before, a collaboration of trust and integrity is making things happen with young women and mentoring wisdom that is not the norm of the past. A new quilt of many colors, many ages and many experiences is being wrapped around humanity.
My purpose in today's essay is to share how one can be aware of the disfunction and pain in todays reality yet stay balanced and focused on our dreams and desires at the same time. Anger can fuel good and great things for you.
Do not get distracted from your creative talents for too long because it is these talents that will raise us all higher. Collaboration is key to balancing radical empathy and helping while staying on point with our work, we have to do this together.
It has been ironic to feel so excited by all the fantastic progress we are making in so many arenas yet knowing the daily barrage of cruelty and horror is happening at the same time.
What To Do?
One of the exciting vehicles I have created is my feature stories and coverage of some of the coolest women in my sphere that I cover in Women To Watch AZ. My next feature is about an incredible woman who has published a searing and brilliant memoir on rising from the ashes of trauma in the midwest. The fact that there are no more secrets means we can dare greatly together. #NeverAgain #MeToo #Enough
"George and Amal, I couldn’t agree with you more. I am joining forces with you and will match your $500,000 donation to ‘March For Our Lives.’ These inspiring young people remind me of the Freedom Riders of the 60s who also said we’ve had ENOUGH and our voices will be heard."
We have moved from the year of the Fire Rooster into the year of the Earth Dog, a time of "interrupting the interrupters" with Yang energy to strengthen the earthquake now happening in earth's humanity. My wire haired dachshund speaks to me at this point in my essay. Miss Frida was named after the artist Frida Kahlo, she was full of powerful wisdom bursting forth with exactly what she knew was important and needed at any moment. She lived out loud and her nick name was "Frida Buddha" for her big loving eyes full of old soul knowledge. Dachshunds are also known as "Rat Dogs", they can smell and find a rat in any environment. Miss Frida could always find the cockroach in any room or bug in any yard. I believe this is what is happening now. What used to be just a bad smell gracious people ignored is now a rotten mess that must be raised and removed to no longer infect our next generation.
Building Community
The #MeToo, #Enough, #TimesUp and 2018 Women's March schedule now in process is powerful. To support each other rise into our highest ambitions and talents, we need to collaborate with all of our voices and play a better game.
Makers Conference
Women are leading the way and rising to our highest selves. The way to change is to be in charge. Being in charge means setting an example of female leadership for our girls to learn from, we need equality plus knowing how powerful our female energy is as mentors.
"The world is waking up. We all feel it. On every continent, in every industry, at every level, women are raising their voices and taking charge like never before. The 2018 MAKERS Conferencewill take this movement to the next level. We'll explore new ways to make shock waves, unleash our collective power, and lift each other up as we fight for causes that matter."
Did you know that 1.59 billion people are ready to either stay behind or move forward on the largest interactive platform on the planet, Facebook?
All this has happened since the movie "Enough" came out in 2002. Technology for the people has had to catch up with the reality that has only recently been identified and confirmed by the medical community as irrational gaslighting, a narcissistic behavior that does not make sense and never will. This behavior is not OK We have to own that we allowed this to happen by not supporting our sisters in the workplace and at home.
ENOUGH:
"Working-class waitress Slim (Jennifer Lopez) finds her life transformed when she marries wealthy contractor Mitch (Billy Campbell). She settles into an idyllic suburban life and seems to have everything she wants. Her dream is shattered when she discovers her husband is anything but perfect. His abusive behavior forces her to go on the run, eluding an increasingly obsessive Mitch and his lethal henchman."
Is celebrated after Halloween on November 2nd and is a ritual of remembering our loved ones who have died. In Tucson we had over 150,000 people participate in our one of a kind parade of the dead. It is a subversive, theatric, tear filled, dance and music extravaganza of spiritual vision and expansion beyond religous beliefs. The offerings, face masks, puppets and theater embrace the eclectic and creative nature of Tucson. Our souls who have been drawn to live here are wild and artistic, the ghosts are all around us from from those who came before in our western frontier of magnificent mountains, dancing saguaros and rolling tumbleweeds.
My cowgirl spirit was awakened at The Historic Rialto Theater in Tucson, Arizona to submit my grief for all who have died in my life over many years including almost all family, tons of friends and dozens of pets. I turned in my personal photos to be included in the slide show with everyone who did the same and felt the universe receive the release and celebration.
We lost Miss Frida and our cat Mr. Sinatra this year
The meaning of Fall:
"In the Christian calendar, November 1 is the Feast of All Saints, a day honoring not only those who are known and recognized as enlightened souls, but more especially the unknowns, saints who walk beside us unrecognized down the millennia.
In Buddhism, we honor the bodhisattvas - saints - who refuse enlightenment and return willingly to the wheel of karma to help other beings. Similarly, in Judaism, anonymous holy men pray the world from its well-merited destruction. We never know who is walking beside us, who is our spiritual teacher. That one - who annoys you so - pretends for a day that he's the one, your personal Obi Wan Kenobi. The first of November is a splendid, subversive holiday."
Halloween is the only the beginning of the season based on a commercial commerce business model initiated during the industrial revolution and our grandparents recovery from the depression. I believe we are moving into a shapeshifter time of evolutionary change. We will expand our humanity to an enlightened wisdom out of the current chaos where All Souls Rise.
As our souls rise this season, get in touch with our future together.
You can remove structured blocks from the left brain that stop growth in all areas of life with Laughter Yoga, celebrated today on World laughter Day.
I was introduced to LY many years ago at the same time I met Dr.'s Deepak Chopra and Andrew Weil at a collaborative talk about Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine.
Then, as I began my life "re-start" to heal from a lifetime of chronic illness, I began my path of learning the ancient secrets of yoga, Ayurvedic well-being, laughter yoga and meditation.
One of my passions is guiding people to change their lives to help prevent heart attacks and strokes. As I worked with the Go Red 4 Womenevent for the American Heart Association, I was introduced to Gulshan K. Sethi, MDwho also presented a workshop on laughter yoga and healing from cardiac events at Tucson Medical Center. As a result I now teach this transforming practice and implement it in the art of business and lifestyle well-being.
A few snapshots of our Laughter Yoga classes in Tucson and at TMC's The Core Fitness Center with Dr. Gulshan Sethi
Did you know that World Laughter Day is May 7, 2017 and was created in 1998 by Dr. Madan Kataria?
The "founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement,Dr. Kataria, a family doctor in India, was inspired to start the Laughter Yoga movement in part by the facial feedback hypothesis, which postulates that a person's facial expressions can have an effect on their emotions. The celebration of World Laughter Day is a positive manifestation for world peace and is intended to build up a global consciousness of brotherhood and friendship through laughter.It is most often celebrated by gatherings of people in public places with the sole purpose of laughing.Its popularity has grown exponentially with that of the Laughter Yogamovement now counting thousands of Laughter Clubs in more than 105 countries."
The science of laughter, combined with hand clapping (pressure points) and the feelings of mindfulness, passion and joyful emotions that are released make you feel really good! Laughter with friends, by yourself, real or faked can all work and
"trigger an increase in endorphins, the brain chemicals known for their feel-good effect."
Laughter Yoga with Friends at The Chopra Center, Carlsbad, CA
"Laughter is the tonic, the relief, the surcease for pain." - Charlie Chaplin
It is interesting that many of Charlie Chaplin's difficulties and successes that resulted are a reflection of our current political environment:
"In 1959, federal officials hoped to entrap Chaplin at an immigration office with a question about a girlfriend’s abortion—he’d have been forced either to admit it, rendering himself “mandatorily excludable,” or to perjure himself."
The Laughter Prescription is also what Norman Cousins in his groundbreaking book "Anatomy of an Illness" say's healed him from a devastating, life threatening illness 37 years ago.
‘A clown is like an aspirin, only he works twice as fast.’ - Groucho Marx
is the founder of the Gesundheit community, the doctor who's story House Callswas made into a blockbuster movieyou must see starringRobin Williams. His work continues to save lives and proves the experience of illness and trauma can be turned around with laughter and love.
Whatever you do today, stop from the whirlwind of news and responsibilities and laugh!
10 Ways to Feel Joy:
Stock up on funny movies and watch them with friends
Enjoy your favorite comedy show without multitasking
Play with your kids outside with no phones
Learn Laughter Yoga, it is easy!
Enjoy your pets with no TV
Go dancing, any kind you like
Stay away from people who are toxic...UGH!
Laugh at yourself
Paint, sing, play music and twirl
Say yes to fun, the dishes can wait...
Laughter is the best thing worth catching!
XO Jilly PS: During your prayers and meditations, please send a heartfelt smile of care and love to all you know who are in harms way, grieving or suffering in any shape or form. Veterans of war to babies in need of loving parents, love and laughter is the only answer to universal healing.
This year I have felt the power of the feminine in collaboration as we are faced with a new unexpected challenge. What does this mean? I have observed that many of us have been too comfortable either in our pain, status or safe zone. Many people have gone through horrific times beyond anyone's imagination and many have not causing a huge clash in viewpoints. As a result the universe is telling us we need to shake things up to move forward again. A firestorm is errupting and it suprises and shocks me when I see comments reflecting the questions: "Why are we speaking up and marching?" "What is the big deal?" "What do you have to complain about?" Victoria Steele shared why our Tucson Womens March on Washington is vital to our personal, family and community wellbeing
"It takes empathy to form a more perfect union"
- Victoria Steele
In a year when Harriet Tubman made headlines to honor and acknowledge people of color, the fact that it feels like we are starting all over again to stand tall for our equal rights seems insane. This month is Women's History Month and we are finally free to choose and be respected for our ambitions. Therefore the pushback has started again.
I believe that we are undergoing another evolutionary breakthrough in our humanity and we have to step up to the plate. We either change and grow or go backwards and wither.
Life is is a cycle of remembering and forgetting.
Synergy is in action when several complimentary films are produced in the same period. This is a reflection of the universal momentum that rises subconsciously and begins through the arts first. Now that we have many female mentors in strong positions to create a world based on respect and accomplishment, the bully factor kicks in to fight from an old luddite mentality.
"A women in power is often seen as a negative thing."
- Pat Mitchell, Paley Center for Media, Variety Messages for girls and young women have basically sucked and women themselves are still a huge part of the problem. Many of us did not
Womens March Washington - Tucson Smyth and Jesson Media
If we do not make the time now
when will we?
Now is time to align with strong smart talented women and support each other's work, there is only room for collaboration. Old thinking still degrades our strength and women fall into the quick sand everyday by lack of awareness.
Womens March Washington - Tucson Smyth and Jesson Media
10 Wisdoms to Put Your Passion Into Action:
Pay attention before sharing anything, do a few moments of research and reflection, ask yourself and others "where does this originate from?"
Support other women's talents and businesses that support their families. Network where it counts.
Help by being there when you know a friend is caretaking a dying friend or family member. Remember that they have a ton of responsibilities that you may not have.
Stop playing into anything that lacks integrity for a short term gain. You will have to live with the ramifications.
Show up and listen to what is affecting our communities.
Do more for other women than "just do lunch" in women's groups.
Learn, be a part, listen and incorporate change.
Treat others with respect and empathy.
Collaborate with conscious communication.
Stop the cycle of being a victim in your own work and life just because it is the norm.
Examples for number 10:
- I saw another comment recently to raise money for "poor broke ass_______(you fill in the blank)'. Why would that be a wise investment in a community that has been saying that same thing for decades?
- If you observe sexism and abuse in your workplace, neighborhood or home do you speak up? How to Start: I highly suggest journaling to get in touch with how you really feel, do more knowing and allowing for yourself and less pleasing. Pleasing is not caring, it is only a habit. Meditate on what moves your heart beyond anger. If you have children or are a teacher I suggest MindUp to help guide the future leaders of our world.
"#MindUP helps children develop greater empathy and compassion for themselves and for others, through understanding different perspectives."
