Category: WOMEN AND SOCIETY

I am a Very Sensitive Woman: Discovering the Strength of Sensitivity

~ womeninlivingness

by Luz Helena Hincapie, Colombia

Learning to work on my hypersensitivity and starting to love and appreciate my sensitivity hasn’t been easy, as I tend to get ideas of how I should behave and how I should fit into society. Self-judgment, the need for recognition and feeling hurt all insist on hanging around. If I let them, they insist on pulling me back into the old ways. However, with the consistent commitment to lovingly assess where I am at and the trust I now have in myself it is certainly a joyful process.

I’ve found that the answer in dealing with ‘distorted’ sensitivity is inside of my heart, never in my mind or practicing the sports of intellectual and emotional self-defence. The mind will only mask things, chose strategies and it will be a saboteur in the long run. The self-defence sports will only make one awkward and hard. Continue reading “I am a Very Sensitive Woman: Discovering the Strength of Sensitivity” →

Indian Inheritance – Re-claiming my Worth as a Woman

~ womeninlivingness

I grew up one of three girls with a brother eleven years younger. My parents immigrated to the UK from India before I was born. My mother made it clear for as long as I can remember, that to have girls was a sin and she must have done some very bad things in her past lives to get 3 girls this time round. When my mother was pregnant with my brother I recall her saying she wanted to be sent to a mental institution if it was a girl.

Continue reading “Indian Inheritance – Re-claiming my Worth as a Woman” →

My Dream Job as a Bra Advisor – Reflections on Working in the Service Industry

~ womeninlivingness

by Shevon Simon, UK 

Small changes in the workplace and no more tears at the toilet!

I stopped working long hours, which left me feeling exhausted. I began to notice when my body would feel that it had come to a place of ‘enough’ work and slowly, slowly I chose to listen to this and stop working, rather than push through. This left me with more space in the evenings to be with myself rather than driving myself with work. As a result I felt more vital on the following day and consequently, more productive in lesser hours – a ‘win win’ situation for myself, my organisation, my clients and my colleagues! Continue reading “My Dream Job as a Bra Advisor – Reflections on Working in the Service Industry” →

‘To Do’ Lists: Drive and Distraction

~ womeninlivingness

By Leonne, Brisbane

Today I have been feeling incredibly distracted. I have been beginning task after task and feeling as though I am not getting anywhere at all. I have been able to feel that what I really want to do is write this blog but until this moment I have found a way to distract myself by doing everything but blog writing!

Distraction has been a theme throughout my life.

When I was in primary school (aged about 7 or 8) I received a report card that stated ‘Leonne is easily distracted and distracts others’. I remember feeling quite pleased about this; I did not like this particular teacher very much and I was glad she could tell that I did not find her particularly engaging. I was doubly happy that my ability to influence the behaviour of others had been confirmed by a grownup. I equated being a distraction with being entertaining, fun, influential and popular. Up until this point I had been a model student and I watched my parents closely for any reaction to this news about my behaviour, but there was no negative reaction and they seemed to think the comment was rather amusing. It is not surprising that the words ‘easily distracted’ and ‘distracts others’ appeared on many of my report cards over the next eight years! Continue reading “‘To Do’ Lists: Drive and Distraction” →

My Dream Job as a Bra Advisor – Reflections on Nurturing in the Service Industry

~ womeninlivingness

by Shevon Simon, UK

From a very young age I’ve always wanted to serve. Serve humanity and help. I couldn’t wait to work, not only for the financial gain but to put my skills and willingness to the test. I began my first job at 16 in a shoe shop. I did well, as I always wanted to provide people with the best experience. I was honest, never sold them anything they didn’t really want just to get a sale, and I was one of the top sales people. I was soon inspired to move onto a company who paid their staff more and treated them better. Continue reading “My Dream Job as a Bra Advisor – Reflections on Nurturing in the Service Industry” →

Dentistry Part 1 – When a Woman chooses her Profession over and above Herself

~ womeninlivingness

by Rachel Mascord, Australia 

Twenty-two years ago I entered dental practice.

Dentistry proved to be a very challenging career for me for many years. My relationship with it degenerated to the point that for years I hated going to work. I woke every morning dreading the day ahead and longed to escape. In trying to deliver perfection constantly…I lost connection to an understanding that true care and tenderness were possible – and an essential part of this field of work. 

Moreover, I had no sense that there could be tremendous value in the quality I brought to my work by simply ‘being the real me’.

BEING A WOMAN IN DENTISTRY

I was a fairly bright young woman with a natural tendency to care for others. My self-confidence was very low, so I entered into my dental studies needing that qualification to bring me that confidence. I believed that in getting my degree I would have true value to bring to the world. I falsely thought dentistry would give me a sense of ‘worth’ and ‘importance’. Continue reading “Dentistry Part 1 – When a Woman chooses her Profession over and above Herself” →

Media & Women: True Qualities of Women

~ womeninlivingness

by Shannon Everest, Australia

While sitting eating my lunch at work, and fanning through the latest Vogue mag. in the patient waiting room, I read bits and pieces of an article about a new and upcoming young actress called Alice Englert. The article was titled ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

The article itself is not what is important here – what is important is the ponderings that occurred after reading the article.

This young woman of only 18 years was being celebrated with such expressions as  ‘Englert heads into the light’… She was being placed on a pedestal for all the world to see, described with such beauty and awe, but for all of the things she can ‘do’, the way she looks, the way she ticks boxes – and not for who she actually is. Lauded for how she has managed to carve her way into the industry, descriptions of her physical beauty and the uniqueness of her old-world ‘look’.

I found myself wondering, how does she really feel? What does she do to care for herself working in the film industry? What did she have to go through to get there? Continue reading “Media & Women: True Qualities of Women” →

Women and their Daughters

~ womeninlivingness

Growing up, I had a picture in my mind of what it would be like to be an adult. Slowly, as I got older, this picture kept changing and adjusting to keep up with all that I saw displayed by the varying influences around me. Even though I grew up in a home where there were yelling matches (which eventuated in divorce), as a really young child I didn’t see any of these problems existing in my own future. Instead, I saw the rosy pictures that were depicted on TV and in fairytales to be my own future. As I grew up I soon realised that life was something of an arduous task. The idea that life could be fun and or rosy slowly slipped from my created reality…

No-one at any time that I can remember sat me down and asked me how I viewed my future – I was a female, so it was assumed I would get married and have children. But I was never asked if this is what I wanted, or not. When adults would see either myself or my sisters play with our toy dolls, they would comment “Oh she’ll make a great mother one day”, or something along those lines. And when I started to cook, the comments would be “You’ll make some man really happy one day”. So I learned from a very young age that I was destined to become a mother and a wife. Continue reading “Women and their Daughters” →

Understanding Me through My Period and Our Cycles App

~ womeninlivingness

by Jennene, Brisbane 

Being connected to my period cycle is something that has always been very normal for me. I grew up with a mother who encouraged me to be connected to my monthly cycle – and not to interfere with it in any way.  She encouraged me to question why ‘The Pill’ was something that was so easily handed out to women without the understanding of the long term effects this would have on women’s bodies. It was a great foundation to have – and I am deeply appreciative of this.

So for the last 30 years of menstruating I stayed comfortable in this awareness of my cycle without really going any deeper than that. Whilst attending a recent Esoteric Developers Women’s Group (EDWG) meeting something amazing revealed itself to me; that is, I could feel how important it is for this awareness to be built upon, and not just be a laurel on which to rest. Continue reading “Understanding Me through My Period and Our Cycles App” →

The True Beauty of Women

~ womeninlivingness

by Raymond Karam, Goonellabah

A few weekends ago I was invited to an International Women’s Day function organised by Real Media Real Change (RMRC) in collaboration with Esoteric Women’s Health. I was under the impression that I was there to support them. I was wrong.

From the car trip there, to walking into the function, there was something bigger offered than what I had thought. There was something different about the women, something that I hadn’t chosen to see before… or possibly something that wasn’t there before. Continue reading “The True Beauty of Women” →