THE POWER OF GIVING

When I was six - or maybe I was five - my mother gifted me an Annie Oakley skirt something like the one shown in this post.  But, mine was filled with pockets that were filled with guns and my fringe was white leather.  I loved that skirt with my life.  I ran around the house in my boots, hat and skirt, and when I came upon someone I was mad at - and there were many choices - I whipped out my gun and yelled at the top of my lungs, “bang, bang your dead.”

Ok, so I seemed like trouble.  But, let me tell you, I was not.  Anything but.  I was EMPOWERED.  All four-feet-something of me - and I realized that if I put my mind to it, I could do anything. I was UNSTOPPABLE.

So who did I grow into? A woman’s empowerment leader - but, of course - and as fate would have it - I channeled that rage into giving.  I felt the only way I could truly make a difference was by giving back.  And so I set upon creating a women’s community that did just that.

Almost 20 years ago, I founded Spirited Woman (talk about if the boot fits wear it), which has now become a leading international women’s empowerment community.  Our motto is women inspiring women, and we’ve primarily done that through our Spirited Woman Top 12 Pick Lists (Mari McCarthy and her book Journaling Power have been featured several times) and our truly inspiring group the Sisterhood of the Sacred Scarves.

Almost 1,000 spirited women worldwide have purchased our Spirited Woman Woman Prayer Scarves.  The Spirited Woman Prayer Scarf is a symbol of spirit, empowerment and beauty.  To date there have been 21 scarves each with a different theme.  1000s have been sold worldwide, connecting women together energetically.  A portion of scarf sales is donated to the Spirited Woman Foundation to help heal and support women through actions of empowerment.

I am so very, very proud to say, that in the past 6 years, we have donated to 15 non-profits.

Recently, we donated to A Window Between Worlds (AWBW).  Here I am (on the left of the picture) donating a check to Audrey Salzburg, Chief Executive Officer of AWBW - we are both wearing the OM SHANTI prayer scarf.  With so much going on in the world today, with the #METOO hashtag becoming a symbol for millions and millions of women, the timing is crucial to give back to non-profits such as AWBW.

So what does this have to do with the Annie Oakley skirt?  

I believe, I truly do, that in life we are given messages, words, triggers - whatever you want to call them which symbolize the essence of who we are.  

No, I was not put on this earth to shoot anybody, but I was put on this earth to shake things up.  And every day, I thank my mom (who lives above me - if you catch my drift) for picking the right gift for her daughter.

And I thank every Spirited Woman on this planet for gifting others with their heart and spirit, too.

Please visit our Foundation page here to read more about the how and why behind our donations!

If you want to explore some of the common issues associated with the 24/7 motherhood struggle and how therapeutic journaling can help you overcome them, please download our free eBook, Avoiding the 24/7 Motherhood Struggle Through Journaling.   

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