My beautiful mother-in-law is 95 years young. She lives independently and tries new recipes, gives her neighbours a ride when the weather is good and plays cards at the local Friendship Centre. While I admire her stamina, it is her wisdom that captures my heart.
So many times when I listen to the worries and problems of young women I wonder if they have any idea how insignificant these will all seem when they get older. Even at 59 I am finding myself much less concerned about the things that I know consumed me in my 20's and 30's. I wasn't an 'enlightened' traveller in those days and honestly lived unaware of my unconsciousness. No wonder I felt stressed, sad, angry and frustrated. The shift for me was at age 42 when I took my first ever life-changing retreat, The Hoffman Quadrinity Process. From the close of the experience, I was hooked on personal growth and am grateful for what I've learned about myself. The impact has been tremendous and given me the foundation for the privilege of doing the work I do in the Women's Wisdom Retreats.
My 'old head' refers to the maturity and awareness that I now embrace on a daily basis. Evelyn is a classic example of how being joy filled instead of distracted with the minutiae of life is more gratifying. Young women are often managing households, busy careers, small children, relationships, families, communities and social interests. They are usually so harried it's hard to find the time for self-care without guilt or shame squeezing their time. And 'young shoulders' don't always see the enormous gift of self-nurturing until they reach a crisis.
Take the time now, today to capture the wisdom of your wise women elders. Be gentle with yourself and let go of the things that drain you. You just might discover a new way of being in the world.
So many times when I listen to the worries and problems of young women I wonder if they have any idea how insignificant these will all seem when they get older. Even at 59 I am finding myself much less concerned about the things that I know consumed me in my 20's and 30's. I wasn't an 'enlightened' traveller in those days and honestly lived unaware of my unconsciousness. No wonder I felt stressed, sad, angry and frustrated. The shift for me was at age 42 when I took my first ever life-changing retreat, The Hoffman Quadrinity Process. From the close of the experience, I was hooked on personal growth and am grateful for what I've learned about myself. The impact has been tremendous and given me the foundation for the privilege of doing the work I do in the Women's Wisdom Retreats.
My 'old head' refers to the maturity and awareness that I now embrace on a daily basis. Evelyn is a classic example of how being joy filled instead of distracted with the minutiae of life is more gratifying. Young women are often managing households, busy careers, small children, relationships, families, communities and social interests. They are usually so harried it's hard to find the time for self-care without guilt or shame squeezing their time. And 'young shoulders' don't always see the enormous gift of self-nurturing until they reach a crisis.
Take the time now, today to capture the wisdom of your wise women elders. Be gentle with yourself and let go of the things that drain you. You just might discover a new way of being in the world.
