It was an amazing thing to watch 5 young ladies reflect on their lives, write down their dreams and decide how they wanted to move forward  Ellen and I marveled at how they stood up on the final day of camp and declared where and how they wanted to move forward in their lives and in the world.  I love the risk that it involved and the bravery in speaking those deepest wishes aloud. 

For me,  I declare that I will choose my good...that will listen to that still small voice that tells me "No, this isn't what I want" and "Yes, go for this" and "Ask for it...you need/want it"...Do you know what I mean?  Some people tell me that it is about boundaries but it is more than that...it is me listening to and honoring me...yes, sometimes that means boundaries and other times it means something really different.  After I made this declaration and shared my artistic expression of that vow, the universe gave me the gift of practicing what I asked for.  I was asked for help on something that I really didn't feel that I could support.  Normally, I would have just "sucked it up" and helped but this time I said,"No, I cannot help you.  You are welcome to make this choice for yourself and for me, I am not going to put any energy towards it"...It was phenomenal and an example of how we are constantly supported in moving towards what we desire.

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If you wanted to make a change in your life or to your stance in life...what would that be?  What would you be willing to do to make that happen?  These are important questions and questions which a fine group of young women are asking themselves right now!  They have written their intentions...claiming their act of power!  Next they will create the expression of that declaration...their act of expression.  It is an amazing thing to watch these ladies sit with the discomfort and the chaos that can come with asking these questions.  It takes courage and effort to take a new stance, to put a  new spin on any aspect of your life.  I wonder what your answers to these questions might be...What would your new stance look like...The young lady in this photo has taken her "warrior woman" stance and it is beautiful to me.  How might you show up in the world as your true expression of warrior woman.  
Women, You Must Learn to Be Warriors

Women, you must learn to be warriors
Now when times are dark and our men
Are afraid to tell us what is in their hearts.
there is so much trouble in our land
That is is up to you to decide
Which direction the wind must blow

Women, you are our tree of life
Just as you were a long time ago
When a man said:  carry my seed.
If you go forth from this darkness,
Telling our story of courage and survival,
Then our tree will grow strong with your words.

Women, do not worry about tomorrow.
Even when daylight is long in coming,
The sun remembers its place in the sky.
Take this blue shawl of knowledge and
Wrap it around your daughters, telling them'
That women must not be afraid to be warriors.

From 'Spirit Walker' by Nancy Woods
 
 
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One of the keys to becoming a better you is to keep moving forward, to have a clear  picture of the you you want to be and to give that all your attention...so the question becomes, what is the face you want to put forward in the world?  What stance do you want to take?  What  you do you want to embrace?  These beautiful masks embody the "me that I want to be in the world".  If you look at them you can see and feel the energy of the creators...some exude softness, other beauty, others strength, others creativity..look at each and see if you can connect with the change that these girls want to see in their world.  What would your mask look like?  What would you like to take  off the "face" you show  to the world?  What would you want to own or incorporate?  A worthy exercise for all of us!
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It is a beautiful thing to see all the different ways that people can interpret the questions for reflection and bring them into a feeling place.  Some of these pieces tell stories with complete images and words, others use color and texture to create the feeling of what it is to limit oneself or push through the fear and doing it anyway.  I love watching the way that each of us brings our truth to the creation.  There truly isn't a way to get it wrong. More to come!