The focus of our work at Creating Legacy is empowering successful, mid-career women professionals and business owners, who may be a little bit restless and ready to take on something new ... and in their own way make a positive difference, and a personally meaningful, significant impact in the world. Our job is to help them discover what that is, what they bring to the effort that is unique to them, and that is especially joyful and fulfilling. And then to take the steps to build something enduring that will create the beneficial outcome they seek to see (indeed ‘to be’) in the world.

Empowering women at all levels of society and culture will bring about important changes on the planet.  Why is that?  Because women tend to naturally embody and express feminine qualities, which in recent human evolution have been undervalued — if they are valued at all.

The great Riane Eisler’s work speaks so brilliantly about the failure of economic models to measure certain important values, often represented by the feminine. Current economic theory focuses mainly on the production, distribution, consumption, and management of goods and services. She notes that this view does not include the full spectrum of economies. If it did, that fuller spectrum would include:

Household — Unpaid Community / Volunteering — Market — Illegal Business — Government — Nature / The Environment

Note that the current ‘market’ focus comprises only one area to measure.  Many of the others embody feminine qualities — and they comprise arenas that are begging for legacy level involvement, contribution and development.

In June, we celebrate Sally Ride who became the first woman in space (1983) and women's rights advocate Susan B. Anthony who 110 years earlier was arrested for voting in Rochester, N.Y. (1873).  How far we’ve come ... how much further there is for us to go toward a world where women truly do hold up half the sky.  If you’re inspired by what you read here, let us know how we can help you do that.

Cheers, Dolly


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Empowering Women

What does this mean really? One thing it means is to recognize and value the power of the feminine. So let’s explore that.

Feminine and masculine are actually neutral terms. They do not necessarily speak to gender, that is, male or female. Indeed both genders can possess feminine and masculine qualities.

Consider for example Mikhail Baryshnikov strong as a bull, and one of the most accomplished and graceful male ballet dancers in history. Some may find that to be a very feminine activity (especially those who have never seen the amount of power in his movement).  Yet, he is also a business man, actor, and the father of three children.

Recently, a friend and colleague — the beautiful, athletic, intelligent, blond-haired, blue-eyed, Christine McDougall, who has, among other accomplishments, an amazing legacy project called Guinea Pig C and a lovely daughter of whom she is very proud and protective — wrote with some angst about this subject.  She would appear to be the embodiment of the feminine (especially from a stereotypically female perspective), but lamented feeling “completely out of touch with the feminine side.” It seems this may well express the feelings of many accomplished women who have had to make their way in a masculine oriented world, however male-dominated their environments may have been.

It seems that if women are traditionally seen as embodying the feminine (whether they feel that way or not ...), to support them and empower them in the world would also mean to appreciate and support the emergence of feminine qualities or energies.  Since those qualities are also the province of the male gender, however, that empowerment would support men as well.

This is a gender neutral and exceedingly important concept if we’re to bring real balance to the planet.  So let’s take a closer look at traditional descriptions (this material borrowed from A Buddhist Library):

Traditionally Feminine Qualities:

Gentle, sensitive, compassionate, sympathetic, tender, understanding, warm and yielding, soft, nurturing, graceful, communicative, intuitive, emotional, homemaker, close, warm, motherly, quiet, passive / receptive, family and inwardly oriented, responsive, cooperative, conservative, relational, power.

Traditionally Masculine Qualities:

Strong, muscular, a provider, can be aloof, quiet, stoic, logical, analytical, rational, homebuilder, perhaps distant, protective, outspoken, active, assertive, aggressive, courageous, bold, society and outwardly oriented, ambitious, initiating, leading, competitive, decisive, dominant, forceful, independent, individualistic, self-reliant, and adventurous, willing to take risks, authority.

Whatever gender you are, female or male, select the qualities or energies from each category that describe you.  Do you have some from both categories? Most of us will because whether male or female we operate on a spectrum that includes all of them.

From perspective of this Buddhist resource, it is the power of the feminine to use intuition, to nurture information, and lend emotion. This, in turn, allows for the masculine expression of the authority to act with wisdom, to lead honorably, and do what is right. Having masculine traits primarily means that a person is independent and assertive. Having feminine traits primarily means that a person is nurturing and interpersonally oriented. Both men and women have the ability to express traits used in each category and to use them as the situation requires.

A mother bear is a most combative opponent when her cubs are threatened: female, yet a fierce protector. A father penguin sits on the eggs of his soon to be offspring, nurturing them and keeping them warm until they hatch: male, yet a caring nurturer.

Humans of both genders resemble these qualities. Some women may be ultra-feminine and still express highly masculine characteristics; and likewise some men may be extremely masculine and utilize feminine traits in their lives. And that’s not only okay, it’s good — because that IS the way it is. When we are able to truly embrace the neutrality of both our masculine and feminine expressions, then maybe we can, on a planetary level begin to truly value and empower women. And give some men the freedom they need to be more fully self-expressed as well.

It may not take much — maybe just 11% of the population. Marianne Williamson tells us why that is.

Will you be part of that 11%? How can you utilize these concepts in your own legacy development? How can we help? (DMG)

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A New Emancipation Proclamation

The legacy project of journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, started out as a book with inspiring stories of brave women who have overcome daunting circumstances to set their lives on a better path.
By the time they were done, they had managed to ignite a movement.
In “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide,” they compare emancipating women to the abolition of slavery. And their ongoing legacy work is now committed to making
that happen.

Statistics included in their book would stop you cold: one million children forced into prostitution every year; three million women sold as sex slaves; more women likely to be maimed or killed by male violence than
by cancer, malaria, traffic accidents and war combined. Kristof has stated they wrote the book ‘not so much to inform people but because we
wanted to shake people up and help address these issues.

The husband-and-wife author team traveled around the world profiling individual women who are among those forced into sex trafficking and prostitution or faced with appalling health conditions. Remarkably, those same women are able to overcome circumstances to change their lives and go on to help others. Read a book review here.

To further their efforts and spread their message, Kristof and WuDunn used the Web and TV. (Follow them on Facebook from these links, if you like.) Sponsored by the World Affairs Council, they have traveled the world and the country, talking with educators and giving many speeches in a variety of locations from town halls to colleges and theater gatherings. Their clear and consistent message is this:  the wellbeing of women is an imperative for the prosperity and stability of the world along with the national security of every country around the globe.  Kristof and Wudunn emphasize that empowering women tends to lead to faster economic growth, undermines extremism and reduces civil conflict.

Here’s one example: In 1971 when Bangladesh split off from Pakistan things seemed hopeless for the new country. But Bangladesh invested in girls' education, and today Bangladesh has more girls in high school than boys. These educated girls poured into the labor force, becoming the pillar of the new Bangladeshi garment industry.  In turn, this set the economic foundation and undermined fundamentalists. Additionally, all those educated women reduced birth rates, and supported civil society organizations that promote development, like micro finance programs Grameen and BRAC.

What is their hope for the continuing movement born from the legacy project that is their book? Women need protective laws, the right to hold property and bank accounts ... but the authors write, "Westerners invest too much effort in changing unjust laws and not enough in changing culture, by building schools or assisting grassroots movements."

And such cultural changes are needed everywhere, maybe even in your local community.

• Do you know a girl or woman who could use your support and mentorship to stay in school or further their education?
• Are you aware of a person or group working on behalf of women locally or around the world?
• How could you partner with them in a meaningful way?

What inspires you to make an enduring difference for girls and women in your own community? That might just be your own legacy project calling.

Let us hear your thoughts. (EBC)


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Send us an email about someone you know who is living or building a legacy. We’d love to feature their story. Maybe it’s you?!

 

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CREATING LEGACY STUDIO

• The Studio is your opportunity to explore the concepts of legacy in your own life, work or business. We focus on how to take practical action to get a full life and fulfilling work, give your best gifts — and make a significant positive difference in an enduring way that brings you great joy.
  (Come on, you know you want to change the world ...)
• If you miss the live show, you can listen to the recording on the Creating Legacy Studio page on BTR. Download past shows in& mp3 format for listening in your preferred player.
• See more info about the Studio on the Creating Legacy Network website, where we post the updated schedule and call in information.&
• Tune in, turn on and take part!

NATIONAL WOMEN’S HEALTH WEEK CELEBRATION!

Our event: “Supporting Women’s Greatness!!”commemorating National Women’s Health Week was a lovely success!

We provided a complimentary hour of group coaching focused on well-being: physical, emotional, vocational, spiritual ...

And the participants contributed to a robust discussion full of great information and ideas. If you missed it, access the recording here on our website:

Announcing our newest program!! A 5 Step Plan To A Richer Life!

Mark your calendar — starting in July, we will be brining you a fabulous new course based on the fabulous book by Barbara Stanny.

Wealth is not what you make, it’s what you keep ... and how wisely you spend.

Financial Mastery is what leads to Financial Independence — where you can separate your ‘business’ from your ‘profession,’ and do work you love whether or not it provides you an income.

During this 5 week teleseminar you will:

• Learn how to dig deeper to uncover the blocks & barriers that are keeping you from reaching your goals
• Engage in intimate and eye-opening discussions with plenty of time for questions
• Come away with a personal action plan for earning the money you deserve
• Have a lot more fun in the process than you ever imagined.
• Leave with new resources to support you in creating real wealth — after all, that’s what also allows you to make a greater contribution in the world ...

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