Own The Power of Feminine Presence, Your Voice Within
What do Cleopatra, Mother Theresa, and Nelson Mandela have in common? These three powerful leaders embraced the feminine aspect of their nature and used it to influence the world around them. Each understood that real power lies in the authentic desire to care for the needs of others, the voice of others, as much as you care for your needs, your own voice. Each saw inter-dependency as strength as opposed to something weak, to be feared. Each understood that by its very nature feminine presence when embedded in an authentic relationship, has the capacity to influence hearts as well as minds.
A Discovery that Set Me on a Journey
I remember the first time I ever thought of feminine presence as a power in its own right. I was in a book store to gather health information for women for a workshop I was preparing to lead. As do in such situations, I meandered through the aisles of books while paying special attention to the moment when I felt inspired to reach.
The Other Half of My Soul
The moment came. The book was titled, “The Other Half of My Soul”. The book is based on interviews with a humble, yet extraordinary Benedictine monk named Bede Griffiths. In the mid-1900s, Bede was sent to India to minister to the poor. What captivated my heart was his description of how the Indian culture influenced him. To paraphrase him, he said, “It was as if I found the part of me that was missing.’ Bede talked about being “awakened” and feeling complete. He describes the other half of his soul as feminine, the sensual part of his nature that is attuned to life and all that life has to offer.
Gentle Soul, Fierce of Heart
Like Nelson Mandela, Bede took his mission seriously. He was fierce of heart in his determination to serve. He knew that to create a lifestyle group of value he needed to join those he was serving. So, instead of building a church, he built an ashram. With this one action, he became beloved. For the rest of his life in Eastern India, where he died, Bede often spoke of how complimentary the Eastern and Western cultures were; how when meshed together they became one whole voice.
Own Your Presence, Own Your Voice
For many Western women, power and presence are mostly linked with sexuality, seduction, and glamour. It is not viewed as an integrated source of emotional core strength. It is my strong belief that unless we own and empower the other half of our souls, our feminine essence, we will not be able to fully embrace the beauty and elegance of our own voice. To cultivate balance within, let’s follow in the footsteps of the powerful leaders I mentioned. Let’s expand within and integrate the feminine. Let’s acknowledge our full birthright, the power of our own voice.
Joan Shaver, LMFT
Be Bold Be Beautiful Be True to Yourself
