“Deep within every life, no matter how dull or ineffectual it may seem from the outside, there is something eternal happening. This is the secret way that change and possibility conspire with growth. John Henry Newman summed this up beautifully when he said, “To grow is to change and to be perfect is to have changed often.” Change, therefore, need not be threatening; it can in fact bring our lives to perfection. Perfection is not cold completion. Neither is it avoidance of risk and danger in order to keep the soul pure or the conscience unclouded. When you are faithful to the risk and ambivalence of growth, you are engaging your life.”
John O’Donohue, Anam Cara
Take a look at your life and notice where you could grow or change at this time. Where can you begin to see areas of stagnation or stuckness as opportunities for growth and the expression of your full potential. It is important not to avoid risk but to be faithful to ambivalence and growth. For it is in these areas of our lives that we become fully expressed and alive.
Maureen Simon
The Essential Feminine Blog 
Some Thoughts For Thanksgiving Week
Posted in Comments on World News, Growth and Change, Responsibility, Women and empowerment, tagged balance, change, contribution, empowerment, feminine attributes, feminine perspective, The Essential Feminine on November 21, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Our world seems overwhelmed by chaos. The problems we face are monumental and interconnected to the rest of the world and we don’t seem to be able to hide our heads under the blankets any longer and have them all go away. In fact, the only solutions seem to be ones in which we take collaborative action; actions requiring us to put aside our inner fears, our negative approach and to move into unfamiliar waters.
Collaborative action is based in putting aside personal interests and needs for the benefit of a larger goal. It takes inclusiveness, seeing oneself as part of a larger whole, walking in someone else’s shoes. These qualities are especially strong in women. By their very nature they are peace makers, interested in building strong relationships, looking for common bonds and shared interests. These are just some of the feminine attributes that women possess which we need to rely on to overcome the chaos.
Many women are taking a more powerful stance today. If you haven’t viewed “Women, War and Peace” yet, be sure to see this amazing documentary showing what women in war torn areas of our world have been doing to change not only their lives but all our lives. These women are using their attributes in a positive way. Now is the time for us to realize that these natural attributes, too long overlooked and/or negated, are crucial for positive change today and in the future. We need to encourage ourselves and our young women to value our feminine perspective. It is only through the addition of the feminine perspective that we will achieve balance and peace in our world.
Judie Fouchaux
Guest Blogger
http://crosseeyes.blogspot.com/
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