UCLA does study on women

A landmark UCLA study suggests friendships between women are special. They shape who we are and who we are yet to be. They soothe our tumultuous inner world, fill the emotional gaps in our marriage, and help us remember who we really are.

Scientists now suspect that hanging out with our friends can actually counteract the kind of stomach-quivering stress most of us experience on a daily basis. A landmark UCLA study suggests that women respond to stress with a cascade of brain chemicals that cause us to make and maintain friendships with other women. It's a stunning find that has turned five decades of stress research.

If you want to read more about this fascinating study, email me at info@themagicparties.com

Television here I come!

Ever since I was on “Bozo the Clown” a Boston-based children’s television show when I was five years old, I have dreamt of being on television and having my own television show. Today was my lucky day where the dreamer in me got awakened.

Last summer at our Magic Retreat by the lake, our topic and theme was “awakening the dreamer and turning our dreams into reality.” As part of the program we each had to declare out loud to the group a dream we have. Yup, you guessed it; mine was I wanted to have my own national television show.

As soon as the words left my mouth, I thought it sounded ridiculous and I wondered who else thought I was insane. The reason it sounded especially crazy is that I have no background in the television industry or background in media of any kind. I considered that my declaration was just a moment of “workshop passion,” you know the excitement one has while in a workshop to make a big change in your life? I knew I was probably safe because usually workshop passion disappears, brings you back to your senses and convinces you whatever you said was not something you either believed in or expected would actually happen once you spend a few days back in your real life and away from the workshop.

Somehow I was able to feel both crazy and excited at the same time with the possibility of having my own show and I started to brainstorm ideas for getting started. The first thing I did was sign up for an acting class. I figured if I was going to be on television, I should have some skills and learn some foundational techniques.

Well, today was my lucky day where the dreamer in me knew without a doubt that I was on my way, even though in the early stages of my journey. Today I made the first foray into television as I had the first taping of my new local cable television show called, Wake Up with Wendy; Discover the Magic of You. It wasn’t half bad for the first time out of the shoot.

I’m no Oprah but I have a dream that is bigger than my fears!


Dreams really do come true. So can yours.

Are you Emerging?

This century is being referred to by many as the Sophia century where women’s energy is predominating and the men who are in power and who are successful are those in touch with their feminine side.

I believe the whole collapse of the financial markets, many traditional model companies, and the upheaval of entire industries is in part due to the collapse of the masculine model of leadership and the old way of doing business, where:
>More is better.
>It’s a “you or me” world.
>That’s just the way it is.
>Command and control leadership.
>Individual heroic (I can do this alone) is the model.
>Focus on the mind as the primary method for determining the best strategies and solutions.
>Doing more, driving to get results, and striving to get things done.
....Is over.

More and more, women all over the planet are being called forth, by the universe, by spirit, by their inner voices to step in, step up, and step out. Personally, I am experiencing the emergence of the feminine model, in contrast to the masculine model above, where:
>We have more than enough. I am enough.
>It s a “you and me” world.
>There’s no such thing as “That’s just the way it is.”
>Collaboration, sisterhood, circles of women are forming all over the planet in ever increasing numbers. Women are bringing their uniqueness to the collective team in new ways to make a better product, outcome, and result.
>Affiliation is the model.
>Paying attention to our inner voices, accessing mindfulness and spirit to solve problems and find solutions.
>Love and power are now being integrated along with the mind as the primary methods for determining strategies, goals and outcomes.
>Supporting ourselves and others to flourish.
>Just being, experiencing the natural flow and creating space to let the answers come and the results unfold.

How many of you are doing things in your life, personally and professionally that you have never done before? Maybe even never dreamed of doing?

I say YEAH! Let’s keep going.

Hot Chocolate and Wisdom

The happiest people don't have the best of everything...they just make the best of everything that they have. http://tinyurl.com/5orwhz

Soulful Singing

I love this Navajo chant that I heard sung by Barbara McAffee at the 2008 ICF Annual Conference. She is a wonderfully soulful singer. Here is her mission....
I sing with the sweet breath of God
And I dance on a living planet
My body is holy water
And I dream a world made new

Here are the words to the Navajo Chant

When you born you cried
And the world rejoiced
Live your life so that when you die
The world cries and you rejoice.

I wonder what things I can add to my life so that I can connect to spirit more often. What about you?

To hear or learn more about Barbara, go to her website www.barbaramcafee.com

Courage

What does it take to be courageous and why would you do it in the first place? A few thoughts come to mind. Feeling so strongly about something that you say or do what you think is right in spite of what other people's reactions might be. Belief that what you say or do is for the greater good for your well being and/or the well being of others. This American Psychologist is, in my opinion, very courageous. I wonder if she thinks so? This short YouTube video clip is a must see. I imagine it might not be on the internet for long, so watch it as soon as you are able.
http://tinyurl.com/63acnw

What are you waiting for?

I believe each of us can make a difference, even if there are days when we don’t know what difference that will be or how we will accomplish it. I have been giving this a lot of thought lately and wondering what I can do. And wondering how I can help others see and take action on what they can do to make a deeper difference in the world so that we feel like our lives are contributing to the greater good and leaving a legacy we are proud of. One idea I came up with is to think about what gifts we have; you know what I mean when I say gifts, right? I mean our talents, our sparkle, the things that others adore about us, the unique touch that we have and have had our whole lives and sometimes don’t use to its fullest potential. We each have multiple gifts that we have been given or have developed over the years. And there are many ways for us to express these gifts in our personal and professional lives. I don’t know about you, but I spend too many days, wondering and fretting over the most ridiculous things, most of which I have no control over anyway.

So this morning, I am immersing myself in the question, “Which gifts could I use more and what might I actually do that I am not doing or not doing well enough now?”

And what gift and talent will you immerse yourself in expressing bigger, stronger and with more courage?