equality

Stop Swinging

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If we choose to continue believing our ego, we will spend our lives swinging up and down. The energy behind our compulsive thinking is the energy of fear. It keeps us looking outside ourselves for the next thing, person or project for fulfillment. However, there is a space between the up and down of our emotional seesaw, when we are equally balanced in the middle. The outer and inner noise disappears; this is where we are able to connect to the essence of our being. It is here, in the stillness, we connect to the energy of love, kindness, equality, a deep sense of worthiness and lasting inner peace. Accessible in every moment, it is within you and me, right here, Now. Our happiness and inner peace can’t be found in the past or the future, but only in the stillness and awareness of the present moment.

Eckhart Tolle

Be a Wild Flower

Photo by Milos Tonchevski

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I have a desert garden in my backyard. A beloved neighbor gave us all of her potted plants when she moved out of state and the plants have thrived. This year, some new wildflowers grew next to the pots. They’re not related to any of the potted plants and they are not being irrigated. Yet, they continue to grow beautifully on the little rain they get.

People can be like wildflowers. They are transplanted from some other place and they just grow. They take advantage of the resources available.  They don’t ask permission. They don’t shrink because the other plants were there first.

They are beautiful in their uniqueness, their peculiarity, and their originality.

We can all be like wildflowers: wild, courageous, strong and proud.

Be like a wildflower. Don’t look for approval or acceptance. Hold your head up high.

 

A 10 Year old Says…

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One of the questions on our last 5th grade social studies quiz was, “How can we, as Americans, ensure equal rights for everyone?” This was on the heels of learning about slavery and the Civil Rights Movement (literary study: The Watsons Go to Birmingham).

Most of my students answered, “Treat everyone like we’d like to be treated,”  or “remind everyone about the Constitution.”

But one student wrote:

We could start an activity or sports program where EVERYONE was invited. People of all races would play together and while they played and made friends with each other, they would see we are all the same and racism would be gone.

 

If you’re feeling discouraged, by recent racist rhetoric from a small group of small-minded people, remember there are a lot of good people out there. Our children are wise.

Right Now, It’s Sepia…

 

 

Right now, television shows and movies misrepresent people of color

for the most part

It’s not multi-colored or rainbow, like reality

it’s sepia – pretty black and white, with shades in between

 

not reality

 

we need more colors and shapes

we need more reality

we need to see people of color

being people….of color

 

Time to stop complaining

and do something about it

Get out there and start CREATING

instead of WAITING

 

 

 

Demands

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“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it. ”

― Roseanne Barr

I love this quote.

At the time of this writing, women make 79₵ to a man’s dollar. Isn’t it time to remedy this?

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Recently, Robin Wright has been in the news for negotiating a salary equal to her male co-star, Kevin Spacey. HOW she did could prove to be an invaluable lesson for women everywhere.

  1. Conduct research. She found that her character was just as appealing if not more, than Kevin Spacey’s.
  2. Arm yourself with the data.
  3. Make your case and make your demand(s). Be prepared to walk away.

Some women argue that Robin is already wealthy. That she makes millions and can walk away. True. But still gutsy, no? She could have settled like so many other actresses. She didn’t settle.

“I wasn’t building my salary bracket. If you don’t build salary bracket with notoriety and presence, you’re not in the game any more. You become a B-list actor.” – Robin Wright

“The Guardian”

I believe that women’s worst enemy is not a successful man, but a fellow insecure woman.

“This producer was a woman, a type I became acquainted with at the beginning of my stand-up career in Denver. I cared little for them: blondes in high heels who were so anxious to reach the professional level of the men they worshipped, fawned over, served, built up, and flattered that they would stab other women in the back. They are the ultimate weapon used by men against actual feminists who try to work in media, and they are never friends to other women, you can trust me on that.”
― Roseanne Barr

If women are going to gain gender equality, we need to support each other.

I’m buoyed by the following article. It convinces me that the younger generation of women are smart, brave and DO DEMAND what they want:

Aerie Lingerie is an upscale lingerie company. They listened to women and modified their ad campaign: they stopped Photoshopping their models and began a “body positive” lobby. It worked. Their sales increased by 20%.

Money talks.

 

“…We really felt like girls today are just more independent and stronger than ever. We just knew that it would really resonate with this generation.”

– Aerie’s president, Jennifer Foyle