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I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman. - Virginia Woolf
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The Power Of Being A WomanBy Allie OchsThe American Poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: "What lies behind us and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Little did he know that his quote would sum up the past, present and future of women everywhere. He also didn’t know that once-oppressed women would emerge as powerful pillars of society. Historically, women have been viewed as inferior and grouped with the weak. That is why they were the first to be rescued from the Titanic. It wasn’t until the 20th century that American women were allowed to vote. This is what lies behind us. This is also the history of women, who never quit paving the way to liberation. What lies before us is the most exciting time ever for women. What lies within us is the power to continue this amazing feminine revolution. While in many parts of the world women are still demoralized, the once considered fragile female gender is rising to the top. Today women have assumed the roles of CEOs, litigation lawyers, doctors and senators. In the United Sates, women earn more than half of all accounting degrees, four out of every 10 law degrees and almost that many medical degrees. They have become activists against violence, child abuse and proponents of human and animal rights. In doing so, they pour their whole hearts into their causes. Their sense of self has become defined by their accomplishments and ability to make a difference in the world. In choosing the freedom to pursue their life-purpose, women have become increasingly liberated from society’s unreasonable demands. No matter what the case may have been in been in hunting-and-gathering societies of the past, today women everywhere are hunting for independence and validation as complete human beings. Along the way they have learned to master remote controls, change tires, file income tax returns, support themselves and successfully raise children on their own. They can wisely shop for bargains while splurging on Godiva chocolates. They can cry over romantic movies, but also get a thrill from the X-files. Women become jealous over Victoria Secret models and have lusty thoughts when spotting George Clooney. They are touched by the sight of babies and outraged at violence. When making love they like to be on the top in charge of their own fulfillment. Yet, with the evolution of women, taxis still stop for us, men still open the doors for us and in case of a fire, all the gorgeous firefighters will rescue us first. We don’t have to pay when we go on dates. We can go after what we want, but are not being afraid to ask for help. We can say what we mean, without being mean when we say it. We can empathetically walk in the shoes of others, without losing direction. We can hug each other in public and show emotions openly. Best of all, we know how to solve all our problems by simply eating chocolate. We have options when it comes to beauty. All the pretty things are made for us. There are substantially more fashion and shoe stores for women. Entire cosmetic departments, loaded with stuff to make us look and smell pretty, are created just for us. Our underwear, enriched with lace and rhinestones, is fortified with silicone inserts and airlifts. It doesn’t get any better than that. Women are responsible for much of the beauty in the world. We do pretty things, create pretty things and look beautiful along the way. Our options and power are endless and here is some US data to support that: ·By 2010, women are expected to control $1 trillion, or 60 percent, of the country's wealth (USA), according to research conducted by BusinessWeek and Gallup. ·Women purchase or influence the purchase of 80 percent of all consumer goods, including stocks, computers, and automobiles. This is just the beginning! We have what it takes to grab the world by the tail. We are naturals at multi-tasking. We can talk on the phone, while cooking dinner. Shave our legs while applying eye-makeup and run a corporation while managing a household. We can enter data and memorize a shopping list during an important business meeting. Raised as caregivers, women have compassion and patience like no other species on this planet. They never tire of listening to the problems and are always ready to help. Women have the courage to keep looking for solutions when others give up. Equipped with great intuition they know right from wrong without consulting an expert. Women have the persistence to stick around and go the extra mile. Women are great communicators and meeting people is an easy task. They are resilient in the face of great adversity. Women are networking pros reaching out for connection and support. Instead of hoarding information and wisdom, women freely share with others. They have the power to be tuned-in emotionally and the gift of expressing it. Women have the courage to be honest, outspoken and confrontational. When dealing with stress, women can have a pedicure or shop and shop some more. Best of all, women don’t need to compete with men to be successful in business or in their personal lives. Women can stand on their own, or be united to reach a common goal. In this sense femininity is true personal power. At no other time in history has society been so aware of the power of women. While many women may still be judged by the shape of their legs or size of their breasts, corporations are zooming in on feminine traits. With a new female leadership style emerging, more women are being hired into positions of power because of their extraordinary female traits. Obviously, many companies believe that the best man for the job is still a woman. Society has finally come to the conclusion that the lack of female energy is the reason for most of the problems in the business and social world. This is a tribute to all women to celebrate the power of being a woman. Women have what it takes to create a world of human equality. Our time has come to capitalize on our feminine traits, skills and the warmth of our hearts to rock the world. Our strength lies within. These are rewarding times for women. The world needs our courage to forge ahead, our intuition to discern, our passion for humanity and our wisdom to see the big picture. The business and social world has mostly operated from a masculine perspective. We live in a time of towering men and depleting characters, enormous profits and trivial relationships. We have more experts and less solutions, more knowledge and we make less sense. We are faced with corruption and greed everyday. Eroding integrity comes our way like an avalanche. We are the snowflakes in this avalanche and every single snowflake is responsible. Albert Einstein said: The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing. If each woman does something, the collective results will be amazing. There is so much power, richness and integrity in feminine nature. Women must stand united in their feminine spirit to bring about global changes. There is nothing quite like empowered women with a purpose, who rise to the occasion. © 2005 Allie Ochs About the Author: Allie Ochs, Relationship Expert, Coach, Speaker and the Author of “Are You Fit To Love?” ISBN 0-9720227-9-1. Her articles are published in numerous magazines and newsletters. She has appeared on radio and TV. To order her book or to take the Fit 2 Love! Test visit her website at http://www.fit2love.com. For FREE relationship/dating advice e-mail: askallie Source: www.isnare.com |
Are Women From Utopia And Men From Wal-Mart?By Allie OchsIt is surprising how many writers, psychologists, or scientists have made it their life’s work focusing on the gender differences. In our male-dominated society it is no coincidence that men have undertaken the bulk of this work. They made an effort to help men and women get along, but deep down the sexes are much more alike than the world cares to admit. Today, most believe that men and women are significantly different in every respect. The focus on these differences has divided men and women, instead of bringing them closer together. More importantly, it discourages both sexes to grow and unify on a human level. Still viewed as the inferior sex, women feel compelled to assume utopian attributes such as nurturing to the extreme and giving to the point of running empty. Women are expected to live up to the expectations of their families, employers and society. To add to their burden, they ought to stay slim, sexy, attractive, loving, caring and emotionally balanced. In their attempts to meet these expectations, many women lose their identities, values, self-worth and even their minds. In contrast, the “superior” male sex has been praised for its Wal-Mart attributes of being realistic, practical, efficient and logical. Consequently, men still run the country, hold most of the assets and control the majority of public and economic affairs. Yet, men experience their own stress in a competitive world that expects them to be the pillar of their families. Many men are still programmed to be the sole economic provider in their families and suffer their own anxieties. Feeling the pressure of maintaining an affluent lifestyle or even just making ends meet, many become workaholics, grow bellies, lose their hair and become candidates for heart attacks. Both men and women alike experience stress trying to be super-humans in a society in which they feel they never quite “cut it.” Preoccupation with the differences often prevents men and women from asking each other for help. Consequently, both suffer silently through their own pain blaming each other for their differences and lack of understanding: “Men are never this” and “Women are always that.” As a result of the generalization of their differences, men “shut down” and women turn to friends, therapy or medication. The outcomes are unfulfilling, frustrating relationships that increase stress or even lead to divorce. Consequently, we wonder whether men failed women, or vice versa. So much effort and money has been spent (and made) on exaggerating emotional, intellectual and communicative differences between the sexes that we indeed believe ourselves to be from different planets. We must look beyond the differences and realize that women cannot live without Wal-Mart, nor can men live without utopia. Women need Wal-Mart for the practical, logical and task-oriented aspects of their lives and, in fact, may be shopping at Wal-Mart more often than men. On the other hand, men need utopia to experience all the beauty and humanity of life, and are visiting utopia more frequently than they admit. We are all from the same planet. It is about time we bridged the gap between the sexes and realized that we are human beings with many of the same needs, desires, dreams and hopes. Whatever the case may have been in hunting-and-gathering societies of the past, today we are all hunting for the same things. Men and women alike are hunting for love, happiness, validation and prosperity, and are gathering whatever they feel is necessary to achieve this. Now, more than at any other time, men and women need each other in the pursuit of these common goals. Do we really think that investing in gender stereotyping encourages successful relationships? Today, both sexes seek to be loved and accepted, instead of being labeled. Do we really think that lovers connect, because they have figured out their gender differences? Love flourishes when both move beyond gender differences and rejoice in their commonalities. True love is based on mutual respect, moral responsibility and authenticity all of which promote the human potential of both sexes and allow for interaction without judgment. Men and women are indeed living as if they are from different planets and often do not connect intimately as human beings. Gender differences have been analyzed to death, and we may never be able to understand a man or woman. However, we will always be able to understand and respect a human being once we realize that we are all human beings first and men or women second. Inside each of us, men and women alike, lies a vulnerable soul, the desire to love and be loved, the need to be validated, respected and to feel important. Regardless of gender, deep down we all have a fragile ego that often feels inferior. Recognizing that both sexes have many of the same vulnerabilities and strengths is the key to men and women relating to one another on a human level. We need to free each other from the gender roles that society has cast upon us and start focusing on the ties that bind us. The commonalities between men and women are so much greater than their differences. As we change our attitudes towards each other, we will be able to relate to one another on common ground. Lasting love is only possible when we appreciate that our focus on gender differences has been of great disservice. For any relationship to become a stable and lasting anchor in our lives, we must learn to give up our pride and unrealistic expectations of each other. If we are to find true love in this misunderstood world of males and females, we must stop trying to figure out the opposite gender and focus on the human being inside. © 2005 Allie Ochs About the Author: Allie Ochs, Relationship Expert, Coach, Speaker and the Author of “Are You Fit To Love?” ISBN 0-9720227-9-1. Her articles are published in numerous magazines and newsletters. She has appeared on radio and TV. To order her book or to take the Fit 2 Love! Test visit her website at http://www.fit2love.com. For FREE relationship/dating advice e-mail: askallie Source: www.isnare.com |
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