Welcome to the inside of my head!!!! My journal is a place where I let my thoughts off their leash and they get to run free. Unafraid of what others might think, feel, or say. Here I will be sharing with you everything that is important to me. That could be anything from the state of our beloved planet to my new favorite nail polish. Do your thoughts have a playground where they can let loose and be free? I invite you to "gift" yourself and your thoughts by keeping a journal. You never know what new and fun things you might find in there.Tomiko

2009-10-13

I spend a lot of time around women. I guess that makes sense since I created a women's empowerment and support group. I cherish the time spent with my Goddess sisters. We are a silly bunch. Seriously, we crack ourselves up. But there are times when the conversations take us deeper into our selves. This, is my opinion, is what the Goddess Gathering is really about. Women looking inside of themselves for the truth of who they are. All the while being supported and nurtured by their Goddess sisters.

As someone who is committed to living my life vibrantly, I am pained when I experience women who don't see the beauty of who they are. Whether it be their marital status, weight, career, family, hairstyle, or income, my spirit wants them to experience just how dynamic they are. I know that I can "Goddess" them with words of love, support, encouragement and empowerment. But it's really up to them to take on the magnificent quality of themselves.

Let me offer this...only YOU can determine your worth. No one else should have that power. Not society, your significant other, your family, your friends, your boss.....NO ONE. We give away our power so easily and I don't understand that. I really don't. Now I am well aware that one's past can shape who they are in the present. But, my belief is that once you become an adult, you are responsible for the care of yourSELF. It's up to you to nurture, love, empower, and support YOU. And that takes work, just like anything worth having. You have to work for it. Whether that means finding a therapist, confronting those that deny your brilliance, reading books that uplift you, or joining a women's empowerment and support group like the Goddess Gathering. It is in your best interest to be your loudest supporter so that when others try to dim your light, you can still walk tall.

My personal experience of mySELF is that I'm amazing and only getting better. Mind you, it wasn't always this way. Oh no!! A cross word or look from someone could send me into immediate despair. I was very unsure of myself and a consumate people pleaser. While I didn't always want to do what was asked of me, I did it because I really needed to feel liked. Or I would make real what others said about me, even though I KNEW it wasn't my truth. I was so fragile that I didn't know how to fight for the truth of my spirit. It was a dark time in my life and I am sooooooo happy to be past it.

YOU can do the same. I promise. But you must believe the truth of who you are. You must believe that you are lovable, talented, beautiful, worthy, dynamic, capable, and the list goes on and on. If your foundation is built with these amazing truths, then NO ONE can rock you. NO THING can shake you. You will be firmly rooted in the truth of who you are. I speak from experience because that's how I'm living my life now. Don't get me wrong, upset still occurs. But, the truth of who I AM is right beneath the surface and she jumps up at the very first sign of untruths being directed at me. She doesn't play!!! : ) Therefore, my reaction to and recovery from upset is short-lived. I don't have time to wallow in untruth when my truth is so much more empowering. I choose MY TRUTH everyday.

So, my dear Goddess sisters, I encourage you to WALK TALL. Be the light in every room. Be all aspects of YOU and don't apologize for it. Be brilliant. Be funny. Be sexy. Be childlike. BE YOU. Your spirit is waiting for you to allow her full permission to be just who you/she is.

I know YOU are in there and I can't wait for you to meet you.

KEEP SHINING!