Good morning beautiful W3,
As many of you know, as you are a part of the FB group, we are reading and discussing Women Who Run With the Wolves as our Wild and Wise Book Club selection.
The first thing I want to clear up is that … this is no longer JUST a summer book club. Our reading schedule takes us right into October, and this is a book that I know we will never be fully ready to put down.
So if you haven’t joined because you think you’re too late … you’re NOT. There is still plenty of time … endless time in fact … because we have no ticking clock. Join us. It’s free. It’s thoughtful and thought-provoking. I don’t think you could possibly regret it.
So that brings us to what has me riled up.
I was reading Chapter 7 – Joyous Body: The Wild Flesh and boy oh boy did this hit home!
“Like wolves, women are sometimes discussed as though only a certain temperament, only a certain restrained appetite, is acceptable.”
Yes, that resonates with me.
“…. according to the great “they,” our bodies were too much of this and not enough of that … we sang a mourning song for the bodies we were not allowed to enjoy.”
This nearly makes me cry. I want to wail and even scream a little bit and I am neither a wailer or a screamer.
So much of this strikes sharply for I can say I too have spent more years than I care to count not enjoying my body.
And we’ve all been there … looking at pictures from years gone by – seeing our younger selves and thinking “My gosh, I was beautiful. Why didn’t I know that?” or “I wasn’t too fat/thin/tall/short/fair/dark etc. Why did I think I was? Why did I waste so much time excluding myself, restricting myself, judging my Self, ‘hating’ my Self?
I could wail. I could scream.
And the great “they”. Well, that has become the great “we” hasn’t it? WE participate in this crazy-making. In our silence and our compliance.
And here too, WE can say “No. No more.”
Because you see my beautiful W3, we have SO much power that we have given away. We have power in our CHOICE.
Choosing what we watch, what we buy, what we listen to, what we read, what we allow.
And I know, it can feel really overwhelming. (That feeling came up for me too). So I am going to do just TWO things today. Commit to TWO actions (because living a life of passion requires action).
1. I am going to bring a shower of LOVE to my body. I am going to honor her, admire her, respect her, bless her, thank her, love her. I’m going to treat her so nice and promise to not speak harshly or unkindly to her every again (not even my inside voice). I am not going to exclude her, or restrict her, or judge her or hate her again. Never. Again.
She deserves that from me at the very least.
2. I am going to make CONSCIOUS choices. I am going to support media that supports US. And I am going to turn off and turn away from media that does NOT.
I am committing that Wild and Wise Women will be a safe space for all of us. We will share positive media, leaders, women, sites, spaces and more. (so if you have recommendations shoot them my way!)
Thanks for being here for me to talk about this with. I feel better already. AND I am planning a Joyous Body 24 Hour Dance Party! So stay tuned for information on that!
What actions do you commit to taking W3? What would happen if you shook off all the voices (including your own) and just stepped into truly enjoying your body? How would your life be different? Isn’t it worth a try?
You Are Loved,
PS. Please, join us in the Wild and Wise Book Club. It’s not too late.
PPS. Have books, magazines, tv shows, movies, websites, people, influencers, spaces, places that are positive and supportive? Share them with me please.
AND one more thing. I’m not kidding. A Joyous Body 24 Hour Dance Party is coming your way. I’m getting my team on the details as we speak. It’s a Wild and Wise thing to do.
Photo by Nadim Merrikh on Unsplash