empower women Archives - Neways Somatic Psychotherapy & Coaching

Desiring Genuine Friendship? Look for People Who Support & Challenge You

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Healthy Relationships.

Social media has dramatically changed the idea of friends. You friend someone by simply clicking a button. Every day, your number of friends grows. You never meet face to face and you may not say a word directly to them. They know far more about you than you know of them…but they’re your friends. And if you feel like it, a push of a button unfriends them. Is that what you would call genuine friendship?

I’m sure you recognize the difference between social media ‘friends’ and genuine friends. But could the way we treat social media friends be creeping into how we treat our true friends, perhaps even damaging those relationships?

Do You Know the One Thing Strong Women Practice? Fierce Self-Compassion!

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Stepping Forward.

It takes strength to stand up for what you believe in and to stand against adversity. Yet, every day strong women are doing so with style, grace and fierceness. When someone you love is threatened, you defend them like a mama bear defending her cub. Sometimes we have to get angry to make our point! Or think about when a cherished value — like honesty or justice — is threatened, don’t you apply all your resources to achieve balance and harmony again? And to get ahead in the corporate world, you’ve stepped forward and powerfully climbed up the ladder to success, didn’t you?

But to become one of these strong women, did it feel like you had to abandon some of your nurturing, feminine side? Does it feel as if gender-role expectations make you hide your whole, true self, like you can’t show your compassionate side?

What’s Holding You Back? Break Free and Step Forward with Courage!

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Stepping Forward.

“Sometimes the future changes quickly and completely, and we’re left with only the choice of what to do next. We can choose to be afraid of it. Just stand there trembling, not moving. Assuming the worst that can happen. Or we step forward into the unknown, and assume it will be brilliant.” ~ Sandra Oh

Carla (not her real name) came to me as she was beginning to dream big dreams. She felt like she’d spent her whole life waiting for her life to begin. She wanted desperately to start stepping forward into life, but she wasn’t sure how. Yet, at every turn, she seemed to be sabotaging herself. She’d say, “I can’t, because… I want to, but I’m just not ready. I just don’t understand what’s holding me back!” I recognized that she was a very strong and capable woman, but her limiting beliefs were holding her back.

How You Can Take Risks with Confidence and Improve Your Success Rate

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Change Your Life, Fearless Mindset.

“You must accept that you might fail; then, if you do your best and still don’t win, at least you can be satisfied that you’ve tried. If you don’t accept failure as a possibility, you don’t set high goals, you don’t branch out, you don’t try, you don’t take the risk.” ~ Rosalynn Carter

“It’s such a risk!” These words are sure to make your palms sweat and your heart beat faster. In our brains, which are designed to protect us, the word ‘risk’ means DANGER. I, however, like to think of risk as a currency, just as much as money in the bank is currency. It allows us to trade up in life. We decide a new opportunity, experience or choice is worth letting go of something that doesn’t make us as happy any more. We wouldn’t think of taking a risk if it didn’t tempt us with something we want. But how do we get from paralyzing fear to being able to take risks with more comfort and peace of mind?

5 Key Values of a Modern Day Renaissance Woman. Is This YOU?

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Embodied Leadership, Self-Leadership Skills, Women in Leadership.

“I want to be a Renaissance Woman. I want to paint, and I want to write, and I want to act, and I just want to do everything.” ~ Emma Watson

Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga, Mae Jemison — to name just a few — can all claim the distinction of being a modern day Renaissance Woman. To understand this reference, we have to go back in history to Italy during the 14th century.

Since I grew up in Italy, I greatly enjoyed studying the Renaissance period. The name “Renaissance” comes from the French word meaning “rebirth.” It was a rebirth from the Middle Ages. It gave birth to discovery and exploration, innovation, and a resurgence of classical learning and spiritual enlightenment.

Tag: empower women

Desiring Genuine Friendship? Look for People Who Support & Challenge You

Do You Know the One Thing Strong Women Practice? Fierce Self-Compassion!

What’s Holding You Back? Break Free and Step Forward with Courage!

How You Can Take Risks with Confidence and Improve Your Success Rate

5 Key Values of a Modern Day Renaissance Woman. Is This YOU?

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