Women's Issues Articles
 

***Feeling Overwhelmed? Four Tips for Women to Find Peace of
Mind
By Charlene M. Proctor, Ph.D. , the Official Guide To
Positive Thinking


Yesterday I had lunch with a dear friend, a marketing
manager for a real estate company. Judy travels on business
and has a one-year old daughter. In 2 minutes, she quickly
shared the following: her nanny unexpectedly quit, she's
negotiating complex business deals, she's building a house,
selling her own condo, and her administrative assistant
recently crossed over. She felt her husband did not
understand the time commitment involved in mothering. To
boot, she was worried about losing weight and looking
beautiful.

As a consequence of today's pace, women do feel overwhelmed
by responsibilities at work and home. We're often torn by
our innate desire to nurture everyone, but want to express
our gifts in the form of professional work. How can we
develop a more robust connection with spirit, especially on
the days it seems to be going down the tubes? And what can
we do to stop feeling overwhelmed?

Take Charge of Your Own Behavior

Life seems to be getting more stressful by the day. Women
need to multi-task their multi-tasking just to keep up with
a career, family, and social life. Often women are too hard
on themselves because society trains them to be "woman-
helper extroverts." Praised by what we do for others, and
rewarded accordingly, we put our own needs last. Societal
messages encouraging women to "over-achieve" can reside in
unrealistic media images and the nuances of close
relationships.

Problems with this type of cultural or family conditioning
can result in choosing the wrong career to please parents or
spouses or having a lack of confidence in decision-making.
Take charge of your own behavior by affirming your innate
capabilities are enough. Find a moment to appreciate YOU and
be receptive to appreciation from others.

Many women are not taught from a young age how to spend time
cultivating a sense of self-worth. Lack of self-esteem can
spill into marriage and the workplace later in life and
affect relationships at all levels. Here is an affirmation
for self-appreciation that can help you get on a positive
track to a self-image of success and worthiness:

"I am a unique and beloved individual who has already
changed the world by being present. I am filled with joy
knowing I have offered the world my gifts. I shine no matter
what my family says; my talents reach far outside of this
realm. I now focus on what my talents can do for the greater
good. I love what I can do!"

Be Aware of Your True Self

Empowerment comes from awareness of your true or authentic
self. Our natural state of being is unlimited spirit.
Harnessing that idea through conscious awareness takes
effort. It's about having the mental discipline to create
your day before you put on your pantyhose. It means knowing,
from the core of your being, you already own that power. You
are, in fact, an individual spark of the Divine. That's a
pretty big thought. We are already important, loved, and
appreciated by being in this enormous, unlimited equation.
Focus on that more often and you won't create negative self-
talk or self-criticism that often drives overwhelming
feelings of self-doubt and worry.

Make sure your work life resonates with your spiritual
needs. "Work" at the fundamental level must nurture the most
closely held set of values and ideas of what your gift to
humanity is. Remember, overdoing and managing unrealistic
expectations reinforced by the media and our culture of
perfection - anything from having perfect body to managing a
Fortune 500 company while single-handedly raising 5 children
- is not a divine idea. It's a collection of human ideas
bordering on the bizarre that might have been designed to
sell more consumer products like day planners and diet
pills.

Take a breath and separate what's important and what isn't.
Love who you are and generate positive feelings about what
you already contribute to the world - not what anyone else
may expect. You already have the ability to transform life.
You can give birth to creative ideas by your very presence.
Your life is a sacred expression of your soul put into
motion. Value being female and your expression on this
planet. That is a very powerful belief!

Stay in the Powerful, Present Moment

You most powerful moments in life are spent in the present.
Getting stuck in the past holds you behind. True empowerment
stems from living now, not reacting to now from a mindset of
the past or living with worry about what might happen
tomorrow, next month, or next year. Every day, no matter
what has happened to you in the past, is a new opportunity
to begin painting your life on a new canvas.

Over the years, I've experimented with ways to release the
past and move forward with a positive attitude, living life
joyfully in the present moment. I've noticed when I start my
day without any clear direction of how I choose to think, I
don't get the results I want.

Instead of spending time regurgitating old problems, choose
to move loss, disappointment, and feelings of non-success
far from your mind. Make your perception of reality pleasant
and meaningful. Don't spend time dredging up ancient family
history or old problems that occurred years ago. Practice
forgiveness daily until it becomes automatic. You will feel
lighter!

Learn to Say No

Saying "no" is about mental strength, self-value, and
positive expectation. If we've learned anything at all from
watching "The Secret" is the power of our own intentions to
attract lives of balance, prosperity, and joy.

If you spend time wondering what everyone thinks of you
after you say "no" you'll never choose any life situation
that truly meets your needs. Before you say "yes" ask:

* Does this task bring me joy?

* Does it move me toward a future vision of where I want to
be personally, professionally, or emotionally?

* Does this task serve my higher self? Does it serve
humankind?

*  If I choose this task, will I feel good about my
contribution to my family, friends, or a cause? Will I feel
good about myself?

* Can I do this task with a full heart and not resent anyone
afterwards?

Use affirmative thinking to stay on track. Say:

"I commit to doing at least one thing for myself today. I
generate more power when I give to myself. Goodness in my
life is well-deserved because I am worthy of all goodness.
The universe is showing me that my first responsibility is
to take care of myself. When I do that, I have a bigger
capacity to love."

Experiencing peace of mind is a daily discipline. It's
reached by prioritizing and setting boundaries, but also by
cultivating a spiritual connection. No matter what your
wisdom tradition, remember to love the Divine presence
within. Revisit those qualities and ideas that spirit
represents. And learn to let worries go more easily and find
ways to live lightly by choosing to play more often or
simply slow down to enjoy the view. You will find life is a
more authentic expression of who you are --  your female
inspired, spirit-powered self!
 

Copyright The Goddess Network, Inc. and Charlene M. Proctor, Ph.D.
2007. All Rights Reserved. See
http://www.thegoddessnetwork.com/connect.php?page=eshow for
more empowering thoughts! Register for The E-Show, a series
of enlightening lectures!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Charlene M. Proctor is the founder of The Goddess
Network, Inc. an on-line educational resource for topics on
spirituality, relationships, and women's studies. Author of
Let Your Goddess Grow! she is a researcher and educator in
the field of women's empowerment and develops self-
empowerment strategies for women in all walks of life. She
is a subject matter expert for Beliefnet.com, the world's
largest self-help and personal growth website. Her
affirmations from The Women's Book of Empowerment reach 2.7
million web visitors daily. She currently facilitates the
PATH to Empowerment program for Lighthouse Path in Michigan,
a residential women's shelter for homeless mothers, teaching
them how to cope with life and increase self-esteem and
confidence. To learn more, visit
http://www.thegoddessnetwork.net


Additional Resources covering Positive Thinking can be found
at:
Website Directory for Positive Thinking
Articles on Positive Thinking
Products for Positive Thinking
Discussion Board
Charlene M. Proctor, Ph.D., Official Guide on Positive
Thinking
 

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