My Birthday List of 52 52s

December 13, 2014 / admin / Comments Off

My Birthday List of 52 52s

12/13/14 is my 52nd birthday! I am adopting “Another year wiser and a little more fabulous!” as my tagline for today and the coming year.

While I will speak often in the coming year of releasing the past, living in the moment, making decisions today for a better tomorrow – today I want to remind myself it’s okay to take a little time to look back on the road I’ve traveled this year. Celebrate the journey and the progress.

Now, here’s a little gift for you in celebration of the 52 years since my birth. This list of 52 52s is fun, informative and may even cause you to think a bit. I had a great time putting it together for you. Read them all today or pick one a week. How ever you go through this list, remember to Enjoy!

My birthday wish for you:

May the coming year be filled with love, laughter, health and prosperity for you and yours.

A List of 52 52s

The number of years since my birth. The age when many women peak, feeling a confident sense of well-being, comfortable with their bodies ‘both inside and out’. Studies show that for many, ‘A woman in her 50s knows who she is, what her strengths are and values, as well as her weaknesses and failings. You become more accepting of the things that you are not good at.’
The approximate number of weeks in a year.
The number of white keys (notes in the C major scale) on a piano.
The number of cards in a standard deck of playing cards, not counting the Joker.
The number of American hostages held in the Iran hostage crisis
Psalm 52 http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/6352/jewish/Chapter-52.htm
U.S. Route 52 is a United States highway that runs across the northern, eastern and southeastern regions of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S. Highways, US 52 primarily follows a northwest–southeast route, and is signed north–south or east–west depending on the local orientation of the route. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_52
The B-52s, an American new wave band, formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976. http://theb52s.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_B-52%27s
“52 Pick-Up” is a film starring Roy Scheider and Ann Margaret http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090567/
52, a weekly American comic book limited series published by DC Comics has 52 issues, with a plot spanning one full year. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/52_%28comics%29
Food52: “Helping people become better, smarter, happier cooks. How you eat is how you live. Let’s eat well together.” http://food52.com/
Seasons52 Fresh Grill (San Diego, CA) “Inspired by the season. Guided by flavor.” Looks like my kind of place to dine when visiting the ‘rents in Cali. https://www.seasons52.com/en/locations/CA/San-Diego/4529
52: Write a poem a week. Start now. Keep going. https://fiftytwopoetry.wordpress.com/
52 Tuesdays; Austrailian Film “One day a week, every week for a year. http://my52tuesdays.com/
52 Colorized Historical Photos That Give Us A New Look At the Past http://news.distractify.com/jake-heppner/52-colorized-historical-photos-that-give-us-a-new-look-at-the-past/
52 Of The Most Common Misconceptions In The World http://www.businessinsider.com/mythbusting-common-misconceptions-2014-11
52 Kitchen Adventures: a girl in Northern California who loves to bake (but doesn’t love to cook). My blog is all about how to make simple, beautiful, and delicious desserts from scratch. Enjoy! http://www.52kitchenadventures.com/
Lagoon 52: A luxurious and contemporary cruising catamaran http://www.cata-lagoon.com/lagoon_52_video_uk.php
52 Projects http://52projects.com/
52 Flea: collections and bits and pieces of this and that. http://52flea.blogspot.com/
52 Suburbs Around The World: website and book http://52suburbs.com/
The Federalist No. 52: maintained by the Constitution Society http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa52.htm
$52 Million: The earnings for Pink, as #3 Highest Paid Women in Music 2014 http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eeel45emikk/3-pink-52-million/
52 Places to Go in 2014 (or 2015…) http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/01/10/travel/2014-places-to-go.html?_r=0
The Rule of 52 and 17: It’s Random, But it Ups Your Productivity https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-rule-of-52-and-17-its-random-but-it-ups-your-productivity
52 Martinis: A Search For The Best Cocktails in Paris http://www.52martinis.com/
52 Years Ago: The economist Robert Solow has been arguing for more than half a century that technology will not spell the end of middle-class jobs. http://www.technologyreview.com/fromthearchives/531626/52-years-ago/
52 weeks, 52 books: a public book reading group on GoodReads.com https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/87982-52-weeks-52-books
The 52 Coldest Cities in America http://www.usatoday.com/experience/america/best-of-lists/52-coldest-cities-in-america/19830947/
The 52 Weeks Book: How Two Women Got Unstuck, Got Inspired, and Got Going http://the52weeks.com/the-book/
52 Powerful Photos Of Women Who Changed History Forever http://news.distractify.com/people/powerful-photos-of-women/
52 Superfoods http://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/nutrition/eat-healthy-america-52-superfoods-25519
Queen Afua’s 52 Week Sacred Women Online Course https://www.facebook.com/pages/Queen-Afuas-52-Week-Sacred-Women-Online-Course/788802891138073
52 Real Women: Entirely Women: Encouragement. Resources. Entertainment http://wgrt.com/entirelywomen/category/52-real-women/
52 Empowering Women Who Empower Girls http://girlsworldmarketing.com/52-empowering-women-that-empower-girls/
52 Perfect Travel Items Women Will Love http://www.52perfectdays.com/travel-tips/52-perfect-travel-items/
52 Weeks For Women’s Health http://52weeks4women.nih.gov/ and the Learn About Your Body in 52 Weeks app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mygroup.myname&hl=en
Room 52 at Sighet Museum – Women in prison – The names of 4,200 women who were imprisoned by the communists (the real figure is far higher) are exhibited on the walls and ceiling of the room. http://www.memorialsighet.ro/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=319&Itemid=101&lang=en
Column 52: The Bravery of Being Out of Range. http://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/column-52-the-bravery-of-being-out-of-range
UN Resolution 52/1: Promoting international cooperation in addressing the involvement of women and girls in drug trafficking, especially as couriers. http://goo.gl/FZj4QZ
Target 52 in South Australia’s Strategic Plan aims to have women comprising half of the public sector employees in the executive levels (including chief executives) by 2014. http://www.oper.sa.gov.au/page-346
Episode 52: When Women Work for Free. “If you don’t believe in yourself, if you don’t believe you’re worth what you’re charging, other people won’t – they’ll smell that fear and they’ll try to haggle you down.” – Adrienne Graham http://www.thebroadexperience.com/listen/2014/11/18/episode-52-when-women-work-for-free.html
The Catalyst Initiative, and 52 Women Who Are Changing the World http://fabafter40.tumblr.com/post/49493341538/the-catalyst-initiative-and-52-women-who-are
52 Changes: One change a week. 52 changes. A plan for each. http://zenhabits.net/52/
52 Habits for a Happy, Fulfilling Life https://fitdeck.com/blog/posts/2014/08/01/52-habits-for-a-happyfulfilling-life
#52 Happiness – 3 Steps for Changing Bad Habits into Good Habits http://www.happinesspodcast.org/52-happiness-3-steps-for-changing-bad-habits-into-good-habits/
The 52 New Foods Challenge: Change the way your family eats – one new food at a time! http://www.52newfoods.com/52-new-foods-challenge/
52-Week Money Challenge (be sure to check out the Alternative 52-Week Money Challenge) http://www.habitsforwellbeing.com/52-week-money-challenge/
52 Meticulous Organizing Tips To Rein In The Chaos http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/clever-organizing-tips-to-rein-in-the-chaos
The Little Book of Talent: 52 Tips for Improving Your Skills (Kindle Edition) http://www.amazon.com/The-Little-Book-Talent-Improving-ebook/dp/B007JC1RM2
52 Networking Tips http://www.thereluctantnetworker.com/52-tips
52 Tips: How to Market on Instagram http://blog.wishpond.com/post/59612395517/52-tips-how-to-market-on-instagram

Category: Lists, Thought of the Day /

The Possibility of Miracles

April 3, 2014 / admin / Comments Off

How to Live in the Reality of Possibility.

Often when we find life is not living up to our expectations we begin to wonder about the possibility of miracles. Is there really such a thing as miracles? If so, are they only for really special people or can anyone experience a miracle?

The story is told of a widow woman who seeks out the help of the prophet Elisha. In tears she tells him that her creditors are about to take her two children as slaves to work of the debt. The prophet asks her, “What do you have in your home?”
She answers, “I have nothing except a small cruse of oil.”
The prophet tells her to go around to all her neighbors and friends and borrow as many empty vessels as she can, then to go ahead and fill them with oil from her cruse. Miraculously, the oil keeps on flowing as long as there are vessels to receive it. Once all the vessels are full, she returns to the prophet for further instructions. He tells her, “Go sell the oil and pay your debt, and your and your children can live on the rest.” (from the Second Book of Kings, chapter 4)

While there are benefits to accepting The Reality of What Is, there are times, like in the case of this widow, that change is vital. When you find yourself in dire circumstances that feel beyond your control, something’s gotta give! So, how do you move from The Reality of What Is to the land of Live in the Reality of Possibility? It’s not like a prophet lives down the street from you. Just how is one supposed to develop faith in the Possibility of Miracles?

Access the Promise of Potentiality

When my daughters were young we often sang a little song about the Promise of Potentiality.

I am a promise
I am a possibility
I am a promise with a capital “P”
I am a great big bundle of potentiality
And I am learnin’ to hear God’s voice
And I am tryin’ to make the right choice
I am a promise to be anything God wants me to be.

Nice words. But what if you’re not seeing it in The Reality of What Is? How do you access that promise of potentiality? Here are 5 small but significant steps that will help you to access the Promise of Potentiality.

Complain. Acknowledge where you are. Like the widow woman above say what is wrong. Aloud. Not to your best friend, or your therapist, or your significant other, but to the God of your understanding. Tell The Universe, “Hey, here’s what’s going on and I don’t like it.”
Speak. Say what you want. Again, aloud. This brings your mind to a place of clarity about what you really want.
Visualize. Use your imagination to begin to move toward that place of potential. What do you want your life to look like? Can you see it?
Act. Actions are vessels, ready recipients for content and fulfillment. Use your time, your energy, your intellect, your creativeness to do what you can do today.
Surrender. Take a break from trying to control the world. STOP worrying. Once you have taken the actions only you can take then it is time to let the Universe take care of the rest.

You have complained, you have spoken your want, you have visualized the results, you have acted with responsibility. Now is the time to surrender to The Reality of What Is. Once you have done your part, the outcome is out of your control. This is where faith develops – in the waiting room.

Quote of the Day

To trust in the force that moves the universe is faith. Faith isn’t blind, it’s visionary. Faith is believing that the universe is on our side and that the universe knows what it’s doing. Faith is a psychological awareness of an unfolding force for good, constantly at work in all dimensions. Our attempts to direct this force only interferes with it. Our willingness to relax into it allows it to work on our behalf. Without faith, we’re frantically trying to control what it is not our business to control and fix what it is not in our power to fix. What we’re trying to control is much better off without us, and what we’re trying to fix can’t be fixed by us anyway. Without faith, we’re wasting time. — Excerpted from A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles By Marianne Williamson

Remember, when life gives you a bowl full of lemons it is time to take on the Promise of Potentiality and with Faith accept The Reality of What Is and Live in the Reality of Possibility that there is a tall, ice-cold glass of delicious, sweet, thirst quenching lemonade in the making, just for you.

Want to go a little deeper? Check out A Widow’s Story; a short video with a powerful message on how to find greater meaning in your life.

So, what do you think? Are you ready for the Possibility of Miracles?

Category: FemiKnowlogy / Tags: As a Woman Thinketh, FemiKnowlogy, Know-How, Miracles, Personal Growth, Possibility

Life Does Come With An Undo Button

April 2, 2014 / admin / Comments Off

Have you been looking for life’s undo button?

Have you ever tried to look yourself in the mirror and repeat those “positive affirmations”? As you attempt to maintain eye contact you mouth the words, “I am a worthy person and I fully approve of who I am,” all the while your brain screams, “NO! I’m not and I don’t!”

I understand that it can be a difficult feat to look yourself in the eye and admit that you’re not perfect, and be okay with that. Been there, done that. I understand that the standards you grew up with where unrealistically high and the level of perfection demanded where unachievable. I helped set those standards. The constant thought of not being or doing enough was always there. Today, not only do you accuse yourself, but your mother, your sisters, and your daughters for their shortcomings or perceived failings as you attempt to live up to those nagging tapes that fill you with shame. I’m sorry.

As a result you’ve created a life filled with chronic patterns of self-defeating behavior. And what you really want now is the “know-how” to stop and take responsibility for your life. You need to discover your unique FemiKnowlogy that hits that undo button, erases those old tapes and replaces them with the ones that affirm the beautiful creature who is you.

Fortunately you have been given the ability to access and reconnect to your deepest inner self – that part of you that is good enough already – and reestablish your life upon its foundation, and redefine your negative past in its purifying light.

The single greatest gift you have is the possibility of return – to start anew and wash away the past. You can rise above the limitations imposed by time. It is possible to affect your life retroactively. You can click life’s undo button by returning to the root-source of your soul and begin to make choices that bring you into alignment with it.

You have made some mistakes, and you may not be where you want to be, but that has nothing to do with your future.-Zig Ziglar

What are you waiting for? Today is the perfect time to birth a new you. Take some time to sit with yourself and discover who that gal in the mirror truly is. It may not feel comfortable at first. Accepting past choices and their outcomes can be painful at first. However, as you begin to challenge those negative thoughts the feelings will change. Then, before you know it you will find yourself making different choices. On a regular basis you will experience more positive outcomes. And then…viola…one day you realize you are a new woman! One who is happy with the reflection she sees in the mirror and the life she has created.

Yes, life does come with an undo button! And it is fully within your power to hit it as many times as you need.

What if you hit life’s undo button on your relationships? Can you begin to have different thoughts about the other women in your life? Can you let go of your expectations of perfection for yourself? For them? Can you imagine what your life might look like when you do just that?

Category: FemiKnowlogy / Tags: Character, FemiKnowlogy, Forgiveness, Get your mind right, Know-How, Mindfulness, Personal Growth

April 1st – You’re Nobody’s Fool

April 1, 2014 / admin / One comment

A woman has no character, no soul, no life, apart from her thoughts and deeds.

Sages, spiritualists and transformative coaches teach that our thought life is foundational to personal development. Getting our “mind right” is essential to improving our character. Overcoming painful memories begins with developing new ways of thinking about past experiences.

EACH woman is responsible for the thoughts which she thinks and the acts which she does, for her state of mind, and the life which she lives. No power, no event, no circumstance, can compel a woman to evil and unhappiness. She herself is her own compeller. She thinks and acts by her own volition. No being, however wise and great not even the Supreme can make her good and happy. She herself must choose the good, and thereby find the happy.

This life of triumph is not for those who are satisfied with any lower conditions ; it is for those who thirst for it and are willing to achieve it; who are as eager for righteousness as the miser is for gold. It is always at hand, and is offered to all, and blessed are they who accept and embrace it ; they will enter the world of Truth ; they will find the Perfect Peace.

There is a larger, higher, nobler, diviner life than that of sinning and suffering.

adapted from a book of meditations for Every Day in the Year by James Allen

Thoughts form Feelings

Feelings form Actions

Actions form Habits

Habits form Character

Proverbs reminds us, “More than all that you guard, guard your mind, for it is the source of life.”

As you begin this journey of discovering your unique FemiKnowlogy be assured that you’re nobody’s fool. Although there may have been times in your life – perhaps even now – when you felt circumstances were out of your control, remember that you alone have the power over your thoughts and thereby, your life and your destiny. The very process of personal growth and development is about challenging your thoughts – yes, even your core beliefs.

I understand that you have met with deeply painful experiences. How you choose to think about these experiences has already begun to shape your core beliefs and form your character. As you discover to the principles of FemiKnowlogy you will be challenged to open your mind to new ways of thinking, to release old thought processes and embrace the possibility of something before unimagined. I know you can do it. And I will be here with you each step of the way.

Are you open to the process of changing your thoughts? What does this look like to you?

Category: Daily Meditation, Thought of the Day / Tags: As a Woman Thinketh, Character, Get your mind right, James Allen, Mindfulness, Personal Growth

The Birth of FemiKnowlogy

April 1, 2014 / admin / 2 comments

I sat in the kitchen with The Man, wondering how I had once again messed up my life. My motivations where pure. My integrity intact. My work ethic and standards were impeccable. Yet here I was…up the proverbial creek without a paddle.

I was reading to him from the opening pages of the book “Know-How: The 8 Skills That Separate People Who Perform from Those Who Don’t” by Ram Charan.

Know-how is what separates leader who perform – who deliver results – from those who don’t. It is the hallmark of people who know what they are doing, those who build long-term intrinsic value and hit short -term targets.

Certainly intelligence, self-confidence, presence, the ability to communicate, and having a vision are important. But being highly intelligent doesn’t mean that a person has the knack for making good business judgements. How many times have you seen people confidently making decisions that turn out to be disastrous? How often have you heard a vision that turned out to be nothing more than rhetoric and hot air?

Personal attributes are just one small slice of the leadership pie, and their value is greatly diminished without know-how.

Command of these know-hows enables you to diagnose any situation and take appropriate actions, lifting you out of your comfort zone of expertise by developing skills that prepare you to do what the situation requires, not just what you’ve traditionally been good at.

Know-How is about what you must both do and be…

“This is what I’ve been talking about,” I exclaimed! “Women need Know-How to succeed in life. Success has to be about more than positive character traits or good intentions. Females must have knowledge and skills that allow them to be women with positive character and make smart decisions that help them create a good life. What we need is the Know-How to create a plan for life that keeps us out of hot water.

“Sounds like you’re talking about FemiKnowlogy”, he replied.

“FemiKnowlogy? I wonder if that is a real word? Can I use it?”

I headed for my computer…and the rest, as they say, is history. My search led me to the discovery of a Mme. Marguerite Souley-Darqué who taught a “course on feminology” between 1900 and 1905 similar to today’s women’s studies courses. Although I was interested in women’s studies I thought that FemiKnowlogy had to be about more than women’s history and rights. It had to be about the Know-How every female must have if she is to create a lifestyle that allows her to move past survival mode and into a place she could thrive. I mean, how could a female make better decisions if she was unaware of what her options are?

Abigail Scott Duniway

I also discovered the Pacific Northwest’s Mother of Suffrage, Abigal Scott-Duniway, who argued that if women were granted education along with the rights of political and economic self-determination; poverty, vices and abuse would decrease because women would not depend on men of vice or low moral character, they would instead have improved choices and opportunities for self-determination leading to self-sufficiency.

I began talking to every woman I knew about the concept of FemiKnowlogy, female know-how. Slowly principles began to form.

In contrast to certain popular feminist opinion, FemiKnowlogy is not about hostility towards men. FemiKnowlogy is about personal responsibility and self-sufficiency. It is about education, empowerment and the forming of partnerships for the purpose of nurturing and positively impacting our homes and our communities physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

The foundational principle of FemiKnowlogy states that the female who is determined to be her best self will provide for her basic needs and develop within herself positive personal and moral characteristics, then she is able to provide herself with a safe and secure home, instill within it healthy and nurturing relationships, create sustainable neighborhoods and communities, and affect positive change in the world.

Who are FemiKnowlogists? We are. Each and every female reading this post is the cornerstone of her home and her community. We are the influencers, the connectors, the nurturers, the mothers of nations. We are sisters and daughters, we are wives and mothers, we are visionaries and entrepreneurs. We are women of ordinary – and sometimes extraordinary – accomplishment, strength and humility. And each of us has a unique set of talents, skills and knowledge to share.

I am so grateful that you are here with me today at the launch of this blog. And it is my most sincere desire that within its posts and pages you will find the resources you need to discover and develop your unique FemiKnowlogy so that you too can create a lifestyle that allows you to make a positive difference in your world.

We’re just getting started here. But over the next few days and weeks I will be adding what I trust you find as valuable content to aid you on your journey of personal growth and development.

I hope you will feel free to partner with me by leaving comments, suggestions, questions as well as your resources as you see fit. And promise I will do my very best to come to you each day as my most authentic self as we walk this journey together.

Category: FemiKnowlogy / Tags: Abigal Scott Duniway, FemiKnowlogy, Feminology, Know-How

The Frontier FemiKnowlogist