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28/9/2015

Attendees at Women Howling at the Moon speak

September's Women Howling at the Moon gathering brought together the wisdom of 24 women sharing what they've found makes a difference in dealing with their inner critics and generally creating a clearing for their magnificence to come into being.

Wisdom from the women: what we've learned:

Have the confidence that it will be okay.
Have the courage to be vulnerable.
Know that I am more powerful and courageous than I thought.
Take yourself lightly.
Recognise this is simply unease.
Know: I will succeed.
Thank "it" (the inner critic) for sharing, and do it anyway.
I am learning not to be afraid of failing.
I don't have to change myself.
This may seem a crazy idea - and just write something anyway.
Be kinder to self and others.
Take self by scruff of neck.
Allow yourself to be enrolled in the passion of others.
Accept who I am - be an example to others.
Recognise procrastination a a way to avoid fear!
Move forward despite fear.
Pursue your dreams!
Feel the fear but do it anyway.
Be less self critical.

One takeaway from this Women Howling at the Moon?

It's perfectly okay to be me. I don't have to change anything about myself to be acceptable.
A privilege to be amidst a group of courageous women
Robyn Cooney, teacher
Women have a way of inspiring one another.
Pam Blamey, art therapist
Wonderful women with courage to make the world a better place.
Jennifer Wright. Community artist
I was double worried about "courage" - So glad I faced that fear and came.
Penny Robertson CPTSD counsellor
That everyone is on their path of discovery.
An enquiry into what I want my contribution to humanity to be.
Jenai Hooke, artist
Acknowledging the Authentic Self.
Julie Gardner, creator
Sharing of ourselves, our stories, empowers me and others - can unblock prison doors.
Aeve Pomeroy, student
I identified the courage to be totally joyous in the face of great destruction.
Wendy Rogers, joyous agitator
What have I got to lose / Give it a go!
Kathy Rafferty
Courage: no such thing as failure, only opening doors into the next opportunity.
Emma Makepeace, PhD student, A Tribe of Dreamers, Chisomo Designs

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28/9/2015

Create a Clearing for Your Magnificence

What is it you dream of but never do?

"Thank you, my inner critics! You do your job so well, knowing just when to surface! So well in fact, I almost wonder could it be me feeding you the ammunition?"

It's been almost palpable, the renewed energy and commitment on the part of Women Howling at the Moon following July's 'blue moon' conversation with the eloquent and passionate Tove Vine. And now, women are taking this vision and stepping into it.

Stepping up to realise a bigger vision requires a leap of faith to move beyond our current comfort zone - and towards our magic.

Stepping up to realise a bigger vision requires a leap of faith to move beyond our current comfort zone - and towards our magic.

Feeling stuck, overwhelmed and in fear of getting it wrong are just some of the things that show up EXACTLY when we don't need them!

The thing is, most of the time we're so ruled by that dialogue that we're not present to what's actually going on.

With a deft sleight of hand, our inner critics keep us focused on the stuckness and f.e.a.r. (false expectations appearing real), accompanied by the old I'm not good enough mantra (or whatever your particular version of this is).

They, these inner critics (well, yes, actually we) do this SO well, we're blinded to the fact that our magnificence is ALREADY PRESENT in every one of us. However it's not accounted for until we start noticing and honouring ourselves, rather than simply the lights, bells and gyrations of our inner critics and stories from the past.

The first beautiful step is to notice this for what it is: a clever, in your face bit of theatrics we fall for just about every time, pastiche of uncomfortable situations from the past, kept alive in the present through our stories and therefore continuing to constrain us.

Continued below...

The key to connecting with our true magnificence lies in unlearning: shedding the onion layers, or the wrappings of a pass-the-parcel game - the ones we no longer need.

Unlearning, to take us back to our authentic self expression with t the stopping points.

To do that, consider where your inner critic most runs you. And what are the payoffs? For example, does it help you avoid stepping up, as per the Marianne Williamson poem, Your Greatest Fear? (See previous post)

There is great satisfaction in having stepped out from under the thumb of your inner critic and be standing in your power, your magnificence.

- Identify the main complaints. The characteristics of your Inner Critic. The voice, sex, timbre, where in your body they reside. They're running you so often, it pays to get to know it! And in that moment of recognition, the inner critic already loses its position as the driver of you.

And three takeaways that emerged from the wisdom of the wonderful community of women that evening:

We are already magnificent! And that, ironically, is so often the hardest thing to accept! Look for what there is to let go in order to live from that space.
Take the inevitable discomfort as a positive - a sign that you're on track and stepping up for what's important. In fact, lean into it!
Have someone who is a bold stand for you, and a community that understands you and relates to you as your magnificence.

And...

Be strong. Persevere in this. You never know who you are inspiring.

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Author

Chris is a Courage Catalyst and bold stand for women ready to claim their courage, creativity and unstoppability and achieve the powerful results they want for themselves, their personal life, their business, the world.