Thursday, October 23, 2008

Women's Conference 2008

Yesterday ranks as one of my 10 best. My oldest and dearest friend informed me of The Women's Conference in Long Beach. She was fortunate enough to attend in person. The event was sold out weeks ago within 3 hours, so I watched their live webcast yesterday and was spellbound. It was a huge celebration of remarkable, accomplished, inspiring, powerful women.

I am a weeper by nature and nurture. I cry at parades, listening to music, watching commercials, and certainly listening to someone bare their soul. So, it did my heart good to see a convention hall of thousands of women wiping their tears as the camera panned the audience during the speeches.

This is Maria Shriver's baby and I believe this was the 5th year for the conference. She was incredibly brave and moving as she shared her most vulnerable and private self. She touched me deeply because she so gets "it".
"It" being that we are here to get over our big bad selves, to admit and walk through our fears, to stop feeling not good enough and less than (a plague among women), and to love. She speaks of being a caregiver to her mother, her learning to ask for help, all her fears that up to now have kept her from fully connecting to herself and others. Sound familiar? IT DOES TO ME. I resonated with her words---they are me and I am sure, the majority of us.


If Maria ever runs for office I want to photograph every minute of the campaign!

Speakers included Christiane Amanpour, Condoleeza Rice, Madeleine Albright, Billie Jean King, Betty Chin, even Bono...and the list goes on...all with the message of:

  • How we can each be an architect of change-personally and globally
  • The importance of Empowerment
  • The imperative of Perserverence
  • Be who you are and Share yourself
PLEASE go to the Webcast and listen to all or some of the presentations and speeches...you will love it and hopefully will be as uplifted and encouraged as I.

As women, every single one of us can make such a huge difference in the world. Women are nurturers. We operate out of compassion and cooperation instead of competition.
It is time we came into our own--individually and collectively and made our world a safe place we are proud of.

Just my humble opinion.

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