*8 Things: Anti-Power Messages

I really like Magpie Girl's *8 Things lists.  Yesterday she posted about 8 messages she is trying to counteract in order to stand in her own power more and to enable her daughters to do the same.  Teasing out those old tapes that keep us from risking growth over security, the messages that keep us stuck, can be a long and painful process.  I've identified many of those messages and hopefully begun the process of counteracting a few.  Here are some that I'm working on - and like Magpie Girl - they aren't just for me, I'm doing my best to give my daughters other messages, messages that help them stand in their own power and take the risk to grow.



1.  No pain, no gain. 
2.  Never let them see you cry.
3.  Don't be too smart or no one will like you.  
4.  Emotions cloud your judgment. 
5.  Never tell a family secret.
6.  Good girls don't.
7.  Boys are better than girls.
8.  God = male.

While I could write a paragraph or several on each of these messages, they are pretty clear in their succinct form.  And they represent just a few of the paradigms I'm working to change in my own life while giving my daughters more options and a broader view.  We try to honor emotions, have open and vulnerable conversations within and outside the family, listen to our bodies and make healthy choices, develop our abilities and talents to the fullest, keep open to possibility, and recognize the divine all around us and in each one of us.

In July, I'm going to be trying something new, something that will probably pick up on some of these themes.  I'm taking a challenge to write about something I believe EVERY day during July.  If I manage to do it - my monthly output here will increase about four fold, but I also hope to be able to figure out and articulate what I believe about a range of topics.  More details soon.....