Shell, coming out of her shell...

Only recently in my life have I been pulled toward active community involvement. I grew up in an individualistic society, and it has been a strange journey to take on a more collective perspective. There are many moments when I have to surrender to trust and faith in what I am doing.

My biggest barriers to creating change in my community are: Trusting wherever I am in the process of fulfilling my life’s purpose, releasing fear of judgment, and balancing daily life with “proactivism” activities.

Several solutions that I have come up with to these challenges are:

(1) Keeping a daily journal of my thoughts and feelings; Looking at the treasure map that I make each year as a “focal point” and a reminder of my goals for the year; Being authentic and honest in my interactions with people. When challenges come up, I can approach them just as I am in this writing, by listing challenges and coming up with solutions!

(2) Brainstorming my ideas and solutions, creative projects, etc. and examining what would be most viable and effective for the time and circumstances given.

(3) Being clear in my priorities. First, when I am with my kids, my presence with them comes first. A clean house gives me a sanctuary in which I can just BE, so I can do my best to not procrastinate with cleaning rituals, and complete them with enthusiasm. Going to school is my number one project right now, so it will take up most of my leftover time. My passions weave their way into my life throughout the day, and I must keep my eye open for opportunities—spaces in the day or night when I can sit down and write, take photos, or nurture my interactions with others.

(4) Just keep writing, sharing and following my intuition! I believe this, above all else, will move me through my fears.

World Pulse serves as a sort of sanctuary, another safe haven where I can combine my love of journaling with sharing in the community, and keep in touch with other women who are striving for similar goals. I have already begun to use the space to come out of “hiding” and develop my voice, which has not often been given an outlet to be heard, sometimes to the point of suppression. I admit it takes a lot of courage to share my journey in all of its rawness, authenticity, and rugged “realness” without fear of feeling judged or criticized. It almost brings me to tears to express my gratitude for the World Pulse community. I can already imagine the masses of women that will be joining the Pulse phenomenon, this coming together of empowered women who have a strong desire to create positive change in the world. Let our voices be heard, and let us remember that our words are very important when communicating from the personal to the global, so let’s make our words (and actions) count!