Women empowering women

Over the past 10 days I have been bringing spiritual, material and aesthetic goodness into my life (see here for what I was wanting and why...) Visualising what I want clearly, stating what I need, finding it after months and in many cases YEARS of looking and wanting and not quite being able to "get" it. (see HERE for how to do it!)


As I gain white hairs, I am realising more and more that REALLY I cannot do and be EVERYTHING. Partly consciously, partly unconsciously I have been drawn to supporting women in business. Most of  MY cash (which I earned from MY creative work, my talents and time) has gone out to nourish and support women following THEIR dreams using their talents and time who can create that which I cannot or do not have time to...
I have bought ...
*handmade clothes from small women's enterprises in Thailand, China and Israel via etsy.com...
*cosmetics from a dear friend who is an Avon rep
*artwork from a number of UK women, see here
*handmade fudge and bread from local shops
*a massage from a local woman
and most excitingly have discovered the MOST incredible set of women's empowerment tools here which I signed up instantly for and cannot tell you HOW wonderful they are Click here to view more details


And in a funny quirk of syncronicity and reciprocity the Universe came back at me, with two women approaching ME, wanting to pay ME money for my skills - baking cakes for a birthday party and starting up my writing classes again! (I shan't repeat the VERY embarrassing conversation I had when approached, (having only read a wonderful post on sacred pricing the night before!) and refused payment... and was told that I WAS GOING TO charge for my services, like it or not - thank you dear teacher in friend form!)


Herein lie some very important lessons learned...
1)Women's businesses make up the majority of small, creative, but very grass roots enterprises
2) Women on the whole find charging money for their services a REAL challenge. We are incultrated into devaluing ourselves and our creativity, giving it away for free, not liking money, being ashamed, embarrassed, unable to put a price on our work, feeling we should do it for love...  But the truth is we all need to tax our cars, buy our food and last time I check the local pub didn't accept love in exchange for a cool pint of cider in the sun - I did try!!
3) Women running their own businesses are usually following a dream, one which it has taken huge personal courage to birth, they are intensely passionate about what they do, knowledgeable about their area, and not great at self publicity
4) Getting something handmade from someone with a face, made with love, adds huge value to anything... and means your "product" not only has a "story" so is not jsut a meaningless, functional "thing" but chances are can also be tailored EXACTLY to YOUR needs.
5) Supporting women in business puts more money DIRECTLY into the hands of women, giving them more financial independence. I am sure you have heard the statistic that...“Women do two-thirds of the world’s work, receive 10 percent of the world’s income and own 1 percent of the means of production.” Supporting women in business is a great example of the feminist motto:the personal is political.
You are empowering women at home and abroad to own their own means of production; to follow their dreams and put some bread on the table... and, chances are, money that will go back out into the women's circle of abundance once more.