I was recently invited to speak at a Wellness Day hosted by Soroptimist International Beenleigh. My talk, Restoring the Well: Nurturing Our Emotional Core, was about what it means to be heard, and how we come to understand who we are beyond the roles we fill for others.
The words on the Soroptimist banner, A Global Voice for Women, stayed with me. To me, a global voice is made up of many voices. It matters whose experiences are heard, whose needs are taken seriously and who has a say in the decisions that affect her life. That can begin in a room full of women, when one person feels able to say something she’s been carrying quietly and someone else gives her the time to finish.
At the Wellness Day, I spoke about the work that often goes unseen. There are appointments to remember, people to check in on, tensions to smooth over and all the little details that keep a household or workplace running. So many women are accustomed to carrying some of that load while expecting themselves to be good at everything they do. I wanted to make room for a kinder response. If you’re tired or overwhelmed, you deserve the same understanding you would offer a friend who told you she felt that way.
Part of understanding ourselves is learning to name what we feel. Sometimes the words are as simple as I’m angry, I’m grieving or I need a little time to myself. Once we can say those things honestly, it becomes easier to ask for what we need. We can also practise saying no with kindness and stop there. A boundary can be one sentence long.
We talked about small ways to make space for ourselves in an ordinary day. I suggested taking three slow breaths before opening the next email or getting out of the car. I also invited women to give themselves ten minutes for something they enjoy simply because they enjoy it. That might be a few pages of a book, a stretch, or a cup of tea while it’s still hot. Sometimes what we need most is time with someone we trust, where we can speak freely and feel listened to.
I invited each woman to take one small change home. Perhaps it’s a moment of quiet before the day begins, or a conversation in which she lets herself say what she really needs. Women deserve to be heard in the rooms where decisions are made, and in the everyday conversations that shape how we see ourselves.
May you remember your own worth. May you treat yourself with the same tenderness you offer the world.
Blessings of love and light,
Elizabeth
