The Valuables...Carlos Santana

The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace.

--Carlos Santana

Three Unconditional Properties Of Love...Vera Nazarian

“Love is made up of three unconditional properties in equal measure:

1. Acceptance
2. Understanding
3. Appreciation

Remove any one of the three and the triangle falls apart. Which, by the way, is something highly inadvisable. Think about it — do you really want to live in a world of only two dimensions? So, for the love of a triangle, please keep love whole.” 

―Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

 

From Experience To Wisdom...John Maxwell

Reflective thinking turns experience into insight.
                                                                      
-- John Maxwell 

How You See Yourself Matters...Viola Davis

I didn't see myself any different from my white counterparts in school. I just didn't! I thought I could do what they did. And what I didn't do well, I thought people were going to give me the opportunity to do well, because maybe they saw my talent, so they would give me a chance. I had no idea that they would see me completely different.

Viola Davis, Actress, 2015 Screen Actor's Guild (SAG) Award Winner for Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Drama

A Woman On A Mission...Estee Lauder

I was a woman with a mission and single-minded in the pursuit of my dream. 

--Estee Lauder

Every other Tuesday, WOMEN AT LIBERTY provides a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage, and strengthen women leaders. Today we feature an article, "One quality all young female leaders should have", Fortune magazine (Online, 1/22/15) written by Sandi Peterson, Group Worldwide Chairman at Johnson & Johnson.

Below is a quote from the article that rang true for me: 

"Leaders who make things happen have both confidence and courage. Many view these traits as innate, but they can be – and they need to be – cultivated. Confidence comes from doing your homework – you need to to know your business and your market. And courage is the constant willingness to go beyond your comfort zone. Doing so will help you gain deeper insights and analysis."

Did this quote resonate with you? Please feel free to leave a comment below.

To read the rest of the article, click here. For more information on Leadership Tuesdays, click here.

Nona O.
WOMENATLIBERTY.com

Today Is A Gift...Stuart & Linda McFarlane

Each day is a gift. Open it. Celebrate. Enjoy it. 

--Stuart and Linda McFarlane

How To Value Your Life...Toni Simone de Beauvoir

"One's life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation and compassion."

— Simone de Beauvoir, author of "The Second Sex"

We Will Be Remembered...John F. Kennedy

"We, too, will be remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit." 

John F. Kennedy

Think For Yourself & Be Who You Are...Margaret D. Nadauld

The world will try to make you think that being good is outdated and old-fashioned and that popularity comes from breaking the rules and lowering your standards. Don't buy into that way of thinking. As you watch TV or read magazines, you might be made to feel abnormal when, really, you are the one who has it figured out.

--Margaret D. Nadauld

Leadership Tuesdays: Be Optimistic...Patricia Ireland

I don't think you lead by pessimism and cynicism. I think you lead by optimism and enthusiasm and energy.

--Patricia Ireland

Every other Tuesday, WOMEN AT LIBERTY provides a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage, and strengthen women leaders. Today's Leadership Tuesdays' post features an article in the Wall Street Journal by Eric Morath, "Double Standard Holding Women Back From Top Business Jobs".

Women have come a long way with regard to reproductive rights, their ability to work outside of the home, choice of a career, and an opportunity to seek leadership positions at work. But when it comes to leading at the highest levels of an organization, there is still considerable room for improvement. Women account for only 26 of the Fortune 500 CEO positions. Not every every woman desires to be CEO of her organization. However, women should feel they have equal opportunity to seek executive leadership positions if they are qualified and are willing to put in the time and work required to ascend to these lofty positions. In other words, their gender (and/or race, for that matter) should not be a barrier to their development or chosen career path.

Today's article references research by Pew Research Center stating that women are held to a higher standard than men when it comes to judging their leadership ability. Thus, they are not given the same opportunities as men to become senior executives.

It takes courage and optimism to continue to progress and persevere in the face of less than favorable conditions or an uneven playing field. I hope that the quote above by Patricia Ireland, former President of the National Organization of Women, inspires you to continue to seek to achieve your dreams, whether they are in the C-Suite, Boardroom or wherever they may be. To read today's article, click here. For more information on Leadership Tuesdays, click here. 

The Dream...Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

--Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Have Some Enemies? Use This Wisdom...

Love of enemy does not mean denying that people are hostile toward those weaker than themselves and acting as if there were no enemies of life. The starving children of this world, the fish, the trees, have real ‘enemies’, …’Evil has an address. It has a telephone number.’ Love of enemy also means attributing to the enemy a capacity to repent, to change his or her mind, to behave differently. Love does not ignore hostility but makes people capable of overcoming it.

--from the Book, “Jesus of Nazareth” by Dorothee Soelle & Luise Schottroff, page 78

Dreams To Action...Julie Cannon

“When you streamline your schedule by making deliberate decisions about tasks and activities that are crucially important to you and identify your most important priorities, you give yourself permission to make choices that excite and interest you. You also grant yourself permission to exercise your right to say, “No, thank you.” 

--Julie Cannon, Dreams To Action Trailblazer’s Guide

The Normalcy We Seek...Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I know there is a cry today in Alabama, we see it in numerous editorials: "When will Martin Luther King, SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference), SNCC (Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee), and all of these civil rights agitators and all of the white clergymen and labor leaders and students and others get out of our community and let Alabama return to normalcy?" The only normalcy that we will settle for is the normalcy that recognizes the dignity and worth of all of God’s children. The only normalcy that we will settle for is the normalcy that allows judgment to run down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream. The only normalcy that we will settle for is the normalcy of brotherhood, the normalcy of true peace, the normalcy of justice."


--Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Address at the Conclusion of the Selma to Montgomery (Speech Excerpt) March, March 25,1965

From Director Ava DuVernay’s, SELMA is the story of a movement. The film chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement. Starring David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Alessandro Nivola, Giovanni Ribisi Common, Carmen Ejogo, Lorraine Toussaint, with Tim Roth and Oprah Winfrey as “Annie Lee Cooper.”

Lasting Impressions...Dixie Waters

“You can leave your marks on things, but the most lasting marks are written in the heart.”

--Dixie Waters

Leadership Tuesdays: Conquering Fear...Yehuda Berg

“It's our own small voice within that is our oppressor; it says we are not worthy and not powerful enough. Our limited beliefs are the real foes we need to fight and conquer.”

Yehuda Berg

Every other Tuesday, womenatliberty.com provides a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage, and strengthen women leaders. Today's Leadership Tuesdays' post features an article in Forbes by Kathy Caprion @KathyCaprino on Twitter.com ), The Most Common Reason People Fail To Pursue The Best Opportunity In Front Of Them.


Women too often discount their abilities and themselves. There is a difference between a person being braggadocios and prideful, and a person exuding confidence in their abilities and experience. We must be willing to encourage each to take risks and support each other as we step out of our comfort zones. Without stretching for new goals and opportunities, we will never expand our view of what's possible.

Kathy Caprino explains how we often describe our fears in this quote: 

In my work helping professional women build exciting, rewarding careers they love, I’ve heard this one fear expressed literally more times than I can count. It comes out in many different forms and ways, but here’s what it often sounds like:

“I’m not sure I have the skills or leadership experience to do this.”

“I don’t think I’m quite ready.” 

“This big of a stretch will really stress me, I think.” 

“I don’t know if I can really succeed at this.” 

“I’ll need a lot of help with this and where would I get that help?” 

“I have some of the required skills, but not all of them.” 

This article gives advice on some of the questions you should ask yourself to help identify your fears and overcome them. Here's to a successful 2015! For more information on Leadership Tuesdays, click here. 

 

You Are Gifted and Talented!...Shannon Adler

“So many people think that they are not gifted because they don’t have an obvious talent that people can recognize because it doesn’t fall under creative arts category—writing, dancing, music, acting art or singing. Sadly, they let their real talents go undeveloped, while they chase after fame. I am grateful for the people with obscure unremarked talents because they make our lives easier—inventors, organizers, planners, peacemakers, communicators, activists, scientists, and so forth. However, there is one gift that trumps all other talents—being an excellent parent. If you can successfully raise a child in this day [and] image to have integrity then you have left a legacy that future generations will benefit from.”

 --Shannon L. Adler

Gotta Have Fun Too!...Dr. Seuss

“When he worked, he really worked. But when he played, he really PLAYED.” 

-- Dr. Seuss

Becoming A Better You...Jaha Knight

“When you set a goal, you have a responsibility to yourself to see it through. No matter how impossible it may seem, resolve to accomplish it.”

--Jaha Knight, 30 Day Lifescape-Becoming A Better You

Image Credit: http://blogs.jabil.com/jabiljoules/five-steps-to-accomplishing-your-goals

Setting Your Priorities...Richie Norton

“You gotta make it a priority to make your priorities a priority.”

--Richie Norton

Leadership Tuesdays: Political Leadership That's For The People...Peggy Noonan

We must try again to be alive to what the people of our country really long for in our national life: forgiveness and grace, maturity and wisdom.

…Our political leaders will know our priorities only if we tell them, again and again and if those priorities begin to show up in the polls. 

-Peggy Noonan, Patriotic Grace: What It Is and Why We Need It Now

Achieving A Better Future!...Nona

Live out your imagination, not your history. –Stephen Covey

Change is one of the hardest things to do. To view what seems like the familiar with fresh eyes takes conscious effort and renewed hope that things cannot only be different in the future, but also better. The adversity and resistance that is surely to occur as we attempt to do something new must not discourage us from attaining our new goals or perceiving life from a different perspective. Realizing that change is hard, pace yourself. Expect to be physically and mentally exhausted on some days. Get your rest, include things in your schedule to renew your spirit and keep pressing forward on your new path.

--Nona O.

Lessons Learned in a Garden...Renita J. Weems

I’ve learned that some of the most important lessons can be learned through the simple act of gardening. One of the most important things I have learned from gardening magazines is that regardless of which bulb I choose, inside every bulb is everything it needs to become what it was created to be. The daffodil bulb has everything it needs to become a daffodil. 

Likewise with each one of us, everything you need to become who you really are supposed to be is already in you. Your destiny has already been imprinted in your soul. All you’re looking for is the right place to be planted; the right amount of light, the right amount of water. But who you are supposed to be, who God created you to be, what you are supposed to be doing is already in you. It's not out there. It’s like that daffodil bulb. It’s already in you, and your purpose in life is to find out your purpose in life.

--Rev. Dr. Renita Weems, (@somethingwithin) is a Writer, Clergy, Speaker, Educator, Administrator, Public Thinker, Pastor, Quilter, Blogger, Mentor, Girlfriend, Wife, and Mom.*

*Weems, Renita J., Lessons Learned in a Garden (sermon), Calvary Episcopal Church, Memphis, Tennessee, March 30, 2000

Expect A Miracle...Frederick Buechner | +Plus Song!

A miracle is when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. A miracle is when one plus one equals a thousand.

--Frederick Buechner, Author, The Alphabet of Grace

Check out this inspiring song by the Clark Sisters, "Expect A Miracle"!

Good Morning To A New Day...Nona O.

Good Morning to a day in time we've never seen before. Who would have thought that "Back To The Future II" would really be our "now"! 1/2/15

Is Michael J. Fox's character wearing Google Glass?

Happy 2015!

Happy 2015 from Women Making History and @womenatliberty! May your year be filled with joy, enriching experiences and love. Thanks for your support!

http://womenatliberty.com