The Birth of an Idea
Gone were the days of the corporate super-woman. Helping my daughter solidified my passion to help others re-evaluate and correct self-image. I stepped out to life renewed with hope and commitment and launched a company that formulated workshops and retreats for women. I focused on helping women to create a new definition of beauty by embracing their bodies and finding their authentic selves, for a healthier and fulfilling life experience. When we scrutinize the specifics of our mass illusion, what has been designated as physical beauty is only a minor portion of the real woman. That physical part fades with time, yet there are other attributes that last forever.
During my metamorphosis years I studied the work of psychiatrist, Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolen. In her book, Goddesses in Every Woman, she defines a new psychology of women that describes unconscious powerful forces operating within women in the guise of Greek goddesses. She believes that these powerful inner attributes, or archetypes, are responsible for major differences among women. For example, some women need monogamy, marriage or children to feel fulfilled. Others value independence and focus on achieving goals that are important to them. Still others seek emotional intensity and new experiences consequently moving from one relationship or one creative endeavor to the next. Yet another type of woman seeks solitude and finds spirituality means most to her. What is fulfilling to one type of woman may be meaningless to another, depending on which goddess/attribute is active.
I began using Dr. Bolin’s concepts in my seminars on self-esteem. Along with the help of Dr. Don Parker, we created a quiz to help women determine which goddess archetype or archetypes influenced them in their daily lives. During one retreat a “goddess” said that she felt that the Barbie doll had a lot to do with how women felt about their bodies. Since girls played with these dolls as they grew up, they may unconsciously relate to Barbie’s body features as the ideal. I hadn’t heard this before so I began extensive research into the idea.
Gone were the days of the corporate super-woman. Helping my daughter solidified my passion to help others re-evaluate and correct self-image. I stepped out to life renewed with hope and commitment and launched a company that formulated workshops and retreats for women. I focused on helping women to create a new definition of beauty by embracing their bodies and finding their authentic selves, for a healthier and fulfilling life experience. When we scrutinize the specifics of our mass illusion, what has been designated as physical beauty is only a minor portion of the real woman. That physical part fades with time, yet there are other attributes that last forever.
During my metamorphosis years I studied the work of psychiatrist, Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolen. In her book, Goddesses in Every Woman, she defines a new psychology of women that describes unconscious powerful forces operating within women in the guise of Greek goddesses. She believes that these powerful inner attributes, or archetypes, are responsible for major differences among women. For example, some women need monogamy, marriage or children to feel fulfilled. Others value independence and focus on achieving goals that are important to them. Still others seek emotional intensity and new experiences consequently moving from one relationship or one creative endeavor to the next. Yet another type of woman seeks solitude and finds spirituality means most to her. What is fulfilling to one type of woman may be meaningless to another, depending on which goddess/attribute is active.
I began using Dr. Bolin’s concepts in my seminars on self-esteem. Along with the help of Dr. Don Parker, we created a quiz to help women determine which goddess archetype or archetypes influenced them in their daily lives. During one retreat a “goddess” said that she felt that the Barbie doll had a lot to do with how women felt about their bodies. Since girls played with these dolls as they grew up, they may unconsciously relate to Barbie’s body features as the ideal. I hadn’t heard this before so I began extensive research into the idea.
posted by Denise @ 4:56 PM
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