October 7th, 2016
Yesterday was a packed day! So much has happened since I posted my invitation to mothers everywhere and anywhere to share their stories. I received messages on Facebook from women I knew. I also received e-mails from complete strangers giving me a sneak peek at their experiences.
This morning, I met with my friend Chris. We try to go for a walk every Friday. She was telling me that she is noticing a great deal of loneliness and self doubt in many women in their 40s. This worries her. This was an interesting comment because I was thinking about self-doubt this morning as I prepared for my day. I have a list of women who came forward to participate in my Mommy Monologues project. Every woman wrote something along the lines of; "I don't know if you'll want my story in your book but here's what happened to me and I would be willing to tell you all about it if you want to hear it". These women had all been through important experiences to share yet their first thought was that I might not want to include their story.
This echoed another experience I've had in individual work with women. They will ask me for a smaller piece of paper because they don't want to take up that much space. They fear making a mess in my shop and immediately clean up after themselves. They warn me not to pour out too much paint into their tray because they don't want to waste products.
When I am working in groups, the women praise the other participants. "Wow, you are so strong, I couldn't have done that". or "Are you kidding me, you are amazing, I haven't done anything". This dance of praising others while humbling ourselves is present in every group I run. Why is it so difficult to recognize and affirm our worth?
As Chris and I discussed this loss of worth, we talked about the power dynamics in relationships where the man is the main breadwinner. If you pause your career for a few years to take care of your children, you work very hard every day completing invisible tasks; cooking, laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, planning, organizing etc but you are not paid for any of these tasks, they need to repeated over and over again and, after a while, people stop appreciating them, they take you for granted. You also stop noticing all the things you do. If you were a career woman, you may feel the loss of earning your own income and of feeling independent. If your role is not valued, you forget your worth and downplay all the actions you take every day within your role. You become invisible.
You are more than the money you make. You are a worthwhile person just for being you. I love Louise Hay's mirror work. She asks her clients to sit in front of a full length mirror and practice saying kind things to themselves. Try it out. Sit in front of the biggest mirror you can find and express your love and respect for yourself. Louise encourages women to say their name followed by "I Love You"! Write a list of your strengths and qualities (at least ten) and say to yourself, "I am..." as you go through each one. If you can't come up with ten strengths and qualities, ask your loved ones to help with your list. You might be surprised by what they say.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Showing posts with label independence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label independence. Show all posts
Friday, 7 October 2016
Tuesday, 5 July 2016
Accessibility
July 5th, 2016
As my husband and I plan for the arrival of his mother, I am hyper aware of the challenges to people getting around town and our home in a wheelchair. My mother-in-law is able to walk but, I am told that she moves at a slow pace and gets tired easily. When my husband visited Europe with her last year, he rented a wheelchair to make the most of their trip and, to his surprise, she loved it!
She has never been to Ottawa and there are so many places we would like to share with her. Unfortunately, we are discovering that many older buildings do not have elevators or accessible entrances. As I walk around, I am noticing the many sidewalks that are uneven which would make it difficult for a person wheeling around town as they would constantly tilt over to one side. There are often breaks in the sidewalk. Where is the person supposed to go between the end of one section and the beginning of the other? Then there are streets like ours where sidewalks don't even exist.
We will rent a chair for the shower with a shower head extension as well as a transport wheelchair for her trip. She will sleep in our bedroom because it has its own en-suite in case she needs to use the restroom during the night. That is pretty easy but our bedroom is on the second floor as are both baths and the only shower in the house. This means she will have to get up and down the stairs at least twice daily. There are steps at both entrances to our home. We have been thinking about the easiest stairs for her to get into our home. Then there's the car.
We have two trucks with large wheels. You need to step up to get into them. Our one lower car is being fixed in time for her trip. We are keeping our fingers crossed that it will not break down during her visit. It is also one of the few cars with air conditioning. Our trucks have no air conditioning.
The children are very excited about our new pool. We have been wondering how to include their grandma while they are swimming. She loves pools and could spend all day in there but we need to find a way to get her in and out of the pool safely. The pool is 52" deep but we only have a ladder to get in and out of it and it is rather unstable. I have some people coming to build a deck with stairs and hand rails but we need big steps in the pool so she can ease in and out. That is our next mission.
We are very excited for her to arrive and want to make this trip memorable and positive. We hope that being prepared will result in a trip that feels effortless and comfortable. My mother-in-law doesn't use a wheelchair at home and I am sure she will be fine. However, as we delve into the world of mobility aids and accessible buildings, I am more aware of the countless preparations and obstacles faced every day by people who truly depend on their wheelchair to lead independent lives.
I challenge all of you to scan your workplace and assess whether or not it is accessible. Is there an accessible entrance? Are there working elevators to get to offices? Are the aisles wide enough for someone to get through easily? Are the washrooms accessible? When you go out for lunch, notice the set up in the restaurant or cafeteria. If you were in a wheelchair, how easy would it be for you to get in, reach the food (if in a cafeteria), pay for your food, get to your table (space between tables) and, sit at the table (height of the table)? It is a whole new world and examining it with new eyes has made me truly grateful for my mobility as well as raised my awareness about the need for greater accessibility in public places.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
As my husband and I plan for the arrival of his mother, I am hyper aware of the challenges to people getting around town and our home in a wheelchair. My mother-in-law is able to walk but, I am told that she moves at a slow pace and gets tired easily. When my husband visited Europe with her last year, he rented a wheelchair to make the most of their trip and, to his surprise, she loved it!
She has never been to Ottawa and there are so many places we would like to share with her. Unfortunately, we are discovering that many older buildings do not have elevators or accessible entrances. As I walk around, I am noticing the many sidewalks that are uneven which would make it difficult for a person wheeling around town as they would constantly tilt over to one side. There are often breaks in the sidewalk. Where is the person supposed to go between the end of one section and the beginning of the other? Then there are streets like ours where sidewalks don't even exist.
We will rent a chair for the shower with a shower head extension as well as a transport wheelchair for her trip. She will sleep in our bedroom because it has its own en-suite in case she needs to use the restroom during the night. That is pretty easy but our bedroom is on the second floor as are both baths and the only shower in the house. This means she will have to get up and down the stairs at least twice daily. There are steps at both entrances to our home. We have been thinking about the easiest stairs for her to get into our home. Then there's the car.
We have two trucks with large wheels. You need to step up to get into them. Our one lower car is being fixed in time for her trip. We are keeping our fingers crossed that it will not break down during her visit. It is also one of the few cars with air conditioning. Our trucks have no air conditioning.
The children are very excited about our new pool. We have been wondering how to include their grandma while they are swimming. She loves pools and could spend all day in there but we need to find a way to get her in and out of the pool safely. The pool is 52" deep but we only have a ladder to get in and out of it and it is rather unstable. I have some people coming to build a deck with stairs and hand rails but we need big steps in the pool so she can ease in and out. That is our next mission.
We are very excited for her to arrive and want to make this trip memorable and positive. We hope that being prepared will result in a trip that feels effortless and comfortable. My mother-in-law doesn't use a wheelchair at home and I am sure she will be fine. However, as we delve into the world of mobility aids and accessible buildings, I am more aware of the countless preparations and obstacles faced every day by people who truly depend on their wheelchair to lead independent lives.
I challenge all of you to scan your workplace and assess whether or not it is accessible. Is there an accessible entrance? Are there working elevators to get to offices? Are the aisles wide enough for someone to get through easily? Are the washrooms accessible? When you go out for lunch, notice the set up in the restaurant or cafeteria. If you were in a wheelchair, how easy would it be for you to get in, reach the food (if in a cafeteria), pay for your food, get to your table (space between tables) and, sit at the table (height of the table)? It is a whole new world and examining it with new eyes has made me truly grateful for my mobility as well as raised my awareness about the need for greater accessibility in public places.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Tuesday, 21 June 2016
Financial Freedom-A Vision
June 21st, 2016
Ever since I read Julie Ann Cairns' book, The Abundance Code, I have felt a strong determination to change the way I see money, how I feel about it and use it in my life. I contacted the author to ask if she could recommend a Canadian finance professional to help me make some important decisions. Her book helped me understand my own financial pitfalls created by my upbringing but I still needed the tools to make important decisions. She didn't know anyone in Canada but she suggested I check out Ann Wilson, The Wealth Chef.
I looked her up and, as impressive as her profile was, all I could think of was that she lives in the UK. How can she help me if she doesn't know the laws in my country? Ann has a free online academy so I decided to watch her videos and join her online community. I had nothing to lose. I felt that I might as well learn what I could from her as I looked for a professional in my area. This is because I was assuming that I would need someone else to tell me what to do. I am just completing week 2 of her 4 week program and I realize that I need to learn the tools of financial management so I can make these decisions based on my own goals and values.
What I have learned so far is not specific to Canada or the UK, it's information that anyone can use regardless of location. Ann teaches you to think differently about your money. Instead of focusing on how much money you make and trying to earn more, she shows you how to cut down on your liabilities and build up your assets. If you only have income and you don't transfer it into assets, you have to keep generating that income, especially if you have lots of expenses to pay off. I am so eager to learn her tips and I have come to respect her a great deal. She shares her knowledge with people who don't have a clue about money, like me, for free.
One of the steps in her program is all about designing a Financial Freedom Vision. This is what you would like to do with the money you make from your assets, the lifestyle you could create with your growing wealth. I will share my vision with you and I urge you to create your own. What would you do if you had plenty of money and you knew you would never run out of it?
My dream is to rent out our house and buy an RV. I would plan out a route from our home, driving through Ogdensburg, NY and into the warmer States. We would pack up the children, the pets and maybe my mother if she wanted to join us. We would stock up on the food we love, the girls could bring some toys and home comforts. We'd document our journey through writing, photography and mini videos as we met people from various locations, tasted different food and visited local landmarks. I can imagine us having so much fun as a family, creating memories together, learning about other cultures along the way. I would ask my daughters' teachers if we could Skype in weekly so the girls could share what they have learned with the class. I would schedule stops in communities once a month via Facebook to collect Mommy Monologue stories from local women and offer free art experiences for children. My husband could bring his motorbike (hitched to the back of the RV) and go on small excursions, exploring surrounding areas, looking for fun things to do. I imagine us talking, playing, laughing and getting in lots of hugs as a family as we explore the USA. On our way back in the Spring, we would drive through Canada and do the same thing here. In my mind, we leave January 10th after celebrating my daughter's birthday with friends and we return on May 10th.
In order to achieve my goal, I need to set up some passive income, otherwise, we can only go away for two weeks at a time. Thanks to Ann Wilson, I believe this is possible and, pretty soon, I'll have the knowledge I need to make it happen. If you want to stop working harder just to make ends meet, check out Ann Wilson, The Wealth Chef, and start your own journey toward financial freedom.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
Ever since I read Julie Ann Cairns' book, The Abundance Code, I have felt a strong determination to change the way I see money, how I feel about it and use it in my life. I contacted the author to ask if she could recommend a Canadian finance professional to help me make some important decisions. Her book helped me understand my own financial pitfalls created by my upbringing but I still needed the tools to make important decisions. She didn't know anyone in Canada but she suggested I check out Ann Wilson, The Wealth Chef.
I looked her up and, as impressive as her profile was, all I could think of was that she lives in the UK. How can she help me if she doesn't know the laws in my country? Ann has a free online academy so I decided to watch her videos and join her online community. I had nothing to lose. I felt that I might as well learn what I could from her as I looked for a professional in my area. This is because I was assuming that I would need someone else to tell me what to do. I am just completing week 2 of her 4 week program and I realize that I need to learn the tools of financial management so I can make these decisions based on my own goals and values.
What I have learned so far is not specific to Canada or the UK, it's information that anyone can use regardless of location. Ann teaches you to think differently about your money. Instead of focusing on how much money you make and trying to earn more, she shows you how to cut down on your liabilities and build up your assets. If you only have income and you don't transfer it into assets, you have to keep generating that income, especially if you have lots of expenses to pay off. I am so eager to learn her tips and I have come to respect her a great deal. She shares her knowledge with people who don't have a clue about money, like me, for free.
One of the steps in her program is all about designing a Financial Freedom Vision. This is what you would like to do with the money you make from your assets, the lifestyle you could create with your growing wealth. I will share my vision with you and I urge you to create your own. What would you do if you had plenty of money and you knew you would never run out of it?
My dream is to rent out our house and buy an RV. I would plan out a route from our home, driving through Ogdensburg, NY and into the warmer States. We would pack up the children, the pets and maybe my mother if she wanted to join us. We would stock up on the food we love, the girls could bring some toys and home comforts. We'd document our journey through writing, photography and mini videos as we met people from various locations, tasted different food and visited local landmarks. I can imagine us having so much fun as a family, creating memories together, learning about other cultures along the way. I would ask my daughters' teachers if we could Skype in weekly so the girls could share what they have learned with the class. I would schedule stops in communities once a month via Facebook to collect Mommy Monologue stories from local women and offer free art experiences for children. My husband could bring his motorbike (hitched to the back of the RV) and go on small excursions, exploring surrounding areas, looking for fun things to do. I imagine us talking, playing, laughing and getting in lots of hugs as a family as we explore the USA. On our way back in the Spring, we would drive through Canada and do the same thing here. In my mind, we leave January 10th after celebrating my daughter's birthday with friends and we return on May 10th.
In order to achieve my goal, I need to set up some passive income, otherwise, we can only go away for two weeks at a time. Thanks to Ann Wilson, I believe this is possible and, pretty soon, I'll have the knowledge I need to make it happen. If you want to stop working harder just to make ends meet, check out Ann Wilson, The Wealth Chef, and start your own journey toward financial freedom.
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
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