The Women's Empowerment Group

Sometimes we must take a look at our vision and ask ourselves the question. What am I trying to accomplish? What is the ultimate place that I want to land.  Do I want to be a mere carbon-copy of what I see around me?-- or do I want to stand out from the crowd. We all have different reasons for being here on earth..we all were placed here for a purpose. When we can attach our purpose to our vision then we can begin the work of traveling where we are suppose to go. Our purpose is the place in us that drives us--it is that thing that we live to do. Sometimes my vision is greater than the place that I stand, it is my look over the horizon beyond the human eye. If I can see that there are possibilities in my vision, then it tells me for sure that it is achievable. We must start with a vision no matter how small --or large, and then take that vision and nurture it--give that vision all of the energy that you can muster. Everyday we must take out our vision and scan it for potential f...

Pauline Respress, BAS, M.Ed., As I age-- I realize the importance of being able to say that I might be wrong. In a sense wrongs right us. They allow us to reshape and reform our thinking. Our paradigm's become fluid and are able to be adjusted and corrected as we go. Our thinking is in our control, we are able to take a thought and turn it inside out. Our thoughts no longer rule us--we rule them. The old tapes that habitually play in our minds become a mute point. We can literally turn the volume down and no longer listen to them. A tree tells us much about right and wrong, a tree stands firmly in the ground and cares not about its wrongness or rightness--it simply is --it simply exists and goes with the flow of the seasons. Sometimes it blooms too early and other times too late-- but it still carries on. It still embraces it's space and its uniqueness even among all of the other trees that stand around it. For many years I shivered at the idea of being wrong--of not g...

  Pauline Respress, M.Ed.,   As I travel on this journey, I realize more and more how much power the word NO possesses. It frees us and other to take care of themselves. It turns a caretaker or codependent person into someone who takes care of themselves. It draws a line in the sand for some and tells them I am here for you--but this is where this train ride ends. Some may throw fits and kick and scream and call you unmentionables. But eventually they come to know --that love does not mean saying YES all of the time.  Love means I will honestly express to you what I am feeling and I will tell you NO from a place that is good, a place that has learned to look out for me as well as for you. A place that can no longer take the back seat-- all of the time, out of fear of losing you. A place that is stronger now, more whole now. This new place holds great meaning to me --it is born out of a lifetime of hiding myself out of fear of shining way to m...

At some point in life we have to set boundaries. Boundaries are clear imaginary lines that we place between us and the world. Boundaries are necessary in order to keep people from invading our sacred space. Sometimes when we do not communicate to people --people infer that anything is game. That they can do or say anything to you with no consequences. If you can imagine with me for a moment-an imaginary circle around you --much like a hoola-hoop. When we invite people into our lives they live outside of that circle, until we willingly allow them in. Everyone is not meant to be inside of our circle--some must always live outside of your circle. This does not mean that we don't communicate with them--it just means that they remain at arms length. My mother use to says that you--feed them with a long-hand spoon. I have always been open to everyone allowing them into my most sacred place--but I have learned on my journey that we maintain our level of peace, by not allowing in those t...

Pauline Respress, M.Ed., I pray daily that the Lord will keep me humble, but not so much --that I become a doormat. For many years I thought that being humble was to allow people to simply walk all over me, while I was silently screaming inside-- please stop. I have learned that there is a natural balance that we must find in being humble and having the ability to say no more to some. There are people who need to be stopped --they are silently screaming out-- please stop me. These people don't require our humbleness, they require that we as gently as possible--tell them no more. Tell them that your spirit is humble but your heart and mind are stronger --and that God has implanted in you a keener sense of discernment,empowerment and the ability to tell you the truth. The ability to tell you how your behavior makes me feel--I always thought that stating feelings were wasted words, that they should not be expressed but merely felt. But on this journey I have learned that when we ...

Pauline Respress, M.Ed., When we can attach perspective to our journey then it becomes a lot clearer. Sometimes things that happen to us just don't make sense. But when we can search through the rubble and connect the dots, we can begin to see the root of senseless behavior. I am the first to blame myself for every situation that occurs in my life, no matter how large or small. I take full responsibility and shoulder it, for me it is so much easier to blame myself, than to place the blame where it belongs. This behavior has followed me my entire life--it started when I pulled a cabinet down on my sister when I was around three, my mother blamed me and I blamed myself and the cycle began. Every situation that I encountered whether right or wrong I walked away with all of the blame. I somehow believed that I should never, ever blame others. I saw it as a sign of weakness, that strength came with me-- sucking it up and taking full responsibility. Today I proudly tell my mother t...

Pauline Respress, BAS, M.Ed., When I begin to let you go in my spirit, I find that I can move on. Letting go at times can be extremely hard. We want to see the ones we love flourish, but we can no longer carry them. They must take responsibility for their own dreams and aspirations. My dream for you does not match your dream for yourself and I can no longer be used as your reason for not achieving that it which you aspire. It is so much easier to hold someone else responsible for not achieving your goals. It means that you never have to experience failure or success in yourself. You hold everyone else responsible for your inability to succeed, because you do not have the courage to go after what you really would like to see for your life. I have been there, I stood in the shadow of my husband for many years, because I was too afraid to achieve what I really wanted for myself. I kept telling myself that next year I will do it--he needs me this year. Or I tried to make myself believ...