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RISING WOMEN EXPERT
ADVICE...
I am SO busy. How
can I justify spending time hanging out with my girlfriends when there are
so many other things that need my attention?
Women are the Connectors, the Communicators; with some exceptions, the
majority of us are hardwired to process our lives verbally in the presence
of each other. In past generations, women gathered together much more
frequently than our current lifestyles allow. Women today know that they can
have/do/be “it all”, which is wonderful indeed. However, for many of us,
having “it all” means we fill our schedules to the brim, leaving little or
no room for having important “face-time” with our
favorite friends.
- Valorie Burton, author of How Did I Get So Busy?, reports that “76% of
women feel they are busier now than they were five years ago.”
- Busy-ness is now being called the “The Modern Disease.”
- Connie Merritt, author of Too Busy for Your Own Good reports that “90% of
visits to our primary care physicians are due to stress related issues.”
See the domino effect? When we become too busy tackling our endless to-do
lists, the first thing we tend to do is let go of our female friendships,
when ironically it’s often our friendships that keep us feeling balanced and
centered. Women are stronger when they connect with each other. I know
whenever I spend time with my girlfriends I come away feeling understood,
connected and validated. Spending time with women who are also experiencing
the same kinds of ups, downs, twists and turns that life has to offer is
affirming. From listening to each other and offering our own stories, we
discover a powerful shared identification that strengthens us.
Technology and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
are all wonderful tools that help us connect in ways that only ten years ago
we couldn’t have imagined. But this is a different kind of connection that’s
void of the value we gain from being present in the same room with each
other.
Dr. Ruthellen Josselson, author of Best Friends writes, “…we need to have
unpressured space in which we can do the special kind of talk that women do
when they’re with other women. It’s a very healing experience.” Be
deliberate about regularly gathering your gals together. You don’t need to
justify the time you spend with them, because what we know now is that it’s
actually good for your health.
Need to reconnect? Contact Lauri Gwilt of A Wise Woman Enterprises at
250.757.8611. Learn more about Lauri’s Wise Women’s Weekends at
www.awisewoman.ca
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