Engage – Page 22 – Confluence Daily

Reading Time: 5 minutes I don’t know what it will take in such wide-reaching murkiness for each of us to keep our hearts open, not act out of fear nor lash out in anger; to reclaim the benevolent “values of the feminine”—to find our “radiance.” But whatever it takes, whatever smallness we have to let go of, whatever feelings of anger or self-doubt we need to transmute into positive energy, it’s essential so that we light the way for our daughters and granddaughters, our nieces and great-nieces, ensuring a chance for them to shine their own unique and powerful magnificence.

It’s time to declare, the wise-woman vote is in: “choosing radiance over retaliation” is the best revenge!

Engage Weekly

May 12, 2018 Confluence

Wedding Vows: Diana, Kate and Meghan, Why Royal Weddings Matter Part 6

Reading Time: 3 minutes I look forward to the upcoming royal wedding, the marriage ceremony of Harry and Meghan—not just for the “glam and glitter,” but especially to be present to the intimate recognition of the other, the deep listening of love in action, and the “set the world on fire” changes possible when wedding vows are made inside a spiritual partnership like both of these modern-day princes and their beloveds have created. All of life, then, becomes an awakening to “love and cherish.”

Certain wedding “traditions”—royal or otherwise—are indeed outdated and need tossing aside; others are keepers in their own right. Then there are those traditions that simply need the wisdom of a woman’s touch!

Engage

May 11, 2018 Confluence

I’m White. I’m Privileged. And I’m Not Ashamed, but I am Accountable

Reading Time: 6 minutes This is a moment in history that is demanding more from us than any of us expected, maybe even more so if you’re white. There is a fight going on for equality right now, in the streets and in the soul of this nation. Not choosing a side is in fact, choosing a side by default.

If you’re white, no one is asking you to be ashamed of your privilege. So, you can quit pretending you don’t have it. You can quit feeling attacked when someone points out the obvious. However, history is requiring that you’re accountable for that privilege you can’t hide. It’s ok. I can’t hide mine either.

Engage

May 8, 2018 Confluence

What To Do With That Privilege Everyone is Telling You You’ve Got: An Essay on Privilege, Shame and Racism

Reading Time: 13 minutes Given that racism holds our collective shame, each of us have an obligation to work towards healing it as we are all part of the collective. You have the obligation to engage in healing as healing is life-giving. If you are breathing, you have an obligation to life to regenerate life. You do not bring healing, growth, transformation, light to the situation by shaming, raging, name calling and yelling at those that don’t get it right. You will not always get it right and yelling at yourself does not bring growth, or life.

Engage

May 7, 2018 Confluence

No, Michelle Obama Isn’t Running for Office. However, She Still May Be the Most Relevant Woman in Politics

Reading Time: < 1 minute Michelle Obama took the stage at the United State of Women Summit last weekend and delivered an extremely vulnerable and powerful message. The media picked off the one thing we probably already knew – Michelle isn’t running for President. Former first lady Michelle Obama said Saturday that she isn’t interested in running for office, cautioning that “it doesn’t matter who runs” for the presidency until the U.S. becomes unified.

However, under that statement, Michelle Obama spent forty-plus minutes delivering truth and setting a stage for other women. This interview is worth listening to – every single minute of it.

Engage Weekly

May 5, 2018 Confluence

Why Royal Weddings Matter, Part 5 – A Whiter Shade of Pale: Meghan Markle and Bridal White

Reading Time: 3 minutes Vogue magazine, which thinks Meghan “demonstrates a growing sense of ease and confidence with her fashion choices for royal engagements,” advises the soon-to-be royal bride about her wedding gown choice: “You can’t go wrong with the classics.” (It sounds as if “wearing white” is merely assumed. We, along with the British monarchy, have indeed come a long way!)

Engage

May 3, 2018 Confluence

ONLINE HARASSMENT FIELD MANUAL

Reading Time: 2 minutes As a society, we’ve always considered free speech as an absolute element of freedom of expression. It is a sacred idea that is an anchor in democracy. Generally, online harassment has been treated as an unfortunate but unavoidable byproduct of the darker side of free speech, no matter how dark or dangerous it gets.

The free speech organization PEN America is now challenging that assumption. It’s arguing that harassment is not an expression of free speech but a deterrent to it, that online harassment is antithetical to free speech because online harassment is designed to silence.

Engage

May 2, 2018 Confluence

Take a Test That Will Show You Your Unconscious Biases – Because the More You Know the Better You Can Be

Reading Time: 2 minutes Harvard has created a test that takes a few minutes that is particularly accurate in identifying individual unconscious bias.

Everyone should take this test. It’s like getting a peek at the hard code of your brain’s computer. It might change the way you see yourself and others.

Engage Weekly

April 30, 2018 Confluence

I’m very attracted to my fiance, but I’m also attracted to women. What now??

Reading Time: 2 minutes As a queer woman who married a man, my attraction to women never waned. Luckily, I was able to share my attraction to women with him and we were able to enjoy a fantasy realm that included watching FFM (female + female + male+) pornography, flirting with women in social settings, and eventually having a really fun threesome. I’d suggest you talk with your fiance if you feel comfortable in doing so. If you don’t, I would reconsider agreeing to be sexually monogamous with him until you die.

Engage

April 26, 2018 Confluence

Understanding White Supremacy (And How to Defeat It)

Reading Time: < 1 minute Before we can truly eradicate White Supremacy, we need to understand its origin and how it works.