Day 120/366 days Towards Self-Mastery
The allure of femininity is the topic offered by Sarah for today, and to be sure I'm not really qualified to write about it. It's 2020 and I have a strong feeling that we're expecting something more of women than allure however on a quick google search you'd be forgiven for thinking otherwise.
Still this blog experience is about my path to self-mastery so here are my thoughts on feminine allure.
Maybe starting with a definition will help: well it seems to be about mystique, sensuality, magnetism, a bright star in the dark night sky of masculinity ??, looking your best, adorning yourself, developing feminine mannerisms.
For me this topic reeks of conformity to a stereotypical code of feminine conduct. Expletives wander through my mind.
This morning a brilliant article observing the noticeable decrease in women publishing papers and significant increase in men publishing papers during this time of forced isolation thanks to CV-19 caught my attention. With schools closed, child-caring and crises schooling at home largely feel on the shoulders of women, consuming their otherwise productive time. On the other hand isolation freed up men's productive time to focus on writing.
I don't have all the answers, but I'm pretty sure that feminine allure is not one of them.
Let the time arrive when women are respected for their intelligence, their contribution, their knowledge, their presence of purpose.
In the course of my life I've been accused of not being able to flirt, of flirting when I was being friendly, of being too strong to attract a good man, of 'aren't you worried that you won't attract a good man because you are so competent". My interests have been undermined, study programmes sabotaged, income and wealth appropriated, achievements underrated and support taken for granted.
All I've really wanted was to be me, to push my own boundaries and aim for my own horizons.
Feminine allure. Seriously? I've got better things to do.
366 days Towards Self-Mastery
When I considered my New Year's intentions for 2020 I had just one: To allow my heart to love what it loved...and let it lead me. (If not now, then when?)
I've spent months working on integrating my life. To live life more fully with my home life, my interests, my work, my responsibilities, all coming together, all connected. I want to give each the attention that they desire and need, and still have time and energy for the others. That means living and working from the heart.
As I was clearing out my bookshelf over the Christmas break I discovered Simple Abundance. I set it aside to explore it on New Year's Day as I lazed through another delicious day of nothingness. Sarah, the author, says this book is about living in grace. Living in grace I realised, is about Self-Mastery.
My thirst for understanding the human condition has driven me all my life, and hand-in-hand with self-mastery it has been a life-long goal. And seeing as I love to write, that living in grace is about self-mastery, and I love a bit of a challenge, then if I am truly going to let my heart lead, I really don't have any other choice. So scary as it feels, I'm starting out on a daily mission of leaning into the suggestions of this daybook and making a daily post to keep me accountable. If not now, then when?
I'm Josie. You can find out a little more about me here.
Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy: by Sarah Ban Breathnach.
This book is written for the Australian and NZ market because it refers to seasonal changes. It's available on Amazon here if you'd like to follow along.