Girl's life

Left, original magazine. Right, rad designer Katherine Young's "fixed" version.

Yup!! I know what magazine I want my daughter to be on the cover of.

No longer hushed

This is hopeful. Keep speaking. Keep giving language to this.

Unleash our voices - keep speaking.

I have been sexually assaulted. I will no longer hide that. I believed I should be hushed, I felt the shame. I stayed speechless. I lost my voice.

I was one too many.

Keep Speaking.

Keep giving language to this.

This is hopeful.

Video on Brock Turner's case

Hugh O'Brian

Today one of my heroes died. Hugh O'Brian was a man with a vision to make the world a better place. I was blessed enough to walk in his path when I was in high school. Hugh O'Brian started H.O.B.Y. (Hugh O'Brian Youth Foundation) gathering youth across the world uniting them in peace, enthusiasm and community all with the belief that we are all here to make the world a better place. One high school sophomore was chosen from any participating high school to meet at the State HOBY convention. I was chosen that year. There, we gathered for three days learning from panels of leaders in the community, as well becoming a united tribe of teenagers willing to take on the world. Between leadership seminars, songs sung, late nights, hugs, tears, and friendship - lives were changed. The HOBY ambassadors were born.

From the State Convention a male and female were then chosen to attend the World Leadership Congress (WLC). I wasn't chosen from the State convention, but I did get to attend WLC. Hugh O'Brian personally invited me. My brother had died that same year I attended my state convention and after hearing word how much my brother loved HOBY (he was also a HOBY ambassador 5 years prior), Hugh O'Brian took it upon himself to personally call and invite me to WLC because he knew that is what would make the world a better place - to love someone in tragedy, even when they didn't "deserve it" (aka, I wasn't a candidate from my state) to reach out to a youth in need, to be empathetic, to be humble, to reach out and to personally include me in the community of the next generation of innovators, visionaries and entrepreneurs. Hugh O'Brian personally saved my 17 year old ass when I went through the death of my brother. He practiced what he preached - he took care of the youth and that was his legacy.

It was when I was at WLC that I saw the world living Hugh's vision - peace, harmony, community and service. It was the first time I heard the word "empathy" It was the first time I heard the words "burning desire" It was the first time I heard the word "community" The first time I heard the word "entrepreneur" It was the first time I heard the words "let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me" It was the first time I heard the music to Man of LaMancha and what the lyrics meant.

The entire world was gathered and represented at the WLC and guess what - it was PEACE. Hugh O'Brian showed me that World Peace exists, it thrives and its within us all, its within our youth.

Hugh’s gathered hundreds of thousands youths a year, year after year, teaching them how to think for themselves, how to act in service leaving behind a world full of ambassadors of HOBY who all stand for peace, service and community. Is it any wonder this man is my hero? His impact on the world is millions strong, united in peace. WLC has been my inspiration for how I see the world and also living in it. In my deepest gratitude to this man, to his vision, to the ambassadors of HOBY. To my family all around the world. My life is richer, deeper, desirable because of the HOBY family and because of Hugh O'Brian. To you, we humbly thank you. For taking a risk on the youth, for being willing to march on for a Heavenly cause.

So in honor of my hero, I also stand for the youth in my generation. Here is to the YOUTH, that the most powerful thing we can teach them is to THINK FOR THEMSELVES! (Dr. Albert Schweitzer)

Please watch this short video of Hugh and his life’s work.

Dance like everyone's watching

When I started dancing like this - I started living.

Do you want to go far?

Do you have a story of traveling alone going fast and a story of going together far? Whats the difference? Where did you go? Whats far like versus fast? As we unite I'm learning that sisterhood is better together. I can't wait to share some stories with you.

Don't you dare teach my daughter to fear the forest

"I will teach my daughter that she is the wolf – free, primal, and connected to the moon."

Lets teach our daughters to be the wolves, the witches, the owls, the trees, the moss, the mud, the trees. This is a gorgeous piece. Please read from Thought Catalog.

Beauty

Beauty. I didn’t know anything about beauty. I even worked for a few years in the beauty industry. Beauty is often packaged by the powers that be based on profitablity and subjective preferences. I bought into that package. I wanted to live in that package, I wanted to BE that package. But I never was. I never could fit into that package all neat and tidy. I constantly had to change and manipulate myself to even try to fit in that package. I mean, lets just break down the world I worked in - beauty industry. That means there is an industry defining what beauty is. There is an industry defining us. Please raise your hand if you’re done being defined by an industry!

These women, these courageous, brave, stunning women all raised their hands in defiance of that industry when they sent me their picture. I simply asked them, please send me your favorite picture of yourself (just your face) and tell me why you love it.

In their most vulnerable, these women stepped out of that “industry” and stepped into their own beauty. They defined it for themselves. I get goosebumps every time I think of each woman photoed here saying just that. “Here I am in my own uniqueness, my own flaws, my own and I AM BEAUTIFUL. I am no longer a package based on an industry standard. I am enough. I am full. I am beauty. I define beauty because quite simply, I am.

I have now chosen a different path of beauty. One that cannot be packaged for profit and defined. I am now a student of beauty, dedicating my life’s work to seeking, admiring, acknowledging and living in beauty. Simply because that is the world I want to live in and I want my children to live in - an undefined limitless beautiful world. That is what I choose. In my studies and observations I have learned this. We are called to live in beauty. We are called to be beauty. We are called to acknowledge it. It is the physical manifestation of the Great Mysteries. When we acknowledge beauty, we acknowledge the Divine, we are in harmony with the gifts that have been given. We are able to receive the gifts of beauty given and truly live. To live in beauty is to feel. When we feel beautiful, when we receive beauty, when we acknowledge beauty - we are beautiful and truly living.

There is a catch to all this. Its all good to acknowledge it and admire beauty. But we have to LIVE in it. There is no shame in being beautiful. Often times we are told to cover up, don’t be too much, don’t shine too bright. We dull ourselves, our own light, our own beauty (often because of industry standards and because beauty is the physical manifestation and creation of God. To see God in beauty is equal parts frightening and pure. We often let our fear get in the way so we stuff down our beauty or believe that we aren’t enough) So, when I say these women are the bravest I know - the pushed through the fear and owned their beauty. They are standing in their own beauty and unapologetically sharing it with the world. “Here I am. I am beautiful because I was created and that is beauty. I am here to share it.”

The catch to living in beauty is that we HAVE to stand in our own beauty. To be able to admire another’s beauty WHILE still appreciating our own. That’s the catch. Appreciating our own. its taking me years to figure this out. Years of working in the industry. Years of trying to fit into the package and failing. Years - 30+ of them - to understand this. To step out of jealousy, comparison, judgements (all fear and anger based feelings) to be able to stand in my own beauty - to admire other’s beauty while still appreciating mine. To live in sisterhood, the sweet waters where comparison, judgments and definitions do not exist. Where we can all stand in our own, elevating one another as a tribe as a sisterhood.

The other catch is this - to live is to FEEL. To feel is to be alive. To be alive is beautiful. Please read the why’s of these brave and beautiful women . The why is how they feel. They are all truly living in beauty.

These women are of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, different education levels, they are from around the world, English may not be their native tongue, some are married, some are single, some or divorced, some are widows, some have children, some are childless, some have grandchildren. SO different, yet so similar. What ties us together is our beauty, our grace, our bravery. The top line in the collage is all the women in my family - 4 generations. I celebrate them and myself for being my closet tribe; for teaching me beauty. For what we see in others, is what is reflected back to us. If you acknowledge the beauty in others, you admire it in yourself.

I received so much. Its has healed and transformed me to be a part of this project. My dream would be to have over a million faces, I want to be overwhelmed, bursting, flooded with photos of women saying “Here I am, in my beauty and this is why.”

And from the mouth of my daughter.

“I like all the pictures of myself.”

“Why?”

“Because its me. Just me.”

My prayer is to be as brave, vulnerable and accepting of ourselves as she is and just as these women are. This is my prayer for the world.

“I was happy in the picture. I took extra time with my make-up. I was adorned with a flower”

“Surviving motherhood - my outer beauty took a backseat because I stopped taking care of myself. Not taking care of myself wasn’t serving me very well (or others) So I’m on a new path, to have my inner and outer Being reflect ME. My essence. Who I truly am. This is how I want to represent myself. Firstly, to honor myself and then to share this with others. On this particular day, I was heading on an 9 hour family road trip and I could have easily said, “Screw it, whats the point, I’ll be sitting in a car all day, I have more important things to do before we leave the house, more important than me.” But instead I said to myself, “I am beautiful. I want to practice self-care. I CAN take time to honor myself.” So instead of just making breakfast, loading up the car and rushing out the door, I took 15 minutes to honor myself. And you know what? This was the most PEACEFUL family trip, all because I took 15 minutes for myself. Because I felt peace, happiness, confidence inside and it also extended outside to those around me.”

“I’m getting over a cold, but had to go into work. I blew my nose, took my Vitamin C, put on some lipstick and made it into the office. I am woman. hear me ROAR. Watch me endure. And have some serious resolve.”

“I just had my hair colored and I felt like a million bucks.”

“I felt peace and balance.”

“This picture represents a turning point in my healing, in becoming who I was meant to be.”

“I had just gotten that shirt and a lovely handwritten card from my bestie in the UK. I had sent her a big box of goodies after she had her baby and when the fog cleared,s he sent me this shirt from an entrepreneur mother who makes these to support women in war torn countries rebuild their lives. I was at the park with my two boys as they caught crawdads and was feeling gratitude for the sisterhood of motherhood, even thousands of miles away. I am so glad that society doesn’t require us to be monogamous in our friendships and we can have so many different stages of love throughout our lives.”

“I just had my hair colored and felt awesome…but not just I had it colored…but because i had gotten FUNKY colors in. Having fun, silly color always makes me feel sexy and sassy.”

“It was my birthday. I had a new dress on. I danced at an outdoor music event in a beautiful park with lot of loved ones. I felt free, beautiful and I felt love.”

“I love this because I feel at ease, content, peaceful. I made this scarf from a dish towel. I breathed new life into it. Sustainability through art. I felt just right in just the right moment. I felt like me. When I see this, I see me. And on top of it, I have very little make-up on. Through all the medical issues and years of pain - most of that expressing though my skin, I love that this picture expresses my healing, my journey and how far I have come.”

“I love this photo because it feels like me. I normally hate having my picture taken, but I was closing my eyes and dancing so I forgot about it for a hyper second. I was feeling super happy and blissed out”

“This is my favorite picture because of all the associated memories and because its a good representations of myself.”

“Because I am genuinely happy in a serene setting with my dad who just turned 83 and whom I haven’t seen in around 4 years…I had an amazing visit with him, really filled my heart.”

“I like it because I feel like it shows who I am. Often calm and soft but with direct gaze forward to the future. With no fear. I also like it because I am not wearing much make-up. In a way I did not try hard and the result came out very natural.”

“Because color doesn’t matter and I was dressed for an interview to go back to being a working woman in addition to being a mother of two.”

“Its a good photo which reflects the joy that I feel.”

“This is me peeking over the edge of a cliff. I didn't take a graceful swan dive into the sea of love. It would be months before we admitted what we were. But this night was the beginning of my descent. I was letting go of the life I had planned, and holding on to something I didn't know I wanted. Deep down I knew. And that, my friend, is the reason for the smile on my face.”

If you would like to be a part of IamProjectWarrior the Project of Beauty please share. I am launching an even bigger brighter Beauty project. If you want to be a part of it or interested in being a part of the project, get in touch. Be Brave. Be Beautiful. Warrior On.

When you see these women photoed - thank them for their courage and admire their beauty while still appreciating yours-.

Bras

Talk about being unleashed!!

Are you ready to release the restraints that hold us/cause us pain?

Curious just how to unleash? That is what ProjectWarrior is all about. (With or without a bra - releasing the restraints that keep us from being at our fullest potential)

Warrior on ladies - warrior on boobs. Warrior on Just As You Are!

Video on bras

Get dirty

The dirt test. As dirt increases so does play, adventure, imagination, love and laughter. As dirt increases; screens, boredom and tension decrease.

"And at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, hair messy and your eyes sparkling" Unknown

Self care

YOU are the gift. Take care of yourself.

Eat, breathe, move, laugh and love.

Happy Friday. Warrior On.

The 5 people around you

You are the average of the 5 people you surround yourself with, so make sure you surround yourself with people who elevate, inspire, dare you. 

Upcoming projects

This page and ProjectWarrior are still in its seed stage. But the seed has been planted. Here we hope to grow a community - a tribe. This is a safe place for you to be YOU, without apology and a fully expressed you. Our goal is to unite millions strong, men and women, believing that together we are unstoppable and unwavering. ProjectWarrior is dedicated to the warrior in all of us, the inner warrior often hidden, hushed and forgotten about. It is here that we will come back to her, to speak and act and move with our warrior. We are willing to stand up for what we believe in while speaking in kindness and compassion. If you want to find your warrior, release your warrior, walk in your goddess, be a giver - then welcome home, to your tribe.

I cannot wait to share the projects that we will do together. Harmony of the masculine and feminine. Exposing addictions that break ourselves, our families and communities. Exposing lies. Tapping into our warrior, releasing her, to run wild. I Am Project Warrior.

Bravery

"She stopped covering her face and stopped walking around in public scared."

We are all capable of this type of bravery and courage. Stop covering your face and show the world your beauty, your brave, your courage, your YOU. When you do, you can show what you are willing to stand up for.

Video about an acid attack survivor activist

Women

When I look at these women they reflect all the women in my life. Their strength, their determination, their desire, their faith, their will, their imagination.

To all the women in my life and in this world, have a good look in the mirror.

Do you see women in your life reflected here?

Being a mom

More often than not I find myself and other moms repeating mantras like these:

“I feel weighed down.”

“I feel like a cow when I pump.”

“I feel like all I’m here for is to carry everyone’s stuff around.”

“I’m nothing more than a taxi driver/cleaner/cook/maid.”

“I feel invisible.”

We can tell ourselves these stories. We can continue to tell a shitty story to ourselves that that is all we are. We can choose to believe the lies we tell ourselves and then we naturally will only become that lie. The lie becomes our truth.

There is a simple way to stop the lie in its tracks. By getting new perspective. When I was walking in this photo I won’t lie, I felt like I carried everything and everyone and everyone’s stuff. It was all on me to get everything done, the weight and responsibility was all on me. I felt heavy. I felt burdened.

By grace, Toby caught me in a moment just as I was beginning to tell myself that same shitty story. He captured this moment from HIS PERSPECTIVE AND SHARED it with me.

Stunned, shocked and speechless. “Wow…I can’t believe that’s me…”

”Yes, mom, you are so strong…”

This is how our kids see us. This is how we are really seen. We are NOT the lies we tell ourselves.

In this photo with new perspective I look strong, I look tall, I look fearless, I look like Mother. I now FEEL those things about myself and can now tell myself a new story. A new ending. I am no longer weighed down. I am strong. I am no longer a taxi driver, I am a guide. I am no longer a llama, my body is more than capable of carrying my children with ease and pleasure.

We are what we tell ourselves we are. Want to tell yourself a new story - start with a new perspective and allow yourself to be seen as you truly are. Beautiful, strong, elegant, fearless.

I challenge you to seek our new perspective today. I also challenge you to SHARE your perspective with someone. Tell them what you see, their strength, their beauty, their curiosity, their brave. If it wasn’t for Toby SHARING his perspective I would have never had the chance to rewrite my story.

When we see and acknowledge the beauty in others, we see it on ourselves.

(Photo by Toby M.S. Baby Carrier Ergobaby)