Blog – HEAL MY VOICE

Co-Visioning Circle by Beth Terrence

The mission of Heal My Voice is “to support women and girls to reclaim personal power and step into greater leadership in their lives”.

Many non-profit organizations I have engaged with over the years struggle to live and actualize their mission. Heal My Voice, through the vision and leadership of founder and director Andrea Hylen, has not been one of them. As I read the mission of Heal My Voice, I feel like a living testament to it. I know I’m not alone in this. I believe every woman who has stepped into a Heal My Voice program has had some experience of reclaiming their personal power and stepping into greater leadership. And many other women, and men, have been inspired by hearing the voices of women through the stories that Heal My Voice has helped to birth and release into the world through books, radio show and social media over the last 11 years.

When Andrea asked me to facilitate a program to help bring Heal My Voice to a completion at the end of this year, I felt a lot of emotions. There was a sadness in knowing this organization, which has been a foundational part of my personal and professional growth over the last 9 years, would be ending. And, yet as Seneca said so beautifully,

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”

As Andrea and I came together to vision what would be a meaningful and intentional ending, I was already in the midst of a few big things in my life moving to completion. This started with a major period of caregiving, loss, and grief that began in mid-2018 as I supported my father in navigating the end of life and was immediately followed by walking with my dearest friend, Bud, on the last leg of his journey as he transitioned in January 2020. During this time of letting go, I had found an anchor in graduate school, finally at age 54, and I was moving toward graduation as we entered 2021. I was also completing a facilitator program in one of my core spiritual practices, Feeding Your Demons®. Although I felt very full energetically and emotionally, Andrea’s invitation stirred something deeply in my heart and soul. When I entered my first Heal My Voice program, Inspired Voices, in 2012, I did not consider myself a leader in any way, shape, or form, but as the mission states – I had learned to step into greater leadership through this journey. I was coming full circle!

Circles have always been at the heart of Heal My Voice programs. And, so it felt fitting to come together in circle as a foundational element for our closing ritual. In 2019, after participating and leading many circles over the years in holistic and spiritual programs, including Heal My Voice, I was introduced to the field of restorative practices; this became the focus of my graduate studies. “Restorative practices is an emerging social science that studies how to strengthen relationships between individuals as well as social connections within communities…though new to the social sciences, restorative practices has deep roots within indigenous communities throughout the world (IIRP Website, 2021).”

Diving into a graduate program in restorative practices allowed me to reflect on and deepen into my own experiences and understanding of the power of community and the circle process itself. I was introduced to the term “Co-Visioning” by my advisor and professor, Frida Rundell. “Co-vision is a fluid and dynamic process that is dependent on reflective-practitioner context and the group’s intent; it supports how “I-would-be-in-the-world’ and is an invitation to be in relation to others in a genuine and equal way (Rundell, 2020).” It was clear that Heal My Voice had an organic process of co-visioning that was a major part of the power of this program. Heal My Voice circles have always offered an experience of safety, and a container of sacred space where vulnerability and authenticity emerge organically. Having the language and context of co-visioning, allowed our “final chapter” to become even more potent!

Our closing co-vision journey followed the nine-month Heal My Voice process, which has been time frame in our programs for envisioning and birthing our stories together. The dynamic themes for each month offer a roadmap to self-exploration and awakening. Moving through 2021 and living in such uncertain times has been challenging in many ways. Having a container for the journey allowed for each woman who participated to reconnect with themselves, spirit, and community. From my own experience, I know this was a powerful anchor. And from the richness of each woman’s sharing, I once again felt the incredible gift of coming together in community, exploring deepening connections, and allowing authenticity and vulnerability to emerge.

The theme of endings and beginnings was one that emerged strongly throughout the year. And here we are at the ending of Heal My Voice. It has been an honor and joy to walk this last leg of the Heal My Voice journey, supporting Andrea in bringing it to completion, and journeying one more time with the amazing visionary women who dance together in this heart-centered community. I know our paths will continue to intersect in many beautiful ways, through creative collaborations and future endeavors.

As we closed our last circle together, I found myself both crying and laughing. I felt a sweet sadness that often comes from endings and beginnings; it stirred up my tears. Laughter came as I reflected and remembered my very first Heal My Voice circle, when I wasn’t even sure I could show up and share my voice in a group of women. Even after many years healing, being with a group of women was still incredibly terrifying for me due to my trauma history related to my mother’s mental illness. Yet, the safety, sacredness and support of Andrea and this beautiful community of women allowed me to keep showing up and opening my heart. Now, here I was leading the final circle of Heal My Voice. Being supported in reclaiming my personal power and healing my own voice had allowed me to step into greater leadership. Mission accomplished!

I’ll leave you with a collaborative mystical poem created by the women who participated in our monthly co-vision circle this year called “Nurturing Self-Love”.

References

International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) (2015-2021). What is restorative practices? https://www.iirp.edu/restorative-practices/what-is-restorative-practices.

Rundell, F. (2020). Co-vision for caring professionals. [Unpublished article].

Beth Shekinah Terrence, MS, is a traditionally trained shaman, holistic practitioner, and restorative facilitator. She has worked in the field of transformation and healing since 1996. Beth’s vision is to create a healthier and more nurturing world by supporting those she serves in finding hope, healing, and a deeper sense of connection and belonging. She offers integrative shamanic healing sessions and programs to individuals and groups in Annapolis, MD, and virtually. Beth is also strongly committed to supporting organizations and systems in building cultures of health, well-being, and inclusivity. She is known for her engaging and experiential programming, which includes holistic workshops, retreats and trainings.

Over the last 9 years, Beth has participated in many Heal My Voice programs and has had her stories published in Inspired Voices, Harmonic Voices, Tender Voices and Feminine Voices. She has co-facilitated several programs, including Harmonic Voices and 30 Days of Writing, with HMV founder Andrea Hylen, and has served on the board of directors.

Beth lives in Annapolis, Maryland with her loving partner Mario, and their two cats, Paolo and Xena. She loves to spend her free time writing, hiking, meditating, and lying on her hammock looking up at the sky!

Contact information:

Website: bethterrence.com

Email: beth@bethterrence.com

Phone: 443-223-0848

Ending

What is ending this year?

For me, it is Heal My Voice. After a three-year process of completing free study guides for the books and a year of Co-Visioning in a group of twelve women authors, the business structure of Heal My Voice is closing. I am in the process, and everything will be finalized by the end of March 2022.
It’s time to expand where I point my attention. I will share more of that in 2022.

The books will continue to be available. The website will stay up for another five years. We will continue to highlight women’s voices on the Facebook Page. Visibility for women’s vulnerable, powerful, inspiring, wise voices will always be important.

Since January 11, 2011, 200 stories were written by 125 women in a nine-month program of healing trauma, loss and grief through writing, speaking and stepping into greater leadership. Women from around the world joined in a Secret Facebook Group and on weekly community calls. Sharing their experiences and process in the small group and then on Blogtalk radio shows. Celebrating each other on social media and taking new awareness and strength into their homes, communities, businesses, and the world.

Endings deserve attention, reflection, and gratitude. Gratitude for the journey, the growth, lessons learned and the experience.

Beth Terrence, the President of Heal My Voice in 2021, led the Co-Visioning group beginning on January 11 2021 and ending in October. We celebrated the tenth anniversary of Heal My Voice and then followed the monthly Heal My Voice process:

Listen

Discover

Explore

Expand

Express

Connect

Reflect

Awaken

Celebrate.

Beth and I met monthly to discuss the focus of each call then gathered with women in a Co-Visioning circle of 12. Beth led us in the process for 90 minutes.

In the Co-Visioning process in 2021, each of the women reflected on what was shifting in their lives – on the inside and the outside. Conversations focused on what was ending and what was ready to be birthed. The vulnerability and heart felt sharing were a blessing to the end of this amazing 11 years with women in the Heal My Voice and Heal My Voice Sweden communities.

Over the next few months, there will be blog posts shared by some of the women authors.

I am grateful for the opportunity to heal and reclaim my voice and to witness the hearts and minds of the courageous, inspiring, visionary women I met along the way.

The books are available at Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Andrea%20Hylen

Also on Amazon and can be ordered from your local bookstore.

Andrea Hylen, Founder of Heal My Voice and The Incubator: A Co-working Space for Cultural Creatives. Life Scientist. Live house-free. Widow. Mom of Adult Daughters. Grief. Writing Sexuality. Evolutionary Woman

The Power of Personal Awakenings

Originally Published On Purpose Woman April 2019

By Andrea Hylen, Founder of Heal My Voice

There were two pivotal moments of “personal awakening” between December 1985 and December 1986 that changed the direction of my life. The first awakening began late one night, sitting in the kitchen cross stitching Christmas ornaments to be given as presents. Existing on only three to four hours of sleep each night, I had a moment of paralysis. My legs and feet were frozen in place. I couldn’t move. I cried out for my husband to help me. With his assistance, I was slowly able to stand up and shuffle into the bedroom. Crying myself to sleep. I repeated silently, “Tomorrow is Al-Anon. Tomorrow is Al-Anon.”

Pushing myself to be the perfect mother, wife, employee, including making handmade ornaments, had driven me to the verge of a nervous breakdown. I was working 40 hours as a research assistant at the University of Maryland. Waking up at 5am to breastfeed my 6-month-old daughter, Elizabeth, before getting my 2-year-old daughter, Mary, dressed and ready for day care. Also, Elizabeth was still not sleeping though the night. My husband didn’t “help” me and it became easier to just do it all myself. I had night duty, day duty, a full-time job and an expectation I had placed on myself to do it all. The moment of paralysis, the Al-Anon meeting, all helped me to wake up and look at my life.

The second “awakening” was at Christmas time the next year. It was during an argument with my husband and glancing to see a look in my youngest daughter’s eyes. When I heard a voice in my head say, “This is not the role model I came to be for my children,” I was sparked into awakening. I knew something had to change and I knew it had to be me.

I knew there were problems in our marriage, and I had tried to “fix” them. I converted to Catholicism so my husband would go to church. I went to Al-Anon and expected my husband to go to AA. I read books like, “The Dance of Anger,” and “The Dance of Intimacy,” and tried to engage my husband in conversation. I went to therapy and did Family Constellation work. But, with every “personal growth” step, I tried to make him change. After one more year of co-dependency, I finally made the decision that I would leave the marriage and focus on healing myself.

When I think of other times in my life when I felt an “awakening,” there was a moment that felt like a light bulb being switched on. I describe it as an inner knowing that was sparked from within and a voice inside of me gives me a message that shifts my perspective. I am called into change. The spark might have been an answer to a long, awaited question or a feeling like thunder clapping. The feelings range from fear to shock to relief. It might be connected to a relationship, a job, a move, or a hidden desire.

When the light of awareness is turned on, there is no going back. You have been awakened to something and in that moment, everything changes. You cannot unsee it or unknow it. It is a moment when you wake up to a new awareness and you know you have to make different choices. It may feel like life or death. You may need to cry and grieve. You see your life with a new perspective. It sets something new in motion. It requires action and the complete change may take years to unfold into the new, but it starts with, there was a moment when…

This is where you have a choice. You can acknowledge it, or you can do things to try to deny it. You can’t unsee it, but you can pour all of your energy into the denial, if you choose. Get super busy. Use an addiction like eating, drinking, sex, exercise, work, anything that becomes an obsession that fills up all empty space where you may feel the thing that you just saw. Or you can choose change. You can let the awakening guide you to something new.

*Acknowledge: Begin with an acknowledgement of the awakening.

*Support: A women’s circle, a class, a therapist, a support group, or a friend. Get support from people who can support you without judgement.

*Take baby steps. What’s the next step? That is all you need to know right now.

*Self-care. Nurture yourself with silence, pampering, nutrition, rest, and simple pleasures.

Personal awakenings will guide you to a better life. They begin as disruptors. There is chaos. The life you are here to create is waiting for you and it requires change. Surrender. Follow the steps above and open to the magic on the other side.

I leave you with a few questions to explore:

*Was there a moment in your life when you saw an injustice that other people did not see, and you had to stand up and speak even though you knew someone would be upset with you? Would you do it again?

*Think of a moment when you heard about a book or a film that opened your eyes to something. What was the topic? How did reading the book or watching the film change your life?

*Was there a moment when you noticed something, about a person, and you knew you had to make a choice to get closer or farther away from them?

Andrea Hylen: Author of Heal My Voice: An Evolutionary Woman’s Journey. Creator of The Writing Incubator, on-line writing community. www.andreahylen.com

Healing Your Lineage

(Originally published in On Purpose Woman Magazine March 2019)

By Andrea Hylen

Have you heard about the tests that are available now for finding out about your ancestry? By swabbing the inside of your cheek or spitting into a test tube, there are tests to identify which ancestral tribes you belong to. The key is the word belong.
We all want to know who we are and where we belong.

Who we become is influenced by our lineage, our culture, ethnicity, and gender. We
are influenced by women in our lineage on how we see the world and what we think is possible. By exploring this influence, we have the power to understand and change experiences with power, money, work, relationships and health.

An example from my life surfaced after the death of my 2^nd husband, when I was
thrust back into the job market. I had a career for ten years until our son was born with a congenital heart defect and when my husband died, I had been out of the job market for fifteen years. I began to do some inner work around my beliefs and fears around money and work.

Some of the memories I uncovered:

*my mother referring to money as “your father’s money.” (He had a job. She was a full-time homemaker with no salary.)

*being told to let the boys win at kickball so they would like me. (Do not compete and don’t show how smart you are.)

*the worry of relatives about who was going to support me financially when my first husband and I divorced in 1987. (My husband and I made the same amount of money in our jobs at the time of our divorce. Age 32.)

I graduated from college in 1980 when the women’s movement was opening doors for job equality for women. While in college, I knew I wanted a career outside of the home and I wanted a family. It wasn’t until I was married with two small children and a career as a project manager in epidemiology that I began to understand the path that had not been carved for me.

I had a career and I also had a full-time job as a homemaker. My income was valued and was needed to cover the basic cost of rent, food, car and student loans. But there was no support, at home, for career advancement like when I needed to take classes on Saturday or travel for work. The expectation was that I would “bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan.” I would drop the kids off and pick them up at day care, then come home and cook and clean. I would do it all. Career and a homemaker. There were no role models or mentors. The “beliefs” and expectations were in me and in my husband. I was a parent. He was a babysitter.

When I began to look at how my beliefs around money and work were limiting me, I looked at the lineage of women in my family and asked questions:

*Did anyone work outside of the home?

*What limitations were placed on women around money?

*What opportunities did women have?

My mother graduated from Northeastern University with a bachelor’s degree in business in 1954. Her first job was a secretary because it was assumed that she would get married and have children and leave her job. My dad’s job included travel and relocation of the family every few years so a job outside of the home wasn’t an option for my mom.

As I continued to explore my lineage, I discovered that money tied in with a lot of the dynamics of power and patriarchy. Money belonged to men and women had to ask permission to have it.

By looking at women’s history and laws regarding money between 1956, the year I was born, and 1980, the year I graduated from college, more answers helped me develop a deeper understanding around the beliefs and conditioning I was experiencing.

In 1974, the Equal Opportunity Act was passed. Until then, women had to have a man cosign any credit applications regardless of income. This was one Act that was passed because of the women’s movement and one of many reasons, women had not had power with money until the 1970’s and 1980’s. Women had to ask men for permission. Exploring beliefs, learning about history has helped me to heal judgements of myself, my mother and my grandmother, reclaim my personal power and make different choices. It has helped me to heal my lineage and implement change.

The #metoo movement is another example of healing our lineage as women. As we uncover similar stories and experiences, we see how connected we are to one another and why women didn’t and couldn’t report abuse. What are we learning now and how do we heal our lineage and make changes for the future?

Here are a few ideas:

*Read the history of women. Raise your awareness of rules that governed your mother and grandmothers. Raise your awareness of how they (and women from their generation) lifted the bar and the ceiling for you. Stop judging their limitations.

*Celebrate women and appreciate the advancements from the past.

*Take action. Challenge yourself to join with women and men to change things in your home and communities.

*Mentor younger women and cheer them on.

I leave you with a few questions to explore:

*What years were your grandmother and mother born?

*What was happening in history during that time? Specifically, what was happening in women’s history and the history of your race and ancestry?

*Write a list of appreciation for what has changed in your lineage. Begin with “Women have the right to vote.’

*What is one step you can take to support change for the next generation?

Andrea Hylen Founder of Heal My Voice, Author of Heal My Voice: An Evolutionary Woman’s Journey. Creator of The Writing Incubator, on-line writing community. www.andreahylen.com

Incorporating Meditation into Self-Care by Carolyn A. Brent

Across All Ages

DEEP BEAUTY International Blog Tour 2019

Today I have the great pleasure of being the host here in Santa Monica, CA, USA on Day 6 of the Virtual Blog Tour of author Carolyn A. Brent, whose book, “Transforming Your Life through Self-Care: A Guide to Tapping into Your Deep Beauty and Inner Worth” is celebrating its big Worldwide book launch on May 8, 2019.

CAROLYN A. BRENT is an award-winning bestselling author and a National Physique Committee (NPC) Masters Women’s Figure Champion at age 60. She is an expert on both self-care and caregiving; she is the founder of Across All Ages and two nonprofit organizations, CareGiverStory Inc. and Grandpa’s Dream. Carolyn’s written works are in the Library of Congress the libraries of Harvard, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, and numerous other medical centers and universities.

Yesterday, Carolyn visited Brenda Adelman in San Diego, California, USA where she interviewed Carolyn on the subject of red flags, self-care and connection between health/money http://bit.ly/2Dm5Sho

Today, I’d like to share with you a recent interview I had with Carolyn when I asked her about the subject of Meditation, Self-care and Daily life. I hope you enjoy it.

——-

ANDREA HYLEN: Why is it important to make time for meditating?

CAROLYN A. BRENT: Just think about it. When was the last time you stopped
just for a moment to breathe or take a time-out to care for yourself mentally,
emotionally, and spiritually by just doing nothing except being quiet and living in the moment?

In today’s fast-paced world, it is so easy to get caught up with your long to-do list and family, health, financial, career, and other pressing obligations. And technology keeps us connected 24/7, to the extent that we don’t even unplug when on vacation or sleeping.

Because of this, we frequently forget to stop and reflect on our own mental and spiritual well-being. As a nation, we have become far too busy or technology-obsessed to take the time to recognize the importance of nourishing, rebuilding, and connecting our mind, body, and spirit.

However, people who use meditation practices throughout the world report an
improved attitude toward life and reduction of issues like stress, anxiety, and
depression. Meditation also is being used to help people quit smoking as well as other addictive behaviors.

ANDREA HYLEN: What are some tips on how to incorporate meditation into self-care when our lives feel so full of things to do?

CAROLYN A. BRENT: Great question, you have to make the time. Here are seven easy steps you can take to begin meditating now:

Schedule at least two to three minutes a day when you first start. Then slowly add additional time.
Choose a consistent time so you can develop the habit of meditating daily.
Find a quiet and comfortable space. Minimize light exposure. I highly suggest starting out in the sitting position to learn.
Be sure that you are hydrated and have gone to the bathroom.
Practice your breathing. Notice how you feel when the air is moving through your nostrils and pay close attention between inhaling and exhaling.
Incorporate free-guided meditations online to help get you started. Sites like the Chopra Center have great ones.
Discover which type of meditation is best for you, and master it.

ANDREA HYLEN: How can we take our meditation practice into our daily life and turn down the noise and busyness?

CAROLYN A. BRENT: Early in my career, I had the pleasure of meeting a very busy thought-leader in the medical field at a national conference. The doctor talked about the importance of self-care by incorporating meditation.

After the conference, I asked the doctor, the same question you are asking me.

This is what she said; “I give myself one hour every day to just take care of “me.” I do not share my “me” time with anyone. That’s my time to exercise, meditate, relax, sleep, and do whatever I need to do for me. That’s how I refuel my self-care engine. She emphasized, when you take the time to meditate– that’s when you will experience balance.”

———-

I hope you enjoyed this interview with Carolyn A. Brent and that you’ll check out her book on May 8, 2019:

Join us on the 2019 International DEEP BEAUTY Telesummit: May 6th, 7th & 8th Details here: http://bit.ly/2W3K69a

Transforming Your Life through Self-Care:
A Guide to Tapping into Your Deep Beauty and Inner Worth”

SPECIAL OFFER direct from Roman & Littlefield
30% DISCOUNT OFFER OFF LIST PRICE PLEASE ORDER USING THIS CODE: RLFANDF30 978-1-5381-2084-2 • Hardback $28.00 list price (discount price $19.60) 978-1-5381-2085-9 • eBook $26.50 list price (discount price $18.55) For more information, please contact our Customer Service Dept. at special.sales@rowman.com or by phone at 800-462-6420 ext. 3023.
Buy Direct from Publisher at their discount special.

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Amazon Regular Price: https://amzn.to/2YqFQTj

Catch Carolyn’s Book Trailer… click here!
Thanks for reading! Please share your comments and thoughts below. I love reading your feedback.

AND… be sure to follow Carolyn tomorrow when the next stop is in Long Beach, California, USA with Morgana Rae, who will be interviewing Carolyn on the subject of Reclaim our health and wealth, Connection between health and money for women and Relationships. To visit Morgana, go to http://bit.ly/2KObirS

DEEP BEAUTY Wellness Retreat TM Summer 2019

New Book Release

Congratulations to Andrea Hylen, Founder of Heal My Voice on the Release of her new book!

In Andrea’s words, “This book took me ten years to write and sixty years to live. My intention in writing this book was to demonstrate the power of sharing our experiences of adversity as a road map to discovering gifts and strength and fulfillment. In Part I, I share my stories of adversity and triumph. And in Part II, my intention was to share the behind the scenes of Heal My Voice. What have women been talking about and sharing in the Secret Facebook groups and on community calls? What can we learn from women who have gathered to share vulnerability and discover their personal power in the transformation of writing stories in community?”

Heal My Voice:

An Evolutionary Woman’s Guide to Life

Available on Amazon

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Heal-My-Voice-Evolutionary-Journey-ebook/dp/B07FRDXTTN/

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Heal-My-Voice-Evolutionary-Journey/dp/0692155015/

An Evolutionary Woman’s Journey

This book is about a woman’s personal journey written in a community of women called Heal My Voice.

“When I first started Heal My Voice, the following words were shared with me while in meditation. “Hold it lightly. Allow it to evolve and shift and grow. You are the guardian. Be willing to let it go.” ~Andrea Hylen, Founder of Heal My Voice

Part I of this book is the journey of the self. Andrea Hylen, shares fourteen of her personal stories of awakening and evolution. The death of a brother, a son, and a husband. A divorce and a life-threatening illness. Traveling to music concerts with her youngest daughter and moving from Maryland to California where she started Heal My Voice. Stories of self-love, grief, sexuality, music, writing, and adventure. They are stories of triumph over adversity.

In Part II, Andrea shares inspiration and details, from topic discussions, in ten books of women’s stories created during nine-month projects in Heal My Voice and Heal My Voice Sweden. There is an overview of the writing process used in the projects and the back story of things that were learned as a facilitator and participant in the process.

At the end of each chapter, there is a list of reflective questions to use in writing and meditation, with resources and personal growth tools used in her personal healing and in the Heal My Voice on-line community.

Our mission is to support women in healing a story of trauma, loss and grief, reclaim inner authority and step into greater leadership in their homes, businesses, communities and the world.

Write Your Story

Your Voice Matters!

Hope and Love Prevail

My favorite film of all time is, The Field of Dreams. It is a film that is filled with examples of hope, following your heart, listening to your intuition and a belief in the good of humanity. So, when I woke up this morning with the song, “I’m feeling good,” playing in my head and I saw the beautiful sun rise over Mt. Rainier, I felt hope in my heart. And I thought of The Field of Dreams.

There are times in my life when I feel like Ray, in the Field of Dreams. One of those times was when I listened to my inner voice and spoke up about abuse and alcoholism in my marriage and people thought I was crazy. Now, 30 years later, I see a President in the White House who is disrespectful and childish and I am no longer alone in what I see. There were 3.2 million people who marched around the world in the Women’s March the day after the inauguration. They marched for love and basic human rights and care. We stand for #humanity together. The Women’s March has continued to open the voices of women and men. #metoo #timesup . We are in this together.

Hope and Love Prevail.

Each of us is being called into greater service and love and kindness. Each of us is being called to stand up for something and someone; to use our privilege to speak up for each other. Each action, no matter how small, is sending a ripple effect into the world. This is a long game, a marathon. So, take care of yourself. Look for the glimmers and sparks of hope. Take Action and Rest. Take Action and Rest. Take Action and Rest. Find the balance that works for you.

At a community group meeting in Seattle, I witnessed a group of 50 people come together and talk about how they can improve their neighborhood. Improve the systems of education, mapping the needs in the community, creating sanctuaries of safety for all, and increased support for marginalized groups.

One of the conversations was about the low income housing that was just built and how to welcome people into their community. How can they come together and create a supportive, friendly environment for all income groups, for all races, for all genders? They are acting locally and that will ripple into the world. One of my friends is knitting welcome mats out of strips of donated fabric. As refugees come to this country and their new home, there is a welcome mat at the door, handmade with love.

Hope and Love Prevail.

I leave you today with a song by Andy Grammar called Fresh Eyes. It was filmed in Los Angeles at the Union Rescue Mission. It is time for Fresh Eyes and finding ways to work together in love and action. We are in this together!

https://youtu.be/5bgemCaaQkU

In love and gratitude,
Andrea Hylen

Andrea Hylen believes in the power of our voices to usher in a new world. She is the founder of Heal My Voice, an organization that inspires women to heal a story, reclaim personal power and step into greater leadership. Andrea discovered her unique gifts while parenting three daughters and learning to live life fully after the deaths of her brother, son and husband.

She is following her intuition as she collaborates with women and men in organizations and travels around the world speaking, teaching and leading workshops. Her passion is authentically living life and coaching others to do the same. To connect with Andrea and learn about current projects and on-line writing circles go to: www.andreahylen.com and www.healmyvoice.org.

Next Steps: Support the Voices of Women

Heal My Voice was started in 2011 as a way for women to break the silence, share their stories and step into greater leadership in their lives. For seven years, we have been meeting in secret Facebook groups, behind closed doors, healing our voices and writing 200 stories that are now in ten books on Amazon. Each story was written over a 9 month period in a community of women. The women had the courage to go down into the emotional basement of their lives to tell the truth of what happened to them. By shining a light on the shadow, they have emerged ready to step into greater leadership in their families, communities, businesses and the world.

We are entering a time of even more chaos that will allow us to break free from an old broken system and to rebuild together. There is a climate for change and change takes time with an upheaval, a feeling of “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore,” or a quiet, compelling pull from the Universe. “It’s time.” The next steps for change come with a plan and a structure and the willingness and courage to do the inner work, as well as, the outer work. The next steps involve consistent action, rest, perseverance, patience and courage. Now, let’s roll up our sleeves and use the momentum and timing to implement more change.

After seven years of this nine month Heal My Voice program, we are ending that as a program to begin something new. The ending was all beautifully orchestrated with the final book: Innovative Voices: True Stories by Women Awakening a New World. As the next steps for our stories and Heal My Voice as a non-profit organization are being revealed, we are creating Study Guides to encourage women and men to read the stories.

The first Study Guide is Ready! Click here to download the Study Guide for Conscious Choices: An Evolutionary Woman’s Guide to Life. This book is the mother seed for Heal My Voice.

The stories are ready to be shared as inspiration for individual reflection and healing, for inspiration in book circle discussions, as gifts of encouragement and hope. These are the voices of women. Our first goal for the next three years is to shine a light on women’s voices. The stories in the books are filled with hope, next steps and triumph. The stories are here to light the way for others during a time when women are speaking up. #Metoo It is time for the healing of the feminine and masculine aspects in all of us. The stories are a foundation for what the world needs now.

Some ideas on how you can be involved and support the voices of women:

Buy Heal My Voice books.

https://www.amazon.com/Andrea-Hylen/e/B002C1XZCU/

Read the stories and write a review on Amazon

Give the books as gifts.

Donate the books to community centers, schools and religious institutions

Find little free libraries in your neighborhood and place books there. https://littlefreelibrary.org/ourmap/

Become a sponsor of Heal My Voice.

Send a donation

List your business

http://www.andreahylen.com/summer-miracles/

Sponsor a woman in the writing programs.

Share the website and radio show link
https://cssitemove.com/
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/healmyvoice

Your Voice Matters!

Thank you for your support!
Andrea Hylen

She is following her intuition as she collaborates with women and men in organizations and travels around the world speaking, teaching and leading workshops. Her passion is authentically living life and coaching others to do the same. To connect with Andrea and learn about current projects go to: www.andreahylen.com and www.healmyvoice.org.

4 Ways You Can Pursue Your Dreams AND Be A Great Mom

From one of the contributing authors in the Heal My Voice book: Innovative Voices: True Stories by Women Awakening a New World.

Guest Blogger, Tamara Latrese Robinson

What do you dream of?

You probably have hopes and dreams for your children and their futures, but what are your dreams for yourself? Do you remember what those dreams are? Have you placed them on the back burner?

Do you dream of going back to school? Opening your own business? Writing a book? Meeting your career goals? How about that project that keeps getting pushed aside for other activities?

Whatever your particular dreams are, you owe it to yourself to pull them off the back burner and begin to pursue them. You’ll be a happier mom and your kids will gain a whole new level of respect and appreciation for you. Check out these four ways you can chase your goals and still be the best mom you can be.

1. If your children are old enough, involve them in your goals and dreams. Ask them to hold you accountable to completing a dream-related task. They’ll get a kick out of bossing you around and they’ll unwittingly give you the time you need to meet your own goals.

2. Let your family/household know when you need time to complete a task (online course, finish reading a book, journal writing for upcoming blog or book idea). Give them the incentive of your undivided attention with their activities once you’re done.

3. Be diligent and resilient. You’ll make mistakes and missteps along the way. When that happens, have the determination to dust yourself off, pick yourself up, and try again. Remember that old saying we all learned in school – if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

4. Write your dreams down. Write them in big letters and post them in a place where you’ll see them every day. The constant reminder will help you maintain focus and help your family realize first, that you have dreams and then, how important your dreams are to you.

Here’s a bonus tip: Break your dreams down into manageable, daydream-sized goals. Is your dream to become an author? Make your first goal creating an outline for your book. Is your dream learning to dance? Make your first goal signing up for dance lessons. Is your dream to get fit? Make your first goal a healthy diet. Is your dream to open you own business? Make your first goal identifying your target market.

It’s important for you to invest time and energy in yourself. It’s the only way to create the best version of you so you can be the happy, healthy, productive mom your kids deserve.

Tamara Latrese Robinson is an international bestselling author of the books “Live and Love Out Loud” & “Time to Focus On You”. She helps busy moms deal with the very real feelings of guilt experienced while attempting to create time for themselves. As a busy mom with a teenage daughter, Tamara understands the feelings and emotions moms encounter with mommy guilt and placing themselves on the back burner. With a constant focus on family, it is common for moms to feel overwhelm and guilt with no clear plan for personal downtime or self-care. Tamara’s focus is to help busy moms create time for themselves, place their goals and dreams higher on their daily priority list, and avoid mommy burnout.
Tamara invites you to download a copy of her Simple Steps for Busy Moms to Avoid Being Overwhelmed
www.FocusOnYouFreeGift.com

Everyday Innovation

When you hear the word Innovation, what or who do you think of?

A famous inventor or entrepreneur? A leading edge, Fortune 500 company or a start-up?

Do you think of yourself?

In an inspirational TEDx Talk called, The Art of Innovation, Dimis Michaelides describes 3 ways to Innovate:

1st way: Innovation can be very radical or breakthrough: New products, processes, markets. “Landing a man on the moon.”

2nd way: Redefining the way an existing company operates. Example: Furniture is not a new idea but Ikea manufactures furniture in a very differentiated, innovative way.

3rd way is often overlooked. Continuous improvement. Lots of small change. All the time. In all products, processes, areas, products. In every nook and cranny of the operation. Toyota. Honda. AND HUMAN BEINGS!

Link to The Art of Innovation: https://youtu.be/P1RUWa8pC0k

For the past nine months, twenty-one women have gathered in a secret Facebook group and on weekly community calls to explore innovation in their lives, as in continuous improvement, with lots of small change, all the time. We have had conversations about what is happening in the world and what action we can take to make a difference.

In this quest for awakening a new world, thirteen of the women have written a story of personal awakening, a moment when they had a new awareness and began to make different choices to change the external situations in their lives. Just like peace on earth comes from each of us cultivating peace within ourselves, the innovative ideas and actions the authors describe in their stories all began with an inner awakening. That is how we awaken a new world.

How do you Tune Into Your Innovative Voice?

1. Awareness is the first step. Declaring that you are an innovator. Making choices and decisions for continuous improvement, lots of small change. all the time.

2. Reflecting and assessing how you are doing. Where can you make changes? Where you are stuck?

3. Gathering with others. Asking for help. Receiving and giving help. Lifting each other up.

4. Believing that change and new ideas are possible, even in situations that seem impossible.

5. Being generous with your time, money, resources, and love.

The book, Innovative Voices: True Stories by Women Awakening a New World will be released on October 27, 2017. For now, come and join us on the Heal My Voice Page where we are celebrating the 21 women in this program and having conversations about Innovation and Awakening a New World.

https://www.facebook.com/HealMyVoice/

Book is available on Amazon on October 27, 2017:

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002C1XZCU