Poem for Women

~ there is much debate over who is the original writter of this poem

~ some say it is Pamela Redmond Satran that wrote the above
~ it has always been voiced that this was written by Maya Angelou


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
enough money within her control to move out

and rent a place of her own,
even if she never wants to or needs to…


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour…


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
a youth she’s content to leave behind….
a past juicy enough that she’s looking forward to
retelling it in her old age….

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …..
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
one friend who always makes her laugh… and one who lets her cry…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ….
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family…


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …
a feeling of control over her destiny.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
how to fall in love without losing herself.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship…


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
when to try harder… and WHEN TO WALK AWAY…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
that she can’t change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
that her childhood may not have been perfect…but its over…


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
what she would and wouldn’t do for love or more…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
how to live alone… even if she doesn’t like it…


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..
whom she can trust,
whom she can’t,
and why she shouldn’t take it personally…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
where to go…
be it to her best friend’s kitchen table…
or a charming inn in the woods…
when her soul needs soothing…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
what she can and can’t accomplish in a day…
a month…and a year…

http://mayaangelou.com/


                                      *          *          *          *          *

By 30, you should have:



One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you’ve come.


A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family.


Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour.


A purse, a suitcase and an umbrella you’re not ashamed to be seen carrying.


A youth you’re content to move beyond.


A past juicy enough that you’re looking forward to retelling it in your old age.


The realization that you are actually going to have an old age—and some money set aside to help fund it.


An e-mail address, a voice mailbox and a bank account—all of which nobody has access to but you.


A résumé that is not even the slightest bit padded.


One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry.


A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill and a black lace bra.


Something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself, just because you deserve it.


The belief that you deserve it.


A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don’t get better after 30.


A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship and all those other facets of life that do get better.


By 30, you should know:


How to fall in love without losing yourself.


How you feel about having kids.


How to quit a job, break up with a man and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.


When to try harder and when to walk away.


How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn’t like to happen next.


The names of: the secretary of state, your great-grandmother and the best tailor in town.


How to live alone, even if you don’t like to.


How to take control of your own birthday.


That you can’t change the length of your calves, the width of your hips or the nature of your parents.


That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it’s over.


What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love.


That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs or not flossing for very long.


Who you can trust, who you can’t and why you shouldn’t take it personally.


Not to apologize for something that isn’t your fault.


Why they say life begins at 30.
http://www.pamelaredmondsatran.com/life.php
http://www.glamour.com/magazine/2007/02/things-women-should-have-and-know-by-30

On Being Beautiful, Inside and Out

We, as women, must strive to act beautifully if we want to feel beautiful. And when we act beautifully, the world becomes beautiful.

:: By Aimee Valentine

We make choices on a daily basis. Some are "good" (i.e. moral, ethical, healthy, or beneficial), some are "bad" (i.e. immoral, unethical, bad for my health, or detrimental in every way), and some choices we don't even realize we are making at the time.

We act out of habit, and out of comfort. It's understandable. We are human creatures, most of us. This year I want to resemble something closer to a human being. Someone who exists to embrace the spirit of living, to breathe, to expand.

I realize that this cannot be a New Year's resolution. First of all, it's a little late for such a sentiment, and secondly, I don't want to doom this idea to failure.

So here's my plan: I am going to be beautiful every day.

Sounds silly, I know. But I'm not talking about covering up my dark circles and wearing a lovely shade of blush while taking out the trash (although this would certainly go a long way), I mean that I want to make choices and behave in such a way that I feel beautiful every day.

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of feeling like a failure when it comes to being green. Yes, I recycle. Yes, I buy organic. Yes, I use ugly light bulbs. But I know it's not enough. It's not enough to be a green makeup artist, either. I can preach to you day and night about throwing out your chemical-laden, cancer-causing, planet-polluting makeup, and I can publicly endorse or eschew companies that claim to be green, but that's not going to make the world more beautiful.

We, as women, must strive to act beautifully if we want to feel beautiful. And when we act beautifully, the world becomes beautiful.

What does that mean, to "act beautifully"? For me, it means I don't want to cheat on myself anymore. I want to live with integrity — instead of this thing, this replacement for integrity which is so pervasive — this PC-ness of the green movement, this Modern Decency Law (the acknowledgement that the world is collapsing, and it is our duty to behave responsibly so as not to hasten our own demise), which many folks follow to the letter, ignoring the spirit altogether. I've encountered many "ugly" environmentalists. When there's a law, whether real or imagined, there are always loopholes, and it is our nature to obey social laws while exploiting the loopholes. We find ways to appear to do the right thing for all the wrong reasons.

What I want to do is ignore the law, and stop looking for loopholes! I want to act from a place which supercedes civilian code.

Instead of trying to do the "right" thing, I want to do the beautiful thing.

I believe beauty can save the world. But that's not my aim. I will champion beauty, for its own sake. I will strive to act as beauty would dictate. (Which will prove difficult — I have a mean temper, and a righteous indignation that creeps about looking for places to sink its teeth). I'm also profoundly lazy, a fact which I attempt to disguise by being "productive."

No more. My only mission now is to live beautifully. And busy bees are not beautiful. I will live with purpose. This probably means taking my time when I do things. I find that when I hurry (I'm a last minute kind of girl) I inevitably cut corners. Not beautiful.

You've been there: you're shopping for something or other, the store is jam packed with people, you're in a hurry. You don't see what you really want, so you settle for something else — because it will do. Aren't you tired of that? Aren't you sick of making do?

It's one thing to "make do with what you have"... a nice way to reduce consumption and live simply, or creatively; it's quite another thing to "make do" WHILE consuming! To "make do" because you ran out of time. To "make do" because you just want to get it done. To "make do" because you're ready to get married and he happens to be the guy you're dating. To "make do" because you don't know if you'll ever be able to make a living as an artist, and besides, middle management pays better.

Let us stop MAKING DO. Let us simply BE BEAUTIFUL.

We can do this by first examining our lifestyles, and becoming aware of times when we act in hollow ways. When we slight ourselves and each other — you've felt this before, a kind of pinging or aching in your gut. Maybe you've recently decided to eat at home more often (for your health, your budget, or to enhance your sensual experience), but you're ravenously hungry, you're tired, and there's a mediocre Chinese restaurant around the corner. (That was me, last night). So how do I feel today? More beautiful, for satisfying my insta-craving for sodium-heavy fried noodles? Nope. I actually feel a little dirty.

I love treating myself, but I gain more satisfaction from experiences chosen in the light of day (in a calm, detached manner), rather than fumbled for in the dark (when I'm more likely to make do, especially given a low blood sugar scenario).

And how about you? What are your weak spots? When do you find yourself settling for less-than-beautiful?

I intend to spend more time writing about this idea of Beauty (capital B). It is an intellectual and spiritual concept as old as civilization itself, and yet, somewhere along the way we became simple minded, distracted consumers. We are allowing ourselves to be "sold" beauty. But Beauty (capital B) isn't for sale. It is our task to manifest it.

I hope that we can share our ideas on this topic: I welcome your comments, experiences, and insights as we explore the path of Beauty of together. I will continue to post product reviews as well as cosmetic beauty tips, but I am now firm in my resolution to preach Beauty over beauty.

from GAIAM.com