Peeling Back the Layers
For the last week, I stepped away from my normal routine of work and school and attended a life transforming training, The Omega Women’s Leadership Intensive. Nearly 40 women from around the world came together to share their wisdom and life experiences to learn how we move forward in order to Do Power Differently. I am grateful to the Omega Institute, the faculty and all participants for providing me the opportunity to grow in so many ways. I knew something special was happening while sitting outside the second day and a dragonfly landed on my thigh. In many parts of the world, the Dragonfly symbolizes change, transformation, adaptability, and self-realization.
We started off with a land acknowledgement, was introduced to the 13 Grandmother’s Prophecy, and was invited to take part in a Water Ceremony, which is only passed down orally and a trekked to the Grandmother Tree. Mother Earth and the stewards of the land we occupy have experienced great harm because of colonization. I honor and recognize the land belonging to the nations of Meskwaki, Sauk, Ho-Chunk, and the people of Massachusetts. They were the original stewards of the land I grew up on and now live. I commit to making sure I live and honor their land and people to the best of my ability.
A great deal of time was spent cultivating a safe space to share ourselves and begin peeling back the layers of who we are in order to discover our authentic self. One of the first exercises we did was to examine what our learning style was. Through a quick assessment, mine revealed I am a combination of Enthusiastic and Imaginative, which means intertwining feeling, doing and observing. A few qualities include: “gut” reaction, involves and inspires others, asks questions, adapts well to situations, likes risks, observes others and then models and gets others’ opinions, feelings and depends on them. It always amazes me how seemingly accurate these assessments are. I understand self-report inventories such as these are partially dependent on mood and state of mind. How I answered a week ago may not be the same one month from now.
We continued to peel layers by discovering and mapping out our cultural identity. I have spent the last several years taking inventory of who I am and what I stand for. The intersectionality of race, gender, class, education, culture, values and more are opportunities to examine ways in which I experience privilege and oppression. It is important to understand how the intersectionality in one context could be extremely different in another. For example, as someone who identifies as a middle-class, white, queer woman in Massachusetts is perceived very differently than if I were to say these words in another part of the country that has extremely conservative views.
Hard conversations around patriarchy, generational trauma, and white privilege were had. Changing the mindset from a top-down leadership style to being more collaborative format was discussed. Engaging in dyads about “Why do you do what you do?” helped to move toward the inner most layer of my being. My answer- Because I believe in Humanity.
The world needs leaders who are dedicated to developing consciousness to a more cooperative global community that cares for each other and the earth. The 5 V’s can help us get there:
Values- Identify the conceptual framework for understanding gender and intersectionality as a basis for defining personal, relational and global connections.
Voice- Practice skills for creating greater impact and alignment between authenticity and expression of voice.
Vessel- Establish a framework for embodied wisdom as a critical aspect of leadership development and the necessity of practicing self-care.
Vision- Articulate your desired future of self, relationships and global community.
Voyage- Assess opportunities and challenges to align one’s leadership with intention to create change.
I am a work in process and it will take a long time to digest all of the information and wisdom learned. And I look forward to the continued exploration of who I am, what I stand for and how I will Do Power Differently.
be well-
