“I am resilient.”
This was the theme of the WHYWHISPER Gala, a fabulous fundraising event for the YWCA of Calgary.
Gloria Steinem was the guest of honour. Her bio is here.
In university days I remember saying I’d love to hear her speak in person one day.
That was over 20 years ago.
She was worth the wait.
Inspiring. Warm. Engaging. Hip. Imperfect. She was all of these and more.
This brilliant, sassy woman is 78 years young. And, she’s ever as sharp as her younger self, the one who stood strong back in 1969 for the women’s movement and the one who continued to stand strong for women ever since.
The diversity in this room was fascinating. Our table of eight had three women in their early 20s, two in their 40s, one in her 50s and two in their 60s.
The 20-somethings shared they take choice for granted; they really didn’t realize all that’s come before them to give them more equality. For the 40- to 60-somethings, the sense I felt was more like, ahhhhh, it feels so good to be at home.
From the moment Gloria took the podium, I took notes to share with you here today.
Here are some brush strokes of her voice and brilliance:
- We all have choices and we all have voices.
- The family is the microcosm of the world.
- Our inner constraints hold us from speaking out.
- Women can see their future. They can plan forward and say, here’s where I want to be in 10 years.
- Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.
- There is no act more revolutionary than listening.
- Laugh and learn something every day.
- I love conceptual leaps forward.
- Let’s talk about the issues, bring them to the table and amplify them.
Bring it on, Gloria!
And then when I thought it couldn’t get much better, my province’s premier Alison Redford joined for an informal question and answer following Gloria’s speech.
Alison is Alberta’s first female premier, a mother of a 10-year-old and a strong voice for women in my province.
When asked the advice her 20-year-old self would give her, Premier Redford responded by saying:
“You will move forward like a spiral and not a straight line. You may not always succeed but you need to be resilient through it all. Challenge ideas and have the confidence your opinion matters.”
Yes, my lady Premier!
The night got better, yet.
As people started to leave after the event and my inspiring Premier started to make her way out, I had an opportunity to shake her hand. I said she inspires me. She genuinely smiled and thanked me.
The warm exchange was the icing on the cake of an incredible, unforgettable evening.
My goal was to bring the essence of that experience to you here.
Let me ask you this.
When you read the words from these two leaders – Gloria Steinem and Alison Redford – what’s one message you found particularly inspiring? (Bonus points: And, why?)
Please make a comment below and share your insights.
P.S. Are you ready for 2013? Plan your entire year in ONE DAY, right here.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for allowing me to have a glimpse into such a powerfully inspiring evening. What especially resonated with me was: We all have choices and we all have voices. As women entrepreneurs we have a responsibility to share our gifts with the world. Using our voices is central to spreading our important messages in order to change our corner of the planet.
Valeri ~ It’s my pleasure! You really hit on something here around voices. To build on your thoughts… we’re given a voice and we make choices on how we use it. It’s our responsibility to use it. Love it. Thanks Valeri!
Wow, Nadine, sounds like a very powerful night! How amazing to hear two such influential woman speak in person.
I love what Steinem said about dreams being a form of planning. That is so true! I never really thought about it like that. Love that concept.
I also love what Ms. Redford said about having the confidence to know that your opinion matters. What a great message for all women, but especially the 20 something’s who are tomorrow’s leaders. Hope they take that to heart.
Thanks for letting us have a “seat” at the table of such am inspiring event!
- Lisa
Your article is so timely and resonates with some current discoveries I have made about myself! I recently completed Strengthsfinder 2.0 and my top strength is Futuristic. I long to dream, envision, and plan for the future. I love the line “Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” So let the dreaming begin, we’ll be planning an amazing future!
Kirsten, yay for dreaming! And what a gift to be able to see the future. Yesterday, I took a fabulous walking tour through San Francisco. The tour guide said (and I quote), “As humans we are the architects of our own destiny. We design it AND build it.”
WOW Nadine, I saw a lot here. But I will TRY to pick just one inspiring message!
I really love how Alison stressed that getting “there” is never a straight line. I think many women feel frustrated because of the bumps in the road and the sharp turns and detours.
BUT, we ARE in a world with trials, and it is all part of the package. Trials bring patience, and patience helps us to get to completeness! Without the trials we would not likely value what we accomplish and we would not have developed patience (or much compassion for others).
OK I warned you I might not just leave with one inspirational message! Gloria is so spot on that we ALL have a voice and a choice to use it! We may not all agree on everything, but if you are passionate about something, change the world and START with YOUR world—your sphere of influence!
And yes FAMILY (and close friends and colleagues can be considered family) inspire us and make it all worth while.
I will add one more amazing woman’s words to the mix, and that is Suze Orman. She says:
“People first, then money, then things.”
Love and hugs!
Margo
P.S. LAUGH EVERYDAY!
Margo, you’re spot on here. People do need to be first, in everything we do. Yesterday I had the opportunity to see Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay. I walked into the cells in the isolation block. Someone in this cell would have been completely cut off from people. He would have received 3 meals a day and a light blanket. That’s it. Other than that, he would have been in the dark, 24 hours a day, with no human contact, other than an opportunity to have a shower once a day. No matter how dark this person’s crimes – I’m sure they were – the sadness for him was deep in me because he had virtually zero opportunity to be in any kind of contact with people. Thanks Margo for posting Suze’s quote. To me, being in relationship with people are words of immense importance to humankind.
“There is no act more revolutionary than listening.” Profound, and speaks true to me. Most women want to be heard; want to know they are seen – not in the visual sense but in a deeper way – do you hear me? can you relate to what I’m trying to share with you?
When we can relate, listen and truly listen it will allow another to feel you are on the same page with them; most women will open up even deeper than they thought they would. We all have the same desire – to share and be listened to. To talk through an idea and feel we are still at the same level as the women among us. To feel safe in sharing – we’ll change the world if we listen…what a wonderful blog Nadine
Tanya, I love what you’re saying here – there’s an incredible opportunity for deep connection, understanding and the true ability to change the world when we listen. Once I heard someone say, “We have two ears and one mouth, so let’s listen at least twice as much as we talk.”