A great way of forging bonds within a women’s group is to create group rituals. These rituals are reminiscent of the “secret society” rituals we all participated in as young girls, and they make group members feel like part of something special. When we all participate in a group ritual, we feel a greater connection with the other participants, especially if the ritual is something meaningful for us. And it’s something that is unique to our group and only we experience it together.  Read more...

A year from now you will wish you had started today.  Karen Lamb

Interested in joining a women’s group, but don’t think you have the time to devote? Are there important things you want to do and projects you want to start, but can’t seem to get to them? To help you find the time to do the things you want to do, let’s take the time to dispel some commonly held beliefs about time management.  Read more...

Spring is a perfect time to plant seeds…

Whenever you gather women together, it’s a way to honor female relationships. The group’s energy is powerful and developing this energy with a solid vision can build stronger lives for everyone. A group can accomplish more together than individuals can do on their own. The world has more possibilities when we join together as a group to nurture ourselves and others.

In its early stages of a group, you may not be aware of all the tiny seeds of interaction that are being planted to help form the group. Over time, these seeds of connection, watered with commitment and respect, blossom into strong and nurturing relationships within the group.  Read more...

Who really are these women? What do they each represent? Will they judge me for the life I lead? Will they criticize me for the opinions I express? Do I fit in? Will they like me?

When you first join a women’s group, it’s both exciting and a bit scary. You may be hesitant to participate at first and certainly will wonder about the other members in the group. This kind of concern might prevent you from making the most of your women’s group experience. Not to worry – you’ll get the hang of it soon.  Read more...

Trust – Firm reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, or character of a person or thing.

In a successful women’s group, the members must all trust each other enough to be able to open up and share their experiences freely. As we know, without sharing there will not be growth. But how can women in a diverse group learn to trust each other? How long before they can open up honestly?

The secret to building a trusting relationship is to start small. Begin with small acts and gestures of trust and build it up from there. It will take awhile, but there will come a time when the members of your group will not hesitate to open up to one another.  Read more...

Listening is an absolutely essential life skill. It’s even more important as a skill for someone who is part of a successful women’s group.

Listening is a way of building rapport. When you listen to someone, you learn more about them. You understand what’s going on in their life, how they think, where they’re coming from, what experiences they are drawing on and more. In turn, the person you are listening to feels that you understand them better; they are thankful for the support and the empathy you are providing them, just by being a good listener.  Read more...

If you are considering starting a women’s group, you might contemplate starting a self-help group for women.

As women, we all face stressful situations daily and want the most out of our lives. What better way to empower other women than to start a self-help group.

Although the name might sound a bit “new age”-ish, a self-help or personal development group for women is really just a way for women to get the most out of their lives. It’s a way for women to come together to improve their situation through discussion and activities. Even if you don’t want to start a group that is solely about personal development, you might want to incorporate some self-help issues into your meetings.  Read more...

Use the word “negotiate” with women and you will see a lot of discomfort surface up.  Women haven’t yet learned the art of negotiation.  The opposite holds true more often with “compromise” as women are subtly encouraged to compromise rather than negotiate.  There is a big difference between the two.

If you review the definitions of compromise and negotiate, you can perceive similarities between the two, yet they are different in their application.

Compromise – to adjust or settle by mutual concessions; to come to agreement by mutual concession; to find or follow a way between extremes.  Read more...

Whether you are someone with a full, active life or with very little going on in your everyday life, you likely feel like there is something missing from your days.  For many women, that hole can be filled by being a part of a women’s group. So if you have a void in your life, why not be proactive and start a women’s group of your own?

Although it may feel safe and easier to simply find a women’s group that is already in existence, you will gain so much more by starting your own group from scratch. What will you gain?  Read more...