Girl Warrior. Be honest. Speak up. Speak out. Speak your truth. Express yourself. Whatever that means to you. However that looks. Tell it like it is. Or how you wish it was. Be bold. Audacious in your speech. Intrepid with your message.
But don’t use your words to slaughter. Use your words to empower. Elucidate. Illuminate. Exalt. Demystify. Take ownership of what comes out of your mouth.
Make it good.
Girl Warrior. Learn how to cook for yourself and the ones you love. Keep it simple. Get fresh with food. Know its origins. Get the back-story on your fruits and veggies. Do your homework. Read labels. As much as possible, eat the things of the earth and near to their natural state.
Be creative in the kitchen. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Get colorful and crazy. Explore what titillates and tantalizes your taste buds. Make it pretty.
You don’t have to be a Food Fanatic either. Nor a Nutrition Nazi. Make ‘everything in moderation’ your mantra. Think balance. Nurture your body and your spirit. Apply the 80/20 Rule here. 80% healthy and 20% not-so-much. Enjoy your guilty pleasures and sweet indulgences with 100% freedom. Without regret or ruefulness.
Whet your appetite. Savor it all. Go for the gusto. And eat like your life depends on it.
Girl Warrior. Create the soundtrack for your life. You’ve got the music in you. Let it out. Wherever. Whenever. Don’t be shy about this. Or embarrassed. Don’t listen to your inner judge. The one that says you’re tone deaf. Can’t carry a tune. Or have no talent. For it’s not about that. It’s about joy and wild abandon. Glee and harmony in hard places.
It’s one of the best things you can do for your body, mind and spirit. So get musical. From your bobbing head to your tapping toes. Put a song in your heart. Let it rest easy in your soul. And flow through your veins like Tupelo Honey.
Pick up an instrument. Shake a tambourine. Beat a bongo drum. Stomp your feet. Snap your fingers. Clap your hands. Play the air guitar. Sing in the shower. Or while driving the truck. Join a choir. Or form a girls’ band. You don’t have to be a virtuoso musician. You don’t even have to be any good. In fact, you can be terrifically terrible. There are far worse things Girl Warrior.
Like dying with the music still locked inside you.
Girl Warrior. Be generous. In every way. With everything and everybody. Don’t be stingy. Don’t withhold. Don’t hang onto things. Never covet. Give of what you have. What you know. Give a little. Or give a lot. But give. And forgive. For that is the ultimate gift. To others. To yourself.
Give it all away without hesitation. And watch it all come back in miraculous ways. Go out there and be someone’s blessing. You will be blessed in return.
It’s the way of the Girl Warrior.
Girl Warrior. Dress the part. Every Girl Warrior should have a costume. Something that is uniquely her. At first blush, it might look just like someone else’s. Don’t be fooled. No two Girl Warriors wear their costumes in the same way. This is your personal power suit. Put it on.
Strut your stuff. Don’t apologize for the cut, color or condition. Walk. Run. Skip to my Lou. Black leather jacket. Frilly blouse. Skinny jeans. Mini skirt. Floor length gown. A sundress blooming with flowers. Floppy hat. Or fascinator. A pinstriped suit. Kick-ass boots. Red stiletto shoes.
It’s not about fashion. It’s about expression. Wearing the inside out. It’s about attitude. Character. Originality. You are a rare bird Girl Warrior. Know this.
So put on your cape. And fly.
Girl Warrior. Take good care of yourself. Do whatever it takes to be physically healthy. All the days of your life. Do it for yourself. And for all the people who love you. Be active in every arena of your life.
Find the thing that moves you. Go to the gym. Take a fitness class. Play a sport. Be part of the team. Or go it alone. Do the Sun Salutation every morning in the tranquility of your bedroom. Walk the dog after supper. Chase the cat around the yard. Climb a mountain. Run down the hill. Swim circles around the competition. Pole dance. Or plié at the barre. Go fly a kite. Or paddle a canoe.
Whatever floats your boat. Makes you feel alive and well in your skin. You don’t have to master it. You just have to do it. Get off the couch, away from the table, or out of the bed. That’s half the battle. You need to be strong Girl Warrior. Fit as a fiddle and in fighting form.
Ready for anything.
Girl Warrior. Don’t waste your pretty on anyone who is unworthy. Consider that thought for a moment. Let it sink in. Allow it to ooze into the deepest place inside your generous heart and beautiful mind. For it is here that you will know the truth.
And the truth is Girl Warrior you are one fabulous chick.
You deserve to be surrounded by sweet heart-stopping goodness. Pure and simple. Drop anything less than that like a bad habit. Kick their sorry ass to the curb. Don’t wave or blow a kiss goodbye. Put them in your rear view mirror. Permanently. Save all your heavenly kisses for the good ones. For they are out there just waiting for your warm embrace.
Be radical about this knowledge. Wrap your brilliant brain around this information. Fill your soul with this awareness. Grasp the importance of this concept. And hold onto this big idea for dear life.
Seek extravagant love. The best love. The kind of love that is true to the marrow. That sees, with breathtaking clarity, your pretty in all its magical complicated layers. The kind of love that holds like crazy-glue. No matter what.
Because Girl Warrior, your pretty is too precious to be unappreciated.
Girl Warrior. Never give up. No matter what. Go get all the wonderful and truly wicked things you want out of this life. Chase unapologetically after your dreams. Pursue them persistently. Passionately. Purposefully.
Follow your bliss. Wherever it takes you. This is your quest. All yours Girl Warrior. Imagine that beautiful butterfly.
There will be obstacles in your path. Guaranteed. Road blocks. Landslides. Washouts. Detours, diversions and distractions. All kinds of barriers, hurdles and little sneaky snags. It’s okay if you trip and fall when you hit one of these. Your job is to get back in the saddle, on the bike, behind the wheel, on your feet. Don’t hesitate when this happens. Steady yourself. Stay on course. Reset your sights if need be. Do whatever it takes. The idea is to keep heading in the direction of your brass ring.
Keep your wits about you. Not everyone will get what you’re doing. Along the way you’ll encounter dream crushers and naysayers. These are easy to spot because they are the ones who are quick to squash, smash and suppress the desires of your brave lion-heart. Shut their voices down quickly and carry on. The tougher ones are the well-meaning folks, who for whatever reason, don’t get behind your calling. Wish these people well, bless them, love them, and move on.
Know that you are tougher than any storm. There isn’t anything you can’t weather. Go out there and be someone’s pain in the ass. Be the squeaky wheel that insists on being oiled. Be tenacious. Courageous. Audacious. Strong-willed and stubborn as a mule if need be.
But always be patiently persistent. Remember this on the dark days. It will pay off big-time in the end Girl Warrior.
Girl Warrior. Find your tribe. Your pack. Your posse. Your band of sisters and brothers. Surround yourself with people you trust, respect and enjoy. You don’t have to always agree. You don’t even have to always get along.
But these are the faithful ones. Loyal. Steadfast. And true. The ones who will be there for you. With you. By your side. The ones who have your back.
And will hold your hair back while you barf.
Girl Warrior. Take risks. Big ones. Small ones. The kind only you know you’re taking. This is your deal. Go out on a limb. Get rid of the safety net. Free fall. Hang ten. Step out. And step off. Close your eyes and let go. Fall in love with uncertainty. Welcome unpredictability. Embrace the random unexpected things with open arms and wide-eyed wonder.
Don’t play it safe. Just play it with everything you’ve got. Let the cards land where they will. And then play those too. Put yourself out there even when you’d rather hide under a rug. Don’t have second thoughts. Or third. Don’t let anything or anyone sabotage your efforts. Squash your dreams. Take away your power. Don’t doubt yourself. Not even for one second.
Take a chance. Venture forth. Give it your best shot. Something mind-blowing will happen when you do.
My Thing About God 