The Wise Woman is “returning home” to her authentic self and to her inner wisdom.
Definition of wisdom: (n) ability to discern inner qualities and relationships: INSIGHT. Good sense: Judgment. (Merriam Webster).
Each of us has a Wise Woman within us. Listening to her, helping her to grow throughout your life, you gain wisdom. Returning Home is then the acceptance of that, living in it, not needing to prove yourself in any capacity anymore. Now you may find you are guiding others along their own journeys.
The journey to being a Wise Woman
“I am learning to trust the journey, even when I do not understand it.” ~Mila Bron
How does trusting ourselves and the journey relate to becoming a Wise Woman?
Being on the journey develops trust. With each step (success, failure, loss, and gain), we can each learn more about ourselves and gain more wisdom.
Wisdom is not about having all the answers.
As we become wiser, there is a trust that develops – learning to trust who you are and what you’ve learned, and that you have the qualities of a Wise Woman.
Trusting is accepting that it’s all going to work out; it’s about being patient, kind and accepting of yourself. When things don’t happen as fast as you’d like or the way you would like, maybe there’s a reason for that delay that you can’t see until you get there. When paying attention to what’s going on and how you feel, you’ll know when you need help and take the risk to ask for help.
Live your life, experience it.
Qualities and role in her family
The Wise Woman’s role in her family is to share her experience, to offer wise counsel, and to bring the perspective of her experience fully forward to create positive change. She loves with her whole heart, knows what is important, and understands her power as a woman. The Wise Woman respects the journey of others. She understands that she cannot fix or change others or their lives. She sets an example and offers advice or guidance when asked (adapted from the Family of Women/Women’s Discovery Weekend).
A wise woman honors her authentic self and lets it shine.
We belong to a community of women where we communicate well with each other no matter our age, and we share and learn from each other, thus helping each other recognize and honor the Wise Woman within each of us.
Blanche shares her thoughts: “I’m here to listen and love as I am learning to trust the journey. The story I have about myself lives with me through my journey; I can choose to believe it or not. I can improve it, change it, question it, and all the while I remind myself that it is a story. One that has been with me and evolved over time. As I grow and become more aware I ask myself, is it really true? Overcoming the story has been a challenge and with that I continue to gain wisdom. I’ve learned what works and doesn’t; I’ve learned my strengths, as well as my shortcomings. I know that I can trust myself.
We share our inner wisdom from our experiences, being home in our authentic self. I have to trust myself to even be on the journey and being here I get to practice trusting (and not!) with gained experience from the past. The more experiences we have the more times we’ve had to trust ourselves, reinforcing our trusting in the process. The wisdom is borne of experience. My wise mother-in-law once said, when my son fell and bruised his knee, “He’ll be alright by the time he gets married.”
All women have wisdom. Having gone on the journey of life, as a Wise Woman, you choose to look at things with compassion, kindness, and heart.
“A wise woman wishes to be no one’s enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone’s victim.” ~Maya Angelou
