March is Women’s History Month and at the beginning of the month we celebrated International Women’s Day. All month, you will hear about the accomplishments of women. International Women’s Day was first celebrated in 1911.
On site drawing
Five years ago, The Girl’s Guide to Swagger website was launched on International Women’s Day. It was our goal to reach out to girls and women with messages of support and self-acceptance. Since that time, we’ve sponsored workshops, hikes, panels and an art contest. We’ve provided funds for women who were achieving their dreams by writing books and starting their own business.
On the website, we’ve provided answers to questions about how to find confidence and we’ve featured stories about girls and women pursuing their dreams in music, sports, and the arts. We’ve written more than 300 blogs and sent out many newsletters over the last few years. A book called The Girl’s Guide to Swagger in the Outdoors and Sports is in progress.
The greatest joy in all this time has been interacting with girls and women both those who were featured on the website and those who wrote in asking for advice or contributing their insights. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of the swagger community.
Over the past year, the focus of the website has evolved as my interests have evolved. Last spring, I became a Certified Life Coach; you can read more here. I’ve had the privilege to work with people who are making transitions in their lives, leaving jobs, moving, entering into new relationships. I’ve also been writing about health, fitness, nature and other topics for The Taos News.
My book the Taos Hiking Guide was published last summer. I’m working on a certificate in the Holistic Health and Healing Arts program at the University of New Mexico – Taos that is giving me new skills and knowledge in coaching and healing.
Through all this time and in all these activities, I’ve become more and more convinced that contact with nature strengthens and empowers us all and makes us healthier and happier. Many studies are showing that time in nature increases our ability to focus and our overall well-being. I’ve also become more aware of the spiritual nature of our lives and have been involved in a new series of pod casts called Talking Spirit. You can read more about coaching and Talking Spirit here.
Over the next few months, you will notice a strong focus on nature and the outdoors. We plan to publish an on-line version of The Girl’s Guide to Swagger in the Outdoors and Sports in time for the summer 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
By the end of the year, all of our swagger content will move to the new website. I hope you will continue to be part of the swagger community and contribute your ideas and stories on how nature has been helpful in your life. You can also work with me directly as a life coach with either in-person (Colorado and New Mexico) appointments or phone appointments.
During the past few years, I’ve seen that there is still much inequality in the world; that girls and women are still often valued for their looks rather than their minds. I believe that each of us can choose to be strong, independent, and to follow our own dreams. I wish you a beautiful and fulfilling journey, as we all grow and evolve.
-from Cindy Brown, The Girl’s Guide to Swagger founder