Me Isn't Out There But In Here

I've lost count of how many women have basically told me that they would love to leave their husband and go travelling to find themselves, as Lucy Valantine did according to an article in the Telegraph; it's what they wanted to do, might still do, will do, all because they think that life would be better and easier after such a bold move.  Believe me, I know, because I did that.  Actually that's not true because Nick and I did that.  Never once did it ever enter the equation that I would abandon Nick in my quest to change my life.   For me, and I stress that this was my experience, the whole point of putting our lives into free-fall was so that I could be a wife to him, serve him as my husband rather than spending all my waking hours with men whom I had made no contract to spend my life with.

Society Solution: Women's Education

Now that everyone's back from their hols, we can return to the thorny issue of the civil unrest in London and many other major UK cities this summer. Although pundits and politicians all took time out, either by returning to the capital from their holiday destinations or writing some pithy piece, to get us to contemplate the causes of all this rioting. Over the summer much of it was about failures in general in the system but now Parliamentary committees are meeting to draw up action plans so this doesn't just remain a cerebral exercise.

There are key themes which appear from the summer's discussions: we need values and an education system which nurtures respect, leadership, care and discipline instead of greed, me-me-me, and boredom. I agree.

However, I feel passionately that there is one area which is not being addressed: women and educating them to be women.

The Ideal Husband

There are a number of recurring themes to the questions I get asked.  Probably taking the number one spot is "I want a man".  The question comes in all shapes and sizes, dressed up with a stiff shirt collar or baggy jeans, but underneath, in its naked truth, it looks like this: "someday my Prince will come.... won't he?" This summer we've had not only a glut of strawberries and soft fruit but also of Royal weddings, which just like London buses, you can wait ages for then they all come along at once.  And what fairy tales they have been!  Kate (Middleton), Charlene, Kate (Moss) and Zara - it's been a veritable designer Olympics.  And just as we're already seeing copies of the wedding (and bridesmaid) dresses appearing on the streets, women are now searching out the right man to dress up for the day and live with, so they hope, for the rest of their lives.

Somehow inherently most women know that a man of calibre, the type you'd actually commit to spend the rest of your life with, is a rare breed indeed.  Here's the beginner's guide to spotting one:

The Minimum Requirement For Any Woman...

When we first created Be the Woman You were Born to Be as an online course and community I wasn't really sure how it would compare to the many live Be the Woman... workshops which I had led. Sure it would mean that women all over the world would be able to participate, in a way which worked for them, but would we be able to maintain the intimacy and respect? The answer has been a resounding yes.There has though been one downside...