“The world needed us yesterday, and it will need us more tomorrow.”
Maya Angelou as quoted on BraveHeart Women (http://www.braveheartwomen.com/)

It takes a brave woman to remember what it is to actually be a woman in today’s world of racing and rushing and paying the bills on time. At only twenty-one years of age, I find myself feeling burnt-out, run-down, and regularly depleted.

Keeping up with the hectic hours of any given day, along with the demands of others, sometimes requires deep-breathing exercises rather than the standard simple breath, and too often we must to remind ourselves to even breathe at all. Yikes!

Many of us have forgotten (and/or don’t have the time or the tools to remember) how to be independent, strong, beautiful, creative, and above all, confident. The Good News: women from all around the world have gathered to form an online headquarters for an empowered team of “Brave-Hearted” females, kindred spirits, movers and shakers who wish to remind us of treasured truths embedded in our hearts, that which resonates within every woman’s soul. Yours. Mine. Ours.

The mission statement at BraveHeart Women is as follows: “To connect the Women of the world together in order to receive and give Inspiration in the areas of Self-Esteem, Empowerment, Purpose, Passion and Personal Prosperity while enhancing the world by being Brave Women who live from the Heart.” In short, their aim is to teach us what it means to live (and to give back) as we also strive to enrich the lives of others.

What’s truly inspiring about the BraveHeart Women community is that it allows for so much communication (and interaction) with others, sister-friends who are feeling or thinking about modern life on this little spinning globe in a similar way to our own.

After spending ten minutes navigating the BW site (and listening to the many testimonials), you detect a twinge of that old, hopeful and spirited fire spark inside of you. It never disappeared; it’s still there, a smoldering ember. (At least that was my own experience.)

Can you imagine what it must feel like for that glowing ember to ignite into a roaring flame?

For all of you smoldering ladies out there: Fear not! Read on!

Agreeing to be a BraveHeart woman is painless, quick, easy and completely free. Simply go to the website: (www.braveheartwomen.com), then click on the “sign up” link and follow the step-by-step instructions. Snap. Easy as Pie. Easier really, if you’ve ever tried making a crust from scratch!

“Do you want a collection of brilliant minds or a brilliant collection of minds?” R. Meredith Belbin

At BraveHeart Women: For one’s user name, the site encourages each woman to pick something she is passionate about—-a good indicator regarding the project’s FUN aspects and overall positive intent. BraveHeart Women is the most welcoming, relaxed, no-pressure social networking site I’ve been to in ages.

After you customize your profile, you can create your own “community,” where you can easily connect with other women who are mutually interested in various subjects or interests, a zillion different topics . . . anything you can think of. Snap.

“Effective teamwork is all about making a good, well-balanced salad not whipping individuals into a single batch of V8.” Sandra Richardson

Be sure to watch BraveHeart Women TV. Appearances by amazing women such as Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, Terry Cole-Whitaker, and Dee Wallace (to name just a few) are regular offerings to members. A common thread: ENCOURAGEMENT, along with coping skills that enable all women to develop life tools, “sparks and flames” with which to light inner fires. (These videos are easily accessed via the BW website.)

BraveHeart Women also invites you to join ongoing discussion groups, an additional opportunity for personal growth and networking. The hopeful and inspiring end result of BW: to have changed the world for the better via SYNERGY, as a community of empowered women working individually and as an organized team.

“It is amazing how much you can accomplish when it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.” Author Unknown

If you’re reading this and thinking that it sounds like too much work, or that you don’t have the time to create a personal profile (or watch online videos), then BraveHeart Women is perfect for you!

At BW, five or ten minutes is all that’s needed to find comfort for a weary mind. And, you may also discover TIME management techniques! Snap! (Then, you’ll have even more precious moments to spend here at Dance of the Spirit! :^)

So, take this as my challenge to you: Find the courage within your own heart. Give BraveHeart Women a try. Regain or Reenergize your innate feisty SPIRIT. Ignite that glowing ember that dwells within you. Surprise Yourself, just like so many other women have!

Best of luck to you in your life’s journey toward new adventures and new horizons!

“The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.” Author Unknown

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[NICOLE MILLAR is a contributing writer for Dance of the Spirit. Nicole obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Creative writing from the University of Central Florida in 2010. She worked as the production manager and as a fiction editor for the university's Cypress Dome Literary Journal and has taken a year off to pursue various internships and writing opportunities before returning to school for her Master's Degree. Nicole believes that the most important thing to remember, and the easiest thing to forget, is that we must always live for our own dreams and never let the disbelief of others overpower the magic that we are capable of.]