Reading....A Choice!

So what are those leadership group women up to now? A book club!

And maybe this is not a big deal to you.....but remember there is a lot of people that don't even know what a book club is or have ever been a part of a book club. So you have leadership group women surfing our library and taking out books such as: Awareness by Anthony De Mello or Beyond Fear......and they are choosing to do this. I didn't tell it was a requirement to read motivating books. They are making the choice to empower themselves. This made me think about a few of my favorites: The Four Agreements and The Seat of the Soul. Also another book in my sight is: When Work Disappears...The World of the New Urban Poor. (this should be a good read)

But more importantly this step of starting a book club is about developing some social connections with other circles.....stepping outside their bubble.s...their neighborhoods....their world....their fears....to do something different with their lives. A good book to read on this is called: Bowling Alone....which talks about society's decline in social connectedness and how the less we have the worst off we are. For example....we all know that in a majority of the cases it is about who you know and being in the right place at the right time to land employment. If we don't have any outside circles....or don't have a broader social circle....our opportunities across the board are limited.

So back to the girls.......they are developing their social connectedness....expanding their networking circles.....stepping outside of their neighborhoods.....facing the unknown and participating on a level they never thought possible. Coming to CAF for financial assistance yet getting some real honest and loving support is allowing them to take some steps forward.

I don't take all this lightly. In fact, when I checked the blog today and saw Brittany's post at 10:30pm last night I cried. This young woman works two jobs to take care of her 3 little girls (and they are just adorable!) and pay her rent....and then come home and blog? Or what about the young woman that cooks on a hot plate but comes to the office to blog? Or what about another leadership group member that struggles with her own internal issues of self-worth but turns around and blogs? If these stories don't touch your heart I don't know what will.

All I can say is that I am forever transformed by the lives of the women we serve. They make me a better person....and now they are making me read much more. But like they say...reading is fundamental....and a mind is a terrible thing to waste.