ROAR!

artwork by Manon Doyle

ROAR!by  Cinda Stevens Lonsway  © May 2010

It began as a whisper, of one woman leaning into the ear of another, "Do you feel it?"she asked.  


Then whispered to another, "Do you feel it?" and it began to spread, this whisper, from one woman to another, to another, whispering, "Do you feel it?  Do you feel it?"


The question was asked, once, then twice, then ten hundred whispers around the world; women wondering what it was they were feeling.  The whispering pulsed as the need for the answer grew.  "Do you feel it?" 


The rhythm became stronger, bolder, as it spread to their hearts; knowing not which was the whisper and which was the heartbeat, for the two became one.  More and more women began to feel the pounding of a need, not yet understood, and the rumbling began to stir the earth under their feet.  
One woman stood, planting her feet firmly to the soil, raising her voice from a whisper and shouting, "Enough!".  "Enough!", yelled the woman standing next to her with her fists pumping the sky.

"Enough, Enough!!" shouted another and another; women holding firm in their stance, arms above their heads, "Enough!"  But it wasn't enough to stop the growing whisper, it is never enough when you are a woman, for women aren't always heard, they are taken for granted, too much is expected, too much is asked.  We give, we cry, and we shout, but it is never enough to be noticed, appreciated, worshiped.  


And the rhythm continued, it did not slow down, the pounding expounded, and the hearts of the women grew more restless. Their whispering was the beginning, their individual shouts were not enough.  Then one woman clasped the hands of her sister, who clasped the hands of her mother, who clasped the hands of her friend.  One solid sounding clasp after another, to another.  A sound of women bonding themselves together, united with the rhythm already sounding in their souls.  Hand to hand, heart to heart,  and then something happened in the comfort of unity, in the safety of numbers, another moment for another sound, but it came not from one, but from the consciousness of all women.


The sound came from the women of the now - mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters.  It came  from the women of the ancients.  And it came from the ultimate mother, the Mother Earth.  For the sound resonated with each and every woman, who had planted her feet into the soil to yell "Enough!".   And the women realized the rhythm they felt was not to be stopped, the rhythm was their calling, waking them up to their time.  Their time to yell, "Enough!" but not to stop the rhythm of their newly awakened hearts, but to the atrocities done to their mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters, their ancestors and their planet.


This understanding, this awakening, began to make their feet stomp, and in unison their voices raised, and what was once a whisper became a rumble, the rumble and grumble turned into a gentle roar.  But a roar is not meant to be gentle, a roar is meant to be fierce and powerful, and it grew in tones of base and treble, lows and highs, young and old throats creating a sound not heard in centuries of battle cries lead by priestesses and queens.  Until it no longer could be contained or ignored, and they roared, "NO MORE!" "NO MORE…!" and one by one, by tens, by thousands, they roared their loyalty to each other, to their families, to their sisters, their brothers, and to their Mother Earth.

"NO MORE!" said the Roar, "will I see myself as nothing worthy, of nothing beautiful, as less than more!"


"NO MORE!" said the Roar, "will I walk by hungry children and not feed them!"


"NO MORE!" they Roared, "will I ignore a bruised and battered woman and not invite her into my home."


"NO MORE! Will I send our children off to fight wars where there is no cause!"  


"NO MORE! Will I tolerate toxic waste being thrown out where only the poor can live."


"NO MORE, NO MORE!" the women roared, "will I know of children and women being sold into slavery, or tortured, or uneducated and do nothing!" 


"NO MORE, will I stand by and let the oceans, mountains, air, forests, and fields be raped of their natural beauty or polluted with poison!"


This Roar grew, and the women grew stronger, and those who couldn't hear it before began to be stirred, altered, nervous, scared; for what did this mean, these powerful women roaring, demanding, pledging to change the world and the people around them?  It couldn't be good, this roaring, right?


WRONG!  For now, nothing could stop the ROAR of NO MORE.  And the women swayed, and the women stomped, and the women continued to Roar.  Men, good men, began to step into the circles and they too began to roar.  The youth, who once thought there was no hope for their future took to the circle, clasped hands with their parents, their teachers, their friends, and in the innocence of a new adventure, joined in the harmony of millions.  And the Roar of NO MORE, now one solid vibration, surrounded the world, and the earth began to rumble under their feet.


The planet began to shake, she began to quake, she shuddered and sputtered, she stretched and she pulled, she groaned and moaned, and then it happened.  Never before in the history of recorded events has the world ever shifted on it axis, in one bit of a final shoulder shake, Atlas turned this wonderful planet to the light. To the light of nurture, of nature, to the light of bravery, of truth, the light of change, of hope, to the light of Love and of Spirit, but it was to the LIGHT of WOMEN that the earth moved, to a brighter fuller moon in the sky shining among the masses of committed souls around the world.


Then all fell silent.... ... … as parents brought their children home from the streets and from war, as books were delivered to schools and girls entered their doors, fists and threats were no longer raised, and meals were shared with families.  Waste dumps were cleaned up, trees were planted, and oceans cleansed.  The power of the feminine moon shined equal in the sky to the masculine sun, and just like that, peace was formed, balance restored.  For when there is peace, there is room for the Divine, and when the Divine is with women, there is nothing we can't do... ... like rock the world on its axis or feel a whisper coming on.  


"Do you feel it?"


If you do, and I know you do, if you are woman alive today, you do...  I ask you to feel it, to unite with it, to help spread this whisper, create a stirring, and begin your ROAR of NO MORE!  Join me, please, I whisper to you now……

TAKE A HEART PLEDGE

In order to succeed professionally and personally, you need to get out of your head and into your heart. 

Your heart vibrates at the same level as the universe. Your mind does not vibrate at this level. By imagining and thinking of what you need, want and desire first, then focus that energy into and then out of your heart, MAGIC IS SURE TO COME. 

When you connect your heart energy to the vibration of the universe, you can begin to manifest your dreams. 

FIRST you need make a commitment to your heart. Your heart is yearning to be heard and it has a lot to say. By taking a pledge to listen to it, your heart will respond with gratitude and love and joy! 

Place your right hand over your heart and your left hand over your right. Feel your heartbeat, say hello to her. State this pledge with feeling and meaning. Speak directly to your heart.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO MY HEART:

by Cinda Lonsway for CONNECT TO SUCCESS 10/28/15

I pledge allegiance to you my heart......

that I will give you a voice in my journey......

I Promise to listen to and follow your guidance.......

For I know that your guidance holds messages......

Messages key to my purpose, my destiny, my joy.....

I understand that you will inform me.....

when I am out of alignment.....

because I will feel stress, irritations, or anxiety.....

When this happens......

I promise that I will get quiet......

and listen to you again......

For there is deep wisdom inside you.....

Wisdom that I need to move forward.....

Thank you my beloved heart....

Thank you for the work you do for me.....

Thank you for being my keeper and my seeker.....

With great gratitude I honor you.....

You are loved.....

I AM LOVE.....

The Gift of Listening
by Cinda Stevens Lonsway ©2013

The most important gift you can EVER give another is the gift of listening.

It seems simple enough, but if you really pay attention to your attention, you would notice how little attention you actually pay to what another is saying.  The longer the story, the less attention you pay.  The duller and the more monotonous the voice, the less attention you pay.  There are so many excuses you can give as to why you don’t listen, but the thing you need to know is that as common as it may be, it is rude and ego driven.

When you lose interest in someone’s story, you allow your mind to wander, or worse, you start thinking about what you are going to say next.  When you do that, you are NOT giving the gift of listening.  You are not living in the moment.  You are not being present. 

The biggest present you can give another is to be present with her (or him)... her words, her emotions.  You show that you are not only listening, but that you hear her.  Eckhart Tolle, author of “A New Earth,” tells us (and I paraphrase) that when you are present with another, you are helping that person awaken to her spirit.  How does that work?  You are honoring the essence of who she is.  You learn to be present by being aware of the person right in front of you; the person who is talking. 

The Native Americans have a tradition called the Talking Stick.  No one can talk or contribute vocally to the circle unless they have the stick.  Those in the circle are asked to stay present, be quiet, and hold space for the one who is talking.  It is also a judgment-free zone.  How do you listen without judgment?  You set your ego aside and listen.

Our culture loves to talk over, around, through, and on top of anyone who is talking.  Our ego wants the limelight, wants the stage, wants to talk.  You assume that what you have to say is entertaining, educational, and all-inspiring.  Sometimes it is; sometimes it isn’t, but if no one is listening, who really knows for sure? 

We have a horrible habit of filling a void of silence with our chatter.  The rarest gift you can give another is the gift of silence.  Silence is one of the most sacred of all moments in communication.  When you allow a space for silence, you offer a space for communion of your spirits. 

There are people that still test my patience.  They may be older, or lonelier, or perhaps much younger than where I am in my life.  But through the years, I have learned that beneath their stories is a need… a need to be heard, a need to be valued, a need to be needed.  When I have a conversation with them, the gift of listening becomes even more important.  It is a HUGE and precious gift you can offer them.  The gift of listening is a validation of who they are and of how much they matter.

I have learned a valuable practice to listening when it is most difficult.  There are the obvious good manners my parents taught me, of looking her (or him) in the eyes, nodding my head to show I understand what she is saying, and repeating back what I have heard to ensure I have heard it correctly.

Those moments, though, when I do find my mind wandering, or when my ego wants to interrupt, or when I just lose track of the conversation, I found a way to bring myself back. I have mastered a way to bring myself back  to the focal point of the other person’s voice.  I am immediately re-centered and in the present moment. I am listening.

I silently recite a mantra to myself, “My gift to you is that I am listening,” and I am reminded to listen.  If I catch my mind wandering again, or the story keeps going and growing, I again say to myself, “My gift to you is that I am listening…" and yet again, if needed, I silently recite it, "my gift to you is that I am STILL listening.”

It may seem that I am not listening when I think this mantra, but that isn’t the case.  The mantra is repeated in an upper part of my mind, not consuming my thoughts. It acts almost like a feeling, with a memory of listening. It works! It reminds me to be present, and it allows me to respect the person talking.

Try it, you'll see what I mean. It is a true gift, one of the most priceless gifts that you can give another.  When you listen, you are showing the other person that she (he) matters to you.  If she feels she matters, then she will walk a little taller, and feel a bit more important.  When you give the gift of listening, you give the gift of self esteem, the gift of self worth, and the gift of self confidence.

Being present and in the moment with every person you talk and listen to allows the space for two people to connect at a deeper level.  When you listen, truly hear the voice of another, you give the gift of your Self, of your spirit, to the other.  You hold sacred space for the one talking; even without a Talking Stick you honor the one in front of you. 

My gift to you is that I am listening, so let's talk.

A Wizard in His Wisdom by Cinda Stevens Lonsway

(In Honor of my Father's 76th birthday.... Love You Dad)

A Wizard in His Wisdom
written by Cinda Stevens Lonsway  9/18/11
For Wild Sister Magazine - October Issue

When I was a child, desperate to become a young woman who mattered, my father gave me a valuable tool which still helps me make choices that get me where I want to be.

Whenever I was presented with a tough decision - those kinds of moments when I didn’t know which direction to go  - when everyone had a piece of sage advice, but none of the advice matched the other, and therefore none of it was helpful – when I tried to please everyone and therefore pleased no one, including myself - ugh! - I would become almost paralyzed with confusion, and then fear would set in - I would find myself spewing drama all over my father.  Ahh, the drama of a teenager; my ego was bigger than the head it was carried in.

Cripes, you know those moments, that drama and trauma, those days of over-analyzing and over-thinking in the game of “What should I do?”!   My inner spirit didn’t stand a chance as I let my ego dominate and control my every move. I was influenced by others who I thought were experts.  Other people’s opinions of me, mattered to me.  My head spun, my stomach turned, and my heart sank as I struggled with what my next move would be.

My poor father would silently listen as I ranted and raved on the verge of a teenage meltdown. And then he would calmly speak, his magical advice bringing me instant clarity in the chaos. The clarity brought silence, the silence centered me, and instead of climbing the walls, I became grounded. My ego was required to back off, and when it did, the clouds cleared, an image appeared, and I knew, I just knew what I needed to do.

But it wasn’t advice he gave me.  It was a simple question he asked.  A wizard in his wisdom!  

That magical question?

“Cinda, If you had a magic wand, what would you do?”

Take a moment to breathe this in.  Childhood fantasy, it isn’t.  As an adult now, I can see what I didn’t then... the power in that question.  By asking that question, my spirit was given permission to respond.  

Try it. Right now, if you are at a crossroads in your life, and the decision making process seems overwhelming, ask yourself this question.  There are no rules; it is magic!  

“If you had a magic wand, what would you do?”

The list of choices might seem endless to you, but you will find that there is only ONE true answer.  Once you give your spirit permission to respond, the ego will remove itself and your spirit will take over, sending you a vision of what your dream could look like.  

Write it down.  What does your vision look like, feel like?  Don’t worry about specifics, remember this is magic, anything goes.  The answer comes from your soulful dreams, your inner knowing, and your deepest desires.  

Warning though, if you are like me, your ego is going to rear its ugly head again, it will have a field day letting you know how crazy your vision is.  It will begin to put up roadblocks and detour signs, it might try to create drama and sneak in the old trauma.  It will try, but it won’t work.  My father’s wisdom would speak to me again.  

My father would knowingly smile and answer back,

“Cinda, what about that makes you think it can’t be done?”

When we visualize the perfect scenario, with the help of our magic wand, there is no place for ego, only truth... our truth.

“What about your magic wand dream makes you think it can’t be done?”

I know now that the answers we seek are already inside of us; otherwise we wouldn’t have known to ask the question.  The question is the wand, the hidden desire is the magic, and the answers are our ancient wisdom finding a way to communicate.

These days, in the era of The Law of Attraction, and Positive Affirmations, and Visualizations, and Meditations, and Facebook Prayer Requests, I can see that my father’s advice was way before its time.  Because he was and still is RIGHT.  When I told my dad I was writing about this, he responded……  “Well, of course you are; because it works!”  

As an adult, I don’t spew all over my father anymore, but I still find myself asking his question:
“If I had a magic wand, what would I do?”

I am my own wizard now, but the teacher, he was very wise.

 

My father, Ken Stevens, now offering his wizardly wisdom to his eleven grandchildren.

Katy Perry is Roaring!!

    





A ROAR! is a mighty way to take your power back. 

In 2010, when I was inspired to write ROAR! (http://www.roarwithcinda.com/), I tapped into this mighty energy that couldn't be denied. Pop star, Katy Perry, is tapping into that energy now with her new single Roar. (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/roar-single/id685725696)

This energy called "ROAR!" was first sensed as a movement by Sharon Riegie Maynard of Women Weaving the World in a conversation she downloaded from Gaia in 1997. Just days after I penned ROAR! on May of 2010, Chameli Ardagh of Awakening Women Institute shared it on her blog. Jen Saunders, future creator of Wild Sister Magazine, shared it as well. And many many others, including Catherine Anne Clark of A Celebration of Women, who featured me as a Woman of Action because of ROAR! 

Shortly after, I was invited to host my own Internet TV show based on ROAR! (which I turned down due to contract disagreements). In 2011, Robin Rice of Awesome Women Hub asked me to create a workshop around what I had written for her AWHub Tour, and from there to workshops done with Sharon Maynard’s Women's Grassroots Congress. Currently, I do ROAR! workshops for Ascending-Hearts as well as private sessions. 

The most current news is that artist Manon Doyle of Sisters of the Sun from Phoenix, AZ is illustrating ROAR! AND, hold on to your horses, things are getting wild, Catherine Anne Clark, in Toronto, Canada is working on developing ROAR! into a theater production! 

Let’s make sure that Katy Perry knows that others are ROAR!ing along beside her. That she isn’t alone, nor is she leading, we are all ROAR!ing together! 

Ready? Set….. ROAR! Please share ROAR! and let Katy know!
http://roarwithcinda.blogspot.com/2011/03/roar-by-cinda-stevens-lonsway-may-2010.html

TOMMY T and the pea that got away!!!!

In June of 1995, I was inspired to write a poem I titled TOMMY T.  It was after my, then 2 year old son Eric, decided he no longer would tolerate peas for supper and sent them flying.  A few days later a random pea found its way back to the kitchen.  I picked it up and mused where it had been all this time.  The  poem is that pea's adventure.

Watercolorist/Artist and friend, Peter X O'Brien, did these charming and hysterical illustrations.  As a tribute to my love of ladybugs, he has hidden one on every page.  You will have a great time searching for them with your children.

For Christmas of 2013, my husband, Scott Lonsway, decided to give me the gift of a lifetime by having the story published.  This is a result of that incredibly heartfelt gift.  He and Peter worked months on creating this book.  I will be forever grateful to him and Peter for their dedication and commitment to make this happen.  And yes it was a complete surprise!

Click the link below to see for yourself, just how charming this book is!!!!  With Gratitude, Cinda

Tommy T and the pea that got away by Cinda Stevens Lonsway | Make Your Own Book

Ascending Hearts: Mind, Body, Spirit, Stars – A Transformational Event

Ascending Hearts: Mind, Body, Spirit, Stars – A Transformational Event

Crisis – by Cinda Stevens Lonsway – Jan.2013

Crisis – by Cinda Stevens Lonsway – Jan.2013

artwork by Manon Doyle

When a child speaks, listen
When a child laughs, smile
When a child hurts, heal
When a child dreams, believe
~anonymous

There is a crisis happening in America. It is suicide among our youth. In under a year, in my children’s school district alone, two high school girls took their own lives. Within a neighboring school district, they have lost six young men and women in the past two years. Statistics show that suicide is one of the top three causes of death among our youth, along with car accidents and homicide.

I am not a psychologist, and I am not an expert on mental illness, bullying, loneliness, helplessness, shame, or self loathing, but I do consider myself a spiritual practitioner and studier of the spirit (at least my own spirit) and I’d like to take a shot at the consideration of using spirituality as a part of the solution....... read more by clicking on the title link above!

Dark Days of Winter

by Cinda Stevens Lonsway 

Written for Wild Sister Magazine 

February 2012 Issue

Does this time of year send you in a tailspin of depression, fear and anxiety? Do you dread the short days, the ‘can’t go outside’ days, these cold and wet days? OR do you embrace this time of year, as if you are an animal headed into hibernation? Glorious days of doing nothing, except maybe sitting under a blanket, reading, watching movies, drinking coffee/hot coco/a glass of wine?

When asked what my favorite time of year is, I have always answered Winter. And usually my answer solicits responses of disbelief; the usual answer I have found is Spring and Autumn, because the visuals are so apparent and lovely. Winter on the other hand, is bare and dark and lonely and depressing. But not to me. 

I am sincere with my answer, I LOVE WINTER!!! I embrace it when it arrives and I look forward to it all Fall!!! To me, I am that animal, ready to crawl inside my cave, draw the drapes, pull up a blanket, and settle in for a long winter’s night. Because Winter is where I get reborn, regrown, rejuvenated, and restored. 

But I think I am rare in my desire, because it seems that so many of my peers, dread this time of year. So I began to wonder, why we fear, dread that which is so good for us? To me there is nothing healthier than down time, a time to go within and contemplate a new beginning. When the whole world slows down so nothing extreme is expected out of us. When I allow myself to be in the same cycle of nature, I am no longer fighting an unseen force, and life flows so smoothly, so comfortably, and yes, gloriously. 

Here is my winter routine, and I have learned to embrace this about me. I have also found that it is helpful to make my friends aware of it, so they don’t take it personally. 

I wake up, and stay in my pajamas while I cook a hearty meal and get my kids off to school. I try to avoid carbs for me, but fill up on protein and veggies instead, so I don’t feel like a slug. Once alone, I pick up my house, clutter is not a healthy thing to be surrounded by. Then I will either bathe in a hot salt water bath, listening to a meditation CD or just sit quietly. I get dressed in sweater s and jeans or just comfortable sweats. I put on minimal makeup and move to the couch next to the fireplace. This is the time of year when I am on the lookout for books that run in a series – one year it was the Twilight Saga, another was the Hunger Games Trilogy, and this year I am rereading The Outlander series. This takes me away to another place and time; I usually fall asleep for a bit, and travel in my dreams. 

A light lunch of warmed soup in a mug and toast, while I watch taped shows or feel good chick flicks on TV , DVR, or DVD. The entire time, I allow my body to slow way down, I am constantly aware of the beauty and grace of this feeling as I sink deeper into my couch, into the storyline of the movie or book, and I may even nap again. I may pull out my laptop or my iPad and write inspiration as it comes to me, I may even journal, but usually I sit and become one with the couch and mug. 

For those who work outside of the home, and feel the constant grind of having to move through the dark days, I would ask that you find the time to sit and be still. Either on a weekend or before you head out to your day or after you get home. Allowing yourself the luxury of doing nothing. 

The luxury of doing nothing is really hard for some. I know from experience that there is a silent fear that if we stop, we will have trouble starting up again, and I am here to tell you that THAT is not true. By allowing yourself the luxury of doing nothing, you are allowing your body to heal, rest and recover from constant and exhausting doing all the time. If we follow nature’s lead that Winter is the time to slough off the old in preparation for the new, and cover ourselves up with leaves of blankets, and soak up the warmth in our bellies, and hunker down, slow down, rest, we will come out the other side with a new energy for a new beginning. 

A friend once called this kind of transition in her life being like “bug juice” - that in between stage of being a caterpillar and turning into a butterfly. When we are settling in for Winter, we could visualize ourselves going through this transformation of caterpillar to cocoon. Inside the cocoon, the caterpillar has turned into bug juice, changing drastically who it once was. It is in this form of transformation and darkness, when the bug gets to decide what it wants to become. Nature, for a bug, has a plan, but we as humans get a say as to what it is we want to be transformed into. Winter gives us this rare opportunity once a year, to invest in our future. To allow the bug juice of our being to become all that it is meant to be for this New Year. The butterfly of our life, which is waiting to be born, cannot happen unless we allow this transformation to happen. This transformation cannot happen unless we give it space and time to occur. Winter is that space and that time. Winter is where we go within, cocoon in our homes, in the car to work, in the quite spaces we create. Winter is where we slow so far down so we can have the energy to rev back up. 

Do not fear that you won’t come back to life, or turn into that butterfly, you will, nature will not allow you to remain in this constant state of bug juice. But not allowing this time of transformation, or fighting it, and most certainly fearing it, will prevent your true and full transformation and growth to happen. But warning, being bug juice is like being in a fog. You may find conversations hard and maybe even exhausting. You may have no desire to leave your house, or get dressed, or get out of bed…. I would ask that you give yourself a day of doing just what it is your body is craving. Ask others to pick up the kids, or call in sick, and try not to justify it, just feel it, luxuriate in it, give yourself permission to sink into yourself, into Winter for one day, maybe two. Then get up, take that shower, or that salt bath, and embrace the fresh air outside and notice how much you resemble the outside – bare yet beautiful, boring yet stimulating, cold yet lit and warm underneath the surface. 

As the bug juice starts to form we will feel it, we will know when the time comes to break out of our shell and embrace the new day, the dawn of a New Year, the beginning of our Spring. The bud of our existence is ready to bloom new. But again, we cannot, and I will venture to say we SHOULD not, begin this new journey without the embrace of Winter and all she has to teach us. Winter teaches us how to evolve into who we are truly meant to be in all our greatness, in all our glorious colors, and to spread our wings and fly towards the sun. 

There is no better way to get to know yourself, to feel what needs to be felt, to rest, recover and give birth to the you you will need to be for the months ahead, until it is time to hunker down and rest again. Consider Winter as something to look forward to, a luxury so seldom allowed, a chance to follow the cycles of nature and become one with the flow of all life. For the light will always return. 

pictures photographed by Virginia Stanton in Oregon

We ARE Love by Cinda Stevens Lonsway

We ARE Love by Cinda Stevens Lonsway

Cinda's ROAR!: We Were Women First.... by Cinda Stevens Lonswa...

Cinda's ROAR!: We Were Women First.... by Cinda Stevens Lonswa...: Artwork by Manon Doyle,  Sisters of the Sun , titled "Shine" Before we were Wives and Mothers, Before we were Republicans or Demo...

MY HEART

MY HEART

Today my heart is WIDE OPEN

Today I know NO LIMITS

Today I know only LOVE

LOVE of SELF

LOVE for OTHERS 

LOVE of PLANET

Love for all that is possible

and grand

and sacred

and holy

Today I honor YOU

Today I honor TOMORROW

For TOMORROW will be more of TODAY

~Cinda

(artwork by Manon Doyle of Sisters of the Sun)

We Were Women First.... by Cinda Stevens Lonsway

Artwork by Manon Doyle, Sisters of the Sun, titled "Shine"

Before we were Wives and Mothers,

Before we were Republicans or Democrats,

Before we were Conservative or Liberal…. Right or Left

Before we were Christian, Muslim, or Jewish….

We were Women.

Women,

ALL Women,

I ask you to Stand Up and Give Voice to Your Truth.

I ask you to represent yourself as a WOMAN first and foremost.

I ask that you honor who you are as a woman.

I ask that you DEMAND all the rights you DESERVE as a woman.

I ask that you DO NOT give your rights over…

to your politician,

to your political side,

to your chaplain (or equivalent),

to your husband,

to your child.

For if we women are held silent,

if we women are not allowed to chose…

our own path,

our own destiny,

our OWN lives,

the world WILL suffer greatly.

We are the Solution.

We are the Answer.

We are the LOVE,

the Nurturer,

the Wisdom,

the Grace.

We are the Healers.

We are the Power.

We HAVE the Power.

We NEED to recognize IT in ourselves first,

DEMAND it out of others second.

We NEED to unite as SISTERS.

For the sake of EVERYONE!

It is time….

The time is NOW!

Are you READY?  Get SET…. ROAR!

A ROAR! Can BE...... by Cinda Stevens Lonsway

A ROAR! Can Be.....

A ROAR! can be the breath it takes to take that next step forward.  

A ROAR! can be the calming of a nervous heart and speaking your truth even when your voice is quivering.

A ROAR! can be the spontaneous moment you laugh, when you used to cry.

A ROAR! can be the overwhelming sense of compassion you have for that person you thought was your enemy.  

A ROAR! can be the mother bear protecting her young.

A ROAR! can be the yell of, "BACK OFF!  YOU WILL NOT TOUCH ME, HARM ME, HURT ME, PUNCH ME, KICK ME, STONE ME!"

A ROAR! can be the decision to NEVER do that again.

A ROAR! can be the decision to change your diet, change your patterns, change your habits, change your direction, change your mind.

A ROAR! can be the moment you walk away, without a word, or even looking back.

A ROAR! can be the kiss of a skinned knee of a child, an embrace of a teenager's broken heart, a hand holding of the elderly, a passionate exchange between lovers.

A ROAR! is NOT a battle cry....

A ROAR! is a movement of protection, of clarity, of forgiveness, of understanding, of compassion, of love, of boundaries...

A ROAR! is what it takes to face your fear and do it anyway.  To do what you normally wouldn't do, to break old patterns so you can create new and healthier ones.

A ROAR! changes YOU, it changes those YOU know, and it changes YOUR world. 

In a single moment, right now, you can change your future by a simple yet powerful ROAR!

Demand it, declare it, embrace it, live it, talk it, sing it, write it, burn it, cart wheel it down the street or in your back yard.  There is no right or wrong way to ROAR!  There is only your way, you have the power and YOU are more powerful than you know.

Your ROAR! is that pebble in the water.  Your ROAR! sends out consecutive rings of energy which project out of you and around you - changing your future instantly.  So, it makes no difference which way you turn, you will always walk into the future you have just created.

So ROAR!  

What would it hurt to try?  

See what happens in the following days. 

Let me know!  Visit www.roarwithcinda.com and share your ROAR!  

Let us know how you changed your life and ROAR!ed

Know you are loved and supported for the work you are about to do.  Those who have ROAR!ed before you, known and unknown to you, are holding sacred space for you, you are not alone.

Are you READY?  Get SET..... ROAR!

What is a “ROAR!”? by Cinda Stevens Lonsway Aug 28, 2012

ROAR! came to me on May 23^rd at 1:00am, part my own story, part Mother Earth’s.  I had been heartsick over the oil spill in the Gulf.  It seemed to me that our Mother was hemorrhaging and NO ONE was doing ANYTHING to help her.  It made me sick, gave me nightmares, and, most importantly, woke me up to the atrocities that our culture has done to not only nature, but to women themselves. 

I felt helpless, vulnerable, scared and weak because there was nothing I felt I could do to help Her.  As this frustration built, a rumble began to stir within me.  I yelled ENOUGH!, trying to stop the rumble. But then I realized that it was not to be stopped.  The ENOUGH! was to be yelled not at me, but at them, those who created the leak.  The rumbling inside of me was that of Mother calling my Name - asking me to do something, anything. 

And so I did. I wrote ROAR! 

I shared it on Facebook and instantly it went around the world, resonating with hundreds of women, men, and children.  It was a powerful moment… a lesson for me in how energy works.  By staking my claim of ENOUGH!  I started a stir - a union of ENOUGH! that was felt worldwide. 

Here is what I learned from ROAR! 

I learned that when we stand up and give voice to our truth… when we declare to the Universe what we are no longer willing to tolerate… when we energetically tell the world we have had ENOUGH! of that which serves us NO MORE!, we change our own lives. We change the world.

Our ENOUGH! is that pebble in the water.  Our energetic declaration sends out a wave of hope, love, and commitment to SELF that no one can deny when they feel it.  In that moment, when we stake our claim of ENOUGH! and ROAR!, “NO MORE!” all those around us change.  Why?  Because we have.

This September 2012, 

ROAR! with Cinda is partnering with 

Wild Sister Magazine 
to  create 

30 Days of ROAR!  

Our intention is to help wake up thousands of women, men and children around the globe; empower them to Stand Up and To Give Voice To their Truth.  We are asking you to join us in this Global ROAR! 

What is a ROAR! ?

A ROAR! is NOT a battle cry.  It is a cry for boundaries. It is an energetic declaration which stems from the LOVE and PROTECTION of your SPIRIT, of YOU!  We are NOT sending hate or trying to change others, we are sending out our desire to be healthy and happy.  In other words, before we can heal the planet, we need to focus on healing ourselves first.  We need to look deep within and recognize that which serves us NO MORE! 

Are you in an unhealthy relationship? Have you been living in prolonged grief? Are you tired of being disrespected and mistreated because of your race, your sex, your sexual preference, your age, your religious beliefs?  Are you living a life of stagnant creativity? Are you exhausted by a dead-end job? Do you have a chronic illness you are ‘sick of’? Whatever it is... declare ENOUGH!

Your ROAR! is a declaration that you are DONE, have had ENOUGH!, will NO LONGER TOLERATE ______! (you fill in the blank.) 

 So plant your feet to the ground, straighten your back, build up your energy, and surround it with golden light (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT). With this energy that has built up, you should feel warm and powerful, you should feel it in your solar plexus, that region behind your belly button and under your rib cage – this is your power source.

Then declare it, feel it, demand it, yell it, cry it, growl it, write it, sing it, whisper it, think it, pray it, cart wheel it down the beach or in your backyard.  There is no right or wrong way to ROAR!  As long as it comes from you and is for you and your well-being.

Then, when it is over, after you have ROAR!-ed your mighty ROAR!, replace it with that which is beautiful.  Bring in the light of peace, of joy, of surrender, of gratitude.  Bring into your body the love of all that is right in the world, your world.  Let this swirl around inside you and fill up the empty holes where your ROAR! released years, if not a lifetime, of pain and suffering.  Then smile and send that out into the world too.

You see, you are that pebble in the water.  Those consecutive rings are your energy of ROAR! and your LOVE! that you just sent out in front, beside and behind you.  So, no matter which way you turn, you walk into the future you created. 

The future YOU created.

On September 1, 2012 start sharing your ROAR! with Wild Sister Magazine and ROAR! with Cinda.  Tweet it, Facebook it, Pinterest it, Blog it, video it, photograph it.  We are ready and prepared to hold sacred space for you as you prepare to change your world.

Are you ready?  Get Set…. ROAR!