MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT, San Diego -- The majority of women earn on average about three-fourths of the pay of males for the same work, according to the Department of Public Information, New York. Some women run themselves ragged without pausing to think about themselves, and may need some help to step back and focus on themselves.
Marine Corps Community Services sponsored a free, interactive workshop for women entitled, “Empower Yourself and Those Around You,” at the depot museum, May 25.
The workshop was open to all women; active duty, retired, civilian employees and dependents 18 years and older. “It’s difficult for us in the real world to feel empowered,” said one attendee. “We, as women, tend to think outside the box, but sometimes we hit this wall and just give up.”
According to guest speaker, Dr. Jennifer Gunsaullus, empowerment is being able to step into one’s strengths and own them. It also means inspiring others. Women are generally seen as nurturers, but they don’t take care of themselves; they need to do that to be better nurturers.
Attendees were first asked to introduce themselves and state the first word that came to their mind regarding empowerment. They came up with a list that Gunsaullus considered pretty accurate. Attendees were asked to make a small list of strengths and weaknesses, then use those strengths to figure out how to improve their weaknesses.
“It’s good to ask yourself, ‘what strength can I pull on right now,’ when you are in a negative spiral because it allows you to realize you have more positives in your life.” said Gunsaullus, an intimacy and relationship counselor.
According to Gunsaullus, women should try to recognize and embrace opportunities they didn’t see before. Women learn to back down because of their nurturing abilities. They don’t want to make people uncomfortable or hurt their feelings.
Gunsaullus gave her attendees eight easy tips to immediately help empower women.
Smile. Gunsaullus says, when people see others smile, they smile as well. Smiling releases endorphins from the brain and leads other to believe one is happy.
She recommended writing down three to five things to be grateful for at the end of each day.
“We all see those ‘random acts of kindness’ bumper stickers around,” said Gunsaullus. “They are right. Simple acts like that allow us to connect to others and push ourselves forward. Being truly present for a person is the best gift we can give.”
She recommended a positive flip switch. When feeling down, focus on something positive. Do not focus on negative things.
Living with integrity is another tip, which comes down to living with ones’ morals intact. Make a list of these morals and be accountable for them. Women should find out what they are passionate about, find something that lights them up and tap into it. Encourage others in their talents and passions as well.
“Support other women,” said Gunsaullus. “Don’t be catty to other women; we need to be good role models to the next generation,” she added.
Lastly, she recommended ‘loving kindness meditation.’ Sit quietly, listen to a meditation tape and focus on something or someone loved unconditionally. It is used to promote kind, loving thoughts.
Gunsaullus closed with a quote from Mahatma Ghandi to inspire her attendees, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”