All About Women | Women

Woohoo! Another year and another Bathroom Blogfest. This year’s theme: Cleaning Up Forgotten Spaces Around Us.

So, when I participated in this Bathroom Blogfest last year, I had just returned from France, with the bathroom experiences there. This year, I just returned from Italy. It may seem like I am this awesome world traveler, so if you think that, keep thinking it! I do like the sound of it. I do get around quite a bit and I get to experience a lot of loos.

The French WC’s (that’s water closet for you non-French speakers) were not exactly stellar. As a matter of fact, they were downright nasty. It pays to wear skirts and dresses, nothing to drag on the wet floors. Talk about cleaning up the forgotten spaces; well, the French WC’s were totally forgotten. And toilet tissue? Well, what’s that? Luckily, I pack my own supplies.

So this year I can squeal on the Italian toilets. After my experience in France, I knew I had better pack toilet stuff. My backpack included a healthy supply of tissues, napkins, and hand sanitizer. I was pleasantly surprised that I did not have to resort to my stash very often. The toilets were clean and stocked. Some of our group complained that there were no toilet seats. This did not bother me as I am a professional squatter.

I am tickled about the bidets in the hotel bathrooms. I still don’t know exactly what to do with one, so I guess I didn’t need it. After all, I don’t own a bidet. Yes, I know I can go to Wikipedia and find out all about bidets, but you know what? I really don’t want to know.

Italian toilets are up there for me. Didn’t have to do too much cleaning up as the spaces in Italy were never forgotten. And I frequented many of them. Whenever there was a bathroom break, I was first in line. And it wasn’t because I drank so much water; I could not stand the taste of the water; as water should not have a taste. I preferred water with gas. But that’s another blogfest – natural or gas water. My point is, I visited a lot of toilets. Oh, I must confess. Don’t you love confessions?

One of the toilets cost 50 cents. Imagine, charging you money to take a leak! Anyway, I being cheap didn’t have the 50 cents. So what’s a signorina to do? No, I did not jump the turnstile. If anything, I would crawl under; though I am tall and that would be painful. I went through with another woman. Thank you, dear Catherine, my toilet sister!

Yes, I have had some funky bathroom experiences abroad. Must write a book about it someday. Next week I go to Cleveland. Can’t wait to christen those loos! This could be a whole new job for me – journeying to bathrooms around the world. Then, I would blog about them. Until then, see you in the loo. I’ll bring the tissues!

~ Carolyn

Check out my Bathroom Blogfest sisters and see what they are up to:

Susan Abbott at Customer Experience Crossroads
Katia Adams at Transcultural Marketing
Shannon Bilby at Floor Talk!
Laurence Borel at Blog Till You Drop
Jo Brown and the blogging team at Kohler Talk
Lisbeth Calandrino at Lisbeth Calandrino
Sara Cantor at The Curious Shopper
Becky Carroll at Customers Rock!
Katie Clark at Practical Katie
Iris Shreve Garrott at Circulating
Ann Handley at Annarchy
Marianna Hayes at Results Revolution
Elizabeth Hise and C.B. Whittemore at The Carpetology Blog
Maria Palma at Customers Are Always
Sandra Renshaw at Purple Wren
Kate Rutter at Adaptive Path
Claudia Schiepers at Life and its little pleasures
Stephanie Weaver at Experienceology
C.B. Whittemore at Flooring The Consumer

"We don't get our lives together and then give them to God, but rather we give our lives to God and then things start coming together. As our hearts open, our talents and gifts begin to blossom. Many people have told me that once they're successful and have made a lot of money, they will use that success to help the world. But that's a delay technique by which the ego tries to keep us from showing up fully in our own lives. Even if we don't yet consider ourselves successful, we can devote our work now to being used in the service of the healing of the world. From that point of power our careers will take off."

Nothing in life can take the place of knowing your purpose. If you don't try to discover your purpose, you're likely to spend your life doing the wrong things.

I believe that God created every person for a purpose. As psychologist, Viktor Frankl said, "Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life. Everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus everyone's task is as unique as his specific opportunity to implement it." Each of us has a purpose for which we were created. Our responsibility - and our joy - is to identify it.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you identify your purpose:

For what am I searching? All of us have a strong desire set in our hearts, something that speaks to our deepest thoughts and feelings, something that sets our souls on fire.

Why was I created? Think about the unique mix of abilities you have, the resources available to you, your own personal history, and the opportunities around you.

Do I believe in my potential? No one can consistently act in a manner inconsistent with the way he sees himself.

When do I start? The answer to that question is "NOW."

From Your Road Map for Success by Dr. John C. Maxwell.

Be You On Purpose,
Coach Carolyn

Part of being a woman of purpose is tapping into issues that are greater than ourselves and giving back, to our own individual communities and to the global community. The Bonita Trust is one such charity. Founded by billionaire entrepreneur Ruth Parasol in 2004 as an independent philanthropic charity, Bonita was created to give back to the communities in which they, the company, and its staff live and work, past and present.

Bonita focuses the majority of its grant-making in five geographic areas: the United Kingdom, India, Israel, Bulgaria and Gibraltar ~ where the company is based. The Bonita Trust is committed to enriching the community through programs geared to health issues ~ prevention and treatment; enterprise and education ~ through technology and leadership development for women; and culture and heritage.

Our online and real time communities of Becoming a Woman of Purpose is committed to the spiritual empowerment and enrichment of women and the issues that concern them. When we are troubled within, this bleeds to the outside and infects as well as affects all areas of our lives. The Bonita Trust is also committed to building community and making a tangible impact on the lives of the people in the community, especially women and children.

Ruth Parasol, born in San Francisco, currently lives in Gibraltar with her husband Russ DeLeon and their three children. To see more of the work of The Bonita Trust, please visit their website http://www.ruthparasol-bonitatrust.org/.

When we are stuck or in a state of uncertainty, it is difficult to move forward on our dreams and intentions. We are inclined to stay in that state of uncertainty instead of moving forward to a place of unknown. Yet, when we think about it, every move forward is a move into the unknown. We take the risk when we are certain that it will benefit us, or if it is a life and death situation; for example, staying in a passionless job because you are afraid of not being able to pay the bills. We resign ourselves to a life of drudgery instead of trusting the process and ourselves and taking a leap of faith.

Our last Becoming a Woman of Purpose Gathering was about those things that hold us back. The most common reason is fear. I believe fear is a catch all phrase for us not knowing and trusting ourselves and the process. If we can truly trust in ourselves, knowing who we are, it is less difficult to take that leap. I still ask the ladies, “Who are you?” and with the exception of my most diligent members (shout out to my girl Jennifer, woot!), no one can fully answer the question. Why is this? Because it is easier to stay stuck, not taking full responsibility for one’s life, than to make decisions that might get you what you want, or might get you evicted. I am by no means saying to make these decisions without proper planning. This planning is all part of the process called life. It pains me that so many women are not in touch with who they really are and what they truly want out of life. Oh yes, we know what we don’t want, but what do we want? Can we name it? Can we allow it once it shows up?

Stopping is a spiritual action

This can be a sticking point for some people, because stopping may seem like resigning or being lazy. This is far from the truth. There is stopping actions all throughout our lives, for a reason. We stop at red lights in order to allow someone else to move. Yet, when we are stopped at a red light, we tap our feet anxiously wanting the light to hurry up and change so we can move on. Move on to what? Just move! Stopping allows us to read the signs of the times, within our own lives and intentions. How can we know what we truly want if we do not take a moment to stop and ask ourselves? Then, if we keep moving like the hamster on the treadmill, and the thing we want shows up, will we stop long enough to allow and receive it? I say we do not and we miss the opportunity.

Once we take the time to stop, we ask ourselves what do we want and when do we want it? Do not worry about how we get it, that part is none of our business. Our part is to just show up in a state of allowing and receiving. We ask for what we want, then promptly negate the request. For example, we may want a new home. Yet, we say but I cannot afford it, the market is bad for buyers, how will I make the payments, on and on and on. Just state the intention, and then allow it to come. You cannot state an intention when you don’t know what the intention is. Stop and ask the questions. Some questions to consider:

Where am I in my life right now?
Where do I want to be right now?
What is the gap between the two?
What do I need to do to bridge that gap?

Also, remain in a state of gratitude. When we are grateful, we are not in a negative place. Remember, love and fear cannot co-exist. When we are in one state, we cannot be in the other. Which state are you choosing? And remember, it is your choice.

Live your life on purpose!