Message from the August e-Newsletter…

The other night my husband and I went out for Thai food, and had a lovely dinner on the outdoor deck.  The sun was setting on a very productive day, and I had gotten many things crossed off my to-do list.  At the completion of the meal, our server brought us fortune cookies.  And let me tell you – I love fortune cookies.  Yes, they taste good, but I’m also a big believer in fate and subtle (or not so subtle) messages that are dropped in our laps.  (Or in this case, show up in our food.)  I always take my fortune cookie messages very seriously.

This night was no exception. Perhaps with everything going on right now, I built it up more than usual. With the busiest Fall Tour we’ve ever planned starting in September, and our first baby due next week, I am open to all the wisdom I can get.  As I cracked the cookie in half with nervous trepidation, I hoped it would rock my world.  And it said…

“About time I got out of that cookie.”

Really? A fortune cookie with a sense of humor? How fitting. And that’s when I knew this is the message I needed most. To relax, to live, to laugh…and to trust in the simple idea that everything is alright in good time.

Because things over here are better than alright…let me bring you up to speed on a few things.  First off, in June I trained a team of incredible speakers who will be carrying out all presentations this Fall while I’m on maternity leave.  You can meet them all by watching this brand new video on YouTube.

Second, you probably noticed we changed our official name to Fight Back Productions.  This came about as customers began asking for educational programs for female employees (Women Fight Back) and for mixed gender audiences at colleges (Students Fight Back).  It was time to develop a larger umbrella organization beyond Girls Fight Back that would be the home for all our educational programs.  And so it was…

Third, we are currently planning our biggest and busiest Fall Tour to date.  Please see the tour stops at right to see if we’re coming to a city near you.  If your school, college or business would like to book a stop on the tour, we offer discounts if you book when our speakers are in your area.  And if you work for a business that might be interested in becoming a tour sponsor, please contact us for an info packet.

So that’s the scoop! Until next time…I’m sending you simple joys and lots of  good fortune.

Strong. Resilient. Spirited. Unified.

FREE SHIPPING on all DVD purchases until this Friday, Aug. 22nd!  Click here to buy it.

So why the DVD?  With rising travel costs, my schedule becoming busier than ever and the demand for programs constantly on the rise..it was long overdue. Furthermore, this past year my husband and I made the decision to start a family, which isn’t easy given my current lifestyle.  The good news is we found out I was pregnant in July, and we were given a due date of March 2009.  Nervous and excited, my staff and I got to work trying to figure out what the Spring ‘09 tour could look like (big prego girl teaching self-defense?) and all the other plans that might need re-adjusting.  It was a blissful few weeks, and for the first time in a long while, I started seeing myself in another light besides a speaker, author and fighter.

But here’s the not-so-good news: Two weeks ago, we had a miscarriage.  This is the first time I am openly discussing it. As these past two weeks have unfolded, some people looked upon me with pity, sadness or avoided eye contact altogether.  There have been awkward moments and I have felt myself going to great lengths to make sure people didn’t feel uncomfortable.  Some individuals simply didn’t know what to say, so they said nothing at all.  Or on the flip side, some assured me to “keep my chin up” or that “I’d get over it someday.”

I started wishing this experience would just go away, disappear and I’d never talk about it again.  I could throw myself into work or travel or writing another book just to stay distracted. And in that moment of wanting to shrink into the darkness, lock this experience in a small box of sadness and hide it in the attic of my heart…that’s when I realized this situation had similarities to what society tells victims of violence to do with their pain.  Don’t make others uncomfortable. Don’t talk about it. Keep it a secret. Get on with your life.  And we wonder why rape victims often don’t report assaults!  And why survivors of childhood sex abuse don’t speak about it until their 40th birthday!  Or why our society is a massive cluster of people who are hurting, which wreaks havoc on our ability to succeed, to love and to break the cycle!

The first step to finding peace is sharing the stories that bond together in our human experience.  We have to start tearing down our brick walls.  We need to begin opening up, even when it’s hard or there is a lurking fear of judgment.  When we feel the need to turn our back on the truth, instead we need to grab a flashlight and investigate deep within. Above all, we need to support each other.  We need to be there to catch our loved ones with a giant net as we leap out the 10th story window of our respective comfort zones.  If you are someone who has been carrying a heavy burden, I can assure you that for every insensitive comment you will hear, there will be one thousand more hugs, words of support, good vibes and friends you didn’t even know you had.

Next week I begin my Fall speaking tour in Texas.  I have taken the time to write, think, cry, talk, process and heal.  I can honestly say that I’m back to my old self and at peace with what has happened…perhaps even a bit wiser than before.  All the great things at GFB headquarters are moving ahead with gusto.  I am excited that when I can’t be somewhere to give the GFB seminar, the DVD can be shown in my place.  I am elated that we have been presented with opportunities to take the GFB mission to an international level.  Blessings are everywhere, but we must choose to see them for what they are.

I went to a yoga retreat this past weekend to get some zen before diving into the Fall Tour, and I camped the first night.  I endured a howling, scary thunder and lightning storm alone in my little tent.  While getting pelted by hail I thought to myself, “I really don’t need this right now.” But how symbolic of my past two weeks!  I consciously decided, after fleeing to my SUV for cover, that my challenges were finished for now and it’s time to start over.  The next morning, in anticipation of more bad weather, I upgraded from my tent to a cabin.  Ironically, I was placed in a cabin named Ganesh, who is the Hindu God of Removing Obstacles and New Beginnings.

And so it is.