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Candace's vision for women Unlocking Secrets for Women Worldwide
My Vision, My dream:
I lived in South Africa during a significant part of its history, witnessing first hand the beginnings of the implosion of apartheid. My observations helped me discover an old but simple truth - despite the miles across the world between people or the barriers in language, we are all the same. The color of the blood within all our veins is red, our basic nutritional needs are similar and what sustains life for us is the same as are the basic desires within us. We are not as different as we think we are! A mother weeps over her loss as I do in spite of the many miles between us.
It's not what sets us apart that make us strong, but what we share in common. This is the secret to success – the power in unity. To focus on what brings us together is the essence of Unlocking Secrets for Women. Regardless of where we are both culturally and socially, we all share the same common goals of wanting to do the best we can with what we have and to desire better for ourselves, our loved ones and our society. To understand that common goal helps us to continue to grow.
As I pictured the event “With Women in Mind” - seeing women, organizations and skilled doctors gathering together to participate in something so unique and diverse - I thought about the wonderful privilege and opportunity that is before us.
It brings me complete joy to see so many people who don't know each other together in one room with a common desire. There are those that want to offer a hand to help to improve the quality of life for others and those that desire that information. What a wonderful picture of giving, sharing, care and compassion in one room.
Regardless of their reason for coming, everyone participating is there for the same reason. We all want to help and learn how we can make life better for all of us, regardless of the topic. This is the essence of my desire for Unlocking Secrets for Women and this inaugural event.
Unlocking Secrets for Women was born out of a strong passion to review the foundation and philosophy of the way we deal with the challenges we all face. As one who has endured much hardship and have faced many obstacles, sometimes, simply as a result of a lack of education or resources, I have recognized where my success has come from. It has come through the beautiful gift of others and their willingness to share their strengths for my benefit. A caring friend, loved one or business colleague who took the time to share their gifts of knowledge and compassion are those who helped to complete the missing pieces of information within me.
As a society, our challenges with our youth, crime rate, divorce and family breakdowns still seem to indicate a barrier, but in my humble opinion it isn't a lack of desire for good that is a barrier, but rather misunderstanding the true needs around us. I believe that the “reactions” of anger, crime or the breakdown of the family are happening against the sense of threatened loss of the most basic and fundamental need for unconditional love; love that is expressed in practical works and the greatest demonstration of human compassion. Compassion that is willing to climb down into the pain of another’s life to lift them up from under, serving them with respect and practical care.
I can remember during one of the toughest times of my life, a friend and I were talking about where our lives were headed. I had mentioned that in watching people (my favorite pastime) I saw many that others were able to be what I perceived as successful and looking through the eyes of my own pain I wanted something more for my life. I remember saying how much I wanted to overcome my obstacles but didn't know how to get it. As I looked at my life, I said to my friend "is this all there is? “ Is this all there is to life? We get up every day, slave to our jobs, tangled and stuck by the problems our lives have or even just feeling a deep sense of boredom and emptiness? Surely there must be something more to life - this can't be all that there is. She looked at me and said what I thought was the saddest thing I had ever heard - "you got it baby, this is all there is.”
Something inside me rebelled against that and I knew that there was something more and to this day that reminder of thinking is always there with me. When I face a new challenge or see a new problem I can't help but think, there is a way around this or there must be something we are missing that we just are unable to see yet. Surely someone somewhere must know how to solve this? I believe as we all share together this genuine passion to love and care for others, this compiled mosaic of talent, compassion, wisdom and love, will help to provide the answers we are missing. Collectively we are powerful! I have great faith in my fellow human beings that we bring amazing gifts and talents into this world and if we could only learn to tap into them and then be willing to share them, would we all be better off.
Let's focus on what we share in common rather than what drives us apart. For although there is beauty in diversity, it is our unified goals that help us to build permanent bridges of love, tolerance and compassion. We must continue to focus on what we have in common in order to build a structure of love to house our diversity becoming a benefit to all that we share this old earth with.
Here in my own country of Canada is the unique example of inviting the many diverse peoples and cultures of the world to come and live within our borders peacefully, sharing one country. Our responsibility with this privilege is to continue to show the world that we can live together despite our differences by focusing on what is foundational to us all.
These bridges of common ground that we have built and continue to build will reach across the nations of the world if we let them, and will create pathways of peace that we can all benefit from. Unlocking Secrets for Women endeavors to be a part of building that bridge!
Candace Newton
2005
www.unlockingsecrets.com
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