LinkLOVE – Female Role Models, Peace Corps Realities, Productivity, Creativity, & Self-love

4 Reasons Strong Women Should Watch the Iron Lady - Tressugar – From ageing to love, ambition and understanding femininity as an asset – Tressugar shares 4 ways we can learn from Mrs. Margaret Thatcher.

The Real Peace Corps - Waide’s World – If anyone has ever contemplated the Peace Corps, Volunteer Service International, or any extended period of overseas volunteer work, Michael Waidmann’s blog (written both beautifully and honestly) is a fascinating and informative read that gives a very accurate account of the highs, lows, and everything in between that comes with committing 2 years of your life to Africa. And if you’ve already been there, done that…it also serves as a fabulous way to relive those heart-breaking/frustrating/joyous/life-changing experiences all over again.

How I Stay Productive and Get Massive Amounts of Shit Done - Illuminated Mind – Fabulous tips for battling distraction and ‘opportunity overwhelm’!

To Alexa or Not to Alexa – Musings of an Inappropriate Woman – A look at the substance (or lack there of) in today’s female role models. Be sure to check out Rachel’s related piece here where she delves deeper into the danger of aspiring to ‘be’ fabulous rather than ‘do’ fabulous things.

“There’s nothing wrong with admiring another woman’s sparkle (or her sparkly shoes). However, when we focus on being rather than doing, we play a dangerous game. We buy into the fiction that if we had the “right” shoes, life would be perfect, but hanging your self-esteem on your image is a one-way ticket to misery.”

The ABC’s of Self-Love: Y is for Yes – Yes and Yes – A few of our favourites? Yes to high quality parmesan.Yes to brunch.  Always. Yes to respectfully, carefully culling non-awesome people from my life. Yes to being outside for half an hour, every day, regardless of the weather. Yes to moving my body in ways that bring me joy.

Twelve Things You Were Not Taught in School About Creative Thinking - Psychology Today – You are creative, trust your instincts, there is no such thing as failure, and more…(Our creative spirits could certainly have used a bit more love & tenderness in our schooling years…)

Help Women take the Stage - Harvard Business Review –  A great reflection on the importance of women sharing their insight and speaking their minds – even when it doesn’t feel necessary.

“When I attend a conference, I realized, my mindset is, “What will I learn?” not “What will I teach them?” This is the case for most women I know. We say, “I will speak up if I have something to say, not just for the sake of speaking.” As a result, we don’t plan ahead; we don’t walk in with a strategy about what kind of comment to place and how to make sure it has impact.”