Isn’t it a refreshing experience to hang out and be yourself with Sista’ friends? Having Women friends who allow you to be who you are without judgement, or an opinion (maybe a little) about anything is what Sista’hood is all about.  If you have never experienced this and want to, ask yourself why you haven’t? I bet someone close to you also wants to do this but may not know how. Sista’hood is Boss!

Breaking Down Walls

Many Women have experienced some type of hurt that built a wall It is time to break them down, one brick at a time. Discovering what your hurt is and how to release it and let it go is the best thing you can do for yourself! There are support groups, therapy, and Women who will listen without trying to fix you, but all you to get it all out!

Breaking down the Walls or Barriers to your freedom to be you is a very liberating experience. When you can open up to all of the possibilities in life, especially Sista’hood, one will begin living, not just existing. Free yourself and allow others to see you, because they can’t with that Wall standing in front of you. The view behind the wall is absolutely beautiful.

Coming into the Fold

Sista’hood is a beautiful experience any woman could have. Give yourself a gift and join the many who enjoy spending time with other Women. Whether it is a friend, cousin, sister, mother, grandmother or aunt, they will be here for you. Embrace what life has to offer and come into the fold of love and genuine relationships with your Sista’ Friend!

Laugh, Live, Love

Share laughter, life, and love with a Sista’ or two! Dance, hang out, or just sit and talk! One may never know what beauty and joy this will bring until they try it! Be a Sista’ to someone, Women need each other! They are so powerful and greater in number!

Love a Sista’ today!

Peace & Blessings,

Grace Sowtrue

The RJ Group

The RJ Group invited Chandra Brooks to submit a video on Women Empowering Women! Listen to Chandra share on the power of Women! She is honest and open about what Women may go through on a daily basis! She is an Empowered Woman!

Chandra is the Northern California Staff Director at SEIU United Service Workers West that represents more than 40,000 janitors, security officers, airport service workers, and other property service workers across California. An organization of 2.2 million members united by the belief in the dignity and worth of workers and the services they provide and dedicated to improving the lives of workers and their families and creating a more just and humane society.

Chandra is also the Vice Chair at the Santa Clara County Commission on the Status of Women. Their mission is “To act in an advisory capacity to the Board of Supervisors to study and investigate conditions which demonstrate discrimination or prejudice because of sex and gender.” The Commission is composed of 15 members appointed by the Board of Supervisors with a term of three years.  All members represent the community at large and should reside within Santa Clara County.

The RJ Group invites all Women to share their Empowerment stories! Women need to hear from Women!

Grace Sowtrue

The RJ Group

The RJ Group invited Arnita Craighead to share on Women Empowering Women, and of course, she accepted! Watch and listen to her share about the power of Women!

Arnita Craighead is the Chief Empowerment Officer of The Motiv8ing Factor. She empowers others via speaking and coaching about suicide prevention and living a limitless life. Arnita resides in Dallas, TX and in her spare time she loves to travel, read, cook and spend quality time with those she loves.

http://themotiv8ingfactor.com/ 

The RJ Group wants to share your story with other Women who are or would benefit by being Empowered! Give us your feedback! Share with us! Women need to hear from other Women!

Grace Sowtrue,

The RJ Group

Coaching and Mentoring are often interchangable, but there is a difference. Coaching is more focused and guided, while mentoring is mainly advising, recommending. I would say that they are both valuable especially if it means an opportunity can be gained by the receiver. Women who coach or mentor are Boss!

The RJ Group invited Christina Brunson to share about her experience with being mentored. Christina is a self-motivated, visionary professional with experience in user experience, mobile design, digital marketing, full-cycle project management, content management systems, customer relationship management, and process improvement. She is also a wife, mother, and very good friend to have.

Listen to Christina share and send us feedback. The RJ Group welcomes all Women to share their experiences with us as we share them with other Women who will benefit from hearing it.

The RJ Group’s main focus is to Empower Women! View our videos, read the posts, share your experience, and reap the benefits of being Empowered by Women!

Grace Sowtrue

The RJ Group

The RJ Group invited Nandi to share on Empowering Women, and she accepted! Nandi is a well-rouned pop culture nerd & licensed esthetician raised in North Carolina. Very informative and informed, lively and loves living, beautiful and a rare beauty. A Woman to be reckoned with, and extremely Empowered! Currently this foodie, beauty enthusiast, & skin care educator lives in Brooklyn NY and shares her love of everything delicious & beautiful at her digital home,www.blushnbourbon.com.

Watch and listen, you will understand! I enjoyed viewing her video because the words resonated with me as I was able to shout, “you are right!” She speaks the truth that so many of us need to hear. I am extremely grateful to be related to her (my niece). It is such a joy to see her natural talents manifest right before my eyes. We are all strong, powerful, and extremely Empowered! As Nandi stated, “find your tribe. . .’

The RJ Group invites you to share your Women’s Empowerment Story with other Women who will benefit from it! Visit our blog at http://www.therjgroup.blog, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @gracesowtrue.

Light and Love,

Grace Sowtrue

The RJ Group

Melanie Savall-Williams is a native New Yorker, who currently resides in Brooklyn, NY. She is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and advocate for all Women! Melanie is the person you want on your team whenever there is a need for a true supporter. Always a kind word, beautiful smile, and great personality (she is a natural conversationalist).

Melanie has been the foundation for her family and friends in many ways. Melanie is an example of an Empowered Woman, her strengths, vulnerability, and presence is a what that representation should be. I am honored to know her (not because we share the same name), as being with her is like a calm in a storm.  Meeting and getting to know her has been one of the best experiences of my life.  Oh, and she is my SIL (Sister-in-Law)!

Watch and listen to her story, she tells it so well. Learn from hearing about her experiences and the path taken in life!

Kudos, Mel! Keep smiling, shining, and supporting! You are an Empowered Woman!

The RJ Group welcomes your comments and feedback! Contact us here at therjgroup.blog or email us at therjgroupinfo@gmail.com. We are also on twitter, handle is @gracesowtrue.

Light and Love,

Grace Sowtrue

The RJ Group

This  picture was taken at the Barton Creek Greenbelt in Austin, TX. As I walked the trail with one of my Sistah-friends, I stayed in the present, conversed with her, and admired the beautiful scenery. The rocks and trees have been in this trail for a long time. There was once water running through this beautiful place, but is no more. I never saw the water, but am sure that if someone has and looks at it now, they may be disappointed as opposed to looking at the beauty that is still there.

It never ceases to amaze me how much the past can overshadow the present. I have read books, taught on the topic at some of my workshops, and have been Womentored (Vickie Washington, I am using your word) on the topic. What I have concluded is that it takes a concerted effort and a lot of courage to be present. Sometimes fear or thoughts that have nothing to do with what is actually happening right now acts as a catalysts for me to be removed from being right here, right now.  The information that keeps me in fear or doubt, should be buried under a rock, like one shown in the picture.

I often think of my mother, who has shared her wisdom with many. Some of the wisdom that was so freely given to me was not recognized as such at the time. I was too busy thinking about what had happened and that which was not. Translation: living in the past and future, never present. My mama is no longer with us, and I wish she were. To this point, the reflections of her words of caution, encouragement, and love live with me and are the foundation of the Woman I have become. I did not know it then, but she laid some heavy information on me that is so very applicable today. That is the past that I can bring into my present, it is useful and extremely valuable.

I have been so honored and blessed to experience sistahood in many ways. Friends over the years, Women whom I have met only once, family members, and many others have brought life lessons that matter into my experience. I realize today, that I can change my landscape at any time. What I see in front of me can be as beautiful or horrible as I choose. I can look at the glass as half empty or full. I can see another Sistah who is what some may call unfriendly, or I can believe she has not been involved with nurturing and loving sistah relationships. I can see the beauty in her, nothing more, nothing less. I can build her up, not tear her down. I can pass on information that has been shared with me and allow her to do with it what she will. I can be present with her and show that it is possible to have Women friends (so many of us believe that Women cannot be friends – sad).

I can use information from my past to have a better experience in the present, that’s it. If what comes into my spirit is not healthy and beneficial, then I will kindly reject that and replace it with something that is. It is up to me what I choose to see, feel, and experience.

Don’t let your past experiences or thoughts prevent the valuable benefit of the present. I have heard the saying that “the present is a gift.” Treat it as such, you only get it once and it only lasts for a moment. Embrace where you are in this very moment and you will be surprised how much more at ease and peace you may become. Allow yourself to have a good time, meet others who are like minded and give yourself permission to experience Womentoring and Sistahood at its best. There is a lot of love to be given and received, you can be on both ends of this.

The present is where we live, don’t allow the future and past to steal it away. Change your landscape!

Peace & Blessings,

Grace Sowtrue

The RJ Group

Meet Empowered Woman, Vickie Washington. The RJ Group invited Vickie to share about Empowering Women, and she accepted! Vickie is a loving person who has a strong Circle of Women who empower her and she provides the same to them. Listen to her share about loving relationships, self-care, wisdom, and more!

Vickie Washington is the founder and producing director of r ^. t ^. w ~ reading  the  writers, a readers theatre performance organization. As an actress, she has worked at the Dallas Theater Center, Theatre Three, Jubilee Theatre, Dallas Shakespeare Festival, Sojourner Truth Players, Soul Rep Theater, Casa Manana, Echo Theatre, and the Black Hills Playhouse of South Dakota.  Dallas audiences have witnessed her work in Crowns, The Piano Lesson, …and Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi, The Tempest, A Lesson Before Dying, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, and For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf.  She received Best Actress recognition from the Dallas Critics Forum for her performance in From the Mississippi Delta which also garnered her a nomination for the coveted Rabin Award presented by the Dallas Theatre League.  Directing credits include Passing Strange, Sunset Baby, Mississippi Goddamn, Fences, Speech and Debate, The Ballad of Jane Elkins, Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963, Fabulation, Angela’s Mixtape, First Breeze of Summer and The Gambler’s Earrings.  Her body of work has been recognized by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. with the Women Shine! — Women in the Arts Drama Award.  Her acting credits extend to the screen with the title role in the award winning, Hannah and the Dog Ghost.  Her theatre, television and film work has afforded her the opportunity to work with Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Irma Hall, Regina Taylor and Martin Sheen. Vickie is a graduate of Texas Woman’s University and for over three decades has shared her talent, passion, and knowledge with the students of the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts as an instructor and director in the theatre department. Her work in theatre is driven by her love of the craft and the powerful ways it can be used to tell our stories. Her community endeavors include serving as board chair of Black Cinematheque Dallas, coordinator of NAACP ACT-SO, member of North Texas Area Dismantling Racism Team, Dance Exchange/Dallas Faces Race cohort and volunteer at the South Dallas Cultural Center and Innercity Community Development Corporation. In addition to her work in theatre, film and television, Vickie is a writer, editor, acting coach, public speaker, and an all-around loving person.

Women are Empowered by one another each day! Share your story with the RJ Group! Women need to hear from you, after all we are stronger in numbers!

Peace & Blessings,

Grace Sowtrue

The RJ Group