I have been thinking about doing a series of giveaways, for various reasons, and tonight in my meditation it became clear that this needed to be the first one. In honor of yesterday’s 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, I am giving away a copy of one of my favorite awareness-raising, life-changing books, Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. I think if everyone in North America read this book, the current state of our world would shift dramatically.

I am reposting what I wrote about it on my original blog, wholeselfcoach, when I began to read it last summer.

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Women hold up half the sky – Chinese Proverb

I started reading Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn the other day. Here are a few quotes from the introduction:

This [meticulous] study found that thirty-nine thousand baby girls die annually in China because parents don’t give them the same medical care and attention that boys receive – and that is just in the first year of life.

In India, a “bride-burning” – to punish a woman for an inadequate dowry or to eliminate her so a man can remarry – takes place approximately once every two hours…

…but keep in mind this central truth: Women aren’t the problem but the solution. The plight of girls is no more a tragedy than an opportunity.

Which brings to mind His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s recent, famous quote:

The world will be saved by western woman.

Talk about a call to action. A call to open our eyes and our hearts to what’s happening in our own backyards as well as around the world. It is a call to step outside of our comfortable (or perhaps not so comfortable) lives and do something, anything, that makes a difference.

There’s a lot of talk these days about charity not being all it’s cracked up to be. It is often misguided, dis-empowering, misused. I prefer to talk about empowerment (still overused, less offensive). How do we empower ourselves, our children, the mentally ill homeless man on the corner, the Cambodian girl who was kidnapped, trafficked and sold into sexual slavery? The answer is different for everyone but I think it starts with being aware. Painfully aware. Beautifully aware. It means living intentionally and recognizing the incongruencies in our lives. Recognizing the places where our actions are out of line with our deepest knowing of ourselves – the knowing that lies underneath thought.

When our days are full of necessary to-do lists – raising children, maintaining relationships, paying the bills, walking the dog – how do we find the time and space for greater good? Is it enough to simply hold the vision, meditate on peace or volunteer once a year to feed the homeless at Thanksgiving?

I believe – I trust – that if we open our hearts to each other and allow ourselves to connect to what resonates for us, we will find our best way to contribute to the world. That if we know ourselves to be connected to everyone else in the world, the flapping of our butterfly wings can create ripple effects felt somewhere.

I don’t have specific answers for anything these days. The more I know, the less I know. I find myself more and more willing to open my heart to the difficult questions. To allow myself to be touched deeply by others while still choosing my own path. In the spirit of love and respect, with a profound desire to be a force for good in the world, I continue to learn, to build community, to meet like-minded souls. I know that by the time I finish this book, I will be a different person. I will be changed by the stories of horror and hope within its 252 pages. I already am. I’m curious about how those changes will manifest. Will I take action immediately? Will I find something new to be passionately committed to? Will I forget, all too quickly, what I thought was so important only days before?

So back to the Dalai Lama’s quote. The world will be saved by western woman.

Really?

Count me in.

You?

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Add your name to the comments below and if you like, please either tell me how you celebrated International Women’s Day or what you do/would like to do to make the world a safer, healthier place.

The winner will be chosen Tuesday March 15 – my 39th birthday – giving me another reason to celebrate.