Maria Shriver

March 7, 2013

I've Been Thinking

Spirit of Sisterhood

By Maria Shriver

Follow @mariashriver

When I visited my friend, Sister Joan Chittester, last summer, she told me something that struck a chord in me so deeply that it still comes to mind all these months later.

She said she's surprised by how many women tell her that they want what she has. Now, keep this is mind: Sister Joan is a Benedictine nun. She doesn't have much in the way of material possessions. But what she does have, these women tell her, is a sisterhood. As the only daughter in a family of four brothers, I know what they mean.

I spent time with Sister Joan and saw it with my own eyes: that’s truly what they have. What does that kind of sisterhood look like? It's a community where women respect each other's views, voices and choices. A community where women support each other's lives and honor each other's experiences. That's what women tell Sister Joan they want.

I thought of this recently when I saw the initial wave of criticism surrounding my friend Sheryl Sandberg's forthcoming book, Lean In.

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March 7, 2013

On A Mission

Turning Adversity into Advocacy

By Jeff Bell

Over the past fifteen years, life has given me much more than I bargained for. I mean that literally, and I say it with great gratitude. Allow me to explain.

In August, 1997, at the age of thirty-three, I was at my wits’ end, ready to quit.

While happily married with two precious daughters and working as a successful radio news anchor, I was also battling OCD so severe I could barely function.

I’d been through five therapists and on and off various medications, and I was exhausted, dejected, and depleted of hope.

Out of desperation one sticky summer night, I found myself in my backyard hammock, staring up at a sea of stars, and making what I’ve come to call my Bargain with The Universe.

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March 6, 2013

How I Did It

Three of the Biggest Mistakes I’ve Made as an Entrepreneur

By Julie Wainwright

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As a CEO, I read articles on leadership and profiles of corporate executives and founders every week.

I’m always looking for new nuggets of gold, hoping to avoid their mistakes and embrace their key success tactics.

Most articles seem to parrot a good self-help book or state the obvious, but still offer a good re-enforcement of key issues we all face.

Seldom are these articles written by women, though. That shouldn't surprise anyone -- there are very few female CEOs.

I believe women can offer a slightly different take on entrepreneurship than men and therefore, I was excited when I was asked to write this column.

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March 5, 2013

Architects of Change

Every Woman is Divine

By MariaShriver.com

In 2010, Jesse Dylan and Maria Shriver collaborated on an original short film that premiered at The Women's Conference that year.

The film, titled "Every Woman is Divine," is a beautiful meditation on the power, progress and potential of women and girls around the world.

Since Friday, March 8 is International Women's Day, we thought the time was right to share the film again.

Get ready for the goosebumps!

And after you watch it, be sure to share it with a woman you love.

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March 5, 2013

Alzheimer's and Caregiving

Elder Care with Community and Companionship

By Cat del Valle Castellanos

Follow @CatCastell

My mom first met Kathy Perkal at the preschool I attended, where they had weekly meetings to chat about the trials and tribulations of raising young children.

As time progressed, the greater issue of caring for their aging moms and dads began to overshadow discussions on child rearing.

Mom shared her experiences with her own mother, who was in an assisted living home in North Carolina. My grandmother's room was a carbon copy of the one she had lived in for the past 40 years.

Even with the homelike accommodations and outstanding caregivers, my grandmother wasn’t adjusting. Ironically, the large number of residents made it difficult to socialize comfortably.

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March 4, 2013

Tips for Transformation

Getting Unstuck From The Muck

By Wendi Knox

Follow @ohmygoddess

When you see a dragonfly soaring in all her iridescent splendor, it’s hard to believe that such an elegant creature spent much of her life crawling around the bottom of a pond.

But it’s true. Dragonflies spend as much as four years in their larvae-like, creepy-crawly “nymph” phase. And it isn’t pretty. (More like Alien than A Bug’s Life.)

But here’s the thing. Even though a nymph’s life appears to be mundane to the outside world, big changes are happening inside.

In fact, that little creature actually sheds her skin up to fifteen times before finally making a dramatic exit from the pond.

Then, when she’s finally ready to climb out, onto her launching pad (a reed or leaf), she lets go of her final layer of skin.

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March 1, 2013

Tips for Transformation

Seven Mountain Truths from Kilimanjaro

By Joan Wright

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The moment we decided to climb Kilimanjaro we were told this would be the hardest thing we would ever do, ever.

Now, on this side of achieving the summit, I realize how little I understood what people were trying to tell us.

I recently completed a book titled, UP: Pursuing Significance in Leadership and Life, based on my leadership model that resembles a mountain. I used actual mountains and their unique characteristics to illustrate points and Kilimanjaro was featured for its distinctive challenges.

I was intrigued by this dormant volcano that attracts so many people, but turns away most from its majestic summit.

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February 28, 2013

I've Been Thinking

Time to Bond

By Maria Shriver

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Over the last few days, I had some precious alone time with my son, Christopher.

He's the youngest of our four children and, as is common with the youngest children in large families, he isn't always able to get a word in around the older kids.

This week, the focus was on Christopher. We went on a bike ride together, talked at night, and laughed for hours watching his favorite Comedy Central channel.

We've always been close but we bonded in a different way -- we bonded around his interests -- and it felt good. We had so much fun that we made a plan to watch something every night before bed that makes us laugh out loud.

Bonding with loved ones is a great gift that feeds your spirit. It refreshes you and reminds you of what's ultimately important in life.

Working families that are stressed to the max need time in their lives to bond. People who work together all day need time to connect in meaningful ways.

I read an article last weekend about how smart companies and leaders are practicing mindfulness in the workplace to calm and focus their employees -- to help them be in the present moment with each other and come to a shared mission.

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