Fierce and beautiful friends,
Happy “Forever Fierce Day, 2018”! What exactly is “Forever Fierce Day” and the Forever Fierce Campaign, you may be wondering. Well, do you remember in the fall of 2017, my sweet friend Danielle at Family.Love.Inspiration and I were among 198 other bloggers who participated in the “Bridging the Gap” campaign. Each mid-life participant was paired with a millennial participant. We interviewed each other, got to know one another better and blogged about our experience closing the generation gap. “Bridging the Gap” was part of the Fierce 50 Revolution. Both ideas are the brainchild of blogger and style icon Catherine Grace O’Connell. Celebrating women in midlife. Please revisit that post, here.
Fast forward to December when the Fierce 50 Revolution evolved into the Forever Fierce Campaign. The movement morphed from celebrating women in midlife to celebrating women of all ages in all stages of life. I received an email from Catherine and her Forever Fierce team inviting me to “be a part of an intimate and exclusive group of 50 bloggers in this year’s Forever Fierce Campaign launching on February 19, 2018.
The email continued by saying, “You have been hand selected as you have shown yourself to be a powerful leader with the metrics that matter most in a woman: kindness, compassion and a radiantly, beautiful heart.”
OH. MY. GOSH!
Me?
I was thrilled. Humbled. Delighted. My blog is so modest and insignificant in comparison to all of the important blogs out there. My readership and following are so small when I look at the metrics of other blogs and bloggers. But being recognized for having “metrics that matter” more than the number of page loads and unique visits is such an honor!
Forever Fierce Day, 2018
Which brings us to today! This campaign is focusing on serving midlife women in our community who aren’t currently bloggers. We believe all women have a deep desire to have their voices heard. So, we 50 bloggers are coming together today to share the voices of other strong, invincible women on our blogs. We’ve asked them to answer this question: “What does it mean to be FIERCE at midlife?”
Please welcome my friends, Elisa and Maraye.
Meet Elisa
Age: 43 years young
Location: El Paso, Texas
I chose to introduce you to my friend Elisa because she is one of the most put-together, confident, polished and powerful women I know. We worked on the same elementary campus where I was a librarian and she was a fifth grade teacher. Elisa was a leader on campus, a bridge between admin and faculty, and the BEST teacher. She is now an assistant principal on the campus where I most recently worked as a substitute librarian. Elisa is a rising star. She will continue to educate and make the difference in the lives of El Paso children for years to come.
Elisa, what does it mean to be FIERCE at midlife?
The word FIERCE has been used to describe women who emanate power and success. My perception of a fierce woman is someone with an intense, ferocious, heartfelt, and powerful intensity. A truly fierce woman uses this intensity to empower others to improve their quality of life with knowledge and support that will in turn create other fierce human beings that have positive effects on the world around us. In my opinion, true success or fierceness does not come from the digits on a paycheck or physical beauty, but on the leaders created through one’s own leadership who have the capacity to be agents of their own future, no matter their life circumstances.
Meet Maraye
Age: 44 years young
Location: Austin, Minnesota
While I don’t know Maraye, personally, I found an immediate connection to her when I learned she, too, has suffered with Lyme Disease. I would love to learn more about her experience with this life-altering health issue. Hope we will have an opportunity very soon to connect beyond today’s post.
Maraye, what does it mean to be FIERCE at midlife?
In 2010, I toured the streets of Skid Row with a ministry team. Sometimes we don’t recognize what God will use in the future to help us become fierce. I saw people who’d lost it all; homeless, ill, addicted — people who’d given up hope. I couldn’t possibly relate, but I never forgot…because that day, a homeless man came up to me and asked for prayer, but then in an instant, replied, “You aren’t ready yet,” and walked away. It wasn’t until a few years later, when I was battling Lyme Disease and was forced to give up my career, house and nearly everything I deemed important, that I understood what that man had sensed: Although it appeared that I’d had it all before, I’d been secretly living with anxiety and fear since I was 7. Finally, I was ready. It was only in my weakness that I was truly able to find the courage and faith to emerge FIERCE.
Amazing responses from two amazing women. Elisa’s definition of FIERCE brought to mind the Chinese parable, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” She empowers children to take an active interest in their education and future. In reflecting on Maraye’s struggles, I am reminded of a quote by Nelson Mandela “Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us, Elisa and Maraye.
Your Turn
What does being FIERCE at midlife mean to you? Won’t you share in a comment below? Then please, click here to visit Catherine’s blog. There you will find the links to all 50 of the bloggers who are, like I, sharing the voices of other FIERCE, wonderful women. Or begin by meeting the women Catherine interviewed in her Forever Fierce Day post, here. And take just a moment to celebrate “Forever Fierce Day” by viewing the video below.
Share the momentum and energy behind this revolution! Use the graphic at the top of this post or the video directly above to create your own social media post on “Forever Fierce Day, 2018”. And be sure to use these hashtags: #ForeverFierce and #ForeverFierceDay.
Thank YOU for coming by and thank you, Elisa and Maraye for warming my heart with your words!
Hugs and kisses,
Danielle
Leslie how cool that you were chosen for this. You absolutely emulate all the qualities they listed. You are FIERCE my friend.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Awwww, you say the nicest things. No wonder I love you so much. Thank you for your kind words. Some day I am going to meet you in real life and give you the biggest hug!! XO
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom
You know so many amazing women, Leslie! I love reading about their stories! For me, being fierce is getting up everyday and facing challenges, no matter how small or big they may seem. I always try to keep challenging myself. Just because we are getting older, doesn’t mean we aren’t important or fierce women still!!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
You are so fierce and invincible now! Would love to be a fly on the wall at your house to see you in action. Would love to see your schedule…a day in the life kind of post to get some idea of how you accomplish so very much.
I am blessed to ‘know’ many amazing women, YOU are among my favs. Elisa is someone I know in real life and she balances a very busy home life and professional life and married life so well. And looks gorgeous doing it. You and she remind me of the Ginger Rogers quote that says “Women can do everything men can do, and do it dancing backward in heels”…something like that!!
Laura
I love that you are highlighting amazing, confident women! It’s so empowering! Thanks for sharing these! I really enjoyed reading this post!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you, Laura. I can’t imagine anyone being much more inspirational than you. The story of how hard you tried for your second baby girl will stay with me forever.
jodie filogomo
I feel the same way about my blogging metrics and number, but I’ve learned there’s so much more to it than the numbers. There are the wonderful connections that we create—like you, Leslie!!
Your heart is fabulous and I’m so glad you joined us in this Fierce Day and shared these women’s stories!!
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Aww, Jodie! Thank you for introducing me to…leading me to Maraye. We have now connected on social media and I look so forward to getting to know her better. Next time we feature amazing women, I call dibs on Charlotte and Nancy!!
Kim Higgi
Love all these lovely ladies that you have featured! such an empowering moment
Leslie Roberts Clingan
So blessed to have my circle of friends extend beyond my neighborhood, my hometown, my state. All of you inspire me to get up and make the most of everyday.
Robin LaMonte
Leslie,
You are a wonderful person to be a part of the Forever Fierce Campaign!
I am a nano blogger but I don’t look at the numbers but the connection I make with other people who read my blog.
Thank you for sharing these wonderfully fierce women with us today!
Happy Forever Fierce Day!
Robin
https://helloim50ish.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-forever-fierce/
Leslie Roberts Clingan
How precious is your comment. Love the idea of the nano blogger. I am going to start looking at the numbers of connections I am making, new friendships I am cultivating rather than how many folks just happened by. Thank you for the inspiration!
Shelbee on the Edge
Leslie, I had to laugh at your description of how you reacted when you received the email inviting you to participate in the campaign. When I received my email, I literally had tears. And I was like, “What?! Little ole me? Who the heck am I? And you think I embody all that?” Wow! I was so honored and flattered and totally blessed to be in a community with so many amazing women with a common goal. Women empowering women. How beautiful is that image? And why has it not existed in such abundance before? We need each other to thrive. Because how much taller can we stand when we uplift those who are the journey with us! I am totally inspired by the stories of your two friends and I am so excited with where there midlife revolution will lead!
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Wow, your comment really resonated with me. Aren’t we all just a little bit better, a little stronger, a little more inspirational and inspired, when we come together? And to be recognized for having a good heart!? By women whose hearts are the size of the Grinch’s at the end of the book! Wow, wow, wow.
Thank you for you message and for warming my heart. I feel like the (good) Grinch today, myself!
Belle
Leslie thank you for sharing these two beautiful and inspirational women. I loved reading what they had to say and how wonderful to see that they recognize the blessings along with how fierce they are. Blessings ~
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you, sweet Belle, for recognizing the wonderful friends I highlighted on my post. I know Elisa in real life and she is such a role model to everyone, especially the little girls at the school where she is an administrator. I am just getting to know Maraye but feel we have so much in common, and in common with Catherine, since we have all suffered with Lyme Disease. Crazy what things bind us to one another!
Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond
I actually felt like you Leslie when they asked me to be part of the campaign. Me, a little blog in Australia on the other side of the world! Aren’t we funny the way we view ourselves and how others look at us so differently. I love you and the person you are and I am loving reading all of the thoughts from the women who have taken part. Now I have been inspired by another group. Thank you and have a beautiful day, my friend.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
You know what is heart warming, too? That several of us who “hang” together in the blog world were invited to be a part of the 50. It’s like validation that we are associating with some great folks!!!
Lana
Great post Leslie! I was so honored to be part of this campaign too. Loved reading more about the women you shared today.
Andrea@Wellnessnotes
It’s such a great campaign! I love reading about all these fierce women! It’s inspiring and uplifting! Thanks for sharing!
To me, being fierce means allowing myself to be me – finally. It’s taken a long time, and I’m not sure I’m 100% percent there yet, but I’m getting there…
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Yay!!! Love your definition of fierce. You are much younger than I and it took me longer to get to the place where I am pretty much 100% good with where I am and who I am. I have an occasional day (like this morning) where I find myself feeling sad and questioning what I should be doing. But over all I like myself so much better now. If only we could grow up feeling that way from the start.
Debbie Huckeba
Great women and I loved both of their messages on being fierce. Truly inspiring!
Debbie
styledesignmusings.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you so much for coming by! My hat’s off to Elisa and Maraye for sharing their voices with us.
Amy Kennedy
Such beautiful strong women! I so appreciate Elisa’s passion and drive to raise up other leaders, there is no fear in lifting others up, only a rallying cry for everyone that they can be strong and make a difference! And then Maraye’s very honest story of her encounter with that homeless man and how it had significance then and throughout her life to today… Very powerful story!
And I think your blog is absolutely beautiful, just like your heart! Thank you, it blessed me to read it!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Aww, Amy, so tickled that you came by to meet my friends Elisa and Maraye. I am blessed to know Elisa in real life and to have worked with her and for her. She is such a role model to all of us in education. And Maraye and I are just beginning our friendship and have a very real connection with our shared diagnosis of Lyme Disease.
Thank you for visiting and please come back to see me!