Bionic Diva
So I promised I would pick up my Diva work again and the book just recently reappeared so now is the time I start again. For anyone who's not familiar with the book it's called I am Diva -- Every Woman's Guide to Outragous Living and it's basically got alot of self-esteem boosting exercises. I interprite the word Diva (or Divo--masculine version), as short for divine, as one who expresses thier divinity. The exercises are put in a way where it doesn't feel like psycoanalis or like you're crazy, which is really nice. I really hate feeling like I'm crazy. All previous exercises can be found in this journal. My writeups are of course summeries of the chapters in the book, because of copywright & laziness, but a good amount of it is also direct quotes. If anyone feels inspired to follow along or whatever don't be shy, I've taken it as a complement the couple of times it's happened. I've actually thought about getting together a weekly Diva group to go through exercises with those of you who are local. If anyone is actually interested in this let me know and I'll see if I can make my scedule permit such things. So without further ado:
People always say I didn't give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn't true. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in
-Rosa Parks
All diva's ar tempted to "sell out" -- to sacrifice our individualit to gain mainstream popularity, sometimes at the cost of our authentic expression. We fight for the respect and acceptance of others and forget that the most importaint person to be respected by is the one in the mirror. Self-respect comes from standing up for ourselves and telling ourselves "We are worth it."
Boundries are neccessary for self-respect. We must listen to and honor the little voice inside that says no, or leave, or that's not OK, or I can do it. When we don't we are being victimized because we are being convinced to question our intuition. It is a destriction of the invisible force field that keeps up from harm. Thinking someone knows better than you, doing extra work to avoid ruffling feathers, overworking to prove you're smart, capable or worty, canceling plans to prove your love for someone are all types of this victimisation.
The signs of these boundries being crossed are an uneasy feeling, anger, bitterness, hate, ect.
I felt that I needed a force greater than myself to end this destructino so I created the Bionic Diva. She is a cross between Wonder Woman and Jamie, the Bionic Woman. The Bionic Diva is couragous and stands her ground even when there's risks involved. She is confident. She admits her fears and proceeds anyway. She has weaknesses, but her power shines through because she recognizes her own worth. She has the ability to see into people's hearts and find compassion without sacrificing her own values. The Bionic Dive respects herself, believes in herself, and honers her boundries at all tims. This superhero is there to give you the ability to look at things objectively. It is the Diva's burden and privilege to take a stand for herself. Define your boundries, be clear to yourself and others, and stick to your guns. Responsivility and action are the weapons of the Bionic Diva's arsenal. Her bionic ears listen to herself first before reacting. Her bionic heart is filled with self-love and self-respect. All that fills her veins are the cells of honor, valor, confidence, and strength.
The Diva's Bill of Rights
We all have the right to have our own space, our own life values, self-expression, and opinions. We all have the right not to do someone else's work, to stand up for ourselves, to laugh loud, to keep our house messy, to hire a nanny, and the leave the office at five o'clock. We have the right not to kiss ass anymore. We have the right to believe in ourselves. We have the right to be everything all at once: good, bad, ugly, beautiful, sensitive, touch, smart, challenged, sweet, and strong. We have the right to be Divas
Exercises:
1: When you find yourself feeling angry, upset, hurt, used, or violated, write it down. Since we don't know what our boundaries are until they're crossed, we depend on these signals to alert us. View the situation as if it were happening to someone else. How would your inner diva have handled the situation? Where are the boundries? What is okay and what is not?
2: Create your Bionic Diva superhero. What are her special weapons or powerful strengths?
3: Creat a Diva Declaration to remind you that you are the Bionic Diva.
People always say I didn't give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn't true. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in
-Rosa Parks
All diva's ar tempted to "sell out" -- to sacrifice our individualit to gain mainstream popularity, sometimes at the cost of our authentic expression. We fight for the respect and acceptance of others and forget that the most importaint person to be respected by is the one in the mirror. Self-respect comes from standing up for ourselves and telling ourselves "We are worth it."
Boundries are neccessary for self-respect. We must listen to and honor the little voice inside that says no, or leave, or that's not OK, or I can do it. When we don't we are being victimized because we are being convinced to question our intuition. It is a destriction of the invisible force field that keeps up from harm. Thinking someone knows better than you, doing extra work to avoid ruffling feathers, overworking to prove you're smart, capable or worty, canceling plans to prove your love for someone are all types of this victimisation.
The signs of these boundries being crossed are an uneasy feeling, anger, bitterness, hate, ect.
I felt that I needed a force greater than myself to end this destructino so I created the Bionic Diva. She is a cross between Wonder Woman and Jamie, the Bionic Woman. The Bionic Diva is couragous and stands her ground even when there's risks involved. She is confident. She admits her fears and proceeds anyway. She has weaknesses, but her power shines through because she recognizes her own worth. She has the ability to see into people's hearts and find compassion without sacrificing her own values. The Bionic Dive respects herself, believes in herself, and honers her boundries at all tims. This superhero is there to give you the ability to look at things objectively. It is the Diva's burden and privilege to take a stand for herself. Define your boundries, be clear to yourself and others, and stick to your guns. Responsivility and action are the weapons of the Bionic Diva's arsenal. Her bionic ears listen to herself first before reacting. Her bionic heart is filled with self-love and self-respect. All that fills her veins are the cells of honor, valor, confidence, and strength.
The Diva's Bill of Rights
We all have the right to have our own space, our own life values, self-expression, and opinions. We all have the right not to do someone else's work, to stand up for ourselves, to laugh loud, to keep our house messy, to hire a nanny, and the leave the office at five o'clock. We have the right not to kiss ass anymore. We have the right to believe in ourselves. We have the right to be everything all at once: good, bad, ugly, beautiful, sensitive, touch, smart, challenged, sweet, and strong. We have the right to be Divas
Exercises:
1: When you find yourself feeling angry, upset, hurt, used, or violated, write it down. Since we don't know what our boundaries are until they're crossed, we depend on these signals to alert us. View the situation as if it were happening to someone else. How would your inner diva have handled the situation? Where are the boundries? What is okay and what is not?
2: Create your Bionic Diva superhero. What are her special weapons or powerful strengths?
3: Creat a Diva Declaration to remind you that you are the Bionic Diva.