Show notes –
Join Shannon & Christine as they talk with Ann & Angela about the Green Tent Circle and Environmental Wellness.
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Resources From Today’s Show:
Status on the Commission of Women
7 habits of highly effective people
The Millionth Circle – Jean Shinoda Bolen
Reducing our Impact regarding fashion
News about FL Rights of Nature
How to connect with our guests today:
Ann Smith & Angela Weber are
Circle evangelists, facilitators, speakers, organizers and co-creators of the newly formed Green Tent Circle
Christine Gautreaux 0:00
All right Hello, hello, hello, my friend, how are you?
Shannon M. 0:28
I’m good grateful to be here.
Christine Gautreaux 0:32
Um, I had been better, but I’m okay. I said today to somebody, they said, how are you? And usually my answer is I’m well, but I’m like about 80%. Well. So, you know, it’s allergy season in Georgia. And I’ve been doing some traveling lately. And I made the mistake of not taking my allergy meds. And I don’t know if it was for a day or two days. But by the time I realized that my system was my immune system was already suppressed, and this was up and my body was like, I think it really is just about, hey, Christine, your schedule has been a little cram packs lately. This is my body talking to me. The way she talks to me is like, hey, excuse me, I need you to pay attention and take a day off. I need you to practice what you preach and, you know, create some more rest for yourself. And if you are unable to do that, without help, we will make sure you are given. We’ll help you.
Shannon M. 1:48
Honest, you know what I love? I love that we talked about that on the podcast, really checking in with yourself. How are you today? Why is that? Yeah, that’s realistic. That’s honest. Should we introduce ourselves? Let’s
Christine Gautreaux 2:00
go ahead and introduce ourselves. Let’s do it.
Shannon M. 2:03
Yes. Hi, ladies. I am Shannon Mitchell, a black millennial business owner, the founder of shea low glow, a handmade shea butter company. I am your champion for natural self care and practical business systems.
Christine Gautreaux 2:17
Hey, y’all. I’m Christine Gautreaux, a white social justice advocate and international speaker, coach published author and a dancing social worker who helps you upgrade yourself in community care.
Shannon M. 2:27
Together, we are women connected in wisdom, a podcast grounded in the eight dimensions of wellness.
Christine Gautreaux 2:33
And we like to get together every week with special guest for weekly intentional conversations about how to be wise in business relationships and wellness. Like how do we do this? Right?
Shannon M. 2:46
I want to go ahead and give the definition. I know we usually chop it up a little bit. But I am so excited about this conversation. I say we let the ladies know and just let the conversation flow the way it goes. What do you think?
Christine Gautreaux 2:59
Well, yeah, because you can give it now and then we can give it again right before we bring our guest up. So tell our listeners what are we talking about today?
Shannon M. 3:08
Okay, today for Episode 66, we are talking about environmental wellness. And that is supporting your good health by occupying pleasant, stimulating environments that enhance well being. It promotes interaction with nature, and also create and also creates enjoyable personal environments, both in and out of your workplace. This includes knowing the type of environments that you thrive in, and having an intentional relationship with these places, including the earth.
Christine Gautreaux 3:41
I love it. Like I mean, we talk about environmental wellness in so many different ways. But like if folks are listening in your work, there’s environmental wellness about the actual space you’re occupying. And you can look at it from the point of view of what is your work contribute to our planet and protecting our environment? On the larger scale to right, there’s our individual. And then there’s our group of that how do we create environmental wellness?
Shannon M. 4:12
Absolutely. And so it’s so interesting, even when we’re trying to figure out which category does it go in? And you know, if I’m thinking about the environmental wellness in my workplace, does it actually fall under Social? Is it the way that I interact with my co workers that affects the environment? Or is it the actual color of paint on the wall or the lack of Windows or a lot of windows or different things that might affect it? So when we think about things, even like we were talking about going deeper into reproductive rights and things that are going on right now, you know, to have a safe environment to feel comfortable having that conversation is environmental wellness, you know, so that’s something I’m intentional about now creating my environment and setting it up for what I’m about to do. You’re
Christine Gautreaux 5:01
right. In Stillpoint, Dr. Collins and I wrote about, we really had a whole chapter on physical wellness as it relates to your work environment, like the chair you’re in, like we spend. So I mean, I know some people have thought about this more since the pandemic, right? We’ve, you know, are you at a standing desk? Are you at a walking desk Do you have? What kind of chair Do you have? Like, all those things play into it on a on a micro level, and how it interacts with our physical being? And then what you were saying to Shannon, I agree about the social part. Like there’s some big stuff happening in the United States right now. And how the environment that you’re in, are you can you talk about it, can you not talk about it? Like, how’s it going to affect I love the way that all the eight dimensions of wellness weave together to make our whole parts? Right.
Shannon M. 5:58
Absolutely. So let’s talk more about that. I know that you are my person that I go to witness politics, or how I can reach out or what part is appropriate for me to pay attention to to stay relevant and know what’s going on from an area that I can be helpful in. So when you’re thinking about reproductive rights and what’s going on
Christine Gautreaux 6:20
week. Oh, yeah. So what happened this week, is there were some leaked documents from the clerk at the Supreme Court. So it’s not official yet, but they feel like it’s coming down the pipe, is that they’re talking that the Supreme Court and the United States may have voted to strike down the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision. And so it’s, these were from leaked documents. So like I said, it’s the opinions not completely out. But the last when this came out this week, people are protesting, people are talking about it. You know, for so many reasons. And this is a really hot political topic for a lot of people. But I think when I think about this, especially for women connected with wisdom, and females, people that identify as female. To me, it’s a it’s a medical, reproductive issue. It’s a medical rights issue. The other thing I think about is the importance of voting, y’all. I mean, we have seen what has happened, and this goes into the environmental rights, this is the wellness and talking of any any issue. If you’re listening in no matter which way you believe, the importance of voting of who are you voting for? It impacts our courts, it impacts our system, it impacts our personal lives, like a lot of people said, Oh, it doesn’t matter. My vote doesn’t count. We are seeing the effects of that right now. We are seeing what is happening on the decisions that are going to impact every day decisions that women in this country make. So right now in Georgia, we have it’s early voting. So that’s the other thing I want to put in the show notes is how to vote, like how to look up. Are you registered to vote, check your voter registration, check out what elections are happening, and vote, do your research and vote. Vote your value systems and what you believe. But it does matter. And you know, there’s a lot there’s a lot that may change, and things that women in this country have taken for granted for a long time, and maybe changing pretty quickly. And I kind of want to wait to see what comes out fully before we talk about it more. But we need to be paying attention y’all. Like we need to be paying attention. And we need to be making decisions. You know, with intellectual wellness and knowing what, knowing where we can make an impact. I guess that’s the way to say
Shannon M. 9:18
it. Absolutely. And that’s why I was saying that’s why I valued your perspective and your experience and the conversations that we had that led to this podcast like you know what, I get insight on so many different levels from these women. We need to have these conversations bigger places so you know different people can know how to consider it but absolutely a daily basis from whether it’s the taxes that we pay on different things at the gas station or reproductive rights and what that might mean as far as your options that you have in different situations. So absolutely for waiting to have something different so we’re not having an opinion hands on things that aren’t, you know, but paying attention to it is what? You know, I’ve been grateful for, for the political perspective, but
Christine Gautreaux 10:08
Right, well, and it’s that time, it’s that time. So check your voter registration, check out what’s going on, do your research, there’s all kinds of ways to do your research to know candidates values and what they believe in to see if they align with your own and in vote, because your vote matters. So
Shannon M. 10:27
yeah, and I think that’s a huge thing. When we talk about women, right, we talk about lifting up the voices that are usually heard, a lot of times in situations when you talk for so long, and you’re cut off or cut short or your perspective is misconstrued. A lot of times, I think it leads to not putting your voice out there not even voting because you feel like it doesn’t matter, you know, so I know that sometimes it may feel like oh, well, if I vote, we still don’t know what this candidate is going to do once they get in office or get that position. And that’s true. But it’s also just like, a homeless person that’s asking for money, and you don’t know what they’re going to do with the money, but you did your part. And that’s the important thing as far as us in our wisdom and action and the things that we do. So that’s how I think about it. I’m going to do my research and vote. So at least I tried to be on the right side of what my goals were. Right.
Christine Gautreaux 11:21
When you say that, did you ever watch? Did you ever watch the Netflix movie? Don’t look up? Yes. I’m going to be curious if our guests watch that movie or not. But, you know, in the don’t look up. And I don’t think it’s a spoiler alert. But one of the lines at the very end that just was hugely impactful to me, was when they said at least we tried. Right, because they were they were activist they were whistleblowers. They were running around talking about it and and they didn’t get listened to they didn’t you know, there was a lot of there was a lot of nonsense happening. But they knew just with what you’re saying like they knew they tried. So
Shannon M. 12:14
it’s interesting, because yours is so deep. One of my favorite lines from the end of the movie is Last Man on Earth. We out here and he’s still on social media stream. Where are you talking to you? I said, this man is gonna be at the top of the algorithm, okay, because he was the first one after everything happened. Like, it was an interesting movie.
Christine Gautreaux 12:38
That’s hysterical. Hey, you want to read this definition again and pull our guests up here because I can’t wait. These women talking about people who are making a difference in the world. I can’t wait to have this conversation environment.
Shannon M. 12:50
All right. All right. Okay. So for environmental wellness, it is again, supporting your good health, but occupied pleasant, stimulating environments that enhance well being that promotes interaction with nature, and also creating enjoyable, personal environments, both in and out of your workplace. This includes knowing the type of environments you thrive in, and having an intentional relationship with these places, including the Earth.
Christine Gautreaux 13:19
Love that intentional relationships, our guest today, y’all, Ann Smith and Angela, whoever our circle, circle, evangelist, I can’t wait till they define that term for us. facilitators, speakers, organizers, excuse me, and CO creators of the newly formed green tent circle. They were recently speakers at the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations and we are thrilled to have them on our stage and have this conversation today. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome and Angela.
Shannon M. 13:55
Welcome, lady.
Christine Gautreaux 13:59
Oh, you got to come off mute.
Ann Smith 14:03
The power. Oh, hello how wonderful to to join you and your lively and meaningful discussions. Thank you for inviting us.
Christine Gautreaux 14:15
You are so welcome.
Ann Smith 14:20
Angela, can we hear you?
Christine Gautreaux 14:25
Angela, I think he may have to go back out and come in again. My friend. Angela is joining us from Germany today. So we’ve been having a little bit of internet issues for folks who are listening. But we are glad she’s with us and we’re hoping she can go back out and come back in.
Shannon M. 14:43
Yes. So go ahead, Christine.
Christine Gautreaux 14:46
I was just gonna ask well, while Angel was working on that, and will you tell us about the green tent circle. And circle evangelist. I love that. term?
Ann Smith 15:00
Well, I always say, you can either be when two or three are gathered together, you can either be a hierarchy, which ranks our diversity, which is the white male on top, then the white female, people of color, and it goes children, and it goes down. And the majority of creation is not valued, right, we’re seen as objects. And we can be, right, we can be beaten, we can be bought, we can be sold. So this, the opposite of that patriarchal hierarchy is a sacred circle. That is ancient. It’s modern, and it’s postmodern. And you can have a circle in your workplace. You can have it in churches, you can have it under trees, you can have it on the beach, you can have it wherever, because it is honoring that we live, that we are space. And I want to even say For Shannon, in your office, you know, everything in your office is made by nature, you know, is manufactured, but all of the all of the materials come from nature, everything comes from nature, everything comes from Mother Earth. So you can be checking to make sure that not only am I coming from that place of reverence for all life, and myself, but also that I am honoring that we are in relationship with all creation. And it is and the more that we can make that an intimate relationship, the more that we thrive, and we feel healthy. And we feel loving and compassionate. And no matter what comes down the pike, I love that you’re talking about don’t like out climate crisis, you know, denial, is that we can we can deal with the realities, as CO creators is something beautiful. That’s, that’s the big difference is we put our energy and that and when we’re in circle, we’re not alone. And all tough subjects like Shannon, you talked about and for Christine, if you’re talking about abortion, that is a very divisive subject. But in a sacred circle, every voice counts and is listened to without judgment. Now that’s a huge, that’s huge. And we say speak from your heart. And listen from your heart. Because that conversation will be much more different than right.
Christine Gautreaux 18:07
I totally agree with you.
Shannon M. 18:13
Are you hearing is there? Everybody? You don’t hear feedback. And okay, here. It sounds a little bit better now.
Christine Gautreaux 18:23
Yeah, I think and when you’re unmuted we have major feedback, but that’s okay. I muted you. I think Angela, your speak you were your sound was working. So let’s see if we can bring you up here. Angela. Hello, Angela.
Shannon M. 18:40
Can you hear us, Angela?
Christine Gautreaux 18:42
Oh, no. Okay, it was working. And then when I put you on mute, it didn’t. Oh, I’m so sorry, Angela. So frustrating. Well, if you want to type in the chat, Angela, go ahead and do that or try to come back in one more time. We can try it because I think you were live when you came back in. And we can have you come straight back in. You know, the joys of tech. It is wonderful to have an international podcast and sometimes international gets a little tricky. Give me Angela second.
Shannon M. 19:16
Yeah. And while we’re working on the sound, I would love to talk more about the Commission on the Status of Women. What was that? Like? When I think about the status of women? I usually think about health concerns, right reproductive rights, like we were talking about, I think about women’s financial status at the moment. What were the topics and what was that like in relation to the green set movement? Well,
Ann Smith 19:43
every year the Commission on the Status of Women meets in New York City and the cause of COVID. We’ve been working on Zoom. We’ve been having Orion zoom and said the UN in New York City but there are 12 issues of That’s called the Platform for Action document took us 20 years as women from around the world and our governments agreed to it by consensus that will improve the lives of women and girls. And that’s health. Education. That is economics. That’s poverty. That is environment. I’m conflict that may see what else if I can, I said the girl child, the girl child. And women in the media this will you or love, you know, how often are women portrayed again, as you know, as objects instead of us as being royal subjects? You know, so talk about that. So, so what this says is that they meet, and we have all kinds of workshops, they had 750 workshops, that goes around the edges, while the United Nations member states are meeting to go over this document that was signed, sealed and delivered in 1995. In Beijing at the fourth World Women’s Conference. It was there. It was the most wonderful event you can imagine. Around the edges, the women’s, the women’s world, the women’s yards, and 40,000 women, so you can imagine.
Shannon M. 21:26
So yeah, Angela smiley, I remember, Angela was so excited to meet you. And Anne was speaking about everything that you ladies did. Are you able to hear us now? Yes, yeah. Oh, we can hear you. Okay, so I’m gonna give you the floor. And can you tell us more about this day? The 95? And what about the girl child? What is that category? And why is there a difference in the financial category? And poverty for the women for the 12 categories that we look at? Hello? Hello? Yes, can you hear us? I can hear you.
Angela Weber 22:05
Okay. Um, I’m not sure which categories and was talking about the problem. But if we’re talking about poverty, actually, poverty is structure in our world. So in women and young girls, they are the most harmed by this structure. So when we have to talk about poverty, we have to talk about women. We are maybe 10% of the world population that has access to a computer and Wi Fi in three meals a day. And we we really forget it all the time. So how can you have a better world when there is so much of differences among ourselves, not only among men and women, but among women themselves, you know, they’re women that has possibilities of a good life. But most of the women in the world don’t. They have no access to anything that we take for granted. And they are the ones that live close to nature. They are the ones that still hear and understand Mother Nature, because they need it in order to survive. And we are living a life where we are just apart from nature. We don’t belong to nature, we feel as if we are more than nature. And we are not we are part of it. And we have to learn from this women, from their wisdom, how to connect ourselves, how to be close to nature, in ways that we don’t have this hierarchical and patriarchal society the base of the harm that we’re doing to the world and to ourselves mostly.
Shannon M. 24:51
So when you think about the green tent circle how what message would you like Like our listeners to have about how to get reconnected, right, if we’re so industrialized and modernized, used to our technology, and grocery stores that have produce year round, how do we reconnect? Based on we’ll talk about things.
Angela Weber 25:16
The first point is how to reconnect with ourselves. Because we live in a life just looking outside, it’s so crazy, so quit so. And we don’t connect to ourselves what I really need, what is really good for me, we are killing ourselves with so much chemical and that food and all those kinds of things, besides the stressful lives that we had on. So how do we change that we start with the nurse and not be compelled to have but to be? How can we be really
Christine Gautreaux 26:14
I love that, Angela.
Ann Smith 26:19
That’s when we Angela was saying- When Angela and I’ve known each other since the early 90s. And we formed a relationship of trust. I met her in Brazil. So we were doing a World Conference on Women.
And when she said it’s time to really bring out the women’s stories, that’s what we get when we’re at the UN. We hear women’s stories from around the world, especially from the southern hemisphere that you don’t hear here in the United States. And so we said, let’s bring the marginalized stories and highlight because we can learn from them. as same as we can learn from all of our indigenous women, elders and Yap youth and
Christine Gautreaux 27:30
I completely agree with you. And I had the privilege of speaking at the Commission on the Status of Women. Before the pandemic, I had been doing some work with refugees from Turkey. And we got to talk on a panel about the power of somatic body wisdom and interplay and building community and healing trauma. And being with those 1000s of women from all different countries and all different places and perspectives was really powerful. So when I think about the grinton circles, I don’t think we’ve talked about it much yet. But But how do people get involved? And what does it mean, on a practical level level?
Ann Smith 28:32
Well, I’ll start in an Angela jump in. We have on our website, we have how to start a circle the basic circle principles and guidelines that are used universally, personally and other resources. And one of the things that we say, circle is innate to us as women as women. It’s in our DNA. You don’t have to have a circle of experts. And when we start a circle or anyone starts to circle, everybody involved is as a leader is a facilitator. So they can’t say well gee, Christine, you really screwed up because because we’re responsible for the success. And so it can be here here’s my here’s my slides. You can have a flag if you want. You can have a button and you can it can be a regular chant. Or men chant, a yurt a sweat lodge, a blanket under tree tree, and it can be on the beach. It can be in the classroom. Yeah. And banana plantation that start, it can be in your office, it can be in any church room. See, it can be anywhere and everywhere. And you just say I have the green temps circles in me. I will go anywhere and everywhere. Whoever wants to join me Come and join me and tell your stories. And so Angela, tell the story for women and the banana plantations.
Angela Weber 30:42
Well, it’s a very poor community in the Northeast of Brazil, that I had been working for more than 15 years. And they love the idea of a green tent, but they don’t have means to produce a green tent. They decided to that, where they work and get the sustainance of their own lives because they are agriculture, since events, agriculture workers, and they decided that the banana plantation would be their green 10. Because they use the whole banana tree. Because after the banana tree gave it, the bananas it dies. So they use the leaves, they use the steam, they use everything they even to make food for themselves and their children. So there is no leftover, everything is used. And that’s their green tent. Because it’s a place where they are together. And they are working with nature. In kind of word that leaves no, no. Just me I lost the word, no sewage, nothing. It’s completely renewable. So it’s important, I think, this idea of a circle. Because we are born from a very dark place to light in, we live our life, and we go back to this dark place that we don’t know nothing about. So this is the cycle of life, when we went to cycle, like 3500 years before Christ, and when we change the system to patriarchal system, and the church is the religions stop it. With the worship of Mother Earth, our mother, it’s when we started to become heirarchical and patriarchal. And we, we have this within ourselves, because we are the Goddess. And we have this cycle within our own bodies. Because we produce life. And we give birth, and we die. And this is the natural circle of life. In nature, everything is like debt. So we have to reconnect through this feeling of being part of a huge circle, where nothing goes to waste. We leave we are born and then we go back, and everything is somehow transformed.
Shannon M. 34:20
And when I think about the Earth, that’s one of my favorite parts of it. Right that Earth in nature returns to itself. So and when you’re talking about the hierarchy in the patriarchy of everything, it reminds me of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People actually, and how it talks about celebrating the differences. So instead of saying, Oh, well and you’re here Okay, who was Shannon? What does she like she’s here are strengths and weaknesses can complement each other and we make each other stronger by being in the circle and working together just like the river works with the trees and the grass and the animals. All create the environment that we need for women connected and wisdom and the green tint, circle and everything that you ladies have done across the world, you need the person beside you for it to have that big of an impact and an influence. So that’s the beautiful thing that I see about how nature works together and how we work together when we want to intentionally as well.
You’re muted, and
Ann Smith 35:29
oh, sorry, in business, they’re catching on to this, Shannon, because it is, when you have everyone participating, everyone’s creativity and excitement about any project that is going on in business. Just imagine how you’ve reached a greater potential. Instead of having a few all this is the great idea there that checking with the people who actually are going to be putting together the idea. And then you’ve got the middle management that’s caught in between, that when you have everyone participating in and the business, you’re going to have success because it’s shared leadership. Everyone’s valued. Everyone’s contribution is important. And you’ll find it on many now I would say when I worked at the National Episcopal Church, as the director of women’s ministries, I said, if you want to go and hear really what circled us about and what full participation is shared leadership, go to the business department for their books. Because you’re not gonna find them in the theology that we’re doing right now. But it hopefully will start changing and is because of the indigenous theology that is coming in. And the the womanist theology that is coming in, and the Latina of theology that’s coming in, the women are changing that. And it is so exciting, because you have fun, it’s creative, there’s no mistakes. It’s just like, oh, let’s try a different one.
Shannon M. 37:08
Absolutely. And when I think about business, right, in the intro, I talk about natural skincare, clearly that Shea low blow and the shea butter company, but the practical business systems, I’m thinking about big business and big businesses based off of teams and systems. So instead of me trying to be the boss, of course, it makes sense for me to carry a little bit and you carry a little bit Angela, and Christine, and then that’d be based on our strengths. We were talking about that with Jennifer, last season with the finances, and sometimes how when you step back from a position that might not be aligned with what you have going on right now. And instead you pass it to somebody else, or even do it with somebody else, you create more space for that person. So I think it makes sense to work that way. And even though we see it coming from certain, I guess you could say classes of thought, you know, it still benefits men, it still benefits everybody, because then we work in smarter, we’re not as worn out, over extended and burnt out. And everybody again, can come to the table and see the the relevance of their gifts and be celebrated as we reach goals and do different things, whether it’s in business or specifically for the environment.
Ann Smith 38:29
Like a book, I wanted to two books I want to lift up. Yeah, this one’s called reinventing organizations. And it’s a Frenchman, because this man Well, no, he’s very, very spiritual. And it shows how you can go what he calls from red, which is very much hierarchy, patriarchy to teal, which is spiritual is wonderful. And Patagonia. And I mean, there’s many, many success stories of companies that are doing this. And the productivity the people never want to leave. They don’t want to leave this case, because they’re invested in. And then the other book for starting the circle is the million circles. And I can put those in the chat and that’s my friend James Shinoda. Bolen and this is not this is a metaphor for the tipping point. When there we know there are a million circles, that when there is the million circles, that morphic field, that tipping point, then we have changed the world. And we get to do it circle by circle, in relationships. It’s fun, it’s healthy. It’s not hard work when you’re having fun, you know, and creative and respected. So
Shannon M. 39:57
I love that. Okay, lady, so I think I have one more question. When we talk about somebody who’s used to being in the patriarchal society, right? Again, I think about being able to get the produce that I want year round. That’s not natural, right? Strawberries don’t grow year round outside in Georgia where I live, you have to get that from different places. Again, life is different now that women are industrialized. When you say to get yourself connected and know where you are, as a first step, what else would you have? Or what? What other piece of advice? Would you give somebody whose life is still industrialized? How do they connect to Mother Earth? And do that starting with themselves, I would love to give them some action points outside of the ones Christina and I always give them like journaling, or meditation or putting your feet in the grass.
Angela Weber 40:57
I think it starts with what you put inside of your body, what you’re eating,
what you are wearing. Do you need to buy so much? Can we exchange is secondhand? is it so important to be so fashionable? When we don’t want at the rate things aren’t going if you’re going to, to be here to enjoy that. For that for how long?
So this are questions that we have to make ourselves every day. You know, how can I leave without producing so much waste?
Shannon M. 41:58
I love that. How can I live with I’m sorry, go ahead, what you said how can I share?
Angela Weber 42:05
What I have, you know? How can we have a system of a market where we can exchange things, we don’t need money to get together and exchange things.
Shannon M. 42:24
I think that’s important.
Angela Weber 42:26
In Europe here you need to invade lots of markets just for swapping things, you know. This is good for Earth. My daughter here in Germany, she’s a doctor, she does not buy anything she goes and just get secondhand. Today, she needed a shoe for her daughter. She’d put that on a note for some mothers and what law there is a shoe that one year, another mother was not using anymore. So why can’t we do that more? You know? It’s so simple. And take out the stress to make money to buy more to have this gives us time to enjoy life.
Shannon M. 43:31
Yes, I agree with you. I’ve been thinking about it since I recently added clothes back to my budget. Right? Do COVID wasn’t getting close at all, lost 50 pounds moved out, donated stuff. So things right. And so now rebuilding my wardrobe. I’ve realized, you know, and you have something that I can wear with those outfits, or I don’t need to buy this today. Where are we really going if I’m still inside? Or at work? Where am I going to wear this dress? So the grocery store? No, you don’t need it. And so those are conversations I’m having with myself. So love the idea of a mother sharing circles. You know, I used to give my clothes to the younger ladies when I was in high school. Of course give to Goodwill and things like that, but being really intentional about it. That’s a great idea.
Ann Smith 44:29
I think when we also make it so that it’s not a scarcity. We’re not depriving ourselves that is really out of simplifying our life and being connected to nature and to one another. You know, I remember Cyprus I hand me downs from the neighborhood to our children. They would say yes, now I’m big enough. I’m big enough as Sally I can wherever so is close. And our kids She, Angela, I love you, thank you for your scarf, she was tired of it, I get to wear it now. But I also get to wear with that kind of vibration and love of Angela, and the people that we exchange from. So it’s not our deprivation. And I think what COVID did for us was slow us down, down. And we know we can’t go back to what it was, it was. So all kinds of circles in which we just support one another, celebrate one another for simplifying our life. Making it healthy.
Christine Gautreaux 45:42
Ladies, this has been such a good conversation. Thank you so much for bringing your wisdom, wisdom for bringing this way of being. And for this new movement of the green tent circles. So we’re gonna put all of this info in our show notes, so people can find you and connect with you. And get involved.
Shannon M. 46:14
Okay, thank you so much lady. So what we do at the end of each of our conversations is talk about a wisdom action. So we’re talking about environmental wellness, right, this week coming up. And you can start if you want, or Angela, whichever one feels like they have the answer ready. First, what are you doing as an action step this week in your environmental wellness?
Ann Smith 46:39
Well, I live in the state of Florida, and there is a petition to have have the rights of nature. Be in our Constitution. And if that happens, that means we are and then this really around clean water, water, clean water is a health right, everyone should have access to clean water. But if we have, we are now getting petitions started as Earth Day celebration in Naples, Florida. And it’s gonna go all over the state. But this is one action that everybody can take in my state. And you can also look up in your own state as is actually came from Latin America, but it’s coming here the rights of nature.
Shannon M. 47:42
Okay, so you say that you’re going to sign the petition? Are you saying that you’re letting other people know about it, and encouraging them to sign it?
Ann Smith 47:53
We are getting the news out and having petitions for people to sign. And then there’s a place to send it back. And then they send it up to the State Department. So my thing is getting the word out. It is it is educating people what it is why it’s so important.
Shannon M. 48:17
That makes sense. Hashtag getting the word out as important. Okay, actually, what about you?
Angela Weber 48:24
Well, I think what I’m trying to do every day is try to be more true to myself and mother, nature, Mother Earth. And my way of doing that is trying to talk with people and to find knowledge of how not to think in this patriarchal way because the structure of our life is about Jarocho we think in a very patriarchal way. So, I was even talking with and this week, it’s a struggle every day because we women are patriarchal. It’s so embedded into our life system, that it’s a struggle every day to think of how to disconnect from the structure and try to live a life with nature in a very light, you know, never buy a bottle of water or the things that seem small things you know, but if you can talk about this in people I understand how difficult it is that we have to be all together in order to achieve this goal, which was actually, I really believe that it’s the only way to to have a possibility of life in this earth. Because we leave, Earth is our home. We are brothers and sisters.
Shannon M. 50:34
Yes. And I love what you said earlier to Angela about how our needs are the world’s needs, you know, flowers have to be watered, I have to be water. So when we talk about wisdom and action, again, I have to I did just get a Brita filter. Actually, we had the filters, we didn’t have the picture. So we were buying water bottles. No more. Okay, we had to bring a picture. So say hashtag, not buying bottled water, okay. And also say hashtag more outside time. Before I went back to work since COVID. I was running four times a week. And so that was great outside time, I got to see the trees and feel the temperature and listen to the birds chirp. Now I haven’t been doing that since I walked so much. So I’ve specifically taken running off for a reason. But I still need the outside time. So I need to put that in my schedule. That’s what I’m doing this week.
Christine Gautreaux 51:32
I love that Shannon, thank you my wisdom in action this week. I want to go outside so bad. I’m hoping my allergies will let me I am going to probably I’ll just wear my mask that you know I have and take my medicine. But I am going to plant some plants. I’m planting a butterfly garden. And we did a plant share an incredible artist and butterfly enthusiast that’s local had a plant share this last weekend. And you can donate towards different environmental causes and come out with seedlings. And one of my dear friends Shelly, I was out of town I was out of town doing an event. And she went and took a list of things that I was looking for. I mean, only a good friend would do this right and brought back these plants for my butterfly garden. So I’m going to my hashtag in action is to plant plants. I’m a big believer in planting trees and planting plants and getting your hands in the dirt. So so that is going to be mine this week. Ladies, we are so delighted that you all came on women connected in wisdom. Yeah, so lovely to meet you all and be with you. Even with techno techno issues. We’re grateful that it works. And we will put everything in the show notes. And hopefully folks will reach out and get involved in the green tent circle movement. And be a part I know. And when you and I talked I was, you know, a lot of folks know about the red tent circle, right as a place to rest and rejuvenate. And the metaphor I had when you were telling me about the green tent is green is for go, y’all we need to have action around our environment and our environmental wellness. So the green tent to me means go, go out there, circle up with your women, listen to the stories, tell your stories. And let’s make a difference. So thank you all for making a difference. And being with us today. We are very grateful.
Shannon M. 53:28
Thank you so much, ladies.
Christine Gautreaux 53:31
All right. That was awesome.
Shannon M. 53:34
How like environmental our environmental episodes are some of my favorite because they’re not the conversations that I would usually have, you know, as a person who went to college psychology and managing restaurants like those are the type of conversations I’m having, you know, so to think about the environment, and just how something simple like, hey, I need some shoes, and you get some shoes from somebody who’s not using them in a useful way still in the abundance mindset, like she said, sounds like a win win situation. Win Win win.
Christine Gautreaux 54:08
Right? I think when you when you say it like that, I think about one of my favorite artists groups and their song and especially with everything we were talking about before, I guess came on but even with them rising Appalachia. Leah and Chloe are two of my favorite southern Appalachian artists and they have a song called resilient. And it’s about you know, continuing and being in circle and being in ceremony. But the finish the song with and I will learn to listen. And you know, I think that’s so powerful when you talk about, Oh, these are conversations we usually wouldn’t have or Oh, I wouldn’t think about it this way. Or, you know, I think if we all listen to each other more, and, you know, like Claire bromo said about universal needs on our show. And I think that the need to be listened to and heard And I know the power of women’s circles, I’m belong to them for 30 years. And I always say I am because they are. I have had some powerful women in my life, and it’s why I get to be who I am today and show up and do this awesome show with you. So I recommend it to everybody. So I was actually at Al I forgot to tell him this. So Jean Bolin, whose work she recommended. So I was at the parliament of world religions, pre pre pandemic, I was presenting with my friend and teacher Glenda Taylor, who is at one and all wisdom.com and I have been a part of Linda’s women’s circles for 30 years and she’s been doing women’s circles for 40 years. But Jean was going around the column and there were at this parliament or religion there were probably 50,000 people there right and it’s always funny how like, like, attracts like and so Jean Glidden I knew who Jean were, but we don’t know her personally. Right. And so she comes up enhance Glinda button or sticker and said, You should do women’s circles. You’d be good at it. And we cracked up because yeah, she’s really good at it. It’s been her life’s work. And it was really fun. Because, you know, they are powerful, gathering people together as we you know, you and I know. I mean, we gather people together. Listen, virtually, yes, you’re gonna podcast through our community. Yes, our manifesting groups, and I’m grateful to be in circle with you, my friend.
Shannon M. 56:38
So grateful. And when I think about it, when we when I started at manifestation, Monday’s one a four and a half years ago now. This is the fourth year, what is it? Three and a half, we’re in the fourth year, okay. When I started, I was a salaried manager was not didn’t was not a business owner now about to be two businesses in top 10% in the world, right on the news, all of this stuff. And I definitely credit that to staying on track with our goals, talking about our wins, and being focused on being intentional throughout everything and resting. Right, burnt out, you know,
Christine Gautreaux 57:18
and having these conversations. Yeah.
Shannon M. 57:21
And before we get off to let’s say, Happy Mother’s Day, first to you, Christine, Happy Mother’s Day. Thank you for everything that you do. I was thinking about you and how you sent me this stuff for my tooth when I got my wisdom teeth taken out, said wait a minute, Christine’s not feeling well, I should send her something you know, like, it’s my turn to take care of her. So we talked about it, I’m gonna send you some shallow glowing get you taken care of. And that is my mother’s day. And my thank you president for everything that you add to my life.
Christine Gautreaux 57:51
Oh, thank you, my friend. Yeah, you know, to folks that are traditional mothers or non traditional mothers or mothering the earth or mothering your friends, or, you know, you often play that role in our circle, Shannon, that you reach out to everybody and make sure they’re okay. And you check in with folks and you have that nurturing aspect for sure. And thank you this just grateful for all the ways and grateful for this conversation today. So
Shannon M. 58:22
absolutely. Okay, you ready to wrap it ready to wrap the first episode of season eight, Episode 66. We will be back ladies next week. Live at Five. Thank you so much for joining us. In the meantime, be well, Be wise be whole. We’ll see you soon.
