There are so many amazing women who were a part of this that it was tough to single anyone out.  The movement encompassed women from geographic, racial, religious, and socioeconomic walks of life.

These women were hard core.   They were arrested, brutally beaten, tortured and force fed.  But they kept going for what they believed in. 

When I lived in Virginia for a few years, my house was about a 25 minute drive from the Occoquan Workhouse, where many of the women were held after being arrested.  I'd drive by the place and see the brick buildings and guard towers and think about what those women went through to get a right that so many of us take for granted today.  They dared to be brave in the face of how they were treated and worked for change.  

They were radical.  In the US, they would chain themselves to fences, picket the White House, heckle the President, conduct public demonstrations such as parades and go on hunger...

So earlier this month I had a really long week.  Due to the wildfires in the Pacific Northwest, smoke settled over my little corner of the world and AQI (thats Air Quality Index) became the new buzzword.  The AQI at my home went from Very Unhealthy to Hazardous and back for over a week.  Which meant "don't go outside."  For my dogs that meant "don't go outside unless to potty, then right back inside." So I'm here to tell you that I learned a few things from this experience:

1. I don't like being stuck inside the house

2. My dogs don't like being stuck in the house either.

3. Being stuck in the house with 4 very bored Border Collies is no fun.  

4. The whole smoke situation made me stressed out and grumpy.

There seems to be a whole number of things to be stressed out about today.  Our current political environment, isolation due to Covid, riots, shootings, natural disasters, the list goes on.  

The interesting thing is that many of us...

When I heard the news on Friday night, I felt like someone had just kicked me in the gut.  It still hurts, and probably will for some time.  There are certain people, in my view, who should be exempt from the limits of mortality.  People who should be allowed to live forever because of the value they add to our world for simply being who they are.  

Ruth is one of those.  

Yes, she was a Supreme Court Justice with very liberal leanings.  However, lets put partisan politics aside for a moment shall we?  I want to focus on RGB the person.    

She was a champion for equality.  She is best known for her fight for gender equality but she was also a fierce advocate for equal justice and eliminating discrimination of all types.

Her own personal experiences with gender discrimination inspired her to become a leader in the fight for gender equality.   In an October 1, 2016 article in the New York Times,...

Dear Alcohol, we have to talk.  Its not me, it's you. 

Its true, I broke up with alcohol.  Today, I don't drink and enjoy an alcohol free lifestyle.  Best decision I ever made.  In fact, I'm so happy with my decision that I became a Certified Recovery Coach to help other women who want to re-examine their relationship with alcohol.  If you want to know more about my story, grab my e-book, its free. 

I don't hate alcohol and I don't hate people who drink.  My husband is a casual drinker and I'm fine with that.  I have clients who are alcohol free and clients who drink.  I also have clients who want to stop or moderate their drinking. 

My purpose as a coach is to work with women over 40 who want to find their true calling or purpose in life.  Sometimes alcohol can get in the way of that.  If so, then we can focus on that.  If not, then we can focus on other areas.  Or, we can focus on alcohol first...

Happy Monday!  

This is the kick-off of my Monday Morning Inspiration Series.  Every Monday, I will post about something that inspires me to get through the week.  I hope it inspires you as well. 

My inaugural post is about Diana Nyad, the woman who swam non-stop from Cuba to Key West, Florida in 2013.  Crazy right?  I thought so at the time.  I mean, why would someone want to do that?  

Diana was no stranger to long distance swimming.  In 1975 she swam around Manhattan island in just under 8 hours.  In 1978 she made her first attempt at the Cuba to Key West swim, but was pulled out by doctors on her team after covering about 76 miles in 42 hours.  33 years after her first attempt, she would go on to make 3 more attempts between 2010 and 2012 and finally succeeding on her 5th attempt in 2013, after swimming 53 hours.  

To be clear, her accomplishment does not want me to jump in the water and retrace her...

Welcome to the Seasoned Soul blog.  Why the Seasoned Soul?  Well, because that's who I am and what I am.  And I'd like to connect with other amazing Seasoned Souls out there.  I'm Julie Bahrami, Transformation Coach and founder of Insight Coaching Solutions.  I am a Whole Person Certified Coach and a This Naked Mind Certified Coach.

I have 6 grandchildren and live in Washington State with 8 chickens, 4 Border Collies and a Papillion that rules them all.  

I created Insight Coaching Solutions because it is my mission in life to help woman over 40 find their true source of happiness.   In my younger years I was a busy mom balancing a career with a family.  While I look back on those years with fond memories, there's one thing I now realize...I never took time for me.  That really hit home for me when my kids grew up, moved out and created their own lives.  I felt like I no longer had a purpose.  Today, thats changed and...