January sure has been a quick month! It’s been filled with lots of rest, play, fun, and work for me …. writing, revising, dreaming, brainstorming. I call it the Dragon Year of Fierce Living. Dragon Year comes from Chinese New Year (started on 1/23). My family celebrates it on Sunday! I am also a dragon! Yep I was born the year of the dragon and nicknamed Puf the Magic Dragon as a child.
Check out the new look of AnandaLeeke.com. Let me know what you think.
Thanks in advance. Enjoy the rest of January and have a fabulous February!
PS: Check me out on #Digitalsisterhood Wednesdays via @digitalsisterhd on Twitter in February. Each Wednesday Digital Sisterhood Network is going to have a #DSFierceLiving discussion you don’t wanna miss!
2011 was an intense year for me. So many great things happened. So many lessons were learned. Each person and experience made me who I am today.
As I look back on 2011, some of my greatest experiences were from my work with the Digital Sisterhood Network. Click here to listen to my audio blog that provides my top 40 Digital Sisterhood moments in 2011 (1 hour 11 minutes).
Great News! I am headed to BLISSDOM on February 23-25! I have been wanting to attend this social media conference for years! Why? Because it represents Fierce Living to the MAX!!!!! They have amazing speakers all of the time! They celebrate joie de vivre and call it BLISS (which is the meaning of Ananda in Sanskrit)! I also love the spirit and work of Alli Worthington, Barbara Jones, and the entire BLISSDOM team!
Guess what? I will be speaking about Fierce Living, my new favorite passion and 2012 life theme during BLISSDOM. The topic of my writing session is “Fierce Living from Your Creative Heart.” It will be held on February 24 from 2:30 to 4:00 pm. See the description below.
SESSION DESCRIPTION:
Calling all creative women! You know who you are Ms. Artist, Collage Maker, Crafter, Dancer, Dramatic Performer, Musician, Painter, Photographer, Poet, Sculptor, and Ms. Writer. When’s the last time you allowed yourself the space to dream, imagine, and create something that inspired a deep feeling of peace, play, and fulfillment? Wait no more. During this session, you will have an opportunity to explore your inner women (also known as archetypes or personalities) and the role they play in your creativity through mindful writing exercises and discussion. The takeaways include ways to tap into your inner women’s intuition, imagination, and nurturing energy as “fierce living” growth opportunities for 2012 and beyond.
FYI — Join #DSFierce Living Conversations on #DigitalSisterhood Wednesdays
“the mindful practice of unplugging, understanding, and unifying who I am online and offline from the inside out so I am able to express myself fully in my healthy living journey, Digital Sisterhood book writing, art, and work as a coach, digital media producer, yoga teacher, and innerpreneur.”
My mother Theresa and Oprah Winfrey are two of my Fierce Living sheroes because they remind women we are stronger than we know.
DSN recognizes that fierce living means different things to different people. That’s why we are hosting #DSFierceLiving conversations on Facebook, Pinterest, Survey Monkey, and Twitter on #DigitalSisterhood Wednesdays in 2012.
Here are four ways you can participate.
1) LIKE Digital Sisterhood on Facebook, visit the page on #DigitalSisterhood Wednesdays, and share what you are doing to make fierce living a reality in your daily life.
2) Create a #DSFierceLiving 2012 board on Pinterest and share what fierce living looks like in your life. Cross post your Pinterest link on Digital Sisterhood Facebook page. Also, tweet the link on Twitter with the hashtag #DSFierceLiving. DSN will retweet it. Click here to check out Ananda Leeke’s #DSFierceLiving Board on Pinterest.
3) Follow @Digitalsisterhd on Twitter and participate in #DigitalSisterhood Wednesdays by tweeting your favorite digital sisters. Tweet about your acts of fierce living by using the hashtag #DSFierceLiving.
It’s hard to believe that it’s already day 13 of the new year. How has 2012 been so far?
I’ve been taking my southern sweet time to arrive in this new year. It is what I call my “Fierce Living” approach. I love that phrase! That’s why I adopted it as my personal life theme and the 2012 theme for the Digital Sisterhood Network.
So what is Fierce Living all about? I define it as,
“the mindful practice of unplugging, understanding, and unifying who I am online and offline from the inside out so I am able to express myself fully in my healthy living journey, Digital Sisterhood book writing, art, and work as a coach, digital media producer, yoga teacher, and innerpreneur.”
This definition has been a regular topic of discussion in my “Follow My Heart” journal. My journal entries have explored the various colors, scents, yoga poses, travel adventures, physical exercises, magazines, music, movies, books, beverages, teas, foods, sheroes, jewelry, shoes, boots, and clothing that inspire Fierce Living.
I also created a six-word memoir: Dream. Imagine. Create. Inspire. Express Peace. These words are my 2012 Fierce Living mantras. Click here to listen to a short audio blog about what Fierce Living means to me in 2012.
Have you joined the Pinterest revolution of digital vision boards? I am happy to admit that I did. I created a Pinterest board with images and statements that remind me to practice Fierce Living in 2012 and beyond. Click here to check it out.
My journal entries have also explored what Fierce Living looks like in my digital life: the time I spend online, the content I post, the comments I make on social media sites, the email and blog subscriptions I maintain, the words I use to describe myself, the photos I use to represent myself, the blog templates I use to express my thoughts, the businesses I patronize, and the causes I support. After writing in my journal, my life began to manifest some of my thoughts.
Ananda wearing her Fierce Living orangeMy Fierce Living Nine West patent leather wedge booksThe Digital DIet, my new Fierce Living book IExperience Life, one of my Fierce Living magazinesO Magazine, one of my Fierce Living magazinesPoets & Writers, one of my Fierce Living magazinesYoga Journa, one of my Fierce Living magazines
Ananda is speaking about Fierce Living from Your Creative Heart at Blissdom
So here’s what happened during the first 12 days of the new year. I unplugged from the web on most days and got a lot of sleep. I also practiced yoga, meditation, mantra chanting with my mala beads, and Reiki daily. My MINT Gym membership was used regularly. I gave the TRX training equipment and bike a serious workout. The medicine balls and mats were great for all of my planks, sit ups, crunches, boat poses, side planks, and forearm planks.
I went crazy reading my fashion, health, yoga, poetry, and tech magazines at healthy cafes like Sweet Green and Teaism. I discovered a hot chocolate made with rice milk at Teaism. Delish! It protects me from soy and dairy allergies! Cosi, Starbucks, and Love Cafe were the hot spots for my journal writing. Love the tomato basil soup at Love Cafe!
Long walks home from the subway in the evening helped me practice mindfulness as I noticed the different changes in my neighborhood. Thanks to my friend Gustavo, the owner of Habitat Live & Wear on U Street, I started having my own personal dance parties with new music from Spain. Gustavo gave me two great CDs! Love them!
The January shopping goddess helped me score a pair of Nine West black patent leather wedge boots and a smokey quartz ring from Habitat that I have been stalking since early fall. What bargains!
By the way, I am deep into the meaning and power of gemstones. My new smokey quartz ring has some powerful energy. Did you know smokey quartz is nature’s stone of endurance? It promotes personal pride and joie de vivre (joy in living), creativity in business, and opens the path for perception and learning. It is also a protection stone that cleanses and clears negative energy. I like that it facilitates your ability to get things done in the practical world and enhances organizational skills in the workplace or home office. I definitely need all of these things as I move into my Fierce Living 2012!
I watched Young & the Restless, PAN AM, The Practice, and Grey’s Anatomy online as I organized my shoe and boot collection with Real Simple organizers, folded clothes, and decluttered my closet.
I took some time to launch my digital streamlining project for my WordPress and Tumblr blogs (still works in process … web sites will be added later this year). That led me to select new photos for my online presence, edit and repost my bio, and reduce the amount of email I receive.
I even found a few moments to submit two speaking proposals for BlogHer 2012. That process did not take long. I used old proposals and added a few new lines. I call it Fierce Living Recycled.
As a result of this Fierce Living, I received three HUGE blessings.
A fresh, open mind that led me to begin writing a chapter of my Digital Sisterhood book (which will be published later this year).
A better understanding and practice of boundaries to ensure I have creative time to write, time to play, and time to rest.
A renewed sense of joie de vivre (joy in living).
Now that’s Fierce Living for me! What is Fierce Living to you?
What are your Fierce Living (FL) 2012 colors, scents, foods, yoga poses, clothing, shoes, boots, jewelry, and music?
Orange is my FL color. Pink, purple, red, yellow, blue, and black are second runners up! Almond oil is my FL scent. Sweet potatoes and beets are my FL food. The forward fold and warrior one are my FL yoga pose. My fuchsia coat from Violet Boutique is my FL clothing. My black and pink Saucony jogging shoes are my FL shoes. My Nine West black patent leather boots are my FL boots. My smokey quartz ring is my FL jewelry. Eric Roberson’s Mr Nice Guy CD is my FL music.
Who are your Fierce Living sheroes?
My mother Theresa and Oprah are two of my FL sheroes.
Well, that’s enough FL for a Friday! Enjoy your weekend and 2012!
It’s been a long time since we connected on this blog. I hope your fall season is going well. Mine has been filled with revelations like the one I had during the Blogalicious Weekend Conference on October 21-23, 2011. While I was learning, sharing, laughing, sipping on cocktails at the evening events, chatting and drinking wine in the Wine Sisterhood Sassy Suite, and enjoying digital sisterhood and brotherhood moments at Blogalicious, I realized I needed to be honest with myself about the work I have taken on as the Digital Sisterhood Network founder. I made a list of all of my obligations, goals, and upcoming activities. Looking at the list on Sunday helped me see I needed to give myself more time to finish my next book, Digital Sisterhood, a memoir. More time is several months. That means the book will be published in 2012.
It feels really good to share my revelation and plans with you all!
Thank you for your continued support and positive energy!
Blessings,
Ananda
Check out the links below to see what I have been doing.
1) My Ignite DC #8 Talk on “Digital Sisterhood for DC Women Entrepreneurs” Flickr photos and presentation (see below)
2) Photos of My Blogalicious Weekend Conference Adventures on Flickr
Last weekend during Digital Sisterhood Unplugged Sunday I made a decision to step away from this blog and my @AnandaLeeke Twitter page, Facebook pages, Tumblr page, Flickr phoho-sharing site, Vimeo channel, and Cinchcast audio blog to begin the wonderful, juicy journey of completing my next book, Digital Sisterhood, a memoir. The only thing I needed to do was a pick a date. I have vacillated on the date all week. This morning I realized during my yoga, Reiki healing touch, and meditation practice that my day to step away is in fact today. That means this is the last blog post until late October (will be back in time for Blogalicious on October 21-23 in DC).
Thanks for stopping by and reading my words, sending me positive vibes and energy for my writing journey, and supporting all of my creative efforts! May you have a beautiful rest of April, May, June, July, August, September, and October!
Blessings,
Ananda
PS: Listen to my audio blog about Earth Day and a poem that celebrates green living! Enjoy!
Technology, the Internet, and social media are amazing. They have empowered people with information, a global space, and a portfolio of tools to communicate, promote, and debate their ideas and experiences. They have also presented challenges in how people communicate and engage with each other as they exercise their freedom of speech on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other sites in cyberspace. Some of these challenges include speech that causes fear or creates a threat of being the target of unwarranted abuse, harassment, or lies. Thanks to organizations like CiviliNation, an education and research nonprofit that focuses on advancing the full capability of individuals to communicate and engage in cyberspace in a responsible and accountable way, work is being done to educate people about these challenges.
In an effort to support CiviliNation’s work and to promote digital civility, the Digital Sisterhood Network is launching its Digital Civility & Security Initiative on July 4, 2011. From July 4 to July 11, the Digital Sisterhood Network will use its web site, Digital Sisterhood Wednesday celebration, Twitter page, and radio show to promote and celebrate women in social media and organizations that provide awareness and outreach on digital civility, Internet freedom of speech, online security, privacy, and digital etiquette. In addition, Andrea Weckerle, CiviliNation’s founder will co-host the July 6th Twitter chat on digital civility from 8:00 pm ET to 9:00 pm ET. Please use the hashtag #digitalsisterhood to participate in the conversation.
What do you think about digital civility?
Do you feel safe in expressing your thoughts online?
Share any stories about online communication challenges you have faced in the comment section below.
Be sure to check out the videos below featuring CiviliNation Andrea Weckerle and Digital Sisterhood Network founder Ananda Leeke.
Ananda Leeke, Kari Fulton, and Dr. Alla Tovares served as panelists for Howard University’s New Media Symposium at Founders Library on April 6, 2011. Fulton is the National Campus Climate Challenge Coordinator for the Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative. Dr. Alla Tovares is a Howard University Professor and author of How to Write about the Media Today. Angela Adrar, an International Strategy and Communications Consultant, served as the moderator.
Dr. Ada Vilageliu Diaz, a Howard University professor, organized the symposium for freshman students as part of her writing-intensive composition course on new media entitled: New Media Writing and Race. The symposium’s goal was to have students learn from new media/social media experts and to further understand the possibilities of new media to support social causes and to enhance leadership possibilities.
Great news! To date, 15 generous supporters helped me raise $425 for my Digital Sisterhood book fundraiser on Kickstarter.com. I am filled with deep gratitude for their generosity and your support for sharing my fundraiser with your network via Twitter, Facebook, email, and other social media sites.
FYI – You can still make a donation to my fundraiser by clicking here. Once I meet my $500 goal, I will continue raising money until the June 28th deadline. The additional money raised after the $500 goal will be used to cover some or all of the graphic art and photography expenses.
Ananda Leeke 