Were you in the room?!

I love you.

I thank you.

From the bottom of my heart, you are the most amazing women in the whole, wide world!

Proof was in the ballroom this past weekend at our 2014 Women on Fire Retreat in Naples, Florida! The way you loved and listened, uplifted and supported each other was truly like no other experience.

If you weren’t able to attend this year’s gathering with all of us, please promise me you’ll consider it next year. (We’ll be in planning mode soon to secure the date and location…in the crush of winter, Florida’s sun and 75 degrees seems to work out just right for a weekend respite 😉

I urge you so strongly to join us because you deserve this one amazing weekend of the year just for YOU. A weekend to learn and to be listened to and heard.

A weekend to connect with other like-hearted women and to celebrate just how far you’ve come in life!

A weekend to explore all your dreams and to think about your life’s next steps in the support and safety of women who care — and women who want the best for you.

All while listening to some of the most authentic and powerful speakers you could imagine. Here are some snippets from what we heard:

The root word of discipline is “disciple.” So the next time you’re complaining that you don’t have discipline, you have to ask yourself: “Do I want to be the disciple of my own soul?” ~ Nancy Aronie, NPR commentator, author Writing From The Heart and founder, Chilmark Writing Workshop

 

An educated girl can break the cycle of poverty in her family in just one generation. Loung Ung, Cambodian genocide survivor, human rights activist, and author First They Killed My FatherLucky Child and Lulu In The Sky

Joy needs to be a conscious choice. ~ Loung

To go beyond surviving to thriving means choosing your heart. ~ Loung

Thank you, fabulous Women on Fire sisters who attended and everyone who cheered us on. We know many of you wanted to be with us and weren’t able to come.

Next year my dream is for every Women on Fire sister to be in the room to be showered with inspiration and support.

Safe travels to everyone returning home from Naples. Look for a special email from me this week.

Thank you all so much for being a part of this life-changing community. When you have Women on Fire sisters at your side, you are never alone in your journey to live your incredible life!

Love,

Debbie Signature

P.S. Thank you to fabulous photographers Heather Stone and Rob Berkley for the wonderful pictures. More to come!

You’ll never guess what we’re giving away…

How would you like to slip into one of the most luxurious spas in the country, receive a world-class massage, relax in a hot tub, sauna and plunge pool, soak in the sun on a private deck — and then leave with a gift of exquisite products – for free?

Sneak peek at The Waldorf Astoria Spa in Naples

We thought so!

So we have a plan for you:-)

You are eligible to win when you attend the Women on Fire retreat in Naples, Florida at The Waldorf-Astoria beachside resort on February 28-March 1, 2014!  (And if you’re not yet registered, you can STILL win. Please go here.)

Register for the retreat by January 23, 2014 and have the opportunity to win this fabulous gift. You will receive:

*Your spa package can be claimed during the weekend of the retreat or saved for a later date.

Inside the exquisite Waldorf Astoria Spa

Here’s how to be eligible to win:

First…
You must be registered to attend the Women on Fire retreat weekend Ignite Your Life—and Soar. If you have yet to officially register, please do so here! You have until TOMORROW Monday, January 20, 2014 to receive our lowest pricing 🙂

Next…
Share the Women on Fire retreat page link — www.wofretreat.com — on your Facebook page, and tell us why you are excited to attend. Be sure to tag the Women on Fire Facebook Fan page @WomenOnFire so we can see that you posted.

*If you aren’t a fan of Women on Fire on Facebook yet, you can “Like” our page by clicking here!

Example post

Sample text– feel free to copy this directly or write your own:

I can’t wait to attend the Women on Fire retreat in Naples, FL from February 28-March 1, 2014 at the Waldorf Astoria resort! It’s my favorite time to connect with all the fabulous women in this supportive community and to take some much needed time for myself! Who’s coming with me? http://wofretreat.com/

*If you do copy and paste, after you’ve pasted make sure to go back and retype the Women on Fire tag @WomenOnFire so we are notified before you post it live!

OR

Send an email inviting one (or more) women to join you at the Women on Fire retreat. Make sure to send them the link to the retreat info page at www.wofretreat.com, and bcc meredith@womenonfire.com so we can keep track of how many personal emails you have sent.

*Don’t forget we are extending the discounted members registration rate to guests of current Women on Fire members!

Entry details:

You will receive one entry for every Facebook post and email that you send. Keep in mind that each Facebook post and email must follow the above guidelines to be officially counted.

Deadline:

You have until January 23, 2014 to enter to win this luxurious spa package valued at over $300.
The winner will be selected and announced in The Spark! on January 25, 2014.

By attending the retreat, you will be taking time to focus on you, celebrate yourself and the women attending, and receive the inspiration, strategies and support that will keep you thriving and moving toward goals and dreams all year long!

So we are thrilled to give away the ultimate gift of relaxation to help you on your journey and to make your weekend even more magical! Good luck and keep an eye out for your name (fingers crossed) in The Spark! on January 25!  Happy posting.

Sneak peek inside a Women on Fire Tea Party!

I am still on a high after last Friday’s Women on Fire Tea in Naples, Florida.

What a joy to meet all the women who came from far and wide to listen deeply to what each other is  “on fire” about; to confide innermost fears, desires and dreams; and to cheer each other on.


The fabulous Women on Fire Tea Party participants in Naples, Florida

After leading these events for nearly seven years, this particular tea also touched my heart  because it was the first one my mother Mary Lue Phillips had ever attended.  (She loved the women and the experience so much that afterward she wondered how she can attend every single tea from here on!)


My mother Mary Lue Phillips and Woman on Fire Karen Kilpatrick

I’d love to introduce my mother to you and take you inside for a private view of the opening circle at the tea in Naples …

Video Here

Having my mother there also brought awareness to the incredible gifts that flow through us from our mothers.  No matter your history, your status or your relationship with your mother, do you know which gifts you possess from her?

It is both freeing and empowering to recognize and honor them.  I thank my mother for her compassion and positive spirit, her warmth, her love of people and her sense of humor! She is a funny one (as many of you remarked after watching her eat a Limpopo last summer!) and I am so grateful to receive those gifts from her.


Two Women on Fire at the tea whose strength, generosity, creativity and wisdom greatly influence my own life — Anne Gallagher and my mother Mary Lue Phillips.

Please pop on down to the comments section below to share what is special about your mother that you are the lucky recipient of!

Have a wonderful week and stay tuned for some very exciting new happenings at Women on Fire to bring you even more inspiration, strategies and support!

Love,

Debbie

Where, where and why?

Thank you for your tremendous and overwhelming response to the news that Jan Allen is joining our Women on Fire team.  This expansion allows us to offer and test models of even greater support to women everywhere by making Ohio a model state.

We’re deeply touched by your interest in our revolution of women joining forces to support each other to succeed.  And, we are thrilled you are here!


Women on Fire group Vision Day in Naples, Florida: Barb Zion, Margie Warrell, Debbie Phillips, Jamie Eslinger, Jessika Ferm, Tricia Simpson, Angela Ittu

A few hours ago, I hugged goodbye the phenomenal women from as far away as California, Ohio, Massachusetts and Virginia who attended our first-ever Women on Fire group Vision Day retreat in Naples, Florida.

Each woman worked on her plans and next steps to steer her life toward her big vision.  I loved spending the weekend in the presence of such courageous, awe-inspiring Women on Fire determined to accomplish her biggest dreams!

They crafted their plans while renewing their spirits, and I think you are going to be dazzled in the near future to see some of their results.

There are many components to living the life you dream of and I want to include you in on one that we touched on over the weekend.  How would you answer these questions?

Where were you born?  Where do you live now?  And, why?

It’s thought-provoking to consider that where you live could lead to a more fulfilling life.

Do you live in your geographic home?

For instance, I was born in Bryan, Ohio and I love my home state with all of my heart.  But I truly feel alive on the East Coast and especially after I settled on Martha’s Vineyard in 2001.  I was in my geographic home.

In my 15 years as a coach, I have seen people thrive and succeed to greater degrees when they live in their geographic home where they feel their best and most inspired.

If you know in your heart you’re not living in the right location but aren’t sure where that is, check out this free online survey.  Find Your Spot may show you locations that fit your criteria for the perfect place for you!

You know I love hearing from you.  So please feel free to share below.  If you are totally jazzed with where you live, please tell us where and why.  Or, if you need to find your geographic home and were inspired to take the quiz, I’d love to hear your results and whether they surprised you.

In the meantime, have a great week and I am sending you huge wishes to live your biggest dreams — in the location of your choice!

Video Book Review: Lose Weight Without Dieting?

I know at the beginning of each New Year I — and many of you — redouble our efforts to lose weight and get into better shape.

This week I am eager to share a new book I am finding extremely helpful in my quest to totally love my body and to get in touch with my slimmer side. And, it is written by Marianne Williamson, a friend and a wonderful spiritual teacher whose work has guided me for years.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JOIZX5jevM

>>>>>If you do not see the video above, click this link to play it

If you have anything you’d like to say, please comment below!

Also ~
Is your year off to the best start possible?  Are you all set to live the life you really want?

If not, please know Women on Fire has a coaching group led by Andrea Dowding and Jerry Browning in Columbus, Ohio starting next month for those of you living there.  Contact: andreadowding1@columbus.rr.com or jbrowning@chiron.net.

And, I’m busy working on plans for the first-ever, exclusively for Women on Fire, group Vision Day®.  Details available this week for our gathering in Naples, Florida February 3-5, 2011.  You will join a small group of other fabulous women and craft a vision and a plan to help you take the next leaps forward in your life.  In Naples.  In the warm. With sunshine. Very exciting!

With love and all good wishes for you to feel great about your life ~

Debbie

Fun Video: Women on Fire Recap 2010

Hello to you and to 2011!

Here’s a quick look back on 2010.  These video snippets are but a fraction of the fun we had at Women on Fire in 2010. Especially check out the wisdom of Janette Barber and Stedman Graham!

I hope you see yourself in this video. You are the reason I personally enjoyed a phenomenally inspiring and exciting year!

Super talent Jamie Eslinger, Women on Fire’s marketing and communications director, created this video. She and I had so much fun going to the beach in Naples, Florida to film the last scene in it.

Of course, I could have talked for an hour instead of a minute.  I have so much to say to you about living your life full out!  Your gifts, strengths and talents shared are changing the world.

Enjoy the video and feel free to comment on anything you want to say about your experience with Women on Fire.  I love, love, love hearing from you!

Congratulations for everything you’ve accomplished, created, achieved – and survived! – in 2010.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a part of our Women on Fire community. You are – and we are together — changing the way women connect with each other and feel supported to stay strong on our paths to succeed.

Lots of new plans, programs and events ahead in 2011 to inspire your extraordinary life!

With love and excitement for all your possibilities ~

Debbie