Natalie: Today on the show I'm speaking with Sheryl Silbaugh who talks about an amazing project by Brave Heart Women, helping women to collaborate all around the world to make massive changes in their local community. So, stay tuned.

Natalie: Hi. I'm Natalie Ledwell and this is The Inspiration Show. And today my special guest is Sheryl Silbaugh. How are you Sheryl?

Sheryl: I'm great. How are you?

Natalie. Excellent! Now Sheryl lets me contact through email about an amazing project or an event or a number of clubs that's actually been opening up around the US and around the world. And I just had to get her on here to share, with all the information with everything's going on, there's a lot of that collaboration with women, which you know is gonna be very exciting, so I want it all, to share all that information with you. Because you know, as we know the Dalai Lama thinks, or has said that the western woman is going to save the world. So what Sheryl's involved in is something that she don't think she had heard of before. So it'd be interesting that you're gonna be here and sharing it with us. So, Sheryl why don't we just start with who you are and your background.

Sheryl: Sure. I've been in the banking industry for about 30 years. I'm the Senior Vice President actually in the Bank of America. So, you know I've been involved in some different women's organizations and I got involved with Brave Heart Women about 3 years ago. And you know sometimes in life, I don't know if you've heard about the charm inflection points. Its like, its something that happens that changes your course in your direction. And two and a half years ago, my nephew was murdered, and it was one of those inflection points that really caused me to take a look at my life. And while I was involved in some improvement industry for myself, my involvement in the community wasn't that large. And when I looked at what happen with my nephew, it was just one of those circumstances where he was in the wrong place at a wrong time. He cut through a park to get his bike to ride home and a gang banger just stepped out of the bushes and shot him dead. And it was one of those inflection points for me, personally for my family. And I just look at that, and what can I do to make a difference because I feel like I'm called to do something. And what I discovered when I really examined what was happening in my hometown where he lived, is that the community had really changed. And the ganium fluids was taken over and I thought what we need in the world relates us most of all our problems is the community. We will need to be involved; helping together with community is just what community needs. And so it was right to that point that I got more involved with Brave Heart Women because I was looking for a vehicle to do something, to make a difference. And I went to my first convention here in LA, 2 years ago in November and it was one of those life changing moments, it was transformative, and when I came out I said "You know next year I'm going to come and I'm bringing my daughter and I'm bringing every girlfriend I can drag". And so last November that's what I did. And everyone I brought came out doing the same thing, going "I'm coming back next year, and I'm bringing my daughter and I'm bringing every girlfriend I can drag". And its one of those organizations that just, your doing like an inner work and you're helping to change the world at the same time. And I can honestly say that so many of us gonna use workshops, and we get all these tips on how we can improve our lives and changes we can make, and we have all these plans, and then the week after that we forget everything that we looked at. And you know, a few of us will make a couple of changes but most of us don't make any. And this is the first thing that I ever willed to do, and it actually transform my life. And so they're an online community around the world, and there's over four hundred thousand women that have joined up and participate in the online community. And last year the founder Dr. Ellie Drake started looking around and felt that something more was needed than just having the online community. And so she started talking some of us about stepping into roles of leadership and forming actual physical chapters in the areas where we lived. And so I went to training and I've stepped into this world, and on the 27th of January were having our launch party and I'm just so excited because it's going to be a combination of learning something to help improve you. And get in together in collaborating with the women who join the chapter to make a difference in our communities. So, we'll have networking sessions and really, really learn what collaboration is all about. I'm just so excited because I know that this is gonna be one of those things that when you look back 5 to 10 years later you'll gonna say "This was one of the things that helped the western women do what the Dalai Lama talked about".

Natalie: And now the ripple effect of these groups that I can only foresee in our very close future is just astounding what you guys can achieve. So when looking at the chapter, obviously you've all been involve in the chapter there in LA. But there are chapters all over the US, are there outside of the US as well?

Sheryl: Yeah. We have active chapters in all across Canada and I believed that there should be a chapter opening up in England, you know, any day. And there's some women in Australia, in Finland, in Denmark, Germany. I know that there are some areas that are getting ready to open. And then part of what Brave Women also does is we have a foundation, and the foundation has a project that's going on, were calling it the Harmony project. And what it is, it's going to the area of conflict and helping the women come together in collaboration and trying to make a difference in diffusing the conflict that's going on. And so, we went twice last year to Israel and Palestine, and we met with a small group of women in July for a day. And then we went back again in October when we met with about 75 Palestinian and Israeli women and we were there for three days. I'm actually one of the members that's gonna be going back in Baptist time in 2014 and were gonna be there for a week. And our goal is to have 333 Israeli women and 333 Palestinian women, 333 Western women and we're gonna come together and do some of the things, the tools that we have, that we used in order to create a collaboration. One of the primary tools that we used is, have you heard of the, it's a natural hormone called oxytocin? It's the body love hormone.

Natalie: Yes.

Sheryl: Women don't do well in an adrenaline field lifestyle which is most of us have. I know that my work at the bank is very stressful and its very adrenaline base and adrenaline isn't healthy for women. And when women can increase their levels of oxytocin, and there's different tools you can do, used to do that, then they're able to come to that bonding stage. And when in you're in that state your very creative, you're very collaborative. And the things we call rising above the density that tend to happen when people are in, and the draw line sign that you have the five fire freeze. They tend to be argumentative, or they want things only their way, they don't see the other sides of the story, all those things that can lead to conflict are in that oxytocin space.

Natalie: Right.

Sheryl: And so what we discovered when we were there in October, is at first when everyone arrives on the first day, you got the Israeli women over here and the Palestinian women over here, they're all looking at each other, their arms are crossed, they're very you know stand and effaceable about their own stories, and both their stories are right. And so by helping them to drop their story, to get into that oxytocin space, to get into the place of creativity and collaboration. By the end of the troop days, they were singing and dancing and hugging and they were all like best friends. And so, we think that if we can take that into our communities and spread it to the world, that is how the western women can make a difference.

Natalie: So, what type of women are you looking to attract into these chapters?

Sheryl: Anyone who wants to make a difference in their community. It doesn't matter what lifestyle you have, what religion you are, there's none of those, we're looking to bringing everyone together, to teach them about half of the indo space of oxytocin, if nothing else it helps you have better health, to be creative in family life. And basically were doing this, is saying that women can have a personal purpose, a professional purpose and we have a global purpose. And if we can come together in collaboration, we can help each other achieved those purposes. And we're going to be happier for our communities that's gonna come together and the differences that needed to be made and the worlds gonna be a better place.

Natalie: Yeah. Absolutely! So what are some of the projects, some of the things, or some of the results that you're looking to get in your local community?

Sheryl: Well, you know, in my own community here, we have an on going problem with drugs, heroines become very cheap. And we've had a number of half scholars that have OD'ed and died. And so we're looking to my own community to create awareness, and to reach out and try and find answers to whatever's creating the situation, is it that we need more education from schools, is it a stronger family life, is it that this kids don't see a future, you know, fixing whatever those issues happened to be there. Bracing an awareness is I think the primary thing because when we come together in a community and we're looking out for each other, I'm looking out for your kids, you're looking out for my kids, in the end, you know people became aware of where they start seeing some dangerous signs of someone using drugs or alcohol in an abusive way. And then we can start recognizing those things as they form, we can stop it before it becomes an issue. Every community across the world they have that social ale that seems to be the one that creates them. It's either gay violence, drug or alcohol abuse, homelessness, joblessness or whatever the issues are, we're looking to form a collaboration of partnerships with the charities, non profits that are trying to make a difference. To bring education awareness to wherever the issue is and really make it a focal point in the community where everyone is reaching out and saying "what can I do to help?"

Natalie: Yeah. And you know the cool thing and I'm sure that you are connecting with the other chapters as well, is that your getting perspective of women all over the world, and you know in different environments, in different cultures, all coming together with the same similar issues, and maybe bringing with that a perspective that people haven't thought of before. It's very exciting.

Sheryl: It is. And you know the Brave Heart Women, if you go to braveheartwomen.com; it's the general website for joining the online community. They have lots of forums where things get discussed and partnerships are made so that women can reach out when you're having trouble with this or you don't know what you do about this. There's always somebody there that can raise a hand and say "Okay, this is what worked for me", and it gives you ideas. And for the local LA community, if anyone wants to learn more about it, my e-mail address is my name, [email protected]. They can send me an email and I can get them in touch with, if there is a chapter in their local community and if there isn't, to the local leaders

Natalie: Yeah. Absolutely. Sheryl, thank you so much for sharing all this information with me. It's such a pleasure having you on the show. This is such an amazing project, I just think that it was really important that we get this message out. Thank you so much for joining me today.

Sheryl: Thank you, Natalie.

Natalie: And guys I encouraged you to share this video and the information in it. And you can do that by clicking the Facebook and Twitter buttons above. And if you haven't done so already make sure to put your e-mail on the box above there, Id love to send you my Manifesting with the Masters video Echoes, its got masters like Bob Proctor, John Assaraf, Joe Vitale, its valued 87 dollars and I'd like to send it to you for free. So make sure that you put your e-mail on the box above there. And remember if you click on the banner to the side there you'll go straight to the Brave Heart Women website or you can contact Sheryl and find out all about this amazing project. So guys until next time remember to live large, choose courageously and love without limits. We'll see you soon.