Flashback Friendship, Feminine, & Philanthropy
Sen Hoa Foundation red carpet event advocating employment and emancipation of young girls and women in Cambodia exploited by human trafficking.
#FBF
This is my “Heart Squad!”
She auctioned me off for $500 in college to go on a date with whomever- which I never did. She put me on stage singing in front of all our University of California, Irvine classmates without hesitation, pushed me to be in several random Vietnamese beauty pageants, I failed my first and only undergraduate class because we were always chatting (Statistics), and I learned to parallel park like no-one’s business because she lived in the most ridiculously overcrowded cul-de-sac ever created in Tustin, California.
Then I met Dr. Christine Dinh through Thi. She introduced me to Mindvalley and was the reason I found my Afest tribe in Costa Rica. She cares for humans and animals beyond imaginable words as an Obstetrician-Gynecologist and loyal practitioner for Doctors Without Borders. She loves sweets and if you ever met her you would think she is a walking cupcake.
When I reminisce of friendship I think of the following…
Friendship is a mutually beneficial interaction that does not require fixing. It is a journey of growth where you get to choose people who choose you. Friendship does not end when separation occurs.
Women who engage in positive experiences and explore another women’s interests produces a sense of support and resilience that is shared.
One study found the tendency to share positive experiences were positively related to changes in positive affect and life satisfaction over time (Lambert et al., 2012)
Both these ladies have driven distances to support me in my music, performances, ideas, and even sat at a restaurant and let me recite my Tantric Meditation training repetitiously prior to the completion of my course with Psalm Isadora. Not only have they been there to witness the broken relationships, failures, and accolades -
but they were present to watch and support me when I lost the ability to feel, be free, and be feminine.
Being a women of wisdom, activism, and leadership has become increasingly popular in the media and social networking. Research demonstrates existence of an identity based on social bonds among women, has become the starting point for building community (Lycogianni, 2002).
I lost my sense of community. I lost my sense of self when I traveled and performed only to meet the physical and social expectations of my audience. I lost myself in catering to intimate relationships at the time felt so real and abundant, as long as I met the needs of my partner. There was no exhibit of feminine expression left in me.
Power Women
power opportunity & collectivism.
One weekend, I booked a room for myself at Korakia Pensione Hotel in Palm Springs. A mediterranean style resort diffused with bungalows, gardens, moroccan fountains, a keyhole entrance, and antique woods perfect for restoring my artistic soul to recovery.
At the last minute, Christine and Thi joined me at different times and this was when Christine generously gave me my first Giving Key. The purpose of this key was to choose a word, wear it, and embrace it and then pass it along to someone who may need this word more than you. Guess what my word was?
“ love”
After that weekend, I tended to my heart and made a promise to love every inch of my femininity.
The existence of my identity was free from the entertainment industry, hospital setting, familial values, toxic relationships, and negative feedback. I wanted to share this feeling to the world and inspire every women to live up to her greatest potential.
There was something about our common interest to spread kindness and love that always brought the three of us back to philanthropy.
If I ever needed a red-carpet duo to support an anti-human trafficking event or get gritty building homes for the less affluent, these women would stand by me without hesitation. These women are the mindful leaders of today. These women will bring the momentum and ideas for impact and philanthropy. These women share love, respect, and honor for friendship and community.
“She will lead with no mention of her aptitude. She credits the people who made her the women she is today. ”
Resources
Lambert, N.M., Gwinn, A.M., Baumeister, R.F., Strachman, A., Washburn, I.J., Gable, S.L., & Fincham, F.D. (2012). A boost of positive affect. Journal of social and personal relationships, volume 30 (1) retrieved from http://journals.sagepub.com.lib-proxy.fullerton.edu/doi/abs/10.1177/0265407512449400
Lycogianni, R. (2002). Neighbourly women in athens. Women & Environments International Magazine, , 31-33. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.lib-proxy.fullerton.edu/docview/211616210?accountid=9840
United states: Female philanthropist paves way for more sustainable living with single-use plastics ban in city of malibu. (2018, Apr 13). Asia News MonitorRetrieved from https://search-proquest-com.lib-proxy.fullerton.edu/docview/2024051884?accountid=9840