2.5 Tenet 2 discussion with Carolina Allen and Kim Landeen: We Recognize Our Intuitive Internal Compass

Currents: the Big Ocean Women Podcast

Hosts Kim Landeen and Carolina Allen discuss this month’s tenet: “We are each unique and innately worthy of respect.”

“I feel as though the world would be completely different if everyone truly understood what this tenet really means.” – Carolina Allen

“As we really focus on the uniqueness, our individual uniqueness, and the uniqueness of those around us, and we see the worth, the divine and inherent worth within that uniqueness, great things can happen.” – Kim Landeen

“There’s an Islamic proverb that I love that says, ‘A lot of different flowers make a bouquet.’” – Kim Landeen

The Mother Tree: Discovering the Love and Wisdom of Our Divine Mother by Kathryn Knight Sonntag

- Set your roots, engage in the work of the root, discover who you are, do the hard work of soul engagement

- Grow, don’t just stay in the root work and “self-discovery,” get out of yourself and serve others

“The term ‘self-care’ has been kind of co-opted to mean ‘self-indulgence’ in a way.” – Carolina Allen

“I know as moms we give a lot, … I get it, … we are stretched thin, but also like there’s power in that, like we’re actually building something, it’s not for nothing, you know, and it’s worth the effort, it’s worth the work.” – Carolina Allen

“You can gain internal peace without needing to gain justice.” – Kim Landeen

“We get to really know what we’re made out of and who we are when we’re put to the test, like when we have to actually engage and apply these things in very real ways and the best way to do that literally is to be there for people and serve them.” – Carolina Allen

“I believe we need to reclaim ourselves… as maternal feminists, the reclaiming of who we are, are divinely inspired, empowered women, that show up in our homes, our communities, and this world. We need those women.” – Kim Landeen

“As we sacrifice for the rising generation because of our maternal identities and because of … know the sacrifice that our physical bodies go through just to even bring about life and nurture that life after that life has been born, because of that there is a very powerful thread that we hold as an authority to the rising generation by way of influence. Meaning, because I am a present loving selfless person within the walls of my home with my children, … all of that authority built from love and from sacrifice has a very unique influence over that child ... in a sense that ‘My mom has been there for me, … I’m going to listen to what she has to say.’ And If you live in a selfish manner, it’s not there, you don’t have that sway, you don’t have that pull, you don’t have that influence. The influence, to me, in my book is the greatest power that exists on the planet which is why I think mothers and this maternal work has been so undermined and has been so devalued throughout time to kind of make us forget … what it is the power that we really have … the way to exercise that power, like that self-empowerment, is to lean into the selflessness not the selfishness. And I think that there are … contradicting messages in our society. I'd say there’s a really strong message in our society to lean into the selfish component and I think that we need to be really careful with that.” – Carolina Allen

“To be a mother is to hopefully have influence… The jobs that we do in our home influence not just today or not next week, it influences generations.” – Kim Landeen

“It’s easy to pit these two against each other. It’s easy to say you can either be selfless or selfish, and by definition, that’s correct… I think it goes back to the intention of what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. It is selfless for me to say I am going to have structure in my life so I can get up and I can get the things that I need to get done so I can be present with my children when they are awake. It is selfless for me to say I’m going to take care of my body and refuse the things that I want to indulge in so I can have the energy and the stability to show up in the world when I need to show up. It is selfless of me to say I am going to study and I’m going to develop these different qualities so that I can then engage in political and social conversations. All of those things, the waking up early, the eating what I want to eat, the exercising, all of those could be seen as selfish components of what I’m doing, but it’s the intent of what I’m doing… That’s what it comes down to is the intent… It ultimately comes down to why are you doing what you are doing? What is it doing for you? What is it doing for those around you?” – Kim Landeen

“These identity markers are important; they are deeply important to who we are… but how am I going to show up as that person? And that is where uniqueness comes in. That is where those divine gifts start to really shine. And there are moments of reflection, there are moments of going down into the roots and those are so important, so don’t lose those moments of reflection. Don’t say I’m just going to sacrifice everything and just keep going and going because there is burnout, there is lack of focus, there is lack of intentionality, that’s where those roots come… When you disengage from what you’re doing, and you get on this superficial level and you’re not truly becoming a better person and you’re not truly rejuvenating, you’re not truly feeding yourself in a way that your body needs.” – Kim Landeen

“I really wish that for everyone in the world, number one that everyone can understand that they’re innately worthy of respect, … and that they are valuable irrespective of external circumstances or validation, that there is something unique about each and every listener, everyone on this planet that that means that like you as a person are valuable ... My single wish is that we can feel that, you know, that we can really feel in in the most humble the most beautiful but the most confident way and that we can have … courage to go and share our talents and not hide our light under a bushel but to stand and have this confidence this kind of inner confidence and inner … peace about us that can really influence the world.” – Carolina Allen

“Healing truly comes from connection… There is also deep connection and healing that comes from reaching outside of yourself having those that are dependent on you be able to trust you and depend on you.” – Kim Landeen

“The way I think the world needs to change is unique to my experiences. I’ve seen things that I want to improve.” – Kim Landeen

Call to action: Engage in a way that you feel like you need to engage in to make the world better because of your unique experience.

Carolina Allen is the founder and leader of Big Ocean Women, the international maternal feminist organization representing perspectives of faith, family, and motherhood throughout civil society. Carolina holds a B.A. in philosophy from the University of Utah with an emphasis in cultural religions and philosophy of science. Her inspirational and philosophical work has been presented at various international U.N. conferences. She is a native of Brazil, and a fluent trilingual. She and her husband Kawika are parents to 7 children. She is an avid soccer fan and had a brief career as a semi-professional player.

Kim Landeen is a founding member and a Global Team Director of Big Ocean Women, the international maternal feminist organization representing perspectives of faith, family, and motherhood throughout civil society. Kim has a deep love for the natural world. She lives in Alaska with her family where she enjoys spending the slower paced life with her children combing the beach for treasures, gardening, picking wild berries, and spending rainy lazy days making bread, reading books, and watching movies. She is an ecotour captain in Glacier Bay National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site where she helps educate her clients on the relationship between humanity and the larger eco-environment. In addition to her love of nature, she also enjoys studying theology and the inner workings of the soul as well as tracking global political and social movements. Her love for God, people, and this world drives her to continually seek to improve her own circumstances and the circumstances of all those with whom she comes in contact.